As the wedding grew closer everyone started to get stressed out. And as they were basically running around to get things ready it caused a lot of headaches. Especially for Alma who grew more and more agitated.
"What do you mean there aren't enough tomatoes for the Pico De Galo! Get them!"
"The dress isn't finished yet? Why isn't it finished yet? We had it measured a month ago!"
"We need coffee for the coffee table! Is there enough biscuits?!"
Alma's standards had always been very high and everything needed to be perfect for the big day. So whenever something went wrong… It was another headache for Alma and she would shout.
This was not a good time for the accident prune Bruno who already had a history of messing everything up and successfully managed to burn the bread, spill a whole bag of sugar on the ground, fall directly into a table sending both him and the table down on the ground and now Bruno was trying to hang up lanterns while Alma was making the rounds.
Bruno was standing on a stepladder trying to tiptoe so he could reach a branch and that was… Of course… The moment his eyes flashed green and he saw himself falling down. Grabbing the garlands pulling them all down with him, landing in the mud ruining his clothes, and crash into a table tipping it over sending silverware on the ground too.
And the moment the flash ended… Bruno lost his balance and the whole series of events happened.
Trip… Garlands… mud… Table… Aaauuuwwww.
Bruno groaned deeply as he laid there on the ground trying to gather himself as Felix came running. "You okay Bro?" he asked offering Bruno a hand.
"Yeah… yeah." Bruno groaned as he accepted and got up in a sitting position only to realize the garlands and table cloth was now utterly ruined from the mud and he closed his eyes in shame. And then he felt it… his mother's stern eyes were on him and Bruno glanced up to see her look down at him.
"Brunito." Alma closed her eyes clearly trying not to groan. "I realize you just want to help. But maybe right now it's better if you…. Don't."
It was like Bruno felt his own heart stopping. Hopelessness just overwhelmed him and he looked down. Completely unable to look at his own mother. And he did not want to show his eyes either that was stinging with tears. That was utterly pathetic for a grown man.
"Everything must go perfectly. We are the center of the Encanto. Everyone looks to us for guidance." Alma pointed out in a stern voice. Then she sighed deeply. "Go get yourself cleaned up Brunito. I'll see you at dinner."
Bruno's eyes squinted as he felt Alma leaving and then Felix spoke.
"Hey… You hurt Bruno?" he asked. "You need some of Julieta's cooking?"
Bruno kept squinting his eyes as he shook his head.
"That's good. Come on. Let's go get you cleaned up." Felix suggested as he grabbed Bruno under the arm and pulled him up so he could guide Bruno back towards Casita. "Don't worry about the garlands or the table bro. I got it."
"Of course you do," Bruno muttered. Then halted and he bit his lip. He didn't mean to sound bitter. Felix honestly just wanted to help. And at once Bruno felt the guilt just overwhelming him.
Felix had been one of the few people being consistently nice to Bruno. Of course, at first, Felix had been an outsider and just hadn't known about the rumors. Once he had heard them though. He had laughed them off and proclaimed that if Bruno was bad luck. Then Felix was a twenty-foot-tall giraffe.
"Sorry." Bruno then at last whispered.
"No worries." Felix shrugged. "We are all pretty stressed these days. I'm sure that once Alma has calmed down she'll be good again."
"Right." Bruno sighed… he had his doubts though. He knew he had failed miserably at living up to his mother's expectations. He knew she loved him… He knew she believed he could do so much good… But Bruno started to seriously doubt her believes in him. And it made him feel miserable.
As Bruno showered. It was like he felt an itch in his brain. A scratch… Maybe an emerging headache from all of the wedding stress?
Seemed pretty likely. But that didn't change that it felt very uncomfortable and Bruno groaned as he knocked his hand on the shower wall and then hit his own head.
Somehow that seemed to actually ease the itching somewhat so Bruno did it again… And finally, a third time before he was somewhat satisfied.
At dinner though the scratch had returned and Bruno groaned deeply as he rubbed his eyes.
"Bruno?" Julieta asked concerned. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine Julieta. Don't worry about me." Bruno assured.
"Are you having a headache?" Julieta asked. "Isn't the food working?"
"He just needs to relax a bit." Felix suddenly injected. "This entire wedding business has been stressful for all of us."
"Brunito will be fine." Alma simply stated as she neatly cut up her fish. "It is Julieta and Agustin who have reasons to feel nervous. Not Brunito."
"We're fine Mama," Julieta assured as she reached over and put a hand over Agustins. Then smiled lovingly at her soon to be husband. "I'm sure the wedding is going to be wonderful."
And Agustin smiled happily. "Yes… How couldn't it be?" he asked.
After dinner, Bruno was sitting outside. Holding his head while rubbing his temples. Groaning slightly.
That's when Felix and Agustin both approached. "You okay?" Felix asked.
"Yes." Bruno groaned deeply hoping they would just go away.
They didn't…. The two men just sat down next to Bruno and as it turned out they were holding each their beer. Felix had an additional one he handed to Bruno. "You need to relax." he simply said. "Tomorrow is a big day."
"It's not my big day." Bruno stated but accepted the beer. "This is about Julieta! Like it should be! She deserves a great day that is hers! So please don't worry about me." he asked as he put the beer to his lips then removed it. "She should not always be worrying about me. That's just wrong. Especially on her wedding day."
"I'll tell her you're okay," Agustin assured Bruno. "She can't help but worry. That's just who she is. But I'll do what I can."
And Bruno exhaled deeply as he lowered his head.
For a moment there was silence and Felix glanced up. "Dudes. Can I tell you something?" he asked.
"Hmm," Bruno replied as he took another sip.
"So you know I am an orphan right?" Felix asked. "I never had a family but… I always wanted one. I used to dream about having a real family. With lots of people who do all kinds of things together and care about each other… And then I came here. And you people just… You invited me right into your family. And it has been amazing." he said. "Just how everyone has been. It's stuff I only ever thought I was going to fantasize about," he said as he leaned over. "I want to marry Pepa." he said. "I want to be a Madrigal…. I think I love this family. All of it."
Bruno looked at Felix beside him with stunned eyes.
"Of course, I won't ask her now." Felix laughed amused. "Tomorrow is your day amigo!" he smiled at Agustin. "But… I would like to ask her soon." he glanced up. "I… I hope she'll agree…. I love that woman so much. She's so wild and free and... Amazing!" Felix breathed as he seemed completely lost for words then smiled. "I just can't imagine anything better than to just be here. With all of you guys." he smiled. "So I guess what I am trying to say is... Thank you! Seriously thank you for letting me know what it feels like to have a family! And some true Bros!"
"The days have been fun." Agustin smiled. "I sure am lucky." he agreed. "And glad I met you too Felix."
Bruno smiled amused. "Well my sisters could do a lot worse. So I'm not complaining."
And Felix laughed. "Getting approval from the actual brother! Now that's worth a lot." then he smirked as he padded Bruno on the shoulder. "Thanks..." he hesitated a bit. "Hermano." he then tried a little nervously.
Bruno looked at the man he had only known for two years. But in that time it had started to feel so natural that Felix just sort of belonged here. Like Agustin also seemed like he was just supposed to be here. "Sure." Bruno finally said and Felix beamed. Happy over the acceptance.
Then Felix held up his beer. "To Agustin and Julieta!"
And Bruno held up his beer as well. "Agustin and Julieta!" he repeated as their bottles clinked. The sound though went straight to Bruno's head and he hissed.
"You sure you're okay Bro?" Felix asked concerned.
"Yeah… I just." Bruno hissed as he stood up while dropping his beer on the ground. "I think I'll go to bed. You two just… Enjoy the evening okay?" he asked.
The men didn't get any time to respond as Bruno just turned and stormed towards his own room.
But even in there it got worse and Bruno groaned as he rolled around in his bed… Why? He knocked on the wooden bed frame and then his head but it didn't work… Great! Fantastic. What could be causing this?
Then he remembered something Pepa had told him. That sometimes she felt the storm building inside of her. She could try to suppress it but it would give her a headache. So that's why she needed to go to her room so she could just let it all out and be done with it.
Bruno groaned deeply… Was he supposed to have a vision or something? He groaned as he stood up. Bruno had never tried anything like this before. But he might as well give it a shot.
The stairs to his seer's room were long by design at this point. So only people who really wanted to get their visions seen would go up there. Basically, if you were too lazy to do it you wouldn't come.
Bruno though as the owner of the room had a way to bypass the stairs and simply stepped on the sand making the sand rise up like a sand elevator and safely deposited him at his seer's room where he walked inside to start the process.
Most of these things weren't actually needed at all. But it helped Bruno relax before a prophecy when he would be nervous about the outcome. It would ground him.
Leaves on the floor burning just slightly to chase away evil spirits… Bit of salt over the shoulder to ward against bad luck… Knock on wood. And Bruno took a deep breath.
The vision started almost immediately and Bruno could just feel the pressure leaving his head giving him instant relief… So he had been right. Then he opened his shining green eyes to see the sand creating shapes. It was… Casita?
Yes. He was seeing casita and then his vision moved inside of the house. Downwards… Down to the foundation of it. A wall and in the wall… Suddenly a crack appeared.
Bruno gasped and the vision stopped. A jade slab landed right at his feet and Bruno wide-eyed looked down to see a big crack forming in a wall… In the foundation of Casita.
Bruno's eyes were wide… What… What did that mean? And why now.
Bruno hissed as he brought up a fist and banged his own head. And the night before Julietas wedding! Stupido! Stupido! Stupido! He kept banging his head and then groaned as he sat up.
This was fine… It was fine! His true visions could see years and years into the future. This wasn't necessarily anything they had to worry about now.
For all Bruno knew this could be in another hundred years! Nothing to do with him! Nope! Irrelevant!
So just… shut up.. Keep quiet… Tomorrow is about Julieta and only Julieta!
Bruno inhaled a deep breath and exhaled. He would do anything for his family… Whatever this thing was. He would not burden them with it now when they didn't really need to know.
He didn't even know what it meant anyway! So there. It didn't happen. It didn't matter!
