It wasn't too long after that that one morning Dolores had suddenly just stood up at the breakfast table and shouted that old Senor Garzia had fallen through his roof and he needed help.
It didn't even take a second before the entire family rushed over to true enough to see a hole in the old mans roof.
As Senor Garzia lived alone the door was locked and Felix had to kick down the door to where they could finally find old Senor Garzia out cold on the floor with blood coming from a head wound.
Quickly Julieta had managed to get the old man just awake enough to take a bite of her food and in an instant… Senor Garzia was fine.
One thing was for sure though that if Dolores had not heard him falling. No one would have found him and the old man would have died.
If Dolores did not have her special gift. Senor Garzia would have been dead. Quickly all the townspeople were there to celebrate and praise the little girl.
Proudly did Felix throw her up and down while Dolores screamed in laughter. So proud and so happy that her gift had been of so much help.
"I'm going to use my gift to help the Encanto!" Dolores exclaimed proudly with a big wide smile on her face.
Bruno smiled… Dolores could save people. That meant they were very unlikely to hate her.
He just hoped… He really hoped that Dolores would remember that she was more than her gift. And that whatever happened in the Encanto wasn't her burden to bear.
It seemed to go so impossible fast until it was Luisa's turn to get a gift. Like with the others her door appeared and like with Dolores it was decided to have a ceremony and a party to celebrate.
"Now I can help the Encanto too!" Luisa gasped beyond excited. "I want to help… Everyone!"
This time Bruno didn't even bother to put in an objection. How could he? Dolores's gift had already helped a lot of people. And so had Isabela's.
They were benefiting the Encanto a great deal. That could not be denied… Maybe Bruno had indeed been the stupid one and worried over nothing.
And as little Luisa managed to just pick up an entire piano with her hand without breaking a sweat. People were gawking and clapping. And then they cheered as Alma proclaimed a new miracle had been granted them and the Encanto would be safer than ever.
Then Bruno glanced at little Camilo and Mirabel who were both gawking and then grinning, already asking when they could have gifts and what they were going to get.
And of course, both were told. As if it was the greatest blessing in the world that yes… Yes, one day they would get gifts and it would be amazing.
It was one early morning when Mirabel was just four years old. Julieta had suddenly become very busy making food as Agustin's mother had gotten ill doing the night. This meant that they were going to miss the time at the optometrist for Mirabel unless someone else took her.
Bruno only very rarely went into the Encanto at this point. Only if he had a really good reason too! How-ever… Helping his family was always a good reason. So he offered himself and Julieta smiled thankfully at him.
And that's how Bruno found himself walking down to the Encanto with a four-year-old sitting on his back as she giggled.
"Faster Tio! Faster!" Mirabel asked and Bruno smirked.
"Well fine then," Bruno said and then started to run as Mirabel laughed loudly as he ran down the hills. But soon had to stop as he gasped for breath. "Wow… I shouldn't have done that."
"You got way further than Papi ever does," Mirabel informed. "Which is weird. He has longer legs than you so he should be able to run further right?"
Bruno shrugged. "I was always very nimble," he informed Mirabel. "When I was your age I liked to climb on everything. And I'm still a pretty good climber."
"How do you know?" Mirabel asked. "Where would you be climbing?"
Bruno squinted his eyes… His room. With the endless stairs. Not even he could always bypass all of them. But well at least it kept in him shape he supposed.
Once they reached town Bruno put Mirabel down and took her hand instead as they started to walk inside.
However, they didn't get far before suddenly someone gasped. The man pocked another man on the shoulder and that man turned to look and suddenly… Everyone just quieted as they were looking at Bruno.
Bruno's eyes widened as he realized his mistake.
"Tio…" Mirabel whispered. "What's going on?"
"Nothing," Bruno said. "Nothing at all. Hey Mirabel I was sort of wondering. After we've been at the optometrist. How about an ice cream?"
Mirabel gaped. "Really?" she asked. "But… Shouldn't Camilo, Luisa, Dolores, and Isabel have one too then?" she asked.
"Hey if you don't tell them I won't either," Bruno said and Mirabel gaped as if the mere idea of her getting something when the others didn't was completely foreign to her… Because it probably was. Well, Bruno knew that feeling too. When he had grown up there was no such thing as only one triplet getting a treat.
It was all of them or none of them. But also… None of them had really minded. He and his sisters had always shared everything without a second thought.
As they entered the optometrist shop, the man behind the counter jumped back in shock. "Se-Senor Madrigal!"
Bruno looked up. "Si," he said. "We did have a time for the Nino today didn't we?" he asked.
The optometrist's eyes flickered from Bruno to little Mirabel and then up again. "Si… I just thought that."
Bruno sighed. "My sister and her husband are occupied today so I am taking Mirabel."
"Ah… Yes… Of course." The optometrist nodded. "This way please." he gestured towards the back of the store and then he nervously eyes Bruno as Bruno followed his niece inside to the big chair.
Inside Mirabel quickly climbed up in the chair and giggled amusedly as she swung her legs back and forth. Then she frowned. "How come it's only me and papi who need glasses?" she asked.
Bruno shrugged. "Well. You got it from your Papi I am afraid," he admitted.
"Have you ever needed glasses?" Mirabel asked.
"No." Bruno shook his head. "My eyesight has always been really good. It's the best in the family you know."
And Mirabel grinned just as Bruno's eyes flashed green and she gaped.
"What did you see?" Mirabel asked. "What did you just see Tio?"
Bruno sighed. "Our friend the optometrist is going to fall in three, two." he stopped and on cue. The man tripped.
Mirabel gaped and Bruno shushed her. "Don't tell him I said that. He'll think I made it happen."
Mirabel's eyes were wide. "Did you?"
Bruno shook his head. "No. That's not how it works…. Now. Behave." he asked just as the optometrist got back up on his feet and started Mirabel's eye examination.
As it turned out Agustin's deduction that his daughter needed new glasses were entirely correct and so Bruno and Mirabel ended up looking at all the different frames. Suddenly Mirabel gasped as she picked up a pair of round green ones. "LOOK AT THESE!" she shouted. "They are like your eyes when you see stuff!"
"Huh." Bruno tilted his head. "I suppose kind of," he admitted. "What about these ones. You like blue right?" he asked finding another round pair.
They tried on several pairs of glasses in all different colors and then finally when Bruno asked if Mirabel had decided she didn't even hesitate. She just pointed straight at the green ones.
Bruno blinked stunned. "Mirabel… Are you sure?" he asked.
"Those!" Mirabel beamed. "I'll see better with those than the others."
"That's not how it works." Bruno sighed. "It's not the frames that make you see better. It's the glass in them."
"Those!" Mirabel stated again.
"Are you absolutely sure?" Bruno asked seriously. "You can only have one pair! And you are going to be stuck on them for at least a couple of years."
"Tio." Mirabel now said in a more serious voice. "Those!" she said in a strict voice very similar to Isabela's and Julieta's when they were not going to change their minds.
Bruno smiled amused as he shook his head. "Okay then," he said as he picked up the frames she had decided upon and handed them over at the desk.
After that Mirabel got her promised ice cream. Her eyes were nearly bulging out of her skull when she realized she could have three whole scoops and didn't have to share with anyone.
Bruno as well had gotten himself an ice cream, suddenly realizing he hadn't had that kind of treat for years either.
It was a nice calming afternoon as they were both just sitting and licking their ice-creams then Mirabel looked up. "Tio," she whispered. "Why are people walking a big circle around us?"
Bruno blinked as he looked up and saw how everyone was just avoiding them with a huge berg… And send him looks for good measures as if asking Bruno how he dared to leave casita and come here to disturb their peace.
Then Bruno shrugged. "They are just being polite giving us some space," he said giving his own ice cream another lick.
"Ooooooh!" Mirabel gaped just as a little girl with dark skin came running carrying a glass bowl complete with goldfish.
The girl didn't see where she was running and then suddenly tripped, splashing water on Bruno's feet.
Then slowly she looked up and then gasped as she saw Bruno.
Bruno's eyes widened and he swallowed as well. Just then his eyes flashed green and he wide-eyed turned his head.
"Tio?" Mirabel asked.
"Erhm…" Bruno glanced at the girl. "Look… I don't think your fish will be able to handle all of that stress. If you keep doing that then... " he halted.
The girl blinked.
"It's going to be dead by tomorrow," Bruno informed.
The girl halted… Then suddenly. Tears formed in her eyes and then suddenly she cried. And she kept crying as she picked herself up. Took her goldfish and ran away. Crying and screaming all the way.
Mirabel blinked. "What?" she asked.
And suddenly all the glares from all the townspeople just intensified as Bruno swallowed. "I… Think we better head back to Casita now," he said. "We don't want to be late for dinner. You know how your Abuela doesn't like people being late." Bruno swallowed as he stood up and grabbed Mirabel's hand firmly.
Mirabel nodded as she closely followed Bruno. Quietly licking her ice cream and Bruno closed his eyes… Great…. Just great.
The fun wasn't over though. The next morning as the family was eating breakfast someone was just hammering at the front door. Alma sighed deeply as she stood up to answer the door. The moment she did a woman's scream could be heard.
"How dare your family!"
"What's going on?" Alma asked.
"Your son!" The woman shouted. "He told my girl yesterday that her fish was going to die! And she couldn't stop crying! She cried all night. And then this morning. Then what happened. THE FISH WAS DEAD! And now my daughter won't stop crying! What do you have to say for yourself?!"
And just then a child's big cry sounded through the house. "GOLDIEEEE! HE KILLED MY FIIIISH!"
Everyone's eyes widened and then they turned to Bruno who crawled deep into his seat.
And then of all things… Alma started to apologize on Bruno's behalf as she defused the situation. It took a while. But finally, the mother left with her daughter, and Alma returned to the dining room sending Bruno a glare.
"I'm sorry. I just tried to help." Bruno swallowed. "I tried to warn her."
"You know by now," Alma said. "Some things you keep to yourself!"
And Bruno squinted his eyes as Dolores wide-eyed looked at him. Then back up at Alma.
"Now. Let's speak no more of that!" Alma stated. Completely dismissing the entire ordeal. "What things need to be done today?" she asked. "How can we best help the Encanto."
Bruno glanced away while his little niece Mirabel looked up at him with big wide eyes. Then slowly a little hand snook itself into his under the table and Bruno's eyes widened as he looked down to meet little Mirabels eyes.
"I know you didn't do anything wrong," Mirabel whispered. "She killed her own goldfish."
Bruno smiled amused as he shook his head. "Don't worry about it Mija," he said in a light smile.
"I can tell Abuela it wasn't your fault." Mirabel offered.
"No… Don't do that." Bruno held up his hand. "It's water under the bridge anyway." and then put his free hand under the table and knocked three times. Then he sat there with a hung head.
"Tio?" Mirabel asked.
"Sssh." Bruno hushed her. "Forget it. Por favor."
Wide-eyed Mirabel was still looking at him but then finally turned back to her plate. "Okay," she whispered removing her hand from Bruno's so she could grab a fork.
Bruno smiled fondly at his youngest niece. She was such a sweet girl. Always so concerned about other people in the family and always trying to help. She also had this uncanny ability to see things other people would often overlook… She was special. They all were of course. But Mirabel in particular.
Bruno just hoped he wouldn't end up dragging her down again… Like yesterday.
Bruno Madrigal… Singlehandedly managing to give an entire family a bad name… What an amazing gift he had.
