Chapter Three
Gloria stared at her mother-in-law as Lulsa Rivera placed the photo of her son on the ofrenza. She blinked back tears as her hand shook. This picture was taken just before his twenty seventh birthday, the very last birthday which he would be celebrating. His little girls would grow up without him. All they could do was try to keep his memory alive.
"He shouldn't be gone," Gloria argued. "He didn't do anything wrong."
"Of course not," Lulsa said before turning to Enrique who was just standing in the doorway with a vacant expression on his face. She looked over to him and felt herself shiver more. Miguel had tried to make sure that his daughter lived. He had done something so brave and left such a gaping hole in the family. "Gloria, our family is your family. I hope you know that."
Gloria nodded as she looked at her wedding ring. Socorro looked up at her. The fifteen-year-old had her hands in fists at her side. After all, Miguel had been her big brother. He had promised to show her so much and he had always been so kind and warm and affectionate towards her. Even with the most trivial of problems, he had sat and listened to her. He had always been only a phone call away. Even if he was busy, he would never tell her that he was too busy for her.
"I suppose we can only ask our ancestors to look out for him now," Lulsa said as she made sure to position the photograph of her little boy next to his great grandmother. "I remember when Miguel was only a baby, Mama Coco cared for him greatly. I hope she cares for him in the afterlife too."
Enrique nodded. He remained silent though. His heart was broken over the loss of his son. He wished he had been able to say goodbye to him and promise that things were going to be okay. That was stolen from him.
Socorro frowned and she walked over to the picture of Miguel. "I want revenge," she said and Gloria nodded in agreement.
"Yes, revenge would feel nice," she agreed and Lulsa shook her head. She tried to dry her eyes before the tears that were threatening to fall actually did so.
"Miguel was very passive when it came to disagreements with others. I am sure that his spirit will be happier were revenge not to be taken, at least in a physical way. We can press charges, go to court, but I don't want to upset Miguel's spirit."
Lulsa sighed as she looked at her husband who wanted to argue with her. He wanted to cause as much pain as the death of his son had caused him. He knew that Lulsa was right though. He looked to Gloria knowing how deep and unconditional Miguel's love for her had been. He hoped that she would be okay.
CoCoCoCoCoCo
Miguel stared ahead of him as he moved his fingers. It felt strange. He had dressed up as a skeleton before but now he had actually been claimed by this world. He wrapped an arm around himself as he started to let his mind run wild. He felt ill. The officer had said that he could soon leave and Hector had promised that he could stay with them but still…what if the worst happened. Miguel closed his eyes, remembering how Chicharron had vanished, how Hector had nearly vanished.
"Nino?" Coco asked as she put a hand to his shoulder and Miguel smiled. She seemed to be living a good afterlife with more coherent thinking. However, he was scared of the way in which he had died. Would Gloria ever forgive him for leaving her and the girls? "Nino, what is it, what's wrong?"
Hector stared at Miguel and kneeled down in front of where he was sitting, "I know it's scary. I was scared too when I entered this world. We are here to help you. You can trust us, Miguel."
"What if I'm forgotten?" Miguel whispered as Hector and Coco shared confused glances. They knew that Miguel was unlikely to be forgotten. He was a famous musician. What was more was that his family wouldn't forget him and he had done nothing to be sorry for. He had been a hero to save a young family member. His daughter was unable to protect herself, she relied on her papa for that.
"Nonsense," Hector said. "Miguel, listen to me, you will not be forgotten."
"What if…if no one wants to put my picture up. When I was alive, I didn't remember many of the people who were on our ofrenza, not before I had gone here. Maybe not now, maybe not in even ten or twenty years, but people will stop caring about me. No one will -"
"What about Socorro, your sister will always put your picture up," Coco tried to reassure him.
"Not if she stops believing in tradition. I think I need some time alone," he said.
Hector watched him, his mouth open but he just put one of his bony hands on his great great grandson's shoulder. "We'll be waiting outside for when you're ready," he tried to promise him. Miguel nodded. He felt empty. He would be missing so much of his daughters' lives. He would be missing Gloria's life, would she remarry? Would he be able to be happy for her to remarry? He hoped he just took satisfaction in her happiness.
Miguel sighed as he felt a brush of wind and saw one of the leaves from the bridge. He picked it up, seeing how the color and his bones were more contrasting colors and put the leaf to his chest. "If only I could go home," he said and closed his eyes. As he said that, there was a strange light around him. Was he being forgotten already? Was he being punished? What was happening to him?
CoCoCoCoCoCo
Gloria had gone out very early in the morning to stare at the moon. Her husband was gone and soon she would have to get on with her life without him. She didn't know where to start. She loved Miguel without question and they had always made their decisions together. Now it was just her and their daughters without the heart and soul of the family. Miguel was a better person than her. He had always been a better person than her.
Gloria pushed a hand over her eyes before hearing a crash. Was someone out here? She looked to the trash cans before finding that they were unmoved. Was it in the distance that she had heard that sound? It had appeared so close but maybe her thoughts were affected.
"Ow…" she heard a familiar voice and took a deep breath in. She was hearing his voice. She was imagining him already. She saw something in the moonlight, something white and like stone. She took a breath in before going towards the noise. She felt so scared right now.
As she saw what appeared to be a skeleton on the ground, she screamed. She saw the body moving and screamed again pushing her back to the wall and her eyes widened in terror. What was happening? What was - She saw the skeleton stand and wobble slightly on the bony legs. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. Please, my daughters need me alive," she said before looking up and her mouth opened. She knew that face even without the skin on it. "Miguel?" she whispered as she stared at the skeleton who looked more like a Dios De Los Muertos decoration.
"Glo-Gloria?" he asked as he looked around and then looked to his hand. He was still the way he appeared in the land of the dead but was he truly being seen by one of the living. "Gloria?" he asked again and she nodded, tears streaming down her face. Miguel took a step towards her but when he saw her flinch, he took a step backwards. He wanted to touch her but didn't. He didn't want to hurt or scare her.
"Miguel?" she asked him. "Miguel, where is your body?" she asked and Miguel looked away.
"I think maybe at a morgue or somewhere," he said and Gloria nodded nervously. "Gloria, mi amor, I don't want to hurt you. I don't know why I'm here. I don't know why I am in the world of the living. I am dead, my love." Gloria nodded and flinched again, he looked so scary. Was she imagining this?
"I think that maybe I am here to tell you goodbye and that I love you," he said and Gloria nodded. Miguel took another step towards her and saw Gloria steady her breaths. She was still scared of him. She took a step forward but fell, her shoe feeling loose. Was this a sign?
Miguel didn't know if he could touch her but he moved forward and felt a force as she landed against his skeleton. She sobbed and Miguel froze as his head dropped from his neck. If she saw this she might be even more traumatized. "I have you," he told her as he willed for his head to move but it didn't, he wasn't skilled enough yet. "
"Thank you, Mig-" she said before looking up at him and screamed. Where was his head? Why had his head disappeared? She put her hands to her mouth before spotting something on the ground. Nervously she reached down and saw that this was her husband's skull. She bent down next to it and very delicately picked it up. She looked into his eyes. There was a lot about the dead which she didn't understand. "Here," she said as she saw him reach out for the head but she moved forwards and placed the skull on his neck. She turned it to make sure it was on securely.
"If this is the last time that I see you, I want you to know that I'm okay. I'm going to be okay. I will wait for you in the land of the dead, Gloria, but if you have to belong to a different family, I understand. I do have one favor to ask you. Actually two."
Gloria finally managed to cup Miguel's cheek with her hand. Despite how she was scared, she loved him. She let her fingers spread over the bone and he seemed to take pleasure in that hold. "Anything, my darling," she said and Miguel smiled nervously.
"Please take care of our daughters. I will watch them grow as much as I can but please take care of them," he saw Gloria nod as she wiped away her tears. "And second, please put my picture on the ofrenza."
"Of course," Gloria said before seeing Miguel collapse onto the ground. She got down next to the skeleton unsure of how to help him. "Miguel," she said before seeing his bones and his body vanish. She didn't know whether she had imagined that or not. "I promise, Miguel," she whispered unsure if she were losing her mind or not. It didn't matter if she was, what Miguel had asked for, she had planned to do anyway. Even if she was hallucinating, she would take care in respecting his wishes.
CoCoCoCo
Miguel looked down at the leaf he was holding as he regained consciousness in the world of the dead. He saw a few officers staring at him and then turned to Coco and Hector who were looking at him with great concern. He froze. Would they tell him off for seeing Gloria? He had wanted so badly to see her and then just found himself at her side.
"Where were you?" Hector asked and Miguel looked at him.
"The world of the living…" he said as they stared at him in shock and some of the officers in horror. "I appeared like this. I spoke with my wife, she spoke with me, touched me."
"That…" Hector said, "Should not be possible."
End of Chapter Three
Thank you for reading
Thank you to the reviewers of Chapter Two
Gem, Guest