Encanto: Familiar Stranger
Chapter 3: The Conference of the Madrigal family.
Julieta´s Pov:
As time passes you by, you inevitably get older and as older you get, you tend to get wiser as well…, at least so they say…
For some of us however, the older you get, the more bitter and the narrower your world-view becomes…, even in times of peace and tranquility.
Especially true, if you are stuck in a routine, then it is hard to adapt to any sudden changes…, I knew that myself.
Two weeks have meanwhile passed, after Casita was rebuild, four months ever since the first Casita had crumble to a pile of rubble, after sustaining life and magical hospitality for the last 50 years.
Even if things had been resolved so far, the shock and psychological horror we experienced, was still sitting in everyone´s bones.
For us, who we had lived with gifts for all our lives, for Bruno, Pepa and myself, who had them for 45 years, suddenly losing them, was like losing half of ourselves.
Our gifts had long become part of our very existence, our very being.
Not just what other People saaw in us but what we saw too, whenever we looked in a mirror.
You could not think about Pepa and not think about sudden changing weather phenomenon, depending on her rather radical mood swings.
You could not think about Bruno and not think about the uncertain future and the strange fates he could predict for you.
And yes, you could not think about me and not think about any healing Arepas and other meals I cooked…
While the younger generation still had all options open for them and were relatively easy to adapt to the situation, for us who lived the longest of our lives with these Gifts, such an abrupt change was mentally crushing.
What had we left, where were we to go from here..., will we be happy even without gifts..., do we have to have our gifts in the first place, isn´t life easier without?
Suddenly, life has gotten weird, the lives we lived for so long, the life that felt like a routine, frozen in time began to change, that life that earlier was not truly progressing, expect for some additions, like my marrige and the birth of my Three daughters, otherwise almost everyday was the same to me.
But with the vanishing of our gifts, our life has suddenly been set in motion again, on one hand, losing our gift was strange, unfamiliar and frankly also frightening, on the other hand, it was liberating…, it was so very, very liberating…
For the first time in her life, ever since she got her gift, Pepa could show emotions without having to fear of other people being somehow harmed through them.
For the first time in his life, Bruno was just an ordinary guy, albeit highly socially awkward, due to his long isolation.
And myself…, I finally could take a break, not having to care about playing Hospital and apothecary for the whole town.
But we weren´t the only ones, that was for sure, even some of the yunger generations must have felt that losing their gifts might not be the end but simply the start of something new...
Then again, whether your gift is a blessing or a curse to yourself, the moment it is gone, you still feel as though part of you just left.
Losing our Gifts has forced us to work togeher once more, just like back before anyone of us had a gift, back then before my siblings and me turned 5 years old, when everyone pulled on one rope.
in those 4 months i truly felt us to be one big family again..., we accomplished something together, instead of averyone for themselves, united yet divided.
And then..., yes then there were the rumors that emerged, literally, out of the rubble, once the initial crisis was over.
Some came form the townspeople and others unfortunately from the Family itself.
Rumors, some neutral others nasty, but all of them were mostly centered around my youngest Daughter, around Mirabel Madrigal.
It was no secret that in those days before the disaster, Mirabel tried her hardest to save the family..., but apparently some in the family saw it as her invoking disaster to strike us in the first place, by her getting Mother on her bad side through failing to accomplishanything, or apparently being a nuisance to other people.
Unfortunately, as it is kind of a trend ever since my own youth, does the mood of the family affect the townspeople as well and soo,n some fractions began to build.
Voices were getting loud, which made Mirabel responsible for the entire chaos and unfortunately, as I said, some of them were among ourselves.
I was the oldest one in the Family, aside from my Mother…, I was always supposed to be the role model, I always got compared to my, apparently, inferior siblings, people always told me how great I was and what a shame it is, that my siblings were the way they were…
My siblings were always compared to me and I was always the high-bar they had to reach, the level they had to get to..., and still for some of them it was just not enough, for them, Pepa and Bruno´s gifts would alway be inferior to mine.
I knew one case at which such talking was repeated an converted in the younger generation.
People tended to sucker up to Isabella, praising her in all heights, admiring her, while subtly slandering her very own sisters in the same breath…., but the worst of it all was the circumstance, that Isabella barely cared and sometimes even went long with it, before changing to the better..., and even now she sometimes said stuff like, "Mirabel is to blame", or, "if it weren't for Mirabel, I would have…"
I hated it.
The thought that my own daughters were fighting among themselves, lying and deceiving each other, even outside my initial family, maybe it were no big lies and no great deceptions, but that didn´t meant that it made things any more acceptable.
But it werent just them...
The Madrigal Family had so many problems and issues to solve, that I surely would have to write a list to make sure all of them would be taken care of.
In my youth I hadn´t ever a real problem with being praised and favored, I was a child, I was young and stupid and cocky sometimes, always seeking for praise and validation.
I was said to be the role Model, for so many years, that I ended up becoming less and less satisfied of hearing anything about it…, so it was no wonder, that I am the one who argued the most right now, when the same happened to my own daughters, what happened to me and my siblings.
"Perfect and graceful, Strong and practical, giftless and annoying…, those are the three boxes you have put my children in, since they got or haven´t gotten their gift.
It are the same Boxes, in which you put Pepa, Bruno and myself into.
16 years long I kept shut and tried to turn a blind eye to it, knowing how you acted and that we weren´t raised any different…, but 10 years ago, it began to change for me, i changed the way i saw this.
The moment Mirabel didn´t got a gift from the Candle, was the moment your faith in her began to waver, and the moment Bruno left to keep Mirabel safe from the prejudice his vision might have invoked, was the moment where your accusations and neglect started.
In a town, basically run by you, your validation was the one thing most important to all of us..., Mirabel who was denied of this validation by you, this simple act of love and affection, just because she received no gift, for her it was basically a mark of failure, she didn´t get your validation of being usefull to the communicty, so she was only tolerated but not truly appreciated.
10 years long I tried to keep myself from arguing with you about it, from surely making you despise me, for taking my daughters side rather that the family´s.
I tried my best to give her the love, the trust and the acknowledgment of her own initial skills, which you denied her…, but of course it was not enough, I could not give her what she truly sought, a gift of her own, to make her just as special as everybody else, to make her validated to you.
Not being special in a special family, not being appreciated despite being a member of the same family, having to see your siblings and cousins each getting gifts while you are left without one…, have you any idea how that makes a young child feel, I honestly always thought that you would know that feeling the best, since you don´t have a gift yourself.
Apparently I was wrong…, wrong to assume that you cared about how anyone of us felt the entire time, whenever you put pressure on us with saying that our gifts, our lives, were solely for the benefit of the family and the community, that subliminal meaning, that we would be nothing for the family without our gifts…
La Familia Madrigal, those words have been indoctrinated into me for the last 50 years…, after them I lived, after them I breathed and after them I used my gift for the benefit of the Encanto.
I was happy, happy to be appreciated, loved, to have my validation…, I should have been, but I was not.
Not ever since I became a mother, ever since I had people so close to me, that i wanted to keep them from every discrimination, even that n my own family.
You pressuring my oldest daughter into some king of Dress-up-Doll, some kind of role she never wanted to be nor play and then denying her true self, her true personality, once the same was freed, for the first time in 16 years.
You misusing my middle daughter as a convenient tool, always there when you called for her..., just like a servant to a queen..., beside of all her physical strength, her true weakness is the circumstance, that she has not the guts to say no, not to you or anyone else …
You and the townspeople, and maybe my husband and myself as well for not working harder against that, we effectively destroyed her whole self-esteem, by making her believe, that she only would be part of our family, only validated, for as long as she can be of service.
Just like back then with Pepa and Bruno, you never stopped the town slandering on either of them both, you even partially encouraged them with your choice of words.
You made Pepa feel as though she was only ever appreciated, if she had the right mood at the right time at the right place, regardless of her own feelings, for you, she had always to feel the way, that you needed in that moment, a Convenient tool, just like Louisa.
And me, you and the town tended to praise me in all heights, give me validation and yes as a kid and young adult I enjoyed being the focus, being appreciated, but it long has evolved in such a way, that no one takes care of themselves anymore, knowing that my gift can help them immediately.
Broke a toe, oh don´t panic, Julieta makes you an Arepa, that should put it back in place
Got in a drunken brawl last night and broke some teeth, no problem, Julieta cooks you a soup, that will make your teeth grow rigt back th way they were.
Broke your neck…, too bad, Julieta´s recipes don´t work on half-dead people, nor can they bring them back to life.
I am still waiting for that one moment to come, you know, when the recklessness of the townspeople claims a life, because they think I can fix anything, but just because my meals heal doesn´t mean that they also make you immortal, I am a healer, not a Necromancer.
People only have one life so they should treasure it, instead of endangering it, because they know someone who fixes them right back up, doing so without as much as a compensation other than repeating the same words of thanks every day.
If they would really appreciate my help, they would not come everyday ,when they have the tiniest scratch.
And then there is the issue with how people see Bruno…., he was never appreciated for his gift…, I don´t know why or how it comes, that all he ever predicts are negative things, maybe because that´s just the fate of the people living in so much peace and tranquil laziness, that once in a while they need a little shock, to appreciate life and the gift of survival which they received.
But in the end, it left him being despised by them, even though people still came towards him to get to know the future…, like Moths gathering towards a fire, despite having seen their brethren getting burned before them.
I am sure Pepa´s family has the one or the other problems as well, we all have, we all are not unfailable, even though you always make us feel like we need to be.
The pressure you put on us is something hardly anyone of us can nor wants to shake off, out of fear of losing our place, our mark of validation.
But those words of you, those accusations against my own daughter, telling her that she would be responsible for everything that went wrong in this family, since 10 years…, they were enough.
I have enough!
They were the drop to overflow the barrel, the drop that tipped the scale towards misery and chaos…, and it was all your fault in the end…, and don´t you dare deny it now, or try and blame it on someone else!" I stated aloud, after voices had been going loud, undecidable, on who was truly supposed to be blamed, for the former misery our family had experienced.
The Conference of the Madrigal Family…, the first of its kind since many years.
Sure, we occasionally held meetings at the breakfast table, early in the morning, but really, they were more like mother telling us what to do for the rest of the day, they were more like a Work-meeting, rather than a true family conference, in which everybody got their voice to be heard.
But today things were different, 4 months had passed, after the disaster which happened to us and 2 weeks after Casita had finally been rebuild.
It was high time that we set a new course, for the future of the Madrigal Family and our Miracle.
And it all had to start with my mother, Abuela Alma Madrigal, to truly acknowledge all her own faults, before trying to find any in anyone else.
Of course, my comment earned me many shocked looks, especially from my siblings…, even in our youth it was rare that I ever either disagreed or even fought with mother, I was what most in town would call a role model-child, but I was long weary of that role, that title.
People in the Encanto tended to differ all the Madrigal Children into different categories, from useless to most useful, and since I could practically heal anything, I was said to be quite useful a Convenient tool in its own right.
Pepa on the other hand was the middle ground, sometimes needed and sometimes unneeded.
And Bruno…, well we all know how people viewed him, the most useless of us all, the one to bring misfortune and misery upon people…, at least before my daughter Mirabel was born, who didn´t even had a gift to begin with, not even 10 years after her ceremony, the one who´s future made Bruno vanish.
People all lost their hope in her and even began to talk badly about her behind our backs, most of the people held their appearances in the day and infront of her but trash-talked her in the middle of the night oir when no one was looking.
I had to threaten Dolores once, to get to know of this fact..., it might have been my scummiest moment, literally blackmailing her behind Pepa´s back, but if it was for the sake of my daughter, no wall was too steep to climb and no swamp too deep.
Peoples opinion of Mirabel was not high to begin with ever since that day, but with the years things went worse and worse, until it went as far as some people to openly mock her and to my very shame, my own oldest Daughter, Isabella, was doing so too and in recent years quite frequently.
Instead of being there for her sister and comforting her, like an older sibling was supposed to do, the same became arrogant and self-centered, more than i could evr have been in my youth.
I admit, I was not always the best Sister, and Pepa and I had often big fights about me sucking up to mother..., but one thing was clear, they could always count on me when they were hurting or in real need, they were still my siblings.
But Isabella..., her slandering originated out of her arrogance and disdain for the good deeds Mirabel made, just because she felt some kind of sick superiority over her younger sister, for having a gift while Mirabel remained giftless, even after a decade.
Sure, a lot of it was out of frustration, for having to be perfect for my Mother, but still…, I must say I was greatly disappointed in how she turned out to become, due to that, how mothers involvement changed her to the worst.
At least she was still friendly and on good terms with Louisa, but i bet this was jsut because Louisa terilessly contributed and dedicated her entire life to the Encanto and its people.
But Anyone who did not directly contributed toward it was in her eyes inferior, so also Camilo, Pepa´s Son..., i was honestly worried how she might seee the rest of Pepa´s Children, how she feels about Dolores, she might have given up Mariano Guzman, since she apparently never was in love with him, but i doubt that Dolores was unaware of that from the start.
Dolores might even have gone so far as to kind of manipulate Isabella into not wanting to marry him, i mean maybe Isabella was at first interested but Dolores talking quickly made her panic and her then being forced by my Mother to still marry him was putting pressure on her which she then let out on the one who apparently was stress-free and without any real concern nore care in the world, Mirabel, the giftless.
Isabella´s thought was, that since Mirabell was giftless, she was not under Abuela Alma´s constant watch and so had the most freedom in our Family, but being free to decide for yourself and being partially neglected, are two pairs of shoes.
She never told me about it, i had to ask Mirabel to get that insight on my oldest Daughter, mirabell was different there, she almost always came to talk to me and i did very much appreciated these Mother-daughter moments.
Louisa on the other hand just ate it all up, everything that displeased her she kept for herself, never once saying anything, not to me nor her father, even when we asked.
She did all that was asked of her, as I said, just like a Convenient tool, never once questioning if some things were really necessary or really her responsibility in the first place.
People forgot that there used to be a time before she had her gift, where they had to do things on their own, and Louisa, she simply compiles with all their demands, no matter how ridiculous they are, as if her sole purpose in life was to please other people, to seek praise and validation.
Only through talking with Mirabel and confessing to her how she truly felt, anyone ever got a slight insight in the psyche of my second oldest daughter, this Information i too had to get out of Mirabel since Louisa still did not wanted to talk to me about it.
I slowly felt as if I was avoided by my own daughters...,a s if they fear i would tell my Mother about it.
The fact that one of my Daughters felt miserable for having to marry a man she did not love, that one of my daughters worked herself to the bone to stay useful for the community and the fact that one of my daughters was hurting from being belitteld and accused of breaking the family appart..., as a mother, seeing all, this and barely being able to do anything was hurtful to me, both physically and psychically.
I felt useless, having Mother asking me to keep Mirabel on a short Leash was heartbreaking because it told me that Mother did not trusted Mirabel to make the right decisions one bit.
When Mother accused Augustine not to think of the family, he even had to remind her that Mirabel was part of the Family, especially so of his family.
Too late i saw how my daughters were hurting, that Isabella was drowning in her own gift, in the premise of having to be perfect, i saw too late that Louisa was crushed under the weight of expectations, crushed under her own desire to be of service never knowing nor feeling that it was enough, that she gave too much.
And still…, even that Mother knew to blame on Mirabel, she even had the audacity to blame my dearest Brother´s decade long absence on Mirabel, when all he tried was to save her from the prejudice which would have come, if the truth about the Vision would have become known to our mother and the townspeople.
Bruno was so loving of his family, that he even exiled himself for it and mother had the absolute Audacity to say he didn´t care about the family at all, when he tried to save Mirabel from being despised all her life by the townspeople, like he was…?
I was sick and tired of letting such injustice happen under my nose and eyes any longer…, sick and tired of myself, lookign away, trying to avoid conflict with my Mother..., sick and tire dof being weak when it came to care for my own family.
I was ready to fight, for the true happiness of my family, even if I had to break all ties with Mother.
I lived since 50 years in this house, maybe it was time for a change, maybe gaining some independence from mother would be good for us, for mine and Pepa´s family, not constantly being under watch was surely taking one burden from us.
Back then, when we rebuild Casita, we all seperated, no one in town had a house big enough to let the entire family live there as a whole.
Augustine, Mirabel, Louisa and I, we managed to find Shelter at the Christiano Household, Florenza Chrisitano being an old Classmate of mine.
She inherited the big house of her parents and lived there with her Son, unfortunetely her husband died 3 years ago on a hereditary sickness..., unfortunately my Recipes could still not heal such ailments.
My Healing could only affect temporary injuries and sicknesses, things that come and go but not things that are already part of you by birth.
Isabella and Dolores found Shelter at one of their Classmates home.
Pepa, Felix, Antonio and Camilo, found a place in the House of Felix´s Brother, Ricardo Marcelo, who lived with his Wife alone in Old Man Senor Marcelo´s big House.
Bruno and Mother were given Shelter by the Guzmanos.
in these few months we all lived seperately and it was liberating, as I said before, so very liberating.
"After Casita crumbled to a pile of rubble, we had months to understand how it is to not have a gift, how to be and feel like Mirabel had to, for all of her life.
And frankly, I enjoyed it…, I truly enjoyed not to have to cook every single hour of a day, just because some idiot had to be reckless with themselves again.
I think it made people appreciate their own safety and my gift and they hopefully learned not to take advantage of it for every little scratch they got.
And I am quite sure I ain´t the only one who feels that way." I continued to say after everyone calmed down and looked at me, as though I had lost my mind.
Of course I know, that if i said, every Idiot, I kind of also meant Augustine with it, he was accident prone, like really accident prone, which meant that he needed healing like every second day and far too often due to being stung by bees, poor guy had the worst allergic reactions towards them.
However it was in his account to say, that he was wise enough to defend his neck and throat whenever he was attacked..., if they were to swell, he would suffocate faster than I could heal him.
Back when I met him the first time, he almost had that happen to him, when he swallowed a bee, I had to force piping hot soup down his throat, since I had no other thing cooked at the moment, it hurted and healed him at the same time, I had never before to apologize for healing someone, he surely was the first.
"Wait…, are you for real right now?" Camilo asked in disbelieve, after i ended my speech.
"You were really glad to have lost your gift, Tia Julieta?" he asked unable to comprehend if i was joking or really serious.
"Yes indeed, all this subliminal talk about whose gift is the most useful for the Family…, it honestly always made me sick.
But I was young, weakhearted, I tried to please everyone, trying desperately not to disappoint…, so much that I forgot what was really important…, not the prestige and the standing of the Family, but the overall happiness and Atmosphere under each member.
What does it serve anyone, if the family in its entirety is broken under the surface?
Mirabel never cared about whose gift was better and whose not, she was the one without a gift and so she managed to understand just how much of a burden a gift truly could be, she helped us understand our gift, cope with it, taught us to feel adn say when it was enough, when it was all too much for us.
She understood the advantage and disadvantage of having a gift, even if she yearned to have a gift herself,..., still, she always did that to feel accepted and validated, especially by you, Mother.
You always were too hard on her, ever since her Ceremony was unsuccessful, you always, either around the bush or brash in her face, told Mirabel how worthless she was supposed to be, that she should just stop trying and step aside instead..., since she had no gift to contribute to the prestige of the Family, everything she did was supposed to be mediocre..., and that mood, that toxic behavior of yours, it began to convert itself towards other people as well.
The more they depended of you, the more they shared your opinion, hasn´t this ever came to your mind?" I asked as I looked at my Mother, with both Bruno and Pepa in shock, their mouths wide agape, Pepa too shocked to care about the cloud above her head.
"Wow…, I thought that day would never come, the day you finally speak your mind instead of being the perfect Child, the Role-model of the Madrigal-Triplets." Pepa stated after she finally realized just what had happened, before whistling to herself.
"Well, it was something that burned into my soul for far too long…, honestly said, I am disappointed in myself to not have said so earlier…, maybe this misery might have never happened.
But as much as I love Casita and as much as I felt fright on that day, I am grateful it happened, for it finally brought our family back together, closer than before, after giving each and everyone of us a breather, a break a relaxation..., time to be ourselves without having to fear, that other people are in someway affected by it, either negatively or positively..., unless we chose to.
But now, with our gifts having returned, we are essentially back to square one and from here on out, one each of us should work on making it better than last time..., to not repeat the same mistakes all over again.
We always claim to be La Familia Madrigal, but from what I have seen and witnessed, we never were a real unity.
Especially when you, Mother, tried to put my oldest Daughter, the oldest out of all your Grandchildren, into the box of having to be perfect, it felt to me as if you were playing with a dollhouse.
You put so much pressure on her, persuaded her, literally began to brain-wash her so much, that not even I as her Mother, managed to get through to her.
You know what she answered me when I asked her to be at least talk to Mirabel, maybe being a little friendlier and a little more understanding for her, after she saw the cracks appearing for the first time …?" I stated and I saw how Isabella looked in shock and embarrassment.
"She told me, right in my face, that even if Mirabel was useless, it would be no excuse, nor her right, for Mirabel, to ruin everyones life….
I tell you mother, I was so short of slapping her across the face…, maybe I should have done it, to teach her some manners...
I am not one for excessive violence, but she really should have earned a spanking, if it was Augustine maybe she would also have received it." I stated while Isabella turned Red from shame and embarassment, while Mirabel looked in sheer dissapointment at her, Louisa just looked uncomfortable at both of them.
"One does not talk like that about the own sister, when the same is suffering, especially back then, in the hardest of times for her." Augustine explained with a nod and narrowed eyes at his oldest Daughter, who hid behind Louisa in shame.
"I know she would never tell it out loud, because she does not want him to hate her but…" I began but Mirabel sensing what I was about to say, tried to stop me.
It were her deepest thoughts, which she told me after all.
"Mom, no, please don´t…" She stated grabbing my arm.
"I´m sorry dear but he needs to hear it, they all need to hear it.
Haven´t you ever considered how Mirabel must feel herself once Antonio got his gift...?" I asked and of course no one answered, of course they couldn´t, most of them didn´t cared about anyone else but themselves and how Abuela saw them, for the longest of times.
Still i was certain, that every single one of them was aware of it
"Betrayal…, I could see it in her eyes when she told me about the cracks, about how she injured her hands.
Self-doubt, self-hatred, and finally betrayal, when no one truly believed her…, to my shame I have to admit that even I did not truly believed her when she told us about the cracks, not because I would mock her, but because, same as mother, I did not wanted to believe that my daughter was starting to see things that weren't there, that her soul was already fractured beyond my healing capabilities, that it began to splinter and crack open, just like Casita did.
As if her life, her psyche and mental state, as well as Casita, were somehow connected to each other, that everytime she felt as worse as back then, Cracks would appear on the inside of Casita, cracks under the surface, that were repaired as best as possible by Bruno, until they also began appearing on the Surface." I explained.
"It was not Bruno, who fixed the cracks, it were Hernando and Jorge." I heard it coming from the other side of the table but i Ignored it.
"I tried to sheer her up but I only ever knew how to heal physical injuries…, I never was much for mending a broken soul." I explained and it was silent in the room, Mirabel looked down afraid to look into Antonio´s eyes.
"I knew about it…" I suddenly heard the same saying.
"Huh…, wait what, Antonio dear, what are you saying?" Pepa asked in shock.
"How could I not…, I was afraid not to get a gift and even if Mirabel joked about it, saying that I then would be forever stuck with her in the nursery for the rest of my life, back then, I felt that it were her true words, her true desire leaking through.
Of course, on one hand, she wished for me to get a gift and become happy, but on the other hand she feared it, she feared what would come after..., if I indeed would get a gift, I would get a room of my own..., and she would be left alone, again.
Just like with Camilo." Antonio explained and Pepa looked in utter shock.
"Cami…, what does he mean?" She looked from her oldest son towards Mirabel and back, but the same remained silent, looking at me i was about to tell her what i knew but someone else was faster than me.
"C´mon Pepa, don´t act as if you don´t know how close them two used to be, ever since their birth, I maybe only had 5 years to watch them grow, but even I noticed that." Bruno stated.
"Remember how they used to act as though they were twins..., where the one was, was the other one not far..., it was rather rare to find one of them alone…, remember how you felt when I was gone…, that's how Mirabel must have felt, Camilo was still there, but he was no longer her Camilo, the Camilo she used to know and find comfort in.
The Despair she felt when he left and took everything he had in the nursery with him..., how empty it must have felt to Mirabel, especially when she herself received no gift, while he did and was therefore stuck in the Nursery." he kept going and I felt how Mirabel trembled, her eyes still casted to the floor, not daring to look at Pepa´s sons but still i could see them full of sorrow.
Antonio spoke up once more, mustering up the courage to address this theme as best as he could.
"I was excited about exploring my room you know…, about seeing all of its wonders…, when I got my gift and began to understand what Pico said to me, it was as if suddenly endless possibilities had opened up before me.
I can do so many things, go to so many places and see so many new sights…, you know….
It is all so exciting and new…, but I haven´t realized…, or I did so too late…, how Mirabel must feel… I don´t know how to say this but…, I felt…, bad, because my ceremony was successful and her´s…, wasn´t, because I had a reason to be happy, to rejoice..., and she still hadn´t." Antonio stated and, in his eyes, I could see sorrow and tears welling up.
Pepa moved in to comfort her son, same as Felix and Dolores, but Camilo was faster, as he stepped behind his little brother and put two hands on his shoulders, embracing him.
"You ain´t the only one Antonio…, I admit, I too was way too excited about getting my gift back then, after all I would become just as special as the rest of my family, just like Dolores…
I was too excited and giddy to truly be a part of the Magical Familia Madrigal…, too happy to really realize and consider, how Mirabel must have felt the entire time, after my Gift Ceremony turned out successfully, and hers later on failed.
Even during your Ceremony…, I was aware of it, I noticed how hard she tried to stay positive despite all the subtle and not so subtle slander she received, from both, our family and the townspeople.
Despite literally not being taken serious by most, she did not replied with any sass, as i would have definitely done, but she did her outmost to stay positive and supportive.
That moment when she took Antonios hand and guided him to the door..., all the flashbacks she surely must have seen before her eyes, herself walking the very same path 10 years ago..., but she did not showed how uncomfortable this mad eher feel, she smiled with genuine kindness and symphaty.
I found her so very brave and beautiful, how she tried to cheer you up, support you, despite all evening being reminded of how wrong her own Ceremony had turned out, of how disappointed everyone was…, especially Abuela." Camilo expressed himself.
"I was dissapointed too, not in Mirabel, but in the Candle, why didn´t she give Mirabel a gift, what was so different about her that made the Candle decide that way?
Even today i still wonder." Camilo continued and Antonio nodded.
"It's the same for me.
After I realized that I did everything wrong which I could have done wrong, it was already too late, I showed her how excited I was to have my own room, how excited I was to have my own gift…, how excited I was…, not to be like her…
I realized it too late, that i probably hurted her feelings big time and after the damage was done, I was afraid of looking her in the eyes…, some coward I am." Antonio exclaimed.
"Yes, afraid to look in her eyes, afraid to witness the betrayal she felt…, yeah I know Hombrecito…, felt that one before." Camilo said and I had to witness, how a 5-year-old boy and his 10 year older brother had apparently more sentimentality, sensibility and empathy than most of the rest of this family used to have…
Maybe because they spent a great deal of their lives with Mirabel, being closest to her, up until they got rooms of their own.
Everyone else was literally almost completely detached from Mirabel, to truly understand how she felt herself the entire time.
Maybe the reason for Isabella´s despicable demeanor, was the very fact that she wasn´t truly raised with Mirabel, sure we were a family, but Isabella was literally always at the side of her Abuela, unless she had another task to perform, not to mention that she already had her gift for 2 years by the time Mirabell was even born, means that she already had left the nursery for Two years and gained her own room, in which she stayed most of the time, when she was not doing anythign specific, she barely interacted with Mirabel, at least not in a way like Louisa did, who was in contrast only 4 years older and so got her gift when Mirabel was 1 year old, but even after that she often helped me out, babysitting when i was tied up with housework, which means that aside from Camillo, she interacted the most with Mirabel before Antonio was born, obviously, with the years this sisterly care changed, got less since Louisa´s focus shifted as well.
As I said before, most of this family began to care more about themselves and how my Mother saw them.
Even when Miabel and Camilo used to be so close with each other, that some people even mistook them for twins during their youth, it all changed when he got a room and she was the only one left without one, as well as a gift..., left without validation nor real orientation, something even I could not help her with.
I could tell her about all the colours of a rainbow, and it would stll not help her.
"I …, I did not know how I could fix it, how i could make her..., not hate me…, so when Tio Bruno´s rats told me about him and about what went down and how they needed help, I offered them my room to use as a new ritual chamber for his Visions.
If I could not ease her inner pain, I at least wanted to help her save the miracle…, but in the end it was all for naught…, The Miracle broke and so did the Encanto and the little bit of Harmony this family still had…, up until we all together rebuild Casita, on our own, without any gifts.
That´s when I felt that I could look back in her eyes, especially when I was allowed to give her the Doorknob to the new Casita, which we all crafted in secret.
It was Mirabel who showed us that even the giftless had their purpose and worth and that no one was better or worse , we all were unique in our own ways, with or without gift..., and that sometimes not having a gift can be relaxing for some of us." Antonio stated and before anyone could react, Mirabel stood up ran around the table and took Antonio in a big bearhug.
"I swear if you talk as sweet as that, I truly gonna squeeze you to death." She stated as she hugged and kissed his cheeks while Antonio smiled brightly and squeeled in delight.
"You do not need to fear…., sure I admit, at first I was a little disappointed, I mean…, initially you getting a gift just told me, that the miracle, that was according to Abuela ever so strong, somehow ignored me, ignored my existence as a member of the Madrigals…
She always said that the miracle was safe, that the Magic was strong, that we were the Madrigals..., so why wasn´t i Included then..., was i not also a member of the Madrigals..., was i really unworthy to gain a gift, what have i done in those 5 years of my life, that the Miracle would desert and betray me?
Surely not more mishief than Camillo, that i am certain of." Mirabel stated and Camilo smiled sheepishly.
"I always hoped, not to have to understand that it was me, that I was somehow responsible myself, for not getting a gift, that there was something inside me that rejected the magic of the Candle, or made her reject me.
I even began to suspect..., that maybe i was really adopted, that i was not a Membe rof the Madrigals to begin with..., i had my doubts for so long but i just could not find any hint or evidence for that my theory to be anywhere near the truth.
Understanding this, I hoped that it was the miracle that was somehow broken…
However, after you got your Gift just fine, Antonio, I came to understand that the Miracle was just fine as well, the Magic was still strong…, the only one who was not fine…, who was broken …, it was me… somehow…" Mirabel told us and I could see Bruno and Pepa tearing up, the cloud above her head began to gently drizzel.
Mother was about to say something but decided not to, anything she would have said woul dhave been for naught anyways, far to long she claimed that the Magic was alright that there was never anything wrong with it.
Without a word of interruption Mirabel´s heartbreaking speech continued.
"Even today months after that disaster, years after my own ceremony, I have still no idea why I was left without a gift, was it truly to show the people what was possible without a gift…, well that really messed up 10 years of my life." Mirabel stated and I began to cry, I cried a lot these days.
"Has the candle really never told you anything?" mirabel asked Mother.
"No child unfortunately she didn´t..., thats why i asked your Tio Bruno for help..., but well, after seeing the tablet of the prophecy myself and now fully understanding it, i finally understand why he didn´t showed it to us, hid it away and vanished..., in my worried stated, I would have definitely forced him to reveal everything to me and yes..., i guess i might have ovverreacted if i had knownabout all this back then.
Just as I overreacted when I got to know about it...
I know I made many mistake in my long life, mistakes i cannot undo or cover up..., I never truly considered anyone else's feelings but my own, I projected my own pain and my perfect vision onto my children and their children.
I always tried to forge and mold everyone into the shape that I wanted my life to be, the mother of a happy family, the Abuela of happy grandchildren..., the Woman living her perfect life, the life i always had envisioned for me.
After seeing Pedro Sacrificing himself for us, I knew that this vision was broken, it would never be whole again...
And Still, I struggled, I moved forward, trying to at least seize some kind of happiness in my new life, still believing and hoping, that I would somehow still become happy with my Children..., even without Pedro at my side…, but the more I understood that it wouldn´t become like that without him, the more I wanted it,the more i tried it, the more I forced it…, and by doing so, I put pressure on every single one, tried to eradicate every single thing that would break the illusion that everything was fine, everything perfect but the abscene of Pedro.
You know..., deep within me, I think I might have waited..., hopefully waited for another Miracle, everything I did all these years long, was to prepare for the moment this Miracle, which I craved so desperately, would become true." Mother stated.
"Another..., Miracle?" Mirabel asked unsure
"Yes, another Miracle..., if the Magic Candle could create this magical place..., was it far-fetched to believe that maybe..., only maybe..., the Candle could bring back the dead?" Mother asked and I gasped, we all gasped.
This confession was something I did not expected..., I knew that Mother still, even 50 years after his death..., suffered on the untimely demise of my Father..., but to hear that she worked hard all those years to create the perfect environement, should the impossible become possible, should her wish become Reality..., should Father ever be ressurected by the Miracle.
It was..., i don´t even know how to feel aout it...
"But in the pursuit of this ideal world, I forgot that those my children, had to seek for their own happiness and that their happiness was not necessarily similar to mine." Abuela stated and she looked down in shame, she often did so these days, coping with all the mistakes she had made, all the hearts and spirits she had broken by applying her world view on everyone around her, forcing them to compile.
Even now, hearing the very reason of why..., it made it not easier to accept..., but it hurted a little less.
"I know I can hardly make up for what I put all of you through, no matter the intentions behind what i did was despicable of me…, and no matter how much I apologize, I won´t be able to undo what has been done, what has happened for far too long…
But I promise to try and change myself, I promise to look at things different and seek out to see the bigger picture behind things, rather than what I want to see.
I finally understood..., Pedro has always been here, i was just too blind to see it..., he has been her ein all of you, you all have each a very distinguished trait that Pedro used to have, each a trait i once fell in love with.
Julieta you have the care and kidness i always loved about him, Pepa you have inherited his temperament and Bruno, you his foresight.
Isabella has inherited his aestetica, he could be a perfectionist at times.
Louisa , finally it s obvious to me, you inherited his strenght, the will to provide and protect his family, once he trained to be of service in the Neighborhood Watch, just like his father.
Dolores, you inherited his attentiveness, he was always a good listener.
Camillo, you inherited his humor, he could always bring me and other people to smile and laughing out loud.
Antonio, you are just as much an Animal-friend as he was, he always helped anyimals in need when he found one.
And lastly Mirabel..." Mother stated as each of us felt warm and fuzzy inside, but irabel she looked aside, fowning.
"But..., i am not special, i don´t have a gift like the other do.., what have i inherited from him that would make me stand out among all these special people int he Family..., i am worthless." She stated.
"No you´re not..., i know I blamed you for much, far too much and most of the time fully out of frustration, I was frustrated that one pat of my vision was no playing along to the overall big picture, it did it´s own thing and deviated more and more from my ideal..., i tried to rein you in, first gentle and then, more and more forcibly, until i was so fed up with my home not being perfect but suddenly turning chaotic that i was about to cut you off..., and that has been my bigest msitake yet, because as you rightly told me, it was not i who tried to cut you off..., it was I who cut myself off, from all of you.
I saw the Encanto, the Casita, the Famillia as my vision and mine alone...,but a Family had not just one vision, it has as much visiions as there are members in it..., and lets be honest, we have a big Family...
No Mirabel you are perfect the way you are..., Pedro was also not special, he wasnot the most handsome man in the village back the, but definitely under the top 10 best looking bachelors, he was not superstrong, but always tried his best, he was not super graceful, if anything he sometimes used to have gorss motoric skills, but still worked hard on things to make them the best.
Pedro was in many things better than others but equally so also worse than others, he was the holy middleground and yet for me he was the man of my dreams.
He was everything i ever wanted and what i was blessed with..., and too late i understood that you are just the same.
I don´t need to force you to be perfect,nor anyone of you, you are fine the way you are..., then again, there is logically always ways to become better at what you do..., but instea dof me forcing you, I think it is up to you guys, to decide whether you want to take the extra effort or not." She stated and I knew my mother finally woke up…, woke up from her 5 decades long mourning phase, finally understanding that we wish to live our life as we see fit, that not everything was bound to go her way.
Life is full of constant changes, if you really wish to live it.
Mother had to understand one thing..., just because we and our Children do our own thing, does not mean that we won´t help the familly or the Encanto any longer.
But helping and working yourself to the bone for something, are two pairs of fully different shoes.
When before most of us were looked as convenient tools and therefore used in the moment of need, we now finally had the freedom to chose when to use our gifts and for what.
Mirabel showed us that we and the town had not to rely all too much on our gifts, to accomplish something, we could fare well enough without sometimes..., even if it meant to go the extra mile to get things done.
Easy is not always the best.
I must say, in those months without our Gifts, the town really felt alive to me, more so than in a very long time.
As I said before, people seemed to have forgotten how life was, before we Triplets got our gifts, before the Magic was expanded and only really exclusive to the Casita, but now they seemed to finally have remembered, at least some of them..., of course there were still a group of harliners who still were either dependedn on our Gifts..., or who could not forgive the use of them.
When it knocked on the door, right in our most emotional moment for today, I really did not expected something so trivial as Senor Enrico Gustavo appearing at our doorstep, just to inform us that his Brother´s Donkeys once more escaped their barn, asking for Louisa to catch them, just like always.
Hearing something so trivial and understanding just how much these two used to take advantage of my dear Daughters gift, made me loose it and I was seconds before wishing him to hell…
But I was too late, someone else already stepped in, but their wrath was not lesser than mine.
"Are you for real…, ARE YOU FOR FREAKING REAL RIGHT NOW?!" Mirabel and Isabella asked in Unison as they literally jumped of their chairs and stomped in perfect synchronicity over towards the front door.
"YOU; YOU PATHETIC EXCUSE FOR A MAN; HOW DARE YOU COME CRAWLING BACK HERE; ONCE MORE; JUST TO TELL US THAT YOUR DUMB DONKEYS ONCE MORE ESCAPED THEIR BARN.
HOW ABOUT YOU FINALLY GET YOURSELF A BETTER LOCK; OR BETTER YET; HOW ABOUT YOU FINALLY GO ON A DAMN DIET; SO THAT YOU ARE FIT ENOUGH TO CATCH YOUR DAMN DONKEYS BY YOURSELF FROM NOW ON!" The Both of them shouted at the poor man.
"B—but she always helped us?" Poor Senor Gustavo exclaimed in his defense, as weak as it was.
"Helped, more like you taking advantage of her physical strength and her sheer self-destructive wish to be of service, in order not to let anyone down, especially not herself.
Did you ever even once attempted to catch them by yourselves?" Isabella asked with an ice-cold tone in her voice, a look of pure disgust on her face..., i really wonder if she really took after anyone of both, me or Augustine, i definitly did not teached her such arrogance.
"Ummm, if I shall be honest…" Senor Gustavo began but quickly shied away, as it was Mirabel´s turn to complain.
"You damn right better be honest, because all I can see is a lazy guy trying to be even more lazy than he already is, Isabella is right, as worse as it sounds..., how about you finally learn how to keep your damn Donkeys in your barn, instead of letting them escape at every given time, thinking Louisa will always be there to take care of them..., because form today on, she will be no more available for something trivial like that, at least not for free anymore...
Her strength comes with a price,... you want her to help you, you better pay up." Mirabel stated and I was kinda shocked, as well as kind of impressed.
This Cockiness, this strength…, it was as though Mirabel has changed…., or maybe I saw her truly for the first second time, the first time being when she and Mother were arguing, them having the falling-out that broke the rest of the harmony that held Casita and the Magic together, her telling the truth about the miracle breaking, about the harmony of the family breaking, not because of her but because of Mother and her view of a perfect environment.
To be honest I never once thought about commercializing either mine or my sibling´s gifts…, but in a way Mirabel was right, instead making your Gift a free-for-all, you might as well make bank with it and raise your allowance on your own.
If Isabella would want to, she could open up a flower shop..., it kind of made me wonder if she really never once considered this…
Then again, with Mother watching her Golden Grandchild with eagle-eyes, this was impossible to begin with, back then Mother would have never allowed it…, but today, she didn´t said a thing, she simply looked apologetic at Senor Gustavo, neither accepting nor denying the decision of her Granddaughters.
Showing that she accepted them taking matters in their own hands and so also shouldering the own consequences, should any arise.
"I know that in the past I always worked hard without complaint, trying to help wherever I could…, but when I lost my gift, I felt myself worthless, unable to do anything.
It was as if my gift had suddenly turned into the exact opposite, instead of being super-strong I was suddenly so very, very weak, super-weak if you will.
It was a feeling I never wanted to feel again…, but it made me understand that I and so also the town took my force for granted, instead of appreciating it and using it only in dire need, i used it instead for accomplishing every thing I was told to.
It made me learn that I have this force to protect my family and the Encanto, in times of need, not to redirect rivers or move Churches from one place to another…, and most definitely not to go Donkey catching.
I really have to learn to appreciate myself a lot more, to not take everything for granted and not to give myself up for other people, unless it is either totally necessary or really worthwhile.
In that regard, I am sorry Senor Gustavo but unless your Donkeys are in dire need for help, I ask you to refrain from asking me again to go fetch them and bring them back in their barn…, if anything I do think that caring about them is to be the task of their owner after all." Louisa explained and both Isabella and Mirabel nodded in approval.
"Oh…, I-I see, I guess we really should learn to take care of this ourselves…, maybe you are right, its just , now that your magical power is back, I thought things might go back to how they used to be, that they will be easier on us again…, but yes, you are right, caring for the animals is the duty of the owner…, I am sorry, it was preposterous of us to try and syphon of your gift for our own benefit, then and now again." Senor Gustavo explained as he bowed his head slightly before hurriedly leaving the premise, surely to not accidently invite the wrath of Pepa or myself, if he would insist on Louisa helping, not to mention that Bruno was here as well..., his reputation was partially thanks to Senor Gustavo after all.
Honestly, I was afraid that this ordeal might spark new rumors and tell-tales about my daughters and their behavior.
"I really hope this will be the end of this…" I muttered to myself.
"Yeah…, but even if not, a good shock to the butt will surely help." Pepa, who sat right next to me, stated in a huff.
"It will be good training for them, maybe he then gets rid of his gut and stop blaming me for it." Bruno replied with a shrug.
"Maybe, we will see…" I stated, unsure how to feel about it.
I was so used to people depending on us and our gifts, that turning them away never once crossed my mind.
"Times have changed…, things are not as they used to be…, and I am afraid to decide whether that's a good or a bad thing." I thought to myself, as I watched the further course of the Conference.
But even more so was I worried about my youngest Daughter.
The Talk which my siblings, Augustin and Felix, Mother and Myself had before, it made me worry about her even more than before.
If what Bruno suggested was indeed true, then it was my duty to keep her safe and sound, even more than usual.
For if she really has gotten that kind of gift, then it could get far more dangerous than we have witnessed before, if she were to actually become aware of it.
If she would one day come to hate this place, this family..., i am shuddering just by thinking about it.
I did not want any of my daughters to com to hate our family, I loved it far too much to see that happening, for if that would be the case one day..., could I
really chose one over the other?
In times like these I wish I was more like Augustine, while I still hesitate to do anything that could displease mother, he always though about what was best for his own family, Isabella, Louisa, Mirabel and Me, rather than what would be best of the Madrigals, or for Mother.
If one of his daughters was hurting, he was always at the frontline, trying to make them feel better..., if they then let him do so.
To be honest I wonder how I will one day lead the family, if I were to become an Abuela and take over Mother´s place...,, not that i would battle and fight for the position..., still, as the oldest one I always had some responsibility, though barely any authority, but even if i might be the easiest and best candidate, at least among us triplets, this might be too much for someone like me.
I liked to keep things routinated and simple and I might not be much for futuristic visions, like my daughters perhaps..., I am old fashioned, I had to admit that much...,, and i was comfortable with that..., so maybe someone younger might do a better job than I, maybe Dolores could do it, her Gift helps her keeping taps on what everybody does and if someone were to need help, she could respon right away..., she could do so much with her gift, if she would give it some effort.
"Anyways, I do have to make an Announcement of my own to make." Mother suddenly said while I was deep in thoughts, but this let my ears perk up right away.
"As you know, I kind of can feel and understand, what the Candle want´s to tell me and last night, she told me that now it was time, for Mirabel to get her gift…"
The Bombshell that just detonated in this place made a shockwave so huge, it blew every thought I ever head in my mind right away.
As if for drama´s sake Mother paused from further speaking, lettign us take things in.
I had to blink a few times to make sure i was not dreaming right now.
"A Gift…, for Mirabel…, how…, why and why now…, I mean, it´s been ten years, sure I really always wished for me for her to have one…, or at least regain a door…, but actually hear that this is possible…, I mean if that was the case…, why didn´t she get one in the first place?" I asked, i was so confused right now..., as well as angry…, don´t get me wrong I was happy for my daughter…, really…, but in the meantime also worried.
What if she gains a Gift like Pepa or Dolores…, or Bruno and Louisa…, or what if she gains an even more mentaly self-destructive gift.
I mean, If Mental Manifestation was really a thing for Mirabel like Bruno said…, then…, wouldn't that mean that she would actually have two Gifts?
"Yes you have heard right, Mirabel is to gain a gift from the Candle and in the same breath I am announcing that coming with next year, I will retire from my post as Candle holder while Mirabel is to take my Place, that´s how the Candle has decided." Mother stated and I was buff, i was completly blown away by those announcements and i knew a bottle of rhum, which was surely very happy to be of use tonight.
But for now, Confusion was what ruled the atmosphere.
"Hold on…, let me get this straight…, so Mirabel now gets a gift and on top of that is made the next Candle Holder…, how is that any fair…, don´t get me wrong sis, congrats on finally getting a gift and becoming..., well better than before i guess..." Isabella started.
"At least be straight with it, when you want to say that I am useless up until now..., if you can talk so behind my back at least have the guts to say it up front to me now." Mirabel sighed in annoyance, it was almost as if she did not realized what had just been said by Mother.
"I did not said nor meant that, but anyways…, in my opinion..., shouldn´t someone older and more experienced get to be the Candle Holder?" She asked.
"Like you?" Camillo asked while Isabella simply ignored him.
"I would not nomminate myself, thought it would be an honour for sure..., but how about Dolores, or Louisa, what about Mother, Tia Pepa or Tio Bruno, anyone who has already a gift since a long time, wouldn´t that make more sense…" Isabella asked, unsure about this whole new development..., maybe even a little frightened.
Frightened of having a little sister, which she used to treat like crap, who suddenly gains the authority over her..., of course for someone as pridefull as Isabella this was close to a horror scenario.
"In our and my previous understanding this might be the case..., yes…" Mother stated as she held out a hand towards Mirabel who reluctantly, and after a little shove from Louisa, made her way at the side of her Abuela.
"In reality however, it was Mirabel who tried first and foremost, to repair all the cracks and rifts which my… `Care´…, has done to this family.
Although not the only one, but definitely the one to do most and the last one to lose hope when she couldn´t do it…, when I as previous Candle Holder denied her attempts of saving us…" Mother stated and looked with an apologetic Glance at Mirabel, who easily forgave her, knowing how hard things had been for Mother and how much she cared about the family and the miracle..., in her own way.
"Though I am still allowed to hold her now, have I long become unworthy of this honor, for I denied change and the future, i denied the Miracle to be saved because i was too stubborn to se the world of a single individual and only caring about the whole big picture…, there is an old saying that goes as following:
It´s the nature of time that the old ways go out in a blaze…, quite fitting i would say.
Just like it happened here in our Encanto, in order for something new to be created, something old had to be destroyed, the old Casita and my worldview, my dependence on the miracle and the miracle alone.
My perfect Vision.
My worldview has always been too narrow…, sometimes it even still is…, but the Candle must keep shining and for that it needs a new Holder, just like Casita needed new foundations, a new united family to build it back up, rather than the old bitter and broken one.
Just like the Candle needs someone new to hold her, someone young and idealistic, someone who truly knows what´s best for the family and who is not too shy to get her own hands dirty for it." Mother stated looking at Mirabel with Pride and in that moment I couldn´t be prouder myself, of both of them.
Mirabel for finally getting the gift that was denied to her for 10 long years, an absence she always suffered from, though hiding behind fake smiles and self-denial…, and mother for finally seeing my youngest daughter´s worth in all its colors and possibilities, even if someone else had to show her the way
"I would love if Mirabel was getting a Gift, we then would all be back together." Antonio stated as he looked all giddy, Parce and Pico, his Jaguar and Toucan friends, at his side.
"Yes, me too, I wonder what your gift might be..., maybe you can duplicate yourself..., we could make theater-plays..., we would get rich" Camilo wondered with a mishievous grin.
"If anything, shouldn´t we first and foremost Ask Mirabel how she is feeling about it?" Bruno suddenly asked in the room loudly and all of a sudden it was really quiet.
I could really hit myself…, we all made the same mistake all over again.
Getting all giddy and worked up about the fate of someone, not considering the feelings of the Person in question.
"Mirabel my dear…, how do you feel about it?" I asked her, she still looked neutral as if she had no clue what happened..., but i have gottne a little better in reading her, she trembled, almost unable to be seen..., and not in excitment that is.
She looked at me with a sad and unsure look in her eyes.
"I…, I am not sure…, I have lived so long without and…, I just kind of convinced myself lately that I was well enough without one, that i shold no longer chase what i could not obtain and that i should instead honor and love what i have, mayself and the support of my family…, but now having the possibility of truly getting one, that which i have yearned for 10 long years…, I am afraid what if my gift cannot help anybody…, what if all I can do with it is disappointing other people, or even worse..., harm them." Mirabel asked in utter fright, trembling even stronger, being held by Louisa and holding hands with Antonio for mental support.
"I know for sure that you will be fine, the gifts we receive are always helpful, to us and other people..., most of them represent us quite accurately after all, so i am certain you willl be just A-OK, or how you youngsters say.
No need to worry, I am certain your gift won´t be something harmful, it never has been before after all..." Mother stated.
"Ha…?!" All of a sudden, a loud noise was to hear, so fully out of place and yet it was almost expectable.
I looked up from comforting my daughter over the table, to see both Pepa and Dolores bewildered.
"Excuse me, what…, what was that just now, helpful for us and other people, not harmful...?" They asked in unison.
"Maybe the other gifts are, but you can hardly say, that this kind of ideology applies to mine and Dolores gift, now can you?" Pepa stated with narrowed eyes at our mother.
"What…, what do you mean, are you like…, unsatisfied with your gift?" Mother asked and I facepalmed so hard, the entire room heard it.
"Are you…, Is that really a serious Question you are asking right now?" Pepa asked and in her eyes I could see wrath coming, same as the intense thundercloud above her head.
"Mi vida, calm down, she didn´t meant it that way…" Felix tried to persuade and calm Pepa.
"Oh I am Calm, Felix my love, but I am pretty sure, she meant it exactly like she said it." Pepa stated and I knew things were getting bitter by the second.
To be honest, I have never seen Pepa laughing out so loud or being so emotional ever since she got her gift, as in those few months we had lost our gifts.
I said so before, for some of us, becoming giftless was a blessing in disguise but it was also, for a fact, as if part of us went missing, at least for me.
A wicked devil´s circle, we fear it, if we are without, but we aren´t happy either, when we have it.
"Why do you say that..., I always though you liked having a gift?" Mother asked.
" You though that..., liked, yeah, any gift other than the curse I am apparently blessed with.
You really think it makes me happy…, to have a gift at which I cannot even show any emotions beside of happy ones, in fear of hurting somebody, if I get angry, thunderclouds spark their lightingis all around, so much for our gifts never being harmful to other people..., I have to force myself to constantly be in a good mood…, have you any idea how hard this is, HOW MUCH IT DESTROYS ME!" Pepa stated before shouting in anger, her cloud getting darker by the second, while Dolores winced in pain, since she was sitting right next to her Mother, of course she sat next to me, meaning that i too was in the strike-zone of her Lightning cloud.
"Do you think Dolores wants to hear everything…, do you have any idea how it feels for her, to have to hear every single thing other people talk about, whisper and mutter about, all the rumors, the secrets, the infidelities and betrayals and then..., all the trash talking behind our backs, all the Shit she has to hear, even from miles away.
We are living in a town mother, not in a tiny settlement, there are hundreds of people who all talk and mutter day in day out, even if she does not specifically focus on anythign, it is just eardeafening noise to her, the closer they are, the louder she hears them.
How do you think it feels, if the tiniest sneeze becomes amplified towards a cacophony of noise, right in your ears, as if some amateur blares on a trumpet right inside your ear, that how it feels…!
YOU WANNA KNOW HOW I KNOW THIS…, BECAUSE MY DAUGHTER TALKS TO ME ABOUT HER PROBLEMS!" Pepa stated loudly, shutting her daughter´s ears with her hands.
Of course, those last words were a side-jab at me as well, since most of my daughters tended to bottle everything up, not letting anyone know, not even me, their own Mother, or Augustine their own father.
It was a fact that unfortunately I knew my daughters only half as good as I wished I could.
"Dolores is…, is that true?" Mother asked.
"I.., I hear everything, Abuela…, everything…, I've became an Adult before I was even off age, knowing about things I probably should not have get to know." Was all she said and it was all we needed to know, of course Pepa and Felix looked aside, them being the very reason for Dolores saying that...,and i guess me and Augustine were also partially to blame.
Other than that, was the Gift of Dolores in its entirety, if she can hear what everybody says or does in the Encanto 24/7, privacy was basically non-existent.
It was the breeding ground for resentments and Paranoia to spread.
I knew that Pepa was frightened that Dolores might gain the same treatment both She and Bruno received in our youth, therefore was Pepa quite Protective of her kids, though, more about Dolores though, since her sons had both gifts that did not affected anyone else but themselves,.most of the times at least
"Pepa.., why didn´t you…"
"TOLD YOU ABOUT IT…, ARENT YOU SUPPOSED TO NOTICE THIS YOURSELF, AREN´T YOU OLD ENOUGH TO SEE THE SIGNS..., aS IF YOU WOULD HAVE EVEN CARED..., YOU ALWAYS LOOKED AT US, TRIED TO CONTROL US AND YET YOU NEVER SAW US…, YOU ONLY EVER SAW OUR GIFTS!" Pepa stated getting more and more riled up, the flaring lightning above her head getting more and more intense. as she practically sprang up, her eyes wide open her teeth gritted in wrath anger.
"Mi Vida…, look at me…, please calm down, you are thundering and you are hurting our daughter with your shouting." Felix stated as he stepped right infront of Pepa and looked deep in her eyes…
It was enough to calm her down and looking apologetic towards her daughter, before taking the same in her arms comforting her.
"I am sorry Dolores…, but you need to understand Mother, I was never happy with my gift and Dolores…, apart from the few rare times it comes in handy, the majority of times it is but a burden…
Not to mention myself, what is my gift even good for anyways?
I have to be in constant good mood not to let it rain on important days, the way you always told us to behave, I would have to be unhappy whenever I walk near the fields and farms, just to let it rain, helping the plants to grow…, and on any other day I must force myself to be happy enough, to keep things sunny.
I can never feel stressed, sad, angry, or show any kind of strong negative emotion even if I feel bad…, and trying to force me to feel better, just stresses me out even more.
If I try to avoid stress I get stressed out, if I try not to be angry, I need to force myself to think about something happy, even if any other person could just be angry in that situation, which makes me angry again.
Frankly said, I wouldn´t have minded if my powers never returned." Pepa explained and mother looked absolutely shocked.
"I.., I never noticed…"
"Of course, you didn´t, you only ever had eyes for Julieta, as her being the role model, the one anybody praised, I was always feared and despised because I could not control my emotions and the more people talked behind our back or in hushed voices and the more kids in school bullied me, the bitterer I became…, I mean, as if being the only Gingerhead in the Encanto is not enough…
Kids can be so cruel you know, you were always normal, I mean you guys did not looked different to anybody else in the Encanto but me…, i´m fair skinned, my hair is as red as carrots and my eyes are as green as grass.
I know it might have something to do with genetics and generational gaps between genes being passed down in bloodlines and what-not-else…, but it doesn´t make it easier, to know that, when your classmates treat you like crap or spread weird rumors about you.
When yourself become isolated from other people expect your siblings.
I was lucky…, so damn lucky that Felix found me, and loved me for who I truly am, rather than who I forced myself to be." Pepa stated when Felix took her in his arms.
"From that day on, I tried my best to just keep being myself, but it is hard when other people are around me and might be harmed because of me, especially ever since my kids were born, if I don´t want them to be hurt by my …, gift…, I needed to learn to control my emotions, which is easier said than done, because there is so much that just pisses me off, from one moment to the next.
Those months without our gifts…, they were a real soothing blessing for me and Dolores, not having to care if you are happy, sad or angry because it only ever affects you…, not having to listen to anything and anyone but those you are in direct proximity.
Mirabel might complain about not having a gift all her life…, but if I would really start to complain about having one like mine, all my life, I wonder who would stop first from tiring herself out." Pepa stated exhausted from shouting and trying to control the cloud above her head, she was definitely too agitated to make it disappear fully but it was at least not as intense as before.
The tears in her eyes were evident of how much she just wanted to loose it when that kind of talk came up.
"At least your gifts brough you together with someone..., al my gift is good is to keep people at a distance or make them outright hating me!" Bruno explained after being silent for the entirety of Pepa´s rant.
"Predicting the future.., if you can stomach your fate then be my guest..., unfortunately too many people have failed in accepting even the tiniest misfortune, all they want is to know on who they will marry, or if they get rich and beautiful...,, if only i had a magic word for them which just tells them, that they should just let the future play out..., after all, in the first place..., if they are unwilling to change their fate, they deserve exactly what is coming for them." Bruno stated sipping on his coffee.
"In case you haven´t noticed, despite being just the same age, am I the only one without kids, let alone a wife or even a Girlfriend." He continued.
"That´s just your creepy style creeping them out" Pepa retorted with a snort.
"Maybe but it is also to a big part due to my gift.
I have it under control, since over a decade, but people still think i just start to randomly spouting new prophesies of comoning doom and disaster, like i used to, in the past.
Geez ,cut me some slack, 10 years are enough, even for me, to master my powers, duh" Bruno stated with an annoyed gaze.
"…., I honestly don´t know what to say now…, Mirabel…, I guess in the end it is your choice, what do you think about alll of this ?" Mother stated having first to understand herself what her daughter and son just told her, but still trying to proceed with the Conference.
"Hearing Tia Pepa and Tio Bruno complaining…, and seeing so myself all this time..., I know..., that having a gift might not always be easy and depending on what it is it can truly feel as more of a burden than a blessing…, but I think, that in the end it is I who must decide how to use the Gift I receive…, no one else but me has a right to do so.
If I do that, then I know I will be able to conquer any challenge…, just as I have done so without a gift." Mirabel exclaimed and pride once more welled up in my chest.
"Well said, Mirabel, well said." Augustine stated.
"When is the Gift Ceremony to be hold anyways?" I asked Mother.
"In two days, according to the Candle." Mother stated.
"…, How does that even work …, is the Candle …, like…, talking to you…, in a human voice or...?" Antonio asked innocently.
"In a way…, I guess it is the same way as you can understand animals but others can´t.
Strangely it is not Pedro I hear…, but a soothing female voice…, it somehow reminds me of my mother, during my own youth…" Mother stated and it has been a long time since Mother actually talked about her own family.
She used to tell us about her father and Mother…, and also about her little brother…
According to her telling, her Father was the Mayor of the Village they lived in, one of the reasons why the People trusted her when she and Father led them out during the attack.
Father was the son of the Chief of the Neighborhood Watch so both were already born in high positions and people also did depend on them in some ways, when the village was still at peace.
Unfortunately, according to her telling, all three, Mother Father and Brother, likely died in the attack on their village since unfortunately, so she told us, she could not find them anywhere, not before when they led the people and not after, when the Encanto came to existence, back then when the town was attacked they had not the time to search for someone specific, they just hoped and assumed that they would be under the people fleeing, not to mention that she had to flee with us and father, leading the people out of harms way, before having to witness how father sacrificed himself for them to flee.
She had so many things to do and it still left her hurting
Mother became a widow and a possible Orphan in the same Night.
Knowing all this, it was easy to forgive mother for how she always tried to force things, tried to keep the Miracle burning, a miracle birthed out of the sacrifice of Father.
With hands and feet she struggled to keep everything in order to not let anything destroy her life, her home, her vision for the future…, like back in that night, when so much was taken from her.
And now, due to her telling us, we knew that she still hopped for father to come back, that another Miracle would once more be granted.
But that was 50 years ago…, she too had to learn that she could not keep progress from emerging with the passing of time, things had to change, maybe not drastically, but forcing them to stay the same, for an impossible dream, was only wreaking both, past and present.
The Future was like a river, even if you intend to block it, somewhere it always manages to break free…, to leak through, first slow and steady…, but over time it breaks out more and more, until it rips down all barricades and rages out violently.
"The Future is unknown, to all but one of us" I though as I looked at Bruno…, I was tempted …, but I decided against it.
If my Daughter would once more be the center of disaster, I would help her with all i got, even if that would mean to cut ties with the family.
"The Future shall play out as it is intented, it is not my place to try and mess with it." I thought to myself, as I looked at my daughters who stood among the other kids, Camilo, Antonio and Louisa congratulating Mirabel already, while Isabella and Dolores stood next to them, one worried, the other skeptical.
"You do realize that if Mirabel gets a gift now, she will be the only one with two gifts, if that what we talked about truly is one to begin with…, you think that´s a good idea?" Pepa whispered in my ear.
"Yes maybe you are right and there would definitely be some concern, depending on what her gift might be, but unless we see for ourselves how well the two of them can work together, we should not try to interfere…, I cannot tell you how well things will go…, but too long have we tried to control and force our ideals onto ourselves and partially also on our children, its time that they make their own decisions, aside from Antonio they are all old enough for it." I replied.
"Maybe Bruno could…"
"No Pepa, the future has its own role to play, maybe we could tweak it in our favor…, sure, but there is only so much of the future Bruno can see, what if our good decisions today could affect the future even worse in the next month, or the next year?" I asked her and she nodded
"Bruno would have to constantly look into the future for us to follow the best possible path.
I don´t want my children and their children to live in fear of the future, like we did." I said and she just kept nodding, knowing that I was right.
The Future is like rain, eventually it all will join back to the vast ocean, when creating a strong enough stream, so let the river run and find his way home.
To be Continued…
A/N: Hey y´all, welcome to the Third Chapter of Familiar Stranger, I hope you have enjoyed it, if you do, feel free to leave a Review or a DM, or just a fave maybe, I would really appreciate it.
Suggestions and Ideas are also welcome so keep them coming, who knows, if it matches up you idea might becoming true in future Chapters or even in future Stories, if you are lucky.
Wish you all a good and healthy day.
Sincerely, yours truly, the Storyteller and his Books.
