Chapter 2:
(Camilo POV)
- a few days later -
I made my way into town shapeshifting into different people as I passed them by. I stayed closer to Tía Julieta not sure how I could best help yet. She always seemed to know what to do and we were close because she is my madrina. "Camilo, you are going to do great," she said as I stood slightly behind her changing form at what felt like random. She smiled at me as I turned into her. She put her hands on my shoulders, "Take a deep breath and think about who you want to appear to be." I tried to focus on what I looked like but everyone else kept flooding into my brain. Tía reached into her basket and pulled out a picture, "Focus on looking like him." She smirked as she pointed to a picture of me from last night before the ceremony. I looked at how my hair curled, my dimples, the tint of my skin, everything and felt myself move down as I became myself again. I smiled up at her, "Thank you." She ruffled my hair, "Everyone has trouble the first couple of days. If any of your cousins, or your sister say differently they are lying." She took my hand and we continued to walk through town.
Everyone was looking at me, seeing what I can do and if I was going to use my powers. I kept and air of confidence with each step but, I was nervous that I would mess up. Tía began giving her food to everyone that was coming up. I saw some kids kicking a ball, but knew better than to run over to them. I was a Madrigal now, with a gift. I was no longer a child. One of the kids kicked the Ball and it was heading right for Tía. I looked at the line of people and saw someone who was really tall. I thought that if I was tall as him I could catch the ball.
Suddenly I turned into him and caught it just before it it Tía. "Woah," the kids all said as they looked at me. I threw the ball back to them and turned back into myself. One of the kids ran up to Tía and I, "Can you do that again?" I turned to face her. She had these big green eyes and dark brown curls, I don't know when but suddenly I had turned myself into her and she squealed, "Oh my goodness. That is amazing." She circled me realizing that every detail was the same. I looked up at Tía and felt myself shift again. She nodded her head letting me know that I was myself again. I looked back at the girl who was smiling, "Do you want to come play with us?"
I went to say no, but Tía pushed me forward, "Go ahead, you can help me later." "But Tía I thought..." she just shook her head, "Your Mama and Papa would be absolutely fine with it and I am telling you that it is ok. Go ahead and play." I nodded my head and went to be with the kids in town. I would occasionally turn into the other kids around me unintentionally and they all seemed to love it. Suddenly the game stopped as everyone asked me to transform into different people. I did what they asked and started to go in and out of transformations. I decided to see what I could do with it so I would jump and change form as I landed and they seemed to be really impressed with that. Soon other members of town were making their way over to see me shift. They were all entertained and praising me as I kept switching from person to person.
I then caught a glimpse of Abuela and turned back to myself. "Nooo," Everyone groaned having enjoyed watching me shift. Still I made my way over to Abuela who was talking to Tía Julieta, "Aye Camilo what are you doing here? I thought you were with all those people from town?" Abuela started as I looked down at my feet, "Was that ok?" She looked at me, "Ok? That was great go back now, go." I nodded my head and transformed into her for a moment before I made my way back to the town. They all seemed to love it when I copied some of the mannerisms that they would do, before the end of the day they all kept begging me to do more when I went home with Tía Julieta. "You did great today," she said as she squeezed my shoulder slightly. I smiled, but something felt off. I knew that I did what everyone wanted today but, I couldn't describe the feeling but something definitely felt wrong.
We made our way to Casita and I went upstairs to see Mirabel. I opened the door of the nursery and saw her reading a book on her bed. I jumped up on her bed and shocked her as she looked up at me and started laughing. She then crawled over to me, "How was it? Tell me everything!" She smiled and I sat down next to her and began telling her about my day and what I did. She stared at me wide-eyed. "That is amazing," she said, "Do you think that I can come tomorrow?" I smiled, "I mean you have to ask your Mama and Abuela but, maybe." She wrapped her arms around me in a hug, "Thank you." I saw my opportunity and as we pulled away from our hug I taped her arm, "Tag you are it." I ran out of the room and into my room laughing as I closed the door. I heard a knock on my door and quickly opened it up expecting Mirabel with a wide smile on my face, but I looked up and saw Abuela standing with Mama and Papa. My smile fell as I looked up at all of them, "Is everything ok?" Mama and Papa nodded their heads behind Abuela and Abuela spoke, "We wanted to talk to you about your gift." I nodded my head and opened the door for them to come into my room.
The walls in my room were mirrors with a small bed in the middle of the room. I had a few curtains that broke up the mirrors and the refections. I had a few other things that I haven't yet explored but I sat down on the bed and looked at all the adults as they made their way into my room. Abuela took a seat next to me, "Camilo, we have all been thinking about how to best utilize your gift." I nodded my head, "For some our gifts are best used in service to the town like Pepa, Julieta, Bruno, Dolores or Luisa but some of the gifts are different. Look at Isabella's gift, she beautifies the community and makes our world prettier with each flower. Your gift can help the people in town by entertaining everyone in town, you can change form make people laugh. Maybe when you are older you can help people in different ways that we haven't though up yet, but for now I want you to become whoever the people in town want you too. Ok?" I nodded my head and she patted the top of my head, "You are a good child Camilo."
She left the room and I turned to face my parents. Papa sat next to me, "I heard you had a good day." I nodded my head and he pushed my shoulder slightly, "Good, I'm glad hijo. If you ever need any help though, remember your Mama and I are here." I nodded my head and gave him a hug. Mama joined in until the both pulled away and left my room. I looked in the mirror and examined my face. It looked right, it felt like it was supposed to be me, but something was different. I couldn't explain it but something was definitely different from a few days ago. I laid down in my bed and just started watching my hand as I focused on changing it into different people's I was fairly certain that I was changing my entire body to look like them, but I was focusing on the details of my hand. Everything would change each time I tried someone knew. I went back to myself and leaned into my pillow closing my eyes. I couldn't explain it but, it had felt like a long day.
I don't know how but, I slept through dinner, I don't think I would have noticed at all except I woke up as Dolores was shaking me awake with a plate of food in her hand. "Eat up," she said passing me the plate. I sat up and smiled at her, "Thank you." I sat up and started eating and she sat down next to me, "It sounded like you had a lot of fun today." I gave her a half-hearted smile as I shoveled food in my mouth, "I guess." She just shook her head and then started laughing, "What?" I asked. She then smiled, "You turned into me." I looked down and saw that I was wearing a skirt and I examined my arm and saw that it had the same bracelet that Dolores was wearing. I took a deep breath and went back to myself. Dolores continued to smile though. That was when I decided to ask, "Do you want to play a game?" She smiled, "What kind of game?"
We waited until all the adults were asleep in their rooms and then all the kids made their way out into the courtyard. "Alright the rules are simple, no going into any of our rooms or the parents rooms. No leaving Casita. Other than that everything goes," I said as I looked at all of them. "You ready to play Hide and Seek?" They all readily nodded their heads. Isabella then asked, "Who is going to be the seeker?" I looked for any volunteers but nobody seemed ready. Mirabel then whispered, "Casita will you do the honors of picking?" We all stood in a circle and suddenly the tiles under our feet to began to lift up and lift down in a circular motion as Casita made its choice it finally landed on Dolores. She smirked at all of us, "OH I am so ready for this. How long do I need to count for?" A bunch of numbers were said until we finally landed on a minute. She went to the door of the house and stared counting as we all ran to hide.
I ran upstairs and ducked away into a separate hallway corner as I watched as my cousins picked their hiding places. Isabella used her vines to bring herself up to the ceiling and hoped that she was concealed. Luisa was moving the heavy vases to conceal her and to make sure that Dolores wouldn't be able to move the obstacle from her path. Mirabel was asking Casita for help as it held her away in a cupboard. I went deeper into the offside hallways and focused on who I wanted to look like. I was trying to make myself small. Something she can easily overlook.
I held my breath as Dolores started making her way around. I held my breath as she made her way nearby when she stopped for a moment and looked up, "I hear you giggling Isabella." She whispered to herself. She walked forward and then said, "Found you" loud enough for Isabella, and me, to hear. Isabella then spoke, "Ugh, no fair you used your hearing." Dolores scoffed, "And how did you get up there?" Isabella groaned but went to wait in the courtyard like we all agreed we would when we were found. I focused on what Isabella looked like and tried to turn into her. I stayed in the hallway my smile apparent. I couldn't believe that they had all agreed to do this with me. I stayed still until I heard a door open, "WHAT IS GOING ON?" Her voice chilled me to my core and I knew exactly who we had woken up. I made my way out of the hallway and saw Dolores was trying to move the big vase to get Luisa. Mirabel and Isabella were sitting together looking up at Abuela. All of our parents doors opened and they made their way out.
We all stood in a line as Abuela looked over all of us, "What on Earth were you doing? Playing in the middle of the night! You should all be asleep. How are you going to help our community tomorrow if you have tired yourselves out playing games all night?" Our parents stood by Abuela as she yelled. None of them were happy that we were out of bed at this hour either, "What would have happened if you left the house? We would have had no idea where you meant?" Papa asked. A storm cloud hung over Mama's head. Tío Augustine and Tía Julieta were quiet, but it was clear that they weren't happy either.
"Who's idea was this?" Abuela asked looking at all of us. I went to step forward but Dolores held her hand out in front of me telling me not to. None of us answered, "Really, none of you are going to say anything. I know it had to be someone's idea." We all shared a glance and it was understood that no one was going to say anything. Abuela glared, "Very well. Well I hope you all get a good nights rest at this point because we are all waking up at sunrise tomorrow and starting our chores even earlier and none of you can come home until sunset." She went to turn around but then added, "You are all Madrigals. You have a responsibility to your family and to your community you don't have time to do these things." She gestured her hand before making her way up the stairs.
Mama and Papa looked at Dolores and I, "We will talk with you two in the morning. Go to bed." We nodded our heads and went upstairs. As I looked back at Tío and Tía they seemed to be having a similar conversation. Dolores and I made our way to our rooms when she turned to face me, "No matter what any of them say it was a lot of fun. Ok? You let us all have a lot of fun don't forget that, but I don't think we can do this again." I nodded my head and she ruffled my hair. I hated when she did this but she seemed to love it. I walked to my room and went to bed. I knew that Abuela wasn't joking about waking us up at sunrise tomorrow and no I had to get whatever sleep I could.
I slugged into town exhausted the next morning walking with Isabella. Before we actually entered town she pulled me aside and sighed, "Look, I know that you are tired but you need to act like you are completely fine. We can't let the people in town know that anything is different, ok? Just do whatever they want." I nodded my head and watched as she began to smile her posture was perfectly straight as she waved to the famers and people who were headed off to work. I wished I could be so effortless in my motions. I then changed into her and mimicked her as I walked into town behind her trying to get people to question which one was real. I soon turned into someone else and thus began my day of dawning on a million faces. I looked around at the other members of the family. They all had this smile on their face as they helped the town. I smiled though my day as well maintaining the Madrigal family image.
