Gift Ceremony

Magdalena was really too big of a name for her, it was like her trying on her mama's dresses. It sounded like a name for a woman with a big fancy mansion on a mountain side with a view of an ocean and not a five year old girl whose mama could control the weather.

Lena fit much better and was easier to pronounce and rhymed when her parents called her la pequeña lena. She was only a bit shorter than her twin and had been the baby - born five minutes after her sister- until her sobrinas Isabela and then Luisa came along, but the nickname stuck and she liked it.

She tried not to squirm from her spot on the rug in the nursery as her mom pulled the brush roughly through her hair. Normally wash days meant she would run around Casita with her hair wild and free, an untamed mass of brown fluff taller than she actually was on top of her head. Once it was fully dry, it sometimes took all day if she was stuck in the house, her mama would braid it for the night and style it in the morning.

This morning was different as it was her and her twin Dolores' fifth birthday and they were both subject to washing, drying and styling to look presentable for the party that would commence later in the evening when the entire village would gather for their gift ceremony.

The light drizzle turned heavier as thunder rumbled above the both of them as her mama attempted to run the brush through the same section of hair for the fifth time.

"Hold still Lena," her mama scolded gently.

She tried to, but the bristles snagged another curl and she instinctively pulled away.

"Oye, Dios mios, your hair is worse than your father's." Her mama muttered under her breath.

"Whose hair is worse than mine?" Her papa's warm voice rumbled from down the hall.

Lena turned to see him peeking around the doorway with a grin.

This was enough to distract her mama and Lena wiggled out from under the brush and ran to him hugging his leg tightly.

He chuckled and patted her hair fondly.

"I can't get a brush through it," her mama complained, as more thunder rumbled above her and rain turned to hail, " it needs to be done before the ceremony and at this rate it won't be done until a week from now and mama will need help decorating and they both still need to get dressed-"

"Mi vida, " her papa stepped fully into the room despite his daughter clinging to it, Lena giggled," esta bien, I've got this."

"De verdad?" Her mama asked skeptically, "what would you know about styling hair?"

"I grew up with sisters and nieces. I've got this mi vida." He gave his wife a kiss on the hand and gently took the brush from her and turned his attention to Lena, "Now, let me guess.…"

"Puffs!" she exclaimed excitedly.

"Of course." he beamed at her and nodded towards the rug in front of him. "But you'll have to sit still for me. "

"Okay!" She let go of his leg and sat cross legged on the floor.

Her mama gave a small huff but left, leaving them in silence for a moment as he worked the brush through her hair. She decided she liked it much better when papa was doing her hair, he didn't pull as much.

"Are you excited pequeña?" he asked after getting one side of her hair put up in a pig puff and began to work on the other one.

"Kinda?"

She was nervous having heard about the ceremony several times from Abuela and her mama about how important it was and how getting a "gift" meant she would help the people of the village.

She would rather help pass out food from Tia Julieta's cart. Everyone was nice to her and always complimented how tall she had gotten even though they had seen her the week before.

"Well your Tia made your favorite arroz con pollo." Her papa's voice broke through her thoughts.

She wrinkled her nose in disgust. "That's Dolores' favorite. I like patacones. "

"Oye, how could I forget? "He muttered to himself with a chuckle and a moment later finished up. "There, all done. "

She got up and gave him a hug, "Gracias papa."

"Anytime pequeña."

She scowled at the dress that hung over the chair across the room, "Papa, do I have to wear white? "

"Si, it's tradition. Your mama, tia and tio all wore white on their gift ceremonies. "

"I don't like white. "

"I know, little one, but it's a special night and Dolores will be wearing it too."

Later that evening, the twins held hands as they walked down the hallway and up the stairs,

Abuela stood between the two doors.

"Which one of you would like to go first?"

"I will." Dolores said and let go of her twin's hand and stepped towards Abuela.

Their Abuela turned to address the villagers downstairs, " Thirty four years ago, in our darkest moment, this candle blessed us with a miracle. And the greatest honor of our family has been to use our blessings to serve this beloved community. Tonight, we come together once more as another steps into the light to make us proud."

The older woman turned to her twin and asked her solemnly, "Will you use your Gift to honor our miracle?"

Dolores nodded wide eyed.

"Will you serve this community and strengthen our home?"

Her twin nodded again and Abuela bent down slightly to allow her to touch the candle and then she reached for the door.

The next moment her twin let out a scream and slammed her hands over her ears as the door lit up in gold, her name carved on top of it and a picture of her with weird symbols.

Lena started to cry as her mother scooped her twin up and attempted to comfort her as a cloud formed above them.

Thunder rumbled above them and it began to rain.

She didn't care how mad Abuela would be about the dress getting ruined, she didn't care about the gift or anything else; she just wanted her hermana to be okay.

"Lena," a gentle voice whispered near her, "Come on little one."

She recognized her father's voice but refused to open her eyes and gripped her mama's leg tighter.

While her twin continued to wail above her and it rained on all four of them.

"Pequeña, don't you want to know what your gift is?"

"No," She replied stubbornly and wiped her snotty nose on the back of her hand.

"What if it's a good gift?"

She peered around at her mama's leg at her papa curiously, "Like what?"

He gave her a warm smile, "What if you could bake like your Tia? Wouldn't that be fun?"

She considered for a moment, she did like helping in the kitchen and often was too short to reach for many things and had to ask Casita for help.

"I would want to be taller so I could help more."

He nodded "but you won't know until you touch the door."

She hesitated, suddenly worried, "But what if I get something else?"

"We won't know until you touch the door, hmm? I'll be right here hija. "

She sniffled for a moment and then nodded, letting go of her mama's dress and turned to face Abuela and then looked back at her papa.

"Promise?"

"Promise." He reassured

She turned back and walked toward Abuela.

"Will you use your Gift to honor our miracle?"

She sniffled and nodded.

"Will you serve this community and strengthen our home? "

She nodded again.

Abuela lowered the candle down to her and she touched it. It glowed brightly for a moment and then she walked over to touch the door knob.

She heard soft whispers and frowned, unable to make them out completely.

One voice spoke up a bit louder, the tone warmer than the sun.

Hola granddaughter.

She gasped and turned.

"What is it Lena?" Abuela asked.

The same voice chuckled amused.

No one else can hear me neita, just you.

"Abuelo?" She whispered.

Si.

Her eyes widened.

That's my little neita.

"Lena?" her papa asked, worried.

"I can hear Abuelo!" she exclaimed excitedly.

Another chuckle.

Now tell Abuela I love her and miss her very much.

She nodded and looked at her grandmother and repeated the words he said. The older woman smiled down at her as a single tear ran down her cheek.

"Now open your door neita."

Lena touched the door knob again and it glowed brightly, her full name 'Magdalena' appeared written out in beautiful handwriting at the top of it and several skeletons appeared on the door with her in front of them.

The crowd downstairs gasped.

She hesitated.

Go on, little one Abuelo encouraged.

She pushed the door open.

Darkness lay before them for a moment and then the flicker of a candle in the distance, then another and another and the room was filled with the soft yellow glow of candle light revealing a cemetery. A stone archway in the distance that led to a stone mausoleum.

"Dios Mio." Abuela whispered and crossed herself. "We have a new gift."

The whispers grew louder as the villagers piled up the stairs and into her room.

She put her hands over her ears in a vain attempt to make it less noisy.

Several of the adults gasped and crossed themselves as Abuela did before entering.