Show Me Chapter 3

The investigation was all anyone could talk about for the next couple of days—while Rosa and Miguel were at school, the adults worried about whether or not going to the U.S. would be the practical solution.

"There's nothing we can really do but wait," Enrique said one day at the workshop after Gloria had enquired again the possibility of going to the U.S.. "Señor Martinez is flying out in two weeks from México City."

Slamming her hands down on the table, Elena stood up. "We still need to help them though! Carmen's right! That family has had everything taken from them! It makes our music ban look like child's play compared to what they've been through."

Wincing slightly at his mamá's word choice, Enrique kept going. "Mamá, I'm not saying we can't help them, but we need to tread carefully. Someone is clearly pulling the strings to keep Rodriguez's family quiet. And for all we know, Rodriguez's family may not even want to talk to us."

Nodding silently, Gloria stood up from the table and added in quiet voice, "If we do go to The U.S., we'll have to be extra careful who we mention it to. Some people in this town still think that Lopez didn't deserve to be locked up for hurting Miguel."

"He definitely does deserve it!" Berto exclaimed. "Miguel could have been killed!"

Feeling Luisa tense slightly, Enrique gently put a hand on her shoulder. "Luisita?" Enrique asked. "What's wrong?"

Luisa shakily took a breath, her eyes filled with concern, "I just don't want the Rodriguez family to go through almost losing a child the way we nearly did. I fear if we get involved in the case that things could…" Trailing off as tears pooled in her eyes, Enrique hugged his wife close. Luisa's fear of almost losing her son was extremely evident two years later and as a result, Miguel had been very careful not to bring up what had happened with Lopez or Día de los Muertos.

"Luisa, no one is going to touch any of my nietas while I'm around," Elena said firmly as she grasped her daughter-in-law's shoulders. "I promise."

When the children came home from school later, Enrique and Elena sat them both down, making them promise not to tell anyone at school or in town about what was happening.

"Your mamá is right," Enrique told Miguel. "I don't want to see either you or your primos on las noticias nacionales. It may attract the wrong kind of attention from the wrong kinds of people."

"But we're Riveras! We would go and face it head on!" Rosa said boldly. "We would go right up to those villanos and confront them for what they did! Just like Edward did!"

Deciding to leave the discussion of his niece's choice of literature for another time, Enrique kept going. "Sí, but we also have to consider the fact that these people could be out to hurt you and Miguel. Not all fans are friendly, Rosa. Consider what happened to Lennon and Selena."

Miguel looked up at his papá, "Maybe we could create a YouTube channel and ask the Internet for help. Almost everyone in the world knows the real story of what that de la Cruz did."

Miguel had been pleading with his papá over the past month to let him set up a YouTube channel or a Facebook page for the family business, but Enrique had said no. On top of Miguel being too young, Enrique knew that an online audience could be very harsh and that it wouldn't stop Elena from going after angry fans who dared to hurt Miguel.

"When you turn 15, Miguel, hablaremos de eso." Elena said, sharing her feelings with her son about Miguel's want to set up a YouTube channel. "For the moment, we need to keep things out of the public eye in order to avoid drawing any more attention to the Rodriguez family. "

Miguel pouted slightly but he understood, knowing that Elena just wanted to keep her family safe. Taking a deep breath, he said, "What can we do from here, Abuelita? Qué podemos hacer para ayudar?"

Enrique spoke up instead, saying, "Well, your abuelita, Tía Gloria, and I are going to the U.S. with Señor Martinez next month to try and assist in the case. We'll do our research on de la Cruz's tour of his early years here before we leave."

Frowning slightly, Miguel asked, "Why Tía Gloria, Papá? Why not Papá Franco or Abel?"

Putting her arm around Miguel, Elena responded, "Papá Franco is going to stay behind to help with the shop while I'm gone, mijo. And your primo is starting his winter term at la universidad local soon."

Without adding any more details, Miguel knew that the reason why Gloria is going was due to the fact that she is the only Rivera who has been to the U.S. before and is the most fluent in English. Miguel had been learning some English too, mostly to help communicate with English-speaking tourists who came to see the museum.

Nodding, Miguel continued, "But I can come? To help? I've been doing all the research and everything!"

Elena was about to say no, but her son touched her shoulder gently as he addressed Miguel. "We'll think about it, Miguel. Plane tickets aren't cheap and I'm not sure how your mamá will feel about you going off to the U.S. This could easily take a very nasty turn."

Agreeing with her son, Elena sent Miguel off to go and play with his sister, who was very busy playing with a rattle in the sunroom. Because of the ban years earlier, none of the Rivera children (with the exception of Victoria and Elena) had rattles when they were infants, due to the striking similarity to maracas.

"I just wish things were easier for Miguel," Elena murmured as she watched Miguel tickle his sister's tummy, making her shriek with laughter. "He's been through so much, the weight on his shoulders seems staggering and we need to consider what could happen."

"Para ser justo, Mamá, Miguel's been through things that most adults don't go through." Enrique said.

Elena hugged herself trying to repress the dark thoughts of what had happened to Miguel. "No child should have to go through what he had." She murmured.

Enrique's eyes hardened with thoughts of what had transpired raced through his head but gave his mother a comforting hug, silently promising that everything would be ok.

The tension seemed to calm slightly as they watched Miguel play with his sister, feeling the troubles in their mind slowly fade. If only it could stay this way, just a simple family life with no life-threatening situations or legal situations. But these real problems were not going to go away soon, Enrique thought. If anything, they were just beginning.