When everything settled down and the soldiers and peasants cleared out, Frida came out of her hiding spot with Zebra Donkey. Her outfit had changed, she now wore an off the shoulder blouse, blue bodice, purple skirt, and flats. She wore a sliver chain around her head with a white pendent that hung just below her bangs. Worried about Manny, she went to look for him inside the church. She found herself quite amazed by how beautiful and glorious the church was from the inside.
"Wow." She thought as she gazed at it.
Little did she know that T.J had seen her go inside the church and followed her. He reached out to tap her on the shoulder but she sensed him and flipped him over and took his sword.
"You!" She said holding the sword toward his chin. "What do you want? Why did you follow me?"
"Easy, easy, I just shaved this morning."
"Oh really? You missed a spot."
"Wait! Just give me a moment to apologize."
"For what?"
He tripped her by sliding his leg on her feet.
"That for example."
"You sneaking son of a-"
"Ah-ah, watch it! You're in a church."
"Are you always this charming or am I just lucky?"
"Relax beautiful, I'm not going to hurt you."
"Aren't you going to arrest me?"
"For what? You didn't do anything illegal and besides you're in the church. You have sanctuary so I can't do anything to you."
"Huh...Didn't know it worked like that around here."
"So if you don't mind me asking why are you here? Evening prayer?"
"No I was trying to find that boy."
"Oh yeah poor fellow. Those people had a lot of nerve treating him like that."
"I know, I know how that feels. I live nearly everyday of my life like that.
"I'm sorry."
"It's not your doing."
"Nor yours either I bet. So what do they call you?"
"Frida."
"I am Tulio Julian but please call me T.J."
Zebra Donkey brayed at him.
"Who's this guy?"
"Zebra Donkey." She said. "He's my friend. Look I appreciate your concern but I can take care of myself so be on your way soldier boy."
"As you wish but be careful, even the house of God can have it's demons."
"Thanks."
T.J left while Frida continued to search the cathedral for Manny. She wondered where he could be, she hoped that he was alright. She felt bad for what she did to him today. She didn't mean to put him through that torture. If she had known that he actually looked like that she would have never done such a thing.
"What are you doing here?!" A voice growled. She turned to see Judge Tito behind her. "You're kind is not welcome here."
"My kind is the same as yours. Human and last I checked everyone is welcomed in the house God and everyone is given his love."
"That maybe so but not everyone is worthy of it. Especially not gypsy scum."
"You hold so much hatred toward me but I don't even know you. What did I ever do to you?"
"Don't play the innocent with me young lady. You may have those fools out there convinced but I know your tricks."
"Tricks? What on earth are you talking about?"
"You're twinkling eyes, shinning face, graceful body! Your beauty is all a sin!"
"Forgive me but since when is it a sin to be beautiful."
"It isn't unless the great beauty is used to bewitch men and that's what you do! When you dance out there you're using witchcraft to control and posses men into turning away from God!"
"That is ridiculous! I dance to earn money and to make a living."
"So you say but gypsies don't earn money, they steal it!"
"Why do you think these things?"
"Because I've seen the kind of evil you people cause. I knew a gypsy woman, she was exactly like you. Beautiful, she loved to dance in the street and she bewitched my brother which caused his death!"
"Well I've never harmed anyone or used witchcraft and you have no proof of either."
"Perhaps not but I can have you arrested for defying my orders."
"No you can't. I've claimed sanctuary."
"Then I'll drag you out."
"You will not touch her!" Archdeacon Tonio protested. "Judge Tito need I remind you of what happened the last time you didn't respect the sanctuary of the church and denied it's protection of an innocent woman who in God's eyes was welcome to it?"
The image of Maria's dead body flashed into Tito's mind.
"No...No...Very well my dear you maybe safe now but you can't stay here forever, sooner or later you will get restless. So if you set one foot outside this cathedral you're mine."
He gave her a sneer and walked away.
"Worry not my child." Tonio said. "He cannot harm you here."
"What's his problem? He acts like I've committed every sin in the bible."
"Judge Tito was raised by a man who taught him that our lord could only love and forgive a certain group of people which made him very cruel and his cruelty only grew when he felt revenge against an innocent who he blamed for his pain."
"What hurt him so bad?"
"It's not place to say my child just know this, a heart without love and forgiveness is the devil's favorite target. Remember that, well I need to go lead this evening's prayer. You're welcome to participate if you'd like."
"Thank you."
She watched as many people began praying to God for things they wanted and needed. Some prayed for wealth, fame, glory, others prayed for love, food, a home, and other things like that. Frida decided to say a silent prayer of her own. She prayed for all the people in Spain who were poor, homeless, and persecuted. She prayed that one day those people would find peace and kindness in this world. Little did she know that some one was watching her. That someone was Manny, he thought he had her voice and went to see if it was really her. When he saw it was her he was very happy because he had wanted to thank her for helping her earlier but he was very nervous because aside from what had happened earlier in the tent he had never spoken to a woman.
"You! Bell ringer!" A man in the church who had been praying cried angrily. "What are you doing down here? You've caused enough trouble already! Get out of here!"
"Sorry! Sorry!" He said making his way upstairs but Frida had seen him.
"Wait!" She called following him. "Wait! Please come back! I'd like to talk to you!"
But he just kept running upstairs toward the bell tower hoping to God that she would eventually get tired and go back. But she was a stubborn and determined woman. The chase was witnessed by La Muerte, Candle Maker, and Xibalba.
"Hey who's that?" Candle Maker asked.
"That's the girl who helped him earlier." La Muerte said.
"Well what do you know he's got a girl chasing him. Maybe today wasn't a total loss after all."
"A vision of beauty if I ever saw one." Xibalba said oogling at Frida.
"Xibalba!" La Muerte scolded. SLAP!
"Ow! What?!"
They went down to the the young man.
"Congratulations kid." Candle Maker said.
"For what?" Manny asked.
"For hooking a girl?"
"What? Oh no! No! Nononono! I don't want her to see me!"
"Why not?" La Muerte asked.
But before Manny could answer he saw the gypsy getting closer. He quickly hid himself behind a curtain and prayed to God that she wouldn't find him and leave.
"Hello? Where did you go?" She asked looking for him. "Are you hiding from me? Why? I'm not going to hurt you?"
She then spotted something shaking behind a curtain. She smiled playfully to herself and waltzed over to curtain.
"Hmmm...Let's see. What could be behind curtain number one?" She then pulled back the curtain allowing her to see him. "There you are."
"Oh! Uh...Hello." He said nervously. "And...Uh...Goodbye."
"No! Wait! Don't runaway! I'm so sorry for what happened today! I swear if I had known who you were I never in my life I would have never pulled you onto the stage!"
"Well everybody makes mistakes. Now Um I really should be going." He said backing up. "I'm very, very, busy at the moment and hardly have anytime for visitors so it was really nice seeing you again but you really should be going- Whoa!"
He exactly tripped over a little bell and fell backwards.
"Are you okay?" She asked him.
"Me? Oh I'm fine! Fine! Fine!"
"Hey you don't have to be so nervous. I don't bite you know."
"Sorry it's just that Um well you're pretty much they only person I've met who hasn't taken one look at me and screamed their head off."
"Well I consider that an honor."
"Really? You're not scared or disgusted by me? Because I'm pretty gruesome looking."
"I've seen worse. Believe me I've seen worse."
"You have?"
"Being a gypsy I've been to many places and I've seen many things."
"I wish I could go to different places. Before today I've never left the bell tower."
"Never?"
"Nope."
"That's weird but I guess I can't blame you because this is some place you have here."
"Well yeah it does have it's perks. Would you like a tour?"
"Sure. We'd love one."
"We?"
"Oh sorry this is Zebra Donkey." She introduced her pet. "He's my best friend and pretty much all I have left from my old home."
"Old home?"
"Before I became a gypsy I lived on a small farm with my parents and sisters but they along with all the rest of our animals caught the plague when I was thirteen. Since Zebra Donkey and I were the only ones who didn't get it my parents insisted that we leave with a band of gypsies to avoid catching it. They made us leave right after my sisters died. I never saw them again."
"I'm sorry."
"It was a long time ago, I try not to think about it." She sighed. "So you said you'd give us a tour?"
"Oh right! It starts right up here!" He said leading her up a ladder.