El Viaje de Coquita
El Capítulo Ocho
Héctor sighed as he watched yet another cousin evaporate before his eyes. For decades, he had been scared of his impending Final Death, and had difficulty being positive about anything. But during the last Día de los Muertos, he had seen firsthand that his daughter had finally gotten around to sharing her stories about him with his great-great-grandson, and he would stay remembered long enough to greet his daughter when she crossed over.
Even then, he couldn't fully enjoy his newfound longevity; he was afraid the other residents of Shantytown would hate him for his new lease of afterlife, despite their assurances that they housed no such feelings of him, especially since he had shared his offerings from his ofrenda with everyone there.
The only thing that could get those thoughts out of his mind would be seeing Coco when she crossed over. Which, if his great-great-grandson knowing about him and making an ofrenda for him was any indication, would now be possible for him.
He stepped out of the bungalow with his hat on his chest and his guitar in his other hand. No matter how many times it happened, it was always painful for the residents of Shantytown to witness a Final Death. And for a long while, no one spoke a word, simply bowing their heads in sadness.
While they could've easily shaken it off with the knowledge that they were all just as close to Final Death as the latest victim, that was no longer the case for Héctor; if he had made that sentiment, it would've come across as insensitive to the others.
At the very least, he promised that as long as he was remembered, even if he was reunited with his blood family, he would always return to Shantytown to help them however he could.
After a long period of dead silence, Héctor started playing the song he had played for Chicharrón.
"Conoces ya a Juanita...
Sus ojos son bicolores...
Sus dientes chuecos y tiene tres...
Con sus tetas, el suelo rayó..."
He paused as Tío Chelo snickered.
"Sus trenzas son de alambre...
Arqueadas sus piernas están...
Si yo no fuera tan feo,...
Su amor tal vez me podría dar."
The residents gave a gentle applause as the song ended.
It was then that the people present were aware of a newcomer who was clapping with them.
Héctor recognized the face. "Buenas noches, Guillermo. What brings you here tonight?"
"I come bearing news for you, Señor Rivera. About your daughter."
There could only be one reason for him to mention her. "Has she crossed over?"
"Sí. She had requested that you be the first to be made aware of her arrival."
"So, she wants to see me first?"
"It would appear so."
"Lead the way, amigo."
It didn't take long for them to reach the arrivals gate. Guillermo handed off Héctor to Sofía, who escorted him to where Coco was waiting.
He knew her smile in an instant. "Papá?"
"Coco!" He gave her a twirling hug and let out the loudest grito he had ever belted out in either of his lives, not caring how many people were around him.
"You have no idea how much I have missed you, mija."
"More than I missed you?"
"Much, much more." He squeezed his newly dead daughter and started rustling her hair. "I have tried for so many decades trying to cross the bridge every Día de los Muertos so I could see you again."
"Really?"
"Sí. But nobody put my foto on an ofrenda until last year."
"I kept all your letters and your face from our family's foto after Mamá banished all music from our home. And I gave them to Miguel so they would be kept safe."
"You have no idea how happy that makes me, mija."
A new feminine voice boomed over all the other voices in the station. "YOU DID WHAT?!"