Note: I do NOT own El Tigre or any of its characters
Churros
As Manny was getting advice from his dad, Frida wasn't getting the same luck. She was stuck in her room. Thinking about what had happened the night before and the situation she was in. She couldn't lie to herself anymore. She knew deep down that it was true. She was in love with her closest amigo, Manny Rivera. Who, unfortunately is not on her fathers "Top 10 Kids in Miracle City" list. She jumped on her bed and looked at a picture of her an Manny at the carnival. She sighed a sad sigh and just rolled around in her bed, confused and lonely.
"What do I do.....", Frida asked herself.
Once again, she tossed and turned on her bed, restless, until her stomach grumbled. She looked at her guitar shaped clock on her wall and she saw that it was time for lunch. She was half-way down the stairs when she smelt what was for lunch. Protein bars. Her family being of police-like character, she wasn't very surprised of this turnout, but she was in no mood of pinching her nose and forcing down disgusting blocks of food down her throat. She decided to sneak out and go eat some churros.
As Frida was on her way to the churro stand where she and Manny last met. She thought about Manny. All the time they spent together. All the danger he got her in. How guilty he felt because of that. And how hard it was to keep away from him. Due to her preoccupied mind she foolishly bumped into someone.
As she rubbed her head, she realized that this had happened the night before. She hoped that it was Manny she had bumped into. She wanted to be with him so much. To her misfortune, it turned out to be...... Sartana of The Dead.
"Hello.... Frida....", said Sartana slowly with an evil grin.
Frida didn't flinch, she just looked more depressed than ever. She looked at the ground and sighed. She didn't even bother to get up. Sartana was surprised by Frida's reaction to her. No screams, no cries of fear, nothing. Sartana, for once, stopped being terrifying and started being...... caring.
"What is wrong my dear", asked Sartana of the Dead
"Why do you care Sartana?", replied Frida disbelievingly.
"I have grown fond of you Frida Suárez," Sartana began, "All the time you have spent in your cell at my hideout, has given me time to appreciate your, what's the word, "living" company."
Frida looked up and smiled a bit, but the overwhelming depression was still there.
"Thanks, Sartana", said Frida with a slightly happier tone in her voice as she got up.
"Now, will you tell me your dilemma my dear?", Sartana asked affectionately
"Okay", Frida replied
"Come my dear, we shall talk more at my hideout", said Sartana as she led Frida to the graveyard.
"Wait," Frida suddenly interrupted, "I still want a churro".
Sartana pulled out her guitar, strummed a single note and BOOM!!, the churro cart exploded and the churros landed right in front of Frida
"Thanks Sartana", said Frida while taking an few churros
"Do not worry about it my dear, now let us go", replied Sartana while leading her to the graveyard once again.
Sartana's Hideout.....
Once they arrived at Sartana's hideout, Sartana lead her past the vault where Frida's cell was at and into what looked like a living room. Sartana being "of the Dead", Frida expected that she would have furniture made from bones, skeletons hanging on the walls, you know, that kind of stuff. To her surprise, this living room looked like it was for the "living". It had a big sofa in front of a large chair, some classy looking seats along a long wooden table. The walls were colored yellow and were pretty clean. There was a rack by the large chair for Sartana's guitar and on a small table by the same chair, was a picture of Sartana and her grandson, Django of the Dead.
"Wow Sartana...", was all Frida could say as she looked around the room.
"Surprised?", asked Sartana playfully.
"Very...", was Frida's reply
"Come now my dear, let us sit and you can tell Sartana your dilemma", Sartana said with a wave of her hand.
Sartana sat in the large chair and put her Mystic Guitar on the rack near it. Frida sat on the sofa in front of it, took a bite of a churro and started talking.
"Sartana," Frida began, "I think I'm in love"
"Ahh.....", Sartana replied, "With who my dear?"
"Manny Rivera", said Frida shyly
"El Tigre ehhh?", Sartana said without a hint of surprise in her voice.
"You knew?", asked Frida
"In a way I did," Sartana began, "You and El Ti.... I mean Manny, are very very close. He would always try to save you, even against all odds. It shows that he cares about you very deeply."
Frida blushed a bit.
"So it was that obvious?"
"Yes it was", Sartana replied
"Now that it's out in the open, I don't know what to do", Frida said
"Well my dear, if you truly care about him then you would have no reason to hide your feeling.", replied Sartana
"What if he doesn't feel the same way, What if he laughs at me? What if-"
Sartana put her bony hand on Frida's mouth to stop her from talking and said,
"Do not have a doubt my dear. The way I see it you do not have to worry, I am sure Manny feels the same way", Sartana said comfortingly
"Really?", Frida said
"Yes, really..", replied Sartana reassuringly
There was some silence after this. It was already dark outside. You could
hear the owls hoot and the trees sway. Sartana ordered her skeleton bandido to get her some tea. Frida just continued to snack on her churros until the silence was broken by Frida herself
"Thanks Sartana..."
"Do you know what to do now my dear?", Sartana asked while taking a sip of her tea.
"Yeah. I think I do", Frida said solemnly, "Thanks for the advice and the churros"
"Do not worry about it my dear, I am glad I could be of help to you", Sartana replied with a smile
"See yah again sometime Sartana", said Frida while waving her hand goodbye.
"Yes, I hope I will see you again soon", replied Sartana
Frida left Sartana's hideout with a plan, a better attitude and a renewed hope. Sartana was left on her chair and she took her guitar. She began playing a sweet song not often heard from her guitar. That night everything seemed to clear up with the sound of Sartana's song and there was one less churro cart in the city.
End of Chapter 4