Summary:
Gabriela showcases her ability for the first time and Elena's past life is revealed.
-o-o-
Written in Gabriela's POV.
-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-
The plaza is packed. We peruse the shops and stalls, and it's a miracle that we can still move around with this many people. I can't remember the last time I went shopping with Mamá. I've been at the store almost every day, so I also never got the chance to fully explore the town. There's so much to see.
I'm busy looking at the naranjas when I get the sense that someone's watching us. I immediately go on full alert, scanning my eyes across the crowd to look for Mamá. I sigh a breath of relief when I see her checking out the other stall's guanábanas.
I know she hasn't been outside since we moved here, always preferring to stay at home. It's usually Papá who did the shopping, at times leaving me and my brother to man the store. I think she took her time to adjust to the place to make sure she felt safe being seen in public. Despite being in her late forties, Mamá is still quite the stunner, her dark, curly hair high up in a bun, stray ringlets grazing her forehead.
I hope as I get older I age as gracefully as her.
I've been staring at Mamá too intensely that I'm close to hearing a clear voice in my head. I constantly hear everyone's thoughts, but they're always too fuzzy like there's cotton in my ears. I have to focus on someone or something to make it intelligible. I focus on the top of her head.
Oh my gosh, it's her!
I wonder if she'll let me get an autograph?
She's so pretty!
…is she going to buy the oranges, or not?
I give the vendor a sheepish smile. The last thought I got was his. "I'll…be right back," I say and quickly approach Mamá. She's chatting up the guanábanas vendor, no doubt in an attempt to haggle. "Mamá." I hiss, looking around. My anxiety kicks in. Dios mio, are everyone's eyes following us? I get goosebumps.
"Gabriela–" Mamá says in a warning tone before we're interrupted by a few women brave enough to approach us.
"Buenos días, Señora." One of them greets Mamá as the others giggle and whisper to each other. Understanding flickers across Mamá's face, and I shrug. They only have one question in mind, and it's the price of being very famous in a past life. "Are you perhaps La Encantadora Mirabella?"
-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-
It's been a week since that encounter at the plaza.
Initially, Papá wasn't sure if he should be thrilled with the sudden influx of customers that came to visit Música Elena immediately the afternoon Mamá was recognized as La Encantadora Mirabella — a once very successful singer who suddenly retired at the height of her career. "It's probably just a temporary boom." he had said.
Él estaba equivocado.
The shop's traffic increased since then that we could barely keep up with the demands. Mamá also decided to help out and made it much worse.
While I'm happy that the store is gaining the same traction as before, helping to ease my parents' worries, the daily crowds always gave me massive headaches.
Today's not any different.
"Gabriela," Julián whispers to me as I'm preparing a customer's bulk order of maracas. "You holding up okay? You're starting to crush the box."
I give my brother the side-eye. He's carrying a dizzying amount of records from the storage room. He just looks at me knowingly, unfazed, and I let out a sigh.
"No. This is driving me muy loca. My head's starting to hurt again from all the noise."
"Maybe you should take a break." He sets the records down at my table. "Like, sneak out and go for a walk to clear your head?"
I look at him incredulously. "Are you loco? Do you want Papá to pop an artery when he realizes I skipped out in the middle of our busiest day?"
He rolls his eyes at me as he pushes me aside, taking the poor box off my hands. "I'll cover for you. Te ves como una mierda. You NEED a break."
I eye him cautiously. "Fine. I'll take your word for it." I don't need much convincing. I hand over my to-do list and he settles himself on my desk, taking over my packing duty. "This better not be one of your damn pranks, Julián, because I swear I will tell the baker's daughter that you think she's cute."
His eyes immediately widen at my remark and he turns beet red. "It's not! You do look terrible! ¡Cállate y sal de aquí! Dios mío."
I know he won't tell a soul where I go, but it's just fun teasing him all the same. "I'm joking. Your secret is safe with me. I owe you one," I wink at him as I slip out the back door before anyone notices me.
-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-
I walk out into the plaza to see a long line outside of Música Elena. It's like everyone in town is here, but I don't know if it's to shop or to see the famous La Encantadora Mirabella. My head is still spinning from hearing all their muffled thoughts.
I decide to escape to the forest. Maybe the mountains can provide me that much-needed relief.
-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-
Glossary of terms (in order of appearance in-text):
Plaza - plaza/square
Naranjas - oranges (fruit)
Guanábanas - the fruit of Annona muricata, a broadleaf, flowering, evergreen tree. In my country (Philippines), it's called Guyabano (from the Spanish Guanábanas!). In English, it's called Soursop.
Buenos días - Good morning
Señora - Miss (married)
La Encantadora Mirabella - The Enchanting Mirabella. This was Elena's stage name when she was still singing professionally.
Él estaba equivocado - He was wrong
Muy - very
Loco - crazy (masculine)
Te ves como una mierda - You look like shit. In this chapter, Julián's pointing out that Gabriela looks terrible.
Cállate y sal de aquí - Shut up and get out of here
Dios mio - (an expression) My God