Hello!
An update on my messy life: we are moving this Friday and have been packing like crazy lately, also, I've been helping my dad with his business on a project, which finally ended. But the last couple of days were intense; making it difficult to find time to write another chapter. On top of that I am taking summer classes and the work finally caught up with me, so I had to take care of that as well.
The next chapter might take a while because of the moving. That is why I'm making this chapter longer, but I won't give up on the story :).
Also, quick question, I feel like the chapters could use more description, involving the character's feelings, surrounding and actions. What do you guys think?
…
The trip to the police station wasn't awkward since the family found all kinds of topics to talk about. Although it was mostly Oscar, Felipe and Miguel exchanging stories, the environment felt relaxed.
The women had stayed home after deciding that, at the moment, Miguel needed male figures. The decision wasn't easy for Imelda, who wanted to go and get a look at the man who was causing her great-great grandson so much pain. But she eventually caved when Victoria convinced her to get started on new boots since Miguel's were covered in blood and dust.
"Ohhhh, I remember the prank we played on Héctor soon after he moved in with us" Felipe commented with a mischievous look in his eye.
"WE DON´T TALK ABOUT THAT!" Héctor responded waving his arms.
"I still can´t believe you fell for it" Oscar responded giving his brother-in-law a pat in the shoulder.
"What was the prank?" Miguel looked at the twins for an answer.
"So, Miguel" Héctor scrambled looking for a way to change the topic, "do you like… um… books?"
Miguel eyes squinted at his great-great-grandfather, "Nice try Papá Héctor, but I still want to know"
Héctor grunted in defeat, "fine" he whispered under his breath.
"So-"
"Imelda had gone-"
"Out to buy new sewing materials-"
"And we used the phone in the workshop to call the house"
"And Héctor was the one who answered-"
"So Felipe used his Imelda voice to talk to him"
"Oh boy" Miguel could already tell where it was going.
"And I told him to order 500 roses because we were having company later-"
"But to have them arrive before she did" The twins looked at each other suppressing the shrieks of laughter.
"AND HE ACTUALLY DID" they both said in unison and began laughing loudly.
"You can't be serious" Miguel looked at Héctor incredulously.
"Imelda was really mad" Julio added with a smile
"In my defense, when I moved back in she told me specifically to do as she said without questioning her" Héctor shrugged with a grimace.
"Right, but come on" Oscar grabbed Héctor's shoulder carelessly, "Felipe's interpretation of Imelda is awful"
"Hey, it's pretty good" Felipe shot a glance to his brother, "STOP IT IDIOTAS!" he used a high pitch to imitate his sister's voice.
"Si…" Miguel said pressing his lips in disappointment.
"You got what she would say right" Julio comments, "but the actual voice is pretty bad"
"Did you really fall for that Papá Héctor?"
Héctor gave the boy a shy smile. He remembered that day very clearly, although it was a memory that he desperately tried to repress. It was obvious that the voice wasn't Imelda's, but he knew that if it was her brothers they'd be amused and happy. On the other hand, he didn't use phones that often and if it was Imelda it'll make her happy. Either way someone was happy.
Of course, getting the flowers was difficult and Imelda was going to be home two hours after he received the phone call, so he had to improvise. Rosita said nothing when the delivery trucks arrived as she thought that it was a romantic gesture for Imelda. Victoria stayed out of his way but gave him disapproving looks, knowing that whatever he was doing would be a disaster.
Imelda had gotten home to over 300 flowers in the house, with a pattern of petals leading to her bedroom. Of course, she had taken that as a sign of Héctor trying to get inside her bed; and she found herself flattered. She was over her 70's and for a man in his early 20's to find her attractive, well, that was a compliment. But she kept her guard up and kicked her brothers out of the house, forcing them to sleep in the workshop. She didn't want to make Héctor more embarrassed and made his punishment less severe by allowing him to sleep in the couch.
It had been an embarrassing experience for the both, so they agreed to never speak of it again. But Héctor liked to remember her embarrassed face; at first, she was unreadable, but later he understood that she was simply ashamed. She had been the same way on their honeymoon, when they were both trying to understand how each other's bodies worked. She acted though but was simply trying to understand new territory without being vulnerable. And he loved that about her, he loved her strength, and it was a privilege knowing that he was the only one who could see her vulnerable side.
"Let's just say it was a heck of an experience" Héctor responded.
"Mijo, we're here" Julio moved his head towards the building. It was near the bad part of town, where it was easy to get stolen bones, drugs and all kinds of unspeakable items.
Miguel felt numb as he stared at the building. This was it.
…
'Damn this headache!' Héctor always got headaches when stress of any kind arrived. It was one of the horrible things that followed him to the afterlife, and even when he recognized they were phantom they could still be unbearable. He knew that this one would be the worst one yet, because it wasn't just the stress with Miguel; Imelda handed him control of the whole situation. And he wasn't ready, but now it was time to be brave and be the head of the family, something he had dreamed of for decades. He understood that his wife wouldn't trust him again if he didn't handle this right, which made the headache more overpowering.
Miguel had decided to enter the testifying room alone, accompanied by the station's counselor. Héctor knew that the boy would deal with the situation on his own way. He had seen that on the Day of the Dead when Miguel was cursed, and he set out to find his great-great grandfather alone in the strangest of the places.
The room was tense, with the receptionist's typing and the loud fan as the only noises; even Oscar and Felipe remained serious and silent, staring at the testifying room anxiously. The family could pick up some sounds, but it was mostly sobbing, making them more uneasy.
"Look mi familia" Héctor said putting all emphasis on the word 'familia', reason being that it felt so good to finally being able to say it, "I know this is hard on all of us"
"It's new territory" Felipe said.
"Horrible territory" Oscar replied.
"Really shitty territory" Julio spoke with no hint of regret.
Héctor frowned but quickly brushed off the word his son-in-law had used, because he was right. The situation was not only horrible, confusing and angering; it was shitty. Now they were standing in the eye of the hurricane, the storm of knowing that Miguel was dead, had passed; but now the worst part was coming: the boy's reaction. The family knew that afterwards, they would be the ones to clean and pick up the pieces, which wasn't going to be easy. "That's true" Héctor responded, "but for now we need to be there for each other"
Julio and the twins nodded.
"And I want you guys to know that you can count on me for whatever you need" Héctor added while attempting to keep his voice firm, "I know that it might be awkward since it hasn't been long since I came back, but I still want you to know that"
"The same goes for you" Felipe said.
"Hermanito" Oscar added.
"We know that this is a rough situation" Julio stated with a kind smile, "and Imelda put you in charge of it, which won't be easy"
"We know you don't handle stress well-" Felipe mentioned.
"And are probably are having the worst of your headaches" Oscar finished.
Héctor blinked, "How…?"
"Felipe and I remember that look-"
"It's the same one you had when Imelda was giving birth"
Héctor smiled, he remembered the amount of stress when Coco was born; he? A father? HA. It was so scary it was laughable, he had grown up as an orphan with only nuns and the priest for parental figures. How was he going to be a good father if he never had one? Coco turned out to be such a fine woman, but Héctor knew that this was because Imelda raised her. If he couldn't do that right, how was he going to conquer this?
"I appreciate it" Héctor replied and gave his in-laws a genuine smile. He was so lucky to have such a loving and supporting family, and now it was time to show them what they meant to him.
The testifying room's door opened suddenly, revealing a concerned police officer with a fake smile. Miguel stood behind him with his face swollen from the crying, and station's counselor laid a hand on his shoulder.
"The accused man has not passed yet" the officer announced, "so you don't have to worry about that for now"
"What happens when he does pass?" asked Héctor and stepped forward to grab Miguel, who followed without complaining.
"It depends" the officer looked down at his paperwork, "If he is caught and trialed in the Land of the Living and does whatever punishment assigned, then when passing he would be a free man"
Miguel shuddered violently, earning the attention of everyone in the room.
"But not to worry, if that were to be the scenario you can always file for a restraining order" the officer gave the boy a reassuring look, "and we take those very seriously"
"What happens if the man isn't caught" Julio challenged with anger in his voice.
"If he isn't, then he would be trialed here" The officer answered, "would you happen to have the clothes you were wearing?" he turned to Miguel with a calming smile
"I threw them away" Miguel answered shyly.
"We can always get them back mijo" Julio now spoke in a calmer tone, "why do you need the clothing?"
"If the man's DNA is on them, then there is no need for a trial" the officer pressed his lips in thought, "I believe for a crime of this nature, he would get a minimum of 40 years"
A sigh of relief was heard from the twins, who had been very tense up until that moment.
"But given the fact that Miguel is a minor, the man could get the 'until final death' sentence, meaning that he would be held in prison until he vanishes" the officer tried to erase the smile that the statement produced. He had gotten in this business specifically to protect people like Miguel, and if it were up to him, the man would be left to rot in prison. Unfortunately, the system still needed to adjust in favor of victims in situations like this.
"What if is caught and gets a sentence but doesn't complete it before passing" Oscar asked.
"What do you mean?" the officer adjusted his glasses to take a better look at one of the twins.
"Let's say that he gets 65 years, but dies before finishing it" Felipe stepped in, "what happens then?"
"Well, for the sake of the argument let's say that he completes 30 of the 65 years, and then he passes" the officer began, "in that situation, when arriving here he would be placed under immediate arrest and forced to serve the remaining 35 years, then he would be free"
"In all honesty" Héctor spoke loud and firmly, he wanted to let the officer know that his great-great-grandson would not be pushed around, "I don't like that he could be set free when coming here, how would I know that he'll stay away from our boy?" he asked emphasizing the words 'our boy', earning a smile from Julio and his brothers-in-law.
"Well, you can always pursue another trial here, but there isn't that big of a chance of winning" the officer sighed.
"Why not?" Felipe asked while trying to control his voice.
"Because in the eyes of the law he already did his time for the crime committed", the officer took another look at the paperwork, "it wasn't just the um… 'attack', he also stole your money, si?"
Miguel nodded.
"Let's say that in the Land of the Living he is only trialed for the 'attack'" the officer flipped through the paperwork, "You can trail him here for the robbery, and psychological damage"
"You can trail someone for psychological damage?" Héctor blinked in surprise.
"It's a new law, but is being taken very seriously", the officer looked at Miguel and smiled, "if you really push it, I'd say you could get him a minimum of 20 years"
"What about Ernesto?" Miguel asked suddenly.
"What about him?" Héctor answered confusedly.
"Is he in prison?" the boy looked at his great-great-grandfather with a worried face.
"We couldn't prove what he did to Héctor" Julio responded with a sad tone, "But all of the family has a restraining order against him, so he won't be coming anywhere near us", he gave Miguel a comforting smile, "plus he's scared of Imelda" he added earning a few chuckles from everyone in the room.
"Oh-h!" Héctor jumped, "speaking of the restraining order, now that we are here can you add Miguel to it?"
"Since the restraining order states 'the Rivera family' that won't be necessary" the officer replied, "Miguel is a part of the family, so it's already taken care of"
The family nodded in relief.
"Are there any more questions?" the officer looked around in the room, "Any other thing I can help you with?"
"Would you let us know as soon as the man passes?" Oscar asked.
"Absolutely, I will give you a phone call" the officer smiled.
"How long do you think he has left?" Felipe glanced at Miguel with a worried face.
"Given the fact that he has a lot of arrests based on alcohol that began when he turned 18" the officer stared blankly in thought, "And he is in his late 30's, if he doesn't quit drinking then 5 years maximum" the officer cringed, "if he does quit drinking, there is still a lot of liver damage, so it could go up to only 12-15 years"
The twins looked at each other and then at Miguel.
"He won't live to be 60 for sure" The officer finished, "any other questions?"
Héctor looked at his family, who shook their head.
"Okay, great!" the officer gave them a radiant smile, "just make sure to come by to drop off the clothing and we'll send it to our lab right away"
…
The trip home was tenser than expected, mostly because Miguel found himself exhausted after all the crying and he could barely stand. The family had decided to take a taxi home, which was unusual since Imelda wasn't fond of cars and hence they walked everywhere. He ended up falling asleep on Julio's shoulder, who took off his jacket and covered the boy with it.
After getting home, the twins carried him to his room and accepted to watch him until he awoke. They asked for help when he began crying in his sleep, so Coco decided to hold him until he calmed down. The family left them alone, knowing that they had a special bond and needed each other to heal.
"Mamá Coco?" the boy asked with a sleepy voice when waking up.
"¿Como te sientes mijo?", she responded with a motherly tone.
"Tired" he smiled and sat up in the bed.
She placed a hand in his shoulder, he turned around to find her usual kind expression. "What happened yesterday?" she asked.
"W-what do you mean?" Miguel felt his voice trembling.
"You know what I mean" She answered with a serious tone.
Miguel recognized the familiar feeling of being trapped, that was the effect that Coco could give out. She was so kind and could make anyone feel better, regardless of any situations. But she was also very blunt, making anybody feel like they didn't have any choice but to partake in whatever the situation was. Her strategy consisted of jumping straight to the point and cornering the individual with her stare, until they were worn down. He remembered the time when Abel started dating a girl that didn't have any good intentions, but he was stubborn and wouldn't listen to anyone, that was until Coco locked him in her room and forced him into a conversation. "I-I really don't want to remember" He said and looked away.
"You're going to have to eventually" She declared and grabbed the boy's chin, forcing eye contact.
"It isn't the fact that I died" he slowly began, "I mean, you probably know better than anyone since it's only been two years since you passed, but this world" he waved his arm around the room, "it makes you feel like you are still alive, but the conditions are different" he lowered his arm and stared at the window, "and since I've been here before it still feels like I can go home" he closed his eyes with a pained expression, "I know I can't, but I want to believe there's still a chance, that I'm somehow still cursed and there's a happy ending waiting for me"
"Miguel…" Coco said hoping to find the right words, but this time she came up empty-handed.
"I know it's childish, but they teach us that good people have good things happen to them" Miguel discovered that the sadness was gone, and now there was only numbness, "do bad things happen to good people, or am I a bad person?"
In a split-second Coco took her shoe off and smacked Miguel's arm with a surprising strength. The boy jerked back and started at her great-grandmother in shock; she had never hit him before.
"M-Mamá C-Coco" he stuttered, finding the tears that were building up in his throat.
"Don't you ever think that way again, understood?" her voice was sharp like a knife, with an anger that he'd never seen before, "You are not a bad person and if you think that you are, you aren't my Miguel"
"What am I supposed to think then?" he asked slightly raising his voice.
"You are asking the wrong person" Coco stared out the window, "I was there when you born, I held you in my arms" she swallowed, "You were so small, such a tiny miracle, how could such a small being make me feel so much joy?" she smiled at the memory, "everything that I had to go through was worth it because of you" she pointed at all the pictures in the room, "all of you are my legacy, without you I am nothing more than an old woman" she gave him a warm smile, "no matter how old you get, you are still the little baby I held in the hospital" her expression turned into a mixture of anger and sadness, "that little baby is here right now, and he's hurting" her expression was now a serious one, "imagine if someone would dare to touch Socorro"
Miguel flinched at that comment, he knew what Coco meant and was grateful he wasn't in that position. "This situation is hurting everyone" he commented sadly.
"The most important person right now is you" she spoke firmly, "it is isn't the situation that is hurting us, it is the fact that you're hurting" she raised her hand and slowly petted his check, "if you are sad, angry or happy, so are we" she put her hand down and Miguel quickly missed her motherly touch, "Just remember that whatever the situation is or whatever choices you make, we will always love you"
"I just don't feel like a man" he finally admitted.
"And what does it mean to be man?" Coco asked with a bit of sarcasm in her voice.
"Well, for starters a man never cries" he pointed out remembering vast amount of times he had broken down in the last 24 hours.
"I guess Julio and Papá aren't men then" she maintained the sarcasm in her voice.
"You know what I mean!" he snapped in frustration, "I had to ask them to tell the family about my passing and how I died because I couldn't"
"Would you expect someone who went through the exact same situation as you to be able to face it just hours after it?" she asked, now trying to keep the sarcasm from her voice, "and you did go to the police station today to testify" she added
"Well yeah, b-but" he scrambled looking for any other arguments, but in the heat of the moment didn't find any.
"Mijo, becoming a man is something that you are still too young to understand" she comforted him.
"No, I understand how it works, and some kids in my school have done it" he cringed, "and I haven't even kissed a girl, I still find them annoying"
"Done what?" she asked and received a look from Miguel, "Oh, OH MY" she felt the realization hit her like a slap, "SANTO DIOS, THAT'S NOT WHAT I MEANT!" she threw her arms up with a mixture of surprise and anger, "Who did you hang out with? For Christ's sake you are 13 years old!" she made a disgusted face.
Miguel tried to stifle the laughter, but a few giggles got out, earning him another hit in the arm with Coco's shoe. "You better not go off doing that here!" she gave him a serious look, "just because you can't get a girl pregnant doesn't mean anything, understood?"
"Mamá Coco I wasn't even thinking about that until you brought it up" Miguel answered playfully.
"I TOLD YOU THAT'S NOT WHAT I MEANT!" she responded angrily, "ANYWAYS, being a man has nothing to do with THAT"
"Then what does it mean to be one" he asked and started counting the patterns on the floor.
"You'll have to ask the men in this house" Coco answered with half of a smile.
"So, you don't know what a man is?" he asked and looked up at her.
"I know what a man isn't" she pointed out proudly, "I married Julio because I knew he is a man, the other men I dated were kids in adult clothes" she chuckled, "it gave you pena ajena" (=feel sorry for others)
"Gracias Mamá Coco" Miguel smiled as he felt like a weight had been taken off his chest.
"For what mijo?"
"I feel better now" he answered and leaned in for a hug, which she gladly returned.