Author's notes: Here is more 1920s slang to spot.

Gams-legs

Dogs-feet

Chapter 6: Love is Strange

At first, Alma Madrigal saw blackness. Then she found herself on Mexican soil. Lovely palm trees, cactuses, and flowers had been destroyed and burned to the ground. The sky was red with maroon clouds. Bolt-action rifles were firing in the distance. Some men fell off their horses. Others were kept running and shooting. There was a lot of shouting and yelling going on.

Alma covered her ears. What was she doing in Mexico? Is this the past? She looked around and her eyes fell on a man who was standing in front of her. Alma did not recognize the man for he looked unfamiliar to her. She had a feeling that she should know him because he was staring at her with a rigid expression. He was not in uniform but in a white shirt with long brown pants. The man looked about her age. He had white hair, small mustache, and a little beard.

"Pedro!?" Alma gasped. Shortening it gives more weight to this realization.

The man did not respond. He only scowled and crossed his arms. When his wife ran to her for an embrace, he looked away and avoided eye contact while side-stepping her attempt for affection. "How could you?" His voice was monotone.

"Que!?" Alma sputtered, turning to face him while in disbelief that he had avoided her touch. "What are you talking about?"

"How could you?" he repeated as a pink butterfly rested against one of his shoulders, its wings drooping like it could never fly again.

His expression and tone of voice sent shivers down her spine, and a dreadful feeling in her stomach.

Alma woke up gasping in a cold sweat. 'Not that dream again!' She thought. 'I've been having it for two years!' This wasn't the first time she had this nightmare. Alma laid back trying to get go back to sleep.

The next morning, Alma had been completely restless, as always. She was the last person to come to the breakfast table and she was the last to appear at the family film studio. The Madrigal film studio was attached to the Madrigal mansion.

"Abuela, are you all right?" Isabella asked, concerned.

"I am well, gracias," Alma responded a bit tiredly. She mustered up all her strength, and addressed her family in the movie studio. "Come now, everyone. We must get to work on our next film."

The Madrigals were rehearsing for their upcoming movie. Alma observed everyone doing their task, as she walked around the movie set. Each family member had a role they played for every film.

Isabella was an actress. She was always playing the lead of a fair maiden. Her hair was styled by Frida into tight ringlets, as usual. Her outfits were always long dresses that reached down to her feet. The teenaged girl seemed happy in playing the same role over and over again, as she recited her lines.

"Excuse me, coming through!" Luisa J. shouted, carrying sound equipment around, across the room. Her job was to always carry stuff around whether it is sound equipment or props. Other time, she'd do change the background pictures for different settings.

Camillo practiced shapeshifting into three different types of characters, a cop, a homeless man, and a sailor, back and forth. The teenager can play any role from a cop to an old woman to a little boy.

Felix, was another actor, who had a knack for playing dramatic roles. For the past four years, he had to also play the role of the stuntman (which always belonged to his brother-in-law, Agustin) and the role of the bad guy (which his other brother-in-law, Bruno used to do). It was a lot of work but he tried his best to keep his energy up.

Frida was in charge of the make up department. She can make creams, lotions, lipstick, and other potions for make up removal.

Dolores worked with sound equipment. She doesn't mind it but sometimes the sounds she picks up from the box, become hard on her ears. Alma had given Dolores that job because as the only one with the gift of hearing things long distance, she'd have a better idea on how to pick up sound.

Antonio, who was only two years old, played minor roles. Recently, he had been learning how to tap dance. It was something that his grandmother suggested he can do since the boy had not received his gift yet. "Papa, why do we make movies?" Antonio asked. Before his father could answer, he was pushed to the side by his other son, who shape shifted into Adolf Zukor.

"Fame and Fortune!" Camillo smirked. "It's all about the Benjamins, baby!" He was smacked in the back of the head by his father, making him revert back to his original form. "Ow!"

The matriarch sighed and rolled her eyes. "Filmmaking is our coverup of our gifts. Many folks are afraid of people like us. But keeping our talents stifled up is not healthy. So we must let them out by using them as creative outlets! This is all for the sake of entertainment, and for sake of the family!"

"In other words, we are trying to be productive by putting our gifts to good use," Pepa clarified to her youngest son. Her job was to change weather for every scene. She can make a mini-sun for sunny days, rain for raining days, and create wind for windy sequences even if it was sometimes hard to keep her emotions under control long enough to take the shots.

"Besides," Felix added, ruffling his son's curls. "People need movies to help them escape from reality and to think deeply."

"I do wish the Riveras would come and see our movies," Dolores sighed. "Our romantic films would give them, especially Hector, some hope about romance."

"What brought this matter up?" Pepa asked, surprised.

"I'm always hearing Hector ranting about why he would never fall in love again," Dolores pointed to her ears. "I can hear him very well, even when he's in the forest practicing knife throwing."

"Yes, his anti-love attitude can be bothersome," Pepa replied. "But go easy on him, he just needs to learn to not be so bitter." Then she quickly, changed the subject, not wanting to talk about Hector. If she does, then she'll think about Bruno, and she didn't want to talk about her long-lost brother. "What weather does this scene called for, Mama?"

"Sunny day with a rainbow."

"Oh, that's swell!" Pepa smiled. She created a little sun in her palm and watch it levitate up into the mid-air. Then she lifted up her hand and made an arch as the rainbow formed. "That should do it!"

"Splendid, Pepa!" The matriarch praised her. While Alma was scanning the movie set, she froze. There was a little girl in her sailor suit dress, practicing her accordion. When the old lady blinked, the girl was gone. 'Oh, it must be my imagination or I'm getting old!' The matriarch shook her head. "Everyone, it is time for a lunch break!" She called. "Julieta, can you-"

The old woman stopped as she looked at the empty table. Julieta used to make food for scenes in which characters eat. She, along with her husband, Agustin would also make additional food for actors who needed a break. The old woman felt her heart fill up with dread. Her family is slowly breaking apart and she almost forgot! Medicine and fresh air was what she really needed.

"You are not feeling well, Mama?" Pepa asked, worriedly. "I think you should rest."

"I will be fine, mija," Alma said, firmly. "I'm only going into town to buy some medicine. You all rest here. I should be back soon."

"If you are not feeling well, at least let us come with you," Felix offered.

Alma did not want anyone to come with her but her daughter and son-in-law insisted that they come, so she allowed them to come.

"Isabella and Dolores," Alma ordered. "You two are in charge!"

"Hey what about me?" Frida pouted. "I'm the adult here! Shouldn't I be in charge?"

"No," Alma narrowed her eyes at her. "Last time, I left you in charge, your potion almost burned the house down!"

"How I was supposed to know that I put too much fire in my special salsa bottle?" Frida moaned.

"Wouldn't it make sense if Frida comes along?" Felix inquired. "She's been cooped up in the house all-"

Pepa quickly shushed his mouth with her finger, not wanting her mother to be upset. Unlucky for her, Alma was narrowing her eyes.

"Last time Frida was in the outside world, she made a potion that caused chaos for everyone!" The old lady spoke coldly. Then she, Pepa, and Felix stepped outside the house. The door was slammed shut.

The teenagers all looked down at the ground, knowing the story all too well. They had heard about it.

"What happened?" Antonio asked, innocently. He was the only one that didn't hear the story.

"Never mind about that," Dolores said, holding up a red book. "How about story time? I know you like Raggedy-Ann!" Lucky for her, her youngest brother was enthusiastic for tales about toys that come to life. As they walked away to his nursery room, Isabella looked up at the clock.

"Oh shoot, it's 15 minutes till 12:30pm!" The eldest granddaughter quickly ran from the studio to the house, while Luisa J., Frida, and Camillo looked at each other confused.

"What's the hurry?" Camillo raised an eyebrow.

The girls shrugged.

"Um, Isa?" Luisa J. spoke. She, her aunt, and cousin had found Isabella cooking some ground beef in the kitchen. "What's going on?"

"We have a guest today!" Isabella said, her eyes still on her food. "I invited him over for lunch today!"

The others wasted no time, stepping in to help. Luisa J. chopped up some lettuce, tomatoes, and onions. Camillo gathered some taco shells from the ice box. Frida set up the table.

Ten minutes later, the ground beef for tacos was done. Just as Isabella was putting plates of ground beef with tacos on the table, the doorbell rang. "I'll get it!" She wiped her hands on her apron and took it off. She hung it on the hooker on the wall and opened the door. This was the same spectacled boy that she met last night at the Spring Festival Dance. "Hola Bubo, so glad you could make it!" she greeted him, warmly.

"Likewise, Isabella," Bubo said, as he entered inside. Once he did, Isabella did the introductions between him and her family.

Bubo had already known their names and he felt bad for pretending, but he had to play along. He reminded himself that he was on a mission.

At the local drugstore, Pepa and Felix were both enjoying a nice sundae, on a booth. They took turns tasting the creamy and cold vanilla and chocolate ice cream. While they were enjoying their treat, Alma was at the other area of the drugstore, waiting for her medicine. Just then, she spotted her best friend, Elena Rivera and her husband walking in.

"Hola Elena, Hola Franco!"

"Hola, Alma!" Elena beamed.

"Buenos Tardes!" Franco tipped his hat to her.

The old couple took their seats beside her.

"We were just picking up prescription for him," Elena said, referring to her husband. "My poor husband has poor knees."

"My knees aren't that bad!" Franco denied. "I can still dance!"

"How about you, Alma?"

"I'm also picking up my medication," the elder Madrigal answered. "I need something to soothe my heart pain. How are things going with you?" She asked the last question quickly because she did not want to talk about her difficulties.

"Oh, woe is me!" Elena bemoaned. Like Alma, the Rivera matriarch didn't want to talk about her difficult life, either. "I can't get my son, Hector married off!"

"Really?"

"Yes, and I don't understand why no woman wants to marry him!"

"Elena, it's because you chased every woman away for showing interest in Hector, remember?" Franco frowned, shaking his finger at her.

Elena frowned and took her shoe off. "That's because they were trying to seduce him!" she hit her husband on the back of his head, with her shoe.

"Ow!" Franco moaned, rubbing his head.

"Honestly," Elena grumbled, putting her shoe back on. "Showing my son your gams while he's measuring your dogs for shoes is not something I like to see in my shoe shop!"

"Have you two thought of arranging a match for Hector?" Alma inquired. "If you choose a bride for him, that should solve all your problems."

"We have thought about it," Elena nodded. "But we can't find any woman that measured up to our standards."

"Your standards," Franco emphasized. He turned to Alma with an amused expression. "Her expectations are way too high!"

"Our son deserves the best!" Elena scowled, bonking him on the head. The rim of his hat went over his eyes. "Your standards are way too low!"

"His bride doesn't have to be perfect," Franco grunted, as he pulled his hat off his head. When he did, he set it back on his head. "She just needs to be a decent person!"

"Um, I hate to interrupt your love fest," Alma chortled, causing the elder Rivera couple to look at her in surprise. "What are the qualities you want in a wife for Hector? Perhaps I can recommend someone."

"Well, someone who is obedient, well-mannered, hardworking, quiet, and graceful," Elena listed.

"Don't forget 'kind,' and 'smart!'" Franco reminded her. "Men want smart wives!"

"How about Emilia Visconti?" Alma suggested.

"The daughter of Signor Marlon Visconti!?" Franco's eyes nearly bulged out of his sockets. "They're a wealthy family!"

"Yes, but I heard that her father is searching for a husband for her, and she is everything you described."

The Riveras thought for a moment.

"Oh, that would be swell!" Elena's voice sounded merry. "Such a perfect match for our Hector!"

"We'll talk to her father," Franco nodded.

While the senior citizens were conversing, Pepa and Felix noticed their friend, Andres, by the window. They saw that he was in such a hurry, that they didn't get a chance to wave to him.

"That's odd," Felix murmured. "Andres always waves to us."

"Well, where could he be going in such of a hurry?" Pepa wondered, feeling a bit peeved at his lack of manners. Her husband had to quickly massage her shoulders when he had noticed the sky becoming cloudy. The last thing he wanted was for Pepa to create a storm for New Santa Cecilia to endure.

Andres had grabbed the vase with the marigold flower in it. He had sneaked outside of the house, walking through the town. The house of the Madrigals was on the hill which is a bit far from the rest of the West Side.

A few bystanders asked Andres where he was going and he said he was going to visit the Madrigals. The bystanders sarcastically wished him good luck because no one ever visits the Madrigals' house, without an invitation thanks to a few incidents that everyone agreed did not need to be escalated to the police. Andres quickly assured them that he was invited by Frida Kahlo.

Luisa J. and Camillo had finished their meals and gone back to the studio to resume practicing their roles for their movie. Frida stayed behind, wanting to see how the conversation between the Isabella and Bubo was going. Thankfully, it was going well. She had never seen Isabella being so lively before. The two teens were talking and laughing about almost everything.

"What?" Bubo snickered. "Your grandma has you wear the same outfit every single day!?"

"Yes," Isa giggled. "I can't stand these ringlets or this dress. What am I, an Edwardian girl?"

"No!" Bubo laughed. "I thought you were Victorian!"

Isabella laughed, again. She couldn't remember the last time she had felt this pleasure.

"I'm curious, though," Bubo voiced after recovering from laughter. "If you want to cut your hair, why not go to the barber shop?"

Isabella let out a huge sigh.

"My grandmother forbade it," she explained. "She had told me that a woman's hair is the crown of her head; it must never be cut at all." The eldest Madrigal actress sighed again. "Yet, every girl has their hair cut except me."

Before Bubo could say anything to cheer her up, they heard the sound of the clock going "koo-koo-koo-koo!"

"Oh my goodness!" Frida exclaimed, looking at the time. "Perdoname!" She excused herself, while standing up.

"Where are you going?" Bubo inquired.

Frida turned around. "Oh, just to get some fresh air, that is all!" She quickly left before one of the teens could say anything else.

"Maybe we should check on her-" Bubo began standing up, only to be pulled by Isabella.

"Wait," she said. "I've told you everything about me." She made him sit down. "Now tell me about yourself!"

Bubo swallowed. How was he supposed to tell her the truth without revealing his identity? "Well, um, I'm...from the East Side."

Isabella's eyes widened. She failed to notice that daisies had popped all over her head.

"What's with the flowers on your head?" Bubo asked.

Isabella froze but quickly brushed them off with a sheepish smile. "Um, new hairdo?" she giggled nervously.

"Right…," Bubo said. He had already known about Isa's secret gift but didn't press the subject. "I don't suppose you grow marigold flowers on your head, either, do you?"

"Oh that's silly!" Isa lied with a fixed wide smile that she was used to doing. "I don't grow marigold flowers! I don't grow anything!" In truth, she can only grow roses and daisies. She hasn't learned to grow anything else. "Why would I have marigold flowers? Who does?"

Andres had felt bad for stealing Miguel's marigold flower but he was desperate for a love potion. It was the only way to get Gloria to fall in love with him. It was also the only way to have Hector fall in love with Ernestina, again. He remembered to go to the back door of the Madrigal residence. When he reached there, he knocked on the door. The door opened to reveal Frida's face.

"Come in," The woman whispered.

Andres stepped inside before Frida slowly and quietly closed the back door.

"Follow me," Frida ordered him in a hushed tone.

Quietly, the magical Madrigal woman and the blonde musician tiptoed upstairs to Frida's bedroom. When Frida opened the doorknob to her room, Andres' jaw dropped.

Her room was huge with shelves of potions on the wall. There was also a table full of chemicals, potions, and tubes. The room also contained a long table and a stack of books which are recipes for potions.

"Whoa, this looks amazing!" Andres said in an awed voice.

"Yes, you are the only one I've ever showed the room to," Frida replied. "Other than my family, of course! Anyway, do you have your brooch and the marigold flower?"

"Got them!" Andres answered, pulling them out of his pocket. He gave them to Frida.

"Ah, perfecto!" Frida marveled at the marigold flower. "This just what I need!"

"Yeah, good thing, Miguel plucked it out when we snuck in there the other day," Andres rambled. "Cause when I tried to go back there myself, all of them were destroyed!"

While he was still rambling, Frida was busy gathering her chemistry tools such as a bowl, an empty bottle, a spoon, and a grind spoon. She also gathered some ingredients from her cabinet. "All right, let's get to work." She turned to Andres. "I must tell you Andres, with the potion, there can be unforeseen consequences."

"Like...what?" Andres shrugged.

"Love, Love is strange," Frida began to sing low and gentle to keep from being overheard. She pulled the marigold petals off the stem into the bowl, and grind the petals until it was all powder.

"Um, now's not the time for a concert," Andres said nervously.

"Many people, take it for a game," Frida sang as she mixed the powdered petals with two-thirds of honey.

"Whoa!" Andres marveled. He couldn't believe how much gold glitter was forming from mixing honey and marigolds together.

"No looking!" Frida said in a sing-song voice, pulling the bowl away from his view. Then the woman went back to mixing the ingredients, by adding half cup of water.

"Once you get it, you're in an awful fix," The woman paused when she noticed that Andres was peeking from the other side of her table. "What did I say?" she scolded, covering her bowl with her arms.

"Um, no looking!" Andres spoke rapidly, turning around.

"Cause after you've had it, you'll never wanna quit!" Frida caroled, as she added a few dark red rose petals (which she had borrowed from Isabella's room). "If you think making the love potion is dangerous, wait 'till you use it!"

"Looo-o-ove, is, strange," she vocalized as she added a pound of baking soda into the bowl, forgetting about caution as she became lost in her work.

"Aah!" Andres yelped as he quickly hid in the corner of the room.

The baking soda created a big explosion that was so loud that the whole house heard. Frida began levitating as the concoction in her bowl burst into ginormous bubbles. The bubbles engulfed her. All the while, Frida continued to vocalize.

"Lo-o-o-o-o, o-o-o-o, o-o-o-ooove, is strange!"

Three minutes later, the ginormous bubbles deflated and shrank back into regular size. The mixture was now a translucent liquid.

"Oh I'm so good, it scares me so!" Frida spoke so dramatically, as she lowered herself to the ground. "Much more so than the East Side!"

'How could a love potion be more scary than the East Side?' Andres pondered.

After spending the whole morning searching for the flowers, Imelda, Juan, and the twins had gone back into the mansion. There was no more marigolds after all.

Stephanie had also came back inside, reporting that she too, didn't find anymore flowers. Imelda started to breathe a sigh of relief.

"I guess you plucked out all of them, Juan." Imelda stated, gently. She was sitting on the couch, teaching Stephanie how to crochet a flower.

"I told you there was nothing to worry about!" Juan smirked, resting on the couch. "Let's just relax." He flipped a magazine that had pictures of T-Fords and drinks.

"You're right!" Imelda smiled. "What was I worrying about?" Just then the doorbell rang.

"We'll get it!" Oscar and Felipe both stated as they rose up from their chairs. They opened the door and three tough looking men in sharp suits came piling in.

"What is this?" Imelda huffed in an annoyed tone, quickly hiding the crotchet flowers underneath the sofa cushions.

"Time for you to choose a husband, hermana!" Oscar beamed really big, referring to the three guests.

"Que!?" Imelda was surprised.

"Feast your eyes on Senor Marco Brando!" Felipe introduced the first man.

"It's Signor Marlon Brando!" the first suitor corrected Felipe with annoyance. He was muscular, hunky, and tall.

"He likes smoking cigars and playing pool!" Felipe added. "What do you say? Would you like to be this guy's wife?"

"No, thank you," Imelda said bluntly. She looked unimpressed.

"How about Senor Rocky Dark?" Oscar suggested the second one, twirling his long curly mustache. "He runs a speakeasy down the street!"

"No!" Imelda scowled. Her nostrils flared with disgust at the obvious smell of alcohol emanating from the man and his clothes.

"How about this guy?" Felipe pointed to the third man. "Fred Bonnville is handsome, rich, and a ladies' man!"

"No!" Imelda yelled. She stood up and stormed up to her bedroom, not wanting to see any more men.

"You'd have to excuse her," Stephanie spoke to the shocked guests, not missing a beat as she continued trying to make a crocheted flower. "She's not interested."

The twins groaned, before telling the disappointed suitors to leave.

Juan rolled his eyes, before going back to his magazine. This wasn't the first time that the twins had tried to introduce their sister to other men. 'Don't those two nitwits remember that Imelda hates love?' he thought. 'Not even a love potion can help her!'

Speaking of love potions, Frida was putting the finishing touches to her new masterpiece.

"Many people, they don't understand," Frida continued singing, adding a pinch of salt to her potion. She poured the liquid mixture into an empty bottle.

"They think loving, is money in the hand.

"Oh sweet loving, Mmh, is better then a kiss!" *Smwack* For the last step, she kissed the bottle, turning the colorless liquid inside into pink.

"And when you need, those kisses you will miss!" Frida closed the bottle with a bottle cork, tightly.

When Frida was done, she traded the bottle for a family brooch with Andres.

"Dust the one you love, be the first one she sees, when she opens her eyes," Frida instructed.

"Dust the one you love, stand in front of the one you love," Andres repeated. "Got it!"

"Thank you for the brooch!" Frida smiled.

"No, thank you!" Andres grinned. "For the love potion!" Then he happily, bolted out of the room.

"Just remember Andres!" Frida called to him, before belting the last notes to her song.

"Loooo-o-oove is, strange!

"Looo-o looo-o-oove is strange!

"Lo-o-o-o-o, o-o-o-o, o-o-o-oooooove, is strange!"

Andres ran downstairs, through the kitchen, and through the front door. "Bye kids!" He said, quickly, to Isabella and Bubo.

"I wonder what Andres is in a hurry for?" Isabella wondered, as she and Bubo watched Andres bolting out of the door like a cheetah.

"That guy looks familiar," Bubo murmured to himself.

Just then, Luisa J., Camillo, Dolores, and Antonio rushed into the kitchen.

"Isa, did you hear an explosion?" Luisa J. asked, concerned.

"Yes, I heard it," Isa responded.

"So did we," Dolores spoke softly. "Loud and clear."

"You always heard everything loud and clear," Camillo teased her. His sister pretended she didn't hear him.

"No need to fear, children!" their aunt's booming voice came upstairs. The Madrigal children and Bubo turned to see Frida descending the stairs as if she were royalty. "I have created the most powerful potion in all time, which I haven't done in years! Oh, it feels so good to do something more magical than makeup and lotions!"

"Tia Frida," Dolores asked cautiously. "What did you create?"

"I made a love potion!" Frida happily announced.

"Tia Frida!" Isabella gasped, putting her hands to her face as her guest went completely still.

"You didn't!" Luisa J. was horrified.

"Oh yes, I did!" Frida laughed, victoriously. "My gift feels much more magical than ever!"

"Oh meriocles!" Camillo groaned.

"Uh oh!" Antonio whimpered. He may not be familiar with the backstory or the love potion's dangerous effects but he knows it is something to worry about.

"I have to go!" Bubo said, standing upright abruptly.

"Do you have to?" Isabella asked, feeling a bit disappointed.

"I'm afraid so," Bubo answered. He was reluctant to end his lunch with his new friend. "It was a pleasure having lunch with you and I really mean it."

He quickly exited the house before Isa could say anything to convince him to stay.

Isabella sighed, and her head dropped. It felt so nice to meet a guy who talked to her like a human being. She turned to her aunt with a glare and crossed her arms. "Tia Frida, didn't Abuela tell you not to do love potions anymore? Have you lost your mind?"

"Oh calmse!" Frida scoffed. "I only made it for Andres. Maybe that will put a stop to his fooling around. Besides, what could possibly go wrong?"

Bubo ran as fast as he could, past the plaza and into an alley. There, he found a telephone booth. After putting a dime into the coin slot, Bubo dialed the phone number.

"Operator, get me Imelda Sanchez!" He spoke into the receiver.

"Hola?" Imelda's voice was on the other line. "Who is this?"

"It's me, Bubo! Bad news, Frida Kahlo Madrigal has created the Love Potion!"

"QUE!?" Imelda screamed so loud that her lackey had to pull the receiver away from his ear. "HOW IS THIS POSSIBLE? SHE DOESN'T EVEN HAVE THE MARIGOLD FLOWERS!"

"Yo no se!" Bubo sputtered. He put the receiver back on his ear, after his boss lowered her voice. "How should I know?"

"Never mind!" Imelda snapped. "I'm going to come and pick her up!"

Bubo heard the that she had hung up.

"Oh boy," he whistled.

After Imelda had hung up the telephone, she stormed downstairs. 'Oh, just wait until I get my hands on that potion maker!' The gangster thought viciously. When she reached the living room, she was stopped by Oscar and Felipe.

"We have one more suitor for you!" Oscar said in a sing-song voice.

"Meet Señor Keith Von Baron!" Felipe announced, opening the door.

The man stepped into the doorway. He was bald, wrinkled, heavyset, and with glasses. His clothes were dirty and tattered. When was the last time this man took a bath?

"Hey baby, how about a kiss?" Keith said, bringing his face very close to Imelda.

Repulsed at his lack of manners and hygene, and already in a terrible mood, the gangster let out a roar. She took off her boot and smacked the dirty old man in the head so hard, that he flew off her property and into the street.
He crashed into two more suitors that had been invited to court the Princesa de Mafia.

"GET OUT AND DO NOT COME BACK!" Imelda screamed, causing Keith to get up and scurry away.

The mafia princess slammed the door with such force that one of her paintings on the wall fell down. Then, Imelda briefly pokes her head back through the door. "Try that again, and the two of you are next!" she roared before slamming the door, causing yet another painting to fall off its hook.