An Unforgettable Night

As they were sprinting down the streets, Rosa couldn't help but feel the wings of freedom strengthen her being with each step she took. She acknowledged that intense feeling with both her heart and her mind, meticulously absorbing everything she experienced for she knew that to be given such a chance meant living the most out of it.

She subconsciously clenched her cousin's fingers, but Miguel didn't mind at all. To say he was glad to have someone to share his love of music with would have been a big understatement. Having Rosa by his side was a blessing he counted, and he was very delighted to have such a strong bonding point with her.

The streets of the village were quiet at first, but got louder and more crowded as they made their way farther towards the plaza.

"¡Miguel, espera, por favor!" Rosa found herself stopping in her tracks, yanking him with her. "I-I can't do this, I don't know if I can do this, primo. It's night, they'll notice we're gone. Let's just head back home."

Even though they were close to the plaza, the impending uneasiness finally settled. She had sensed it would emerge sooner or later.

Her heart implored her to keep going, but her brain was nothing short of against it. She froze, her legs refusing to take another step forward.

Seeing his cousin so panicked, Miguel instantly scooted over and wrapped his arms around her, hoping to ease her troubles. She hugged back just as tightly, feeling better, but not fully tranquil.

"I know this is hard, Rosa. But believe me when I tell you that it's the only way we will be able to be ourselves. Music makes us happy and there's nothing wrong with loving it."

"But what if something goes wrong? What if they find out?" she insisted, tucking her face in his shoulder.

"As long as we are careful, everything will be alright, I promise you." Miguel soothed her. "I promise you that you're not going to regret this. You'll enjoy it entirely."

Rosa put her faith in him; his encouragement uplifted her to keep going forward. She sighed in relief at the thought, but also spoke with a jovial smirk, "But if anyone finds out, it'll be your fault, primo."

"Sí, señorita. I will be more than glad to take that responsibility." The boy grinned. She humorously pushed his head aside, making his frame shake with mirth. She briefly wondered who he took after with all that charm.

They were in the plaza in no time, and Rosa had to keep herself composed as she and Miguel made their way through the crowd.

In the centre was standing, tremendous and dignified, the statue of Ernesto de la Cruz - Mexico's most famous musician and the reason a small town like Santa Cecilia was flooded with tourists during certain periods of the year - which could be easily studied even from afar due to its complexity in detail. The musician's famous saying "Seize your moment!" was shining in the coloured light of the fireworks erupting loudly above them.

Somewhere near, a band was playing a song on a stage, and Rosa realised she knew some of the lyrics, which made her feel good knowing she wasn't completely clueless.

Anywhere she looked, people were dancing away to the beat of the music or singing their hearts out, while some kids were relentlessly pointing at toys and piñatas hanging in shops, thrusting their parents after them. Many of the ones present were also wearing calavera make-up. "¡Perfecto!" she thought.

The sky was watching over them, its stars brighter than the many strings of lights and colourful papel picados hanging around them. The air was filled with the fragrant smell of freshly baked food and sweets.

The atmosphere here was so much more different than the one Rosa was accustomed to, be it at home or at school. It was more buoyant and euphoric.

And then…

She became motionless when hearing those delightful sounds. Still holding her cousin's hand, she tugged him after her, trusting her ears to lead them correctly.

They were now standing in front of a small instrument group consisting of two violins, a cello and a bass. For Rosa, it was like her ears had been blessed by a heavenly source. For the first time since she got there, she was truly beaming.

"I have always believed the violin to be the right instrument for you," Miguel's words came as unexpectedly as their whole forethought adventure.

"Really? How did you come to that conclusion?"

"Well, I've been noticing the way you always brighten up when there's music around; it's subtle, but it's there. The violin is a very complex and sophisticated instrument, which makes me think that it fits your personality."

She nodded.

They sat in silence and listened with fascination until the song was over, applauding vigorously along with the small crowd that had formed on every side of the musicians.

While the violins were being played, various memories appeared in Rosa's mind, either joyful or blue. Music had that amazing ability to make one contemplate or remember something, a fact she found truly staggering.

She didn't know for how long she had been in a daze, but when Miguel suddenly clasped her arm, she was startled back to the present. She focused in the direction he was looking in.

"Let's go there, Rosa!" He avidly gestured with his hand towards the middle of the plaza. "I think I know what will be next."

And what exactly do you mean by that? Rosa barely held back the snap, but before she could question him, she was propelled after him with such speed she could hardly keep from tripping over.

With his cousin on his heels, Miguel hurried towards the stage where some mariachis were getting ready to begin their performance, stopping close to it. He turned around to face her.

"¡Escucha!"

She closed her eyes and did as he said. It was an energetic tempo, the notes clearly vibrant.

"¡Vámos a bailar, prima!"

Her eyes widened. "Miguel, I don't know much about dancing, and you're very well aware of it."

"So what? It's never too late to learn. Trust me, you'll get the hang of it. Do you think I brought you here just to stay on the sidelines? ¡Vámonos! I'll help you."

With that, he swiftly grabbed her hands and pulled her onto the crowded dance rink. Rosa's anxiety reappeared. What if she made a fool out of herself? She did trust her cousin though.

Miguel's feet were moving slow enough for her to follow. It wasn't so hard, she realised, and soon enough, the beat grew to be even more lively. The boy's moves changed with it, becoming more light-footed and nimble, but he still kept a smooth speed so that she wouldn't totter.

They danced for some time, the older cousin adoring how expressive and wonderful dancing was, just like music, before they ceased in order not to get worn out and bought a few conchas.

They were goofily grinning at each other through hungry bites, with Miguel finishing first, when he suddenly felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned around to face a girl their age, who was also wearing skeleton make-up. She was standing with her arm extended towards him, a glint of delight in her brown eyes.

"I saw you on the rink earlier. Will you dance with me?"

"Uhhh…" He glanced at Rosa, silently asking for her approval. He didn't want to leave her all by herself, but she nodded encouragingly at him, mouthing "Go on!"

"Okay."

With that, the two tweens strode towards the ring.

The song was upbeat and very rhythmic, a dance style Rosa identified to be zapateado. She had seen older boys trying to impress girls at school with their quick footwork, and sometimes even contests with real prizes took place during breaks in the courtyard or the classrooms.

She watched in wonderment as her cousin moved rhythmically alongside his partner. A wave of sadness washed over her. Miguel had had to learn how to dance on his own, and nobody had been there to guide or support him, let alone praise him.

She shook away the feeling, wanting to enjoy seeing her primo happy. His moves were flawless as he was twinkling; it was obvious he had practised them for hours. The girl was waggling her folklórico skirt as he sporadically offered to twirl her.

After the song finished, Rosa clapped fervently. The girl curtsied as he bowed respectfully. Then, he took her hand and pressed a gentle kiss to her fingers, causing her cheeks to flush.

"Maybe we'll dance again sometime, señorita." He winked at her, leaving her to stare after him, flustered and endeared.

Rosa smirked when he was near her. "That girl went tomato-red when you took her hand, primo. Looks like you already have a girlfriend."

Her grin further enlarged. "And that shoe polish can't cover you, you know? I can see you're all flushed too."

"¡Ay, cállate!" Miguel couldn't hide his smile as he waved one last time at the girl, who waved back with a hand over her chest and a huge grin. It was a feeling like no other, something he'd never experienced before, something so exciting and euphoric danced in his stomach at the mere remembrance of her beaming face as they'd partnered for the number.

"Where did you learn to dance like that?" Rosa questioned as he was drinking a chamoyada.

He modestly shrugged. "Ehh, at school, looking at professional dancers here in the plaza, watching videos."

"Wow! If you had no secret teacher, then you're awesome!"

He put on an enlivening smile, leading her to the ring again. This time, they danced to a slower beat.

"Do you really know every one of these songs?" she queried as they swayed.

"Mmm, most of them. Move your left foot to the right here - good!"

From the corner of her eye, Rosa sighted the girl whom Miguel had danced with earlier. She was glowering at them - at her - with a reddened face. Rosa snickered, amused, smirking inwardly.

She whirled out of his reach, pirouetting gracefully on her toes, only to lose her balance mid-spin thanks to a clumsy stumble of her own feet. Fortunately, Miguel caught her before her head would have kissed the floor, right when the song ended.

"See, this is what happens when you don't listen to your teacher. Sometimes you just love to show off, don't you?"

"Oh, shut up!" She elbowed him in the ribs. "Tu novia is burning with jealousy."

After some more songs, both salsa and zapateado amongst them, Rosa mentally stated that she was no longer a complete and awful stranger to bailando, as she had retained some basic steps.

As much as they regretted doing it, they eventually had to stop dancing since their feet were burning, especially hers.

Time flew by quicker than they had foreseen, and soon enough, dawn was only an hour away. After a night filled with laughter, exuberance, chatting, eating, dancing and, most importantly, music - especially the violins, which had had Rosa totally enthralled - the cousins decided to head back home so that their disappearance wouldn't get noticed.

Only, neither of them wanted to. They didn't feel ready to return to their strict, musicless household. It was easier for Miguel to accept their departure because of his long-held secret, but Rosa, she felt overwhelmed, almost as if she was ripped away again from her dream. He promised her that they were going to come back as soon as possible. That succeeded in overcoming her gloom. She still felt a tad guilty about breaking the rules.

On their way to the Rivera residence, Rosa felt what an impact all those hours of swinging and whirling and roaming around the plaza were having on her soft feet. Miguel offered to give her a piggy-back ride. She dismissed him at first, but the pain was getting sharper, so she eventually agreed to let him carry her.

"Dios, prima , how much did you eat tonight?" Miguel joked when his knees slightly buckled under her weight.

"Did you just call me gorda!?" Rosa eyed him fiercely before taking off one of her flats and drawing her arm backwards.

Miguel squeezed his eyes shut on instinct. "Ay, I was just kidding! You girls, always so sensitive about these things!" He rolled his eyes as he upraised her onto his back and continued striding until they were back at the Riviera residence, where silence was reigning.

After quietly closing the gates, getting inside and washing the shoe polish off their faces, they knew they wouldn't be able to fall asleep.

"I want to show you something."

Wondering what he was up to, Rosa climbed onto the roof alongside her primo, where they sat on the tiles. Miguel didn't say anything for a while, so she let her head rest against his.

"Muchas gracias for tonight, primo! I had an amazing time. Probably the most fun time of my life," she confessed with a soft kiss on his cheek. The small gesture took him by surprise and made him blush. He embraced her warmly.

After some more minutes, Rosa straightened her back to look at him, wide-eyed. Miguel was singing. Her cousin was singing. For her…

Her heart melted; he was the first person who sang to her. She smiled fondly at him, somewhat unable to believe her ears. The melody was low and soft, Miguel's gentle voice making it all the more serene.

Oh, he was good! Just the way she had fancied.

Snuggling closer, they stayed like that until something bright protruded their closed eyelids.

When they opened their eyes, they noticed the deep orange and red colours of the horizon, the rays of the sun chasing away the dark night and stroking the hills and the town.

The two cousins got up, putting an arm around each other, their gazes fixed in the distance. Neither cared about their family's rules. Just like the sun, a new life would rise upon them and, hopefully, upon their relatives as well.

Miguel, nor Rosa, made a sound as the blinding light unfolded and touched their faces and bodies. They wanted to relish in the beauty of the dawn and the pure bliss that the mesmerizing view brought as much as they could until they would be forced to come back to actuality.

When Elena went into the courtyard, she found two of her nietos holding each other's hands in a sound sleep on a pair of chairs at the table. They looked way too adorable and exhausted; she didn't have the heart to wake them up.