Chapter 21: My First Dia de Muertos! (Part 2)

As Imelda opened the double doors into the courtyard, Coco whisked her way in at top speed carrying a bowl full of strawberries, panting as she slowed down to a halt. "Made it!"

"Barely." Imelda said with a raised brow. "I was about ready to go over there and drag you back by your braids." Then she smiled. "So, did Rosita like your food?"

"Mamá, please." Coco looked away while blushing. "I know you know who it was really for, so stop teasing me."

"Oh, mija." Imelda cooed and gave her embarrassed daughter a hug. "I meant no harm. I went through the exact same thing that you are going through right now. Did I ever tell you about the first time I realized that I loved your Papá?"

Coco rolled her eyes. "When you and he sang La Llorona at the creek."

"No, that's when your Papá fell in love with me." Imelda said. "I fell in love with him much later, at mis quince años in fact. You see the year before that your Papá was much shorter than me, so short that I could rest my arm on his head like an armrest. But during that year your Papá grew thirteen inches."

Coco's eyes widened. "In one year?! That's impossible!"

"It's true, you can ask him about it! Poor boy, he had such painful aches and terrible fevers as his body grew uncontrollably. You can still faintly see the stretchmarks on his shoulders if you look closely. But anyway, on mis quince años the nuns dressed me in this disgustingly ugly blue dress, despite my wishes for a purple one. During the party I was by the snack table and your Papá made his way over to get something to eat."

"Then he tripped on himself, not used to his long gangly limbs, and fell straight into the table. The sangria bowl flew off the table, flipped in the air, and then the bowl fell down on me, spilling all over my head and that hideous dress. I was furious and humiliated! I looked down at that stupid boy, ready to give him a thrashing he would never forget. He looked up at me in horror, covered with cake and other snacks, before he cracked the goofiest, most infuriating grin ever and said-"

"Well, at least your dress is purple now, diosa!"

Imelda smiled at the memory. "I looked down and sure enough the sangria had stained my dress into a lovely shade of purple. My anger immediately vanished and I laughed so hard my stomach hurt and I couldn't breathe. And that's when realized that I wanted to be with him for the rest of my life, so we could laugh and play and sing together forever."

Coco looked over at her father, who was standing on a chair as he hung up papel picado across the courtyard, and giggled. "Papá is so silly." She sighed mournfully. "But Julio… as sweet as he is I don't think he's ever going to get much taller."

Imelda laughed. "Maybe not thirteen inches, but we can always hope." She clapped her hands together. "Now then, go put those strawberries on the ofrenda! The food is ready, the offerings are put up, and we are all here. It's official: Dia de Muertos has begun!"

As if that was their cue, three glowing orange spirits rushed passed the doors as well, stopping in the middle of the courtyard and pulling air into their phantom lungs. Gaspar straightened up and laughed. "Ha! Did you hear that? We made it just in time! That's a new record for us Mirasol, less than a millisecond to spare!"

"Congratulations, mi amor." Mirasol said as she watched Leti while smiling.

"Mamá!" Leti cried out as she flung her arms around her mother and hugged her. "Mamá, I've missed you so much! I have so many things to-aah!" Leti jerked back in surprise as Imelda walked through her with no resistance, leaving a weird tingling feeling in her bones. Her smile faltered a little until she saw Héctor. "Papá! Papá, you're hanging up the papel picado? I made the one with the star on it two years ago. Ah, there it is! Papá…" Héctor hopped off the chair and walked away, leaving his daughter alone. As Coco came out of the ofrenda room Leti tried to get her attention as well, but to no avail and her shoulders sagged in defeat.

Mirasol came over to her granddaughter and gave her a hug. "I'm sorry, Leticia. They can't see us."

Leti crossed her arms. "This is stupid. What's the point of even coming here if they can't see or feel us?"

"Now now…" Gaspar walked up and patted Leti's head. "Just because they can't see us doesn't mean they aren't thinking of us. That's what this day is all about: Being remembered and honored by those who loved us. In fact, why don't we take a peek into the ofrenda room and see what they left for us?"

"Okay." Leti said as she let her grandparents guide her into the ofrenda room. As usual the back wall was set up with a table filled with cempazuchitl flowers, candles and a giant cross on the top tier. Mirasol and Gaspar's wedding picture, the only foto that Imelda had of them, was on display, but what Leti saw left her in awe.

There were a dozen pictures of Leti on every tier of the table display, from when she was a newborn baby wearing her tio's infant sized steel toe boots, to her first day of school with Matty in their brand new uniforms, and the family group picture on that wonderful day when they all performed at Mariachi plaza. At the center of the table was a large glamour shot of Leti that her Papá had specially done, with a soft glow around her and her hair done up just like her Mamá's. She had felt like a true princess that day and it was her favorite picture of herself. Then she saw the offerings.

"My accordion!" she squealed as she ran up to the ofrenda. "I've missed playing it! And strawberries from Rosita's garden! She always grows the best strawberries, they're as big as the palm of your hand!"

"Go ahead, mija. Pick them up!" Mirasol said.

"Pick them- really?" Leti looked at her accordion for a moment before placing a finger on it. It felt solid under her touch. She placed her hands on either side of it, making sure she had a good grip on it, and lifted it up with ease. Sort of. The accordion stayed in place on the ofrenda, but in her hands she held an exact copy of the instrument, glowing as orange and as translucent as she was. "Whoa…" She stretched out the bellows, listening as it musically inhaled, before pumping out a familiar oompah pah and swaying to the music. Her smile and excitement had returned. "Que padre! What did you guys get?"

"Looks like the usual. Pan de muerte, of course. Ooh, a very expensive bottle of tequila. Gracias, yerno. Aha, and best of all! " Gaspar exclaimed as he held up a copy of a large bowl of seeds. "Pepitas! And lots of them too!" This was how Gaspar made his living both in Santa Cecilia and the Land of the Dead. He was renowned for his green thumb and grew the best vegetables and gourds around, but his specialty was pumpkins. His pumpkins always grew big and fat and were never quick to spoil, and Mirasol would always make wonderful food with the products they didn't sell. Pumpkin soup, candied pumpkins, pumpkin empanadas, and plain roasted pepitas with a hint of salt.

"Some of my happiest memories with mi hija were just sitting on the front porch with her while we ate roasted pepitas and enjoyed each other's company." He let the pumpkin seeds run through his fingers as he looked fondly at them. "She always leaves me a bowl of them every year. It's my favorite offering." Mirasol wrapped an arm around Gaspar and he leant into her embrace while Leti smiled at them. "This is what Dia de Muertos is all about, Leticia. Seeing how much we are still loved by our living family because they remember the good times with us."

"Mi amor, there's another offering for you." Mirasol pointed out.

"Eh?" Gaspar looked back at the ofrenda, and sure enough next to the pepitas was a paper envelope. He picked up a copy of it and looked inside. What he saw inside made him smile and he looked at Leti. "Strawberry roots."

Mirasol gasped and smiled at Leti. "Dios mio. They must know that we're looking after you! Oh, our daughter is so clever, and so thoughtful!"

Leti smiled. "Abuelito, you can grow me some strawberries?"

Gaspar harrumphed arrogantly. "I can grow anything if I set my mind to it, even from bedrock! Just you wait mija. I'll grow you strawberries twice as big, twice as sweet, twice as juicy, twice as-"

"Matty…"

Leti stared at the doorway to the room, where there stood her beloved twin brother. Gaspar and Mirasol looked at their grandson and then at Leti. "We'll leave you two alone, mija." Mirasol said as she and Gaspar went back outside.

It was just the two of them now. Leti set down her accordion and waited as Matty walked over to the ofrenda and placed a thick envelope in front of Leti's portrait. Her name was written on it in careful cursive letters, and she assumed that he had just learned how to write that way in school. Leti walked up to her brother and smiled. "Hola Matty… I know you can't see me or hear me, but… I've missed you so so much! These past ten months all I've been thinking of was how you were doing."

"I'm doing fine."

Leti gave a startled gasp when Matty spoke. "Wh- Matty?! Y-you can hear-"

"In case you were wondering." Matty continued.

Leti's hopes dropped back down. He hadn't heard her, he was just speaking out loud. It was pure coincidence that he was seemingly talking with her. Still she let him speak.

"I hope that you're doing okay too. Mamá says that you're with our abuelos in Heaven, so I hope they're treating you well. You deserve it after everything you went through. I'm so sorry you got so sick and were in so much pain. For a long time I wished it was me instead of you that got sick, but you'd probably smack me on the back of the head for saying that." Matty laughed, not feeling a skeletal hand pass through him as Leti tried to do just that.

"It still hurts Leti. Papá says it'll get better, and it has, but it still hurts really bad. Your bed is still in our room, and I make sure that it's always made and your stuffed animals are in the right spots, but… It doesn't smell like you anymore. It's like you're slowly fading away and I can't stop it. Pretty soon I'll forget what your voice sounds like. All that's left of you is in here." He pointed to his head. "I don't ever want that to fade away. I want to be back with you so badly, but… I guess I'll just have to wait. Until then I'll write you letters every Dia de Muertos so you'll know what I've been doing all year. It's okay that you can't write me back. I know you're okay now. I love you, hermana…"

His face crumpled and a soft cry escaped his lips as he scrubbed at his eyes. If she could Leti would have cried with him. Instead she stepped over to him and gave him a ghostly kiss on the forehead. "You feel better, Matty."

As if he could feel it, Matty sniffed one last time and gazed at Leti's picture on the ofrenda, smiling at it as he touched his forehead. Then he leant over and gave a kiss on her picture's forehead as well. Leti was elated. Even though they were separated by death, their bond was still as strong as ever.

The peaceful moment was interrupted however when another figure came into the ofrenda room. Leti looked over and gasped in alarm. It was Barto! Why was one of Sergio's goons at their house?! Despite there being little that she could do Leti still stood in front of her brother, providing a defensive barrier. "Gordo Barto! What are you doing here?! Don't you dare-"

"Hola, Matty." Barto said cheerfully. "Sorry I'm late."

To Leti's surprise Matty turned around and smiled when he saw the other boy. "Hey Barto! Wow, I'm actually surprised you're this early. Weren't you and your family going to the cemetary?"

Barto waved a hand. "Eh, we're done already. Mi Papá's way of celebrating Dia de Muertos is 'Hola Abuela. Here's some galletas. Adios Abuela.' It basically takes about five minutes and then we just do whatever we want for the rest of the evening. Besides…" He took a large jar out of his knapsack and handed it to Matty. "I wanted to leave this for your family's ofrenda. For Leti."

Matty gasped as he took the jar. "You filled up a whole jar with strawberry hard candies?! How many bags did you have to buy to fill it?!"

"Ten." Barto said proudly.

"What about the other flavors?" Matty asked. As Barto looked at the ground guiltily Matty laughed. "En serio?!"

"They don't call me Gordo Barto for nothing." Barto laughed back as he pulled out a small paper sack and handed it to Matty. "I didn't eat all of it though, I saved you some mango ones. Good thing too, I was about to throw up from all the sugar."

"Well gracias, amigo." Matty said as he put the jar on the ofrenda. "Are you going to stay and eat with us?"

"No, Mamá has dinner waiting for me. But I suppose I could eat a little before I go home." Barto wrapped an arm around Matty's shoulder and they walked outside. "Luis and I passed the spelling test, by the way. Thanks to you…"

Leti was stunned at what she was witnessing. Matty and Barto were friends now?! It looked like they were enjoying each other's company, and she detected no malice in Barto's words. Things must have really changed since she had left. Now she was definitely going to read Matty's letter when she got back to the Land of The Dead! Still she smiled as she took a copy of the jar and placed it in her knapsack. It seemed she didn't have to worry about Matty at all. He was strong and he had a long, full life ahead of him. She wasn't sure how long it would be, but she knew she would at least be there for him once a year until they met again.

Three empty chairs had been set out for the deceased and the three ghosts sat down in them, pulling copies of plates and bowls of food towards them when it was time to eat. Dinner was delicious, though that wasn't a surprise, and Gaspar had managed to stuff himself full to the point that he was left moaning and slouched in his chair. Leti had to wonder how it was possible for a skeleton to get indigestion, but Mirasol said that some things just couldn't be explained in the Land of the Dead as she rubbed her husband's back.

As the living family ate they also told stories about Gaspar, Mirasol and Leti. Matty told Barto about the time he and Leti had snuck into Héctor's liquor cabinet in the middle of the night when they were five, wanting to taste some of Papá's special grownup drinks. They both managed to knock down three shots each before they stumbled drunkenly into their parent's bedroom, vomiting and crying as the world wouldn't stop tilting and swirling. Leti hid her face in her hands as her grandfather nudged her and laughed, but soon she was the one laughing when Imelda told them all of the time Gaspar got bucked off a donkey and thrown into a huge dung heap.

"Why is it always the embarrassing stories?" Gaspar grumbled.

"Because those are the best kind! The most memorable!" Leti said brightly, and Gaspar couldn't help but smile back.

After dinner the family made their way to Santa Cecilia's cemetery and Leti got her first good look at her gravestone. It felt a little weird looking at it, knowing that her remains were buried in that crypt. "Can I go inside it? I wanna see if my skull has these same markings."

Mirasol grabbed her granddaughter as she made a move to dive in. "Atata. No mija. Trust me, it isn't pretty." She glanced and shook her head at Gaspar, who shuddered at the memory of when he had done the very same thing to his own grave.

Candles were lit at each gravestone and the living family prayed for the wellbeing of their dearly departed. Then they gathered on the hill by the church to watch the fireworks, and Leti was reminded of her Tio Nesto and wishing he was there with them. Maybe next year.

Hours had passed and the three dead Riveras were still at the house even after the living family had all gone to bed, simply watching their loved ones sleep. Leti kissed her parents, her tios, and Coco goodnight, saving Matty for last. She had watched him sleep the longest out of everyone else, but soon she heard Mirasol calling out for her. It was almost sunrise and it was time to go. She leant over and gave Matty a kiss on the cheek, and just like before it seemed as if he had felt it as he snuggled deeper into sleep with a smile. "Adios Matty. See you next year. I love you too."

And so the three skeletons went back across the Marigold Bridge and into the Land of the Dead, with Mirasol and Gaspar swaying side to side as Leti skipped and played on her accordion the whole way there.