Outside the Encanto

Family Reunion

The weeks become a long routine, one that never ends. Wake up. Make food. Wash dishes. Give supplies to the Madrigals. Train. Replenish Madrigal food. Train. Eat dinner. Deliver special parcels to townspeople. Train. Give Madrigals dinner. Slip something special in for them. Train. Shower. Sleep.

Tiresome as it is, that routine sometimes includes a special night with Camilo, always between bars. You've been devising a plan to reunite the Madrigals, a plan involving a prison break. You fantasize about the possibilities- maybe form your own Encanto. But where could you go that Papa wouldn't find you?

Despite the everyday work of your family, the prison begins to grow moldy and unclean, smelling of urine and feces, which rarely is cleaned up. The prison numbers are growing, negatively effecting the problem.

You have an idea- one that could get the prisoners to be able to be around each other. What if the prisoners took care of the prison? They can each be assigned jobs, along with those in isolation. That way, Pepa and Felix could see each other. They'd all be able to talk to each other. Camilo could see his sister, his mother, his cousins. You want to pitch this idea to the Madrigals first- just in case.

"So?" You finished, waiting for a response. The attitude in the room felt less hostile and more of dislike, so that was a plus.

"I like it." Camilo agrees, flashing you a grin. Your lips twitch upwards, and you look to the floor.

"We could see our daughters. It'll cost us some tough work, but we're Madrigals. Hard work is in our blood." Augustine agrees, wrapping an arm around Julieta and pulling her close.

"I  don't like the idea of labor.. I've read too many of Pepa's books. But, I suppose it can't be that bad. Cleaning, mainly, right?" She asks, still on the edge.

"I suppose, maybe some supply moving. I can't think of anything where it would be brutal. It's not like Auchwitz." You shiver, remembering the last history lesson you taught yourself. You'd been homeschooled the past few years, since regular school never was the pleasant experience you wished you'd had. "You'd probably be in charge of cooking, meal planning, that sort of thing."

Julieta's face lights up at the idea. She must be yearning to get back into the kitchen, now more than ever. This time, she gets to cook to provide for people, not be the only caretaker in the Encanto.

"Well, I suppose it would be alright. Please, tell me more." Julieta composes herself, trying not to be too excited.

A few hours later, the arrangements are made. Luckily for you, you're not the one announcing it to the prisoners. You've always loved the feeling of power, but can't quite get over the.. embarrassment? Is that the word? You are superior to these people, for now at least. Yet you can't shake the desire for them to like you.

Papa speaks to the prisoners, telling them about the new details. There's a feeling of glee in the walls, knowing they'll be able to freely communicate, something they hadn't been able to do before. You pay attention to a few assignments. Julieta, of course, is in the kitchen detail. Augustine and Felix are in supply, meaning they lift the boxes that get delivered to the prison. Camilo and Bruno are in supply as well, but they're in charge of delivering the supplies to certain storage areas in the prison.

The best part, however, was the reunion of the Madrigals.

Isabella and Luisa sprinted to their parents. Luisa tackled Augustine on accident, giving them a good laugh. Julieta and Isabella clutched each other tight, neither one willing to let go. Augustine pulled them into a group hug with Luisa, sighing in relief.

Pepa crashed into Camilo, kissing his face like she expected him to turn into a prince. Although, you giggle, Camilo is kind of already her prince. He accepts a few, then begins dodging them in embarrassment. He looks at you, filled with glee, and turns scarlet in the face. Pepa casts a glance at you, smirks, and continues rapidly kissing her son. Antonio saves Felix by jumping up at his mother. She pulls him into a tight embrace, while Felix stays back. Once she's done with her sons, she is pulled into a kiss by Felix, while Camilo lifts Antonio onto his shoulders.

Dolores hangs back, hands clutched together near her stomach. She looks down, not embarrassed, but avoiding attention. She fails. Camilo races Antonio to hug Dolores, while their parents hang back, watching the sweet embrace. Dolores watched her parents, looking ashamed of something. They ignore the vibe she's giving off and enjoy a group hug as well.

Pepa is assigned to the kitchen detail with Julieta. Luisa may not have her gift anymore, but she's strong, and is placed with Augustine and Felix in the supply detail. Dolores and Isabella are assigned in cleaning, meaning they move around a lot. Somedays, they'll be cleaning the kitchen, other times the cells. A heavy mixture of prisoners are in that detail.

After the first day of assignments and confusion, everything pretty much sorts itself out. Jobs are switched based on skill. The Madrigals merrily chatter away, along with other prisoners. A few people stick out in your mind, ones who definitely don't seem the prison type.

First, there's Jose. He's always been a nice man, kind to you, helpful. He's in the cleaning detail, even then he offers both Isabella and Dolores a lily. Where he got it, you have no idea, but you're not about to confiscate it.

Second, there's the delivery man. You have a pretty good hunch on how he got here. Poor guy, he runs his mouth like there's no tomorrow. Probably said something against the regime on accident, maybe even started a protest. Whatever it is, you know irony will follow the story. He's in supply, in charge of calculating delivery times, and when to deliver to where. He's not the smartest, but one thing he's good at, is deliveries.

Third, Lilith's mother, Martina. She's certainly a character, that's for sure. She's the fully grown version of Lilith, right down to the mouth. Speaking as if she own the world, Martina easily scored her cell. She's in the cleaning detail as well, although will most likely be switched to supply, considering she's never even cleaned her house, her maid did all the work.

You troop upstairs, feeling delighted and overjoyed. Considering recent events, this was a kind of euphoria you'd never thought you'd feel again.

Marco tapped you on the shoulder, making you jump and strike a punch. Luckily for him, he dodges it, catching your fist in midair. He grins, releasing your hand after a few seconds.

"I heard things were changing in the prison. Care packages can be given? How wonderful." Marco teases, trying to draw a reaction from you.

"Shut it, I don't have time for games. And you know what? It's going perfectly." You turn to head upstairs, to your room.

"Wait! That was serious! I want you to give Luisa this." He shoves a basket at you, filled with little goodies and treats. You take a moment to examine the fillings.

"Pads?" You pick up a small box, one of many kinds of period products. You realize almost every single kind found in the Encanto is in the basket, along with small cakes, pastries, and a brush. Tres Leches overflow the wood, a popular pastry you'd never liked.

"Well, I wanted to give her something, but I wasn't sure what. I was out on a mission with the twins once, and they both.. well, they'd forgotten the 'supplies'. Not my favorite memory." He shivers, recalling the tragic memory. You stifle a laugh, knowing how dramatic the twins can be. They certainly take after Tia Sophia.

"Well, that's very considerate of you. I'm sure she'll enjoy her pads." You poke him, knowing how embarrassed he gets when it comes to such things.

"And the Tres Leches!" He pipes up, before shutting down again. "Her favorite."

"How do you know-"

"Just give her the damn package." He snaps, whooshing by you, causing you to trip and fall down the stairs. You land with a thud on your behind, making it feel sore.

Marco whooshes by again, leaving the basket on your legs. You sigh, shake your head, and stand, off to deliver the care package.

Maybe there's hope after all.