𝒮𝑒𝑒 𝐹𝑜𝓇 𝒴𝑜𝓊𝓇𝓈𝑒𝓁𝒻 <<Bruno Madrigal>>>

Chapter 2

The following day was a breeze, just like any other day. Angelo sat on the same spot between Señor José and the old palm-reader woman, with new items to attract customers in. Whenever someone checks out the clocks, he'll immediately offer them anything from his products. The camera did get a lot of attention, but none still trusted to buy something from him.

"Here, happy birthday, squirt," Señor José tosses him an antique pocket watch.

Angelo catches it on time and thanks him, "So you do love me after all," he chuckles.

"It's an old-looking watch, no one wants it anyway. I've already fixed that one, so be sure not to destroy it again. I'd hate to waste my time fixing that thing."

"Sure. Thanks a lot," he places it in one of his short pockets.

"It's your birthday? Oh my," the old woman comes over and takes his hand, "Well then, let's see what's in store for your life this year."

"I-I shouldn't," Angelo was only half sure of her accuracy as they didn't have any of her customers come back for confirmation, but she did, however, read his mother's palm before and predicted that her death would come near, which ended up being true after two years of struggles. More importantly, he doesn't have anything to pay for her outrageous fee of 700 pesos on a single palm reading session.

"Oh, don't worry dearie, I'll do it for free for you just this once. You've been such a good lad," she mutters, smoothening out his palm, squinting her eyes to read in between the lines. She gasps, then prays, mumbling words to herself that Angelo couldn't make out of. The old woman continues down that path with a look of horror on her face, "Oh... heavens. I am so sorry."

"What is it, Señora?"

"Things will be tough along the way, grief cannot be avoided." This made goosebumps crawl all over him. "But that could be a good thing, depending on how you'd view it! You'll be given a huge opportunity, if used well, you can have everything you've ever wished in your life."

His eyes widen at the seemingly good fortune, "And that happens... this year?"

She nods, letting him go to go back to her spot. José leans near him and whispers, "Don't believe everything, kid. That old woman barely got any luck with customers."

"It's alright. Either way, she said after the storm comes the rainbow. Who knows, maybe I'm gonna get rich this year."

"Yeah yeah, when that happens, I'll drink lots of aguardiente," he rolls his eyes.

Angelo laughs at him, already smelling his success on the bet. He just hopes that this good fortune isn't a sham.

He starts making his way home, a bit earlier than he intended to. He couldn't wait to show this pocket watch to his father, Angelo even thought of giving this as a present for Bruno instead as someone who had graciously given him life and had took care of him up until this age of nineteen, to thank all his effort so that he'd reach adulthood despite all circumstances.

The children-filled street was quiet, unusually quiet for the first time in his life. In all alleyways he pass through everyday, theirs was the liveliest, but today seemed a little off.

"Pst. Angelo," their neighbor, Rosita beckons him over.

"Oh, buenas noches, Rosita. Is something going on?"

She shushed him, ducking behind the door in case someone comes forth. "Angelo, something happened at your house. We saw your Papá come back earlier, but a few men followed suit. There was a ruckus up there, and the men went down afterwards. We haven't seen him come out for an hour now."

"He's...." Angelo's heart skipped a beat.

"Grief cannot be avoided."

The boy ran up the path, reaching the door of his home, "Pa!" Merely a few things consisted their little house, yet it was all a wreck. And what's more, he finds his father lying on the floor on his stomach, he doesn't seem to be moving at all. "Pa! Pa, are you alright?" Angelo moved next to him, rolling Bruno on his back. He almost puked at the amount of blood that had already travelled all over the man's torso, some even got on his hands as he turned him over. "Papá?"

Bruno's eyes fluttered open, squinting from the pain that slowly numbs his entire body, "Angelo..."

"Pa, who did this? Why...." Angelo looks around in panic, "D-Don't worry, I'll-I'll get someone. I'll bring you to a doctor. I'll—"

Bruno grasps his arm, weakly tightening his fingers to prevent him from doing anything. He knows it's already too late for him anyway, he had lost a lot of blood. "Angelo, listen closely... There's a slab, under the floorboards of the bed. Take it, get back to our family..."

He shakes his head, "No, Pa, we can still fix this—"

"There's no time, hijo. You have to find Encanto."

'That's it. Death is making him mad,' Angelo thought to himself. He grabs a nearby cloth to try and stop the bleeding, "Pa, you're bleeding to death and you want me to find some mythical magical world?"

"It's not a myth." Bruno coughs up blood, he can already feel his body giving up. "Go. They'll come for you next," his father tries to push him out of the way, making Bruno groan in pain from even the slight movements he made, "Angelito, my son, promise me you'll go there. You have to go."

"No......No! I can't leave you!"

There's a commotion outside, people have begun surrounding the streets, Angelo could've imagined it, but he's definitely hearing Señor José's being one of the voices that had shouted.

"You can't just do whatever you want here."

"I can, and I will, and it's neither of your concern."

"If you're here in my town then yes, it is my concern, as well as those who are living here."

"Step aside, or I'll have to take extreme measures."

"What has that family done to you anyway?"

"That bastard boy stole from us first. Including the second caravan we've paid to deliver to our town. We can't just change routes, we can't leave it as it is either. He needed to be taught a lesson. You can't hide them from us, we already know he's here."

Angelo's eyes widens, then looks back at his father who had already closed his eyes. "Pa?...." Shocked as he is, this is no time to grieve. 'I didn't know those men were dangerous at all. This is all my fault,' stealing is bad, that's true, it's what Bruno has been telling him over and over, but he didn't listen.

"You've already taken the boy's father. That's enough punishment to give him!"

"We aren't done with him yet. Boys, search the alleyways. We can't let him escape."

He shuts his eyes tightly, taking a deep frustrated breath before quickly grabbing everything he can carry, putting them all inside one large old table cloth. His mother's pictures, his clothes, some knives to protect himself. He was about to jump off from the back window when he suddenly remembers something. Angelo runs back as quietly as he could, thanks to the men fighting outside. 'Sorry Señor José. I'm not courageous like you. But thank you,' he praises in his mind while rummaging under the bed foam. Indeed, there's a hole underneath the bed. Inside was a rectangular object wrapped in a dirty cloth.

"There you are!" the door bursts open.

Angelo jumped from his skin and quickly runs out to the back window, stumbling on his front and ran so fast from adrenaline. The men had followed him, some were left to beat up anyone who tried to protect him, he ran and ran and ran without ever stopping to look back.

Bruno's last moments were painful, but he was at peace knowing that his son is already gone, hopefully unharmed by those people who had done this to him. His eyes opened one last time, though everything was blurring out. He felt a warm hand caressing his cheek, whispering soft melodies in his ears.

"Mi vida.... Let's go home," he mutters within the last of his breath.