Who You Are: Camilo's Story (After Encanto)

The Encounter

The family of four sat in the horse-drawn carriage, looking around as they headed towards the mountains. There was a mother, a father, and two teenage girls. Amalia was the oldest daughter at age nineteen. She had straight, dark brown hair tied in two braids and wore a lavender dress. Hanna was the youngest at age seventeen. Her long hair was golden-brown and wavy, and her dress was light blue. Hanna gazed at the beautiful scenery as they made their way up the dirt road. Everything was so lush and green; it truly was a paradise. Soon they came across two halves of one mountain. This was a sight to behold. It was as if this mountain was split right down the middle by some, supernatural force. It cast a dark shadow in its cracked base. It was eerie yet enchanting all at the same time. The family stared up in wonder as the carriage rattled on. By the time they reached the other side of the mountain halves, they could finally see the Encanto up ahead. All the people in the village turned to see the carriage as it passed by, looking at the family of newcomers with curiosity. Then the carriage approached the Casa Madrigal. As soon as they made their way to the front door of the magical house, they were greeted by the entire Madrigal family who were waiting for them. Abuela Alma was at the forefront with Mirabel at her side. Then Agustin walked up to greet the father.

"Cal! Long time no see, my good friend. I'm so glad you could make it," he said cheerfully.

"It certainly has been a long time, Agustín. Good to see that you're doing well," Cal said as they shook hands.

Abuela Alma approached them both.

"Welcome to our home," she said with a warm smile. "This is our family. These are my children, Pepa, Bruno, and Julieta." The three of them waved hello. Agustín gestured at Julieta with his thumb and whispered, "My wife," to Mr. Engel with a grin.

Alma continued her introduction, "My sons-in-law, Félix, and of course you know Agustin."

Félix waved enthusiastically.

"And my grandchildren; Dolores, Camilo, Antonio, Isabela, Luisa, and Mirabel who is training to become the next matriarch after me," she said as she took Mirabel's hand in both of hers and squeezed it tightly.

"A pleasure to meet you all," the father said to the Madrigals. "I am Cal Engel. This is my wife, Marie Louise, and my two daughters, Amalia and Johanna."

The two girls politely waved at the Madrigals. Hanna did her best to make eye contact with each family member and then her eyes fell on Camilo who was looking right back at her. She averted her gaze from the curly-haired teenage boy in embarrassment. But after a moment, she glanced up to see that he was still staring at her. Hanna suddenly felt her face growing hot.

"Um...Johanna? Quit staring off into the clouds and let's go!" her father said in an impatient tone.

Hanna immediately ran up to join the rest of her family. Camilo watched her. When she got further away, he let out a deep sigh. This did not go unheard by Dolores, whose ears pricked at the sound that escaped him. She turned to see her brother still standing around with a goofy-looking grin on his face. She swiveled her head to look in the direction he was staring at, then back at him. Camilo finally noticed his sister watching him. But he just shook his head, rolled his eyes at her like she was crazy, and started walking towards Casita. Dolores let out a tiny 'Hmph' as if to say, 'You're the crazy one.'

The sun was setting as Abuela gave the Engel family the tour of their beloved home. All the magical doors to everyone's rooms were gleaming along the top balcony.

"Magnificent," Mr. Engel said, adjusting his glasses.

"Gracias, Señor," Mirabel said, but Mr. Engel ignored her.

"It's truly a lovely home," Mrs. Engel assured her.

Mirabel smiled and nodded.

Amalia followed her mother closely, barely saying a word and Hanna followed behind Amalia. Camilo saw that Dolores was distracted by Mariano who had spontaneously shown up to see her. It was a rare occasion for him to do so since she usually would hear him coming. She had eyes only for her lover, which was perfect for Camilo. Without making a sound, he moved so that he was standing within Hanna's view and waited until she would notice him. When she did, he smiled, waved a hand at her, and mouthed 'Hola.' Hanna blushed. She then looked up at her father whose attention was still elsewhere, smiled back at Camilo, and mouthed the word, 'Hi.'

'Wow,' Camilo thought to himself. He looked into her big, round eyes. They were crystal blue. As blue as the sky on a sunny day. He had never seen such eyes before. She also had an adorable smile. A funny feeling started to overwhelm him. His stomach felt heavy, but his heart was light as a feather. It was almost like how he felt on the night just before he received his Gift and opened his door. He was excited yet utterly anxious. And now, there was that same, overwhelming feeling. And yet it was so different. This was something new, entirely.

"Ah, yes. My family and I shall make our quarters in the nearby villa," Mr. Engel said to Alma. The villa in question was a new establishment to the Encanto. It was a large summer house, by the river. "We hope you and your family will enjoy your stay here, Cal," Agustín said.

"Look, Hanna!" Amalia said.

Hanna looked away from Camilo to where her sister was pointing to a bird perched on the stair rail. "A toucan," she said, excitedly.

"That's Pico. He is my friend!" Antonio told them. He held out his arm and the toucan flew down and perched on it. "Aww! He's so cute," Hanna said. The toucan croaked and grunted to Antonio. "He says you can pet him if you like," he said. Hanna slowly reached out a hand to touch the top of the toucan's head when she heard her mother say her name. Mrs. Engel looked at her youngest daughter and shook her head. Hanna dropped her hand and bent down to Antonio's level. "Maybe some other time. Okay?" she said, kindly.

"Okay, Johanna," Antonio replied. 

Hanna grinned at him. "You can call me Hanna," she said.

Camilo was watching them the entire time. It was so sweet, the way she talked to his little brother. So why did he feel almost... bitter?

By the time the Engels family left for the villa, it was already nightfall. The Madrigals were now saying goodnight to each other, going to their rooms. Camilo stayed behind, staring up into the stars. Antonio's toucan had flown to the roof, way up high. 'Wish I could turn into a bird,' he thought. He wanted to fly, for he felt like he could. And then his thoughts became clouded. What had brought joy and excitement, also brought self-doubt and sadness. Camilo couldn't sleep that night. Whenever he closed his eyes, there she was.