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

There is Magic Here

Hanna stood leaning on the balcony, outside of her bedroom with her arms on the railing. She was gazing up towards the sky as it was turning a dark shade of purple. The tranquil sounds of the river, the gentle wind, and the wildlife were all very soothing to Hanna's ears. She could also faintly hear Amalia practicing on the grand piano in one of the many rooms of their house. No doubt that their father was with her, listening, critiquing, and showering her with praise. Hanna had to hear a very long discussion during dinner about what instrument her sister was going to perform with at the festival and what pieces of music she should play. Of course, Hanna didn't expect her father to talk to her. She was left to figure things out all on her own.

'I suppose I should be used to it by now,' she thought. 'This really is a surprising turn of events though. Looks like we'll be here a little longer after all! And it's all thanks to Camilo's grandmother.'

Hanna never expected that her father would allow Amalia to be involved in something as 'unsophisticated' such as a local festival, let alone have her perform as well. And yet, here they were. It had all been completely arranged. 'I kinda wish I could've been there to hear that conversation,' she thought to herself. But then again, if she had been there, she wouldn't have had that time alone with Camilo by the barn.

Hanna sighed. If she ever came across Abuela Alma, she would make sure to thank her personally. Her stay with Camilo has been extended. Not that it would matter in the end anyway. She was still convincing herself that she would be staying here in the Encanto for more than a few weeks, or months. She was hoping for years. A lifetime.

'Why would anyone ever want to leave this place?' Hanna wondered to herself.

At that moment, the piano music stopped. Hanna could hear her father's muffled voice for a few minutes before Amalia began to play a new piece. Hanna sighed again and looked up at the tree. For once, the anole wasn't there, and it made her feel a bit lonely. 'I'm truly on my own,' she thought. But then, her eyes widened and she half-smiled at this realization. 'I'm... on my own,' she thought again. She went back inside and crossed her bedroom to her door. After closing the door behind her, she descended the stairs. The piano music was getting louder with each step she took. When she got to the bottom, she looked around and saw no one watching her. She then turned to stare at the front door. Very slowly, she walked up to it and turned the doorknob to open it slightly. She then looked behind her once before opening it wider and stepping outside. She closed the door quietly; Amalia's immaculate music was muffled once more. Then, Hanna took a deep breath and started moving her feet forward. She was free.

Hanna crossed the stone bridge and walked along the riverside until she could see the soft, orange glow that was emanating from the town. People's voices were echoing in the distance. She made her way into the village until she was surrounded by all the houses. The people who were still out on the streets turned to smile and wave hello at her. Hanna shyly waved back at them. She wandered around with no destination in mind, still being greeted by the people passing by.

Then, something interesting caught her attention. She noticed a number of people walking in the same direction and each of them carried a single candle. Curiously, Hanna followed them without saying a word. When the line of people stopped, Hanna came to a halt as well and turned to look in front of her. They had come to a wall of a single building. Hanna could see in the candlelight a colorful mural of the Madrigal family, painted into the shape of a pyramid. At the very top were the letters that spelled 'Los Madrigal,' with Alma right below them. Below Alma were Pepa, Bruno, and Julieta and all the grandchildren below them. Camilo was the second to the far left. Hanna smiled at his painting. But then she saw the people that she had followed were going off to the left side of this mural and placing their candles down on the ground. In fact, Hanna saw many candles had been placed there. She moved a little closer to look up at the wall next to the Madrigal painting and saw yet another mural. It was a painting of a handsome, young man with gentle eyes and soft-looking hair. Beneath him was what looked like the same man standing in the middle of a wide river with his hands held up high as if he was trying to fend off something. There were butterflies painted all around these two images and on the right side of them was a message in large, elegant letters that read, 'To Love at all is to Love Entirely.' Hanna stared up at the man's face. He looked like he could be the kindest man she would ever meet, apart from Camilo of course. The rest of the group had already moved on to someplace else, leaving Hanna by herself again. As she continued to stare up at the man's eyes, she heard the footsteps of a single person behind her.