Miguel, Dante, and I follow Héctor to a darker part of the city. Miguel look at his hands to see it's now only bones. "Why the heck would you want to be a musician?" Héctor asked Miguel as we walk down some stairs.
"My great-great-grandpa was a musician!" Miguel told him. "Who spend his life performing like a monkey for complete strangers. No thank you. No! Guácala!" Héctor said back..
"What do you know?" Miguel said to himself, looking at Ernesto De La
Cruz's tower. "So, how far is this guitar anyway?" I asked Héctor. Héctor
turn around to face me. "We're almost there." He then jumps off the
platform were on.
Miguel and I run to the edge to see Héctor putting himself back together. "Keep up, chamacos. Come on." Héctor told us as he put his hat back. on. The three of us run down the last set of stairs. And follow Héctor into place that look like place out of those swamp movies.
"Cousin Héctor!" A group of skeletons said as we walk by. "Hey! These guys! Hey, Tío! Qué onda?" Héctor said back waving and pointing at them.
"These people are all your family?" Miguel asked Héctor. "In a way. We're all the ones with no photos of ofrendas. No family to go home to. Nearly forgotten, you know? So, we all call each other cousin, or Tío, or whatever." Héctor explain grabbing a bottle as we walk.
"That's really sad." I said. "Well, Cariño sometimes when people don't. want to remember you. You need to make the best of it." Héctor said, making me think.
If we did celebrate Da de los Muertos. Would mama have ended up here? Because we don't want to remember her?
"Hector!" A group of lady skeleton cheer as we walk towards them. "Tía Chelo!" Héctor said placing bottle on the table. "Muchas gracias!" They said opening the bottle. "Hey! Save some for me!" Hector grabs to glass and fill them up. "Is Chicharron around?" He asked them.
"Eh, in the bungalow. I don't know if he's in the mood for visitor." One of the skeletons told him. We walk towards a small house. "Who doesn't like a visit from Cousin Héctor?" Héctor said as he opens the door with foot and waist.
We enter a dark room. Miguel ran into a pile of draws and almost knock them down. But he caught them in time. We follow Héctor to a hemic full of items. He place of one the glass down and lift up a hat to reveal a skeleton. "Buenas noches, Chicharrón!"
"I don't want to see your stupid face, Héctor." Chicharrón said glaring up at Héctor. "Come on. It's Da de los Muertos. I brought you a little offering." Héctor said putting the hat back on his head and sitting down.
"Get out of here!" Chicharrón said turning away. "I would, Cheech." Héctor started putting the glass down. "But the thing is, me and my friends, Miguel and (Name).... We really need to borrow your guitar." Héctor told him.
Chicharrón grabs his guitar hugging it. "My guitar?!" "Yes." Héctor answer with a pleading look. "My prizes beloved guitar?!" Chicharrón asked, "I promise we ll bring it right back." Héctor told him.
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"Like the time your promised to bring back my van? Or my mini fridge? Or my good napkins? My lasso? My femur?" Chicharrón asked, "Well, no not like those times." Hector said trying to explain himself. Chicharrón grabs a hold of Héctor. "Where's is my femur? You...
ollow
Just then Chicharrón started to glow and fall back in the hemic. Miguel and I share and confused look "You okay, amigo?" Hector asked him. "I'm fading, Hector. I can feel it I couldn't even play that thing if i wanted to. You play me something." Hector hold up his hands in defense No. You know I don't play anymore. Cheech. The guitar is for the kids."
"You want it, you got to earn it." Chicharrón told him. Héctor sighs, taking the guitar, and sitting down. "Ay, only for you, amigo. Any requests?" "You know my favorite, Héctor." Chicharrón told him with a smile. Héctor started to play the guitar. Miguel and I sit down on a box. Dante sat down next to us.
"Well, everyone knows Juanita Her eyes each a different color Her teeth stick out And her chin goes in And her..." Héctor looks at Miguel and I, smiling at him. Wanting to hear more of his singing.
"Knuckles they drag on the floor..." Chicharrón quickly looks at Héctor. "Those aren't the words!" He told him. "There are children present." Héctor told him. "Her hair is like a broad She stands in a bow-legged stance And if I weren't so ugly She'd possibly give me a chance."
Chicharrón gives a small chuckle. "Brings back memories." He said taking off his hat, holding it. "Gracias." Chicharrón then glows again. Héctor look away sadly. Miguel and I give another confuse look. Dante gives a sad whimper.
Then he turn into dust and disappear. His hat falls to the ground. Héctor stands up and grab one of the glasses. He holds it in the air then drinks it. He then place the glass back down and heads to the exit.
"Wait. What happened?" I asked Héctor standing up with Miguel. "He's been forgotten. When there's no one left in the living world who remembers you... You disappear from this world. We call it the final death."
"Where did he go?" Miguel asked. "No one knows." Héctor answers. "But I've met him. I could remember him when I go back!" I said.
"No, it doesn't work like that, Cariño. Our memories, they have to be passed down by those who knew us in life in stories they tell about us. But there's no one left alive to pass down Cheech's stories."
Héctor then shake his body and place a hand on Miguel. "Hey, it happens to everyone eventually." He said giving Miguel the guitar. "Come on, De La Cruzcito, you've got a contest to win." He said walking out with Dante. Miguel and I glance over at the two glasses before following them out.
