The Beginning of The Life

Chapter 3: FREEDOM OF THE ANIMALS!

After the Day of the Dead passed and the morning sun rose, the sound of happy chatters was from the four friends as they trudged themselves through the streets of San Angel with swords in their hands.

"Catalina, look!" Maria called. Catalina stops running to see what Maria wants her to see.

"Aww!" The two sisters exclaimed when they saw a cute baby pig behind a wooden fence. Its eyes glimmered, causing Catalina to contain her squeal.

"You're so cute," Maria said before the sound of metal scraping caught her attention. A man is seen inside the stone building sharpening two butcher knives along with the visual sign of three pigs in the boiling pot above. The baby pig gave out its oink. "Oh, no. Not on my watch. We have to free the animals!"

"Huh?" Manolo, Joaquin, and Catalina said in confusion.

Maria raises her sword in the air. "Come on, you guys! Let's do this!"

"Yeah!" Manolo yelled in triumph with his sword in the air, joining her.

"Hold on, Maria. Don't!" Joaquin and Catalina exclaimed, but it's too late. Maria strikes her sword to the chain lock that held the wooden fence in place in half.

At the San Angel Plaza, General Posada is standing on the stairs with the announcement to all. "People of San Angel, please! I beg you. After the revolution, we need more volunteers to join this mighty brigade!" One of his four men nearby sneezed, his arm fell off in the process before the dog takes it and his other arm fell off. The little boy took it with a "Woo-hoo!"

"A...heroic brigade to protect us from Chakal." General Posada revealed a WANTED paper with Chakal's face on it to the people. They gasped in fear until a child cried, "Chakal is here!". The child's voice grabs everyone's attention to the empty walkway before they screamed, only to find a baby pig coming down with a bounce. They altogether sigh in relief before more pigs arrive with Maria, Catalina, Manolo, and Joaquin with them.

"Freeeedoooom!" The sisters shouted while riding on top of the pigs. The people of San Angel screamed again as the pigs spread all over the place. Maria laughs in joy along with Catalina, proud of their way of saving the animals.

"Maria! Catalina! What have you done now?!" General Posada yelled, angry at their way of creating trouble.

"Freedom is coming through!" Maria cried. She then gasped when seeing the pig she rides on is heading toward her father. General Posada stands his ground with his arms wide, "Stoop!" Joaquin managed to grab Manolo from holding the pig's tail before they tumble against the general, knocking him down. Manolo's guitar breaks from the impact as it fell to the ground. They landed into fruit baskets at the fruit stand and emerged with some fruit tumbling down. Just as when things get worse, an angry hog with sharp horns running its way from the walkway toward General Posada. Catalina has just run herself back from riding the pigs to the plaza when she saw Joaquin jump out from the basket. Her eyes moved from him and to the hog charging at her father when the realization struck. Joaquin is planning to save him.

"Joaquin, WAIT!" She cried in terror.

Joaquin pushed General Posada out of the way and took the brunt of the hog's charge. Catalina's eyes widened in shock when he didn't get hurt, only to be maintaining his stance while skidding across the plaza to a stop.

"Joaquin..." Catalina can only say.

The hog turned its attention to a nun, ready to charge again.

"No retreat," Joaquin started. "No surrender." Manolo finished as he ran to grab a lady's red scarf and waves it at the hog like a bullfighter. "Toro, toro!" Catalina quickly rushes up to Joaquin desperate to know how in the world did he not get injured. Not like she finds it very cool, but it's strangely not how a human is made to endure.

"How did you do that?" She asked.

"Do what?"

"How are you not hurt?"

"Oh, um..." CRACK! They looked at the hog headfirst into the building thanks to Manolo's unknown bullfighting skill. A round of applause surrounds the air along with many thanks given to him by the nuns. His father in the midst of the people is very proud of his son's natural performance. "I guess I have some luck." Joaquin chuckled. Catalina smiles softly.

General Posada sat up, dazed. "Oh, my. What did I miss?" His blurry vision came to a focus of seeing the people of San Angel clapping hands and cheering.

"You okay, sir?" Joaquin asked as he helped the general get back on his feet.

"You have saved my life." General Posada said with gratefulness.

Manolo walks in carrying the baby pig and red scarf. "And I..."

"Quiet, boy. I'm talking."

"But I..."

"Quiet."

Manolo frowned and the general looks around to see the plaza a complete mess. Maria noticed how unpleasant it looks from the corner she hid in that she muttered, "Uh, oh." under her breath. Catalina cringed.

"Those two is in so much trouble! MARIA AND CATALINA!" A furious General Posada screamed.

"I'm sorry, papa. It's just that I..." Maria gasped when she saw Manolo's broken guitar laying on the ground. She holds up the pieces. "Manolo's guitar."

"Maria and Catalina! This rebellious nonsense ends now! You two are going to become proper ladies."

Proper ladies? "Why?" The sisters asked.

"Because I said so! I'm sending you to Spain. The sisters at the Convent of the Perpetual Flame of Purity will straighten you out."

"What? But Papa!" Maria protested.

"No. It is decided. Now go home!"

The two sisters take off running, tears shed down their cheeks. They can't believe it. Leaving San Angel with their childhood friends behind felt like a needle straight to the heart, especially in Catalina's case. She hasn't forgotten about the kiss Joaquin gave her back at the Day of the Dead. It made her stomach flutter thinking about it, but it disappears when grief takes over.