Día de los Muertos

By Asia Vasquez and Annelise Comai

I woke up just as the sun set

behind the horizon.. Today, I

would get to see my family again.

My mother smiled and gently

grasped my hand. Today, we will

get to see our family.

She guided me beneath the

clouds, past the birds

settling into their nests.

Tonight, we will get to see

our family.

We saw the trails of marigold petals,

bright as the pulsing music coming

from the graveyard. We glided along

the path of petals, growing more and

more excited as we approached the

cemetery..

Our family was waiting to

meet us!

We float along the flowery road into the

graveyard. Altars are placed over tombstones

festooned with blossoms, candles, and

delicious foods. I reach out to touch a

bunch of grapes next to a pyramid of sugar

skulls.

Mamá pulls me away. We both know they

are not for us. The real treat is still ahead.

There are people everywhere, talking

laughing, and joking in the near darkness.

Everyone is happy. Our town does not fear

death, but embraces it with open arms.

We passed the grave with a

steaming pot of molé, liquid chocolate

with chiles mixed in, for the seventh

year in a row. We know we're close.

This midnight hour, we will get to see

our family.

We approach the back of the cemetery.

The smell of incense becomes stronger. A

group of my older relatives are sitting in a

circle, holding hands, and swapping funny

stories about their loved ones.

"Rosamaria was a sweet, kind soul," my

grandfather was saying. "but she was so

clumsy sometimes! Remember when she was

little and broke our vase trying to teach our

cat to dance?"

Everyone laughed. "Her daughter would've

been just like her. What a shame we never

got to meet Lola," said my Aunt Luisa,

helping herself to a sugar skull with her

name etched on the front..

They began a prayer, wishing us well in

our state of ultimate liberation. Grandpa

pulled two photographs out of his pocket

and placed them on the ground. One was

of my mother when she was young, happy

and carefree.. The other was a black and

white diagram of me.

I saw my sister sitting between two

cousins. Although she tried to appear happy,

seven years had passed since she had last

hugged her loving Mamá. I wished I could

make her happy again. Then suddenly, I had

an idea.

I snuck up behind her and tapped her on

the shoulder. She whirled around in the

middle of our grandmother's prayer...

...but it was time for me to go. As she

turned around, all she could see was nothing..

THE END!