49. Chapter 49

Bruno hadn't actually been drawing since he was a little kid. He remembered enjoying it, especially when he did it with his sisters giving his mother a little peace. But he had never been good at it or anything.

However, Bruno needed things to do in his time off in the afternoon. He knew just doing nothing while listening to what was going on outside would make his mind wander and go to… Not very good places.

Making up stories helped. For a little while, he could have fun and he even tried to make little stage productions now with his rats.

"You!" he pointed at one. "You are Carmen!" he picked up the rat and put her up on a shelf. "And you are Don Jose!" he instructed another rat. "You are in love with Carmen! But what you don't realize is that she's bad for you! She's beautiful and she flirts with everybody to get all kinds of things!"

The rats just looked confused at Bruno and Bruno sighed. "Yeah okay without props and sets it might be a little hard to imagine." he had to admit. "Pity… I know exactly who ought to play Escamillo." he glanced at a rat to his left which was a large and very fit male rat with shiny black fur and overall a very good, strong looking rat… Who was now just gnawing on his bread crumb and couldn't look any less interested in Bruno's amazing play.

So yeah the play thing was… hit and miss. Now Bruno had found an opportunity to take up painting. Isabela had just one day informed that she was never going to be using this paint set that had just been gathering dust in her room. And if anyone wanted it they could have it.

And so Isabela had left it on the dining room table, but no one had claimed it doing the day so…. Bruno figured it was still up for grasps and it was fine.

It was a nice little set of acrylics in various colors and three small paintbrushes. A far cry away from the colored pencils of Bruno's childhood.

Though… His untrained line on the paper was indeed childish to look at.

That wasn't the point though. It felt calming doing. Thinking about potential stories and plays allowed Bruno to escape his entire situation, he could smile and chuckle at his own made up stories… It was entirely possible he was vanishing into his own head.

But rather vanish to a nice place of corny romances and fun adventures than a crushing dark back room of loneliness… Bruno knew the alternatives when he allowed his mind to wander. The world of made up stories was to be preferred.

Yeah… Bruno might be starting to go… Kind of insane. But after almost four years without having talked to another human being. Maybe that was to be expected.

Well… As long as he could do his job! Bruno's one job. Do his now quite long and extensive round through the labyrinth that was the walls of casita. Check for cracks and fix them up! They were still spreading… He still found new ones so he had to check every day.

At least he hoped that his efforts did… Something. Slowed it down somehow… Just..

Bruno closed his eyes and then looked at his crude artwork. A strong warrior woman protecting a group of children against a big snake.

…. kind of looked like a ten year old had drawn it.

Then Bruno glanced to his side at a stack of papers. Handwritten. The twelve tasks of Luisa the great were immortalized in paper form.

Luisa had repeated her regret that she was forgetting details of the story and an odd idea had come into Bruno's head. Luisa would eventually have another birthday. And Bruno would really like to give the children something for their birthdays as he used to… But he had nothing.

Luisa had said she wanted the story so… If he made it a book for her she could find it.

But all Bruno could do was hand write on pieces of paper. It was obviously his own handwriting, people would be able to see that. And he started to sincerely doubt the stories were even any good.

Still…. A part of Bruno liked to imagine. One day… Luisa just stumbling upon his work. Picking it up and then her eyes lightening up with fond childhood memories as she read it.

That little fantasy image was so strong and so amazing that Bruno could not bring himself to throw it out.

It was unlikely that Luisa would ever see it.

Like it was so unlikely that Camilo would find the collection of funny and scary stories. Or Dolores and her collection of romances.

Wild adventures for Isabela. Tales from across the world for Mirabel…

Well… Maybe one day they could find them. And have fond memories of their Tio after all.

Bruno… Would kind of like to think that. It would be nice. Even if that was all he could ever give them.

Then suddenly Bruno heard laughter from the next room and he stood up to venture over to his little crack, his little window to the outside world where he could see.

And there she was! Little Mirabel. Laughing as she was running around the table.

"I'm gonna catch you Mira!" Luisa exclaimed as she ran after her.

"You're strong, not fast." Mirabel pointed out though. She should probably have figured out this would be easy for Luisa as she was twice the height of Mirabel already and finally, she picked up her little sister and Mirabel scream in delight.

"Got you now Mira." Luisa grinned and Mirabel laughed loudly just as Julieta's head appeared in the back door to the kitchen.

"Settle down children. We don't want anything broken." Julieta smirked.

"Sorry, Mama." Mirabel chuckled as Luisa placed her little sister on her own shoulders and they both smiled.

Julieta smirked. "Listen… I just made this cake but… No one has licked the bowl yet can you believe it?"

And both kids gasped.

"Sssh." Julieta hushed them. "Don't tell your Abuela."

And both girls grinned as Luisa rushed towards the kitchen with Mirabel still on her shoulders and they laughed.

Bruno's heart just melted by the sight of the happy family. And as always it gave him strength and determination to carry on. Everything was worth it for this. Just this.