This should be the other way around.
Children are not supposed to die before their parents. Parents are not supposed to bury their children. A daughter shouldn't be waiting for her father to arrive in the land of the dead. But life and dead did not work as cleanly and as fairly as that...
And so Victoria Rivera arrived in the land of the dead way before her mamá or papá.
But an officer had appeared on their door, saying that they have a family member arriving. And that HE would need someone to come to pick him up.
That gave away who could possibly be waiting. Julio hadn’t been well their last visit during Día de los Muertos, it had only been a few months prior. And no one would dare to think that any of Elena’s young sons had passed. That was impossible
So Victoria found herself waiting in this odd little waiting area beside the gates of the land of the dead. There were many other waiting with some. Some looking anxious and others happy but nervous. Names were called at, family and loved ones rushing together to hug and kiss and cry. And then lead the bewildered and freshly dead away to explain more or meet more family.
Someone else might have missed him; as short as he was. But the mustache and the familiar hat gave him away.
“ ¡Papá! ” she called, waving an arm. The crowd was annoyingly thick, making it difficult to try and make her way to him. “ ¡¡Papá, over here!! ”
@inquiieto
