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The smells, the heat, the colours and the noises were all stimulating and felt like every incoming information suddenly attacked his brain at the same time, overloading his senses.
So much colour, so many people wearing bright clothes and many of them had this painting on their faces; pure white with black motives and curves on it - big black patches around the eyes and one was placed on the nose too, surrounded with vivid colours, forming flowers and playful, artistic lines, transforming the human face to jolly skulls.
People were dancing, chatting and celebrating together on the streets, there were painted, smiling faces whenever Jacob looked at. Stands everywhere with merchants, bargaining about the prices with the buyers, selling their merchandise; skulls in every size and various mixture of vivid colours – the calaveras, made from ceramic, sugar and even chocolate, brightly coloured statues of skeletons – the calacas, breads what reminded him to a human figure – pan de muerto and orange coloured flower – that was literally everywhere, on the streets, on the altars and in the cemetery as well. People were tying these flowers together to create different flower statues, collected the petals in basket, sized from big to small and of course used them as a normal flower too.
According to Lara this was the time of Dia de los Muertos which was the Day of the Dead – more like Days of the Dead. As she told him this was a two days long festive, when the passed family members came back to visit their living families, have some food and drink. 1st of November were the day, when passed children came back - the Día de los Angelitos - the second day was the adults’ time, the Dia de los Muertos. A very vivid and interesting mixture of the Aztec and Christian culture – something Jacob never really heard about, but was able to fascinate him from minutes to minutes.
And even if Cozumel was the land of the Maya people, this holiday managed to spread from Mexico all around South America by now.
It was… fascinating.
Honestly, when Lara first mentioned she was thinking about going after Trinity again and she already had a plan in her head, Jacob didn’t really know what to say or to expect. He barely got familiar with his modern life and with the place where he now lived at, she wanted to go on another journey – of course she wanted to, the renovation of the mansion went very good and she did everything to find all of the blue prints and be sure about the ongoing work to go just the direction she wanted it to – Lara was ready to leave her family business behind for a time and be focused on Trinity again. Jacob definitely didn’t want to hold her back – he knew what he was signing up for next to her, knew who she was. What he didn’t know what Lara wanted – it was clear Jonah will accompany her, but what about him? Rather leaves him behind, thinking it would be too much and too sudden change for him or planned to ask him to come along as well?
Turned out it was the latter, although she seemed to be a bit stressed because of it – isolated living meant some handicap in every field. She needed to get papers for him, needed to make sure he won’t end up catching some nasty illness – he practically didn’t exist in this new, modern world and he couldn’t really get and ID based on his birth date.
But Lara didn’t know the word impossible. Jacob had no idea how and from whom or how much did it cost for her, but she got everything he needed. Within months he had his passport, ID, medical record and a new family name too. Tons of vaccines later he was here, in Cozumel, a place where he never been before and couldn’t stop to feel amazed by everything he saw.
Living in the nowhere of Siberia, Jacob tend to forget about the world around him – only Kitezh existed and his people and the cold at winter or the heat at summer. Their life was about surviving and every single day was a fight for it.
Meanwhile the world left them behind, evolved and Jacob slowly forgot how other nations and other cultures can be so complex and difficult and different. But Lara was a great reminder of what he’d miss and more than willing to show him everything she could – even if she was on the hunt.
Arriving some days earlier gave them the opportunity to discover the city. Some peaceful days to look around; Lara called it “getting familiar with the environment, just in case”. Jacob rather had the idea she planned all this for him – she didn’t really need the extra time to look around. He didn’t say anything of course, only gave her his gentle smile. Probably their holidays will look like this in the future anyway – exotic places, spiced up with some gunshots, myths and artifacts.
-
If the city seemed to be amazing in the daylight, it was really magical at night. Jacob couldn’t stop himself to stand on the balcony – originally went out in the hope of a cooler evening air, but he was disappointed; the evening was as hot and humid as the day was with the only difference of missing the killing sunrays – but he just stayed there admiring how the small square looked under him.
Music, people and candles everywhere. Happy chatting and laughter came from every direction, the smell of exotic food mixed with the spicy flavour of the hot air, the candles’ orange light added some extra warmness to the atmosphere. He was supposed to help packing out, but it was such a lovely view, to see so many people who celebrated their passed family members with such a positive mindfulness and were happy rather than sad and crying – it kind of glued him to the spot.
Two arms gently circled around his waist and a smaller figure was pressed against his back, definitely tiptoeing a bit to have a look over his shoulder and pressed a kiss on his cheek. It totally earned a warm smile as he looked back at her, acknowledging her presence. The heat was definitely too much for her as well; wearing a tank top and shorts, braided her hair and even pinned it to the base of her head as a simple, but nice bun, instead of the usual ponytail. It was a small difference, but a very lovely change.
Following his gaze, watching the lively street-life under them for a minute.
“It’s very different, isn’t it?” she asked, voice calm and gentle, but Jacob still could hear some longing from it. It felt like she wished if she could see her losses in such a positive way. Maybe that would make them hurt less.
Faintly, he felt the same.
“It is. But I like it; remember to the happier times and how your loved ones lived, not to how they died or how much you are missing them.”
Nuzzled closer, she hid her face into his neck for a moment, inhaling his scent, falling into comfortable silence.
Jacob’s gaze fell on a small girl, happily running to her mother with a small basket of orange petals, grab a handful of it and disseminated them to the ground, added a small amount to the petals on the streets – it was already covered with them, building up the vividness of the orange colour even more, hiding the hard ground under them. Jacob sensed the flower was an important detail, but he couldn’t figure out why.
“What is it with the flower?”
She peeked over his shoulder once again, have another look on the street, seeing what flower he meant, but she already had an idea.
“That’s the cempasúchil, the Mexican marigold. It is believed to attract the souls to the ofrendas, to the altars with the offerings. Also called Flor de Muerto; the flower of the dead.”
Flower of the dead? Not the nicest name ever. She must see his thought to be reflected on his face, because Lara continued.
“Don’t let the name trick you; there is a story behind it.”
Oh, now that sound interesting. “Please, do tell.”
A smile appeared on her face, she was waiting for this request.
“There were two lovers, Xóchitl and Huitzilin. They used to spend all their spare time playing and enjoying discovering their town together as kids. Although Xochitl was a delicate girl, her family let her join in the adventures of her neighbour Huitzilin. With time, they fell in love with each other.
They loved to hike to the top of a near mountain together, where they would offer flowers to the Sun god Tonatiuh. The god seemed to appreciate their offering and would smile from the sky with his warm rays. On a particularly beautiful day at the top of the mountain, they swore that their love would last for ever.
But then war came and the lovers were separated as Huitzilin headed to fight and protect their homeland. Sadly, death come for Huitzilin and the news quickly reached Xóchitl. She felt her world falling to pieces, her heart completely torn. She was so heartbroken, decided to walk one last time to the top of the mountain and implore the sun god Tonatiuh, to somehow join her with her love Huitzilin. The sun moved by her prayers, threw a ray that gently touched her cheek. Instantly Xóchitl turned into a beautiful flower of fiery colours as intense at the sun rays. But the flower wasn’t lonely as a beautiful hummingbird flew to it and lovingly touched the centre of the flower with its beak. It was Huitzilin that was reborn. The flower gently opened its 20 petals, filling the air with a mysterious and lovely scent.
The lovers would be always together as long as cempasuchil flowers and hummingbirds existed on earth.”
He was silent for a moment once Lara finished the story.
“I don’t have to beg to the Sun god to let me re-join with you after this adventure, do I?” Asked his question in his gentle tone, but he couldn’t be more serious.
They faced the death once and Jacob wasn’t willing to do it again – be it him or Lara. He trusted her and her skills, but Jacob was still afraid deep down he will lose her. Knew Lara was afraid of the opposite, that’s why she tried to secure his safety in every possible way and she won’t let him to accompany her everywhere she is about go, but did she think about how he felt about letting her go alone?
Her expression changed to a more serious one, seeing his fears and worries. Was she a bit surprised? Maybe.
Slowly reached out and Jacob felt how she touched his hand, laced their fingers together, giving him a firm squeeze.
“No, you don’t have to. I promise you don’t have to.”
She couldn’t promise that, of course she couldn’t guarantee it, but Jacob knew she will do everything to stay alive and he had to be happy with that. It should be enough. It had to be enough.
‘I hope it will be enough.’