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“Excuse me, señora ?”
Isabela, who was sitting with her legs kicking freely and had just been in the middle of admiring the flow of the river from the bridge, heard the voice from behind and turned around to see who it was, and she saw potentially the most out of place man she had ever seen.
He was short for starters, maybe a head or two shorter than her, and had his hair slicked back in a poofy pompadour and had the wisps of a mustache and a beard on his chin. He was wearing a brown suit and tie with almost comically large shoes, had red square-framed glasses perched upon his nose, and was holding a big brown leather suitcase.
He had to be the most dorkish, most out-of-place man she’d ever seen, excluding her tío.
“Hm?”
“Do you think you could point me in the direction of the Pomar Inn?” the man asked.
“Oh, yeah, just head that way,” Isabela said, pointing in the direction the man had just been walking from. “You just turn left at that building right there, go down the street, take another left, and it should be that yellow-orange building, with two stories and the empty planters in their windows.”
The man glanced behind him and then ran his hand down his face.
“I walked past that building twice …,” he said in a defeated tone.
Isabela put a hand over her mouth to hide her chuckle. “It’s your first time here at the Encanto, isn’t it?”
“You’d think so,” the man said. “But I actually grew up here and left for the city when I turned 18.”
“Oh really?” Isabela perked up at hearing that.
“Yes, I know, shocking,” he chuckled sarcastically, putting down his suitcase and taking a seat opposite Isabela. “But, yes I was born and raised here.”
He took a look around at the buildings on both sides of the river. “So much has changed since I left…”
“I’d argue that it all stayed the same…,” muttered Isabela.
The man turned around to face Isabela to get a better look at her and tightened his face in thought.
“Something wrong?”
“No, no…,” the man reassured. “It’s just…you look awfully familiar.”
“What did you say your name was again?” he asked.
“I-I didn’t even say my name…,” Isabela stammered.
“Okay, well what is your name?” he asked.
“Isabela Madrigal.”
“Isabela…,” the man said thoughtfully, rubbing his hand on his chin.
Suddenly, the odd man shot back, face lit up with recognition.
“I-Isabela Madrigal?!” he shouted. “ Dios mío! I can’t believe you’re the first person I asked here for help!”
“Huh?”
“I remember you! We went to the same school together! Do you not recognize me at least a little bit?”
Isabela took a good look at his face, only seeing a freckle that she hadn’t seen before.
“No, no, sorry, I really don’t.”
To her surprise, he chuckled.
“I suppose you wouldn’t after all these years,” he said, moving himself closer to Isabela.
“How about this; do you remember a short girl being in your math class?”
“There were a lot of short girls?” Isabela said, confused.
“She had a short bob, glasses that were too big for her face, and was really shy and quiet?”
Isabela tried to paint a picture in her mind, but nothing was really coming together…
“And she had a big nose.”
Suddenly, images of a girl flooded Isabela’s memory, a tiny, fragile-looking girl, who always seemed to be in a corner and looked like she was uncomfortable even in her own skin…
“Y-you’re…?”
“Lupita?” he asked, pushing his glasses back up on the bridge of his nose. “I guess you could say that! But I go by Bubo now, it’s what my friends call me.”
Bubo bent down to look for something in his suitcase, trying to suppress his grin as Isabela sputtered in shock.
“B-b-but ho-what? How? I-how did you become a man?” she blurted out.
Bubo looked up.
“I didn’t become a man per se, I’ve always been a man deep down, you see. I take medicine now to make my appearance more like a man, and I got a ‘surgery’ to help with that, as well!”
Isabela looked down in utter bewilderment, taking in the information that was just told to her. After some time, she finally spoke up.
“So…you’ve always felt like this?”
“For as long as I can remember, yeah,” said Bubo.
“Wow…,” Isabela was speechless. “...You certainly seem happier.”
“Why, thanks for noticing!” Bubo laughed out loud. “You should see the look on your face right now, honestly!”
Isa giggled in unison. “I bet it’s something to behold, huh?”
The two laughed together like fools, before finally calming down. Bubo got up and grabbed his suitcase.
“Well, I should make my way over to my hotel. I don’t want to keep them waiting! Thanks again for the directions!” he said, and started walking away.
“W-wait, Lu-sorry, Bubo!”
Bubo stopped and looked back.
“I…I don’t fully understand it…,” Isabela started slowly. “But, I’m really glad to see that you’re happy.”
Bubo grinned. “Thank you, Isabela. See you around town!” And he walked away towards his destination.
Isabela stared as he turned around the corner.
“ Hm, he’s actually kinda cute, I won’t lie…,” she thought to herself.