Dragonfly

Sue BaughmanDragonfly1120 Words

Libby’s birthday celebration was going full swing at the Our Lady of Guadalupe Church in downtown East Los Angeles. Candles flickered in the June dusk as the sun set over the Pacific ocean. As the sky darkened, dark shadows began to appear in the courtyard where Libby’s Quinceañera, her “Sweet Fifteen” birthday party was being held.

Mariachis played in the background, fountains poured water, her aunties and cousins had set the tables, blown up the red and green ballons.All their friends and family were there.Her parent’s friends. Cousins came from as far away as Santa Barbara for the event, and her grandmother had flown in from Cabo. But Libby hadn’t invited any friends. She was too embarrassed by all the hoopla.

Cousin Arturo’s camera clicked away as Libby danced and sang obediently with all the Uncles and cousins. She wore a deep red velvet ballgown passed down by her sister Carina, who’s Q had been five years ago. Carina was already off to College this fall, so they hadn’t splurged on a new gown for Libby. Money would be tight for a while.

“But Libby-Lula, a Quinceañera is every girl’s dream,” her mother Angela said.

“Yes,” Tia Isobella agreed. “Where she dresses up like a movie star and has the time of her life.”

Libby shook her head. Maybe for some other girls, but Libby was a tomboy. The last thing she wanted was a huge traditional “coming of age” party. She may have been born in Mexico, but she was a young Angelino through and through.And these celebrations were so “out of style,” as she informed her mother and grandmother when they had suggested it a year ago.

Every time her mother and Aunties tried to corner her for a guest list, Libby would shrug and sigh and turn her head.

Finally, her mother Angela put her foot down. “Mija. It is a Q or no private school next year.”

That shook Libby up a bit. She loved the private school idea. She’d been applying to attend the nearby Catholic high school for next year, even though she’d been asked to leave the local public high school.The final decision, she knew, would be up to her Priest, Father Andrew. He’d been their Priest for years and seemed to like Libby.

But, there may be a snag, as the recent meeting with the High School Principal might have put a monkey wrench in her plans.

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“It’s not her fault,” her dad, Jorje had argued with the Principal.

“Books just don’t go flying around a Library on a whim, unless it’s an earthquake,” Principal Allan had replied.

“How do you know it was Libby?”

“Several students took photos of her pointing and saying something, and books started flying all over the place.”

“That’s preposterous,” Jorje Cruz said.

“And that’s not the first incident.”

“What do you mean?”

“At the game, the football game the other night.Footballs were flying all over the place.”

“And you’re blaming our Libby?” Angela piped up.

“Same thing. Photos. Proof.”

“The kids were bullying my friends,” Libby said.It was true. She hung around with a whole bunch of nerds, and everyone made fun of them. Sometimes it was unbearable and Libby would just snap.

“Doesn’t matter,” Principal Allen said. So Libby was out, but fortunately, it was the end of her Sophomore year. She’d just have to find a new school. That was why she was focusing on the Catholic School. She hoped the kids were nice there.

Libby tuned back in on the party. She was having fun, even if she hadn’t invited any of her friends from the old school. Bunch of duds anyway.

Her sweet little Grandmother Delores climbed up and stood at the microphone, calling Libby up to the stage. The Mariachis ceased their Richie Valenz medley.

“Tonight, we honor Libby and her Fifteenth Birthday.”She paused and looked around. The lights caught her designer knit suit, her ropes of pearls, her diamond rings. “Our Libby, as you know, carries the name of my grandmother—Libe-lula—the Dragonfly. And tonight, I am honored to present this gift of Great Grandmother’s special necklace.”

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Delores handed Libby a long flat silver box. “Open it, Nina~.”

Libby smiled. She would have liked an Apple watch like her cousin Jules had gotten for her Quinceañera last year. She turned to Grandma Delores “Thank you, Abuela,” she said. “It’s very heavy,” she said to the audience who oohed. The silver case had elaborate carvings and embedded jewels all over it.A tiny key stuck out of a lock along the edge. Libby fumbled a bit, turned the key.

“Oooh,” the crowd responded.

“Whatever is in that box determines Libby’s fate,” her Auntie Isobell whispered to her daughter Jules.

Libby lifted the lid of the jewelry case and gasped.

“Show us, show us,” her sister Carina cried.

Carina had gotten an old classic Mustang Convertible for her fifteenth.

“It’s a Dragonfly!” Libby held it up for everyone to see.

“It was your namesake’s, now it’s yours,” Delores reached out for it to help Libby put it on over her dress.

“Let me see your Dragonfly, abuela,” Libby whispered.She had seen it before, almost a twin of this one, except that the jewels were green emeralds. And she knew that her mother’s was blue sapphires, and her Tia Isobella’s was encrusted with Rubies.

“The red velvet of the gown sets off the diamonds so well, Mija.” The thick gold necklace hung down between Libby’s breasts. The three-inch gold dragonfly sparkled in the candle light.

A commotion started back by the drinks stand. Louder and louder, as if men were arguing, then shouting, then fighting. Libby thought she heard Father Andrew’s voice.

Libby watched as the intruders dressed in dark clothes she had noticed earlier hanging in the shadows came toward the stage, toward where she and her abuela stood.

They held guns, and they had Father Andrew by the scruff of his neck.

“Give us the necklace,” the biggest of the three intruders said.

“Or what?”

“We kill the Padre.”

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Wordlessly, Grandma Delores unfastened the jewelry from around Libby’s neck and handed it to the man.

“Aye Dios Mio!” He screamed as his hands began to smoke and sizzle as if they were being branded.

He dropped the piece into his hat, which also began to burn. “Chingawa!”

He spun and dropped the hat into the big party punch bowl nearby. Filled with ice for margaritas, it began to boil.

Delores calmly stepped off the platform and pulled the necklace out of the punchbowl.

“Kill the Priest,” the leader commanded.

The other two men lifted their guns.

That’s when Libby got really mad.