Vivo started to wipe the mud off himself and walk away from the bog, when just then, he saw two very large, yellow eyes staring at him.
“Mmmm… what a lovely voice you have. I’ve never seen you around these parts. My name is Lutador. What’s your name?” Lutador the python asked, coiling his slithering body around a branch.
Vivo gulped. He had never seen a snake in real life before. Lutador looked scary!
“I’m… Vivo,” Vivo said quietly.
“I don’t like that name. I’m going to call you Noisy. Because that’s what you are. A noisy, singing rat,” Lutador said, laughing.
“I’m not a rat,” Vivo said, shifting his feet nervously.
“What are you then?” Lutador asked, slithering closer to Vivo.
“I’m a… kinkajou,” Vivo responded, taking one step back.
“Sounds… exotic. Well, listen here, my noisy kinkajou friend. There’s one thing you should know around here. And that’s that I hate noise. You want to live? Then stay quiet,” Lutador said.
Vivo dared to look around and noticed a group of animals in various areas of the bog. He hadn’t noticed them before because they were so silent.
“I’m sorry. I promise you won’t hear a peep from me. I can do quiet!” Vivo said.
“Oh, I know you’re going to be quiet. All my meals stay silent,” Lutador said. Then he lunged toward Vivo! Vivo scrambled up a tree just in time, but Lutador was close behind him.
Vivo leaped and jumped from branch to branch. Just ahead, Vivo spotted a clearing. He was about to run out of trees to jump on. Vivo turned around nervously and saw Lutador snap his jaws, narrowly missing Vivo’s tail. Just as Vivo hurried closer to the clearing in the trees and thought all hope was lost, he felt himself get swooped away off the branches. For a moment, he thought he was dead. But then Vivo turned around and saw Lutador hissing from below in the trees.
It was Dancarino who swooped Vivo to safety!
Vivo hugged Dancarino tightly.
“I’m saved! Thank goodness,” Vivo cried.
“I saved you, because love saved me,” Dancarino said.
Just then, Valentina flew next to Dancarino. The two birds looked at each other lovingly.
“Don’t worry, Vivo. We’ve got your back, amigo,” Dancarino said.
“Don’t worry your little ferret head,” Valentina echoed. “We will help you find your friend now.”
Vivo felt relieved. He took a moment to admire the view, and then the three of them flew off against the sky, searching below for Gabi.
Chapter Fourteen Lutador Attacks
Gabi and the Sand Dollars had been floating by the embankment for a long time. They had called for Vivo, with no luck. Gabi knew they’d have to go deeper into the swamp to find him. And that meant getting off the boat.
Eva steered the boat and parked it against some tree roots.
“I think this is right around where I lost him,” Gabi said. “Vivo!” she shouted. “Come on, Vivo!”
“No kinkajou, no song,” Becky said. “Yell louder.”
Gabi started yelling louder and louder. Then they all started walking deeper into the swamp. The other Sand Dollars helped Gabi by shouting too. Just then, Gabi heard a rustle in the bushes.
“Vivo? Is that you?” Gabi asked. “Stay there! Don’t move!” Gabi hoped she could get to Vivo before Becky.
She approached the bushes and suddenly saw Lutador slither out!
“Snake!!” Gabi screamed. She was really scared. “Everyone to the boat!”
Gabi started running toward the Sand Dollars and then they all began to run at full-speed. They arrived at the boat, but Lutador cut them off. They darted in a different direction, abandoning the boat.
The girls hid quietly in a small grove of trees.
“I think we’ve lost him,” Becky said, putting her hands on her knees.
But suddenly Lutador slithered into a circle, surrounding the four girls with his body.
“This is not good,” Eva said.
“You guys, before I die, I just have to confess, I don’t always recycle!” Becky said.
But no one seemed to hear her. The girls were all thinking of ways to escape.
“Here, guys, take this,” Gabi said, handing them her backpack. They all pulled out random items and started throwing them at Lutador.
Gabi grabbed a container of her silly string and sprayed it at Lutador. He looked surprised, but unfazed. Then she threw the container at his face.
Lutador hissed at them.
“Get back!” Becky shouted, but Lutador started to close in.
The girls started screaming.
From up above, Dancarino, Valentina, and Vivo looked around. They could hear the yells from down below.
“It has to be Gabi. She’s in trouble. Let’s go!” Vivo yelled.
Dancarino swooped down quickly.
“Hey, Lutador!” Vivo shouted, jumping off Dancarino to land on a branch above the snake.
Vivo snapped off two branches and began to drum on the tree trunk.
“Look who it is… the noisy singing rat,” Lutador said, taking his attention away from the girls.
“That’s right. I’m noisier than ever!” Vivo said, drumming harder.
“Stop that noise!” Lutador shouted. “You should know the rules by now.”
“Come make me,” Vivo said.
“With pleasure,” Lutador responded. He hissed and slithered over to Vivo.
“Oh no,” Vivo said. He hadn’t quite thought his plan through. He just knew he had to protect Gabi and the others.
Lutador slid up toward Vivo and lunged at him, but Vivo jumped out of the way just in time. Vivo started swinging through the trees, remembering his days when he lived in the rain forest. It was like his body took over, knowing exactly what to do even though he didn’t.
“You can do this, Vivo!” Gabi shouted from below.
“Gabi, a kinkajou can’t beat a python!” Becky said matter-of-factly.
But Vivo did continue to jump away from Lutador’s attacks, all the while singing and drumming against every tree.
Dancarino and Valentina dug a hole and jumped in to stay out of the way.
Vivo suddenly started to notice a pattern in the trees and the way Lutador moved. Just then, Vivo had a plan.
He dodged to the right and then to the left, creating a zigzag around the trees. Suddenly Lutador had tightly coiled himself around the trees. He was stuck!
“Enough is enough!” Lutador shouted. “You can’t run forever.”
“Watch me,” Vivo said.
Vivo jumped down to the Sand Dollars and looked over at Lutador. The python couldn’t move.
The Sand Dollars clapped for Vivo. He had saved them!
“Gabi!” Vivo chirped.
He jumped into her arms, hugging her.
“You totally took down that snake!” Gabi said proudly. “You are one crazy cool kinkajou.”
All the girls circled around Gabi and Vivo and embraced.
Then they headed away from Lutador and back to the boat.
“So… can I have the song back?” Gabi smiled widely and looked hopefully at Becky.
“Of course!” Becky said. Then she looked around and started digging through her pockets.
Vivo spotted the song on the ground and jumped out of Gabi’s arms. He grabbed it, hoping it was saved, but it was too late. The song fell apart in pieces in Vivo’s hands! Vivo was crushed.
The Sand Dollars and Vivo got on the boat and made their way back home to Key West. There was no point in going to Miami now. The song was gone.
Chapter Fifteen One More Song
Marta Sandoval had just arrived at the Mambo Cabana. Outside, dozens of fans were already lined up, waiting to get into the venue for the show. They all clapped and cheered when Marta got out of her car and was ushered into the venue by the stage manager.
“We’re so lucky that you’re here, Ms. Sandoval,” the stage manager said.
Marta sto
pped to sign a few autographs. One of the fans had Marta sign an old photograph of her and Andrés.
“Is it true Andrés is coming to the show? Will he perform with you?” the fan asked.
“I hope so,” Marta responded. She went inside and headed to her dressing room to get ready for the show.
Marta’s dream to play at the Mambo Cabana had come true long ago, but she wished she could have shared that dream with Andrés. Inside her dressing room, she still had many pictures of him hanging up on the walls. Even though he wasn’t with her, he continued to inspire her music at every performance.
Marta was hopeful that he would make it to the show. She wanted to sing with him one last time.
Just then, she heard a knock at the door. “Come in,” she called out.
The stage manager walked in, looking very upset.
Marta noticed that the stage manager was carrying a newspaper article.
It was Andrés’s obituary.
“I’m so sorry, señora,” the stage manager said, handing it to Marta before letting her have some time alone.
* * *
Meanwhile, Vivo, Gabi, and the Sand Dollars were gliding through the water on their way back to Key West. Vivo looked out over the water and spotted his reflection. He could barely recognize himself. He saw tears coming out of his eyes. He felt hopeless and defeated.
“So, what are you going to do now?” Dancarino asked Vivo, flying alongside the boat.
“I guess I’ll go back to Cuba. Without the song, there’s nothing for me here. I failed Andrés,” Vivo said.
“No! Don’t say that. You did everything you could,” Dancarino said.
Vivo turned to look at him, wiping away his tears. He had never felt so sad in his life.
“You don’t understand. Andrés did everything for me. And when he needed me the most, I turned my back on him. This was my one chance, and I let him down,” Vivo said.
Vivo started crying again and then he heard Gabi singing.
She was singing Marta’s song!
Vivo quickly got to his feet and went over to Gabi. He snatched the recorder out of her backpack and started to play the melody while Gabi continued singing.
“Vivo! You know the melody!” Gabi exclaimed. “And I know the lyrics!”
“We’ve still got the song!” Vivo chirped.
“The mission is back on!” Gabi said. “Turn this boat around! We’re going to Miami!”
The Sand Dollars stared at Gabi in disbelief for a moment, but then they saw Vivo smiling up at them.
“You heard the kinkajou. Turn the boat around!” Becky demanded.
Eva made a wide turn and then started speeding off toward Miami.
Meanwhile, Gabi and Vivo started to try to perfect the song. Gabi still couldn’t sing well, but she had remembered each lyric perfectly. Vivo slowly started to get into the rhythm of the melody, jotting down the music notes on a piece of paper.
After a while, they had finished the song. They smiled happily at each other.
“It’s done!” Gabi said. “Now we just have to find Marta and get this to her. Oh, and one last thing!”
Gabi grabbed the song from Vivo and wrote, BY ANDRÉS HERNANDEZ at the top, and, WITH HELP FROM GABI AND VIVO, at the bottom. Then she handed it back to Vivo, who put it in his hat for safekeeping.
“We make a pretty good team,” Vivo said, smiling up at Gabi.
“Look, guys!” Eva shouted. “I can see Miami!” She pointed to the city in the distance.
Sure enough, the city lights of Miami started to come into view. They were dazzling! Vivo started getting tears in his eyes again, but this time from excitement.
“We’re never going to make it in time!” Sarah said.
“We’ll have to break a few rules then,” Becky responded, taking over for Eva at the front of the boat. She headed for the city at full speed. Vivo held on to the deck railing, grinning from ear to ear.
Chapter Sixteen Miami
A short while later, the boat pulled up to the dock, and Vivo and Gabi jumped off. Becky handed them one of their electric scooters and a helmet.
“Good luck, you two,” she said.
Vivo tipped his hat to her, then hopped into Gabi’s backpack.
Gabi took off toward the city streets of Miami. The twinkling lights reminded Vivo of Havana, and reminded him of all that he shared with Andrés. On nearly every light post, there was a poster of Marta, advertising her last show at the Mambo Cabana.
“We’ll have to follow these signs and hope it gets us to the Mambo Cabana in time!” Gabi shouted.
Soon enough, the two of them pulled up at the Mambo Cabana. Flashing lights swept across the floor and the building, and now, what looked like hundreds of people lined up outside, cheering and waiting to get into the show. Gabi parked the scooter, and then she made her way to the entrance. She snuck up to the front, right by the entrance doors.
“Tickets!” a ticket taker shouted at Gabi.
“Uh… no hablo ingles,” Gabi said, pretending she didn’t speak English.
“Yo tambien hablo español,” the ticket taker responded, clearly unamused and speaking perfect Spanish right back to her.
Gabi looked around, trying to find a way into the building.
Suddenly, Gabi heard a sharp voice.
“Gabriela!” Gabi wheeled around to see her mom running toward her.
“Oh no! It’s Mom!” Gabi exclaimed.
Gabi pushed past the ticket taker and ran inside the venue.
“Security!” the ticket taker shouted.
Men and women in black suits spotted Gabi and started running toward her. They were closing in. Gabi remembered the way Vivo dodged Lutador and started to do the same thing.
Just when Gabi thought she’d lost them, a security guard suddenly grabbed her.
“Gotcha!” he said.
“Let me go!” Gabi squealed, squirming to get out of his grasp.
Vivo jumped out of the backpack and roared at the security guard. On instinct, the security guard screamed at the sight of him and dropped Gabi, who used the momentary distraction to slide through his legs and keep running. Vivo and Gabi made it into a corridor that was marked TALENT ONLY, but the door there was locked.
“What do we do?” Vivo asked.
Gabi looked around and noticed a window into a room. She pointed at it. Maybe it was Marta’s dressing room!
“Vivo, hurry. Make it in and give the song to Marta. I’ll hold them off,” Gabi said.
Vivo chirped in protest, but Gabi was already shaking her head.
“Here,” she said, pulling off one of her bracelets. “This is a friendship bracelet. So you’ll never forget me. Finish the mission, for the both of us.”
Vivo looked into her eyes, touched by her gesture. Then he nodded and climbed toward the open window, just as security descended on Gabi, followed closely behind by her mother.
Chapter Seventeen The Mambo Cabana
Vivo made it through the window. Gabi was right. It was Marta’s dressing room.
As soon as he hopped down, he saw Marta sitting over the newspaper clipping, crying.
“Marta?” Vivo asked, but she didn’t hear him.
He looked over to see a picture of Andrés taped on her dressing room mirror. Vivo approached quietly and then gently touched Marta’s arm, surprising her.
“Are you Vivo?” Marta asked, wiping away her tears. She had read about Vivo in Andrés’s obituary.
Vivo nodded.
“You came all the way from Cuba…? What are you doing here?” Marta asked.
Vivo took off his hat and pulled the piece of paper with the song out. With one last glance, he handed it over to Marta.
“Para Marta…,” Marta read. “He wrote this for me?” she asked, placing her hand over her heart.
Vivo nodded again.
Marta began to cry as she read through the lyrics. Vivo was touched. He could see why Andrés had thought Marta was so special.
“Thank you. He never told me he felt this way,” Marta said. Then she kissed the piece of paper. “I love you, too, Andrés.”
Marta turned toward Vivo and gave him a hug, thanking him again and again.
For a brief moment, Vivo could feel Andrés there with him. He felt happy to be close to someone who had also loved Andrés.
Just then, there was a knock on the door.
“Señora!” the stage manager called. “We’re ready for you.”
Marta wiped away her tears and looked at herself in the mirror before nodding and getting up.
“I have to go,” Marta said. “And now, thanks to you, I have a new song to sing.”
Marta walked toward the door and turned to Vivo one last time.
“Andrés would be so proud of you, Vivo,” she said. She blew Vivo a kiss and left him alone in her dressing room.
Vivo watched her go and smiled to himself. He had done it. He had helped his best friend, Andrés. His plan had worked. Just then, a thought popped into his mind.
Gabi, he thought. He looked down at his arm and looked at the bracelet Gabi had given him. He touched it gently, and then ran out onto the balcony.
* * *
“Gabriela, I cannot believe you did this,” Gabi’s mother told her.
“Vivo needed to deliver a song to Marta!” Gabi responded.
“Do you hear yourself? This is crazy!” her mom said. She started to pull away from the Mambo Cabana parking lot.
“This is exactly why I didn’t tell you. I knew you wouldn’t get it. Only Dad would,” Gabi said, crossing her arms and looking at the lights outside. She didn’t notice Vivo crawling out of Marta’s balcony.
“Don’t do this, Gabriela. He’s not here. I’m here. And I know that’s not the same. I know I’m not funny and I don’t play music with you, but you can always talk to me about anything,” her mom said.
Gabi turned around to face her mom. After everything she had been through to get to Miami, she suddenly felt brave and ready to talk to her mom.
“You don’t even try to understand why this is important to me!” Gabi said. “Vivo understood.”
Vivo Movie Novelization Page 4
