Chapter 55
Learning to Let Go
To say that the next few days
and weeks were strained in the apartment would be the understatement of the
fucking century. Heero and I seemed to go through the motions of actual
communication, exchanging mundane pleasantries (if you could call it that), and
trying our best to act civilized without biting each other’s heads off. He
hardly smiles even though I try my best to make light of certain situations, and
eventually a part of me is beginning to resent the way he’s behaving.
Why do I have to turn out to
be the bad guy here? It’s not as if I’ve decided to break up with him or
anything. I’m just going to a different school…and yes I did postpone the trip,
but for a good cause. Come to think of it, we’ve got almost three months of
nothing to do until college begins (after graduation), so what stops us from
traveling then? It would be a much shorter trip, but a trip all the same.
Needless to say, I brought up
that particular conversation with Heero one night and all he did was nod and
grunt non-committally. It pissed me off…a lot. However, trying to be the bigger
man in the situation, I kept my retorts to myself and focused on studying like
he was. I still go to cram school and now that the basketball season is over,
it’s easier for me to attend as often as I can. Heero doesn’t join us – he
doesn’t really need it – and is more focused on tying up the loose ends of his
‘presidency’ and working with several teachers after school. Ah, and then
there’s his job. He says he’s going to quit soon, but I wonder if it’s not
putting more stress on him. I’ve tried to convince him to allow me to take care
of him – money wise that is, but his stubborn pride gets in the way and he
insists he can take care of himself without my
money. You should see the way he says it sometimes – as if I stole the damn thing. On the other hand,
maybe I’m just thinking way too much about it.
So here I am, Friday evening
and all alone in the apartment. It’s past seven, just back from cram school and
Heero’s at work. A quick journey to the kitchen (specifically the fridge) tells
me that we’re out of good edible items. I settle for a box of crackers and a
bottle of root beer, deciding that I’m going to get myself a case of ‘real’ but
light beer once I get around doing the grocery shopping (fake ID? Check.). I
know Heero’s tolerance for alcohol is low, but it wouldn’t hurt to get him to
have a drink or two. Worst-case scenario, he hurls all over himself in the
apartment and wakes up with a killer hangover.
As I settle in for a night of
watching boring sitcoms or reruns of some crime shows, the phone rings shrilly,
breaking the monotony of silence.
“What’s up?” I answer,
cradling the cordless device between my shoulder and cheek. The caller ID had
indicated ‘MOM E’ for Eleanor. ‘MOM’ was reserved for Heero’s mother.
“What’s up is that I just got
this letter in the mail about a basketball scholarship to Woodruff,” comes her
breathless reply. She can’t still be packing up things in that apartment. Last
time I was there, half of the place had been cleared away.
“Oh yeah, coach said he was
going to contact you about it. Sorry I didn’t mention it ahead of time.”
Something falls to the ground
with a thump in the background and she swears. “Anyway, I don’t have any problem
with it,” she says. “I just thought you had made up your mind to go to the
other school.”
“Ah well…” I stare glumly at
the ceiling. “Plans changed.”
“Doesn’t Kensington have a
good basketball program, though?” she pushes on; obviously not ready to give up
the topic.
I rub my forehead and capture
my lower lip between my teeth. “Kensington’s basketball program doesn’t hold a
candle to Woodruff’s, Mom. You know I love the game and this is getting the
best of both worlds.”
“Well….that’s true.” She sighs
and I can see her standing with hands on her hips, contemplating her next
words. “I just hope that you and Heero aren’t broken up about the situation.”
I frown. “And how would you
know about Heero and I breaking up about any situation?”
“No need to get testy, Duo.”
Her voice hardens. “I just hope you’re making the right decision, that’s all.”
“It’s the right decision.”
“Fine. Can’t argue with you
there. You’re becoming your own man now. Soon enough, you won’t need my
permission for anything.”
“I haven’t needed your
permission for almost sixteen years,” I snap and immediately regret my words. I
hear her harsh intake of breath and my heart falls to my stomach. “Look….Mom…”
“I need to pack up the rest
of these things,” she says in a dull voice. “The movers will be here first
thing tomorrow morning. Can’t leave anything behind.”
“Mom…”
“Oh! And I won’t be staying
here anymore…at least tomorrow’s my last day here. I was thinking we could have
a final lunch together or something, but I’ll just postpone it.”
“You don’t have to…!”
“Goodbye, Duo.”
“Mom…!” However, the dial
tone is my only response. With a groan, I hang up the phone, staring blindly at
the TV where some comedian is doing his best to crack up a bored looking
audience. I feel like the poor sap, not able to say the right thing and causing
grief wherever I go. I debate calling up my friends to see who would want to
talk to me. I know Wufei has to work tonight with Heero, so he’s out of the
question. Quatre, Trowa, Hilde, Relena and Dorothy had all left the cram school
with me, so they might be home by now and yet –
The phone rings again and I
all but dive for it, hoping it would be…
“Mom?”
A light and embarrassed
chuckle fills my ear and I raise a brow. “Sorry to disappoint you, Duo. It’s Harold.”
“Oh.” I sink back to the bed.
“Well, I know I’m not winning
any awards for favorite guardian in the world anytime soon, but at least you
can show some enthusiasm,” he says in a hurt voice (or maybe he’s just
pretending to be hurt). “Is everything all right?”
“Yeah. Couldn’t be better,” I
reply with as much sarcasm as I can muster. “My boyfriend hates me and my mom
thinks I’m the worst scum of the earth. Want to pick a number and join the
never ending line of ‘Who Can Duo Piss off Today?’”
“Oh dear.”
“You got that right,” I grunt
and push myself off the bed to pace around the room restlessly. “Did you want
something from me?”
“Ah, well….I’m in the city
today, and just wanted to see if you’d like to have dinner with me. Nothing
fancy, you pick a place and I’ll meet you there. There are a few things we need
to discuss.”
I purse my lips, realizing
that there were indeed a few things I needed to clear up with Harold and his
father. Speaking of which, “How’s Archie?”
He laughs a little at the
shortening of his father’s name. “He’s doing quite well. Loves the countryside
as always and insists I drag you over to visit him sometime.”
Even I have to smile a little
at the image of the Santa Claus twin (that’s how I see him in my mind) forcing
anyone to drag me anywhere. Suddenly his fatherly figure and the knowledge that
he could be considered my grandfather, has me feeling choked up. I sit heavily
on a chair and rest my aching forehead against the desk.
“Duo? Are you okay?” Harold’s
voice of concern makes it even worse.
“Fine,” I manage to croak.
“Where do you want us to meet for dinner? And what time?”
“Wherever you want to go is
fine with me,” he says with a smile in his voice. “And will an hour be good
enough?”
I eye the clock, blinking
back the tears that threaten to fall. “An hour sounds good and let’s eat at…”
I’m about to say ‘Tony’s Diner’ but decide not to. Harold isn’t the kind of
person to eat in such a place. I decide to choose my mom’s second favorite
restaurant. “How’re about Marciano’s?
They’ve got great pasta.”
“Pasta it is then. I’ll find
the directions and meet you there. Are you sure you’re okay?”
I take a deep breath and nod,
and then realize he can’t see me. “Yeah, I’m fine. Talk to you later.”
I hang up and continue to sit
in silence, knowing I ought to call Heero to let him know I won’t be home when
he returns. Yet a part of me is still furious with the way he’s been acting and
I decide not to. I’ll just scribble a note and leave it by the door. Hopefully,
he can see it before jumping to his usual erroneous conclusions.
__
Marciano’s
is an Italian restaurant my mother frequents whenever she can, besides her all
time favorite Morimoto’s Steak and Sushi
House. The owners of Marciano’s –
a nice Italian couple - look like they
could fit in perfectly on the streets of
“Duo?” comes the familiar voice
that has me turning around to smile a little at the approaching man. Harold, as
always, looks impeccably dressed in tailored black pants and a white dress
shirt with its top two buttons undone, revealing his bronzed but strong neck to
anyone’s gaze. His full thick head of black hair is combed neatly; his sharp
and intelligent blue eyes alight with pleasure at finally seeing me after what
seems like eons. I reach out to shake his hand, but it seems like he’ll have
none of that. He pulls me against him in a fierce hug and again I have to
wonder if he thinks he’s hugging my father or me. He did confess he had carried
a torch for my father in their younger days, and it’s a bit intimidating (and
weird) to deal with Harold after such a revelation. However, he’s shown that
he’s pretty cool and has no plans to make a pass anytime soon. I could be his
son for chrissakes!
“You have certainly grown a
few inches taller since I saw you,” he says with a pleased grin, pulling back
to eye me from top to bottom. “Daniel would be so proud.”
“Yeah…well…” I blush and
resist the urge to do a pirouette; instead, I wave my hand towards the
restaurant and give a mock bow. “After you, sir.”
Inside, it’s Marciano’s
oldest son, Sonny, who’s on duty tonight. He waves as he notices me, beaming
with pleasure as he leads us to our special section – Mom’s Special Section
actually. It’s a nice little nook/alcove that’s nestled amongst a mock backdrop
of a Sicilian countryside and flowers imported directly from the town. Sonny is
at full attention tonight, offering us menus of fine wines and running through
a list of specials that make me salivate.
After we place our orders,
Harold leans back on his seat to stare at me, shaking his head slowly as if in
disbelief.
“What?” I ask almost defensively,
aware that I’m now clenching my hands into tight fists beneath the table. I
resist the urge to toy with the silk-like napkins or with my forks and knives.
“Oh, it’s nothing,” Harold
replies with an apologetic look, as if embarrassed at being caught staring.
“I’m just…I just can’t stop comparing you to your father. It’s like déjà vu all
over again.” He laughs and his cheek darken with color. “But I did not come
here to compare you to him. You’re your own man now and…”
“God!” I let out in exasperation
before I can control myself. “If someone says that phrase one more time, I’m
gonna explode.”
Poor Harold looks as confused
as my comments must have seemed to him. “I’m sorry,” he mumbles. “I didn’t mean
to offend you.”
“It’s cool,” I reply, shrugging
just as Sonny returns to fill our glasses with light white wine – vintage
apparently. The last thing I need is to get drunk, although that prospect is
looking pretty inviting right about now. Maybe if I drink enough I can forget
all the shit that’s been happening lately. I watch Harold raise the glass to
his nose, take a sniff, swirl it around and does that whole wine-tasting
connoisseur bullshit. Could any guy get more prissy and upper class?
“Good aroma,” he mutters.
Takes a sip (all this time Sonny is standing at attention, with a wide grin on
his face, nodding like a fish at all Harold has to say), and smiles in
appreciation. “Good year.”
“Thank you, sir,” Sonny
fusses like a child just given a piece of candy. “We only import the finest.”
“Graziano’s?” Harold asks
with a wink and Sonny laughs.
“You know your vineyards,
sir.”
“Indeed I do. I’ve been there
twice. The owners are quite entertaining to say the least.”
And as if my evening of
surprises couldn’t get any better, Harold breaks into fluent Italian. I don’t
know half of what they say, but it’s obvious that Sonny is enjoying himself
immensely. Hey, maybe I could be matchmaker and get Harold and Sonny
together….pity the guy already has a wife and two kids.
“Is there anything you can’t
do?” I finally ask as Sonny excuses himself to get our meal.
Harold laughs and shakes his
head. “I’m not superman, but I have traveled around the world and enjoy doing
new things, meeting new people, as well as experiencing the different
cultures.”
I swirl the wine in my glass.
“Traveling the world, eh?”
He picks a piece of toasted
ciabatta bread and dips it in the Bruschetta sauce, takes a bite, and moans in
appreciation at how it melts on his tongue. I can relate. I just had a bite
earlier. “You sound wistful,” he announces with a small smile.
I shrug and take a sip – Bottega Vinaia Pinot Grigio (it does
have a light fruity taste) - allowing the light beverage to bathe my parched
tongue. “No….it’s….nothing.”
Harold nods and then wipes
his mouth with a napkin. For a moment, we say nothing, but he soon leans
forward, an earnest but firm look of determination on his features. “Your
father made me your guardian, Duo and even though you still have Eleanor, I
take or would rather like to take this role quite seriously. I’m anything but a
father figure but the only way we can establish some sort of relationship is
for you to be open with me. Once you turn eighteen, we’re going to be quite
busy working with you in running your father’s corporation, so we might as well
begin that journey now, don’t you think?”
I turn eighteen in about six
months. I’ll be in the thick of college by then – a freshman with hopes and
dreams like everyone else…or at least with a future that’s already been taken
care of and mapped out for me. Damn, I feel stifled.
“About that…” I begin, but to
my chagrin, Sonny returns with two other waiters, carrying trays filled with
silver platters of meals so succulent and decadent, the smell alone makes my
stomach growl. Our zuppe e insalate
was a medium-sized bowl of Zuppa Toscana – a thick soup made up of spicy
sausages, russet potatoes and calulo greens in creamy broth. For our main
course, I had ordered the Braised Beef and Tortelloni while Harold amused
himself with Manicotti Formaggio. We eat in relative silence, making small talk
(questions about schoolwork, the last game, and the upcoming exams) while praising
Sonny and his team for outdoing themselves. I feel a little guilty that Heero’s
not here with me. The thought of taking him a fancy restaurant has crossed my
mind several times, but he’s not one for such flashy things. He’s more content
going to Tony’s or Bob’s Burger joints for a quick snack. Hell! The more I
think about it, the more I realize how different Heero and I are really becoming.
Although he grew up in a
relatively well-to-do family and I had grown up in an orphanage with not a dime
to my name (at the time), we somehow ended up being in the same school – my
life took a turn for a better (way better) and his has remained the same. I am
now able to enjoy the finer things in life. Eleanor’s lifestyle has exposed me
to an upper echelon of society I never thought I’d get to know, and now being
in front of Harold –in a five-star restaurant, being given the royal
treatment…I literally sit back and try to take a good look at myself.
Who am I
becoming? What am I turning into? Is
money and wealth really changing me? Is a part of me now unsatisfied that Heero
doesn’t wish to change and I’m the one willing to take a plunge into the unknown,
to test new waters, to see just how far I can push myself? I look back at all
my gestures of good wishes towards Heero and tick off how many times he’s
refused to allow me to buy him anything excessive. I rub my ring finger
absently, knowing I hadn’t worn that symbol of fidelity since our argument over
the schools. He hasn’t been wearing his as well – or at least I haven’t noticed
him wearing it lately.
I watch Harold send another
fork of pasta into his mouth and suddenly panic sets in like a douse of ice
water. I rise to my feet so quickly that I tip over a glass of water.
“Duo?” Harold stops eating
and stares at me in bemusement and concern. “What’s wrong?”
“Phone call,” I blurt out. “I
need to…excuse me for a minute.”
“Okay…I’ll…”
Before he can even finish,
I’m bolting towards the restrooms and heading straight for an empty stall. I
had no plans to throw up my meal, but like a woman experiencing her first bout
of morning sickness, there I am on my hands and knees regurgitating everything
I’ve just eaten.
I stumble out on shaky knees
and wash my face and mouth, ignoring the puzzled look I receive from the other
occupant in the room. Luckily, he leaves quickly and I’m left in merciful
silence, the plaintive strings of the Italian song that had once filled my ears
in the dining area, now a muffled tune in here. I stare at my pale features, my
too wide eyes that seem haunted and fill up my face. My lips are trembling and
pressing them together tightly, I try to compose myself quickly.
As if on cue, my pocket
buzzes with a familiar vibration and I reach into it to pull out my cell phone.
The name on the caller ID sends mixed emotions of relief, sadness, anger and love
all rolled into one, and even before I open my mouth to say anything, Heero’s
voice breeches the distance between us.
“Are you okay?”
Am I okay?
That’s the first thing he asks?! After all but ignoring me all day?! And yet…
“Damn,” I whisper, leaning my
head against the cool tiles, no longer able to hold back the hot streak of
silent tears that fall down my cheeks. Just three simple words have me this
broken up, and I realize it’s not just the words themselves, but the person
behind the words – this person I have given my life to and whom I don’t want to
lose. No matter what.
“Duo?” His voice is sharper
now, strained even. “Where are you? Duo? Answer me, goddamn it!”
Yeah, there’s the panic now
and that somehow brings a smile to my face. I sniffle and wipe my cheeks
quickly, taking a deep breath to try to calm him down before he decides to go
on a rampage.
“I’m fine, Heero. I’m…fine.
Are you home now?”
“Yeah…saw your note on the
door. ‘I’m going out’ doesn’t exactly tell me anything, Duo. You had me wor…”
He stops and seems to check himself. “You should give more details,” he finishes
quickly.
“You missed me?” I ask,
daring him to speak to me a bit longer before hanging up with the knowledge
that I’m not lying dead somewhere.
He says nothing and I
continue relentlessly. “Did you miss me?”
“Where are you?”
“Answer my question first.”
“How can I? I saw you today,
didn’t I?”
“For a few hours,” I mumble
since I left first this morning on my motorbike while he used the bus. Even in
school, we hardly spoke to each other.
“Whose fault is that?” he
mutters beneath his breath.
Mine, my
mind screams. I ran away again. Didn’t
want to face the silence and bitterness that seems to follow you around like a
second skin.
“I’m having dinner,” I say,
“With Harold.”
Another heavy silence greets
this and then, “Harold.”
“Yeah, you remember him,
right?”
“Your guardian.”
I nod. “Yes, him. He’s in
town and thought he’d take me out to dinner. We’re at Marciano’s. Want me to
order anything for you? They do take out.”
“So did you tell him about
your decision not to take the job?”
Bastard. Remind me about
that, why don’t you? “No, not yet.”
“It’s almost nine, Duo,”
Heero begins in that tone that says ‘I’m about to give you a lecture which I
really don’t want to give, but you give me no choice, you shit for brains’.
“And if my guess is right, you left the house almost an hour ago. Should be
plenty of time to tell him that, hmm?”
“Fuck off,” I whisper harshly
just as the door opens to reveal a portly man. He heads into a stall and I dash
out into the quiet lobby before the restrooms. “Don’t treat me like
some…some…moron, Heero. I’ll tell him when I’m good and ready.”
“Just saying, Duo. You were
quick to make up your mind with me.”
“Don’t start.”
“What?”
“You know what, Heero.
Don’t…”
“Duo?” I look up with a start
at the sound of my name, and see Harold standing with an inquisitive look on
his fine features. He mouths ‘I’m sorry’ when he sees me on the phone and
motions with his hands that he’ll be waiting for me.
“Don’t what, Duo,” Heero’s
voice barks in my ear.
“I’m not arguing with you any
longer,” I reply, turning away from Harold with a nod of my head to him in
understanding. “Can we just get over this and move the fuck on?”
“If that’s what you want.”
“It’s what I want.”
“And what you want, you
always get, right?”
“What the hell…?!”
But before I can finish, he
hangs up on me! Son-of-a-bitch! I
kick the wall in frustration and begin to stomp towards the dining area, when I
remember that Harold is going to start firing questions at me like an
interrogator. I close my eyes and take a deep breath before facing him again,
glad to see that our desserts have arrived. Maybe it will help sweeten my
bitter disposition.
Harold says nothing, which
I’m grateful for, content to sip his espresso while I dig into the delicious
creamy custard and espresso-soaked ladyfingers before me. Well, it’s supposedly
delicious, pity I only seem to taste crud with each bite. Goddamn it! Speaking
to Heero has put me in another sour mood, but he’s right (although I hate to
admit it) I should speak to Harold about my plans now before the moment passes.
“So,” Harold begins with a
small smile. “I’m not going to bother asking what the conversation was about
and trust you’ll speak to me when you’re good and ready?”
I shrug and lick my fork
slowly. Clearing his throat, he continues in that same quiet voice. “I know
you’re under a lot of stress, what with your exams coming up and your need to
focus on college when it comes around.” He smiles again as he must have noticed
my raised brow. “Yes, college. You didn’t really think we’d let you skip that
just to run a company, did you?”
I sit back slowly. “You
mean…I don’t have to quit college?”
“Of course not!” Harold cries
out, looking as if I’ve suggested the most stupid thing in the world. “In fact,
Daniel insisted on that. Although I’d suggest you take many courses related to
business administration to give you an idea of what to expect. Have you decided
on a college of choice yet?”
“Woodruff.”
He nods. “Interesting.”
“What?” Defensive me on the
move again.
“It’s a good school yes,”
Harold explains. “No arguments there, Duo. I just thought…”
“Don’t even start with
Kensington,” I growl and he looks taken aback, before he says quickly.
“Oh, no, not Kensington. I
was thinking of Statesboro actually.”
I blink in confusion.
“Statesboro? Where the hell is that?”
He laughs softly. “It’s a
small but elite university, just recently created so it’s not as old or as
popular as Woodruff or Kensington…yet. However, they have a fantastic business
administration program and I know a few of the professors…”
I’m already shaking my head
before he finishes. “No, thanks. I have enough problems with my recent decision
to stick to Woodruff and don’t need the extra pressure.”
“Oh?” He gives me a knowing
look. “The family and friends don’t approve?”
I sigh in resignation, now
knowing that there’s no point in hiding anything from him anymore. Before I
know it, I’m blurting out everything to him, from my initial decision to go to
KU before meeting with the coach and having a change of mind. As I talk, I feel
a huge burden lifting from my shoulders, a feeling of relief at finally having
a neutral party to speak to without bias or prejudice. When I’m through, I take
a deep breath and give a weak smile.
“So? Are you going to lecture
me now? Go on, tell me what a fool I am. I can take it.”
“How old are you, Duo?”
Well, it certainly wasn’t the
question I was expecting. “Seventeen,” I reply carefully, while wondering what
he’s getting at. “You know that.”
He nods and clasps his hands
before him. “And how old is Heero?”
“Seventeen too. What’s that
got to…?”
He holds up a hand to silence
me. “Please, let me have my say now, Duo. You are both seventeen, not even in
your twenties…and you’re both giving yourself so much…grief over this?”
I open my mouth to say that
I’m not giving anyone any grief, but again I’m silenced with a wave of his
hand. “Dear gods. I almost feel like getting you two together and knocking some
sense into you.”
I pout in response.
Chuckling, he continues. “When I was your age, I was darn lucky if I knew what
the hell I wanted to do with my life. My father wanted me to go to college and
become a smart little professor like himself, but what did I do? I all but ran
off with your father to the military, to pursue my dream – what I wanted to do, certainly not what was
expected of me. I made many mistakes during my youth, but that’s what it’s
there for. To make mistakes, to go out there and experience things and at the
end of the day, you can look back and say, yeah, I did that and I have no
regrets.
“What you and Heero have to
realize is that you are both becoming young men, no longer boys. Your tastes
and view of the world around you will change once you step out of Fujisaki’s
gates. I have no doubt that you two love each other and I hope with all my
heart that it lasts forever, but there’s a lot of temptation out there, Duo and
you’ll both be fools not to realize that it will test your relationship in more
ways than one. College…it’s like a wild ocean filled with sharks willing to eat
and swallow you whole, so whether you decide to go your separate ways or even
remain in the same school, there’s no stopping those who want to get a piece of
you.”
He reaches across the table
to hold my trembling hands gently, his voice deeper with meaning now. “Do what you want to do, Duo…what your heart
tells you to do. If you walk into Woodruff feeling guilty over not being with
Heero, then you might as well not bother going in. But then again, will you
truly be happy in Kensington with him? Won’t you resent him for the rest of
your life for letting him keep you trapped in a school not of your choice? Hmm?
If he loves you, Duo…if he really
loves you as much as he claims to, he should be willing to let you go.
Understand?”
I nod glumly. There’s nothing
I can say really. I just wish Heero were here to hear this himself. To my
surprise, Harold leans closer to place a soft kiss on my forehead before
ruffling my bangs a little. “Now, where’s that smile, hmm?”
Blushing faintly, I try to do
as he says, but it’s hard. Even after we pay for our meal – Harold insists on
taking care of it – and we begin to walk down the boulevard now lit with
brilliant lights and flashing neon signs, he doesn’t stop giving me advice.
“I want you to talk to Heero
about this…really talk to him, Duo. Tie him to a chair if you must and make him
listen, okay?”
“I’ll try,” I mumble, coming
to a stop as he holds out his hand for a taxi. “Will I see you again?”
“Not on this trip,” he says
apologetically. “But yes, I would love to see you again soon. Perhaps I can
even make it to your graduation.”
“You should,” I say with a
more genuine smile. “I’ll reserve seats for you and Archie.”
He laughs, just as cab pulls
to the curb for him. He takes a deep breath and holds out his hand for a
handshake. I accept and give it a firm squeeze, meeting and holding his gaze
steadily. “You take care, Duo. You have my cell phone number, don’t you? Give
me a call at anytime. Dinner was…enjoyable to say the least. Goodbye, Duo.”
“Bye, Harold.” I close the
door behind him, waving until the yellow vehicle becomes a dot in the distance
before getting lost within the traffic.
With a new sense of resolve
and determination to make things right, I decide that the first course of
action is to drive up to my mom’s place and catch her tonight before she leaves
for Saito’s home for good. I owe her a big apology and in fact, I’ll stop at
her favorite bakery shop and get her an éclair. Maybe I’ll have the baker write
‘I Love You, Mom’ on the top in icing or something.
“Oh, and a bunch of roses
too,” I say to myself, eyeing the flower shop across the street.
Ten minutes later, I’m
holding a large bouquet of red and yellow roses mixed with several baby
breathes, and tie it carefully to the back of my bike. Just as I’m about to
slip on my helmet, the buzz of my cell phone has me groaning. If it’s Heero,
I’m going to…
Huh? Saito?
Why the hell is he calling
me? He’s never done that before.
“Yeah?” I answer cautiously.
For a moment, I hear nothing
but a harsh sob and I cannot begin to tell you how shocking that is to my
senses. It’s like being hit with a sledgehammer and your insides turning to
liquid mush. Saito, the ‘great’ Saito Teruo a.k.a our Minister of Education
was…crying?!
“Oh…Duo….”
“What?! What the hell’s going
on?!” I nearly scream into the phone, ignoring the looks of bewilderment that
come my way. “Where’s my mom?” Why do I ask that? What’s this feeling of dread
and fear that’s clawing its way into my heart. “Where’s my mother?!”
“…gone…Duo…” The harsh sob
again. He can barely get the words out. “…crash…didn’t….trauma…gone. Oh my God…she’s
gone, Duo! Gone!”
And just like that…..
My world turns black.
~End Period Fifty-Five~