HIM – THE PAST’S RETURN

A car pulled up to a small clearing at the side of the road. To its left was a fence fending off a steep cliff which led into a sandy beach, which already had quite a few visitors. Aya sat leaned backwards into her seat, sleeping, while Tyson yawned and shook his head. A few moments later, he heard a knock on the side door which startled Aya awake; his sister smiled brightly as she opened the back door and entered.

“Hey guys!” Selena exclaimed as she closed the door. “You’re early!”

“…” Aya was still waking up as Tyson glared at her for a moment. “What?” Aya said. “I merely mentioned we could drive somewhat faster.”

“… right, sure, let’s call it that.” Tyson said, sighing. My balls still hurt… I can’t believe a man can be threatened by a handjob… but I guess I was wrong… “You didn’t have to come so far to welcome us, you know?”

“Nonsense!” Selena said. “This is one great day, and I have to bear witness from start till the very end.”

“… yeah, you be the witness,” Tyson said as he began driving again. “Maybe, one day, your words will be recorded in a book worshiped by millions.”

“You know, I do give great advice,” Selena said. “It may happen. You never know.”

“No, I do. It won’t happen. Not in a million years.” Tyson said.

“Aww, who’s a grumpy boy?”

“Sorry, it’s on me,” Aya said, smiling. “I’ve been pestering him during the drive.”

“… can I please just drive in silence until we get there?” Tyson asked.

“No way,” Aya said. “If we go silent, you’ll start thinking. And you thinking is never a good idea.”

“Agreed.” Selena nodded.

“Maybe I should just pull over and kick you both out. You both look like you could use some exercise.”

“… did he just call us fat?” Aya asked, slightly confused.

“I believe he did.” Selena said. “What are we gonna do about it?”

“Eh, he’s right,” Aya said. “I’ve gained some in the past two weeks. I could work them off.”

“… well, I’ll work mine off in a few more months,” Selena said, chuckling as she gently caressed her bulged stomach. “Until then, bear with this fatty here.”

“He’s growing healthily,” Aya said, smiling. “Are you sure you’ll be able to shove it out?”

“First off, we don’t know if it’s a he,” Selena said. “Secondly, why not? It’ll hurt like a bitch, but I’m confident.”

“Maybe correct her on the ‘shove out’ part,” Tyson grumbled. “Not… aah, whatever.”

“… you okay?” Aya asked as she grabbed his free hand.

“… uh, yeah? Why?” Lie, just lie, lying is good.

“No reason,” she said. “But, if you’re fine, then it’s fine.”

“I am fine.”

“Fine.” Aya said.

“Fine, yeah.” Tyson said.

“Do you two do this often?” Selena asked from the backseat.

“Do what?” Aya and Tyson asked at the same time.

“… nevermind. I must have misunderstood.” Selena said, forcing a smile.

“Khm, anyway, how far away are we?” Aya asked, changing the subject.

“About five minutes,” Tyson said. “It’s right off the main road. You can already see it actually,” Tyson pointed at the tall, distant yellow building. “Well, not it but it’s near that yellow thing, just across the street.”

“Don’t call it a yellow thing!” Selena exclaimed. “It’s a place where you can get ton of money for free!”

“… uhhh?” Aya looked at Tyson for the explanation.

“It’s a bank.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah,” Tyson said. “They never quite understood that the money isn’t ‘free’.”

“Good thing they never met loan sharks.” Aya said, chuckling.

“Tell me about it.” Tyson said.

After a few more minutes of driving, Tyson pulled up next to a three-story tall house built out of pinewood. At its front stood a small porch with a few chairs – currently occupied – and a table. The front doors were wide open already, and there was faint sound of music coming from it. Selena and Aya left the car as Tyson reversed and parked it on a small space next to the house.

“What about the bags?” Aya asked.

“You can take them out later!” Selena exclaimed as she grabbed her hand. “Let’s meet the family first. Ty,” she then turned toward Tyson who took in a deep breath. “Dad’s at Greg’s. Good luck.”

“… yeah.” Tyson said.

“Wait, I’m meeting your family without you?!” Aya exclaimed. “Don’t you find that a bit weird?”

“Very weird,” Tyson said, smirking. “Good luck babe.”

“Oh screw you asshole.”

“Just remember: if you want my mom to like you, tell her you used to have a dick. She’s gonna love that shit.”

“… burn in hell.”

Laughing, Tyson departed after he waved at people sitting on the porch. Greg’s Lodge was a small bar at the very edge of town where majority of townsfolk went to drink, be it day or night. As though traveling backward through time, every corner reminded Tyson of his past; a place where he used to hide when playing, the small corner where he first kissed a girl, the candy shop he never had money for, the parking lot where he first drove a car, the small furniture store where he got his first desk, even the now rebuilt school yard where he spent most of his childhood. While small, the town oozed memories; not just for him, but for everyone born here.

On his way, he met quite a few familiar faces, all of which greeted him with an enthused smile. Unlike Emma and Jared, he had never returned after leaving, and everyone assumed he was hard at work, preparing the future. A short few minutes of walk later, he stood in front of the old-looking building with a wooden sign reading Greg’s Lodge. The windows were slightly tinted and it was hard to see inside, but the chatter coming from within was quite loud. Taking another deep breath, he pushed the door open and caused bell to ring, but the sound didn’t alarm anyone. Scanning the room quickly, he immediately spotted his father; a man in seemingly his late fifties sat in a corner, his complexion slightly pale and dry, hair already as silver as tainted snow, frame large. Beneath the hair stood slightly yellowish beard, tainted no doubt by decades of smoking. He had a large nose and eyes and dignified cheekbones.

Tyson sighed and slowly walked over; as the man spotted him, his eyes went round and his body shook for a moment. However, he said nothing, merely tightening the grip on the beer bottle in his hands. Tyson sat down across and ordered a beer for himself, wreathing in silence that emerged between the two.

“… uh, khm, h-how was, uh, the drive?” his father was the first to break the silence as he asked. His voice was slightly coarse – no doubt also the result of smoking – and carried a hint of worry within it.

“Uh, it was, it was good,” Tyson said. “No trouble.”

“Good.”

“Yeah.” I knew I shouldn’t meet him alone!! Damn you sis, and your mind games!! “H-how are you?” Tyson asked.

“Good.” the man said.

“Good, yeah. It’s, uh, good.” Tyson said as the bartender brought him beer.

“… I, uh, didn’t… didn’t think you’d come.”

“… y-yeah, me neither,” Tyson said as he chuckled for a moment. “But, uh, here I am.”

“… what changed your mind?” the man asked.

“Selena didn’t tell you?”

“She said it’s best, uh, I hear it from you.”

“… she’s like that.” Tyson said, scoffing.

“Hah, yeah, yeah she is.” the man said, taking a sip of the beer.

“… it was, uh, a girl,” Tyson said, smiling. “The one I came with.”

“Oh? Emma?” the man asked.

“Seriously?! Even you knew?!”

“Everyone knew, boy.” the man said, chuckling. “You weren’t that good at hiding it.”

“I think I was doing great, thank you very much.” Tyson said. “But, uh, no, not Emma.”

“… so? Where is this lady? I ought to thank her.”

“She’s, uh, meeting mom and others.” Tyson said.

“… you left her alone? With them?” the man mumbled, arching his thick brows slightly.

“Eh, she’s been driving me crazy on the road,” Tyson said, chuckling. “Figured I’d pay her back.” he finished as he took a glance at the bottle in the man’s hand. “You… you still haven’t quit?”

“… no.” the man said, sighing bitterly. “I tried. A few times, actually. But, you know… it’s, uh, I don’t know… anyway, khm, so – uh – how’s, you know, college?”

“Ah, yeah, it’s, it’s good, y’know?” Tyson said. “It’s… yeah, it’s good…”

“… heh,” the man chuckled bitterly as he glanced down at the bottle in his hand. “I imagined us having this talk many times, you know? And… I’d always wonder what’d we say.”

“… what do you want to say?” Tyson asked.

“… I don’t know,” the man said as he looked up into Tyson’s eyes. Is he… crying?!! “I… I honestly thought, you know, we’d sit down, I’d buy you a beer… and, you know, we’d talk. I’d apologize. We’d, I don’t know, patch things up or something.”

“… I sense a ‘but’ coming.” Tyson said.

“… y-you… you look like him… so, so much,” the man said, forcing a smile. “I-I don’t want to but… just, just seeing you… I don’t know, it makes me angry? And…”

“… ah, come on, this again?!” Tyson grunted, sighing. Dammit, don’t get angry! I’ll just repeat the same shit I always did!! “If it’s like that, why call at all, huh?!” Crap… “Why invite me here?! To tell me to my face, again, that I’m not your family? Is that it?!”

“… no! No, of course not! Y-you are… you are… f-f…”

“You can’t even say it!” Tyson exclaimed. “Ugh, I knew this was a mistake. I’ll just leave after getting some sleep.”

“No, no, please don’t!” the man suddenly grabbed his arm as Tyson was about to get up. “I… I really do want us, you know, to go back to the way we used to be. But, Ty, you gotta understand… it’s… it’s not easy…”

“… I get it,” Tyson said, sighing as he sat back down. “Of course I get it. I always got it. I… I can’t imagine how it was like for you, you know, finding out… but, I don’t know. I just… I think you never tried to imagine it wasn’t easy for me either.”

“… I know it wasn’t. I know.”

“You gave me a concussion.” Tyson said.

“… you broke my nose.” the man said. “That shit hurt.”

“I thought my dick was a tap for a week,” Tyson said. “I peed into nurse’s hands once.”

“For a month, every time I’d breathe, it felt like someone was detonating a bomb inside my nose.” the man said.

“Ouch.”

“… yeah.”

“… did you ever see the recording?” Tyson asked.

“Oh, I did,” the man said, laughing for a moment. “That right hook of yours really is a bitch.”

“If you weren’t wearing that thick ring of yours, I’d have won.” Tyson said.

“Hah, no way. If I wasn’t drunk as a horse, I’d have won that in a heartbeat.”

“No way old man,” Tyson said, smiling lightly. “Your bones cry each time you move. You just got a few lucky punches in.”

“… I’ll get there,” the man said as the laughter between the two stopped. “I promise. So, please, just… just stay…”

“… I will. Besides, I can’t leave without introducing you to Aya.”

“She girl that talked you into coming?” the man asked.

“Yeah,” Tyson said, smiling. “She’s really something. You’ll see.”

“You love her?”

“… we’ve been dating for like a month.” Tyson said.

“So? You either do or don’t.”

“Everything is black and white to you, isn’t it?”

“That’s how God done it. Who am I to argue?” the man said.

“… was that a race joke? Tell me that wasn’t a race joke.”

“Eh? What’s wrong with some light humor?”

“… I know you mean no harm, but, seriously, they weren’t funny ten years ago, and they especially aren’t funny today.” Tyson said.

“They’re funny to me.”

“… ugh.”

“So? You love her or not?”

“… that’s for me to know and for you to find out.” Tyson said, smirking.

“Well, I will. Don’t you worry about that.”

“Good luck.”

“I already told you,” the man said. “You ain’t as good as you think you are at hiding that stuff.”

“… bite me.”

“… wait, didn’t I bite you when we fought?” the man asked, creasing his brows slightly.

“You tried. You yelled ‘watch out for my Tyson!’ and went for my ear. I started laughing while I was crying in pain.” Tyson said.

“Ah. The one joke that always made you laugh.” the man said, chuckling.

“… you don’t know how happy I was when I learned you guys didn’t name me after him.”

“You should have been disappointed. You really have no taste, huh? Well, I guess I’ll see after I meet your girl.” the man said.

“Tonight,” Tyson said. “At Chuck’s. The three of us. What do you say? You’re paying, of course.”

“Wouldn’t have it any other way.” … well, that is if she remains sane by the time I get back to her…