Chapter 29

“Magnolia’s Ice Cream”

Denzo gazed out on his bedroom window. His face looked forlorn while his eyes set their gaze at the ice cream truck across the street from his parents house. For a moment he had the urge to run out and buy a popsicle from the truck but he knows can’t just do as he pleases. It is a house his mother rules in, a house that was bequeathed to her. A silly little house but it is hers and her rules apply. He’d have to sit through a process of questioning about his intent to go out, and even if he told the exact truth of his intention, there is only a slim chance of him being allowed to do so.

He is not as free as he used to.

As he thought it funny that this used to be his norm.

And that now he’s not used to it.

And even if he did try and he did get the green light to buy some ice cream (for some lucky reason) Their conversation would’ve taken too long that he would miss the van anyways.

In the end, it was nothing more than wishful thinking for him.

‘Denzo open your door.’ His mother knocks.

He rolls out of his bed in sulky sullen movements, lightly stomping his steps towards the door as he opens it to the view of the woman standing in front of him, carrying a broom and a spray bottle.

He knew all too well the next few words that were going to come out of her mouth.

‘Cleaning day Denzo.’

She said, he groans.

It is a habit that he was forced to do every weekend inside this house, it is a day he dislikes the most.

Not that there was any upside to his stay in this place anyways.

He begrudgingly takes the broom from his mother’s grasp and immediately gets to work under her supervision.

They move and sweep every corner of his room.

Every shelf, and every book on every shelf.

All has to be wiped, swept and cleaned thoroughly, making sure that every cranny is voided from any spec of dust.

What annoys Denzo the most is that this effort, for him, is a complete waste of his time. The house that they lived in, even if it is inside a gated community, is only a block away from a busy road. Not to mention that the suburban road that their house ties into is a major arterial road for the suburb, which meant that cars and public tricycles (trikes) frequent it from day to night. And just as he always observed, right after they had finished sweeping, cleaning and spraying every corner of his room, an already visible layer of dust had formed on his table that he had just wiped clean an hour ago.

Like a snowplow running over your driveway after shoveling out the snow that covered it.

It was no use.

‘Uncle Thor’s Place ain’t like this… easier to clean.’ He thought.

The only consolation he had in his mind was that it was a sunday and it was a race day and tonight he “hopes” he could enjoy watching the sport that he loves so much. Sadly there is a mountain of chores his mother had prepared for him.

And he has to do it all before dinner.

He looks at the clock.

4:30 in the afternoon.

‘Whatever…’ He sulked, as he started to look at the list he has to do.

It always bothered him that there is this unwavering feeling of regret that loomed over him whenever he agrees to play along and humor his mother’s silly wishes by doing these time consuming mundane tasks she has for him whenever she spots him having any free time. It almost felt like a job of some sort.

Something that he had to do for some reason.

Like there’s a meaning to it.

Like he was paying her back something by having her take his time away.

It was always like this ever since he was a child.

His mother always seemed to show signs of grumpiness whenever he looked like he was idle. She also disliked it when she spotted him playing his video games even though all his homework was done.

There was also a time when she had expressed her distraught feelings about his father giving him a games console for his 12th birthday. Saying it would only corrupt his studies.

Even though he was the 1st honorable mention in his elementary graduating class.

She excused it as being third place.

There was the valedictorian.

Then the Salutatorian.

Then the First Honorable Mention.

Third place as she says.

Third place out of 500 other students.

Surely as per his mother this is not a worthy achievement to get a reward.

Things got worse as he entered his first year of junior high school.

It was the time his father had left for Los Angeles and never returned.

He heard rumours.

He heard stories.

But he didn’t care, to him his father was dead.

His three other siblings; he didn’t care much about them.

He felt like a stranger in his own family.

There was clearly a divide.

With the way he was being treated.

And he didn’t know why.

Is he adopted?

A bastard child of another man? Another woman?

He doesn’t know, or care.

He looks the same as his other siblings. So he just dismissed the thoughts as untrue.

But if there was one thing he was sure about. Is that he was never the favorite of anyone.

His father didn’t show much affection. But then again he was equal in being cold with everyone else.

But his mother.

Well, she never fails to make him feel like he was indebted to something.

What that something was, he doesn’t know.

All he knew was that once he stepped his feet back in this place. Everything would be the same.

Just as he predicted it.

All the pleading and tears that his mother showed him during that time with the police was all an elaborate farce to get him back and working inside this prison once again.

His time taken away.

His games, limited.

His movements, restrained.

The consequence for rebelling. Was more of all of those.

Where is the choice?

He does not know.

‘Good grief…’ He whispered as he got a whiff of the acid he was using to scrub the muck out of the bathroom floor.

…

…

‘Denzo…

Why were you in the basement at this hour?’

The cold peering eyes of Yukino’s glare stabs through his chest as he sits alone in the middle of the conference room as his sweat trickles down his cheek.

He was just getting some extra practice in before the tournament that Keeno was organizing and was about to get away with trespassing inside Little Edgar’s, but he was caught last minute by Yukino and Val who happen to be standing outside the front door.

‘Just my luck’ He thought as she ashamedly averts his eyes from the two women who were interrogating him.

‘We don’t have all night kid… fess up or else we’ll get you to squeal out whatever it is you stole.’

‘Stole?!’ Denzo quickly fired back as Val looked at him with disgust. ‘I didn’t steal anything, clerk lady! Besides, what are you doing here? This area serves only students.

You’re the one trespassing!’

‘Between the two of us who do you think has got permission to be here?’ Val replies with a smirk. ‘And it’s Miss Val to you, you brat! Respect your senior.’

Denzo’s eyes widened, he couldn’t fathom the words he had just heard, as he looked back at Yukino to confirm. She nods.

‘Denzo… please answer my question.’ Keeno calmly asks.

He looks at her with scalding eyes as he tries to convey to her that it was her fault for screwing up her promises to him but he then takes a deep breath to compose himself.

‘I was practicing for your tournament thing, you know, the one “you” pulled me into?’ He answered, annoyed.

‘I gave you enough time--’

‘And you pulled me away every time you gave me a chance!’

‘Denzo you were sat there for five hours so I figured--’

‘It’s not enough!’ He shouts, standing up as he slams his hands on the table.

‘For you it might be a little activity to fill up your schedule but for me that prize money you’re offering is important to me!

It’s my ticket out…

My escape…’

The room fell silent.

The two who were questioning him looked at each other in a mix of surprise and confusion.

‘Denzo… what do you mean by those words?’ Yukino asked cautiously.

The boy clenched his fists, his nostrils flare up as he musters up all his courage to open up all of the things he had been keeping inside his chest.

‘I need to escape…

If I could just prove that…

That I can earn something on my own…

Function on my own…

Then I can escape with no one chasing after me…

Which is why I need to win… so I can live wherever I want.

Do whatever I want, when I want it.

I need to escape.

And just be with me

Just me.

Do you understand?’

He said. As he looks at her with desperation written in his face.

Although the expression she unknowingly showed was only of confusion.

‘I get you.’

Yukino's surprised face quickly turns to face Val who stood behind by the door.

‘Although I must say that you’re being stupid.’

‘I know and I don’t care.’

‘Do you even have a plan?’

‘None.’

Upon hearing his reply, Val just looks at him with a stunned look.

And then she just bursts.

Laughing.

‘You look so fuckin cute! Like a dumb looking hamster trying to bite my finger!’ She said while she clenched her stomach to contain herself.

‘Ah goodness… If that’s your threatening face then consider me scared.’ She continues.

‘Goddammit! It’s like that one lower grade kid swearing revenge, screaming murder but couldn’t land a single fucking hit!’

‘Val!’

Yukino shouts, breaking up Val’s teasing as she stands there continuing to laugh for a good solid minute before settling down.

‘I like you kid. But I’m afraid you might be putting all your eggs in the wrong basket.’ Val said while she wipes her tears from her eyes after laughing hard at Denzo.

‘That tournament was just a little thing I had Yuki set up to advertise Jack and Barry’s through word - of - mouth. If you think it’s something grand or whatever, then you’re wrong.’ She said in a matter-of-fact manner.

‘But the prize money is enough for me to at least get a place somewhere or whatever. I figured I could use the money to get away.’ Denzo replied as his mood slowly spirals into confusion.

Val looks at Yukino with suspicious eyes. ‘How much did you tell him?’

‘Fifty grand….’

Val laughs.

Denzo looks even more confused.

‘You got scammed kid!’ She says while laughing.

‘The prize is only for ten grand! You really think a shitty little tournament would reward the winners with fifty?’ She says in a teasing manner as the room fills with her obnoxious laugh once again. ‘Even official tournaments only ever give thirty grand at most!’

Immediately after hearing those words Denzo’s heart sank realizing that it was all a lie. That he never had any hope to begin with. Upon this sudden realization, a question comes across his mind.

‘Then why did you lie to me? Why even get my attention at all?’ He asked Yukino as she looked at him, feeling ashamed with her actions.

‘Don’t answer.’ Val interjects. ‘I told her to.’

‘Wha- why?’ Denzo reacts wide eyed and surprised.

‘Cuz you were so obsessed with that game.

I wanna see how far you’d go down the rabbit hole.’

The boy was stunned with her response. Back then he thought that the clerk lady was just being annoying, but he didn’t know she was observing him the whole time.

‘Anywho it just so happens I needed a new gig to bring new customers in so with you in mind I had her create a tournament around the game to hit two birds at the same time. Never knew you’d actually go this far for this silly thing.

I was hoping to judge your skill when the tournament came but it looks like I don’t need to wait long.’

Yukino and Denzo looked at her with question marks above their foreheads as she approached the table with a smile on her face.

‘One race on the machine, one on one.

If you beat me, I’ll pay you fifty grand, but…

If I beat you, you’ll work for me.’

After saying her terms she tosses her car keys on the table. The GTR logo on it in full sparkling view of those who sat there.

‘Yuki, hold on to these for now. I don’t carry a purse so it’s a pain to sit on it.’ She said as she headed down the basement tunnels.

The two follow suit.

The battle lasted for five minutes.

Near the end Denzo got the advantage against Val.

Successfully overtaking her.

It was the final stretch and it seems the win was his.

And it was.

It was…

Too easy…

After the overtake she maintained distance.

She never challenged him back.

He knows this after playing competitively for years.

Ever since the first game got introduced.

Then he remembers the key she threw on the table.

She assumed as much.

He knows his cars.

It was a message.

What does he want?

Money? Or something else more?

It has been a long time since he’d thought of those things.

But he does remember.

The elephant room article.

The strange happenings that sent him into this adventure.

The cars he had encountered that day he left.

And during his first weeks at Uncle Thor’s

It was composed of cars he’d rarely see.

Cars like the one on her keys.

And before he could even think. His body had already reacted.

He stomps on the brakes.

…

…

‘Denzo!’

A loud shout came from the hallway that startled him back into the present. Even with the sudden shock, his mind was slow to come to, as he starts to feel the stinging slowly creeping up from his finger.

‘Fuck…’ He whispered as he sucked on his wounded finger.

He is currently preparing dinner for the family when his mother called him. Startling him and wounding his finger in the process.

‘What?!’ He shouts back.

‘The rice is ready!’ She shouts.

‘Okay I’ll just heat this up!’ He said as he puts a bandage on his finger and continues to slice portions off the block of SPAM he was about to cook.

He turns on the stove and slaps the slices on there without any care as he just stares at it until they are ready to flip.

Just at that moment his phone starts to ring.

-UNKNOWN NUMBER-

He picks it up.

‘Hello? Is this Denzo Kalma?’

‘Yes, speaking.’

‘Oh ok umm this is J-- uh, Val’s associate from Jack and Barry’s’

Denzo quickly dashed for the nearest window in the kitchen to get a better reception. Hearing the words had gotten his attention.

‘Oh… Umm hi Sir? Umm… yes this is me speaking!’ He replies enthusiastically.

‘Y-yeah… are you free Friday night?’