Chapter 31:
The Ties that Bind:
You know, there’s an
inexplicable satisfaction one gets from working on an automobile. Many can’t
appreciate how awesome it feels to stand before that machine, to get your hands
greasy and dirty as you tinker around with its many components to see what
makes it work. Automobiles are amazing things when you really think about it. I
mean without them, where would we be now? The world wouldn’t survive without
cars or buses or trucks or…
“What’s gat ya spacing out,
kid?”
A hand falls heavily on my
shoulder, causing me to turn around quickly. I can’t help smiling as I look up
to see Sid’s kind but smudged face. Like me, he’s dressed in a gray cover-all
but whereas mine is still relatively new and clean-looking, Sid’s uniform shows
the ‘scars’ of years of working in this business. Some parts of the cloth are
as stiff as boards –caked with grease and dirt that’s accumulated over time. On
the left breast pocket is a name-tag sewn onto the cloth with his name ‘Sid’
written on it, just like mine has…well...my name on it.
“Nothing much,” I finally
reply with a wink and a grin. “Just checking this baby out. I think I know
what’s wrong with it though. The dampers are shot to hell. I can fix it up
tonight if you want…”
“No can do, kid,” Sid replies
with a shake of his head. “I know ya wanna work the extra hours an’ all but I
don’ wan’ no school board shitheads writin’ me up, ya know? Rules say I gotta
let ya out of here by eight.” He glances at the large clock against the wall.
“It’s
“Aww come on, Sid,” I begin
to plead. “This is my chance to finally work on something. I’ve been running
errands all day for Davey and…”
“Ya still a fresh hand, D and
don’t ya forget it. These here guys ‘ave been here longer than ya ‘ave. In otha
words, ya answer to them.”
I mumble beneath my breath
and reluctantly push myself away from the car. I get to my feet and wipe my
hands quickly on the rag, meeting those amused green eyes before me. I guess I
shouldn’t complain much. I should be glad he’s given me this opportunity to
work for him.
“Don’ ‘ave such a long face
now,” he says with a light laugh. “Come. I’ve gat something I wanna show ya.”
“What is it?” I ask, trying
hard to hide my excitement as I trot to catch up to the bigger man.
“Hold ya water, ya’ll see.”
We make our way past the
other mechanics, who hail us in greeting. The guys are cool to work with, don’t
get me wrong. I just don’t like my ‘internship’ position as much. They seem to
think that fetching them coffee, doughnuts or trays of greasy burgers and fries
from the diner across the street, is my reason for being here. However, like
Sid said, I’m still a fresh hand and I should do as I’m told with no
complaints.
“Ready?” he says and I nod
like a kid whose being asked to pick his favorite treat in a candy store.
“Sure! What is…?”
My eyes widen in shock at the
sight before me. I rub my eyes just to be sure I’m not seeing things but sure
enough it’s still there - looking just as good as the last time I saw it.
“Well?” Sid says with a wide
grin. “It came special delivery this mornin’. I was kinda surprised to see
it…figured ya might have dumped it somewhere but…this came along with it…”
He holds out an envelope to
me which I accept through fingers that feel incredibly numb. My heart is still
racing fast and damn if that stupid lump isn’t now stuck in my throat. I open
the letter and immediately I’m assailed with the familiar sweet scent of my
mother. It’s impossible to get rid of that perfume. Even though I tell myself
over and over again that I want to get rid of everything associated with her, I
still see Eleanor in little everyday activities. While cooking for Heero, I can
almost see her standing beside me in the kitchen (our favorite thing to do together,
now that I think of it). I see her in the smiles of mothers with their children
whenever I go to the grocery store and it makes me feel embarrassed to feel
that nostalgic. I can’t tell Heero about it. For despite all my supposed hate
for a woman who brought me such pain, a part of me still longs for that
affection that only a mother can give.
Anyway, I should get to
reading this before Sid thinks I’m going to start bawling all over him. The
rosy scent is much stronger as I open up the letter and see her familiar
cursive handwriting.
Dear Duo,
I doubt you would want to read or hear anything from
me but I hope that you will take the time to read this at least.
I heard about your new job at Sid’s Auto Shop and I
can’t tell you how proud I am of you. It almost sounds hypocritical of me, but
I do feel that way. Knowing that you aren’t going to rest on your inheritance
but would rather work, makes you more of a man than you’d ever know.
I am returning your motorcycle to you. It was a
present that I know you loved and appreciated. It is only fitting that it goes
back to its owner. It was beginning to look really lonely in the garage.
I do miss you, Duo and everyday, waking up alone in
this house, reminds me of what stupid and foolish mistakes I have made. I
sincerely hope that you’ll visit me someday. I plan to leave the city in a few
months. I think it is best this way, don’t you think?
Take care of yourself for me. I sincerely hope that we
get to meet someday as friends and not as enemies.
Love always,
Eleanor Maxwell.
It is Sid’s cough that jerks
me out of my reverie and as I lift my gaze to him, I notice that he looks a bit
uncomfortable about something.
“I’ll just leave ya to think
it over or somethin’,” he mumbles, scratching his head gently. “Ah
yeah…so…ah…the keys are in tha ignition and all…I guess I’ll be seein’ ya
tomorrow, kid.” He begins to walk away…thinks about it for a moment and then
reaches out to squeeze my shoulder gently before making himself scarce. It is
then that I realize that my cheeks are wet and that I’ve been crying without
even noticing it.
“Nice going, Maxwell,” I
mumble, wiping my face quickly, while sniffling in humiliation. Slipping the
envelope into my pocket, I approach the silent black machine, fighting the urge
to throw myself upon it and weep in happiness. I have missed my motorbike and
I’m almost ashamed to admit that I’ve had dreams about it and even contemplated
going back to the condo to ‘steal’ it from the garage. Can you blame me? It’s a
one of kind and not something that can be replaced easily.
And to think Eleanor would
give it back to me.
“You stupid, stupid woman,” I
whisper thickly as my hands reach out to caress the leather seat, its shiny
black chrome coating and the sleek design. “Why the hell are you trying to make
it so hard to hate you?”
A sudden chilly breeze
reminds me of where I am and I dash into the building quickly to pick up my
jacket and bag. There’ll be no need to take the bus tonight and I can’t wait to
show it to Heero. He’s going to flip with excitement when he sees it too. I
just know it! Besides, maybe I can convince him to start driving it to school
sometimes. Unable to stop smiling, I place the helmet over my head, straddle
the bike (I swear I almost cream my pants at just how good it feels to have the
machine’s engine thrumming between my legs) and before long, I’m whooping with
joy as I feel the familiar rush of adrenaline take over me.
Ah, how I wish I wasn’t stuck
in the city with its speed limits and traffic lights. I long for the open road
and maybe if I’m lucky (once I graduate high school) I’ll take this bike for a
cross-country trip or something.
I’ll be leaving the city in a few months.
Stopping at a red light,
those words hit me like a ton of bricks. I shouldn’t really care, should I? I
mean, if she thinks that’s what she wants to do, then so be it.
Yes, but think about it, Duo. If she leaves, you might
never get to see her again. Remember what dad said? You should try to forgive
her. Yes, she’s psychotic and can be bitchy as hell but she’s really a good
person deep down inside, right?
I bite my lower lip hard,
sighing heavily as I weigh my options. Sure it would be so easy to forgive her in
theory and never see her again…and yet I feel it’s the least I can do to see
her face-to-face. She did return my bike to me and it wouldn’t hurt to say
‘thank you’ if nothing else. Right?
The loud sound of a horn
honking behind me jerks me out of my reverie. I didn’t even realize that the
lights had changed.
“Hey, watch how you drive,
fuck face!” the driver yells from his window as he overtakes me. Grateful for
my helmet, I smirk and flip him the bird, before lowering my hand quickly as I
notice the flashing lights of a police car parked alongside the curb.
Gotta concentrate.
After all, the last thing I
need is a ticket on the first night of receiving my bike. Speaking of which,
I’ve yet to decide on how I’m going to introduce myself to Heero’s parents. I
know I totally screwed up when speaking to his dad but it wasn’t really my
fault! I mean come on, the caller ID showed ‘Private’ and it could have been
any asshole calling to interrupt a rather heated and passionate moment between
Heero and I. It’s enough to drive any hot-blooded male insane.
Anyway, Heero’s yet to tell
me the particulars about the upcoming dinner and I’ve got to say that the boy’s
been acting a bit…odd lately. Besides him letting me top for two nights in a
row (even though I asked him to reverse positions several times to no avail),
he’s been acting more jumpy and nervous than I’ve ever seen him. So yeah, I
kinda figure it’s because he hasn’t told his parents about us being a couple
and he’s worried about that but I have a feeling that it won’t be so bad if we
break the news to them slowly. What’s the worse that could happen?
“Huh?” I blink slowly as I
finally take note of my surroundings. “How…how the hell did I get here?”
This is a very rhetorical
question because a part of me already knows
just why and how I did get here. Instinct led me back home and home was where
this bike belonged. If I was a superstitious person, I’d almost believe that
the machine wanted me to come back
here.
The security gates are wide
open which would mean that a car must have just gone in. I can easily turn away
now and pretend I never got this far, but a part of me does want to go in. I can feel my hands, damp and cold on the
handles and my heartbeat racing faster within my chest. My head is beginning to
throb with a dull headache and a small groan escapes my lips as I notice that
the gate is beginning to slowly swing closed.
Move it, Duo. If you want to get in there now, do it!
Do it!
“All right, already!” I yell
to no one in particular, and revving up the engine, I manage to dart through
the gates just mere seconds before it shuts behind me with a firm click.
It’s not too late to turn back now, another part of me taunts. You don’t really want to see her, do you?
“Oh, just shut the fuck up
already. I’m here so I might as well get this over and done with.”
It’s been a month – a very
long month in my opinion – since I’ve been here and yet nothing has changed
that much. The Mendez family, our next door neighbor, already have their front
lawn decorated for Christmas…but that’s about it. As I pull up to the driveway,
I swallow tightly and stare at the place I had called home for almost a year.
The garden – small as it is – still looks well-tended and cared for. A few
months ago, I had placed a small statue of a Greek goddess against the wall so
that vines could grow all over it. It still stands there, looking ghostlike and
yet beautiful in the moonlight. My gaze drifts towards the windows. The heavy
curtains are drawn and I can see a flicker of light behind them.
Is she asleep or awake? Will
she be lying on the couch with a book on her chest, an arm flung over her eyes
as the soft soothing sounds of jazz drifts out of the speakers? Will she be in
the kitchen preparing a light snack while
So lost in my thoughts and as
I continue to sit here contemplating these things, the door slowly opens to
reveal a thin thread of light from the hallway.
“Here you go, you greedy
thing,” she’s saying as she stoops to her haunches to pour a gracious amount of
milk into the cat’s bowl.
No. Stay back,
I can hear the bottle
clattering to the ground just as the cat begins to rub itself against my boot
in greeting.
An eternity rolls by as we
stare at each other. The last time I saw her, she was half-naked on my bedroom
floor with tears in her eyes and a look of helplessness on her stricken
features. Back then, she had looked healthy and vivacious but now, beneath the
pale light from the hallway, I can see that she’s lost some weight. Her skin
looks slightly pallid except for the spots of color on her cheeks.
“Did you miss me?” I mutter.
“Hmm? Did you miss me, sweetheart? Yes, you did. Didn’t you?”
“The damn thing’s been
shedding like crazy lately,” my mother suddenly says, causing me to look at her
again. She’s leaning against the door now and I can almost see that old
confidence in her stance. It’s amazing how fast she can recover from sudden
surprises.
“Have you taken her to Doc.
Warren yet?” I can’t believe I’m actually asking this! This isn’t the kind of
conversation you have with a woman you almost wished you could kill! What the
hell is wrong with us? Why are we acting as if the last month had never
happened?!
“No can do,” she’s saying with
a light shrug. “That man worries me a lot. I swear the last time I went there,
he suggested I get
I can’t help the smile that
comes to my face as I lower the cat to the ground. She willing trots back to
her meal, leaving mom and I to our own devices. Suddenly, I feel embarrassed
about being here and wonder if I shouldn’t turn back now without saying another
word. I wish I can see her eyes- to see how she really feels. But the light is
casting a shadow upon her and it’s hard to make out her expression. I have the
feeling that I’m the one at a disadvantage here.
“You look good in the
uniform,” she says and I flush again, my gaze drifting to the gray coverall.
“How much is he paying you an hour?”
“Six-fifty,” I mumble, my
hand reaching for the tip of my braid to tug it a little. I quickly release it,
however, realizing that I’m beginning to show my own nervousness. Damn! I feel
like a kid whose been caught doing something naughty.
“That’s not too bad,” she
says with a small nod. “I doubt he offers health insurance though. Any dental
plans?”
The chuckle bursts out before
I can stop it. “No, mo…Eleanor. None of that.”
“So what brings you to the
enemy’s lair?” she asks, pushing herself away from the door to walk towards me.
It is a cold evening and I notice her shivering a bit. However, now that she’s
out of the shadows, I can get a good look at her face as she approaches. Her
cheeks are still flushed with color but her eyes seem to be filled with a
mixture of wariness and happiness - I can’t really say for sure. She stops a
few feet away from me – not too close and yet close enough.
“I just wanted to thank you
for sending the bike to me,” I reply, nodding towards the waiting machine. “You
really didn’t have to…”
“Like I said in the letter,
it was gathering dust in the garage,” she interrupts with a weak smile. “I
couldn’t very well let the realtors have their merry way with it.”
“Real…tors?” I blink in
confusion.
“That’s right, Duo,” she
says, shrugging her shoulders. “I’m selling the condo.”
“But I thought you said you
were going to be leaving in a few months!”
“Well, yes, but one has to
start planning these things ahead of time. You know I can’t stand doing things
at the last minute.”
“Oh…” I have no idea why this
news should sting so much but it does, goddamn it! Maybe a part of me hates to
think that she’s so eager to sell away everything in the house we had lived in
together. However, I have to remember that I had sworn never to show up in her
presence again. I’m the one being a hypocrite here.
A sudden fizzle of light and
bright sparks from the neighbor’s lawn draws our attention.
“Damn those Mendez!” Eleanor
grumbles, shivering again as another light gust of wind passes by. “They just
have to overdo everything, don’t they? Christmas is still a month away for
crying out loud.”
“They are the festive kind, I
guess,” I mumble softly.
“Yeah, well spare me the
festivities.”
“Where will you go?” I blurt
out quickly, kicking myself inwardly for even showing this much concern. She
must have noticed something in my voice because she looks at me with mild
surprise in her eyes.
“Where indeed?” she says
quietly as she turns away and walks back to the front steps. She sits on the
topmost step and wraps her arms around her torso. “I guess I’ll go back to my
hometown and try to start a new life there.” She smiles wistfully and lowers
her gaze to the ground.
“And your job?” I take a step
closer to her.
“I’m well-to-do now,” she
replies with a soft laugh. “I’m making more money than I ever thought I would,
Duo. So I think I can retire with my savings and open up a small restaurant or
something. I’ve always wanted to do that you know.”
“Baking…”
“What?”
“I said you always said you’d
like to have a Bakery,” I reply, swallowing tightly as the memory of that day
comes rushing back to me. We were in the kitchen then, making tons of cookies
for the Annual Cookie Exchange which takes place in the apartment complex. I
had thought it was a dumb idea but at the end of the day, I had tasted so many
delicious cookies and cakes that I couldn’t wait for the event next year.
“Ah yes, a Bakery,” she
whispers and then slaps her hands over her face. For a moment, I think she’s
about to cry but she lowers them again to smile at me. “I was going to make you
my top chef but I think you’ve got other plans now, don’t you?”
I nod softly, my cheeks
darkening with embarrassment as I meet those knowing violet eyes. Suddenly, I
feel an incredible loneliness overwhelm me. I don’t know how else to express it
to you, readers, but it’s just…there, you know? I have Heero yes, and I can go
back to him whenever I want. But when I look at this woman sitting on the front
steps of her home in nothing but a bathrobe and a pair of ridiculous oversized
bunny slippers on her feet, I am reminded that she is and will always be my
mother. Even if I continue to harbor some form of hatred for her for denying me
the right to seeing my father, she still took care of me and loved me the best
she could.
“Man…” I say, sniffling
softly as I wipe my tears away. I notice that her eyes are shimmering as well.
“I really hate you for making me care, you know that?”
“I know, sweetie, I know.” She
pats the spot next to her on the step, a shy look in her eyes. “Would you like
to sit and talk with me for a while? I’ve got some cookies and milk we can
share…if you want.”
“I can’t stay for long…”I
begin, already thinking of how pissed Heero’s going to be if I don’t give him a
call soon.
My mother’s features grow sad
with disappointment. “Oh…well…”
“Maybe for just one cookie
and a glass of milk,” I add with a small smile, watching her eyes light up with
pleasure again as she rises to her feet.
“Don’t you go anywhere!” she
says quickly. “I’ll be right out with them, okay?” She almost bumps into the
door in her excitement and I can’t help laughing a little at her behavior.
You’d think she was just a teenage girl again.
I sit on the steps, my gaze
drifting towards the Mendez lawn, where Mr. Mendez is currently trying to fix
up a set of reindeer lights to no avail. Good luck to him trying to figure out
that complicated contraption without electrocuting himself.
With a soft chuckle, I pull
out my cell phone from my pocket to call Heero. It looks like I’ll be coming
home late tonight, after all.
__
By the time I let myself into
the apartment, it’s almost ten at night. Eleanor and I had ended up talking
much longer than we had anticipated. I even found myself telling her about the
Yuys’ upcoming visit and how nervous I was to meet his parents. Surprisingly,
she told me not to worry about a thing. She was sure that my charm would win
them over. However, I had to be wary of my manners and such. She knew that the
Japanese were very particular about such things. She had dealt with some
diplomats from that country before and it had been one tense affair in her
opinion.
Hmmm, I think I’m going to
have Heero go over a few more etiquettes with me, so I don’t screw things up.
“I’m home,” I say in an
exaggerated whisper, as I take off my shoes and peel out of my jacket. I can
hear the TV although the volume isn’t turned up completely. Taking a quick peek
into the bedroom/living room, I can see that my boyfriend is fast asleep on the
floor with textbooks surrounding him like a cocoon. He looks adorably cute like
that.
Tiptoeing into the room, I
lean over to place a soft kiss on his forehead, when my gaze falls on his
opened laptop on the desk. I know Heero’s pretty anal when it comes to people
checking out his work without permission (but then again I really don’t like
people peeking at my stuff either) but hey, I couldn’t help seeing it anyway.
It’s right here in front of me.
However, what I see sends
chills of trepidation down my spine.
It’s an email – written in
Japanese (kanji to be exact) – but even a non-speaker like myself can
understand just what’s being implied with the characters. There’s a link within
the email with the words ‘wedding traditions’ within it.
All right, that’s one warning
bell going off.
I click on the link and sure
enough it takes me to a website that deals with traditional Japanese marriage
customs and ceremonies. The pictures are more than enough to make up for my
inability to read the words.
Yet another warning bell goes
off.
I go back to the email and
browse through it quickly. It’s addressed to Heero but it’s the sender that has
the cold hands of fear wrapping themselves around my heart.
“Okay…there’s nothing to
worry about,” I whisper softly. “This is just a mistake…it’s just…he told me he
was through…”
/You’ve got to be careful though,/ my mother’s voice says within my head. /The Japanese are pretty strict about
tradition, so you might have your work cut out for you./
“No kidding, mom,” I groan
miserably as I fall to the bed and close my eyes. “That bitch is coming back
and I think she’s going to take Heero away from me………………………………………not if I can
help it.”
I open my eyes to stare at
the ceiling, my mind working overtime on what I have to do to prevent this
wedding from taking place. It takes me a while but as I finally close my eyes to
drift off to sleep, I think I’ve come up with the perfect plan to woo the Yuys
to my side.
Heh, I’ll also have to get
rid of Misa Ogata because trust me, there’s simply no room for a threesome in
this relationship.
~End Period Thirty-One~