CHAPTER 4 – PAST AND PRESENT

“Come out when you’re ready.” Wilson said over his shoulder as he left the restroom. He had left Alex with a change of clothes, jeans, tennis shoes, and a tee shirt with: I Love Boston, printed on its front. Walking out of the restroom decked out in the new clothing, glancing about, Alex spied Wilson amongst his men waiting by a tall white column.

“Alex!” Wilson called catching his eyes. “Over here kid!”

It’s odd, Alex thought walking over. The place’s pretty empty. You’d think there’d at least be a receptionist at the front desk.

Wilson said something to his men who nodded and parted as Alex neared.

“Hey Wilson…where is everyone? Are the taking the day�"”

“Ah, Alex.” The man said; clapping him on the shoulder before steering him through the building’s double doors. “Let’s take a ride; I want to show you something.”

“Show me what?”

“You’ll see.” Wilson replied pushing him lightly into the back of a limousine before following in after. Alex scooted away from the man irritated. Wilson never answered his questions. What exactly was the Dark Realm? He wondered. Why can’t I just pop back to my world like I did this one? Did…world jumping require speeding down a highway fast? Do I have to be in danger? Does being an Oddity or whatever all of sudden link me with supernatural powers? Just who was Wilson? A politician? It’s obvious he’s rich if he has people with guns following him around.

The car door closed and through tinted windows Alex observed the bodyguards split up. Two disappeared into a black truck behind and another two into the one before the limo. While the last guard got into the limo’s shotgun seat beside the chauffeur. A personal escort, go figure. But the guards tagging along made him nervous. If they pulled a gun on him again, would they shoot?

Wilson fairly talked Alex’s ear off for the duration of the drive with the history of Boston, his hometown�"the man went on about the people, the cuisine and attractions, pointing out this, that, and the other as they drove. Turning his attention out the window, Alex tuned Wilson out early, his mind on other things, on Krystal. Will I see her again? With what Wilson said earlier it seemed unlikely. No, I see her again. I will go back, I have to. His determination unearthed his very first memory of her.

~*~*~*~

“Stop your crying Alexander. Tears never brought back anybody.” His grandmother ordered. She was a stern woman with thin lips and a mouth more prone to frown than smile. Her complexion was creased with wrinkles and her skin, unlike many her age went without the aid of both makeup and Botox. Thin, short, but sturdy, Loire Mulholland was a strong woman. Head of the family business, she reigned supreme as the chairwoman and CEO of a sport’s company. 

Alex blinking rapidly rubbed his eyes red and puffy from tears with his sleeve; he was back in his eight year old body. Below four feet and chubby with a head slightly bigger than his body, fat drops of salty tears worked themselves down his cheeks mixing with the snot streaming from his nose to stain the intersecting baby blue lines of his plaid shirt. He cowered before his grandmother as her hand swept down to pop him over the head in what would be the second attempt to silence him. “You are a Mulholland. Stand up straight and wipe those tears from your eyes.” 

“I’m�"I'm trying…but mom and dad�"” He choked back a sob, covering his mouth with a hand as he wiped at the flow of tears. Squealing he ducked out from under his grandmother’s hand, dodging the blow, he scampered behind the well ironed dress pants of Nicklaus, the grandparent’s assistant manager. Startled, the young man who’d been turning a blind eye to the whole affair dropped his phone.

“Stand tall and take it. You’re a Mulholland; we don’t hide behind the legs of others.” Loire chided, and stooping, dragged her grandson out by the arm, ignoring the gasps, whispers and appalled glances of the passerby’s in the Florida airport. “I’ve got you now…”

Alex, eyes wide, thrashed. “Nick�"Nicklaus!” Twisting and turning, he tried in vain to break her grip.

Ignoring the scene, Eugene, the grandfather, spread out on a bench, book in hand, adjusted his bifocals absently as he continued to read. The six year olds Ayana and her fraternal twin Trevor seated next to their grandfather; bored of watching their older brother’s scolding, began to wrestle. Attention drawn by the twins, Nicklaus turned to separate them.

“Stop your mewling.” Loire seethed and holding the child with a grip like iron she brought down her free hand. Alex squeezing his eyes shut instinctively, tensed, ducking his head in anticipation. The grandmother, however, simply placed her aged palm on his head, gently ruffling the child’s blonde, nearly white mess of hair as she kissed his forehead. “Alexander…child, wipe your tears. You’re a man aren’t you?” Sniffling, the boy nodded rubbing his face on a sleeve. “You’re the oldest, the only example to your siblings so young man, act like it. I know it’s hard; you’ve lost your parents. In one night you were reduced to an orphan. I can’t imagine what you went through on that train nor can I put myself in the shoes of your parents who sacrificed their lives for yours. I won’t ever be able to replace them and I won’t try to. However, you Alex have to stand tall and carry on your parent’s memory, in here.” A manicured finger touched his chest briefly. “You can’t forget them for you are the only link your siblings can grasp onto. They’ll forget, they’re too young to hold the memory but through you, they can imagine. Don’t forget Alex, promise me.” Alex nodded tersely and she smiled. “You are your parent’s legacy, you survived. You’re alive. What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger; I know that for a fact. Why, back in my day�"”

“Don’t bore my grandson with your outdated stories, Loire.” Eugene said turning a page.

“Outdated?” Loire pushing her grandson aside, strode up to her husband. Looking down upon him she smoothed a strand of long white hair behind an ear. “What are you talking about? You’re just as old, you good for nothing, washed up, piece a�"”

Eugene looked up sharply and pushed up the bifocals. “I’m not old.”

Loire pointed at him and laughed. “Take a look in the mirror you delusional fool, those wrinkles mean something.”

Inserting a bookmark into the novel, the old man closed it. “Pah, wrinkles. The eyes are the windows to the soul, woman.”

“Woman?! Why you old f**k�"”

“The appearance is overrated compared to�"”

“To what? Your pruning soul?”

“Pruning?” The old stood. “I’ll have you know the soul never ages. My mind is as intact and functioning as it was ten year�"”

“It’s time to board the plane.” Nicklaus cut in holding Ayana’s small hand in his and dragging their luggage behind with other. 

“Ten years, twenty, thirty, you’re right because as far as I’m concerned you’re still the same pigheaded, mooching�"”

“Bye, bye gran’pa!” Ayana said waving as she passed. Trevor scooting off the bench mimicked his twin. The child’s smile was contagious and Eugene waved back but made no move in their direction. There would be no hug goodbye.

“For heaven’s sake. Say goodbye to your grandchildren, we barely see them twice a year.”

“But they’re that man’s children.”

“That man?” Loire exclaimed. “Oh will you ever�"they’re our daughter’s and that man, was who Isabella married!”

“He was nothing more than a leech.”

“She loved him!”

“He seduced her!”

“You always babied Izzy.”

“At least one of us did.”

“One of us? You did background checks on everyone she came in contact with!”

“Damn right. It’s a father’s duty to protect his children.”

“You tried to choose her boyfriends.”

“And they were worthy of her too. They came from money. Unlike�"”

“That’s why you never gave your permission to Stuart?”

“That money grubbing street rat never could have provided Izzy with the life she deserved.”

“You mean the life you wanted for her.”

“I wanted the best for her! Not some loser playing entrepreneur with only a high school diploma and a s****y part-time job as a burger flipper on the side. He subjected her to a life of poverty.”

“You never even helped him!”

“Speak for yourself, sending presents on the holidays and excluding forgotten birthdays; you’re such a saint having your secretary mail off all those postcards.”

“And now the kid’s parents are dead and they’re orphaned. We can share the guilt.”

“Share the guilt?” Eugene chuckled mirthlessly, dark eyes stony. “Izzy hasn’t even been in the ground a month and you’re already shipping her children off to boarding school. You were never there for her when she was a child and now it’s their turns?” He shook his head. “You haven’t changed…Loire.”

Moments passed, before Loire spoke again, her voice low, livid. “I was the breadwinner for this family.”

“Oh, you still are.” Eugene walked past her, his eyes fixated on his grandchildren, a forced smile on his lips. “And you were a horrible mother all the while.” He tossed the words over his shoulder.

“I dedicated my life. This family would be nothing without me, you’d be�"”

Eugene turned, facing his wife both of Ayana’s tiny hands in his. “You dedicated your life to a company and sold your soul for money. I just happened to marry the right woman.”

Their time cut short, hurried goodbyes were exchanged before Alex, his siblings and Nicklaus acting as an escort; boarded the plane. Looking back at his grandparents before walking onboard, Alex thought them nothing more than an old couple, simply…strangers.

Sitting in a plush seat of the first class across from Nicklaus and his siblings, Alex looked out the wide windows of the cabin. The boy was one of a few passengers, nearly all of them adults appearing to be pushing it past their fifties. As the plane began to roll forward, a thin girl around his age plopped into the seat next to him. Alex, startled, stared at her as did Nicklaus and the twins.

“Hi, I’m Krystal.” She introduced herself, her dark eyes warm. “What’s your name?”

Author's Note

Speak your mind.