Chapter Nine - Home sweet Home

The good thing about weekends is that you have two days to you. You can rest. Travel, stay home, or just came back to your home sweet home.
Why I was driving the way home I felt really strange. Every place I drive by I had been there. I had had so many adventures in that city. Sea Tiger was a small city. Had this beautiful lake in the entrance, and almost in the end of the city you catch the road to beach curve, almost ten minutes from Sea Tiger. I lived there 14 years. And I haven’t been there almost two year. After my mom started dating Carl I haven’t been there lately, not that I don’t like the guy, but my mom had a stressful time with my father. And now that she’d find peace I’m letting her have it alone. But I miss her a lot.
Today was really great. The sun came out and wasn’t so cold. I stopped on Jessie’s pancakes. The best pancakes I’ve ever eat. Seriously I’ve never eat something like those. They must have a secret ingredient.
I bought the best ones. Pancakes with strawberry and chocolate.

About five minutes later I got home. The house looked the same. The green paint in the entrance was just a little old, but the white fence around the house still as usually, shining.
I parked the car, and rang the doorbell.

“Son!” My mom said happy – “I miss you! My Gosh look at you! You’ve grown more!”
“I miss you too mom!” I said and gave her a hug – “Do you think? I believe I got fat…” I said laughing.
“Don’t be silly! Came in son.” She said going inside. The house has changed a little bit, first that had lots of Carl’s photos with mom around the house, and their new cat, Mia. Adorable cat.
The kitchen is the only room that stills the same. My mom walked into my room. And I had a big surprise when I saw it. – “I left it just like you did. So when you came in again you’d have it just like you left it.” She said with tears in her eyes.
“Thanks mom!” I said crying. I gave her a big hug.

After I unpacked my things, my mom and I went to the kitchen to make dinner. Carl’d be home in one hour. And is their routine have dinner at the same time.
My mom told me that Carl gave her a wedding gift. A trip to Paris. Two weeks. She was really happy with it.
I was happy for her too. Finally she found her soul mate.
“But and you son, tell me about you. How’s things there in the store?”
“It’s really great mom! Richard told me that he’ll make me vice-president of the store soon. I can’t wait to see this day.”
“Congratulations son! I’m so proud!”
“Thanks mom!” I said. “Mom, I have to tell you something…”
“What it is honey?”
“I’m dating.”
“Really? That’s wonderful honey!” She said hugging me.
“Thanks mom…,” – I said smiling. I was trying to find a way to tell her that I was gay, but I couldn’t came up with something nice. – “He’s name is Josh.” I finally said after a minute hugging my mom.
“You know honey, I’ve always knew about you, and I love you. And I’m happy that you had found someone. I hope he’s a nice guy.” She said to me, kissing my cheek.
I wasn’t surprised. As I thought, she always knew. But was really nice know that she is happy for me.
I told her all about Josh, and how we met. I told about Joe and his restaurant in the beach. She really loved the idea of meeting him. And after a while Carl got home.
Carl hasn’t change much since my last visit. He still using his dark hair, and he’s green eyes were the same – as if they could change, - the only thing is that his get a little weight.
“Ab, I’m home!” He said loudly after he opened the door.
“Here in the kitchen Carl!” She also said loudly. Maybe they had this thing of scream trough the house, if that was true, was a really weird hobby.
“Dan, my boy!” He said after he saw me – “You’ve grown Youngman!” Again loudly.
I laugh. The next one that says this I would scream. I haven’t grown. Isn’t this obvious?
“You must be forgetting things Carl!” I said laughing to him. “I haven’t grown. I have the same size…”
“Maybe you’re wrong.” He still with the talking.
“Yeah.. MayBE.”

The dinner wasn’t nice; Carl decided to talk about the things that have changed in me. “He now is with this beard, and didn’t had this accent.” He and my mom talked about his topics and when it was finished he started a new one. “And your eyes. You didn’t had those tired eyes boy. You’ve been work till late?” And then I had to explain thousand times. No… no… and NO.
Maybe was me but Carl was a pain in the ass now. Gladly the dinner didn’t last long. As many idiot hobbies Carl had to sleep before eleven. And this include had his bath before ten. I don’t know how mom still living with this idiot.
I left the two talking about me and went to my room. I finished unpacking my things. Grab the phone and dilled Josh’s.
The maid answered the phone and then passed the phone to him.
“Good night my love.” I said to him.
“Good night to you too.” He said with his normal voice. I thought it was a good sign.
“How are you?.” I asked.
“Not ok… I don’t have you here.” He said laughing. I could imagine the crooked smile on his face.
“Don’t worry I will get home soon.” I said laughing. “Now really. Is everything ok?”
“Yeah. I had a little problem yesterday, sorry about the phone thing, I hate when someone hangs up suddenly.”
“Don’t worry, but now is everything ok?”
“Yeah. Was my father as usual…. But tell me. How’s things back home?”
“Strangely… I hate my mom’s boyfriend.”
He laughed so much and then said – “This is natural… Fell angry about that.”
“No. Really Josh. He wasn’t so idiot… His like a retarded. He has his life based on time. He has to sleep before eleven, and eat before seven, and…”
“Stop. Before you have a heart attack.” He said. “Relax. Have a nice night. And you’ll see that tomorrow will be a really nice day.”
“I hope you’re right.”
“I really miss you Dan.” He said seriously.
“I miss you too Josh.”
“Love you.” He said.
“Love you.” I said and then he hang up.


In the morning after boring Carl left to work my mom and I had our breakfast without looking at the clock and I talked to her about Carl’s behavior. She said that he has changed a little bit about a year ago. But that she still loves him.
Even that she hates this strange obsession with the hours.
I told her that I really think this a stupid thing, and that she’d to tell him about this. “Is not heath mom.” I said to her.
She promised to me to talk with him.
My cell phone rang, was Josh.
“Hello Josh.”
“Hello Dan, Good morning!”
“Good morning!”
“Can you make a favor to me?”
“Yeah.”
“Go to the lighthouse and grab a black bag in the sofa upstairs?”
“Yeah, but and what about the key?”
“Have a key under the carpet.”
“Ok. I’ll go there.”
“Love you.”
“Love you too.”

I said to my mom that I’d go to the lighthouse and then we could go to the beach.

I really don’t remember of any bag left in the sofa. I thought.
At least this little escape from my mom’s house was making me good.
See the streets again of Sea Hills was really nice, and I could see the old stores I used to go.
The old video shop, Allen’s, still there. “That bag can wait a little.” I said after I saw Sookie, my old friend. She was in the video shop. I parked the car and walked in.
She hasn’t change much. She still had her short dark hair. Her Japanese eyes still shining, and her big smile, that smile could make you rise up from the ground in a blink of eyes.
“Hello stranger!.” I said to her. She turned her head and then realized who said that. – “I can’t believe! Dan!” She said giving me a hug.
“What are you doing here?”
“You want the truth or just an idiot answer?” I said laughing.
“The truth”
“I’m a fugitive. I escaped from the aliens.”
“Right… Now the idiot answer…”
“I’m visiting my mom.”
“I’ve seen her last week. She looks tired, doesn’t she?”
“Kinda of.”
“I guess you don’t know about me, do you?” She asked.
“What?”
“Wait here…” She said enter into the child session.
Then she came back with a little boy in her arms. “Dan, this is Bob. My son.”
“I can believe Sookie! God. He’s beautiful!” The little Bob must have three years old. Had a long hair and her eyes. Also her beautiful smile.

We talked a little more. And she invited me to visit her house the next night. I said yes.
Today I’d have a normal meal.

I drove to the lighthouse, it was almost ten. The weather changed and got cold. I get there very soon. I parked the car in the same place Josh did the last time.
As he said, there was a key under the carpet. I walked in the house. Oddly was really cozy there.
I got upstairs and had this wonderful surprise. Josh was standing in the bed.
When he saw me, he gave me his beautiful crooked smile. “Why you took so long my love?.” He asked me with a British accent.
“My fault.” I said jumping into his arms. – “I met my old friend, and we started talking. Can you believe she has a child?.” I said kissing him.
“Really?” He said kissing me back. His warm breath was getting me hypnotized.
“Hum…” I said. And continued kissing him. We stood there for a long time.
He looked more incredible handsome as usually. His eyes were so blue and his smile was inviting me to his mouth. His perfume was making me going crazy.
“I wish we could live here forever.” I said looking into his eyes.
“Me too.” He said kissing my hair.
We lay down looking to the roof.
“What you’re gonna do tonight?” I asked.
“I don’t know. I think I’ll go home. Why?”
“Do you wanna come to my mom’s house? It’s really boring there now with her boyfriend.”
“You didn’t said he was a nice guy?”
“He was.” I took a deep breath. – “Now he’s a jerk.”
“What he did?”
“A lot of idiot things. I said to my mom what I think about him and she said she really love him. The strange is that when I talked to Sookie, she said that my mom looks really sad.”
“Strange.” He said.
“A lot.”
“I’ll go then” He said looking at me.
“Really?”
“Yeap!”
“Thanks!” I kiss him.

I stood there a little more and then I came back home. I had to go to the beach with mom.

©Leonardo Martins