Chương 24: chapter 24
It was an uncommon place for him to be at such an hour of the night; seated on the front porch and casting his gaze into the streets. Silence and darkness was all he could see and feel, but there was something more. Oliver could swear that there was something more to what was keeping him up as he fastened his grip around his cellphone.
For the umpteenth time, he glanced at the device, expectant, but also trying his best not to be too expectant. While he had his ego, Vukan undoubtedly had an even higher one and he wasn't quite sure who would win in their current battle. He realized what he had done, but he could subject himself into believing he had done them for the right reasons.
"I am not a piece he can have just because he wants to", Oliver recited to himself. "I don't belong to him because our parents fixed the arrangement".
He might be two years younger than Vukan but he understood what love meant and how effective it was meant to be in every relationship. His emotions still stutter and he hasn't quite gotten to the point where Vukan wanted him to.
Chirping sounds from crickets brought Oliver's mind back to the events before him. The garden looked peaceful and the neighborhood was as silent as a graveyard. It was all going to change in a matter of hours when everyone woke up and set about their daily lives. When that happened, the chirping crickets would be no more, the darkness he felt at ease with and the silence would all be traded for human-induced complications.
"Why do people have to die?" Oliver queried himself with his lips almost trembling.
Had death not been an option, he had no doubt about Bruce Scott still being with him until that very day. He had no doubt about what they shared and it was what made it hard to even buy into anything Vukan was trying to sell. The entire ordeal felt damaged, just as his biological father whose actions had actually set forth some rather crazy reactions that continued to last into the future.
"How can he be so selfish to expect me to leave Bruce for him?" Oliver felt puzzled.
He had explained how close he and Bruce Scott had been before his father made their lives living hell. He had confided in Vukan every step of the way on what they went through and how he was still suffering with nightmares and terrors about his father's actions.
The incidents continued to live with him. They shaped him and they burst to life through certain triggers in his everyday activities.
An instance is when he sees smoke or fires anywhere. The fact he had almost been burned alive still rendered him catatonic whenever he came across fires, regardless of how little they were. Gemma Douglas knew this and would never allow him go anywhere near the cooker in the kitchen when it was on.
I was their way of trying to protect him. It was also how Bruce Scott had tried to protect him before his father made life unbearable for the boy.
"It is over my dead body that you two will have something together!" he could remember Ryan Smith screaming those exact words over and over and again.
The man kept to his threats and ensured he did his best to break them apart.
The mere thoughts of the hardship he went through with Bruce, just to fight for their love and their right to be alive, cemented Oliver's resolve about not wanting to forget the boy. The boy, frail in frame, young and heart but pure of soul and mind, had stool up to Ryan Smith every single chance he got. He had laid down his right to love so eloquently at times that Oliver couldn't believe he was blessed with dating such a man in such a young body.
Yet, it didn't deter his father from being abusive towards the both of them. Instead, the man ramped up his abuses. He would mentally abuse them and profile them as animals of the worst kind. Just the thought of what they had to endure brought Oliver into tears. The sight of Bruce constantly moved to tears while he fought for their love brought Oliver to wail.
His sobs traveled through the silent night from the front porch where he was seated. He didn't care if anyone heard him. He didn't care if they woke up as a result of his discomfort. All he wanted was for Bruce Scott to come back to him.
Normally, on such nights when he felt lonely and wishful, he would go to the river to make his wish and flip his coin, but not tonight. He wasn't going to head over there with the prospect of Vukan lying in wait to see if he was going to show up. The drama would give him more headaches than he could chew aspirin for and he would rather avoid that.
"I have the right to be happy", he told himself. "I have the right to accept what I want and deny what I don't".
He couldn't blame Vukan or even accuse him of not understanding what it meant to have been loved by Bruce. He couldn't blame someone who couldn't relate with any of the hellish situations he had to face in the hands of his own father because he was gay. He figured Vukan had a rather healthy relationship with his folks, coupled with being spoiled as the rich kid he was.
"If it ends, then I guess it ends", Oliver sighed before slowly getting up on his feet.
He felt for his parents though. They were his major concern. Having to dash their hopes of having their son wed their close friend's son wasn't one he was sure his father would be able to take. Yet, he was one he was willing to make do with if need be.
No sooner had he locked the front door behind him when he heard someone clear her throat. "Mom".
"Where do you keep sneaking off to every night?" she asked in a concerned tone.
He thought about telling her the truth, but the truth would only set some misery free in the house.
"I thought I heard something outside", he lied. 'Sorry".
Gemma shook her head. "Are you having nightmares again?"
Oliver wished what was going on with him was simply nightmares. He would handle the nightmares better than the hurtful reality befalling him.
"No, mom", he replied. "I told you I heard something outside and went to check it out".
The excuse was lame and quite stupid but he was sticking to his guns.
"Okay dear", his mother said. "I am quite glad you aren't suffering those disturbing nightmares any longer. It seems having Vukan to spend your time with has a good impact on your mind".
Their delusion made him cringe, but he was glad they had something to believe in. He waved her goodnight and headed for his room, before feeling the woman yank him closer and wrap her arms around him in an unexpected manner.
"I love you… you know that?" she asked. "I am also glad you and Vukan have been able to connect, because this means a lot to our families".
The last sentence came with the pressure Oliver had felt from the start. It felt as if someone added additional weight to his shoulders and even while he managed a smile as he eased off from his mother's grasp, he wanted to tell her the truth. He wanted to tell her everything, but it was hard. It was harder breaking their heart than when he had to struggle through pain alone.
"Goodnight", he muttered before slamming his room door shut behind him.
There was nothing good about the night. In fact, he wondered if there was ever going to be anything good coming through in the week that was bound to follow. Glancing at his phone with the temptation to text Vukan, he turned it off instead. His ego wouldn't allow him, just as he was sure Vukan's ego wouldn't permit him either.
He figured they both had to live with the consequences of their actions.
***
Vukan rolled on his side and managed to sit up with his head faced down and an enormous amount of strain being placed on his neck. He was groggy and still needed more sleep but for some reason, his parents had come to knock on his door about three times already.
"Don't these people ever sleep?" he asked himself.
Since it wasn't a school day, considering he had just graduated, he wondered why they couldn't just give him the time he needed to be by himself. His cellphone soon began to ring, with the ringing tone bringing him a headache while he desperately struggled to locate where the phone was ringing from.
"Get down to the living room. Your mother and I have something to tell you", his father's words were sharp and precise.
He wasn't being given any option to remain back. He had to be down and promptly too.
"Why me?" he asked himself while he struggled to locate some pants.
Had he not handled his phone for the phone call, Vukan wouldn't have known it was precisely eleven already. Memories of when he slept eluded him, while he still struggled with how he had fallen asleep. To the best of his knowledge, he was brooding over Oliver and that was it.
"Ouch!" he exclaimed upon standing on his feet.
The seeping pain from his foot reminded him of the damaged mirror and how he had cut himself.
"One more pain, thanks to Oliver", he thought before shaking his head in dismay.
He managed to get his pants on and slapped on a vest, before limping out of the room with endearing pain. Each pain reminded him of ways Oliver had hurt him and how he needed to get over the boy fast.
"Is that pancakes?" Vukan sniffed the air in acknowledgment of the tasty aroma flying around the entire house.
His mother made pancakes when they had something fun to discuss as a family. Pancakes had become their household snacks and it brought some warm feel to his otherwise cold belly. His thoughts managed to thaw for a moment and he comforted himself as he approached his parents, wincing slightly and doing everything he could to hide the fact that he had injured himself.
"Glad you are down", his mother chuckled excitedly before waving him over to sit at the dining table.
"What is this all about?" Vukan asked.
His mother shared a rather childish chuckle with his father before she looked back at him. She handed him a plate of pancakes with four slices already smeared with syrup just as he liked it.
"Well, since we couldn't quite get anything done for you yesterday on your graduation, we came up with something for today", she explained excitedly.
Vukan had managed to stuff some of the pancake into his mouth before his mother explained and it prompted him to stop for a moment. There was something about them trying to surprise him that left him uneasy. Their idea of springing a surprise on him would often come with issues and he was quite skeptical about smiling or even letting off a positive response just yet.
"What?" he blandly asked.
Henry Adamson nudged his son playfully, "Come on. Give your mother some credit. She really did her best to come up with everything she is about to tell you".
Agatha Adamson blushed at her husband. "Aaaw… it is so sweet of you honey, but since we thought about this together, we are sharing the surprise with him as one".
Vukan was undoubtedly becoming weary and his appetite began to dwindle too. He let go of the second pancake he was trying to devour and leaned his back into his seat with his arms folded. The room fell silent for a moment but Vukan could perceive thoughts being etched between his parents.
"Well, you know how we always fought with you over never finishing anything you start?" his mother began by saying.
Vukan had no reason to dispute their claims because it was right. He never really managed to see things he started till the end and it was beginning to affect him as well after a while before he enrolled into Caldridge School of Art .
"Well, we were absolutely astonished to see you graduate yesterday and thought you duly deserve a gift", his mother added.
Vukan's eyes widened and he sat uprightly in his seat. The last gift he had gotten was a year ago and it was his console which sadly, was damaged by his father in their issue some months back. The man refunded him though and he got another one, but that was as far as gift getting went for Vukan.
"What did you get? What did you get?" Vukan sounded as excited as a kid would at his birthday party.
Henry Adamson looked at his wife with approval before Agatha Adamson brought out a lengthy and quite compact box she had been holding underneath her table for quite some time.
"What is it?" Vukan asked without wanting to unwrap the gift just yet.
His mother giggled and replied, "Open it yourself and see".
Different thoughts on what could be raced through Vukan's mind. He wondered if they got him a drawing kit or maybe something remotely close to his art.
"Oh my… !" Vukan paused as he struggled to complete his sentence.
It was his dream watch; a ten thousand dollars piece which he had secretly clamored about for some time. It was a limited collection and he wasn't even sure it was still in stock.
"Where did you get this? This costs a fortune", Vukan expressed his gladness by holding it up for them to see.
"I'm glad you love it", his mother noted while her husband simply smiled where he sat.
"Go ahead and try it on", his father encouraged.
Vukan, too pleased with the gift, couldn't seem to get the calm needed to focus on trying the watch on by himself. He handed it to his mother who was more than willing to be a participant. The watch was finally on his wrist and it was a perfect fit. The diamond crusted surface made it look even more worthy, while seeing his initials specially engraved into the watch almost brought Vukan to tears.
He raced around the table to give both his parents tight hugs before settling back into his chair. It was the closest he and his father had managed to be for some time.
"You made us proud by graduating and we promise to always support your endeavors however we can", he promised Vukan while he grinned happily and proudly. "I'm even more prepared to change your entire drawing tools when we have the time to go shop for them".
Vukan could barely believe his ears and he slowly leaned backwards into his seat. The man had refused to buy him any more art tools because he simply didn't trust in his son concluding his program. It had been one big battle between them and the strain had remained for quite some time. Vukan had had to save up to buy the tools he needed through his personal cash.
"Yes… Yes. We are proud of you", his father added. "I never would have thought your tempter, constant bickering and desire to quit things fast would disappear into proper morals for the past few months".
Vukan felt proud of himself too, and continued to admire his watch without paying much attention to his parents until he felt his mother tap him slightly on his arm.
"Well, since you like the watch as a surprise gift, you will love this too", she said before handing him an envelope.
He couldn't believe his ears and eyes; there was more.
Tearing through the envelope without care, Vukan gasped and almost swallowed his heart as he looked at the exquisitely printed lunch invitation card with the name of the most expensive restaurant in town printed atop it.
"What!? You had this and still allowed me to fill up on pancakes?" he asked.
His parents burst out laughing while Vukan couldn't contain his excitement.
"Well, the reservation is for four later in the day and I'm sure you'd be fine to eat by then", his mother noted.
He weighed her words and thought of how right she was, before sitting back on his chair and taking some more bites from his meal.
"It says reservations for six", Vukan looked up with a quizzical expression sprawled across his face. "Who are the other three coming over?"
"Well, that was meant to be another aspect of the surprise, but what the hell?" his father chimed in as he rested his elbow into the table. "To celebrate the joy we all have been sharing as a family, we invited Peter and his family over".
The name "Peter" felt as if something had been caught in his throat. His hands began to shudder with the reservation card in it, while he could barely give a response to his father.
"So, what do you think?" Henry Adamson asked his son. "It is pretty slick ugh?"
Vukan managed to do what he could; nod his head, excuse himself as he left the card behind, and head for his room.
"I think he was so surprised and happy that he has gone to prepare already", Vukan could hear his mother giggle with her husband.
Vukan just realized he had been buttered up before they let out the bad news. Granted they didn't know what was ongoing between him and Oliver, it was still hard to think he would be forced to dine with Oliver and his family in a few hours' time. Angry and confused after seeing how happy his parents looked about the prospect of them having a joint lunch, Vukan felt lost.
He fell into his bed and wished the day could simply rewind. He didn't want to see Oliver… not yet anyway.
Quà tặng
-- Nhận quà Tình trạng nguồn điện hàng tuần
-- Xếp hạng
Quyền lực 
-- Đá
Quyền lực