Chapter 3: Gold and Silver

“Watch where you’re going, Loser!” A year older student shouted at me as I stumbled down the ground. My cheek kissed the school’s dusty pavement and immense humiliation rushed my thoughts as I overheard other students laughing at me. These embarrassing moments made me wish that the earth would swallow me whole on that moment and vanished, escape from facing more humiliation. I was busy watching my cellphone as I accidentally bumped into him. He was one of Lance’s basketball mates and one of the known bullies. He was Alexander Price, the son of a Lumber magnate. One of the famous students at school.

He loved to bully especially guys like me who do not fight back and were a little bit scrawny, non-athletic, and of the intelligent ones. Seemed to me that we are the type of kids having an individual bubble, conspicuous to everyone, that would deflect praise and socialism.

“Am I going to call an ambulance for you, kid?” He added to the mockery as I collected my scattered things on the pavement. That moment made me want to punch his face so hard that he would sleep. But the highest probability was I will end up kissing the pavement again from a punch in my face. Physical-wise, I am too far to be called a challenge. No known sports, scrawny, and no hint of confidence in situations like these. Guys like me would simply let this slide and devour the embarrassment.

“Sorry, Alex.” Fear conquered me. I even smiled at the jock. He bleakly smiled at me.

“You are lucky I am in a good mood today,” Alexander whispered with his face close to mine.

His physical being, his confidence, and his fame intimidated me and gave me imperceptible quivers to my body. I did not want to escalate the situation as not to invite more students to augment more of the embarrassment.

We parted ways and as I head home, anger embraced my mood and it carried me towards home. I grumbled faintly as I stepped inside the house. My mother noticed it but she continued with the chores. I slammed myself into our living room and sighed heavily.

She glanced at me alternately and seemingly wanted to speak something. She was neither smiling nor had a good mood but she was strangely preparing three different dishes for dinner. I was not used to seeing three dishes in one sitting for only the two of us.

“What is the occasion, mum?” I asked.

“Your father will visit you tonight, remember?” She confirmed.’

“I do not want to talk to dad, mum. I am not in the mood.” I said. She glanced at me and she noticed a little dust stain in my white uniform.

“What’s wrong, son?” Her voice with a hint of concern.

“No, nothing mum. It's no big deal. I just tripped.”

“Be careful next time.”

‘Knock. Knock. Knock.’

I knew who it was. I loathed to even look at his face. But this endeavor I need to endure just not to add more stress to my mother. I had to tolerate my father’s presence for a month.

I opened the door and as expected, my father Erik Mason, was at the door. His face changed, wrinkles added to the corners of his eyes and fine creases along his forehead. His face told a mysterious meaning but wisdom stood out that fits the definition of his face. His body built was lean and strong looking, which manifested in his upper body form.

He wore a long coat and with him was an attache case. He smiled at me genuinely. “How are you, son?”

I gave him a slight indifference, evident on my face. I did not answer but I turned around and left the door open, a cue for him to go inside.

He stepped inside and greeted my mother. She responded with a faint smile. “How are you, Angela.”

“I am good. Why don’t you leave your things on the couch and let us eat dinner?” She invited.

“That sounds good.” He replied.

We proceeded with dinner and it was silent for a short moment. My father broke the ice and said, “How is school, son?”

I did not glance at him and continued looking at the plate but replied, “It is, ok.”

“It is good that you availed the scholarship. USC is a good school. Your mother told me that you took yup an Engineering course.”

“Yes,” I answered apathetically, did not give a hint of inviting conversation.

“It saddened me son that I was not able to come to your birthday celebration. But a promise is a promise. A gift at your 18^th birthday.”

I continued chewing my food and not provided an effort to answer all his babbling. I saw my mother and father looked at each other, a bit concerned with me. I did not care at that moment. I was not even in a good mood going home from what happened earlier at school. I hated my father, for him leaving and left us with no money to at least enjoy slight luxuries in life.

I intended to finish my dinner faster than them and I went upstairs to my room. I remained silent for almost all the time during dinner and fended off my father’s efforts to jolt a meaningful conversation. I hurried into my room and slammed my body on the bed.

I stared at the ceiling and bitter memories of my father entered my thoughts. My mother’s sad face frequents my mind as I drifted to the time that they are arguing and fighting. The reasons for their arguments were still oblivious as of the moment.

Footfalls evident outside my door and I knew my father visited us for me. He knocked three times and said, “Son, can I come in?”

I had no choice, all I think about was my mother. I answered, “Yeah, it is unlocked.”

He went inside with the attache case hanging from his right hand.

He gained gentle strides towards the room and sat on my study chair. I sensed that he hesitated to have walked inside my room. I did not glance at him and continued to stare at the ceiling. It was such a long time that he entered my room, I missed those moments. But I did not want it to be obvious in the expression on my face, instead I stared at my Star Wars poster on the wall.

“Listen, son.” He said softly, “I am sorry for leaving you and your mother. My life is complicated and your mother knows it.” I did not seem to care for whatever reason that he might say but I have to endure this moment for my mother.

I just nodded but my eyes were still fixed on the poster.

I saw his sincere face, with his gentle approach, at my peripherals. At some point, there were things I did not fully understand but with an age like mine, I did not care to know the reasons.

He started to lift the case and placed it on my study table. “This is the gift that I wanted to give you.”

At that moment, I felt obligated to receive his gift thus I hauled myself from the bed and indifferently glanced at the case.

Its design was modern and it looked classy. It had shiny silver corners and some sort of black padding on its face. He said, “If you want to understand the real reason that I left is that I do not want to endanger your life, son. My line of work is the most dangerous of all.”

I did not know what is my father’’s work even before he left us. My mom told me vague reasons as he worked on a construction firm. But no specific details. I just thought that maybe parents would not give serious matters to a child, like my age.

Finally, I responded, “What is it that you do?” I did not say father to him, it was inconvenient for me to say it.

“You will soon know my son.” He slid a small square cover at the corner of the case and appeared a set of a numerical keypads. He inputted six numbers on it and a clicking sound appeared from the case. It unlocked.

He opened it and there were two mysterious items placed perfectly on sunken rubber padding. A fist-like size gold Pendant attached to a thick gold necklace and a silver dagger. There were writings all over the pendant and the dagger. The writings were unreadable for me. I looked at my father and he was smiling. It did not reach my comprehension of the kind of gifts that my father had shown me. I thought, play station would rather be more formal than a necklace and a dagger.

I saw the delight in his face when I slightly glanced at him and he said,

“It was the same face when your grandfather gave me this.”