CHAPTER FOUR

THE REUNION

May 18, 2021

ZACK

“A-Aunt Olive?” I muttered under my breath.

Surprisingly Aunt Olive swiftly dropped the knife on the coffee table in front of us. I just came to notice that I am lying on the sofa in the living room and not in my room.

I felt the tight embrace of my aunt, “I was so scared, I thought I’m gonna lose you.” She whispered. I sighed as I let down my walls, I hugged her back while my boy continued to shake.

“You dozed off and then a while later you were having a seizure, I kept on waking you up but you’re not responding, I thought -- I thought --” As aunt Olive started to hysterical, I immediately touched her face and convinced her that everything was fine.

“A-Aunt, look at me.” I said, turning her head on me, “I’m here, I’m back okay?”

We stared at each other’s eyes before she exhaled, nodded at me and decided to stand up. She turned on the coffee table to grab the knife. My eyes darted into it and realized that I was just being paranoid, because it wasn’t the same knife in my dream. It was completely different.

I let out a sigh of relief, I took my handkerchief in my pocket and hastily wiped my cold sweats on my forehead, “What happened here? I heard you shout.” I was taken aback for a moment when uncle Sam suddenly appeared in the doorway with evident confusion in his face.

I watched aunt Olive twitch in her track, “I-I was preparing lunch and then I heard our son whimpering. And then--”

“I was having a nightmare.” I interrupted. Both of them stared at me, I can’t explain what they’re thinking right now, but all I know is whenever I talk about my nightmares to them they’ll start to act strange. As if avoiding having a conversation about it.

I don’t know why they do that, but I think they’re worrying about money, because we don’t have any enough capability to pay for my therapies. 

“I thought it stopped?” Uncle Sam asked, he swallowed and cleared his throat still standing on the front door.

I avoided his eyes because of his question. It’s almost a month now since I last took illegal drugs. The nightmares seem to vanish whenever I’m taking those, they don’t know that I was taking drugs. They never do anything about my nightmares so I never bother to ask for their help anymore. I seeked help in my own self.

I really thought that it finally stopped because when I quit drugs it never visited me not until now.

*BEEP BEEP*

We all turned our heads on the window when we heard a car honk. I gently stood up, carefully balancing myself on the ground.

I’m sure that Finn and my other friends arrived. 

I didn’t sleep last night because of excitement, we finally all agreed to hold a reunion after months of planning it. And what made me more happy, is because tomorrow is also Finn and my sister Chloe’s birthday. We all planned to celebrate it too on the lake house. Since Finn’s really determined to help me cure my phobia he made me remember to have a vacation on the lake house.

When the black car stopped in front of our house. Finn got out of it and when he saw me he waved his hand on me.

“Oh, there they are!” Uncle Sam automatically rushed outside to greet Finn, completely forgetting our conversation.

I looked at aunt Olive, she just smiled at me as she headed back to the kitchen. 

I start to fix my hair, I'm wearing a red checkered polo and blue jeans at the bottom. I don't have a fashion style so most of the time I just get whatever available clothes on my dresser.

“Zack! Get your ass in here!” I heard the annoying, loud voice of Maddy, I stopped what I was doing as I peered at the window and frowned when I saw her face smiling at me like a maniac.

I immediately took my backpack lying motionless on the ground. I checked the inside of it first, just to make sure that I didn’t miss anything. I just packed a few clothes and brought my wallet and my phone with me. I still can't believe that our reunion is really happening now, and I’m grateful that we are all available on this day.

We’re staying at the lake house for three days. I forgot to ask permission from my grandparents and I am also too lazy to write him a letter plus it will only take a long time to reach him. He doesn’t have social media, for thinking it’s just a waste of time and only destroying the minds of the youths. I even remember how he used to complain about the current rise of technology nowadays and only likes the idea of the existence of television. He still prefers the old ways in his time. 

I sighed thinking about it, but I’m sure that once he sees my face, it won’t matter to him I bring my friends with me as long as he sees his grandson again. That’s how much he cherishes me.

Sometimes, I can’t help but to ask myself what I do to deserve to be blessed by these people who cared for me even for existing in my worst.

As I walked out the house, I stopped for a moment as I watched all my friends talking and making fun of my uncle Sam. Sad to say that we're incomplete, three are not available to join us today. Jaimie who's now a busy businessman that I somehow already expected that he won't be available. Also because he's the busiest of all of us. He's also the oldest and more mature in our group and the first one who builds his own family, he already has three kids.

Liliana couldn't go because she's now in Canada, taking med school.

And Lizzie…Finn's ex-girlfriend. They were just teens when they were together but what they had was more serious than my life. She never told us that she won't make it and she also did not say if she's coming. Anyway, Lizzie is also married now to a rich man named Grey. And they also have a daughter now, so maybe seeing Finn again won't be a problem for her anymore.

I flinched and stopped daydreaming when aunt Olive poked me, and when I looked at her she’s presenting a paper bag to me, “It’s chicken adobo, just heat it when you get there.” She winked at me.

I took it in her hands, and smiled at her. She's the only one who knows where we truly are going. Uncle Sam only knows that we're going to stay at a hotel. I didn't tell him because I know that he’ll disagree.

Before Christmas came last year. I asked permission from him to celebrate our holiday in the lake house. Even when I'm a little nervous at the thought of seeing the lake and seeing grandma again, it still didn’t hold me back from persuading them to go there. But uncle instantly got annoyed and wasn't pleased with what I said. He told me that he's mad at grandpa and doesn't want to see him again. I asked him why but I didn't get an answer, instead he vehemently shut the door of my room in my face.

When I asked my aunt about the reason for uncle Sam’s demeanor towards grandpa, she told me that long before the two had a serious argument and up to now they never reloved it. They're both hard-headed and prideful, she added.

Even with his reason, I still don't get why he's not letting me visit there alone. I don't even care if he won't come with me, I'm old now, I don't need him. Still, grandma is his mother, doesn't he want to see her again? Even though grandpa is just his stepfather I still believe that he must respect him. He has been part of this family for how many years now.

“What are you staring at? Go greet them!” Aunt Olive urged. 

I ran briskly towards them. Maddy noticed me immediately and greeted me with a warm tight hug. She messed up my hair that took me an hour to fix before I dozed off. I flicked her hand away from me but she just laughed.

Maddy has a pixie haircut with red highlights. She's wearing a color grey sleeveless knitted crop top with and black ripped jeans. She has a few small tattoos in her arms in minimalist styles. Maddy has milky soft skin and a nice curvy body. She's still single even with an attractive facade. I think maybe because of her not so good personality. She's a little sarcastic and frank when it comes to giving people her opinions and advice. People always find her personality and attitude offensive. But I can say that it's also her trademark, she's just too honest and some people just can't take it lightly.

“Ya! It’s been a while. Do you still take meth?!” She exclaimed and cackled, she took my bag away from me and threw it inside the car. I felt my soul leave me when I realized that I put the food that aunt Olive gave me in my bag.

"Damn it, Maddy! There's food inside of it!" I yelled and nervously looked back in Aunt Olive's direction. She's still standing at our front door. Her hands are on her waist while shaking her head on us with a visible disapproving look on her face.

"I'm sorry Aunt Olive!" Maddy giggled as she ran towards Aunt Olive and embraced her too. I sighed.

She's close to the two. Aunt Olive was her nanny before, while Uncle Sam was their guard for a while in their house. She grew up in a wealthy family, but she never acted like a rich arrogant person. She never treated us differently than her.

"Don't worry it's all good now!" Jackie told me and I saw my bag placed nicely on the seat.

Jacques is now an English teacher. Sometimes we call her Jackie or Jack. She doesn't care about whatever nickname we call her as long as it's nice. She came out as gay when we were teenagers and already has a boyfriend. She wants to be addressed as a 'her'.

Jackie is wearing a nude knitted baggy sweater and white jeans. She doesn't wear feminine clothes saying that it's not her style. Her fashion is more like the famous Korean style that's on-trend in our country nowadays. When it comes to her behavior she's more like a full-grown woman than other women. She's also a very organized and well-planned person. That's what we admire about her.

She's also one of the most good-looking in our group next to Finn. When she wasn't coming out yet, there were also lots of girls praising and drooling on her good looks. Adults told her before that once he grew up, she's going to break every girl's heart. But fate turned all the tables around.

She has languid hazel eyes that always look tired yet lovely. Her eyelashes are long too, her nose is prominent and imperiously beautiful, her lips are just thin enough. Everything about her appearance will catch someone's eyes.

I entered the car and sat next to Jackie. Whenever I sit next to them I always feel like I'm the ugliest person in the world.

"Wow Zack, I couldn’t believe that you only bought a small bag with you. We’re staying there for three days! Three days!” She shrieked in exaggeration. She rolled her eyes and flipped her hair as if it was ever long. She even took her pouch and opened it and grabbed her shades. She wears it as she took a picture of herself.

"Jackie, you get more handsome." I teased. She annoyingly slapped me on my arm.

"I'm wearing a visible shade of pink lip tint while you call me Jackie, and then you dare to call me handsome?!" She paused, "Anyway, Thanks! You still look uglier than ever." she finished.

I was about to tease her again when I heard Aunt Olive shout while Maddy ran towards us.

"Finn, advance happy birthday! Don't drink while you're driving, and keep your eyes on the road!" Aunt said I saw how uncle Sam tapped Finn on his back as if he's his father.

He does favor Finn in all of us, not just because of his appearance but he's always been amused by Finn on how hardworking he is. That Finn became the breadwinner of their family at such an early age. He has four siblings and even when he's the second one he's the most responsible. Finn also always did best in school, uncle got along with him because when we were younger Finn always helped him in his work. 

He always used to compare me to Finn before but what he did not know is Finn was the most deranged in our group. I remembered how he taught us to lick the bottom of our feet as it tastes good, he said. He also gave us a sealed jar on Christmas before and when we opened it smelled like crap. He gave us his fart. I will never forget that.

"Zack, you look much uglier and thinner than before. I already warned you to stop taking drugs but you won't listen!" Maddy continued when she sat next to me. I raised my hand and gave her my middle finger.

"I told you to stop, what if they hear you. And I stopped, all right?" I whispered in annoyance. She just made a face on me.

"Okay, Let's go!" Finn said when he entered the driver's seat. I just realized that I should've sat there instead of here, now I'm in the middle of these two idiots.

Uncle Sam suddenly knocked on Maddy's window, she then rolled it down. "Just make sure that you're really going to the hotel. If I found you're lying and come home drunk, you’re dead meat." Uncle Sam threatened me while pointing his fingers at me. Maddy immediately rolled up the window squeezing the hand of Uncle Sam. He yelped in pain but soon later he got his hand back.

We laughed and nodded at him. Finn started the engine of his car and drove, we're still not that far from our house when we looked back and saw Uncle Sam raising his middle finger to Maddy. Maddy smiled like a maniac and raised her middle finger back at him.

Minutes have passed. Maddy asked Finn about what he talked about with Uncle Sam. Finn said that they just talked about his current state of life now after getting rid of poverty. Uncle Sam even reminded him to take care of Maddy as she's the only girl in our group. Jackie whined. Even though Maddy is a woman, she's strong that even a man would run away once she fires a word.

We got farther away as I saw the sign ‘You're now living in Demitri City’, it became clearer to me that I'm getting nearer on seeing the lake and the stern face of grandma Debbie again…