It was a warm sunday afternoon in the neighborhood, the faint sound of cars passing through the streets was heard, but nothing else. It wasn't as tough as it had been years ago, but it surely isn't a family neighborhood.
The Curtis house was filled with the sound of little giggles and smelled like clean clothes mixed with woman's perfume, making it sweet and comfortable to anyone that walked through the door.
Darry was sitting on the infamous recliner, reading the newspaper, something about the economy and things that made him wish he could've gone to college, so maybe he could understand better what was happening in the world and all these words he wished he'd known the meaning of. He sat there making the effort to understand everything he could. But these big words on the economy section just confused him more, but he wasn't going to give up at all.
Waiting for the day to be over, and continuing his reading Darry started to hear the sound of little feet stepping on the wooden floor and giggles became closer and closer. Michael, aged 4 loved stomping on things as much as could in his room, but not only in his room but anywhere he could.
Darry couldn't help but laugh at the way his little kid acted, reminding him of the years himself and Sodapop would complain about Ponyboy making noises around the house. They actually complained so much about it, that their mother scolded them for about an hour, telling them how it wasn't good to tell a little boy that making noise is annoying and makes people upset. But even with the tries of their mother of making the baby boy be loud again Ponyboy became the calm, shy and quiet boy he was known as, and never was again the full of energy little boy he used to be.
Oh how he missed his brothers.
He missed Sodapop, how he would just be happy most of the time and had this superpower that made him able to understand Ponyboy at all times, even when he was too stubborn to talk about anything. Or how he could calm their little brother's nightmares, and make everything a thousand times better in the eyes of Ponyboy just with his presence, thing Darry was never capable of.
If only he had been there 12 years ago on that horrid day that made everything they've struggled to hard to build, fall down in an instant with no way of making it up again.
But if he had been home, that day wouldn't make sense at all, and they'd be happy but most importantly, together.
Darry felt a pang of guilt on his chest, he continued reading the newspaper, looking for something else to read, something to make his mind forget at least a few minutes about that day. He resumed his reading in a few seconds, forcing himself to concentrate on the words printed in the paper.
The sound of his wife's voice calling him to come and play with their son soon reached his ears, making him stand up and leave the newspaper in a little table next to the recliner and walked towards his little boy's room.
''Hey there little buddy!'' He said to the little boy sitting against the wall, with a racing car in his hand and a huge grin on his face. His reddish brown hair came in view, same with his green eyes looking at him.
He looked exactly like his baby brother, but had so much energy and happiness inside him that he reminded him of Sodapop, or the little Pony only he remembered, doubting Sodapop might've kept that memory of Ponyboy always laughing and running around the house.
''Daddy, d'ya want play with I and momma?'' Said the little toddler a smile still on his little face and green eyes shinning with so much love and happiness this little boy had inside of him while looking at his father, who on his eyes was capable of making everything alright and incapable of making mistakes.
''Of course I want to!'' Darry said and kneeled in from of his son, setting himself next to him and picking up one of the six colorful cars the little boy had.
His wife, Audrey, just stared at them with a smile on her face, happy with herself and her husband, but after a few minutes she stood up and walked to the kitchen to get dinner ready for them three.
Darry played with the cars for a little while, making car noises which only made his son laugh and tell him the correct way to do it, which resulted in a tickle fight and loud laughs from both his son and him.
''Darry! Could you get the door for me?'' His wife called from the kitchen, the sound of something cooking in the background ''I can't leave this''
''Sure, wait here little man'' Darry said to both his wife and son and walked to the door and through the small neighborhood.
He wondered who would knock the door at this time, normally Two- Bit would come over earlier, and he never knocked the door, so at this time and the knocking made Darry wonder who would probably be. He took his time, walking slow on purpose just to annoy her, making Audrey hurry him up and laugh.
But as soon as he opened the door, breath he didn't know he was holding left his mouth and he stared wide eyed at the man right in front of him.
He was just as tall as him, he had a strong figure and looked like a tough guy, but it wasn't until he saw his eyes that he realized who the man was.
''Uh, Hello Darry'' The man said and smiled a shy smile.
''Soda?'' He asked hopelessly, What the fuck is going on. He couldn't be him… his body was buried around 7 feet under for god's sake! He's next to his father, asleep in that ever lasting dream they all knew he wouldn't wake up.
Darry was instantly wrapped his brother in a hug and felt the sting of tears coming to his eyes, shock filling him. It had to be a dream, his brother was dead, he read the letter himself, he was the one that did the arrangements for his funeral.
But then the thought came to his mind. He never had the guts to see the body, he couldn't make himself do that, and there was no way he'd let sixteen year old Ponyboy do that. It would break him even more than he is.
If only he knew Ponyboy was already broken at that moment.
He didn't know what to say, so he just held him for a long time, waiting for him to say something, because he sure as hell not was going to be the first say something, what if it was all just a dream and as soon as he talked he'd wake up?
Nothing was heard in the house, or at least both of them thought so. They held each other in a tight embrace, both looking for the right words, but neither of them found them.
''Darry, where's Pone?'' Sodapop suddenly asked. Separating himself from the hug and take one look at his older brother, who looked way more older than he remembered, but still had that faint look of the 22 year old that he remembered.
Darry opened his mouth to say something, he had to tell him, but was cut short by his wife calling his name.
''Darry honey, who was it?'' The blonde woman said from the kitchen, followed by her steps coming to the living room, where they stood.
Sodapop felt a smile growing on his face while looking at his brother ''You got married?'' He mouthed with excitement and happiness for his brother. Darry just shrugged with a faint smile.
The woman stopped short on her tracks and looked wide eyed at Sodapop, recognizing him immediately from the pictures hanging on the walls, old pictures from Darry's teenage years and childhood. Photos he's make up stories for his son, telling him he had two uncles that loved him very much and were on a long trip, but one day would come back and take him out for a day in the park. Michael asked each sunday if it was the day they'd come back.
Darry feels his heart break every time he tells him, not yet but maybe next week.
''Darry, wait... wasn't he.. what?'' Audrey said totally confused, breaking his thoughts. She looked pale and about to faint, Darry walked closer and reached out for her, but she shook her head and made him a look he knew very well.
Introduce me. It said
''Audrey, this is Sodapop'' Darry simply said, making a mental note to tell his wife he was just as confused as she was if not a bit more. ''Sodapop this is Audrey''
Sodapop held out his hand and waited for her to shook it, not sure if it would be okay to kiss her cheek. They shook hands and he smiled at her, smile that was returned from her lips.
''I should just go with Michael'' Audrey said ''Dinner's ready if you're both hungry...'' still confused she walked back to the little boy's room, knowing how Darry would like ot be alone with his brother.
''Who's Michael?'' Soda asked, recognizing his little brother's name, and hoped for some reason that it was that Michael that was in that room.
''My son'' Darry replied, he tried to make answers as short as posible, not trusting himself if this was just a dream or reality, not wanting to wake up from this.
''How old is he?'' Sodapop asked again, curious to know about this little boy that was, apparently, his nephew.
''He's only four, but he's just always running around so fast that you might think he's older'' Darry answered with a smile forming on his face while talking about his son. He was a blessing in his life.
I will not screw up this time when he becomes a teenager, I will not.
''He sure is!'' Sodapop laughed. ''Why Michael? Because of Pony?, He must be thrilled! Speaking of Pony, where is he?'' He bombarded with the questions, they came out of his mouth before he could stop them. But soon regretted them after the look on his brother's face.
Darry felt like a tons of bricks just fell on his stomach. He opened his mouth but words just wouldn't come out.
''Darry, is he okay?'' Sodapop said as he noticed the look on Darry's face after mentioning Ponyboy, his mind couldn't help but think of the worst. That his little brother was dead and he wasn't going to see him again. Dead. Dead. Dead.
Thousands of scenarios filled his mind, posible things that might have caused Pony's death full filled his mind in a matter of seconds. Was he drafted to Vietnam? Was he killed in a car accident? Did he drown? Did he commi- His thoughts were interrupted by his brother.
''He's... okay, I believe'' Darry chose his words being careful.
'What do you mean you believe? You don't know it for a fact?'' Sodapop started looking for answer, he couldn't help but feel this anger inside of him for not coming before. He was a coward for waiting all these years, a coward for not wanting to face his family, scared they might get mad at them, that they wouldn't accept him. Now that he was home he realized how stupid it was.
''Soda, let's go for a walk'' Darry said and walked to the door, Sodapop right behind him and desperately dying for answers about their little brother. ''We need to talk''