Gohan is finally going to see his father after being away for many years...
3
Gohan stood in the doorway of his fathers room. Goku seemed to be sleeping at the moment, so he tiptoed quietly into the room and knelt down beside the futon his father was sleeping on. Gohan stared at his father, taking in every line in his face, every bulge of muscle on his arms and shoulders, as if to burn the image of his father into his mind so he would never forget him. Goku hadn't outwardly changed much despite the many years he had lived. He was still a big man whose muscles looked as if they had slightly outgrown the skin that covered them, but his great main of black hair was now lightly streaked with gray. The lines around his eyes betrayed the fact he had lived a long life. Most of it was pleasant, some not so. His body inside however, was a complete train-wreck. The broken ribs, twisted knees and elbows, and his spine cracked in too many places to count. He never did show the pain though, he had only slowed down in the past few years. All of his battles now were verbal ones with Vegeta about whose turn it is to have the other one over for dinner and where to plant the new rose bushes in the garden. These usually ended with Vegeta turning his back on Goku and mumbling "Idiot!" under his breath. However, Goku's hearing was still good, so he would always yell "I heard that!" and Vegeta would snicker to himself because he had managed to irritate Kakarot once again.
"Hi, son," said Goku quietly. Gohan jumped slightly because up until that moment, he had been lost in his memories of his father.
"Otousan!" said Gohan and he bowed in his kneeling position until his forehead nearly touched the floor.
"Gohan, stop that," chided Goku, "sit up and talk to your old man!"
"Sorry Dad," replied Gohan sheepishly.
"I'm glad your here, son," said Goku, "How have you been?"
"Fine, I..." Gohan hung his head slightly, "I'm sorry that I haven't come to see you more often. I've..."
"Gohan, stop feeling guilty now," said his father, "Your a very busy man; and besides, I've had plenty to keep me busy as well. Somebody has to look after the grandchildren you know. Vegeta and I have started their training and I think a couple of them have promise. Oh, and I also have the garden in the back."
"Garden?" asked Gohan, tilting his head slightly and looking surprised.
"Why, yes," replied Goku, "I started it just after Krillin died. Marron said that some people planted flowers or trees to remember someone they cared about. So one day while I was out, I saw this rose bush, a red one. For some reason it reminded me of your mother. So I brought it home. The next thing you know I had a pink one for Krillin and a yellow one for Master Roshi. Now I'm up to my neck in rose bushes."
Gohan smiled. He just couldn't imagine his dad planting flowers. It definitely brought a strange picture into his mind.
"Oh, and you'll never guess whose been helping me out with it either," said Goku, "It's the least likely person you could imagine."
Gohan quickly ran down the list of people they knew in his mind and couldn't come up with a name...wait!? He looked at his father with a surprised expression.
"Yeah, that's right, Vegeta!" Goku laughed, "One day he came by to see if I was ready to start another training session with the kids and found me in the back yard."
"Your kidding!" replied Gohan. This brought an even stranger picture to mind.
"No, not at all," said Goku, still laughing. "At first, he thought I had lost my mind because I was down on my knees, covered in dirt, but after I explained what I was doing, he said that he was sure I had gone crazy. Before I knew it, he was coming over every day and critiquing my work."
"Sounds like Vegeta. Like he knows anything about roses," sniped Gohan.
"That was my thought exactly at the time," replied Goku, "and I also thought he might be using it as an excuse to get out of the house for awhile. However, that wasn't the truth at all. Turns out he's pretty good at it and as things always turn out the way you least expect them to, he and I have become best friends. Although, he would never admit that to anyone."
Gohan chewed on this new piece of information for a few moments and said, "Well if there's one thing I've learned growing up as your son, it's that the strangest things can happen when you least expect it."
"I've always believed that people can change if you give them a chance," Goku sighed deeply. He suddenly seemed very tired. He reached out and held his son's hand, "Stay with me while I sleep," sighed Goku, "and when I wake up you can tell me all about your work at the university."
"Yes, father," said Gohan quietly.
The light had begun to fade outside. The western sky had turned a deep pink and the crickets had replaced the bird's song. The breeze through the white curtained window had turned cool and the whole world seemed to be at peace.
Sorry if the characters seem a bit off, but they have changed a bit as they have grown older. I've tried to show they've settled in a bit just as real people would do. Please read and review. Your comments are greatly appreciated.