Alicia's Revenge: Chapter Twenty-Two
Raymond approached the table and looked at Bosco. " Mind if I sit down, Maurice?" he asked.
Bosco could only nod. The lump in his throat getting bigger by the second.
Raymond sat down and took a sip of his coke. He looked as uncomfortable as Bosco felt.
" Ah, dad, there's a few things I have to say to you. Most of it isn't good. But I figured that I owe an apology for the night of Ma's wake." he began, nervously, as he peeled the lable off the bottle of beer.
Raymond leaned forward, his long arms on the table. " Maurice, I know that I deserve everything you're gonna say to me. I'll listen to whatever it is. I, too, owe you an apology for that night. I never should have showed up there out of the blue. I wasn't thinking."
Bosco was shocked, once again. Did he just hear right? Did his father just apologize to him? He MUST have changed, Bosco thought to himself. He quit drinking and he was apologizing....weird.
Bosco felt his heart tighten. Dammit, he WASN'T gonna cry! Just hearing his father say those things had him wanting to bawl.
He put his head down for a second and cleared his throat. He looked up at his father and spoke. " Dad, I never wanted to talk to you again, but I felt bad for blowin' up at ya and I didn't stop ta think that you might be upset yourself. Uncle Mike told me some stuff about you and ma that I didn't know before. But I can't get over you hittin' on her all the time. I can't stop bein' angry about you hittin' us either. I just needed the chance to say it, cause I can't keep havin' this on my heart. It eats at me day after day and pretty soon I wouldn't be able to handle it anymore." he said, honestly. He looked at Raymond, trying to tell how he was feeling.
He looked like he was gonna cry. His eyes kind of misted and he bit down on his lip and looked away for a second.
Bosco finished his beer and waved to the waitress for another. There was nothing but silence at that table until the waitress brought it over.
"What daya say we take a walk outside?" Raymond suggested, rising from his chair.
Bosco tipped his head back and finished the beer. He was feeling no pain at that point. He got up off of his chair and paid the tab at the bar and followed his father outside.
It was only eight, and it was still pretty hot out. Raymond sat on the hood of his cab and lit a cigarette. Bosco stood a few feet from him, with his hands in his pockets. Ray blew the smoke out of his nose and cleared his throat.
" You know where I was the night you were born?" he asked, as he looked around.
Bosco could only shake his head. His dad was reminescing? This night just kept gettin weirder and weirder.
" I was right here, looking out at the water, just like we are now. I was so happy that I had a son". he said, turning to look at Bosco. " And I went inside and told everybody in that whole bar that I was a dad. I was so proud of you, Maurice. In those days, the men didn't come into the delivery room or anything. Your mother called me from recovery to let me know you were here. I was drivin a cab then, too." he said, a smile on his face.
He continued, his face now ashen. " I know I can never make it up to you, Maurice. I know that I was a bastard. I was so unhappy. Your mother put up with a lot from me. You kids went through so much and I damaged you so bad that I hate myself. I really do. I'm not gonna ask you to forgive me. You either will or you won't. I understand and I respect your decision, whatever it may be."
Bosco watched as his father stood up and approached him. He was terrified of what would happen next. Was he gonna hug him? He cringed. What would he do then? His dad had never hugged him before, and Bosco couldn't figure out why the prospect was scarin the daylights outta him.
Raymond stuck his hand out. Relieved, Bosco took it and they shook. " I'll be waitin' to hear from you. I hope that someday you will let me meet Logan and Olivia." he said, sincerely, a single tear escaping from his eye.
Bosco was dumbstruck. His dad was crying? He couldn't believe the change in him. This was not the man he grew up knowing and hating. This was a kinder, softer version. The kind he always wished for.
He swallowed hard, his chin quivering slightly. He clenched his jaw and then cleared his throat.
" I can't promise anything yet, but I want to believe you dad. I really do."
Raymond wiped the tear stain off his cheek and smiled. " I won't push it. So, you look a little drunk. You're not drivin are ya?"
" Ya. But I'm gonna leave her here and come back in the morning." Bosco said.
" Oh no you're not. Leavin a car here is like open season. Everybody gets a shot. I'll drive you home in your car, if you like and then get another cab to pick me up and bring me back here. No one will touch my car here. They all know me." Ray said, smiling
" Ok. But you better be careful with her. She's my baby." Bosco said, pointing at the Mustang.
" THAT'S your car? Now that is good taste, son." Ray said, grinning. " When did ya get that?"
" I had an accident a couple of years ago. Ruined my classic. That one was from the insurance money. You better drive me home now before I change my mind. The only other person I ever let drive it was Faith. And I had ta let her drive or I'd never hear the end of it." he said, tossing the keys over.
They got into the car and drove toward Bosco's. During the ride, Ray asked him a lot of questions about Faith and the children. He seemed genuinly interested in them. Maybe he had changed, after all.
After Ray had gone, Bosco still stood at the front door, looking out. He couldn't believe that the night had turned out this way. He was really happy and sad, too. They had a lot of catching up to do. Faith was gonna be really surprised when he told her.
He thought about Faith. He missed her and he still felt bad for the fight they had had that day. He decided to call her at the beach house when he got upstairs.
He was looking forward to another shower and maybe a couple more beers to help him sleep good. He walked up the stairs, whistling a happy tune. Life was good.
He had no idea that Alicia had broken into their apartment and was sleeping in Logan and Olivia's bed.
Welcome home, baby.
TBC
Raymond approached the table and looked at Bosco. " Mind if I sit down, Maurice?" he asked.
Bosco could only nod. The lump in his throat getting bigger by the second.
Raymond sat down and took a sip of his coke. He looked as uncomfortable as Bosco felt.
" Ah, dad, there's a few things I have to say to you. Most of it isn't good. But I figured that I owe an apology for the night of Ma's wake." he began, nervously, as he peeled the lable off the bottle of beer.
Raymond leaned forward, his long arms on the table. " Maurice, I know that I deserve everything you're gonna say to me. I'll listen to whatever it is. I, too, owe you an apology for that night. I never should have showed up there out of the blue. I wasn't thinking."
Bosco was shocked, once again. Did he just hear right? Did his father just apologize to him? He MUST have changed, Bosco thought to himself. He quit drinking and he was apologizing....weird.
Bosco felt his heart tighten. Dammit, he WASN'T gonna cry! Just hearing his father say those things had him wanting to bawl.
He put his head down for a second and cleared his throat. He looked up at his father and spoke. " Dad, I never wanted to talk to you again, but I felt bad for blowin' up at ya and I didn't stop ta think that you might be upset yourself. Uncle Mike told me some stuff about you and ma that I didn't know before. But I can't get over you hittin' on her all the time. I can't stop bein' angry about you hittin' us either. I just needed the chance to say it, cause I can't keep havin' this on my heart. It eats at me day after day and pretty soon I wouldn't be able to handle it anymore." he said, honestly. He looked at Raymond, trying to tell how he was feeling.
He looked like he was gonna cry. His eyes kind of misted and he bit down on his lip and looked away for a second.
Bosco finished his beer and waved to the waitress for another. There was nothing but silence at that table until the waitress brought it over.
"What daya say we take a walk outside?" Raymond suggested, rising from his chair.
Bosco tipped his head back and finished the beer. He was feeling no pain at that point. He got up off of his chair and paid the tab at the bar and followed his father outside.
It was only eight, and it was still pretty hot out. Raymond sat on the hood of his cab and lit a cigarette. Bosco stood a few feet from him, with his hands in his pockets. Ray blew the smoke out of his nose and cleared his throat.
" You know where I was the night you were born?" he asked, as he looked around.
Bosco could only shake his head. His dad was reminescing? This night just kept gettin weirder and weirder.
" I was right here, looking out at the water, just like we are now. I was so happy that I had a son". he said, turning to look at Bosco. " And I went inside and told everybody in that whole bar that I was a dad. I was so proud of you, Maurice. In those days, the men didn't come into the delivery room or anything. Your mother called me from recovery to let me know you were here. I was drivin a cab then, too." he said, a smile on his face.
He continued, his face now ashen. " I know I can never make it up to you, Maurice. I know that I was a bastard. I was so unhappy. Your mother put up with a lot from me. You kids went through so much and I damaged you so bad that I hate myself. I really do. I'm not gonna ask you to forgive me. You either will or you won't. I understand and I respect your decision, whatever it may be."
Bosco watched as his father stood up and approached him. He was terrified of what would happen next. Was he gonna hug him? He cringed. What would he do then? His dad had never hugged him before, and Bosco couldn't figure out why the prospect was scarin the daylights outta him.
Raymond stuck his hand out. Relieved, Bosco took it and they shook. " I'll be waitin' to hear from you. I hope that someday you will let me meet Logan and Olivia." he said, sincerely, a single tear escaping from his eye.
Bosco was dumbstruck. His dad was crying? He couldn't believe the change in him. This was not the man he grew up knowing and hating. This was a kinder, softer version. The kind he always wished for.
He swallowed hard, his chin quivering slightly. He clenched his jaw and then cleared his throat.
" I can't promise anything yet, but I want to believe you dad. I really do."
Raymond wiped the tear stain off his cheek and smiled. " I won't push it. So, you look a little drunk. You're not drivin are ya?"
" Ya. But I'm gonna leave her here and come back in the morning." Bosco said.
" Oh no you're not. Leavin a car here is like open season. Everybody gets a shot. I'll drive you home in your car, if you like and then get another cab to pick me up and bring me back here. No one will touch my car here. They all know me." Ray said, smiling
" Ok. But you better be careful with her. She's my baby." Bosco said, pointing at the Mustang.
" THAT'S your car? Now that is good taste, son." Ray said, grinning. " When did ya get that?"
" I had an accident a couple of years ago. Ruined my classic. That one was from the insurance money. You better drive me home now before I change my mind. The only other person I ever let drive it was Faith. And I had ta let her drive or I'd never hear the end of it." he said, tossing the keys over.
They got into the car and drove toward Bosco's. During the ride, Ray asked him a lot of questions about Faith and the children. He seemed genuinly interested in them. Maybe he had changed, after all.
After Ray had gone, Bosco still stood at the front door, looking out. He couldn't believe that the night had turned out this way. He was really happy and sad, too. They had a lot of catching up to do. Faith was gonna be really surprised when he told her.
He thought about Faith. He missed her and he still felt bad for the fight they had had that day. He decided to call her at the beach house when he got upstairs.
He was looking forward to another shower and maybe a couple more beers to help him sleep good. He walked up the stairs, whistling a happy tune. Life was good.
He had no idea that Alicia had broken into their apartment and was sleeping in Logan and Olivia's bed.
Welcome home, baby.
TBC