" My identity is for me to know and for you to find out, " the man replied calmly.
Seifer gritted his teeth. He hated cynics.
" Why did you sit here all of a sudden? " he asked testily.
" You'll know soon, " the old man asnwered, his eyes twinkling.
Seifer lost all patience. "Listen, old man, I want some time to myself, and I haven't got time to waste on YOU. Why don't you go and be senile somewhere else?"
Far from being angered, the old man smiled gently. "I'll be really quick, so after that you can do whatever you want."
Seifer procastinated for a while before grumbling, "Alright."
The man looked steadily at him, his gaze never flickering. He took a deep breath.
"Seifer, have you noticed that I am not drinking at all?" the man asked.
"How did you know my name? And how would I know whether you've been drinking or not? You were probably in here long before me," Seifer retorted.
"No, I do not lie anymore. I came here just to see how you youths rot away because of activities like this, " the man replied evenly, tactfully ignoring Seifer's first question.
This conversation is going nowhere, Seifer thought. He glared at the old man. "So what? What has that got to do with me? And what do you mean by ' anymore ' ? "
The old man sighed. "You ask lots of questions, Seifer."
"Just answer them," Seifer shot back.
"Seifer, do you want to hear a story?" the old man asked.
"As long as it isn' t Mother Goose, " was the reply.
The old man laughed. "You're a funny one, Seifer."
"Just get on with it, old man!" Seifer growled.
The old man chuckled as he began. "Once upon a time, there was a man named Gunner. He fell in love with a girl named Trisha. They would have married without any problems, but one factor stood in the way."
"I know, her money-loving parents," Seifer muttered.
The man looked taken aback. "How did you know?" he asked.
"You see them in movies.Those movies suck to bits. And continue your story, will ya?" Seifer replied.
The man laughed before continuing. "Yes.Gunner was a poor orphan, but Trisha led an affluent lifestyle. Her parents objected strongly to her courtship. In the end, they did marry, but Trisha's parents disowned her. She was heartbroken, but since she loved Gunner dearly, she stayed with him."
Seifer hummed a little tune. He was obviously bored. "And then?"
"They overlooked one important factor: money. Gunner, as you know, was a poor orphan. Trisha would remain penniless for the rest of her life. So,they lived in a tiny, rundown shack at the edge of Winhill."
"So?" Seifer asked.
"When they had a bouncy, baby boy, they were overjoyed at the prospect of being new parents, but also devastated, as Gunner's job as a garbage collector could not feed two mouts, let alone three."
Seifer started to show a little interest. "What's the boy's name?" he asked curiously.
The old man acted as if he did not hear Seifer. "The boy was blond, like his mother, and had green eyes, like Gunner. He was a bubbly child, but then, Gunner suddenly lost his job, and things became harder."
Seifer's eyes widened."What happened next?"
"Gunner became depressed. Unknown to Trisha, Gunner used to drink. He gave up his habit after falling in love with Trisha, but now it was back. He borrowed money, frequented bars, took alcohol, visited prostitutes, and would always return home drunk. He would beat Trisha up, and even their son sometimes, if Trisha was too weak to protect the boy. Within a few days, the son transformed from a bubbly toddler to a skinny one which cried for food every day."
Seifer stared at the man. "And?"
"One night, Gunner was beating Trisha. Suddenly, she became limp. Gunner became frantic and tried to revive her. But no. She was gone."
"How was she to her son?" Seifer asked.
"Trisha was very protective of her son. She shielded him from Gunner's blows and fed him her shared of the meagre food. I supposed he survived Gunner's beatings because of that . After the son saw his mother dead, he whimpered and ran out of the house. Gunner tried to catch him, but the boy escaped. I think he was around 4 at that time. Gunner did not bother to search for him. He regrets that now, " the man told him.
"Why are you telling me this? Why not the thugs? And what happened to Gunner?" Seifer asked.
The man sighed. " Haven't you figured it out? I'm telling you this because you're soecial to me. I don't want you to waste your life in these bars. Go and get a job. Further your education. Do charity work. Make meaning of your life. If you engage in these activities, you could end up getting drunk and killing someone, and spend the rest of your life behind bars. Gunner escaped a life sentence because thejudge thought he was depressed and suffering from a condition. So Gunner remained in the mental institution for 10 years."
"Do you know this Gunner? What happened to him now?" Seifer enquired curiously.
"Oh yes, he's a very special friend of mine. As soon as he got out of the mantal institution, he worked hard for his living, repaid his debts, and became a good, honest man. But he never knew where his son was. Until..." the man shook his head.
"Never mind that. Before you marry and settle down, think wisely. And save up. Don't spend money endlessly. Money doesn't grow on trees. Seifer, I have a favour to ask of you, " Gunner continued.
"Yeah, what?"
"Don' t do to your future wife what Gunner did to Trisha, okay?" he pleaded.
He clasped Seifer's hand in his and shook it firmly.
Seifer looked at the old man curiously as he made his way to the coatstand and took his trenchcoat. He opened the door. The doorbell tinkled as he closed the door. Seifer then set off in the rain, the droplets hurtling down like tiny missiles.
The old man watched as Seifer plodded his way through the mud. He looked at his right hand, which had a heart-shaped tatto on it. There was a larger tattoo of a jet-black dragon on his back. They were reminders of the distant past; reminders that haunted him about how he had ruined three lives, including his own.
He reached up and brushed away the tears welling up in his eyes. "Goodbye, my son, " Gunner Almasy whispered.
End