6: Sunday Stroll (and fluffy bridge)
Wincing as he heard the crunch of glass under his shoes. Ryo, with his eyes covered, didn't feel at all confident about leaving himself in the hands of this stranger but he didn't really have a choice if he wanted to avoid the alternative. "You're not going to lead me off the edge of the boat, are you?"
In an exasperated tone of voice Dee said, "What do you take me for? Trust me."
Feeling 'terra firma' once again, the blindfold was removed. It turned out to be a slightly overcast day. The harbor breeze circulated the air, clearing the head, and Ryo immediately felt a sense of relief from pressure he wasn't aware he was under.
They walked back to the other end of the pier and looked up and down the boardwalk before looking at each other with blank expressions. Dee spoke first. "So, where do you want to go?"
"This was your idea. Where do YOU want to go?"
"I don't know. Where do YOU want to go?"
/sigh/ "Why don't we just start walking and see where it takes us."
"Sounds like a plan. North or South."
Ryo was losing his patience. "It doesn't matter."
Dee was insistent. "If we get lost, I don't want you blaming me. Let's do Rock, Paper, Scissors."
Ryo was in disbelief, "What the - Okay, okay. 1...2...3... Shoot."
"I WIN! South it is." Dee was ecstatic, as if he had just won the lottery.
"Idiot". Ryo smiled to himself as they started walking South.
For one reason or another they rejected the generic mom-and-pop diners, the crowded restaurants, fast-food joints, deli counters, pizza parlours, bagel shops... they just couldn't reach an agreement until their grumbling stomachs told them they were getting ready to sit this one out all together. They finally settled for the outside food court surrounding the perimeter of Central Park. There were the usual hot dogs and brunt pretzels, but more elaborate feasts were available along with all the necessary sides needed to make a substantial meal.
Ryo insisted on paying for lunch.
Dee objected. "No reason to. You don't need to buy friends."
"That's not it. I just want to thank you for putting up with me." He reached into his pocket when he realized sheepishly "Oops. I forgot my wallet."
"And I suppose that's my fault for grabbing the wrong pants." Dee gave him a huge grin. "Hey, don't be embarrassed, I've got you covered but I won't let you forget this anytime soon, Mr. Rich Man. I think I'll keep your shirt as collateral."
Not wanting this upstart to get the upper hand Ryo said, "Forget it! I'd rather starve," when his stomach loudly protested. They both burst out laughing. Ryo admitted defeat and thanked him for his generosity telling Dee he could keep the shirt because it probably wouldn't fit anymore after it had been stretched.
It was early Spring. A cool breeze was blowing. They sat on a grassy knoll (after checking it first for dog shit and anthills) off the side of the one of the winding paths and watched the world revolve around them. They could see people stretched out on the lawn, young families and homeless vagrants. They could see bikers, runners, and skaters whizzing by. They could smell the horse-drawn carriages lined up on the south end of the park. All these people and yet it was muffled and peaceful, the large trees filtering out more than just the dappled sunlight.
As they were eating their lunch Dee tried to pull his companion out of his melancholy. When Ryo laughed, his whole face had lit up and he seemed to lose 5 years off his demeanor and Dee wanted to see that again.The blonde had displayed a natural innocence, free of artificiality, a rare enough commodity, more valuable than wealth, that Dee felt it should be guarded and protected before this beautiful young man tried to turn himself into something he wasn't.
Ryo was quiet. He was becoming more aware of the way the pitch of Dee's voice soared and dipped in his vitality. Who was this person? This dynamic man had seemed so worldly and sophisticated last night, untouchable, even intimidating, and now he was babbling on like a little boy without a care in the world. This carefree individual had shown him compassion and Ryo started to get lost in his thoughts until Dee would say something that brought him back with a smile on his lips.
Then he found himself shutting himself off and his brow began to furrow with frustration as his thoughts led him down a dark path, 'Because what's the use of caring for someone if they can be taken away?
Finally, Ryo had to ask, "Why are you hanging out with me?"
Though Dee had asked himself the same question, he was startled by the abruptness of the question. 'If I told him I wanted to get to know him better would he think I was sincere or if I told him I wanted to be close to him would he freak out.' It may seem odd but he really wanted to know why Ryo was hanging out with HIM. He said tentatively, "Do I have to have a reason? I assume my references check out. I think maybe we could be friends."
It was true. Since Ryo knew that Dee didn't want anything from him, he was actually able to relax for the first time since... since... he couldn't remember. Black eyes met green eyes as Ryo said, "I think so too." But he still wasn't convinced. 'Why would Dee want to be my friend when I don't have anything he wants'.
Since Dee had done most of the talking, Ryo had already finished his lunch. Seeing his new buddy was distracted and not knowing what he did wrong he decided it was time to move on.
Dee stuffed his litter back into the brown paper bag and wadded the whole thing into a ball before pitching a 3-pointer into a trash bin. He got up and brushed the grass stains off his pants. "Let's get going. We shouldn't keep Mother waiting."
Between the major intersection, the residents lived. There were tree-lined streets with concrete stoops, and small businesses alongside empty store fronts. An eerie contrast to the endless streams of pedestrians and honking cars on the main streets.
The two men were turning a corner when they saw someone ahead of them in a team jacket fast approaching a stooped-over old lady. She was shuffling along with a cane, her head bent down low as though she was deliberately counting each step. Her personal belongings dangled enticingly from her arm. The stocky man couldn't resist the temptation as he grabbed her purse causing the elderly woman to lose her balance and topple over.
The lawbreaker apparantly was not aware that there were any witnesses until he heard the sound of pounding feet rapidly closing the distance behind him. Panic set in and he went tearing down the street dodging obstacles in his path like a linebacker. He soon found himself knocked to the floor after being tackled into a pile of black garbage bags.
"Don't you know Sunday is the day of rest. Shame on you, going after little old ladies." Dee then proceeded to administer his own brand of righteous indignation by pushing the purse snatcher's face into the crud and subduing him as he attempted to escape. "Didn't your mother teach you to respect your elders?" The thief was protesting that he steals old bags but he didn't beat them up.
In the meantime, Ryo had arrived with the victim on his arm. Dee was reinforcing his lecture on the importance of having manners by practically twisting the suspect's arm off. Ryo stopped him by saying "Let her decide what she wants to do with him," and turning towards the elderly female, he asked her politely, "Would you like me to call the police, ma'am?"
Seeing the criminal sprawled out on the pavement, the old lady walked up and kicked him in the side. The more vulnerable spots were not accessible but still... not bad. Everyone present was stunned by her feistiness, the sign of a native NYC citizen.
After ensuring the woman was alright, she thanked them but refused their offers to escort her by whipping out her cell phone from her retrieved handbag and establishing her priorites by first calling her driver and then 911.
None the worse for wear after being sidetracked by their little adventure, they wandered through the unique neighborhoods. They took on the role of tour guides by pointing out various landmarks but not the kind of information one would get from a travel brochure.
They walked past The Five Points area where Martin Scorsese's dramatization Gangs of New York took place. Dee talked about the colorful but notarious crime leaders of that time and how they influenced local politics and law enforcement and the origin of the name "Hell's Kitchen". Hard to believe with a Starbuck's on every corner and the gentrification of former tenements into high-rent condos and Disney replacing the peep-shows in Times Square.
They passed large museums and small art galleries while Ryo attempted to explain the maze of establisments and how they serviced the various genres of creative expression. The romanticism of the bohemian lifestyle of the starving artist. The auction houses and exhibitions, the struggle against commercialization but the constant need for sponsorship and that influence on America's pop culture.
Despite the diverse subjects involving two opposite worlds, conversation flowed easily.
They walked by the speakeasies that sprung up during Prohibition, leading to the rise in organized crime and the establishment of the Godfather and the Family. When the discussion turned towards the operation and methods of the modern mafia into drug trafficking and racketeering, Ryo started to turn the subject. He was worried about how much Dee knew about his past. He had told himself that morning why the hell should he care what people think but somehow he did care of what Dee would think of him. How would he react if he knew Ryo was marked as the son of criminals? The young man was afraid of being rejected again.
As a light spring rain started to fall, the sidewalk kitsch were quickly replaced by more practical umbrellas and ponchos.
When Dee had said they were going to go see his mother. Ryo expected an apartment building or maybe even a nursing home. As he retraced the same steps his Aunt had taken a few days earlier, he didn't expect to face a stone edifice. "What is this place?"
"It's the orphanage I grew up in." Dee gave the side bell a special ring when he heard the buzzer releasing the lock on the gate. As they walked down the narrow corridor leading to the back of the building he could sense eyes upon him and the sound of feet coming from every direction thundering towards them. Dee paused to brace himself before being jumped on and wrestled to the floor by a half dozen kids. There were more but some hesitated on seeing that their favorite had brought along a friend.
Ryo sat down to watch laughing at Dee's struggles and the littlest ones began to climb into his lap, learning from experience that it was too easy to get trampled in the melee when Dee came to visit.
The Mother Superior came in with a smile that seemed to take up half her face.
Dee's voice could be heard from the bottom of the pile. "Be right with you Penguin. I just need to untangle myself from these brats, OWWW, Yes, Richard that means YOU."
"Well, I see you don't need my help," as she turned to beam at Ryo.
Ryo would have gotten up out of politeness if he didn't have two kids curled up in his lap at the moment.
Dee pleaded, "Wait, Peng- I mean Mother."
Having said the magic word, Mother Lane intervened. "All right children let Dee get his breath. There are snacks in the kitchen." The children disappeared as quickly as they had appeared with vows that they would track him down later.
Dee took in a deep breath and released it with a sigh of relief. "Thanks for the rescue, though I could take them all on with one hand tied behind my back."
"I think that's what Michael was trying to do with that necktie from your pocket."
"What! I don't know how you've lasted this long, Mother."
"I built up my stamina chasing after you all those years."
As Ryo watched the loving banter between the two he felt a pang of remembrance.
Dee belatedly recalled his manners after emphasizing them so emphatically earlier that day. "I'm sorry. I'd like to introduce you to Randy Maclean."
"Randy?". The name confused her as it had Dee.
He shook her hand. "My real name is Ryo. I assume you met my Aunt Elena."
"Yes. I'm so pleased to meet you. He always kept me on my toes, that one. I hope he behaved himself but somehow I doubt it. Come on, there are snacks for you two as well."
It was getting towards the end of the day and Mother was preparing for evening services. After playing basketball with the older teens and hide-and-go-seek with the younger toddlers, they finally had a moment to themselves.
They sat down in the back garden as twilight crept in and the street lamps started to turn on.
"This is my home. The one place I could go to no matter how much I screwed up. Where I was always accepted. And it had nothing to do with religion."
"I was found in an alleyway by a police officer named Jess Laytner when I was only a few months old. He didn't have to but he checked up on me almost everyday for fifteen years. Then one of my best friends got involved in the wrong crowd and Jess knew about it. After I found out Jess was crooked, he was killed protecting me because I knew too much. That's when I swore I'd become an honest cop."
"I had to work hard to get my grades up and to make sure I didn't get a juvenile record. I didn't need to get a reputation as a trouble-maker if I was going to go to the Academy. I didn't have the patience to be a top-notch student, I'd rather hit the streets than the books and some people don't give you any slack when they know you're living off of charity. I had my revenge but never on school grounds but either me or one of my posse - don't laugh, yeah I had a posse - would be waiting for them. Beside, you try to avoid parent-teacher conferences when your mother is a MOTHER. I wasn't the only one from the orphanage, of course, but when you see her flapping down the hallway, even the principal quaked."
"Mother helped to raise my tuition so I could attend college and hooked me up with scholarships to pay for my books and room."
Ryo was thinking how it was a study in contrast how tragedy affects people. They seemed to be worlds apart but they shared a past. Dee, who was described as reckless and charity case, had become more serious by obtaining a meaning and purpose in his life. Ryo, who had been serious and privileged all his life, was losing his control and maybe even his sanity. He didn't have a place he could call home and hearing about Dee's ambition was making Ryo feel worse.
He attempted to clear the guilt that had been following him. "I'm sorry for hurting your feelings this morning by telling you to get out."
Dee sensed that Ryo was still unwilling to open up despite hearing Dee lay his whole history open for inspection and an audible conversation was juxtaposed next to an underlying one.
Dee's voice had gotten lower and softer along with the fading daylight. "Do you want to talk about it?" (Don't keep your feelings inside.)
Unable to face Dee, his eyes rested on the floor tile patterns. "No. But you're not as bad as the rest." (I want to be friends with you.)
Dee chuckled. "Thank you. May I see you again?" (I want to see you again.)
"You know where to find me." (I won't look for you. I'm afraid you'll see how awful I've become.)
"Is there a party next week?" (Are you still bent on self-destructing?)
"I don't know how long repairs might take." (Maybe.)
By this time they were nearly talking in whispers as though with little effort the unspoken conversation could be heard. Dee wanted to shake Ryo and tell him that he didn't have to be keep everything locked up. "We'd better go. Best not to be on the street after dark."
Dee had inched forward and was now so close Ryo could feel the puffs of breath on his cheek. They had spent all day together and he had had a good time. Ryo looked up to thank Dee and was instantly locked into his gaze. They felt themselved drowning in each other's eyes. Ryo's eyelids fluttered shut but he didn't pull away.
The caress of the kiss was so light and tender that it tickled and sensitized his skin and he couldn't help but react by opening his mouth. Ryo felt a nibble and a slight sucking on his bottom lip. In all his liasons, he had never felt so... breathless so quickly and he started to tremble. Clamping down on the sensations that threatened to overwhelm him, Ryo had to pull back feeling... not cheap but unworthy of such attention.
In the darkness, Dee's voice floated on the breeze. "Believe me Ryo, I understand. I remember the first time I moved into my own space. There was no longer 6 to a room and I didn't have to hide my treasures. My things belonged to only me. But for the first time I realized that no one person belonged to only me."
Finding himself about to lose it again, Ryo ran away.
TBC.
A/N: I'm glad reviewers like plot and I hope this is different enough to hold interest though the prose can get awkward. I tried to inject some humor but the angst ain't over yet.