Hey guys, here's the second chapter. Sorry it took so long. also i have a poll on my profile, vote please!
Chapter 2
On our last day in Tulsa around noon time, Matty and I decided to say goodbye to everything. Not just people, but places we use to hang out and things like that. We brought Angel along, just for fun. She's still a little to understand some importance in the places Matty and I use to go as teenagers, but at least she could get a little bit of an idea.
We started with saying goodbye to people. We went to Darry and Laura's house first. We knocked on the door and Laura answered. "What are you guys doing here?" She asked. "Just wanted to say goodbye." I told her. She then got emotional. She put her hands up to her mouth so we couldn't see her lips quiver as she started crying. She called for Darry and told him how we were saying goodbye.
Darry took a good look at me and I could tell what he was thinking. He was thinking back to the days when I was his "kid brother". I couldn't even walk home without getting jumped by Socs. I had a mind filled with movies and books and he hated it. We fought all the time until it reached the point where I wanted to run away. Soda finally made us see eye to eye, after that, things went back to the way they were before our parents died. We ended up becoming best friends. We found the loves of our lives and married him. And I went to college, became a writer and learned to stand on my own two feet. I grew up before Darry's eyes and now I was leaving.
He just pulled me over and hugged me. We stayed that way for awhile, he even patted my back. Then Matty hugged Laura. Laura started out as a mother figure for Matty, but as years went by they became sisters. They always talked about the kids and being mothers and wives. Now it was time to say goodbye.
We all finally stopped hugging, but we swapped. I began to hug Laura and Matty hugged Darry. Their kids came running up to see what was happening and Angel hugged them, even James.
"We're gonna miss ya…kid brother." Darry said once we all finished. "I know, we will too. But we'll visit I promise. We'll try and come back for Christmas." I said. "Good."
We said goodbye for another five minutes before we went over to Two-Bit's, where it happened all over again. Angel hugged Mickey especially tight. They've been friends since they were in the play pen. Two-Bit use to joke about them getting married.
At one point Two-Bit nudged Mickey and he ran off. Me, Matty and Angel stood there confused. "He'll be right back." Kathy told us. And he did, with a stuffed Mickey Mouse. He handed it to Angel.
"This is a goodbye present." He said to Angel. She took then hugged it tightly, then hugged Mickey. I looked over at Two-Bit. "Was that your idea?" I asked.
"It was me and Kathy's idea to get a goodbye present for Angel, but it was Mickey's idea to get the Mickey Mouse doll." He explained. "Thank you, Mickey. And Uncle Two-Bit and Kathy." Angel said without me or Matty telling her to first. We said goodbye for a few more minutes.
It was hard to say goodbye to Steve. Not as hard as it was to say goodbye to Darry and Two-Bit, but it was still hard. The two of us had become friends over the years. He really changed his ways after fighting in Vietnam.
Then we went over to Ben's. Ben ended up marrying Hannah, she made him go to Woodstock with her, but he actually had a good time. They have two kids, Georgia and Michael. In high school Ben's sister Ell dated Vic for awhile, but things didn't work out. She ended up meeting a guy name Henry and married him. They moved to Oklahoma City, no kids yet though.
It was also hard saying goodbye to Ben. I still remember the day we first met, when he first came into work. How we were surprised because he was black, and how Matty was unsure of him at first. But the turned out to be a really nice guy and a good friend. His skin color had nothing to do with his personality. I'm glad they got rid of all those segregation laws.
"I'm really gonna miss ya guys. You two were my first friends in Tulsa." Ben said to us. "We'll miss you too, but we plan on visiting." Matty said. We talked a little more before leaving.
Now it was time to say goodbye to some places.
We started with the school, just cause it was the place we met and there was a lot of memories here. Like on Matty's first day and I had to show her around. I always like remembering it for some reason…
"So Madeline…" I started. "Don't call me that. I hate that name. Only adults call me it. Call me Matty." Matty, that was a boy's name but for some reason, it fit her. "Fine then, Matty, I'm Ponyboy Curtis."
"No really, what's your name?" She looked at me like I had two heads. "That's it, I'm not joking, I also have a brother name Sodapop." I said. "Do you have a sister named Bubblegum?" Matty asked. "No, just another brother named Darrel."
"I'd like to meet your parents." She said. "They're…they're dead." I told her. She looked at me. But not the look I usually get from people when I tell them about my parents, this one was different. "Oh. I'm real sorry, Ponyboy. I don't got a mother either." She answered, her voice changed. It went from sounding like Dally…to Johnny. "Sorry. My brother Darrel is 20, takes care of me. Soda's 17, works at a gasoline station, full time." I said. "I just got my old man. I sure don't like him though. This is my sixth time moving." She explained.
"Where'd you move to?" I couldn't help but ask. "All the way on the other side of town. That's why I was late to class, it took me forever to get here. I moved into some house, some old grouches use to live in it. I heard they had a son that died…"
I couldn't believe it. She moved into Johnny's old house. I didn't wanna tell her that though. "Um, I never near there too. A few houses down actually." I said. "How'd you get to school on time?" Matty asked. "My brother, we call him Darry, made me leave for school early. Plus I know a few shortcuts." I didn't tell her I found them running away from Socs trying to start a fight or jump me. "Maybe you could show me them sometime." She said. "Yeah sure. No problem." I answered. It was quiet for a minute.
"Well, Ponyboy Curtis, are you going to show me around this school or what?" Matty finally asked. "Oh yeah, sorry. Well right over there is the Biology lab…."….
I think about that time a lot. It's one of my favorite times I've spent with Matty. We slowly drove by the school and looked at it. "Bye." I could hear Matty whisper. I took one hand of the steering wheel and put it on top of hers.
Next place we went to was the drugstore where we worked with Two-Bit and Ben, or first job. We worked there throughout college too. The only bad memory we have of that place is the time the Socs hit Matty with their car…
"Matty! Matty can you hear me? It's Ponyboy! If you can hear me answer me please!" I could feel tears coming out of my eyes. Don't die, don't die, don't die. "Pony…" She finally answered. Her voice could barely be heard and was weak. "Yeah it's Pony. I'm gonna stay right here till an ambulance comes." I promised her. I could see her trying to open her eyes but she didn't have the strength to.
"I love you." She said. "I love you too, Matty. Please, stay with me." She didn't answer…
But that was really it. And I try not to think about it much. After the drugstore was the drive-in. Now there's way too many memories from that place, even if all you do there is watch a movie and eat a lot of popcorn. There was times we spent with Sodapop or Ben, and one or two times where we kissed through most of the movie, but it was kind of like our special place. We both loved it and we spent a lot of Saturday nights there.
Next was the library. We also spent a lot of time there. And now we took Angel there a lot too. Matty even read her 'The Little Princess' like her mother use to. Hopefully they have some good libraries in San Diego. Then there was the lot we would sit in sometimes to watch a sunset before going to the drive-in. We didn't talk much when we were here, mostly just watched the sunset, and made out. But we were both gonna miss it. And then, there was the spot where we had our first kiss. The log was gone, but I remember exactly were it was and what happened….
"Pony, I can't imagine loosing my parents then two of my friends. You are the strongest person ever."
"Not really." I said. "Yes really, You are strong and caring and…gold." I took a real good and strong look at her. Even with the moonlight I could see the beautiful gold color in her hair. She was really beautiful. Even with the tear marks on her cheek and only some night clothes on. "You're golden too." I whispered.
Then we kissed. My first real kiss. It was perfect. For the first time in a long time I felt like nothing else mattered anymore. I found something golden.
And I know Matty remembers too. Someday, we'll tell Angel about it, and the twins too. And we'll let them know that me and Matty will be in love, forever.
After that we went through our old neighborhood. We pointed out everyone's houses. "That was my house when he was kid. I lived there with Uncle Darry and Sodapop. And Mommy and even Aunt Laura for awhile." I told Angel when we drove by our house. Then we drove by one that still pains me to see. "That," I started. "Was Mommy's house for a little bit. Before that it was my old friend's….his name was Johnny." This was my first time telling my daughter about Johnny.
"What happened to Johnny?" Angel asked. I wanted to answer her, but I just couldn't. Matty did for me. "He went to Heaven, to live God and your grandparents and all the other angels."
I then remember one last place I had to go to and say goodbye. "Wanna see where he sleeps?" I asked Angel.
…
This was Angel's first time seeing Johnny and Dallas's grave. As we pulled up to the graveyard, got out of the car, and I pointed them out to Angel saying that's where they slept, she got her puzzled look on her face. I could tell she was trying to make sense of what I meant by that. Since she's still little, she still doesn't understand death yet.
"Why is he underground?" She asked. I then kneeled down next to her and tried to explain it the best I could so that she could understand.
"You see baby, everybody has a spirit. And our bodies are just hear to hold them. Our spirits live on earth for awhile, like a temporary home. But then they move back to Heaven to be with God. But the bodies can't come. So we bury them in the ground in a special place so family and friends who are still living on earth will remember them."
"So, he's not really in there?"
"No, he's up in Heaven looking down on us. But, this way, we can still talk to them, and he can hear us." I said. Matty then pointed over at Dally's grave.
"That's another one of Daddy's old friends, his name is Dallas. Him and Johnny now share a house in Heaven." She said to Angel. Angel looked over at us.
"Can they ever come back to earth?" I didn't answer her, I wanted to, but I just couldn't. It's been years, and I've gotten a lot better, but sometimes it still gets to me about Dally and Johnny and my parents being dead. Angel still doesn't understand yet, she will in a few years. But for now, even though me and Matty are explaining it to her the best we can she doesn't fully understand it.
Matty answered so I didn't have to. "No, honey. Once you go back to Heaven, you stay there forever. But it's so nice you don't even want to leave." I looked over at Johnny's grave. "Angel, why don't we wait in the car for a minute. I think Daddy wants to talk to them alone." Matty then took Angel's hand and they walked back to the car. Leaving me by myself.
"Hey guys, it's me. That little girl was Angel, I've told you guys about her, she's my daughter, remember? I love her so much, I wish you guys could have experienced what it's like to love and care for somebody that much. I really wish we got to raise our kids together. But it just…wasn't meant to be I guess."
"This is gonna be my last time talking to you two for a long time. Me and Matty, we're gonna move to San Diego and live near Sodapop and his wife. I'm excited. I get to live somewhere besides Tulsa for the first time in my life, I'm closer to Soda and my publisher, we're gonna live in a nicer house, and all that stuff. But at the same, I'm nervous.
"And it's not just about the moving, but Matty is pregnant again. This time with twins. I know I'm a good dad,. But what if having two kids at once is too much for me too handle? I have Matty I know, but still. I just wanna give my kids the best life possible. I don't want them to experience what the three of us did." -I paused- 'You know sometimes I wish you guys were able to answer back. I'm not sure you're advice would be the best, especially you Dally, no offence. But it would somehow…help me I guess.
"But you know what? I'm gonna look at all this in a positive way. I can do this. It's not like I'm alone. I got Matty, Soda and Emily, and I can call Darry up on the phone, and even if you guys aren't really here, I know you're here for me. Thanks for helping me all these years." I started to walk back to the car, but turned around.
"See ya later."
