The Old Man Read online

  "See those kids?" Douglas said. "I go to war for that generation. I got this post traumatic stressed for that generation."

  "Maybe that doesn't go in vain. We might have peace longer. They have documented the war. They can now watch the horror of war. If I were young, I won't join the military after watching a war movie."

  "Maybe, just maybe." Douglas said. "We are talking in circle. Let's change the topic. Remember, I want to forget."

  "Have a child?" the old man asked.

  "No, not that stable. I mean mentally"

  "Wife?"

  "Not good looking enough." Douglas said. "How does it feel when you can't remember anything?"

  "Feels like dreaming. It seems I know things, but not really. Hard to think if it is just imagination or my real memory." The old man said. "How does it feel when you can remember?"

  "It depends, I'm happy to remember the good memories. And the bad ones are like death. Oy, I remember something I've learn in the war."

  "What is it?"

  "There is something mysterious about our instincts," Douglas said. "There are people in our platoon that seem to be out of their mind, they sweet heavy as if they feel something bad is going to happen. Then they got hit after a day or weeks, some of them got booby trap. When you talk to them and ask, they all just say, wasn't feeling good. I've read a book before that says when you are going die. You are going to feel it. Your knees will tremble. It is like your body is communicating to the universe. Some of my friends even weep on the night for no reason. Then they die the next day.

  "That feeling I told you, never felt it. My instincts always tell me that I am going to live this war. Even now I am old, never felt the presence of death. So I told you. Believe on your instinct. I met this businessman and told me that he even felt that they going to terminate him, a week before they do it. He thought that it is just stress but I guess that is instinct working up. It is not just death that you can feel. You can also feel bad things that are going to happen. Instincts are our interpreter to the universe which knows all things."

  Chapter 20

  Let's go back to the nursing home. A lot of mystery arises when the old man starts to get back his consciousness. He became missing and do a lot of horrible act.

  According to the recording of CCTV, the last person that the old man talks to is Sam. To the director, Sam might be helping the old man. Sam created a fight that might be a miss direction.

  "So good morning Sam." The Director said.

  "Hello Doctor. So why do call me in your office." Sam said.

  "Just want to ask if you know something about how the old man got away and where will he go."

  "Have you seen the footage? He just walks right out like he is someone's visitor."

  "We know that. But we need more info, the police need more info."

  "I don't know anything."

  "If you are really a friend of him, you will help us. We have seen you talking to him even though you know he won't respond. He might be with some syndicate, promising him something, that is why he do bad things. I don't think that the old man will rob an apartment and stole a car."

  "Ok, I will talk."

  "Good."

  "He starts hearing voices, having some flashes of memories. He told me that the voices told him to go outside and find his true self, to find his past. I think it is not a good plan. I even stop him, but when you see his eyes. He wanted to find himself."

  "So where is he going?"

  "I don't know. When I hear what the police said that, I am also surprise that he can do that."

  "So, no one really knows."

  Sam was sent back. Cynthia and the director talk about what could happen to the nursing home.

  "We could have our own search party," Cynthia said.

  "With what, this senior? This might add the problem." The director said.

  "Yeah, some of them are lunatic here, they could be worse outside."

  "We should ask the police for more assistance on this matter. Let's talk about some TV network."

  ***

  Back on the car, the two old souls are still talking about the war and the past. Little that the old man knows that he is now a super star. His picture, were he is giving food to the beggar is being a hit on the TV.

  He became an overnight super star. He became trending in the social media. Some TV shows wanted to interview the nursing home director to get the whole story. Sam is now getting ready for how he going to tell the story.

  Sam is thinking what could be the most appealing part of the story on why does it trend. It could be when he became unconscious for 8 years and after some day, he is stealing from an apartment and getting a car, he thought.

  Sam also thought that he should come with Muteman, he could still have a story with him, but no, he stay at the nursing home and be a boring old man were his memory is not too good for reminiscing. What could he reminiscence being an employee, if all his life he does in his life is being an employee.

  ***

  "Hey, how about we stop for that?" Douglas said pointing to a place named Booty.

  The logo is a pair of girl's legs and, of course, wearing a boot. The booty is written in cursive. At night, this logo blinks in the color pink.

  The old man stops on this place park.

  "Is that a restaurant? Where are the windows?" The old man asked.

  "That is not a restaurant. And that still close."

  "Do we go now?" The old man said.

  "No. We wait. We are old we have the rest of our time. We do not have any responsibilities, my children have their own family and my wife's been dead for a long time."

  "Sorry for that."

  "Don't be sorry. We wait here until it gets open."

  "What do we eat?"

  "You have food on the back right."

  "Yep."

  "Eat that. Going to sleep for a while."

  "But we are goi...."

  "Please, it's been a long time since I had a living friend."

  "Ok. Just going to check the back."

  The old man wants to go straight to the beach but Douglas wants to go to this restaurant. He thought that a side adventure wouldn't hurt. And yes, he now has new friend.

  The old man got some bread and water. He sits in the gutter behind the jeep. He just looks straight to the building without any window. He thought of what kind of place doesn't need a window.

  Then he saw Mushy is getting near him, getting some bread and water.

  "Found a new friend?" Mushy asked.

  "Yes, the same generation, but doesn't have the same history."

  "Don't worry, you will remember again."

  The old man smiled.

  "So what are we doing here?" Mushy asked.

  "Go, asked Douglas." The old man said. "He wants to go there but it is still closed."

  "I'm just going then. Just check out the neighborhood."

  After a couple of minutes, someone opens the back of the jeep. It is Ram. He can't reach the food so he jumps inside the jeep.

  Ram goes out with a bag of chips and a liter of coke.

  "Really, for breakfast?" The old man asked.

  "Yes, really," Ram said then laugh.

  "Come here." The old man said. He is motioning Ram to sit beside him.

  "You will eat that after you eat some bread and water."

  "I drank some of it, and the bread tastes good."

  "You just woke up. The sooner you eat this, the sooner you also eat that garbage food."

  "It is junk food gramps."

  The old man's mind float. This usually happens to people that are thinking about something but can't think what they are thinking.

  He stops to wanders when he hears the plastic wrapper of chips. Ram is now eating it.

  "I should buy you a toothbrush, huh?"

  Ram just nods.

  Chapter 21

  "Aren't you homesick?" The old man asked.

  "No, not really," Ram said. "What is a home to you?"
<
br />   It is hard for the old man to define this. Ram asked a question that needs memories. So the old make his own home on what he thinks is right, for the sake of Ram.

  "Home is where your parents stays, your family stays. It is where you're safe and warm. It is where you feel comfortable." The old man said.

  "So I guess I don't have a home. I don’t feel safe at home and not really comfortable. My parents always fight." Ram said.

  "The truth is, I don't really know what is home. I made it up. But based on what I know. It doesn't need a parent. Any person will do, it could be person that understands you and accepts you, like in the nursing home. We do not have any parent but still we feel home. Like our jeep."

  Ram looks to the old man when he says the word 'Our'.

  "Our jeep is our home. We understand each other, we are comfortable, and we are safe."

  "Maybe your right gramps. It doesn't need walls or a specific person."

  Douglas is now awake, he check the back part of the van and nod to the old man.

  Ram stands up, "Hey gramps just going around. Going to check if there's a near playing ground."

  "Be careful." The old man said.

  "Can I have some foods?" Douglas said.

  "Sure, the food is on the back." The old man said.

  Douglas gets an empanada and water. He sits in the gutter beside the old man.

  "I'm excited," Douglas said.

  "Why?"

  "Later you are going to find out."

  "When does it open?"

  "I guess the earliest will be 5:00 PM."

  "Are you kidding me? It is only 10 in the morning."

  "Believed me, this is worth the wait."

  They wait until the place opens until 5:00 PM. Mushy and Ram is gone for the day. The old man never saw them after the breakfast. Ram might be enjoying the playground. While Mushy is hard to guess on what he might be doing.

  The old man and Douglas sleep in the van. Before they go inside Douglas insist that they should have a full stomach before going in because it will be the best day ever.

  So they enter this place. The room has this smoky effect, it seem pretty blurred inside, much harder to breath.

  There are various couches inside. No one seems to be here yet except a bartender.

  "Hey," Douglas said. They caught the attention of the bartender.

  "What Sir?" The bartender said.

  "Where are the girls?"

  "It is still happy hour, they will come here later at 8, I guess." The bartender said. "But you can buy drinks cheaper."

  "I will just stay at home if all I want is to be drunk," Douglas said. "Call the girls."

  "Sorry Sir."

  "Hey, where is the manager?" Douglas' voice echoes in the room.

  A man in full blacked shows up, his body built seems to be an over protein soldier that is addicted to just getting his bicep and chest bigger.

  "I want to talk to the manager. I want the girls rolling." Douglas gets a roll of money. He grabs a few bill, he gets closer to the man wearing all black and place it in the chest pocket.

  Douglas whispered. "Please."

  The man wearing all black just goes back to a door. After a few second a woman wearing a coat and tie, which perfectly fits her. A coat and tie are supposed to be wear by man. But who are we to tell her what to dress.

  "What seems to be the problem?" The woman said.

  "We want to see girls rolling, I've been telling this the whole time," Douglas said.

  "But it is still early. The girls are ready. You can just wait for a few hours."

  "No." Douglas shows the money.

  "Ow, yes, ok." The woman said. "I'll check if they are done fixing themselves. Wait for a couple of minutes"

  The woman goes out with a big smile.

  The outside world is pretty weird. Money can control anything. You can buy a car, food, almost anything I guess. Douglas even makes the woman change her mind by showing money.

  Then the man wearing all back led them to a table that seems to be in the middle of the place. The table is connected to the stage. The table is has a pole in the middle.

  The woman in a coat that seems to be in her mid-forties came again.

  "Need 200 to be sure." The woman said.

  "Here, take it. I can’t take that to grave."

  Then the woman claps.

  The sound booms with every bass.

  Ladies start to walk from the corners of the stage. 5 girls are on the stage. 4 of them are on the stage near of their coach.

  You can see the smile of Douglas from ear to ear. You can even hear him laugh. If you are going to choose who is more a madman than the two, maybe on this point Douglas is the one.

  His face brightened while looking to every girl.

  "Is this it?" The old man asked.

  "Not yet boys." One girl said and holds the pole. She climbs it, and then she turns upside down, slide down before hitting the floor.

  The old man thought that the girl will hit the floor.

  "Are you enjoying this?" The old man asked Douglas.

  "Of course."

  "Why?"

  "These are the girls. We love this. Maybe you forget this feeling."

  "I know love. That’s the feeling we humans can't forget. That is are nature. Even animals don't do this stuff."

  "Just watch."

  "This is madness."

  "Drink," Douglas said. "Hey, bring us some drinks!"

  "No need for a drink. Never going to enjoy this even with drinks."

  Douglas gave a couple of ten dollar bill to the old man.

  "Here is how you enjoy it."

  Douglas put a bill on the strap of a bikini. Some of the girls are getting near their table. It seems it because they are doing this.

  "Your turn gramps."

  The face of the old man seems disgusted.

  "Hey, you. Sit on the stage," Douglas said. "In front of him. Open it up."

  The old man eyes went big. As big as the headlight of the jeep.

  "Now put it in the middle. All that money." Douglas said.

  "What the..."

  The old man brushes the legs of the woman and stands ups and walk out. The old man thought that this place is disgusting. How can they operate this place? What makes this woman do this to themselves? The old man looks back again and stops. He can saw the smile on the women face.

  Chapter 22

  What do you do when you don't like what is happening? Maybe some of you will say that you will go away, or maybe start from the beginning, or if you are a masochist, you will stay.

  The old man does what he wants to do. No one can tell him to stay or to go. He is the captain of his soul.

  He stands up and wakes out.

  "Hey gramps, come back. You're a pussy. We only live once. We don't even have a long life to live." Douglas said.

  "Then why are we doing this. We should be doing valuable things with it."

  "I had done enough at war."

  They just look in each other’s eyes. They both want to say sorry. But old people are pretty stubborn like the young ones.

  When the old man gets out of the building, he saw the man wearing all black and seems to be always mad. He guesses that is his job in here. He is supposed to be mad.

  He goes to the jeep. He saw that Mushy is now on the driver seat and Ram is on the passenger sleeping.

  "Did you enjoy old man?" Mushy asked.

  "Not really, let's go. I just waste my time waiting here." The old man said.

  "Ok. I drive."

  It is not too late to drive. They can get on Virginia Beach within a couple hours.

  They get there before midnight. All they saw the stars and the ocean. What a beautiful view, if the seniors in the nursing home saw this view, they might be happier rather than watching TV the whole day.

  There are different ways to be happy, it could be getting a certain object, or having a lots of money, having a certain person as a companion, or a better house an
d car, or a better job, or to be a person who seems to be have more control of its life rather being a Muppet that is only controlled by someone, or it could just be seeing a beautiful view of the nature.

  "Let's call it a night," Mushy said.

  "Yeah, let's turn all the sorrow and despairs into a dream."

  The beach is different in the morning. A loud bass wakes them up. If last night the beach is all quiet and peaceful, now everyone is moving in chaos.

  A lot of them are tanning, some have surfing boards and playing volleyball. Some are just here to chat.

  "I thought I will remember something if I saw this view again." The old man said.

  Mushy and Ram stand beside him, they are now standing shoulder to shoulder.

  "You will never see the same view twice because time moves. Cell divided and dies." Ram said.

  "There should be something." The old man said.

  "Do not force it old man, it will come," Mushy said.

  They start to walk near the shore. The old man is not enjoying the view. He doesn't even looking at the people. He hopes when he gets here that his memory may come back.

  He is mad. This happens when your expectation is too high. He expects too much. He thought that this the finish line, and now he doesn't know where to go.

  "I want hotdog gramps." Ram said.

  The old man is still looking at his feet.

  "Gramps," Ram tags the old man's hand. "Hotdog."

  "Yes, sure. Let's go." The old man said.

  Ram eats his hotdog while Mushy and the old man look to the people and the ocean.

  "I used to surf." Mushy said.

  "Really, you should try it." The old man said.

  "I'm done with it. Too old for that."

  "You're young."

  "Nah."

  "Do you think I will remember back?" The old man asked.

  "Yeah, I believe. I think it will all come to like a flood of life. Your whole life will run on your eyes like the movies."

  "Wish that is true."

  "It will. Just believed."

  "Let's go. We might be wasting our time here."

  "No, we aren't. You are enjoying the view. You are just grumpy because the plan doesn't work. Enjoy the moment. Time is not wasted if you are enjoying."

  They walk again. This time, Mushy removes his jacket while the old man stays the same.