The wind rattled against the windows.
Steph leaned on the ice-cold couch. The booming noises outside didn't make the temperature inside any warmer. He didn't bother looking. The myriad of colors might have painted the sky, but his life only felt dreary.
While Steph may have dimmed the lights on purpose, the darkness failed to hide the memories of the past that enshrouded the entire house. Steph closed his eyes and grunted.
'Enough with those meaningless tragedies!' he convinced himself, by repeating over and over again. Ever since Lily's death, his life had only gone downhill. There would probably be no turning point. She was his blessing, his rock, and now his world too was buried deep under the soil.
As Steph pushed the remote's power button, he swore he'd heard a thud sound. With the thundering and crackling of those damn firecrackers, how can anyone ever be sure? Perhaps a burglar broke in? 'Good. Might as well be put out of misery.' He smirked, bitterly.
There was nothing left. Nowhere to go.
Steph increased the sound of the television. Whoever this imposter was, would surely detect his presence nearby... Steph could care less about the psychopath's weapon of choice!
He closed his eyes. Again, there was the thud, followed by another.
'What an unskilled, noisy burglar' Steph snorted.
When the noise repeated and escalated, Steph jolted upright, wide-eyed. Shit was right... this intruder was at the front door. Not to mention, banging fiercely. Perhaps couldn't even open the door? Steph really didn't want to be killed by such an individual. He may be old, but he wasn't weak. From the looks of it, it was best to answer and shoo away this uninvited guest.
Steph got up and adjusted his posture. Groaned for a moment or two. Hips don't stay the same when you've reached 60. Yet, it would be utterly unbecoming of him to receive and berate someone looking like a wilted willow. His pride would never allow that!
"Grandpa!" a young man with glaring white teeth smiled and hugged Steph, as he opened the door.
'He's gone mad, just like his father, no manners.' the bitter old man snorted, "Why are you here?"
"Happy New Year to you too, grandpa," Greggory exclaimed with a nervous chuckle.
This weary, beady-eyed, resolute thin man he'd only seen in pictures. One with a straightforward personality and a sharp tongue... his estranged paternal grandfather. A force to be reckoned with.
Steph took half a step back.
Naturally, Greggory moved away too. He didn't want to upset his newly found grandfather.
A firework lit up the sky. Red.
Then another shot up. Purple.
Steph's frown grew even wider. His eyebrows furrowed like a wrinkled piece of cloth.
Greggory gulped. 'Not a good sign.'
"You having dinner?" Greggory took a peek. He lifted the bag in his hand and was about to say something, when Steph fired back, "What's it to you?"
"Come on, gramps, it's New Year's... at least let me in." Greggory insisted.
Steph eyed him up and down. His gaze fell onto the food bag, but Steph's stubborn nature got the best of him. He was a man of his word.
"You've got the wrong address! I don't have no grandson!"
Steph pushed the youngster back and was about to shut the door in his face, but Greggory bravely jumped back and moved forward. "Please grandpa, don't shut me out... I've been wanting to meet you my entire life...!"
"Like I said!" Steph bellowed, "You have the wrong house! I have no son, and certainly not a grandson!"
This boiling temper really took a toll on his health. As always, the old man wheezed and gasped for air.
"I never said anything about a son."
There was a brief silence. Oh how badly Steph wished this pesky young man would just go away.
"Are you admitting you have a son, then?"
Greggory took another step forward. He knew in his heart that he'd have to break this ice barrier and rekindle their lost relationship. He didn't come here to take 'no' for an answer.
A bunch of fireworks painted the sky. Steph muttered something under his breath. Greggory looked at him with pity but said nothing. He just couldn't.
Greggory knew of his father's long history of drug abuse and petty theft. This initially caused a rift within their relationship and ended in a cold war. Especially so, after Lily's death.
Steph had threatened his son. He would kick him out and break all ties if his son didn't stop breaking the law. More so, since Greggory's mother had been pregnant at the time.
Yet, the inevitable happened. Steve drove his car, drunk as hell one night. Ran over a pedestrian and drove straight onto a tree. The woman who got run over survived the ordeal and while Steve's punishment was lenient, his sour relations with Steph ended. In fact, during Steve's trial, Steph was absent.
Greggory recalls his father waiting by the phone every night, staring at it, as if by a miracle it would ring. Except for the phone company, nobody ever called.
Of course, Greggory wasn't insane enough to pin the blame on Steph. In fact, the poor grandson had been riddled with fear because his face 75% resembled his dad's.
Greggory watched the grumpy elder trying very hard to make up an excuse. It was amusing but painful. His grandfather may have been strict in the past, but currently, Steph was just a lonely old man.
Someone who regretted not being present in his son's life more often.
Originally, when Steve developed these kleptomaniac tendencies during his teens, Steph did not believe him or the doctors. Steph was absolutely adamant that so long as his son was properly punished, Steve's petty theft streak would end. As a war veteran himself, Steph believed his son needed military training. However, that didn't work. In fact, it was Steph's reputation that became questionable among his peers.
The military decided that Steve was unfit and didn't meet their requirements. Steph felt humiliated and disappointed. That was most likely when their relationship initially soured, Greggory assumed.
Meanwhile, Steph was having a horrible night. He was sure Greggory only visited him tonight either for financial aid or to escape from his father's abuse. But Steph wanted nothing to do with them anymore.
Still, he let Greggory in. 'His eyes are crystal clear.' Steph sighed.
As soon as Greggory stepped in, Steph snatched the bag in his hand and ran off into the kitchen. The grandson chuckled, exhaled a chunk of air in relief, and stood by his grandma's photo frame, "I promised dad I'd look after grandpa from now on. Have you met him yet?"
That was his new year's resolution and his father's last dying wish. Greggory felt foolish and insecure. For just a moment, the world grew silent once again as tears welled up. The debris called 'memory' cluttered his brain.
Steve wasn't a great dad. Just decent. And yet, Greggory felt compelled to come here. Was his father's spirit lingering around him? Or, was it nana Lily? He didn't know.
'I just want a resolution.'
Greggory broke down in tears.
The noises in the kitchen stopped. Quickly wiping his tears, Greggory sat down on the couch. It was too cold for comfort, but at least it cooled off Greggory's restless emotions.
"Dinner's ready." he heard Steph's voice echo from the kitchen.
[The End]