Sound and Silence 8: Visitor
#12 of Sound and Silence
Someone comes over to the friends' home.
Someone's knocking. Who could it be?
Another typical day. Reyson had just gotten home from Game Engine and showered, and Clair was out clubbing as usual. Reyson had actually made an effort to join him a few times, getting a chance to see a few of his club performances live. He didn't hate it, and in fact did indulge in a bit of frisky behavior during his occasional visits, but ultimately decided that it wasn't for him. He still let his friend drag him out every once in a while if there was some particularly notable occasion, though.
Unexpectedly, there was a knock at the door. Reyson idly pondered to himself for a moment. Clair didn't say he was going to be back early, and Reyson wasn't expecting anyone or any deliveries either. With a shrug, he made his way to the door and opened it.
Standing in front of him was a beautiful middle aged cat with orange fur and stripes, dressed in a modest dress shirt and suit with a skirt to match. Upon seeing Reyson, her pensive expression immediately brightened with hope.
"Reyson! Oh, thank goodness! Is Clair-" The wolf didn't let her finish as he attempted to close the door. The lady, with surprisingly quick reflexes, pushed back, with visible desperation on her face.
"P-Please! This is very important! I need to speak to Clair before... before..." The usually neutral-faced Reyson eyed the woman with a cold expression.
"Clair isn't home. And... I don't think he'd want to speak to you. Please leave." Despite his insistence, he did not make any effort to force her out. She continued.
"It's his father! He's..." There was a moment of hesitation, as the woman was deciding whether or not Reyson should be entrusted with this information. Deciding there was no other choice, she completed her statement. "...Clair's father... my husband... he's terminally ill." The revelation didn't faze Reyson. He eyed her doubtfully.
"Are you lying?" He asked, without any remorse. The woman looked at him with shocked anguish.
"Wha- Why would I lie about this!? We're not a family of liars! How dare you!" she shrieked.
"You've lied before. To me, and to Clair. Don't make things up when it's convenient for you." He stated calmly. The woman stammered, struggling to find a retort. Reyson was right, though; her prior deceptions had indeed created a huge rift in Reyson and Clair's relationships. She had no way of arguing with him when all she had was weak rationalizations for the past mistakes of her and her husband. She leaned her head against the door frame and started quietly weeping.
"P-please... I'm telling the truth this time. Dale doesn't have much time left... and all he wants is to talk to his son before it's too late..." She looked up at Reyson, still with a bitter edge to his gaze, as her own face was covered in tears. "Can't you call Clair back? Do something? Anything? You're his close friend. You have to help us!" The wolf continued staring down at her, not feeling one way or another about her plight.
"I don't owe you anything." He said. The woman gasped, and then looked down in despair.
"I... I see... so that's how it is then. Okay... I suppose I'll try coming back when Clair is home..." she said as she turned around, beginning to leave. Reyson eyed her for a moment, and after examining her features closely, his stern expression returned to a neutral one.
"You look tired." he called out to her. She turned around in confusion. "Have you eaten yet?" Taken aback, she struggled to form even a simple answer.
"W-wha- I... no. I spent all afternoon asking around to find out where Clair was living... so... no." Reyson fully opened the door for her in an inviting gesture.
"Come in. I'll make you dinner." Clair's mother took a step back, not ready for this sudden act of generosity. Once the shock wore off, though, she reluctantly took a step forward.
"I.. okay... pardon my intrusion."
The woman sat awkwardly at the dinner table as Reyson prepared dinner for the two of them. She looked around, noting the selection of furnishings that were picked out.
"These.. This furniture you have is nice. Did you two pick them out together?" She asked, meagerly attempting to make small talk.
"Sort of. Clair picked most of them out. He has the eye for interior design. Got it from you, probably." Reyson replied bluntly, recalling a rare occasion when happened to visit Clair's home as a child. It was lavishly decorated with expensive paintings and other luxuries, and at the time, a young Clair had proudly proclaimed that it was this mother that designed the interior. Reyson remembered being envious at the time, but dismissed the thought.
"Oh, I'm sure it was something he picked up himself at some point. He certainly has made every effort to not be like either of us..." she replied, with a despondent tone.
"That's not true." He responded. It wasn't to reassure her-it was simply the fact of the matter. The thick stew of awkwardness returned as Clair's mother ran out of ways to continue the conversation.
It didn't last for long though, as Reyson finished cooking shortly thereafter.
"I didn't get it as good as yours, I'm sure, but I hope you like it." Reyson said as he set down the plate of pasta. The woman immediately recognized it as one of the few dishes she had time to make for Clair. She looked up at Reyson.
"W-when did you learn how to make this?"
"Clair showed me. It's one of his favorite meals." Though it was just a simple comment in passing, knowing that Clair did in fact take a few good things away from his home life warmed his mother's heart just a little bit. She took a bite, and tears formed around her eyes as memories of her feeding him when he was a kitten rushed forth. Reyson noticed her emotional display and cocked his head.
"Is it bad?" She shook her head and wiped her tears with her finger, somehow with the grace that is to be expected from a businesswoman.
"No... not at all. It's delightful. Thank you, Reyson." The wolf nodded silently as he began eating his own portion.
They ate for a while, but then Reyson raised his head to ask Clair's mother a question.
"What's Clair's father's condition?" The cat looked up, and clutched her left arm nervously, before finally answering.
"It's terminal cancer. The doctor's say he only has maybe a month or two left."
"I see."
"...What about your family? Are they well?" she asked in return, hoping for a spark in conversation.
"Mom became very sick in high school. We didn't have the money to treat her. I wanted to get a job to help pay for it, but she insisted that I stay in school. She passed away before I graduated. Father is... he's getting by." She frowned, not expecting such a grim response.
"I'm sorry."
"Don't be. It wasn't your problem. You couldn't-" A pause. "-You wouldn't have helped anyway." Clair's mother opened her mouth, getting ready to defend herself, but then looked down at her plate in shame.
"Yes... I suppose you're right. All we cared about was making sure Clair was made ready to inherit the family business. You were a bad influence that was getting in the way... that's... that's what we thought."
"Shortly after mom got sick, you and your father told me Clair didn't want to see me anymore."
"Y-yes. We did... That wasn't true of course. Clair would have liked nothing more than to spend more time with you. We were selfish, and didn't think about what our son wanted, or... didn't care." She looked at Reyson with regret. "I can't speak for Dale, but I'm truly sorry for what we did to you back then."
Reyson stared at her for a long while, and his eyes softened a bit.
"I accept your apology." He finally said. She breathed a sigh of relief, before Reyson continued, eyes darkening once more. "But I will never forgive you." Her eyes widened in surprise. "You and your husband sabotaged your son's relationships for your own benefit, and tried to make him into something he didn't want to be while never considering his feelings. Personally, I think you both are terrible parents." Despite his scathing words spoken in his ever vigilant even tone, all she could do was accept them.
"I... I understand." She uttered quietly.
They quietly finished their meals, and upon her insistence Clair's mother did the dishes. As she as drying them, Reyson said to her:
"I'll tell Clair about his father. I'll ask him to go visit him while he still can." She nearly dropped the plates as she looked at Reyson with a look of salvation.
"Oh... Oh, thank yo-"
"This isn't for you." Reyson added, his voice raised to a near yelling volume. Another look of shock, and then defeat.
"I-yes... of course." Once the dishes were done, Reyson escorted her back to the entrance. There, she left him with one more parting favor before taking her leave.
"I... am beginning to understand just what it was that Clair saw in you back then. I know I have no right to ask this of you, but please take care of him from now on... can you do that for me?"
"...Not for you, but I'll take care of him." Reyson said, sharp tongued as ever. Clair's mother smiled for the first time since arriving at the apartment.
"That's good enough for me. Thank you." She started to leave, but Reyson stopped her one last time.
"Wait. Give me your phone number."
The next day, Reyson pulled Clair aside to talk after work, but didn't say what the conversation was going to be about. The wolf asked to have the talk in Clair's room, and although confused, the cat obliged, shutting the door as they sat together on the bed.
"So... what's up? Did something happen?"
"...Your mom visited yesterday." Clair wore a face of surprise which quickly turned into anger as he stood up and started pacing the room.
"Wha- Fuck! Figures she would figure out where I was living. You chased her out, right!?"
"I let her inside and made her dinner." Clair flashed his friend a look of disgust, but immediately took it back and sighed.
"That's just like you, isn't it... So? What did she want?" He asked, clearly irritated with this entire situation.
"She would like you to visit your dad." Ray said. Clair scoffed.
"Of course she did. The same ol' go around again, huh? When will they realize I'm never coming back there?"
"Actually, Clair.. I would like you to visit him as well." The cat gave his friend an incredulous look before snapping at him.
"Whuh- Whose side are you on!? You know I can't go back there! I thought you finally understood what I had gone through in that hellhole! Ray, are you-"
"Clair, listen to me for a second." The feline wanted to continue, but stopped in the hopes that his friend actually had a good reason for siding with his mother.
"She told me that your father is in the hospital. He's terminally ill."
Clair froze. His father..... Was dying? It couldn't be...
"Was... she telling the truth?"
"I can't say for sure... but I think so."
Clair took a moment to let the words sink in before feverishly shaking his head.
"S-so what!? I still don't want to see him-This doesn't change anything!" Reyson looked at his friend with visible concern. "My dad has made me miserable for all my life, I don't owe him anything! What, he suddenly regrets everything he did just because he thinks it's all over? Don't make me laugh!"
"Clair..." Reyson understood the cat's turmoil, but still wanted to make his voice heard. The cat looked back at his sad expression, and his anger subsided, just a bit.
"...Look, Ray... I appreciate you telling me this, and I'm sorry for my outburst... but you know how I feel about my parents... I can't just change those feelings at the drop of a dime...even if... that means not visiting my dying father." Reyson put a hand on his shoulder.
"You don't have to let go of those feelings, Clair. But I know you. If you don't go see your dad, you'll regret it for the rest of your life." The feline fell silent, clearly conflicted.
"I'll trust your judgment, but if you go, don't visit your parents for them... and don't visit them for me either. Visit them for yourself. That's your motto, isn't it? 'Live for yourself'?" Reyson pulled his hand back, holding eye contact with Clair
"......."