- Wouldn't she be sleeping this early? - Mike
- My aunt? No way...
- But what about here? We do need to clean here...
- Ah, while Eric is having lunch with your dad, we can come back and organize a bit. It's not even messy; I don't know what`s the big deal about that...
- It's because you still don't know your father-in-law, Mike – Gustavo – Wait until he gives you one of his speeches...
- Ha... ok
- Good, so are we clear on what to do?
Eric had gotten a table outside, the weather being especially nice that day and the view to the Seine was amazing. For some reason, that day there wasn't that many people on the restaurant, and he was the only one who was sitting by himself.
He was a little bit restless, moving his fingers like crazy, moving around the salt and peppers, and everything that was on the table: It has been years and years that he didn't have to face his dad by himself. Especially after what happened in St Jean, it didn't look like it was going to be easy...
He even got there ten minutes before, knowing how much his dad hated when people would get late. He probably did that unconsciously, because for sure he wasn't trying to please his dad. No, for sure not.
Even the waiters started to stare at him at some point: he certainly must have looked a bit nervous.
He just ignored: his mouth was begging for a cigarette or a beer.
Minutes passed. He just wanted to get it over with. He had the instinct of fighting with his dad, they would both get pissed off and then he would just have to decide what to do with the rest of his day. But he needed that conversation. He needed to get it through for Mike, for Tom, for Marie. For his siblings.
The clock seemed to have stopped. No...Wait, yeah, it was good....
He was looking to the Parisians that were in that restaurant or passing by: they are kind of unique. Very fancy clothes, very classy people, with hairs ...not that well behaved, eating very fancy food. Women were smoking visibly more than man. At least that was what he could have concluded from that small sample of society.
And yeah, definitely and surprisingly his father was late...
Once more, he refused anything from the waiters, this time not being that friendly as in the first couple of times. Drinking water sucks. “Sir, you cannot stay here for that long without consuming anything” (fuck, are you serious? I've been here for less than fifteen minutes) When he was just about to get into an argument with that rude waiter, tell him how he had a reservation, and perhaps throw at him some change just to have the pleasure of not having to deal with his voice anymore, then ask to be served by the hot waitress and give her the biggest tip in the history of mankind (just to make that piece of shit feel bad for the rest of his life)... Just when he was about to do all of that, with his hands starting to shake out of anger, his dad showed up.
- Hey son
- ...Hi
Eric looked once again to the waiter, and the guy just left.
- Uau, what was that about?
- He was almost kicking me out
- Uau...Am I that late? - His dad smiled
- Ahn...yeah, actually. And just the fact that you are late already surprised me, weren't you the Mr. I'm-always-on-time?
His father smiled in a friendly way.
- Ha, I lost track of time in a book store
- At this time?
- Yeah, there's one near the hotel, so I decided to go and check it out for a while
- ...Ahn, ok.Cool. What about mom?
- Ow, she's arriving in a later flight – He checked his watch – In like four hours.
- Cool
- Excuse me sir, would you like to order some drinks? - The waiter
- Oh, yeah, yes. A glass of rose wine, from the house, please
- For you, sir? - The waiter looked at Eric
- I'll stay on the water, thank you... When this glass is finished, you can ask for that girl to come and bring me some Perrier water? After that, just ask her to keep coming back to get our orders... Does that sound reasonable to you, sir? - Eric starred at his waiter.
- Ah...hmmm...Cert...Certainly, sir
- I appreciate; hopefully this will make up for your inconvenience...
The waiter gave him an uncomfortable smile, turned around and after that, he didn't come back.
- Uau...ok - His father didn't say anything
- What? Are you not gonna say anything about it?
- No, I trust you've used your best judgment ….
That kind of answer shocked Eric.
- Hmm…ok
- But hey, tell me, are you enjoying Paris so far?
- Yeah, I guess – Eric shrugged his shoulders
- What about the projects for the school?
- They are moving on, pretty soon we'll have an insane amount of work to do.
- So I guess everything's going well so far?
- Yeah, in theory everything's perfect...
- Great. And how's everyone?
- Everyone's great...
- Great, I’m happy to hear that... - His dad paused for a second – You know, when I first heard this story of having everyone moving to Paris, I thought it would be complicated; and our house would get too empty...
- Yeah, I imagine... Did they use to take a lot of people over too?
- Ha, you have no idea. A lot... Especially Gustavo. How's he going by the way? School, girls?
- Ahh, you can probably imagine, he's a smart kid.
- Yeah, smart...let's just say smart so he doesn't get even more humble about it... - Smiled – Have you ever saw him playing basketball?
- Never...
- Uau, you should. He always wanted to get a scholarship in the States... We actually used to think it was to try and get ….you know, closer to you. But I guess that's what he likes to do for real... he wants to do a program in...
- Physics, I know, to be a rocket scientist or an astronaut – He smiled and paused for a second – Yeah, there's gonna be a game soon anyways....and yeah, I guess when I first heard about this whole scientist thing I thought it wouldn't fit him, but I was proved wrong I guess...
- Nah, he definitely has talent for it. The kid probably could be very talented in anything he put his mind into, the only this is that he should learn how to focus more. I guess his future colleagues are gonna find it strange to have a guy as handsome and cool as he is....and you know, that lazy.
- Ha, yeah – Eric laughed, his dad laughed too.
The hot waitress finally came to get the orders
- … But hey, tell me
- ... Yeah?
- How are the girls?
- Isa is doing well, Marie is not so bad either...
- Not what I meant... - His dad smiled
- Ah, sometimes I go out. But there's Marie.... And I don't know, sometimes I miss Alice... - Eric really didn't know how that'd slipped
- Yeah, really...
- What?
- To complain with so many options must be the worst thing in the world, indeed – His father smiled
- Actually it is not like
that all...
-Hmm, ok.Yeah, I imagine... Hey, I'm only kidding. I don't know Eric, enjoy it. Don't take that too seriously. You're in what's supposed to be the best period of your life; nobody is expecting you to get married soon...
- Yeah, I know... it's just because it gets tiring after a while...
- What exactly?
- I don't know, I guess I just think it would be nice to …You know, finally get something right
- Hmm... But why now? Don't you think there are a lot of girls in the world that you could meet still? I mean, I love both Marie and Alice, I just think maybe you're putting too much thought in something unnecessary at this point... And in this moment of your life, maybe you should just have some fun...
- Hey pretty face – He had no idea why he had called him that way – I've... met, let's put it like that… at least four hundred girls. Maybe way more... since I left Brazil.
His father could not hide his surprise.
- You've met ….like …? - He discretely made an obscene gesture and laughed
-Yeap
Eric agreed with his head.
- It’s a nice number....congrats, I guess? - His dad didn't know how to react. - I suppose you took care of ...you know, protection and all?
- Yeah, no, I probably have fifty kids out there by now... Of course I used protection dad. Even when I was drunk I'd use it... And It doesn't mean shit, you know – Eric didn't know why he had said that either. It was the truth though.
Eric laughed of his dad's reaction, and his dad ended up laughing too.
For the next hour, they chatted about futilities, but as they were finishing their coffees and their dessert, his dad eventually brought up the subject to the table, after a moment where they both had gotten silent:
-... You know son, I didn't want to bring that up to the table....but... your mom told me that you guys talked...
Eric was looking deep into his dad's eyes.
- I just wanted to tell you, and I actually was trying it over and over in front of the mirror – he tried to smile, but it was a very shy one – that... I understand how it must've been hard for you, all of that. I mean, I actually have no idea how it must've been hard for you, but I meant to say that I understand that it definitely wasn't easy at all. And yeah, I judged you, son, and...And I’m sorry. I should've been by your side... I did my best to protect you, but I ended up not making a good job on being there for you, you understand? - He paused - We should've talked, seven years ago... And I just wanted to tell you, that you were brave that night. You tried to defend your friends, you tried to do the right thing...And I'm really really sorry that you experienced that kind of thing, specially so early in life.
Silence.
- ... I'm just really happy that we are having a second chance of being a family again... I'm really thankful to God that you had survived all of this, and for the person you are now... I'm very proud of you, Eric.
Eric actually had to look away from his father.
– Hmm … Alright
Silence.
- Hun... So... – He cleared his throat - Is our house still there? In Floripa, I mean... - Eric tried to change the subject
- ...Yeah, it is actually. Waiting for my retirement...
- Or for my vacations, maybe?
- Yeah, for sure. Do you have plans of going soon?
- Yeah, after the festival maybe... I mean, I just had this idea a couple of days ago...
- Great... Why all of this now, by the way? The festival...
- Well...It's something that I can actually do to help Mike. He was always a brother to me, even in the irresponsibility... And I don't know, I guess this whole festival and school thing is the way we are building something in Paris for us, you know. Isadora, Gustavo, me, Marie, Mike...everyone else that we are meeting. It's a big project, not only about the school... I just feel like...if this works, we will always have a small place in Paris to feel … - he really didn’t want to use that word -...home, you know.
- So you don't plan to go back...To your band? To go back on tour?
- I don't know, we are weighting our options. But my plans so far goes until a month after the festival.... So yeah... And... I really felt like I needed a big break from all of that. I know it was mess you guys had to clean up for me, but... Yeah...
- That’s good... You have a good life here, Eric; I don't think you should go back to the one that was so bad for you just like that... Everybody understands you needed this break, son, don't worry about it.
- Hmm.... - Eric ignored that comment. If it was what he wanted to do, he would do it. He understood his dad's opinion, he just didn't like the fact that he wanted to tell him what to do, or what not to do. He was going to start to get angry again, he was feeling it.
The waitress finally brought the bill and they probably did give her the biggest tip in history.
- ... So, let’s see how the apartment is now?
- Hmm?
- Well, they are probably finishing the cleaning right? Or did you promise them more time? - His dad smirked
His son too. And his anger was gone.
- Yeah, maybe a bit more...
- Aiai... We need to keep them straight, Eric – He laughed – So, what about Tom?
- What about him?
- News from him?
- Ah, he's in Montreal. He's stuck with work and problems... - Eric
- Hmm...
-Yeah, I told you I'm going to visit him in a couple of days... Why?
- Oh really?
- Yeah, I don't think he's that great at the moment...
- …?
- Ah, that's a very long story... Very long story. But why do you ask?
-Well, first of all, because having him around would be excellent, with all this festival thing going on, and well....the whole school thing I guess.
- Yeaah, I know. I thought this more times I could've count. But I don't think that's a real possibility, that guy is madly in love with Montreal and he has this super long story with Katherine... I think it's like... impossible to have him to come and help us.
- Katherine?
- Oh yeah, you've never met her, right?
- No... I don't think so...
- Ahh... Katherine. She is definitely...something – Eric smirked
- What do you mean?
- She's... Unique dad, that’s all I can say. In every single sense I can think of...
- And they are like a couple?
- Ha... Spiritually, yes, but it's been forever they are not together anymore. But they work together and whatnot, so I'm pretty sure that there's still something going on there... For sure he didn't forget her... And I know for me that she didn't forget him either...
- Hmm... I would never think that of him. I always saw him as a... womanizer you know.... Don Juan or something like that...
- Ironically, me too. That's what he sells right? But there...There is a guy that could have any girl in the world, and he just want this particular one, I guess....But I guess it makes sense... Aaand what about the second reason?
- Ah yeah, so we are with this huge invest
ment opportunity coming up soon, and it's been a while we are trying to think about a way to close this acquisition...
- Buut...?
- Well, we don't have all the capital we need, simple as that....
- How come, I just sent you a huge amount of money....?
- Not enough. Actually not even close...
- Hmm... Uau... Ok... And you thought maybe Tom could be interested?
- Yeah, I think that if he gets interested...and depending on the amount of money he could invest on it... Maybe I could get some borrowed money with the bank on our name.... I don't know.... It might work...
- Well, I can talk to him about it...
- Yeah, you do that; it would be an amazing acquisition for our company... It would take everything we have, but you know... It's a real deal changer, Eric... For the long run, but anyways... I really don't want to let it pass by, and we don't have that much time to try to do that...
- I understand... I'll talk to him about it, don't worry....
- … When exactly are you going to Montreal?
- In....three days....
Eric was seating in a stairway, having Alice one stair down and Marie, laying down on her stomach, one stair higher than him. Marie had her hands holding her head, with her elbows on the stair, reading a book that, even though it was impeccable, seemed to be quite old.
Alice was seating besides Marie's head and Eric was near Marie's leg, gently caressing it.
Marie had a childish joy, with her red braided hair , some very old jeans, wearing a black and white striped sweater, and some old converse shoes, with thin white socks appearing, which looked very charming for whatever reason. She was swinging her feet while reading the book and talking to them. Eric, to be honest, had not true conscious of what they were talking about, or even in which language they were communicating.
There was this light shadow covering them, as they were in this immense stairway, where hundreds, maybe thousands of people would walk by every day, but which was completely desert at that moment.
Without any kind of warning, Marie turned her face to Eric and asked: