I have known Nico as a tempestuous, annoying bully when we were kids. He was one of those students in middle school who play pranks at school and with the students, mostly me and best at skipping class.
I never knew his family. But I always presumed his some spoiled son of rich parents who gets everything in his way because they are the only ones who lived in a manor in Sunnyvale and even own a farm.
Despite that, I never totally hated Nico. We kind of have a love-hate relationship with each other. We fight a lot, but we always hang out in the local park together with our other neighbors.
There was one time when one boy was picking on me. So he came running like my knight in shining armor and blurted out, “Hey you prick, stop picking on her. I am the only one allowed to do that to her,” such an asshole, and from there I have always thought he is some grandiose, egotistical boy.
But today as I listen to Nico tell a story, I’ve realized that the self-centered boy I always knew has once been damaged by the great havoc of life.
“You know, bad shit happens in life. And sometimes you find yourself in the worst ways during those times and my worst way was I became an addict,” he stated, “I was at the same rehab center with Erin, just different department and I first saw her at one of the support groups. Insanely thin...”
Nico said Erin became anorexic because of depression when she lost both her parents in a car accident. She has been too many foster parents and none of them handled Erin’s depression, so they sent her to a rehab center.
“She was 14, and I was 17. I always wanted a little sister and to Erin is where I felt I had one. Despite everything she’d been through, she always gives everyone in that center a hope for themselves. So, after a year of rehab, when I got out, I promised her I will come back and give her the best day in her life that she always deserved. If she takes good care of herself. And three years later, here we are and Erin is not looking skin and bones anymore.” We looked across the road as Erin waved at us with her shoelace in her hands that flowed together with the blistering wind.
“You think this is the best? In a rusty repair shop and a car with a busted tire?” I asked him.
“Well, she’s beaming happy and I am too and I thank you for that and fuck Ace. Even though I think he’s a little much better than me, I mean, he’s just an asshole and I am an addicted asshole,” he joked.
“Even if I’ll still pick you over him,” I told him, and Nico looked at me. For a moment, all we did was to stare at each other’s eye until I came into my senses and cleared my throat.
“What does that awful shit thing do to you, anyway? That you’ve become an addict. If you don’t mind.” he smiled at me.
“One secret for one secret, Blythe,” I let out a small laugh. Clever Nico.
“All right, fair enough. I’m glad you’re better now, I wish I too.”
“A little damage makes people more interesting, right?” Nico said proudly, as if he’s a life guru. I squint my eyes.
“I think I’ve heard that before,” Nico just shrugged.
I try to recall a photographic memory of mom’s office. She always loves to read books and inside her office, there were sticky notes pasted on the wall full of quotes and excerpts she was attached to with books she read. I often go inside her office and scan through those notes if I needed some brainstorming with my essays. And there it is. The statement that Nico said was from ‘Something Borrowed’
“That statement was from Something Borrowed” I laughed at him as he gave me a confusing look.
“I don’t know about ‘Something Borrowed’. All I know is that my mom used to tell me that,” he said to me innocently.
“Your mom must be an exceptional woman, but I don’t think I am just a little damage, Nico,”
“Well, that makes you more interesting, doesn’t it?” He smiled at me and walked away towards the others at the Shoe Tree.
~~~
Technically, Tom was lying when he said the repairing will only take less than an hour because it’s already two-thirty in the afternoon and still we are seated at the bench swimming in our own sweats as the sun grew angrier of intense heat.
He said sorry though for the inconvenience and we understand since it looked like the repair shop needs more of mending than of the VW busted tire and seeing as this shop is the only place that can help us we have no choice but to bear with the torridity of the location.
By quarter to three, Tom approached us by the bench with his face and hands full of black dirt.
He told us that the car was already repaired and asked Kayden to try it. Moments later, the VW Type 2 bus came speeding out of the shop. Good as new as Kayden's screams of excitement.
“Sorry for the delay, just pay half the price and if you get hungry along your trip, there’s this diner at Kingman, Mr. D’z, I know someone from there. Her name is Vicky. Just tell her my name and she will give you a discount on the food.”
Luna then paid Tom half the price, and we thanked him for his effort in fixing our car.
According to William’s research, Havasu Falls was not the easiest place to go to because it involves a long hike for us to get to the place.
Considering the time right now we wouldn’t make it to the falls with the sunlight still illuminating the sky, so we gave Mr. D’z a try and continue our trip to Havasu Falls by tomorrow.
After an hour of driving to a deserted road and ghost towns, gradually the surroundings become filled with infrastructures and parked cars as the sun becomes lower and the car is now running at the city of Kingman.
From afar we spotted the sign of Mr. D’z Route 66 Diner from above a building painted in pastel colors of pinks and blues with picnic tables situated outside with the same colors and beside the picnic tables, there is an odd yet pretty vintage car that was displayed.
As soon as we entered the diner, the vicinity gave off a retro vibe. They colored the interior the same as outside. There is a jukebox and pictures related to Route 66 hanging on the walls. Luna asked for Vicky by the bar and a woman with long brown hair came out from the kitchen and walked towards us.
“Let me guess, you came from that repair shop in Amboy, am I right?” we nodded and Vicky sighed, “Tom must have given you that sticky look of yours. God, help my helpless brother. Why do I have to always save him from his stupidness?” She groaned and gave us a menu in the shape of a vinyl disc, “Here, order whatever you all like, I got half of your bill.”
We ordered some pizzas, hotdogs, and fries for our early dinner with iced tea to freshen up ourselves from the boiling temperature a while ago.
People crowded the inside of the diner, so we took our seats at one of the picnic tables outside considering that the blazing temperature is slowly fading as the sun goes down.
While we waited for our orders, one by one we all changed our shirts in the comfort room that clung on our bodies because of sweats.
When our orders arrived, we dived in the food and laughed together as we indulge every delicacy prepared on our table. The neon lights glued at the sides of the building gleamed up despite the sky still embellishing a brief glow of the sunset clouds.
The last time I ate at a diner was by accident because I ran away from a boy I threw milk at and I was with two people only, Luna and William.
Today, the same thing happened. I ran away and was now eating at the diner again. The only difference was that I was not with two people only. I am with six people eating not just bacon and eggs and funny is that one of them was the boy I threw milk at.
As I looked at these beautiful people in front of me, I remembered what I told William about what I was looking forward to with this trip. I realized it’s not just home I am looking forward to, but also I was also looking forward to these people.
Ever since my dad died and my relationship with my mom became a wrecking ball, I have always thought the only person who will help me at my worst is myself because if someone who is really close to you can’t even help you, how come to the others you barely even know?
But sometimes help comes from people you least expected the most, like how Erin and Nico helped each other to become better despite only meeting at a support group.
I think I have become too independent and thought I needed no one. I became blind to see people like them and failed to realize at one point all we need is a shoulder to cry on, someone.
Maybe I found one, and that was my mom, but I didn’t see her because I was blinded by my independence that I have also become selfish. I didn’t realize she too was hurting and needed somebody and being her stupid daughter, all I gave her was a pain in the head.
And the reason I am looking forward to these people is because I hope they are the ones who can help me learn how to mend the broken relationship I had with my mom and I learned that from Nico.
How Erin and Nico met made me realized that to make something better, people need to help each other. That is what’s lacking in my relationship between me and my mom.
Mom and I never helped each other. We threw each other our griefs and sadness that resulted in chaos. And just like Nico, one of us must become better first to help the other one, and I decided that would be me. I have given my mom enough headaches and disappointments, and I think it’s time for me to make it up to her.
So by the end of this trip, I will make sure that I have become a much better person, before and after my dad died. I will give my mom more than the love she has given me, and I will give her the best day she always deserves. From then on I will promise to myself that never, even once, I’ll walk out of her again.