Chapter 116 - Sato's Past

The story from Gray's mother made Sato smile. Getting to know about Gray was something Sato could never get sick off. It was refreshing and interesting at the same time.

"How are your parents doing?" Melanie asked Sato curiously. The reaction she received back was unexpected. Sato had an empty look on his face.

"I.. I do not know." Sato was embarrassed. He had no clue about his parent's condition, let alone any of their latest developments. As compared to Gray's family, although they were thousands of miles apart, they would still keep in contact through the phone.

"Why is that?" Melanie knew that she had hit the soft spot. With her expertise in human relations, she wanted to help him. With a smile, she continued. "There's no need to hide anything from me."

The mood of the room was right and so, Sato decided to reveal it to her.

"It all started when I was 15. I was a normal a normal middle school student, living in a small two room flat with my family. My father, at that time, was a construction worker, earning us just enough to get by. Although we were poor, our family was contented with life."

"Nevertheless, everyone changed when the construction company had laid off my father. He wasn't given any prior notice and so, he couldn't prepare for the worse. For the two months, my father stayed at home, looking for a job on the Web net. By the third month, he started to change, emotionally and mentally. He picked up drinking and would head out to drink in pubs by himself till late at night. My mother tried to persuade him, resulting in their frequent fights. This carried on for many months, with my mom bearing all of his insults and wrath. She even had to pick up multiple part time jobs to keep us afloat."

The atmosphere got more solemn as Sato told his story. He continued, with a grim smile on his face, trying to hide his sadness.

"Nearing the end of my last year of middle school, I reluctantly came back home for the holidays. I had stayed in the school campus for the longest time as I did not want anything to do with my father. Yet, when my mother pleaded me to come home, I couldn't say no. And so, I came back."

"I still remember that day vividly. My father with his unshaven beard, sitting on the couch, with a can of beer in his hand. His face already had a slight reddish flush from afternoon. He was drunk."

"When my mother saw me, she had a sympathetic look on her face. She knew I did not want to be here and that I came for her. I scanned her with my eyes, my heart wrenched in pain throughout. There were evident dark bruises that were scattered across her arms and legs. Even without pulling up her shirt, you could tell she wasn't just beaten on her limbs. She ached everytime she walked, but still, she obediently helped my father. "

"Throughout our first dinner in a long time, I remained silent and ate quietly. I didn't want to make a sound even when I chewed my food. Still, it was impossible to avoid everything. My father looked up at me with his drunken eyes, sloppily he asked how were my grades."

"I didn't want to give a long answer and so, I replied with a 'fine' . And if you know how drunk people behave, you would be able to recognise my mistake. I had made my father mad. His emotions got the better of him. He started to shout at me for being rude. My indifferent attitude had resulted in me receiving a beating."

"I have never received a beating from my father. Not once in my life, until that day. It was as if I did not recognise him anymore. I knew that his angry emotions wasn't him at all. It was the alcohol acting out." Sato's voice got hoarse as his hand trembled slightly. Melanie noticed it and reached out for the young man. She gave Sato a reassuring nod, before speaking.

"It's okay if you do not want to continue. We can stop here if it is hurting you too much."

"No. It is fine. The story was almost over." Sato shook his head. In fact, after all these years, this memory had become more of his distant past. Adding on to his amnesia, it made him feel like it was his past life.

"After that experience, I ran away from home. I did not come back after my middle school graduation, directly applying for a full scholarship to the highschool. It seemed that during my time there, I had gotten to know your son, Gray. Although, I do not remember it, my feelings back then and now are genuine."

When Sato finished his story, Melanie nodded her head. She patted Sato's hand as she commented.

"That was very brave of you to tell me the story. Getting hurt by your closest one's is always the most painful. For you, it was father. Luckily, you realise that it was actually not your father's doing, but instead, the use of substances." Melanie analysed like a true therapist.

"Has your parents contacted you recently?"

"Yes. On my birthday two months ago, they video called me. It seemed like my father had quit drinking and have sobered up."

"That's good, that's good."

"But.." Sato hesitated before continuing. "I cannot pluck up the courage to go back home."

Melanie didn't speak for a good minute. She thought about it before replying.

"Here is what I think is the best course of action. There are two things you can do in this case. One, you can continue the way things are and just carry on with your life. You go on your way, while they go on theirs."

Sato thought about it sensibly. This was what he had been doing all this while, escaping. Yet, that was not his heart wanted.

"Two, you can go back home and visit your parents. This is what people call ripping off the bandage. It may hurt at the start, but in the end, it would benefit you."

"As you have said earlier on, your father has changed and now, wants to patch things up with you. And so, you should reciprocate. There's nothing for you to lose."

It was true that Sato had nothing to lose. At the very most, he could carry on with the first option. Seeing that Sato was deep in thought, Melanie stood up and left upstairs.

"Think about it, Sato. I'll head upstairs first to rest a little."