"Grandpa! Grandpa! Why is the city so... disgusting?!" Vincent couldn't form the words that he wanted to form to express his deep disappointment, "I thought you told me that the city would be full of miracles, not trash!"
The old man could see how his grandson was flabbergasted. "Dear grandson, you mustn't insult this part of the city, many people find this a haven for their entire lives."
Vincent observed his surroundings: crumbling buildings, ruined architecture, broken down cars with their windows shattered, and small cardboard towns were constructed in the wide alleyways in between tall buildings. The streets were littered with foul-smelling trash which was dumped from buildings that leaned towards each other. Open sewage swayed side to side, some of it occasionally spilled onto the ditch-filled streets. It was a gruesome sight. And it was definitely not a sight for sore eyes.
But, when Vincent focused closer on the people rather than the setting, he began to notice many similar patterns. The streets were lined with beggars who were all huddled together. They did not seem like they were blood-related, but the way they cared for each other compensated for pitiful blood. The shabby cardboard towns were strung together with tight-kin communities full of close relatives, friendly strangers, and friends. All of them smiled and waved to Vincent as he strolled past them. All of them did not seem regretful that their lives have ended up on the streets. Rather, they seemed thankful and seemed to have a sense of pride in who they were. Vincent was perplexed. Why did they find it satisfying to stay where they are?
The old man understood what Vincent was feeling. "Most of the citizens in the outer sector of the city come from foreign lands or other countries as refugees. They feel perfectly fine staying where they are because they know that they can't push their luck within these walls. And also because the environment that they live in now is far better than the blood-soaked battlefields they came from. Remember Vincent, there is no such thing as good and bad or right and wrong. It just depends on the person."
Vincent realized where his grandfather was coming from and nodded his head in agreement. "I'm sorry for insulting this place earlier, Grandpa."
The old man gazed down at the boy and said, "Don't be sorry to me. But, it's okay. You learned something very valuable today. So, just don't forget it." The old man gave out a hearty laugh.
"But Grandpa, you said that this place was the outer sector of the city, does that mean that there are more sectors?"
"Yes. Every city in our country has three main sectors: the outer sector, the middle sector, and the inner sector. Pretty simple stuff to remember. The outer sector consists of many immigrants, refugees, or migrant workers who have unstable backgrounds. They work hard to get into the next sector, which is the middle sector. The middle sector shelters middle-class folk, to put it simply, It is the largest sector and houses doctors, lawyers, businessmen, construction workers, scientists. Basically whoever can find and maintain a stable job with a stable income. Unlike the outer sector, the middle sector also has the police force. That's why you see a lot of broken windows and house fires here, but you won't see any in the next sector. In the inner sector, the most affluent of the citizens spend their days there. They almost always have seemingly infinite amounts of wealth within their reach, or they could be high members of society."
Vincent suddenly stopped walking, "Grandpa! You said that I won't see any crime in the middle sector, does that mean we're going to travel there?"
The old man was astonished that he even picked up on such a small detail. "Well you got me, grandson, we are going to go to the middle sector to pick out a present for you." Vincent gave a wide smile feeling overjoyed about being able to pick out a present that he wanted.
They kept walking while the same outer sector scenery repeated itself over and over again. Soon, they reached a small house that was... surprisingly clean. It had a small front porch garden and was built on a sizable plot of land. Its front yard was neatly trimmed, and the flowers in the garden gave off a powerful lavender fragrance that masked the foul stench. There was a large cast-iron gate that prevented any ruffians from entering without consent. The old man stayed in the place marked by two chalk-drawn footsteps. He smiled at the large, intimidating camera that was fastened in the middle of the gate. The gate gave a metallic ring as it hissed open. Then, the old man strode down the cobblestone pathway to a Victorian-style house. He knocked on the door three gentle times, and it too hissed open. The old man walked in again, and Vincent tailed behind him.
The inside of the house seemed nowhere as innocent as the outside. The walls were lined with guns and ammo, and various swords, clubs, and melee weapons were mounted on the wall. But, the old man avoided all of those 'for show weapons and walked straight towards a small chest. He opened the chest and found some material that he needed in small pouches. He dropped them in his bag and went along the corridor to find another room that much less dramatic looking.
The room had four glass cases, which displayed pieces of paper. Vincent did not understand what they were for, or why the paper was being so specially kept. The old man scrutinized all the papers and selected one in the end. He took out a fountain pen and filled out what seemed to be a form. After a couple of minutes, he was done. He folded the piece of paper and tucked it into a box just a couple of feet away.
He looked at Vincent and beckoned him to follow. Vincent stayed close behind him, thinking that someone or something might drag him away. His grandfather left the store, but Vincent had a question, "Grandpa, how come you didn't pay anyone in there?"
The old man responded, "The shop belongs to my old friend, I'll pay him back when I see him again. Don't worry." His voice cracked a little at the end. "Now that I finished my things, let's get you your present. You excited?"
Vincent nodded his head with vigor, "Yeah, Grandpa!"
Both of them had to walk back to the visitation zone to gain quick access to the middle sector. They power-walked the way back, or at least Vincent tried to, but his short little legs would not carry him far. They eventually made it to the visitation zone and found the same female employee as before. The old man asked to got the middle sector, and the female employee eyed both of them twice before nodding her head. She gave the old man instructions regarding where the middle sector was. The old man guided Vincent through the corridor where there was an elevator sign. The old man pressed the open sign on the elevator's door and stepped inside. Vincent naturally followed as well. The elevator, instead of going and up and down, shifted sideways to the left. Vincent was jerked to the side because of the inertia. The old man firmly gripped Vincent's shoulders making him feel comforted. After about five minutes the elevator stopped and displayed the areal view of the middle sector on its virtual interface. It was true that the middle sector was quite large. The old man stepped out and waited for Vincent to do the same. And with a smile on his face, he led Vincent to a streetcar.
"Vincent, I am going to take you to jewelry. I know I said that you could pick out whatever you want, but I want to gift you something that will last. As a remembrance of me. Is that ok?"
Vincent gladly nodded his head, "Of course it's okay Grandpa!"
The old man smiled with genuine gratefulness. He paid the streetcar to take them to Tangworth Jewelers. It was a famous jeweler that had just recently opened its doors in the middle sector after being in the inner sector for decades.
As the streetcar moved, Vincent saw a vastly different landscape compared to what he had seen before. The streets were clean and smooth, the roads weren't filled with cracks and ditches. The buildings were tall and looked brand new. All the cars that were parked in their appropriate parking spaces had no broken windows or rusted doors. Houses that lined the streets varied in different styles. Some were old Victorian, while others were new eco-friendly with grass on their roofs. Asian, Indian, Spanish, Dutch, and various other architecture all converged at once engendering a creative masterpiece! Vincent's eyes were glued onto the window of the streetcar.
After a good half-an-hour, the streetcar stopped. The old man picked Vincent up and carried him out of the transport. He then continued to carry him towards the store. The storefront looked spectacular. The name of the company was written in bold letters and shined brilliantly in the night. Tall windows were showcasing the unique and beautiful items that the store wanted to sell. The old man was not caught in the trance-like Vincent, so he simply pushed open the doors and walked right in.
The employees of the store all looked at the duo with eyes of annoyance and contempt. The old man, still carrying Vincent, went directly to the section of the store where the necklaces were confined within a glass display. He looked at the necklaces and asked Vincent a question, "Now, everything here is in bounds, which one would you like?"
Vincent stared at the price tags. He slowly counted the zeros on his pudgy fingers. One... two... three, four... five....six! A number followed by six zeros! That was in the hundreds of thousands! Vincent leaned closer to this grandfather's ear, "Grandpa, I don't think we can afford this. I counted the zeros and...well... I don't think we can afford it!"
At the same time, a slim, male employee dressed in a fancy undershirt and vest popped into view. In a condescending tone, he spoke to the old man, "We have other... affordable options if you'd like." The old man sensed the ill-intent of the employee but made no intention of backing down.
With a smile, he replied, "No, I think we are fine thank you." To his, the man rolled his eyes. "Don't mind him, Vincent. Just pick whatever you want, and I promise that I will buy it for you."
Vincent raked up some confidence and eyed some of the necklaces. There were diamond-studded ones, pure gold, pure silver laced with strands of platinum. There were also deep blue sapphires, and bright red rubies studded into what seemed to be a meter-long chain. But, the one that caught his eye was a thin gold necklace with a flat rectangular-shaped object laced onto it. He read the line below the item: 'Locket'. He pointed at the one that he liked, and the old man traced the finger to the necklace. "Why do you want that one?" he asked.
Vincent blushed a little, leaving a rosy color on his cheeks. "I wanted to take a picture of us both and put it in there for old-times-sake in the future. Did choose the wrong one?"
The old man was genuinely moved by his grandson's thoughts. "No, no, no! You chose perfectly. It suits you and your eyes." He gestured for the employee to bring it out to get a better look at it.
The employee looked at his colleagues and sniggered, "Customers must buy the item for it to come out of the display." He thought this would teach the old man the lesson of not trying to impress his grandson with gifts he can't afford.
The old man smiled again, and said, "That is fine. Where can I pay?"
The man looked a little confused. Why would the old man go this far to trick his grandson? Either way, the facade was about to be revealed. He brought out a small device that looked like a blank pad. It was a highly reflective surface, and the edges glowed in a blueish light. The old man immediately lowered his hand on the pad and a faint 'ping' sound was heard. The man's face slowly drooped from a snarky smile to an astonished frown. How? He looked at the old man and back down at the money exchanged. Nine-hundred thousand credits?
"Would you mind bringing out the locket, please?" the old man asked.
The man began to sweat profusely now. "Yes, of course!" He quickly brought out the necklace and gave it to the old man. The necklace, now that they got a closer look at it, was even more beautiful! The fine gold chain was not connected to the locket part. It was actually strung through a small hole on the top of the rectangular shape. This way, the locket slid along the gold chain. The locket had a generic heart shape on it. The heart was made from thousands of minuscule gemstones and crystals. This gave the heart a shimmery feeling. The locket itself was made from gold, so it provided a nice contrast to the aquamarine color of the heart design.
The old man gingerly lifted the necklace and placed it around Vincent's neck. It was perfect. The aquamarine divinely complemented his eyes. The old man teared up a little. But no one noticed.
The man standing behind the glass display offered a suggestion, "We can take a complimentary picture of both of you and ingrain it into the locket if you want!"
Vincent smiled, "Can we do that Grandpa?"
The old man nodded his head. The male employee took out a pricy-looking camera and snapped a photo of the adorable grandfather-grandson duo smiling with their teeth out. The photo was then ingrained into the locket using a high-tech laser. The colors were then added by studding millions of color crystals in the places that the laser pierced. Vincent hugged the locket. It was perfect. It was a perfect moment in time to freeze and admire forever.
The old man looked at Vincent's joy. He let out a small laugh and gestured Vincent to follow him out of the store. The man called out after them, "Please come again!"
The old man ruffled his grandson's hair and endearingly spoke to him, "Vincent, I want you to know that I will love you no matter what. Where ever you roam, which side of justice you fall under, which paths you will take are not a concern to me. Remember th---"
BANG!
The old man fell with a thud right infront of the Jeweler's steps. A small, black car drove by so fast that only a blur could be seen. Vincent saw a white hand with a large golden ring pull the trigger of a gun. He then jerked his head to see his grandfather bleeding on the ground.
"GRANDPA! GRANDPA! GET UP! C'MON GRANDPA!" Vincent screamed and yelled for his grandfather to get up as if nothing happened.
The old man slowly lifted his hand and placed it on Vincent's cheek. He softly, with his last breaths, said, "Remember...this...," he inhaled deeply and continued in an even softer voice, "I... will always... love you... no matter... what."
His eyes released a tears as he said his last words. He smiled at his grandson before the light in his eyes slowly diminished. "Grandpa?" Vincent said with a whisper. "GRANDPA! PLEASE! GET! UP!" Vincent's face was covered in a mess of tears. He pounded on his grandfather's chest, but the light in his eyes would not reemerge. He slowly understood the reality of the situation, but he still pleaded, "Please Grandpa, you're the only person I ever had. Please..." Vincent tucked his knees towards his chest and shoved his head down into his knees. he could hear the ambulances coming. He could hear the police cars screeching on the pavement. He could feel- as if on cue- the rain drops drenching him and his grandfather. He looked at this grandfather one more time. Tears were still running down his face. He was still choking on his own breath. But, he could see the smile on his grandfather's face. he could see the kind, benign expression that his grandfather chose to leave behind. But, he just couldn't except it. He just couldn't.
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Then I woke up.