May: What do you dream of Harlan?
I turned to May, who was sitting beside me. Tonight wasn't exactly going exactly as planned. Basler scored for Bayern in the sixth minute, Manchester United was losing. Eighty-nine minutes into the game and they were indeed whooping our English ass.
Ass, arse, same shit.
Harlan: Sorry what?
May (laughing): Well your team is losing so I decided to ask you a question to dis-
Harlan: No I meant... What was the question?
May stopped laughing.
May: What do you dream of Harlan?
May looked at me... she wasn't joking anymore. This was serious.
I looked at her and it occurred to me that nobody ever asked me that question. I don't know why but... it bothered me.
I didn't know what bothered me more. The fact that May was the first one who actually asked me that... or the fact I didn't know.
I decided to answer sarcastically.
Harlan: I dunno... maybe find someone... settle down... maybe have a dog.
May: Got a type you're interested in?
Harlan: I dunno... Korean?
The TV went crazy. I looked and saw why.
Sheringham scored. The game was 1-1.
I got up and cheered. I turned to look at May to see if she was gonna join me, or do her usual thing of having that annoyed look on her face... but she didn't. She looked at me, sadness in her eyes.
Harlan: Sorry.
I sat back down beside her.
Harlan: What about you?
May: Oh... you know. Get good at this job. Bring justice to some people, make the world a better place... make my father proud.
Harlan: I thought we went over this May.
May: What I-
Harlan: Your father wasn't there for you for how many years, then he just dumps you here and never acknowledged you for years, and you think that just by doing something he will suddenly acknowledge your existence?
May: HE IS MY FATHER HARLAN!
Harlan: HE LEFT YOU. HE BASICALLY ABANDONED YOU YOUR WHOLE LIFE. Where was he for every birthday or swimming competition or for your graduation, even the one for HIS agency? You think he'll do that if he really loved or cared for you?
May looked from me, down on the floor. She tried pushing them back, but the tears slowly fell from her eyes.
I slowly and gently patted her.
Harlan: I'm sorry. I-
May: No... it's fine. It's fine.
Harlan: I just...
May: I know. I know.
I wanted to tell her that I cared for her, and that I always did, but the look on her face looked like she knew.
May smiled. She and I sat in silence. I knew I shouldn't have said that. But it was true. May's father left her and her mother while she was still really young. Her mother died during her college years and he just left her in T.H.E.P.A.'s academy, where I met her.
I've seen how things were between them. The countless times she made it a point to excel at things to earn his approval, the times she waited for him to come but he never did. I was there for some of those times and it bothered me every time how someone could be like that. Especially to his own daughter.
May's face went from a soft smile, to scared as she looked at the television. I looked at the TV. The fans were cheering. Not Bayern Munich fans... Manchester United fans.
May: NO NO NO NO NO! YOU BASTARDS!
Solskjær scored for Manchester United, we were winning!
May and I watched the last few minutes... but it was over. Manchester United won 2-1. I won the bet!
I jumped up and down, screaming, yelling at my victory while May sat on the ground and cursed the British team ("bloody wankers" I think she muttered).
I just remember making fun of her, rubbing in her face that she owed me drinks. I dragged her to the pub, laughing the whole time. We entered the pub, ordered a drink... and I woke up the next day, hungover.