- : USA, Illinois, Chicago : -
"Oh Come on!!"
"No, No, No, No, No, Noooooo!!!"
"Shit! Shit! Shitt!"
"Why don't you just die?!!"
"Paralysis, Goddammit!!"
"Yess! Yess! Hahaha!! I did it! I did it!!"
In a small room, decorated with different kinds of toys of Pokémons, a ceiling fan, a small-sized one-person bed, a hanger for clothes, small-sized table chair, and a PC on top of it, and drawing posters of different characters of anime like Madara, Kokushibo, and Gojo, etc, a teenage boy is playing a game on his smartphone while frantically whispering and swearing.
Yup, That's me, Noah Wilson, your boy from the neighborhood of Chicago. And why am I so worked up you asked? Sigh-, well, I am playing this game called Pokemmo, and I am currently in a battle with the Goldenrod City gym leader from Johto, Whitney.
Yeah, you guessed right. The thing that's giving me a headache right now is THE FCKING NIGHTMARE MILTANK of hers!! Using Attract after Attract and Rollout after Rollout in succession!! And I can't do anything against it!! Why, you asked?
Because this is a nightmarish monster who got a 100 base speed stat!! And I can't increase my level because of the level cap. And for my bad luck, I started from the Johto Region. That's why I can't buy anything from the Trade shop.
I defeated her Clefairy and Teddiursa without losing a single one of my party of four. But as soon as Milktank showed up, she started to kil- cough*, I mean 'faint' my Pokemons one after another.
'Sniff-, Cyndaquil, my buddy, I will never forget you.'
For her moveset, she got [Stomp], which makes you flinch, she got [MilkDrink], which heals her, she got [Rollout], which becomes powerful as time passes, and at last, she got [Attract], which turns you into a Simping Useless Bastard!!
But no more! You know why?!.. Because after my four losing streaks against her, this time I will bring out my Mareep and paralyze her at the start!! Hahahaha!! Haaahahahaha!!....
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***
And... It didn't work. As soon as I brought out my Mareep, she used Rollout and knocked out Mareep with two consecutive moves. I even paralyzed her. But despite that, she used Rollout after Rollout and defeated my whole team.
"... Hahaha, Goddammit. I am done with this shit."
After saying that, I directly Uninstalled it without a second thought...
"Noah! Dad's waiting for you!"
Then a loud feminine voice came from downstairs.
Well, my home is not that great. Just a small two-story house with a nice yard filled with flowers that my mother planted and raised. I too helped with it a little of course. And I live upstairs. So, a nice view of the central city of Chicago out there.
But despite being a small house compared to my friends, this is the best home I can imagine, that I love. Because-
"Hey! Come down already! Or your Dad will come to getcha!!"
"Ok! I am coming!"
Then I put down the phone on the table and quickly went downstairs. Well, I already had the Gi on me before playing Pokemmo knowing that I won't have the time to wear it.
Well, let's go.
After I quickly went down the stairs,
"Hey, take this!"
Suddenly a beautiful woman with black hair just like me, who had some noticeable signs of wrinkles on her face that showed signs of aging, quickly shoved an apple into my mouth, and I quickly caught it with my teeth by reflex. I showed no signs of surprise. Well, this is our everyday thing after all.
Then I took the apple out of my mouth and quickly kissed her on the cheek as she was turning her right cheek my way like she was expecting it. Well, this too is one of our everyday things.
"Bye, see you soon!"
"OK bye, sweety! Take care!"
Then we said our byes and I quickly walked or more likely, ran towards the door.
Who is she you asked? Well, she is my mom, Avanta Wilson. She came from India to study at the University of Chicago. Later she met my father and fell in love and married him. And boom! I popped out. Well, that's the story in short at least...
After I reached the door, I quickly opened it. And standing there while crossing his arms is a man with dark brown hair, who has a Nick Fury-like eye patch on his right eye and a strong and muscular-looking body but not so jacked. He was just looking fit.
He is wearing a black Gi, while mine was white, opposite to his.
"Ready?" he asked with a calm voice.
"Yeah," I replied.
"Let's go then."
He told me and we started to walk in silence toward a particular apartment down the street... Well, let's not beat around the bush. It's a dojo. My father's dojo.
Yup, he's my father, Gary Wilson. An Ex-serviceman in the Army of the United States of America. Who retired after he lost his right eye and some 'things' that he will never be able to get back.
More specifically, he was tortured by the Taliban in the war of America v/s Afghanistan. But despite so much torture, he never opened his mouth to disclose any information about his home country. According to him, he even spat and said "Go fck yourself" on the faces of the torturers. And because of that, he lost his... Let's not talk about it.
After he was rescued by the special forces in a covered operation, he was 'safely' brought back to America. In 2010, Captain Gary Wilson got a medal of honor from the President of that time, Barack Obama himself for his brave and honorable acts.
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***
When my mom told her parents that they were about to marry, my maternal grandparents were against it and called her back to India, because my Father was a Christian and more importantly, a soldier. And said they don't want to watch their daughter live her life as a widow.
But she refused them and told them that she was pregnant. After hearing that, they showed their real colors and disowned her without a second thought. They said it was against their tradition and religion or something, and they didn't need a daughter who put shame on their family by breaking tradition and going against their religion... T-They called her a whore.
It broke my mother's heart, but she assured herself that even if she didn't have her parents, she still had me and my dad whom she loved the most in the world... That was when it happened.
In 2005, My father got caught by the Taliban during a covered mission he was in with his teammates. None of them were left alive except for my father. So they tortured him in the hopes of finding something against America... That was when I was about to be born.
When she gave birth to me in the hospital, she was all alone. My maternal grandparents did not show up or send any help from them. I heard that they were quite rich, but despite my mother asking for help from her own parents, they refused her, saying that they already held mom's death ceremony and she was already dead for them.
I can't even imagine what might have been going through her when her own parents, who raised her from being a toddler, said something like that. She was pregnant for God's sake!
About my grandparents from my father's side, they passed away in a car accident when he was at University, but he came over it with my mother's help.
They owned a small cafe, and my grandfather was a construction worker. After they died, my father inherited the cafe and graduated with my mother.
They were dating each other at that time and basically in a living relationship, but Dad had to fulfill his dream of joining the US Army, so he couldn't marry her and suggested breaking up. Because knowing her family of fanatics and her character, if something happened to him at duty, she would be living her whole life all alone while being his widow.
But my mother said she would wait for him to come back and then they would marry and live a happy life together. So, Dad handed over the ownership of the cafe to Mom so that when he was not around, she could take care of her own, and with his salary that he would send from time to time, it might work out just fine... But everything went down to the hill when he got caught.
After getting disowned by her parents, she tried to contact him several times in the hopes of giving him the good news of her pregnancy but she failed to do so. After one month of trying, one day, bad news came...
Mom was devastated. She got the news that Dad got caught by the Taliban and they will do everything they can to rescue him as soon as possible. but what made her more devastated was not that, but the rumors.
Some people said that he might be already dead or ran away being a pussy and hiding somewhere to not put shame on his family. But Mom completely ignored those baseless rumors and held strong, believing that he Would come back...
For 5 fckin years.
Yes, I had never seen my father or got his love until I was five. Mom raised me on her own all alone with that cafe of hers. Some kind-hearted neighbors helped us a little with money problems, but only a little. Because this is Chicago. No one looks after anyone here. They all run after money, money, and money.
They say, "Money can't buy happiness." That's bullshit. You can only hear that phrase from rich people who make money by some questionable means or the ones who inherit their parent's money for free. And it's never enough for them. Because they know it in their heart that, only money can buy them happiness, that's why they are afraid of losing it.
Well, went off track for a moment, anyway. Everything worked out fine after Dad came back home, but it was never so easy.
In those five years, the last two years were only for his rehabilitation. But despite that, I think it didn't work out pretty well.
He went as a man full of enthusiasm about serving his country but came back as an emotionless man who can't make another child again. That's why they love me so much. Because I am the only one they can call their own. And I know it for a fact.
I too wanted to join the US Army in my childhood despite my Mom being against it. But I held on to that until I met my father.
After he came back, for only one time, I saw genuine emotion in his eyes. He was crying sitting on the floor in my mother's embrace at that time. Only that time, he showed all of his genuine emotions.
After that, I had never seen him laugh or cry. I still remember the days when my father used to scream in his sleep and wake up full of sweat. Those were some hectic days. But he overcame with our help I guess. He even smiles a little now. Like he did when I won my first gold medal in a karate championship.
Yup. I learned from him and am a 2 times Champion now. He even opened his own dojo recently that got filled with students in no time. Well, this will happen when you get a walking advertisement of a son.
With Mom handling the cafe and Dad being an official sensei, we are living a pretty decent life now...
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***
After walking a little bit we arrived at the dojo. And tens of students are waiting in front of it.
I joined my dojo friends and chatted a little until Dad opened the locked doors and we all went in. Then started our class like every day.
Despite me knowing that he loves me so much, he never showed me love or pampered me. He was always strict in raising me. No matter whether at home or in the dojo, he always teaches me one thing, Discipline.
"Say it!!"
"""""Discipline defines our humanity!!"""""
"And?"
"""""Without it, we descend below the dignity of animals!!"""""
"Good. Now, Right hook! Hyah!!"
"""""Hyahh!!"""""
"Front kick! Hyah!!"
"""""Hyahh!!"""""
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*Some moments later*
After we were done with the practice, I said goodbyes to my classmates and waited until Dad came after locking the door. Then we started to walk in silence. It was not awkward or unbearable or anything. Dad just can't start a conversation. Looks like we have the same problem.
After all, I was the single loner in the neighborhood until my dad came and turned me into a karate badass...
Oh! As I was busy in my thoughts, I already arrived home without realizing it. Then I went on and knocked on the door for 3 times.
"Coming!!"
Then after a few seconds, Mom came and opened the door.
"We are back," I said with a smile, as usual.
"Welcome back." she welcomed us cheerfully.
And then me and my Dad went inside the house...
I know you are a man of few words, Dad, but you can at least say something, like "I am home" or "we are back" like me or something. She is your wife for God's sake, Man.....