Rhythmic clapping filled the empty playground. The sun had already set, but two young boys played by the bench. Their clapping game grew faster and more complicated, making one giggle in excitement. In the end, he missed and lost the game. However, he flashed a big smile and laughed heartily. His loss didn't dampen his giddiness.
"My palms hurt…" The other boy rubbed his palms, but his thumb's energy was weaker than normal. He even allowed the loser to rub his sore palms for him. "…doesn't yours hurt?"
"They do!" A laugh came as an answer. The loser boy giggled and kneaded the winner's hand. He had dark hair, a short stature, and worn clothes. However, his skin looked flawless as if cared for. If not a strange kid, he was most likely mischievous—rolling on the dirt.
"Rhodes, do you want me to help you?" The winner had bronzing hair despite his age. His long legs showed off his height, but they were hidden under a blanket. The winner was in a wheelchair. The only game he could play was the clapping game his friend introduced to him. His arms could still move fast, but his lower half could barely shake.
Rhodes, the dark-haired boy, shook his head. He continued smiling and kneading the other boy's palms. "You can't massage my palms like this!"
The other boy nodded and looked at their hands. He weakly smiled back. "I want to see you again someday. My parents don't like it when I leave the house…"
"Okay…" Rhodes didn't seem to be affected. His smile stayed on his face. "My mom said she wants to return to her family. Do you know? My mom's dad is very rich. He owns this big place with so many floors! Whoosh! It can reach the sky!"
Rhodes stopped massaging the boy's hands. He gestured his hands up as if showing how tall the building was. The other boy followed his hand and opened his mouth in awe. Rhodes flashed a big smile. "Your nanny rides a long car, too! I think we might run into each other at a party or something. My mom goes to some parties to meet other people. I saw kids there, too… but I don't like playing with them."
The other boy giggled. "Okay, I'll ask my dad if I can come with him sometimes. I'll bring my dog with me. You should practice saying the commands, too."
"What was it again? Sit…? Stay… and roll over!" Rhodes laughed and clapped. "Good boy!"
"Good boy…" The other boy reached out and petted Rhodes's head instead. However, Rhodes only giggled and accepted the head pats.
Rhodes pouted after. "If Vanya bites me, it'll be on you! I won't hurt him at all! I'll poke you—uh, how many teeth do dogs have? I don't care! I'll just poke you!"
The boy laughed and rubbed Rhodes's head harder. "It's okay. He won't bite you. He doesn't bite anyone I like. I like you a lot, so I think Vanya will love you so much, too. Maybe Dad will also like you. Our house is big, and our lot is wide. I'm sure you'll like it there."
"Really?" Rhodes's eyes glittered. "Grandpa said our house is small. Hey, hey, do you think I can also live there? Mom will live with Grandpa, so I want to live in a big house, too!"
"Won't your grandpa let you stay with your mom?" The other boy flinched and brought his hand down. "Why do you have to live in my house? I won't stop you, but why?"
Rhodes pressed his lips together. He looked away and turned to the other boy again. "I'm scared of an old lady I met in that house. I don't want to live there."
The other boy nodded and smiled. "Okay, I'll ask Dad if you can live with us. My sister said only married people can live together with their kids, but I'll ask Dad.
"If he says no, I'll marry you."
Rhodes tilted his head to the side as if confused. However, he still smiled and nodded. "If we see each other again, let's find a way to stay together in your big house. I'm so excited! I'll ask Mom to bring me to her parties! Yay, yay! Delicious food!"
Footsteps came from the side, and Rhodes smiled at the approaching person. The other boy barely turned his head to find his nanny. She smiled at both boys and leaned down. "Are you ready to leave, Young Master Killian? The car is fixed. You might have to say goodbye to your new friend. Uhm, can we leave you here? We can take you to your house."
"No, no…" Rhodes shook his head. "My mom will fetch me. I just need to wait longer. You should go home. Killian said his dad would get angry if he stayed out."
"I'm so sorry." The nanny also knew the old master would scold them for letting Killian stay out too long. She maneuvered the wheelchair. "We'll be going now, okay? See you!"
When they left, they ran into a young woman in a waitress's uniform. She froze upon seeing them and looked away. However, she could see Rhodes smiling and waving at her from where she stood. She murmured a few words Rhodes didn't understand as if talking discreetly with the nanny. Then she ran to fetch her son by the bench.
Rhodes sat up and hugged his mom. "Mommy! Do you know? I made a friend earlier! You ran into him and his nanny! His name is Killian!"
"Really, Baby?" His mother carried him into her arms even if he was too old to like being carried. She quickly headed in the opposite direction of Killian's car. "Let's talk more at home, okay? Mommy's going to hear all about it."
…
Thirty years later…
The seemingly familiar sound of a beeping machine rang in Rhodes's ears. His eyes moved under the lids as he stirred in his sleep. Rhodes felt like he had been sleeping for a very long time. He was so tired, yet his body couldn't help but tumble around. Adrenaline? Was he knocked out during an emergency? His body's fight or flight response remained active.
He remembered dreaming about another person. The dream was too vague. He couldn't even make out the child's face. A small smile curled his lips, however.
His heart started to calm down at the flashing faded images of his dream. Even if he was slowly forgetting the child's face, the name stayed in his mind. Killian.
"I haven't seen him again…" Rhodes murmured, fighting the weakness that followed. He closed his eyes again, hoping to preserve the voices in the dream.
Since he didn't have more memories of this child, he figured he never ran into the person again. It was such a silly promise between silly children. None of them would have taken it seriously if they were adults.
However, that was a sacred oath to children. Rhodes wondered what made him forget about his promise to Killian. What did his mother do? Did she not take him to the big parties? Were they not allowed back to his grandfather's big house?
Rhodes tore his eyes wide open. "I can't remember… my mom… my grandfather… What was I doing before I got here? Wait… Fuck… Who am I?"
"Rhodes? Are you awake?"