Until

11| The Forgotten Past

Past.

Something that never leaves us, no matter how much we try to separate it from us, we just can not get rid of it.
We might forget it for a while, but somehow we are always reminded of it, again.

Especially that part of our past which we try so hard to forget, is the one which never leaves us and keeps splashing us in our face like waves on a shore.

But we do have a choice on how to deal with it, we can either dwell on it and get stuck in our present, cursing fate and others or learn from it and move on. We can't change it but we can use the experience we've gained and work for our future and live in our present.

A gloomy past is something only a few can get through especially if they don't have any goal for the future, any dreams to accomplish, or any motivation to live. But some turn that into their driving force for their future actions.

In an empty room with nothing but sullen thoughts and dread filling up to the brim, stood a male with his head hung low. His shoulders were hunched probably from carrying all the burdens of his past which were slowly creeping up his back. Slowly and almost in a mocking way reaching up to his neck to choke it with all the guilt he had been harbouring since a very long time ago.

Although he was all alone, he didn't feel like it. It felt as if his mistakes and faults were there to accompany him, to remind him of his flaws and his unjustified deeds.

He was so consumed in his self made dark world, that held his demons which were no worse than the devil himself, that he didn't even notice when his silent isolation from the world was ruined by a loud bang of the door.

"What happened? Why did you call-"
The new male stopped his unanswered questions when his eyes were directed to the wall in front of which the male stood, still in his dazed state, but his hands did acknowledge the new presence in the room.

"I met him."
That's all what was received as an answer for the earlier questions from the male who was reluctant to leave his own world of thoughts. But that was pretty much enough for the new occupants of the room to figure out what the male was referring to.

They had been informed about the matter by a pointing finger towards a picture pinned on the wall, before which the despondent male stood. They didn't need anything else to come to know what the real reason for their summon was.

"What!? Where!? How!? Did he-"
The male was cut off in the middle of his frantic query yet once again. But he didn't mind since he wanted to know more from the one before him without the need for him to be asking.

"No........he didn't. Atleast not yet."
That made the newcomers release a sigh of relief. But they knew better, if what they had been told just then was true and not a sick joke of the other male than there was nothing to be relieved about.

They could imagine the ordeal the sullen male was going through, though they were not in his place but they were with him. And they had to make sure that the other knew it as well.

"Hey." The supposed leader and the one closest to the other male softly called out to gain his attention. He knew he wasn't going to get much of a reaction now but he knew he had the required attention of the other so he continued by giving a gentle squeeze to the other's forearm.

"It's good he didn't recognize you yet. Isn't it? You have nothing to be worried for now."

He ended up releasing his hand when he felt the other shift and finally reveal his face for the others to see, as if he was hiding something from them there.

"I know. But-" This time it was the leader who cut the male off in middle of his thoughts and brought in his which he deemed were more necessary to be voiced out.

"Listen to me here. I promised you something way back years ago. Do you remember what I'd promised to you that day?"

The leader searched for the other's eyes which would tell him if he was being heard or not, if he was being understood or not, and to his liking he did receive a small nod from the other. Although he didn't say anything as the gloom spread over his face was still lurking but the leader knew that it was required to remind him since he might have forgotten.

"Good. Then you would also remember that no matter what, I was, I am and I will always be there for you. You can always count on me. Hm?"

He was saying the words he wanted to be heard by the other but it also seemed as if their eyes were communicating the same thoughts in there own way. The stare they were giving one another looked as if they were reading each other, searching for the answers and the assurance of the words that the other spoke, and eventually they did find them.

"Me too."

"Me three."

"Me four."

"Me five."

"You call count on all of us."

After having seen the sincerity in there eyes the male was relieved beyond the current situation's limit cause he knew no matter what his brothers, his family always had his back.

"Thank you. I don't know-"
With that the leader completed his revenge of being stopped in the middle twice although it was not intentional but he was happy for it.

"Nope. Don't complete that sentence or else you would be dealing with something you don't want to, especially right now."

The others stood there giving playful glares to the male while he just chuckled at them knowing full well that they were just trying to lighten up the mood.

"Ok. Ok. I am not saying anything but how about we watch a movie along with some popcorn and ice cream. Hm?"

The male knew that his offer was undeniable, this was his way to thank the others since he knew they would not accept anything else from him, after all they were his family.

A chorus of yay and yes filled the once gloomy, dark room which now felt like a lively place.

"That's more like it. Come on!"
_