CHAPTER 7 GRANDPA
I looked up at Jas, my Owl, tears, silently streamin' down her exqusiste face, hopin' for a contradiction. But she had no wise words for me. The moon now, were startin' ta wane, makin' it's journey taward the inevitable sunrise, that would dawn in a few hours.
I pulled her close an' held her tight as the pain o' the memory grew, the lump in my throat growin' ta the size o' a boulder.....But, no tears came. The grief still raw, still unprocessed, mingled with the anguish o' what I'd jus' done.....What had led me here. Tellin' my story ta Jas, seekin' absolution. When no words came, I continued...
" As the mornin' wore on an' I knew that I had ta do somethin', again, I felt the acid bile rise inta my throat, but this time I made it to the sink. Splasin' water on my face an' hair, I stood at the basin, shakin' an' weak. I couldn' look at myself in the mirror, intead I stared at the remnants of the water swirlin' down the drain, breathin' deeply.
Bein' drunk as a lord were one thing, but this; I couldn' go on like this. I had ta do somethin'. I had ta get outta here.
The ol' dude. I'd go an' find the ol' dude. Then when I came back an' found Kuchel (I wouldn' let myself think 'bout not findin' her). So, yeah, when I came back, an' I found Kuchel I could make it right again. I mean, this guy had lived on the surface for the last seventy years or what-ever, an' he were an Ackerman by the sounds o' it. So's maybe he had a secret that would make it possible for me an' Kuchel to get out. A glimmer o' hope pricked at the corner o' my mind an' I felt my strenghth returnin' as my purpose became clearer.
I had ta wait 'til dark fell ta do my scoutin' - after all, I didn' even know where he were. So's I spent the day bribin' an' heavyin' everyone who had any connections, ta find out anythin' that anybody knew 'bout an ol' guy who'd come from the outta districts an' were now bein' held under house arrest in Mitras.
Word were scarce, but there were multiple whisperin's 'bout a new group o' Ackerman's livin' along side Wall Sina, that were makin' their way ta Wall Rose. Could they be kin? If so, who were they? Did THEY know my parents? Or know 'bout me an' Kuchel? Were I on the wrong track with this ol' guy? Should I be trackin' them instead? Word was, they'd jus' appeared within the las' month, which explained why I hadn' come across 'em in my travels. An' that , as their recent arrival showed, the persecution o' the Ackermans were still goin' strong, with Ackermans jus' runnin' from place ta place, soon as anyone knew who they was.
An' then lady luck came my way. It were durin' one o' the routine Military Police raids on the miners an' the regular sweep on the thieves an' smugglers o' the Underground. Usually my boy's would jus' take care o' 'em - either; out-run 'em, suck-up ta 'em or bribe 'em. But this time one o' my men had the brains ta ask a few questions while he were slippin' some exrta bucks inta the greedy Captain's sweaty hand, who'd agreed ta look the other way ta my rackets. That same fat pig who had agreed ta look the other way an' were always lookin' for a little extra, ta line his sty with were more than willin' ta tell 'im all 'bout a recent arrival ta Mitras that the Military Police were guardin'. Who he were, an' more impotantly; where. I told my guy ta give the fat pig the whole roll o' cash. He'd been useful afore an' would prob'ly be useful again.
So's as soon as night fell, I made my way outta the Underground, an' back inta Mitras. An' hidin' in the shadows I made my way ta the address the Captain had, so kindly provided. Sure enough, there were 'bout eight Military Police guardin' the small, square, grey brick house; two on each side.
Quicker 'an light, I attacked from behind; two at a time, 'til they was all dead. Grabbin' the keys, I let myself inside.
A single candle lit the room that were dived in half by a worn curtain. I'd entered inta some kind o' lounge/eatin' area, sparsley furnished with a small table, a chair an' a ragged sofa. In the corner there were a sink an' cupboards that I assumed would also be sparsley furnished with a little food an' a couple o' dishes. 'Twere mostly in shadows, as the light were comin' from the other side o' the partition.
Peekin' 'round the curtain, I saw an ol' man, pale an' frail, dressed in a night shirt, sittin' up in bed; a half opened book layin' on his lap, lookin' in my direction. Funny, he didn' look scared, an' though I'd despatched the Military Police guardin' his house quietly, I knew he musta heard somethin'. But he jus' sat there, like he were expectin' me.
"Hello, Kenny", his withered, tired voice said.
"You know who I am?" I asked him.
"Well, given the way ya jus' took on eight Military Police, that have gotta be dead now; seein' as though you're carryin' the keys ta this place - I'm guessin' that you mus' be the famed Kenny the Ripper, also known as Kenny Ackerman", he answered , drily.
At the sound o' my name, I pulled out Silver Lady an' started taward him. "Then I'm guessin', Nostradamus," I threatened, " that you also know why I'm here, an' WHY there's eight dead Military Police 'roud your back door?"
"Well", he laughed feebly. "I'm guessin' you're not here ta make a jail- break, an' get me outta here!"
"Right again, Gramps!" I threw back at him.
"So you DO know who I am! Didn' think you'd remember me, Son!" he exclaimed, his face brightenin'.
"What the Hell 'r' ya talkin' 'bout, ya ol' buzzard?! Ya gone senile in ya ol' age or somethin'? I ain' never seen ya afore! Hell, I don' even know your name! Fact is, 'til 'bout a year ago, I never even knew that ya existed. Seems some ol' 'aquaintence' o' mine heard 'bout ya an' thought ya might have known my parents, some time way back", I answered, kinda confused.
He laughed again. "Kid, you was right the first time! I AM your grandpa! Knew your parents - that's a good one! Why your Pa was my boy! I remember when yous was jus' a little runt, cryin' 'cause the other kids'd beat up on ya an' wouldn' let ya play. An' you'd come ta your ol' Grandpa, an' I'd dry your tears an' tell ya stories. You was always my favorite, Kenny. Even when your sister were born. You were like a new kid after that, all brave all o' a sudden. Like they's could beat up on you, but God help 'em if they was gonna do the same ta your sister. She were a perdy little thin'... But you, I could see that one day you'd be a true Ackerman an' I were so proud o' you, Kenny.."
" So tell me; how is your parents an' your sister?"
He paused, waitin' for some realisation or maybe some happy family reunion or somethin'. But I jus' stood there. Was this guy for real?
"Stop fuckin' 'round! You ain' no relation ta me. I never seen ya afore in my life, so who the Hell, are ya?" I asked, raisin' my voice. An' Silver Lady.
"I told ya Kenny. I'm your Grandpa. I knows you were young 'un when I lef'. Guessin' yous was 'round four as I re-call, but I didn' think that ya'd forget me completely! Would it help ta have some proof?" he asked.
"Couldn' damn well hurt" I retorted.
"Then you come sit down by me, an' I'll give ya all the proof ya need boy", he said , gesturin' ta tha rickety chair in the corner an' motionin' for me ta bring it ta his bed side an' sit down.
From under his pillow, he pulled out portraits o' him an' his wife (my Grandma, long dead), o' him an' my Pa when he were a boy an' another o' him an' me, an' a potrait' o' him an' all o' us together. I could see the family resemblence 'round the eyes an' that shaggy way we Ackerman men all wore our hair. But mos'ly I could see the closeness o' a family united.
I studied the pictures for a long time, afore l spoke, finally askin' "So, why'd ya leave us? Things got real bad after ya left, if ya left when I were four; within the year we'd been driven inta the Underground."
"Felt as if I had ta, Kenny. Things was bad for your Ma an' your Pa - for all o' you. But it were me that the town REALLY hated. Your Pa begged me ta stay, that we was kin an' ya can't break up kin, but I were determined ta go. I figured that with me gone, you'd all be safer an' they'd let ya live in peace. I never dreamed I'd come back an' not find ya there", he explained.
"Seems ya figured wrong. Once ya left, I guess they figured that we was jus' sittin' ducks with no protection, an' bit by bit, they took everythin' an' drove us down inta the Underground", I told him.
We talked long inta the night, exchangin' our stories an' catchin' up ta the present, 'til he started ta tire. When I got ta Kuchel he said, " Ya gotta find her, Kenny. I know what it's like ta loose your kin an' be alone in the world. We, Ackermans, we don' do well like that. Alone, with nothin' . We need someone... or somethin' otherwise we jus' sorta give up an' die. Ya gotta find her, put your anger an' your pain aside, an' find her. For both your sakes."
"What do ya mean?" I asked, even though I felt that maybe I DID know what he ment after all. The image o' the night before an' me starin' inta an' empty sink, floated in my mind. "Ya lost us an' ya did all right".
"Me, I had my hate an' the blood - feud o' four generations ta keep me alive", he replied.
"What 'blood -fued'? " interest an' confusion competin' for dominance in my mind. "What are ya talkin' 'bout now?"
" Not now, Kenny I gotta rest. I'm ol' but I'm not done for yet! Ya come back an' I'll answer ya questions. 'Specially nows I got somethin' for me ta look forward ta! I got me my kin back", his voice lowered as he reached the end o' his speech an' his eyes closed.
Leavin' an' movin' quiet as a cat, I made my way back ta the Underground. My first instinct were ta find Kuchel, but I needed ta absorb everythin' I'd found out, so's it were back ta Bob's. My table in the corner where Bob kept the whiskey flowin.' Ta where I could think.
An' Kuchel; well, that were for tomorrow.