So I think we're nearing the end of the story. Some shocking things are about to be revealed! Please don't kill me.
*****
"So, are you okay? What's happening? Please tell me. Everyone was so worried! I'm calling everyone over, I hope that won't overwhelm you, but everyone is in shock. Okay? I'll be right back," Connie says, hair frazzled and demeanor bipolar. Her white apron is stained with various years of cooking and baking for the Hoying family, and it is frayed at the seams. I watch it flow past me as Connie paces the living room, cell phone in hand over her right ear, earrings jingling with each step.
"Yes, hi Richard. Yes please come quick, our boys are home! I know I will explain everything. Can you go to Mike's house and grab him and-yes please. No I don't know if Mitch needs anything at the moment from his house," Connie says, looking over to me, and I shake my head. "No he doesn't. Please hurry. Love you too, bye." Connie continues making phone calls and gradually people arrive at our home, Kirstie included.
"Mitch! Mitch oh thank God!" Kirstie exclaims, running over to me for a tight embrace, and I wince at the pain but refuse to make her let go. She pulls back and notices my scrunched up face.
"Oh darling, I'm sorry! Where?" She asks, and I point to my right shoulder. She nods and sits next to me, holding my right hand in her left. I notice her anxiety and her leg begins shaking. I watch her for a while, and then I place my left hand on her leg, stopping it.
"It's okay, Kirst. I'm okay, everyone is okay. We will explain everything," I say, my eyes meeting hers. She nods and her eyes return back to the floor, one of her greatest fears coming to life- losing her best friends. I look over at Scott, who is seated across from me in a chair where he can prop his leg up. He gives me a melancholy smile, his eyes not glistening nor alive. My eyes scan the room as various family members greet Scott and I, and finally Avi and Kevin walk through the door. Avi sits next to me and catches my gaze.
"Does this shoulder hurt?"
"No," I respond. Avi lays his head on my shoulder, his side against mine and I close my eyes for a moment, realizing what great friends I have. They open as I see Kevin kneel on the carpeted floor next to Scott, conversing quietly with him. I can pick out that they are talking about me, well, everyone is, and I hear talk of Landon and his ceremony. I decide that I want to place flowers on his grave once I get the chance to. My parents come in the door with Scott's father, Rick, and they are carrying some old photograph books with them. I smile meekly at them, trying to not let my sorrow seep through into their eyes but with no avail, as my mother's eyes begin to water. She and my father rush over to me, and Kirstie and Avi temporarily move out of the way so they can hug me. We are all huddled in a circle in the living room, people standing or sitting on furniture or the floor. They are all awaiting some sort of speech, it looks like, so I look over to Scott and he takes a breath.
"So, I guess everyone is wondering what happened?" He begins, his eyes soft and cold. I don't understand why he is so sad.
"Well, Mitch has memory loss from his coma. The doctors haven't assessed anything yet, they aren't sure if it will be temporary or...yeah," Scott continues, taking a short breath.
"So far, the last thing he seems to remember is two days before Christmas, the 23rd, and speaking to my mom, Connie, about the tablecloth we were going to use. He doesn't remember anything after that. Today is February 14th? Yes, the 14th...oh. Happy Valentine's Day, everyone." Scott looks over to me with a cute smile.
"If you drive, Mitch, I'll hobble into the store and get you something," he says, and everyone laughs sweetly, and I give him a small smile.
"After everything, we realize that we still have a job, we still have Pentatonix, and we still have tour dates. Esther?" Scott says.
"Mitch, only if you feel up to it. Do you remember the set list for Houston?"
"Of course," I reply. "I'd be happy to do it, I really miss it," I say.
"Honestly, if the doctors allow it, I think it would be a great idea to perform. I think we could all benefit from getting out of the house," Avi replies. "Just as long as you're okay, Mitch," he says, momentarily raising his head off my shoulder to look me in the eyes.
***
After a long family discussion about tour and looking through old photographs to make sure I remembered them, I decide to bring up the notebook. I pick it up from the floor and hold it up.
"Does anyone know what this means?" I say, looking around the room. I notice Scott opens his mouth a bit.
"That's Harry Steinway's journal. He was writing to a woman named Mary. Mom, he lived next to Grandma's house. Does anyone know who he is? His grandson, Steven works in the hospital," Scott adds, looking at his parents.
"Well, I suppose they should know..." Connie begins, but Rick gives her a look.
"What?" I say, Scott sharing my confused expression.
"Have you read all of it?" Connie asks us.
"Yes," Scott replies. I nod my head.
"Well, our grandparents' neighbors, Scott, your great grandparents' neighbors, watched their sons go into the navy, and one son into the army during World War II. They served bravely, but only one son returned, Harry Steinway. Harry was a charming boy, and he was very likeable, so he was well known around town. He could easily become a bit flustered, though, especially when it involved traitors and war, since his two brothers had given their lives for it. So he decided that the Hoying family, his neighbors, knew that his brothers had been killed long before the message about it was delivered, which was true, since they had one son go into the navy as well, who had lived on the same boat. So he was determined to find out all of the family's secrets. Of course, our relatives hadn't thought about telling him in the first place, because they barely knew Harry.
"So you must know that Harry was well liked among everyone, especially girls. They adored him. But he took a certain liking to a young girl of the name Mary, who suffered from ALS, the disease that slowly paralyzes every muscle you have until you die from it- you loose your ability to swallow and to speak. She suffered from this, and it was found out when Harry was at war. He seemed to think that the traitors of him had cursed her or something, since ALS was not very common at all, in fact it is very, very rare. So Harry decided to see his friend Reginald from the war to try to plot against the family, and kill them.
"The Hoyings at the time did not think of Harry as anything but a double agent as he had ratted out some of his own friends to save his friend Reginald during the war, but the fact that he saved Reginald was not known at the time. So naturally, the Hoyings contacted the police when they found out through the hospital, specifically through Mary, that he and Reginald were plotting to kill them. The police were in the Hoyings house at the time that they broke in to try to kill them, and Harry shot your great grandmother. Naturally, your great grandfather was very upset and he and the police resulted in torturing him for information he did not have. Harry somehow escaped, and ran off trying to get back to see Mary, who had told the Hoyings about his attempted murder, and he died in a nearby forest of pneumonia.
"The sad thing about it is that his true love, in a way, betrayed him and got him killed," Connie finishes, the room silent except for breathing and occasional coughs or whispers.
"Oh, wow, that's awful," I say. "Was he mentally ill?"
"Yes, after everything he had gone through in war, torture, and escape, yes. He hallucinated about us being traitors to him, like the traitors that killed his brothers in war," Connie answers me.
I feel bad about the entire situation and the room is silent, like we are having a moment of silence for Harry's tragic death.
***
Scott POV
It has been two weeks since we met with the family and talked about touring, which we were currently doing. Mitch had showed no signs of a relapse so we were going for it, unsure of what was to happen next. It is currently late in the evening, and I am laying on my bunk in the tour bus staring up at the ceiling.
"AAH!" I hear someone scream, and several thuds follow. I squint and see a small figure wandering around. I then watch this figure as it opens the door and walks outside. As soon as the door opens, there is a loud beeping sound emitting from the bus as the door is left ajar. Everyone in the bus stirs awake, and I jump to my feet, seeing Joey and Esther by the door. Joey runs out very quickly and Esther is right behind him. I follow very quickly, careful of my still healing ankle, and I squint through the darkness, hearing several small whimpers and yells as Joey and Esther catch up to the figure.
The small figure is Mitch.