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On the other side of the city, a good ways away from the Amari household, sat another house. It was smaller than Fareeha’s, its blue paint chipped with time, the white shingles broken and bent here and there. It was in this house that an older generation of the pharmercy family lived, an old lady and her boyfriend. The pair spent their days much quieter than the antics that went on in Fareeha’s family, enjoying their time spent on tea and walks to the park. Today was a day like any other, grandma Ana reading a book, sipping her tea on the couch as grandpa Reinhardt sat in a recliner facing the fireplace, the newspaper taut in his hands. The idyllic home was subject only to the chirping of summer birds and the occasional sound of a car driving by. Life was good. Reinhardt hummed to himself as he turned the pages of the newspaper, his flannel shirt matching his beard. What a goddamn legend.
“Seems it’s senior discount day at that carnival that opened up near 5th and West!” He stroked his beard, looking up from the paper at Ana. “Maybe we should go there.”
“That’s nice darling.” Ana sipped her tea, not hearing a word as she stared at her book, mesmerised. Reinhardt waited a second, patiently, before coughing to draw her attention. He repeated the suggestion as Ana snapped away from her book.
“There’s a senior discount at the carnival. Want to go?” He watched Ana as he waited for a response, the beautiful woman wearing a blue hijab and sweater to match. She considered for a second, a finger to her lips before pointing it at her boyfriend in resolution.
“Should we grab the grandkid?”
“I SAID NOT TO STEAL MY STAR YOU ASS”
“DID YOU JUST CALL YOUR OWN MOTHER AN ASS, YOU UNGRATEFUL LITTLE-” Angela sighed as she sipped wine in the kitchen, subjected to the sounds of mario party from the living room. Feeling a migraine come on, she grabbed the bottle, set on retreating to her lab for a few days for some peace and quiet. As she got up, the phone rang, barely audible under the pterodactyl screeching from the other room.
“Amari residence.”
“Hey, darling, this is grandma! Is my little darling Fareeha there?” Angela was a bit startled, expecting a client or maybe a family friend; but not an enemy as powerful as an in-law. She strained enthusiasm.
“She’s a bit busy right now, what’s going on?” There was a crash from the living room, followed by a small ‘oh shit’ . Angela sat back down, her day steadily getting worse.
“WElll, grandpa and I were going to go to the fair this afternoon, you know, the one on...where was it? hEY, GRANDPA! WHERE’S IT AT AGAIN?”
“ Fifth and west.”
“Fifth and west. We were wondering if Hana was free to come along.” Angela held the receiver a good half foot away from her head, wondering how much hearing damage her father-in-law suffered on a daily basis. She took a swig of wine.
“I’ll check.” The doctor lifted herself from her spot at the table, peeking her head into the sudden quiet of the living room. Fareeha and Hana looked up, the two standing over the shattered remains of the flat-screen tv. Angela gave them a withering look before stepping back into the kitchen. “.....Yeah, she can’t go today. Sorry.”
“Oh, phooey. Well, give her my love. Talk to you later!”
“Bye.” Angela returned the phone to its stand before returning to the living room to raise hell.
“I swear she’s monopolizing the sweet child all to herself.” Ana huffed as she set down the rotary phone. “I guess it’s just you and me, then.” The war vet turned to her bear of a boyfriend, only to blink at the surprised look on his face. “Shall we go?”
“But antiques roadshow is on.” He was holding the remote in his hand, extending a finger towards the cathode TV where the intro was playing. Ana paused. She slowly drifted into Reinhardt’s chair, squeezing into his lap to watch the show.
“Alright, we’ll watch one appraisal. But then we’re leaving.”
“That’s the third television this year.” Angela grumbled as she massaged her temples, the chastised Fareeha and Hana sitting meekly on the couch in front of her. “That’s it. I’m banning Mario Party. You can’t be trusted.” Fareeha stared at her hands in silent disbelief, the shock apparent on her face. Hana immediately burst into tears while doing her best to look like she hadn’t. Angela gave them a flat look. “Banned.”
“I cannot believe that amoire was worth 30 thousand. I still don’t. That’s just crazy.” Ana waved her hands at the air, walking alongside Reinhardt in the warm summer air. She had adopted a black peacoat for the occasion, not to mention the pair’s matching eyepatches. “Imagine if we had something like that. We could buy a summer home or something!”
“I wouldn’t mind a cabin at the lake. We could go fishing everyday.” Reinhardt smiled fondly at the idea, absentmindedly picking at his eyepatch. It made him itch. Ana’s hand was wrapped softly in the bear paw that was Reinhardt’s, warm and safe. “We could invite the kids out, too! I bet Fareeha likes fishing.”
“....I bet she would.” Ana pursed her lips, recalling the child’s biological father. The golden year grandparents walked past the park, kids playing and birds splashing in the fountain. Ana thought she recognized a young man, a musician who was playing music in front of a congregation of pigeons. Where had she seen him before? They continued along, the sun sitting brightly in the warm sky.
“But I almost unlocked the bowser level” Hana whimpered as she hugged Angela’s ankles, begging for her life.
“You’ve had this game for years! Why haven’t you beaten it yet?!”
“.....” Hana fell silent, because regardless of how much of a pro gamer she was, some people are still unable to defeat the hideousness of RNG.
“Babe.” Angela turned around, the hurt eyes of her wife staring at her in betrayal. “It’s the bowser level. We gotta unlock it.”
“.....I’m fucking donating this game to the thrift store.” Angela grumbled as she left the living room, dragging the desperate Hana wrapped around her leg.
“Oh, this is nice.” Ana smiled as they entered the fair, her arms tightly entwined with Reinhardt’s. The bargain had attracted more han just Ana and Reinhardt; the park filled with a decent-sized congregation of white-haired couples.
“I want to try the ring toss!” Reinhardt bellowed as he looked at the carnival games, a few men of his same age and statue kicking ass with small plastic rings, easily tossing them onto the bottlenecks. Apparently he was not the only old badass who had decided to come today. Ana followed as he walked up to the stall manager, the poor guy watching his unbeatable game get demolished every way possible. “I will take two rings!”
“...That’ll be six dollars.” The teary-eyed manager sniffed as he handed over the WMDs, trying to mentally calculate how much he was losing throughout the day. Reinhardt turned the rings over in his hands, feeling them with his thumb before squinting at a bottle, winding up and gently tossing one underhand. It landed perfectly on the centermost bottle. A few of the older men clapped. The manager looked like he was about to break down sobbing as he turned to Reinhardt. “Unfortunately all our top prizes have already been won...I can offer you an I.O.U..” His hand shook as he started scribbling on a piece of paper.
“Nonsense! What I desire..” Reinhardt swung his arm out, thrusting a finger at a plushie of a turnip with tentacles. “...is that!” The manager turned to see what he so desired, quickly retrieving it and handing it off before the titan of a man could wreak any more damage. “And this is for you.” Reinhardt grinned proudly as he gave it to Ana, the old lady pecking his cheek in return as they walked away from the stand.
“I’m sorry, I’m can’t let you do that!” Fareeha slid in front of the garage door, blocking the way to the car with her wall of muscle. Angela grumbled to herself in german before approaching her wife sinisterly, or at least as sinister someone can be with a screaming gremlin hooked to their leg.
“Get out of the way or I’ll have you chained up for a week, darling.” Angela slid her hand against the wall by Fareeha’s head, leaning close and speaking with full intent. Fareeha pursed her lips.
“I’m sorry. I will not move. There are just some things that are more important in this world!” Fareeha spoke solemnly as she tried to grab the game from Angela’s hand, the doctor whipping it away right in time. “HANA! Now!” Angela squeaked as she felt her legs sweep out from underneath her.
“This is the life!” Reinhardt roared with laughter as they walked past the concession stands, bleary-eyed teenagers doing their best to earn money for college. His stomach growled. “Shall we get something to eat?!”
“I would appreciate something cold.” Ana dug around in her purse as they sat down at a picnic table, pulling out her wallet and handing Reinhardt a twenty. Reinhardt accepted the money with a nod, getting up and approaching one of the many stands.
“What do you have here?!” The grandpa boomed heartily, a depressed-looking twig of a man leaned on the counter.
“‘e got burgers.”
“Do you have anything cold?!” The man threw a thumb at the small display fridge that was sitting behind the counter.
“‘e got whatever’s in the case, there.”
“Alright, I’ll take a cold tea and a burger with fries.” Reinhardt placed his order, handing the clerk the money. The man rung it up, painstakingly counting each dime as he handed back the change.
“Name for the order?” You could practically tell this poor guy was dead inside.
“Reinhardt Wilhelm!”
“Right. We’ll call you when it’s ready.” The clerk handed Reinhardt the tea before disappearing back into the shop. He turned around, waving the can at Ana. She cupped her hands around her mouth before yelling at him.
“ WHAT DID YOU GET?!”
“TEA!” Reinhardt yelled back, pointing to the can.
“ BRING IT OVER!”
“ THEY SAID THEY’D CALL ME WHEN IT’S READY.”
“ I SAID, BRING THE TEA OVER!”
“WHAT??” Reinhardt cupped his ear, trying to make out Ana’s words.
“Reinhardt Wilhelm.” The clerk reappeared at the window holding a tray, looking like he was in physical pain from the old guy yelling from his shop.
“Thank you!” Reinhardt grinned as he took the food, bringing it over to the picnic table and sitting down. “What were you saying, dearest?”
“I said to bring the tea over.”
“Oh, here you go.” Reinhardt gave her a warm smile as he handed her the can, busying himself with his burger.
“You’re too perfect, darling.” Ana laughed lightly as she popped open the tab, taking a long sip. “Oh, this is just wonderful. Thank you darling!”
“This burger is pretty good, too!” Reinhardt was someone able to speak clearly, despite holding half a burger in his maw. A second later at it had vanished, save for a few spots of ketchup on his beard.
“Oh,dear. You’ve made a mess of yourself.” Ana clicked her tongue as she reached for her purse, pulling out a washcloth and dabbing him with it. Reinhardt tensed up slightly, looking at her as she fussed over him. Eventually she caught his eye and drew her hand back. “What’re you looking at me like that for?”
“Oh! I was just lost by how beautiful you are.” Reinhardt scratched his cheek, getting up to throw away the trash. “You there! Young man!” Reinhardt called over to the concession stand. “The meal was SUPERB ! Thank you!” The clerk gave him a wave and a tired smile, a bit more thankful at the droves of polite elderly people compared to the aggressive middle-aged retirees he had to deal with on a daily basis. “Well, then! Where shall we head next!” Reinhardt turned back to his partner, arms crossed expectantly. Ana sipped her tea before speaking.
“Let’s go check out the ferris wheel.”
“Babe?! BABE!” Angela groaned, her head throbbing as she blinked a few times, the blurry faces of her wife and child looking down at her. “Oh thank god. Hana, get some ice from the freezer!”
“Wha...happened..?” Angela grunted as she tried to sit up, a sharp pain in her head lowering her back to the kitchen floor.
“Just stay down. You had a pretty nasty fall.” Angela winced as she reached up, lightly touching the sizable goose egg that had formed on her forehead. “Hana!”
“I’m here, I’m here!” Hana hurried back, hastily wrapping the bag of ice in a washcloth before handing it to Fareeha, who pressed it to Angela’s head. She winced, put her hand on Fareeha’s as she looked up at her worried wife.
“No, I mean...what happened?” She blinked, a bit lost in the eyes. “Last I remember was just enjoying some wine…”
“.....” Fareeha went wide-eyed, passing something to Hana, who quickly left the room. “Oh, dear. From what I saw, you seemed to have fallen out of your chair. Did you drink too much?”
“...I don’t think so..” Angela frowned, trying to remember. She sighed. “Take me to my lab.”
“Oh, what a wonderful sight! I feel so young again!” Ana smiled as she looked up at the monstrous size of the ferris wheel, standing at the gate besides Reinhardt.
“Yes. Two tickets. Thank you.” Reinhardt paid the carnie as stiffly as possible, his fear of heights sucking all the enthusiasm from his voice. They passed the yellow gate, stepping into the free swinging cart of the ferris wheel. The last ones to get in, the man closed the gate, shifting a level and setting the contraption into gear.
“It’s quite beautiful, isn’t it?!” Ana fawned as she looked out over the shrinking landscape, the early evening sky expanding the horizon.
“Yes, dear.” Reinhardt spoke flatly, staring at his hands as he tried not to think of how rusted the wheel’s screws had looked.
“Stop being such a worrywort, you big baby.” Ana sighed as she reclined back in her seat, face to face with her lover. “It sure was quite the day today, wasn’t it.”
“I’d never choose to spend my time any other way.” Reinhardt blushed softly as the two slowly drifted across their seats, leaning into a kiss as warm as the approaching sunset. Reinhardt had never been happier, and Ana; more content with her life. Eventually they reached the highest point, the two taking the moment to look out over the town.
“You can see their house from here, huh.” The different neighborhoods, the roads, the park, the stores a bit off in the distance. The whole world seemed to open up in the quiet moments of the ride.
“You sure can.”
“I said take me to my lab!” Angela grumbled as she tried to get up. “I’m fine!”
“You’re hurt! Relax!” Fareeha begged, holding the doctor down by her shoulders. “You can go up there soon enough!”
“Even if I am damaged, I can do more about it injured then you could!” Hana poked her head into the kitchen, flashing Fareeha a thumbs up before disappearing again. Fareeha sighed.
“Alright, I’ll take you to the lab. Hold tight.” A heave and the security guard swooped her up in her arms, carrying Angela princess-style up the stairs. Angela swallowed, thinking in that moment that being injured wasn’t so bad as she leaned against her muscular wife. Fareeha made it to the door, fumbling a bit before being content to kick the door open, setting the hurt doctor in her office chair.
“Thank you.” Angela sagged a little, holding the ice pack to her noggin. “In the third file cabinet there’s a vial. Fourth drawer. Bring it to me.” Fareeha obliged, digging around before finding the glass container in a styrofoam box. She brought it over.
“What is it?” Angela answered the question by popping it open, downing the elixir before sitting back with a patient look on her face.
“A prototype for an alzheimer's cure. It should help, I hope.” She burped. “Now we wait.” Fareeha found herself dripping with anxiety about how much time she had left until her memory returned and she, undoubtedly, would raise hell.
“Ah, I needed that exercise.” Ana stretched as she walked through the door. “It’s good to be home.”
“Agreed!” Reinhardt closed the front door behind him, removing his eyepatch. “I’m glad we went, it was a good time.”
“Thank you for inviting me!” Ana snickered jokingly, heading to the kitchen. She hummed as she put water on the stove for tea, returning to her couch as Reinhardt had already settled back in his recliner.
“You know, next time we should really bring the kids. Hana would have a great time, and I could show her how to win at the carnival games!” Reinhardt imagined the scenario with a laugh.
“Where should I put this?” Ana looked around the room, holding the stuffed animal Reinhardt had won. “Oh, you know what, it would probably look adorable on the mantle. Here we go.” Ana stood up, placing the smiling turnip above the fireplace between the stuff ptarmigan and the family portrait.
“I love you, dear.” Reinhardt smiled as he watched the woman he loved, happy to be alive.
“I love you too.” Ana went and kissed him back, happy and content with her life. The tea kettle whistled, and Ana left for the kitchen. Everything was right with the world as the orange sunset slowly crept across the sky.