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A vehicle pulled up to a rather run-down home located in the lower city. It was in an area that was well-known for its frequency of violence and crime. People tended to stay out of the area unless they had to be there.
A man in military uniform stepped out of the vehicle and made his way toward the place that he had not seen since the day he was taken away by government services. The man pressed a button located under a speaker and camera situated next to the front door. He then waited for a moment while looking around at the neighbourhood. It had been well over a decade since he had last been in the area and it had not changed that much.
“Still as crappy as ever around here,” the man muttered to himself.
“Who’s there? Who are you? Why are you here?” came a stern voice that had a hint of worry in it. Living in a place like this, one probably had to stay on high alert, the man figured. Seeing a man in uniform standing there probably did not help things.
“My name is Vix Zanthomar and I have come to visit my old home,” the man stated.
“V-v-Vix? I-it can’t be! Really?” came the voice. There was a pause before the door slowly opened and a woman carefully peered around to see who was there. She then opened the door wide and placed her hands over her mouth in disbelief. “It really is you. You’re here,” the woman said, getting all choked up.
“Yes, mother. I am indeed here. I was granted permission for a short leave so that I could come pay a visit,” Vix stated. He had not seen his parents in years and wanted to let them know where he had been since then and show that he was now a proud member of the armed forces.
“Oh, Vix!” the woman exclaimed and wrapped her arms around her son as much as she could. “Oh, you’ve gotten so big and strong,” she said, burying her face in her son’s chest and getting his uniform wet with tears. After a moment, Vix’s mother pulled away and stared up at her son. “You look so handsome in uniform. So, you’re in the military now?” she asked.
“Yeah,” Vix replied while scratching the back of his head. “After I got put into foster care, I kind of started hanging out with the wrong people and wound up getting into major legal trouble. I was sent away to military school as part of the Juvenile Rehabilitation Program and that is how I ended up here,” he explained, showing off his uniform.
“Well, I’m glad things turned out well for you. Come on in. I’m sure you’ve got much more to tell me. Besides, you don’t want to be standing out here, especially dressed like that. It’s not safe,” Vix’s mother stated and then invited him inside.
Vix entered the residence and looked around. It was still very messy, much like it was when he was a child. In fact, it looked even worse at present. “So, uh, is dad here or is he out somewhere?” Vix asked.
Vix’s mother stopped in her tracks and seemed hesitant to reply. “Your father,” she replied, “Is…currently serving time in jail.”
“I see,” Vix replied, turning his head to gaze in another direction. He wondered if that is where he would have ended up had he continued down the route he was heading instead of being sent to military school. Vix then wondered if he would have wound up running into his father there. He had to stifle a chuckle at the thought. It seemed inappropriate.
“Feel free to take a seat somewhere. Just clear some stuff off,” Vix’s mother stated.
Vix looked at the furniture which was badly stained and covered with junk. Vix wondered if his mother had become a hoarder, possibly to cope with her husband being incarcerated. “Uh, that’s okay. I don’t mind standing,” Vix said, placing his white-gloved hands behind his back.
Vix’s mother walked into the kitchen and then returned with a drink in hand. “Did you want something to drink?” she offered.
“Ah, no I’m good. I have to drive back to base,” Vix stated.
“Oh, right, right, right,” Vix’s mother said as she pushed some junk off a sofa and sat down. She placed her drink on the table and picked up a device. “It’s just a little something to keep me calm,” she stated before inhaling the device.
I guess things really haven’t changed, Vix thought to himself, knowing that what his mother was doing had been part of the reason why government services had taken him away in the first place.
“So,” Vix’s mother said after a few coughs, “I guess we should catch each other up on what’s been going on in our lives.”
Vix went into further detail about how he wound up being sent to military school and his time there, plus a little bit about his time in the armed forces. He learned that his mother had also spent a little time in jail, tried to get clean, then relapsed. She also explained why Vix’s father was currently serving time. He was apparently involved in a series of thefts and was also caught dealing illegal substances.
Vix departed his childhood home with his mother’s contact information. He was not sure how often he would visit, but he still wanted to keep in touch. Someone then attempted to jack Vix’s vehicle while he got in, but Vix dealt with that person in a matter of seconds.
Vix began driving back to base. He wondered if he should get in contact with his former foster family so that he could apologize for his actions and behaviour while under their care and see how they were currently doing.