Chapter Text
“Can you do something for me?” Kaveh asks.
Alhatham looks up from his book.
“What is it?”
“Can you…um…not live here for like… three days? Kaveh says, unsure of how to phrase it.
“You want me to leave.” Alhatham says, trying to clarify.
“Well, just stay somewhere else temporarily.”
“Why?” The silver haired man asks.
Kaveh takes a breath.
“Because my mother is coming to visit…”
Kaveh continues.
“It's…complicated, just listen, this is very important to me. I’ll do whatever you want, I can do the dishes for a month, you can buy whatever ugly furniture and will not complain, I can buy or give anything to you. Just please…” Kaveh pleads.
Alhatham just looks at him, he’s got sort of an idea of what’s going on.
“What’s the situation?”
“It’s comp-“
“I don’t care, I want to know why you’re going to do this.”
Kaveh is surprised, he didn’t know it was going to be that easy for him to even consider it.
Kaveh sits down across from him, elbows on his knees and palms together and out, head down.
“I lied to my mother…about my living situation.” Kaveh confesses.
“Why did you lie to her? Just tell her the truth.”
“I can’t…because I broke my promise to her…”
Kaveh sits up to speak again. Preparing himself to explain further.
Kaveh goes all the way back to his childhood. He remembers being in his childhood room waiting for his father to come home. Sitting with his elbows on the windowsill staring out at the pitch black night. His mother, Faranak walks into his room and puts a hand on his head, petting his head slowly.
“Honey, are you sure you want to stay up? It’s getting late.” His mother asks.
“Yes Mama…” The little boy says.
“Kaveh you’re already nodding off.”
Faranak wraps her son in an embrace, Kaveh putting his head on her chest.
“I just want to see Papa.”
“I know. He is going to be gone for a long time. But he promised that he will spend as much time with as afterwards.”
“But I want to see him now, please Mama…”
Faranak looks down at her son, even if he is about to fall asleep, he’ll stay awake for his father.
“Alright.” The mother agrees.
Kaveh all of a sudden hears footsteps outside. He sits up and climbs to the window. Seeing a man with blonde hair outside knocking on the door.
“He’s here! He’s here!”
Kaveh runs to the front door and opens it.
“Papa!”
“Kaveh!”
His father bends down to pick him up.
“I missed you.” The man says holding his son closer.
Faranak was standing in the doorway looking at them smiling.
Her husband notices and walks over to hug her, and kisses her cheek.
“Kaveh missed you so much he stayed up for you.” She remarked.
“He did? What an honor, but I think it’s time for bed.” He says, ruffling Kaveh’s hair a bit.”
“What? But you just got here, and I’m not even tired.”
His father looks at him and sees him trying to stay awake.
“I’m sorry, rules are rules and your mother would kill me if you’re cranky in the morning, plus you have school tomorrow.” He addresses.
Kaveh looks down, with a look of sadness and disappointment. His father smiles.
“Tell you what, when I’m done in the desert I’m going to race back as fast as I can and we can spend time together just the two of us.”
Kaveh’s eyes lit up.
His father starts walking to his bedroom, while carrying Kaveh in his arms.
“But that can’t happen unless I can get to the desert quickly.”
His mother opens the door to let them both in, and the man puts Kaveh into bed. He tucks him in, at this point Kaveh is half asleep.
“Will…you…be gone…long…?” The young boy musters out.
His father smiles down at him.
“You won’t even notice I’m gone.”
He kisses Kaveh’s forehead.
“Goodnight Kaveh, see you soon.”
That would be the last time his father talked to him, because one morning would change his life forever.
Kaveh was woken up by talking. He walks to his door and is about to open it but then he hears crying from his…mother? He walks slowly out of his room, walking down the hallway to the front door.
“It can’t be true…*sob*…IT JUST CAN’T!” She says,before more sobs spill from her lips.
A man with long blue hair and long ears was standing at the door, his face downcast.
“What's going on Mama? Why are you crying?” He asks. Him still standing in the hallway.
His mother looks at him, unsure what to say.
“I’ll give you space to process this.” The man in the doorway says, walking away and closing the door behind him.
Kaveh walks over to her.
“Mama?”
“…”
“Mama…?”
“…”
“Ma…ma…?”
“…”
Kaveh puts a hand on her shoulder.
“Mother?”
His mother suddenly looks up to her son, now older and not a little kid anymore. They were both in front of his fathers grave.
Kaveh remembers this day well, the day his father died.