62 days before...

I let go of the joystick in frustration as I died again from a deep wound to my neck as the hideous monster advanced towards my intestines.

—Zach come to say goodbye!—cried my demanding mother from below.—We'll be late, we're leaving!.

I didn't respond until I came downstairs, where I stopped to look at the two of them, dressed in matching Hawaiian print, and with their suitcases at their sides. I approached taking my mother's pair of suitcases, I acted under the watchful eye of my father.

—We'll be back before Christmas, so don't set the house on fire by then—she walked behind me, fixing her bag—Mrs. Smith comes to do the cleaning on the weekends, she tries not to scare her, she is old.

—Yes mom—I put both luggage in the trunk of the taxi and then I helped my father with his bags. I do not speak at any time, he just watched me

—We have already talked about alcohol and drugs, don't want to-

—Yes mom—I looked at her without the intention of wanting to hear the same thing again—The house will be immaculate when they return.

—Good—took me by the cheeks with crystallized eyes—Are you sure you'll be okay? You can come with us-

—Yes mom—I took her by the hands to reassure her—Enjoy your vacations.

—I love you son—I leave a kiss on each cheek.

—I love you to mom, don't forget to wear sunscreen.

—Say goodbye to your father.

"Say goodbye to your father"

And I felt that pressure on my chest again. She entered the car leaving us, facing each other, in an awkward silence that he decided to break by extending his hand towards me.

—Don't do stupid things—squeezed my hand firmly.

I believe that the disappointment of a father is the terror of every child... and of course... I disappointed.

—Sure...

Although in reality... It was the ideals that he imposed on me, the ones that caused his disappointment.

I told him that I would not go to university and that I would not work for him in his company.

I drove him crazy.

With part of his life savings, I plan a trip around the world with my mother.

—I love you, son, I only want the best for you.

Let go of his hand. I have no doubt that he loves me, that they both do, but it's hard when you know that you are not what they expected, you just feel like a failure.

I didn't know that what I did and what I was about to say would have great consequences for me in the long run.

—I would like a souvenir keychain.

Can you stop being an idiot for just five minutes, Zachary?!.

He nodded as he got into the taxi. I closed the car door and started waving my hand sideways in response to my mother's gesture. Wait for the taxi to get lost around the corner and turn towards the house seeing how huge it was.

—Are your parents gone?.

I looked at the neighboring house when I heard the raspy voice, Mr. Beltram was standing next to the dividing wall watering his vines.

—Yes, in that taxi... right now... in front of you...

—How big you are, every day you look more like your father.

—Thank you Mr. Beltram, and you are increasingly senile.

—Martha, Martha! Where was that woman ...? Hey you, have you seen Martha?.

The last time I saw Martha was two years ago, at her funeral, her photo was hanging next to a marble urn with flowers engraved in gold, she was really beautiful in that photograph.

—I think I saw her walking her dog.

His dog, Fluffy, was also dead, he was run over more than a year ago when he went looking for Martha.

—Who are you?.

—Nobody, sir.

Enter the house before provoking another attack. I went up to the video game room, sat on the floor, and went back to the game repeating the cinematic without being able to jump it. I launched into a life and death race avoiding falling into the mud and the villagers as I fled from the beast that was trying to catch up with me.

"I only want the best for you"

My chest contracted again, guilt and emptiness appeared again.

"Yeah dad, you gave me your best"

"I love you too, dad"

"Sorry for not being the best for you"

All those words that I didn't say stayed inside me, piercing me.

A part of the movie Captain America: Civil War was screened in the scene where Tony regretted not saying goodbye to his father. Although of course, my father did not work for SHIELD neither a Winter Soldier would disturb his journey nor would I become Iron Man.

But of course, something worse was going to happen, I just didn't know it at the time, I was just glad that I had escaped from the clutches of the monster and could finally continue with the game.

Several knocks on the door caught my attention, I turned my gaze to the kitchen wall clock, it was 10:57 pm, I put the fire to a simmer and went to the door, when I saw through the peephole I was not surprised to see Mr. Beltram on the other side.

—Mr. Beltram, what is it?

—I'm really sorry Zachary, but Martha hasn't come back yet and I can't find Fluffy anywhere...

—Would you like to dine with me, Mr. Beltram? While you wait for Martha to return? She told me to let her know that she would be back late tonight, that she has a lot of work to do at school, and that Fluffy is with her...

—That woman is crazy, she leaves without warning, she takes the dog to work... She... she is an incredible woman ...

—I know

—What have you prepared?

—Ah, stew.

I walked inside the house is followed him to the kitchen, where I lifted the lid of the pot so he could see it.

—So much for you alone?

In fact, I knew he would arrive at my door, he was waiting for him, of course not that late.

—So I don't have to cook every day.

—That he hurts for you, but he is my favorite, nothing will be leftover.

I knew that too, in fact, the recipe was from Martha.

"How can I be so attentive to him if I can't even say 'I love you to my own father "

He helped me to serve the dishes on the table and between several losses of the notion of time on his part, we finished eating, unfortunately, he left being him, but several days after losing his wife, his pain had returned and I couldn't help him with that anymore.

—Oh... poor Mr. Beltram... don't worry, after resting he will be him again, today he was very tired when we said goodbye to him, he told us that he had grown new plants, tomorrow he will be like new.

I would have liked to ask him what he meant by "he will be like new", he was a 68-year-old black man with a life punished by fate, but nevertheless, I just said goodbye to her and sent greetings to my father, of course through her because I'm a coward, and I went to sleep like the coward I was.