NOSTALGIA

My father let the bear James had carried burn vehemently on fire. He knew he and everyone else in the room had lost their appetite. The sight of his wife's murder took a toll on him and he couldn't stand on his feet. What my uncle presumed would be fun had been a game of possible death. My sister, Emma, looked so tired that she didn't bother to stand up. Inspector May dozed off into slumber after James had died, maybe that was her way of dealing with trauma like this. In my head, James' death played over and over again. It felt like a bloodbath to me.

I thought about the possible outcome of tonight's hunt and I was glad it wasn't more dangerous than this. We were spared by the Alpha when it turned back. If he had chosen to attack, everyone would have been a deadbeat. I wondered why it didn't attack though. We killed many members of his pack but he just chose to ignore us. Or was it keeping the battle for another day? I slept off after a deep moment of contemplation.

Rays of sunlight that filtered through the window fell on my face, forcing me to rise to my feet. It was morning and everyone had laid on their buttocks.

"John," Inspector May called. "Don't you ever call my number again?"

My uncle sighed and said, "May, it's morning; you don't have to start this right now."

"Adam, what are you saying? Do you realize what happened last night? I saw things I hadn't seen in my entire life. I saw a kid hold a gun and kill a werewolf. Where in the world does that happen?" Mrs. May yelled. "If John wants to die, let him go to the grave alone. I have a family; I have a husband and kids. What would you have told them if I had died?"

My uncle used his right hand to wipe his face and said, "We need to keep going."

My sister bounced to her feet and helped me up.

"You, okay?" Emma asked.

I shook my head and hugged her.

"You're going to be okay," Emma brushed my hair with her hands. "It's over now; let's go home."

"We can't possibly be walking around with sophisticated weapons like this," my uncle said.

"You all can take the pistols and hide the rifles somewhere. I'll come take it later," my dad said.

"That's nonsense," my uncle stated. "May, can I have your phone?"

May handed over her smartphone to my uncle. He dialed a number and when the person he was calling responded, he began, "Hey, old pal. I'm in town."

"In town? You didn't tell me you were coming," the person replied.

"I'll fill you in later. I'm kind of stuck right now."

The man gave out a loud sigh and asked, "Where?"

"I don't know the place but it seems like an old rusty ranch outside of town."

"Devon Ranch? I'll be there shortly."

"Come with a bus; we're many."

"You're always many," the man ended the call.

Stretching the phone over to May, my uncle expressed his gratitude, "Thank you." May took the phone and replied, "You're welcome."

"Let's all be patient; Matthew will be here soon," my uncle said, sitting on a chair.

It seemed like everyone, except me, had a go-to person when things went south.

"Let me tell you kids a story. When your father and I were in high school, he had a custom of getting into trouble, especially fights. Each time the school authority wanted to punish us, we would get Inspector May to be on our side. The principal, who loved May and saw her as a disciplined student, would let us go. He would say, 'I know you too knuckleheads are troublemakers but I trust May, she won't do such a thing. Now, get out of my sight, Davids daring Goliaths', " my uncle said.

Emily and I chuckled.

"For the record, your dad was always the one inciting the fights. He was so short back then," Mrs. May teased.

"How was he able to get away with it?" Emma asked.

"He always ran to meet your uncle when the real trouble started," Mrs. May answered. "They always looked out for each other."

Just as my uncle was a haven for my dad, Emma was always there for me. Despite the trauma she faced after my mother's death, she was always there for me, taking me back from school and comforting me during the nights I shed tears.

When we heard the honking of a vehicle, we packed our weapons and gadgets and headed outside. There we saw a minibus with a man, just the same age as my uncle, sitting in the driver's seat. The man alighted from the bus and slowly walked to my uncle. He gave Adam a deep embrace and said, "It's been so long, old man."

"Matt, my good friend. Where have you been?" my uncle asked.

"In town, buddy. In town!"

Everyone presumed the get-together was going to take forever so we all settled in the bus, waiting for the old folks to finish up whatever they were doing.

I looked through the window and could see the joy in the faces of both men. They looked like people who hadn't seen themselves in ages. From their conversation, I could tell that Matthew worked with my uncle in the army.

My uncle and Matthew returned to the car. Matthew took the wheel and my uncle sat close to him.

"Sorry, folks. We just had to let those feelings out," Mr. Matthew started the engine.

"Thanks so much for coming to our rescue, Matt. It means a lot to my family and me," my dad expressed his gratitude.

"Yeah, no problem. As soon as I got Adams's call, I knew he was in trouble, so I had to come quickly. Anything for you too," Mr. Matthew began the journey. "How are you doing, May?"

Mrs. May scoffed and said, "I just slept in a dead ranch; I'm not cool, Matt."

Matthew laughed out loud and said, "Just like old times."

"Just like old times," my uncle whispered.

When Matthew got to our residence, I quickly alighted from the bus and expressed my gratitude to him. I rushed inside my room, dropped my gears, and quickly rushed to shower to take a thorough body wash.

From the bathroom, I could hear the chatter of my folks in the living room. That outrageous sound you make when you find your long-lost cousin filled the entire house.

When I was done in the bathroom, I got dressed and sank on my bed. I decided to continue my sleep from where I had stopped at the ranch.