Hopeless Love by Jonathon Waterman - HTML preview

Epilogue

Chapter 38

October 1989

Denmark

Standing together near the end of Valby Park about a stone’s throw from Copenhagen’s infamous Rose Garden, the two teens, for the lack of having anything better to do, took in the scenery while their parents and uncles ran around like rats in a timed maze as they made the necessary final preparations for the upcoming ceremony.

Around them, a dazzling array of roses in all shapes, colors and forms surrounded this public area, and various circular flowerbeds contained trees, hybrids and wild roses provided additional enhancement to the landscape. And not too far away from where Chad Jr. and José Jr. were told to wait, a large children’s playground provided a place where numerous kids could romp as their parents chatted with friends while walking their dogs down one of the park’s countless trails.

“Are you starting to get hungry?” fourteen-year-old Chad Jr. asked his one-year younger brother in his newly learned Danish, as he glanced at his slender stomach. “I’m starved. … Thanks to our Mom and Dads, neither of us has had anything to eat since breakfast, and that seems like almost an eternity ago.”

“Yeah,” José Jr. agreed, presenting him with a broad smile. “At least three hours ago. … Is there anywhere around here where we can nab something?”

Chad Jr. pointed to a bright yellow painted building located roughly seventy-five meters away. It appeared to be a café, most likely, built sometime during the 1940’s.

“I think so. There’s an awning over the door of the place, so it’s probably a place to eat.”

“Okay,” José Jr. replied, turning to gaze at it. He then checked each of his pockets for any leftover cash he might have accidentally stashed. Upon not finding any, “You got any money?” he asked his half brother. “You know, some of those strange-looking Kroners? I spent everything Mom gave me in the hotel’s game room last night.”

“I think I might,” Chad Jr. answered. Reaching into his back pocket, he pulled out the bucking bronco imprinted, brown leather wallet their Uncle Mike had given him the previous Christmas.

Inside, resting next to a few left over Chilean pesos, he found three crumpled up kroners - valued at five dollars apiece. “I think this should do.”

“José Jr. stared at the paper Danish bills and grinned. “I agree, as long as we’re careful and only order a sandwich and drink apiece. … Let’s go.”

Chad Jr. nodded, and the two started to head down the sidewalk.

“Hey. Wait a minute, you two,” Maria yelled upon seeing her sons about to leave the vicinity where the adults have been busy getting all last minute preparations ready. “Where in the world do think you’re going? Uncle Mike and Eric’s civic union should be starting in just a few short minutes."

Chad Jr. lifted his left wrist and took a look at his Timex. “It is? But, Mom, we’re both starving. All we’ve had to eat this morning was a handful of buttered rolls and a small serving of oatmeal. It wasn’t anywhere near enough to fill a couple of boys our age.”

Maria gazed at her youth and chuckled. “And what about the dozen or so Danish pastries I saw you two scarf this morning? That should have been enough to at least hold you a couple of hours.”

José Jr. sheepishly grinned, then glanced toward his older brother.

“True. If we were still kids. But we’re teenage now, Mom. That means, we need to eat a lot so we can grow tall and strong - like you keep reminding us we should.”

Maria glanced at the two like they were a couple of young pups, and released a long hearty laugh. “Grow?” she said, before pausing for a second. “I seriously doubt that you two need to eat any more than you already do in order to grow. … I’ve been having a dickens of a time trying to keep any clothes on you – especially this last couple of years. Now try to forget about those bottomless pits that the two of you call stomachs for about an hour or so, and I promise that as soon the ceremony is finished, both of your fathers and I will feed you. Okay?”

Both José Jr. and Chad Jr. gazed at their mother and released a loud sigh.

“Okay,” Chad Jr. replied, while José Jr. nodded. “If you insist.”

“I do,” Maria said, about to turn back toward where the ceremony was about to be held. “Now just keep yourself busy for an additional ten to fifteen minutes, and by then everything should be ready.”

“Okay, M-o-m,” they both responded, dragging the word Mom as long as humanly possible.

“So what do you want to do?” José Jr. asked after the two of them had strolled down one of Valby Park’s main walkways for a couple of minutes.

Chad Jr. unexpectedly stopped, and began to stare at something a few meters away to his left. “A little sightseeing. I think.”

“You think?” José Jr. repeated. Looking puzzled, he turned to see what had caught his older brother’s attention.

“Yeah,” Chad Jr. said, maintaining an almost non-stop watch. “I think I’ve just found something worthwhile to look at.”

José Jr. gazed again in the direction where his brother kept looking. “Are you talking about the long haired blond chick over yonder who’s walking with the fourteen-year-old dude wearing what looks like a classic Pink Floyd T-shirt?”

Chad Jr. turned toward his sibling, and shook his head. “Yes and No. The girl is definitely attractive and might be something you possibly could be interested in. But, it’s the handsome kid she’s with that has caught my attention. He’s a real … ahh … how would you say … Teenage god?”

José Jr. smiled. “Could be.  It would be fun if we could get together and do a little skinny dipping with the two of them in order to find out.”

Chad Jr. nodded that he agreed. “You’re right … and if everyone's as open minded as I heard they are in this culture; that may be possible. … But …”

“What about Mom and our Dads?” José Jr. completed for him. “Not to mention, do you actually think we could convince those two to hook up with us?”

Chad Jr. answered his half brother by giving a mischievous smile.

THE END

Or is it just the beginning of a new story?