Post-Pandemic: A New World

Chapter Thirty Four: A Bitter Reunion

Bridge could not believe His eyes. Standing right there, a mere ten feet away from Him, was His father, Drake. Bridge had not even seen Drake in ten years, not since He moved to America and became a U.S Citizen. Bridge had not dared to make a call to His parents or send Them a text message, He had not even thought of writing a letter to Them or even gone back to Sandton Springs to visit Them, mainly because They had stopped caring about Him when His brother Tommy died in an accident in the zoo that They blamed Bridge for. Bridge's parents had also never written a letter to Him or called or texted to check up on Him, They were more than willing to let Their only living son leave forever and to never see Him again. By the day of His eighteenth birthday and six months to the first day of His third year in America, Bridge had not had any contact with His parents at all, so He finally decided to block both His parents numbers since They had not bothered to make any contact with Bridge in almost three years. But now, standing right in front of Bridge was His father, the man who He never thought He'd see ever again.

Drake rubbed His eyes to make sure He wasn't hallucinating and said "Bridge? Is it really You?" Bridge's face went from shocked to angry as He remembered how cold and distant His parents had become to Him after Tommy died and coldly asked "What are You doing here?" Drake processed the fact that His second and only living son was now right in front of Him and said "I...I came looking for You". Bridge's face filled with shock and His mouth dropped open. Bridge's father hadn't once bothered to call Him, text to Him, or even visit Him and He had come looking for HIM!? Bridge's face was flooded with anger as He sarcastically asked "After what? After You decided to give Me up like I was NOTHING!?" Drake's face was filled with regret as He said "I'm sorry". Bridge looked shocked as He heard Drake say those two words and asked "Sorry for what?" Drake stopped a tear from going down His eye as He said "For letting You go without even bothering to say goodbye and for acting so cold around You after Tommy.....after Tommy.... died".

A couple of tears went down Drake's face as He sniffed "I am so sorry Bridge, I am so so sorry that I treated You like nothing after that accident at the zoo. I still loved You, really I did, but I....I just couldn't look at You without thinking of....of......of Tommy". A member of Drake's group, Mike, was clearly annoyed since no one had told Him anything and shouted "Will someone please tell Me what is going on?" Drake was about to speak, but then Anna, whose Russian accent shocked Drake, said angrily "Yes Drake, why don't You tell Them how You stopped loving Bridge after You blamed Him for Tommy's death?" Drake was silent for a moment, but then He turned back to His group and said while struggling to hold back tears "Years ago, I had a son named Tommy. Everyone in town loved Him and He was such a sweet and nice young man. He was a person You would always want to be around and Me and My wife, Patricia, We loved Him to pieces. We spent thousands of pounds into the money for a really good private college He wanted to go to and He was such a champion at sports..... but then a horrible accident happened". Grace, who struggling to understand what was going on, quietly asked "What happened?" Drake sniffed as He said "About.....twelve years ago We were on a trip to the zoo and My second son Bridge had really wanted to see the gorillas and-". Before He could finish, Bridge interrupted and said "Yes, I really did. But now if I ever see those monkeys again I won't hesitate to run".

Mike realised that Bridge was Drake's son and said with shock in His voice "This guy is Your son?" Drake silently nodded and Mike said with disbelief raging through Him "God uh, You two have a real bad relationship". Drake was silent for a moment, but then He explained while holding back tears "Bridge leaned on the railing at the gorilla pen and it started to creak. Tommy realised something was wrong and ran to save Him, but then the railing broke and Bridge fell into the pen. A few gorillas surrounded Him and everyone started panicking and then-". Drake struggled to old back tears as He said "Tommy jumped in, tried to save Him and then.....and then....". As tears began to come out of His eyes, Drake remembered the accident down to the smallest detail and said through tears "The gorillas....the gorillas killed My son!"