Crash Course in Shane Mathias

12. That Night

As they entered the house, they were greeted by two dogs, one great, furry black one named Sammy and a small wiener dog named Rosie. Sammy growled at them, but then Jugatxi started making baby noises at him until he just stared and eventually bounded up to them to be petted. Rosie just sniffed around Shane's feet making him wonder if he had stepped in anything.

The man, named Mordechai, led them past the living room, dining room, and kitchen into one of the rooms. There was a woman lying one the bed. She woke up at the sound of their entrance. She smiled at them and Shane saw the face of a woman of about seventy years, but underneath the surface was the vibrancy of a youth. Old age looked graceful on her. "How wonderful that you are here," she said as she got up to give each of them a hug. Shane was surprised at her small frame; he expected to see a towering woman to match the good life she has lived. 

"We weren't sure if we were going to be able to come because of, you know," Jugatxi said as she signaled towards Shane. 

Shane said nothing, but gave an odd grimace. The old woman just smiled. "Well I'm glad that you were able to make it. Now, let's get you something to eat, shall we?" The woman asked as she stepped around then and out of the room. They followed and Shane's stomach decided to growl really loudly then. "You can watch television while I prepare dinner."

"Okay," Jugatxi said and she bounced away to the living room. Shane followed. "Do you want to watch a movie?" She asked of him as he trailed behind her.

"Sure." There was nothing else to say.

She opened the doors to a cabinet in the living room, and stepped back. "Which one?"

Inside Shane say shelf after shelf of movies and the thought of having to pick one without any recollection of any overwhelmed him. He closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. "You choose."

"Can I make a suggestion?" Mordechai asked from behind Shane. 

"Sure," both Shane and Jugatxi said. Shane moved out of the way and toward an armchair. When he sat down, Mordechai was already putting the DVD into the player and Jugatxi was also taking her seat, smiling to herself. 

As the movie began, a great gray cat jumped onto Shane's lap, distracting him from the television screen. He pet the cat's soft fur, making the animal purr with delight. "His name is Shadow," Jugatxi informed him. The cat hissed at the sound off Jugatxi's voice and leaped away. "He doesn't like me very much," Jugatxi added. Shane laughed at Jugatxi a bit and then turned back to the television screen. 

He caught a few of the beginning scenes. "La Bamba?" he asked uncertainly. 

Jugatxi and Mordechai smiled at each other. "So there's hope for him, after all?" Mordechai asked jokingly. 

"Not necessarily," Jugatxi said. "We watched it so many times, that it's probably engraved somewhere in there."

Whether it was engraved into his mind or not, Shane was having some serious deja vu and he didn't know what to make of what he saw.