The Tracks

Window

They looked at the group of people from afar, behind the bushes and trees, out of view from anyone. They weren't supposed to be there. If they were found, their parents will surely have a fit. They were grounded for a month. They weren't permitted to even go near the tracks anymore. But they just had to see him for one last time. Even if it's from this distance. Even if they can't really see him, but at least they'd be able to say goodbye to their friend.

"Bugs, let's go. It's almost dark."

"Just a few more minutes."

"We can't be seen here."

"I know, Richie. I just... we didn't even get to say goodbye..."

"He'd know that we're here, Bugs. He knows we're sorry, he knows you tried..."

The two boys stood silently watching as cries were heard when the small coffin was lowered to the ground. Three boys in black went near and threw flowers to the descending box, then went back to where their mothers were crying.

"Bugs..."

"I know. Let's go."

Richie went on his bike and started to pedal away. Bugs took out a soda cap out from his pocket, where the letter "L" was written in black pen. He placed the cap in between one of the branches of the tree he was hiding behind. He wiped the tears that he tried to hold back when his brother was beside him before riding his bike.

"Goodbye, Leo. I'm really sorry."

//

It was mid-morning and they were all gathered around a tombstone, silently offering a prayer after lighting up candles and placing flowers. Jay and Dei stood at the back, silently observing, letting their fathers and their friends pay their respects.

"I didn't know Leo's full name was 'Leo Paulo Ballester'!"

"Yeah...well, we didn't know that you were 'Victor Marie' until we were in college."

"That was supposed to be 'Mario', the nurse who wrote it made the 'O' look like an 'E'..."

"Sure, sure. No use explaining, Marie."

"Ugh. I suffered my whole college life because you guys started calling me Marie!"

The group began exchanging stories and laughter in between as they started catching up on all their lost years of friendship. The Southern gang and the Northern guys were finally reuniting, and Jay and Dei could only smile as they watched the men seem like kids again.

"Hey Walt, did you know that my wife is Mary's second cousin?"

"Yeah. Mary mentioned it when you got married, Mike. She so badly wanted to attend your wedding, but, well..."

"Ah, don't worry. Maybe I could bring her and the kids over one of these days to visit, will that be ok?"

"Now that Sammy's the acting Mayor, I don't think it'll be any problem crossing the tracks anymore."

"Well, after everything that has happened, there really shouldn't have been any reason for any of us to stop visiting each other, right? There's a lot to make up for."

It's been three weeks since that incident on the tracks. The regional government appointed Sammy to be the acting Mayor of the North, since he was the Vice Mayor of the town after all. Things were slowly taking a turn for the better, especially after uncovering a lot of corruption that Jose had been committing. There were a lot of bad investments in which the town suffered, and some good ones that could have made life easier for the Northern folk but were turned down because Jose couldn't pocket any of it. All of these were slowly turning up as Jose's rule is being investigated. His wife and kids had to be taken under protective custody because several outraged Northern folk were starting to threaten them, but Sammy and Walt appealed to them that the family had nothing to do with it.