Arnold's greatest treasure and the secret of the green stone

I won't turn my back on you

Arnold POV
I walked away from my father,  just a few steps to be alone for a minute. I couldn't comprehend what he had just said. He felt as if he didn't deserve me...His guilt for leading Eduardo to the statue and dooming my mother and Pepe to their death didn't allowed him to live his life. I can understand feeling responsible for his mistakes, still I can't see why he didn't come home to his only son. All this time I thought he was dead, I always believed my father had made the best choices till the end but now... I don't know anymore. I shut my eyes in disappointment knowing all my years of sorrow and torment could have been avoided if only he had been strong enough, to return to his life without my mother. As I gazed at the sky, I remember the dream I had with my mother. I could still feel her soft hand brushing through my hair, her gentle eyes giving me security and love. My mother as never left my side and I knew she expected so much of me. I was not going to let her down, I had to be brave for Helga, for my grandparents who were expecting me to come back safe and now for my father. I may never understand why he never came home, nevertheless I wont turn my back to him for it. After all, he is my father and... his alive. **

Arnold approached his father after a couple of minutes of being away and sat by him again in silence. Miles was seating on the grass  looking down with his elbows on his knees sobbing. Arnold placed his arm across his back and embraced him.

"I'm so sorry son..." Miles kept repeating, as if saying it one hundred times wasn't enough.
Arnold closed his eyes and remembered so many nights he cried himself to sleep wishing he could see his father again at least, one last time. Now, he had his father and their lives could continue where they left off. It was never to late to start all over again for a father and son. He thought. "I forgive you Dad." Said Arnold in a whispered.

Miles lifted his head and gazed at his son with unworthiness. The red tearful eyes showed the evidence of the heavy blaming weight he felt in his heart. "I don't deserve you." He said crying.

Seeing his father in so much sorrow, burn his chest leaving a cold empty gap in his heart. He always imagine his father standing tall, with happiness and strength in his eyes.
Never in one hundred years he could have pictured his father, the great Doctor Miles Shortman mourning for the actions he took in his life.

"Yes you do, you always have deserve your son and I you."

Miles smiled at his son with tears in his eyes "I still believe this is a dream, since I saw you by the river I thought I was going insane. I wanted so say so much to you and I couldn't. I just didn't know how to approach you or even talk to you. Then when you woke up and tried to leave, I felt like I was loosing you all over again."

"Why didn't you say anything before Dad? Why did you kept your identity a secret all this time?"

"I didn't know how you were going to handle it. I was just buying out time in the mean time till, I figure out how to tell you."

Arnold nodded amazed of the discovery, of finding Jones to be his father "When I first saw you, I knew I could trust you...there was something about you that I felt comfortable with. Why Jones thou? How did you come up with that name?"

"The name Jones belonged to a famous archaeologist I once knew. He was my childhood hero I figure, it was the best name to use, besides.... I like it." Said Miles smiling. Even with sore eyes he still found a way to look happy again.

"It's good to see you smile again Dad....Man, its so incredible how much we chatted that night by the fire and.... I didn't know who you were. I wanted to tell you everything that was happening to me but, I had to be careful. After what happen with Eduardo I just lost trust in everyone here, except for Jorge he actually earned my trust."