Ephemeral

Memorabilia

The past few days, Yvonne was feeling a little bit downtrodden. As he remembers the conversation he had with his doctor, he feels the burden of being an emotional wreck. His outburst was so out of character for him. He feels being ashamed due to his unnecessary rudeness towards the man who was trying to help him.

Yvonne does not know how to deal with his doctor. And being the father of his lover makes it much more complicated. Every time he sees Austell, he sees the delicate face of his doctor. The strange glint of the familiar gaze he cannot escape from. That's the reason why he was also avoiding Austell despite the latter's constant calls and texts.

His state of being in distress comes into a halt when his phone rings.

"Hello, Yvonne speaking." Yvonne breathes out.

"Good afternoon, Yvonne. This is Dr. Sanders. I feel that I owe you some apology for my insensitivity. If you should know, it was not my intention to be downright cruel. I was just presenting the facts as they are. Please know that whatever you decide, I am with you one hundred percent. I do not want some unnecessary distress for you. And since you are my son's lover, I also sympathize with your plight."

The professional delivery of the said doctor ignites a new wave of guilt inside Yvonne's heart.

"There's no need for you to apologize Dr. Sanders. I admit that your words made me so angry but I never think that you are cruel as you are. In your perspective as a doctor, I know that you were just trying to see things on your point of view. I'm sorry for misunderstanding your intention. It was not my intention to walk out on you." The sincere apology of Yvonne brings a tinge of joy inside Zivry.

"Let bygones be bygones, kiddo. If you have time, I will recommend that we should meet to schedule your weekly check ups or you can talk to me whatever you want. Where do you want to meet?" The sudden question plunges Yvonne into a frenzy.

"Can we go to your house? We're that close right? I know I am just your patient but I can't help but think that we're friends, right?" The blabbering of Yvonne makes Zivry laugh out loud.

"Sure. I will send you the address. Can you bring the cappuccino coffee? I badly want one. Thank you in advance. Bye, Yvonne."

At the end of the call, Yvonne cannot wipe the stupid grin on his face. With a renewed strength, he immediately prepares himself for his rendezvous with his beautiful stranger. With this thought, a sudden feeling of nostalgia comes rushing through. He smiles his way toward his car as he navigates the street of gaiety.

With a cup of cappuccino in hand, Yvonne rings the doorbell of a simple yet classy villa. When the door opens, Yvonne is slapped by the sight in front of him. Dr. Sanders who wears a comfy pajama wear looks like an ethereal being. Yvonne ponders that Dr. Sanders looks younger than his actual age especially when he is at his comfort zone.

When Zivry catches Yvonne's frozen state, he cannot help but smile at the stupid look on the younger lad's face.

"You can gawk on me inside, kid. Come on. Get inside. The coffee will be cold. And I hate drinking cold coffee except when it is an iced coffee." Zivry opens the door wider to welcome Yvonne into his humble abode.

When Yvonne goes in, he observes the cleanliness and the way things are arranged in an orderly manner. It does not escape his senses the countless awards and plaques plastered in the corner.

"Before anything else, let me just fix myself. I will just take a shower then I am ready to talk. You can do whatever you want. Just treat this as your home." Zivry then goes to his room to take a shower.

Due to his curiosity, he opens a photo album etched with the most beautiful cursive writing. The photos in the album are the childhood photos of Austell and a younger version of Dr. Sanders in a playground. Yvonne cannot stop himself from smiling upon seeing Austell and Zivry's identical grins. He also sees Dr. Sanders' College photos. Yvonne is captivated with the way Dr. Sanders carries himself in every photo. He looks like an art painted by Pablo Ruiz Picasso himself. When he closes the album. He almost ignored the minute-looking album being put on the most remote area. A brown colored album with the written words  Frozen by time. It piqued Yvonne's interest. A small looking album with such heavy words seems like not an ordinary album at all.

Upon opening it, he is welcomed by the teenaged looking Dr. Sanders. A photo that exudes innocence and long lost memories. While looking at it, Yvonne's heart aches with so much pain. He does not know the meaning of it, but he cannot stop himself from staring at the photo with intent.

The next photo shocks him the most. The next photo depicts two teenagers who are embracing each other. The shorter one is on the lap of the taller. But what shocks Yvonne the most is the action of the taller one. The way he sniffs the neck of the shorter boy while looking content and at peace, as the shorter boy cackles with glee written on his face.

Yvonne's face is now at its palest state. Just seeing the faces of the two teenagers, he cannot deny that those two boys are eerily familiar. The same face he sees everyday in the mirror, and the same face whom he thinks is just a beautiful stranger. The undeniable connection between the two is palpable. When he is on the third photo of the album, he almost lost his sanity. The third photo shows his family's mansion with Dr. Sanders and himself together with their families. His arms are wrapped around Dr. Sanders while the latter wraps his hands around Yvonne's waist with his head on the taller's chest. The photo itself brings a much greater pain to Yvonne.

Before Dr. Sanders could go down, Yvonne returns the album on its original state and places it back to its hidden origin. He breathes out to calm his raging emotions. Yvonne tries to understand the intent behind Dr. Sanders refusal to bring his memories back. Now he has a hint on why was the doctor so adamant. They were deeply connected in the past. That's the reason why Yvonne needs to plan very carefully. He can no longer depend on his doctor when the doctor himself is part of his problem.

When Zivry goes down to meet Yvonne, he is met with a calm Yvonne who leisurely drinks orange juice. Zivry sends a smile to Yvonne. Seeing Dr. Sanders smiles at him, sends a plethora of sensations. He is angry and at the same time in awe. Never in a million years he connected Dr. Sanders on his past. But seeing the evidence of this subtle treachery, Yvonne swears to himself that he will solve this mystery one way or another.