Semper Fidelis

26. Timeless

Forth and Beam together with their friends and Thad entered Beams office. Thad ran to Beams table and pulled one of the drawers to take out a heavy photo album.

"Here papa..." Thad sat down on the couch and exclaimed while smiling eagerly at his father.

Beam sat across the father and son with his bestfriends and Yo while Forths friends are behind the couch where Forth and Thad are seated.

Forth heaved a sigh before he nervously opened the old photo album on his lap. Everyone become quite while waiting for Forth's move to open the album.

He was startled when he found an old photo of himself in the album. He stared at the old photo who stared back at him with the same eyes and expression.

The mole that Thad was talking is indeed on his face. The man staring back at him has his face but Forth knew that he is not the person in the old photo.

He flipped another page and there he saw the young Beam and Forth laughing at the camera.

The people behind Forth who also saw the old photos gasped in disbelief but did not say anything.

"Thats my P'Beam and papa...see papa...you are so happy with my P'Beam" Thad exclaimed when he saw what his father is staring.

Forth looked up at Beam who is so quite across him. Beam's eyes is still unreadable while staring back at Forth.

Forth returned to the photo album and flipped another page of the two boys around sixteen years old in the middle of the apple trees. Forth is so familiar with the place since it become his home for more than seven years.

The young Forth is indeed wearing a highschool uniform and the young Beam is wearing a white long sleeve over his cream colored pants. The young Forth had his arms wrapped around the young Beams shoulder while they are also laughing at the camera. They looked so happy.

Forth flipped the remaining pages and all are the happy photos of the two young boys until he finished all the pages.

On the last page he found a leather bracelet taped on the cover of the album and there is a written words in the paper of the inside ring of the bracelet. The same bracelet he saw at the young Beams left wrist in all of the pictures.

Forth caressed the handwritten words that he knew was not Beam's handwriting.

'Semper Fidelis'

Forths chest thundered and his throat started to constrict but his mind is in haywire.

He has a haunched of the whole situation that would put everything in its place. He wanted to solve the puzzle but he knew that he cannot do it alone. All the keys are with Beam and Forth needed him to unlock all that has been hidden several decades ago.

If he wanted answers he needed to ask Beam but he is so afraid to ask. He dont want to validate every doubt he have.

He closed the photo album and intently stared at it without saying anything. His mind is still on the faces of the boys that are full of laughters and smiles that have been captured by the lens of the camera.

Thad who was so talkative earlier also remained quite while looking at his father.

Everyone are also so quite while waiting for Forth's reaction. Beam is also staring at Forth with his calm gaze.

Forth heaved a sigh before he looked up and stared at Beam.

"He is not me..." Forth muttered with his calm gaze.

Beam just continued to stare at him without saying anything. The room is eerily quite while waiting of what will happen next.

"He is...he is my grandfather" Forth whispered softly.