What's next to the dark? || Angus & Malcolm Young

Chapter 22: Wounds

A week passed and the driving instructor asked for Angus' form.

"I haven't got it yet, sir." Malcolm said into the phone.

"It was an exception, Mr Young. You should tell your brother to hurry up or he can get his driver's license somwhere else." Malcolm nodded and hung up. God knows where he's hanging around again, thought Malcolm. The doorbell rang and Malcolm opened the door. It was Linda, his girlfriend.

"Hello, darling." She said cheerfully and kissed him. "What's going on? Why are you so depressed?" Linda knew that Angus used to be blind.

"Well, you know ..." Malcolm told her everything that was important to him and ended up crying a little.

"Oh dear. It's awful. You were always there for him because nobody wanted to do anything with him. And now that he can see, is Angus completely ignoring you?" Malcolm nodded miserably.

"Yes. Unfortunately. I thought he was going to hang out with me because he liked me. I mean ... I've spent my whole life looking after him and he ..." Malcolm was crying again.

"Sh. It's good." She pulled him close and kissed him gently. "I know that's not all right with him."

"I've always taken care of him, Linds. And now he doesn't want to do anything to me anymore. I ... I got beaten up for having the money for his surgery. I wanted to teach him to read and write, but he no longer cares. The driving instructor just called and said Angus can forget his driving test."

"You take care of him like a son, Mal." Linda sighed and kissed him again. "You haven't done anything wrong. You don't have to blame yourself."

"I ... I almost wonder if he ever even liked me. Was he just hanging out with me because I was the only one who took care of him and literally helped him across the street?"

"I don't know, Mal. But you really are pretty exhausted. You should talk to him sometime."

"I don't want to upset him." Malcolm muttered. Linda smiled. They kissed tightly. "God, I love you, Linda." He hummed.

"I love you too, Malcolm." She whispered and kissed him again. Someone cleared his throat.

"I really didn't want to see that now." Angus said. The boys and he stood in front of the two.

"Then don't look." Malcolm growled and kissed his girlfriend again. She looked at him a little surprised.

"As if you couldn't kiss her somewhere else." Angus grumbled.

"Seriously. What's your problem?" Malcolm asked angrily.

"My problem is, that I don't want to see you stick your tongue down her throat." Angus teased. Bon made a high five with him. Malcolm got up, growling, and pressed Angus against the wall.

"I think ... you should be put back in your seat." Angus looked up at Malcolm. "Did you fill out the forms?"

"What forms?"

"For the driver's license."

"No."

"Did you learn to write your vocabulary?"

"No. I am a grown man! You have nothing to tell me!" Angus yelled angrily and pushed Malcolm away. Everyone could see that Angus was scared. The older man gasped sharply and fell to his knees. He held his side hissing.

"Mal! Are you all right?" Linda asked worriedly.

"Yes." He muttered. "Everything's fine."

"Let me live my life as I want." Angus grumbled. Malcolm stood up again.

"What happened to the Angus who always wanted to know more? Who really wanted a driver's license? Who wanted to learn everything, that there was only to be learned?" Asked Malcolm. "What happened to my Angus?" He whispered.

"I'm not your child! I'm not your property! I can do what I want!" Angus shouted angrily, nudging Malcolm again. The older one shrieked in pain.

"Mal?" Asked Linda, shaking and helping him to sit on the sofa. She pulled the shirt over his head and was greeted by a mangled side. Everyone gasped for air. Malcolm swallowed hard and leaned back. He put a hand on the wound and hissed loudly. It looked like a large burn that adorned Malcolm's entire left side.

"What's that?" Asked Bon seriously.

"Not important." Malcolm muttered.

"What's that!?" Screeched Linda.

"Not important."

"I want to know!" Angus was still staring at his brother in shock.

"What's that?" Angus asked, trembling. Malcolm got up and started to go, but Angus wouldn't let him. "What is that about?"

"Damn it! It's from the gang that had the money for your surgery!" Malcolm screamed. Angus looked at him in shock. "Do you think I had half a million in the bank !? I could afford the first operation. The second, I was as good as broke! I borrowed it from someone! Already paid it back, but they always have me on the kicker! If I do someting, they'll beat you blind again, okay!?" Malcolm screamed in a high voice. Everyone looked at him in shock. "I...I brought you to England because I thought you would make something useful of this opportunity! I wanted you to finally see the beautiful side of life and not just darkness! I wanted a brother who can see me! But the way it looks, you don't care anymore at all! Come on! Go to your great friends who you hang out with all day! And just for your information: you can forget your driver's license! The teacher would have let you write the exam in Braille, but only because I bribed him! If you always want to be dependent on someone, then live the life you always wanted to have! Now you can! You're no longer tied to your stupid brother, who was the only one who believed in you all your life!" Malcolm turned, grabbed his shirt angrily, and ran out into the night of Sydney. Linda cried on the sofa. Angus stared at his brother in shock. At some point Linda went home. The others were waiting on the sofa for the little rhythm guitarist to come back.

Sometime at 5 o'clock in the morning, he came back. Malcolm stumbled into the house. Bon was the first to wake up.

"Why didn't you say anything?" He asked quietly. "Why didn't you say that the mafia guys still won't leave you alone?"

"What role does that actually play?" Malcolm asked, sounding a little angry again. "My brother can finally see again. The way I've always wanted it. I wished it every Christmas and Easter. On every birthday. Now he can see. I can't imagine how horrible it must be to spend your whole life in darkness and only hear voices." Tears suddenly ran down Malcolm's cheeks. "I don't even want to imagine. That must be awful. Now he can see. By a miracle. Usually blind people cannot be operated on. I'm happy for him. With all my heart. He deserves it more than anyone. If he doesn't want to take his chance, then I can't help him." Malcolm went into the kitchen. Angus got up and ran after him. He put his hands on Malcolm's sides and rested his head on Malcolm's shoulder.

"Listen to me. I'm very sorry."

"It's okay." Malcolm sniffed. "I'm just glad you can see."

"Thank you, Mal. You got me out of my darkness." Malcolm smiled.

"I didn't think I could, but it looks like I made it." Angus smiled.