A summer’s reading an imaginary ending to the story

…he easily counted off a hundred, then sat down at a table to read.

*10 years later*.

George now an adult man stepped into Bluebird hospital in New York, stepping to the front desk and asking, “excuse me can you please tell me where is the room that Mr. Cattanzara is staying in, please?”

“Room 405,” said the man at the front desk.

“Thanks, said George and walked over there quietly”.

George stood in front of the shut door of room 405, hesitating if he should step in but decides he must after all Mr. Cattanzara was an important father figure to him he was a big part of his life when he was a kid and now he doesn’t have much left beside him, with his father’s death 3 years ago which really broke the fragile family and his sister and his big fight which led her to move to Europe to try and have a better job the in New-York, George didn’t really hear much of her since, only some money being sent to him every month even that stopped after 2 years.

Deciding he should stop waiting and just do it he stepped into the room only to see Mr. Cattanzara laying on the bed barely moving, “I knew that this drinking would only lead to problems” George said to himself but it didn’t matter now.

George stepped closer to Mr. Cattanzara’s bed seating beside him, waiting.

A couple of minutes go by, and George wants to get up and leave but then he hears a voice, a comforting voice, that he remembers with so many memories behind it but now only pain is left.

“Hello George, how are you? Long time no seen ha?” said Mr. Cattanzara.

“Yeah,” said George with a slight smile that immediately swapped with his usual sad face that he had for the last 3 years.

“You have grown old; you are a real man now ha?” said Mr. Cattanzara.

“A little bit,” said George.

“So how are you doing, how have you been since the last time I saw you what was it like 9-10 years ago right? It has been so long,” said Mr. Cattanzara.

“Yeah 10 years, it was tough dad died my sister moved to Europe and me well I didn’t get an education, I still haven’t read those books now I work as a street cleaner at morning, and at nights I am a guard at the zoo, It isn’t the best but something has to pay the bills”.

“You haven’t grown Georgie, haven’t you?” said Mr. Cattanzara.

George tries his best not to shed tears barely able to speak “I am sorry Mr. Cattanzara I…”

“I think You can call me Francesco by now don’t you think?” said Francesco Cattanzara.

“Okay Francesco,” said George.

“So, I read some books, but I just stopped even though I had that feeling that I had to read those books I just didn’t, and things rolled and here I am”.

“I am sorry Francesco even after all I did what you did haven’t I”, said George.

“Oh Georgie you had such good potential but you wasted it, I am sorry George I wish I could have done more to change your fate but I guess it wasn’t enough”.

George got up from his chair and left the room, taking a final look through the door’s window and seeing Mr. Cattanzara for the final time.

This is the last time George ever saw Mr. Cattanzara.

He died a month later from organ failure due to his drinking problem, but his words echoed in George’s head for the rest of his life.

When George exited the hospital and walked toward the bus station, he bumped into a kid running to the park.

“Hey watch it!” said George.

“Sorry,” said the kid “but I am in a hurry”.

“Where are you running to shouldn’t you be in school right now?” asked George.

“I am skipping school to hang with my friends in the park,” said the kid.

“Hey, go by yourself some lemon ice kid and go back to school trust me don’t do what I did,” said George.

“Oh, ok sorry, fine”.

And George saw that kid something familiar but better in some way, he doesn’t know if the kid really went to school but he felt that he maybe perhaps made a change even if a small one on the kid, and that is what’s natters.