RNP Chapter 45: The Child
Chapter 45: The Child
Peter and Oz were walking home.
He held a box of golden fries in his hands, occasionally picking up a crispy fry and feeding it to Oz.
This batch of fries was certainly not bought with that thousand-dollar check.
Peter used the money he received from the newspaper to buy it.
Moreover, he always felt that he had forgotten something else important.
So he asked Oz, "Don't you feel like there's anything else we haven't done?"
"It smells so good!" Oz smacked his lips. "One more, please!"
"I'm talking to you!"
Peter was slightly annoyed, but he still picked up a fry and handed it to Oz, then ate one himself.
The taste was exactly the same as regular fries, so why did they seem to turn into some kind of divine delicacy in Oz's mouth?
"Uh...maybe you didn't take a picture of yourself?"
Peter rolled his eyes, recalling a phrase Oz had used, "Forget it."
"Now the uniform is torn again, and I have to sew it back on. It's not too late to submit the photos to the newspaper later."
"That's right, one more!"
"..."
About ten minutes later.
Peter and Oz arrived home.
He took out the key, pushed open the door, and Oz flew in, heading straight for his room.
Peter didn't think much of it. He went into the house and shouted something.
"I'm back, Mei."
"How was your date with Gwen?" Aunt May's voice came from the kitchen.
Peter smiled and then walked to a window.
I checked my face again in the mirror to make sure there were no bruises or wounds.
He replied, "I didn't go to see her. She said her family is planning to go somewhere else this weekend, so... you know."
"You sound a bit disappointed?"
"No way!"
Aunt May came out of the kitchen with dinner in her hands. She placed the dinner on the table, wiped her hands, and went to Peter.
Aunt Mei pinched her nephew's cheek and laughed, "You need to make plans with them in advance. How do you know they won't want to spend the weekend with you?"
Peter thought about it carefully and realized that he really hadn't said that!
After that heart-to-heart talk that night, Gwen sent me a message asking what my plans were for the weekend.
He said no, then Gwen said her parents were going to take them out to play, and after a while he replied that he had fun.
After that, Gwen contacted him less often, until today when so many things happened and he didn't have time to reply, so the messages started coming in more often.
"Perhaps that makes sense."
"Go wash your hands and eat."
Peter didn't go; instead, he held Aunt May's hand.
Mei, I want to ask you something.
"No problem, I'll tell you the whole story of how he pursued me back then."
No, that's not it.
Peter gazed into Aunt May's eyes, eyes he had seen since childhood and never tired of looking at.
He said, "It's just about my father."
As soon as she finished speaking, Aunt Mei pulled her hand away from his and turned away from her nephew, returning to her seat at the dining table.
Peter was startled by Aunt May's state and didn't understand why.
He stepped forward and asked, "Please, Aunt Mei, I know you must still have news about him that you haven't told me."
The old man wiped his face; the back of his hand was wrinkled and mottled, with veins slightly visible, covered with the marks of time.
"But?! Peter, I can tell you something simple about him: he just dumped you at his doorstep!"
"Then Ben and I did our best to raise you!"
"That's it, it's that simple!"
Noticing that Aunt May was a little agitated, Peter quickly stepped forward.
He had asked Aunt Mei about her parents before.
Whenever this is mentioned, Aunt Meryl Streep's gaze would lower, as if she had something to say but couldn't.
Now that he has learned so much about his father at the Osborne Group, he wants to know from Aunt May what kind of person his father really is.
Peter grasped the old man's hand. "I know, I know... It was you and Uncle Ben who raised me to adulthood. It was you who helped me with my homework when I was little, wiped my nose, and brushed my teeth. It was Uncle Ben who taught me how to ride a bicycle and taught me to be a kind person. I know all of this."
"I just wanted to know what kind of person he was, that's all, really."
Seemingly afraid that Aunt May wouldn't believe his story, Peter paused, then said earnestly:
"To me, you are my parents, and I am your child."
Upon hearing this, Aunt Mei immediately pursed her lips, her body trembling uncontrollably.
After a few breaths, his eyeballs fell off with a series of soft popping sounds.
"No, no, no, don't cry, Mei, I won't ask anymore."
Seeing this, Peter felt heartbroken, thinking it was his fault that Aunt May was like this, and reached out to wipe away the old woman's tears.
However, Aunt May took Peter's hand and pressed her palm against her cheek.
"How I wish I could see you like this now," she said.
"I believe he will."
Peter smiled and gently stroked the crow's feet at the corner of the old man's eyes.
Aunt May took a moment to catch her breath. She had always kept quiet about Peter's father, believing that it should be brought up at least when the child was older.
Ben's departure had a great impact on them, so much so that she only now realized how much Peter had grown.
Having gathered her emotions, Aunt May slowly began to speak:
"After your father's funeral, two people who claimed to be from the FBI came to our house."
"They said your father worked for the Osborn Corporation, and the research projects he was working on were very valuable. Many people were willing to pay a lot of money to acquire them, so he fled the Osborn Corporation."
"They say your father is a traitor, betraying his friends and family, and only cares about profit..."
Peter remained silent.
Although these contents are different from the stories heard at the Osborne Group, they are all closely related and equally plausible.
"I really wanted to tell you when you're older, but looking at you now, I think..."
Aunt May took a breath and said softly, "I think you're all grown up now, and it's time to tell you this fact."
Peter knew his father couldn't have defected for personal gain, but he wasn't sure whether the real reason was as Connors and Norman had claimed.
Peter shook his head slightly at this, "No, May, I'll never grow up if I'm with you."
After hearing this, Aunt Mei burst into tears again.
She leaned forward, pressing her head against her nephew's.
"My child..."
After a while, seeing Peter take something out of his pocket, Aunt May turned her head away and looked at him curiously.
Peter smiled and took out a rectangular strip of white paper, saying:
"Maybe they'll never grow up, but they'll grow up in terms of being sensible."
The old man covered his mouth, and tears streamed down his face.
Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.
"Damn Norman Osborn, you just wait!"
Toms stuffed his tattered gear into a bag and glanced back at the towering Osborn Corporation.
Not long after he regained consciousness, he was thrown out of the building by the staff, just like they had done to him before.
Toms glared fiercely at the Osborne Group, then said:
"I'll avenge you, Spider-Man!"