Isaiah woke up with a nagging feeling that he had forgotten something terribly important and the consequence would be hellfire spitting upon his unguarded body. Arriving at Detroit late last night, he had checked into a decent motel. Sleep had been restless because Natalie’s words haunted him. Elijah’s motives, as Natalie saw it, was to use Lydia as an emotional hostage to force Natalie into reconciling with him- to resume their clandestine affairs.

What if it was not a case of obsession? What if there was something more? Vengeance? Natalie had been the one who called the affair off and it was extremely clear that she was a milestone in Elijah’s life- the only woman he had fallen in love with.

Whatever it was, Isaiah was left with a disturbing insight of the black vacuum in Elijah’s soul. Through Natalie’s accounts, Isaiah resolve to keep Elijah away from his memories strengthened. That left him in dire quandaries still- who was he to decide what was best for Elijah?

Groggily, he struggled out of bed to adjourn to the functional attached bathroom. As he washing up, the date hit him with a vehemence that carved fear into his heart. Clad only in a towel wrapped around his waist, he dashed out of the bathroom with still some shaving foam smeared on his chin. Hurriedly, he fumbled for the phone only to drop the receiver with a dull thud onto the carpeted floor. Rolling his eyes, he picked it up and dialed frantically home.

"Hello! You have reached the Raily’s residence! What can I do for you? If you’re not Isaiah, you’re safe! If you are Isaiah, then I suggest you buy a ticket to the Artic for good!" Elijah’s chirpy voice greeted him happily and diminished the anxiety he was feeling. He chuckled nervously though because, after all, he was Isaiah and Elijah’s warning, though done jubilantly, was ominous.

"You know it’s me, Lijah. Is… uhmm… heh… Lynn there?"

"You’re in deep ‘beep’ man! She was ‘beeping’ mad the whole morning! Say, have you got a fantastic apology coming? If you’re nice to me and buy some presents back, I’ll pass her the phone!"

Isaiah could not tell if Elijah was gloating mischievously or responding out of concern. From the frivolous tone, it should be more of the former. How did the ice-man, having lost his memories, morph into a twenty-three year old brat?

"Just call her over, will you?"

"Uh huh. You have forgotten the magic word. Besides…" Elijah sighed disappointedly, "Once the date is over, it’s over. February the fourteenth this year will never ever come by again. Forever."

"Lijah, please. Be a good boy and call Lynn over." Isaiah put on a stern tone, a little piqued because Elijah did make him feel more guilty and anxious than he already was. However, Elijah seemed to have shut his ears up for then as his ramblings continued.

"Shh… can you hear her scrubbing the kitchen? She’s been at it since five a.m. I can’t even enter into that sacred place unless I can float so I don’t leave microscopic prints on the tiles. She’s been hollering some song about ‘Love Sucks’…"

"LIJAH!" Isaiah screamed into the phone, exasperated. So, having a brother came with its irritating aspect as well. However, when he heard Elijah’s gleeful laughter over the other line, he knew he would rather have a brother- annoying and all- rather than one only in name who was a complete stranger.

"I’m kidding. She stopped scrubbing the kitchen already but she’s still singing that song. Hang on…" Isaiah heard some background noise and he could hear Lynn yelling away to the chorus.

"Lynn… it’s that man you wanted to exile to Siberia!"

The musically broken shouting stopped and moments later, a hostile voice came on the line. "Who’s this?"

"I’m sorry, baby… I’ve forgotten it was Valentine’s Day"

"Baby? Who’s your baby? Who are you?"

"Lynn…" Isaiah cajoled, sitting down on his bed while he desperately hope for Lynn to relent. "It’s your hubby wubby…"

"Hubby wubby? I didn’t know the reception in North Pole is so fantastic. How’s your date with the polar bears? How come you haven’t freeze to death yet? At least I could claim insurance." Lynn tormented him dryly.

Isaiah laughed nervously again, scratching the back of his head, at a loss for words. "I, hmm… well…I’m really, really sorry… really! PLEASE! Forgive me now or I’ll keel over and die!"

There was a tense spell of silence before Lynn broke into an amused laughter. "For all your dramatics, you should be on stage! You’re forgiven long ago. I was just a little grouchy when I woke up but I’m all right now. How’re things?"

Isaiah heaved a sigh of relief. "You’re sure you’re not angry anymore?"

"Nope… wait… hold on…" Isaiah heard the sound of a door closing on the other line and knew that Lynn had retreated into the privacy of their bedroom so they could talk more freely. Even then, when she spoke next, her voice was softer and more solemn. "Have you found anything?"

"No. I’m visiting someone else today… I don’t think there’s going to be anything though… not likely."

"A hunch or a sense?"

"Both."

"Oh…"

"I’m meeting his supposed best friend turned foe. Quite an upstart. He’s already the CEO of a software firm that’s winning quite a bit of recognition and awards." Isaiah reiterated what he knew about David Lagner from newspaper clippings as well as Network’s extensive database. However, since he did not have a criminal record, Network had not much dirt on him. A local newspaper had done an interview with him and from it, Isaiah knew that David was a straight-A student at South Bend High but had to delay college for a year because he needed to earn enough money for tuition. Thereafter, he attended MIT which he was accepted into even before he had graduated. Because he loved Detroit, his hometown, so much, he had decided to base his company there.

"Why are you doing this, Isaiah? I don’t believe you’re doing it to find out who’s the arsonist." Lynn’s sepulchral tone caused Isaiah to choke on his reply.

"La... later, Lynn. I have to go now… see you in a couple of days’ time." Isaiah ended the conversation but hastily added the three words that women could not get enough of.

"I love you."

"Love you too." Lynn sounded reluctant to end the call but Isaiah, running out of time, hardened his heart and disconnected it from his side first.

***

Mighty Software Technologies occupied three stories of a medium-sized whitewashed, office building in one of the busiest section of Woodward Avenue. Isaiah had been pleasantly surprised by the amiable front-desk receptionist who was a far cry from the money-digging girl behind the counter of Peia Fox’s Salon and Spa. The brown-haired sweetheart gave him her time of the day and even through the extra mile to help him contact David Lagner. Over the phone conversation with Lagner, all Isaiah needed to do was be truthful about his purpose- that he was there to ask him some question about the past between Elijah and him. Lagner was agreeable to the meeting but from the silence that settled before Lagner replied to his request, Isaiah could sense a multitude of negative emotions bloating up the vacuum in the conversation. After the phone call, it was down to a bistro a few blocks away for an early lunch to kill time until the appointment’s time.

The layout of Lagner’s office was most probably ripped out directly from a promotional catalogue of some interior designer’s firm but it served its purpose well. Isaiah sat down on the opposite side of the mahogany desk on a black-leather armchair while waiting for Lagner to finish up his phone conversation peppered with variations of "It’s guaranteed or your money back!" Most likely, Lagner took lessons from late nights’ Sell-A-Vision. In any case, Lagner was still young and his quality software spoke for themselves. He would have plenty of time to brush up on his amateurish sales pitch or hire someone better to do it.

"So… what can I do for you? Isaiah Raily, right?" Lagner set the receiver down and threw a friendly smile at Isaiah. With his orange-hair gelled up in spikes, lean physique and designer black-rimmed glasses, Lagner looked like a geek who was suave at the same time- the sort where girls would irresistible in that quirky, techno-savvy manner.

"Yes, I am. Mind if I smoke?" Isaiah glanced quickly at the well-utilized ashtray on the desk and back at Lagner. Lagner leaned back against his seat and gestured for him to go ahead. Muttering a word of gratitude, Isaiah took out his slim, metallic cigarette case and drew out a stick. Lynn’s disapproving look flashed past his mind for a split second and he almost felt guilty.

Almost was the word though. Gripping the cigarette between his teeth, he lit it up and inhaled in deeply. Lagner did the same. Killer fumes soon enshrouded the two men in a toxic mist.

"Elijah’s my brother and recently, there’s been a case of arson on his property…"

"Hmm. Not surprising." The sides of Lagner’s lips twisted. "He’s never one to keep friends, nor make them."

"I sense bad blood between the both of you?" Isaiah ventured, raising a curious arched brow.

Lagner smiled grimly. "You might as well come out straight and ask me if I have done it…" He dragged his sentence before shaking his head. "He used to be my best friend. No matter what happened between the both of us, I guess, the remembrance of the friendship is enough for me to forgive and forget."

Isaiah sensed truth in Lagner’s words and he actually liked the guy. In a way, he regretted that Elijah could not have kept this friendship, even on a superficial level at least.

"Your company’s taking off. Read some news about it. Must be hard work for you, especially when you strove so hard to fulfill your dream. A local newspaper said you took a year off to work for college tuition. Why didn’t you take a loan or a scholarship?" Isaiah tried for small talk and compliments to stoke Lagner’s ego and get his tongue to loosen up. It seemed to work for Lagner’s narrow face flushed with pride.

"I did have offers but most bank loans demanded collaterals and I stay with my family of five in a flea-infested rented apartment. Others came with bonds but I want to set up my own company as fast as possible. Like Elijah, I hate to be bonded to anything or anyone. No one will recommend for a scholarship and recommendations are important since anyone with brains could get perfect grades. I have to thank Elijah for that." Lagner tone lowered and grew serious. However, he shrugged it off dismissively.

Isaiah stubbed his cigarette out. "How did Elijah cost you the recommendations?"

Lagner’s stretched lips grew crooked as his brows knitted slightly. "You’re his brother; you mean he never told you anything?"

Isaiah cringed but honesty was the best policy. "No. We don’t talk much in the past."

"Yah… now I remember. Elijah spoke about you before… he said you were somewhere far away. He’s always been a little… I don’t know… weird and cryptic when he does open his mouth. I don’t even know how we became friends in the first place but we did. Our history teacher once asked me in confidence if Elijah was seeing a psychiatrist because he seemed too withdrawn. It’s true that he hardly talks and when he does, it’s to me he speaks to. Even then, I’m not even sure if I’ve heard him half the time. Anyway, we were the two top contenders for the annual grant which came out from the pockets of the well-wishing public. It’s not enough for a free college education but it does help get us started with no strings attached. I was at an advantage though. We were both A plus students but I was more sociable, definitely, and held posts of importance in students’ societies. Elijah only took part in some competitions when the school ordered him to. Then Elijah was caught cheating during an important Math test…" Lagner chewed on his lower lip- an action that took five years off his face. "Ah… hmm…"

"Just continue. You can’t tell me anything worse than what I’ve heard." Isaiah gestured for Lagner to continue and Lagner’s cheeks flushed crimson in discomfiture.

"It was an important paper and even if Elijah did not get expelled from school, he would definitely flunk it and get his first C or D. There would be no way he could ever catch up to me. He was adamant that he did not cheat but crib notes were found on him and Mr. Boros wanted to take extreme measures. I spoke up for Elijah but somehow, he had this weird idea in his head that I was out to sabotage him. One day, I advised him to just go to the principal’s office and be contrite when he suddenly spun around and landed a punch on my face. It was the end of our friendship. The fight snowballed and I ended with a broken nose and arm. Elijah ended up friendless. We all thought we were going to say goodbye to him when Mr. Boros suddenly announce that it was mistake and got Elijah off the hook. During our finals, my Math script landed me in trouble because someone scribbled an offensive message to a teacher in my handwriting on it. I swore I was not the culprit but the teacher was quite upset and the nomination for me to be awarded the grant was withdrawn with immediate effect. The principal was disgusted but he was nice enough to not expel me or let my grades slip by disqualifying my answer script. But he made it clear that no teacher was going to recommend me for any scholarships…Elijah got the grant eventually." Lagner hawked and drank some water from his glass.

"Boros was arrested a few days after our graduation ceremony for abusing his authority to solicit sex from students and even forcing some to peddle drugs for him. Then, with the arrest, it all fell into place. You see, he got Elijah off the cheating hook and then, my Math script was tampered with. Elijah could forge signatures very well- he could forge handwriting too. So we were kinda suspecting that Elijah was perhaps, a willing party who turned the tables on Boros and made him tamper with my script. The intriguing part was that Boros was arrested because his journal filled with his perverted exploits of whichever student he was abusing was turned in anonymously to the police with the last few pages were torn out. I did confront Elijah and he did not admit to it, neither did he deny it. There was just this blank look on his face. But justice was done. Ten students took the stand finally and broke the silence- one of them was my ex-girlfriend, Melanie. And she never told me anything prior to the court case."

Isaiah’s eyes hooded over. He was somewhat sick of all the stupid, idiotic choices Elijah had made. Disgust, sorrow and a bleak understanding of Elijah finally wrenched his heart- what had Elijah done to himself?

*"Framed by his peers and blackmailed by his high school teacher, he just did what he had to do without remorse; without pride. It was so much easier to be detached, to be impassive. If there were emotions, he would go mad."

"Boros… is he still in prison?"

Lagner had a satisfied on his face, no doubt relieving the tragic fate that had befallen the students of South Bend’s High. "Yes. For a long, long time. He ruined Melanie’s life. Melanie had a reputation and thus, there were those who go around spreading lies that Melanie whored herself to Boros to get decent grades in Math. She could not take the rumors and had to flee to Canada. It’s funny because we should be lauding her bravery but some people had tongues that should be snipped off."

Lagner twiddled his fingers and sighed unhappily. "We, I mean, the gang that I hung out with, we suspected that Elijah was the one who turned in the journal and, to protect his own dealings with Boros, he torn off the last few pages. If it was true, then we have Elijah to thank after all because he stopped a fiend like Boros from walking the streets and harming innocent people.

Talking about it makes it all seemed like it was still yesterday… Boros arrest really shattered whatever innocence of youth we still had… though it was not much by the time I was eighteen." He chuckled bitterly and took another drink. His cigarette had long burned itself up on the ashtray, next to Isaiah’s stub.

"I’m sorry to hear about your ex-girlfriend." Isaiah mumbled, looking down, trying to distract himself with the running wood grains of the desk’s surface.

"David…" Isaiah took out a piece of cut-out from the Bayport’s Times and passed it to Lagner who took it and perused it with interest. "Where were you on the date and time of the arson mentioned in the article?"

"You were suspecting me, aren’t you? No… it’s not me… though you can choose to believe what you want to- tap me, put me on surveillance… I don’t care. I do have some misgivings about my failed friendship with Elijah but there’s no deep hatred. Look around you. My small company is soon to be listed. I’m getting married to the loveliest woman in the world and I knew her from the company I was working with to save up for tuition. In a way, the fiasco was a blessing in disguise. I have no need to hate Elijah at all." Lagner passed the clipping back to Isaiah who folded it up and put it back into his pant’s pocket.

"Probably, the person who hates Elijah the most would be Elijah himself. Maybe I should tell you but I guess, if you’ve reconciled with him, you would know. Elijah carved his hands up pretty often and it was like a game to him- to see how far he could tempt himself before slitting his own wrist. He’s disturbed in that way- obsessed with mortality and hating his own existence. Nobody felt pity for him though and I try not to sympathize because Elijah hated pity. He could spit in your face if you stroke his hair and coo over him and then coolly walk away. If you think he was showing you concern by listening to your woes, think again. He might be storing up information about your weakness to use against you if such an action could further his own ambitions… he done it to some people in school, embarrassing them at the best of scenarios…. No... I’m sorry. I should not be saying this… everyone deserves a second chance… Elijah especially, most likely."

Isaiah stood up and Lagner did as well. The savvy geek extended his hand out to Isaiah. "I mean it when I said I don’t hate him. I wished our friendship could have stand the test of time but it seemed like I was trying to be his friend but he never wanted to be mine. Send him my regards. I hope he’s alive and well."

"I’ll be off now and I will send him your regards. Thanks for seeing me at such a short notice." Isaiah took Lagner’s hand and shook it half-heartedly. As he left Lagner’s office, he was beginning to have serious doubts about Elijah’s character- a part that disturbed him like a splinter in the eye.

He was no longer interested in the arson- it was only an excuse for his obsession with his brother’s past- the part that he could only quietly observed from a distance and thus saw none of the maggots that festered in the wounds. Perhaps all he really wanted to do was to really know Elijah- to justify his actions for trying his best to stop Elijah from remembering. Now, washed clean of his memories, Elijah was so simple and happy.

But Isaiah still could not convince himself or what was right and wrong. With his hands shoved into his coat’s pocket, he walked the streets in silence. The broodiness on his mien was a perfect picture of a man in deep thought- a man who could not understand his thinking.

***

*From Elijah’s accounting in Falsehood’s Epilogue.