THE BAD BOY OF MANHATTAN
Chapter 25. Like Father Like Son's.

GREENWICH VILLAGE, MANHATTAN.

"Elric! Holy hooch! You why?" Alya who was chatting with Barbara, her in-laws, screeched as she looked at her son who had just entered with a temple wrapped in a scarf covering.

"It's nothing, Mom (not anything, Ma)" said Elric while avoiding Alya's hand that was about to touch the wound on his temple. "Hi, Barb ... when is it coming?" she asked Barbara, who opened her arms demanding a hug from her granddaughter.

"Owh, Baby Boy, My love .. how I miss you (my son, my love .. how much I miss you)," said the middle-aged blonde woman who had partially turned white while hugging Elric tightly.

Elric was glad his grandmother came from Portland to visit him. For a woman her age, Barbara was fun enough to talk to about anything. The woman also did not protest much whatever she was doing.

"You fighting, Elric?" alya asked as the three sat in the back garden. His face implied anxiety. "Where was last night?" continued.

"Alya, don't treat Elric too much like a girl" Barbara said. "Fighting and not coming home all night is common for boys."

Elric pulled the corner of his lips. She thought her grandmother was the best. Alya seemed to disagree with Barbara. Which mother would have seen her only child battered like that. "But, if Nathan finds out, Elric will get into trouble, Barb. Elric's on a personality course."

"Personality course?" asked Barbara while frowning. The woman turned her head towards Elric who was sitting beside her. Elric just put his shoulders down.

"Yes ...." Alya tells what Elric has done until he must be sanctioned by Nathan. And now his father is considering whether Elric is ready to go back to public school again or not, even though Nathan has given him the freedom to leave the house at will. But, if today he saw Elric with a battered face, surely all will run back. "It's a good thing that Nathan isn't home" Alya said.

"Gosh," said Barbara as she chuckled. "Terror of teenagers." He's rattling Elric's hair in a daze. "El, will you date me later this afternoon?" bargained for. He intended to chat with his grandson from heart to heart.

"Okay, My Lady" said Elric as he grabbed Barbara's hand and kissed her as a Queen. He got up from his seat and went into the house.

***

CENTRAL PARK, MANHATTAN.

Barbara took Elric by the arm and walked slowly through the streets in the quiet park. The deciduous leaves of the trees growing everywhere made a cool sight of the afternoon.

"Where's Richard, Barb? Why didn't he come here with you?"

"Your grandfather is always busy" Barbara chuckled as she stroked the arm of Elric she was holding. "But he missed you. When was the last time you came to Portland ... mm .. one year ago, right?"

Erlic nodded. He threw a glance at the two people who were jogging past him. "Barb, can I ask you something (can I ask you something)?" tanyanya.

"What is that (what is it, El)?"

Elric grimaced while scratching his head. "I like a girl ...."

"Awh, really?" Barbara suffocates.

"Wait, Barb .. Let me finish what I say" said Elric. "So, I like this girl. She's like older than me (i like this girl, she's older than me), maybe three or four years above me. She ... tough girl. A feminist, fierce and beautiful."

"And?"

Erlic chuckles. "What I want to ask is, how do you lure a girl like her?"

"Nrank ...."

Barbara smiled. Apparently, his favorite grandson is an adult. I think he just saw Elric as a baby yesterday. Look now he has turned into a handsome young man towards adulthood. "Emma was a bit like me when I was young. Tough, hard and fierce. Richard used to need a little struggle to get me" Barbara said proudly.

"Oh yeah?" Elric poked his lips. "So, what did he do (then, what did he do)?"

"Well, he showered me with attention. Meeting me every day and not giving me a chance to think about other men" Barbara quipped as she imagined her past with Richard.

"What kind of attention?"

"Be gentle, romantic, compliment me pretty whenever I meet, give me a gift .. yeah, that kind of thing."

Elric nodded. He invited Barbara to sit on a long wooden bench under an oak tree. "But Richard already had a job?" ask Elric.

"Yep."

Elric exhaled his coarse breath. He has no permanent job. His wages working as a courier for Fat Tony in East Harlem have not been much.

"It looks like I have to find a permanent job first" Elric said. "Giving a gift to a woman takes money, doesn't it?" chortled.

"Gosh, El." Barbara patted him on the forehead. "You look a lot like Nathan, don't you? He used to not want to use the facilities provided by Richard," he continued. "The house at Greenwich was his own work."

Elric smiled thinly. Although he did not like to be equated with Nathan, this time he did not protest.

"El, I wonder what Emma is like. The girl who is able to attract the attention of an Elric who usually does not care about anything" said Barbara.

"You want to meet him?" Elric's eyes sparkled.

"Why not (why not)?"

Elric smiled happily. "Are you hungry, Barb?" tanyakanya.

"Pretty hungry (pretty hungry)."

Elric pulled the corner of his lips. "How about Mexican food for lunch. Restaurants in East Harlem."

Barbara raised her eyebrows. "Why Mexican food? Why Est Harlem (why Mexican food? Why East Harlem?"

Elric smiled broadly. "Because she works there (because she works there)."

***

Elric and Barbara