Dominic Pericolo :: Into The Past

The floorboards creaked beneath the leather boots of the silent man as he entered the silent house, a silent sigh trying to escape his unwavering lips. His trench coat sliding off one arm, then down the other, before finding its place on the stand by the white painted door. The room was dark as the glow of the moon filtered through the window on the wall, giving the room an almost haunting look. His eyes averted to the window, staring outwards to the star-riddled sky as he stepped towards it. He paid mind to the cat lying on the couch, greeting its master with a soft meow. He continued to the window, staring upwards to the sky on the other side.

Another sigh wishing to come forth in a soft manner, almost drifting gently from his lips to caress the glass window. The sound of footsteps from the hall sounded, yet the man continued to stare forth into the distance in a trance-like manner. The footsteps were gentle--almost light, as the sound continued to grow closer. The man turned slowly, as the child slowly approached him with a smile. He could not help smiling back, as he crouched low and picked the young child up into his arms. No words were needed at the moment, as the two now stared out the window together. The child hugged the man's neck after a moment, a smile on his face.

"Hey daddy..." he whispered, as the father smiled as well and softly tousled the small one's hair. A soft giggle emanating from the child's lips, as the father continued to smile proudly down at his ever-growing son. Now six years old, ten years from now he will be in high school. Twenty years he may be living his dream, God...how time could move so fast.

"Hey kiddo." Angelo Pericolo spoke softly back, his son Dominic looking up at him with wide eyes. The two looked out at the sky through the window together once again, as Dominic sighed softly to himself. He held himself closer to his father for comfort, a slight shiver running through him from the temperature in the room.

"Whatcha' lookin' at, daddy?" he said once more, now looking at the sky, "Another constipation?"

Dominic's father laughed, shaking his head and smiling broadly. "Constellation," he would tell his son, "You mean constellation--and no...I'm looking at the moon."

"Ooooh..." the child said with eyes filled with wonder as he looked as well. The man in the moon smiled back at him, his fluorescent glow dancing off the child's eyes. Twinkling like the stars above, Dominic looked on in wonder at the pallet of light before him, the many stars which shone brightly throughout the sky.

"Why are you looking at the moon, daddy?" he asked curiously, tilting his head in wonder. His father looked down on him with a smile, before turning back towards the moon. There was a brief moment where both remained silent as the cat purred from the couch, its eyes closed in contentment. Dominic fidgeted uncomfortably, the silence slightly bothering him. Had he asked the wrong question? Had he said something wrong...?

His father's answer confirmed that nothing was wrong, however, and allowed Dominic's mind to be at ease. "Just...thinking, son. One day you might be walking up there, maybe even living up there at the rate we're going. It's just...it's hard to believe how fast things are going."

"Living on the moon?!" Dominic giggled, looking to his father in amusement. It was a moment for Dominic where his father was acting silly, but he would play along. "Do you think they'd have cartoons on the moon?"

Yet Dominic's father was quite serious, and though he knew the child would not see this he still felt the need to express himself.

"Son...one day you'll be the type of person they'd make those cartoons after." his father said, as Dominic quieted and smiled broadly, looking up to his father. He opened his mouth to say something, but his father had not finished--and Dominic knew not to interrupt someone while they were talking. "You might become a hero one day kiddo, you might save the world." his father continued, as Dominic's mouth closed.

Dominic's smile could only grow, as his father tousled his hair once again. The cat meowed as if in agreement, before lazily stretching herself out across the couch. 'Ugh, I hope it's not shedding too much' Angelo thought to himself, though his thoughts would soon be interrupted by his son's voice.

"Daddy? Do you really think I could?" he asked with eyes of innocence, his voice a sweet song to the world that could not hear him. Not yet, at least, but Dominic's father knew that one day his son could become something big. Someone important to the world; be it a savior, entertainer, authority figure or otherwise...his son could do it. He knew he could.

"Yes son...I do. I really think you can." Angelo whispered, the two looking out to the moon once again. Dominic was quiet, ideas and visions of him saving the world dancing throughout his mind. He could see himself as a knight in shining armor; and, though quite an embarrassing revelation to the young child, he could also see Crystal Parker as his damsel in distress.

'What can I tell him? What can I keep telling him to motivate him forward? Somehow, someway...my son needs to remember always to do his best and never get lazy...it took the chance of a lifetime away from my brother--I'd hate to have to see it happen to him. Though I hate to think about it, he's growing up...one day he won't be my little boy any longer. One day he'll need to know what to do, and one day I'll have to tell him. I might as well start telling him now, right...?' Angelo thought to himself, his eyes briefly closing as he attempted to conjure up the right words to use.

"Son..." he said softly, his eyes opening as he looked back down at Dominic, gently crouching down and setting Dominic on the carpet floor of the house. Dominic's feet planted firmly to the ground, he turned to look up at his father. "I have something to tell you, something I don't want you ever to forget."

Dominic nodded curiously, his attention now firmly focused on the man that he admired. His father was his hero, the man he wanted to grow up to be. The wrestlers on television may be the people he aspired to become, but his father...his father was the best of them all.

"Listen...whatever you become, I'll always be proud of you son. And...well, whatever you do try to be I want you to remember this; never let yourself fall short...always shoot for the highest point you can." Angelo spoke, before motioning to the moon. Dominic's eyes turned from his father to the moon, staring up at it as his father continued. "You might not be able to touch the moon, but if you aim for it...you might just reach the stars."

Though not quite the same phrase that Angelo had heard so many times in the past, he knew that it was good enough for his son. Dominic's eyelids fell, the glow of the moon still to be seen beneath his lids--as if it had been burnt into his eyes. He re-opened them, turning towards his father and smiling broadly.

"Okay daddy...I will. And you know what? Maybe one day I will walk on the moon." Dominic said proudly, crossing his arms and nodding his head firmly and surely. His father chuckled softly, a large smile on his face a well. The two remained silent, staring out at the sky.

As with most children, however, Dominic needed to be in bed at a certain time. Shortly after their conversation, his father led Dominic to his bedroom, tucking him in and kissing his son goodnight. However Dominic simply was not tired yet, as he thought to himself on ways to make his father truly proud. Angelo headed for his own room, ready to sleep after a hard days work, but Dominic was still much too awake to rest for the upcoming day.

One way or another, Dominic knew that he would make his father proud one day. He would become a wrestler; he would beat up all the 'bad men', and he would win the world title. So that when the day came that he held that title in the air, all the people cheering for him as he became the hero his father believed he would become one day...he would make him proud. That title was not just for him--that title was for his daddy.

'And one day I'll do it, daddy...' young Dominic thought, his eyes twinkling in excitement, 'One day I'll win it all.'