The Past Recedes

Chapter 13

Nika was curious when she saw the package which came in the mail. She saw that it was from her father but had a postage mark from Chicago. She watched as John Sr. took out a knife and cut open the tape holding the seams of the box closed and opened the flaps. Inside was a VHS tape with John's handwriting. Nika was curious as she turned on the TV and her grandfather programmed the VCR as they sat on the couch to watch. "That's Dad!", she exclaimed when she saw him in the Scar Tissue video.

"Yes, that was the first single off the album. John was so eager to show us the video, he thought the song was going to be huge. It was huge", said Gail proudly.

Nika watched the video, intrigued at the images. The band looked all battered and worn as they drove through the desert in an equally battered car. John wore an old fisherman's hat which covered his curly dark hair and his unshaven face, while the others looked like they got knocked out by Mike Tyson. "Was Dad all right?", she asked in alarm.

"Of course, that's all stage makeup. Trust us, we were there. It was the same location where they did the video for Give It Away", said Gail.

Nika tried not to giggle when she saw the video for Around the World since her father his bandmates were shirtless. They were in an orange room and had light glowing out of their bare torsos as weird lights danced on them. "Dad is skinny", she said.

"He is, but he looks much better now. And that's what the band does, they used to go onstage wearing only socks", said Gail with a laugh.

Nika's blue eyes were wide. "What? Like fig leaves?", she asked in disbelief.

"Sort of, they don't do that anymore", said Gail.

The idea of seeing her kind, shy father onstage with only a sock on his privates make her giggle, then laugh uncontrollably. "Sorry, but that sounds so funny" she sputtered.

"It is, we saw the pictures and were so shocked. But they don't do that anymore", said Gail.

"That's Dr. Cagliari, Pepere likes that film", said Nika when she saw the video for Otherside.

"Oh, John said the same thing. He said that Flea saw the movie on late night TV and suggested they do a video based on it. It's been a big hit", said Gail.

Nika nodded in agreement as she watched the video. The cool gray, black and white photography seemed to fit the dark, brooding song as the tormented young man was chased by malevolent forces before falling down onto the floor surrounded by blood-red flower petals. "This is really interesting, does Dad watch a lot of movies?", she asked.

"Not really, he's more of a reader. Even as a child, he didn't like to watch much TV, even cartoons. He'd rather read, or listen to music and play guitar. I think he only has a TV to look normal, he barely watches it. Even the cats watch more TV", chuckled John Sr.

As if on cue, Gabriel and Bianca scampered atop the couch and looked at the TV with curious eyes. They meowed happily when they recognized their master and purred, their mouths turned up at the corners. "I think they like the music", laughed Gail.

Nika laughed as Bianca snuggled into her lap. At first she was caught off-guard and didn't know what to do when the fluffy Persian sat in her lap, but then Bianca looked at her with big blue eyes and purred softly. "She wants you to rub her back", said Gail.

Nika gently stroked her back as Bianca purred happily and arched her back, her paws spread out lazily. "She liked you, she realizes you're part of the family", said Gail.

"Yeah, John got the cats after he got healthy again. We always had cats in the house when he was growing up, once he got better he decided to get some cats for companionship. Having Gabriel and Bianca has helped him stay healthy, since he needs to take care of them", said John Sr.

Nika wondered what they mean by her father being healthy, if he drank too much or had cancer. She resolved to ask him when he got home as Bianca cuddled in her lap. The next video had her father standing in a mock-up of a desert landscape wearing khaki trousers, a red sweater and a blue and white knit cap as he played a turquoise Fender guitar. "Dad looks so young!", she exclaimed.

"He was only, he was only 21", said Gail.

Nika did some mental math and realized that he was only 30. "Then he was 19 when he became my Dad", she murmured.

"I know, he was a young guy in a successful band having a lot of fun and acting like a rock star. We were proud of his success, but concerned he was going to hurt himself", said John Sr.

"Like what?", she asked.

"Partying too hard, drinking too much, too many girls. But he was a young, immature kid, he didn't know how to handle things", said Gail quietly.

Nika resolved to ask her father when he got home. She wondered if his shy, kindly nature couldn't handle being in a famous rock band. But if that was the case, than why did he rejoin? "I don't want to be famous, I hate crowds and meeting new people. I like peace and quiet", she declared.

"John was the same way, he would spend all day in his room playing guitar, listening to music or reading", said Gail.

Nika mused on this as she watched the TV. She had been shocked to find out she had a father at the meeting with her mother's lawyer, but she knew when she first saw John that he was her father. The resemblance was so alike, even if had hazel eyes instead of her blue ones. And now her grandparents were telling her about him as a kid confirmed it, but she also wondered exactly what happened to him.

The video finished and she rewound the tape before putting it back in the box. "Do you want to order something, when John comes back he's going to cook macrobiotic food", asked John Sr., a pleading tone in his voice.

"Of course, I know you can't stand macrobiotic food. But remember, this is John's house", reminded Gail.

"I like it", said Nika.

"Oh dear, I can't stand it. People weren't mean to live on weird hippie food", muttered John Sr.

"It's better than eating too much meat, and the doctor said you need to lose weight", chided Gail.

John Sr. grumbled but his hazel eyes twinkled with amusement. "When John comes back, I'll eat the damn hippie food. But now, I really want a pizza and not hippie pizza with veggies", joked the older man.