2nd February, 2033
Days went by, Pickles has not answered any calls nor texts from anyone during his stay in a hotel. Right now, Pickles is eating dinner in a little food court at the hotel by himself. He is so far enjoying his meal, but in the middle of ordering dessert, another one of him and Cucumber's long time supporters see Pickles, it was Michelle Lyon, along with her son Gavin. Michelle recognised Pickles pretty well, she is a waitress at the hotel.
Michelle: Pickles Reginald Shepherd?
Pickles: Michelle Lyon? Long time no see.
Michelle: Yeah, long time no see.
Pickles: I didn't know you're a waitress here.
Michelle: No shit.
Gavin: Mom? Who are you talking to?
Michelle: One of the famous travel photographers.
Gavin: Pickles?
Michelle: Yes.
Gavin: Long time no see, man.
Pickles: Gavin? Look at you now.
Gavin: I know, I've grown a bit.
Michelle: Anyways, where's Cucumber?
Pickles: Had it.
Michelle: What do you mean "had it"?
Pickles: Me and her got into a huge fight a few days ago, and I walked out the door and drove here to stay in this hotel.
Gavin: Don't tell me you're breaking up with her.
Pickles: Well... I don't know.
Michelle: What were you two squawking at each other for?
Pickles: She was like, cheating on me. Our yoga instructor tried to fuck her.
Michelle: For real?
Pickles: Yeah, and after the instructor left, me and Cucumber went off.
Gavin: Maybe you need to say sorry to her.
Pickles: No! She needs to say sorry first!
Michelle: Well, you went off on her first.
Pickles: So? She was being a bitch about it.
Michelle: That is NO way to treat your wife, Pickles. You can't just call her a bitch during a predicament. Think of how she feels now.
Pickles: Yeah, Relieved.
Gavin: I disagree, Cucumber is a sweet photographer, you and her have been together for like almost.. 40 fucking years.
Pickles: Sweet, but bitter on the inside.
Gavin: You know, sometimes, because get mad and add more fuel to the fire. You can't just leave it unresolved. How are you gonna fix it?
Pickles: Plus, I ignored all my texts and calls on my phone.
Gavin: Never know, Cucumber messaged you or something, look on your messages.
Pickles: It better be good.
Pickles pulls out his cellphone, goes to the "Messaging" app, he then sees a message from Cucumber, it was a voice message. Pickles goes to it and plays it to listen to it. It was the same message Cucumber recorded a few days ago whilst she was crying. When it got to the part where Cucumber started sobbing, Pickles' ears flopped with sadness with a little bit of skepticism mixed with it.
Gavin: I think Cucumber is acting real.
Michelle: See? After a few minutes or so, she's started to feel regretful after your fight.
Gavin: Sounds pretty real to me.
Pickles: (Deep breath) Has that ever happened to you, Michelle?
Michelle: I've been divorced for decades, and look at me, I'm fine.
Gavin: But at the same time, I miss my dad.
Pickles: Oh, I forgot.
Gavin: How many more messages did you get?
Pickles: (Scrolling down slowly) Hmm.. spam spam spam..
In the middle of Pickles scrolling through text messages, just to his surprise, he came across a text from Shirley, his mother. Again, the text reads:
"Hey baby.. I'm not feeling good, I don't know if I'm gonna make it, I'm coming to stay here in Busytown for a bit. I wanna see my boys to see if they're doing alright. Love ya!"
As Pickles got to the end of the message, he felt shocked about that message, it made him feel anxious and gave him the urge to leave the hotel and go see his mom. He quickly finished his supper, packs everything from his hotel room, loads them in his car, and drives off after he turned notifications back on. When he stopped at the traffic light, Pickles receives a text message from Vinegar saying
"Hey cousin, are you there? I wanna tell you that Cucumber is very very sorry. I hope you got her voice message and heard it. Please come home, we really need you. Oh, and it seems that Aunt Shirley is not feeling well, so she's staying at my house for a bit. But right now, she's at the park sitting on the bench, and I think she's senile. Please! For the love of god! Meet me there!"
Pickles had enough time to read through that text message during the traffic for a few seconds, when the light was green, he stepped on the gas pedal and drove to the park to find Vinegar and his mom there. Pickles parked the car on the curb, and runs out the car with Vinegar, Sierra & Vicki standing by Shirley.
Pickles: What's going on? What's going on? Mama? Mama??
Shirley: Crackers..?
Pickles: No, mama, it's Pickles, your son.
Shirley: Pickles.. my boy.. it's cold out..
Pickles: What's happening to her? Hypothermia?
Vinegar: No.. she has Alzheimer's. I don't know if she'll make it..
Pickles: (Shedding tears) Mama, stay with me, please..
Shirley: Hold my hand.
Pickles: (Holds Shirley's hand shedding more tears) I'm here, mama.
Shirley: Pickles, Vinegar, Vicki and Sarah..
Sierra: It's Sierra..
Shirley: I love you..
Pickles: I love you too, mama.
Shirley: You're.. a good.. photographer. You and Vinegar.
Pickles: We are.. our kids are gonna be like us in the far future.
Vinegar: Even our little Vicki..
Reflecting on Pickles & Vinegar's remark, Shirley was gonna say a word, but unfortunetly, her body stopped functioning. Shirley has died.
Vinegar: Aunt Shirley.. Aunt Shirley!
Pickles: Mama!! MAMA!!!
Vinegar: (Sobbing)
Pickles: (Sobbing as well)
After Shirley's body stopped functioning, again, she has died. Leaving Vinegar & Pickles in tears, Pickles was cradling onto his mother's body, Sierra and Vicki gave Vinegar a hug sorrowfully. After they hugged, Sierra sends Cucumber a text to tell her to have her and the kids to meet them at the park, because there's something serious going on. Cucumber receives the text and then gathers Cory and Patricia in her Jeep. They buckle their seatbelts and Cucumber hits the road.
Cory: Mama? Where are we going?
Cucumber: Well, aunt Sierra wants us to meet her at the park, because daddy is there.
Patricia: Is daddy hurt?
Cucumber: I don't think so, we'll just see for ourselves.
Cucumber parks her Jeep on the curb, she steps out of the car along with her kids and sees Sierra.
Sierra: Cucumber..
Cucumber: Sierra..?
Sierra: It's.. Shepherd, he's in so much pain right now.
Cucumber: Is he hurt?
Sierra: Not physically, mentally.
Cucumber: Oh god..
Cucumber walks over to find Pickles, and when Pickles sees Cucumber, he runs to her in tears and hugs tight sobbing. Cucumber felt ashamed and hugged him back.
Pickles: She's gone.. She's gone!
Cucumber: Who?
Pickles: Mama! Mama's gone!
Cucumber: Shirley?
Pickles: Yes..
Cucumber: Oh no.. (Sheds tears)
Sierra: She had Alzheimer's, and she died peacefully.
Cucumber: I can't believe this..
Vinegar: (Hugs Cucumber in sorrow)
Cucumber: (Hugs back)
Vinegar: You're all I have left now, Cucumber..
Cucumber: You too..
Pickles: I'm so sorry I'm so sorry.. (sobbing)
Cucumber: (Pouts)
Pickles: First, my daddy, and now my mama gone..
Vinegar: Aunt Shirley is in heaven with Uncle Salty and my mama now..
Pickles: I'm sure Aunt Pepper is happy..
Cucumber: Mmhmm.. (Sniff)
After the trio hugged sorrowfully, Pickles walks a few feet away from them, and looks up in the sky and starts to rant.
Pickles: WHY?? WHAT DID I DO?! WHAT DID I DO TO HAVE MY MAMA DIE?! WHY DOES THIS HAPPEN?! WHY WOULD GOD LET MAMA DIE?? WHY COULDN'T THE GRIM REAPER TAKE SIERRA'S DADDY?!
Cory & Patricia both have their heads down in silence looking at the ground from what happened, Cucumber puts her hands on their shoulders reassuring them. Pickles walked back to where the trio is and turns to Cory & Patricia and points at them.
Pickles: It was YOU TWO!
Cory & Patricia: (Gasp)
Pickles: If you little shits haven't drove me away from home and stayed away for several days, this wouldn't have never happened! Mama's gone, BECAUSE OF YOU!!
After Pickles yelled at Cory and Patricia blaming them for his mom's death, they instantly started to cry.
Cory: (Sobbing)
Patricia: (Sobbing)
Vinegar: Nice move, cousin..
Cucumber: Pickles! How could you?!
Pickles: Cry all you want! I don't give a fuck!
Cory: (Wails)
Patricia: (Wails too)
Cucumber: (Slaps Pickles in the face) WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU?! YOU THINK YOU COULD JUST BLAME OUR INNOCENT KIDS FOR YOUR MOM'S DEATH?! HUH?!
Sierra: You must be father of the year, aren't you, Shepherd?
Cucumber: I'm so fucking pissed! You really think your mom's blood is on our kids' hands?!
After a few seconds of what Cucumber said, Pickles didn't even say a word, he stepped away from the trio away and puts his head down, but he can still hear Cory & Patricia crying. After 30 seconds, it became too much for Pickles to bear hearing them cry, so he walks back to Cory & Patricia, takes a deep breath and beckons them.
Pickles: Alright, you two, stop the waterworks. Come here.
(Cory & Patricia approach Pickles still crying to hug him)
Pickles: Okay, okay, stop crying, it's not your fault, not your fault, okay? Daddy just got upset. Daddy's just mad about granny's passing.
Whilst Pickles is attempting to soothe Cory & Patricia, he motioned the two to sit on the curb so he can talk to them in a civil matter.
Pickles: Over here, kids.
Cory: (Sniffs) We are a waste of space.. I felt like you and mom didn't want us anymore..
Pickles: No no no, that's not true. Don't say that.
Patricia: You're right.. (Sniff) We did drive you away..
Pickles: (Sigh) You see, sometimes, moms and dads need time away from the house after they fight.
Patricia: Who would even wanna be our parents anyways?
Cory: A horrible alcoholic? Like Mr. Golding?
Pickles: ...Mommy and me. But you know what? Maybe mommy's right, she can be mad at me over things never meant to be said, and I might've overreacted. It's that I couldn't believe I lost my mama, and it's so scary to lose both your parents.
Cory: Did you lose your daddy?
Pickles: Yes, he died when I was 4 years old, it was hell.
Cucumber: And yes, you did overreact. And you know it's very hard for me to take it that you were just upset, so you had to crash out on our kids and blame them for your mom's death.
Pickles: I mean, look at you two, you're a mess. I fed you the wrong stuff, I told you what not to do, but you did it, all that jazz. Like, if you're a goldfish, you'd be six feet under.
Cory: (Stops shedding tears) You know, we're not doing so bad. You're just not fully used to being a daddy I'm assuming.
Patricia: Yeah, you'll get the hang of it.
Cory: And there's books you can read too.
Patricia: And searching the internet.
Pickles: Thanks.
Patricia: This may've been a strike for you, daddy, but are you gonna quit on us?
Cory: Heck no! You put the ball back on the tee, and keep swinging!
Pickles: You used my quote, I'm proud of ya.
Vicki: Good advice, Cory.
Cory: (Smirks)
Pickles: And Cucumber, sweetie pie, is there something you wanna say?
Cucumber: Well, all I can say is, you should be responsible for what you said and did to our kids.
Pickles: I know, and you're right, and there's no way in hell I would stay in a hotel again this time. There's enough clash between me and you. I heard your message, and it helped believe you.
Vinegar: He's right, no more clashes, there's people far worse.
Pickles: Right, Mr. Golding is out of prison, and that's our concern alone, but right now, we gotta get mama to a mortuary.
Vinegar: I'll hold on side of her, and you hold the other, cousin.
Pickles: Right.
Pickles & Vinegar both carry Shirley's corpse to the passenger seat of Sierra's car, before they could shut the door, Pickles kisses his mother on the forehead for 2 seconds somberly and closes the car door. Vinegar, Sierra & Vicki hop in the car and drove off to the mortuary leaving Cucumber, Pickles, Cory & Patricia.
Pickles: Cucumber.. I'm very sorry..
Cucumber: I.. forgive you..
Pickles: (Hugging her)
Cucumber: (Hugs him)
Pickles: Let's go home, it's about almost the kid's bedtime.
Cucumber: Right, all of us.
Pickles steps into his car as Cucumber and the kids step back in the jeep to drive home. After they got home, Cucumber puts the kids to bed, kisses them goodnight, turns the lights off and they fell asleep. Cucumber gets into the master bedroom with Pickles already in bed, and goes to sleep.
3rd, February 2033
After the kids got ready for school, they got on the bus with Cucumber & Pickles staying home due to Shirley's death. It was quiet with Cucumber sitting on the chair with Pickles tapping his finger on the table depressed.
Pickles: This was arbitrary. Then again, Cucumber, I'm very sorry for getting mad at the kids. You're right, you're always right. From now on, I'm gonna listen to you.
Cucumber: I hope so.
Pickles: And, it seems that I was jumping to conclusions when Fabio groped you, I'm very sorry for that as well.
Cucumber: I forgive you.
Pickles: (Kisses Cucumber's cheek) Let's make our marriage last long. We've only been married for 8 years.
Cucumber: You're right.
6th, February 2033
On this day of Shirley's funeral, the family had to come, and their supporters attended the services. Some people were sharing memories of Shirley, including Cucumber, Pickles & Vinegar with laments and tears. Almost everyone was touched to hear the speech from the trio, including the son of Shirley. The people have placed flowers on top of Shirley's casket before the guys lower her grave to bury the casket.
Pickles has ordered a nice headstone for Shirley, with some basic sayings on it containing:
Shirley Dorothy Shepherd
12th February 1954 - 2nd February 2033
Beloved mother of Pickles Reginald Shepherd.
Next chapter coming..
