HC: Handyman | Ch. 108 – Childhood Story

The moment stretched endlessly. Jack had hoped that coming clean would relieve him of the guilt, but the pain was only replaced by the dread of what was coming next. What could his parents possibly be discussing as they walked outside? Jack couldn't recall a time when they'd ever done this. 

Was coming clean really the best thing to do? 

He tried to distract himself by reading about the game and the different minors available, but that did little to calm him down. His mind kept wandering back to the way his mother had looked at him—hurt and confused—and how his father had paced nervously while Jack explained that he had lied to them. He could feel the familiar pit forming in his stomach.

Finally, the sound of the doorknob turning caught his attention, and his parents walked in. Jack steeled himself as they marched into the living room. Were they going to make him quit the game and find a ‘real job’? Kick him out if he didn’t? He tried to brace himself, but the pounding in his chest just wouldn’t stop.

“We’re back, Jack. Your mother and I needed to talk and think things over,” his father said.

Jack searched their faces, hoping to catch a glimpse of what was coming, but they gave nothing away. His gaze dropped to his dad’s hand, where he held a bag that looked heavy.

Did they go shopping? Now? Jack’s mind raced. They couldn’t have had time for that, right?

“Of course, no problem. So, what's going on?” Jack asked, trying to get this over with.

“Your father and I... we're hurt that you lied to us,” his mother said with a sigh, and Jack’s chest tightened immediately. “To know that our son felt like he couldn’t talk to us about his life and that he had to hide something from us is hurtful.”

Jack had thought telling the truth would ease the guilt, but hearing his mother voice her pain only made it worse. He could feel the tightness in his chest, guilt gnawing at him with every word she spoke.

“But you came clean,” his mother added. “That takes courage, and we want to thank you for it.”

She looked at Jack’s father, who nodded in agreement. “That shows maturity, courage, and honesty,” his father added.

That’s it? Oof. It’s over. Jack felt a faint flicker of hope, but it was quickly drowned by the hard lines on his parents’ faces. They weren’t done yet.

“The reason we left the house, Jack, is that we went to talk to Roberto,” his mother said.

“Wait, you went to talk to Roberto?” Jack asked, embarrassed, running a hand through his hair.

“Yes,” his father said. “You mentioned he was the one who told you about this job. So we asked him about it. He explained that it’s something more and more people are doing and that it’s been working out well for him. He also told us you’ve been working hard at it.”

Jack’s mother looked at him with concern. “He said you’ve been working almost 24/7.”

“Yeah,” Jack admitted, scratching the back of his head. “To turn it into a profitable venture requires a considerable early investment. But I think the worst is behind me, and I’ve started making money from it. So it’s all good.”

His parents exchanged a look and nodded. “We were worried this might be another one of your get-rich-quick schemes,” his mother said. “But after talking to Roberto, we see it requires real hard work.”

His father grabbed the phone and shook it for Jack to see. “I saw that you haven’t posted any more of those videos online. That’s a good sign, too.”

Jack frowned. His parents had talked to his cousin behind his back and even did an internet search on his old channel. He hadn’t posted anything on it since quitting his job at CheapMart. He gulped, grateful he hadn’t started his new channel yet. After hearing how much his parents disliked it, he was starting to question whether he ever would.

His father spoke next. “Your mother and I have noticed that you've been different since you started this new job. You’re more grounded. You’ve been taking better care of yourself and doing exercise. Roberto agrees.”

“If this is working for you, Jack, then maybe you should continue,” his mother said. “But we still have reservations.”

“What reservations?” Jack asked, already feeling the knot of tension return.

“This game money sounds... flimsy. It could be just a fad—popular one day and gone the next. Is this really something that will provide for you long-term? I don’t know.”

His father’s silence invited Jack to state his case. Jack was already up, trying to explain it. “B-but I’ve been learning a lot, Dad. I know I lied about going to a vocational school, but I really meant what I said. This game has been teaching me a lot about different things.”

“Right. You said that this game is teaching you how to be a proper handyman, right?”

Jack felt a shiver down his spine. “Y-yeah.”

His father leaned forward slightly. “Being a handyman isn’t easy. It requires knowing a little bit of everything and figuring out cheap solutions so that your employer doesn’t have to pay more money to hire an expert. It’s hard work, but there’s always a need for handymen. There have been times I’ve had to do electricity and other times I’ve had to do carpentry. So tell me, son, is this game really teaching you how to do a little of everything?”

Jack, feeling the tension rise, immediately nodded. “Yes, of course! I’ve learned a lot.”

His father’s eyes lit up. “Good. That’s why, from now on, once a week, I’m going to take you out to help me with my jobs.”

“What?” Jack stammered, taken aback.

“That way, I can see for myself if these skills are transferable to real life, as you claim. You’ll help me out and gain some experience. If this game thing ever fails, you’ll have something to fall back on.”

Jack hadn’t expected things to turn this way. Was this his father’s way of punishing him for lying? Or maybe... this was his father’s way of showing concern? Jack couldn’t tell. 

He did some quick math in his head: one day of work a week, eight, nine hours. Compared to the nearly 22 hours he was spending in the game every day, it wasn’t much. But still, having to work under his father wasn’t exactly something he wanted to do.

Without giving Jack time to respond, his father added, “In return for your help, there’s something we will give you.”

His father pulled a box out of the bag he’d carried home, revealing a brand-new VRX headgear.

“That’s a VRX helmet,” Jack said in disbelief. He checked the box. It was a much better model than the pink piece of junk he’d been using.

“Yes,” his father said. “You said that you spend 50 credits a week renting these. That’s 200 credits a month. Consider it a loan from your mother and me. You’ll pay me with labor. It makes much more sense to get a loan from us and get your own helmet in the end than to pay rent to strangers. ”

Jack sighed. It didn’t seem like he had much of a choice. His father had already driven him into a corner. He would have to work with him. On one hand, this was a better reaction than getting a sermon. On the other hand, having to work with his father wasn’t something he was looking forward to. But as he looked into his parents' eyes, he could tell he’d hurt them by lying, and they were genuinely concerned about his new career. Even if he didn’t want to work with his father, maybe it was better to keep the money in the family. This worked out for both of them.

“Very well,” Jack said. “Deal.”

“Good,” his father said. “Now, we know there was no school today, but there’s still plenty of food. How about we all just enjoy a meal together?”

“S-sure.”

“That sounds lovely,” his mother added with a smile.

“It’s settled. Let’s eat.” His father’s voice took on a tone of finality, almost like a judge delivering a final verdict. It felt as though everything that had happened earlier—his confession, their disappointment—was now settled. There would be no more guilt, no more hiding. They were moving forward. At that moment, Jack felt the weight lift.

As they headed into the kitchen, Jack felt the tension in his body start to ease. He’d avoided a lecture, but his father’s offer hung in the air. At least for now, they were together—and that was something. It was a lot to take in, but for the first time in days, Jack felt a small sense of peace.

His mind cleared, and Jack entered the kitchen, where his mother had started making chicken wings. They were all ready to be fried. Jack sat in silence as the oil began sizzling and his mother started frying the wings. He stayed quiet, waiting for his parents to take the initiative. After everything that had just happened, it all felt a little awkward.

His father drummed his fingers on the kitchen table. “How much longer till dinner is ready, Maria?”

“A few minutes,” she replied, turning to check on the wings.

Jack glanced at his father. He looked every bit as uncomfortable as him.

“So, Jack, tell us. How does your new job work?” his mother asked from the kitchen counter, glancing at her husband.

His father looked away, though Jack could tell he was listening. “The game recreates how things used to be made by artisans in the old days. I can make pottery, weave ropes, forage for food, and cook meals for other players. I also have a beehive that produces honey.”

“And people pay money for these… fake things?” Jack’s father asked.

“Yes,” Jack responded. “Some of them are quite valuable.”

His father sneered. “Crazy. People wasting real money on fake-”

Jack’s mother cleared her throat from the kitchen, interrupting her husband. “That’s interesting, Jack. And you said that you have a beehive. Honey, didn’t your grandfather used to have bees back in Portugal?”

Jack’s father chuckled. “Oh. That’s right. I’d forgotten about that.”

Jack’s eyes widened. “Really? I didn’t know that.”

“You probably don’t want to hear your old man’s stories,” his father said, sipping a beer and looking down.

“I actually want to.”

“It was back when bees almost went extinct. At that time, beekeepers were paid top dollar. It was a real rush. I used to go help him with it.”

“What was that like?”

Jack’s father hesitated for a moment, unsure whether Jack would find the story interesting, but when he saw Jack’s eyes locked on him, he seemed to relax. “It was more adventurous than you imagine. It was like a cowboy movie sometimes. There were hive thieves, plagues. All sorts of stuff. There was this one time we started spotting dead bees by the entrance of the hives. We knew instantly that there was a wasp nest nearby. Real plague, those wasps were. They would decimate hives back in the day.”

“Woah.”

“So, my grandpa gathered the whole family and a few neighbors, and we set out to look in the woods for wasp nests. Guess who found it?” His father’s chest puffed up slightly, and Jack could see a glimmer of pride in his eyes.

“It was you?”

“Yep. Because I found it, my grandfather gave me the flamethrower to torch the nest down.”

“A flamethrower?!”

As his father told the story, his mother arrived with chicken wings and fries. Jack and his mother laughed as his father told about how he caught his own hair on fire with the flamethrower while torching the wasp nest down. The adventure his dad had gone through with his grandfather sounded like something that could well be a quest on New Earth.

His father still didn’t understand much about the game, but as Jack listened, he realized that maybe his father’s stories weren’t so different from his own quests. They both had their challenges, their triumphs. For the first time in a long while, Jack felt a flicker of understanding—maybe they weren’t as different as he’d thought.

Ch. 107 - Confrontation

INDEX

Ch. 109 - Suburbs