Making Up For Lost Time
Within the kitchen of a one-bedroom apartment, an older man nervously paced back and forth, every now and then eyeing a package sitting on a nearby counter.
“I can’t back out now…” He muttered. “It cost a fortune..” He moved over to the sink, splashing some water on his face. “C’mon, don’t be a fucking pussy Vinnie.”
Judging by his classic white T and boxer combo, it must have still been early in the morning. Even then, Vinnie was already starting off the day with a bit of an internal struggle, a great way to start one’s own birthday. As he sat down to wipe his face, his attention moved to the calendar hanging on the wall, with today's specific date taunting him. “HAPPY 55th” was written in bright red marker.
Vinnie never dreaded his birthdays. He celebrated them with flair in fact. Big parties, extravagant dinners, themes that ranged from the ridiculous to the nostalgic. The Magnum P.I. bash for his 46th was among his favorites. That really should have been everyone's first clue that he was gay.
This year was different. The first since his divorce from his wife. The first since coming out to his family.
For thirty years, fear kept him in the closet. Fear of rejection, of losing his family, of throwing away a life built on a lie. While he wasn’t necessarily unhappy all this time, he knew his life wasn’t what it could and should have been. Now he was free to be his true self, but at what cost? His prime years had slipped through his fingers. The bars he frequented were filled with younger men, their lives just beginning while he was starting over.
Hook ups were plentiful, that wasn't an issue. A good deal of young bulls in the city desired a night out with an older man such as himself. "A quick fuck", "one night stand", "friends with benefits", Vinnie would familiarize himself with these phrases very quickly. However none ever wanted a relationship that lasted longer than a night.
Vinnie tried finding men more his age, but that quickly proved to lead no where. The pickings were definitely slim.
As Vinnie looked at the calendar, a feeling ruminated in the pit of his stomach. Did he wait too long? Were his best years all behind him? What sort of life awaited a fresh out of the closet 55-year old man? These questions irked Vinny so much that he had to do something about it. That’s what led him here.
Late night web browsing and half a bottle of pre-birthday wine led Vinnie down a peculiar rabbit hole. An email got delivered to his inbox in the dead of night. Instead of dismissing it immediately, its contents captured his attention. The email knew too much, his name, his regrets, his wish for a second chance. It promised a do-over, all for a hefty price that is. Against all logic he responded. And now, here it was.
Summoning a bit of courage, Vinnie approached the package. It was a hastily wrapped box, scotch tape’d to hell and back, and didn’t look as expensive as he had made it out to be. Opening it up, Vinnie fished through the almost endless sea of packing peanuts until he finally pulled out a tiny glass vial. A note was attached:
"Happy Birthday. Use responsibly."
His hand trembled as he uncorked it, tipping the liquid into the whiskey he had waiting. Vinnie wasn't quite sure what would happen once he drank it. Would it de-age him? Turn back time? Would he find out he'd been scammed? There was only one way to find out. He hesitated for a moment, but afraid of missing another chance at happiness knocked it back in one swift gulp.
The liquid burned as it went down, partly due to the whiskey he figured. As he felt the drink situate in his stomach, he waited for something to happen. Vinnie looked at the bottom of the glass, frowning.
"A thousand dollars down the drain." He pouted.
The effects then took hold. Vinnie noticed a soft glow envelop his hands which eventually spread throughout the rest of his body. He walked over to the mirror, wanting to see what was about to happen with his own eyes.
Suddenly, a strange weightlessness overtook him, as if he were being untethered from his own body. His limbs tingled, the edges of his vision blurred. Feeling unsteady, he reached to place his hand against the mirror, but he was shocked to see his hand pass right through it.
“What the hell?”
Panic surged. He stumbled forward, phasing completely through both the mirror and wall and finding himself on the other side in his bedroom. He'd find himself still moving however, not by his own will, but as if something unseen was pulling him forward. Vinnie attempted to fight against this invisible force and for a moment it looked like he was able to stand his ground. That was until this force became too much for him to bear.
His stomach lurched as he drifted through another wall, this time into the neighboring apartment.
Roberto’s apartment.
Vinnie barely knew his neighbor beyond the muffled sounds that came through the thin walls they shared. Heavy metal, loud action movies, the occasional passionate night with a woman. Few words were ever spoken between the two, yet Vinnie still had a good idea of who he was. He was young, mid-20s, full of life and energy. Everything Vinnie was not.
Then Vinnie saw him, standing at the bathroom sink, unaware. The pull intensified. It was Roberto whom Vinnie was being pulled towards, like a black hole. He tried to resist, but it was useless. His very essence surged forward, colliding with Roberto’s body in an instant, a quick flash filling the room in that moment. Vinnie was gone. A deep, guttural grunt left Roberto’s lips as his body jerked.
Vinnie gasped.
He was hunched over the sink, breathless, gripping the porcelain with unfamiliar hands. His hands. Roberto’s hands. Slowly, he lifted his head. The reflection staring back at him wasn’t his own.
Dark, messy hair. A short beard framing strong cheekbones. Tattoos etched into tan, youthful skin. His ears were pierced, his body lean and firm beneath the black tank top and tight shorts Roberto had worn.
Vinnie turned his hands over, flexing his fingers, watching the muscles shift beneath the skin. He pressed a palm to his chest, feeling the steady, strong heartbeat. His heartbeat.
He ran his hands over his face, mapping the new terrain, the sharpness of the jaw, the fullness of the lips. He contorted his face into strange expressions, expressions he'd never seen Roberto make, and was surprised when the reflection followed suit.
His hands drifted lower, skimming down his torso, tracing the contours of his abs. He pulled the tank top down, getting clearer look at his pecs, decorated with a bit of dark chest hair. His breath hitched.
“This… this is real.” He smirked, and the reflection smirked back.
Vinnie murmured, rolling his shoulders, testing the newfound flexibility of his joints. There was no ache, no stiffness. Just boundless energy.
Roberto must had just gotten back from a morning run. His shirt was soaked his sweat. He took a deep breath, inhaling the scent of Roberto’s cologne mixed with the musk emanating from his pits. Almost by instinct, Vinnie lifted up his arm and admired himself in the bathroom mirror.
Vinnie exhaled, gripping the edge of the sink again, his mind racing. This is not what he expected to happen. He thought the magical drink would turn back the years, make him younger. Instead he was pulled into the body of the nearest young man around.
And what of Roberto? Was he still in here somewhere? Vinnie's jubilation halted as he started feeling the gravitas of his situation. As much as he wanted to start life anew, live out the rest of his life the way he wanted to, he knew he couldn't do it without the guilt of what he did hanging over him.
"Vinnie, you need to set it right." The words flared with a deep Latin accent.
Vinnie had to get back to his own body, and give Roberto back the life he inadvertently stole. The first step in doing that was determining where that package came from.