A call to the 13th floor of a Seattle apartment building takes Mateo, a skilled plumber on an elevator trip to his past where he gets a second chance to overcome the inevitable.
In July 2010, Mateo woke up to an urgent notification from the caretaker of a high-rise building in the downtown area of Seattle. The residents on the 12th floor had filed complaints of a leakage from the floor above them. He was called in to come check the situation.
"I thought no one lived on that floor", he thought to himself. He obliged and went as soon as he could to ensure he made it back in time to watch the world cup final between Spain and Netherlands at 11:30am. When he got there, he decided to take the elevator trip up to the 13th floor. As the elevator doors slid open, he was met with a familiar-looking hallway.
A tingling nostalgic sensation traveled from the back of his ear down his upper spine. Layer after layer of his childhood memories washed over him as he walked through the hallway. The scent of honeysuckle that permeated the hallway reminded him of the detergent his mom used to use for laundry. He noticed the floors were wooden, which was unusual of this building.
The creak of each step he took reminded him of the time he ran around this hallway with the neighbor's kids. The old grandfather clock chimed as it always did in these empty halls.
He made his way to what he knew was the door of his old apartment. He held on to the handle and attempted to twist it but felt life behind the door. Despite being told that no one was up here, he chose to knock on the door. Sure enough, when the door opened, he was shocked to see his mom, as alive as ever.
"Madre? Is that.. Is that you?" Mateo shocked to see his mom, whom he buried many years ago.
"Disculpe? Who are you?", asked his mom, completely oblivious to the fact that she is looking at her own son from the future.
"I'm terribly sorry, I must've mistaken you for someone--else. I am the plumber."
"We did not order for repairs", she said.
"Oh, I was called in by the caretaker to check for any leakage." Mateo replied.
"Alright, sure, come in." She steps aside and gestures him in.
He thanks her and walks in. As he takes a look around, he fondly remembers the placement of the furniture. He struggled not to stare at his mom as she walked straight toward her kid. He started to walk toward the kitchen unapologetically as one who already knew the layout of the apartment.
"Would you like some tea?", she asks him.
"Yes, mo-aam", he stammers trying not to call her - Mom.
"They grow up so fast, don't they?" he asked referring to her little boy (his younger self).
"Like bean stalks", his mom replied, smiling warmly.
"How old are you buddy?", he asked his younger self.
"Five", the little boy quietly answers.
Mateo nodded, taking in the moment. "Do you remember the last time the pipes were checked for leaks?"
"Oh, that must have been ages ago" his mom said, shaking her head.
Mateo went around the apartment, checking the pipes and fixtures. Just then, a knocked came from the door. His mom started walking towards the door to check who it was. His eyes followed her as she walks across the room. That's when it hit him. She is wearing the exact same dress from the day she was murdered. As a matter of fact, that tragic moment was right now.
"Hey! Hey, don't worry, I'll -- I'll get that", he quickly stops her from getting to the door. He looks through the peephole and sure enough, the hitman who murdered his mom was standing on the other side.
"Hey. Listen to me, take the boy and hide inside right now. Lock the door" Mateo whispered, his heart racing.
"Who is it?", his mom asks.
"There's no time. Someone is outside, and he's not here to fix anything. Hurry!"
As his mom hurried into the room with his younger self, he grabbed hold of his wrench, switched off the lights and hid behind a sofa close to the window.
Mateo's father was a good man, but his line of work mingled him with very dangerous people. The kind for whom life means nothing. They don't just eliminate their threats, they wipe out their families as well. He left Spain for the US to protect his family, but the Spanish mafia holds deep roots here in the land of the free. After hunting him down, they sent a hitman to take care of his family.
The door knob slowly twists and the door opens. The assassin peeks in. He steps in and closes the door behind him quietly. The click of his gun could be heard ready to do his bidding. Mateo knew he still had the element of surprise. He waits quietly for the hitman to walk in. As soon as the assassin is in front of the sofa, Mateo places both feet on the wall and uses it as a launchpad to send the sofa hurling towards the intruder with his back.
The man got hit by the heavy furniture and fell to the ground losing his gun. Mateo takes a step on the sofa, jumps, and his strong right hand sends the wrench descending upon the assassin's right thigh, rupturing the muscles therein. The assassin lets out a cry of agony. Mateo wasn't much of a fighter, but he had managed to stun the invader. Both men wrestled on the floor.
After knocking off Mateo, the assassin started crawling quickly to get his gun. Mateo grabbed hold of his legs and pulled him back across the floor. The assassin turns and kicks Mateo in the face with his left foot, knocking the helmet off his head.
The two men fought hard, using any object they could lay their hands on, both trying desperately to get the upper hand. After much struggle, Mateo managed to retrieve his wrench, but with one swift move, he was disarmed and knocked to the ground by the hitman. The hitman took the wrench and tried to pierce Mateo's face with it. Mateo quickly held firm to the wrench with all his might.
BANG!! -- the hitman's breath leaves him and he drops upon Mateo. Mateo shoves him aside and gets up on his feet. He walked slowly towards his mom and slowly takes the gun away from her shaking hands.
"It's OK. We're OK... It's over. Calma. Calma.. Shh shh" he comforts her.
After calling the police, Mateo escorts his mom and younger self out of the apartment and into the elevator. Mateo looks at the floor numbers count down from 13 to 0. The elevator doors ping open and when he turned around, his mom and the boy were gone. Vanished into thin air.
He steps out of the elevator completely bewildered. He looked around and noticed a lot of changes in the building. The floors were brightly tiled. The entrance door is taller and now made of glass. He steps out unto the street and notices two new buildings in front of him.
He turns on his Samsung Galaxy S and oddly enough, 1:37pm - 11 July, 2023 says the time and date. There were 239 missed calls from his mom, and other contacts. He immediately dials his mom, and after a few rings, she picked up.
"H-- Hello.. ¿Mateo Eres tu?" she begins. He could not believe it. His mom is alive.
"Si! Soy yo! Your son", he said crying.
"Where are you? It's been 13 years! Dios!"
Mateo reunites with his mom, but he is unable to recall any memory of her from all the years they spent since he was 5. He has to live with that void for the rest of his life.
PS - 13 years ago, when he walked into that elevator, Spain beat the Netherlands 1-0 to win the 2010 FIFA world cup.
