Chapter 4: Hometown Trip

                  One week before Cecilia’s death – New York.

                  New Yorkers seemed normal, though they always were, including Victor who sat on a chair in his bakery shop with both of his workers there, by his side, having light chit chat since no customers were there at such time. It was 8 at night. Actually a great time to have some bakeries, wasn’t it? But guess what, some fancy stuffs like lasagna attracted public’s attention more, which was shown in obvious that the restaurant beside them was full, filled with people and their hunger. Nevertheless, it was normal for Victor. It happened all the time, and he’s a good friend with the lasagna restaurant’s owner so … there is no reason can be said plausibly to pick a fight or to envy. Their light conversation filled the bakery shop to the point where Victor finally managed to start what he wanted to start with this conversation.

                  “Brick, Blaire. Can you guys handle the shop for like… a week… without me?“ a stare stared into both of Brick’s and Blaire’s eyes respectively. A stare that was filled with trust. As if hypnotized, though not, both workers nodded their head to the question but a question, simply, being thrown out by Blaire, “And why is that, Sir?” “My father wants to visit his hometown, and I can’t let him travel there by his own, especially with his condition. I know I can trust you guys but, if that perhaps will somehow be a burden, I’ll try my best to either postpone my plan or hire a new worker, temporary perhaps.” As per the explanation being explained thoroughly by the owner, both workers, who since two weeks ago have known what happened at the day Victor rushed his way home suddenly, chose to not burden their boss more and said that they can handle it by their own.

                  As how it was being said, a smile engraved on Victor’s lip. He really thanked his workers. What a blessed man he is to have such workers, he thought.

                  Two hours felt like a wind breezed through. Some customers came and bought some more. There were leftovers that were not sold, but, they can’t control the customers can they? Right after the last customer came in to order, while Brick was lifting the chair up and flipped the sign at the door, showing ‘Closed’ to the front, they all three went back to their own place, with Victor, of course, on foot. New York was still so crowded at 10 p.m. It always is, and moreover it was nearly weekend. Victor casually walked while looking at his phone, quickly check the messenger but found an empty message box, and then checked the calendar. It was two days to go before Victor will take Tommy, his father, to his hometown, Rhode Island, for a visit and perhaps he will take his father to a doctor there for a check up because his father needs a routine check up. And hopefully, a check up at his hometown can perhaps help him to recover faster because happiness is part of healthiness right?

                  Victor finally reached his home and quickly stripped himself, leaving him with an underwear on only. He lived by himself so no worries are needed. He took a bottle of Jack Daniel’s. Not his favorite, but it was the only one he could found when he wanted to buy some. Brought the bottle to his room with his phone on his hand, looking for a contact on his phone, each by each, he say on his bed there, comfortably. Finally the contact he was looking for was shown on the screen. Tommy Hillston. He then clicked the contact and chose to send a message to the contact chosen. ‘I’ll be there tomorrow by 8 sharp. The flight is at 11 a.m. See you tomorrow.’ A message sounded like that, rude but that’s how he usually chat with Tommy, was sent from Victor’s messenger. Victor sipped a little bit of the alcohol he had been holding on for minutes, and got up from his bed to turn on a music player to play some random songs. Actually, in fact, the disc he played was a disc he randomly bought a week ago just because the song enlisted in it sounds nice from the title although he has never heard most of it before. He again put his butt down on the bed, drinking the Jack Daniel’s he had sipped for few times before, staring, soulless, to the ceiling. A routine he always does, since his mother’s dead, perhaps until now. Only after around five songs were played out of 30 songs enlisted in the disc, the alcohol had already left the bottle all the way down to his stomach and he, quite high, slept there with thought still full of Rose Hillston, his mother.

                  --

                  ‘Stupid me!’ Victor grumbled to himself finding out that he woke up at 6 a.m. the very tomorrow, while he hadn’t packed his things up nor prepared himself for the flight. He didn’t even showered last night, so showering should be listed as the thing he MUST do this morning. Quickly throwing in whatever clothes and underwear he could see into the suitcase that he thought will be enough for an approximately one week trip for him, which still took him an hour, he then hurriedly ran to the bathroom and cleaned himself therein. Washing his face as well included because he fifteen minutes after went out with face shining brightly, not looking high as how he was last night, even this morning. He simply just wore a comfort t-shirt layered with his favorite coat, a black trousers, and black boots. Lifted his suitcase to his car’s trunk and straightly drove his car to his father’s house that he last visited perhaps almost a month ago, Victor didn’t forget to notify his father first before he went there. Just in case his father forgot, which was pretty much impossible because his father was already all set by 7 a.m. and just spent his time reading newspaper waiting for his son.

                  Twenty minutes after a message sent into Tommy’s messenger, a car arrived in front of his house, heard by the sound, made him put the newspaper he read just half, and went outside. Victor had been standing there by the gate when he walked out and after a short greeting, just like a normal harmonious father and son, Victor went in to bring his father’s suitcase to the car while his father locked the doors, making sure his house will be safe during his visit – or perhaps stay – at Rhode island although there were barely anything inside.

                  Miraculously, driving through New York’s crowded road that had traffic jam all place at that time, moreover they went few minutes late although Victor was the one who said sharp, Tommy and Victor managed to arrive at the airport on time. Right on time that they still managed to board with the plane without needing to run all through the airport. The plane was pretty crowded at that time despite not being a holiday. It was just a normal weekend, and the flight was straightly intended to Rhode Island. The cabin crew were busy with their jobs, serving the customers, even some were getting yelled on by a customer with an unknown reason. Probably a misunderstanding. Tommy and Victor sat by the window on a three seated seat with a stranger, to them at least to Victor and Tommy, with the stranger sitting nearest to the aisle. The plane had not fly just yet, it will in a minute, as though some customers were still on their way inside the plane and some still looking for their seat. Victor and Tommy were each just brought a single suitcase for luggage and so they pretty much brought nothing with them except their phone that were barely used.

                  Victor, as how he always does on a flight, chose the seat by the window. Other than to see the scenery from up above the clouds, he as well chose that one to usually avoid awkwardness with strangers next to him, but now it was Tommy, his father, it was pretty much the second option. Tommy’s voice, in whisper afraid of annoying others, broke the silence between them two since their arrival in the airport, “How is your bakery shop?” “It is great as it is. Brick and Blaire said they can handle the shop so … I can trust them.” Victor answered while looking at the people outside the plane, all looking as bright as the sun. Holiday, even if it’s short, is always nice to enjoy for sure.

                  “I’m sorry to make you leave your shop.”

                  “There will be no bakery shop of mine without my father, so, cut that off Tommy. Let’s enjoy the trip, shall we?” Victor said in a flat tone, except the last sentence, but with a smile on his face, staring at the older man next to him which made a smile as well carved on the man’s lip. Henceforth, naturally their conversation be lighter and lighter that they didn’t even realize that the plane has taken off if Victor didn’t look outside the window. The sound of cabin crew announcing the safety protocol filled the plane, despite I can make sure, not much paying attention to that since it can easily be read on the guide book provided by the airline at each chair. Including Victor and Tommy who were in their own world where Tommy told stories from his childhood and filled the conversation with laughter, cleansed Victor’s mind from his thought of his mother that always made him gloomy all along since her burial for a while, at least during the flight. And so, the flight went on and they arrived at Rhode Island on the evening, after few hours of flight.