Not the Same #6 On the Cusp of Change

Kirk’s day of complete personal change drew near.

Cue: “Changes” https://youtu.be/pl3vxEudif8?si=3QJC4DC9hzOPXi_y

 

Kirk sped off with the pink van, stopping off for a bottle of wine as per Sarah’s instructions. Stepping into her home, he was greeted by Sarah dressed very prettily in a skirt which she rarely wore with perfect makeup, her long blond hair appearing especially glossy and soft all while giving off her usual alluring aroma of patchouli. He thought maybe she looked so attractive because of his elevated state of mind and the changes that lay ahead.

After a warm embrace where he snuggled into and inhaled the exotic patchouli under her hair, he gave her a quick kiss. Stepping apart, he could smell something baking most appetizing of tomato, cheeses and pasta. He showed her the bottle which she appreciated. In the other room, she had set up a small table for two with a candle burning. A greeting card envelope lay at the place setting and a fanciful, hand-painted banner (Sarah was an artist after all) with military boots on one end and a jet flying up on the other, stating: “Best of luck in Basic Training. We’ll miss you!”  Kirk gave her a side hug while he ran his sleeve across his eyes.

“What smells so good?” He asked, breaking the downhearted mood he felt at the moment.

“Mmm, lasagna?” She said, actually posed as a question.

“Sounds great! Do we wait for your parents?”

“Yeah, I suppose so,” she said, with a slight pout but brightened. “Let’s have some wine!”

“That’ll be perfect.” He uncorked the bottle and poured into the two goblets she held out.

She said, “For you, best of luck in the Air Force.” They tinked the glasses together and sipped.

“I hope I don’t need luck,” he put on a grim grin surely not knowing how it would go. Definitely the situation way, completely out of his “wheelhouse” as they may say.

He opened the card. Sarah had water colored a large red heart on the front. It read, “I’m really going to miss you each and every day remembering all the experiences we have shared together. Please write me whenever you can, I’ll try to send you one every day, because I’ll miss you so much. Love you, Sarah.” She had put a multitude of exes and circles below that.

Kirk felt his chest ready to burst, but he kept it in check. “Thanks Sarah, I will write and I’ll welcome every letter you send even if it’s only a couple sentences.”

“Same here. I know you won’t have much extra time.”

“For sure.”

They turned to the driveway as both her parents arrived in tandem. They came in brushing snow off themselves that fell lightly outside.

“Oh, Kirk!”  her mother exclaimed. “The big day tomorrow!”

“Yep, sure is.”

“Do you know how you are getting to the airport?”

“Yes, Sarah and I have it worked out, no problem.”

“That’s good.”

They overheard her father. “Uh, a tomato sauce dinner again.”

Her mother shushed him. “She made it for Kirk, so don’t say anything.”

Well, the dinner felt memorable and went well, though not completely an intimate setting for the young couple because her parents ate in the other room.  Kirk marveled at the lasagna and told Sarah a few times how well it went with the wine. Taking their time with dinner, they eventually finished and Kirk helped clear the dishes. They had their usual cups of instant coffee. As the evening waned, Kirk gave Sarah the look and she knew what he alluded to, that is, the time to depart.

So her parents wished him best of luck in the Air Force with a hug from the mother and a hand shake from the father. Kirk went to embrace Sarah inside the door, but she gestured them out. She didn’t put on a coat or anything else despite Kirk saying she should have, but Sarah only smiled and shrugged with another gesture. They walked hand in hand to the van and paused to embrace for a very long time. The big and fluffy snowflakes drifted down swirling around the couple for those couple sweet moments. Kirk wanted to say something that might break the melancholy mood.

“Pretty snow and it’s warmer out I think, but you need to get inside the way you’re dressed.”

“I’m good and warm on the inside,” she said.

They kissed warmly and briefly before Kirk said, “So we’re all set for tomorrow morning?”

“Yep. My father said it was okay we used his car for the trip to the airport.”

“Great! I’ll see you then.”

Kirk headed home with wispy snow snakes slithering across the road in the van’s headlights. He had always been mesmerized by the way the flakes aloft headed straight for the windshield before being deflected aside by the preceding push of air the vehicle created. He didn’t really think about that much that evening seeing he had so many other thoughts, disturbing thoughts, uncertain thoughts spinning about in his brain.  A couple times he ran his sleeve across his cheeks.

Getting home, his mother was of course waiting for him. She offered coffee and a piece of a nice chocolate frosted cake she made especially for him. Kirk couldn’t refuse. Kirk’s father wasn’t around. Interactions between father and son had been rare ever since he announced that he had signed his life or at least four years away to the Air Force. Kirk wondered if his father suffered from disappointment, disapproval, or sorrow. Kirk realized he’d probably never know. The cake was chocolaty, moist and delicious.

In the course of idle conversation, his mother asked, “how much luggage can you take with you?”

“Oh, not much as you can imagine because once in training we all get our uniforms to wear, but we still need our shaving kits and a few basic personal things. One carry on bag is the limit.”

“I see. But I wished I had known, she said. “I could have bought you all new things to take with you like toothpaste, deodorant and the like.”

“That’s all right, what I have will be good enough.  I don’t think the Air Force will make you go without something if you need it.” He took one of the last bites of cake. “This cake is really good, thanks mom.”

“You’re welcome honey. I just wish I could do something else for you before you go.”

“Well, this is about it. Breakfast in the morning and I’ll be on my way!”

“Sarah’s driving you then to the airport, then?”

“Yeah, it’ll work out the best that way so, before I takeoff we can have some alone time, I s’pose.”

“Mm, mmm,” she non-verbally replied.

Kirk could tell she was hurt, sad, and lonely. What could he say? How could he console her? His sisters should step up to take care of her, not that he did anything at all along those lines for her despite the fact she doted on him in small subtle ways throughout his life.

“Thanks, mom. I’m heading to bed. Got a big day, tomorrow.”

“Good night, Kirk. Sleep tight.”