Journey's end

Journey’s End

Billy was sitting almost hunched up on the gross seat, trying not to get too close to the other passengers on the train. The dull scenery slipped past the uncaring passengers who kept their thoughts in their own worried minds.

Billy nudged his older brother Vincent, who was busy reading a digital book, his reader shutting itself off when he put it back in his bag, careful to keep everything out of reach for thieves and nosy people.

“We’re almost there, right?” Asked Billy, prompting Vincent to look at the overhead watch, it looked more broken than working, but ticked on nonetheless through the layer of grime.

“Just about Billy, maybe just 20 more minutes. Then we can get off this moving coffin,” replied Vincent, seeing the other seated passengers looking depressed in the stale air, some were wearing air masks to help them breathe, other people had taken theirs off since they weren’t breathing in city smog anymore.

No one on the train was complaining whether or not someone was wearing a mask; they would get beaten to a pulp for not minding their own business, especially now that the laws had relaxed on the masks, among other things at last.

Yet both boys were wearing their masks; you never knew with nosy and bored people, the masks allowed them to breathe cleaner air just a side benefit they enjoyed.

“At least Grandpa and Grandma don’t mind having us around so suddenly,” said Billy, thinking back to how they had packed everything they owned in their digital space devices, able to pack up everything they owned in a single moment, even keeping their pets in stasis and safe until they unpacked again. The device even allowed for them to get stolen property back, money included. Which their mothers’ new boyfriend and his kids didn’t like at all, since they were the ones who quite literally ended up with burnt hands and an arrest.

“No, they don’t mind. Besides, they’re Dad’s family, not Moms’. And they said they’d pick us up at the station,” reassured Vincent, sounding sure despite their circumstances.

Their mother wasn’t very happy when she’d come back from work in the tech lab, only to see cops arresting her bullying boyfriend, since the devices her sons’ had had called the police with the evidence for theft, and the harassment and bullying too which had been logged.

Trisha also wasn’t very happy that the boys had packed up everything they owned, their pets, and above all, the family heirlooms. Especially their parents stuff, their deceased fathers’ and their still living mothers’, since she stopped being a mother to them for quite a time now. And she was only left with a few things she’d bought herself, and junk her boyfriend had given her.

She had told them to call their grandparents; she was sick of them standing up for themselves. But hadn’t said it like that, not at all.

The best thing their father ever did was give them these devices, although moving companies pretty much stopped existing after it’s invention, and government couldn’t stop its’ production or consumers from wanting it, and passing it on to their descendants.

“Mom sure knows how to pick them,” remarked Billy to his older brother, his brother putting his arm around him protectively, glad they were out of the rental flat.

“Don’t worry kiddo; we’ve still got each other. Even though our whole world is falling apart, in more ways than one,” said Vincent, making his little brother smile.

Their train started slowing down and came to a stop inside of an old, busy station, which was verging on dilapidation. The other train passengers were putting on their masks again.

The boys still kept their masks on since traveling was too much of a stinking hazard; there were barely any plants left after the last war in most areas, and the ground was poor quality mostly, so planting trees and other plants was now almost a hazard. 

The brothers got up from their seats, keeping their shoulder bags close to their bodies and keeping close to one another.

The other passengers shuffled on as if already beaten, some truly were; former soldiers limped past on ill-fitting prosthesis, while an older woman had to be helped with her wheelchair. Her family were unclasping the chair from the floor as the boys walked by. She was missing both legs, and her breathing was heavy despite the air mask helping, with an added tank attached to her wheelchair.

Their parents had barely survived that last war as young adults; it didn’t help that there was so much pollution and overpopulation to begin with back then, which was beginning to heal, slowly but surely.

The brothers saw their grandparents waiting for them at the passenger collection point, moving faster toward they finally hugged their grandparents happily and smiled; they were finally safe.

“If your mother hadn’t pulled such a crap move, I’d have asked how she was,” grunted Grandpa Eric as he got into the beat up Jeep, that he somehow kept running.

“That’s on her; not us. We just had enough of her and that man; he can beat her to a pulp now,” said Vincent resentfully. Billy couldn’t blame his brother, he felt the same way.

There was nothing like losing a parent while they were still alive, especially to betrayal.

“Don’t worry boys; you’re safe with us. Oh and by the way; I made apple pie back home, it’s sitting in the fridge waiting for you,” said Grandma Carla, smiling and making the boys smile happily at the thought of it, of not having to eat just artificially produced foods, that truly tasted like nothing and left a sticky layer on your tongue.

There used to be mostly soy products but the crops mostly died because of the war; they’d all called it an Apocalypse, thankfully there were seed banks and hidden supplies.

Billy thought about this as they drove to their grandparents’ smallholding, far from it all. But still recovering after decades, the land was slowly making a comeback.

“Grandpa, why are there so many people in only certain areas, when there is so much wide open space out there?” Asked Billy, surely the clean-up crews would have helped somewhat by this point, after all these years?

“Well Billy, the problem is that all our smart ass government and other leaders thought it was a good idea not to let everyone out of their sight, not so soon after the war at least. Since even the very earth was sick from their weapons; even the ground was poisoned, they had an excuse, but at least we managed to go back to our land,” said Grandpa Eric, making him shudder thinking back to it.

“I heard on the news they’re letting people back to some of the land, where their families might have owned land before the war. Other people are studying to work the land now so they can buy land now, since it’s a requirement to have taken a course in farming,” said Vincent, remembering the news he’d heard at school before it closed for the holidays.

“Yeah, that’s true my boys. You have to study an agricultural course for a year, or inherit land before you’re allowed to live and farm on it. We were damn lucky, but Grandma and I teach at the town college when we can. It’s the only way we can survive after what’s happened, to try and not repeat the mistakes of the past and heal the earth,” lamented Grandpa Eric, Grandma Carla put a hand on his leg as they drove home.

They kept quiet most of the way as they drove past desolate stretches of land, a busy recycling plant was in the distance, they drove past that too and the boys merely looked on as more reusable junk was being recycled and more brought in.

The land looked grey and dead, thought Billy to himself. Until he saw people planting a row of trees at the plant; at least it was a start.

They came closer to their community, he saw the greenery in the distance already and smiled to his older brother, and looked happily at the town symbol welcoming them home; a green woman holding a cornucopia, the words “Mother Nature Welcomes You Home,” painted at the bottom.

When they finally arrived at the old farmhouse the boys felt relieved, it felt like home.

They used to live here when they were little with their parents and grandparents, and then had to move for their parents’ careers.

“Can we get our pets out of stasis please?” Asked Vincent as they unpacked in their new room, they would later get a new room each since the boys wanted to stay close for now, just for a few days until they adjusted to their new home, and fresher cleaner air. There was so little smog in the country side now, the brothers almost couldn’t believe it. And they’d shared a room previously at their old home.

“Of course, your pets are welcome. Just get them settled with the windows and doors closed; we don’t want them to run off,” said Grandma Carla as she closed the door.

Vincent got the cat litter tray and bag out, placing it in their bathroom and readying it, while Billy got the cat bowls ready, with their fox terrier’s supplies next to it, giving them all a generous helping of food. Then their dogs’ bed was put down, since the cats slept on the beds, or rather, on whichever of the brothers they chose.

Billy and Vincent kept a space open in the middle of the room, commanding their devices to safely put their pets in the spot. Their pets appeared in a blue light, coming out of stasis as if they had been paused in time, looking confused at their new surroundings but glad the boys were there to comfort them. Their Fox terrier dog was sniffing around soon, excited to be somewhere familiar, while the two cats had taken over a lap each looking around while being babied and talked to, Happy and Grin-Grin were looking around curiously, but enjoyed the attention more.

“Looks like T-Bone is enjoying himself,” remarked Billy as he pointed to their dog exploring then running over to them.

“Maybe he wants to go for a walk, we have his leash, as soon as the cats are settled in,” said Vincent, letting the cat go to eat and drink water. Billy’s cat decided to nap instead.

When both cats were calm and sleeping they took T-Bone for a walk, leashed and happy to go out, while the cats were locked up to sleep.

The boys smiled as they passed by the family altar; the Green Goddess statuette their father had carved was in the middle, with fresh flowers by her side, and some seeds and seedlings for her to bless. Her husband figure the rain god, was being repainted by Grandma.

Their father used to tell them stories of nature spirits, and how Mother Nature could be both cruel and kind, she was a mighty force in her own right, and to respect her.

Their grandfather took them outside to see some more of the new plants they had added; farmers now chose to plant a variety of trees and other crops since specialization was no longer the only option.

“Grandpa, when are those seeds at the altar going to be planted? Can we help?” Asked Billy almost shyly, he was the only one of his classmates who had ever been to anything resembling a farm. The small holding was doing quite well, as were the neighbors.

Grandpa Eric smiled proudly at his grandsons.

“Tomorrow actually, and of course you two can help. Just like your dad used to,” said Grandpa Eric, missing their only child who had left them grand-kids. Their eldest daughter had died in a car accident when their son, Derek, had been a young teen. Lynne had been hit by a drunk driver who tried to hit and run, but the neighbor had shot out his wheels instead. When he got off scot free from court their neighbor wished he’d shot his head off instead, even though Lynne was long dead on impact.

The Sunflowers they kept growing for her were close to the house, so was something new.

“Granddad, when did you plant mint?” Asked Vincent as they were nearing the house now.

T-Bone was running happily around now that he was unleashed for a moment, lifting his leg up and marking everything until he ran out of steam, or rather, fluid.

Billy bent down and picked up their tired dog, cradling the black and white dog who was panting happily.

Grandpa Eric looked over the mint, running a hand lovingly over it.

“We planted this after your dad passed, because he loved Mint, and we wanted a bit of him close by while you two were far away,” replied Grandpa, both boys looked at one another, hugging their granddad lovingly, who wiped away a few stray tears. It had been almost three years now, but it never really got better; just more bearable.

Sitting at the kitchen table eating their home grown and raised dinner, they talked about the upcoming Summer Festival, since they’d already spoken to their grandparents concerning their mother.

“So Summer Fest is in two weeks, are you going to have the Bakes stand again Grandma?” Asked Vincent eagerly, hoping they could sample some goods beforehand.

Grandma Carla smiled happily and replied, “Of course, and you two can help.”

They all smiled happily at this, knowing everyone would get their fair share of samples, and still make a sale.

Billy spied the repainted little idol, standing next to the Green Mother statue, drying from the earlier paint job; he could swear they seemed happy. They even had little shells for their altar. Earlier the boys had brought some mint in for the altar, it just felt right.

Later that night when they were sleeping in their room, the cats had taken them over and slept on them, with T-Bone snoring in his bed and under his blanket; Billy and Vincent talked for a while longer.

“Do you think we can go over to the hill tomorrow, where Dad used to take us for the view?” Asked Billy in the dark.

“It’s close to here, maybe we can ask tomorrow. We might even be able to pack a small picnic for ourselves and take T-Bone,” replied Vincent, noticing the dogs’ ears perk up at his name despite being asleep and snoring loudly.

“It’ll be great; we haven’t done that since before Dad passed, and Mom was still Mom back then,” said Billy, becoming somewhat sad at the mention of their mother.

His brother sighed, feeling how his little brother felt. Vincent was just 17, and Billy was 14, but they felt old when they thought of their old life.

Billy and Vincent had just finished cleaning the altar and gave some fresh incense sticks, while their grandparents started packing them a picnic basket.

Earlier they had helped their grandparents plant the seeds and seedlings from the altar; among other things they helped plant.

They weren’t going to walk all the way to the hill; Grandma was going to a friend of hers close by to trade supplies and was going to drive them, while Grandpa was going to take care of the chickens and goats.

The boys promised they’d get a lift back from Grandma on her way back, she felt safer knowing where they were.

The journey to the hill hadn’t taken them long at all, and before they knew it they were waving goodbye to Grandma and unpacking their picnic basket, throwing an old large blanket on the grass under a massive oak tree, enjoying the shade.

T-Bone was sniffing and marking everything in sight it seemed, until he smelled chicken sandwiches; they’d even remembered to pack something for him too.

The brothers fed him his share in his travel bowl, watching their dog stretch out after eating, then plopping down happily next to them.

They watched the valley down below, green and lively, the air smelled so fresh and alive.

But far in the distance the wasteland was still in view, but getting smaller.

“Do you remember when we were here last; the green didn’t stretch out all the way to there?” Asked Vincent, he pointed towards the formerly broken bridge was now fixed and there were fertile fields now, not like before.

“I remember, Dad said the land was healing, and as long as we helped heal Mother Nature she’ll help us survive and thrive. Do you think Dad was right?” Asked Billy, as he pet their sleeping dog while contemplating the memory.

“I think so. I mean, people can now farm and grow further now, before there wasn’t really much, or that far,” said Vincent, amazed at how many trees were also growing; so many fruit trees and bushes, and vegetable fields too.

“It’s so beautiful, isn’t it?” Said Billy amazed, looking off into the distance.

“It really is,” agreed Vincent, feeling glad that their old journey was at an end and they could start a new, happy journey with their grandparents.