Well had his eyes glued at the car’s tinted window, every ounce of his attention focused on the speeding vehicles driving past them. Inside his mind, a mini pendulum clock was working. Down to the last few minutes, he warned to himself after seeing that they were about to drive through the last slope of the wide and almost empty highway. 

“Hold your horses, my Junior. We’re only kilometers away!” Gerard, his dad who had always called him ‘my Junior,’ said with a curving lips on his face. His sweaty palm hugged tightly on the steering wheel, allowing their car’s movement speed to accelerate up to 90 kilometers per hour. 

“I can’t believe our baby boy’s leaving us.” Karina Smith sniffed, starting another episode of her Please-Don’t-Break-My-Heart drama, while trying her best not to burst out her emotion juice. As a small family of three, and as a family ruled by democracy, she had no choice but to follow the decision of his two boys. Well going to West Berg—she never wanted it. She had always believed that it’s far, that it’s too much for his young boy to handle, and that it’s a town that’s big enough to be his son’s new environment. But the truth, they’re just poor alibis of a mom who doesn’t want her child to leave. 

“Honey, it’s okay. Our son won’t grow as a man if he has to live with us forever. You have to free a worm in order to see it become a butterfly.” Gerard wasn’t a philosopher, but his words came out of his mouth like they were meant to be a life-changing quote. He disengaged his left hand away from the steering wheel, and let it venture over the soft and warm leg of his partner. Just so when he felt her hand, his fingers tangled over hers—locking altogether like they were bound to be one. 

For the first time on the entire trip, Well had averted his eyes to his front. He saw a man and a woman, not a Mom and a Dad, exchanging looks like they were the casts acting as romantic high school sweethearts on a classic and cliché love story.  “I will miss your bickering moments,” Well said on his soft, low monotone. He was being honest. As he continued raising the intensity of his stare, memories of his parents flashed back before his eyes. And as they play one after the other, crystals of water began stumbling down his silken cheeks. From then on, silence took over the atmosphere inside the car. No one had spoke such a thing. No one had expressed such a feeling. But deep inside their minds, they thought of one thing in common; home will never be the same again. 

Quite after some time, Gerard had to pull over. “We’re here.” He sighed, putting pressure on the key before dragging it out. Prior to his decision of opening the door, he fished from the pocket of his all-time favorite mint green polo shirt the sunglasses he would always wear each time he had to go out of the car. Gerard was in his mid-40’s, but the influence in fashion of every country he had gone to, made him look like he was a celebrity brother of Well. He unlocked the first two buttons of his tucked-in top, his hairy chest catching some of the morning rays. “It’s  good to be back after two decades,” he said, putting on his brown-tinted lenses. 

The smile blossomed on the face of Well, seeing the perfect picturesque of the outside through the window sent a chilling sensation on his spine. “So, this is New Bill?” The boy filled with innocence of the urban world asked. 

“It’s beautiful, right?” Karina swiftly answered as she stepped out of the car in her pink and purple checkered dress. 

A huge billboard saying Welcome to the town of New Bill had caught the attention of the incoming high school freshman. He was wowed by the crazy heights of the skyscrapers, thinking if whether or not the people inside them had somehow seen what’s beyond the clouds. Caught in awe, Well began turning around, the panoramic view of the asphalt jungle swirled like a Ferris-wheel on his eyes. 

“I told you. We should have brought him here before,” Gerard said, unloading all the luggages out of the boot. 

Seconds later, just when the trunk had been emptied, Gerard’s phone rang. If based on the way he talked, it sounded like the call came from the  apartment’s manager. “Jennifer said her men are on their way to pick up your stuff,” he sighed with relief. Jennifer Carton and Gerard had known each other for years.  She was only a hotel maid way back when he was in high school, but things really changed a lot when he graduated. Months after he left New Bill, The Mansion’s hotel manager died. That’s when Jennifer was able to gain her promotion—something that the entire staff and even the tenants (including Gerard) could have celebrated with glee. 

“I guess it’s them,” Karina said, seeing two well-built blokes in white polo uniform walking towards their direction. “Yup, it’s really them,” she confirmed when they introduced themselves to Gerard. 

The two hotel guys lifted all of Well’s baggages, following right next to Gerard who had led the way. Meanwhile, Karina had her left hand swaddling on his son’s arm like he was a toddler on his first day of kindergarten. The boy felt a little embarrassed, the reddening of his face and the sweating of his forehead could tell it all. However, despite the feeling of awkwardness while treading past thousands of strangers’ eyes, he realized, she should have hold on tighter. She should have hold on for as long as she could. Because days starting now, they will both surely long for this moment. 

The Mansion apartment hotel, the building where Well would be spending the next four years of his life, was a five-star hotel and perhaps the most popular hotel found in the metro. It stood about 30 floors high, with approximately ten rooms and apartments in each floor. Just by simply looking at it, Well had thought that this was where the famous and the rich students of West Burg had their stay. It’s a little intimidating for him. It’s a little disturbing. But what’s more disturbing was the slowly reminiscing of his past; the vivid imagery of his home. The bungalow abode of his best friend JH. The beautiful therapeutic view of the sunset on the port. The kissing of the waves on the coastline. The honking horns of ships and vessels. The aroma of the freshly brewed coffee from his dad’s sought-after coffee shop. It had only been the first six hours from being apart from Coast Ville, yet he already felt like he’s a century away. And he wondered, when would he be returning back? 

The fragments of his seaside memories dramatically grew faint as they approached the divine and glit-edge hallway of the ground floor. When they reached the center, they met Jennifer. She was old, yes, but her cherry red blush-on and fuchsia pink lipstick made her look otherwise. She had big curls of black and silver hairs, same color as the bangles on her hands that’s tucked inside the two pockets of her dull-yellow uniform. 

“You didn’t even change. Still hot,” Jennifer said, must have been her way of saying good morning to her long-time-no-see acquaintance. 

Gerard smirked. “I remember one time when I was recognized as the West Burg Heartbreaker. Those days were gold.” He laughed. “You even told me I was the human equivalent of this hotel. It’s only then when I realized what that means.” He laughed again. He was being silly, but it only took him a minute or two to realize that his wife and his son were also on the same picture. “By the way, this is my wife, Karina.” He motioned his hand from Karina to Jennifer, hoping they would somehow do a shake hands. But they didn’t. Only a barter of jittery smiles. “And of course, this is—” 

“Well, your son,” Jennifer finished without missing a millisecond. “It’s amazing how he look exactly like you when you were young. Only that he’s taller.” She paused, tilting her head to think. “And… cuter, I guess?” 

“Perhaps. Aside from his Dad, he’s got the most beautiful mother in the whole world, too,” with every bit of his confidence, he bragged. 

The conversation between Karina and Gerard extended for the next six minutes. And on that duration of time, the mother and son stood like they were just two of those huge empty porcelain vases queueing across the entire lobby. They did not much aside from clinging to each other until the conversation of the two was finally over. 

The elevator on the ground floor was flooded with people so they had to take the stairs instead. It was gaudy; packed with heavy decorations of massive dog statues on every step. As they kept walking upstairs, steady lights of blue and white revealed the luminosity of the space. Splendiferous chandeliers made with crystals were hanging above, facing down to the people as if they’re goddesses of beauty. Mouth wide opened, Well became consistently fascinated until they reached the second floor. 

“We’re here. Your son’s new apartment is at room 018.” Jennifer presented with a spark of joy on her face as she pointed the third room from the elevator. “Here’s the key,” she said, clanging a couple of keys on mid-air. “You can now check it yourself. I’m going back downstairs, I have to cater other new tenants as well.” Jennifer handed the keys to Well, but it was Gerard who accepted it. 

“Thank you, Jennifer.” 

“Oh no, not a problem at all. And by the way, if you need something or you have something to ask, you can find me on my office at the lobby. I’m always there.” She began walking. “Please, don’t be shy. I’m  your Dad’s close friend, so that makes us friends, too.” She chuckled with a wink before finally turning her back to walk away. 

The Smith family moved across the red-carpeted aisle and passed through the closed doors of the neighboring apartments. It was quiet. It seemed like no one was behind any of the doors at the moment, but they’re pretty sure every room were already booked and pre-occupied. When they made it to the front door of the room 018 where Well’s luggage were waiting, Gerard took a deep sigh and opened the door. He let the mother and son to enter first. 

“Wow, Dad. This is so huge!” Well exaggeratedly started, eyebrows brushing beneath his side-brushed tawny bangs. “I can’t afford living in this apartment as big as a house!” 

“That’s nothing to worry about, honey. It’s not you who’s paying the rent.” Karina said, brushing—more like scratching—the head of her son. 

While lifting two large suitcases at the same time, Gerard chimed in. “Your Mom’s right. Leave the expenses to us, it’s a piece of cake. From now on, you will be living alone. At least, live comfortable.” 

Well turned speechless. He didn’t know what to do. He just hugged them. A hug that tightened and tightened each time the slimmest sword of the clock surpassed every line. After a minute or two, they’ll  be leaving. They’ll be driving back to Coast Ville and he’ll be all alone with no one but himself. He wanted the last two minutes to be frozen. He knew its impossible, but he wanted still. He would do everything to extend their last moment. 

“My Junior, I want you to know that…” 

“Shhh.” Well barred his Dad’s lips with his finger. “Please, Dad. No words. Just hugging.” 

And for the next few more minutes, that’s what they did.