Special thanks to ChanceAre, for editing this piece, I didn't give up because of you. I'm really grateful.
***
The endless sounds and smells of traffic on the highway made TK Strand's head ache, and he felt more nauseous with every breath he took. He leaned into his seat and put on his headset to listen to a podcast, which gave him something to concentrate on and take his mind off the road.
"Whoa, hold a minute, Dad! My Oh My, what a fucking beauty!" TK screamed in wonder as his head swung back and forth to both sides of the road, while his father drove on casually. With an enormous grin splitting his face, he pressed a button to roll down the windows halfway except his, which was entirely down, to allow fresh air inside the car. He stuck his head out of the window, tilted his head to face the bluest sky, and breathed in the natural flower-scented air as the delightful breeze blew through his hair. He loved flowers and their amazing smell.
TK's father, Captain Owen Strand, had earlier branched from the motorway to a deserted country road, but this wasn't what TK expected. A few minutes' drive down the road, they came across beautiful trees and shrubs, with gleaming red, green, orange, purple, and orange foliage, hemmed by the greenest zoysia grasses, which lined up at the left side of the road. On the other side were a swift river, waterfalls, and various radiant flowers.
"Dad, this is paradise. See the amazing colors of fall, I mean this is a rainbow on earth." TK couldn't obscure his excitement as he filmed the exquisite landscape with his phone. "It's extremely awful that I can't capture its divine fragrance on camera, air in this area hits differently." He sulked as he took a picture of his father who was driving, with a magnificent waterfall in the background.
"I know right, it's pleasing to see your cheerful face once again," he ruffled TK's hair while smiling down at him. Owen knew his son's love for colorful flowers, so, when he sensed his uneasiness earlier, he decided to give him a treat. Branching to the country road prolonged their trip for an hour, but the lively look on TK's face was worth it.
The 3 days road-trip-turned-sightseeing had been entertaining for TK, of course, when he wasn't having motion sickness. He objected at first, when his father suggested it, but Owen coaxed him into accepting, assuring him of a gratifying journey. Being a man of his word, his father honored his promise, yet again. The drives through the states and cities TK only knew by name, and again, seeing some of the monumental things these places were popular for, had been educational, but the striking nature and landscapes he encountered topped them all. They differed from Manhattan's skyscraper buildings, traffic, and noise pollution.
TK snuggled into his seat, and angled his head towards the window with his eyes shut, as he listened to the young crooner, Harry Styles' fine line album. He smiled as a cool breeze blew through his hair, tickling his scalp while the warm July sun kissed his face. His father took his eyes off the road for a few seconds and took a picture of his son in that rare posture. He reluctantly fell asleep to the sun rays that mingled with the pleasant breeze to dance gracefully on his skin. No matter how hard he tried to stay up, he couldn't cheat nature.
"Hoo hoo! Who is excited? Welcome to Texas, baby!" Owen Strand's cheering as he pumped his fist on the steering wheel continuously, startled TK awake. "Sorry to disturb your nap, son, but look. Finally!" Owen pointed to something ahead of them as he grinned, oblivious to the glare on his son's face. TK looked around, expecting to still be in paradise, but realized they were back on the hellfire of a motorway. He lifted his eyes, only to be greeted by the 'Welcome to Texas' sign.
Fuck! This is happening! Suddenly, TK's heartbeat raced, and breathing labored; his chest tightened, and it seemed he was suffocating as he trembled. He felt lightheaded and gave into the dizziness.
"Son! TK! Open your eyes... please." TK woke up shortly to his father's trembling voice and gentle tapping on his face. He took in the scenery again; Owen had parked the car at a bus-stop, while vehicles sped off pass them. He realized his face was flushed and glistening with sweat, when he looked into the rearview mirror. His skin and shirt were dampened with sweat as well. "Fuck!" He groaned as he leaned into the seat and covered his face with his hands.
Owen passed his son a bottle of water, which he gratefully accepted, murmuring his thanks, as he gulped its content at a go. He waited for his TK's breath to steady and asked, "Are you okay, son?" The older Strand's worried gaze stayed on the younger's face while he rubbed his boy's back in comfort.
TK's brows furrowed in a frown as he turned to look at his father with the glare of death, "I am over the moon glad Dad: I'm
not
a 26-year-old man
who still needs rescuing like a lost puppy from his old guy. My boyfriend of 3 years said
YES
to my proposal and I'm to be married in six months. I didn't almost die only to be saved by my father...
again
! And oh, my father is still the captain of ladder 252; he didn't trash his
20 years of hard work
to start afresh in a new state because of
me
. I didn't just have a panic attack, so
yes
! I am okay." he bellowed in one breath, got out of the car, and banged the door after him.
Owen heaved a sigh and went after his boy, who was rummaging through his suitcase for a shirt to change into. "Come here, son," He took TK, who was then shuddering into his arms for a reassuring hug, and murmured encouraging words into his ears. He didn't let him go until he felt a calmness in his son's body
.
"We are going to make beauty out of these ashes, my boy, that's who we are. We have always turned the worst situation to our good, and this will be no different," Owen affirmed, as TK clung to him.
"It's okay to be down at this moment, I'm running with this baton of faith on our behalf now. Who knows, maybe months from now, you'll take over. Life is good, TK. At least you have me, and I'm not dead yet." Owen added as he kissed TK's temple.
"Trust Owen Strand to ruin the moment, what's that supposed to mean, Dad? Never crack that joke again, it wasn't funny," TK admonished his father and broke the hug. He changed into the first shirt he laid his hand on.
I made the right decision to keep him in the dark about this cancer thingy
. Owen flashed TK with a smile that did not reach his eyes as he helped him close his suitcase.
His doctor had diagnosed him with stage 1B of lung cancer the same day TK had relapsed. She assured him he could work as he sought treatment because he's strong and the numbers are on his side. The doctor remained optimistic, but her facial expressions gave out what she didn't touch on. If not telling TK would save him from another heartbreak, then so be it. He needed to get his son back on his feet if death was going to lay its icy hand upon him.
"Dad! You have spent enough time in space, it's time to snap out of it and come back to earth. We still have over 200-mile journey to travel." TK had called his name and slammed the car's door to get his father's attention but he didn't flinch. He snapped his fingers in his dad's face and he was back to reality.
"You're exhausted, and it's your fault. You turned this relocation into a road trip," TK shrugged and snickered, "Less than 5 hours in the air and not spending three days on the road would have been delightful."
"Admit it, TK, it was fun." Owen winked.
"Well, it has been, Thank You, Captain," TK agreed as he hugged his dad.
"Dad, I'm sorry about my outburst earlier; you know, pouring out my frustrations on you disrespectfully. You have been nothing but supportive right from the get-go, you didn't deserve that," TK apologized with a contrite face when they got inside the car.
"Hey, you can use me as your punching bag anytime, if that will make you feel better afterward," Owen said as he tousled his son's hair and kissed his temple.
"I'm grateful, dad and I love you so much," TK said in a low voice with a smiling eyes.
''I know, and I love you right back. Now, are you ready to take Austin by its horns, TK Strand?" Owen's hopeful eyes danced on his boy's face.
"I think I am now, Captain Owen Strand." TK smiled and shook his head at his dad.
Please Austin, be easy on me,
TK prayed, as they drove in silence. It was always New York: born and bred there, educated and trained as well. Only a week ago, he was in the FDNY, station 252 to be precise. And oh, all his friends and ex-boyfriend, who was almost his fiancé, were Yankees as well.
***
They drove straight to the firehouse 126, when they arrived in Austin. Sympathizers had littered the sidewalks with flowers and pictures, obviously as tribute, in honor of the fallen firefighters. The inside of the firehouse seemed no different; it looked like a tomb. The place was exactly how they left it to respond to the call six months ago. The Austin Fire Department shuttered the 126 the next day after the unfortunate incident.
The fire they were trying to extinguish at a fertilizer company wiped the firefighters of the 126 out. They rescued the caller and were in the middle of putting out the fire when Grace Ryder, the 911 dispatcher, informed them about the ammonium nitrate fertilizer stored at that factory. She advised them to fall back, which they did, but it was too late. The entire factory exploded. There was a lone survivor though, Judson Ryder, the husband of the dispatcher, who was yet to recover from the trauma.
"Cap, just tell them you changed your mind; we don't belong here," TK blurted after they saw the state the station 126 was in. "We are the last thing the folks in this town need after what happened to this house. They are evidently still grieving and they don't need city slickers invading their space," TK continued to convince his dad to get them back to New York.
"I'm exactly what the 126 and 'Austin' need now... an outsider, someone they can blame. This is a challenge I intend to overcome. I did the same with the 252 over 20 years ago, and I will do it again here," Owen countered with a frown.
"Fine! Suit yourself," TK said, as he nodded his head and walked out of the firehouse when his persuasion failed.
It is my damn fault we are here, anyway. If I had not relapsed and nearly died, my father wouldn't have accepted this job offer. An offer he had turned down but accepted a day later because of me
