Joe had just carried out his father's funeral. When all the mourners came home, the house previously occupied by Joe's father became deserted for a moment, only Matt Dawnils, a childhood friend who accompanied him to talk, while soon the night would fall. Joe and Matt sat in the pavilion, overlooking the natural pool that lay in front of the house. When Joe was a child, his father would often take him to the edge of the pool, playing there until late afternoon. His father even made Joe a replica of a small boat complete with oars so that his son could happily wade through the 40x30 meter pool.
"What are you going to do after this, Joe," Matt asked, loosening his collar, after placing his coat on one of the elbows of the chair.
Joe didn't answer, his gaze frozen on the pond. He sat on the expanse of wood that bordered the pavilion, holding a glass of champagne. Every now and then he twirled the glass.
"—Joe?"
Joe snapped out of his reverie, then looked at his friend. "—yes, Matt?"
"I just asked, what are you going to do after this?"
"—Oh, I don't know, Matt, I haven't thought about it," said Joe.
Matt nodded, he took the champagne bottle and poured it into the glass.
"—I'll most likely go back to Greenlawn. I have to take care of my law firm," continued Joe.
Matt nodded again.
"—isn't there something that can keep you in this place, friend?" Matt asked.
"—I don't know, Matt, I think I've lost a lot in this place," Joe looked back at the pool.
"You mean —Clarence?" said Joe.
"—I don't want to hear that girl's name anymore, Matt," Joe sighed.
"—oh, okay—" Matt nodded with his lips lowered and his shoulders slightly moved. The two men were silent for a moment, lost in their own thoughts.
"—I think she's still on her own right now, Joe. Yes—after separating from Brad. You really don't want to take that chance?" said Maat.
Joe didn't answer. He was still deep in thought, shaking the champagne glass in his hand. He looked at the yellowish white water wave in the glass. Some froth bubbles are still there. A moment later, he sighed.
"—everything changed," said Joe.
"—don't you love her very much?" Matt asked.
"—nothing left of a betrayal, my friend," said Joe.
Matt nodded again.
"—by the way, she called me yesterday," Matt chimed in.
Joe looked at Matt with an even look, "and then?"
"—she begged me to see you after she got word that you'd be coming here on your father's funeral," Matt said.
Joe took turns looking at Matt and the champagne glass in his hand.
"—then, what did you say to her?" asked Joe.
"—I didn't promise anything. I don't know, I think she just wanted to apologize to you for everything that happened," Matt replied.
"—I told you, Matt, there's nothing to gain from betrayal," Joe looked back at the pool in front of them. He could see the drizzle starting to fall on the surface of the pond, while on the horizon the sky was turning red, setting the backdrop for the pine forested hills that surrounded the place.
"Your eyes are always on that pool, Joe," Matt cut the topic off.
Joe turned his head to Matt, then looked back at the pool. This time he smiled, while his hands were holding the wooden expanse that bordered the pavilion.
"—I think I'm starting to miss my childhood in that place, Matt," Joe said, then fell silent. "—I don't know, to be more precise, I miss my dad," Joe continued.
Joe has lived with his father since childhood, Anthony Larklown, since his parents divorced. His mother had died five years ago, leaving behind a daughter from a marriage with her second husband, a businessman in a southern city. Although he had lived a long time with his father, at the age of 25, Joe chose to live alone since he had a big fight with his father for some reason. Since then, he never spoke to his father again, until the director of a print media agency died of cancer.
"—stay here, Matt. This house, and all the things your father left behind need a successor," said Matt, who then walked over to where Joe was, staring along ahead, lost in the sight of the dripping pool surface rain.
"—you know, Matt," said Joe, "—my dad was furious when I nearly drowned in that pool. He even destroyed the little boat he'd made especially for me," Joe said, a small chuckle on his face at the memory of the incident that.
"—you're still mad at your dad, Joe," Matt asked.
Joe fell silent. He then walked over to the table, grabbed Matt's coat, then tossed it over to Matt, who was immediately greeted by a slightly surprised friend.
"Come on, Matt, let's go to Mr Freddy's pub. I haven't been there in a long time," said Joe suddenly.
Matt, who was initially silent, immediately answered his childhood friend's invitation.
"—hey, dammit, you haven't answered me yet, Joe," Matt followed hurriedly down the pavilion steps.
"—what else, Matt? Are you coming, or not?" said Joe with a smile and walked down the small hall that connected the pavilion to the main hall of the mansion.
The pavilion looked deserted now, with only two champagne glasses left, one quarter of which was left, meanwhile, the sun had set in the distance | Inspired by The Inkwell Prompt #8
Point |
Description |
| Tittle | All The Way to Tomorrow |
| Author | @mosin-nagant |
Joe baru saja melaksanakan pemakaman ayahnya. Ketika semua pelayat pulang, rumah yang sebelumnya ditinggali oleh ayahnya Joe itu menjadi sepi seketika, tinggal Matt Dawnils, teman masa kecil yang menemaninya berbincang-bincang, sementara sebentar lagi malam akan segera turun. Joe dan Matt duduk di paviliun, menghadap ke kolam alami yang terhampar di depan rumah itu. Waktu Joe masih kecil, sang ayah sering mengajaknya ke pinggir kolam tersebut, bermain di sana sampai sore menjelang. Ayahnya bahkan membuatkan Joe sebuah replika perahu berukuran kecil lengkap dengan dayung sehingga anaknya bisa mengarungi kolam seluas 40x30 meter tersebut dengan riang gembira.
"Apa yang akan kau lakukan setelah ini, Joe," tanya Matt, sembari merenggangkan kerah baju, setelah meletakkan jasnya di salah satu siku-siku kursi.
Joe tidak menjawab, tatapannya membeku ke arah kolam. Ia duduk di atas bentangan kayu yang menjadi pembatas paviliun, sambil memegang gelas berisi sampanye. Sesekali ia memutar-mutar gelas tersebut.
"—Joe?"
Joe tersentak dari lamunan, kemudian melihat temannya. "—ya, Matt?"
"Barusan aku bertanya, apa yang akan kau lakukan setelah ini?"
"—Oh, entahlah, Matt, aku belum memikirkannya," jawab Joe.
Matt mengangguk, ia mengambil botol sampanye lalu menuangkannya ke dalam gelas.
"—kemungkinan besar aku akan kembali ke Greenlawn. Aku harus mengurus firma hukumku," lanjut joe.
Matt kembali mengangguk.
"—tidak adakah sesuatu yang bisa membuatmu bertahan di tempat ini, teman?" tanya Matt.
"—entahlah, Matt, ku rasa aku sudah kehilangan banyak hal di tempat ini," Joe kembali menatap ke arah kolam tersebut.
"Maksudmu, —Clarence?" celetuk Joe.
"—aku sudah tidak ingin mendengar nama perempuan itu, Matt," Joe menghela napas.
"—oh, oke—" Matt mengangguk dengan bibir yang di turunkan ke bawah serta bahu yang digerakkan sedikit. Kedua lelaki itu terdiam sesaat, tenggelam ke dalam pikiran masing-masing.
"—ku rasa, dia saat ini masih sendirian, Joe. Ya—setelah berpisah dari Brad. Kau sungguh tidak ingin mengambil kesempatan itu?" ujar Maat.
Joe tidak menyahut. Ia masih tenggelam di dalam pikirannya, sembari menggoyang-goyangkan gelas berisi sampanye di tangannya. Ia menatap gelombang air berwarna putih kekuning-kuningan di dalam gelas itu. Beberapa gelembung buih masih tersisa di sana. Sesaat kemudian, ia menghela napas.
"—segalanya berubah," ujar Joe.
"—bukankah kau sangat mencintainya?" tanya Matt.
"—tidak ada yang tersisa dari sebuah penghianatan, teman," sahut Joe.
Matt lagi-lagi mengangguk.
"—kemarin dia meneleponku," celetuk Matt.
Joe menatap Matt dengan tatapan yang datar, "lalu?"
"—dia memohon kepadaku untuk bertemu denganmu setelah mendapat kabar bahwa kau akan datang ke sini pada hari pemakaman ayahmu," tutur Matt.
Joe secara bergantian menatap Matt serta gelas sampanye di tangannya.
"—lantas, apa yang katakan kepadanya?" tanya Joe.
"—aku tidak menjanjikan apa-apa. Entahlah, ku rasa dia hanya ingin meminta maaf kepadamu atas semua hal yang telah terjadi," jawab Matt.
"—sudah ku bilang, Matt, tidak ada sesuatu yang bisa diperjuangkan dari sebuah penghianatan," Joe kembali menatap kolam yang ada di depan mereka. Ia dapat melihat gerimis yang mulai berjatuhan di permukaan kolam, sementara di cakrawala sana, langit tampak memerah, menjadi latar dari bukit-bukit berhutan pinus yang mengelilingi tempat itu.
"Matamu selalu menatap ke kolam itu, Joe," Matt memotong topik pembahasan.
Joe membalikkan kepalanya kepada Matt, lalu kembali menatap kolam tersebut. Kali ini dia tersenyum, sementara kedua tangannya memegang bentangan kayu yang menjadi pembatas paviliun.
"—rasanya, aku mulai merindukan masa kecilku di tempat itu, Matt," ujar Joe, kemudian terdiam. "—entahlah, lebih tepatnya, aku merindukan ayahku," sambung Joe.
Joe sejak kecil hidup bersama ayahnya, Anthony Larklown, semenjak kedua orang tuanya bercerai. Ibunya telah meninggal dunia lima tahun yang lalu, meninggalkan seorang anak perempuan hasil dari pernikahan dengan suami keduanya, seorang pengusaha di kota selatan. Kendati sempat hidup lama dengan ayahnya, menginjak umur 25, Joe memilih hidup sendiri sejak mengalami pertengkaran hebat dengan ayahnya karena suatu hal. Sejak saat itu, ia tidak pernah berbicara lagi dengan sang ayah, sampai direksi sebuah agensi media cetak itu meninggal dunia karena kanker.
"—tinggallah di sini, Matt. Rumah ini, dan semua hal yang ditinggalkan oleh ayahmu membutuhkan seorang penerus," ucap Matt, yang kemudian berjalan ke tempat Joe berada, ikut menatap ke depan, larut dalam pemandangan permukaan kolam yang dihiasi oleh rintik-rintik hujan.
"—kau tahu, Matt," ujar Joe, "—ayahku pernah marah besar saat aku hampir tenggelam di kolam itu. Dia bahkan menghancurkan perahu kecil yang telah dibuatkankan khusus olehnya untukku," tutur Joe, disusul oleh tawa kecil di wajahnya karena mengingat kejadian itu.
"—kau masih marah dengan ayahmu, Joe," tanya Matt.
Joe terdiam. Ia kemudian berjalan ke meja, meraih jas milik Matt, lalu melemparkan jas tersebut kepada Matt, yang segera disambut oleh temannya dengan sedikit terkejut.
"Ayo, Matt, kita ke pub tuan Freddy. Aku sudah lama tidak ke sana," ajak Joe tiba-tiba.
Matt yang awalnya terdiam, segera menyahuti ajakan teman masa kecilnya itu.
"—hei, sialan, kau belum menjawabku, Joe," Matt ikut tergesa-gesa menuruni tangga paviliun.
"—apa lagi, sih, kau ikut tidak?" sahut Joe sambil tersenyum dan berjalan melewati lorong kecil yang menghubungkan paviliun dengan ruang utama rumah besar tersebut.
Paviliun itu kini tampak sepi, tersisa dua gelas sampanye yang salah satunya masih tersisa seperempat, sementara itu hari mulai gelap | Terinspirasi oleh Prompt The Inkwell #8
Poin |
Keterangan |
| Judul | All The Way to Tomorrow |
| Penulis | @mosin-nagant |