Whisper of Broken Things

Chapter 2

The plane arrived earlier than expected and my dad isn't going to be here till closer to 3:00. I decide to get some fresh air. I grab my 2 other suitcases from the baggage carousel and lug them out of the airport. When the air hits me, it's not the salty breeze I had expected and secretly longed for. Which makes sense, considering I'm not even on the Island yet. Bar Harbor is one of the four towns apart of Mount Desert Island. The airport is just off Trenton bridge, and another 10 miles from Bar Harbor. 

As a kid, the drive use to feel like forever. But much like everything else about this place, my perception of it has changed. I walk around the front of the airport examining my surroundings and imagining how fun my summer could be and sit on my phone until a bunch of cars begin to roll into the parking lot. I search for my dad's brand new 2017 Range rover that he had bought 1 month before he left. I don't see many range rovers, and the ones I do see aren't my dad's. But then a blue Toyota fj cruiser rolls right up next to me. And sure enough, my dad is in the driver's seat.

 I'm not a big car guy, but I would recognize this Toyota anywhere. My dad had been begging my mom for one for years, but she always said it was classless and ugly. "Hurry up and get in Matty I've got a surprise for you", he says. I throw my suitcases in the back and hop into the passenger side of the car. "That's all you got?", he asks, confused as to why I only have 3 suitcases with me. "Moms getting the rest shipped here", I say, assuring him I wasn't having any second thoughts. "Ok, well look at what I got you", he hands me a melting vanilla ice cream covered in rainbow sprinkles. "Town Hill market ice cream! my favorite", I say with genuine excitement. 

Every year on the drive to bar harbor we would stop at Town Hill Market to get ice cream. "I thought you could use it a bit early after that long plane ride", "did you use the bathroom yet?" he asks with a chuckle. "Ya," I responded laughing. He leans over and gives me a huge hug. "I love you"; he says. "I love you too dad", I respond softly, realizing my mother hasn't told me she loved me in longer than I can even remember. And when he pulls away, I see tears in his eyes, meaningful, emotional tears. Much more than my mother could ever give me. "Are we going to spend all day crying or can we get going so I can make it to bar harbor by sundown? "I say jokingly. "Yeah Yeah", my dad says.

As he turns out of the airport, he rolls all the windows down. "Just like when you were a kid". "Ya, it's perfect". I tell him. "Look what I have", he says, as he pulls out a cd of the Beatles fifth album. He puts it in and I skip through the tracks until I hit "Yesterday". I turn it up loud enough to mute even the cars racing past us. I turn towards the window and stick the front half of my body out as we cross Trenton Bridge. I finally smell the salt in the air as the wind blows my light brown curly hair in every direction. I drown out everything else around me and listen to the music as its melody vibrates the entire car. I could stay in this moment forever, but after the song ends my dad pulls me back inside. "Alrighty bud, let's try not to get me pulled over on your first day here". 

I spend the rest of the car ride taking in everything and realizing how much I miss this place. But it wasn't until we pull onto Main Street that the flood of forgotten memories hit me. I recall all the restaurants we would go to as a family, and I feel a sting of pain as we pass Agamont Park. The Park my mother would take me to when I was a kid. And as we turn into Albert Meadow, I find myself longing for my grandparents. The sweet smile of my grandpa Jack, and how my grandma Adele had the softest most comforting touch. We pull into the driveway and I unload my 3 suitcases and begin dragging them inside. My grandparent's swing remains tacked on the front porch. As soon as I push the door open the smell of the house brings me back to all the summers I spent here as a kid. The way I would run upstairs as fast as I could to go change into my swim trunks, the smell of my grandma's cooking that filled the whole neighborhood every night, the temporary friends I would make here, and the useless shit I would buy at the gift shops. Everything floods back into my memories, and I feel hopeful. Hopeful, because I'm no longer stuck in Clyde Hill, and because I have a new chance at everything. 

"I've got my parent's old room, so you can go and choose between the other two bedrooms if you want", my dad says trailing behind me. I drag my suitcases upstairs. Everything about the house is almost the exact same, except for a few things. I turn the corner and find myself between my old room and the room my parents would sleep in. Which also happened to be my dad's room when he was growing up. I ultimately decide on the room I would stay in, it's a little smaller than the other room, but I'm more familiar and comfortable in it. I lay my suitcases on the bed that still has my spiderman comforter on it. My dad comes in as I'm unloading what little clothing I have, "I just got off the phone with your mother". "That must have gone great", I say sarcastically. "Ya", he says with a chuckle. "She hasn't even sent out your stuff yet". "Of course, she hasn't", I say, genuinely not shocked at all. "Why don't I drop you off on Main Street so you can go shopping, and get to know this place a little bit better". "you're saying that I can go out on my own and you're actually going to treat me like a 17-year-old kid?", I ask, continuing my sarcastic tone, and taking a hidden stab at my mother. I swear that women wouldn't let me leave that house unless it was to go to one of her country club events. "I don't know, how could I ever entrust you out in the public alone, especially without your fanciest suit and tie.", he says sarcastically back to me, "Come on I've got some stuff to take care of too so, this way we will both be busy".