Hope is the Thing With Feathers

Chapter 8

Thank you everyone for your patience these last few weeks as I took a short break from this story. I was busy finishing up finals for my classes, as well as having to commute back to my college town to pack up my off-campus apartment and move everything home finally. Now that I have finished up my junior year of college and am nearly done unpacking everything back at home, I'm ready to get back into writing! It seems very obvious that I will be unemployed this summer given the pandemic, so expect frequent updates :)

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Another graduation down, and only one more to go, Blathers presumed. Since finishing up his masters degree, Blathers was beginning to feel he had finally taken hold of his life as he pursued his doctorate.

The plans were as followed now. As he pursued his doctorate, he would be working closely with Professor Cornelius to establish a connection to the Faraway Museum. His mentor had been quick to advise him from the moment Blathers had stated his goal that this was a well-established museum that did not take too kindly to newcomers, but after leaving his archaeological dreams behind, it was all Blathers presumed he had left to hope for.

As Blathers' finished up a rather rough evening in the library, he perused down the sidewalks of the city, looking up at the stars, as he headed to his normal destination at this hour.

Celeste would think the night sky pretty tonight, he thought. His sister was well into her astronomy studies, oftentimes annoyingly pointing out each and every constellation to Blathers on the rare occasions they gathered together.

The smell of coffee was already beginning to infiltrate Blathers' beak. He turned the familiar corner, thankful to see the shop's lights illuminating onto the sidewalk and a steady rise of smoke coming from the chimney on a rather chilly evening.

Blathers was looking forward to nothing more than a warm cup of coffee and a cozy conversation with his friend. That was until his eyes noticed the pale sign sitting in the window.

Going out of business. Coffee beans 50% off!

Blathers immediately picked up his feet and shoved the door open, almost too violently by the way the bell collided against the door. The shop was empty, as it normally was. In the moment, Blathers could rarely recall any occasions he saw more than three customers in the shop.

"Is it true?" Blathers bursted out.

Brewster was standing behind the counter, wiping down the counters. He lowered his head some and nodded.

"I tried to keep the place going as best as I could," Brewster admitted. "But sometimes hope and passion doesn't make up for the money."

Blathers' entire body hung low. Earlier that morning, he had been feeling confident in his abilities and dreams, but seeing that Brewster's dreams were dissolving around him, Blathers suddenly wondered if his future would shape out to be okay.

"I'm sorry. This must be difficult for you," Brewster said when Blathers did not reply. "The usual?"

Blathers nodded.

As soon as the cup of coffee was brewed, Brewster changed the OPEN sign to CLOSED and took a seat with his friend at a round table. Blathers sipped carefully, realizing that this was one of the last coffees he may receive from his friend.

"What will you do now?" Blathers asked.

"I don't know yet," Brewster admitted. "I suppose I finally have time to build up that gyroid collection, but I don't have the finances to really afford that..."

"When will the shop close?" Blathers wondered.

"Next week. I need to get all the equipment out this weekend. I won't be able to afford my apartment anymore, so I'm moving back in with my parents," Brewster explained.

"How far away is that?" Blathers asked.

"A couple stops on the bus. I'm sorry I won't be able to give you your daily coffees anymore. You truly were my best customer," Brewster said. The pigeon was acting much stronger than Blathers had expected him too, though maybe that was because Brewster had clearly seen this fate from the beginning, whereas Blathers was clinging onto the hope Brewster's shop might run indefinitely.

"I'll have to drink the university's coffee then. Though it won't be nearly as good," Blathers figured.

"I will do my very best to give you instructions to make that coffee taste better," Brewster promised. 

"Will you try again?" Blathers asked. "I mean...when you've saved up money and all."

"Maybe. Maybe not. I think it's a miracle I got this place to start in the first place. I'm not so sure miracles can happen twice. But I guess when it's the right place and the right time, maybe I'll try again," Brewster said. He folded his wings over each other and sighed. "But for now, it's back to the nest. I've already started applying to some convenience store jobs. It's not ideal, but I hope one day I can get back to my dream."

"I guess I won't see you that often anymore," Blathers realized sorrowfully.

"You're welcome to visit anytime. I know it's a bit more of a commute, but we can always write to each other as well," Brewster promised.

"That sounds nice," Blathers agreed.

"In the meantime, I hope your doctorate program is going well. Maybe when the time comes, I can visit you at that museum you love so much," Brewster suggested.

"That would be nice too. But only if you brought along some coffee," Blathers teased.

Brewster chuckled. "It's a deal, then."

"Say, if you're moving out this weekend, do you need some help?"

"I would be much obliged."

The friends chatted a bit later into the evening. Blathers' coffee cup had been long drained, the only remnants being a few drops of cold coffee at the bottom of his styrofoam mug.

"I guess this is good-bye," Blathers said, hovering by the door.

"Besides this weekend, and the rest of the week, where I'm sure you'll come by for some more coffee," Brewster guessed.

"That's right. I'm going to miss this shop," Blathers said.

"Me too. But maybe this is for the better," Brewster realized. "After all, I'm still so young. There's a lot more I can do. This isn't the end."

Blathers nodded, wishing he could possess the same optimism as his friend.

"Well, I wish you the best of luck, then," Blathers said. "I'm sure you'll still be able to do great things."

"Thank you. Me too," Brewster said.

Blathers let the door shut and continued on his way. The stars didn't twinkle as brightly as he thought they did earlier in the evening. His heart ached, and he felt like crying, thinking of losing Brewster and his shop. It had been with him since his college career had begun, and he assumed it would be with him when it ended, but Blathers supposed all good things had to come to an end at some point.

He just hoped the same wasn't true for him.