tongue tied | dreamnotfound

one ; in romance land

TW// SMALL MENTIONS OF ALCOHOL.

In 1940, a boy by the name of Clay Genommen was born in Orlando, Florida and moved to Tennessee at some point in his life at a young age. His family didn't have much at all, considering the fact the pretty dirty blonde boy normally wore a pair of jeans multiple times a week due to only having three pairs, and the same dirty white t-shirt far too many times. The sole on the back of his shoes had begun to rip off, and his left shoe had a completely differently lace color than his other one, due to having accidentally losing the other one in an attempt to wash his own things instead if having his mother wash it for him.  His mother was, not at all surprised, and even laughed and told the boy to just leave the laundry to her. His dad was quite angry with him, though he never did anything to him.

Clay lived his life normally helping his father outside with the crops, but all he wanted to was get away from this life, to move on. He didn't want to have to grow up how his parents made him at all, or his siblings. He was the second oldest, his older sister already having been married and moved out by the time he was only six, his other sister a few years younger than him. His little brother came, right after Clay had figured out what he was going to do with his life.

Mr. Genommen had set off to be a member of the American Army, and was being flown to Germany to maintain a station at the time. With teary goodbyes in everyone- other than his father's eyes, he set off on his own, mysterious adventure of life at the age of sixteen.

"Welcome to Germany," A tall man read a letter, looking at the name with a confused glance, "It's Clay G-ee-no-men, sir." Clay quickly spoke, blinking at the man. He seemed only an inch shorter than himself. The man glared. "The names Officer Techno, I'll be your commanding officer while you stay here in the force." The man spoke. He had a large scar going horizontally across the bridge of his nose, and was blind in one eye, another scar going vertically over the eye. His hair was long, tied into a loose braid. It was, oddly, a bright pink. He was born with a hair deformity.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Officer Techno." Clay shook the brutes hand, earning a smirk from the other. "All's my pleasure, Clay. We will make a soldier outta you yet!" He laughed, and Clay only felt just as he felt at home; completely lost.

How did the green eyed boy find himself in a pawn shop was the question he had even been asking himself as of lately. His eyes glanced at the row of large guitars boarding the middle of the dusty store.

"Can I help you?" Came the thick accent of German from behind the clerk desk. A woman wearing a high waisted cherry printed dress asked, her red hair was tied by a white bow, half-way up and her eyes were bright green. Clay immediately glanced over to her, running his finger along the collar of his uniform and pulling it away slightly from his neck. "Oh, I'm just- looking, sorry if it's weird," He stumbled over his words slightly, making the woman laugh.

"My American name is Lara, it's a pleasure to meet you." The girl introduced herself, making Clay nod his head and hum a bit. "My- um, American name is Clay." She snorted, rolling her eyes.

Clay's hand reached out to gently brush against a black guitar with golden strings and golden adjustment pins. "Boy came in with that. Said he had to sell it for his wife. To support their kids." Lara commented, and Clay picked it up, looking at the small engraving of a heart in the side. "I hope they are financially okay." Clay whispered before walking over to the table, placing it on it. "I'd like to buy it."

"The Romance Land guitar, as I call it." Lara chuckled, telling him the amount as he paid. He smiled. "You know, that's a really good name."

Later in the months he was there, he had grown close to Lara, and had become boyfriend and girlfriend with him. In his spare time, he sat in the dark sheds of the army base, the guitar in his arms as he strummed it.