The Tales of Vast

Chapter 5: In Consolation Should We Cry October 7th, 2022

            It was late in the afternoon, some time past 11. Normally, Rory would be fast asleep, or tucked away at least daydreaming. He wasn't a great writer, not like Iyo, at least. However, he did enjoy fantasizing about a group of characters he created within the walls of his own mind. He'd give them backstories, and futures together, and he'd write missions in his head for them to embark on. All this work, and all this time spent in Rory's own little world, all for it to be meaningless, as it never got written down on paper for the world to see.

            Maybe it was best that way. No one else would understand his little imagination the way he did, and if word ever got out that he enjoyed storytelling, Iyo could never possibly let him see the end of it. "Tell me more!" Rory imagined Iyo would demand it. Rory would hate that.

          Instead of sleeping, as Rory should have been, he sat on his bed, blinking at the soft light that came from his bedside lamp. It was dark outside, as the sunlight had disappeared at about 5 that afternoon, as it left earlier during these colder months. His room was nearly chilled to the bone, as his father had neglected to put on the fireplace. Rory didn't mind it, though. His father didn't need any more problems, and the burning wood fumes often made it harder for both to breathe.

         Rory rubbed at his cold nose with a free hand, the other one gripping the blanket he had wrapped around his thin body, in an attempt at warming up. It was too late to do much, and he didn't feel like sleeping. He was thirsty, however, and his throat felt dry. So, he slowly stood up, dropping his only protection against the cold, and numbly fumbled through his doorway, shutting the door behind him.

           Rory squinted his eyes in the dark, as he guided himself down the stairway, careful not to trip. He yawned, feet pattering across cold, wooden floors. Downstairs was a bit warmer than it was upstairs, as they had a heater in the living room that they left on most of the time.

             As Rory made his way into the kitchen doorway, he noticed quickly that he wasn't alone. Sitting at the bar table by the fireplace, cold with dead charcoal, sat Rei. There was no tv on, or music playing in the background. He just sat there simply, eating what appeared to be a frozen pizza. Rory could tell that was what it was, from the frozen flecks of ice landing on the plate, and the soft crunching sounds as his father tried to eat it. Rory took a small step closer and noticed something was off.

            His father had been crying. He could tell by the soft sniffling and the red rings around his slightly puffy eyes. Rory sighed softly, before tapping the door lightly, to help his father notice he was there.

           Rei looked up slowly, and Rory noticed the plight he was in. There were tear streaks near his chin, and his collar was damp. Rory smiled softly.

           "Hey there, buddy. What are you doing, still awake?" Rei asked, his voice cracking a bit, as he looked away to wipe his eyes. Rory guessed that tonight was one of his dad's bad days; a day where he was missing his family, or his wife, and he finally found solace in crying, while he suspected Rory to have been asleep. This never used to happen until recently, Rory thought.

           Rory looked back down at the sad plight that was a single, hard-working dad, eating dinner by himself, at 11 at night, before meeting those soft, kind eyes that he'd known his whole life. "I just came down to get a late-night snack, is all. Do you mind if I make you something, too?" he asked gently, taking his father's plate without waiting for a response.

            His father did his best and often overlooked his own health at times. The frozen pizza had probably been the only food he'd eaten that day, save for the two cups of coffee he'd drunk that morning. Rei hummed a tired little note, and nodded slowly, rubbing at frail joints of his fingers. "That would be nice, thank you." He sighed, clearly beside himself, as he slid his glasses further up on his nose.

           Rory nodded to say he understood, before working quietly and diligently at the stove, cooking a single can of tomato soup. It wasn't a hearty meal, but it was one of Rei's favorites. Both gray-haired men remain mostly silent all the while.

            The silence was only broken when Rory brought over two small bowls of warm, maroon-colored soup, peppered lightly, to Rei's liking. Rory was never fond of seasoning dishes, as he enjoyed simplicity, however, his dad enjoyed his meals best when he added a bit of salt and pepper for flavoring.

              "Thank you, Rio." Rei smiled weakly, taking the bowl. 'Rio' had become Rei's nickname for Rory, and he liked it. It felt like something that was Rory's, and his alone. It was a comfort.

            "Anytime. I hope it's good, I'm not much for making soup." Rory laughed to help lighten the mood. He knew that was what his dad needed right now; someone to help him calm down, and someone to help him smile a bit.

            Rei mocked his laughter, though it may have been forced. It was still better than nothing.

            "How are you holding up, Dad?" Rory asked after a few minutes of sipping the soup. He noticed his father glancing up for a moment, before stirring at the tomato stew. The air went still for a moment, and Rory felt a cold chill down his spine, so he pulled his chair closer to his dad. Rei smiled gently, with those tired, dark eyes, and he helped Rory get closer, running his fingers through his only child's hair.

            Rory leaned into the touch, looking over his shoulder to see into teary eyes. But Rei's still smiling. How could he look so sad, and so distant in his own thoughts, but still smile like that?

           "Rio, things can happen, and it can bring even the strongest of us down. You know that don't you?" He asked after a few minutes of quiet. Rory nodded, but couldn't shake the feeling that something else was wrong. Something Rei was hiding. 

            "Sometimes, bad things just happen for no good, and even if you want to try to be happy, you can't help but cry. It's ok to have moments of weakness, but you need to remember that even if crying doesn't fix what happened, it always helps to make yourself feel better. But once you're done, you need to to get back to your feet and keep going." He hummed, pulling Rory's hair behind his ears. Rory blinked a few times.

           "So, you're sad?" he asked, turning around in his chair. He saw his father looking out the window through the screen door. It was dark outside, but the string lights were on, and their backyard was illuminated by a soft yellow glow. He could see the plants swaying lightly in the wind, and a pool of still water waded close by the fence.

            "Isn't everyone sad? Don't bad things happen to everyone occasionally?" Rei made eye contact briefly, before slowly standing up, using his cane for support, and accumulating two, empty, red-stained bowls, before making his way toward the sink slowly. Rory followed behind him to ensure he made it over safely. "Yeah," Rory responded, helping his father scrub the red out of the dishes. Rei hummed as the warm water washed over his calloused hands.

             "We're going to be alright, Rio, you and I, we'll be alright," Rei said gently, to reassure his son. Both Rory and Rei, father and son, worked together at the sink, at nearly midnight, in a quiet, peaceful town. Both were troubled souls, however something deep within them let them feel safe in each other's embrace, whether it be physical or emotionally helpful that night, it still helped put them at ease, for just the night. 

           Though despite the serenity the night had to offer, Rory couldn't shake the feeling that something had finally gone wrong.