4
Milestone II
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Streetlights became a blur as rain poured down from the sky. Yet the somber atmosphere didn’t diminish the joy of this car ride home. Only a couple of hours ago they had heard the news.
***
“I’m pregnant. We are expecting a baby!” The dinner table became quiet after Alessia’s proud exclamation.
“What?!” Alduin’s mother, who was the first to reply, gasped in shock.
“A couple of days ago we received news that she has entered her stable period, which is why we could only tell you now.” Egan held Alessia’s hand as he affirmed the news.
“I’m going to be a grandfather?” Lucas spoke in disbelief. Both parents stared wide-eyed at this loving couple while they needed a moment to process what they heard.
“Congratulations!” Alduin was the first to send his well-wishes through the chaos of surprise. A smile of gratitude formed on Alessia's face as she nudged Egan.
“Thank you,” Egan said while nodding. Something that was quickly followed by the congratulations of their parents, as well as a series of questions.
“How long have you known? When are you expecting?” Lydia was tearing up from joy as she wished to fill her curiosity.
“Calm down mother, she just entered her stable period. She has only been pregnant for 13 weeks, it’s not even that noticeable yet.” Egan caressed Alessia as he smiled at his parents. It didn’t take long before Lucas pinched back his tears as well.
“We are expecting next spring,” Alessia helped Egan answer their questions.
“Who is your gynecologist? I can refer you to a good one if you want,” and as usual, Lydia also continued her questioning.
“It’s alright, we’re-"
The conversation lasted for a long time, all the way through deserts. Alduin helped clean up as he gave a bit of room for his family to talk.
“I heard you need to pick something up, do you want me to drive?” Egan had walked up to Alduin before he noticed. With a noticeable surprise on his face, Alduin realized that his family was stealthily staring at him.
"Oh, well, I'd like that as well," he readily agreed.
***
‘Right, it should have been fine if we didn’t go out together.’ Alduin listened to his joyful parents on the ride home. What happened afterward wasn't something they had to know, which was why he kept it to himself.
Was it due to guilt? or maybe it was shame. Whenever something happened between him and his brother he tended to close himself off. He never complained to his parents. But due to this, the atmosphere was still good even after they had returned.
'How stupid,' Alduin thought to himself. 'Why did I even expect anything different this time.' He didn't want to admit it but he felt more emotional than he expected he would be.
'Nothing really changes does it?' He couldn’t help but stare outside. Another joyous occasion had become a conflicted memory.
This time he didn’t even have the energy to feign being asleep. The streetlights never changed. Even the pouring rain was the same as he remembered. The light blended into the dark surroundings as the consecutive streetlights showed the long ride home.
‘Was it here?’ Alduin fell into a trance as he stared at the stretched-out streetlights shining through the rain. And as if on cue his mother started talking to him.
“Are you happy? You’re going to become an uncle.” Lydia hadn’t stopped smiling since she heard the news. Even promising to visit more often to offer help.
“I’ll be 20 when I become an uncle, do you think I’m qualified?” Alduin asked back with a smile.
“Oh, so that’s what you were worried about? Don’t worry, I was 21 when I became a mother,” Lydia answered as she smiled back. “Isn’t that right dear?”
Cough cough Lucas was surprised by this question, but seeing the happy mood she was in he could understand why she brought this up.
“Right, right, although we were both responsible,” Lucas quipped back. A conversation started between his parents as the car continued traveling along the road.
And that’s when he noticed, on the other side of the highway, through the cars going in direction of the city, a familiar sight was reflected in his eyes. A gas station stood there shining brightly in the darkness.
‘Right. It was here that everything changed.’
***
7 years ago, Alduin’s grandfather had an accident and passed away. Back then, when Lydia still lived in the city, there was no active doctor to handle emergency operations in the town. Even now, it was something she still blamed herself for.
This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.
The evening of the funeral was followed by a quiet car ride home as the shocking experience still lingered. Having been busy with their careers both Lydia and Lucas had things they felt regret for. The outpour of the rainstorm marked by lightning seemed to worsen the already terrible day they had experienced.
As they got closer to the city and more roads linked up on this highway, the traffic increased tremendously. Traffic was gradually slowing down but still the lights and raindrops continued to glide down the other side of the window.
“Are you alright?” Egan, who was now 19 years old, whispered.
“I’m fine,” a young Alduin replied.
It had been a strange period for this boy. Nervousness showed on his face whenever he walked in a crowd. He had always been a frail child but now he was eerily silent.
“Do you want to play a game?”
“I’m fine,” Alduin spoke softly.
Alduin wasn't staring at the raindrops gliding down the window, his vision was locked onto something else, locked on a large truck driving a small distance in front of them.
‘Don’t,’ he kept telling himself.
Adrenaline continuously washed over him in waves. He felt like he had swallowed a brick. No, it was as if he was moving forward yet his innards remained in place. It was an instinctive terror. A primal survival instinct.
‘Go away.’ Alduin started clenching his fists.
The streetlights anchored this moment in time. A strange sensation pushed him forward. It was this intuition that kept annoying him whenever he faced an unfamiliar situation, although this time was worse than ever before.
‘I- I shouldn’t.’ even the hesitation felt the same.
He looked at his brother sitting to his left. He looked at his parents sitting in the front. Then he noticed it, light shining like a collection of gems in this rainstorm showed a beacon of safety.
“Dad,” Alduin spoke up to no response.
The trucks that became ever-present on the highway these days pushed him forward.
“Dad, I don’t feel good.” Alduin tried again.
“Not now Alduin,” Lucas remarked.
“Dad, can we stop please?” Alduin continued.
“Alduin, not now!” his father yelled at him.
Tears started forming in his eyes. Guilt overwhelmed him. Normally his mother would have said something, but seeing as her shoulders were trembling she probably couldn’t hold on much longer.
A sense of impending doom gave him shivers like never before. Every droplet of rain that raced down the window felt like a countdown. His stomach felt compressed and twisted. This familiar discomfort changed into something else. The anxiety he was prescribed medicine for, now rang out like an alarm bell. And that’s when a child does what it does best.
“Dad!” Egan yelled out “He’s throwing up!” Egan who had held Alduin’s hand for the entire ride home now pulled back at the sound of the vomiting Alduin
“Fuck!” Lucas cursed loudly.
“Alduin!” Lydia turned with tears in her eyes. “There’s a gas station up ahead, go there Lucas!” Intervening in the situation, the car which gradually filled with the stench of vomit now went off the highway at the gas station.
***
“Alduin,” a gentle voice rang out.
…
“Alduin,” hearing no reply she spoke a little louder.
…
“Alduin, are you alright?” Lydia, who saw Alduin turning towards her, showed a gentle smile.
“I’m fine, I’ve just been thinking about…”
“It’s alright, it’s far in the past” Lydia, who knew what he was thinking about, turned the radio on as a distraction.
That night turned into a nightmare for everyone involved. They saw it clearly as they parked at the gas station. Automation of trucks received an increasingly high demand. And that night the consequences of a series of events unfolded. Two trucks collided in the stormy weather. The problem was that one of those trucks transported highly flammable fuel.
An explosion like an air strike rang out. A ball of fire evaporated the surrounding rain. Multiple cars and trucks collided in a chain reaction. Wet streets and limited vision resulted in countless deaths.
Only later, when they were allowed to pass, did he witness the utter devastation of this accident. The truck that gave him a dreadful sensation was etched in his mind. However, something that preceded even that was the glimpse of a car contorted into an incomprehensible shape. Cars that had been driving next to them not long ago were embroiled in the center of this incident. Undoubtedly they would have died there as well.
The feeling of death was ingrained in his mind. Even his brother’s panic or his crying mother distracting him with fear in her eyes had started fading. But the truck he looked at was as detailed as the moment he first saw it.
This was the largest disaster including automated vehicles in their nation.
After that, it didn’t take long before they moved away. Be it due to shock or guilt, after that day their family had never been the same. This was something he blamed himself for.
Passing the gas station that saved their lives never became easy. Maybe it was the rain, but before they knew it the entire car had become silent. It was only after they passed it that Lydia spoke up again.
“Alduin,” she turned around and asked. “Have you thought about going to college?"
“Didn’t we already talk about that? I’m fine staying at home.” Alduin tried to keep himself from frowning.
“Well, what about Veleda?” Lydia asked again. “If she wants to become a doctor she will have to move to the city. What will you do?”
“Alduin, I know you’re smart. Being an electrician in a small town is alright for an old man like me, but you have your life ahead of you,” Lucas added. It seemed they had already talked about this as well.
Normally by now, he would have made his point clear but this time he remained silent in thought.
“Has she talked to you?” Alduin asked.
“Well, she wanted to talk to you about it, but from her help in my clinic, it’s clear she wants to become a doctor as well,” Lydia spoke up again.
“You don’t have to go to college if you don’t want to, but..” Lydia didn’t have the courage to continue.
“Don’t worry.” Alduin smiled at his mother. "I'll think about it."
Seeing Alduin like this, it appeared he had already made up his mind. For the first time, the prospect of leaving their hometown wasn’t met with his immediate disapproval. ‘Seems like there is nothing to worry about.’ Lydia smiled at Lucas as she turned the radio a little louder.
[--based on current data. Not a single expert could have predicted this, in fact, many studies showed a sharp decline. Experts now estimate that humanity will finally reach that milestone next week, although the exact moment is impossible to be determined. A milestone that seemed impossible only half a decade ago is finally becoming a reality. Humanity will undoubtedly have a global population of ten billion people--]