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Clive looks out of the window as the plane makes its descent, catching sight of freeways passing fast and crossing over like pulsing veins of a city that's always alive, running frantic amid commuter towns and expanses of San Fernando nothingness. He makes out the faintness of palm trees, office buildings, and manufacturing plants, and already, he's taken over by a sense of disbelief.
It always seems that the moment Atlanta truly starts feeling like home is when it's finally time for him to make his return to Los Angeles. At times, it almost feels like he's living many different lives, and as he travels from coast to coast, he returns to many different identities belonging to many different networks of friends and family. In Georgia, he comes home late, making a stop to the convenience store below his apartment almost as if it's part of a predetermined routine. It's too late for dinner, but he knows he's got to eat something, so every day it's a water bottle, an ice cream bar, and a bag of unsalted nuts. $4.35. He's already counting it out as the old man behind the counter rings up his things, making quick but polite conversation before Clive's out and on his way. He lives for his evenings because he knows that he can call her, and in an increasingly formed habit, they catch each other up on their day, laughing and bantering back and forth until he can no longer keep his eyes open, his last passing thought being that he wishes he could be there, wishes she could be here, wishes that - if even for a day - their lives could be something normal. He presses his back against his seat firmly as the wheels of the plane hit the ground. The loud roar of the halting plane only fuels the exhiliration of his homecoming. He'll see his friends again, ones he'd hadn't seen for... 5? 6 months? He wants to eat a lengua burrito at King Taco. He wants a Double-Double with grilled onions and animal-style fries. He wants to drive up the 101 at 2 AM with the music blasting out of his car, waves crashing toward the shore. In Los Angeles now, a lot has changed. His younger sister, Hanna, has been working hard to get their new coffee shop, Do-Re-Mi Cafe, off the ground. She'd used pictures, videos, and the occasional Facetime to show him exactly how things are going, but ultimately, Clive had to learn to take a backseat and trust her business savvy. It was easier said than done. On the other side of the city, his parents seem to have managed the restaurant through a particularly busy summer season without too many battle scars. The strength of his family's hard work only fueled his own, and he wonders how he'd have made it through the past few months without them. "Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Los Angeles International Airport, where the local time is 7:30 PM. For your safety and those around you, please ensure safety is a priority when opening the overhead storage as luggage may have moved during the flight. On behalf of United Airlines, thank you for flying with us. We hope to see you again soon. Please enjoy your stay, and if Los Angeles is your home, welcome home." |