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The bright light made the sky above difficult to see because the sun was too bright and hot this morning. People were walking around, entering and leaving noisily, out of the thousands of people who liked to open their mouths there was a group where they wouldn't even speak unless they were reprimanded first. Even the trees nearby would remain awkwardly frozen near them.
Bennett Selvin and Christopher Selvin.
Two people whose differences may be dim to see, but very visible when you talk to one of them.
What's better than taking a short vacation with the family(parallel)? Their plans this morning were completely different, they were supposed to go to the lumber factory to see the wood being processed. Since they wanted to buy one of the pieces of wood and make crafts out of it, they needed some fine pieces of wood to repair the chair that had been damaged as well. But that was bennett's idea initially, christopher was just a guest who was then dragged along.
In just the span of passing the wooden fence, the two of them continued to move west and east, looking around like someone who had lost a child, even small children were not that careless.
Yeah, maybe the two of them had argued when they first arrived, christopher was furious because he kept being dragged by bennett and bennett said that he needed someone to help him on the way. Their argument continued for 10 minutes, until finally they stopped arguing and looked away. When they entered, they both remembered; there is an old man who also comes with them. Without much thought they already knew who this person was, and how he could disappear.
One possibility, because he likes to travel around, secondly, he is very quickly distracted by interesting things.
And the first person to find him was christopher, without even looking he would know where this person had gone. "Russell! What the hell are you doing? Don't split from the group!" He grumbled under his breath, holding the old man's shoulder who was frequently moving to look at the white birds that were eating bread crumbs on the ground.
Russell finally stopped listening and confronted the communist, "Chris, there's lots of birds." He said with raised eyebrows.
"I know old man, but you can't just go on your own." Christopher managed to calm himself down and return to his usual cocky self.
Not long after, bennett approached the two of them, panting for breath. "Oh! There ya are, phew!" Bennett seemed to have been running for a while in the other direction, "hah, im so tired of this... Running, and you just left me like that chris." This big man really wanted to rest for a while.
"Left you? I didn't leave you alone bennett, we got separated just to find this man." His eyes narrowed slightly pessimistically, christopher impatiently folded his arms. Staring at russell in the process.
Bennett inhaled and exhaled again. "Oh... yeah, I forgot." He was still trying to calm his breathing.
"Can I go watch the birds, bennett?" Russell chimed in, taking two steps to where the birds were like a curious person.
Bennett took a deep breath for the umpteenth time and managed to return to normal. With a sturdy body, he walked and guided Russell to where the birds were on display. "Sure we can russell, but let's make sure we go together this time eh?" The two of them walked together with bennett's left palm on russell's right shoulder. Christopher followed them from behind with a sour face.
As they walked, christopher's gaze was only focused on one thing, mainly to the black umbrella that russell was carrying. The clouds were still very white and the air was cool, what use was there in bringing that umbrella? "Old man, you've been carrying that umbrella since forever. What's that for?" Christopher asked in a bored tone.
"Clearly that's for him to dodge the sunlight, people can use it too for when it gets hot you hoser, you're the smartest man alive and the only question you have in mind is that." Bennett replied back swiftly and a little mockingly.
Christopher frowned at bennett's comment, he didn't like it when someone questioned his intelligence. "I don't need to think so much for such a small thing, unless it's necessary then I would use my brain to its fullest." He only expected an answer from the old man.
Bennett already expected christopher to answer his feedback like that so he doesn't give more mind towards it.
Russell didn't speak because he was amazed by the many birds here. There were also many tourists coming to this place, the three of them had to pass many people along the way.
In the end they stopped at a place where many tourists gathered and interacted with a bird that looked very dashing. The bird was a bald eagle, a rare bird species that is difficult to find these days.
Russell quickly queued behind the people when he saw this charming bird. Russell really likes birds that have big wings and cool feather patterns. Without haste, bennett also queued behind russell, but christopher stood to russell's left as if he hadn't crossed the queu line. But that's okay because he's still part of the family, maybe.
Hours passed, it felt really torturous to just stand for 5 hours and move very slowly, the queue was very long, even making bennett and christopher a little overwhelmed standing and waiting for their turn in line.
Except for russell, even though his back is old and his legs may often ache, he is more optimistic than the two young men near him, because today he can see unique birds.
So, in short, russell was the one who made bennett's plan fail.
But in full, at first bennett was getting ready to go with christopher. But before that christopher disappeared for a long time, who knows where the communist went, but bennett almost waited half an hour. Because it was so long, bennett almost fell asleep, then he heard a noise outside the house. He quickly stood up and approached the source of the sound.
Sure enough, when the door opened, there were christopher and russell who were making a fuss and standing in front of the door. Bennett asked what happened but christopher only answered with a clicked tongue and barged into the house with a sharp gaze.
"I actually saw it in the newspaper! There's a bird sanctuary opening today!" Russell sounded anxious, still trying to tell christopher who had gone in first.
Bennett just looked at russell with a half-confused face, then said in a flat tone, "what's with the bird sanctuary."
Russell flinched slightly and saw bennett's face as if he was interrogating someone. "Oh, it's..." Russell was abit embarrassed to say this, but he blurted out, "birds."
Bennett and russell just stared at each other in their stiff manner, "birds?" Bennett tilted his head, "You mean you want to watch birds, Russell?"
Russell just nodded slowly.
With his response, bennett remembered that russell was an old man who really likes birds.
"We can watch the birds if you want russell, I don't mind us going there." Bennett also thinks that he also needs free time to refresh. He could have given the rest of the chair repair work to teddy.
"What do ya think, Chris?" Bennett cheered towards the living room, christopher seemed to be just sitting on the sofa while looking at the old school TV which kept showing a static screen.
Christopher answered in a disapproving tone, "we're supposed to go to the lumber factory today Ben, I'm not going to waste my time watching birds." Christopher said while crossing his right leg over his left thigh.
Bennett sighed and looked at russell again. "Wait here Russell, I needa talk with this man." After that bennett entered and closed the door.
Russell is left alone, leaving him only blinking and staring at the door infront of his face.
That's when the first argument between the two of them started.
And in the end the three of them actually went together just to see the birds.
After waiting for who knows how long, the three of them managed to reach the front of the line. There is a man who is holding some money.
'Oh just great.' Bennett thought in his brain, "bonjour sir, we're here to see the eagle over there." Bennett started the conversation with a stern face. He looked at the man and held out his hand for a handshake.
"Give me some ten-spot and you're free to go." The man didn't even look at bennett, instead of answering his handshake, the man held out his palm for money.
Bennett wanted to sigh but he had already taken a lot of tired breaths this morning. "You must be wrong, sir, the three of us are going to see the bird."
The man looked from the money to their faces. "Then I'll have to charge you three some bills."
Christopher didn't even want to answer because he already felt disgusted with the man.
Russell continued to rummage through his trouser pockets worriedly, to no avail. "I forgot to bring my wallet."
Bennett also only brought a little money and now he had already given the money to the man, he thought that perhaps there would be no additional costs.
Because of this, russell and bennett looked at christopher at the same time who was still reluctant to spend any money. They're hoping that the communist guy next to them would help.
At first christopher kept looking away, but then he couldn't stand it and let out a heavy breath. "Here, take your shit and let us in." Christopher shoved money into the man's palm to pay the entrance fee for russell and himself with the most cynical look.
The man smiled with satisfaction and opened the short fence gates.
It felt very relieving when the gate was opened, when they entered, the silhouette of a bird was clearly visible and became more visible as they approached.
Russell is already excited himself and his pace is faster than bennett and christopher. With a wooden cane in his other hand, russell continued walking with a smile on his face.
"Russell, can I at least carry the umbrella for ya?" Bennett realized this and followed russell from behind, christopher looked very bored and lazy to walk faster.
After talking with the tour guide near the eagle, russell and bennett tried several times to pet the big bird. Russell was really amazed and continued to stroke the eagle's back.
Up to the point where russell tried to hug the bird.
Bennett was a little worried and so he grabbed the old man's shoulders to make him step back a little. Christopher just watched from the side with both hands in his trouser pockets with that uninterested look.
For russell's cane and umbrella? Bennett had told russell to just put it on the ground. The old man was too much trouble.
And at the last moment, the three of them decided to take a photo to remember this day. A Kodak DCS branded camera was ready to photograph them from afar with the help of the tour guide.
Bennett didn't look stylish and just stood straight, looking at the camera with a small smile, christopher didn't look at the camera and was busy looking in another direction with both hands still in his pockets. Russell was in the very center and was stroking the bird's sturdy head with a smile and occasionally rushing to straighten its tweed cap.
When the photo session is done, bennett is the one that gather the pictures. Viewing it and put it inside his pocket.
Towards the end, russell only fed the pigeons with bread crumbs after going out from there in a squatting position. Bennett just watched, both hands holding Russell's cane and his black umbrella.
Christopher exhaled roughly, "it's been long enough, we can't just stay here any longer because of the old man, bennett." Both hands held the sides of his waist as he spoke.
"I know christoph, russell is probably feelin' himself today." Bennett didn't know what to do so he just waited for russell to finish playing with the little birds down on the ground.
As a result, christopher approached russell and forced him to go home. Russell initially insisted and refused. Then christopher grabbed his arm to stand up. "C'mon old man, we don't have all day just to see you playing around."
Russell kept shaking his head.
"Margarett is waiting for you russell, you don't want to keep her waiting, are you?" Christopher looked at Russell with a cold gaze and a gloomy face.
"M-Margarett?" Russell suddenly stopped rebelling.
The old man doesn't try to remove his grip, and immediately stood up, "Really?" He said briefly, holding christopher's arms.
Bennett, who heard this, gave christopher a sharp look. "Chris."
Christopher seemed unfazed by bennett's warning, and continued. "Of course, so we better move russell, your wife must've been very sad to see you go for so long."
"The fuck chris?" Bennett dropped russell's wooden cane and held Christopher's collar forcefully, his eyebrows lowered and pressed hard. His voice sounded heavier.
Christopher looked at the big man in front of him and answered calmly.
"Aye... calm down big guy." Christopher kept his arms in the air, as if caught off guard.
Russell looked shocked and silent, his left arm held tightly.
Bennett continued to stare at christopher with a stern frown on his face, but started to release his grip when he realized that he was getting angry. "Let's just go." Sometimes bennett really doesn't like christopher's face, which looks pretentious and selfish. Bennett gave back russell's fallen cane before moving away.
As they turned to walk, the atmosphere became awkward and silent, with only the sound of their shoes moving. It felt very stressful for russell, and it made him uncomfortable.
Bennett noticed russell's movements, who looked gloomy and nervous behind them. By instinct, bennett opened the umbrella and shaded russell's head from the increasingly hot sunlight. "Atleast we got to see the birds russell, it's good eh?"
Russell took his umbrella and nodded slightly, a smile returning to the corners of his lips.
Russell was more enthusiastic and walked together between the two of them.
The old man head turned to Christopher, in a gentle tone, he said, "Thank you for coming along."
Christopher would just continued to look to his side like someone who didn't care, but in reality, he heard Russell's words. And that made him smile a little, feeling a little guilty about his treatment earlier.
At least they enjoyed the little trip today.