"Closure"

I began packing a week before the trip began. I purchased my bus ticket a month in advance of my departure date. My first solo vacation turned out to be one of the most enlightening experiences of my life. I was aware that this journey would mark the end of an era in my life.

I had no idea what would transpire. In the driveway, my mother and her husband were waiting to pick up and bring my mother and I on the bus from New York to Chicago. As additional passengers began to arrive at the pickup location, I began to question what I had gotten myself into. This crowd resembled a perfect sundae from Baskin Robbins. It seemed as if everyone there was from every walk of life.

Vanilla was the color of the small blonde college student in tan slacks and a plain white tee-shirt. It was hard to look at the African-American man in his baggy black slacks and ill-fitting black shirt. Blended with all of the flavors, the woman appeared to be from India or another dazzling distant location I had never been to. Gold, turquoise, and crimson jewels shone like sugar sprinkles in her hair as well as in her clothing. There were so many colors in her outfits that she looked like a rainbow of ice cream flavors, and her hair was as wild and crazy as the colors in her outfits. Like the cherry on top of a sundae, she wore a red barrette around the top of her head. In fact, everyone on the bus was a cross-section of this demographic.

As soon as the bus arrived, I bid farewell to everyone and got settled in for a nine-hour journey. A window seat at the top of this double-decker bus panned out for me, so I'm grateful for the good fortune.

What a surprise, a vanilla ice cream cone sat right next to me at the table. We spoke as we waited for the bus to go; she seemed to be pleasant.

It wasn't long until everyone shut down their overhead lights and sought to find their way out of the building.

A place where one can rest for a bit. Playing games on my cell phone, checking Facebook and just staring out the window till we arrived at our destination kept me awake. At some point during the next four hours, the trucker decided to rest at a truck stop. Everyone on the bus was startled when the air brakes sounded and the twenty-foot-tall people-mover came to a halt. Fortunately, vanilla ice cream awoke as well, and we were able to resume our conversation as we made our way to the truck stop for a bathroom break and a snack.

When we arrived, we were finally able to introduce ourselves to her; her name was Sarah. Casey. She appeared completely awestruck by the sight of a truck stop. Casey was fascinated with all of the trinkets for sale. The establishment had that truck stop smell too, that dirty guy smell mixed with a just-showered man, diesel fuel and a mix of several air fresheners and whichever fast food joint that happened to be linked to give drivers choice.

Casey managed to unearth every last trinket! She came across a variety of items, including bells, magnets, spoons, and tee-shirts.

This prominently displayed the state of Indiana as the place we were visiting. For her parents back in Tennessee, she had to purchase them gifts. A suitcase full of trinkets and a beaming declaration, "My folks love knickknacks," were all she had when she finally boarded the bus just as it was about to leave.

As soon as the truck rolled away from its rest break, you could clearly hear the engine rev and the vibrations of the tires on the road.

When the sound of the tires on the road vibrated my eardrums for a few hours, the next thing I recall was the driver announcing,

"About thirty-five minutes from now, we'll be pulling into Union Station in Chicago. Make a complete inventory of your belongings and make certain nothing is left behind on the bus. Megabus would like to thank you for your service."

In Chicago, where he currently lives, I couldn't resist the opportunity to meet him. I found my bag and brought it back.

Began searching for a subway after exiting the cargo area I was looking forward to this. I was nervous about riding the subway for the first time, so I asked a police officer for directions. He knew exactly which train to take and where to get off to reach the street where my rental car was waiting for me. I had been in this city for two hours when I eventually made it to my hotel. I was exhausted after spending all day on a bus.

I wanted nothing more than a shower, clean clothes, a bite to eat, and then the call at night.

As I rang and rang, I prayed he wouldn't answer and I'd get his voicemail so I could make this go on for as long as possible. In Tennessee, we had a wonderful time. After that, he was forced to relocate because of his job.

Chicago. As soon as he told me, I decided to give it a whirl nonetheless.

Rii...hello? He was the culprit.

In addition to discussing my vacation, we also discussed his work situation. What about our pals in the area?

Tennessee and the chatter in our building. It was just as I expected it to be. I enquired as to whether or not he would be able to make it that evening. He answered sure, which surprised me. This was not the case with him, as you can tell when talks aren't the same and someone isn't happy to see you anymore. This guy was clearly looking forward to seeing me.

He smelled like a man and arrived at six o'clock that evening. Woody perfume with a trace of sweat after a hard day's work in the woods So we went to Bob Evans next door and had supper after he inquired as to whether or not I had eaten. After supper, I had a feeling it was going to happen We could either put an end to it or keep it going, but could sense what was about to happen by his half-smile and distant eyes during our dinner. When I eventually asked, "So what are we going to do about this?" we talked more about our families and how our lives were going. His face had the expression of a toddler caught with their hands in the cookie jar before dinner.

He claimed that he ran across an old love from his time living in the city and that things went from bad to worse.

Were Making Progress In spite of the fact that it felt like a strong punch to the face, like when I rebutted my own arguments,

As a child, I wasn't astonished by my parents' behavior. We lingered there for at least another hour, chatting about the weather in the mountains and in Tennessee, among other things. It was ten o'clock at that point in the day.

Before saying goodbye, we kissed and hugged for a little longer than we needed to because I was going to be a tourist in Chicago for the remainder of my vacation.

I spent the next two days shopping, visiting landmarks, and relaxing. After another lengthy bus voyage home, I arrived at my son's house on Monday, where he was waiting for me, as well as the man I had met through friends before I left who had promised to wait for me when I returned.

Some people's lives hinge on finding resolution. It's in mine, too. The city of Chicago was well-known to me, and had been made for each other, yet I was aware that the moment he moved, it was over for us. That door had to be shut behind me. So that I might begin the new chapter with the man who served me. The man I've come to call my mate.