She walked out of the hospital in an early rainy morning in New York. Her last day of duty at work has finally come to an end, and she was more than ready to start her journey in Illinois.
After announcing that she’ll be busy packing her things on her first day as an unemployed woman, and for the other remaining four days in the city, her colleagues had set up a surprise farewell party for her. The shift was benign, thankfully, and they spent their free time joking around, and reminiscing the times they spent together.
She fished out the polaroid photos she has with her workmates, one shot during the surprise half an hour before last night’s endorsement started, the second before this morning’s endorsement, and the third shot minutes before she pressed the pad of her thumb to the hospital’s bio-metric for the final time.
Sentiment began to wash over her as she looked over each friendly face that had kept her company over the years she spent there, and the realization that it was already the last time they’d be together as workmates sat heavily on her chest.
This is really it, she thought, and she carefully placed the pictures back inside the card they gave to her. She took a deep breath and began to walk to the subway back to her apartment.
It was past four in the morning when the first plane rolled down the runway. The sky was pouring rain by buckets last night, so flights were delayed since.
He didn’t mind, though. He was extremely hyped that he’s finally about to start living out his dream of travelling with no one stopping him.
It was going to be a long jump for him, being a Californian who can’t remember being anywhere else but his home state, and Missouri, where he spent the first thirteen years of his life. His parents, all protective because of a terrible accident that changed their lives when he was still a teenager, had finally gave in to his wishes.
And now he’s making his way to Chicago.
She hit the sack as soon as she arrived at her Manhattan flat, and woke up before the sun shone bright directly above the city. The rain had stopped, and her stomach was already grumbling.
She took a quick shower and went out to grab something to eat. On the way back, sandwich and soda on hand, she decided to sit back in the park for a while.
As she watched other people happily roaming around with their families, she couldn’t help thinking about hers back in Seattle. She already missed them, although it had only been 3 weeks since she had returned from her seven-day-long vacation.
She had always been close to her family. She never had any close friends while growing up.
Except for one she had when they lived in Missouri for the entirety of her middle school years, but their communication stopped after his family relocated to San Diego, and hers moved to Washington. She tried to look him up online multiple times ever since she got a phone, but there weren’t any profiles that matched him.
He’d been the kindest person she had ever met, her partner-in-crime, her best friend. Might be her first love, too. It has always been the two of them against the rest of the world. And there were endless streams of tears and snot when they said goodbye to each other.
And still, she hasn’t given up on finding him.
The day before his flight, he finally made the decision to buy his very first smart phone. He wasn’t very fond of up-to-date devices, and was very used to his old phone that had a keypad, and a low-quality camera. But when he saw that having a portable gadget the size of a notepad that has a map, along with multiple other uses, was more logical than getting lost in an unfamiliar place and endlessly asking strangers for directions, he was sold.
It didn’t take him long to discover its features. The only thing that he didn’t sign up to was the social media platform, as he thought that it wasn’t worth it enough. Keeping quiet about what he was up to has always been his thing.
He immediately used the camera once he got out of the airport. It was the first day of snow in Illinois, and he was there to capture it. He sent a picture of himself to his parents, all well and happy, and hailed a cab to his hotel, which was near the Burnham Park.
It was past eleven when he got in his room, and he began to long for real food, and he never had a proper meal for eighteen hours already. He looked up nearby restaurants on his phone and set off.
Finally, he set foot in a pizzeria after some time walking, and ordered white pizza, an old’s friend’s favorite that she introduced him in sixth grade. She was the only best friend he had when he was younger, and he was still confused as to why they lost contact. They sent each other letters, but one day it just stopped.
I wonder where she is now, he pondered as he waited for his food by the window. He opened his wallet again and took out his picture with his friend from behind his family’s photo. They were only fourteen back then, the day before they said goodbye.
He stared at his friend’s face for a long time, studying her features, and grinning back at her smile that he found so endearing that it hurt him to remember that it’s been decade since they last saw each other.
He missed her dearly, and he loved her so. He still did.
And he hoped that someday, they’ll meet each other again.
Six o’clock.
She took the apartment key out of her pocket and set it on the dining table, where her old roommate will find it. They had already bid farewell last night before she went off to her night shift, and would be coming home late to buy groceries.
After five days of arranging her things, and sending out the majority of her things first to Chicago, she looked around the place she used to call her home for almost two years, and closed the door behind her.
Her cab was already there when she got out of the building, and the travel to the airport only took half an hour. She boarded the plane at nine in the morning, and arrived in the state three hours later. She ordered for a cab online as snow fell on her, and got to her hotel where she was staying overnight before going to her new flat. With jet lag exhausting her, she went to bed at midday, and woke up hours later, the sun almost setting.
The past five days had been gratifying for him. He spent the first three days visiting known locations in town, and the remaining two discovering smaller spots on his own by roaming around. He went to eat breakfast and lunch outdoors as much as he can, and stopover at unknown restaurant by dinner.
His parents called him every day, too, before he went to sleep. Worried sick that he might’ve gotten himself into trouble, he reassured them that he was completely fine, and if anything happens, they’ll be the first to know. Not that he had anyone else apart from them that he can share his problems with.
His family sent him a message early morning on the fifth day that they were going on a spontaneous trip to Washington that same day to take a break as well. He somehow felt that his parents might already start to understand why he wanted travel by himself, too. He wished them a safe trip before preparing for the day.
On his sixth day, he was back in his hotel at half past two in the afternoon to take a short nap, and was awaken two hours later by his parents and younger brother calling him. It lasted only five minutes, because his brother had been pushing their parents to let him ride the Ferris wheel. He stood from his bed and got ready for dinner. He looked at his wallet to check his cash, and caught a glimpse of his picture with his friend.
It was just five days ago when he has last eaten white pizza, but something told me that he’ll be having one that night. After some time trying to find other fast food stalls online, he finally set his mind on going back to the pizzeria.
Upon waking up, she looked at her phone and saw that her phone has been bombarded with missed calls from her parents and siblings. She immediately hit the call button, and as soon as their faces showed up on the screen, she apologized and told them that she fell asleep in the hotel. Relieved, they started sharing stories about what happened for the past week.
It was their weekly routine. They’d have a talk at the end of the week and tell everything. It gave her comfort to know that they were doing good, and also made her feel a little homesick. Fifteen minutes into the call, her mother brought up something she was surprised to hear.
“Do you still remember the boy you’re best friends with during middle school.”
“Yes. Why?”
“We saw his family yesterday at the mall.”
She caught her breath.
“But he wasn’t there.”
Her heart sank.
“But his parents said that he’s currently in Chicago right now.”
Her pulse began to beat faster.
“They said that he’s staying at a hotel near a park.”
Her hotel was located near the Burnham Park. Perhaps-
“Oh, no,” her mother groaned. “Sorry, sweetie. I have to end the call right there. Your little sister had an accident again.
“No worries. Talk to you soon?”
“Yes, darling. Love you.”
“Love you, too.”
She ended the call, and she felt different emotions going through her at the same time.
Is he here in this hotel? she pondered. I can ask the receptionist. But what if he doesn’t remember me at all? What if he hates me for not keeping in touch with him.
She shook her head, wiping away the thoughts from her mind. You’re just hungry. You just need something to eat.
The sun was almost gone when she rose from the bed, resolute that she was only anxious because she hasn’t eaten anything the whole day. She took her coat and shoes and put them on, ready to go out for dinner.
There was barely any sunlight left when he placed his wallet and phone in his pocket. Hopefully, the pizzeria isn’t full at this time.
He went out of his hotel room, locking the door, almost the same time that the door opposite his being opened and closed. As he turned around, he bumped into someone, who dropped their phone.
“Oh, god, I’m so sorry,” he said, and immediately bent down to pick it up and examine the screen. “Thank heavens the hallway’s carpeted.”
He held the phone out for the person to take it. He looked up, and had a good look at the person’s face. His jaw dropped, and eyebrows rose, imitating the surprised look on the woman’s face.
The face he had only seen in the photograph tucked away in his pocket for the past ten years.
There was silence, mixed emotions radiating from both of them. A moment passed before the only remaining thing he can feel was elation. He swallowed the lump in his throat.
“Hi,” he whispered breathily, only loud enough that she could hear it.
Her eyes welled, and her mouth slowly formed into the smile he was so fond of.
“Hi,” she said, and tears began to flow down her cheeks.
I just need to know that you’re safe
Given that I’m miles away
On the first flight
Back to your side
I don’t care how long it takes
I know you’ll be worth the wait
On the first flight
Back to your side
03/2023 Note: So this is a songfic I wrote more than 2 years ago after the first few times I listened to Location Unknown by Honne. It became a favorite of mine during those times and so I thought “Why not make a story from it?”
And so I did.
I chose to remove the lyrics in between scenes except for the last verse because I thought it was making it extra cheesy.
Anyway.
I hope I’ll be able to do another songfic again soon.
Goodbye for now!
Internal Monologues 