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27
LEARN THAT LESSON
They’d made good time and were checking into their hotel on Staten Island a little after four.
They got their keycard and went to their room and dropped their bags on the bed.
“This is nice,” he said. “I didn’t think they’d have a little kitchen area.”
“It wasn’t planned,” she said. “I just picked a hotel and booked it from what was available. But at least we can get coffee in the morning without leaving the room. They do have a continental breakfast downstairs if we want it.”
“I’m more interested in dinner,” he said.
He wasn’t sure how he’d feel coming back to Staten Island after so many years.
That first year while he visited had been rough. He hadn’t contacted any of his friends knowing they’d moved on. They probably wouldn’t even remember him. It’s not like he was close to anyone.
He just sat in his old childhood bedroom and watched TV or played video games. His father hadn’t offered for them to go out and do much even though his father had the same holiday break off.
The following summer his father had moved to New Haven and Knox didn’t spend as much time there due to the move and getting settled. That summer had been torture staying with his mother and all the fighting that went on with Zach.
“I know a couple of places. It’s early enough that I don’t think it’d be that busy,” she said.
“Let’s go,” he said. “I remember the way to streets but not places.”
“Having any horrible flashbacks?” she asked. “I should have thought of that and sorry I didn’t.”
“First off,” he said, squinting one eye at her, “it’s life. And second of all, I’m not going to say I’ll never go somewhere again because there were bad memories. It’s not Staten Island’s problem that my parents had a shitty marriage.”
“Good point,” she said, laughing.
“What about you? Do you miss this?”
“No,” she said. “Is that horrible of me to say?”
“Not at all,” he said.
“I miss my family, but even when I lived here I didn’t see them much. I was in the City half the time or spending time in the car and traveling back and forth. I can’t tell you how nice it is to get to work in ten minutes rather than over an hour, on a good day.”
“Did you drive over the bridge and get the subway in the rest of the way?”
“Yes. Parking was an issue where I worked so even if I wanted to drive, I’d be parking far enough away I’d have to get a lift there one way or another. Might as well take the subway in and walk the rest of the way.”
He did a little shiver. “I don’t miss any of that either.”
It’s not as if they’d gone into the City often when he lived here. His father had been a professor at Wagner right on the island. His mother had worked for a business not that far away. He couldn’t even remember what she did back then or did now. She worked in an office and might be some office manager or something.
He didn’t care. She supported herself or found men to help out.
“I have to admit it’s nice driving in calmer areas with less traffic. There isn’t as much around to do, but I don’t miss that either,” she said.
They climbed into her SUV and she told him where to go.
It wasn’t long to get to the restaurant and park.
“At least it’s not going to snow for the next several days,” he said. “I’m glad a lot of the snow is gone too.”
“Let’s hope we don’t get another one of those storms for a long time. It’s only every few years, but this was the year of it.”
