Page 31 of Mine for 24 Hella-Hours
We finish showering after he scrubs my entire body anew.
He demands I wear his oversized black t-shirt with the caption,THE DEVIL, and I oblige in a heartbeat.
Dylan
Thehighmymind,soul, and body are at starts to decrease while Luka provides me proper aftercare.
I slouch into the yellow, L-couch in the living room space. He hands me a mug of hot cocoa with floating marshmallows on top and sinks next to me. Grabs my legs, props them on his lap, and starts massaging my feet.
“Oh yeah.” Feet massage is the best massage. My sore feet know it from being on them most hours of the day. Every day.
“Feels good, right?” He grins widely, playing with the corner of his lip between his teeth. His damp hair slicked backward and a few wisps drop elegantly to his forehead.
“Definitely.”
“How are you feeling?” I hear the concern in his voice. Creases are forming at the edges of his eyes from squinting at me.
“Amazing! Thanks for asking.” The satisfied sigh he exhales comes in a straight whip to my heart. “This place is a stark difference from the lower levels,” I comment on the apartment, distracting myself from other subjects.
“I wanted it to have the energy my parents’ house had. The home I grew up in.”His face drops at the mention of his parents but he quickly wipes it away.
“What—“
“They—“
We speak at the same time and stop ourselves, giggling in unison.
“You go first,” I suggest, sipping the warm sweet cocoa and sliding a melting marshmallow onto my tongue—white fluff of marvel.
“My parents saved this place from being tarnished. I was born in Melbourne, Australia. Left when I was seven and grew up in New York City with the brick buildings, the fire escapes, and the crazy old lady from the neighboring building. Needless to say, she inspired some pieces of my work.” His gorgeous laughter emits from his throat.
I love the fact he shares this with me and I don’t want to intrude. “What happened? If you don’t mind me asking.”
“Not at all. I love talking about them. It makes me feel intact, closer to them.” He assures with a small smile.
“They went on vacation, never came back. Ski accident.” He clears his voice, applying more pressure to his working hands as he soothes my feet.
This cavernous urge within me tells me he needs this right now. Maybe I’m wrong. Yet he doesn’t stop me either. “What were they like?”
“Loving, supportive, visionary.” He contemplates to himself, “More than anything… simple.”
“Sounds like a great place to grow up,” I comment.
I feel the need to hold him but I don’t want to ruin the moment so I stay quiet. Listening to his stories.
“They would just wake me one morning and tell me to get up, we’re going on a trip. I would normally get confused. We didn’t have a plan or anything.” He recalls. “My mum often said,you don’t always need a plan, just choose a direction and see where it leads ya’.”
That’s the best advice any parent can give. Instead of shackling their kids with fear of the unknown. You’re opening them up to the possibilities of an outside world. The world will never be perfect but we only get to be in it once and if you don’t live in it, aren’t you just existing?
“I love that,” I respond in a whisper, letting the smile on my face say the rest.
“I traveled for a year and a half after graduation. Went back home to Australia to visit my grannie.” He breaks eye contact with me for a split second. “They died eight years ago when I was on my trip.”
I see the longing in his eyes even when he smiles as he reminisces about their shared memories and it squeezes at my heart. He loved them. Still does. The void is still there but he doesn’t let it bring him down, he lets it wash him anew.
I wish I had his strength and resilience. Losing both parents at the same time only at the age of twenty when your life is just starting out. Figuring out everything without their guidance. Love. Or support.
I’m sure they’re proud of the man he became wherever they may be. Luka manifested himself to be the man he is. A business owner. An artist. A dominant persona in and out of his daily life. He’s a man to look up to. Rely on. Grow with. Anyone will be blind not to see it.
