It was almost noon. Thick fog made it still feel like early morning to J. When he had first climbed on deck 30 minutes earlier, a sigh escaped as he imagined what it would've been like to have just flown instead. Somebody squinting his eyes and pointing towards the thick fog had claimed that in just twenty minutes they would be docking. And yet J still couldn't see the skyscrapers. Or the coast.
J stood alone. Few feet from him was a girl around ten holding a paper cup. She kept trying to sip, but looked afraid to actually touch her lips to the hot drink. The man beside her who was holding a baby looked over and smiled at J.
"Hot cocoa. Jane got upset when she realized that we wouldn't get the view everyone talks about as we come in."
"Right?"
"So I had to get her at least a cocoa."
"I wish I had a coffee right now."
The man showed off his baby and said, "same here. But I guess we all have our hands full. Except for you, ain't that right Jane?"
"Daddy it's too hot."
"It'll cool down soon. Don't worry." The man looked over at J again. "So what brings you to Baztopia?"
"What brings anyone?"
The man smiled with deep squints in the side of eyes. He looked about in his late thirties and was handsome. The kind of wholesome handsome you knew drove a Volvo rather than the psychopathic kind that drove a BMW. The smile made J think about a friend from college. He had been one of the most optimistic people he'd ever known.
"I guess it's never a mystery why anyone shows up here right?"
A foghorn blared deeply through the most air. Little Jane stopped trying to sneak sips from her cocoa and looked up and shrieked. The baby in the man's chest started coo and the man rocked his baby a little more.
"Look dad! Look!"
"Ah there it is."
A crowd came over and suddenly the railing was packed and J was shoulder to shoulder with strangers.
"There it is honey. Do you know what that is?"
"It's a streak daddy."
"But who's streak is it?"
"President Baz."
"That's right."
"Will your streak ever be as big as his, daddy?"
"I don't know about that, honey. Maybe. I'm just happy for us to be here together."
Jane thought a little. Both small, gloved hands wrapped around the cup, but she was obviously no longer itching for the next sip of chocolate sludge.
"Daddy?"
"Yes?"
"Will I one day have a streak as big as that?" Jane's shoulders scrunched up high in excitement.
The man, Jane, and J looked over at the tall artifice that ascended over the fog.
"No." Jane's shoulders immediately slouched. "I think yours' will be even bigger."
J stood alone. Few feet from him was a girl around ten holding a paper cup. She kept trying to sip, but looked afraid to actually touch her lips to the hot drink. The man beside her who was holding a baby looked over and smiled at J.
"Hot cocoa. Jane got upset when she realized that we wouldn't get the view everyone talks about as we come in."
"Right?"
"So I had to get her at least a cocoa."
"I wish I had a coffee right now."
The man showed off his baby and said, "same here. But I guess we all have our hands full. Except for you, ain't that right Jane?"
"Daddy it's too hot."
"It'll cool down soon. Don't worry." The man looked over at J again. "So what brings you to Baztopia?"
"What brings anyone?"
The man smiled with deep squints in the side of eyes. He looked about in his late thirties and was handsome. The kind of wholesome handsome you knew drove a Volvo rather than the psychopathic kind that drove a BMW. The smile made J think about a friend from college. He had been one of the most optimistic people he'd ever known.
"I guess it's never a mystery why anyone shows up here right?"
A foghorn blared deeply through the most air. Little Jane stopped trying to sneak sips from her cocoa and looked up and shrieked. The baby in the man's chest started coo and the man rocked his baby a little more.
"Look dad! Look!"
"Ah there it is."
A crowd came over and suddenly the railing was packed and J was shoulder to shoulder with strangers.
"There it is honey. Do you know what that is?"
"It's a streak daddy."
"But who's streak is it?"
"President Baz."
"That's right."
"Will your streak ever be as big as his, daddy?"
"I don't know about that, honey. Maybe. I'm just happy for us to be here together."
Jane thought a little. Both small, gloved hands wrapped around the cup, but she was obviously no longer itching for the next sip of chocolate sludge.
"Daddy?"
"Yes?"
"Will I one day have a streak as big as that?" Jane's shoulders scrunched up high in excitement.
The man, Jane, and J looked over at the tall artifice that ascended over the fog.
"No." Jane's shoulders immediately slouched. "I think yours' will be even bigger."
