Note: Despite my best intention's, instead of getting one of the two new series I'm working on done, or even the next chapter of Pen, which is on Hiatus by the way, done, I did not. Instead I cranked out a sappy one shot. Enjoy. Special thanks to my awesome Beta reader, boyzaremylife, for editing this.
Vienna
"When will you realize, Vienna wait's for you?"- Billy Joel, Vienna
The perfect word to describe Joe had always been impulsive. Iola preferred to say he was a 'spur of the moment' type of guy. That was probably because Iola was madly in love with Joe, but I'm going to ignore that detail. Instead, I'm going to show you a story that proves the adjective's used above.
It was a rainy Saturday night in New York City, and Iola Morton was currently curled up on the sofa in the apartment building she shared with four others.
At 9389 Cherry Blossom Street, lived Callie Shaw, Frank Hardy, Joe Hardy, Chet Morton, and Iola Morton. The college sophomores and freshmen opted to get an apartment near campus, rather than live in a dorm. The apartment was small, but had high ceilings. Filled with pictures and large windows, sunny colors and funky decorations, it felt like home. But for some reason, at 11:45 on a Wednesday night, Iola couldn't bring herself to go to sleep. Instead, she was lounging on the sofa, reading her latest novel, Twilight, while listening to the radio play softly.
"Slow down, you crazy child."
Iola always had a soft spot for Billy Joel. Anyways, so here Iola sat, reading an epic love story about a Vampire and a Human, thinking that at this very moment in time, she should be somewhere else, doing something bigger. Hence the song. Iola then heard the soft creek of one of the bedroom doors.
"When will you realize, Vienna wait's for you?"
"Shoot, sorry, did I wake you?" Iola said over her shoulder to her long time boyfriend, Joe Hardy. Joe just shook his head, and walked across the hardwood floor.
"Hard to wake someone who isn't sleeping there, Iola dearest. Feeling dreamy, tonight, are we?" said Joe as he looked over at the stereo.
Iola shrugged. "Not sure. Just…yeah," she finished lamely as she slipped a bookmark in her book and sighed. Joe plopped down along side her and started singing along with the radio softly.
"And you know
that when the truth is told,
That you can get what you want,
Or
you can just get old.
You're gonna kick off before you even get
halfway through.
Why don't you realize...Vienna waits for
you.
When will you realize...Vienna waits for you."
Joe finished softly. He couldn't sing; there was no doubt about that. But Iola found the words better sung than any American Idol out there. With truth, knowledge, and happiness. Or maybe it was that over looked detail again. Who knew?
Joe then slowly brought his arm around Iola's shoulder. The two sat in silence for a moment or two, listening to the soft rain hit the windows. The song then started over again, having been on repeat. Suddenly, like the climax on a crime show, Joe burst out with, "Let's go to Washington."
Iola's head suddenly turned to Joe, so fast that it wouldn't surprise her if she got whiplash, and said, "Like, Washington D.C.?"
Joe nodded. "It's quite spectacular at night, and really, have you ever been there besides our class trip in eighth grade?"
Iola just dumbly shook her head, wondering where on god's green earth had this suggestion come from.
"But, Joe, we've got school tomorrow evening, and where, Callie-"
Joe suddenly put his hand up, and Iola felt compelled to stop and let him talk.
"Iola, life is pretty darn short. It seems like just yesterday we were graduating from high school, with a never ending summer ahead of us. Life slips away fast. It's like the song. You can get what you want, or you can just get old. So let's throw caution into the wind, just this once, and let's haul out of here and do something a little crazy, because were young, and were supposed to be crazy."
"You can't be old and smart without having been young and crazy," Iola mumbled, remembering the words her grandmother had carved into her mind. Joe nodded, took her right hand, and pulled her off of the sofa.
"So, grab your
book, grab that CD, and let's go. I'll leave a note."
And so
Iola did. She grabbed her two belongings and Joe scribbled a note.
We're off to Vienna. Be back soon.
-Joe and Iola
"When will you realize, Vienna wait's for you?"
"Iola, Iola, we're here!"
Several hours later, Iola Morton sat up in Joe's ford truck and rolled her shoulders, attempting to shake the sleep from her body.
"What?"
Joe smiled as he turned off the car, and gestured his hands forward.
"Meet the Word War II Memorial, at night."
Iola looked forward to see the fountain aglow, and the monument standing in all its glory.
"It's pretty," Iola murmured, not sure if she was talking about the starry night sky, the monument, or Joe.
"That it is, my love. Now let's go see it," said Joe, and he climbed out of the car, walked around the to passenger door, opened the door, and took a bow. "After you, my lady."
Iola smiled and shook her head as she sleepily hopped out of the car. Joe then stood straight up and grabbed her hand, pulling her towards the monument.
"But, Joe, where are we going?" whispered Iola, not knowing why she was whispering.
Joe looked back at her and grinned. "We're going to look at it, love."
Iola then attempted to dig her heels into the soft early summer ground.
"But, wait, we, what about the guards?" she managed to stutter out, shock taking over her body.
Joe shrugged. "Throwing cautions into the wind, getting what we want rather than getting old, remember? Besides, wouldn't it be hysterical to call Frank at four in the morning and say we got thrown in jail for going to a national monument in D.C.? Just come on!" said Joe slightly anxiously as he picked up speed. The two then reached the oval monument, looking around. Joe then slowly led Iola to a spot near the fountain and sat down.
"You know, when Frank and I were here with our parents' a couple years ago, we just sat down here, lay here, and stared at the sky and the water for hours."
Iola smiled as she gazed outward towards the fountain. "Oh, how very deep of you two."
Joe shook his head. "Yeah, make fun of us. It was amazing though. Just sitting here, chatting. Nothing was kept secret. It's those little moments, stone's in time, that make a life, you know? Not the college you go to, or the grades you get, but the moments that make you feel…indefinite."
Iola nodded. "I know what you mean. A couple years ago, when my family went to Myrtle Beach, we stayed at a resort. And my mom, my mom's friend, Callie, and of course myself went prowling the resort at night. At the edge where the grass met the beach, there was a swing. The four of us sat there forever, talking about tomorrow, coupons, and everything. There were no deep confessions or conversations. But, sitting there, the ocean smell, the waves…it was something else."
The two then sat in silence, or, excuse me for being cliché, what could have been hours or minutes. Joe then suddenly pulled his MP3 from his pocket, hit a song, and turned the volume up as loud as it would go. The soft sound of piano suddenly filled the air. Joe got to his feet and, once more, for the second time in twenty-four hours, held out his hand.
"May I have this dance?"
Iola normally would have objected, saying it was disrespectful, 'bad', or jail worthy. But the words from the song that was currently playing came back to haunt her, and the words were out of her mouth before she could stop herself.
"Yes."
"Slow down, you crazy child."
Joe held Iola carefully, attentively, in his arms with her head resting upon his chest. Iola then said, "You know, when he says 'Vienna waits for you', I used to think he was saying, 'the end'. But, the thing is, both are true. This may seen stupid, or unrealistic, but I think you die, when you are meant to. Whether it's to change somebody else, or because you have done all you have meant to in this messed up world, the end waits for you. Call me crazy, but…"
Joe simply held her closer and smiled. "Well, if you're crazy, I'm crazy too because that makes a heck of a lot of sense to me, too."
"Vienna waits for you…"
And at that same exact time, less then 30 meters away, stood Alan Kimmel, forty years old, and guard for the World War II monument. He stood, leaning against a tree, smiling on the young couple.
I really need to go yell at them…but they remind me so much of me and Trisha…when their song ends.
And Alan Kimmel turned and walked away, the thought of his one true love dancing with him on the Lincoln Memorial in his head.
"When will you realize…Vienna waits for you."