Author: BakanoHealthy/HealthyKim
Genre: Oneshot-General, Slice of Life, Bromance, Family, Kid
Characters: America (Alfred F. Jones-Al) and Canada (Matthew Williams-Matt)
Disclaimer: Hetalia and its characters belong to Himaruya Hidekaz. The story belongs to Healthy
Rating: K.
-People we meet on our path-
It's weird how the evening passed by with much disconsolate atmosphere and yet morning lights come adding such bright and happy accent to the town.
The path led to the old train station from their home is an old small trail. Their father used to tell them that path was there since the twentieth man of their grand grand father colony stepped on the golden meadow to the place they've left behind. Al didn't hear it probably; he was too busy playing with his new straw model he somehow figured out, and, his words are much too complicated and structured for such a kid to understand. However Matt was listening, trailed to every word his father said. He loved old tales and much like his brother, good songs.
And Matt could bet on his hat that Al don't really care about the path their family were walking: the sky were blue, and the falcons- which are scarcely seen, were gliding above their heads.
''Hey Matt, lie here!'' Al called from the cabin's floor, ''I can see the sun from here.''
''Firstly, I can still see the sun from here.'' Matt sighed. ''Secondly, you'll get sick lying like that.''
''Geez, chill out Matt.''
Matt-the younger one of the twin-sighed again and gazed down, eyes glued on the dried out branches which are twisted in some weird position on the golden grassy field. One of the falcons was landing on a tree branch which stuck out, pointing to the path, earning some small creaking noises.
Although no words were spoken, but in some-magical-way-of-a-regular-twin, Al and Matt knew the other would feel somehow lost. Not that their family is not the happy one, no, and yet they could sensed the sadness in the other's eyes. But because Matt is too busy thinking about life and stuff like that, and Al always smile and let it go- pretty much an easy-going kind of person, so they both shared the thoughts, yep, this is definitely fine.
Truth to said, Al could bet on his pride that Matt cried his eyes out last night. And Matt is sure that Al would deliberately oversleep and stubbornly stay in his bed until they miss the train. And surprisingly, morning came with a bright-eyed Matt and a completely awaked Al.
A pregnant silence between the two, and Al rolled on the floor laughing, while Matt gently patted his shoulder, it's time to go.
And yes, they thought, it will be alright.
The truck tripped over something real hard, bounced vigorously, making Matt staggered and Al's eyes tightly shut. Normally they would be screaming and laughing their heads off, but Al knew Matt is not in the mood today, and he himself was getting ill. He stood up, balanced himself with his hands on the floor, and stayed the position.
''I don't like the Mississippi river that much.'' Matt said all out of sudden. Al raised his brows, and turned.
''What?''
''I don't like the Mississippi river that much. But I like the meadow.''
''Is that so?'' Al gave him a toothy smile with the barely-above-a-whisper lines Matt has made. ''I like the meadow too. A lot of fun to play. Hey remember when we had a battle in the meadow in front of our house?''
''You just remember that cause you've won.'' Matt rolled his eyes, muttered to himself. Al didn't care though.
''I drew this flag. Nice huh? You drew it well, but this is my first time… Haizz, I hung a biggggg pretty flag on the tree that day. I was planning on building a tree house, but then the storm last month devastated it to pieces. Man, don't forget the straw house we made, we sat there for hours and dad brought us home with a scolding shower.
''It's right though, we sat there til 8, late for dinner…''
''It's fun, no? If I had my own house I would build a big one like that. But the river still has its good: we can go fishing, or maybe taking a swimming lesson, or make a huge pirate ship…''
''But I don't have anyone to play with.''
''Geez there are tons of kids there. You'll make some friends. Maybe you'll be the Captain!''
''I don't want to be the Captain. I don't like the river. Especially the Mississippi. If you were there, I wouldn't be worried.''
''Yeah, if we stayed the same place, wherever we go, we would be legendary.''
The truck bounced, Al's sentence was halfway spoken, slipped off the truck and flied away. Matt suddenly found the humor in that strange shattering noise and gave a faint smile.
''Hey Matt,'' Al said, ''you like staying with dad or mom?''
The twin was conscious not to bring that topic up in the last 3 days since the jury's final judgment, but Al really enjoys living with dad. Truth to be told, he knows that Matt is more docile, and only Matt could endure his long everlasting stories, so logically he's the one who's supposed to be with dad. But the jury said it would be better if the bigger one stays with the father, and the smaller one stays with the mother, even though Matt is only a minute and a half younger than Al, but still Al had to follow dad all the way to the South.
''I like dad.'' Matt admitted. ''He told better stories.''
''See right… I enjoy staying with mom though…''
''But dad has to work a lot, with tons of works, it would be better if you're with him.''
''But if there was only me he wouldn't tell me stories.''
''That's a wasted…but what else could we do.''
They sighed. Matt turned to look at Al, surprised, but Al didn't care.
The path is starting to be flat. The dried out tree trunks on either sides of the road shone beautifully under the warm golden sunlight, shed to their faces, making them to close their eyes.
''Hey they both have telephones, right?'' Al said all out of the blue, Matt startled. ''That would be easy. Every time dad tells me a story, I would call you and you could hear it too!''
''That's a good idea!'' Matt smiled.
''That's no big deal, if you could hear all the stories for me…''
''I like stories, if we had a chance, we should go camping deep in the woods and I'll tell you the tale of the KooHa bear and the Indians…''
''You must be better than dad at story-telling.''
''Yeah I guess.''
''And me, I would sing a song so loud that even the other side of the woods can hear it!''
''It's the song 'The man in the wood'?'' Matt inquisitively asked. Al shook his head, smiled brightly.
''Nope. I heard this song when some friends of dad came for a drink.''
''Sing it!''
''I don't really remember it, but I would after a long time practicing since now!''
''I'll sing too so I want to know the song!''
''Okay then I'll sing.''
The back wheels shot some cobbles back to the path with a calming manner. Again those sounds, so peaceful yet so tempting, but Matt heard them more clearly than the last time when Al was cut off. Al laid on the cabin's floor again, the carton boxes which are neatly kept in the corner were shaking vigorously above his head, not that he cared though.
''The long everlasting path, across the massive meadow,'' the lad sang. Strangely the song doesn't seem to be the song he has heard that day, at least in his memories. ''Clear tranquil sky, birds gliding in the sunlight. The journey of mine, here to change its path, to isolated land, with no fiend or friend.''
Matt turned to Al, his eyes half-closed behind the round spectacles. Al guessed it was the sun: it was getting brighter. Like the last Thursday afternoon, when dad left and Matt secretly followed.
''I continued the road, don't know where I'll go, maybe go so long, to an everlasting place.'' The lad continued to sing. The song started to sound like the one the colony would sing; making it more engaging, some how excited the two. ''The road keep on growing, I pumped into a guy. Turned his face up to mine, he brightly happily smiled.''
Now Al can't remember the lyrics. He was about to sit up and tell Matt he has forgot, but Matt sang, his voice was a bit above a whisper.
''Then he asked, 'you're from Jorrhank?''
''Do I know you to be frank?'' Al continued, smiled. It was obvious Matt was making the lines.
''We shared a homeland.''
''I smiled, 'nice to meet you!'''
''Then, my friend, shall go get a drink?''
''See your comrade, smiled and threw your hand round their shoulders,'' Al sang along a line he remembered, ''See your companion, nodded your head and shook the hand.''
''See your lover, danced a lot and kissed along; meet your foe, stand straight from head to toe and head for a good fight.''
''And if met a brother on some wee unfamiliar path…''
Matt sighed, gazed up the cabin's ceiling. ''…held them tight, thanked them right…''
''Then squeezed their hand, never let them go…''
''But released the hand and mouthed a goodbye.''
''Don't you cry, because we're fine, brothers to be met…''
The two sang softly. The sunlight shone brightly on their golden hair, blasted to their faces but their eyes were closed, trying to hold the tears urging to pour down.
''again.''
A soft bounce, and the truck turned to the highway.