Forever Family
The bar was a small one, tucked in the corner of a historic building right in the center of town. Of course town consisted of one main street and about a half dozen historical buildings, with a few newer additions along the edges.
There were only two main bars in the town and the other was a family friendly one which was usually closed by ten. This little hole in the wall stayed open until two, sometimes a little later, and occasionally had it's own live music.
Most of its customers were farmers, in from a day working in the fields, but there were others as well. A few business people wandered in after a long day of paperwork, cashiers and clerks ready to complain about their lot in life, as well as some factory workers from the auto plant up the road. They were all regulars as not many strangers roamed their small town, and there was usually a roar of greetings as the next entered to drink their sorrows away.
Nothing interesting ever happened around these parts and probably nothing would. It was just a sleepy little town, with it's small bar, and the people who enjoyed the company after a hard day's work.
It was a Saturday evening, nearing on nine o'clock when the old man walked through the door. He was in his fifties, not quite old enough to retire, but dreams about it every day. Those that were already there greeted him with a smile and a wave as he made his way to the bar and sat down.
"Whiskey, on the rocks." His voice rasped a little as he scratched at his evening stubbled.
The glass was on the bar in front of him before he had even finished his order. "You've been ordering the same thing for the past ten years."
"Anything wrong with that?"
"No. Just wondering why you even bother to order. I'll have it for you like I do every day."
The old man looked up and smiled at the barkeeper, a young man with red hair and a tired smile on his face. "And it saddens me that you're still here ten years later. Wasn't this supposed to just be a temporary measure?"
The barkeeper gave a little shrug as he turned toward the waitress that had walked up with some orders for him.
"Is there anything cooking in the kitchen tonight?"
"Just the usual, you hungry?" The barkeeper had just handed over three bottles of beers for a table in the back. "I can fix you a sandwich real quick."
"Nah, that's okay."
"Dad, I don't mind. You do need to eat more, you know." The man leaned on the bar in front of the old man, his smile gone. "You spend too much time worrying about that company of yours. You need to take care of yourself or you're not going to make it to retirement."
"I don't need you telling me what I should and shouldn't do. But, if you're so worried about it, go a head and make me a sandwich. No guarantee I'll eat it though."
"If I can get anything down you, I'll be happy." The barkeeper tossed his dishtowel onto the bar and walked through the open doorway at the end.
There wasn't much noise in the bar yet, and the tinkling of the bell above the door caused the old man to turn and see who else had come for the night.
It was another young man, younger than the one behind the bar. He waved and greeted those he passed as he made his way to the piano that sat next to the bar. He set some music up on the stand and then turned to face the old man.
"How was work today?"
"Same as always, beg for money from one person so the I could pay the other person." he took a sip of his Whisky and nodded for the young man to sit down. "How about you?"
"Two weddings, went well enough."
"Hey, Virg." The barkeeper was back, a plate in hand with a simple ham sandwich on top. He laid it in front of his father as he reached into the cooler and pulled out a bottle for his brother. "Cola?"
"Of course. Someone's gotta drive these guys home tonight." Virgil was smiling as he reached over and patted his father on the back. He was joking, at least mostly. It wasn't everyday he had to play designated driver, but it did happen on occasion. "Where's Scott?"
"Just taking care of some last minute things at the office. He'll be here soon."
"Good. Alan's coming home this weekend, spring break." Virgil took a sip of his cola as he watched his father out of the corner of his eye.
Jeff sighed and slouched a little. "We were able to pay for this semester, not so sure about the next."
"At least we don't have to worry about tuition. Financial Aid and Scholarships helped with that."
"But his books, rent, transportation, food. It adds up." Virgil waved a hand at John and then pointed toward the ceiling. "Which is why you're here, and not up there."
"The situation was a little different when I wanted to go to MIT. Dad was making just enough that I couldn't get financial aid and thus would have had to pay tuition."
"So you got this job to help pay, and yet you're still here."
"Do we have to talk about this every night?"
"Dad doesn't provide for you anymore, you could get that financial aid now."
"I'd rather help Alan. He's young, has a lot of promise."
"You're still young, heck you're only twenty-seven."
"Alright, what about you?" John leaned on the bar, his face inches from Virgil's. "You had your eye on Denver didn't you? Why didn't you go to collage?"
"Enough." His voice wasn't loud, but it was enough to stop his sons from bickering.
"Sorry." John sighed and straightened up.
"Nah, I ask myself that." Virgil sighed as he turned the bottle around in his hands. "Sometimes I think of going. I could do classes during the day and weddings on the weekends and during breaks."
"You never mentioned that before?"
Virgil turns to look at the piano to avoid his father's eye and shrugs. "I guess, like John, I want to make sure Alan gets through school first."
"I appreciate you boys looking out for your brother, but you need to live your own lives as well."
"He's got two more years. Then he'll be able to get a good job and afford graduate school on his own. Then, I'll look into Denver."
"Two more years and you'll be as old as John."
"Still young, Dad. Don't make me into an old man yet." Virgil laughed as the bell behind them rang once again.
"You know, when a kid comes home from collage he shouldn't have to go to the local bar to find his family." Alan stood in the doorway, a duffle draped around his shoulders.
"Alan!"
"Allie!"
"Come here and give your father a hug!" Jeff had stood and held his arms out.
Alan obeyed and crossed the room waving to a few people as he did. He walked right into his father's arms and hugged him tightly. "Man I missed you guys." He looked up and around for a moment. "Where's Scott?"
"He's coming, don't worry." Virgil had pulled Alan into his own hug as John reached over and ruffled his hair.
"How about a beer, John?"
John leveled a gaze at him. "Alan, you're nineteen. Technically you shouldn't even be in here."
"I'm hoping you haven't been making a habit of drinking at school?" Jeff was back in his seat sipping on his own drink.
"Nah, too busy studying." Alan laughed as he accepted the bottle of cola John offered him instead. "I joined one of the teachers in his research. You know, years ago when they discovered that microwave thrust engine?"
"I do, they were hoping to use one on our trip to Mars, but that never happened."
"Well, he thinks he's figured out a way to make it strong enough to power rockets!"
"That's sounds amazing!" John's smile lit up at the news. "Any chance I can see some of that research?"
"Sure! I asked him if I could share it with you, figured a new perspective might help with a few issues we've come across."
"I'm glad to see you're enjoying school." His father patted him on the back a little.
"Oh yea, I've even applied for an astronaut training course. My adviser says I have a good chance of getting in."
"Oh. That's great." His father tried to sound happy, but the only thing in his mind were the dollar signs.
"Don't worry, he said that my financial aid would pay for it as well."
"We're proud of you squirt." Virgil couldn't help but ruffle his hair a little as well.
The bell over the door was starting to ring a bit more often and the group at the bar had started to ignore it as they talked. Even John was buys trying to split his attention between his family and the orders the waitress brought up to him.
Nobody noticed the young business man approach them. He leaned down so that he was closest to the youngest in the group. "Boo!"
Virgil and Alan jumped and spun around on their seats.
"Scott!" Alan jumped at his eldest brother and wrapped his arms around him in the tightest hug he could.
"Hey, squirt. How's school going?"
"Great! I was just telling them about the research I'm helping with."
"Research? That's awesome."
"Here, Scott, you can have my seat. Time for me to start playing." Virgil stood and took the few steps over to the piano to sit down.
Scott took the seat and the beer offered him. "So, tell me about this research of yours."
Alan watched his brother for a moment. "Why'd you quit?"
"What?" Scott blinked a few times and looked to John and his father for help, but they only shrugged.
"The Air Force. Why'd you quit?"
"Why this all of a sudden?" Scott tried to laugh it off. It wasn't something he particularly enjoyed talking about.
"I've been wondering for awhile now. I mean, you were good at it. You could have been a colonel like Dad! Why'd you quit?"
Scott sighed and glanced over Alan's head at his father.
Jeff just shrugged and stood, walking over to the piano to listen to Virgil
"Well, there were several reason." Scott started. He ran a hand through his hair as he thought. "One of the big ones was you guys. Dad was struggling and needed help."
"But the Air Force was your dream!"
"Alan." Scott laid a hand on the younger man's knee as he tried to organize his mind a little. "Sometimes dreams don't always play out like you hoped. I loved flying, I always will, but I just wasn't happy. I couldn't stop thinking about home and you lot."
"Oh." Alan lowered his head a little.
"Is that why you came home? To ask me that?"
"Partly." Alan let a small smile play on his face. "But I missed you guys as well."
"Missed you too." Scott ruffled his hair and then leaned his back on the bar.
They were silent for a bit, listening to Virgil's playing and the low mumble of the other patrons in the bar as they chatted about their day.
John refilled their drinks, Alan took a new one over to their father, and Scott joined him at the table as well. They chatted about things, Alan described his research to Scott who nodded and smiled though he wasn't at all sure what Alan was talking about. Virgil played some more and it was a normal lazy Saturday with the knowledge that tomorrow was a day of rest, and no responsibilities awaited them.
It was nearing midnight when the door opened and a stranger stood in the door. Only it wasn't a stranger so much as an unexpected guest.
"I've been sitting at the house for two hours waiting for someone to come home. I thought I'd surprise you, but instead I have to come hunt my family down."
"Gordon!"
"Gordo!" Alan was the first out of his seat and across the room.
"Hey, Allie! Didn't think I'd find you here? How's school?"
"I've talked enough about me. How are you! Why are you here? You didn't quite too did you!"
"Whoah, slow down. I'm on a month leave. Thought I'd come home to visit." Gordon was smiling, as he walked with Alan over to the table where the rest of his family sat.
His father stood and pulled him into a tight hug. "I was starting to wonder if I still had a son named Gordon. It's been much too long."
"Yeah, sorry. A year underwater, and then straight onto patrol. Haven't gotten more than a day or two off till now."
"It's good to see you Gords." Virgil had stopped to hug his brother.
"Uh, Virgil, mind letting me go?"
Virgil laughed as he lightly pushed him away. "Sorry, just missed you."
"So, what did you mean by too, Alan? You didn't quit school did you?"
"No! Never!" Alan held up his hands. "No, I was just asking Scott why he quit the Air Force."
"Ah." Gordon looked over at the eldest, but Scott avoided his gaze.
"Gordon, beer?" John held up a cold one.
"I'm too tired for beer right now. Water would be great though."
"Water it is!" John smiled as he stashed the bottle and quickly filled up a glass with water and then made his way around and out from behind the bar to hand the glass over, as well as give his brother's hair a good ruffle.
"So what's been going on around here?" Gordon took a sip of his water and looked around the table at his family.
"The same as usual." His father smiled at him and nodded toward Scott. "We've managed a profit every year."
"A meager one at least." Scott shook his head. "Each year it gets less and less."
"Now last year we had a gain."
"Yes, a point zero five percent gain. But the year before that our profit dropped three percent, and this year it dropped another one percent."
"Ah, don't listen to him. He thinks we're gonna be out of business in five years and John thinks I'm gonna be dead before I hit sixty-two."
"And what does Virgil think?" Gordon grinned.
"I think I'm going to stay out of this conversation." Virgil chuckled as he started up another song.
"We're doing fine." Jeff put a hand on Gordon's shoulder, and then reached over and put his other on Alan's. "Life will continue to throw us challenges and we will face them head on. We are Tracys, we do not and will not back down."
"And if we come across a challenge that we can't win, well, we'll have our family to back us up." Scott added with a smile.
"That sounds like something to toast to." Gordon lifted his glass of water and the other's followed. "To family."
"To family."
They talked until the bar closed. Virgil played their favorite songs while John worked behind the bar. They would survive, though their lives would not take them the way they hoped. Still they had their family, and that was enough.