June 2017, Colorado Springs
Five years of birthday and Christmas money? Check. Three years of mowing the lawns for every neighbour within sight every weekend? Check. Pro tip: The Middletons give you really sweet money if you're able to keep Joey out of the house and fully entertained for at least an hour and avoid hitting him with flying grass and pebbles besides. Three summers of serving up ice cream at the local Dairy Queen? Check. A year of walking a mile each way to school and back to save on gas? Check. At seventeen years of age, I had seventeen grand as my life's savings, mostly thanks to my wonderful aunts and uncles. This month, the month of June, was the only piece of summer I could share with Eliza; I'd be starting Basic Military Training in mid-July, and Eliza just didn't have much time, period. That meant if we didn't go on our life's adventure now, we might never have the chance again.
Three months ago, we'd tested water with our parents during spring break. Needless to say, the results were somewhat underwhelming.
"Mom?" I said, "Please don't schedule anything for me for spring break. We're going on a road trip to Mt. Rushmore."
"Who's 'we'?" said Mom. "This is the first time I've heard of this."
"Me and Eliza," I announced proudly. "I'll be an active-duty serviceman this summer, so I'm technically an adult, and I'm a steady and responsible driver. You said so yourself, lots of times. Seeing the presidents is a dream we've had since we were ten, that's like, seven years ago, so we've waited more than long enough to make it real."
"Not over my dead body, you won't," said Mom categorically. "Where are you going to sleep? Nobody's going to give you a hotel room when you're under eighteen."
"Well, I turned seventeen a couple months ago, so if you round up, I'm practically as good as eighteen. And that means I can be Eliza's adult guardian even though she isn't seventeen for another month yet. Please book a room for us?" I begged.
"Nice try, but no way, Jose," said Mom, her voice firm though her eyes danced with laughter. "There's still snow up in the mountains, and if we let you drive for seven hours straight in that weather, I'd have to turn myself in to CPS for neglect. You know Eliza's in no condition to take the wheel, especially on those mountain roads, so it'll have to be all on you."
I sort of backed down then, but the truth was, I went underground. The next day in school, I asked Eliza how her campaign went.
"Well, you know," she said, rolling her eyes. "Of course, it was the usual. We're still minors, and all that jazz. As if, right? Could you tell me I'll see the day when I'm not a minor? Could anyone? I'd kill for it. Yeah, just serve me right, for having to squeeze seventy years of living into seventeen years."
"I'll make up for it this summer," I said, thinking rapidly. "I'll take you as far away from home as an airplane can fly. Just tell me your wish list, and I'll make it happen."
"OK," said Eliza. "Give me a few days to sleep on it, and I'll tell you."
It didn't take Eliza very long to figure out what she wanted. Before the end of that week, she marched up to where I stood in front of my open locker and placed a well-worn copy of Sense and Sensibility, which I remembered far too well from English class two semesters ago, onto my metal locker shelf with an audible thunk.
"Look for the Post-It and the yellow highlighter," she ordered. "That's what I want for my summer trip."
I flipped straight to the page marked with a neon green Post-It flag, where a teeny bit of text was highlighted and double-underlined. Of course, it had to be a quote from the ever-magnetic Willoughby… "nabobs, gold mohrs, and palanquins," it said.
We'd learned about the British Empire in World History class, so we both knew where the East Indies used to be, and indeed they were pretty much as far away from the US as a single plane ride could go. With that as my guide, I could start taking action; I hardly budged from my room all through spring break because I was busy with research, watching practically every travel vlog about Singapore I could get my hands on, and making copious notes about transportation, accommodation, attractions, and costs.
"Hey," I said to my nineteen-year-old brother Al, the only person available who wasn't a parent or a minor. "Trade you a favour this summer, OK? If you get me the air tickets and a room in Singapore, I won't tell Mom and Dad you're going to Boulder to stay with Maria Bertram. And I'll Venmo you the money, of course."
"It's not like you've ever told on me anyway, Squirt," said Al, condescending as usual. "You wouldn't dare. So, what's in it for me?"
"If I go to Singapore with Eliza, I'll get into worse trouble than you when I come back," I pointed out. Of course, I'd prepared thoroughly for this conversation, and figured out how to ensure he couldn't refuse. "Nobody will even remember about you running off to Boulder with a girl after they're done with me, and you'll fly completely under the radar. All I need is a ride to Denver Airport and back, and I could even make my dates match with what you need. Deal?"
"Deal," said Al. "Dude, looks like you're finally growing up and growing a pair. Tell me if Eliza likes her second Brandon better than her first, yeah?"
I seethed, clenching my fists at my sides, but there was nothing I could do about my umbrage with Al, not when he was instrumental to the successful completion of my task. Someday, I thought, I'd have to wait a couple years, but there would come a day when I'd be able to settle my beef with him.
We snuck out of the house at 3 AM, well before dawn broke out. I'd packed and buried my Boy Scout camping rucksack in the trunk several days before, so I wouldn't make any noise getting out the front door. Eliza was already waiting at the sidewalk when Al swung by her house, and I loaded her rolling duffel bag into the trunk while she climbed into the back seat.
"Wake up, babies," said Al, pulling up to the curbside at Denver International Airport before we knew it. We must've fallen asleep in the car, which meant I owed him yet one more. "Have fun, I'm off."