Jon tried to feel it. He really tried to. With open eyes he tried to see anything. But he barely managed to do so…
He had no clue where they were, right now. Beyond them he was able to see the ocean. Or at least what he guessed was the ocean. His 'father' hold him tightly with his left arm. While his other arm was stretched out in his usual flying position.
Clark saw how tense Jonathan was. He smiled and made a waving gesture with his arm. Jon saw it: His father wanted him to stretch out his arms, too. Just like does when he flies, to feel it. But Jon was unsure. Clark repeated it and looked on his son with a smile that was meant to mean: don't be tense and just try it.
Jon was sure that this was not a flying lesson. His father would never dare to do something like this. To force him to fly, without knowing that it really works. Slowly and carefully, Jon raised his arm, made a fist, and imitated his father's flying pose.
When he was a little boy, Jon dreamt of this: Flying with Superman. Every kid on earth dreams off this. That was before he knew that his father is Superman. Jon still couldn't feel 'it' but suddenly he could feel something else: freedom, weightlessness, carelessness… for a short moment everything bad seemed to be forgotten. He felt so weightless and carefree… Jon closed his eyes and allowed himself to enjoy it…
Clark looked on his son. Feeling that he was enjoying it and that he starts to relax. And Jon really did…
Maybe this was the feeling, his mother and Jordan talked about. Jon expected some kind of prickling all over the body. But this was much better. It let him forget his sorrow. His pain and his worries. At least for now…
Clark secretly extended their flight. Flying some 'holding patterns' over Poland and Belarus to make the flight longer and allowing his son to relax more and enjoy it. Suddenly there was something. Clark holds his son the whole time, making sure to don't accidentally drop him. But there was a brief moment, Clark could had sworn that his son was raising up by himself.
Maybe it was just imagined. But Jon was so calm now. Feeling his father's grip not anymore, just him and the feeling of being free. This was much better than their nightly trip to the fortress. The warming sun over them and the wide beautiful landscape of the Wooded Carpathians beyond them. It was probably just the joy inside of him. He should have done this earlier with Jon. It made him happy to see his son feeling better.
Clark turned again, ending the holding patterns, to get to the country his son was talking about: Moldova. Clark holds Jon closely and stopped around one mile over the ground. Far away enough from the usual flight paths of airplanes (Clark knew the worldwide air-traffic routes) and safely over a cloud so nobody on the ground would see them if necessary.
"Here we are…" Clark said.
Jon looked around. He spent so many hours on Google Maps, that he knew that the big, hilly city to his left was Chisinau. The capital of this country. They looked towards North now. So right of them was Vadul-lui-Voda. He saw the big artificial beach, he read about on Wikipedia. Jon pointed on the town and Clark brought them down safely just outside of the town.
They landed in a field, surrounded by wine. As soon as Jon's feet touched the ground, he felt something again. A feeling, as like this place was welcoming him. The sun was pleasant. And there was this peaceful atmosphere.
Like in trance, Jon walked threw the field. Closer to the town, that was down the hill…
Clark watched his son observing the area. Not able to decrypt Jon's emotions anymore. But Jon looked so relaxed and calm. Jon was a big-city-boy. He hated it when they moved to Smallville. This town was even smaller than Smallville but Jon actually liked it. It was not as mousey as the Kansas town. It was colorful! There was no sound of crows. Birds were singing in the trees.
"It's nice here, isn't it!" Clark said.
"Yes… Yes it is!" Jon thought loudly.
So, this it? This is his true home? The place his real parents come from? He was not sure? He felt some kind of connection to this place! As like a voice in his head told him to go down there, say hello to everyone and embrace your true heritage. On the other hand, there was something in his heart that said, stop remaining silent! Tell your father! Your true father is standing right behind you! Nobody will hurt you just for telling the truth!
"I know you don't have a school project, Jonathan." Clark said. „But I know for some reason there is something up. It has to do with this place."
Jon moaned. „Yes… It's a lot…"
Maybe it was the was a result of enjoying their flight together. It felt wonderful. Maybe it was because it was so quiet and peaceful here? The good feeling this place gave him? Whatever it was, Jon finally felt that he couldn't conceal it anymore. Looking into his 'father's' worried face, Jon took a deep breath before he starts to explain.
"…I don't know where to start. After everything what happened in the past year... I could… Is something wrong?" Jon saw that Clark was distracted.
"No, no!" Clark said, turning back to his son. "Go on!"
Jon took a deep breath again. Looking on the town beyond them. "I am honestly afraid to tell it. I just don't know what is going on here. I feel like the biggest freak on the planet. Not knowing where I belong. You know… the woman I met yesterday… Dad?"
Jonathan turned to face his father, but he was gone…
"What the…" Jon yelled and saw that his father only left a note on the fence-pole.
'Sorry. I'll be back soon.'
"Seriously!" Jon said before looked up into the sky and yelled: „ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME!"
His father just left him behind alone in a foreign country. Clark felt bad for it. Sure… But something terrible was going on, Superman couldn't ignore. He was sure he will be able to handle it in a couple of minutes.
Jon forgot the joy, their flight made. He forgot his patience and his intentions… He raised his fists, closed his eyes, and let out a loud and angry scream…
The sound of Jon's scream echoed over the landscape. Dogs and other pets hid. Birds were startled up and fled. A car on a nearby road made an emergency breaking, because the driver was so scared. Jon let everything out. Until he was out of breath. And when he was done screaming, he was still so full of anger, that he kicked against the fence in front of him.
He smashed the plank and felt the adrenaline rushing threw his body. But than he took a deep breath…
Did it happen before? Yes! Did his father leave him alone before to do Superman-stuff? Yes! But did he ever leave him alone before in a foreign country? No! He searched his pockets for the ELT. It was not with him. Just like his smartphone he forgot in his room…
Back in Smallville, Jordan found his brother's smartphone on his bed…
Jon was alone. No ELT, no money, no phone and not knowing a single word of any of the languages spoken in this country…
Was this a sign? A sign that he does not belong to the Supers? That he belongs to the humans, here? Now that he was alone, he could use the chance to explore this place. And he should really leave, because he had no clue how to explain a Romanian or Russian speaking wine-farmer that he destroyed his fence…
Jon left the scene and walked across the narrow path down into the town.
It is a quite town, Jon mentioned. And so totally not like Smallville. Some houses were pretty rundown, while others looked like the owners won in the lottery. It was colorful. Full of flowers, homegrown fruits and vegetables. Jon guessed that many people live from what they grow in their gardens.
He could hear children playing. Birds singing in the trees. No cars, no trains, no crowds. It didn't smell like fertilizer and cow dung, like Smallville does. It smells like live! His father always praised that the air in Smallville smells like the real live. But the air here was far better, Jon was convinced.
He walked around for a while. He had no clue where exactly he was. There was not really something, that could serve as a street-sign. A man, Jon guessed him to be in his late 40s to early 50s, was sitting on a stool in front of his house, scaling fishes…
"Ehm… Excuse me…"
The man looked up from his fishes and on him and became pale. Not just pale… he literally looked like he was a ghost…
"Boshe moi… eto lizo! Marina, idi s uda…" he was astonished about his face and yelled for his wife to come.
"Shto ti kritshat?" she complained about his screaming.
"Smotri jevo!" He ordered her to look on Jon. Suddenly the woman was shocked, too. She dropped the bowl she was carrying with her and went closer to him too.
Jon had no clue what they were talking but they obviously 'recognized' him.
"Excuse me…" Jon spoke slowly and clearly hoping that the couple understands him and showed them the note with the address of 'his parent's house' he got from the woman yesterday. "… do you know where I can find… "
Jon was not able to finish as the man, opened the gate and he and his wife took him and led him down the road…
Jon was surprised, but he didn't oppose. Seeing how upset the couple was. They talked wildly and fast in Russian… or in anything else. It was too upset and fast for Jon to hear out any single word. Together they crossed what Jon guessed was the town's main street and passed the church to led him down into another neighborhood, closer to the river.
Jon was led down the narrow road and found a junction to a dirt road. It was a driveway to several other houses. Mostly small elder houses. A new, much bigger one, was overtopping the others but it looked uninhabited. He heard dogs barking all over. It is Sunday afternoon. Some people were in their gardens. They reached the end of the road and the couple led him to a fence with a locked gate.
A small, rundown house, with white walls, blue painted doors and windows and an asbestos roof stood in the middle of a rundown overgrown property. The place looked like it was abandoned decades ago.
The couple continued talking loudly and wildly. Jon was not able to hear any words, he just heard gabbling…
"Please, Mr. and Mrs… I don't understand you!" Jon said loudly to catch their attention.
The couple looked on him with big eyes. The man asked him for his language skills…
"Ti po russkie nitshivo nje govorit, da?" He asked for his Russian-skills before he switched to Romanian: "Stii sa vorbeste romaneste?"
"Ehm… English? Do you speak English?" Jon asked.
The woman tried to remember her English lessons in school. In the Soviet-Union they had English lessons. But compared to other countries, the English they had was not even enough to have a proper conversation…
"This… is… house!" she stuttered.
"I know this is a house! But what I have to do with that?"
"Are you… son… from… Aleksandr?"
Jon became pale. He didn't know it! There were some indications, sure… but he was sure that it was not good if he tells them that he is the boy they guessed. So he remained silent and just shrugged.
"Ehm… Metropolis…" Jon began but the couple already start to cheer.
"LJUDIE… ON SNOVA VERNULSJA!" the man yelled loudly 'Guys, he is back!'
A granny left the neighboring house and let out a happy cheer, immediately inviting Jon onto her property. The two dogs, that were barking on him the whole time, muted down as soon as he got on the property. Like they expected him. Another, elder woman came down the road, saw Jon and ran back to her house to get a big jar with pickled tomatoes. The couple, meanwhile, continued to spread the news…
Everyone here seemed to be convinced that it was him. The lost son. With that face, it was obvious. It was a well-known story in this town. About the popular man, his ethnic Russian wife and their attempt to start all over again in America. The sad loss of their child and their tragic fates. Everyone heard about that there was a switch and that the true son is still alive and in America. Probably unaware of his true heritage and that there were a lot of people, happy for him to live in 'wealth'.
Jon was placed on an outdoor-table, while the owner of the house, her granddaughter and another woman, Jon guessed was neither her daughter or her daughter-in-law, set the table.
"Please, … I… Does anyone understand me, here?"
"Oh, I do understand you!" a young male voice behind him said. "But… no good…"
Jon turned around to see a boy of maybe 11 or 12 years. Wearing a light-blue, damaged, and washed-out Superman-t-shirt. The granny said something complaining. Pulling on the boys too small shirt. But the boy answered something more complaining while taking a protective pose. Obviously, the granny wanted the boy to change into something nicer or something that is not too small for him. But the boy liked the shirt too much.
Seeing the boy's t-shirt, Jon had to think about the man who left him behind. He had no clue how much time had passed since he left him alone up in that wine-field. One hour, maybe two? It was time for supper here and obviously they invited him to eat with him. More and more people came, just to get a glimpse of Jon. It bothered him honestly. He felt like an attraction.
When the people brought various homemade dishes and other local specialties, Jon turned to the boy with the Superman-t-shirt…
"What is going on here?" Jon should be flattered. But something in his head told him to stop before he breaks someone's heart.
"We are celebrating you return!" the boy said slowly and with a thick accent.
"What?"
"You back in town!"
"But I am…" Jon said, but his eyes were still trapped on that Superman-t-shirt…
This is wrong, this is so wrong, the voice inside his mind said ever and ever again. You don't have a prove. But your so-called father left you behind, right? You have no right to wear this famous crest. The boy was obviously a huge fan, so he was allowed to. But Jon wasn't…
"Ehmm… Boy, could you please tell everyone here, that it's really nice that they welcome me here so warmly but there is no need to exaggerate. Because I don't even know if it is true!"
That was actually too much for the boy's skills…
"E fericit să fie aici." The boy jelled in Romanian that Jon is 'Happy to be here!'. Causing the present people to cheer up loudly. Jon realized that the boy translated him wrongly.
"Ehm… No! That was not what I wanted to say and… gosh, what is that?" Jon complained before he saw the granny bringing a living rooster on the terrace.
"Zeama gatim pentru tine!" (We cook Zeama for you!)
"Oh, Zeama!" the little boy cheered.
"Zeama?" Jon asked.
"Da! Ciorba de pui moldoveasca!" (Yes! Moldavian Chicken soup!)
With a knife, the granny sliced threw the rooster's throat. Jon shrieked, when he heard the rooster's painful death-scream while the rest of the people was unimpressed and continued preparing the feast.
"Oh, my god… I can never ever eat chicken again!" Jon murmured.
"Pui!" the boy next to him said. "Chicken! Pui is chicken!"
"Great to know that!" Jon murmured again.
"Vrea să știe cum să-l gatească!" (He wants to know how to cook it!) The boy translated him wrong again. The people were happy. But Jon felt more and more like a liar…
With tears in his eyes, Jon ran to the gate and left the shocked and confused people behind. He heard them yelling. They were upset and worried. And Jon felt bad for it. But this was too much… They wanted him to stay, but Jon didn't endure this terrible feeling of guilt in his heart. He ran threw the open gate and down the dirt-road back to the main-street.
Not knowing where to go… he just had to be alone for a moment to calm down. He was already around the corner when the first people start to look for him.
His hearth was pounding… there was it again: This question who he is! He should be happy about all the attention he got here. It was way more and way more welcoming than the attention they got when they moved to Smallville. There he felt like they wanted to chase them out of town when they arrived. And here they slaughter animals for him? Why is he complaining? Why he still feels so wrong placed even here, where he feels welcomed? Without realizing it, Jon arrived at the entrance of the town's cemetery.
Jon walked over the cemetery in trance. Not knowing what he was looking for… only watching the graves with the tombstones and the crosses. Some graves were overgrown. Others were neat. Showing him, who left and who was still here.
There were pictures on many graves. In this part of the world it was common, to have the pictures of the death on the tombstones, Jon realized. So, he found it quickly: the grave with his face. The grave of his father!
It was one of the few graves with a new tombstone. He was not able to read the name or to pronounce it. But it was Jon's face that was engraved on the tombstone. So, it was obviously the grave of him! Jon fell on his knees and tears shoot in his eyes again. So, this it! That's him… This is his home! He does not belong to the house of El! He never did! Here is where he belongs. Here is where he comes from. No more reason to think about powers! No more thinking about Krypton, aliens, and other otherworldly crap.
Jon didn't mention the swoosh, just outside the cemetery… indicating that the man he is living with, just returned…
Clark was deeply ashamed. Shocked about what he did and how he dared to do this to own son. Clark should had remembered that Jon was not able to fly and not could just fly back to Kansas by himself. And he had no clue how, but he will have to do a lot to make this up again. For leaving his own child alone for hours in a foreign country…
Clark saw Jonathan sitting on the ground and walked towards him. Jon's face was totally pale, and his eyes were red as like he cried. Clark looked around to keep sure that nobody was watching them, before he used his superspeed to get to his son…
"Oh, Jonathan, I am so so sorry… I…" Clark began but Jonathan lift his Hand, showing him to stop talking and looked on him with an ice cold glare. So cold, that a cold shiver ran down Clark's back…
"Who am I?"
"What?" Clark didn't understood the question. "You are my son…"
"Really… I honestly doubt that…" Jon said, pointing on the tombstone.
Clark was shocked to see his son's face… on it…
Please review and keep well!
The town of Vadul-lui-Voda is real. But the people portrayed in this story are fictional. The abandoned house at the end of the dirt-road is real, too. It's uninhabited for 20 years and used to be my family's home in the 1970s.