It was only a short hop over to Adelaide, but it was a day out that Virgil had been especially looking forward to for months. A day off where he could indulge his twin loves of music and art. And, god, did he need it now! Six rescues in four days had taken its' toll on his strength, and the last one had nearly broken him. Actually it had broken him, his right arm now ensconced in a green cast the same shade as Two. He'd been disappointed to think that he would miss his day off, but as usual his big brother came to the rescue.
Scott may not have a passion for art, but he did love his brother, and he knew how much Virgil had been looking forward to today, how long he'd been planning it. So it seemed only right to offer his services as pilot and best brother extraordinaire. Besides, they didn't often get downtime together, and Scott was just as exhausted as his brother. And, if he was honest, the chance for someone else to be in the driving seat for the day was appealing.
Flying them into Adelaide International Airport, Scott was more than happy to see that the extra preparations he had made were ready for them. Virgil may have only planned a day out, but Scott was determined to get his brother to relax a bit longer. After all, it wasn't like Virgil could do anything for the next three-four weeks. Thankfully, Virg had wandered over to the art exhibition in the main terminal and so missed the conversation regarding his plans.
Virgil was entranced. The display of modernist art at the airport was an extra treat, he hadn't known it would be there when he'd booked this day off. He didn't even notice Scott did not immediately follow him, he was just lost in the paintings, sculptures and pictures. Virgil's eyes roamed over Matisse and Picasso, Cézanne and Gauguin, Warhol and Mallard, Gormley and Hirst. He couldn't believe such diversity and sheer amount of art would be displayed in an airport, but he was very, very happy.
Scott looked on fondly as Virgil moved from exhibit to exhibit. Sometimes his brother just stood and stared, other times he would tilt his head or twist his body and look from bizarre angles. Virgil was totally lost to the art, and Scott was having just as much fun just watching his brother enjoy himself. After downing a not-too-bad coffee and an apple danish, and watching for nearly an hour, Scott was most reluctant to get Virgil moving, but he had tickets booked and other places to be.
The drive into Adelaide centre itself was short, just under the hour, and the car dropped them at the AGSA, the Art Gallery of South Australia, the main reason for Virgil's holiday. His brother had been full of explanations on the way. Every year the gallery did a celebration of native art from the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, and they had done this for years. Virgil had never been able to go before, and as he'd begun to paint more modernist again, he felt that this could help him widen out both his appreciation and his abilities. He was looking for new ideas and techniques. Scott wasn't too sure on ins and outs, but he was content to wander and let Virgil do his thing.
For the second time that morning Virgil found himself entranced. There were not only paintings but also sculptures and collages and, and, and…he couldn't take it all in. And for the second time that day Scott stood back, coffee in hand, and watched his brother drinking in his art, marvelling at how lost to the outside world Virgil became while studying everything. Unfortunately, it looked like he would not have the time to take everything in, they had booked another event this afternoon, so while his brother was busy Scott made his way over to the desk and was soon engaged in s very fruitful conversation with the gallery curator.
Leaving the gallery, they discussed what their next move would be. Virgil wanted to just check in with the place his evening entertainment had been booked to ensure everything was in order. Scott wanted to eat. Yeah, sure, he'd had a danish with his coffee, but neither of them had eaten since breakfast before they had set out that morning and it was almost lunch time. They compromised. Virgil had not planned where to eat lunch so they would ask when they arrived.
The City Library was only a five-minute walk from the gallery. Cutting down Charles Street and right into Rundle Mall, the library was housed in Rundle Place. They were showcasing new talent, and that evening had a concert from a young up-and-coming soul singer. It was only an hours' worth of music, but Virgil had thought it would be the perfect finish to his day.
Climbing to the third floor, they were greeted by clear spaces, clean beech and white woodwork and the hum of quiet talking and computers working. They made their way over to the main desk where a woman was busily tapping away on her computer. Without looking up at them, she promised she wouldn't be long. They smiled at each other.
'Take all the time you need, Ruth,' Scott said, reading her name off the badge. The grins got wider as it sounded like her hands had crashed down on the keyboard. Both Scott and Virgil were used to people reacting to them, after all, there was hardly anyone who did not know them either as International Rescue or as part of the Tracy family. This lady was no different.
Ruth's head shot up as Scott's words registered, or rather, as his voice registered. She was intensely aware that her mouth was open and she was staring, but both brothers were grinning widely at her. Closing her mouth with a snap, she cleared her throat and tried that again. 'I'm so sorry! Mr Tracy, what can I do for you?' She was secretly pleased at how smoothly her professional persona slipped on. Scott gestured to Virgil. 'My brother has a question regarding the concert this evening,' he said, stepping aside for Virgil to take over.
'Mr Tracy?' Virgil grinned at her again. 'Please, call me Virgil.' Ruth swallowed and grinned back. 'Virgil? What can I help you with?' He leaned on the desk. 'I sent an email regarding the concert tonight, I just wasn't sure if I needed to bring a copy of it with me, or if I needed a ticket for tonight? How does it work?' It was Ruth's turn to grin at him. 'No, you won't need anything at all. Just turn up a little before 6pm and choose a seat. There's no rules or anything else you need to know.' Virgil nodded. Scott elbowed him in the back. 'Oh yeah, my brother is hungry, where would you recommend us to eat lunch?'
'Well, Adelaide has a large number of Oriental eateries, some burger bars, a pancake kitchen. Of course, there are far more eateries on the seafront than in town, so it depends what you are looking for.'
Scott and Virgil looked at each other, and Scott lazily shrugged one shoulder. 'I have no preference, it's your treat.' Virgil smiled and turned back to Ruth. 'How about either a burger joint or a steak house?' He could just see his brother nodding out the corner of his eye. They didn't often get the opportunity for straight-up 'junk food' as their Grandmother would call it.
'Ok then. Just around the corner from here is a burger bar called Bread and Bone. When you leave here turn right and carry on along Rundle Mall, across the King William Road and straight on until you reach Peel Street. It will be the first turning on your left. About half way down will be your burger bar. Now, if you want a steak house, I can highly recommend The Hogs Breath Café near the sea front not that far from the Stamford Grand Hotel.'
Satisfied that lunch was now sorted, the brothers took their leave, with Virgil saying how much he was looking forward to the evening's entertainment. The burger joint was just what the team medic ordered. Scott contented himself with a B&B burger and fries while Virgil went for the slow braised brisket burger and fries, the two sharing onion rings. It was a filling meal that they enjoyed immensely.
Lunch over, they wandered over to Rymill Park for their afternoon entertainment, a good 30-minute stroll away. There was a small concert setup in the park, and on this gloriously sunny day they were going to listen to some Gershwin, Brubeck and Glass, light summer music. There were not many gathered to listen, but that suited the brothers down to the ground. The concert lasted only a couple of hours, but during that time Virgil had elbowed a softly snoring Scott several times, fondly rolling his eyes at the sheepish expression on his oldest brother's face every time. They were both exhausted.
There was still another hour and a half to kill before they were due back at the library, and they spent it simply pottering about the botanic gardens. Again Virgil was in his element, talking about greens and shading and yellows and, yeah – he'd lost Scott again. He'd taken some pictures with his phone of some particularly stunning species native to Australia, Papua New Guinea and the nearby islands, and had already planned how he was going to use them. He'd sneaked a fantastic shot of Scott staring at some of the roses, his brother looked so thoughtful as he reached out but did not touch a particularly beautiful pale pink and apricot rose.
They were still early to the library, but Ruth was there, and she not only let them in, she also made them coffee. They rewarded her with two fantastic smiles that made her faintly blush, and they took front row seats and watched the singer and her band set up. The music was lowkey and enjoyable, a mixture of soul, blues and jazz, and a perfect finish to the day. Virgil hadn't felt this relaxed in a long time, and he could see that Scott was the same, the tension usually present in the man's shoulders almost completely gone. Hopefully a good meal and a nice flight home would finish the job.
The car picked them up from the library and Scott directed the driver to take them to the Hogs Breath Café. Virgil was a little surprised at this, thinking that they would be better off eating closer to the airport, but Scott just smiled that damn smile that said: 'I have something planned and I'm not telling you anything.' He rolled his eyes at his brother and Scott's grin widened, dimples fully on display.
The steak house was amazing. Virgil had the Boss Hog Ribs while Scott had the Prime Rib and Baby Back Duo. They finished the meal with a Rocky Road Sundae each and a coffee, lounging in their seats as if they didn't have a care in the world. Well, reflected Virgil, he wouldn't for the next three-four weeks anyway.
Eventually they made their way outside, slowly walking down to the beach and down onto the Glenelg jetty. They stopped a couple of times to chat to the night fishermen dotted up and down the length before turning back. It was getting pretty late now, and Virgil was a little concerned about flying back tonight. He should have known better.
As he stopped and looked over the green of Jimmy Melrose Park, Scott grabbed his arm and hustled him forwards. Behind the park was a hotel and they seemed to be heading for it. Scott dragged him all the way in, then promptly left him in the middle of the lobby while he went to the desk. Virgil stood admiring the sweeping staircase and marble pillars as Scott obviously finished checking them in.
A porter helped direct them to a huge suite with a sea view and a balcony, and he was not surprised to see some luggage already stashed. Scott always planned ahead. The first thing Virgil did was open the balcony doors and step out. Taking in deep breaths of the sea air, he reflected on what had turned out to be a perfect day.
It had been so well planned, and this overnight stay was the perfect ending. And Virgil wasted no time in telling Scott so. To his annoyance, that only seemed to make that infuriating grin even wider on his big brother's face, until Virgil's frown made Scott laugh out loud.
'Oh, Virg, if only you could see your face!' Scott spluttered, struggling to speak through the laughter. 'Yeah, well, if annoying older brothers would keep secrets then what can they expect!' Scott shook his head fondly and sat on the bed. 'You're going to be out of action for a while. So, Grandma, John and I decided you should have a proper holiday.' So saying, he handed Virgil an envelope stuffed full. Still frowning at his brother's words, Virgil sat next to him and opened it. The envelope was full of tickets to art shows and music venues, museum exhibits and even a sailing trip. Enough to keep him busy for the next three weeks.
Virgil was speechless. How the hell they had planned all this since yesterday was beyond him for a minute, but then he reflected on who he was talking about. John had probably booked everything from Five, and all Scott had to do was pick up tickets. He looked up as Scott settled on the bed. He watched as he got comfortable, eyebrow raised in question.
'Yeah, I'm only here for the night. This suite is yours for the next three weeks. Call it an early birthday present.' Virgil settled down next to Scott, the huge king-size bed ample room, and gently elbowed Scott in the side. 'Ok, I'll let you stay tonight, but if you snore I'm kicking you out.' Scott snorted in reply. 'And Scott?' Scott opened one eye. 'Thanks.' He smiled and settled back down.
His family, especially his older brothers, really were the best.