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"Almonds and Tea"

Music: Revolutionary Road - End Titles (Thomas Newman)

December 22nd, 2016
Muffled up in a thick jacket and a scarf, luggage tied to the back of his wheelchair and his violin case on his knees, Will navigated through the stream of travellers that crowded the station hall.
It was already dark. The afternoon had been cold; enough to make everyone uncomfortable, but the weather wasn’t bad per se: at least it did neither rain or snow, which was a definite improvement compared to the last few weeks.
The clock read about half past 5. Hurry now, Will thought, as he moved up a gear. The muscles in his arms were slowly starting to ache, but he ignored it. He was to meet with Sky on one of the platforms - he didn’t even know which one, as the train schedules were changing every minute at this place. While he rolled past hoardings and fences, he wondered if Stuttgart Main Station would ever stop being one big construction site - a wooden tunnel offered the only access to the platforms, and nowhere was quite enough room for everybody, especially not for wheelchair users. Growing increasingly nervous, Will searched for his line on the destination board.
...IC 285, Zürich Main Station, via Böblingen, Horb, etc-. Platform 5. That was the one.
Sky was already on Platform 5, next to the waiting train, surrounded by her luggage and somewhat nervous. “The train’s leaving in four minutes,” she greeted him. “I’ve bought your ticket already. And here’s the dude who brought a lift for the door.”
His expression was somewhat disgruntled at that remark, she noticed, and quickly bent down to give him a proper greeting; a sincere hug. “I’m sorry, I just didn’t want to miss the train.”
“Well, hi. - It’s alright,” he collected himself quickly, and offered her a smile. “Thanks.”
If anything, he didn’t want to ruin the occasion with the fact that he just couldn’t accept help, be it as simple as somebody buying tickets for him when he was late. No, today they were looking forward to happier days - they were going back to the Waving Tree for Christmas, and Will wanted this reunion to be perfect, and by no means spoiled by bad mood.
A guy wearing a red cap stepped forward, politely urging them to board the train if they didn’t want to be left behind. Getting Will’s wheelchair into the train was a smooth operation; a small lift brought him safely up the stairs and Sky, for whom this undertaking had been of particular concern, was relieved that it had worked so well.
Nonetheless, she kept herself from helping him as he pulled himself into a seat. She knew that accomplishing these small things on his own provided great satisfaction for him - even after four years of being a wheelchair user, he rejected every offer of assistance. She wondered if it was pride that forbade him… but she was way more ready to believe that he just didn’t want to be a burden. He was a very quiet guy. You could rarely tell if something was weighing him down, and this reluctance to share his heart and mind was sometimes a hard thing to handle. At least Sky enjoyed a rather special relationship with him - so if he was telling anyone how he was feeling, it was her.
Yet, finding out if he was in pain was almost impossible; but Sky was slowly learning to read the little signs in his face that suggested that something was bothering him.
Thankfulness, though, was an emotion that appeared openly on his face whenever she noticed that something wasn’t right or he was in pain - even though it was mostly mingled with shame and indignation at the fact that he, while he appreciated her caring for him, was now troubling another person with his disability.
Sky couldn’t care less. She didn’t feel troubled at all.

Music: The Cider House Rules (Rachel Portman)
Having put their bags in the luggage rack, she took his wheelchair and pushed it to a safe place, where she made sure it couldn’t roll away when the train was moving. Will thanked her with a nod, then he shifted in his seat to make himself comfortable.
He had turned into a more withdrawn person, that was true; but apart from that he was still the old Will whom everybody loved, and whom she enjoyed to spend time with like no one else.
Indeed, now that she’d moved to Stuttgart as well, they saw each other more often. Will had always felt a bit lonely in the bigger city, and so he was glad that she’d started studying there as well. To have someone he knew from “back then” was a pleasant change of circumstances.
Of course they both were busy and only really met in person once or twice a week - but since the other was relatively close now, a connection had formed between them that they cherished. And so, they went through their respective days, quietly acknowledging the existence of one another, not talking much but at all times keeping the other in a dear place of their minds.
Will was fumbling with the strap of his violin case that he’d refused to be stored with the rest of the luggage. Sky picked up his gesture, and pointed to the case with her head.
“How was the rehearsal?” she asked.
The smile that spread on Will’s face was wide, and somewhat excited. “Good! Very good.”
Sky returned the smile, and bent down to open her bag.
“We’re playing Beethoven next year,” Will added, and Sky looked up, realising what that meant.
“No way,” she said. “And you got the solo part?”
“Not yet… but I’ll audition for it after Christmas break. I almost know the whole thing by heart.” Will chuckled.
“That’s so cool. Really,” Sky said.
Pulling something from her backpack, she revealed a little box that she opened. A lovely smell of sugar almonds filled the air.
“Before I forget - you want some?” Will nodded, beaming at the offering.
“Sure,” he said. “You made those?”
“Mhm-hm. And here’s some tea, if you want.”
Sky opened a thermos and poured a scented drink into a little cup. Will accepted it readily.
“Is this some sort of spiced tea?” He sniffed at the cup. “Orange?” He stuck out his tongue to taste it, but the tea was hot, and he flinched.
“And cinnamon. I don’t like these Christmas spice teas so much, but this one’s okay.”
Will blew on it. “It puts you in the right mood for sure.” Both chuckled.
The conversation ran dry. Slowly, the exhaustion from the last weeks seemed to be kicking in.
Will felt Sky’s eyes on him, and turned his head to look at her. Something bittersweet lay in her gaze - he knew she was looking forward to spend the holidays at the stud, but there was something else that he couldn’t really make out.
“You alright?” he said, his voice lowered and soft.
“Yea.” Sky exhaled through her nose. Her eyes seemed to hold his, and he returned it - but then she broke the connection and looked out of the window. It was dark, so she could only picture the familiar landscape that must be moving past to herself, changing ever so slightly with every kilometre they travelled south.
Will sat upright.
“Oh,” he said, suddenly earnest. “Oh, oh.”
Sky looked at him with a puzzled expression. “What’s up?”
“Oh, I just… uh, gotta go to the toilet. Y’know. Um.” He shuffled around on his seat - suddenly the distance between him and his wheelchair made him uncomfortable, but he didn’t want to ask for help.
“Alright,” Sky said, and leaned back in her seat before she realised that she’d be the one who’d taken his wheelchair away from him to store it safely; so she jumped up and hurried to bring it back.
Will changed seats and left, and Sky stayed behind, not knowing what to do with herself. Little did she know about how his disability affected his life. She’d always wondered how he was able to accomplish basic tasks, like getting dressed or go to the toilet - which paraplegics most often had problems controlling, as she knew. But even typing it into Google’s search bar felt like a weird invasion of his privacy, so she still didn’t really know anything about how the daily battles he fought. For some reason it felt like this caused a greater distance between them, despite the closeness that they had developed over the last months. The situation didn’t make a lot of sense, but yet Sky couldn’t help feeling a weird disappointment whenever she spent time with him. Maybe she just wanted to be important, play a significant role in his life, but then again she regretted thinking like that. After all, he was a self-reliant person, in no need of dependencies.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Navigation

Storyline folder: "MAKE A JOYFUL NOISE"
WTS Timeline | Character Index

In Make A Joyful Noise:
NEXT

WTS Chronology:
PREVIOUSLY | NEXT

Waving Tree Stud on Pinterest: The Location | Aesthetics
Waving Tree Stud Playlist on Spotify

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Welcome back, Will! I started writing this chapter so long ago, haha :'D
Here we go. The first step away from the stud, and an introduction to a new and exciting (hopefully) storyline.
I've had screen writing classes the last two months and, well, now I know that my storytelling is... particular. But I always liked this - it's a rather epic way of storytelling (opposed to dramatic storytelling) , and I won't change my plottings, just cuz I lack Plot Points or whatevs. As long as you are entertained.. ;D

Art, written art, characters (c) by me, no ref used
DIN A5 pencil sketch, coloured with PS

Me on Tumblr | Instagram | Pinterest

Description

"Almonds and Tea"

Music: Revolutionary Road - End Titles (Thomas Newman)

December 22nd, 2016
Muffled up in a thick jacket and a scarf, luggage tied to the back of his wheelchair and his violin case on his knees, Will navigated through the stream of travellers that crowded the station hall.
It was already dark. The afternoon had been cold; enough to make everyone uncomfortable, but the weather wasn’t bad per se: at least it did neither rain or snow, which was a definite improvement compared to the last few weeks.
The clock read about half past 5. Hurry now, Will thought, as he moved up a gear. The muscles in his arms were slowly starting to ache, but he ignored it. He was to meet with Sky on one of the platforms - he didn’t even know which one, as the train schedules were changing every minute at this place. While he rolled past hoardings and fences, he wondered if Stuttgart Main Station would ever stop being one big construction site - a wooden tunnel offered the only access to the platforms, and nowhere was quite enough room for everybody, especially not for wheelchair users. Growing increasingly nervous, Will searched for his line on the destination board.
...IC 285, Zürich Main Station, via Böblingen, Horb, etc-. Platform 5. That was the one.
Sky was already on Platform 5, next to the waiting train, surrounded by her luggage and somewhat nervous. “The train’s leaving in four minutes,” she greeted him. “I’ve bought your ticket already. And here’s the dude who brought a lift for the door.”
His expression was somewhat disgruntled at that remark, she noticed, and quickly bent down to give him a proper greeting; a sincere hug. “I’m sorry, I just didn’t want to miss the train.”
“Well, hi. - It’s alright,” he collected himself quickly, and offered her a smile. “Thanks.”
If anything, he didn’t want to ruin the occasion with the fact that he just couldn’t accept help, be it as simple as somebody buying tickets for him when he was late. No, today they were looking forward to happier days - they were going back to the Waving Tree for Christmas, and Will wanted this reunion to be perfect, and by no means spoiled by bad mood.
A guy wearing a red cap stepped forward, politely urging them to board the train if they didn’t want to be left behind. Getting Will’s wheelchair into the train was a smooth operation; a small lift brought him safely up the stairs and Sky, for whom this undertaking had been of particular concern, was relieved that it had worked so well.
Nonetheless, she kept herself from helping him as he pulled himself into a seat. She knew that accomplishing these small things on his own provided great satisfaction for him - even after four years of being a wheelchair user, he rejected every offer of assistance. She wondered if it was pride that forbade him… but she was way more ready to believe that he just didn’t want to be a burden. He was a very quiet guy. You could rarely tell if something was weighing him down, and this reluctance to share his heart and mind was sometimes a hard thing to handle. At least Sky enjoyed a rather special relationship with him - so if he was telling anyone how he was feeling, it was her.
Yet, finding out if he was in pain was almost impossible; but Sky was slowly learning to read the little signs in his face that suggested that something was bothering him.
Thankfulness, though, was an emotion that appeared openly on his face whenever she noticed that something wasn’t right or he was in pain - even though it was mostly mingled with shame and indignation at the fact that he, while he appreciated her caring for him, was now troubling another person with his disability.
Sky couldn’t care less. She didn’t feel troubled at all.

Music: The Cider House Rules (Rachel Portman)
Having put their bags in the luggage rack, she took his wheelchair and pushed it to a safe place, where she made sure it couldn’t roll away when the train was moving. Will thanked her with a nod, then he shifted in his seat to make himself comfortable.
He had turned into a more withdrawn person, that was true; but apart from that he was still the old Will whom everybody loved, and whom she enjoyed to spend time with like no one else.
Indeed, now that she’d moved to Stuttgart as well, they saw each other more often. Will had always felt a bit lonely in the bigger city, and so he was glad that she’d started studying there as well. To have someone he knew from “back then” was a pleasant change of circumstances.
Of course they both were busy and only really met in person once or twice a week - but since the other was relatively close now, a connection had formed between them that they cherished. And so, they went through their respective days, quietly acknowledging the existence of one another, not talking much but at all times keeping the other in a dear place of their minds.
Will was fumbling with the strap of his violin case that he’d refused to be stored with the rest of the luggage. Sky picked up his gesture, and pointed to the case with her head.
“How was the rehearsal?” she asked.
The smile that spread on Will’s face was wide, and somewhat excited. “Good! Very good.”
Sky returned the smile, and bent down to open her bag.
“We’re playing Beethoven next year,” Will added, and Sky looked up, realising what that meant.
“No way,” she said. “And you got the solo part?”
“Not yet… but I’ll audition for it after Christmas break. I almost know the whole thing by heart.” Will chuckled.
“That’s so cool. Really,” Sky said.
Pulling something from her backpack, she revealed a little box that she opened. A lovely smell of sugar almonds filled the air.
“Before I forget - you want some?” Will nodded, beaming at the offering.
“Sure,” he said. “You made those?”
“Mhm-hm. And here’s some tea, if you want.”
Sky opened a thermos and poured a scented drink into a little cup. Will accepted it readily.
“Is this some sort of spiced tea?” He sniffed at the cup. “Orange?” He stuck out his tongue to taste it, but the tea was hot, and he flinched.
“And cinnamon. I don’t like these Christmas spice teas so much, but this one’s okay.”
Will blew on it. “It puts you in the right mood for sure.” Both chuckled.
The conversation ran dry. Slowly, the exhaustion from the last weeks seemed to be kicking in.
Will felt Sky’s eyes on him, and turned his head to look at her. Something bittersweet lay in her gaze - he knew she was looking forward to spend the holidays at the stud, but there was something else that he couldn’t really make out.
“You alright?” he said, his voice lowered and soft.
“Yea.” Sky exhaled through her nose. Her eyes seemed to hold his, and he returned it - but then she broke the connection and looked out of the window. It was dark, so she could only picture the familiar landscape that must be moving past to herself, changing ever so slightly with every kilometre they travelled south.
Will sat upright.
“Oh,” he said, suddenly earnest. “Oh, oh.”
Sky looked at him with a puzzled expression. “What’s up?”
“Oh, I just… uh, gotta go to the toilet. Y’know. Um.” He shuffled around on his seat - suddenly the distance between him and his wheelchair made him uncomfortable, but he didn’t want to ask for help.
“Alright,” Sky said, and leaned back in her seat before she realised that she’d be the one who’d taken his wheelchair away from him to store it safely; so she jumped up and hurried to bring it back.
Will changed seats and left, and Sky stayed behind, not knowing what to do with herself. Little did she know about how his disability affected his life. She’d always wondered how he was able to accomplish basic tasks, like getting dressed or go to the toilet - which paraplegics most often had problems controlling, as she knew. But even typing it into Google’s search bar felt like a weird invasion of his privacy, so she still didn’t really know anything about how the daily battles he fought. For some reason it felt like this caused a greater distance between them, despite the closeness that they had developed over the last months. The situation didn’t make a lot of sense, but yet Sky couldn’t help feeling a weird disappointment whenever she spent time with him. Maybe she just wanted to be important, play a significant role in his life, but then again she regretted thinking like that. After all, he was a self-reliant person, in no need of dependencies.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Navigation

Storyline folder: "MAKE A JOYFUL NOISE"
WTS Timeline | Character Index

In Make A Joyful Noise:
NEXT

WTS Chronology:
PREVIOUSLY | NEXT

Waving Tree Stud on Pinterest: The Location | Aesthetics
Waving Tree Stud Playlist on Spotify

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Welcome back, Will! I started writing this chapter so long ago, haha :'D
Here we go. The first step away from the stud, and an introduction to a new and exciting (hopefully) storyline.
I've had screen writing classes the last two months and, well, now I know that my storytelling is... particular. But I always liked this - it's a rather epic way of storytelling (opposed to dramatic storytelling) , and I won't change my plottings, just cuz I lack Plot Points or whatevs. As long as you are entertained.. ;D

Art, written art, characters (c) by me, no ref used
DIN A5 pencil sketch, coloured with PS

Me on Tumblr | Instagram | Pinterest