(Manhattan International Airport, 10 Am)

As Mathius sits on the plane getting ready to land in Manhattan he realizes just how long he has been away from his home.

"I cannot believe it's been nearly 2 years since I been home. I wonder how things have changed. . . ."

After the plane landed Mathius finally realized that he really is home, away from everything that has happened over seas, and understanding that he will no longer have the same position he had with the crew he was with over seas.

As Mathius was finally able to get off the plane with his backpack and head to baggage collection he sighed to himself and said. . . .

*Sigh*

"I wonder if the old place is still around?"

Arriving and waiting at the baggage collection Mathius thinks about his home an wonders if his ma is still there; an if she still makes that same old pie she did when he was here. He can still remember the smell, as if it was right in front of him, hoping to be able to taste that lovely sweetness again. Before he could realize it, his bag had already gone past him twice while most of the other people already grabbed their bags, an he was left there mostly alone. When the bag came back around he finally notices it, an takes it from the conveyor belt and sets off to the entrance of the airport. The moment he steps outside a view he hasn't seen in 2 years hits him in the face like a train, and is surprised at how the high rises are still the same, as if he was expecting something to be different from before. Waving down a taxi he takes out a cigar and cuts open the end and lights it awaiting the taxi to pick him up.

"Where we headed to sir"

When Mathius enters the vehicle he hears a crisp deep voice; in response he hands the driver a paper with an address. . . .

"Take me here please"

(Manhattan Suburbs, 12:30 Pm)

After a long ride to the suburbs of the Manhattan side of New York City Mathius finally arrived at the place he had asked to be taken to. Stepping out of the vehicle and thankin the taxi driver he turns to look at the place that took him 2 long years to get back to. The building was a small house, originally painted a nice blue color that would make people smile coming up to it, no longer possessed the luster that it once had. The grass that should have been cut was getting taller by the day; while the driveway was cracked an full of weeds all the way up to the side of the house. Not understanding why the house was like this Mathius starts moving towards the front, getting faster as he got closer; but before he could get to the door he heard a voice on the porch next to him. . . .

"They ain't n'body livin there ny'more sonny, lady tha liv'd there passed way in motor crash. Was tragic, an er' boy din' even come back ere' to er' funral"

When Mathius heard what the old man had told him it was like a lightning bolt had struck him as he was not expecting something to have happened such as this. Not knowing what to do he thanked the old man and walked into the house and found that all of the furniture was still present, and draped in dust. Looking around Mathius closed the door and dropped his bag on the floor, kicking up dust as the musty smell of not being used in a long time hits him. Before Mathius moved even an inch from the door tears started to slide down his cheeks as the silence of his childhood home invades his ears as his mother is no longer there to greet him and tell him. . . .

"Welcome home Sweaty!"

As Mathius stood there, he finally understood that he should never have left, an that everything he did for himself caused his mother to be alone and pass away without her son here. Angry at himself he screams and kicks his bag and falls to the floor tears streaming down his face wishing he could speak to his mother at least one more time, hoping, pleading that he would be able to hear her voice one last time. . . . 

After being on the floor for who knows how long, Mathius finally rose to his feet and grabbed his bag that he had kicked and moved to the kitchen. Reaching the kitchen he places his bag on the table an looks around, and notices that the kitchen is smaller than he remembers it being. With the table being large enough for two people being in the center of the room with two chairs at either end with the closest being next to the door and the other closest to the fridge Mathius pulls out the one next to the door and sits in it. Opening his bag he pulls out his small notebook, and opened it to the first page to a picture of two people, one being him and the other being his mother.

The picture showed Mathius when he was younger and his mother, standing there looking as beautiful as ever. Although the picture was black and white he could remember exactly what she looked. Her beautiful brown hair that was soft like a fiberous blanket, a smile that could brighten up a room and blue eyes that seemed to capture everything. Feeling the tears coming again Mathius put the picture away and reached for a bottle that was in his bag, cracked it open and said. . . .

"Ma, I'm sorry for not being here for you and hope that you can forgive me one day I will find a way to make it up to you"

Taking a big gulp of the bottle Mathius sighs and thinks about everything that he has gone through today. Over the next few minutes he finished the bottle, and as he still didn't feel satisfied he thought about his old motorcycle, and went to the backyard to see if it was still there. Taking a step out the back door Mathius saw his bike there and went to look for the keys.

After a few minutes of searching he finally noticed that they weren't in the kitchen, but instead hanging next to the front door, as if waiting to be picked up at anytime.

"Let's see if this old boy will still run"