Chapter 4 - Departure

By the time the party started, Mina was fairly sure the entire village had come to see her off and wish her well, many of whom she barely recognized, and some she didn’t at all. All of them, however, seemed overjoyed for her.

To her relief, all of her students showed up. Even Sylvie, who tried her best to hide the fact that she was tearing up. The lot of them gave her a stack of letters, one from each of them.

“In case you ever have a hard time and need a pick-me-up,” Marra had said when she presented them to her on behalf of the group.

There were gifts aplenty from so many others, most of which were small enough to bring with her, or just needed the Internet to use. She now had more gift cards and store credit for places to eat or things she might need that she had no idea how she was going to spend them all.

June gave Mina her gift last.

“I have been working extra and saving everything I can ever since I found out you were leaving. I wanted to do more, what with you leaving for, like, forever and all, but I knew you’d love this.” She said, handing Mina a narrow envelope.

Mina narrowed her eyes in mock suspicion as she took it.

“What is it?”

June just grinned.

“Open it and find out!”

Mina tore it open. There was a card inside. Its exterior was completely blank white. She looked up at June.

“What? I don’t get something with cartoon animals and a terrible pun, like ‘I can’t bear to see you go!’?”

“Just open it!”

Mina flipped the card open, and two small slips of cardboard fell out, flittering to the floor. Mina bent down to pick them up.

“I thought it might be the last time you’d get to see her live, so I couldn’t resist.” June said as Mina picked them up.

There, in her hand, were two tickets to Flera Delacroix’s farewell tour in Gnomon City, five rows back from the stage. They had to have cost an absolute fortune. Mina looked up at June, too stunned to do anything more than squeak faintly.

“The other one’s for me to join you, so don’t go giving it to someone else!” June said, tears threatening to ruin her giant grin. “I was already going to visit my aunt and uncle in the city this year anyways, so I figured I’d plan the trip to happen the week of the show so I could be there with you. Oh, and look at the back! There’s one more surprise.”

Mina flipped them over. There, in bold capital letters, were the letters V.I.P., followed by a single sentence below in calligraphic script: “Bearer entitled to a backstage meet and greet with the performer(s) after the performance.”

Mina’s eyes flew wide. She looked up at June, who somehow smiled even wider.

“Happy ‘dreams come true’ da-!” June started, but was cut short by Mina throwing her arms around her and squeezing her as tight as she possibly could. She held June for what probably felt like forever. Some part of her worried that if she let go, this would all turn out to be a dream or some kind of elaborate prank.

“You’re welcome.” June finally managed to squeeze out. By this point, she’d given up trying not to cry too.

The rest of the party seemed to pass in a blur of hugs, and handshakes, and well-wishes. Each one of them, bit by bit, slowly built a realization in Mina’s mind until she had absolutely no doubt.

She had to go. She had to succeed. She had to make all of their kindness and support worth it.

She wanted to be great in the abstract before, but now, seeing this overwhelming show of support from everyone she’d ever known, something changed. She wasn’t doing what she was about to do for herself. If she was truly honest, she’d be perfectly content, even happy, with the life she already had. No. She was doing this for all of them, for their belief in her, for the sacrifices they all were making and had made to give her this chance.

By the time the hour came to depart for the train station, her mind was made up, and for the first time since finding out, she no longer felt sad or guilty. Nervous, sure, and maybe a little homesick at the thought of being away from everyone. But she knew what she had to do now, and was going to do it, no matter the cost.

At the station, Papa helped her carry the trunks with all of her things to the baggage car of the train. Once it was all loaded, he pulled her into a giant bear hug. Only after several minutes did he finally let her go, wiping moisture from the corners of his eyes.

“You gonna be okay?” He asked.

Mina took a deep breath, then nodded.

“I think so.”

Papa pursed his lips and nodded.

“If you need anything, no matter what time it is, you know how to reach me. Don’t be afraid to wake me up if you have to.” He said.

Mina smiled.

“Can do.”

A voice came over the station intercom signaling the last call for boarding. Papa squeezed her shoulder, then motioned towards the train with his head.

“Better get going, kiddo.” He said.

Mina nodded and turned to go. After about three steps, however, she turned and ran back to him, squeezing him as tight as she possibly could.

“Thank you, Papa.” She said as she buried her face in his chest.

“You’re welcome.” He said.

Another signal came that boarding was about to end, and he gently but firmly pulled her away from him and nudged her in the direction of the train.

“You’re welcome. Now go, before they leave you!” He said.

Mina nodded, and ran for her seat, stopping one final time in the door of the train to lean out and wave before disappearing inside. Less than a minute later, the train was speeding out of the station and into the cool night air, leaving Papa, June, her students, and everything she’d ever known behind.