章節 21: Seat partner, Jarvis
Neville stood in a queue, his duffel bag slung over his shoulder, waiting to board the shuttle that would take him to the basic training center. The line moved steadily, each recruit stepping forward to have their documents checked by a stern-looking sergeant at the door. The sergeant verified each recruit's paperwork with a practiced efficiency, nodding them through one by one.
When it was Neville's turn, he handed over his documents. The sergeant glanced at them, then at Neville, before nodding and handing them back. "You're good to go," he said, his voice stern.
Neville stepped onto the shuttle, taking in the large, comfortable interior. The seats were arranged in pairs, each with ample legroom. He found his assigned seat, unfortunately located in the hallway, and stowed his bag in the overhead compartment before sitting down.
The shuttle wasn't full, and the atmosphere was a mix of nervous energy and quiet anticipation.
As the shuttle pulled away from the recruitment station, Neville stared out the window, watching the cityscape blur into the countryside.
The journey was relatively quiet, with only a few murmured conversations breaking the silence. After a while, they arrived at another recruitment station to pick up more recruits.
The shuttle doors opened, and a new group of recruits began to board.
Neville watched as they filed in, each one looking as eager as he felt. One of the new arrivals caught his eye, a tall man, easily 6'7", with ginger hair and slight freckles. He wasn't particularly muscular, but his body was well-proportioned, giving him the appearance of a gentle giant. He wore a simple black short-sleeve shirt and pants.
The tall man made his way down the aisle, glancing at the seat numbers. When he reached Neville's row, he gave a humble nod. "Excuse me," he said in a whisper but his deep voice cracked through it prompting the man to cough to clear his throat, before squeezing his way to the window seat.
Neville shifted to let him pass, then settled back into his own seat. The tall man sat down, adjusting himself and his seat to fit comfortably.
After the bus was in the road for a while, and the tense atmosphere between strangers easing, he turned to Neville and introduced himself. "Jarvis," he said, extending his right hand.
Neville firmly shook his hand, and looked him in the eyes, it was a good handshake and the man reciprocated. "Hello. I'm Neville."
As the shuttle resumed its journey, the recruits began to relax a bit, and conversations started to flow more freely.
As the shuttle rolled on, Jarvis turned to Neville with a curious look. "So, which recruitment station are you from?" he asked.
Neville glanced at him and replied, " One near Allison's down town."
Jarvis nodded, then asked, "Do you have any family?"
Neville hesitated for a moment before answering, "Yes, but we're not that close."
Sensing the tension, Jarvis reached into his pocket and pulled out a small passport-sized photo. He handed it to Neville, who saw a picture of a new born with ginger hair. "This is my daughter, Jasmine. She and my girlfriend are my entire world," Javis said, his voice softening.
"She's cute," Neville said, returning the photo with a small smile.
"I want to give her the world, but I'm not in a position to give her a stable life right now. That's why I enlisted. The bonus was great to feed them for a while, plus the health benefits. I didn't have insurance, but I saw I could cover my daughter with my benefits if I joined. She was born with a weak immune system, and drugs for children are really expensive, so the benefits really made me join," Jarvis explained, an awkward smile on his face.
"You're a great father," Neville said sincerely.
"Nah, I wish I could be there during her growth, but I can't, and that disappoints me. I hope she won't resent me as much," Jarvis admitted, his voice tinged with regret.
"I don't know about her, but seeing you do this for your family is really great. When she's mature enough, have a conversation with her. Don't hide too much of yourself from her, and maybe she'll understand. Half-truths and lies damage relationships," Neville advised.
"Hah, I'll try," Jarvis said, looking at the picture seriously.
" If you don't mind asking why did you join?" Asked Javis placing the photo back in his pocket.
Neville then spoke up, "Unlike you, I really don't have much in the outside world. I have no one to protect or provide for. So I joined because I have no other option left. Basically, life made me join," he said, opening up for some strange reason
"I don't know what to say..."
" You don't have to-" Neville tried cutting him off but, "but I think you're still young. You should have expectations for the future," Jarvis said, making Neville smile while shaking his head.
They continued talking about their lives and the odd jobs they had done. Neville learned that Jarvis had never continued from high school, unlike himself, who had gone to university but dropped out. Despite their different educational backgrounds, they found they had a lot in common. Both had worked as drivers at some point(Jarvis was a long distance truck driver while Neville a trained chauffeur), and they had also worked in construction, as butchers, and as farmhands.
Jarvis's resume was more impressive, though. He had experience as a club bouncer, a DJ, and at one point, he had been a cook at his very own small restaurant. It was at this restaurant that he met his girlfriend. Unfortunately, the restaurant burned down, and his insurance didn't help. Despite this unfortunate past, Jarvis kept on talking about his girlfriend who he was glad to come across, and Neville just let him.
"She was the best thing that ever happened to me," Jarvis said, his eyes lighting up as he spoke about her. "We met when she came in for a meal one night. She was so beautiful and kind. We hit it off right away."
"Sounds like you two have a strong bond," Neville commented.
"Yeah, we do. She's been my rock through everything. That's why I want to make sure I can provide for her and Jasmine," Jarvis said, his voice filled with determination.
Neville nodded, feeling slight admiration for Jarvis. Despite the challenges he faced, Jarvis remained optimistic and focused on survival but.
As the shuttle continued its journey, the conversation between Neville and Javis flowed easily.
They shared stories, laughed at their past. It wasn't something too deep like their traumas but just enough to break the ice.
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