Scream Me a Dream

Sunday May 9, 2010
8:15am

Breakfast at the hotel restaurant was an awkward occasion, the only sound being the scraping of utensils against fine glassware and their own breathing. Soya had gone that morning prepared to spend the hour listening to her mother go on and on about her missed turns of the night before. Instead, her mother had greeted her with the usual kiss on the cheek before sitting next to Jonah, leaving Soya to sit next to Aida at the table.

She looked at her father who seemed to look much more tired than when she saw him last night. With every trip she saw him make into the states, she was sure the bags under his eyes got bigger and the lines on his face got deeper. She never remembered having seen her father look so…old. She thought to herself.

“What’s your plan Soya?”

Soya blinked and looked up from her fruit plate. “I’m sorry?” she asked her mother.

“You’re plan Soya. You have six months off.”

Soya nodded. “I do, I start teaching again next month.” She saw her mother roll her eyes but kept silent much to Soya’s surprise.

“Do you enjoy teaching, pikku tanssija?”(my little dancer)

Soya looked at her father in surprise, before smiling softly. “Papa, you haven’t called me that since I was five.”

Jonah raised an eyebrow. “Is it wrong to call my daughter by a term of endearment?”

“No, papa, I just…” she shook her head trying to clear away the shock before answering. “Yes, I enjoy teaching papa.”

“Good, good, your mother says your studio is doing well.”

“I wasn’t aware mamma had a kind word to say about the studio.” Soya muttered.

“Soya!” Elizabeth reprimanded.

“Anteeksi.”(sorry) Soya apologized lowly. “That was rude of me.”

“Other than teaching do you have any plans?” Jonah asked before biting into some of his eggs.

“Not many.” Soya admitted, she bit her lip and decided to approach the subject carefully, “Josef is talking about going back home for a while, he hasn’t seen his family in over a year, he’s missing them.”

Elizabeth gave a rare smile. “I bet Ivana is missing her dear boy dearly.”

Soya gave a short nod, having met Ivana Kolar many times; she knew that Josef was every bit a mamma’s boy as Ivana was a mother who loved to coddle all five of her children. “She is, she calls every week and speaks to Josef for hours updating him. It just makes him even more homesick.”

“Were you going to go with Josef this time around?” Elizabeth asked. “You haven’t been to the Czech Republic in almost two years, you know Ivana misses you.”

“I…” Soya swallowed. “I was actually thinking, maybe I could come home for a while.”

She didn’t see the looks of shock on her parents face, having been distracted by her little sister’s squeal of excitement.

“Truly Soya?!” Aida asked, bouncing in her seat. “Are you coming home!?”

“Of course she isn’t.” Elizabeth said firmly.

Soya looked up in confusion. “Why not Mamma? I haven’t been back since Aida was born, and even then I didn’t get to go home, technically I haven’t been back in Finland in almost ten years.”

“You’ve made your home here Soya.” Jonah said. “You’re work is here, there’s nothing in Finland for you anymore.”

Soya’s frown deepened. “Of course there is, there’s you guys and Aida, I think that’s more then enough keeping me tied to Finland. I miss it.”

“The studio needs you Soya.” Jonah said. “You’ll go with Josef to visit his family or you’ll stay in New York with the rest of the company.”

“But Papa, I don’t see why…”

Jonah slammed his hand on the table; causing Soya to wince and reach for her sister’s hand as Aida jumped then lowered her head, keeping her teary eyes off her father. “Enough Soya, I’ve already said what you’re choices are and going back to Finland is not one of them.” Jonah looked down at his watch and sighed. “Go now or you’ll be late for practice.”

Soya nodded silently, leaning down to kiss the top of her sisters head, whispering a quick ‘I love you’ before grabbing her purse and leaving the restaurant.

She was going to go to Finland damnmit, not just because she wanted to spend more time with Ville and the guys, but because she missed her home country, she hated only spending four hours with her little sister when her parents were in town an entire month.

She threw her purse in her car, before backing out of the space and heading towards the theater where the rest of the company was gathered. She had one quick rehearsal before the last two back-to-back shows and then she was done for the next six months. It was the first time in eight years, she was actually looking forward to having nothing pressing to attend to other then her classes. Soya shook her head in amusement, the first sign that her time to retire was nearing, not only was her ankle starting to give out on her, but now time off was a blessing instead of the curse she usually thought of it as.

XxxxxxX

“I’m surprised you’re not staying for the last show.” Ville teased as he snuffed out his cigarette against the side of the building he was leaning on before walking over to Bam’s blue hummer.

“Shit to do, people to harass.” Bam shrugged as he climbed into the car. “You’re still coming right?”

Ville nodded, reassuring his friend. “Yes Bam, I’m still coming over after. We’re staying here tonight and then on Monday evening I should find my way into West Chester, if anything changes I will call you.”

Bam nodded. “I’ll have April get your room ready.”

“Really?” Ville laughed. “I get to sleep on clean sheets this time around; you must really want me to stay.”

Bam smirked. “If clean sheets is what will get you to stay, then clean sheets you will have!”

Ville shook his head in amusement, before speaking. “Do you think it would be all right if I invite Soya to come?”

Bam frowned. “Why?”

Ville smiled. “So I can see you in a jealous rage.”

Bam rolled his eyes. “Other than that.”

Ville shrugged. “She’s not going back to Finland anytime soon, so this may be the last time I see her in a while and an hour in the car last night and a few hours tomorrow for lunch isn’t enough time for us to catch up.”

“It’s enough for Linde and Mige.” Bam pointed out.

“Not really.” Ville corrected. “But they’re willing to take what they can get, and if a few hours with Soya is what their getting, then they’re more than happy with that. Me, myself, I have a month in the area before heading back home and if I can spend that month with Soya then…” Ville smirked. “It would make me very happy Bam.”

Bam shook his head. “That’s a low blow man.”

“Is it alright then?”

“I don’t have much of choice do I?”

“Not really no, I just thought I’d be polite first and ask before I invite her anyway.” Ville shrugged.

Bam laughed. “Not like everyone else doesn’t do it. See you Monday night then?”

Ville nodded as he backed away from the car. “Monday night.” He watched as the Blue hummer peeled out of the parking space, before Ville turned and made his way into the hotel and up to his room.

As he entered the elevator, he patted his jean pockets pulling out the vibrating cell phone. He looked down and saw a new text from Linde. Opening the message, he read;

Sending Soya flowers, want your name on them?

He rolled her eyes, he really didn’t know why Linde bothered asking, before he texted back the response.

Of course.

Slipping the phone back in his pocket, he took out the room key and waited as the elevator door brought him to his floor. Thirty seconds later he was walking into his room to see Linde putting his phone on the nightstand and smile up at him.

“Bam off?”

Ville nodded as he grabbed his guitar off its post leaning against the wall before falling onto the couch in front of the TV. “Yep,”

“I sent Soya flowers, had your name put on them too.” Linde said as he sat next to Ville, pushing his feet off the couch to make room.

Ville brought his legs up, cradling the guitar between his chest and thighs as he lifted his hips up to get his pack of cigarettes out of his back pocket. He took one out and lighted it, before going back to strumming the guitar. “Much appreciated, what did you send her?”

Linde laughed. “I haven’t forgotten Ville, I know tulips are her favorite, so I had a vase of those sent.”

“Good, now I don’t have to go back and remedy the mistake.” Ville smirked.

Linde leaned back, propping his feet on the coffee table, “Are you really going to stay here for a month?”

Ville shrugged. “Jesse’s out of town right now, he doesn’t get back to Finland until August and Mamma and Papa are at some sort of convention.”

Linde looked over at Ville with a smirk. “Convention as in convention or is that just their code for a fifth honeymoon?”

Ville winced. “One, I really wish you would stop reminding me of my parents very active sex life.”

“Never going to happen.”

“And two, it is a convention, Jesse and I made sure of it before they left.”

“What type of convention?”

Ville rolled his eyes. “It’s to see some new products that papa might carry in the store.”

“A porn convention!” Linde laughed. “God I love your parents.”

“It advertises more than porn…” Ville shook his head in amusement, he had no trouble admitting that he adored his parents. He was well past the embarrassment of his youth over what they did for a living, it was a job just as his job was singing with his band and Jesse’s was beating people to a pulp. “Anyway they’re not back until the end of the month so besides you guys I don’t have anyone in Helsinki waiting for me. And while I adore you Linde, I’ve seen a bit too much of you.”

Linde laughed. “A month with Bam.”

“It’ll be fine.” Ville said resting his hand on the neck of the guitar. “I’m thinking of inviting Soya to come with me.”

“Go with you? To West Chester? With Bam?” Linde burst out laughing, “Ville, it’s been thirteen years since I’ve seen Soya, and even I still see the naïve and innocent fifteen year old you met at your fathers sex shop!”

“Music shop.” Ville instinctively corrected, only to laugh at himself in amusement. “Elizabeth isn’t even here and I’m still doing it.”

“You really think it’s a good idea to take Soya to Bam’s?”

“It wouldn’t be for the entire month.”

“Even for a week, you think it’s a good idea?”

“I miss her Linde,” Ville groaned, his head falling back in defeat.

Linde nodded. “I know you do, I know her leaving definitely hit you a lot harder then it hit me and Mige, but putting her in that type of environment just so you guys can spend time together?”

“Bam can be calm when he wants to be.”

Linde nodded in agreement. “True, when he wants to be, not when he’s asked to, but I know you’ll do whatever you want to and if asking Soya to West Chester is what you want to do, then you better make clear to Bam that there are boundaries.”

“Soya’s not her mother.” Ville pointed out, knowing that Soya had no problem with people being loud and rambunctious.

“No, she not, otherwise I would be questioning your sanity in ever pursuing a relationship with anyone like Elizabeth Toivonen.” Linde said as he stood up.

Ville frowned at him. “Who said I was pursuing a relationship with Soya?”

Linde laughed as he grabbed his jacket off the bed. “Please Ville, Mige and I saw it when we first saw Soya with you thirteen year ago and we saw it again last night. You care for each other in a way that is much more then friends. She may have trusted us with certain things back then, but you were the first she would go to with everything.” Linde couldn’t help but give an amused laugh. “You really were the favorite Ville, and you still are. Mige and I only hope that this time when she kisses you, you can convince her to stay.”

With that said Linde put on his jacket, grabbed his phone and decided he would go outside to give his daughter a call, leaving Ville alone. Ville scooted further down on the couch, stretching out his legs as the guitar rested high on his chest. With a sigh he lifted his hips again, digging his blasted cell phone out of his pocket before looking at the time.

“I hate it when Linde’s right.” He muttered flipping the phone open and finding Soya’s number in his phone book where he’d entered it the night before. Pressing ‘send’ he heard it ring, before her out of breathe voice answered.

“Hello?”

“Soya?”

He heard her laugh before she spoke again. “Ville, I have to say, you have the best and the worst of timing”

“Did I catch you at a bad time?”

“I’m in the middle of an intermission, give me two seconds to change and I’m all your for the next ten minutes.”

“Deal.” He laughed. He heard her rustling around then a slight ‘damn’ before she came back on the line. “You all right?” he teased.

“Fine.” She huffed. “Fell on my laptop.”

“Is it all right?”

“I’m fine, thank you.”

“Yes, but is the laptop okay?”

“It’s fine.” Soya laughed. “How are you?”

“I’m fine, you?”

“Tired as all hell, Josef and I spent most of the evening eating ice cream and icing my ankle, then I woke up early to have breakfast with my parents, rehearsal and a show and I’m on my last one. I have an hour left before I have my break.”

“You sound excited.” Ville pointed out, hearing the large grin in her voice.

Soya laughed. “Truthfully I am, I’m excited to have the next few months to myself. No agenda, no early morning warm ups, and my end of recital cheeseburger.”

Ville laughed. “I’m sorry you’re what?”

“Don’t laugh, it’s a tradition, after every recital I have a cheeseburger and fries.”

“You do live dangerously Soya.”

“Again, you go two years without putting any type of junk food into your body and then we’ll speak. I have been living on salads, lean unseasoned meat, and fruit bowls. I deserve a cheeseburger.”

“Forgive me and do remind me never to get in between you and your cheeseburger again,”

“Ugh,” Soya moaned. “Now you’ve got me hungry.”

“Sorry.” Ville teased.

“Yeah right, so did you call for a reason or just to say ‘hi’?”

“Reason, I was wondering if you would make it tonight to the show?”

“Oh Ville,” He winced at the slightly apologetic tone to her voice. “Aida leaves an hour after my show, and then Josef is dragging me to the after-party, he says it’s our duties as the leads to go, I don’t think I’ll be able to make it tonight, but we’re all still on for tomorrow right?”

Ville nodded, and then remembered she couldn’t see him. “Yes, Gas and Burton can’t wait to meet you kulta.”

“Oh Ville, I have to go, Josef is starting to get impatient, call me tomorrow morning and we’ll set a time to meet. Bye!”

Before he could respond the line went dead, causing him to sigh. He dropped the phone on the ground, before running a hand through his curls. “Fuck I really hate it when Linde’s right.”