Foolish Games

19. The trip to the North

His dad had taken him to the airport and stayed with him until he passed the security gates. He had tried to be nice, saying almost exactly the things that Katja had about enjoying his time, he had bought him sweets; as if he was a fucking five-year-old who could be bribed with candy! His dad really had no clue anymore.

Only an hour later, he arrived at the airport in Oulu where his grandfather was expecting him. He was a stern seventy-seven-year-old man, religious, and... Joni knew it was going to be hell.

"Good to see you, Joni, you've grown since last time, haven't you," he said, taking one of his bags to carry as they walked towards the car.

"I suppose so," Joni muttered.

"Your father has informed me of your troubles," he continued. "A Russian?" The old man shook his head. "No son, they are nothing but bad news. It would be better to find a suitable girl. You needn't worry, we will fix this for you."

"Thank you but I don't need to be fixed," Joni snarled, cursing silently in his mind.

"We will see."

The drive took close to forty minutes from the airport, leaving the small city of Oulu back driving to the silent countryside, In summers there were always more people, tourists staying in the cabins, and... well at Christmas times some returned, wanting to enjoy the proper white Christmas.

But now all Joni could see ahead was endless mountains of snow and forest. He had nothing to wait for but days filled with boredom.

"Your great grandfather would turn in his grave if he knew of your latest stunt," his grandfather decided to break the silence that had settled. "A Russian!" he sneered, shaking his head. He just couldn't seem to get past the Russian part...

Of course, Joni knew how stubbornly his grandfather held onto the grudges he had against the Russians. Grudges caused by the war that killed his father and forced them to leave their home behind when he had been a child, old enough to remember it well. So considering this he did his best not to get too annoyed, although it was completely ridiculous to blame every Russian for something they had no real part in.

"I'm pretty sure he would have turned in his grave even from the simple fact that I am gay," Joni sighed.

"You are still so young, you're just confused I'm sure, and those Russians...."

"Give it a rest, grandad, I've known that I was gay as long as I can remember," Joni couldn't help but interrupt him." I can assure you that the Russians had nothing to do with this," he said finding it all rather amusing really. Suddenly the idea of Russian leaders coming up with an evil plot to send Russian men to seduce young men of Finland in steamy gay sex affairs rose to his mind and made it difficult to keep a straight face. The idea was so ridiculous on so many levels and he had to grit his teeth in order not to laugh out loud.

"Hmh... Maija has been asking about you," the older man spoke after a moment of silence. Maija was the granddaughter of his old friend, a wealthy family like theirs. They owned trotting horses like his grandparents and were quite successful in that business.

"And this is supposed to interest me, how?" Joni asked, raising his eyebrow.

"Well, she's single, you are single."

"Eh, I'm gay remember?" 

His grandfather glanced at him again, "I'm sure it will pass when you meet the right girl." 

"No, it won't! I'm gay and it won't change!!" Joni couldn't help but snap, he had enough of this. He wanted home.

**