Mystery Lights

Chapter 3

Third Person POV

"It's okay, Perth, you don't have to show me your driver's license. If my friend trusted you with his son, I am sure that I can trust you with mine," Mr. Suppapong said, refusing to take the card that Perth was extending to him. "Oh, and by the way, this is my son, Saint."

Perth clasped his hands and bowed to Saint, and then realized belatedly that Saint was holding out his hand to him.

Perth quickly took Saint's hand and asked, "It's my pleasure to meet you, Saint. May I know the reason that you're unable to drive yourself to uni?"

Mr. Suppapong chose to be the one to answer Perth's question.

"He has intermittent episodes of blindness which are unpredictable so it's not safe for him to drive. It started only yesterday and the ophthalmologist will not be able to see him until day after tomorrow."

Perth got very curious about Saint's intermittent blindness but refrained from asking any more questions.

"Whenever you're ready, Saint," he said, moving towards the door.

"Wait!" Saint exclaimed, "I'm getting the bright flashes again!"

Perth quickly took one of the arms that Saint was extending. Perth noticed that Saint's eyes were unfocused but looking straight ahead.

Perth guided Saint out the door.

"We're a few inches from the stairs leading to the driveway," Perth warned Saint.

"Yes," Saint replied, quickly going down the steps without falling.

Perth stood where he was, watching Saint in amazement. Saint stopped and looked back to smile at Perth.

"I can see clearly again," he announced, "the bright flashes have disappeared."

"Okay," Perth said, following him down the short flight of stairs which led to the driveway. Perth started to wonder how he was going to cope with the unpredictable episodes of blindness of Saint.

Out of habit, Saint climbed into the driver's seat.

"I don't think it would be safe for you to drive," Perth reminded Saint.

"Oh yes, sorry, I wasn't thinking," Saint said, quickly getting out of the driver's seat and handing Perth his car key before climbing into the front passenger seat.

"I'm assuming that I'm driving you to the Chulalongkorn University," Perth said as he started the engine.

"Yes, you are," Saint replied, leaning a little towards Perth to grope for his seat belt, and immediately becoming aware of Perth's pleasantly scented cologne.

"Here, let me do it for you," Perth said leaning towards Saint, and suddenly becoming aware of Saint's pleasantly scented after shave cologne himself.

They both froze for a millisecond before Perth quickly acted to secure Saint's safety belt on him.

Both of them felt their necks getting warm and Perth automatically turned the air conditioning on to cool the atmosphere inside the car.

While driving smoothly through the busy thoroughfare, Perth kept scolding himself, reminding himself that he was an employee of Saint's father and should never, never, never entertain any feelings of attraction towards this very good looking son of his boss who had been entrusted to his care.

"My car has a sticker which will allow us to get into the students' parking lot," Saint informed Perth, "you have to park in the designated spot that corresponds to the number on the sticker."

"Okay," said Perth, but they were stopped anyway by the guard at the entrance to the parking lot.

The guard had recognized Saint but didn't know Perth. Perth explained the situation and then both he and Saint had to wait while the guard contacted the administrative office.

It seemed that Saint's father had already called ahead to inform the office of the situation because in the next minute the guard was waving to Perth to let him through.

As Saint stepped out of the car, he announced to Perth that he was having clear vision again. He told Perth to take note and remember the way to his classroom so that next time that he needed to guide Saint during a blindness episode, Perth would be able to do so without a problem.

They needed to use an elevator to get to the third floor where Saint's classroom was. As Saint leaned forward to press the button on the floor indicator Perth's manly fragrance wafted to his nostrils once more.

"What is your classroom's number?" Perth asked.

"Huh?" Saint had only vaguely heard the question.

"I was asking..."

"Oh, yes, yes," Saint was able to focus again and was mentally kicking himself for getting distracted by his driver's manly scent. "It's 306. I know the way."

"Of course you know the way," Perth said patiently, "I just wanted to take note of it for when I have to guide you there."

"Yes, yes, of course," Saint said hurriedly, feeling his neck warming up again.

They met Saint's instructor just as they were about to enter the classroom.

The instructor looked at Perth.

"So you are Saint's daily guide and note taker for his lessons," he said to Perth, "I have been informed about your presence in the classroom by the administrative office."

Perth clasped his hands together and bowed to the instructor.

Then the instructor turned to Saint. "Are you able to see clearly right now?"

"Yes, sir," Saint replied, "I just don't know when the bright flashes will come back."

"Saint! Over here!" Tanya stood up from her chair to wave to Saint when she saw Saint walking into the classroom.

Then Tanya's bright smile dimmed a little when she noticed Perth holding Saint's elbow to guide him to his chair even though the blindness episode had not come back yet.