...
Ten-year-old Del had been sleeping on his father's lap for at least the last couple of hours. Chess was achingly happy when they pulled in the drive at home, his thigh hurt from the boy's heavy head. He lifted it carefully and rested it on the leather seat. Chess got out of the car and then picked Del up in his arms. The little guy's legs dangled.
He called out: "Fair, Fair, take him straight to his room. He's exhausted and I'm getting a cramp in my leg.
Chess walked around the house rubbing his thigh while he waited for Fair to return. It was perfectly tidy and exactly the way he'd left it. He sniffed the lemonwood polish.
"Did you guys have fun, P'? Is that why Nong'Del is so tired?"
Chess worked a lot, the time he did spend with Del, was precious to the boy. Chess snickered: "He's going to have a sore rump tomorrow when he wakes up. He spent every moment he could on that horse, literally hours. He didn't want to get off when it was time to leave.
Fair was beaming. It was great news to hear that they'd spent some quality time together. Nong'Del smelled strongly of farm animals, but he was far too tired to bathe. Fair made a mental note, he would arrange to have the boy's sheets changed and laundered tomorrow.
"When I spoke with you last, you said you'd found a teacher. Where is he?"
Chess looked out the window and over at the small cottage where he'd kept all the other teachers he'd tried."
Fair nodded and preemptively answered his question. "And yes, he passed everything on the checklist by far, and more."
"And more? Like what?"
"Well, he speaks three languages, for one."
Chess seemed satisfied. He straightened his shirt and ran his fingers through his hair, pushing it back. Chess walked out without saying a word.
Fair didn't ask because he already knew where he was going.
... Chess ...
...
It felt like he'd just closed his eyes and got comfortable when the ruckus started. Fair had put the television on and leaned his head back. He heard screaming and he recognized the voice.
He barely had time to put on his slippers as he ran out and surveyed what was happening.
The first thing Fair noticed, (besides the man with the torch), was that Air had been awoken and was outside in his boxers and barefoot. The boy's face was raked with confusion and fright. Air stopped running when the kitchen workers tackled the torchbearer to the ground.
Chess was in the mix of men that lifted and carried the now silenced fellow. His torch was extinguished.
...
All of the staff had returned to their beds and the excitement cooled down, excepting of course, for Chess. Fair was there and waiting for him to speak.
Chess came back to the main house furious. His stomping, heavy breathing and growling made for an uncomfortable atmosphere.
His first words were meant for himself: "What am I to do? How long can I keep this up?"
Chess saw Fair and snatched the towel he was holding out from his hand. He dabbed his sweaty face and neck.
"So I suppose the new teacher saw that. Now he'll be gone in the morning too. You'll have to find someone else."
He cursed: "Christ! Will this quest ever end?"
Fair went to the fridge and poured a glass of cold water. He brought it out to the living room, in front of the window where Chess was staring.
"I'm not sure P'Chess. This boy is different than the other teachers. I don't think he'll leave."
"What makes this one so different? Huh? Is he lucky number seven?"
Chess took the water and drank it all in one go. He handed the glass back.
Again, he didn't say anything, and he didn't wait for Fair to respond, he headed across the field.
Fair watched Chess's back until he stepped on the front porch of Air's cottage.
...
Chess tromped heavy-footed on the deck of the small house. He walked past the window and reached for the screen door. He wasn't going to knock, it is his house after all.
Abruptly, Chess leaned back and, double-take, looked closely at what caught his eye.
Now, and with a much lighter step, he carefully closed the screen and moved in reverse as quietly as he could.
Inside on his loveseat was a naked boy, but for a pair of flimsy and revealing underwear. One arm was stretched up and folded behind his head, the other laid limply at his side.
The lad was slim and he had super long legs. His face so divine, it was akin to a sleeping angel.
The boy's lips were parted slightly and he was breathing even and measured. Chess couldn't hear but he wondered if the lad was making a soft snoring noise.
Chess lost track of time and wasn't sure how long he'd been standing there. He discovered that his own breaths were lining up and timed with Air's. He shook his head and tried to release his gaze from the slumbering cherub. His heart was pounding in a way it had not, in a long, long, time.
Air's toes wiggled and he scratched his belly with an unconscious hand.
Chess jumped back for fear the boy would wake and find himself being ogled, but, a force pulled on him and he stepped nearer again for another peek.
He cocked his head to the left, Chess couldn't believe he was smiling. He could feel those unused muscles in his face at work. He was thinking about how the young dream so worry-free and soundly. This adolescent sleeping beauty was truly a gift to his eyes and senses.
The dark hid his blush, Chess was stirred.
...
When his feet were on the grass again, Chess turned back. He couldn't shake the feeling that that sleeping boy just stole his heart. He had ripped it out of Chess's chest without a word, without waking or so much as opening his eyes.
Chess put his hand where the beating should be, it was gone.
...
Fair thought Chess was acting odd when he came back from the guest cottage. He was agitated, stomped around and grumbled that the new teacher was asleep. "Now there's no opportunity to speak with him."
Once more, Fair dared not say what he was thinking. "It's minutes before three in the morning. Did you really expect him to be awake? And... Why can't you talk with him tomorrow?"
Chess grabbed his car keys from a bowl in the entrance hall. With no forewarning at all, he told Fair he was leaving and would see the new teacher another time, possibly tomorrow night.
He went to a side door and grabbed the knob. Chess spoke without looking at Fair.
"Did you see him before you hired him?"
"No, P', I didn't."
Chess still held the knob, but he turned and looked back. "He's beautiful, right? This isn't some matchmaking scheme of yours, is it?"
"No, P', really. I had no clue he was so cute. I was just as surprised as you."
Fair took a deep breath and said, for a change, what he was thinking: "He's going to be a great teacher, I can already tell." Fair took two steps and came more to face the back of Chess's head.
He smiled.
"The rare times that you're here, you can ignore his beauty and his innocent charm." Fair waited the perfect amount of time and said: "Two of the kitchen guys have already asked me if he's single."
The keys now went into Chess's pocket. He let go of the doorknob and turned fully back.
"He's charming?"
...
"Do you eat like this every day?"
It was only the three of them at breakfast.
Fair introduced Del as the boy skipped across the kitchen. "Here he is." The first thing he did, and quite unexpectedly, was to wrap his arms around Air and hug him.
Del then sat, but very carefully. He'd already had a long chat with Fair regarding his sore bum. They talked while Del got dressed.
Fair opened a folded cloth napkin and tucked it into the neckline of Del's shirt. His feet didn't reach the floor, he swung them back and forth.
Del answered Air's question. "P'Fair says breakfast is important." He pointed his little-boy finger at a steaming bowl of porridge. "That's my favourite."
Fair started serving Del. "You can have whatever you want Air, I didn't know what you liked, so for this morning, I ordered this. I hope it's alright."
Even at Christmas time in the orphanage, there was never such a feast. There were shiny white poached eggs and thin strips of fried fatty pork. A basket full of fried sweet pastry had a bowl of honey yogurt for a dip. There was all the fresh fruit you could eat.
Air couldn't hide the enthusiasm in his voice: "I don't know what to have first."
"Try the porridge, P'Air."
Air stopped all movement. That was the first time anyone used that honorific for him with such authenticity. (It had no meaning at the orphanage.)
Fair noticed Air's shock. "I hope that's ok. All of us here are brothers."
Air couldn't resist Del's smile. "No, I'm fine with that, call me big brother."
Air loved the chatter over breakfast. Del was excited to describe his day of horseback riding and how he could eat more ice cream than his dad.
"Are we going to study today? The room isn't finished and it says 'wet paint'."
Fair tapped the top of Del's head. "Not today buddy. I have to take teacher Air into town and get him some new clothes.
"Aww, can I come... please... na na na."
"No, you have to stay here."
The pout was unbelievably adorable. His puffed-up bottom lip and his little arms crossed so sternly on his chest.
"Now now, P'Air doesn't want you there when he's getting new clothes..."
Air was still stunned to hear that he wouldn't be teaching and that instead, he be shopping.
"Ah, I don't mind at all P'Fair, Nong'Del can come."
"Are you sure?" For the boy's sake, Fair called him P'Air.
"Absolutely. Maybe nong can help me."
Del had a mouthful, but his shaking head was his agreement.
Fair stood and wrenched Air's head in a hug. "Oh thank God, I would have to ask P'Green to watch him and that's never good."
Fair pulled back and held on Air's shoulders. "P'Green makes him work in the garden and Del hates it."
"P'Green, who's that?"
Fair sat down and put his hands on his hips. "He didn't introduce himself yesterday? The head gardener, muscle-man, that's P'Green."
...
Green tossed the keys into the air to Fair, who caught them. He opened the door for Del to step in and strap himself. He ran around and did the same for Air in the front. The jeep was all open, top and sides to the sun and hot breezes.
Green opened the driver door for Fair, he held onto it as he shut it and stuck his head in for a kiss.
Fair kissed him quickly. "Don't worry. We'll be back before dinner. I'll call you, ok?"
Green kissed him again. "Ok, drive carefully." He thumped on the side of the jeep as Fair pulled away."
The game Del was playing, was the only sound in the vehicle. They travelled three miles before Fair realized that Air was silent. His hair was blown back and he was hanging onto one of the jeep's roll bars. His eyes were squinted.
It occurred to Fair that Air might have a problem with what he'd just witnessed.
"I'm sorry if that offended you. My boyfriend and I have been together so long now that we don't think about it anymore."
Air, very matter-of-factly, explained that he was not offended and that he had seen lots of boys kiss before. "I'm used to it."
Del in the backseat looked up from his game and said teasingly: "Me too."
...
Shopping wasn't at all like it is on television. There was no dancing montage outside the change room door. There was no skipping down the street with swinging shopping bags aplenty.
Air was overwhelmed with the choices and there were too many colours. He had no clue as to what size he was, and his feet hurt. Luckily for him, Fair loved to shop and in short order had a stylish pile of clothes and accessories.
They sat for lunch and there was talk of shoe shopping next. Air ate his very first lasagna.
...
Del fell asleep while Fair drove slower on the way back.
Air talked quietly: "Why did you spend all that money on me?"
"I told you. P'Chess said you should look nice."
Air asked a question that Fair was not expecting.
"Does he buy all the staff's clothes?"
"Yes, sort of. All the kitchen uniforms are provided, and, and, the safety boots for the garden people... I don't know what to say Nong, when P'Chess tells me to do something, I do it."
Fair could see through Air's eyes that the boy's brain was working hard.
"What if I don't work out? You'll have wasted all this money. Del told me, none of his teachers stay. Why?"
The pressure was on. Fair swallowed...
A small voice came from the backseat: "It's my fault P'. I haven't been very nice to the other teachers."
Del leaned forward and Air turned his head to see him. "But I like you P'. I won't be mean to you."
The wind was whipping Fair's bangs into his eyes. He sighed and marvelled at how smart and acutely aware young Del was.
...
Air's room in the house came with its own bathroom. He couldn't believe his luck. The bed in this one was even bigger and cushier than the last. There was a desk in this bedroom and a patio with a tea table seating area.
This spot had a view of the mountains as well but from a different angle. In the far-off distance, there was a river winding through the belly of a valley.
He dropped the bags on his new bed. Del carried a box of shoes and set them there too. He hugged P'Air around the waist and said he was going to his room for a nap.
Fair took the boy's hand. "Maybe you should get some rest too, Nong'Air. I'll check and see if there is any news on P'Chess and what time he'll be back."
Air nodded and plopped his butt on the side of the mattress. He sighed after the door was closed and he was alone.
...
knock... knock...
"Hello."
"Nong'Air, it's dinnertime. I've been sent to get you."
Air cast his voice down the stairwell. "Oh yes, I'll be right there."
Air did not recognize the voice who roused him. He guessed that Fair sent him.
He must have fallen asleep and hadn't even put the new clothes away. He woke amidst the bags and boxes.
His hair was sticking up from the top of his head, and he had wrinkles from the pillow on his face. Air raced like a crazy person to clean up, get dressed, he tried to rub the tired look from his eyes.
Air took one last glimpse at himself in the mirror before he left. He huffed.
Air was almost petrified to meet Chester. Not because he believed the man to be a tyrant, but simply for the fact that this Chess person held Air's future in his hands. If he didn't like Air or thought him the wrong fit...
Air took a deep breath and readied himself. He stepped outside.
The young man was still there. He'd waited and stood quickly from the deck's edge where he had sat. He made a wai.
"Hi Nong, I'm Khemp."
"Ah, I'm Air."
The guy chuckled and smiled hugely. "I know."
He stepped off of the deck and held out his hand for Air. "I thought I'd walk you to the big house." (The building where Del lives is a good distance from the others.)
Air was twisting his head and peering around. "Where's Nong'Del? Should I be hurrying?"
"Del is with Fair. He didn't nap very long, and hurrying, I don't think so. P'Fair didn't say anything about making you rush."
Air's slight relief was clearly visible. His tense shoulders were relaxed.
The sun had dipped behind the trees and the entire length of the field was striped with their shadows. They walked on the grass rather than on the wooden walkways.
Khemp had questions: "Where did you come from? Do you like it here so far? Are you single?"
Air and Khemp had reached the stone path, he was saved from having to answer.
"Here we are P'. Thank you for waking and walking with me."
Khemp let Air's shaking hand go. "I don't know why you're so nervous. The whole farm is talking about you."
Air looked into the man's eyes with stunned and incredulous disbelief. "Oy, telling me that doesn't help."
Air turned as if he were going to run back. "I'm more nervous now than ever."
Khem giggles and reached for his wrist. "It's all good talk Nong. The news is that you're really smart and that Del already likes you. If Del likes you, the hardest part of your job is over."
The way Khem ended his sentence suggested that there was more to be said. Air raised a single brow and remained wordless.
"Ah, well, the other big news is that you're so good looking."
Khemp took his eyes from Air's and put them on the stone where he was standing. "I had to see for myself."
...
Air's knees were shaking when he raised his arm to knock, Fair opened the door. "Come through Nong, we're eating on the deck for a change of scenery.
Fair touched Khem's shoulder and thanked him before he turned and left.
Fair let Air step inside. He closed the door behind the boy and then passed him as he lead the way. Air stay frozen where he was.
"What is it?" Fair stopped now too and turned back.
"Do I look alright?" Air checked his fly, and then pulled at the collar of his shirt. He rolled his eyes up as if he could look at his new haircut.
Fair moved the three steps and took Air by the wrist. "You'd look good in a trash bag. Come along."
Outside on the deck, Air could see Del spun in his chair and looking for him. "Hi, P'Air."
Green had a seat too and held up a glass of wine with a nod and smile. "Come and sit son, we get the pleasure of eating a big fancy meal meant for the boss."
Fair smacked Green's shoulder. "I haven't had a chance to tell him yet."
Air didn't need to ask, Fair continued: "P'Chess called and said he won't be back tonight."
Green stabbed a shrimp so big it could wrestle a lobster. He held it up in front of his grin.
Del, Green and Fair danced quickly over the blessing and commenced to eating.
"Did he leave any instructions for me?"
Fair's mouth was full, but his shaking head indicated, no. When he finally swallowed and was able to speak again, he said: "No, I have Del's curriculum... we'll go over that."
Air absolutely did not show his disappointment. It somehow seemed wrong to him to be employed and paid so much, but without ever having met his employer.
He bit his tongue, no one was ever going to know that.
...
One week passed, and then two. A month came quickly.
By the end of the second month, Air had nearly forgotten why he was so anxious to meet the boss. It didn't really matter in the end, life on the farm-clock ticked away slowly. The routine was iron-clad and except for the occasional day when the weather didn't cooperate, nothing ever changed.
Air found that he had a great deal of free time on his hands. Other than the hours he was expected to spend with Del, there was nothing for him to do. He had no other responsibilities.
His laundry was done for him. His bedroom was cleaned and his sheets changed on a regular basis. If he wanted a ride into town, he was driven. If he wanted something special to eat, he merely had to ask. Every single person on the farm treated him with respect, and he received polite wai's wherever he went.
His situation was better than anything he could have imagined, and yet, something was missing. It just wasn't enough.
Another more troublesome thing remained unchanged. The unnamed drunken gardener was never reigned in. He still tipped the bottle too often and could be seen or heard cackling and running untamed around the buildings. It almost always happened at night and would be hushed up as quickly as it started. Air could never get a satisfying answer, and trust your instincts, he asked every time the incidents occurred.
On one particular night when the raging man made his way into Air's part of the house, the breath was knocked from him as Del jumped, terrified into his bed.
"P'Air, P'Air, wake up. I'm scared."
Air was louder than he planned, and the terror sounded clear in his tone later when he spoke with Fair: "Why doesn't P'Green fire him? There must be lots of strong hard-working guys in the village who would be glad for the job."
"It's not P'Green's business."
For the first time, Fair gave the drunkard a name. "P'Pool has worked for Chester for a long time, even before P'Green came here."
Fair held Air by the shoulders and spoke intensely. "You have to let this go Nong. Nothing good will come if you get involved."
...
... to be continued ...
FanFiction and Novel Adaptation by Kramdrof, all rights reserved, January 2021