...
Nong'Del had a friend that lived on a neighbouring farm. The lad's mother drove him over to have a playdate with Del. She talked out of the window to Fair and told him she'd wait for his text.
Air could tell they knew each other well. They spoke so casually.
Fair called out as she was leaving: "We might keep him overnight."
Little Joe was shorter than Del. He stood directly in front of Fair and looked way up. He made a wai and smiled at one of his favourite people. Fair spoiled Nong'Joe and never said no to him.
The boy's mom waved nonchalantly. "Be my guest."
P'Green and Air saw all of this from the doorway. Del and his friend ran off. Fair returned to the house with his glass of wine in hand.
The three of them went back out to the patio and sat again in their seats. Fair used a remote and turned some music on. Green lovingly rubbed the back of his neck.
P'Green talked Air into his first-ever glass of wine. It stained his lips dark red and made him cuter than he already was.
A door opened behind him. Air didn't turn to see who it was.
Fair pointed at the table full of dirty and empty dishes. "Nong, could you clear that up for us and tell cook it was delicious?"
Fair seemed to be teasing him: "Did you make any of that? Should I be thanking you?" (Nong was training in the kitchen.)
The boy wai'd and stepped around and in front of Air. He started picking up the plates. "I made the orange and onion salad P', and I grilled the fish."
P'Green handed his plate across the table. "Nong'Sky, have you met the new teacher yet?" Green held out his hand. "This is Nong'Air, you must be close in age."
Sky spoke before Air saw him: "I haven't met Air yet, but I've seen him lots of times when he's out walking.
Air's eyes shot from the wine glass in his hand, to Sky's face and his neatly tied back hair.
The glass almost fell over and was saved by Green's speedy catch. Air gasped. His eyes filled with tears. He pushed his chair back and raced for the front door.
All three of them were shocked by Air's sudden crisis, and the trio was each equally slow to react.
Sky asked Fair and Green if he'd done anything wrong.
Green tapped Fair's shoulder because he was ready to chase in Air's footsteps.
"Give him some time love."
Fair went to the window and watched Air tread fast toward his part of the house. "Ay, P'Green, I don't like seeing him cry."
Green helped Sky set the plates back down. Sky was a nice kid and now he was upset too. He repeated his question and asked the older men if it was his fault.
It started a hearty conversation.
Fair asked Sky to sit. He took an extra wine glass and poured for the boy.
Sky told the couple that his friend Khemp often goes on Air's walks with him. (Fair knew that.) He says that Air never talks about his past... or himself. (That made sense to Fair, Air's orphanage life might not be all fond memories.)
Sky gave off a hurting and curious vibe. "Khemp says Air is the nicest person he's ever met."
Sky was wringing his hands. "How can that be? I'm a nice person. I've never said one bad word to Khemp, and I've known him way longer."
Fair and Green spoke with each other from the corners of their eyes. Air's presence on the farm was decidedly stirring up more than one member of the staff. Since all the staff were male, there were plenty of stirred staffs and stiff members to go around.
"Khemp says he thinks Air might be asexual."
Green and Fair reacted at the same time, but Fair spoke first: "You do know that there is nothing wrong with that, right?"
"Oh, yes P's, but it sure makes Khemp sad. I think he really likes Air, but Air never responds to flirting."
Fair talked as seriously with Sky as he could. "I want all of you guys to be careful with Nong'Air. Really careful. Del loves him and he's the first teacher that has lasted this long. Do you understand?"
Fair smiled warmly into Sky's honest face. "I know he's irresistible, but Chess hasn't met him yet. If something were to happen and Air left before Chess comes back..."
Fair squeezed his eyes shut. "I don't want to think about it."
When he opened them, Fair raised a single index finger. "Maybe I should put a moratorium on staff asking Air out and on dates."
Green was shaking his head back and forth slowly. "Don't even think it,... you can't do that."
Fair squirmed in his seat. "I know, but I don't want anything to happen to Air. He's the best thing for Del."
Sky laughed sarcastically. "He's been here almost three months and he hasn't accepted a date yet. I don't think that's an issue."
Fair slumped to the side and put his head on Green's chest. He whimpered and chuckled together.
Green rubbed Fair's head. "Maybe a boyfriend is just what he needs. Wouldn't that be a good reason for him to stay?"
Fair nodded against Green's big pecs. "But boyfriends break up."
...
Air was alright considering how embarrassed he was. His outburst of tears wasn't caused by any great pain or feeling of loss. The Sky he loved was a memory and it was abruptly shoved to the forefront of his mind by the name, that and the boy's long black hair. He didn't look at all like the Sky from Bangkok, the Sky Air loved.
The small classroom could use some tidying. Air wiped the chalkboard clean and put away the tempera paints that he and Del used just this morning. He was hanging Del's jacket on the back of the door when it was pushed open. Khemp stepped in and walked straight to the teacher's desk. He didn't see Air behind him.
He placed two boxes down that had come in the mail.
"I've been waiting for those."
Khemp spun quickly and held his hand over his heart.
"Holy hell! You scared me Air. What are you doing hiding?"
Khemp knew every detail of Air's face. He could tell instantly that he'd been crying.
"What's wrong Air?"
Air walked to his desk and picked up one of the boxes. He shook it. "Can you guess what's in here Khemp?"
Khemp put his bum on the corner of the desk. "Why don't you tell me?"
"Sure... this is a series of educational videos that Nong'Del and I will study from."
Khemp leaned his upper body and his face closer to Air's. "I meant, why don't you tell me why you were crying?"
Air knew Khemp well enough by now to know that he wasn't going to stop asking. Air told him the story of Sky, how he loved him, and, how he lost him.
Afterwards, Air appeared relieved from a great weight and placed the small cardboard box, (the one he'd been clenching so tightly in his hands), back down on the desk beside the other. "Nong'Del is going to love these."
Khemp's warm brown eyes were filled with both the feelings he had for Air, and the sadness that anyone would exhibit after hearing such a tragic tale. Air felt Khemp's breath on his face when he spoke. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have pressured you."
Their faces lingered just an inch apart. It was close enough for Air to see the charcoal ring surrounding his black iris. Air caught himself and started toward the door.
He was speaking to himself and Khemp. "I don't know what came over me, or why I cried. Everyone around here is going to think I'm unstable or, or fragile, or..."
Air's tenor changed. "I'm not you know. I'm not made of glass."
Khemp held the door and swung his arm for Air to pass. They were back outside.
"Is that all you came for? Just to drop off the mail?"
Khemp suddenly started to act bashful. His question was so out of the ordinary, Air wasn't sure how to answer.
"Are you going for a walk tonight? Do you want some company?"
Air was pulling up the zipper on his hoodie. He stopped. "Ahh, yes, duh, like always, you're welcome to come. What's wrong with you?
Air reminded Khemp. "I tagged along on your walk the first time, remember? I was afraid of getting lost."
Khemp was so obviously trying to get back his cool. "Oh, yeah I know, I just..."
Khemp pointed to the big house and referred to Air's most recent crying spree. "I just thought you might want to be alone... that's all."
His distraction worked and took Air's attention away from Khemp's weirdness. (For now.)
...
... two weeks later ...
It was just the two of them for breakfast. Del had stayed overnight with his friend. The other usual breakfast companion, Green, he and his boys were scheduled, a big tree needed cutting in the far reaches of the farm. They left early and would be gone all day.
Fair poured the tea. He was standing and returned the pot to the stove.
"Isn't this nice? We can talk all morning and eat to our heart's content." Fair looked over and cocked his head. "Is everything there? Do you see anything missing?"
Over three months now and Air still wasn't used to it. He looked at the table and couldn't begin to think what more two people would possibly need. In fact, today it seemed extra. "No, P'."
Fair fiddled and fixed their plates. He made small talk the whole time. When it was finally time to get down to the business of eating, he asked Air: "Are you happy here Nong?"
Air looked over the brim of his teacup at Fair. He halted mid-sip and placed the delicate porcelain down.
"I like it here very much P'."
Fair's voice was less inquisitive now and lent itself more to worry. "I know the guys around here are persistent. I hope no one is making you uncomfortable."
He thought that this talk was both important and necessary. A week or so back, Khemp told Fair of his discussion with Air and his change of thinking regarding Air's sexuality. Since then, Fair noticed that the grass path was getting well worn. The path that approached Air's house.
Fair detected the glint of a smile. "No, everyone here is great, the guys have all been sweet."
"Sweet?" Fair did a brilliant job of looking unfazed. Air's use of the word sweet, was not at all expected, and the flare of pink on his ears was eye-opening.
"You would tell me if there was anything wrong, wouldn't you Nong? I want you to know that I'll hear anything you have to say."
Fair made this above statement because he was half-expecting to hear some complaint from Air about the steady stream of suitors. Fair knew of two boys from the kitchen, and Green told him of two guys that worked in the barns and garden, all of which were vying for Air's attention. There was too, a young veterinarian in the village that comes to the farm often. The rumour at the staffing dinner table was that he never stops talking about Air. He pestered anyone and everyone for details about the cutest new face.
Fair wanted to make sure that if any of it was bothering Air, he would put the kibosh to it.
Fair was bowled over to learn that Air's concerns had nothing to do with any of the guys or their romantic overtures.
"Why isn't Nong'Del sent to a regular school? The kids in the village all go."
Fair had the answer to this query. He gave it as he sprinkled extra green onion on his porridge. "Chester was educated at home in this very house. He wants that for Del. His parents arranged for an especially gifted teacher and he loved his school years."
Fair weaved his hand across the crowded table and patted the top of Air's. "That's you Nong. You're Del's gifted teacher. You can't imagine how long I've searched for you."
Air's inability to accept a compliment, meant that he avoided acknowledging it, and consequently, he need not reply.
"But so many educators would argue that kids need to be socialized and the early school years are where that happens."
Fair sighed and giggled. "I used to think like that. I even said it to him once."
"What happened?"
"I never made that mistake again. You don't tell a man like Chess that he wasn't properly socialized."
Fair made it quick and easy for Air to understand. "You see how many people live and work here on this farm, right? There are many others that come and go, you will meet them all over time."
Fair assured Air that there were plenty of children about as well. He smiled. "Nong'Del is the king's son, he's the prince here. He knows everyone and speaks with them all. Socially, he's way ahead of the kids in the village school."
Air moved on to the next subject, the paradox in the last was too much. The Chess Air had seen could definitely use some social skills, (or at least that's what Air thought).
The topic he chose, placed Fair in the bullseye. "What kind of a man has all this, and a child who loves and misses him immensely, and never comes home?"
Fair had an answer for this question too. Chess was a rare sort of man. A ruthless and well-travelled businessman, a deeply loving and passionate man. Chess was a walking contradiction. He was a restless soul and a home-body who was hell-bound on his search for something he couldn't name.
Air wasn't eating at all. He hurled more of his thoughts. "Does P'Chess know about P'Pool and how he terrorizes us? Does he know that the people who work for him are up in the wee hours of the night chasing an inebriated lunatic?"
Air sighed. "Poor Del almost ripped the skin from my arm the last time."
Nong stopped for a second, but only a second. "And why can't I get a real answer about him? I feel like everyone here knows something and I'm being left in the dark."
Air liked P'Fair a lot, but, the man was a master of diversionary tactics, and the apprentice of digression.
Across the table filled with dishes, condiments, teacups and more, Fair pushed a rectangular-shaped box. The picture on the outside would suggest that there was an iPhone inside. Air never thought for a moment that that was what it was.
"That came in the mail today." Fair handed over an already opened envelope with a handwritten note inside.
Part of the instructions were for Fair... "Give this to the new teacher. I hate not being able to contact him."
The rest of the note pertained to Air.
He was to keep the phone charged and with him at all times. When and if Chess himself were to call or text, Air was expected to answer or reply within 30 seconds. The last part of the note told Air that the phone was already charged and that Chess's number was first in the contact list, there was also an unread text waiting for him.
Air removed the lid and picked the shiny new phone up. He didn't know how to turn it on.
Fair sorted Air out. He sat and waited for Air to read his very first text.
Air's eyebrows wrinkled in the middle. He read it again.
"What is it Nong?"
Air turned the phone toward Fair and moved it closer.
"Air, tell Fair I'm coming home Saturday in the afternoon. Tell him I want a nice dinner ordered and that I will be dining with the new teacher."
"Oh, God! Saturday! That's tomorrow!"
It came to Fair as an afterthought: "Why is he asking you to tell me?"
Fair jumped up from the table. "Good heavens, he does this to me every time." He lamented and looked at Air. "Now our breakfast is ruined. Nong, I have to get to work."
Fair apologized and within minutes, there were a half dozen guys busy with the work of making the place shine. Air finished his food and left the main house quietly. He was sure no one would notice him leave.
...
He had a novel in his hand and walked extra slow. Air was kind of pleased that Khemp didn't show up this morning. It would be Air's nineteenth birthday soon and he, like any boy his age, needed some private time.
It wasn't Air's fault that this country-bumpkin neck-of-the-woods didn't have sidewalks. And, it sure wasn't Air's fault that the road was badly maintained. It was riddled with ruts and spotted with potholes, it had sharp curves for speeding fools. The worst of it, the heavy mist that hung in the air was thick, it even made walking a challenge. Air decided to cross the road and walk on the side where the grass was shorter, he didn't foresee a racing fool so early in the day. The horn first and then scraping tires, he could hear the anger in the man's voice as he veered and lost control.
Air didn't even see the dog in the car, but suddenly there he was. A giant miserable-looking beast, he barked and growled like his master. Oddly enough, he came straight to Air and sat beside him. The dog stopped barking.
None of it was Air's fault, and certainly not the fact that the man drove the front end of his fancy topless car, right into the river. He screamed and held out his hand for Air to help. He was stuck in the mud and long reeds. "Look what you did to my car!"
Air acted as a crutch. "I did nothing of the sort, sir. I may have startled you, but you're the one who decided to drive into the river."
"Young man, who do you think you're talking to? Are you always so smart-mouthed? Who do you answer to?"
"His name, my boss, is Chester, but I haven't met him yet." Air held his ground and in no way cowered to the much larger, older, and clearly influential man.
"I have half-a-mind to talk to this Mr. Chester and tell him how disrespectfully you address your elders."
Air sputtered under his breath: "Good luck with that."
The man's anger exploded. His voice could surely be heard at the farm next door. "What did you say?!!!"
"Um, sorry sir, my employer is away until much later today."
There was tonnes more grouchy grumbling, muttering and muffled mumbling.
The sports car was ravaged and steaming from the engine. The door was open from where the man escaped. The muddy water and dislodged vegetation floated and filled the plush leather interior.
He was inordinately enraged and used swear words that Air had never heard before. With the man's entire weight bearing down on his shoulder, Air was beginning to wish that Khemp had shown up for the morning walk.
"Jesus boy, help me. My ankles twisted and you've destroyed my antique car."
"Help you where sir? I think you should sit on the grass. I'll call for assistance. I live just up the road at Wang Nam farm."
Air helped the man sit. He groaned and roared about the pain and cursed the destruction of the expensive red collector's item.
The driver went to such great pains to chastise Air. Air had been verbally abused many times in his life, this was pushing the limits of his tolerance level.
"Well, aren't you going to cry?"
"Cry, sir? Why would I cry?"
He simply smirked. "How long is this going to take? I thought you said someone was coming from the farm where you live."
Air walked back to the sharp bend in the road. It was still too foggy to see, but he knew well the engine sound of the jeep.
No sooner did he tell the stranger, when Green and Fair burst through the fog with a roof-rack of bright yellow lights aglow.
Fair leaped out of the jeep and ran to the man in the grass. "P'Chess, what happened? I thought you weren't coming back until the afternoon."
Air's mouth fell open. "Chess?" He tripped backward and landed in the same grass Chess was sitting on.
Green hooked the shiny but muddy red car up to a tow cable, and slowly pulled it from the river. The water gushed out taking with it the contents of the vehicle. Chess's papers, his phone and briefcase, all of it gone.
...
Air didn't learn until later that Pilot, Chess's dog, was said to be vicious. No one could get near the creature except Chess himself.
Neither Fair nor Green noticed the dog, (sitting in the grass beside Air), but, when he did come to their attention, they were terrified.
Carefully and without moving too fast, Fair pointed out the dangerous situation. "P', you have to get Pilot away from the teacher."
Air was unaware of their fears and by now he could see that they had Chess on his feet, Air put his arm around the dog and used his back to stand. Pilot didn't object, his nubbed tail was wagging.
Fair and Green could not have been more surprised than Chess. He felt abandoned by his closest friend and guardian. He spoke to it: "You unfaithful hound!"
He spoke to Air: "Since he likes you so much, walk him home. He's covered in mud." Chess chuckled. "So are you."
There is no other way to describe it, Fair was shitting himself. "P', are you insane? Can you trust him with Air? What if he eats him on the way back?"
Fair started pulling on one of Green's thick arms. "Tell him Green, tell him it's not safe."
Chess pointed at the teacher and the massive Doberman, just as they slipped in the cover of the fog. Air had his hand on the pooches head and he was talking to him.
...
Every step he took, his shoes made a squishy noise. Pilot stopped twice and shook. He spattered Air with more filth than he was already coated with. The jeep flew past them.
Chess yelled at Air: "Dinner is at eight. Don't be late."
All that nervousness that Air had forgotten, came back with a vengeance. P'Chess was scarier than he originally thought, and he was tricky too. "What kind of game is he playing?"
A hundred meters down the road and before he reached the driveway, Khemp, Sky, and two others came running for Air. When they were close enough to see through the mist, they all stopped their forward movement and froze. Pilot stepped in front of Air and bared his teeth.
...
It wasn't easy for Khemp, Air asked him for help. "Fair is too busy and I, I'm so scared."
Khemp said he didn't know how he could assist, but that he would try.
Air pulled his t-shirt over his head while they were still outside on the deck. He used one foot to push the shoe from the other. He unbuttoned his shorts and let them fall around his ankles. Air turned his head and peered over each shoulder, he pushed his underwear down and stepped out of them. Air put both hands over the goodies.
Khemp started to pick up the muddy clothes. "P', will you wait for me to shower? I'll be quick."
Khemp nodded and couldn't take his eyes from Air's nude backside. He had to forcibly draw air into his lungs. He'd been holding his breath since the removal of the t-shirt. He stayed behind just far enough to have a view, head to toe.
It was absolutely stunning and far more beautiful than his invented fantasy. Air was real flesh and blood.
He waited for Air in the small kitchenette while the boy washed the mud away. Khemp's cheeks hurt from smiling. He knew he was the only one on the farm that had had an opportunity such as this. What he saw today, would stay with him for a long time.
Khemp got to stand in front of Air and brush the shoulders of the shirt he picked out. He had the pleasure of clasping Air's neck chain. He got to help Air style his hair.
Kemp thought it looked better when Air let his bangs down, instead of brushed to the side. He told Air he smelled nice.
Khemp could hear his own heart, pounding in his ears. Air asked him to hold his hand and walk him to the big house.
...
... to be continued ...
FanFiction and Novel Adaptation by Kramdrof, all rights reserved, January 2021