...
It was a full week before Air said anything to anyone. He waited until Chester had to leave the farm for the weekend. Chess was attending some kind of farmer's union and grumbled to Fair for days prior to leaving.
"I wish I could get out of this. It's too soon, Air has only been home for a few days."
He didn't talk about it at breakfast and Air never mentioned it at lunch. Air waited until almost all the food was gone at dinner before he blurted it out.
"P'Chess told me he likes me, ..., he loves me."
Air waited for a full ten seconds before he spoke again. "He said he wants to marry me."
In the living room, around the corner, several people started to clap. Someone said:
"That's my man, Chess, wasting no time."
Fair and Green, Khemp and Sky, didn't have to fake their shock. None of them could believe that Air finally said something.
What Air didn't know... Chess had spilled the beans the morning after Air arrived. He was still so tired that he slept in late. Chess told him Del could take one more day off of school.
Air took advantage of that kindness and could remember Chester kissing his back when he got out of bed.
Chester went straight to the worker's house and gushed out his successes to the waiting foursome.
"I told Air I love him, and that I want to marry him someday."
Fair had been standing and pouring everyone's teacups afresh. He dropped heavily into his seat and left the hot pot on the table. Green had to shake him so that he didn't burn the wood.
"You went that far, P'? You didn't even wait for him to get down the driveway."
Chess was shaking his head and grinning gleefully that his plan worked.
"Well, tell us, what did he say?" Sky was asking.
"I think he likes me back. He doesn't use the word love, like I do, but, but,..."
Chester could have been an excited teenager. He clenched his fists. "... he asked me to kiss him."
Eight eyes were on Chess. They all waited patiently for him to answer the question that no-one asked.
Chess didn't seem to be talking to the guys anymore. He looked dreamily past them.
"Air doesn't know anything about kissing, but he's a fast learner. He's so... He's..."
P'Chess? P'Chess?
Chester slowly came to. He answered the unasked question... ("What's next?")
"We're not rushing anything. I'm going to date him properly." Chess cleared his throat.
"Air hasn't said that he likes me back yet, but he said he liked the kissing."
Chess glowed for a second.
"He hasn't said a word about our age difference."
Khemp breathed a sigh that was louder than he expected. Everyone else was so quiet, it only made it stand out more.
Fair asked: "What is it?"
"Nothing... I'm just happy for Air."
Now all the eyes turned and looked at Khemp.
"What do you mean?"
"You know how Nong'Del is the prince of this farm?"
Khemp smiled at the circle of tuned-in ears.
"Air just became the Queen and he doesn't even know it."
Chester definitely loved the sound of Khemp's declaration. He got up from his chair and went behind Khemp. Chester bent and hugged his shoulders.
...
Arpa was around the farm more often in the off-season. She had more free time and spent a lot of it with Little Joe, Del, and BlakJak.
Air stood in the doorway of his small classroom. He watched Arpa and Chess as they chatted in the driveway. She had a big thermos. It was something cold for the kids to drink. Chess took it from her as they started to walk.
Chess was smiling ear to ear. Arpa was rubbing high on his back and slapping it. It made Air think of congratulations. Their closeness could be seen all the way across the lawn.
...
Chess put the thermos on the flat-topped stump of a sawed-off tree. It had a spout that needed twisting for the cold juice to come out. The boys stood in line and filled their cups. They told Arpa and Chester that the vet was showing them how a horse's feet need trimming. They ran off and spilled their juice.
Arpa hopped up on the stump. "Is it different this time?" Her feet didn't reach the ground.
Chess played coy. "Is what different?"
"Why the sex of course." Arpa chuckled and pushed on his shoulder.
"Falling in love... is it different with Air than it was with Pool?"
Chester answered with complete honesty. "It's not the same at all. I didn't grow up with Air the way I did with Pool. I was never nervous with Pool." Chester waved his hand and changed his thought.
"Yes, Pool and I got nervous, but we were so young and we experimented with each other. Um, at least that's how it started."
Chess stepped close enough that she could push him again.
"I'm petrified with Air. I don't want to hurt him or rush him. I don't want to do anything that will upset him."
"So Air doesn't know anything and will be nervous. Your nervous because you've left it so long that your cherry has grown back."
Arpa giggled at her funny. "You're even, you can experiment like you did when you were a kid."
That idea wasn't so bad. Chess gave her a half-smile.
"I suppose the biggest difference is that when you and Pool were together, you were the tender slim one, crushed in the arms of a big brute. Oh, how the tables have turned."
Arpa made an evil Fujoshi grin. "You don't suppose Air is a mean-old-top, do you?"
Arpa was enjoying herself, way too much. Back when Chess and Pool were falling for each other, there was a short time where she felt like the third wheel.
"But I thought you two loved to argue. You have that in common." Arpa shoved him again.
His cheeks turned dark red. "Pool is the only person I've ever been with. I don't know where to start... and it's not as if Air will do anything."
Her friend really did stun her this time. Arpa lowered her voice: "Do you mean to tell me that you haven't?... Since Pool got sick you haven't?... In all this time?"
Arpa handed Chess one of the small plastic cups. He filled it for her.
She didn't need to speak carefully with Chester:
"You just have to be yourself, brother. That's the person he likes." Arpa waved her hand in the direction of Chester's jewels. "All that other stuff... hmm, you can ease into it."
Her smile was truly wicked.
Chess always took Arpa's advice seriously. He was thinking it over and nodding. He also knew every face in Arpa's arsenal. He told her to stop her dirty jokes and that he really needed help.
He did his best not to sound like a fourteen-year-old fangirl:
"You talk to him, has he ever said anything about me?"
Arpa took a sip of the drink. She was surprised at how good it was. She expected something overly sweet. It was nice to know that cook wasn't slowly fattening the boys.
"He talks about you all the time, but it's not as though he's confessing."
Arpa was being serious when she said: "I think, he thinks that you have to be really smart to run a farm. I think Air is impressed."
Chess's head was dropped down. Arpa lifted it so that she could see his face. "I'm going to tell you something that might seem strange at first, but listen, ok?
Chess agreed.
"I wouldn't be surprised if Air thinks that you're really rich. He looks around here and all the people working for you and comes naturally to that conclusion."
Chess was confused but listened and kept quiet as he promised.
"I don't think it's a good thing. You should make it clear to him that you're not."
Now, he was quiet for too long. Arpa asked: "Did you hear what I said?"
"Yes, but I'm not sure what you're getting at."
"Think about it. Air might be uncomfortable with all this." Arpa swung her arm out and past the barn, garage, the newly fenced-in horse enclosure, and then the house and guest houses."
"What can I do about that? I can't change it. He has to be comfortable... he has to."
"God Chess, the boy is brilliant and knows the definition of sustainable. He can understand anything. Explain it. Show him on paper how this much money comes in, and this much money goes out, and, how no-one here is going on month-long Hawaiin vacations."
That got through to Chester. He was nodding and hearing every word.
Arpa's eyes burned directly into Chester's. "You have to tell him everything. You can't leave out the parts that hurt or make you uncomfortable. If you've really fallen for Air, you have to let all your old fears go. Be honest with him from the start and then nothing can go wrong."
She gave him one last fierce shove. Chess stumbled backwards. "Tell him where that fancy sports car came from. That's the kind of thing that misleads him."
...
Air, Khemp and Sky had plans to go swimming after dinner. They were going to bring drinks and snacks and watch a movie while floating in chairs. (Potential rain aside.)
The whole plan went out the window when Arpa walked into the workers' house.
Air and the guys were having a lively discussion about Air's thoughts now that Chess had confessed. She's never been there before as far as any of them knew.
She looked around the table with the emptied plates and the half-eaten wedges of chocolate brownie. The teacups were empty but for the wet leaves.
"It looks like you guys are done here. You don't mind if I steal Air, do you?"
All of them knew Arpa's place in the hierarchy. She received reverent wais and no argument whatsoever.
"Would you like to come with me to town Nong? We can do some shopping."
Air didn't have the same healthy respect for Arpa's position. He simply liked her and thought it was incredibly kind of her to think of him. It was clear that Khemp and Sky were ok with it. More, they were pushing him out the door behind her.
...
Arpa wasn't driving her regular vehicle. She had one that looked more like Chess's, perhaps even rougher. No roof, no doors, and an open back, the thing was nothing more than two seats mounted behind an engine with wheels.
It had a small step where he placed his foot and could climb to his seat. It had no seatbelts and the seat stuffing was half gone.
Arpa hopped in her side and smiled at the boy. "I'll tell you a secret cutie. This thing isn't road-worthy, it's meant for use on the farm. My hubby has my wheels, so we're roughing it."
Arpa pointed at the hand-grip. "Hold on and cross your fingers that the rain holds off until we get to town."
Air was having a blast. "No problem. I'm not afraid of rain."
Arpa snorted: "Yeah, that's what Chess said."
Air asked the side of Arpa's head. She drove as she always did, fast.
"P', what do you mean?"
"Chess told me that you guys went for a walk in that crazy rain, a week or so ago... that's all."
"You know P'Chess really well, don't you?" Air was holding on for dear life and hoped he didn't roll from the jeep when she took the corners hard.
"I know him better than anyone here."
Arpa already like Air, his next question made her love him. She loved a man who said, or in this case asked, what he meant.
"What does P'Chess like so much about me? I'm nobody and I bring nothing." Air kept his eyes on her. "P', could have anyone he wants."
"That's not how love works, Nong. It's not something you decide. It comes from a mess of swirling chemicals that you have no control over."
Arpa pulled into a parking lot that was off of a back street. She joked: "It won't get towed by the police sitting here."
The studious student, Air knew all about these chemical pheromones. His question was in his mouth and ready to come out when Arpa grabbed his hand and dragged him quickly across the road.
The cars and bikes flew in both directions and they got honked at, but as a truck whizzed by, the man waved and said hello to her.
She started perusing a rack of ladies' blouses. "That was my brother. He runs my parent's farm, they're right across the road from me and my husband."
Air gazed up as he put together all that she had said. "So you married your neighbour."
"Yes." Arpa adjusted. "I married my neighbour's son. His parents passed away just after Little Joe was born."
Air immediately felt bad and apologized.
Arpa pulled a bright orange frilly thing from the rack. She held it up on Air's chest and twisted her head. "Nope, I can't look like a freshly picked tangerine."
"Don't say sorry Nong. I would have married Chess if he didn't turn out to be gay."
Air's surprise wasn't hidden behind his poker face.
She rambled on: "There weren't a lot of guys around for him to choose from back then."
The green silk one with long sleeves and the plunging neckline got put back on the rack.
Air bowled Arpa over. He was so much more intuitive than anyone had given him credit for. He paid attention to whispers and people's off-handed comments.
"P'Pool, he was special to P'Chess, right? They were boyfriends, right?"
Arpa put the things she'd set aside, back on the rack. She took Air's hand again and they walked along the street until Arpa saw a spot where they could sit in the shade. It was empty and the booths on each side weren't open. They had tarps covering the counter.
She purchased two bottles of water and they seated themselves.
"That's something you should talk with Chess about, Air. You know how he feels about you. Chess won't lie, and he'll answer anything you ask."
Air fiddled with the cap of his bottle. He screwed it on, and off, and on,...
"P'Pool is the only thing P'Chess doesn't want to talk about. No-one else on the farm does either."
Arpa almost repeated herself. "Don't ask them, Ask Chess."
Air and Arpa sat in their quiet spot until long after their water was gone. They talked about everything under the sun.
She talked about growing up in the valley and the differences from then to now. She told Air funny stories about Chess and what he was like as a kid. She made Air laugh until his tummy was sore.
Air bought a new pair of flip-flops. He bought a reading light for the head of his bed.
"P', I do have one problem that nobody at the farm can help with." Air glanced quickly at her. "This isn't the kind of thing I can ask P'Chess about."
"What is it?"
"Nong'Kik, I like him, he's a really nice boy... er, you know what I mean. He's nice if you can keep him away from his brothers."
Arpa understood.
"Nong will learn about heartache at a very young age, but ten years from now, he'll remember you and how you were his first love."
She touched the back of Air's neck. "Let him down easy and show that you care for his feelings. He will always thank you for that."
Arpa pulled her phone from her pocket. She looked at it.
"We should head back. It's getting close to sundown."
...
She sent a text:
"I know why you love him. He's so deliciously uncomplicated."
...
Air found himself in an unusual situation when Arpa dropped him off. He had a late dinner at the worker's house and spent the evening with Del and Joe at the cottage. They did an easy puzzle, ate ice cream and watched television
After the boys went to bed, Fair stopped in and asked: "Are you staying here?"
Air swallowed. He hadn't thought about it.
"No, I can take my stuff and go back to the other house."
Sky walked in and stood beside Fair. He was listening on the porch.
He said: "Let's go then, Air wants to move back, we can have it all done in two trips with the three of us."
"Four of us." Khemp walked through the open screen door.
Before anyone moved, Fair asked Air if this was really what he wanted. "What will P'Chess say? Did you talk about this with him? Won't he be surprised?"
Air wasn't flustered at all, but he answered their queries backwards. "I don't think so, and no, we didn't talk about it."
Air shrugged. "What's the worst that can happen?"
They all started to smile at each other. The realization that Air was indeed the queen was becoming clear.
"I'll sleep here tonight because I already put Del and Joe down."
...
Fair and Green were fast asleep when the headlights beamed in the driveway. The bright light soared across his bedroom walls and ceiling. He sat up and put his legs over the edge of his mattress. Fair used a finger and opened the sheer curtain.
"Who is it?"
Green's deep voice broke the silence.
"It's Chess, he must have left the meeting early."
Green was curious too. He came around to Fair's side of the bed and sat beside him. Fair opened the curtain wider.
Chess put the SUV in the barn.
They watched him walk across the grass and go into his small cottage.
Green tickled Fair's ribs. "Do you want to go for another round? We're awake now anyway."
Green pulled Fair onto his lap with one brutish arm. He started to nuzzle Fair's nape.
Fair's boyfriend was very persuasive and was already nipping at Fair's ear.
...
He heard his name before he opened his eyes. Air woke to Chess's calm and gentle voice.
"Let's go upstairs." He was light as air when Chess picked him up from the sofa where he'd fallen asleep.
Air was groggy and rubbed the sleep from his eyes. "Why are you home P'? I thought your thing went until tomorrow. Fair said..."
Chess stopped about half-way up the flight. He pulled Air in tighter and pressed his mouth to the boy's soft pink lips, mid-sentence. "I missed you. I couldn't stay away."
It was silly and stupid and didn't make any sense at all, but the corners of Air's mouth turned upward so slightly. He took his eyes away from Chester's.
Chess put Air down gently. He hurried to his side and kicked off his slippers. Fully clothed, he laid down beside Air and started to blather all of his thoughts.
He was close and put his hand on Air's belly.
"I missed you, and I thought about you the whole time I was gone.
Chess started to undo the buttons on Air's shirt. He commented because it was out of character.: "Why aren't you wearing a t-shirt? What's with the buttons?"
"I didn't want to look bad next to P'Arpa. I went to town with her this afternoon."
Chess seemed pleased to hear this. He asked if Air had fun and what they did.
Air said he had loads of fun and told Chess what he bought. "Oh, and of course we talked about you all afternoon."
Chess had been leisurely lying on his side. He was on the last button and so near to opening wide the front of Air's shirt.
"When are you going to tell me everything about P'Pool?"
Air grabbed Chess's fingers as the button slipped through the hole.
...
... to be continued ...
FanFiction & Novel Adaptation by Kramdrof, all rights reserved, March 2021