Published: 19 Dec 2016

Within time the flood became memory, something to yarn about amongst friends, how this one or that saved the town, or to travellers willing to listen to the extremes of country living and its excessive elements. Esca was correct in thinking his acceptance couldn’t last, proven by his next visit to Kenny’s Supermarket, even a polite attempt at conversation about the flooding, left him in that well known English town of Coventry. The same at Fraser’s Newsagency and others. This hurt him more than their previous snub, as he believed he had proven his value. His mood was soon brightened by a heavy knocking to his rear door.

At first Esca believed the visitor to be the Estate Agent with one more false client wishing to look through the house. It was Saturday and early, their liking was for early, more to annoy him than for convenience.

“Go away!” He grumbled from the kitchen sink, craning himself as far as possible from the window in an attempt to spot the caller but without success. “Cant be the Agent they use the front door,” he convinced himself, deciding to answer the knocking. He opened the door. It was Luke beaming as brightly as possible.

“Aren’t you going to invite me in?” Luke commanded eagerly, passing without invitation. Marching directly to Esca’s bedroom he stood smiling beside the bed.

“Well.”

“Well what?”

“I’m eighteen and that is legal even for you.” He declared proudly.

“When?”

“Yesterday!”

“Why didn’t you tell me earlier, I haven’t got you a present?”

“You said you didn’t want to see me until I was eighteen. So I’m eighteen and here I am.”

“Well I’ll be buggered.” Esca exclaimed wrapping his arms around Luke and lifting him off his feet, “happy birthday.”

Back in the kitchen, away from the bedroom and Luke’s request to be thrown onto the bed, which received the answer of “maybe later,” Esca had many questions for his young friend. What did he receive for his birthday, how his last term at school was progressing and how did he like living with his Aunt.

For his birthday he had received most unfashionable underwear from his Aunt and a promise to pay for a haircut if he would do so. From his parents a card and money but not enough to create excitement. As for school; it was as school inclined to be, something to escape from. Esca’s question on living with his Aunt drew the deepest sigh. She was a lovely lady but took her responsibility a little too literal. Demanding he be indoors by ten each night, worked him as her personal servant and not having children of her own treated him with text-book accuracy; almost regimentally. “But unlike my mum, she’s a marvellous cook.” He concluded.

During the conversation Luke suggested he stay the night, to which Esca showed caution, asking how his staying would sit with his Aunt.

“She won’t know, I’ve already told her I’m staying out at Timbo’s place for the night.”

“What if I were to say no?” Esca asked.

“I would then say I changed my mind.”

“As usual it sounds as if you’ve had it all planned, who is Timbo?” Esca asked.

“Tim Wilson, his dad has a farm out past the Two Mile; he’s a school mate of mine.”

Esca remembered Wilson as a spotty skinny kid from the lower grades’ during the time he was at school. Now by Luke’s narration, Wilson was tall and fat but the spots remained while increasing in size and number.

“So you don’t like living with your Aunt.” Esca declared with a smile, remembering Luke didn’t much like living with his parents either.

“It’s not that I don’t like Violet but I would rather be elsewhere.”

“Where would that be?”

“I could move in with you.” Luke suggested.

“I can’t cook.” Esca protested.

“I can, I’ll teach you.”

“What make toast and boil water?”

“No my Aunt has been teaching me, she said that one day I may need the skill, instead of making some poor woman do all the work.” Luke cocked his head to one side, his eyes begging for agreement.

“One step at a time eh, besides I don’t know how long I’ll be living here myself, the house is still on the market and there has been some interest in it.”

“You didn’t answer, what about staying tonight?”

“Why not,”

The Brody house, since the departure of Esca’s mother, was somewhat void of furnishing, the lounge room empty except for an old tattered club chair, a packing box taking on the persona of a coffee table and a number of cartons stacked in one corner, containing odds and ends Esca had gathered from other rooms. Then there was his bedroom, with Esca choosing to use his parent’s room at the front of the house instead of his childhood cell. This room contained the double iron bed and a chest of drawers he retrieved from the shed. His clothes neatly folded into its drawers. If he were to entertain, which was most unlikely, it would have to be performed around the kitchen table with no more than two visitors at a time, as there were only three old wooden kitchen chairs. At a push, there was a stool with one leg slightly shorter than its mates, giving it a precarious lean but once chocked with a thin western novel, it sufficed.

“You’re eighteen now, do you want a beer?” Esca suggested.

“I didn’t need to be eighteen to drink.”

Esca checked the time, ten thirty. “Suppose it’s a bit early to start drinking, would you rather coffee?”

“Coffee will do fine.”

“Ginger-nut biscuit?” Esca offered, passing the half packet of biscuits to Luke.

“Is this your breakfast? You do need a cook, I’ll move in tomorrow, better still I’ll make it this afternoon.” Luke proposed beaming the broadest brightest smile he could muster.

“I can cook some things, eggs, toast vegetables and I’ve already had breakfast.” Esca protested at his friend’s criticism.

Esca placed two bright new mugs on the kitchen table and smiled.

“What?” Luke asked inquisitively not understanding the significance of the smile.

“New mugs, I only bought them yesterday at the IGA. I thought it may make Len Kenny believe that even someone like me had the occasional visitor. I must have known you were coming.”

“Horses, do you like horses?” Luke commented admiring the run of horses chasing each other around the perimeter of the mugs.

“Actually I do but haven’t been riding since I was a kid. One of mum’s cousins had a property out near Cunna Hills, also a friend of dad has a farm near here, Jack and I use to ride his horses.”

Luke sipped his coffee, “I like horses but have never been on one.”

“Have to take you riding.”

“Not some Riding School nag, I believe they walk out and gallop home.”

“Can you drive a car?” Esca asked.

“Dad let me drive once we were away from town, I recon I could manage your Ute.”

“Not in this town without a learner’s permit,”

“Then I’ll get one and you can teach me.”

“What else have you been up to, behaving yourself I hope?” Esca enquired.

“Not a lot, but do you remember Susan Cunningham, she lives down the street from our old house?” Luke asked.

“Yes why?”

“Do you remember I told you mum tried to set her up for me?”

Esca did but like most of Luke’s stories it was running far too long.

“Well she’s a Lesbo, or I think she is.”

Esca gave a huff, believing it to be just one more of his friend’s assumptions.

“Truly.” Luke protested.

“How did you know that?”

“I was talking to her about our mother’s trying to set us up together and she said she didn’t like boys and knew I didn’t like girls and she had seen me over here on a number of occasions.” Luke explained.

“You didn’t tell her about us.” Esca strongly protested.

“Esca I don’t tell anyone anything but I can’t help it if they work things out for themselves.” Luke paused, “besides that was some time back and nothing has come of it since and I see her every day at school and often in town and nothing more has been said.” Luke laughed, “The truth is we’ve became quite good friends now mum’s not around trying to mate us.”

“Suppose you’re right but be careful.” Esca added in his usual over cautious manner.

That morning soon turned into afternoon then all too quickly became evening. Towards evening Esca went to the IGA for extra supplies, leaving Luke at home. Seeing he had lied to his aunt where he was spending the night, it was thought best not to be seen around town, especially in the company of Esca.

Returning Esca dumped his groceries onto the kitchen table, while Luke rummaged through the bags, releasing a grunt at the banality of Esca’s shopping.

“Are you some kind of shopping expert as well as a good cook?” Esca flashed a look of disapproval towards his friend’s grunted comment.

“You do need someone to look after you.”

“I get by.”

“I’ll cook for you tonight.” He brightly suggested.

“That’s alright by me; I’ve never had servants before.”

Esca smiled at the image. Imagining sitting back in the tattered arm chair, as happened in the movies, while reading his paper, maybe a pipe slowly fouling up the lounge room air with it acrid smell, waiting for the little wife to call, “dinner’s on the table dear.” He thought he could become accustomed to that.

“Is rump steak and three vegies alright with you?” Luke suggested. “Sorry two vegies.” He added finding only potatoes and beans among the shopping.

“Great, my steak is usually shoe leather – go for it and there are more vegetables in the bottom cupboard.”

“You probably cook your steak too long. Come and watch you may learn something.” Luke called Esca into the kitchen quickly dissolving his vision of little wife or man servant.

“You cheeky little bugger.” Esca jested.

“Not so much of the little, I’m almost as big as you.”

“Not down there you’re not.” Esca declared grabbing a hand full of Luke’s crotch.

“Again I’m almost and thicker and seeing I’m younger I’ve still got growing to come.”

“In your dreams fellow – in your dreams,”

After their meal Esca did the dishes, while Luke sat at the kitchen table watching the television from its position perched on top of the refrigerator. He changed the channel; News – news –news, and all bad.

“The reception’s crap,” Luke commented.

“The television’s crap but I can’t afford a new one. Besides if I have to leave town in a hurry, I don’t want a lot of junk to cart around with me.” Esca took a deep breath slowly releasing it in a soft sigh. He had spent an entire day with Luke, the two fitting together, hand in glove, creating the belief he could become quite accustomed to the lad’s company.

“Are you leaving?” Luke asked his voice showing concern.

“It isn’t as much wanting but the house is on the market, I would think that sooner or later it will be sold.”

“If you leave town then I’m coming with you.”

“Settle mate as I said one step at a time, besides there are many better houses in town for sale and they haven’t sold yet; we both could be old and grey before it sells.” Esca declared calmly, turning from the sink, soap suds to the elbows and splashes of water across his shirt. “Want a beer?” He asked.

“Ok if you are having one.”

“You know where the fridge is.” Esca watched as Luke retrieved two cans.

“Perfect arse,” he commented softly, wiping his hands dry on the tea towel, his face smiling in gratification.

“Perfect what?”

“I said you have a nice rear.”

“So you only like me for my arse?” Luke answered, passing a can of beer to Esca.

“That and other things,”

“Like what?”

“Never mind – I was thinking, so not to cause local tongues to wag we could play a game, sort of run into each other down the street and slowly become mates.”

“Play acting, I’m good at that.” Luke answered, although considering the idea to be some what amateurish he was willing to go along with his friend’s suggestion.

“When you put it like that, it does sound silly.” Esca changed his mind.

“No it could be fun. I like stirring the locals.” Luke passed Esca his beer.

“Don’t I know it?”

Luke once again changed the television channel and as he did so encountered a murder mystery with some painted lady with platinum hair, body tight dress and extremely high heals discovering a murdered body. The woman gasped and screamed loudly then even louder before the scene changed to some police station and conversation on the deceased.

“Do you think they really do that?” Luke asked as he turned off the television.

“Do what?”

“Women, do you think they really scream like that in reality if they found someone dead?”

“Wouldn’t have a clue, I guess it adds tension to the plot.”

“Maybe but I’ve never seen a show yet without some woman screaming her lungs out over a corpse: would you scream if you found someone dead?”

“I suppose that would depend on the circumstance.” Esca answered. He opened his beer and continued. “I did find someone dead once.”

“Get out with you – Who?”

“A friend of Ian’s down in the city.” Esca answered nonchalantly.

“Was it murder?” Luke asked his level of interest quickly gathering around Esca’s story.

“Na, it was a drug overdose. He was staying with us at the time and I came home to find him dead. He just appeared to be sleeping – and for you information I didn’t scream.”

“Wicked!” Luke commented.

“It wasn’t wicked for Michael.” Esca concluded.

Esca sipped from his beer watching Luke across the rim of the can. His dreadlocks suited him, giving a primitive appearance, while his muscular body pushed against his shirt, each contour perfectly complementing the next. It was Luke’s eyes that mostly captivated Esca, Deep blue, the blue of oceans and under the dull kitchen lighting, even more so. ‘I could loose myself in those eyes.’ Esca thought smiling delightfully with the thought.

“What are you looking at?” Luke asked inquisitively.

“You,”

“Don’t you’re embarrassing me.”

“I was thinking you’re cute.” It was true Esca did think the lad was cute. Even more than cute but had not intended to express his feelings aloud in such a way. Now it was Esca who felt embarrassed, turning away from Luke and his cuteness instead commented on his friend’s cooking.

“Cute means ugly but adorable. I could never call you ugly.” Luke protested.

“I definitely didn’t mean ugly; that would never describe you but I don’t understand what you see in me.”

“Maybe I also think you’re cute.” Luke retorted, emphasized the word ‘cute’ laughing at its use.

“You know Luke, I like your company.” Esca admitted; his voice sincere, rather turgid but that was Esca way. He did possess a sense of humour, although somewhat low-key. A smile and a chuckle would suffice without the need for a belly laugh. On the other hand Luke found most things humorous but not his feelings for Esca. That ran too deep to be amusing.

“If the house were to sell where will you go?” Luke enquired, turning away from the cuteness of their conversation.

“Don’t know, maybe try and find Jack.” Esca answered releasing a loud and extended yawn.

“Where do you think Jack is?” Luke asked.

“Don’t know out there somewhere.” Esca answered waving his arm in the direction he believed to be north. “Somewhere in Queensland I should think, going on what George said.”

“Isn’t it about bed time?” Luke suggested.

“It’s a little early.”

“I didn’t mean to sleep.”

“No one could ever accuse you of not being straight forward.” Esca asserted accepting Luke’s proposal and leading the way to the bedroom. “Do you want left or right” he offered.

“What do you mean?”

“What side of the bed do you want?”

“I usually use the middle.” Luke wryly declared.

“In that case you can have the left.”

The night went much too fast for Esca, he lay awake for most of it not wishing to lose a moment. The sex was fine as was their second session but what Esca found most erotic was having Luke cuddle into his back, his arm over his shoulder and the warmth of his breath on his neck and the power of his friend’s youthful chest pressed against his shoulders.

The morning did arrive, along with a third session, coffee in bed made by Luke and around mid morning a communal shower, using up the full tank of hot water. Late in the afternoon Luke reluctantly prepared to return to his Aunt.

“Leave through the back scrub.” Esca reminded.

“I know but we will have to do something about this secrecy, I don’t think anyone would care about either of us.”

“Tell you what, as I was saying, I’ll sort of run into you down town after school tomorrow and we’ll see how things go. Slowly ease the town into seeing us together.” Esca once again suggested. Although it still appeared somewhat ludicrous it was all he could think of to break his social impasse.

“I forgot about your little game.” Now there was a dash of uncertainty in Luke’s voice, but was still prepared to go along with it.

“You said that you liked the idea.”

“I do but if it were me I’d just do what I wanted and the town could go to hell.”

“You tell that to Barnes or Fraser and his mob and see how you would go. You’re sweet with that lot; they are out to get me.” Esca complained.

“I suppose you’re right, let’s play your game.”

“What about you Aunt, will she clue to you not staying with your friend?” Esca asked.

“Na, she trusts me, besides she doesn’t go out a lot.”

“What if she found out?”

“The trouble with you Esca, you worry too much. If she does, she will get over it, she’s not like my mum.”

Esca had to agree with his friend and walked him to the scrub behind the house. He gave Luke a pat on his shoulder, “I’ll see you tomorrow afternoon.” He said as his friend stepped over the low wire fence.

“I’ll be there.” Luke answered and was gone.

“Maybe Luke is right and I do worry too much.” Esca mumbled as he returned to the house. “Can’t help the way I am.” He answered.

Gary would appreciate your thoughts on his story. Gary dot Conder at CastleRoland dot Net

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