Chapter twelve.
"Thanks for the book." I say to James whilst we walk.
We have past the territorial sign that signifies their cabin, and now walking along the clearing in the middle of their crops. I wonder how James is so comfortable with walking ahead of me, not scared or watchful that any animal, likely perilous, could come out from out of the blue to attack.
"That—you're welcome. I went out to buy some paints, so I decided to get those books for you."
"How did you get access to my notepad?" That surprises me, because I remember positioning it beneath my dresses, meaning it is at the deepen part of my case.
He is shocked, hadn't expected me to ask? Is he kidding?
"Maybe I was nosing into your stuff?" He is asking me, like he is rhetorically asking me.
"What?" I'm not surprised that he did chime into my stuff, rather it's because he did it to that extent. "You're something. But why?"
He sighs, comllecfin himself. "I wanted to do you a surprise."
To lighten his mood, I reply with. "Yeah, you did. I loved every part of it. That was why I didn't come out earlier. I was writing, as you wanted."
He smiles, "good. I'm glad I helped." I'm sure from my notepad had he seen me write it that I get writer's block when I don't write in a while. I guess that's why he'll offer to do all that for me, motivate me into writing. He is such a blessing. I so much appreciate it, even though I wouldn't tell it all to his face.
"Yeah," I respond with, still smiling. My ten fingers are entwined to each other, as I look skyward briefly just to access the darken clouds. By the way, I like the why Lil doesn't disturb us.
"Tell me about you, Zack."
I pin my lips into thin lined. "There's really nothing to say about me." I breath out. He doesn't remark. I continue. "I don't know which to begin from."
"Tell me about your writing. How did you come across that talent?"
I sigh, and shrug. "The way it came is pretty surprising. I have always been someone to imagine fiction, then I read this particular book one day, and bam, writing has activated. I mature my imaginations into words, and it became a joy for me. I can finally make people see my thoughts." There's a glint in my eyes, I just know. I can sense it.
"So, you want to be open-minded?" Is this an interview...oh, maybe this is one of those books of mine where the boss of a company would act like a normal person, and the main character will fall in love with him just to later realize that the said person is his, or her boss. That's weird, I know, I just have to think it.
"Yeah, that's it."
"It's a good vision if I'm being honest with you." I flush at that. He's making me flush real hard. Thank God he is in front of me, while I'm behind, so definitely he cannot see my face. The farm is long and wide. We are still walking in the middle of the clearing. Every once in a while, my hands would shuffle past the seeds of the leaves.
After a long drawn out moment, he speaks again.
"Can I ask more?" Maybe more personal, I mean?" He is asking.
I wait it out before replying. "Yeah," I don't have a problem with it.
He clears his throat. "What about your personal life? Tell me about it." His sudden grown interest in my affairs would have shocked me more — not that it didn't shock me at all, but not so much — if not that he had already shown me how much of a poking he can do. For him to dig out my notepad, I can tell he would dig out more secrets of my life. Well, I suppose I'm ready to reveal it to him. I don't have any faulty thing in my mind though, so...
"Um," I think, "like I've said, I was born in New York, lived all my life there. I used to be with parents, but ever since..." I want to pause, but there's no need to, "since I came out, dad wouldn't talk to me anymore. Sometimes, he'd act like he doesn't even know me, which hurts like a bitch. I got my own place afterwards, mom would come most times to check on me. Then, my cousin, Susan helped me with finding a job at Los Angeles. That was where I was going before meeting you when my car broke down." I can only narrate what had happen to my time, not about my life. If I'm not go into that conversation, we'll be on it till morning.
He sighs and doesn't make a remark, scaring me as a result.
He stops as we appear at the end of a section in the farm, a factory in front of us, making rattling sounds as the machines are still working at this time of the hour. The inside lights are on, booming the outside near it with such intensity that I can see everything clearly; the trees opposite to it, where there's a squirrel on top of it; the low-level mountains at the other side to the factory. Though, not all the scenery of the mountains are covered by the lights, it left out some that goes behind.
James turns to me, and says, "I understand the feeling. It's disrespectful to its victim, but that's if we make ourselves one. By the way, I'm into guys as well." With that he gives me a tight lipped smile, and a pat at the shoulder, before entering into the factory with Lil.
Shit! Like what the fucking shit?! He's...oh, my God, he's not straight. He's a queer. I knew it. I sensed it. This is amazingly amazing. My thoughts that has reeled from ends to ends of planet Earth comes back to it's settlement when James walks out again.
He's holding two green bottles in his hands, a straw at the end of them each. And in a white paper in his hands is something food-like, smelling potently comes out from.
"What are these?" I am smiling. My mood has brightened up. Seeing him now seems like I'm just seeing him again for the first time. An energy is sparking inside my nerves, rushing past my veins that's soaked with crimson, pumping the pulse more. I want to shout into the air right now to release my happiness. I am just that happy. At least something can work out...okay, I should stop venturing too much into that thought, so I don't hurt myself later on, in case.
"Come on." He tells me, and I follow him. He hasn't answered my question, so I'm yet to drink from the bottle he's given to me. "It's Chapman."
Oh, really? That's good.
"Thanks." That's what I reply with in reality. My thoughts should be the one on the outside, but then, I would decide against it, because it will cast me.
"And this is boiled corn...you eat?"
I shake my head, I don't. It's not something most people from the city will be found with, or even eating like that. The grains are still attached to the seeds, so to be able eat it, he has to be biting them off. That looks gross to me anyway. I concentrate on my Chapman.
"Nah," he doesn't even pressure. He just goes back to eating. I guess it's something people from the farm could eat, especially someone like him. "Is it even sweet?"
"Of course. Whilst boiling, salt has been added. That's all it needs." He enlightens me, and I'm appreciated.
"Okay, but still I'm not eating."
"You're welcome though, that's if I haven't finished it before you change your mind." He seem to like the food. I am astounded. I smile.
We take a seat on one of the many rocks where there's no light shining on us like a spotlight. Sitting comfortably, I state. "I didn't know you were into boys."
"Trust me, you do." He says, leaning over, shocking me momentarily as my own thoughts had driven far to another land of imagination.
"I guess so. Tell me about you." James stops eating.