At the Woodchopper's Ball Bk. 01 Ch. 08

With a creak from the hinges, Mother opened the door and I heard the sound of warm greetings exchanged between her and Andra. Although their voices were indistinct, their tone was laced with familiarity and affection. I retreated to my room and closed the door.

After a while, Andra still hadn't made her way to my room. I wondered whether she and Mother were conversing about the precarious state of affairs between Enide and myself. I suddenly felt like a childish flop for hiding in my room and rushed for the door intending to join them, but Andra was already standing there when I flung open the door.

"Hello Rody," she said cheerfully.

Andra was dressed in a flowing, navy blue coat accompanied by a fetching fascinator in the same shade, placed at a jaunty angle on one side of her head. In spite of everything, I couldn't help beaming at the sight of her. She returned my smile and fluttered her perennial come-hither lashes my way.

"You're a sight for sore eyes," I told Andra and invited her in. She glided into the room, then gave me a warm hug, rising on her toes to press her face against mine. I helped her out of her coat and then she took off the fascinator, pulling out a pair of long pins and setting it down on my bedside table.

Andra looked as if she was still dressed for travel. "When did you get back?" I asked her. "Have you come straight from the station?"

"No... we went home first," Andra answered. "I called Eni as soon as I got back," she added. She moved to the edge of my bed and started reordering my pillows, stacking them against the headboard. "I didn't get a chance to change — we must have talked for an hour," she said over her shoulder while taking her shoes off. Andra perched on the bed and reclined against the pillows. she tapped the bed expectantly and motioned for me to join her.

I wasn't sure what Andra expected so I sat close to her on the edge of the bed. She reached over to my shoulders and drew me down until I lay on my side with my head in her lap. I was astonished by her ability to make me feel better. I'd felt a wave of relief wash over me as soon as she set foot in my room.

"Enide shouldn't have done that," Andra said soothingly as she stroked my hair.

I was already in a half-stupor when I asked, "What did Eni say?" I was embarrassed that Andra knew.

"She told me about last night, how you promised to take a year out and stay in Earnell, how guilty she felt about it afterwards," Andra recounted sympathetically.

"I don't know how to fix this Andra," I groaned. "It was better when I didn't know she had feelings for me as well. It was my problem then — something I had to deal with. But when I started to realise she liked me too — started to see it, I could see how much it hurt her. Then I just —— "

"That's exactly how she felt," Andra said with a sigh after I trailed off. "Rody, you have to know — she's loved you for ages. She always kept a lid on it though... until you started mooning after her."

"Pining after someone is one thing," I reflected. "Watching them suffer, that's... it's not tolerable."

"So why tolerate it — why suffer?" she asked without reproach.

I felt pretty deflated. "I think you know the reason," I told Andra. I had resolved not to go over the entire issue of Enide not wanting to leave Earnell — not wanting to be a military wife.

"That's not how she used to feel," Andra recalled. "I'm sure Eni would have followed you wherever you went," she said, looking down at me. "Once you had realised she was the love of your life that is, which I always assumed you would — we all assumed you would — it was a sort of foregone conclusion in everyone's mind — Eni's too, I think," she explained. "You'd finish all that strenuous study — the marching around in parade grounds and what have you, come back home, fall in love with Enide and... well, that would be that."

I scoffed bitterly. "Hmm... well, apart from the ending, the rest was pretty accurate," I conceded.

Andra continued, "Then things changed and... " she paused and considered, "...we grew up and realised what we wanted and what we didn't want. We calmed down a bit — we weren't so boy-crazy," she said with a laugh. "And also, I suppose Eni saw how Oviau joining up affected my family, how it affected me — I think she decided she didn't want that."

"Andra, whoever she ends up with — whoever you end up with — more than likely, you will have to spend at least a year apart from each other — everyone has to do national service," I clarified. "Unless you end up with an invalid that is," I added sourly.

"Perhaps Eni and I should marry each other," Andra mused while squeezing my shoulders affectionately.

"Oh well, that solves it then," I groaned. "I wish you both every happiness."

She giggled, bouncing my head about in her lap, which in turn made me laugh.

Once we'd stopped laughing, I asked, "Would four more years be so terrible?"

"How can you be sure you'll only serve for five years?" Andra asked in return.

"Well... that's the minimum length of service," I explained. "A newly commissioned officer has to serve a minimum of five years. After that, it becomes four years if you choose to stay on."

"What if there is a war?" Andra whispered.

"Then everything could change," I admitted. "But if there is a war and you aren't in the military, you might still be drafted. It seems a moot point."

Andra heaved a weary sigh. After a brief pause, during which she seemed to be mulling over what I had said, she finally responded, "You are right."

"Right? Right about what?" I asked playfully. "You'll have to be more specific — I'm right about a lot of things."

"Ha - Ha - Ha. How droll." Andra said in an elongated drawl. I smirked with my head in her lap but then flinched when she stuck a finger wet with spit in my ear.

Having concluded her harassment, Andra continued, "I mean that you are right. I don't think four more years would be terrible," she clarified.

"From your lips to Enide's ears," I lamented.

"But... I think there is a more fundamental obstacle to deal with," Andra offered.

I wasn't sure what she meant. I looked up at Andra sceptically, "Enide brought it up last night, and also again when she was here this morning."

"It's a deflection," Andra insisted, shaking her head. "She's looking for reasons to convince you — to convince herself," Andra explained.

"That the two of us can't be together? Why?" I asked incredulously.

"Rody, she's scared," Andra said patiently. "It must be scary to finally have what you've wanted, but having to wonder whether you will still want her once you get to know her better."

"Oh, no," I objected. "Not you too. Andra... I've known her longer than you have."

"We show different parts of ourselves to different people," Andra remarked with a casual shrug. "Enide isn't wrong — you don't know each other as well as you think."

I lifted my head from Andra's lap and sat upright. While I understood the point she was making, I didn't share the same opinion. I remained silent, not saying anything.

Andra continued, "This morning, for example — the way you reacted when she said ——" she trailed off without finishing.

I looked across at her questioningly, wordlessly encouraging Andra to continue.

"Did you lose your temper — when Eni said she knew what she was doing?" Andra asked cautiously. I realised she was afraid she might make me angry.

With my face cradled in my hand, I pondered how to respond. The thought that Andra might be frightened of me made me feel rotten. It was even more unbearable to think I might have scared Enide.

"Andra, that wasn't the reason ——" I stopped, unsure how to proceed. "I don't know where Enide got this notion from," I started again, "that I expect her to be some untouched virgin," I complained. Although I thought the whole thing was too absurd for words, I tried to purge any trace of temper from my tone. "I didn't lose my temper because she's been with other men," I assured her. "I got angry because she was trying to ——" I waved my hands over the general region of my crotch in embarrassed frustration.

Andra raised her eyebrows archly. "Go down on you? Give you head? Perform fellatio ——"

"Yes, thank you, Andra," I said interrupting her recital. "I am familiar with... the act!"

"You can't even say it," Andra retorted, snorting with laughter.

"BLOWJOB!" I bellowed, staring at her defiantly.

It took Andra a while to stop laughing. I was relieved to see her at ease, no longer on edge. Her mirth was contagious. The shroud of gloom that had enveloped me began to dissipate.

Once the commotion had died down, I continued, "I wasn't angry at Eni because she's been with other men. I was angry because ——" I paused, realising that I hadn't really understood it myself. I rubbed my forehead and thought for a moment more, then tried again.

"Enide said we should fuck — just fuck," I told Andra, no longer reluctant to use profanity in front of her. "She said I was just lusting after her — as if I'm some child who doesn't know the difference," I told Andra bitterly. "She said we should have sex and get it over and done with — get it out of our system. No — get it out of my system," I went on, wanting to explain myself to Andra. "And then, she tried to fob me off with a blowjob — as if I was nobody, some lout off the street, someone ——"

"Someone she didn't really care about," Andra interjected quietly. I nodded.

"So it wasn't because Eni said 'I know what I'm doing' that you became angry?" Andra murmured as if thinking to herself.

That was exactly what Enide had said. I realised she must have told Andra about the events of this morning in minute detail.

"It's been rubbing me up the wrong way for a while," I groaned. "First it was Mother when I first mentioned having feelings for Enide. She more or less told me to just have a fling with her," I vented.

Andra looked away and covered her mouth with her hand, chuckling, but said nothing.

"Then it was Enide herself," I sneered. "As if sex would solve everything — as if it was a cure," I said sourly.

Andra considered this carefully. "Maybe not," she said, "but... it does cure localised high blood pressure, at least in men."

I stared at Andra with a furrowed brow before abruptly raising my right hand as if I was going to strike her. Andra yelped and instinctively flinched away from my hand. I reached for her with my left hand and flicked the end of her nose with my fingers. Andra squealed, rubbing the end of her nose.

Andra prepared to retaliate while she was still smarting. "You big brute!" she scolded, rubbing her nose.

"That was for molesting my ear," I reminded her. Andra smiled and let her guard down. We settled on an armistice.

Just then, Enide's bitter parting words came surging into my thoughts. "I don't understand why she's doing this Andra," I mumbled under my breath.

"Enide shouldn't have tried to do that," Andra said, echoing her earlier words. "And she shouldn't have said those things," she added comfortingly. "Still, Enide's right — you don't know her."

I had no appetite left for rebutting. I let out a heavy sigh and allowed my body to collapse onto the bed.

"But, you can't truly know her until she opens up to you," Andra reasoned as though presenting a methodically constructed legal case. "I suppose that's where I should play my part," she concluded enigmatically.

Andra looked at me then uncoiled her body, letting her legs dangle to the floor. She reclined until both of us lay across the bed next to one another.

"Don't despair, Rody," Andra purred in my ear. You and Eni aren't through yet."

"I don't know Andra — I don't know how to get her to open up," I confessed.

"Leave that part to me," Andra replied.

I turned my face and asked, "What will you do?"

"First, I'm going to go and see her," Andra explained.

"See Eni, now?"

"Yes — your mother is going to give me a lift and collect Mita from Eni's place," Andra explained.

"What do you think Eni will say?" I asked guardedly.

Andra looked thoughtful. "Well, she'll yell, rage, cuss — and eventually, she'll remember to say hello and invite me in. After that, well, then we'll really get into it," she concluded with a smirk.

I looked at her in disbelief. "Didn't you say you've spoken already on the phone — for an hour? Aren't you talked out yet?"

Andra let out a little chuckle, trying to hide it with her hand. "Oh sweetheart, you have been away from girls for too long." Her pretty red hair splayed around her on the bed. Once again, I had to resist the urge to lean in and kiss her.

"It's funny to see you like this," Andra said in a hushed voice.

"See me like what?"

"I don't know — forlorn, downhearted — soft," Andra said with a small shrug as if she wasn't satisfied with the words she'd chosen. "You used to get on my nerves you know — when we were younger," she confided.

"Ah! — I knew it!" I declared triumphantly, my suspicions confirmed.

Andra giggled again, twisting toward me. "Could you tell?" she asked, looking a little embarrassed.

"Umm... a little," I replied.

"You can't blame me though — you were such a vain sod — preening about all cocksure and full of yourself," Andra elaborated.

"Outrageous," I quipped back. "I have an uncommonly agreeable personality — modest too!"

"And Eni would fawn over you," Andra continued. "One minute, we were the best of friends, then you would turn up — for a week here and there — and it would become all about you — 'Rody this' and 'Rody that.' And you? You were completely oblivious to it, of course," she remembered without bitterness.

I said nothing, not knowing how to respond. Truth be told, I'm glad I had been oblivious. What could I have done about it? Every trip home and every parting would have been agony. It grieved me to think that this might have been how Enide had felt — how it might have hardened her heart against me.

Andra got off the bed like a gymnast, her movements fluid and effortless. I stood up and helped her with her coat. She picked up the fascinator without putting it back on.

"I'll call you tomorrow," she said before giving me a peck on the cheek.

I stopped her from pulling away and held her close in gratitude. "Thank you for coming. I can't tell you how much better you've made me feel."

"Don't thank me yet Rody," Andra said with a wicked glint. "Wait till you see what else I'm going to do," she added before walking out of my room.

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