Barn and Beyond Ch. 05

Chapter 5:

I looked around the room, attracted to the study table next to the window and the wall to the right with a floor to ceiling rack full of books. It was covered with a thin layer of dust. I took my discarded sweat shirt and cleaned the surfaces and the books. As soon as I opened the door, Rusty came in wagging his tail and making me feel special. He had bought a ball with him, clearly asking to play catch.

I took the doughnut seat, the hospital had given me and sat on the floor, my back to Gabriel's parent's room closed door and threw the ball towards his, making Rusty run across the landing. Couple of times the ball went down the stairs and Rusty quickly fetched it. The phone started pinging and I found Gabriel's unlocked phone on the study table. I picked it up and he was messaging me from my phone asking what I liked. I shared some of the stuff I normally had, they were good and always on discount. I threw the ball as I was typing and it rolled into his room from gap as the door was ajar and Rusty got in and started barking. I walked into his room and the ball was under the dresser, which I fetched for Rusty. It was almost plain, the dresser, one chest of drawers, a bed and a study table, no pictures or personal items besides chargers and a laptop. As I was about the leave I saw the stained jacket. I took it and then my stained sweats downstairs limping slowly now that I was alone. I went through the rooms behind the staircase, the pantry and laundry. The pantry had a motion sensor light fitting, lined with handmade shelfs, I touched them wondering if Gabriel had made them. Not much was stored, soup and baked beans tins, water bottles and some spice mixes. But large quantities and different varieties of dog food, gravies and treats. There was a large chest freezer at the left end of the small room with transparent sliding doors on the top with only two packed chicken breast pieces in it.

I went to the laundry a much bigger room and looked like it was extended to include some part of the backyard. It had a long sink with 2 faucets, a washer and a dryer under similar handmade shelfs with laundry stuff. The right wall had 2 baskets and one of it had dirty laundry in it. Again not much, couple of shirts , a jeans , the sweatshirt and joggers he was wearing when he saved me and some white underwear, either he did his laundry frequently or like me didn't bother wearing much at home. I removed the stains from my tracks and his jacket and put the entire load for washing, still texting with Gabriel.

I took the chicken on my way out of the space and limped to the kitchen. Again a very organized but sparse set up in a huge kitchen. I looked through the large 3 door refrigerator and found store bought salad with a packet of dressing, oranges, lemon and an apple. No carbs like bread or rice or anything.

I threw away the dressing and made some myself with olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Mixed the salad vegetables, diced oranges, apple and smoked chicken. I marinated the raw chicken in the same dressing and was looking for pan when I heard someone open the front door.

As soon as I heard the door opened, I panicked and had to consciously stop myself from ducking and hiding.

Gabriel walked in with 2 bags full of groceries, smiling ear to ear and shining covered with a thin shin of sweat. He looked like dinner and the thought scared me. Rusty who was sleeping in the dining room, went to him lazily and slept again.

"See he doesn't get excited to see me now." he smiled and looked at Rusty lovingly , making me want him to look at me like that too, again a stray thought that startled me.

"What are you doing? You are supposed to rest." He came close and took the pan out of my hand, our fingers touching, I quickly moved back as if he was a live wire.

"I cooked for you ... eh us, with whatever you had in the pantry. Was looking for a pan to cook the chicken."

"You found all this in our house?" He took a spoon from the holder, "This came with the salad?" and tasted the dressing, "OHH WOW!! I didn't know it's supposed to be this good, I always throw it away because it looks so murky."

"I made it."

"How? Where did you get the ingredients?"

"Here. Why don't you put away the groceries and I will finish dinner."

"You tell me what you want done and I can help you."

"Nope, I got this. What about Rusty?"

"I will feed him at 7, once we come back from our daily check around the property."

He walked around the kitchen and to and fro between the dining room and pantry stocking the purchases, making small talks and smiling at me. He walked straight backed and long strides with a very slight limp, which again was part of his persona making him unique. Everything but bread, so definitely no carbs. He washed his hands, and laid the dinner table. I served the salad and pan seared chicken.

"This is brilliant. I haven't had home cooked meals since years. I can't believe you made this from the stuff from what we had in our kitchen. Superb!"

He keeps saying 'our', I thought and my heart started beating faster every time he said it.

He ate everything on his plate, took second servings of the salad and sipped the remaining dressing directly from the bowl, making me smile from my heart after a very long time.

Nightmares haunted me every night followed by dreams of someone holding me, I woke up and went through the day like nothing happened and Gabriel never mentioned anything. The nightmares were days of abuse I was meted by Liam and Yuri, I relived each day in vivid details. Every night returning to 16th street where I felt my life was stuck. Days became weeks and then it was almost a month of us living like this together. Eating breakfast and dinner, me helping out at home and cooking our meals. At daylight, I lived a happy man with Gabriel but when the sky went dark I was left alone with Liam and Yuri on 16th street.

That day I was given a clean chit by the doctor, he said I was all fixed now, ready to face life and I felt disappointed, will Gabriel ask me to leave. I was quiet the entire day and packed up my stuff at night crying.

I was walking down 16th street and it was dark, then everything lit up and it was day. I was walking to school and smiling as it was a lovely 15th birthday with Dad, he was feeling much better yesterday and we had taken so many selfies of us smiling. I was feeling lighter having come out to my Dad and my childhood friend. "Hey!" I turned around and recognized the large boy from school but couldn't place a name. "So you are a fag." He said and grabbed both my wrists in his one hand and started dragging me. "Come let me show you a good time fag." "Who are you? Why are you doing this?" I panicked but didn't raise my voice, he was large and menacing and stunk from his mouth and body. He pushed me on a tree at the end of the road behind an abounded house. He opened his fly and took out his dick and made me touch him. I started crying. "Why, why are you doing this to me?" WHY? I HAVE DONE NOTHING TO YOU, WHO ARE YOU? WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS TO ME? I DON'T EVEN KNOW YOU? I begged and cried, not wanting to be gay, not wanting to be a fag for this disgusting, stinking and scary person.

I was been touched but it was tentative, tender, the arms strong but soft, I hugged back, pushing my face into his chest, he smelled nice like mild antiseptic soap and a hint of sweat, just a low musky note. I held on to this ghost in my dream and cried, begging to make it stop. "It's Okay Baby, you are with me now, he is not here and he is not hurting you anymore. Sleep, baby, you are okay now, you are safe." I cried myself to sleep.

I woke up with a start, unable to place where I was and started to panic, before I realized I was in my room. I went to the washroom and then got down the stairs. Gabriel was taking off his shoes, covered with a thin layer of sweat, his wet sportswear sticking to his body, I froze on the last step, unable to take my eyes off him, he was the best looking person I have ever seen, movies and TV included. He looked up and smiled at me as Rusty jumped on me, I sat on the step petting him, still looking at Gabriel.

"Morning, how are you?"

"Morning, ya I am good. You guys go for a run so early?"

"Yes we go at 5 around the barn, kind off an early morning check, then my Mom's track and back in an hour and then my home gym, 7:30 the workers will start coming in."

"Breakfast?"

"Ya I will eat some oats."

"How do you want it" I started walking towards the kitchen, my most familiar room in the house. "Ehhh ... from the packet?"

I turned around surprised and a bit revolted. "You what, how?"

"Ya its crunchy and a bit sweet and has nuts, I have always had it that way."

"Did you read the cooking instructions on the pack, like ever?"

"Nope, I have never tried to cook besides heating food. Andrea used to cook till she was here, like 8 years back and then I and Dad ate out of boxes and cans till I got to training. So I kind of eat everything out of the pack."

"God! You are such an animal ... Rusty no offence to you kiddo, you are so much better. Let's make some real breakfast for Gabs here, come boy." Rusty wagged his tail and directly went to the kitchen.

"Gabs?" He raised an eye brow at me. "Sorry, I just ... Sorry." I stammered.

"No I like it from you... Gabs! My Mom used to call me that, I like it." He smiled showing me his even white teeth with one crooked incisor. "Sky, what magic do we expect from the oats today?" He took my name deliberately, making it sound like he was savoring the word. I felt warm and fuzzy with just one word, the word I have heard all my life.

"Nothing special, just going to follow the instruction on how they intend us to eat it."

While he took a shower and got ready for work, I made the oats with skimmed milk and served it with some roasted nuts and fresh strawberries. He ate it like it was a Michelin star high-quality food, making me smile through the meal.

"You should cook and go to Arts College" he said between mouthfuls of oats. "Art?"

"Yes, The kind of sketches and paintings you had all over your house was phenomenal, we should go back and get them for your room here"

My Room? I thought, my heart beating faster but said a simple "Thanks."

"Now get your ass up and get ready to start work." He grinned at me

I jumped and ran up beaming, unpacked and got ready and was down before 7:30, we walked to the out houses and the barn. I was impressed with the size of the property and quality of construction of the out houses, they were more like town houses, almost 5000 square feet of built-up area and 2 stories each. The barn was huge and there was lots of front and back yard for landscaping, garden and children play park. I started imagining a resort in my mind.

Austin Williams was the head contractor, a huge black muscular man with a large belly and a bigger smile.

"This is Sky, my artistic partner. I know you have been complaining about the fact that I am color and style blind, so I am giving you an artist decision maker instead."

Partner is the only word I picked from the entire statement.

"He will need to give a test for me to trust your partner here. Sky which carpet and wallpaper for the reception lounge?"

I felt nervous with so many eyes on me, I looked from Mr. Williams to Gabriel and the sample books. I picked them and checked each sample carefully, worried I will make a wrong decision and upset the contractors and embarrass Gabriel.

"None look good for this place or the barn resort concept actually." I went with what I felt rather than over analyzing my answer.

"I like him Dad" I looked towards the voice and he was a younger and fitter version of Austin. "Larry" he introduced and shook my hand.

"I like him too" Gabs said and smiled at me.

"You need something with hay and green color and may be spring theme for the place to look inviting in winters. Like bring the outside in the lobby but keep it fresh and perpetual."

Everyone stared at me as I finished the last words slowly and shut up.

"Finally someone who is of help around here. Thank God, he found you Gabby, you were lost around here. I think with this little one, we will finish this project now."

"I am happy he did find me and he will definitely help with more than the artsy stuff." Gabs said looking at me, his eyes glinting.

"Larry, get that computer of yours and show Sky here all the samples on the internet. Sky shortlist five to eight samples of each so we have a choice in case they don't have enough stock and see if you can make a wallpaper and carpet combo."

"It's a laptop Pops and it's a website, everything on internet is not internet" Larry rolled his eyes and gestured me to follow him, I looked at Gabriel and he winked at me, I smiled and followed Larry inside the house.