"The Enchanted Cottage" -- Part 12
Rainy night.
Las Encantadas Estate, Erie, Pa., October 2006
With October came storms, blowing over the lake from Canada and buffeting the cottage fiercely. But the builders of the cottage, back at the turn of the 19th Century into the 20th, knew the climate and they knew the lake and the walls held tight and warm even when the rain lashed against the northern windows.
"It's s... started again," said Justin, coming in from a brief walk on the beach. He brushed the raindrops from his blond hair.
"Do tell," said Brian, his eyes glued to his computer screen.
"I got some photos of the sunset b... behind the storm clouds," said Justin. "Maybe I'll do a series of c... collages of the shoreline in different weather: sunny summer day, autumn storm, first winter snow, then spring. I like doing pieces with a th... theme. I can hardly wait to download these pics onto my computer."
"Knock yourself out." Brian clicked on a link, and then another. "Fuck! How far away is Buffalo?"
Justin thought about it. "I went to the big mall there with Mrs. Minnett last Ch... Christmas. It's an hour, maybe. Where in Buffalo?"
"Never mind," said Brian, clicking to a different site. "That's too fucking far, especially in this weather."
"Where did you want to go?"
"I said never mind."
Justin shrugged and went into the kitchen to get dinner. He made salads for both of them and some pasta for him and a grilled lamb chop for Brian. Brian was a picky eater, seemingly living on bags of salad, booze, and occasional pigouts on greasy burgers and french fries. Justin was trying to get him to enjoy eating more, but it was an uphill struggle.
After they ate, Brian got back on the computer while Justin cleaned up. The rain had paused for a while and Justin had the back door open, letting in a cool, wet breeze.
"I'm going out," Brian said, poking his head in the door. "Don't wait up."
"H... hold it!" Justin cried, going out to the living room. "Wh... where are you going in this weather? You'll get soaked w... walking up to the garage!"
"I'm taking the old bumbershoot." Brian shook out the umbrella and opened it in the doorway. "See ya."
"W... wait!" Justin called, but Brian disappeared into the dark.
Justin finished putting away the dishes and then sat at his own computer and uploaded the photos from his digital camera. He loved the new computer and what he could do with it. For the first time he actually had hope that one day he could resume his art studies. It might be years before he was ready, but he didn't mind waiting. It was a goal. Something to work for.
And Brian had made it possible. He owed him all that.
Which was why Brian's recent behavior troubled him.
They'd been getting along well, Justin thought. Brian had his Vangard accounts to keep him occupied, while Justin worked in his garden, kept the cottage in order, and made his daily trip up to the house to get the mail and shoot the breeze with the Major. And now work on his art. Take photos. Practice using the stylus. Experiment with the laser printer. He was getting better at it every day, his hand becoming steadier, his eyes readjusting to seeing the world like an artist. The words that sometimes came haltingly were less of a problem when he focused instead on the visual.
Then Brian became restless. Or more restless than usual. Justin heard him wandering around the cottage very late at night, long after he'd supposedly gone to bed. He was on the computer mostly, but sometimes he just stood at the door and stared out, nursing a cigarette. And he seemed jumpy around Justin. Once Justin had reached for some printer paper and brushed against Brian's arm -- and Brian had literally flinched.
"Sorry," Justin said.
"No problem," said Brian. But he got up and left the room as if he'd been scalded.
That was weird. Very weird.
Justin hated to be a snoop, but he couldn't help himself. Brian had put his Mac to sleep and Justin knew that a simple touch and a click would show him what sites Brian had been surfing.
Porn sites. That wasn't really a surprise. But also a site called Erie Man2Man. And another called Buffalo Connection.
Hook-up sites.
Justin put the Brian's computer back to sleep, sorry he'd been so curious.
Brian had gone out into the pouring rain to look for someone to have sex with.
"It shouldn't bother me," thought Justin. "He's a guy who likes sex. There's nothing wrong with that. Being so far away from Pittsburgh and all those available men must be a pain in the ass. I think about sex all the time, so why shouldn't Brian? And he's actually had sex, so he knows what he's missing -- unlike me, whose only sex partner is my fucking gimpy hand!"
It was starting to get chilly in the cottage. Justin thought about lighting the fire -- Mr. Quigley had brought down plenty of firewood and the inside woodbox was filled to the brim -- but he wanted to wait until Brian was there to start the hearth for the first time this season. So he wrapped himself in a blanket and stretched out on the sofa with a mystery novel he'd borrowed from Mrs. Minnett.
And promptly fell into a warm and deep sleep.
***
Las Encantadas Estate, Erie, Pa., October 2006
With October came storms, blowing over the lake from Canada and buffeting the cottage fiercely. But the builders of the cottage, back at the turn of the 19th Century into the 20th, knew the climate and they knew the lake and the walls held tight and warm even when the rain lashed against the northern windows.
"It's s... started again," said Justin, coming in from a brief walk on the beach. He brushed the raindrops from his blond hair.
"Do tell," said Brian, his eyes glued to his computer screen.
"I got some photos of the sunset b... behind the storm clouds," said Justin. "Maybe I'll do a series of c... collages of the shoreline in different weather: sunny summer day, autumn storm, first winter snow, then spring. I like doing pieces with a th... theme. I can hardly wait to download these pics onto my computer."
"Knock yourself out." Brian clicked on a link, and then another. "Fuck! How far away is Buffalo?"
Justin thought about it. "I went to the big mall there with Mrs. Minnett last Ch... Christmas. It's an hour, maybe. Where in Buffalo?"
"Never mind," said Brian, clicking to a different site. "That's too fucking far, especially in this weather."
"Where did you want to go?"
"I said never mind."
Justin shrugged and went into the kitchen to get dinner. He made salads for both of them and some pasta for him and a grilled lamb chop for Brian. Brian was a picky eater, seemingly living on bags of salad, booze, and occasional pigouts on greasy burgers and french fries. Justin was trying to get him to enjoy eating more, but it was an uphill struggle.
After they ate, Brian got back on the computer while Justin cleaned up. The rain had paused for a while and Justin had the back door open, letting in a cool, wet breeze.
"I'm going out," Brian said, poking his head in the door. "Don't wait up."
"H... hold it!" Justin cried, going out to the living room. "Wh... where are you going in this weather? You'll get soaked w... walking up to the garage!"
"I'm taking the old bumbershoot." Brian shook out the umbrella and opened it in the doorway. "See ya."
"W... wait!" Justin called, but Brian disappeared into the dark.
Justin finished putting away the dishes and then sat at his own computer and uploaded the photos from his digital camera. He loved the new computer and what he could do with it. For the first time he actually had hope that one day he could resume his art studies. It might be years before he was ready, but he didn't mind waiting. It was a goal. Something to work for.
And Brian had made it possible. He owed him all that.
Which was why Brian's recent behavior troubled him.
They'd been getting along well, Justin thought. Brian had his Vangard accounts to keep him occupied, while Justin worked in his garden, kept the cottage in order, and made his daily trip up to the house to get the mail and shoot the breeze with the Major. And now work on his art. Take photos. Practice using the stylus. Experiment with the laser printer. He was getting better at it every day, his hand becoming steadier, his eyes readjusting to seeing the world like an artist. The words that sometimes came haltingly were less of a problem when he focused instead on the visual.
Then Brian became restless. Or more restless than usual. Justin heard him wandering around the cottage very late at night, long after he'd supposedly gone to bed. He was on the computer mostly, but sometimes he just stood at the door and stared out, nursing a cigarette. And he seemed jumpy around Justin. Once Justin had reached for some printer paper and brushed against Brian's arm -- and Brian had literally flinched.
"Sorry," Justin said.
"No problem," said Brian. But he got up and left the room as if he'd been scalded.
That was weird. Very weird.
Justin hated to be a snoop, but he couldn't help himself. Brian had put his Mac to sleep and Justin knew that a simple touch and a click would show him what sites Brian had been surfing.
Porn sites. That wasn't really a surprise. But also a site called Erie Man2Man. And another called Buffalo Connection.
Hook-up sites.
Justin put the Brian's computer back to sleep, sorry he'd been so curious.
Brian had gone out into the pouring rain to look for someone to have sex with.
"It shouldn't bother me," thought Justin. "He's a guy who likes sex. There's nothing wrong with that. Being so far away from Pittsburgh and all those available men must be a pain in the ass. I think about sex all the time, so why shouldn't Brian? And he's actually had sex, so he knows what he's missing -- unlike me, whose only sex partner is my fucking gimpy hand!"
It was starting to get chilly in the cottage. Justin thought about lighting the fire -- Mr. Quigley had brought down plenty of firewood and the inside woodbox was filled to the brim -- but he wanted to wait until Brian was there to start the hearth for the first time this season. So he wrapped himself in a blanket and stretched out on the sofa with a mystery novel he'd borrowed from Mrs. Minnett.
And promptly fell into a warm and deep sleep.
***