astonishingly quite remarkably good at the game. I could have never guessed him to be fluent in any sport but he is startlingly fluid in his movements, exceptionally adroit with his shots and quite weightless on his feet. The other end opens a surprise in the form of Silvia who shockingly is also a basketball fanatic. She is not as good as Neal but surprisingly a good match for him. Alek is in knowledge of the rules but is just an average player.
I feel very amused in announcing that we therians, Aakir, Faith and I, are the only ones sucking big time at basketball.
Aakir and I are simply jesting, intentionally not following the rules and laughing most of the while. Alek, who is in Aakir’s team, keeps giving annoyed looks to Aakir whenever the latter gets a little too enthusiastic and ends up committing a mistake.
“That’s a foul.” Neal snickers, pointing at Aakir.
“Hey, I get it through a hoop and it’s a foul?” Aakir says.
“This is not rugby.” Silvia laughs at him, “You’re supposed to dribble the ball.”
We play for a little over an hour. Well, Neal and Silvia play.The rest of us keep slacking and jesting. Even Alek starts to join our laughs after a while, though he is pointedly ignoring my remarks. Oh, well.
“This was fun.” Silvia says, after we all retire from the game in over an hour or so. We all settle on a nearby bench, most of us standing around it. “I miss this. I used to play at the school of basketball, but my friends don’t play anymore.” Silvia continues.
“I was also a member. Not anymore.” Neal says.
“I am surprised that you don’t play in our school.” I tell him.
“Our school doesn’t have a basketball team.” Alek retorts, not looking at me.
“Well…” I start, “You can publicize it and attract students to play it.” I reason.
Neal smirks but then shakes his head, “I already have enough on my plate. I don’t think I’ll be able to manage a sport.”
“Oh but you should.” Silvia insists, “At least revive your membership in the basketball school. Now that I think about it, I should too.”
Neal runs a hand through his hair, “I would have considered it but…not to be snobby but I really, really don’t get time during the week.”
“I agree.” Alek says, “It’s our final year, there is a lot of burden of books this time round.”
“Nerds.” Aakir mutters under his breath, only as low as for the therians to hear. I discretely elbow him.
“You guys can play like this.” Faith says, waving her hand towards the basketball court in front of us, “I mean, my siblings and I aren’t that great,” Faith smirks, looking at Aakir and me, “But you guys can invite more people…and you know…” Faith shrugs by the end of it.
Silvia gives a thoughtful acquiescing look while Alek surreptitiously glances at Neal.
Neal shrugs, “Not a bad idea, but I doubt it could be a regular occurrence. In fact, had I known we’ll be having more company, I would have probably invited my friends too.” He smiles, his eyes flickering towards me.
Uh…So, I don’t really know my partner well at a personal level. But I have known him enough to guess when he is being sarcastic or pulling off a riposte. Right now he is all smiles, getting nods of heads from the girls, looking perfectly amicable. Yet, his tone is lined with subtle satire, like a diacritical mark over an alphabet. In haste, I didn’t consider informing Neal that the girls will be joining us and he doesn’t seem pleased about it…or at least that is what I am inferring from his choice of words and infinitesimal sly glances in my direction.He has been the most comfortable since we all have gathered, so I didn’t expect a disagreement.
It slightly displeases me that instead of making any sort of improvement, I sense a little strain between us.
Slowly, everybody concords for departure. The sun is setting and darkness will soon empower. Those who are sitting now get up and stretch their backs. Slowly, voicing vague subjects and laughing lightheartedly, we all start to take steps towards the exit gates of the park. Neal falls back, turning around to briskly walk towards his basketball lying near the periphery of the court. Alek stays back to wait for Nealand so do I. As a result Alek, I and Neal fall a few steps behind the other three, who are still laughing and walking ahead.
“Uh…hey,” I start awkwardly, “I hope it was fine that they all came…Uh, I didn’t get time to inform beforehand.”
Alek, without wasting a moment, snorts and looks away. Thankfully Neal is walking in between us two. I really don’t know what Alek’s problem is. Neal doesn’t say anything for a moment. He is faintly smiling and looking at the basketball in his hands. Then he looks at me sideways and gives me a tight lipped smile.
“I don’t like to be taken by surprise, Lichinsky.” He says.
He is smiling. But of course he feels the grievance to be enough noticeable to bring it to my notice…quite bluntly, as usual.
“Especially when I have a company of my own.” He says again, still smiling. I don’t know if his smile is supposed to mask the bluntness of his tone or words or he is just accustomed to remaining calm and happy even in these kinds of situations.
Obviously, he is talking about Alek. Neal may be friendly enough but that doesn’t stand true for Alek. The latter was fairly uncomfortable in the beginning. I start to feel the rush of blood in my ears. I was prepared to not expect too much out of this get togethersince there were so many people but I didn’t expect to be the target of my partner’s disappointment.
“It was alright.” Alek mumbles, loud enough. I am partly surprised for him to be standing up for me, “I was fine.” He continues, “Faith and Silvia are quite nice.”
Neal gives off a slight laugh and then looks at me, “I am not complaining, as my friend has clearly misunderstood.” He gives Alek a droll look before turning back to me again, “I am just stating facts. No hard feelings. It’s not like it turned out bad.” He shrugs.
Well. Isn’t that convenient? I think sarcastically.
“It actually got planned in the spur of the moment.” I feel owed to give an explanation, “Aakir didn’t want to pass on his time with Silvia, and Faith was too excited to sit at home-”
“Dude,” Neal interrupts, “It’s okay. You don’t need to give excuses.”
“It’s not an excuse.” I state, “I am just telling you what happened.” Obviously he can’t understand the urge I feel to make sure that he isn’t thinking negative about me.
“What for?” Neal drawls, now smirking at me, “The Plutocracy?”
I slow down, making both of them slow down too. I suddenly face an epiphany, the thought of being pleasing for my partner momentarily vanishing from my mind. “Neal…I…I don’t want you to be giving an account of this in your paper.” I tell him in the most serious tone I can manage.
Alek begins snickering while Neal’s smile widens.
“What makes you think I’ll do that?” Neal says.
I shrug though I am on edge. I haven’t considered that I am giving Neal good topics for his paper, “Just don’t.” I say.
Neal continues to smirk, “You underestimate my ethics.” He mutters. I don’t think he meant for me to hear that so I don’t reply.
We catch up to the rest. Casual conversation flows for a few minutes and then we start to bid goodbye. Silvia is the first one to leave, instantly making Aakir slightly melancholic. He is probably not happy that he hasn’t got to spend time alone with her. But he doesn’t stretch his luck and lets Silvia go. She surprises me with hugging each one of us except for Aakir much to his chagrin. She also specifically orders Neal to get in contact with her if he ever wishes a game. After her departure, Faith, out of nowhere, starts persuading Neal and Alek to join us for supper. Is she insane? No way in hell I want my family to meet Neal just yet. Alek blushes beet red at Faith’s persistence but he constantly declines. Neal starts to give off a laugh looking astonishingly abashed.
“I wouldn’t be comfortable.” He admits honestly.
&n
bsp; Faith pouts petulantly but, thank god, doesn’t persuade them further. She in turn kisses both the cheeks of both the boys as a gesture of farewell, just like my mother does sometimes. Neal is unfazed but Alek looks like he is about to faint. Just at the brink of a final goodbye and Neal halts.
“Aakir?” he says, looking at Aakir, “May I have a word?”
Surprised, Aakir nods and the both of them move a little sideways. Great. I go through so much to get this one engagement where my partner will be around me and he goes off to talk privately with my best friend. Thinking of Aakir’s severe interest in my partner, I can’t help but find the situation a little ironic. Faith engages Alek, who is beginning to look discomforted, in a light conversation again. My therian ears, however, follow the words of my partner.
“Do you mind if I mention about you and Silvia in The Plutocracy?” he voices in a low tone, not expecting to be audible for the eavesdroppers. Well, not for the pure human eavesdroppers at least.
From the corner of my eyes, I watch as Aakir sputters at the unforeseen question. “Um, I, well, we are not together.” He blurts.
Neal nods, “But you’re courting her. Do you mind if I mention that?”
Aakir thinks for a moment then laughs, “I can’t believe that you’re asking me.”
Neal shrugs, “I wouldn’t have if I had heard it second hand, and in school. Since we are not in school, neither in a school related activity…I thought it adequate to ask.”
“Well…” Aakir trails off.
“It wouldn’t be anything detailed. And neither anything in indecent words.”
Aakir suspires, “Uh, okay.”
Neal nods, smiling, and the both of them return to us. Another round of goodbye follows and we depart. Aakir and Faith are silent as we walk back. It is around seven in the evening, meaning our shop will still be open as the closing time is eight. But neither of us is in the mood to go back and work. The extraneous physical activity of our game may not have tired us physically but that doesn’t mean we don’t get mentally exhausted. Besides, Faith is desirous of being with Rahul again who is currently lounging at home. I, on the other hand, am not in a good enough mood, not at all satisfied by our jaunt. If anything, the event has actually made me feel that Neal will not consent for another get together.
Without further ado, the three of us traverse through the peter’s market, towards the edge of the woods. Once inside, we all break off into a light sprint, equivalent to jogging. We see no point in being hasty.Though I personally prefer to run faster, I don’t complain.
“So, what’s with his aura?” Faith asks, as we continue to run by the darkening environment.
“We don’t know.” Aakir says, “Josh will figure it out, when…you know…”
I again don’t like the topic being discussed as if my partner is some sort of an experiment, but I remain mute.
“Do you think he could be like us?” Faith asks.
“I am sure he would have sensed our aura and reacted accordingly…” Aakir says in a careful tone, “plus, his aura is nothing like ours.”
Both of them sense my lack of involvement in the conversation and do not carry it on further. When we reach our home, we get rolled in for a surprise. There are faint sounds of screaming, almost screech like cackling emanating from the top of our house. The moment we reach our porch, the screams become increasingly lucid. I again thank for the fact that our house is in the middle of nowhere, with no chance of a human stumbling upon our house. Those shrieks are going to be hard to miss.
I hear Aakir suspire, “Now what triggered his episode?” he says, not masking the displeasure in his voice.
“There are more people inside…do you sense it?” Faith says, halting and tilting her head towards the inside of our home.
I notice that she is right. I start sensing more auras than I should be. The stupefying verity of it is that those are powerful auras, indicating therians. But I do not understand what could have set off Rome’s bout of savageness. Since Rome is a mental therian, he largely relies on his senses. Of course he must have sensed the therian auras in our house but I see no reason for it to trigger his shrieking episode. He is already accustomed to our auras in the house. Nonetheless, such barbaric reactions of Rome make us glad that we keep him locked in the attic.
But I digress.
I focus on the auras. Even if Rufina aunt is home, which is very unlikely at this hour, then also there are two extra auras. On concentrating, I find one of those auras to be more potent than the others. It is unmistakable for me to recognize father’s aura.
“It’s Dad.” I say, a little excitement in my voice. Considering my disappointment in regard to my partner, my father being finally home is like midnight on a New Year’s Eve. The excitement soon flows through my veins as I hastily step inside the house. Briskly, I walk through the vestibule that opens towards the living room. That is from where all the auras seem to be coming.
I am greeted by the sight of five men. One is of course my father. I grin when he catches my eye. He smiles back warmly. Terry uncle and Rahul are occupying one of the loveseats. Rahul, the only human here at the present, looks extremely comfortable as if he is not sitting amidst a bunch of half-animals, with one savage animal hounding quite audibly in the attic. Then my eyes land on the rest of the two men. I have never seen them before, but it’s unmistakable that they are therians. They seem middle aged, almost as old as my father. One of them, the brunette, is dressed rather formally in shirt and pants. The other one is with reddish brown hair and characteristic green eyesand looks at ease in his plain t-shirt. Both men are of the same built, almost as tall as my father, though the red head has a slightly boyish face, despite his age and several laughing wrinkles at the corner of his eyes.
“That’s my son. Josh.” My father says, pointing at me, “That’s my niece, Faith…Rahul’s partner and Terry’s daughter. And that’s my nephew, Aakir.” Then father gestures to the two men, “This is Ethan Foster,” he points at the red head, “And his partner, Vincent.” He waves at the brunette.
As we awkwardly greet them back, I notice what my father said.
“Partner?” I splutter.
The red head, Ethan, smirks.
“Yes.” My father says solemnly, “They are partners.” He sighs, “You can satiate all the queries you have…” he turns to look at the men, who nod amicably, “But, you may like to rest first.”
Ethan is quick to nod his head, “Absolutely. The flight was rather exhausting.” His idiom is different, probably an American accent. “After a nap, we are all yours.” He smiles at me warmly.
My answering smile is a second too late, but nonetheless he catches it.
“If only the walls were soundproof.” Ethan continues, bluntly. As if on cue, Rome lets out another blood curdling scream.
“I apologize for the inconvenience but it’s really not in my hands.” My father says somberly.
Vincent, the brunette, nods slowly, “I understand. We have a quite a numberof mental therians in our realm as well.” His voice is rather deep, deeper than I was anticipating.
“Hopefully, he’ll tire out soon and stop with the screams.” Father says, then he looks at Terry uncle.
“I’ll show you the guest room.” Terry uncle says, getting up. The men get up too, collecting their duffel bags resting at their feet and following Terry uncle towards the staircase. Father gets up too, stifling a yawn. He rubs my shoulder as he passes me by but heeds me no glance. All of this happens too fast for me to comprehend it. My father is back, from a jaunt to a therian realm. And he is back with a…gay couple? No, I don’t know if they are a couple. They seem normal, like any two men being casually together in a friendly manner. My father has seemingly brought them to…to what? Appease me? To let me know I am not the only guy with a male partner? To let me understand my situation better?
I watch as my father walks ahead. I am too overwhelmed to let him get away. I follow him as he walks to his room. He is
a mature therian, so it’s no wonder that he can sense me walking behind him. But he says nothing. He climbs the stairs to the first floor and makes his way to his room. His motions are slow, indicating exhaustion. But he hasn’t stopped me from following him like a puppy so I continue along as his shadow. Once he is inside the room he gestures towards me to close the door. I comply. Without a word, he retires to the adjoining washroom. Sighing, I sit down and make myself comfortable on my parent’s king size bed.
Father takes his time, leisurely. I am in no hurry either as I sit like a good old kid, waiting for my daddy. I chuckle at my own thoughts. But I am happy and if my childishness is to be humiliated at that expense, so be it. Father comes out, now looking much relaxed, freshly bathed and dressed in a clean t-shirt and tracks.
“You went to look for same gender partners, didn’t you?” I ask him as soon as he steps out of the bathroom door.
The thought alone is the only thing revolving in my head. The fact that he left immediately after learning of my partner, having gone for over a week and returning with same gender partners, obviously imply that, doesn’t it? That he hasn’t really given up on me, or worse, he hasn’t been ignoring me. My problems are as big for him as for me. My father is the true justification of the phrase, ‘actions speak louder than words’. Sometimes I feel guilty for thinking that my father doesn’t care about me. That’s probably the lowest thing I can think about him.
Father smiles, rubbing his hair dry with his towel. He is not looking at me and the faint smile embellished on his taut lips looks rather amused. He can definitely sense my happiness and excitement.
“Yes.” He says simply.
“You could have told me. I wouldn’t have been worrying off my ass then.” I say in a dry tone though the smile hardly leaves my lips.
“No, you wouldn’t be worrying then.” He agrees, “You would be begging to come along with me.”
I roll my eyes. All of that tension so I wouldn’t cling to him like a five year old and bawl my eyes out till he doesn’t let me fly with him too. Seriously, sometimes he underestimates me.
“I can take ‘No’ for an answer.” I tell him. “I’ll be disappointed, yeah, but I’ll live.”
Father sits on the opposite corner of the bed and appraises me with his sober eyes, “Josh…when you’ll be old enough, you’ll know that sometimes…it’s best to not answer, than refuse.”
I sigh but don’t say anything. I am not old enough so yes, I don’t understand. But I can understand to some extent. Being a father, he prefers to keep me ignorant than say ‘No’ in response to my every question. I don’t dwell on the issue, not now. Not when father has given me enough reason to not complain for his lack of explanations.
“You’re fine with it?” I blurt instead.
Father raises his eyebrows silently.
“My partner…” I