As They Say

by D K Daniels

Entry Four: A chance of Rain

The story takes place in Ireland, my homeland. Some words and uses of words may be unfamiliar. I'll list them below and explain them as best as I can.

Dublin - The capital of Ireland

Kerry - County in southwest of Ireland

Wexford - County in South East of Ireland

Sound - Easy to get along with

Also, I will distinguish between the protagonist's tone of voice by having the protagonist's entries in lower case to represent the past and uppercase to represent the present

7th May 1993: Part 1

Okay somewhere along the line turkeys got screwed, that's just how I feel right now. When I knocked last night for Ross, his grandmother said that he was out, which came as a surprise to the both of us. I wasn't expecting him to go wandering around these parts without any knowledge of the area. I did go looking for him of course. I spent about forty-five minutes scouring the local lands for him. Then there was the tree hill, where the terrain scrunched up and left a small slanted hill in the middle of the O'Neill's field. I think half of the fun is getting out there, on any given day the farmer, Mr. O' Neill would have a bull on the loose in the field. Yes, I have run through that field more than once in a terrified state. Everytime I did it, all I could come to think about was how long would it be before raging a bull would catch up to me and run me over like a steam train. And while I'd be lying with my face down in the mud. I could only imagine that my overactive imagination would soar wildly with all the possibilities of dying with a mad bull on the loose. Carl and I had done it a few times, as well as Eli. The view was worth it though, since all the land around here was flat, from the O'Neill's hill you could see the town at a bird's eye view. Picturesque was just one word to sum up the magical feeling this spot offered up. I don't know exactly why I decided to walk by their farm but I'm happy that I did. When I looked off into the distance I noticed the hill, atop the grassy climb was a small figure sitting on the slope. I didn't really think much of it, I just crossed the threshold into the field while looking for any signs of a bull.

While I sauntered towards the hill, I kept looking around anxiously, thinking should I be running or should I be walking, should I even be here at all. What if this figure wasn't Ross, all of these thoughts echoed in the back of my mind, by the time I reached slope of the unkempt hill, I looked up to see who the person was. Sure enough, Ross was sitting alone playing with fine strands of grass in between his legs. I had not seen a bull so far, so that was always a good sign. I slowly crept up the hill towards Ross, I wanted to see if he was okay, I also didn't want to scare him. He looked a little down or something, I couldn't tell if he was crying but when I finally got to the top of the hill. He looked up surprisingly and flinched that he wobbly when he got up, mistaking me for someone else he apologized. Then he noticed it was me and backed down. "Oh, sorry Adam," he offered before lowering back down to the ground.

I wasn't sure if he was mad at me, he looked like he had been crying. Surely, I did not make him cry, I sure hope that someone else didn't make him cry either. I decided to plonk down beside him in a messy attempt that my lower back felt the harsh shudder of the solid ground. I groaned in pain, just a grimace of pain and Ross immediately pushed his feeling to the side and rolled out in front of me on one knee. "Are you okay," he asked in a worried voice. Giving a small smile, I nodded. The sharp pain was bearable, yet his panicked response to my rescue made me feel all gooey inside. He just sighed in a cute way after I told him that I was okay and he sat back in his place beside me. The view was not as nice as some evenings, there were some clouds on the horizon, which suggested rain. I guess it did pan out to be true because while I'm writing right now the heavens are releasing its bowels over Ireland.

Anyway, Ross remained quiet until I finally spoke up. I was nervous about approaching the subject from earlier. I did have to find out what he was thinking, was he disappointed with me, did he think I was a bully. It did hurt that he had just left the bike I gave him right beside mine back at the house. He could have knocked for me, surely. Did Eli screw up my chance of making a new friend? I wish that Johnathan guy hadn't have turned up. It would have made everything easier. Everything was going well, that was until he reared his ugly mug. Okay, that was harsh, still, I was trying to be cool and he fucked that up for me. Officially I think the f-word is the first swear word I have ever written in here. Mam doesn't like me using bad language, besides it's in this book, so does that really count, it's only the little voice inside my head that said it, so theoretically speaking I have said nothing of the sort. Do I make sense? Well, it does to me.

I just swallowed my pride and waited for the striking blow. I asked Ross, "are you mad at me?" I'll tell you this, I was so… so… so happy when he looked at me with a soft expression and gravelly prompted, "no… why would I be." Okay so maybe his response was not exactly what I wished for. I would have liked him to say something more, of what was truly on his mind. Yet I guess it was better than nothing at all. He wasn't angry at me. Though something was truly on his mind, and he was very secretive and very protective of this information. I just sat with him for a while, then he noticed a bulge in my hoodie pocket and jokingly said, "is that your boner?" I looked down at the small bulge in the hoodie pocket and shot back a snarky response. "You wish!" He just chuckled in a really adorable way, I could not help it, it was virtually impossible to not join in with a stupid hearty giggle. At some point he had stopped laughing, although I didn't, I kept laughing unknowns to myself. So, when I finally calmed, I noticed that he had stopped laughing so I forced myself to stop. I could feel my cheeks burning, I was so happy there and then. What followed next caught me off guard, I had no idea what to even make of the statement, let alone think of what to say back to it as a response. Ross had waited until there was this silence between the both of us and said, "what a magical laugh you have." I wasn't sure if he was genuine at first, but then again he did appear to be sincere. I offered a nervous chuckle of shyness and offered thanks back in the form of, "so is yours." Although I'm not sure what he meant by that but he did become a little flushed in the cheeks after he said it. We mostly spent the rest of the evening conversing.

There were no odd exchanges of conversation and I finally worked out what he was sad about. He had received news from London that his mam and dad, where having a hard time here in Ireland with finances or so he said. There was a probable cause of concern for them to emigrate to Ireland in order to make a living. So, I guess this is what Ross was sad about all along, and it wasn't me. I tried to comfort him In any way I could. We waited until the sun went down and we finally ran down the hill both changing each other. At one point, I thought I was going to fall, but that didn't happen, so thank god. Or whoever. I'm not sure if I believe in god, how can you believe in something you can't see. I don't know why I use'd that reference. I guess it's etched into my list of viable options for dialogue when I have nothing better to offer up for that particular response.

Oh, and I only realized when I got home that the bulge in my hoodie picket was the R.E.M cd. Ahaha. Anyway, I think today has really drained me mentally. Any energy I have left I have put into writing this. I have to write it, is that weird. I know a couple of years ago when I started writing, I found it hard to keep a consistency going, though this time around it's almost like it has become second nature to me.

As for today, nothing really happened. I went to visit my granny for the day and when I came back, it was too late to really meet up with Ross. On the plus side, I came home with money. I love that about my granny. Every time I visit I leave with money. Grandparents are awesome, even though I would have preferred to be hanging around Ross today. The day ended satisfactorily for me. I will get up early tomorrow and knock for him. I missed not having him around today, that's odd, even I'll admit that. Anyway night (From a really tired - Adam)

8th May 1993: Part 1

Just like I said, I woke up early, showered and got dressed ahead of time. I waited around for about three hours. Even though I knew I could have been in bed. I was looking forward to seeing Ross again. I needed to see him, I can't explain it, I was sitting around all that time waiting for him to knock for me. I had been up since 8 am, god what's wrong with me. I got a little impatient after breakfast, which was around 11 am that I decided to take action and stop waiting for Ross to knock and actually go knock for him instead. When I left my house all that I could smell was the soft perfume fragrance of the rainfall from last night. It had rained all night long, there was a set of dull clouds above, and there was this horrible grey hue that made everything look bland and white. The only thing that injected colour into the scene was the greenery from shrubs and trees. I knew that I would not want to spend the entire day out in this misty gloomy haze. It was depressing, why did the sun have to disappear. I guess I was at a loss about what to do because the weather had turned.

I can't believe that I actually marched up to that door. I mean the previous day I was so nervous to even set foot on their land. Never mind knock. When I finally scrounged up the courage I knocked and Ross's grandmother opened the door and welcomed me in. She was so kind, I always loved that about her. I remember when I was younger I broke one of her windows with a football and she was totally sound about it. They did put the plant hedging along the driveway wall not long after so that it wouldn't happen again. We were still friendly, however. I think it added some privacy between both houses which I think both households benefited from. Anyway, she invited me in, she started immediately gossiping about how the weather was miserable in the middle of summer. Its Ireland of course, rain is a big part of our ecosystem. It wasn't that unheard of; yes, of course, it would have been nice to have clear and sunny skies, however. I heard Dublin and Wexford had sunny weather. While I'm stuck here in the gloomy midlands of Kerry. What surprised me most was that Ms Wilson told me, Ross was not awake. She babbled on, for a bit longer than needed, and finally let me go up the stairs to wake the sleeping prince up himself.

To be honest I was so nervous, getting past the front door was one thing. Going upstairs to wake Ross up was a different thing entirely. I wasn't sure what I was going to say when I finally got to his bedroom. So instead I kept inciting what his grandmother had told me, 'first door on the right, first door on the right…' by the time I got to the top of the stairs I was sweating, and my heart was running rampant. Before you know it I was standing directly in front of his bedroom door. I wasn't sure if I should knock and then enter, or enter and call him or do both or… hmm yeah. That was a lot of confusion, in the end, I decided to open the door after I knocked and poke my head in. When I did a little rat a tat on the door, I heard a soft mumble, then accompanied by a groan as he sat up in bed. He looked a little dazed, though his messy bedhead and shirtless torso were so adorable that I could not help but gawk at him in all his beauty. His delicate shoulders were exposed, he gave a slightly crooked smile when his eyes adjusted and noticed me standing at the door. There was this smell in the room, it wasn't gross. It was like strawberries, it was kinda like a young boy's smell, which had hints of man in it. His natural body odour was yum. Did I just say his smell is yum, okay Adam you're getting creepy again, tone it down?

I sat down and we just talked for a couple of minutes, we both decided that I'd bring him over to my house and show him my garage and my dorky railcar model. It just sorta slipped out. When I said it was still we were talking about what to do for the day. I told him the weather is misty and not that summery at all. When he asked me what I usually did on days like this I bluntly blurted out about my model car and when he insisted on wanting to see it. I just relented and said that I would show him. After a little of just watching him yap on like a young puppy, he became in an odd way adorkable, was his true colours actually shining through. If so it was really excruciatingly cute. When I asked was he going to get dressed and come out he started to get up, though as quick as he stood he grabbed his blanket and pressed it against his body and slithered back down onto the bed when something clicked in his mind. I was confused, it seemed he became embarrassed about something. so, when I asked him what was wrong I found this next piece of information really hot. He said in an embarrassed tone, "Em… I don't mean to be rude. But can you get out for a minute? I'm not wearing any ugh… you know, underwear." He became sheepish when those words left his mouth. I felt a growing boner taking shape in my shorts too. I was like oh god, don't let this happen now, don't let this happen. Thankfully it did not, so I stood up and left the room, a minute later he opened the door and smiled. He didn't mention anything else about what had just transpired. I think it was a mutual feeling of trust and understanding. I didn't want to bring it up either, but god was it hot. I think he trusted me enough to not mention anything about, which was sweet.

Throughout the rest of the day, I had the thought of Ross naked under that blanket, in mind. I wondered how it might have felt, I mean the blanket against his skin. I showed him, my model, he was eager to know how it worked, so while I was showing him how it worked. I was able to get close to him. Being so close made my heart thump like crazy. It felt as if my heart would explode If I wasn't careful. I could smell that really sweet strawberry odour coming from him, all at the same time I was getting butterflies and I was getting turned on by the images in my head from earlier. I mean I was undressing him with my eyes, I know that's wrong but come on you'd do the same, he's cute. Right now, I have a bit problem in my lap. So, I'm going to probably sleep naked like Ross. I wonder if he sleeps naked every night. Okay, I need to stop writing, I need to release some bodily fluids. Anyway night - a pervy Adam.

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