Kaimoana Tales

by Kiwi

Carver's Business

Part 75

"Peter, my friend, I've made a decision. You're not going to like this, but I don't think I can see you again."

"Not see you? You're right I don't like it! Ashton, why? What've I done?"

"Nothing! Really, it's not you. It's just not going to work with you and I and it's best if I stay away. I don't belong in your world."

"Fucking Bullshit!"

"What? You know, that's the first time I've heard you swear like that."

"Well I'm swearing now and it won't be the last time. How can you say that you don't belong in my world? That is bullshit, that's the only word for it."

"It's not at all, it's a fact. Keep your voice down, Peter. Mrs. Braidwood's looking at us."

"I don't care. Let her look."

"If she throws us out of here, I'll be banned for life. Mrs. Braidwood is your friend, not mine. She'd forgive you anything, but not me. She only puts up with me in her library because I'm here to see you."

"Forget about the library, that's not important. All that matters is you and me, nothing else. How can you say you don't belong in my world? You are my world."

"No, Peter, I'm not. Look, can we get out of here? We'll go somewhere and talk."

Peter looked around the one-room library, it was a busy day, there were at least 6 people there. Mrs. Braidwood, at the desk, and a couple of other ladies were looking at them.

"All right then, we will. We'll talk and we'll keep on talking until we sort this out. I love you, Ashton Woods, I've wanted you forever and now I've got you, I'm not letting you go, so you can get that idea right out of your head."

"I think we have to let go, but, okay, let's go and talk it out."

Peter picked up his books, returned the reference books to the shelves, and said goodbye and thank you to Mrs. Braidwood. He went over to the white-haired and balding man sitting at the computer.

"Father, I have to go with Ashton. I don't know how long we'll be, so I'll see you at home, okay?"

Mr. de Groot looked up and frowned at Ashton. "Why do you have to go with Ashton, Son?"

"There's something we have to sort out, something really important, so I'll see you at home later."

"Very well, you go if you have to. Take care and don't do anything silly."

"I won't, and Ashton won't either, I'll make sure of that. How is your problem going here?"

"Good, I think. I'm just waiting for a reply. Once this is settled, it will be all plain sailing."

"You said that yesterday, Father, and the day before."

"I did, didn't I? It will work out, Peter. It's nothing that you have to worry about and it's not your problem."

"I've got a problem of my own and I'm going to fix it now."

He frowned at Ashton, smiled at Peter and replied, "Good luck then. Let me know if there's anything I can do."

"I will. Thank you Father. Good luck to you and I'll see you at home."

"The best of luck to you, My Son. Goodbye then."

Peter turned back to Ashton, nodded at the door, and they left.

Walking out to the car, Ashton said, "You've got such a good relationship with your father, and with your mother too, the best I've ever seen. Don't ever lose it."

"I don't intend to, Ashton, and I am not losing my relationship with you, that's the most important one of all."

"I wish I agreed, but I don't think I do."

"You will, My Love. You will."

They got into the car and buckled up.

"Any suggestions where we should go?"

"I have. Take us up to the cemetery."

"The cemetery?"

"Yes. It's quiet there and it's a good place to think about life."

"Okay, the cemetery it is then."

Ashton drove up to the hilltop cemetery, but when he pulled in there, they saw his mother sitting by Damian's grave. He circled around and drove out again.

"We can't talk while she's there. We'll go down the road a bit."

He went back to the main road, down the south side of the hill and drove a few kilometers along the coastal highway. He intended stopping at Geese Bay, but there were a couple of cars there and people fishing on the rocks, so he carried on, through the road tunnel and along. He pulled into, and stopped in, the first quiet pull-off they came to, between the road and the rocky beach below. He turned the car off and turned to look at Peter.

"Okay?"

"Not quite."

"Oh?"

"It's a quiet place, but we can't cuddle here. Come over to the back seat."

"That's not why we're here, Peter."

"That's what you think! Okay, Ashton, you tell me why we're here."

"To talk about us."

"Damm right, about us. We are a couple, Ashton, a pair. When I gave myself to you, I gave my life. Doesn't that mean anything to you?"

"Oh, Peter! Of course it does, it means a lot, but I think you made a mistake. I'm not the one for you."

"You're talking rubbish! Of course you're the one for me. You're the only one I've ever wanted. Ever!"

"No, you're wrong. You can do much better than me."

"Have you gone mad? There is no-one better than you - not in this town, not in this world! You're the best there is and I love you, now and always."

"Oh, Peter. I wish that was true, but it's not. Look, I had a serious talk with my father this morning."

"Your father? Is that where this came from? You should know better. Your father is a bitter twisted man and he can't stand you being happy."

"Yeah, that's true but . . ."

"But nothing! That's all this about. There's nothing he'd like better than to break us up. I know that and you know it too."

Peter, don't. Look, just listen to me, would you? Let me say what I have to and then you'll know."

"I know that I love you. Do you love me, Ashton?"

"Totally! Now, be quiet please."

"All right then, say it, but whatever it is, it doesn't matter."

"But it does. Right, first of all, you've got a bright and great future ahead of you. Your parents both love you completely and whatever they do, they do it for you.

You're a bright, well-educated and well-grounded boy. You're also hard-working, stubborn, patient and determined. You don't take no for an answer. Whatever you do in life, you'll do well, I have no doubt about that at all.

You're also quiet, considerate and a damm nice person. Whether that's got anything to do with your upbringing, I don't know - it's just who you are. You're also gorgeous, which always makes it easier to get people to like you."

"That works better for you than for me, obviously."

"Shush, Peter. We're not talking about me, we're talking about you. We'll get onto me in a minute."

"Sounds good to me!" Peter grinned.

"Don't, please, I'm being serious."

"Okay, keep talking, I'm listening."

"Thank you. Anyway, as soon as you're old enough, the plan is for you to go to university."

"To do Commerce, yes. I'm going to be an accountant."

"You are, and you'll be a good one. Accountants are never without work and they're well-paid wherever they go. But even that's not the top of their plans for you."

"I know the plans, I've heard them for years and they're all part of the Plan. I am to get qualified, take a job somewhere, for the experience, and then start taking on accounts for small businesses.

Once I've built up enough work, I'll go into business for myself, preferably around here. I'll do the accounts for Father's business, which hopefully will be up and running by then, and then I will become manager for it and maybe, one day, even own a majority shareholding. That's the plan anyway."

"I know it is, your father told me. I'm sure it will all happen for you. You'll do it and you'll do it well. That's your future all planned out. On the other hand, there's me. I haven't got a future."

"What do you mean? You've got a future."

"Not like yours though. I'll be lucky to get a labouring job somewhere. I'll probably finish-up living in a caravan or something."

"You will not! If I have my way, you'll be living with me, wherever that is."

"I can't do that, Peter. You are headed for the top and I'd only bring you down. I'm not making a career out of living off you, it wouldn't be right. I can't and I won't do it."

"In that case, my parents will have to find another accountant because it won't be me. I'm not doing it without you, Ashton. I can't and I won't either. If you live in a caravan, I'll be there with you."

"You bloody will not! You're not giving up your future for me."

"I already have. You are my future, Ashton. What good is money if I'm not happy? I'll only be happy if I'm with you. I love you, just you and only you, always."

"Damm, Peter! You're way too good for me. But, yeah, I love you too."

He kissed him.

"Okay," Peter grinned. "Thank you, My Love. Now tell me why you think one-half of this couple has no future, and I'll tell you that you are wrong."

"I'm not wrong. Don't let this get around, but my parents are even worse-off than we thought. They've got nothing and there'll be nothing there for me. They've got some huge debts with taxes and overdue business loans, word is starting to get around and they're under pressure. Or, he is. I don't think my mother's even on the same planet since she's got all religious."

"Someone said that prayer is the last resort of a scoundrel."

"Someone wise. Certainly true in her case. Anyway, he's quietly selling-up all the businesses and stuff and he plans on going back to Oz as soon as he's got things sorted. He might finish-up back with his mother in the trailer-park. He doesn't know if my mother will go with him. She'd probably rather be a nun or something."

"Is it really that bad? I thought that they were rich."

"They're not and it is that bad. He said that Suzanne can go with him, if she wants to, but I can't, I'm not wanted. I'll be out on my ear with no home, no money and no income. There'll be no university for me. My education is over and I'll have to get a job and stand on my own 'queer feet'."

"Whoah! Okay, that doesn't sound good, but it's not all bad you know."

"It looks all bad to me."

"But it's not! You've got ways around it. Maybe they won't support you, but you've got assets - use them."

"What assets? I don't see anything."

"Only because you're not looking. For a start, you can sell your car. It's all yours and it's worth thousands."

"I was planning on that. I don't need it, but I have to make sure that they can't get their hands on the money. I'm still a minor."

"I doubt if they could. Dianne will know, we'll ask her. Anyway, you could sell it to me for a dollar. I'll sell it for what it's worth and keep the money for you."

"You would do that? That would work, but that's all I've got."

"No, it's not! You're also good-looking, intelligent, bright and charming. You have charisma. They're all assets and you can use them. They'll get you a job anywhere."

"A basic job, as a shop-worker or something."

"So? Start at the bottom and work your way up. You won't get a free ride, but you're young and fit and you can do it. Of course you can. You can always go back to study later, there's student loans and things to help people get started. When you've got a good qualification, you can pay it back easy."

"Oh,Peter! You're great, thanks. My greatest asset is you and you're right, I can do it."

"You can, but that's not all. There's more yet."

"More? Like what?"

"Like, say we got out of the car and went for a walk in the valley up in the hills over there, and say I fell over and broke my ankle or something. How would I get back to the car?"

"Well, that's obvious. I'd help you of course. I'd carry you back if I had to."

"So you wouldn't walk away and leave me there?"

"I would not! I couldn't do that."

"Then why do you think I'd walk away and leave you?"

"It's not the same thing."

"It's exactly the same thing. If I need help, you'd help me and if you need it, then I'd help you. That's what being a couple is about. If we are together, then everything we have is ours together."

"Well, but . . ."

"But nothing! Are we together, Ashton? You said that we will be always."

Tears ran down Ashton's face as he sat and looked at him. "I'm not alone," he whispered.

Peter kissed the tears. "You'll never be alone. I love you."

"Peter de Groot, you are absolutely perfect! I love you very much."

They kissed tenderly.

"Okay," Peter beamed. "We're two halves of the one whole. Don't ever forget that."

"I won't forget. Thank you, Peter."

"Thank you too. Can we go back to town now? I'm hungry, but don't tell Mother I said that."

"I wouldn't do that to you. Okay, let's go home."

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