James K

I didn't notice anything about what day of the week it was, too interested in Jake and Nic, and the whole situation that you have done a great job of conjuring up. Meg, Jake's sister, her lover, Luke, Arnie, Harry, and all these very real characters.

if I was asked if I had a girlfriend yet, is an example of why you needed to come out, to pre-empt being forced into saying, no you aren't into girls. It doesn't convince me about the need to come out, only to be out. You would want to tell your friends, maybe your parents, all depending on age and safety, but you will still come face to face with the same type of question from those who don't know you are gay. My answer would be to inform the person when it happens. Of course, sometimes this leads to bizarre reactions, like: "You don't look gay!" This prompts the response, "What do gays look like?" Other times the reaction is more: "I never knew you were gay." No, of course not, but I just told you, so what? Your autobiographical extracts of navigating through life's paths are very interesting. I am a little upset no one has commented, because you deserve at least recognition for putting bits of your life out there. Plus that is difficult when English is a second language. Explaining your inner feelings and emotional thoughts in your own language is hard enough. Something that becomes apparent in the next chapter, friend crush. How do you know if a friend feels what you do? I have had a huge friend crush and the boy never knew I was gay. It turned out he didn't like gays, or maybe understand being gay. I was glad I never did anything, even though his little touches and way of being made me more and more attracted to him. Later, some years later, he was living abroad and sharing a house with his new best friend, who was gay! How weird is that? So, I think finally he changed his mind about gays and it wasn't he didn't like us, maybe he didn't understand, maybe he just never thought about it, maybe it just took time?

Aleksander and Daniil had spent more time with Raisa Stepanova than they intended. Often this is how circumstances dictate, but Daniil was aware his parents were waiting. One might have thought they would have had time enough to enter into the details of what Raisa was proposing, but it was not so. Perhaps because they had been more occupied with entertaining, listening to music and playing cards. In the time they did spend in discussion it became obvious that Raisa Stepanova liked Daniil a

A week after the Governor's ball Aleksander and Daniil received an invitation to the house of Gora Zakharov, which was something quite unexpected. Nevertheless, having determined Monsieur Zakharov was one of the well to do merchants of Mamovsk and a close friend of the Governor, they did not hesitate to accept. As Aleksander had very quickly learned, one should keep in the good books of the noble classes and try not to offend. Daniil cynically added that one could do what one pleased by followin

Spiridon Alexeev Egorov lived in a large timber building that resembled a warehouse, next door was another similar building, but one which was in a state of dereliction. Wooden constructs were prone to catch fire and from the charred remains that would appear to be what happened. Fires in provincial towns were not uncommon, but this one had somehow not spread to Spiridon's premises. Yulian pushed the door open, Daniil and Aleksander followed him inside to the dimly lit but rather huge open

Sometimes in a relationship, for whatever reason, a switch gets flipped and suddenly what there was isn't the same. That's what we read in this chapter and it was subtle. Jake's switch got flicked off with Meg. Nic, that's different, there's Jake, of course, and then there's this androgynous look which he's attracted to. You see, subtle, attraction to Jake, attraction to the androgynous. Really, I thought it was more than a filler, it was a hint and a lead into where things might go. It's exciting, full of possibilities.

Novel Vanya ignored the bright sunshine making the gardens glitter and sparkle. Wrapped in his full length winter coat he strolled without purpose and barely listened to what Feliks was saying. "If that loathsome young man was younger I'd give him a good thrashing," Feliks said. They walked side by side, the tobacco smoke trailing behind them as his brother puffed away on his pipe. "Discipline, the man has no discipline, and no consideration." "He's not a boy and neither is Aleksander.

Aleksander and Daniil were walking in the garden and Daniil was explaining the romanticism in his art, how this fitted with being a free thinker and the subject of his sketches. "You see," he waved an arm, "nothing fits more perfectly with nature than the lean body of youth." "Is it the nature or the youth which attracts?" Alexander asked. "Both," he replied, without hesitation. "For example a nude study indoors would not fit at all with nature, would it? Just look at the classic

Well, Luke is slightly pissed at Nic because of Arnie, and Jake is distanced from Meg, then Neumann in the locker room provides that moment that pushes Jake towards Nic, “Thank you,” he said. No smirk, no snark, just pure sincerity. So Nic has a thing for Jake, he didn't just take the only shower stall available?

First, you handle the sex scenes perfectly. Second, that is no surprise, because all your descriptions and dialogue are very real. It is so absolutely believable that you put me right there with the characters, all of whom I'm growing to love, because no real people are perfect, we all have stuff going on. Only one question: what does cheap beer smell like? 😂

I think he's done with Meg, the rest is perhaps a question of him coming to terms with himself and not giving too much attention to jerks like Mr Watts, or what kind of artificial, empty life, they represent. What's more important, living for money or a little money for living? Take the adventure with Nic...

"Let me tell you something of my own history," Daniil said. "I cannot say if it was my father's position, being a physician and in the army, or it was his character, perhaps both, he made interesting acquaintances. One such was Vasily Somov, a man of my father's age who had travelled far and wide, and explored Asia as far as China. The tales of his journeys captivated, but I always thought he did not reveal everything he had discovered." Aleksander sat still, listening intently. "This

Previously: Aleksander has come home from university to stay with his father Novel Vanya, on their small estate where Feliks, his uncle, is also living. Daniil Vinogradov accompanies Aleksander, he is the friend with whom Aleksander has shared his lodgings, he is an amateur artist and studying the history of art. Daniil is also a couple of years older than Aleksander and as he calls himself, is a free thinking man. Aleksander discovers he has a half-brother, something he finds perfectly

There was no line of servants on the steps to greet them, instead a young lad who looked very like Milan, came out of the house. He wore a grey jacket with gold crested buttons: this was Feliks Vanya Nikolaev's valet. He opened the carriage door and stood to the side. Daniil climbed down from the box and followed Novel Vanya and Aleksander into the house and the dark almost empty hall. Through a doorway they caught site of a young woman as they entered the drawing room. "Home, finally," sai

"the fate lines on his palms couldn’t be rubbed off,..." I love the way you elaborate the culture, how we learn the royal family are Muslim and young Somesh is a Hindu and a vegetarian. It is this delicate unfolding of another country, another world, which is so enticing and adds so much to the story. Then the descriptions take you there: “Krishna opened his mouth, and in it, Yashoda saw the entirety of creation: stars and suns and moons and all of time. She saw herself, all of her ancestors, and all of her descendants. She saw Earth and each of its beaches, and on the beaches, she saw every single grain of sand, each in its rightful place.” How beautiful is that! And, of course, there is humour: "Feroz stared at him with a lazy gaze, eyes half-closed. “And then what?” “And then nothing,” he said. “That’s the end of the story. I imagine she told him to close his mouth.”

and I could hear and almost feel the monsoon rain... what a wonderful journey you are taking us on.

I agree with @Demiurge and @Valkyrie your descriptions perfectly evoke the setting and add a beautiful background to the story. The plot and storyline unfold slowly with just the right amount of revelation. I suspect you are a master story teller who can charm your readers into a world they hardly know anything of.

I read your short story today and found this. It's excellent. Well written and full of eastern promise 😊

Good, well written, short story, I hope you write more.

There is the distance between father and son, and there is the relationship between social classes. There are the social conventions of the time, and how they are circumvented. It is a game with real consequences, both for the players and the world they live in. We will see how dangerous it might be.

You did that chapter very well, like adding seasoning, just enough, not too much, a little spicy, but it ain't gonna burn your mouth!

As the carriage clattered along the hard dirt road Novel Vanyah turned to his son, "So, you've finished university," he said, and patted his arm. "The last six months seem to have been an age. Although I have been much occupied with running the estate, I missed seeing you." "And how is my uncle?" The emotion of his father was somewhat overwhelming and Aleksander wanted to change the topic of conversation. "Oh, you know how your uncle is. He wanted to come with me to meet you. For some

The characters are all interesting and I love the interplay between them. Nice start.

@drpaladin and @drsawzall thank you for reading and commenting. The extract from the personal diary of Aleksander Nikolaev was written some twenty years after the events, the story takes place in the 1840s. The period is evoked in the fiction and provides the background.

It was a battle I never wanted to fight and one which you would always lose. I do not blame you for the conflict, that responsibility rests with Daniil. I forgive you for everything, just as I forgive Daniil. There is no joy in a victory which is no victory at all, only inevitable, even if you did not recognise what the outcome would be, because no doubt you thought me too weak. I can tell you now, now you are no longer here to hear it, it was not strength, but love, and love conquers all - Alek