Michael Dun - 9. Chapter 9

Main hotel, host to many travelers and adventurers, was a welcome hiatus from a veldt that was foreign and wicked. The rooms were small with a single bed covered in white sheets. Dark red wallpaper adorned the walls and a chipboard wardrobe stood sentry beside a well-used basin, rimmed brown from overuse. Charlie drew open the curtains and allowed the sun to shine over Michael’s sleeping body.

Michael muttered, “…I had gold in my hands. Then suddenly it…it turned to dust and slipped away. Men and women, both dressed in long dresses, laughed at me and I was forced to leave town. ”

Charlie commented that the dream probably had a sexual connotation.

Michael added, “ Of course, men and women wearing dresses. Do you think I have a sexual identity problem, Charlie?”

“You are stronger and more able than any man I have known, Michael.”

Michael looked out onto Main Road and watched as workers watered it to keep the dust from rising.

“Are you sorry we met up with your friend Peter Sheffield.” Charlie asked suddenly.

“He is not my friend, Charlie!” Michael retorted.

“Do you think his intentions are honorable?” He asked. “Or do you think he has a hidden agenda?”

“Of course he has an agenda. He wants us as partners. That means he wants our money. He will not stop until he has both.”

“Surely he should know better than to do that, being a lawyer and all.”

“He should. But greed will be his downfall.” Michael added.

“…Or will greed be our downfall?” Charlie lamented. “This land is harsh. England is a holiday compared to this. In England, you wake up, perhaps bathe, and enjoy the day with modern things about you. There is always something prepared for dinner and there is a fire on cold winter nights in the family room.”

“Missing home, then old chap.”

“Yes.”

Michael reached out and touched Charlie gently on the face. “Do not dwell on England. If you wish to think about anything, think about us. We have fortune on our side for we have each other.” Michael lifted the window and waved at the lady who had so charmingly served them at the reception desk the night before. She smiled and waved back, then he turned and smiled at Charlie, seated on the edge of the bed. “I want to love you unconditionally, in a world filled with conditions. I want to give unquestioningly, in a world that is afraid to ask questions. I want to hold you affectionately in a world that denies us the affection we seek. And I will never deny you.”

Michael kissed him gently on the forehead, “Now, about that sexual problem…” Michael muttered in Charlie’s ear before biting it.

Had he remained at the window a moment longer, he would have witnessed the arrival of Peter Sheffield as the huge wagon turned into Main Road.

*

The clerk behind the desk was a large, wide-eyed lady who did not seem disturbed by Peter Sheffield’s untidy appearance. She explained to him and his party that she had seen many fortune seekers pass through the town. She offered them a bath and a breakfast, lunch and supper, for as long as they needed.

“Are you here to search for the diamonds?” She asked, her English accent was cruelty to the ears.

Peter exclaimed, “Oh, dear lady, no! No! No! We intend moving on after replenishing our supplies and our energy. Our turf is a place called the Rand.”

“It is a lonely place you go to Meneer. The Witwatersrand will die soon. Those gold stories are just stories.”

“We have our minds made up, Madam. Gentlemen, shall we take coffee and breakfast?”

All agreed but the Boer woman. She wagged a long finger at them. Meneere! Skaam julle! Gentlemen! Shame on you! You will wash first and then come to breakfast. I will show you to your rooms, then prepare a bath for each of you.”