Keeper's of the Flame Chapter 8
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Chapter Eight
As the week came to a close, I went by the Lighthouse Board meaning to cancel my request for transfer. As I entered the office Mr. Campbellton came out of his office to meet me.
"Sam, how are you?" he asked.
"Fine, sir, and you?" I replied.
"Quite well. Sam, I have some news for you, but I'm not sure how you'll take it" he said. "Your request for transfer has been turned down."
"Just as well" I told him, "I was about to cancel my request anyway, I've had a change of heart. I think I'd rather stay here."
"Good, this will work out just as well for you then. However, in the matter of your assistant, Mr. Jackson" he said. "It seems that the board has been searching for a keeper and assistant for a new lighthouse in Florida. The mean to offer the job to Davy, Sam. They're looking for young blood to run the new light, and you've trained him so well, it was just a matter of time before he was promoted."
"Well, where does that leave me and my needs?" I asked.
"Still to be determined" he answered. "Davy will be offered his position while he's here for his off week. If he accepts, we'll post an advertisement for your new assistant."
"And if he doesn't want the position?" I asked.
"Why wouldn't he, honestly? It would be almost a doubling in pay and he would be the boss" he said, "it would be a shame if you were to sway his decision. It would be a great career move for the lad."
I left the Lighthouse Board office with a heavy heart and a great deal on my mind. My train of thought was all jumbled. On the one hand I'd grown accustomed to Davy and truly loved the boy and my greed would beg me to dissuade him and keep him with me. On the other hand, I'd already told him several times that he needed to find somebody closer to his own age to build a life with. I bought a bottle of brandy on the way back to my hotel room and sat on the balcony sipping the brandy while the sun set, wallowing in my own self-pity.
Back at the lighthouse Davy had been thinking a lot about the things Sam had told him about finding someone his age; especially after spending a few sleepless nights with Claude. The two had fucked, sucked, handled each other in pretty much every way they could think of. As horny a young man as Davy was, Claude was more than his match. Last night, as Davy was depositing his second load of the night into Claude's behind, he heard the boy say those three damning words. He wanted so badly to repeat them, but felt it would be a betrayal to Sam. He was glad this week was nearly over so he'd be able to get away from Claude and clear his troubled head; he needed to figure out with whom his heart was aligned, Sam or Claude.
The ride out with Dooley was very uncharacteristically quiet. I was deep in my thoughts and after a few minutes, I think Dooley figured it out and left me in peace. As we drew closer to the lighthouse, I made up my mind to say nothing of the news I'd heard. I wouldn't be the one to sway Davy's decision in any way. We only crossed paths for a few minutes on the landing. He gave me his status report and I helped him on board the boat and handed him his travel bag. I couldn't help but notice the glances passing back and forth between him and Claude; I wondered what the story was there, but let it pass. I passed the hook through the straps in my bag and shouted for Claude to pull it up as I climbed the ladder. Up top it was back to silence, other than him answering `yes, sir' or `no, sir' to a direct question. I could tell it was going to be another long, boring week for me.
"Did Sam tell you to report to the board when you get ashore?" Dooley asked Davy.
"Yeah, but he didn't say why" Davy answered, throwing a look at Dooley, "we didn't have time to really talk."
"I'm not sure myself" Dooley lied, "but be sure and go by there after you're settled in."
Davy stepped off the boat and picked up his bag and headed into town. He decided to get the talk with the board out of the way before checking into the hotel. He hired a driver to drop him off downtown and dutifully made his way to the home office. He wracked his brain on the way trying to figure out what he could have done to be reprimanded for; he couldn't think of anything. When he got to the office, the sign on the door said `Closed for Lunch', so he'd have to wait until the evening after all. He walked back to the hotel and booked his room, then went back out to get a meal. Afterwards he window-shopped a little until close to 2:00pm, giving Mr. Campbellton plenty of time to get back, then headed back to the Lighthouse Board office.
"Mr. Jackson, Davy, glad to see you lad" the man said as he walked into the office.
"Thank you, sir. I was told I needed to report to you, `though I can't think of anything I've done to warrant a dressing down" Davy said.
"Sam didn't tell you why you were supposed to come here?" he asked.
"No sir, but we only saw each other in passing; Dooley was in a hurry as usual" Davy said.
"Very well. First off, you're not here for a dressing down, I'll put your mind at ease on that account. The fact is, I've been authorized to offer you a promotion. A new light is almost complete in Florida, the board has gone through all the personnel records and decided that they'd like you to be its keeper" Mr. Campbellton said. Davy was silent, he wasn't sure how he felt about it. "Of course, you'd be raised to Keeper's pay, and you'll have an assistant so you'll actually be the man in charge" Mr. Campbellton continued.
"Do I have to give you an answer right now?" Davy asked.
"Let me know by the end of the week, son, time is of the essence" the older man said, then quietly added, "Look, I know Sam's become like a father to you, but don't let sentiment sway you to go against what's best for you."
"I'll give it thought and let you know soon" Davy said, "good evening, sir."
"Good evening, Davy, hope to see you very soon" the secretary said.
He walked back toward the hotel in a daze, not sure of anything at this point. He saw a small tavern and decided to stop in for a drink before going back. He sat alone in a corner of the bar and had three beers while thinking about his future, he was rather tipsy when he got up to leave. When he began his long walk back to the hotel, darkness had already fallen and with it came a light sprinkle of rain. As he passed by the closed fish market, he began to feel like he was being followed, he could hear footsteps somewhere in the darkness behind him. He sped up his pace and crossed the street to walk under the streetlights, he looked back over his shoulder too late to keep the man from knocking him down. He was dragged into the shadows where the man started rifling through his pockets seeking his money. Davy came to himself and pushed the man away with both arms. When the light landed on the man's face, a flash of fear and anger burned through Davy's brain. It was one of his older brothers, Jacob. He looked around to see if any of the others were with him, so far it appeared Jake was alone. In an instant Jake was back on him, trying to beat him back into the shadows.
"You'll pay me or you'll bend for me" Jacob said through gritted teeth.
"I'd sooner die than have you touch me again, and I'd sooner kill you than give you my money" Davy yelled out.
He saw people approaching from the other side of the street but he couldn't make out who they were until they were nearly on him. As the figure went through the lamplight Davy could see from the blue uniform it was a policeman.
"Just what is going on here" the policeman demanded.
"This man is trying to rob me" Davy said, "and he threatened other things."
"That's nonsense" Jacob said, "I merely asked him for spare change."
"Well, one of you is lying. I suggest you part ways. Where are headed?" he asked Davy's vile brother.
"My farm outside of town" Jacob answered.
"Then off with you, be on your way" the officer said. Jacob looked at me with hatred but started to shuffle off back in the direction he'd come from.
"And you? Where are you supposed to be?" he asked Davy.
"I was headed back to the Battle House, where I'm staying" Davy answered.
"I'm headed that way; I'll walk with you in case he decides to follow you back" the officer said. A short time later they parted ways as Davy went into the hotel. Now, in addition to worrying about his future, he had to worry that his horrible family knew he was in the city. As soon as Jacob went back, he would be sure to let them know. He'd not be safe alone anywhere while he was here. Davy sat in thought for a while, then turned out the lamp and went to bed; maybe things would be a little clearer in the morning.
At the lighthouse, the night's started off same as usual; I'm trying to go to sleep while being serenaded by the sounds of slapping flesh and squeaking bedsprings. Finally, I hear his breath catch, then release. He's done. Now maybe I can get some sleep. I manage to sleep a good three hours before having to go out to release my full bladder. As soon as I open the door the fog hits me. Dammit, I've got to go man the bell. I relieve myself quickly and get up to the room with the fog bell and pull hard on the cord, ringing the bell and setting the mechanism in motion. It would ring every 5 seconds until I stopped it. I went back down and found my mostly unclothed trainee at the bottom of the steps. He was dressed in nothing but skivvies and they were tented.
"For decency's sake boy, get back to bed" I bellowed.
He turned and went back into his room and back to bed. Only then did it hit me that I was walking around naked as God made me, having been surprised by the fog. I wondered briefly if that may have been why his skivvies were tented, but decided that it couldn't be since he'd shown absolutely no interest in me of that kind. I went back to bed, but now between the flash of light that I usually ignored, there was the intermittent loud bell. After a spell, I determined that laying abed was wasting my time until the fog lifted. I got up and pulled on my trousers and set the coffee pot on the stove. Once perked, I poured a cup and took it out to my bench on the palisade. It was eerie not being able to see even to the base of the lighthouse; the fog was that thick. I tried to finish my cup, but with the fog in the air it was cooler than comfortable, so I ended up going in and sitting at the kitchen table sipping hot coffee in the dark.
About an hour or so later, I noticed I was beginning to be able to make out lights on the mainland; the fog was lifting. I waited a little longer until it was just a clear night again, then went upstairs and staid the bell and once again tried to get some sleep. As soon as I pulled my trousers off and slid beneath the covers, I heard it – `slap, slap, slap'. I began to wonder how the lad could stay hydrated enough to pull on himself this much, not to mention chafing. I waited for his breath to catch and release, then silence. In a few minutes I finally passed out to the world.
Lambodara 5/11/21
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