Blood Lily Company - Afghanistan, year 1

XXVII

Tito did his sentence in sick bay, refusing Erk's healing. When I asked him why, he replied he'd rather spend his four days warm and in a good bed, even if it meant he would be in pain, rather than having to piss and the like in a small hole in the ground. It's true that the pit is closer to a roach motel than a palace, comfort-wise.
- Aren't you a bit of a masochist? I asked.

He looked away and then, looking down at his hands, answered me.
- You know, in my country where what I am is still not really accepted, you can say it comes with the territory.
- Yeah... While I think about it, buddy, you didn't tell me you were batting for... Forgive me. That you were homosexual. Do you want to tell me why?
- When did you learn?
- The night you watched over Erk by the river. When we got Fatso and the journalists out of the SRH fortress.
- Oh! I thought you knew...
- Come on, Tito, you know very well I never get involved in anybody's sex life.

Once again, he looked away. So I gently grabbed his chin and turned him towards me.
- Come on, pal, tell me why you never told me anything. I'm your buddy, your partner.
- Exactly.

Suddenly, I couldn't get it. It must have been visible because he continued.
- I like you very much, Tudic. You've always been the only one to see me as I am, without ever judging me.

I blushed at the compliment.
- And I need your manly friendship, clean, candid, untarnished, without mask. I was so afraid that if you knew, you would think all I wanted was to climb into your pants and I would lose this friendship that I hold so dear...
- And you didn't think that if I found out on my own, I might... I don't know, have a fit?

He blushed, eyes downcast.
- You are so cute, Tito. I smiled fondly. Oh, by the way, when I got you out of the pit, you hit on me like there was no tomorrow. And not just with words...
- No?!

He is mortified. I let him stew a little bit.
- Let me reassure you, I blamed it on your 39°C fever.
- 39°C!
- Yeah, when I pulled you out of the pit, you were hot, buddy, in every meaning possible.

He laughs weakly, so scarlet I hurt for him, he looks sunburned.
- Come on, have a good rest, enjoy your punishment.

And to make sure he truly feels uncomfortable, I kiss his forehead.

* *

Of course, I only got to see Tito on his second day of punishment, when I was no longer on laundry duty. Like I said when I first brought it up, that chore is kinda boring. But hey, if you want clean sheets and clothing...

Most of the time, laundry day is fixed, in the week. If one of us needs a little rest and is not essential to the patrols, sentries and others, he can offer to run the machines: fill them up, empty them, fill, empty... it still leaves a little – a lot – of free time. And then, sometimes you get caught by Erk and that's his favorite punishment.

I have a technique: I put the sweaters, underwear, socks in one of the two small machines at 30°C, the pants, jackets and t-shirts in the other, at 60°. The keffiyeh, wherever there's room for them. And in the third, the large one, capacity 15kg, spin speed 2000rpm, I put the bedding at 90°. We don't have sheets with elastics, which speeds up drying. The bottom sheets are sewn like pillowcases that you slip over the mattresses and zip at the end. The mattresses have built in bed pads that can be washed with a sponge.

Once the washings are done, I empty the machine with the pants and the like into the small dryer, the sheets go into the large one and I take the third machine out, the clothes with wool in or elastic stuff that do not stand the dryer and I spread them out in the sun, inside out, on drying racks.

When the ocher is done, I do the white: medical gowns, pajamas and sick bay sheets, the fireproofed jackets of the cooks (which they will re-fireproof later). That goes at 90°C with bleach.