THE BLUE HOUSE ON THE HILL (Complete ✅)

CHAPTER 8( YOU HAVE BEEN TOO QUIET)

They say time moves faster when you're having fun. Apparently, it moves just as fast when you live with a cold-hearted man. New had been working for Tay for exactly six weeks now yet he still couldn't make sense of his employer. The sweater-wearing hermit was like a Russian doll. A grand mystery concealed in another mystery. The more he tried to understand him, the more confused he got.

Watching TV together became a habit neither could break. Instead of locking himself up in his bedroom or his study after supper, Tay would watch TV in the living room with New. What they watched depended on who got to the television first.

New had concluded that he didn't mind the Nat Geo channel as much as he let on. His knowledge about the ecosystem was piling up and more importantly, Tay seemed to enjoy it. It was the only thing that brought any light to his dead eyes.

Since the night Tay put him in his place, New kept his comments and questions to himself. Tay was right about attachments, they fuck one up. He had made many in his life but only Kay stuck around. Humans are not so good at sticking around. They take and take and then they leave.

New rose bright and early and ready to take on another day. He knew Tay's schedule off head now. The man would come down in his robe for breakfast and the occasional Newspaper when it got delivered. He would then go down to the garden to sing to his plants. And then to his study to do God knows what. After a few minutes, he would go up to shower and change into one of his ugly sweaters, and then it's back to his study. Lunch followed. More study time. Supper. Television. And finally, his bedroom. He was predictable, very easy to murder. New often wondered if he had any form of life before this.

Thoughts of Tay only gave him a migraine. He pushed them to the back of his mind. Moreover, he shouldn't be thinking about his boss when he was in the shower. He quickly finished up in the bathroom and got dressed in simple sweat pants and a T-shirt.

Soon, the scent of coffee filled the house and he got started on breakfast. Tay's stealthy footsteps descended the stairs a few minutes later. It was New's cue to set the table. He brought the cup of coffee first. Tay lifted it directly from his hands with a barely audible 'thank you'. Next to be served was the pancakes and syrup with baked beans and eggs. Tay liked his pancakes with orange juice so New brought that last. He stood against the pillar to watch him eat.

A few seconds went by and Tay hadn't reached for his fork. New tapped his fingers on the side of his legs. Did he not like the food? Tay had never disliked anything he made. He hated New's shirt, his smile, his laugh, his jokes, his questions but never his food. Many a time, New believed Tay kept him around only for the food. If the food wasn't good enough, he might as well start packing his bags.

The boss as if hearing New's thoughts twisted around to face him. He took a deep breath, the kind one would take to prepare themselves to say something difficult. "You should sit," he said.

"You haven't even touched it." New defended.

"What?" Tay asked.

"What?" New parroted.

"I don't know what you mean, I haven't touched what?"

"Your meal?"

Tay stared at him, perplexed. "I know that, why did you point it out?"

A person is only told to sit when bad news is on the way. He stared at Tay. Then shrugged.

Tay shook his head. "As I was saying, if you insist on standing here every time I eat, you should sit. If you want to, of course."