Boneca [Doll]

Chapter 16: Monster Whisperer

"Então precisamos voltar aqui a cada duas semanas para o gás porque é racionado?" [So we need to come back here every other week for gas coz it's rationed?] the sensei asked the shopkeeper, his face a masterclass in grumpiness as he eyed the gasoline barrels stacked against the shebang's frail wall.

Luuk had predicted this rationing conundrum, but the reality was about as appealing as a root canal. The idea of schlepping to this backwater town regularly didn't exactly jazz up his day. After all, there were Netflix shows to binge-watch, and this expedition was cramping his style.

"Now we know we can't use Skype every day to call home." Luuk sighed theatrically, counting the money required to pay the odoriferous shopkeeper, who looked like he'd bathed in olive oil and vinegar.

"Really? You're putting this fuel fiasco squarely on my shoulders?" Jona retorted, his eyebrows practically hosting a stand-up comedy show.

Tsk. "I said 'we,' not 'you.' Seriously, where did you pick up your English? A garage sale in Japan?"

Jona's cheeks turned crimson as he mumbled an apology and slinked away, leaving a wake of awkwardness that could put a fart in a church to shame.

The shopkeeper's jowls shook like a bowl of Jello as he confirmed the assistance required to transfer the precious gasoline barrels to their small boat.

Luuk, on the other hand, was already planning his escape. The town was no paradise; in fact, it looked like it had time-traveled from the Dark Ages. Every few steps offered a new shop, none of which were remotely useful. Fertilizer, livestock, plants, knickknacks, fertilizer, snacks, fishing stuff, knickknacks... This place was about as residential as a shipping container.

"Onde vais?" [Where are you going?] Jona called from behind as Luuk marched off in the opposite direction. "That's not where the boat is."

"I'm on a quest for a hotel, motel, room, B&B, or a barn with Wi-Fi. I haven't slept in two days, and I refuse to endure another four-day journey in one stretch," Luuk declared, his stubbornness in high gear.

"You're staying the night here? I... didn't pack any extra clothes. And the boatman's waiting."

"I already filled him in. I keep telling you to pack like you mean it." Luuk continued his march until he reached a one-story brick building that was so unassuming, even introverted buildings would call it introverted. "I don't fancy sharing a room, but I also don't relish the idea of a half-naked gay man in my presence. I've got a spare shirt for you to wear."

"Again, I'm not gay," Jona protested, looking mildly exasperated. "You read the Bible and the Quran every morning. What are you? Christian? Muslim? Are you by chance homophobic?"

Luuk let out an exaggerated shrug. "Let me make this clear. I have nothing against same-sex relationships. I just don't trust gays. Those I knew were predators. It's my issue." Luuk pushed the creaking wooden door and headed straight to the obese female receptionist behind the tattered, mold-smelling des.  "But my predator gaydar isn't getting any signal around you. Don't worry." He found it weird that his homo radar didn't really go off when he was with him.

"I'm glad you don't see me as a predator. But... why not?"

He shrugged a shoulder. "God knows why." He pushed the squeaking door open while saying, "Jesus, I hope there won't be any storms tonight, or we'd lie gazing at the stars." But then his feet fixed on the threshold; his heart froze. Something painful began to flutter in his stomach when he saw the bed. Those snapshots from hell were coming back and they were drifting to and fro. He had to take several deep breaths to calm the hurricane going on in his head. He honest to God didn't think that the dirt-cheap room in the middle of this shitty town would provide a proper legged bed.

Jona followed closely, clearly unimpressed by the room's shabby appearance. "What's the matter? Not thrilled with our accommodations?"

Luuk, still unable to tear his eyes away from the bed before him, managed to find his voice. "Sensei, I've had a change of heart. I'm okay with heading back today."

"Why? I know you're all about luxury, and I can't say the room is... satisfactory, but it's not Hell either, no matter how hot it is," Jona said, seemingly unimpressed. He perched himself on the navy blue queen-sized bed (that practically engulfed the entire room) and flicked on the ceiling fan, which groaned to life, doing a half-hearted job of blowing hot, humid air in their direction. Then he pushed open the bay window, allowing a gust of heat to filter in. "The river is over a mile away, and it's almost dark outside. You know I can't see well in the dark. Plus, I'm not keen on walking another mile in this heat. So, what's the problem?"

Luuk wiped the forming sweat above his lip. He could feel the pulse in his wrist.

"Hey, what's wrong? Sit down. You look pale." He reached for Luuk's elbow, and he slapped the hand away.

"I'm fine."

"I'm telling you, I won't take advantage of you even if we share the same bed." He grinned, but it was muscle-work. No endorphins were involved.

Luuk surprised himself by laughing. Perhaps it was the defense mechanism from the panic, but he found Jona's facetious remark hilarious. So he laughed until his diaphragm got as tight as his schedule at Stanford University.

Luuk, with a grin that was equal parts cheeky and caustic, shot back, "You really think you could take advantage of me, a delicate flower like yourself?" He reached out to pinch Jona's cheek.

"Ow!" Jona protested, swatting Luuk's hand away, a string of Japanese expletives following as he extended his hand. "So, about that spare shirt..."

Luuk stared at Jona's outstretched hand, a moment of contemplation passing through him. Could Jona save him from the monsters under the bed? For a fleeting, peculiar moment, he felt like he'd wandered into a sitcom episode. But with Jona by his side, the world didn't seem so grim anymore.

Jona had a knack for diffusing tension, like a human stress ball. Maybe, just maybe, he could finally put his paranoia to rest.

"Alright," Luuk conceded, finally handing over his spare shirt. "You're right. There's no sense in making a fuss. Besides, you're about as intimidating as a marshmallow."

With that, they settled into a newfound camaraderie, ushering the lurking monster under the bed back to the shadows where it belonged.

He will definitely save me from the monster under the bed. Yes.