Under decision

Chapter seven

"Come in." I hear a voice say from the other side of the door.

I timidly enter and shut the door behind me.

I see Mystery Guy sitting at his desk with his feet up peacefully reading a book.

"Hello." I say awkwardly.

He looks up and quickly puts his feet down.

"I am so sorry, I know I said I was going to come at seven but I was working in the galley crew and time went by and-"I begin to blab.

"It is alright John, I thought you were not going to come at all."

"I am not the kind of g- boy to have stood you up." I say.

" I know." He said facing me as I sit down on a chair next to his desk.

"How?" I couldn't help but ask, I mean he barely knew me after all.

"You are an honest person, I can tell." he said looking me in the eyes. I the candle light was shining on one side of his face making his features more defined. His hazel eyes looked back at me and I couldn't help but look away.

"Very well then." he said getting up and picking out a book from one of the bookshelves behind his desk.

He set it down and I recognized it as the one I had taken from the Young Men Ministry.

"I guess we should start by the alphabet." he said.

"I already memorized it." I blurted out. He looked at me.

"Well..i guess we could see which ones you know and how well you know them." he said. Fair enough.

He asked me to say the alphabet in order and I proudly said each and every one that I knew.

"Very good." he said. "You only left out five letters." he said trying hard not to laugh. Well I felt silly.

"You left out F,K,N,Q,and W." He said. I slumped a bit in my seat.

But still, for being a young boy with no schooling that was extremely well, how did you know so much?" he asked.

"I may or may not have stolen a grammar book from a church ministry and torn out the important pages before returning it." I admitted embarrassed. He stared at me for a few seconds making me uncomfortable before he burst out laughing.

"John, you are a strange lad." he said in between laughs.

"Umm.. thank you?" I say.

"It is not a bad thing, at least not in your case." he said calming down.

"Oh." was all I made out.

"Well, I guess we should have you practice writing, am I correct?" he asked.

"Of course." I replied.

I picked a quill up and was about to write the letter G which was one of the only ones I kind of knew how to do when he stopped me.

"Whoa,whoa,whoa." he said stopping me just before the quill even touched the paper.

"You do not need to hold the quill as if you are about to stab the paper." he said taking the quill out of my hand which I held in a fist.

"Here." he said placing my fingers around the quill in a gentler form. His hands were soft.

" Thank you." I said suddenly embarrassed for a reason I do not know.

"Very well then, how about we begin with the letter A?" he requested.

After a couple of hours of me growing tired of the swirly calligraphy letters, and him telling me to redo a letter at least three times until I got it right, we finished the alphabet.

I put my tired hand down.

"I know that this is fusterating John, but you are better than you believe." he told me.

"Thank you." I reply sleepily.

"You should probably get to your barrack, I am sure your brothers are wondering about you." He told me. he was right so I got up and tucked my chair in.

I then made my way to the door.

"Have a good night and thank you..uhh.." I try saying remembering I have yet to know his name.

"Antonio." he replies with a smile.

"Pleasure working with you,Antonio. Shall I meet you here again tomorrow? " I ask hopeful.

"Same place, same hour." he answers.

"Till tomorrow then." I say leaving his bedroom. Man, even his name has a ring to it.

I quietly walk down the hallways until I reach my barrack.

I quietly enter hearing loud snoring coming from the two guys my brothers and I share the barrack with.

I then tiredly hop into my hammock and tuck myself into the sour smelling blanket. I lay my head and close my eyes.

When will I have the opportunity and courage to tell Esteban and Fernando?

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-jorgey