Refugee

Chapter Twenty-One - Selling Yourself.

Samir stayed clear of the main gate for the next week, he decided he didn't want to bump into Stefan. Although that wasn't actually true. It was rather he didn't want to piss off Amar, or risk Firas, or anyone else seeing him. Time dragged with nothing to do, but he steered clear of bringing up the photo session and the possibility of the phone. Neither Amar nor Firas talked anymore about it. Until Firas happened to mention he'd seen Stefan with another guy called Joram, driving off together in the Mercedes. This got Samir's curiosity going and he wanted to know who Joram was.

“He's just some guy I got talking to once. You know, I was just hanging around the camp and well, we just kind of got talking,”

“And?”

“And nothing. Just turns out he was from Aleppo. He knew the camp where we were in Syria. But he crossed into Turkey near Killis, where he stayed awhile. Later he went to Gaziantep, and then crossed to a Greek island. But that was a long time after.”

“Sounds like you know his entire life story,” Amar smirked.

“How old is this guy Joram?” Samir wondered if this was a boy his age, because he thought that maybe he had missed his chance with Stefan.

“He's twenty-one.”

Amar chuckled to himself because he knew Firas liked guys a bit older, and he knew that was how they got talking. He would bet anything the guy was gay. Samir didn't even think about that, he was relieved Joram wasn't some fourteen or fifteen year old. This prompted him with the idea he should try to see Stefan again. Despite Amar, and Firas with his warnings, he still thought it was not a bad thing to do. There was the possibility of a phone, and anyway, he had actually enjoyed the last time.

“I'm gonna talk to Stefan next time I see him.”

Amar and Firas looked at him.

“I’m not sure that's a good idea,” Firas told him.

“Last time...” Samir started, then he realised he was about to tell them something he'd not said before.

“Last time what?” Amar questioned.

It was too late now, he had to explain. “Well, last time, when I saw Stefan, he said that I could definitely get a phone, and make some money, if...”

“Oh come on,” Firas spoke up.

“If?”

Amar wasn't getting angry, he was calm and relaxed, so Samir continued. “If I was to bring a friend, we could make a movie, well a clip. But it could make us some money.”

“So Stefan wants to film you and... someone,” Amar looked hard into Samir's eyes. “You and someone, making love.”

“A sex movie,” Firas concluded.

“A clip, a movie clip,” Samir corrected.

“What's the difference?” Amar asked.

“Yeah, he wants to film two boys having sex. Then he'll sell it. And... maybe you'll get paid.” Firas told him.

“And who is the other boy?” Amar wanted to know.

“Anybody,” Samir declared, then added, “You and me.”

There was a weird kind of silence that followed, nobody knowing quite what to say. How do you deal with something like this? It's a way to maybe make some money, but who could say where it leads, and like Firas said, it could be dangerous.

*****

It was a while later, another long hot summer evening, when Samir and Firas spotted Stefan. Actually, all three, Amar was with them, were aimlessly strolling around. It was Firas who saw Joram first. He must have been on his way to meet up with Stefan.