Speak & Listen

Follow Me

FOLLOW ME

It was approximately a week later, and I had settled well in David's house. The bond that had been broken was easy mended...because I have longed to fix it as much as he has. It was mutual, that even during his second marriage, he wished he would have found a way to get back to Cynthia, subsequently being there for me as a father.

Alejandro, as I was still sitting on my bed having morning ruminations, knocked on my door. "Mr Spector!"

"Adrian!" I yelled back. I had told him to call me by my first name a thousand times, no hyperbole intended.

"A...drian." He struggled. "It is time for your morning feast."

"You mean my breakfast? I could have just had cereal." My eyes rolled.

"Uh...I can clear everything for..."

"No no! I'll be right out."

"Okay, sir." I heard him walk off.

I had no idea why David found the necessity to get a valet. Alejandro was from Egypt, a small village. He came to Alex to look for a job before David found him, I still have no idea how. I knew dad was compassionate, but not at all did I think he would take a poor stranger from Alex, claiming to originate from Egypt, to make him work as a valet under his very own roof.

But the best quality about him, other than his humility and his exaggerated respect for both me and my father...that man was beautiful. He was always attired in a thobe, what most of us would mistake to be a dress for men, and had long, black curly hair that he sometimes tied or let loose. He had well-cut sideburns and large eyebrows, beautiful hazel eyes and a smooth, clean and radiant bright, light brown skin with noticeably dazzling white teeth when he pronounced his s's and sh's. His lips were a fine, damp pink colour and his accent wasn't so much fluent in English, with a few lisps and skips in phonetics.

He never smiled. Only nodded, stretched his lips to a certain extent or a scoff that never revealed a smile. I had studied him well and noticed that it is not David that seems to be an intimidation or cause of his timidity, but it is the mere discomfort or disbelief that a fellow man would just take you in without ulterior motives. I would have thought so too. David had tried to share a few jokes with him, but a scoff or that small stretch of his lips sufficed.

I went to the en-suite bathroom to do the essentials such as washing my face, teeth and taking a bath. I descended downstairs only attired in my black morning gown, feeling alleviated after the almost hour-long bath. "Morning Dad." I kissed my father's cheek as he was seated at the dining table, with a smile to respond to the kiss.

I sat next to him while he delicately held my right. "Morning boy. How did you sleep?"

"Like a baby. Alejandro might be too much on the formalities. Can we invite him to eat with us at the table?"

"Good luck with that." He chuckled as he opened his newspapers.

"ALEJANDRO!" I yelled. I looked at dad, who had a smile.

Like the galloping of a horse, he ran into the dining room, almost panting. "Yes, Mr...Adrian."

"Sit down and eat with us."

"I'm sorry, but I cannot..."

"I insist, Alejandro. Grab a seat, a place and serve yourself." I smiled at him.

Those eyes gazed at me widened, God! He was so beautiful. "If you insist. With your permission as well, Mr Spector?"

Dad looked at him. "So it took my son to finally get you comfortable to sit and dine with me?" Alejandro's slight smirk immediately faded. "Anyway...you're welcome." David pointed with a hand at the table.