CHAPTER 4

Early the next morning, Ben arrived at Calem’s home, using the side entrance to access the back garden. The fragrance of jasmine and dewy grass scented the air as Ben, filled with a mix of caution and eagerness, noticed that Calem’s bedroom window was open. He went up to the window, finding Calem still asleep. The room was filled with a soft, ethereal light filtering through curtains as he gently pushed the window open; its hinges barely whispered a sound. Ben, moved silently through the open window, landing softly on the bed next to the sleeping Calem. He lay down gently, his fingers tenderly sweeping a stray strand of hair from Calem’s cheek. Leaning in, Ben planted a soft, lingering kiss on his warm forehead. Calem opened his eyes, smiling drowsily, stirred by the affectionate gesture as the sun began to cast a warm, golden hue through the curtains into the room.

“Hey! Why aren’t you ready?”

Calem noticed that Ben was bursting with energy.

“Ready? For?”

Calem rubbed his eyes, making an effort to remove the last traces of drowsiness.

“Going to the pool. Hurry up!”

“I thought I wasn’t going anymore...”

“Hurry up! You are wasting time!”

Ben attempted to appear relaxed as he got up from the bed and perched on the desk, waiting for Calem to get ready. But Calem sensed that an emotional storm was raging beneath Ben’s composed façade. He reminded himself that he could not afford to overlook Ben’s caution from the previous day.

The drive to Newlands had Calem fearing for his life in some parts. He wondered how Ben could have passed his practical driving test, as for Ben, there was only one speed: fast, no matter how short the distance. Driving in the sweltering heat, they listened to Ben’s favourite band, Guns N’ Roses. However, when You could be mine began to play, he quickly changed the track.

Ben looked into the mirror, locking eyes with Calem, who quickly turned away to avoid further eye contact. Calem reached to adjust the air conditioning controls as Ben reached to change gears at the same time. When their fingers briefly brushed against each other Calem swiftly withdrew his hand, placing it on his lap. Once Ben switched gears, he reached out to Calem’s right hand, maintaining the connection until the next gear change. Calem continued to look out the window as his heart raced with excitement, savouring the firm grip that enfolded his hand.

When they arrived at Newlands Swimming Pool, Calem was once again overwhelmed by its location. Table Mountain provided a majestic backdrop to the impeccably maintained Olympic-sized pool. Struck by its tranquil beauty, situated at the foot of the mountain, this place offered a serene escape from the city’s hustle and bustle. The mountain forest, characterized by lush, indigenous vegetation unique to the area, created a green oasis with tall trees and a dense canopy that provided shade and shelter, especially on hot, scorching days like the one they were experiencing.

The second they got out of the car the scent of pines in Newlands Forest hit their senses. The air was filled with a harmonious fusion of crisp, elemental tones, creating a refreshing scent. They grabbed their backpacks and made a quick change in the locker rooms. As they headed toward the boys’ customary gathering place by the pool, Calem could not help but notice unease becoming apparent on Ben’s face.

“Are you okay?” Calem said.

“Stay away from Tom and David.”

Taken by surprise, Calem paused briefly to collect his thoughts before resuming walking.

“That’s going to be difficult because they invited me here today specifically to hang out with them.”

Ben, coming to a sudden stop, turned around and gripped Calem’s arms firmly.

“I don’t want to see you alone with them.”

The look in those implacable eyes terrified Calem. Ben’s volatile temper had led to numerous violent fights over the years, and Calem understood that agreeing to whatever Ben wanted was the best course of action to avoid further conflict.

When they got to their usual spot Tom, David and Larry were already sunbathing. When Larry called out to the new arrivals, Ben forced a smile onto his face that, to others, read as genuine warmth as he returned their greeting. The day unfolded rather uneventfully, with the boys passing their time between friendly races in the pool or games of tag and football. As lunch time arrived, they bought sandwiches and snacks from the tuckshop.

“Have you guys heard about the new bar that Jason’s brother opened on Long Street?” Tom said.

“How could we? Which one?” David said.

“Nice joint. Reasonably priced and supposed to be fun and chill. Also, they don’t check IDs. At least they won’t check ours.”

“Sounds like we should go check it out?”

David looked at the others, as they all nodded their heads in agreement.

“How about this Sunday evening?” Tom said.

“I don’t have anything planned. Do you guys?”

Tom scanned the circle as all of them, except Calem, signalled their availability.

“Calem, what about you?” Tom said.

Calem looked nervously at Ben, who wore a mix of concern and disapproval on his face.

“Uh, I don’t know. Am I invited?”

“Yeah, are you coming?”

The enthusiasm in Tom’s tone unsettled Ben, deepening the furrow in his eyebrows. However, a smile slowly crept back across Ben’s face when David, noticing the frown, playfully slapped Ben on the back.

“Cool,” Calem said.

Calem could feel Ben’s eyes fixed on him as he accepted their invitation.

“Cool, its confirmed then,” David said.

“David, how are we getting there?” Larry said.

“Larry, why don’t you and Tom go with Calem, and then I will go with Ben?” David said.

“Nah, how about this? David, you pick up Tom and Larry and I’ll go with Calem?” Ben said.

“That would be a bit out of my way,” David said.

“Not if you spend the day with Larry after church?”

“Well, Larry can also spend the day at yours?”

“No, not this week. I’m going to my sister’s for lunch, and she is closer to Calem,” Ben said.

“Okay, deal. What time?” Larry said.

“Say, 9 p.m.?” David said.

The boys looked at each other and nodded in agreement.

After lunch, Ben stood up and asked Calem to accompany him to the bathroom. Larry looked up at Ben in surprise; they used to do everything together. Ben reached down to Calem, offering his hand. As Calem got up, Tom pulled him back, insisting that Ben should go on his own. Without hesitation, Larry sprang up and dragged Ben to the locker rooms. Thinking they would not be too long, Ben allowed Larry to pull him along without further resistance. When Larry and Ben disappeared behind the hedges, Tom gave David a meaningful nod. Without hesitation, David quickly jumped up to follow them. When the three of them were out of view, Tom reached out to Calem, and slapped his buttocks.

“Ouch! The fuck!”

Calem looked over at Tom, who, wearing a hungry smile, surprised him by holding the grip on his buttocks.

“I’ve been dreaming about hitting that again.”

“What?”

Tom laughed as he inched even closer, slapping Calem one more time.

“Come on!”

Nervously, Calem looked toward the direction of the locker rooms as he moved in the opposite direction.

“That was a onetime thing.”

A look of genuine surprise spread across Tom’s face.

“How come?”

Calem’s gaze remained fixed on the locker rooms.

“Stop it. I don’t want trouble.”

“What do you mean? ‘Trouble’?”

“Just leave me alone, okay?”

“Why do you think we asked you here today? David and I want to take turns with you in the lockers. What do you say?”

Tom rolled over on his side to show himself hardening.

“No, stop it!”

“Come on. Let’s go when they get back. If you are worried about Ben and Larry, don’t be. I’m pretty sure they aren’t interested. Anyways, even if they knew, they wouldn’t care. I know you want to. You were such a greedy little obedient slut!”

Tom slid closer to Calem.

“No, means no!”

Calem moved even further away from Tom who had again reached out to him. In a single, decisive motion, Tom rolled on top of Calem, pinning him down. Calem became alarmed as he felt Tom’s erection pressing against him.

“Get off, people can see us.”

Tom grew increasingly excited by Calem’s resistance. Nevertheless, he rolled off Calem when he heard voices approaching. In a panic, Calem abruptly rose to his feet and swiftly dived into the pool, with Tom following closely on his heels. Ben returned in time to see Tom dive into the pool; yet, he became alarmed when he saw no sign of Calem. A sudden realisation hit him as he quickly understood the situation. Despite David’s efforts to distract him, Ben’s instincts led him to run toward the pool. When he reached the poolside, he saw two figures locked in a struggle in the centre of the pool.

Ben wasted no time and dived into the water. After a few strokes, he reached the two boys, who were bobbing in and out of the water. His anger flared when he saw Tom pushing Calem beneath the surface towards his cock half hanging out of his Speedos. Upon reaching Tom, Ben forcefully separated them, and then, driven by anger, he punched Tom in the face.

“The fuck!” Tom said.

Tom held his bloodied mouth before losing his footing and briefly submerging beneath the pool’s surface. Calem gasped for air as he felt a pair of strong, familiar hands stabilise him while he began to steady himself on his feet.

“Wait for me at the car … Go!”

When Calem did not respond, Ben repeated the instruction with a firmer tone, guiding him to the shallower section of the pool before turning back to Tom.

“Chill out, bra!” Tom said.

Calem pulled himself out of the pool just as he heard Tom and Ben’s voices erupting into a heated argument. Without hesitation, Ben threw another punch at Tom, and in an instant, the two of them were locked in a fierce fight. The water around them churned with frenzied bubbles as Ben and Tom, both formidably strong and equally matched, thrashed around, each attempting to land the most punches.

Their arms flailed about wildly as they circled one another, each striving to gain the upper hand in the chaos. Their growing anger sent water flying in every direction as they grappled, attempting to outmanoeuvre and overpower one another. Amidst the heated combat, David leaped into the pool and swiftly intervened, separating the two opponents and momentarily restoring a semblance of order to the once tranquil waters of the pool.

Calem hastily gathered his belongings in silence.

“What’s going on?” Larry said.

Calem left without uttering a word.

“Hey!” Larry said.

When Larry arrived at the pool, he witnessed David’s efforts to break up the fight between Tom and Ben. Without hesitation, Larry leapt into the pool to help David keep them apart. Ben spat at Tom as Larry dragged him away, while David struggled to hold Tom back. Eventually, Ben broke free of Larry and hurriedly swam towards the pool’s edge.

Meanwhile, in the locker rooms Calem took a quick shower and dressed hastily. He left himself only partially dried and headed outside to wait for Ben at the car. Half an hour later, Ben emerged from the locker room dressed, with his shirt unbuttoned. He was still considerably wet. When he got closer, it became evident that his cheek and lower lip were slightly swollen.

“Shit! Look at your face!”

“You should see the other guy.”

Ben’s tone made his response sound like a joke, but Calem saw a genuine seriousness in Ben’s eyes as he unlocked the car door for him.

“Is it sore?”

Ben pushed Calem’s hand away from his face when Calem tried to touch his cheek.

“No. It’s fine. Get in!”

When Calem did not move, Ben signalled for Calem to get into the car, holding the door open for him. As he settled into the car, Ben walked to the driver’s side, tossing his belongings behind the driver’s seat before he sat down.

“I told you to stay away from them.”

“I know.”

They sat in silence for a few moments.

“Are you okay?” Ben said.

“Yeah, you?”

As he started the car engine, Ben remained silent and did not respond. Upon leaving the swimming pool, Calem caught sight of Larry in the mirror, rushing out of the building behind them. Calem glanced at Ben, who pretended to be unaware of Larry’s attempt to catch up with them.

When they reached a red light, in frustration, Ben slammed the steering wheel and shouted “Fuck!”

With a start, Calem looked at Ben, whose previously composed demeanour had suddenly vanished. He had never seen Ben this angry. The calm expression he had previously displayed moments ago had completed disappeared. Calem remained silent. He decided to allow Ben some time and space to calm down. When Calem looked out the window, he realised they were not on their way home, but instead merging onto the M4 in the direction of the city. Calem chose to remain silent and continued to look out the window to avoid further eye contact with Ben for the time being.

When they got to Lion’s Head the sun was a couple of hours away from setting. Ben stopped at a particularly breathtaking spot that overlooked a beautiful part of the city. After turning the car engine off Ben placed his head on the steering wheel. After a few moments he sat up and reached for a beer in the bag behind his seat. He got out of the car and sat on the wall setting the beer beside him. His feet hung over the edge as he lit a cigarette.

“Could he look any cooler?” Calem wondered as his eyes remained fixed on Ben. When Ben extinguished the cigarette, he looked back at Calem and gave him a smile. The smile prompted Calem to get out of the car and join Ben on the wall. Calem took a seat next to him, leaving a deliberate foot or two of space between them. Ben looked at the vacant space separating them and gradually moved closer, making an effort to bridge the gap. He gently rested his left hand on Calem’s thigh.

Ben took another drag from his cigarette as a dry smile spread across his face.

“That cunt won’t mess with you again.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Why are you sorry?”

“You asked me to stay away from them.”

Ben took another drag from his cigarette and looked back to the extraordinary view in front of him.

“It would have ended really badly if Larry and David didn’t separate us.”

“How are things between you guys now? You took a long time to leave.”

“We had a quick chat afterwards and we sorted everything out…”

Ben noticed Calem’s alarm as his eyes widened with concern.

“Don’t worry. They don’t know anything about us. I told them that they shouldn’t be doing that in public. I threatened to reveal what happened last week if they didn’t leave you alone. But Larry now knows as well. But don’t worry, he won’t say anything.”

Calem’s anxiety lessened since he knew that Ben could rely on Larry.

“Okay,” Calem said.

“Next time, just listen to me, okay?”

Calem looked at Ben timidly, nodding with concern as he observed anxiety mounting in Ben’s eyes and etching across his face.

“I tried to get away from him…”

Calem hesitated as Ben’s disapproval became more pronounced, sharply looking at him.

“Let’s drop it. It’s sorted now,” Ben said.

Simultaneously, their attention was drawn to the shifting play of light over the city bowl. The distant landmarks seemed to transform themselves as the sun began its slow descent into the ocean.

Ben looked at his watch.

“Can’t stay much longer; let’s leave right after sunset. I have to see Sarah tonight, and I have rugby tomorrow.”

“Of course.”

To Calem his agreement felt like he were swallowing barbed wire.

Ben inched closer to Calem as they both prepared to enjoy the journey of the sun disappearing over the horizon. Both became silent, and Ben rested his head on Calem’s shoulder as the sun finally began its descent over the Atlantic Ocean. The sky started its transformation into a mesmerising palette of colours. The deep blue of the ocean meeting the azure sky, created a striking contrast that seems to stretch on forever. The sun, a radiant, fiery orb, painted the sky with vibrant hues as it moved lower on the horizon. The warm, golden glow of the sun’s rays casted long shadows on the landscape. The city sprawled beneath spectacularly framed by the towering presence of Table Mountain and the Twelve Apostles. As the sun sank lower, the colours seemed to intensify. The sky as usual transitioned through a spectrum of warm tones, with shades of orange, pink, and red dominating the skyline. The entire city was bathed in this magical light, casting long shadows enhancing the textures of the surrounding landscape. The city lights began to twinkle below as the sky continued its transformation. The ocean took on a deeper, more intense shade of blue, and in the distance Robben Island became a silhouette on the horizon. Finally, as the sun disappeared below the ocean’s edge the interplay of assorted colours and hues, though it occurred for just a brief moment, on the horizon added an extra layer of magic to their time together sharing this otherworldly experience.

They exchanged few words on the drive home. When they got to Calem’s house he could no longer restrain himself.

“Ben, you need to tell me ...”

Ben turned the engine off.

“Tell you what?”

“What are we to each other?”

“Are you for fucking real? Are you a girl?”

Ben’s head shot up in anger, his hand returning to the ignition to restart the engine.

“Are you getting out? I’m leaving!”

Calem got out after a brief hesitation. Before he could say ‘Good night’ Ben drove off.