The Apprentice

by and © N Fourbois

Chapter 27

For Kieran the summer had been long and slow. In September it would be some four months since he had attended school. If it hadn't been for Orlando, and to a certain extent Eric, he would have succumbed boredom. Now it was a Saturday in mid-August. Kieran, his parents and Orlando had gone through security at the airport and were waiting to be called forward to board their flight. The flight to Innsbruck would take a couple of hours at most, but they would lose an hour for the change of time zone. Safely landed, they picked up their luggage and waited while Dean collected the hire car. The journey to Seefeld was easy and the hotel not hard to find. By late afternoon they were settled in and agreed to meet for dinner at seven.

The holiday passed eventfully and yet uneventfully. The four enjoyed themselves and took full opportunity of what was available. However, all good things must come to an end and a noticeable tension was building between the two young men. At dinner on the second Thursday the boys came out with it, well, not all of it.

"Tomorrow's our last day and we'd like to spend it on our own. Is that all right with you?" said Kieran.

"That's fine with us," said Dean, checking to see that his wife did approve. "Your mother wants to spend a day in Innsbruck doing some last minute shopping." The males smiled. "What are you thinking of doing?"

"Hiring mountain bikes," replied Orlando "and going... well, going mountain biking, actually."

"You hire the kit as well," added Kieran.

"Have a good day," said Dean. "Plan an official set route, leave a copy with the hotel, say, or the cycle shop, and stick to it."

"The weather's set fair," added Colleen.

The following morning Kieran and Orlando set out after breakfast for the mountain bike hire workshop. Their faces were on the grim side for they knew the real purpose of going off into the mountains by themselves. They had selected a simple, unambitious route for although they were well used to on-road cycling in England, mountain biking in real mountains was something else.

"Do you find," said Kieran "that when we speak German the locals understand what we are saying clearly enough, but we don't understand them?"

"It's because they speak an Austrian dialect. It's like a German speaker landing in a remote glen in Scotland or in the middle of a Glasgow council estate and trying to understand the local lingo. It's German, but not as we know it. After ten days I'm starting to get used to it. Try replacing their O with A. That might help."

The young man who served them in the workshop was very helpful. They spoke in a mixture of English and German though the boys thought he might be better at English than he made out. He did, however, impress on them that the route was well marked and providing they followed the frequent signposts they would be safe. Also lots of people used that path and so they would easily find help, if necessary. After half an hour they wheeled their bikes back to the hotel so that they could get changed into their hired kit. They also picked up their packed lunches.

First of all they rode round the village to get used to the feel of the bikes, especially the gears. Kieran nearly had an accident as he forgot the 'Keep Right' rule. They then took the path signposted to Leutasch as this was recommended for beginners. They were not in a hurry. Around midday they found a picnic area at the edge of a mountain stream with no other people there. They locked the bikes up and took off their cycle helmets. They could not help but admire one another in their lycra cycle shorts, Kieran in light blue and Orlando in bright red. They felt their appearance was as good as that of the genuine cycle racing youths they keenly admired on the internet. They sat down at a picnic table on opposite sides, facing one another.

"Okay, Orlando, who's going to say it first?"

"All right, Kieran, I will. Next week I go on holiday with my parents and next month I go off to university and I shall be two hundred miles away until Christmas. Is it right, even practical, that two sexually charged boys like us should survive all that time on masturbation alone?"

"I don't think it will work. I like sex too much and I think you do too. You're going to meet new boys, I'm going to meet new boys."

"What's the only logical outcome?" said Orlando. "We split. We split as friends, best friends. We remain friends, best mates." Tears were beginning to roll down Kieran's face.

"I love you, Orlando."

"I love you too, Kieran." They got up and hugged. Orlando could feel Kieran's tears run down the back of his neck. "Tonight we shall make love more passionately than we've ever done before."

"Tonight I want to feel you inside me, all of you so that I can feel your balls swinging and pressing against my butt." They heard some more cyclists approaching and they broke. Kieran grabbed a serviette from his packed lunch and dried his eyes.

They ate their lunch in silence. Other cyclists came and joined them calling out 'Mahlzeit' as they did. They had learnt to reply by saying 'Mahlzeit' back. Warmed by the sun they came back to life.

"We'll make an official announcement at dinner tonight," said Kieran. "By the way, why do they call it the Austrian Tyrol? Is there another one?"

"Ah, we did that in history," said Orlando. "At the end of the First World War Italy was given that part of Tyrol south of the Brenner Pass as a reward for getting it right as to which side they fought on. So it's a part of Italy where the inhabitants speak German and in the country it looks Austrian still. The Austrians call it Südtirol and the Italians don't call it Tyrol at all. As a result there is an Osttirol which physically is not connected to Tyrol at all.

The mood had been restored and the boys finished their 'lunch packets'. They tidied their litter away and walked upstream a little way.

"Look in there," said Orlando, pointing at the stream.

"What?"

"Look carefully. You'll see some trout."

"Oh, yes, and quite big ones too. And talking of big ones," Kieran said with a grin, "I want a photo of you in your cycling gear."

"And I want one of you. Perhaps when we get back to the picnic area we'll find someone to take one of us together."

They took their time walking back. There was so much to see and Orlando was the one to spot it usually.

"Look at that flower down there, Kieran."

"It's a cyclamen. You see them everywhere in garden centres, all different colours."

"That's not a cyclamen, that's a wild cyclamen." Orlando scraped a few leaves away. "See the root? It's a big tuber about the size of a potato for a tiny little plant like that."

They finally arrived back at the picnic area. They found some people to take a photo of them. Kieran just had a feeling that they were a sympathetic couple. Was he developing gaydar? They unlocked the bikes and carried on. This was a circular route that they had chosen. On mounting them Orlando called out

"Remember to keep to the right, Kieran," and he laughed.

They rode straight to the hotel when they reached Seefelden, parked up and went in to shower and change. Before they took off their biker's kit, Kieran put his arms round Orlando.

"I do so love you." They ground their crotches together in passion.

"Enough of that," said Orlando. "We've got to get the bikes and kit back or we pay a supplement. And I reckon if we do that a bit smartish, we'll have at least an hour to have some fun before dinner."

"I think so far today's been the best day of the holiday."

"Kieran, after this it can only get better," and Orlando gave him a quick peck on the lips.

Over dinner the family was re-united. The sun shone through the windows and illuminated their table.

"How did the shopping trip go?" asked Kieran.

"Don't ask me," answered Dean. "Your mother has her own credit card and it's more than I dare do than to interfere in that department." Colleen just smiled. The soup plates were cleared away and they awaited the main course. 'Too many waitresses and not enough waiters,' Kieran thought to himself. He looked at Orlando. Orlando gave slight nod and squeezed Kieran's hand under the table to re-assure him.

"Mum and Dad, we've got an announcement to make." Colleen gave a slight intake of breath, but did her best to remain serene. Dean said jocularly

"You're not pregnant, are you?" The boys blushed. Colleen gave him one of her looks that could kill lesser mortals at ten paces.

"Are you going to say it, Orlando, or am I?" This time Dean behaved himself.

"You say it."

"As you know we wanted some time to ourselves today to sort out some stuff. We've done that now. Next week Orlando goes away with his parents to Frinton on their holiday. Then in September I start at the College and on his return Orlando will start uni at the other end of the country. We therefore came to the decision that it would be impossible to conduct a loving and fruitful relationship under those conditions and so we shall part company on our return home tomorrow." Orlando came in.

"We intend to part as best of friends, mates, and remain as such as far as circumstances allow. That's the end of our official announcement. Okay, Kieran?"

"Okay, Orlando."

Colleen immediately got up, walked round the table and took Orlando in a great big hug.

"You know you'll always be welcome in our home, don't you, son?" Dean said to Orlando, suddenly realising how he'd addressed him. But it didn't matter. "Are you all right, Kieran?" enquired his dad.

"I am now, yes, Dad." The family didn't notice the waitresses holding back, waiting to serve the main course. Gradually order was restored and the food was promptly delivered to their table. There was a tangible feeling of relief between the boys.

"Kieran asked about shopping just now," his mother said. "Something I did find is one of these. Kieran already has one and this is for you, Orlando, just to show our appreciation to you for being such good company on the holiday and for being such a good friend to Kieran over the past few weeks when we know he didn't find life easy and hasn't complained once." She went round the table, placed the package in his hands and gave him a hug and a kiss on the cheek.

"Put him down, Mum. He's a homosexual and doesn't like being mauled by women." All four of them burst out laughing. Orlando unwrapped his package. Although he had known nothing of this in advance Kieran knew what was coming.

"Oh!" exclaimed Orlando. "I always wanted one of these, but never dared get one." It was a different size and shape from Kieran's, but it was a leather gentleman's handbag in dark tan. "Thank you, Mrs Williams, thank you, Mr Williams."

"Don't thank me. It was entirely Colleen's idea. I knew nothing about it."

"And I think as you're part of the family now, if only for another day or so, you should call us Colleen and Dean. Don't you think so, Dean?"

For Kieran and Orlando that night was the ultimate in passion, the best lovemaking they had experienced to date. Little sleep was had and its lack was only too obvious when the pair came down to breakfast on the Saturday morning.

Their flight was not until two and so they had plenty of time to pack, get down to the airport, return the hire car and check in.

Back in the UK Dean drove Orlando straight to his house and helped him unload his luggage.

"We won't stop," said Dean. "We appreciate the difficulties."

"Thank you for a wonderful time. It was truly fantastic." All three gave Orlando a hug. They didn't notice the net curtains twitching. Kieran's hug was a little more intense for he couldn't resist a last long and gentle caress. Kieran got back into the car first. As they drove off, he waved. No one saw the single tear rolling down his cheek.