Thorns of the Rose

“You must learn to be assertive, I refuse to have a Niminy-Piminy lead forward the family business.”

“Yes, Father,” Charlie muttered. He tried his best to keep his voice steady as the seamstress poked needles into the thick of his legs. He wished to say something but kept his mouth shut in fear of his Father striking the young girl, for he already hated her for the colour of her skin.

“Your studies are miraculous, but your voice is far from a match.” He raised his voice once again, Charlie could see the seamstress cringe out of the corner of his eye. His Father always shouted about the fact his workers feared him, but Charlie had always seen it as a sour fact.

Instead he looked up to his mother, winning over deals with a quick mind, a sharp smile and a gentle hand to seal the knot. Despite being young and caring for both him and his sisters, she held her grasp of control over the family business. Never would Charlie admit he had more respect for his mother, not as long as his Father still stands above the earth.

“Please smile, my dear, it looks much better upon your lips.” His mother walked in with a maid carrying tea following her steps, the sun shining through her gaze. She summoned the maid over and grabbed a cup of tea for the young black girl, and urged her to take it.

“Her work is far from done, she deserves no such break.” His Father grumbled to which his mother waved off.

“The wedding isn’t for weeks, she has plenty of time to finish the suit. The dear girl has already done a marvellous job,” his mother scoffed as she helped remove the pin infested suit. “Charlie also has better things to do than listen to your Batty-Fang.”

“I’ve heard enough of your Mouth-Pie!” He shouted, his face wrinkling up like a newspaper. He grabbed into Charlie’s shoulder and pulled him towards the door, causing the young seamstress to nearly spill her tea. Just as Charlie predicted, his Father wasted his breath to yell at her once again. A twinge of guilt poked at his heart, Charlie decided to sneak her rose cake tonight.

Charlie’s thoughts started to drift away as he loosely listened to his Father complain about the various servants they had around the manor. It was quite clear that his father and mother had different attitudes towards the servants. His father was more than happy to slap every single one that inconveniences him in the slightest. Charlie looked up more to his mother’s opinion, she so often stated that God will only treat one as well as they treat all those around them.

Their Butler came and whispered something into his Father’s ear. His lips twisted into a smile, a rare sight on his Father’s face. “It is time for you to show your assertiveness!” He continued to drag Charlie along, nails digging into his shoulder. After heading out the front door, Charlie stood in front of a small group of men and women. They were mostly black with some whiter stragglers in the back, all standing tall and awaiting orders.

“Show the grounds and then the quarters, and make sure they know who you are,” he whispered into his ear, slapping his back before pushing him off. Charlie started off his Father’s typical speech, but including tidbits of information that his Father loved to exclude, which included where supply closets and bathrooms were. He went through all the motions, mindlessly doing so until a familiar face caught his eyes.

Charlie’s vision started to blur as he tripped over a table, knocking over a vase of roses. The vase shattered once it hit the floor, water and bits of glass hitting his skin. He could hear soft gasps and chuckles from the group of new servants he led, alongside the shouts from his Father’s lungs.

“What are you doing? You wooden spoon!” His Father desperately wiped off the water on his shirt, while one of the members came forward and helped bring him up. It was as if a toad were in his throat, for he could not say anything to either his Father or the hand that helped him up. It only left his throat after his Father grasped the back of his shirt and put him back on his path. “Keep your eyes in front of your feet! What has your mind so adrift?”

“Nothing Father,” Charlie whispered, continuing his tour with much more on his mind. He kept his movement stiff and eyes straight forward in fear of what his body may do if he dared to look back. He knew who was back there, but his Father acted as the brick wall between them. Time was running out, his Father was handing them off to the head butler to assign work. His heart was ready to leap out of his chest, it was now or never. His voice at first just a bare whisper before he cleared his throat, just as his father did when he wanted the room.

“Thomas, if I may, I do have a request.” The Butler, along with his Father and the rest of the group-including him-bored their attention onto Charlie. “The rose bush underneath my balcony is quite overgrown. I wish for someone to tend to it before the day’s end.”

“Of course, My Lord,” the Butler responded as he always did before leading the group away. His father congratulated him for taking a step in the right direction before belittling him for being too soft. Charlie just listened and allowed himself to be dragged along while he prayed that his message was received.

Charlie, of course, fell victim to the curse of doubt. Through all the speak of business and weddings, his mind was tormented with thoughts of desperation. Temptation ran wild as he snuck his seamstress his slice of rose cake, how much he wanted to ask one of the many servants where his quarters were. It would have been simple, but he feared it would come back to his Father, so he kept his mouth shut.

The moonlight shined through his window as one of the servants drew him a bath, his tense muscles dying for the slightest hint of relaxation. His nerves ran high, waiting for an event with no confirmation. Charlie was about to let it go when the beautiful sound of crinkling petals filled his ears. Beyond the doors of the balcony was the figure he had been dying to see, pulling himself up over the railing. Charlie ran over as quick as his feet could carry him, almost tripping once more in his moment of thoughtless indulgence.

Though his skin was cold from the harsh wind, their embrace was the warmest feeling Charlie had ever had. With his head tilted up and their hands intertwined, he was in a perfect paradise.

“Oh, Nigel, I was worried you may never come.” Charlie gasped after pulling away, staring into his chocolate gaze. Nigel chuckled, wrapping a single arm around Charlie’s waist while producing a bouquet of roses in his other hand.

“I would never miss a chance to be in your presence.” Charlie wanted nothing more than to melt into his arms right then and there, but his conscious poked at him to remove themselves from peering eyes. Charlie took hold of the hand around his waist and pulled him into the middle of his quarters before accepting the roses.

“How much of a gentleman you are,” Charlie sighed, lightly tracing a finger over one of the red petals.

“I thought they’d be perfect for replacing the ones you destroyed today,” Nigel laughed as he cupped Charlie’s blushing cheeks. Charlie mumbled something incoherent, no longer wanting to relive the embarrassment from his footwork before.

“I simply wasn’t expecting to see you, especially in the presence of my Father.” Charlie stammered as he placed the roses in a vase on his dresser. He then guided Nigel towards the bath he had prepared and ordered him to undress.

“You wish to see more of me?” Nigel purred while Charlie did a terrible job at keeping a stern face.

“You are covered in the day’s filth, now allow me to wash you clean,” Charlie replied, not admitting the truth in his statement. As requested, Nigel followed along and let Charlie wash him down, something his mother used to do when he was young. “Would you tell me another story?”

Nigel obliged with a smile, reciting a tale he had never heard before. Charlie relaxed as well, succumbing to the peace that came along with Nigel’s presence. His stories were one of the things Charlie liked most about Nigel. He spoke of lands unheard of, enchanted with magic and riches unseen by the value of money. His voice was laced with passion, a wondrous change from the business talk his Father so often dragged him into.

Charlie often thought of the things that attracted him to Nigel. Was it his body? His muscles and calluses, a testament of hard work, a showcase of dedication to which Charlie had never seen before. Was it his skin colour? It is a dark complexion, a symbol of the hate and struggles he was forced to endure while still wearing a smile at the end of each day. Though he thought of it often, Charlie knew the answers were not of importance. How could they be when all he wanted was to be with Nigel every moment they could.

After he was washed and dried, the two laid in Charlie’s bed and held each other tight. Pressed into his chest, Charlie could hear the soft beating of his heart. It was a beautiful sound.

“I hear that you are to be married soon,” Nigel speaks softly, not sounding upset at the matter of the fact. “What is your fiancee like?”

“She is a kind woman, soft-spoken but knows how to stand her ground,” Charlie answered, thinking back to their first meeting months ago. “The way she talks is nothing less but impressive. She knows more about business than I could ever dream of knowing. She reminds me of my mother, I respect her for that.”

“She sounds like a darling, maybe you two could live a happy life together.” Nigel’s fingers dragged along his back, the sensation alone was almost enough to lull him to sleep.

“Maybe a good life, but nowhere do I see a happy life,” Charlie sighed, his voice muffled.

“A penny for your thoughts?” Nigel asked, still ever so calm.

“When I close my eyes and think of a happy life, all I see is you. I fear that I shall never be happy unless you are the one forever by my side.” Charlie struggled to speak, finally voicing the thoughts that plagued his mind. “I shall never love another as I love you.”

“Would you like to hear another story?” Nigel asked, his voice now holding a more playful tone. “This one tells about a time unseen, where you and I are together in a place where nothing else matters.” Charlie smiled and let a single tear flow free.

“I would love nothing more.”