Uncaged

By Wes Leigh featuring the contributions of Rob the Scribe

 

This is a work of fiction intended solely for the entertainment of our readers; any resemblance to any real people or places is purely coincidental. Readers who would like to chat are encouraged to contact us at weston.leigh@protonmail.com and robthescribe@protonmail.com.

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Chapter Fifteen

 

"No. No, no, no. Not there. Here." Roderyk laughed as he showed Rachel which bin to place the eggs in. "Those are bigger. They are considered extra large and go here. We make more money for the bigger eggs. We would like to see all the chickens putting out eggs this size, but they're not all good layers." He blushed when he realized what he'd just said to the attractive young woman standing next to him. Her dark red hair was stylishly cut and her blue eyes reminded him of RJ. It was easy to see where he got his eyes from, but his hair came from his father obviously. Still, Rachel was a beautiful woman, and he couldn't believe he'd made the comment about `good layers'.

Rachel decided to tease the handsome young man. After all, he was very good looking, well built, and her age. He was also polite and friendly, and RJ certainly adored him. She could do a lot worse. She smiled and said, "Sure. I see that. But you know, Roderyk, I think the chickens would rather you made less money on their hard work."

"What do you mean?" Roderyk asked.

"They would probably prefer all the eggs be small or medium sized," she added, grinning now.

"I don't understand."

"Putting out a smaller egg is less stressful for the poor birds," she explained. "Have you heard the noises they make when they lay an egg?"

He chuckled. "I don't think the chickens care. It's their life. They lay eggs every day."

"Well, I for one sympathize with a mother who has to push out a big baby." She glanced impishly at Roderyk, teasing him now.

He blushed again, then picked up an empty egg carton and threw it her.

She laughed and picked up the carton, tossing it back.

He caught the carton and returned it to the stack. "I'll show you the feeding equipment next. It's this way."

Rachel followed Roderyk into the next room, listening as he explained how the automated system dispensed grain for the chickens every day. At one point, she placed her hand gently on Roderyk's shoulder. "What type of grain do we feed the chickens?"

He nervously moved away, covering his actions by scooping up a handful of grain and showing it to Rachel. "It's high in protein, around 16%. Also plenty of calcium for harder shells. And extra vitamins and other minerals."

She took his hand in her own, holding it up to inspect the feed.

Roderyk didn't pull his hand away. There was something pleasant about her touch. Gentle, yet firm. Her skin was soft, not like his weathered hands. And she smelled nice. Sweet, like flowers.

RJ ran into the room. "There you are!" he shouted. "I've been looking all over for you."

Roderyk hastily pulled his hand out of Rachel's and tossed the handful of grain back into the feed bin. "I've been showing your mom how everything works," Roderyk said. "What do you need, RJ?"

RJ stared at the two of them, confused by what he'd just seen. "I, uhhh, was just wondering when we were going to start cleaning up."

"I suppose we can do that now, if you want." Turning to Rachel, Roderyk said, "Now you'll see the truly glamorous part of our job. Scooping bird shit."

She laughed and gestured with one hand for Roderyk to lead the way.

He headed for the storage rooms at the far end of the barn where the cleaning equipment was stored.

RJ took his mom's hand, glancing up at her with a questioning look. What was going on?

She smiled at her son, but didn't speak. Instead, she pulled him along, following the handsome stud who was their roommate and perhaps more.

͠ ͠ ͠

Supper that evening was awkwardly quiet.

Roderyk stole glances at Rachel from time to time, turning away when she looked up, pretending he hadn't been looking her way. He didn't understand why he was so interested in the woman. He'd never felt this way before about any female.

Rachel noticed and tried not to smile too much. It was adorable how bashful the big hunk was being, and she certainly didn't mind the attention. It had been far too long since she'd felt comfortable enough to return a man's flirtatious advances.

RJ glanced back and forth between his mom and Roderyk. Why did they keep looking at each other that way? Didn't his mom know that Roderyk was his friend? He was beginning to get frustrated with it all. His mom had better not screw up the good thing they had going. He was beginning to enjoy having Roderyk as his roomie and pal, and he didn't want his mom to come between them.

Auntie sipped her tea and thought about what was developing under her own roof. She'd expected something like this. How could it not happen? Two young people, both attractive, both in need of love. She wouldn't have admitted it, not even under pain of torture, but she'd hoped something like this might come about when she'd offered Rachel the chance to move in and work on the farm.

Roderyk cut off a bite of steak and chewed it. He wasn't sure what he should do about these feelings he was having. What was he feeling? That was the question of the hour. Certainly, she was a pretty woman, and witty and interesting. She reminded him of Diana, his childhood friend. They were both warm and funny. Perhaps Rachel would become a good friend.

Rachel lifted the pitcher of tea and poured more into her glass, then offered some to RJ. He refused, so she turned to Roderyk, and when he nodded, she topped off his glass. He smiled his gratitude. She nodded, thinking, `I wouldn't mind taking care of you. You're a handsome man. Not pushy and obnoxious like so many of the men I've known recently. And I've seen the way you care for my son. You'd be a good father to him.'

RJ was getting a bit perturbed now. His mom was looking at Roderyk with googly eyes. He'd seen that look once before, when that weirdo was coming around all the time. What was his name? Oh, yeah, Barry something. Barry had tried to be friends with RJ, calling him Sport all the time, until RJ finally told Barry he had a name and it wasn't Sport. Mom had looked at Barry like she was looking at Roderyk. Why was she doing that? RJ sighed and looked down at his plate. At least Roderyk was a lot nicer than Barry.

That nephew of hers was clueless, Auntie thought. Most men were. She'd just have to nudge things along and see where they led. "Roderyk, after supper, why don't you and Rachel take a walk down by the lake. You can show her around the property."

Rachel objected. "You cooked, Auntie. I should clean up."

Auntie waved her hand. "No, no, dear. RJ can help me. Right RJ?"

RJ shrugged. "Sure. Why not?" After all, he didn't want to go down to the lake with Roderyk and his mom, not if they were going to be holding hands again.

͠ ͠ ͠

The sun was setting behind a bank of clouds, so the heat of the day was finally breaking. Roderyk and Rachel walked side by side down to the lake and stood on the shore, looking out across the still waters.

"It's not much of a lake," Roderyk said. "More of a pond really."

Rachel picked up a rock. "I think I could just about throw a rock to the other side." She threw the rock as far as she could, laughing when it plopped in the water. "Nope. So let's call it a really big pond."

Roderyk smiled and picked up a rock of his own. He turned slightly and threw the rock, launching it twice as far as Rachel, well out into the water. It made a deep plunking sound when it hit. "A very big pond," Roderyk said with a chuckle.

"It's very nice here," Rachel said, looking around. "So much nicer than living in town. Quieter too. I won't miss hearing sirens in the night."

"Yes, it's quite peaceful here," Roderyk agreed.

Rachel took a step closer to Roderyk and took his hand in her own.

He stared out over the water, pretending their hands weren't joined. "Do you think you'll like living here?" he asked.

Rachel nodded. "We do already. Auntie is so wonderful. She's like the mother I never had."

"Oh?"

Rachel looked down, suddenly melancholy. "My mother and father kicked me out when I got pregnant with RJ. Didn't approve of me getting knocked up at the age of 17."

"Who was he?"

"The father?"

"Yes."

Rachel sighed. "My high school sweetheart. We were going to be married after we graduated, then go off to college together and live happily ever after. When I got pregnant, we made new plans for our lives. Plans to skip college and get jobs. But then he was killed in a car accident."

"I'm so sorry."

Shrugging, Rachel said, "It's one of those unexpected twists life throws at you." She sighed. "My parents didn't make it any better. They were embarrassed of me. Kicked me out."

"What? Your own parents?"

"Yep. I lived with friends until RJ was born. My friends took care of him for me while I found a job as a waitress. I managed to save enough to afford our own apartment. We've been getting by since then. That's why I'm especially grateful to Auntie. For a place to stay. For the job. For everything."

"RJ seems to love it here, too."

"Yes, he does. He tells me every night how much he enjoys working with the chickens. He'll make a great chicken farmer one day, if he doesn't become a world-famous writer."

Roderyk chuckled. "He will indeed."

Rachel looked up at Roderyk. "He's very fond of you, you know."

"RJ?"

"Yes."

Roderyk nodded his head. "I know he is. I'm very fond of him too." Roderyk blushed, realizing what he'd just admitted to RJ's mother. He looked at her, standing next to him, holding his hand. RJ's mother. The woman who gave birth to the boy he was beginning to love.

He lifted Rachel's hand and took it in both of this own. She smiled at him with anticipation. He sighed and said, "I was hoping you and I could be friends. You remind me of a friend I had a long time ago, when I lived in Germany. Living here and working together, it would be good if we could be friends. I believe RJ needs that from us."

She nodded. Her smile faded. Friends? Was that what they would be? Well, friendship wasn't exactly what she was hoping for, but at least it was a start.

"Sure," she said. "I need a friend, and I think you do too."

͠ ͠ ͠

RJ brushed his teeth, glaring in the mirror. His mother had better not have messed things up with Roderyk. RJ spit in the sink and rinsed his mouth out. She just better not have. He heard noises in Roderyk's bedroom. It sounded like his pal was back from the walk.

RJ pulled the door open and peeked in. Roderyk was sitting on his bed, pulling off his shoes.

"Hey," RJ said.

Roderyk turned his head and looked at RJ. "Hey, roomie."

RJ smiled. It sounded like everything was still okay. "Finished showing Mom around?"

"Yes."

"Is everything okay?"

Roderyk nodded. "Yes. Why wouldn't it be? Why do you ask?"

RJ shrugged his shoulders. "Just `cause."

Roderyk waved for RJ to come into the room.

RJ hesitated, so Roderyk patted the bed next to him. "Come here, RJ. Talk to me. Tell me what's wrong."

RJ walked in and threw himself down onto the bed. "Nothing's wrong."

"Oh? Then why the sad face?"

"I'm not sad."

"Angry?"

"Not angry either."

"Disconcerted?"

RJ laughed. "I don't even know what that word means."

"It means something is wrong and you don't want to tell me." Roderyk poked RJ in the side, making him laugh again.

RJ stopped laughing and said, "I don't want to have to leave. I like it here."

"Now why would you have to leave?" Roderyk asked, quite confused by RJ's statement.

"Because of you and mom getting all ... well ..." RJ couldn't finish.

Roderyk nodded, finally understanding what was worrying the boy. He put his arm around RJ and pulled him into a sideways hug. "RJ, this is not something you need to worry about. Your mother and I have decided to be friends. That's all."

RJ looked up, hopeful. "Friends?"

"Yes, friends."

"Just friends."

Roderyk laughed. "Yes. Just friends."

RJ leaned into Roderyk and hugged him back. "Okay. Good."

͠ ͠ ͠

Roderyk took the next afternoon off so he and RJ could go swimming. It was just the two of them, splashing and dunking each other and having a great time cooling off in the water.

RJ loved it when Roderyk held him in his arms with RJ's legs wrapped around Roderyk's hips, clinging to him, their chests pressed together. They would both hold their breaths and Roderyk would take them both down under the water together, staring at each other in the murky green depths, their hair floating around their heads in the scanty sun beams penetrating into the lake waters. Then Roderyk would stand up again, bringing them both above the water to gasp for breath and laugh as they hugged.

Then they would race each other. RJ loved showing Roderyk how good he could swim now, after all the lessons Roderyk had given him. Roderyk was impressed with how well the boy moved through the water, and though it was a little early still, he could see RJ's body slimming down and gaining more muscle mass. He might become a powerful swimmer someday if he kept it up.

The most fun, however, was when Roderyk squatted down in the water and RJ climbed up his back to sit on Roderyk's shoulders. RJ loved that part, because his boner pressed into the back of Roderyk's neck, and that made it tingle. Roderyk didn't say anything, but he felt the hard flesh pressing into his neck, and he was glad he was standing waist deep in the water so that RJ couldn't see how his boner was affecting Roderyk. RJ would wiggle around up there, giggling, and Roderyk would place his hands under each of RJ's feet. Then RJ would stand up while Roderyk lifted his hands, launching RJ up and back to land with a mighty splash behind him. RJ would come out of the water, spitting and laughing and swim back to Roderyk to do it again.

Finally, Roderyk called an end to the activity, claiming his arms were exhausted. RJ pouted but swam up to Roderyk and threw his arms around Roderyk's neck, pulling himself up to Roderyk and hugging him close. "You're the best, Roderyk!"

Roderyk hugged RJ. "So are you, RJ."

They stared at each other, holding on for far too long, especially considering the hard lumps in their swimming trunks that were pressing together under the water.

RJ didn't want to let go. This felt so good, so right.

Roderyk knew they had to let go, because it felt too good. He reached up and pulled RJ's hands from around his neck, smiling gently as he pulled the boy off him. "We should head back. We need to get cleaned up for supper."

RJ grinned, not in the least embarrassed by what he had felt pushing back against his boner. "We're clean. We've been swimming."

"I don't think your mom and Auntie want to smell lake water at the supper table."

RJ leaped back into the water and shouted, "Race you!" He started swimming hard for the shore.

Roderyk laughed and followed the boy, pulling himself through the water with long, easy strokes that quickly overtook the young teen.

They reached the shore at the same time, calling it a tie, as they trudged out of the water, not bothering to hide the tents in their trunks. Then, holding hands, they ran laughing for the house.

From behind a nearby tree, Rachel watched the two running up the hill toward the farmhouse. With a sad, but understanding smile, she followed them, walking slowly, thinking about what she needed to do.

The end of UNCAGED, Chapter Fifteen