Elements and Elephants

Chapter 1-2

Jack showered and grabbed a light supper before heading off to the gym. He pulled in and waved at some regulars who were just leaving.

“Happy Birthday, Jack.” Megan was the hostess at Everyday Fitness where Jack had been a member for years. “Do you have any big plans to celebrate?” She always flirted with him. “I’m off in an hour. I can take you somewhere to celebrate and maybe give you a memorable present afterwards at my place.”

Jack grinned. “I’m sure it would be wrapped perfectly. I have to decline, though. Once I finish up here I’m off to a small party with some friends.” Okay, so maybe it was just a tiny white lie but he’d prefer not to talk about his sexuality with relative strangers. And it wouldn’t be too much of a stretch to consider some of the gang at Cuir to be friends. After finding a locker and changing into his workout gear, Jack went to the stretching area outside the yoga studio. On Wednesdays and Sundays Charlene led yoga sessions. Jack rarely missed them knowing flexibility was important for the cramped spaces that he’d had to work in occasionally.

As he got to the mat area he saw an impressive-looking guy around his own age stretching his well-muscled body. “Hi, are you here for yoga? Charlene’s the best instructor.”

“Hello, I’m warming up before I start my workout. I came into the gym behind you. Is today really your birthday?” While he spoke the handsome jock continued his stretch.

Jack tilted his head slightly. “Hmm, not a Brit or Aussie—I can’t place your accent, but to answer your question, yes. I’m twenty-four as of six this afternoon. Mom always said I’d ruined her supper with my timing.”

“South African.” Muscles held out his hand. “I’m Willem de Vries. This is my first visit to your gym. I’ll bet your mother has no regrets now. Are you celebrating with family this evening then?”

“Mom passed away a year and a half ago. She’d been dealing with cancer for a few years before then. I’ll be spending the evening with a few friends but nothing special.” They shook hands as Jack introduced himself before walking into the studio to set up his mat.

Charlene walked over to him while Jack stood at the edge of his mat doing some warm-up poses. “Megan hasn’t yet mastered the art of client confidentiality.” She opened her arms for a hug. “Happy Birthday, Jack. After several years of yoga, I’m finally learning a bit about my most persistent student.”

She walked back to her mat at the head of the class. “Okay everyone; let’s start with three sun salutations.” Charlene led the class smoothly through the routine and finally ended with savasana.

Lately Jack found himself looking forward to this part where he’d learned to clear his thoughts and focus on relaxing his body. Charlene’s soothing voice directed them to concentrate solely on that. It had been in the back of Jack’s mind that there might have been some truth in his father’s ramblings. Whenever he was drunk or angry he’d lash out at his youngest son, saying his mother would still be alive if Jack hadn’t stripped away her will to live by announcing that he was gay. For his part, Jack knew she was running out of time and he wanted her to know everything about him. She never flinched when he told her. He recalled her soft smile as she reached out to touch his cheek with her palm. “You’re my baby,” she told him. “God doesn’t make mistakes, sweetheart. How you find peace and love will make my heart proud.”

After yoga Jack tackled the weights harder than usual. He’d pushed himself, driven by the thoughts of his parents and how different each was towards him. He was grunting and struggling with a bench press when the bar seemed to lighten. He opened his eyes to see the grinning South African spotting him. He pressed two more reps before nodding gratefully. Jack felt the burn in his arms knowing he surpassed his previous record with weight and reps. After wiping the bench, Jack draped the cloth over his shoulder and decided to forego cardio in favour of a long, hot shower.

Jack strolled to the sink area with a towel wrapped around his lean waist. He was debating a shave when he heard a now-familiar voice beside him. Glancing over he saw his spotter also wrapped in a towel. He peered into the deep blue eyes before pulling himself back to his own task. He rubbed a palm over his cheek and muttered, “Nah, no need to shave. I’m allowed to look a bit scruffy on my birthday.” He heard a chuckle and glanced over again.

“I’m sure ladies would agree that you look totally sexy with a bit of stubble on your face.” His new friend was grinning, his perfect white teeth shining. “I leave mine that way too on my off days. I’ve got three ahead before I have to go smooth again.”

Interest piqued, Jack asked, “So where do you work that allows you to go rogue on days off?”

Willem laughed. “Hardly rogue, Jack. I’m here on LMO working at a resort in the mountains. I’m primarily a waiter but they often assign me other tasks as well. I’ve met some interesting characters and seen some impressive things while on housekeeping duty.” He waggled his eyebrows.

Jack looked puzzled. “What’s LMO? I’ve never heard of that before.”

Willem sighed. “I’m a temporary foreign worker. Part of the process companies undergo is submitting a Labour Market Opinion—LMO, to qualify for foreign workers. I’m here in Canada on a work visa but I’m limited to working for this resort only. They pay well, treat me reasonably good, and my return air ticket to South Africa will be bought by them. I’ve been travelling around North America this way. My present job allows me to stay for two years.”

Jack nodded. “Welcome to Canada. What did you do before starting out on this big adventure?”

Willem smiled. “It really is a big adventure. I reckon it’ll get cold in the mountains come winter. I was a field guide back home. You might know it better as a safari guide. I miss the bush but in these mountains I do get to keep my skills sharp even if I’m not permitted to make a living at it. I often take my fellow foreign workers on hikes. We’ve seen a lot but I’d like to go to other areas instead of around the lodge. Maybe you’d join me at some point?”

“I’d like that. I used to do a lot of hunting, fishing, and hiking before I got bogged down in my job at the family business. Anyway, Willem, I’ve got to get dressed and out. It was nice chatting. Hopefully I’ll see you here again.” He waved as he went to his locker.