Khoe; A Tale of Sadness & Joy Ch. 02

"You draw well," she said with a smile, as she reached across to take his hand and turn it over. "How did you manage to get such a set of callouses? This one here has drawn my attention for a time. The rest are all what I might expect from a man who works with his hands, but ... what is this?" She didn't let go if his hand for a long moment. It was summer, but she liked the warmth that she felt there.

He shrugged, "I don't do it here, and I'm going to pay the price for stopping, but I lift weights. This right here, ..." He looked down and smiled a little in some embarrassment, "I found some work one fall as an extra in a movie that was being filmed when I was about to go to Police College for the winter semester. I'd just gotten back from here and helping out my aunt and uncle for the summer, so I guess the work of that must have shown to somebody and they pulled me out of the hundreds of hopefuls.

I was chosen to play one of the bad guys and they wanted a guy who was built like me, I guess. That was all good, but the role needed somebody who could use a sword. All of the regular guys that they would have called had all turned it down because they already had other commitments, so somebody looked at me and the next thing I knew, I was being taught.

The man and woman who taught me were only supposed to teach me just enough for the scenes that I was going to be in, but they saw that I had an interest -- which is an understatement. Whoever gets the chance to learn things like that these days? I jumped in and learned anything they taught me. They saw how keen I was, so they kept teaching me and I took in all that I could.

I sure didn't mind, since it turned a two week job into a couple of month's work. I had to get up at like three in the morning for the whole time. By the time that it was over, I nearly had pneumonia, since I was always in not much more than a ratty fur over my shoulder and the final shooting for my part was in early December. Anyway, I made a bit of money and when I asked, they let me keep one of the fake swords and the couple let me have one of the real ones that we never used during the fight scenes."

He smirked and it turned into a laugh, "Looking back on it now, if I had a brain -- and an agent, I might be working in the movies. I still practice what I learned. The sword is heavy, since I was like one of the bad Vikings in the picture, and swinging that around for an hour every other day, sure helps my wrists and my arms."

"So you had to fight with the sword in the movie?" she asked.

"Yeah," he nodded, "and of course, since I was one of the bad-asses in the bunch, I had to die a rather spectacular death, though not as bad as the big boss bad guy. I had a few lines, but they weren't much more than grunts and yells. The fights were choreographed pretty much like a dance."

"I would like to have seen that," Taeko smiled, "What was the name of the movie? I would like to rent it sometime so that I can see my landlord in action."

"I have a copy, or uh, ... six, "he laughed as he told her the name of the picture, "but they're all at home out west. It wasn't a huge hit, so most people have never heard of it."

"Then I will try to rent it when I return home, "she smiled, but then she frowned a little, "I have never heard of it. I don't mind that, but I hope that I can find a copy of it in Japan.

Are you hungry? I'm very happy that I met you and, "she looked down a little shyly, "perhaps it shows that I don't know anyone here, but I am hoping that you might allow me to buy dinner -- that is, if it is alright with you and if you don't have any more people to evict today."

He looked at her and he just couldn't help himself as he grinned a little, "I'd like that very much, Khoe. Where were you thinking of going?"

"Well I don't have anything very fancy to wear, so it should be someplace where casual dress is permitted."

- After locking up and reminding him not to forget his little bonsai tree, they were off. Kerry was a little surprised, but Taeko pointed to a Wendy's and asked what the food was like there. After his brief explanation, she asked if they could eat there.

"You said that you went to a Police College," she said, "You are a farm policeman? Do they have such things here?"

"No," he said, "I used to be a cop. I went through a bad episode a while back, and afterwards, I found that I just didn't have it in me anymore to want to come back. "He related a little of what had happened and Taeko apologized for troubling him with the question.

"It's alright, Khoe," he said, "No harm done. These days, I don't know what I really want. I suppose that I could stay here and run everything that my uncle left to me. The soil is good enough, but the city keeps growing northward and soon, all that I'd see around me is little boxes everywhere. If I could get used to that, the best thing would be to stay and work the land until some developer comes along with a fist full of money and sell then. But I haven't got it in me for that either.

I guess I'll just pocket what I get out of all of this and invest it, so I can go back home and fix my place up. I'll figure out what I want to do with my life sometime during all of that -- I hope."

"I have an idea," Taeko said, "But I don't know if it would be of use to you. I have no fear of work and I know a little about farming. Let me work for you to help you finish and in exchange, you take me with you when you go to your home. I will help you to know what must be done for your garden at least, and then I will go back to Japan when my visa runs out."

Kerry blinked at her, not really comprehending, so she went on, "You would not have to pay me. I see it as a partnership to go west, and I have not spent much of my traveling money at all, so I could contribute to what we eat."

He was about to shake his head.

"It will be a very different summer and maybe fall," she smiled, trying to coax him a little, "I know no one here and I have just met someone who I wish to know, so unless you have a girlfriend who would be jealous, we might each have a friend from somewhere else."

He looked at her and in his expression; she saw that what she was saying was not really in any frame of reference for him, so she put a little more into it and it came out of her as a question, "I could start at any time?"

Kerry threw up his hands then, since despite having feelings to the contrary, he just couldn't see a reason not to try it. He found himself liking her a great deal and she seemed to be full of little surprises, so he gave in. Taeko was pleased, since this gave her a way to go slowly west and leave the country at a different point, see some of it at the same time, and maybe have a little fun with a very attractive man whom she liked.

She knew deep down that she shouldn't be doing it this way, but her life was always full of strategy and tactics; the handling of the unforeseen problems which sometimes crop up, no matter how well something is planned out with contingencies along the way. She was usually as cold as ice, but she was still a woman at the core of her. This was a chance for a bit of careful fun before she had to leave.

They saw each other a few times during the next week. Kerry decided after that evening that he had more than what might be termed a polite interest, and if the question had been asked of him that way, he'd have laughed and nodded. She was a rather gorgeous enigma to him and he was fascinated.

He was so fascinated that as he drove home that first night, he'd almost stomped on the brakes when he was about a block away from her home, wanting to beat his head against the steering wheel.

He'd forgotten to ask her out.

He couldn't believe that he'd been so stupid, but then after a moment, he had to grin to himself. She was just that kind of girl, he told himself.

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She couldn't believe it at first. Taeko had been doing a little explorative clean up and she'd stumbled upon a child's yard pool in a shed. The sort where you just put it someplace and fill it up before you turn your kids loose and plug your ears while they have fun.

It took her a little while to figure that out, not knowing all that much about children and their habits. She was going to put it back when she suddenly wondered if it might still hold water. It was the semi-rigid kind, made out of plastic, but that meant that you didn't have to blow anything up to use it.

She carefully dragged it out into the dappled sunshine to look at it. It hadn't gone brittle, so she guessed that it had lived almost all of its existence in the shed, knowing that things like this don't last in open sunshine for all that long. The sunlight attacks the plastic and the whole thing becomes brittle, as inflexible as a pie crust. But this one looked fine, not even faded. It gave her an idea.

Five minutes with the hose, a little scrubbing, and she had a pool to lounge in; out of the heat of the day. She almost laughed.

The weather had turned hot and humid and her home had no air conditioning. She began to fill it on the spot.

Then again, she thought as she watched the water level rising, she had no bathing suit. She looked around and decided that this place was remote enough. She just had to keep an eye on the long walk. Where she'd placed the pool wasn't in plain sight very much and it was in about three-quarters shade. It would do and it beat the heck out of sitting in the bathtub.

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Kerry spent most of the morning working in one way or another, but he did have to go to town for a couple of things, so he planned to maybe stop by to ask Khoe out if she was at home. The trick of it was that it was sweltering hot today, and he had no AC in his truck. So he was a little mindful to hopefully not get too sweaty by the time that he drove over.

It didn't work out as well as he'd hoped but he didn't really want to wait another day. So he drove over when he could, working up his question in his mind and wondering why. He was long past the point where a man might feel a little hesitant over something like this, but well, ... He didn't want to blow it.

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She heard the truck slow and then stop.

Taeko didn't know who it was as she lay in the cool water with her eyes closed in a bit of bliss, though she did have an idea that it might be Kerry. She liked him. It surprised her to realize that she liked him quite a bit. She was normally never like this toward any man. Well, usually toward any person, as far as that went.

She opened her eyes, knowing that she had a few more seconds.

What didn't surprise her much was the knowledge that she'd been right. It was him. She could guess what brought him here and she didn't mind. There was just the issue of her present state of dress.

Well, he was a man and she knew how to play this, so she waited, knowing that the situation presented her with the opportunity to set one of the many hooks that it took to land a man in this culture. She knew that she shouldn't really be having these thoughts, but she was faced with a long stay in this country somewhere. It might as well be with a man who was as likeable and attractive as this one.

What surprised her was the pace of his approach. He was walking quickly, though the expression on his face gave no indication that anything might be wrong. It didn't change much for her, other than move up the timing of her next move.

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Kerry looked up as he walked and then he stopped dead in his tracks.

He suddenly saw the kiddie pool there in the dappled shade of the yard and he saw, ...

Holy ...

He watched as Khoe got to a sitting position and then stood up out of the water, rising from a cross-legged position into a standing one like some oriental version of that 'Birth of Venus' painting that he'd seen once .

He was maybe fifty feet away as he saw her get to her feet, absolutely naked, facing away from him. From her body language, he doubted that she was aware of his presence, so now he had a problem, not wanting to be rude or ungentlemanly.

He kicked himself, wishing now that he'd had the presence of mind to whistle as he'd walked up unannounced. It would have saved what just had to turn into something really, really awkward. He thought about turning right around and walking away.

That would have been what his mother would have told him would be the right way to handle this. He knew it, and he found himself mentally agreeing with the voice of his mom in his ear.

But then as he was still standing there a little transfixed in shock, she bent over to pick up a towel.

And this girl had the ability to seize up his ribcage when she was fully clothed, he remembered.

Holy Mother of Toilet Seat, ... he thought. She was ... well, she sure was, for damn sure.

She lifted the towel and covered the front of her body, using one hand to move her long, wet, black mane so that it almost, though not quite covered the most lovely ass on the continent as he saw it, telling him with the motion that she was quite unaware of his presence.

Kerry spun around to look in the direction of his truck and he told the two chickadees and the sparrow on the tree branches nearby that he was sorry. They didn't appear to be impressed at all, but he knew that she'd hear him.

"Hello, Kerry," he heard, guessing from the sound that she was approaching him, "you can turn around now. I'm very sorry if I shocked you, but it's hot and I have no swimsuit. I thought that I could keep an eye on the road and the walk, but it felt so nice that I must have closed my eyes."

He was looking down at the moment, considering the toes of his workboots and wondering how the hell he was going to pull himself out of this fire. "I should have called out or whistled or something. I'm the one who should apologize, Khoe. I came to, um, ..."

She walked around to the front of him then, walking into his field of view like a vision holding the towel around her, her head tilted in a hopeful little smile, trying to put him at ease at least a little.

"You came to forget what you came for?" She laughed a little nervously, but it offered him the chance to move past the point where he was presently stuck at.

"I wanted to ask you last night if you'd like to have dinner with me again this evening," he said, still in a little agony at the embarrassment that he must have caused her.

"I can't this evening," she said, "Tomorrow evening?"

He nodded, "That would be fine, Khoe. Can I pick you up at say, seven or so?"

She nodded enthusiastically, "I'd like that. And please stop blushing, Kerry. I'm the one with only the towel on. It was my fault."

He nodded, noticing the feeling of heat on his face for the first time. "Ok," he smiled down, "Thanks."

"Thank you, Kerry. I will see you then, alright?"

He nodded, smiling and then he began to walk away. Taeko did as well in the opposite direction.

She knew that she shouldn't be doing this, but, ...

Kerry walked off slowly, thoroughly confused over nothing, still feeling the aftereffects of his embarrassment, still needing to, ... will himself not to look back.

He looked back.

Taeko knew that he would. She didn't look back herself. She didn't need to. When she was in the edge of the shade as she neared the pool, she took the towel away from herself, walked the last thirty feet to the pool, and laid the towel on the ancient webbed lawn chair that she'd found with the pool and stepped back into it, sinking back down to lie back, never once looking back as though she trusted him to have continued on back to his truck.

And knowing that he wouldn't; not until she was she was done with this little show for him.

She felt a little guilt for the way that she'd set the hook and told herself -- once again - that she shouldn't be doing this. It wasn't as though she was trying to catch this man for herself to make a great love with him for their lives. The tactic would have worked well in that regard and he appeared to her to be so worth it though they didn't know each other all that well yet.

She thought about it, wanting suddenly to leave her life behind and have THAT life and love with this man. She didn't know everything about this culture, but she knew that it was possible with him and he was so different from what she'd have expected in a man from around here.

He was worth it. A man like him was worth a lot to someone like her.

But she knew that it wasn't possible for her to have him and that life with him. It made her a little sad. There was no reason that she couldn't have gone to dinner with him that evening. She had nothing planned at all. She'd only been setting the hook in a little deeper, that was all.

She sighed a little. Sometimes she just hated her occupation.

Kerry finally found his brain and began to walk back to his truck. He made it the whole way without tripping or stumbling once and then he got in, slipping the key into the ignition. He looked back up the walk and saw nothing of the pool or the mysterious woman who would now occupy his thoughts.

He liked what he'd seen, but it wasn't just that. He really liked Khoe. She never saw anything as a big deal. He realized then that he wanted a woman like that.

He turned his head to look out over the steering wheel at the road ahead for a moment, but he wasn't seeing that. He was seeing a replay of her incredibly pretty bottom walking away from him.

"Please God," he smirked to himself, "If I promise to be a really good boy and go to church, help the poor and save the whole fucking world, I don't give a damn about taking up any more space in Heaven. Just let me have the love of that woman and I'd die happy in those arms. I don't give a rat's ass what happens after that."

He heard the engine rev a little and remembered that if he was going to go anywhere now, he had to put the truck in gear first. He drove off a little slowly.

Taeko heard it as well as the sounds of him driving off. She smiled to herself -- not for doing what she'd done -- just because she liked him.

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The following Tuesday when he drove over to pick her up as agreed, he found her sitting amid her meagre belongings and they loaded up his truck and she followed him on her bike to his uncle's house. Kerry had weighed things in his mind and her argument that the few weeks of rent were of questionable benefit in light of a possible sale of the property during the interim. Taeko said that she'd continue to pay him rent until her had a serious offer.

By that afternoon, the realtor called and said that she had an interested buyer, so he listened to her and agreed tentatively to their offer.

He pressed the disconnect button on his cell phone and went looking for her. He found her belongings in the room that he'd given her for her use, but she wasn't there. She was in the barn, unwrapping four wooden practice swords.

"What are you doing?" he asked, amazed.

She laughed and held out her hands, "You are not the only one with a need to swing something. I bought these at a martial arts supply store yesterday. Sad to say, they didn't have anything like what you must be familiar with, but we can have fun with these." She set them down and walked over to him, "but first, I think there must be something here which the farmers must attend to, isn't there?"

"Yeah," he laughed a little as he glanced at his watch and then looked out toward the road, "but neither of us is going to like it much."

He pointed to a tank truck which was grinding slowly up from the road, "For the next few hours, things are gonna smell a little ripe around here. I pulled one early harvest out of that field over there and I ploughed what was left under before I tilled and disked it a few times. It's not the right way to do it, but I want to try to get a second harvest out of that one if I can."