Brian sat in the hot seat patiently answering each and every question they threw at him. His eyes kept contact with the parents but his body language showed him leaning barely toward Justin. He needed this job. How hard could it be? He had been around someone with this condition before. It didn’t scare him. He just felt a nauseous feeling in his gut because of what his friend was going through. How could one live with knowing you could lose control of yourself at any time. Brian smiled, nodded, and answered when appropriate. As they talked, the need for this job became two fold. First, was the money for tuition plus he would save more because he could eat here a lot. Second, it was to free this kid. He had been wrong the kid was almost eighteen and he had a smile that radiated. He knew only too well how parents could treat their kids. These Taylors had no clue how this was affecting their son. Too them, it was all about appearances forgetting that Justin was alive and had feelings. He was 21, and he knew what this kid must be feeling at his age. He immediately had sensed that Justin was gay.

“You will be by his side 24/7 and you will make sure he takes his medicine. He is a great cook but watch him. We fear he will go into a seizure while cooking. He is to be as much stress free as possible.” Brian wanted to roll his eyes at that one but he kept eye contact. They were the ones putting pressure on him not allowing him to be free. He thought this boy was being treated as a non-person. To sit here and hear their parents talking about him as if he weren’t there and to treat him worse than a pet, how could they call themselves parents?

“Under the circumstances, there will be no days off. It is a short stint. Our son is very precious to us so keep him safe.”

Yeah, right, he thought. “I will ma’am. When do I start?”

“We leave in two days. I would like you to move in today so that we can show you how to take care of him during his bouts. We can see you in action.” Brian immediately saw a sigh of relief from Justin when he knew he was hired. He was rewarded with a great smile. It reminded him of sunshine.

“I will be glad to come back later. It will take about four hours to get my stuff and take care of putting my business in order.”

“Good. If you get here early enough, you will have time to acquaint yourself with Justin before we eat.”

“Sounds good. Glad to meet you both,” he said shaking hands. “You too, Justin.” The boy just nodded and smiled. Jennifer walked Brian to the door. He seemed perfect as a boy can be for the job. She will see how they interact today and tomorrow. She would have preferred an older woman or nurse to take care of him.

“Well Justin, We have a caregiver for you. Now make sure you behave around him. Don’t give him trouble.”

“I won’t Dad. Maybe he and I could become friends?” he said with hope in his voice.

“Now Justin. You know the rules. Employees are not friends nor should be. They are below you. They do our bidding. We expect nothing less and we don’t expect anything more. I thought I already taught you that.”

“You did.”

“Then stop being wistful. He is here only for your protection.”

And my imprisonment, Justin thought. “I will Dad.”

Brian drove to get his stuff. He hadn’t accumulated too much so it wouldn’t take long. He saw a couple of friends and told them that he was taking this job so he would be busy most of the time. He gave them his new address and phone number with the express warning not to call for about four days. He wanted to make sure the folks were gone before he started getting calls. He went to the bank and got some spending money.

He was back in three and a half hours. “I am ready to start, Mrs. Taylor.”

“Prompt, even early. I like that in an employee.”

“Thank you.”

“Let’s get you settled. Normally, we have an employee quarters but as caregiver you need to be here in the house. You will be bedding in the room across the hall from Justin. Take a few minutes to get settled in. This is the bathroom you will be using. When you are done, I will take you to Justin.”

“Thank you again, ma’am” She left to do some more packing. When she thought she had given him enough time, she knocked at his door.

“Come in.”

He was just putting the last of his clothes into a drawer. “Ready to meet Justin?”

“Yes, Mrs. Taylor.” This being polite was getting to him. She was truly clueless. He wished he could just tell her where to go but if he did Justin would not have his guidance. She escorted him around the grounds to the garden that Justin liked to sit in. The estate was big. It was a Japanese sculptured meditation garden, very peaceful. It had a rock in the center and sand around with a beautiful design laid forth. Brian sat down by Justin. “So Justin, why do you like this garden?” Brian wanted to get a feel for his charge. He sensed a hesitation in Justin. Then he noticed that Justin discreetly nodded toward a hidden camera.

Shit! They are being taped. “My parents reluctantly had this garden made for me. I am allergic to a ton of things and flowers are one of them. In fact, I am even allergic to Tylenol. Mom will probably give you a list. I wanted a place where I could be alone and just sit and think or do my art. They think my art is childish and that I am not that good. I want to be an artist.”

“I see.”

“Let’s walk. I am tired of sitting.”

“Okay.”

“I’ll show you the grounds.” It took them an hour to walk around the grounds. Brian noticed that some places Justin talked about nonsense stuff, fluff, but at other points in the walk, he confided in him. He took note on how the conversation went. He would investigate his suspicions later. A blaring sound was heard.

“What’s that?” Brian had jumped when he heard it. Justin laughed. “That’s just the dinner bell. It is blaring because I am usually into my zone and this screeching sound interrupts my thoughts. We better get there quick.” Justin took them back to the house via a shortcut. His parents always wanted him there promptly.

*****