Carer R steps in; Hold me tight!

Ball was in need of a massage...so I massaged him.

I haven’t touched my young friend in ages, and it felt good.

Lately we have grown apart, after his mother and her partner asked me to find work for members of his family.

I contacted my employer on their behalf. But after I presented them with the details, they lost interest.

I was annoyed when Ball failed to take up the offer. I felt even angrier after his brother and brother-in-law lost also interest in the idea, when I contacted my company a second time at their request.

I dropped in to carer R’s stand on Sunday night, but barely spoke to Ball. When I visited again last night, I was just as aloof.

Carer R, who knows me well, knew I was upset with Ball and his family.

Towards the end of the night, he asked me what was wrong.

Ball, who had noticed I was ‘not the same’, turned to me.

‘You are with friends. You can tell us your stories,’ he said.

‘You have done nothing wrong,’ I told him quickly.

I forgave Ball weeks ago for spurning my attempts to find him work, and didn’t want to dwell on that, so told him about another matter concerning my family overseas which was worrying me.

Ball listened patiently, and asked questions.

‘So there’s nothing about your life here which is upsetting you?’ he asked.

‘Not really,’ I said, half-heartedly.

Carer R, who was listening, chipped in.

‘Actually, there is something, Ball...’ he said. ‘Your family has been using the farang to find work. They asked him to recommend family members for jobs, which was inappropriate,' he added.

‘You should apply yourself. If an employer likes you, he will hire you. If not, you try somewhere else. You don’t try to take shortcuts by asking people to perform favours. It’s just wrong,’ he said.

Carer R told Ball about how his mother and her partner, baleful Lort, had asked me to find work for family members in addition to himself. None were interested, even after I contacted my company repeatedly on their behalf.

The story surprised Ball, who knew few of the details. He apologised.

‘I fight with Lort virtually daily. Don’t listen to a word he says,’ said Ball.

I admired carer R. Days had passed since we last spoke about the job search business. But as my friend, he wanted to say something.

After we cleared the air, I started to relax. Ball was still sore after a recent football game.

I massaged my young friend’s shoulders, legs, and anywhere else he ached, as he and R chatted away, and pointed to the parts of his body which needed work.

Ball looked at my ageing man’s hands, at least twice the size of his own.

I looked at his tiny hands, as fragile as those of a child.

Ball and I are lucky to have our mutual friend, carer R. He knew we were drifting apart, so stepped in to fix the problem.

Ball is just 19. We can forgive his lapses.

‘I am here for you, and you are here for me - when you remember,’ I thought, as I inhaled the scent of Ball’s hair and clothes.

I hugged my young friend. He felt wonderful; he always does.