A Modest Servant
By Steam Train ( steam_t2000@yahoo.com )
Chapter 13: Nothing but a Modest Servant.
I turned 16 in the July of that year and Mr Norris again made sure my whole family gathered to celebrate the occasion. Though I was now old enough to be legally fucked, Mr Norris was not going to take my cherry, at least not yet, me being a student at his school and in his eyes a definite conflict of interest existed between his role as my master and his duty of care as a teacher and educator to me, then there was the issue of his Christian beliefs as well.
Marcus and I discussed again wether we would go this step further in our relationship but were still shy and uncertain about making this ultimate sexual commitment.
Ed was in his last year of school, year 12. The trial Higher School Certificates came and passed for Ed and before I knew it, it was October and Ed was sitting for his Higher School Certificate. In October when the Year 12 students left their regular classes to sit the exam, we all moved up a year, so, I began Year 11, the first of my senior years
Once Ed had completed his exams we were all on tender hooks as to what the completion of his schooling would mean to our continued existence together as servants. Nothing had been said about what Ed would be doing now he was finished as a student at HTGS. He wanted to go to University and study Pharmacy, Mr Norris and Mr Riley knew this but they had never discussed if this was an option for a servant. I know both Ed and I felt that it was not. You never ever heard of a servant going to University. Servants were for the menial labours; freemen were always used in the better jobs.
It was a Wednesday afternoon in late November of my second year in servitude that I was called to go to Mr Riley's office. I was really nervous as I took the long walk down the corridors of the school from my classroom to the Administration building. Whenever I got a call to the Headmasters office it was invariably bad news.
I reported to Mr Riley's secretary who told me to go straight in. I knocked on the Headmasters office door and to my surprise it was opened by Ed. Inside apart from Ed were my mother, Mr Vanderbilt, Mr Norris, Mr Riley and to my horror mums solicitor Mr Holt. It was Mr Holt who had carried out the court order to have us placed into servitude. I had not seen him since that fateful day in March last year. I felt a flush of anger at seeing him but this was soon surmounted by a cold stabbing pain of fear that tore deep at my soul. Why was he here, it could only be more bad news.
Soon there was another knock at the door and when Ed opened it, there stood Jim.
He looked equally shocked.
I glanced over at Ed with a questioning look. He just shrugged his shoulders. My mind was thinking that mum was going to place Jim into servitude as well.
Mr Riley spoke first "Boys, I have called the three of you in here because your mother has some very important news that will effect you all. She has particularly requested a special appointment so that she can to tell you face to face. Even though two of you are indentured servants to this school and not technically entitled to special privileges like unscheduled visits awarded free citizens like your brother Jim. I have always allowed your mother access to you whenever she has requested it, today will be no different".
That last comment burned deep. I hated being treated differently to my younger brother just because we had the misfortune of being indentured to support him through school. Maybe that status was about to change to restore us all to the same level I thought, even if that level was as a servant.
Mum rose from her chair and looking at the three of us said, "Boys the last eighteen months have been very hard. On both you and I, however through that time I have found in Walter Vanderbilt our old family friend the companion and comforter I needed to pull me through the depressing days that followed your fathers sad demise".
"Boys, Mr Vanderbilt has asked me to marry him and I have accepted. Walter has no family and very truthfully admits that he does not want a family. He does not like being around children or teenagers. Now this was a problem, which we discussed openly and very frankly. I have, as your mother always taken the course of action I believed was best for you at that time. I now believe after Walters kind offer to marry me and his equally generous offer towards you three boys that the following decision is in your best interests'.
"Mr Vanderbilt has kindly offered Edward and Thomas, to pay out your indenture agreement to the school and thus restore you to free citizen status.
All three of us gasped and went to speak but mum held up her hand to signal silence and went on to say "He will also set up a trust fund to be administered by myself, Mr Riley, Mr Norris and Walter to ensure that all three of you can complete school and progress onto University or other pursuits if you so wish.
As part of Walters offer to set up this trust fund based on his desire not to inherit a teenage family and after long talks with Mr Riley and especially with Mr Norris, I will be signing documents to be filed in court that place you all up for adoption".
Again we gasped but this time in fear. Mum again raised her hand to silence us and said, " Before you panic too much boys I must inform you that Mr Norris has asked that he be allowed to become your legal parent and guardian under this adoption application. I have agreed to this".
She sat back down and looked at us. All three of us were too stunned at all this news and did nothing initially.
"Well" Mr Norris said, "Is the thought of having me as your legal parent such bad news that you can't even speak?"
Ed began to say how pleased he was about this but I finally had taken it all in and I raced over to Mr Norris and gave him the biggest possible hug and a real slobbery kiss. I was so happy that I again in my usual way when my emotions get charged up began to cry, tears of utter happiness flooding down my cheeks. Ed came over when he saw this and joined the hug. Jim hadn't been a part of our bonding process with Mr Norris and stood back but even he looked happy.
Finally Ed turned to mum and said "Mum it's not that we don't love you, we do, but over these last eighteen months or so we have developed a special affection for Mr Norris. He has been so caring and compassionate to us. A totally moral and good master, we have come to love him in a special type of way. Thank you mum for doing this for us. I know it was a hard decision for you. Thank you also Mr Vanderbilt for being so honest to mum about your feelings and for providing such a satisfactory solution to this awkward situation."
Mr Holt then rose from his chair and said "Edward Raymond Carter IV and Thomas John Carter, I, as a duly sworn solicitor of the State of New South Wales, do hereby confirm that His Honour Chief Justice George Unwin of the New South Wales Supreme Court has duly authorised and approved your mother, Joanna Delores Carter's request that you both be released from indentured civil domestic servitude for the remaining period of your original fifteen years, commensurate with and upon the payment made to and received and receipted at 10.45am by a duly appointed officer of the Supreme Court of New South Wales at Sydney this morning. I do thus by the power authorised to me as a solicitor and on the authority of the Supreme Court of New South Wales restore to you of all the rights and privileges accorded a free citizen as of (and again he looked at his watch) 2.13pm, today, November 23rd.
Mr Norris walked over to Ed and he appeared to touch Ed's servants collar. I heard a soft click as a key turned in the lock and he removed the collar with his hands. Ed immediately reached for and rubbed his neck, tears welling in his eyes. I didn't even have to wait till Mr Norris did the same to me, the emotional build up was too great, and the tears were again flowing down my face. The moment I had dreamed of but honestly thought would not occur for thirteen and a half more years had arrived. My collar was soon removed I was free again.
There was much hugging and joy in Mr Riley's office that afternoon. I cannot describe to you the feelings when you are restored to freedom.
Never take your rights and freedoms for granted as I did. It is only when you loose those rights that you realise what great privileges you once had. The frustrations, humiliation and pain I had suffered during those twenty months in servitude would change me forever. Many of you reading this account of my early life would say that that change was for the better and guess what? In hindsight I would probably agree with you.
I had become a better person; I now appreciated hard work and the rewards of that labour. More importantly I had found a loving parent in David Norris. I had also found Marcus and the joys of a gay relationship. None of these things would have happened if I had not been indentured into servitude.
However there is something wrong with removing a person's freedom for no reason but a human whim. Criminals have to be locked away if a danger to the community and non-dangerous criminals it can be argued serve a useful purpose to the community in public servitude. It is the loss of basic human rights that servitude brings that is it's biggest problem.
Modern civilisation is based on the rule of law. Servitude removes the Owner, the Master, the Overseer of the servants from many of the obligations that the law imposes upon normal citizens. With no such restraints of the rule of law, they take the liberties granted and the treatment of the servant suffers commensurably.
Eventually after many happy and emotional minutes the three of us were asked to leave and head over to Mr Norris's house and wait whilst the adults discussed some final arrangements about our adoption and trust fund.
It was a funny feeling walking back to Mr Norris's residence after we left the adults. The euphoria at being set free was short lived. I now had a funny empty feeling within me. I couldn't place that feeling as we walked together back to the house.
Once back at Mr Norris's house, I continued to feel strange. Something more than my collar was missing, I actually felt that part of me had gone with the removal of my collar. I sat there looking at Ed and Jim and they were looking at me. I decided in my mind what was missing.
I stood up went into my bedroom, changed into my sports uniform and began my usual household duties. Both Ed and Jim looked at me in surprise. "You don't have to do that now Tom" Ed said.
I stoped and looked at Ed and Jim and said "I know but I want too, I get one of my greatest fulfilments in life from serving Mr Norris so I am going to continue to do what I used to do for him as long as possible. You know Ed and Jim regardless of what the law thinks of my status now; I think I truly am nothing but a modest servant.
End Chapter 13