Chapter 11

Reg explained, “It was much later, when I observed other children, that I saw how they and their parents seemed to act differently towards each other than my parents were with me. I decided there was something wrong with me, and that was how I couldn’t be loved like other children. I turned my attention to the world around me, and started studying it. I found school a great revelation, for the teachers started explaining what things were, and how they reacted, like water will do magical things if you manipulate it in a certain way.

The world, to me, was a mysterious and marvellous wonderland, just waiting to be discovered. Learning to read was a new magic for me. You could learn things without having to talk to other people. That was real magic!

Stories held no fascination for me. They were not real, I soon discovered, whereas books about real things were chock-a-block with fascinating discoveries.

I learned to not concern myself with love and other social interactions. I could survive without participation, except where the teachers insisted on it. If I wanted to learn from the teachers, I had to cooperate with them: I knew that, but I did the minimum necessary. When I got to the final year at school, it was the teachers who told me I should go to university, to enhance my education, and possibly become a scientist. To them, social skills were not necessary to be a scientist.

My mum was not interested in the concept of further education, for she was a widow and could not afford such fripperies – as she thought of university – and she saw it as unnecessary for a future life. To her, my future was as a factory worker, bringing in some cash to the household. Again, it was the teachers who came to my rescue, finding me grant aid from the school and from the university; persuading my mother that by allowing me to go to university she would be spared the cost of my keep, and when I graduated, I would get a better-paying job.

You can see, Freda, that being a loner was not really a rational choice for me; it was a survival tactic.”

“My goodness. What a life you must have lived, in such loneliness.”

“That is the funny thing, Freda. To me, it was normal. I didn’t feel lonely; not when I had the whole world of learning as my friend. Sport to me was getting out on my father’s old bicycle when I was tall enough to use it. I cycled all over, exploring the world around me. Nature, the rocks, the forests, the rivers, the coast; it all sang to me. I was fine on my own. It was a burden to interact with people more than the basics needed to live. You did need to be able to go into a shop to buy a tin of beans or a loaf of bread. That was essentially a transaction of goods for money, and I did not see that as socialising. You didn’t need to say much for that action to work well.

It was Frances and her tutor deal that changed everything for me. She is a wonderful girl, and then you and Erika joined in on her project. Suddenly I was being seen as a worthwhile individual, and you opened my eyes.” His eyes began to water at the thought, and he blinked to clear his vision.

Looking carefully at the food, he decided that everything was cooked as best it could be, and started to lay it out on the plates. “Freda darling, could you call the others, then finishing filling the plates, while I get started on Prudence’s scrambled eggs? They won’t take me long, so just shove my plateful in the oven to keep warm.”

“Sure, Reg.” Freda was glad to be able to assist. Seeing him able to cook was another unexpected side to her man. She gave the others a shout, “Food up!” and got busy allocating to the plates. When they all arrived she said, “Let me know if you need an alteration – things you don’t fancy, or want less or more of. I can adjust the quantities on the plates.”

She found that everyone was hungry, and had no food fads, so they all just grabbed a plateful and took it to the dining table. When she had Reg’s in the oven at a low heat, she took her own plate through, and informed Prudence that her scrambled eggs were being made.

Prudence nodded her thanks, adding, “A man who is useful at the cooker! Quite amazing, isn’t it, girls?”

Their mouths full, the other girls didn’t reply, simply trying to nod and chew at the same time. It was difficult, they found.

A few minutes later, Reg arrived bearing Prudence’s plate on a tray that he had found in the kitchen. He placed the tray in the girl’s lap, to make it easier for her to cope with the food in an armchair. She motioned him to bring his face down, and when he did, she kissed him.

“Thank you, Reg. You were wonderful today. Thank you for it all.” She turned her attention and energy back to the meal, while Reg went back to the kitchen to fetch his own meal from the oven.

Once he was back at the dining table, he soon caught up with the others in eating. He was hungry, he found. Looking after a sick person is not that easy, he reflected. Your ears are continually attuned to that person’s call for assistance, should it come, so that you cannot devote your entire concentration on a book. Watching television or listening to the radio would be even worse for paying attention to the patient, he had decided early in the day, so he had not switched on either.

Finishing his food, he became aware that he had not defecated all day, and was feeling the need now. Excusing himself, he left the room. When he was gone, chatter erupted among the girls.

Erika quizzed Prudence, “Pru, did you really expose yourself to Reg this morning?”

She answered, “I didn’t have much option, Erika. Last night Frances explained the ‘no sleepwear’ rule in the house, so when I had to get to the loo to vomit today, I was naturally naked. Reg was coming in to see if I was awake, and heard me retching in the bathroom, so he did the best thing, and came to help.

I was glad of that supporting hand on my forehead, or my face would have been practically down the loo basin among the sick! It took ages before I actually became conscious of the fact that I was naked in front of a man.

I was too ill to really notice, and Reg, bless his heart, acted as if I was fully dressed. At no time did he ogle me; in fact, I felt annoyed that my breasts were being ignored as too small for a man to be interested in them.

Then he told me that he had seen other girls naked, so it didn’t bother him. THAT caught my attention! I decided that he had seen at least some of you naked, and was comfortable with it. That said a lot about your relationship with him. It was a lot deeper than a simple ‘girlfriends’ attachment. It suggested he was familiar with your bodies too, enough that he could view me as just another naked girl as he helped me into and out of the bath.

He fetched a bath towel for me to wrap myself in, quite demurely. As I sat on the bathroom stool, wrapped up, I took a gamble. I called to him as he was going away, and opened the bath towel to give him a full frontal view of skinny me, in a final attempt to be properly noticed.”

“Wow!” Erika voiced. “Living dangerously there, girl!”

“Yes. He looked me up and down, checking out my breasts and right down to my pussy hair, and remarked, ‘Lovely body. Thanks for the view.’ And then he walked away!

I didn’t know whether to be annoyed that he walked away, or pleased that he liked the look of my skinny frame. I decided to go with the compliment he had uttered, quite unselfconsciously. I found myself thinking, “He actually meant it: he thinks I am lovely!”

Erika remarked, “You found what we found. Reg seems to appreciate everyone for themselves, not by their facial prettiness or not. He sees you as lovely; he sees me as lovely; he sees Freda as lovely; he sees Frances as lovely. Lovely? Us plain girls, he genuinely sees us as lovely?

Can you understand now why we fell for him? He is the first really kind man I have ever met, Prudence. He has no hang-ups about the variations between people. He sees the world of people in one way only: himself, and the rest; with no distinctions as to their being worthwhile individuals or not. As far as he is concerned, he is at the development stage of a young child who views the world of people as all being nice people, unless one learns otherwise.

He intrinsically knows not everyone is nice. His parents showed him that fact, but he still looks on other people with that sense of wonder that small children have. He seems to have begun by admiring the wonderful world around him, and added the people as part of that wonderful world. That is why being alone never bothered him: he never FELT alone. He was simply functioning on his own. He enjoyed his own company and the joy of exploring the world.

People were there, populating the world around him. He just did not feel compelled to interact with them, for he had been forcibly taught by his parents’ attitude towards him that social bonds were not important.

This is why it was not just US that were attracted to HIM. HE was attracted to US because we told him that social bonds had meaning, and that he needed to learn about them. It was a quid pro quo, so that we were not expecting something for nothing. He tutored us; we taught him to be a social person, and he is coming along in leaps and bounds.”

Reg appeared at the door again, and Erika dropped the conversation at once.

He appeared not to notice the change, and he spoke again. “I have to collect the empty plates and get them washed, girls. Are you all finished? If so, pile them on the table, and shove the cutlery on top. That will make it easy for me to shift.”

Frances said, “Don’t you want to use the dishwasher, Reg?”

“You have one? I didn’t notice. Never mind. For all that there is, I can get them hand washed quickly.” He laughed, remembering. “I once asked my mother why we didn’t get a dishwasher. For a change, she didn’t mention the cost, just pointed at me and said “I have got a perfectly good dishwasher, young man.”

The girls didn’t know whether to laugh or not at that reality scenario, so giggled at the word picture he painted. Reg picked up the pile of dirty dishes, and took them off to the kitchen.

Frances told Prudence, “He is much improved, but little things throw him off, and he gets confused at times, where you and I would have no bother. Listen to him when he talks about subjects: he is authoritative, and assertive, because he knows he is right. In social matters, he is sometimes okay, when he thinks he has it sussed. At other times, where he is less sure, he needs help or reassurance to find his way through.

Remember this, Prudence. Take care with him. He is not a toy, he is a boy in a man’s body; a split mind, half adult, half childish. Cause him any harm, and you will have me to answer to, Prudence.”

“And me as well, Prudence”, said Erika.

“Ditto for me,” added Freda. “We are his protectors, Prudence. Don’t forget it.”

Prudence stared at them in turn. “My God! You love him, love him enough to stand up for him. I am astonished, but I think I get you. He engenders your mothering instincts, at the same time as you see him as your man.

Okay, ladies. You have my word that I will do nothing to harm him.”

The trio calmed down at this promise, and relaxed.

Prudence came up with a valid point. “Girls, am I staying here tonight, or do I have to go home?”

Frances asked her, “Tell us how you are feeling, Prudence.”

“Not as bad as I was. I still have the nausea hanging around, though I don’t feel that I am about to be sick. My headache is still throbbing, but not disastrously so, in fact it never got as seriously bad as Frances thought it might. My muscles are sore, and I am very tired, but if I was taken home to the dorm, I could get to bed and try to sleep it off.”

Frances was not convinced. “Nope. You are not well enough to be on your own, Prudence. I think you should spend another night here, and one of us should stay with you. Not Reg, but one of us girls. I don’t trust you alone with Reg when you are feeling better.”

Prudence smiled and said, “Reg would have been a nice option, though. Okay, I would be happy with any of you, just in case I get worse during the night. You wouldn’t want me calling Reg again, I see.”