Date: Mon, 4 Dec 2006 23:27:02 -0800 (PST)
From: Steam Train <steam_t2000@yahoo.com>
Subject: Even the Modest Must Serve  Chapter 15

Even the Modest Must Serve
By Steam Train   ( steam_t2000@yahoo.com )

Chapter 15: Nothing but a Modest Servant.

I had turned 16 in July of that year whilst on those
horrid summer holidays and Mr Norris had 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, 12th grade. Both Ed
and I were all on tender hooks as to what the
completion of his schooling would mean to our
continued existence together as slaves. Nothing had
been said about what Ed would be doing once he was
finished as a student at PHS. He wanted to go to
College and study Pharmacy, Mr Norris and Mr Riley
knew this but they had never discussed if this was an
option for a indentured slave. I know both Ed and I
felt that it was not. You never ever heard of a slave
of any type going to University. Slaves 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 affect 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 slave.

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
father's 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's 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
College or other pursuits if you so wish.

As part of Walters offer to set up this trust fund is
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 lawyer, do hereby confirm that Chief Judge
George Unwin of the 5th Circuit of the U.S. District
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 District Court office at the United
States Courthouse Eastbrook, this morning. I do thus
by the power authorised to me on the authority of the
District Court 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 15