Date: Fri, 26 Aug 2005 04:15:45 -0700 (PDT)
From: Steam train <steam_t2000@yahoo.com>
Subject: A Modest Servant Chapter 13

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