Chapter Ten
Merlin and Arthur sat on a bench in the park on the laptop, with a small picnic, as Mordred ran around with the other children.
Merlin finished typing on the laptop. "Ok. Resume done. Short and sweet."
"Ok," Arthur said. "Save the file, then go online and email it to me." Mordred watched as other children interacted with a clown, before he ran over to the bench. "Then we'll go on Craigslist and do some job hunting."
"Ok, what's your email address?" Merlin asked.
Arthur looked a little embarrassed before he answered. "inferno " Merlin looked at him suddenly. "It's, um …"
"I know what inferno means."
"The pirate ship on the Goonies," Mordred interjected.
"Yes, it is, hunny, but I don't think that's what he's referring to."
Arthur looked at them with even more embarrassment. "Actually, it is what I'm referring to." Merlin looked at him curiously. "What? It's one of my favourite movies."
"You know Mikey had asthma," Mordred said excitedly.
"I know."
"But he still goes on an adventure and finds the treasure. Pretty cool, huh?"
"Pretty cool," Arthur smiled.
"How come people like clowns?" Mordred asked, looking at the clown in the distance. "I think they're scary."
Arthur looked at him in mild surprising. "Me too. I had a clown at a birthday party once and had nightmares for weeks afterwards."
"Sometimes I have nightmares that a monster's chasing me," Mordred confessed.
"What's he look like?" Arthur said with concern. Merlin looked between them in concern.
"I don't look at him. I just know that he's scary."
Arthur lent down so he was eye level with Mordred and said, "Well, I'll teach you a secret way to deal with monsters. When you face him, he's goes away."
"I don't know," Mordred said looking unconvinced.
"Trust me. Try it the next time you have a nightmare. I promise it'll work."
"Ok. I'll try it."
Merlin looked at Mordred with slight concern before changing the subject. "Why don't you try cleaning up those plates first?"
"Ok, Dad," Mordred answered, before picking up the paper plates and walking over to the bin.
"Thank you," he said before closing the laptop and turning to Arthur.
Arthur watched Mordred as he put the plates in the bin. "He's a special little guy," he said to Merlin.
Merlin looked over at Mordred and replied, "Yeah, he is."
Merlin, Mordred and Arthur were now in Merlin's flat. Merlin sat at the coffee table with Arthur's laptop as Mordred and Arthur looked on from beside him.
"I know how to use a computer," said Mordred.
"Oh yeah? Do you know how to do your homework?" Merlin asked without looking up from the screen.
Mordred groaned. "But it's Saturday."
"Oh good," Merlin replied dramatically, "then you can get a head start."
"Ok." Mordred turns and goes to his room.
Merlin is searching for jobs online.
Merlin is looking at an advert for a receptionist. "Ok, how about this? Receptionist at an insurance company. Must know word. Check. Starting pay $10 an hour and benefit after probation period. What do you think?"
"Yeah," Arthur answered uncertainly. "Um, thing is, receptionists usually look a certain way."
"You mean classy."
"It's not you, Merlin, it's your clothes. And maybe your hair." Arthur quickly continued as Merlin started to protest. "Like it or not people judge other people by the way they look, they make certain assumptions."
Merlin looked angry. "Like you assumed I was stupid when you met me."
Arthur looked apologetic. "Sometimes first impressions are wrong."
Merlin continued to type angrily.
Mrs Pendragon was sitting on the sofa reading. She looked up as Arthur walked through the door and smiled.
Arthur saw his mother and smiled, walking over to her. "Hey, Mum."
"Arthur," she said, smiling even more. "What a pleasant surprise."
"I'm, um, looking for some of my old boos from when I was a kid. There's a little boy I want to give them to.
Mrs Pendragon looked mildly surprised before answering. "Oh, well, I packed them away in the garage but I can find them for you."
"Thanks, Mum."
"So, how your class assignment going?" his mother asked.
"I'm having a little trouble actually," Arthur replied honestly. "I'm trying to help a young single father, who's unemployed, find a job, but he's living on a shoe string budget and doesn't have the proper clothes for job hunting."
Mrs Pendragon looked up at him as an idea came to her. "Why don't you take him to that place where I donate all your father's old clothes. They have this new programme twice a week, make-up and hair styling for the less … fortunate."
Arthur smiled at his mother. "That's a great idea, Mum."
"Why don't you sit down and tell me all about this young man."
Arthur looked at her uncomfortably. "Actually I gotta run, I'm on a mission."
Mrs Pendragon looked disappointed. "Ok I'll find those books for you."
"Great. Thanks mom." Arthur turned and left the house.
"Bye," she replied sighing, before returning to her book.
Arthur is standing in a charity shop, waiting for Merlin. Merlin comes out of the changing room wearing a smart shirt, suit jacket and tie.
"Ok?" he asked uncertainly.
Arthur smiled at him, "More than ok."
"I need shoes."
Arthur points at a display table with a variety of shoes.
Merlin looked at them before choosing a pair of stylish trainers.
Arthur smirks, "Nice try." He picks up a pair of black working shoes. "How about these?" he said as he passed them to Merlin.
Merlin looked at them before trying them on. He hopped up and down trying to put them on.
"Here, let me help you," Arthur said, kneeling down in front of him and helped to put the second shoe on.
Merlin and Arthur looked at each other. They both want to say something but both are unafraid to be the first.
"Mr Emrys?" a stylist interrupts.
"Time to get your hair done," Arthur said as he stood up.
Merlin turned before walking over to the stylist.
Arthur looked around before walking outside to put money in the parking meter
Arthur walked back in just as Merlin finished his make over. Merlin turned around in the chair. He has a brand new hair style that makes him look more professional than he was before. Arthur looked at him, speechless.
"Well?" Merlin asked
Arthur is unable to form coherent sentences. "You look, um … well, it's ah …" Merlin smirked, while watching Arthur, "… it's nice, you look nice."
Merlin smiled at Arthur.
Merlin, dressed in his new outfit, walked to Arthur's car.
"Hi," Merlin said, cheerfully.
"Hey," Arthur replied.
"Where are we going?" asked Merlin.
Arthur looked at him in pleasant surprise. "You look …"
"What?" Merlin asked nervously.
"You look very professional," he replied, smiling.
"Thanks," Merlin said, as he got into the car. "Where to?"
Arthur looked at him before replying. "Well I was reading this article about jobs in the healthcare field, specially certified nursing assistants."
"Certified means you have a certification. I don't have that, so …"
"Hold on," Arthur said gently. "Some convalescent homes provide on the job training. You work, you get paid, you get your certificate in only a few weeks."
"Really?" Merlin asked excitedly
"I found one near here, right on this bus route," Arthur said, before starting the car and driving off.
Arthur waited outside the home, while Merlin goes inside for the interview. Merlin and an employer walked out of the office and through the corridors.
"I'll be frank, Mr Emrys," she began as she looked over his employment record, "you work record is not impressive."
"I realise that," Merlin replied with slight desperation, "but if you let me explain, I think I can persuade you I'm worth taking a chance on."
"Very well. What do you have to say for yourself?" she asked as they continued to walk along the corridor.
Merlin walked out of the front entrance looking disappointed as he walked towards Arthur.
"It's ok," Arthur said when he saw the look on Merlin's face. "There's many other places we can try."
"No, it's ok," Merlin said, before smiling brightly. "I got it."
"All right!" Arthur exclaimed, as he and Merlin hugged before pulling back looking uncomfortable.
Merlin looked at his watch, before saying, "I need to pick up Mordred. If I don't hurry, I'll be late."
"How about I give you a ride?"
"Oh, you gotta have stuff to do."
"I can free up some time," Arthur insisted. "Maybe take you and Mordred out for a burger. A little celebration," he said, smiling uncertainly.
Merlin smiled even more. "Mordred would love that," he said as they both smiled.
Merlin, Arthur and Mordred sat at a table in a burger bar.
"Can I have the last french fry?" Mordred asked, while looking at Arthur..
"Sure, buddy. Go ahead."
"Thanks," Mordred replied before turning to Merlin. "Hey, Dad, can I have a gumball?"
Merlin went into his coat pocket.
"Here," Arthur said, reaching into his pocket. "I've got a pocket full of change."
Merlin looked at Arthur and said, "No, no, that's ok," before taking out a single coin and turned to Mordred. "One."
"Thanks, Dad."
"Scram," Merlin said as Mordred went to the gumball machine.
"Those gumballs are kinda small," Arthur noted.
"Yeah," Merlin replied looking at him. "I know you mean well, Arthur, but you're just passing through our lives, and I don't want him to get used to things I can't provide on my own."
"I understand," Arthur replied honestly. "It must be hard raising him all alone. You mind if I ask where his mother's at?"
"She's somewhere where the child support collection division can't find her," Merlin answered disheartened. "She turned up a few days after Mordred was born, put him in my arms and then left, and that's the last time I saw her."
"I got a red one," Mordred said as he came back to the table.
"Put it in your pocket for later, ok?" Merlin told him. Shane nodded. "Hey, guess what?" Merlin asked.
"What?"
"We gotta go."
"Oh, Dad," Mordred groaned.
"You wanna know why?"
"Why?"
"Homework," Merlin said in a bored voice. Arthur smiled at the two of them.
"Homework," Mordred repeated in the same bored voice.
"Come one," Merlin said.
The three of them walked towards the door of the flat.
"Mordred, you should thank Arthur for dinner," Merlin said as they stopped in front of the door.
"Thanks."
"You're welcome, Mordred," Arthur replied.
Merlin turned to Mordred. "I need you to start your homework, then I'm gonna come help you in a minute ok?"
"Ok," Mordred replied. He opened his bag and took out his rubber band ball and gives it to Arthur. "Here. I made it myself. It bounces funny, but it's still good. Night," he said before going inside.
"Thank you, Mordred," Arthur said with slight shock.
Merlin turned to Arthur smiling. "Wow. You really rate."
"He's a good kid."
"He's been through a lot," Merlin said with a frown. "He's got a big heart."
"I think you had something to do with that," Arthur told him with honesty.
Merlin smiled at the compliment.
"Has he always had health problems?" Arthur asked with concern.
"The first time I took him to the emergency room he was just a few weeks old," Merlin said, his voice wavering slightly. "The doctor told me later that we almost lost him."
"It must have been terrifying," Arthur said in shock.
"I've been scared ever since," Merlin said honestly. "I wake up two or three times a night, just to check that he's breathing. On the really bad nights, I just pray to God to let him live."
"You really believe in God?"
"Yeah. When I look in my son's eyes I do."
"I'm not sure if I do," Arthur said downheartedly.
"Really?" Merlin said in surprise. "You have so much to be thankful for. You've every reason to have faith."
"And you have absolutely no reason to, so obviously it has nothing to do with logic."
"What would God have to give you to make you have faith?" Merlin asked him.
Arthur looked at him with a sad smile before answering honestly. "Someone who loves me the way you love Mordred."
Merlin looked at him in slight shock before saying, "Well, I'm sure your parents love you, are proud of you."
"My mum, well my mum has a drinking problem and my father despises her for being weak, so I've spent my whole life trying to prove to him that I'm not like her."
"You don't feel like enough either, do you?"
Arthur smiled slightly before saying, "I feel like a kid who's always making mistakes."
"Well, I feel like I am a mistake, so there you go," Merlin said half-jokingly.
"You're not a mistake, Merlin," Arthur said and they both smiled. "Hey, do you think you could get a babysitter for Saturday?"
"Maybe. Why?" Merlin asked.
"Hey, Dad, you coming?" Mordred called from inside.
Merlin looked at Arthur as he pointed towards the door.
"It's a surprise, Just make sure you wear jeans," Arthur smiled before he walked away.
Merlin smiled confusedly before going inside.