My Reader – Chapter Eight – Wouldn't It Be Lovely?
"Do we have any plans today?" Blaine asked Kurt after breakfast.
"No, well, just helping you with your physical therapy if you need me," Kurt replied.
"I need to be at the therapist's at eight. I'm only scheduled for half an hour every day this week. Then they'll bump it up to a full hour next week," Blaine explained.
Kurt rolled his eyes. He knew all of this, he had been at the doctor's office with Blaine, then at every one of his appointments. Blaine's brother had gone back to Princeton, and his dad was at work...wherever that was. Linden Anderson was still a big mystery and Kurt wanted answers, but each time he thought of asking it just didn't seem right. Actually, Kurt was still reeling from last night's kiss.
"Kurt? Are you still in here?" Blaine asked, sounding a little scared or confused.
"I'm right here, Blaine," Kurt said, placing his hand over the boy's hand in front of him. "Sorry, I guess I let my attention wander – I'm kind of tired."
"Do you need to get another hour of sleep? I woke you up kind of early. I thought my dad would be here to help me get dressed and ready for the day, but he must have left early," Blaine said with a sadness in his voice.
Kurt looked around to be sure none of the Anderson's staff was around. They didn't seem to have as many people on staff in the New York apartment as they did in the Ohio mansion.
"I'm fine. Just missing my dad a little bit. I hate being away from him for more than a few days. I guess we're not used to being apart."
There was a silence that made Kurt think he'd said something wrong – especially when he saw the hurt look in Blaine's eyes.
"Blaine? What did I say?" Kurt asked.
"You should be feeling lucky you get to see your father every day. It's hell when the dad you love with all your heart is always gone." Blaine grabbed his sunglasses from beside his plate and shoved them on his face so Kurt couldn't see him crying.
"Oh, Blaine...is that why I never heard him mentioned before we came to New York? I had thought your dad had passed away or maybe your parents were divorced. Oh, shit! Please tell me I didn't just put my foot in my mouth again! Blaine, are they divorced? Is that why your dad wasn't in Ohio?"
Blaine laughed.
"Wow, I can tell you're a writer. What an imagination! No, Dad is just busy with his career. I tell you what...if you want to go somewhere today, we can go visit him at his office. Does that sound like a fun thing to do?" Blaine offered, a huge smile on his face.
Kurt had thought that Blaine was moody – jumping from being in the doldrums to being joyously ecstatic on the turn of a dime – due to his jangled nerves from the accident, or maybe from the medication. In any case, Blaine was once again in a great mood as they rode in the back of the Lincoln town car to Linden Anderson's office. Kurt was still in the dark as to what it was that Linden did, but he was tired of asking either Blaine or Charles, the Anderson's driver - who had obviously been asked to keep it mum.
Blaine had asked Charles to go the scenic way and Kurt appreciated it. Spring in New York was breathtaking. The flowers were blooming all over the city, in every park. He described the displays of spring flowers in the gardens as they drove along the pathways in Central Park.
"There are shades of pink – row after row of tulips from delicate shell pink through sunset pink to what my dad would call 'titty nipple' pink." Kurt laughed.
Blaine sat staring at Kurt through his sightless eyes, mouth agape in a slightly unattractive way. Kurt reached over to touch his chin with one fingertip and close it.
"Kurt! You can't just blurt out something like that!" Blaine blushed, making Kurt laugh harder.
"Nobody can hear me but you – even the partition is closed," Kurt countered, laughing a bit more. Blaine slapped his shoulder, but missed his target and got Kurt on the face.
"Oh! No, Kurt, I'm sorry. I was just play-slapping your shoulder!"
Kurt sat, a bit stunned, but figured he deserved it.
"Hey, it's fine. Oh! The daffodils are blooming in this garden, iris all around them. The bright yellow with the deep purple is so beautiful. I can hardly wait for your sight to get better. Are you seeing anything yet?" Kurt asked, though he thought Blaine would be shouting it from the rooftops if he could.
"No, but Dr Woodruff said it would return gradually. I know it's so close, I'm trying not to dwell on it. I'm fine today getting an oral description of the sights. Thank you, by the way, Kurt, for being so patient with me," Blaine smiled.
"Oh...well, I am happy to help."
They drove through the city towards the East River and turned on FDR Drive.
"Oh, my God...no!" Kurt blurted out.
"What?" Blaine asked, ducking down and covering his head, his arm over his eyes.
"No, Blaine, I'm sorry...I didn't mean to startle you. I just thought of something. We're in Midtown, right?"
"Yes. Why?"
"I won't judge you – you don't have any influence on what your parents do. Does your father work..." Kurt didn't want to finish the sentence.
"Kurt, what are you looking at?" Blaine asked, knowing it couldn't be his father's office.
"Trump Towers?"
Blaine got a very stricken look on his face.
"Oh, no! Dad would never work for that man!" he shouted, getting very agitated. "No, he does not share any political or ideological views with that man!"
"Okay, I'm sorry, Blaine. It didn't make sense, but when I saw Trump Tower...it scared me."
"Yeah, I suppose it would. No, just a short time and we'll be there."
Kurt looked around and saw signs for Turtle Bay neighborhood, then a lot of foreign consulates. He wondered briefly what Linden Anderson did when they drove in front of a huge building with dozens of brightly colored flags waving in front of it. Charles parked and helped Blaine into his wheelchair, then gave Kurt a pat on the back as he looked up at the huge building.
"Oh, my gosh, Blaine...your dad works for the United Nations?" Kurt asked, and it all fit into place like puzzle pieces.
Blaine was grinning, basking in the awe of Kurt Hummel as he drank in what it was that Linden Anderson did.
"He's an Ambassador?" Kurt gulped.
"Yes. He has a doctorate in Education just like my mother. They met while they were in college. After grad school he and mom got married. He works for UNESCO."
"What's UNESCO? I mean, I've heard of it, but I don't know exactly what those letters stand for or what it does," Kurt said, just standing in front of the building. "I understand that's why he's gone so often...but why don't you speak about him? Or your mother? She never mentioned him," Kurt said.
"Lots of questions. I'll answer the last ones first. Mother and Father love each other very much, Kurt, but Dad chose to work for the United Nations and it is something close to both of their hearts. Mother wanted to work for them, but she had two children to take care of – so she stayed home with Cooper and me. Dad followed his dream with Mother's blessing.
"I don't mention him because it hurts. I know in my head that he loves me and we see each other whenever we can, but there are long pieces of time where I am not in contact with him. You understand?" Blaine asked, staring over Kurt's shoulder where he thought his face was.
Kurt gave him a hug.
"Yeah, I understand," he said, feeling awful for all the things he was thinking.
"As for your other questions, I think Dad can tell you more, but I'll start with UNESCO. The letters stand for United Nations Education, Science, and Cultural Organization. Dad is part of the office that oversees the Cities of Literature. Let's go see his office. He said he'd meet us out here..."
"There he is! Okay, Blaine, this is not at all what I expected. Let's go."
Kurt pushed the wheelchair towards Linden Anderson across the parking lot.
The tour of the building had Kurt staring with open-mouthed wonder as Linden explained what he did and how it all worked. The headquarters of the division Linden worked in were in Paris – which is why Blaine was in Paris earlier in the year when he was in his accident.
Kurt was a bit jealous that Blaine was able to go around the world to meet up with his father, but after giving it a lot of thought he realized he would rather be Burt's son and see him every day.
"I'm going to have to be back in Reykjavik by the end of the week, Blaine. I'm sorry. I wish I could stay longer, but I didn't have much time and at least I came when you had the surgery," Linden tried to make his son understand.
"Are you going to stop in Ohio to see Mother before you jet off to Iceland?" Blaine asked.
"Not this time. I have meetings with the people there to get this project going. Reykjavik will be the next City of Literature and I have deadlines. I love you, Blainers and I promise I will be home in Ohio for Thanksgiving. I promise you an entire six weeks. I have scheduled from the Wednesday before Thanksgiving to the day after New Year's. Okay?" Linden hugged Blaine.
"Yes, Dad, I do understand. I don't like it much, but I understand. The vacation this winter sounds great," Blaine said, hugging his father back.
"I will see the two of you tonight for supper," he grinned.
"We'll see you tonight, Linden," Kurt said as a goodbye and wheeled Blaine down the hall and outside to find the town car.
"That has to be rough," Kurt said when Blaine was quiet most of the way home.
"You mean with him away so much?" Blaine asked.
"Yes. I see my dad every night at the supper table," Kurt said.
"I wish I did. When we're together it's great – but being away from him is hard. I do get to see a lot of places, though," Blaine tried to see the positive in the situation.
"Where have you been?"
"Paris, London, Stockholm, Prague, Milan, Rio de Janeiro, Kenya, Pretoria, Singapore, Hong Kong, Adelaide, and more, but those are the ones I remember," Blaine said with a smile. "When I can't go, Dad brings me home things from the places he's been. You know all those things on the shelves in my room? The sea shells and rocks and instruments? Dad brought me most of those," Blaine explained.
"Wow. I don't know what to say – just wow," Kurt managed, the thoughts running through his head stopped him from being able to think of any comments. It was truly mind-boggling.
"So, did you see any fashion shows when you were in Milan?"
"No. I wish I did, but no," Blaine replied, his lips pouting.
Kurt took advantage of the pout and leaned close, kissing Blaine's soft lips. Blaine startled but recovered quickly and kissed Kurt back. He was getting quite used to having Kurt kissing him and he liked it.
The boys ate a late afternoon lunch in Central Park. Blaine was able to stand for a minute on his bad leg before it got too sore and Kurt congratulated him on his perseverance.
"Keep that up and you'll be walking again in no time," Kurt encouraged. "Are you seeing anything yet?"
"No."
Blaine had actually been able to see little flickers of light from time to time, but they weren't what he considered 'seeing'.
"Wouldn't It Be Lovely" is from the 1956 Broadway musical My Fair Lady by Alan Jay Lerner & Frederick Loewe.