The Church of Arnold drops two of its members off at the Kampala airport on the first Friday of the church's fourth month. From the rearview mirror, Arnold watches a plane soar high in the sky. Maybe it's the one Brian and Mason are on.
I'll be on a plane like that in a year and a bit, Arnold realizes. Me and Kevin and Nabulungi. Oh, man—I should see if Mom can organize eBay auctions for my rare figures and comic books. Dad'll respect me if I pay Nabulungi's way! He's not sure how much money he needs. That bothers him, but only for a moment. He has loads of time to find out.
"I still do not understand Elder Neeley," Mafala complains from the back seat of the jeep. "One dead man and he leaves?" He smells, as usual, like hay and goat—Emma Frost sleeps where Nabulungi used to. He says a goat pen is just an invitation for any lion and hyena around, though rumour has it that he feeds the goat scraps from his plate and he pets her like a dog. "We did not even know his name! Fuck."
"Some people are more sensitive than others, Baba."
"I just pray he finds what he's looking for," says Kevin, the driver. "Him and Brian." Brian's goodbye was typically curt, but Mason gave a nice speech about how he supports everyone and they'll be in his prayers every night.
"Yeah," says Arnold. He almost calls for another round of prayer, but they've done a lot of praying for a lot of people today. If God can't hear them by now, then they caught Him napping.
When the jeep caravan stops for gas, Rob comes over to the rest of the leadership team. There's still the hint of bags under his eyes, but he looks like he's been sleeping a lot better lately. Arnold likes to think that making up a few nightmares to tell Rob helped with that. "We should pay attention to elders Davis and Michaels, see if we can work towards some healing. Ever since Brian's big speech a few weeks ago, they've been a little...antsy."
"I noticed," Nabulungi says. "I also heard that Effu refused to serve the lep— Themba and her family yesterday."
Rob grimaces. "Yeah, heard that from Eric."
She nods seriously, then brightens. "They have been spending a lot of time together lately! What do you think—serious or just playing?"
"Heck, I walked in on him showing her a picture of his dead sister." Rob smiles, but the look he shoots Eric, who's filling the gas tank, is worried. "Seems pretty serious."
"You've been pretty serious about volunteering at the hospital lately," Arnold notes innocently. "Any reason?"
Rob bats the question away. "Gotswana needs help cataloguing supplies, and you know me and my list-mania."
"And you're just available to help out," Arnold adds.
Rob throws his hands in the air. "To catalogue supplies! Honestly," he glances about, voice falling to a whisper, "his daughter is three years older than me!" After a huge shudder, he leaves, probably to avoid more pestering about his non-existent love-life.
When they get back to the village, Kevin gives Arnold's shoulder a quick squeeze. It's the only time he's touched Arnold in public since their unspoken agreement last week. Nabulungi told Arnold to go slowly with Kevin, so Arnold stifles the urge to grab Kevin's hand and squeeze it, though he does grin broadly. Kevin leaves for a soccer game with some of the villagers—the newly baptized Daktari, along with his brother Zareb, in attendance.
Arnold and Nabulungi head back to their room. Arnold floated the idea of Kevin staying with them; though Nabulungi seemed agreeable, Kevin was anything but. "We can't afford controvesy right now, buddy. Let's just keep things normal, okay?" Without the curtain and the third bed, their room feels incomplete, though Arnold doesn't mention this to his wife.
Nabulungi sits in front of her typewriter and starts working on "The Peace of Jesus," the Church of Arnold's newest play. They're going to perform it in the market once it's done.
"Do you think some of the Ewoks should have leprosy?" she asks.
The scene unfurls behind Arnold's eyes: Joseph Smith and Voyager's Doctor in the promised land of Salt Lake City, healing Ewoks so they can dance with the Mormons. "That's brilliant!" It's not the story from the Book of Arnold, but they can revise the book.
"What should Joseph Smith say?"
"The universal greeting, Bah-weep-Graaaaagnah wheep mini bong, so the Ewoks will trust them!" Arnold sits down beside his wife.
Nabulungi chuckles. "You will have to spell that for me!"
Arnold only realizes that he's forgotten to feel sad when, hours later, Kevin knocks on the door and interrupts them. He's unsurprised when Kevin asks to borrow his Kindle—he's been devouring The Hunger Games lately—but he is surprised when, a little while later, Kevin asks to talk to him for a sec, looking twelve-cups-of-coffee tense. He ushers Arnold into his room and closes the door behind him.
This is probably about Jack. Darn it, Jack—why can't you just be nice to your big brother? As much as he hurts for Kevin, he kind of understands Jack's position. Having Kevin as an older brother seems a tough job; it must be even tougher when the golden boy fails.
"Katniss just shot the apple out of the pig's mouth!" says Kevin a bit too loudly, as he leans against the door. "How awesome is this book, huh?"
"It's pretty sweet, yeah."
"I can't believe I didn't want to read this series! It's so addictive." Kevin is silent for a few moments—listening, Arnold realizes. He exhales in a loud huff. Focusing on Arnold, he laughs breathlessly and wipes his palms on his black pants.
"So, Jack replied to your em—" Arnold stops talking when Kevin kisses him. It's less than five seconds; very Mormon of him. Kevin is frowning—irritated, it looks like—when he pulls back.
Frowning has never been part of Arnold's fantasies of being with Kevin. He's supposed to push me down onto the bed—or slip out of his tie all sexy—or kiss my neck when I start babbling—Arnold forces himself to focus on what's happening now, not what he wishes were happening.
Kevin huffs again and rolls his shoulders before he darts in for another kiss. He's psyching himself up, just like he does before playing sports! That takes most of the fun out of the arms around Arnold's shoulders and the fingers sliding through his hair. Kevin stays close—so close that when Arnold starts stroking his cheek, he feels Kevin flinch.
Kevin breaks the kiss and the hug. "Sorry," he mutters. "Gimme a sec. I can do this."
Oh, poor, poor Kev! "Pal, you don't have to."
Kevin winces, stung. "I can!" he snaps. "I should!" He swallows. "I care so much about... This is easy for everyone else..."
"Don't think about what's right for everyone else." As usual, Arnold doesn't know where the words come from, but they feel right. "Think about what's right for you. With this, that's all that's important, understand?"
Kevin swallows again and looks at the ground. After a while, he says, "You're really wise," in a quiet, awed voice.
"All part of being a prophet."
"You deserve a...someone that can kiss you, though. And...do other things."
"You know I have a wife, right?" Chuckling, Arnold squeezes Kevin's shoulder.
"I know." Kevin shudders, but he's smiling at the same time. "Asking her for a few minutes of alone-time with you was the hardest thing I've had to do in my life!"
Arnold frowns, stopping Kevin's chuckle in its tracks. "I last a lot longer than a few minutes!" he says, hurt that Nabulungi didn't lie and tell Kevin otherwise.
Kevin doesn't get it for a while; he winces when he does. "Ew! I was just going to kiss—jeez! What do you think I am—easy?"
He's so offended and so serious that Arnold bursts out laughing. Just as he starts thinking about an apology, Kevin snickers grudgingly. Suddenly, he's got Arnold in a tight hug.
"This feels right," he whispers. Kevin probably doesn't get that his breath on Arnold's ear makes warmth settle in the pit of his stomach. But that's fine, Arnold reminds himself. I have real-Kevin, and that's good enough.
Maybe.
To make up for this traitorous thought, Arnold says, "I love you." He's not a hundred percent sure he means 'I'm in love with you'—what he feels for Kevin is different than what he feels for Nabulungi—but all he needs to do is convince Kevin, who's been easy to convince lately.
"Mmhm. So, I should get you back to her." The reason Kevin feels the need to do this is obvious when he steps into their room, closes the door and says, "Thanks, Sister Cunningham."
She chuckles. "I heard you the first five times, Elder Price."
"I just..." Kevin starts, then tries again, "we only...uh..." The blush spreading across his face seems to steal his words.
"You cannot force these things, Elder Price. It will happen when it happens."
Arnold shifts his weight from foot to foot. Not only is it pretty weird to have his wife giving his boyfriend romance tips, Nabulungi doesn't get what asexuality means. Seeing Kevin's stiff nod in reply, Arnold knows he'll have to make a better effort to help her understand.
"Do you mind if I borrow the Kindle, Elder Price?" Nabulungi asks. "I would like to read more Lord of the Rings."
Kevin hesitates for a fraction of a second, but says, "Sure. Can I recommend The Hunger Games next? It's really incredible."
Nabulungi makes a face. "Starving people killing each other for food is far too much like my real life."
"Oh, heck, I guess it might be. Sorry."
"It is nothing. Would you like to read the play? The Ewoks also have leprosy, but do not worry—we still have a part for Themba."
"Great!" Kevin takes the script. "I know she's going to love it."
When he leaves to get the Kindle, Arnold glances at Nabulungi. "Do you think we should tell him about our latest honeymoon idea?" He can't wait to see Kevin's face.
"Perhaps we should wait until we have three tickets to Orlando in hand." Nabulungi never says Arnold should do anything, but what she suggests is always right.
Arnold sighs. "That's so far away, though!"
She kisses his cheek. "It's something to look forward to."