The Elephant Gate

His room was airy, with cream colored walls and fruitwood furniture. A platform bed with a shiny gray comforter was tucked against a corner. A small student desk was on the opposite corner, already stocked with school supplies. There was no closet. The captain opened a large cabinet; one side had a series of pull-drawers and the other had two separate closet poles.

"All of your clothing should fit in here. Do you need any help to put things away?"

Kevin shook his head.

"Your bathroom is through those doors. Tomorrow I will drive you to the palace to start school, and afterwards we will go through your chore list and the house rules. And Noy Kevin? Welcome home." With that, the man closed the door, leaving Kevin to explore his new surroundings.

Once he put his things away, he stepped into the bathroom. It was made with glittery gray marble; the tub wasn't as big as the one he splashed in at the palace, but it was still big. He pulled out his new bath supplies: toothbrush, toothpaste, and soap. There were two shelves of fluffy gray towels already. He placed his new slippers on top of the lowest shelf for now. Once everything was in its place, he wandered back into his bedroom. He pulled the books from the royal school room and placed them on the student desk.

With nothing else to do, he changed into cotton pajamas. For now, he was keeping his Green Lantern ones for when he goes home. Once he snuggled under the covers, he quickly fell asleep.

* * *

The bright sun slanting through the window woke Kevin. He squinted for a moment before he got his bearings. A truck-shaped clock showed it was 8 o'clock. Oh, no, what time was he supposed to wake up? He quickly climbed and raced for the bathroom; in record time, he scrubbed his face, brushed his teeth and hair, and had changed into a pair of blue pants with a darker blue button-down-shirt.

There was no movement in the hallway when he peeked out, but he could smell cinnamon in the air, so Khun Matt'ya was probably awake. He skipped down the stairs to the dining room. Noboby was there, so he went through the swing doors to the kitchen.

The housekeeper was bustling around a huge stove, stirring a pot. Scrambled eggs and toast were stacked up on plates on the metal counter-top. "Hi, Mrs. Matt'ya!" he happily called out as he zeroed in on the smell. It turned out to be a bowl of spiced rice.

She spun around, spoon in hand, and dropped a quick curtsy.

"Oh, Noy Kevin! You surprised me!" Her face was wreathed in smiles. "Go to the dining room, and l will bring your breakfast out."

"Can I carry something for you?"

"Oh, no no. I have it all. You just sit down and wait. Khun Thadchai is finishing his morning workout and will be here in a few minutes."

Kevin sat down to another delicious breakfast. He was finally getting used to the variety of foods in each meal, although he still wished he could sometimes cereal and milk. He was halfway through when Thadchai walked in, a towel over his broad shoulders.

Kevin jumped up out of his seat.

"Good morning, Cap'n!" he chirped as the older man waved him back to his breakfast. Khun Mattaya bustled in with another steaming bowl of rice. The captain dug in with single-minded purpose. "Um, what are we doing today?" Kevin asked.

Thadchai replied. "I will show you the house and property, and we will talk about chores and my expectations. All after breakfast, so finish up!"

When the plates were empty and carried to the kitchen, Kevin ran upstairs to his room, to change into a comfortable pair of pants and a loose-fitting shirt. He pulled on the brown leather boots that they had purchased the day before. He felt almost grown up as he clunked down the stairs.