07 March 2015
Redon, Saintonge
Styrbjörn “Styr” Refslund followed his Santonian friend around their house. Styr used to think that all Santonians were wealthy and have comfortably big houses. The house he was being toured in was not much bigger than his old home back in Prydania, and not especially big for a family of seven. He would’ve thought that his teammate would be moneyed, given his connections. In reality, they were like ordinary middle-class Santonians.
They passed through the living room towards the staircase, in view of the dining room and the kitchen. His friend’s mother peered through the doorway, a dishrag in hand as she was taking out plates from the dishwasher.
“Caël, is this Styr?” His friend’s mom asked.
Styr took that as a cue. “Yes, Madame Boënnec. My name is Styrbjörn Refslund.”
“Nice to meet you. I am Caël’s mother.” She had a big motherly smile on her face. It reminded Styr of someone he did not have for years now.
“Thank you… for allowing me into your house.”
“Why wouldn’t we?” She said sympathetically. Styr was a teenaged orphan refugee stuck in the asylum and orphanage system. He didn’t have a home to go back to. “You are my son’s friend. My son’s friends are always welcome to our house.”
“Thank you, Madame Boënnec.”
“You two enjoy yourselves,” Caël’s mum said with a knowing smile. “I’ll bring up snacks for you after I’m done with the dishes.”
Styr turned to Caël, who led his friend upstairs. He had heard that Caël’s mother was from a moneyed family – yet she didn’t act prententious or glamorous. In fact, it reminded Styr so much of his own mother, who was unassuming and modest, even though she also had a moneyed background.
That was the reason why he ended up here in Saintonge, thousands of miles away in a foreign land. A lonely orphan. His mother’s family used to own a mid-sized paper and cardboard company in Haland, supplying cardboard packaging for the city’s factories. His father used to be a purchasing officer at one of the factories that was a client of his mother’s company. His father was middle management, but also a union man.
For a while that saved the family from the Syndicalists, even when they nationalised his maternal relatives’ packaging company. His mother was saved because of her marriage to a union man, but some of his maternal relatives – including some cousins, aunts, and uncles – went missing and were presumed dead. Because his father was a union man, they did have some perks compared to the rest of Prydanians who did not have Syndicalist connections.
Then on one spring afternoon in 2011, Styr’s next-door neighbour Rebeka Gjelsnes – his mum’s best friend – intercepted Styr on his way home from school. “Don’t go home, the Syndicalists are after your family.” Instead, she brought Styr to the neighbourhood of the Santonian consulate and instructed him to go inside the compound. Styr did as he was told and Santonian diplomats took him in as an asylum seeker. He was not allowed to go out and neither did he see his parents alive again.
The reasons were still murky, but one of the Santonian embassy staffers gave him a handwritten letter from his mother. She said that she and his father were in prison awaiting trial for crimes they did not know and they were sure they did not commit. The confused Styr begged the Santonian diplomats to do something. The Santonians said they were trying to keep track of the case but the Refslund couple seemed to be gone.
It was the last letter he got from his parents; later on, his neighbour’s family also sought asylum in the same consulate – without Rebeka. The Syndicalists found out it was Rebeka who saved Styr and so they went after the Gjelsteds, too. Rebeka was caught but the rest of the Gjelsteds managed to escape to the Santonian consulate.
Even though their families used to be close, the rest of the Gjelsteds seemed to blame Styr for their mother’s imprisonment and their family’s predicament. They never told the then ten-year-old Styr what was happening.
After a few months in the consulate, Styr and the Gjelsteds found out that their family members were executed by the Syndicalists. Styr could not deny it – he was shown pictures of his dead parents. Oh how he cried a lot. He was now an orphan. And he had nobody to turn to. The Gjelsteds even got more upset at Styr. They did not want to have anything to do with Styr.
The Gjelsteds were the first to be sent to Saintonge in the autumn of 2011. They were planning to go to Goyanes, where they had relatives. Meanwhile, Styr stayed in the consulate awaiting his turn. The Santonians tried their best to support Styr through the grief and coping with his new situation, including having counselling with their diplomat who was also a therapist. Styr was not an angsty or impulsive teenager, instead he was a withdrawn and silent, which worried the Santonians a lot. They did not save a life only to lose him inside the consulate.
After New Year’s Day 2012, Styr found out he was going to Saintonge. The other refugees and asylum seekers inside the consulate talked excitedly and glowingly about Saintonge as a place where they could be free, a place where they could start again, a place to build a new life. None of that appealed to Styr. It seemed that he did not have a point in living… he was just merely existing.
Styrbjörn Refslund arrived in Saintonge on January 2012. As an orphaned, unaccompanied minor, he had to stay within the
asylum-orphanage system, of which there were a lot of children like him. After staying for a few weeks at the Saint-Alban refugee processing centre in Saintes, he was sent to a nearby city called Saint-Océan, to an orphanage operated by the Archdiocese of Sancoins of the
Santonian National Church.
As a teenager, there was little hope of him being adopted. He did get sent to a foster family once when he was thirteen, but he was returned to the orphanage after a few weeks. Even though Styr picked up the Santonian language quickly, Styr was taciturn and kept mostly to himself. People thought he could not speak Santonian, but his case worker Mélissa assured prospective adopters he could speak the language. Mélissa talked Styr up as to how he was a well-behaved, intelligent teenage boy who just needed some love after losing everyone. Still no takers.
To Styr, it seemed that there was no point. He was just there, existing in the world, drifting day to day. He did not have plans for his life. He did not have dreams. Mélissa was very concerned about Styr. She brought him to a psychiatrist for fear that he was depressed. Styr wasn’t suicidal; the world just didn’t seem to interest him anymore.
The psychiatrist advised Mélissa that Styr could probably benefit from showing him possible activities, hobbies, or outlets that he might enjoy. Styr was an above-average student in school, but it seemed that it did not take much effort for him to achieve grades… hence Mélissa’s assessment that Styr was a smart kid.
Mélissa was a godsend to Styr as her endlessly bountiful patience made her bring Styr to a lot of interesting things. They found out that Styr was interested in math and computers – Styr spent as much time as he could at the orphanage’s shared computers, maximising the allotted time per person. She found out that Styr actually knew how to skate and used to play backyard hockey as a child. Mélissa also enrolled Styr at the newly-formed ice hockey programme for refugees that was sponsored by bigwigs from Santonian tech companies. The programme had just moved from Redon to Saint-Océan, where there was a larger number of refugee children.
It was at the Réquins de Saint-Océan – “Sharks of Saint-Océan” – that Styrbjörn Refslund met Caël Boënnec. Caël came from Redon but continued to participate in the Sharks programme. He was one of the first Santonian children in the programme when it started – he was the nephew of one of the bigwigs who was funding the programme.
Santonian children were also participating in the programme to help the Prydanian children integrate into Saintonge. The Sharks programme assigns a Santonian child to one or more Prydanians to become their “buddy” and help them in their integration. Caël was assigned to Styr.
Styr initially felt awkward but Caël was both patient and persistent. Styr did not find Caël snooty or snobbish; the Santonian was very laid-back, friendly, helpful, and accommodating. Even though Caël’s commute between Redon and Saint-Océan was two hours each way, he continued to participate in the programme and to spend time with Styr. Sometimes Caël would bring Styr to the house of Caël’s Uncle Thibault – a big house at the outskirts of town. There they would spend hours talking and playing with Caël’s younger cousins.
After Mélissa, Caël was the next person who Styr felt cared for him. Maybe the world did care for Styr after all. Maybe there is something in the world for Styr after all.
The more Styr learned about Caël, the more he could relate with his Santonian friend. Caël’s mother, like Styr’s mother, was from a well-off family but she chose to marry and live simply. Like Styr under the Syndicalists, Caël did have a comfortable life, but it was not ostentatious or affluent. Caël told Styr that their house was ‘just big enough’ for him and his four sisters. Caël said that he would’ve brought him to their house but Redon was two hours away. Also, Uncle Thibault’s house was bigger and nicer anyway.
Now that they had just played a game in Redon earlier that Saturday morning against their sister team in the city, Caël invited Styr to their house. Everything Caël said was true. Their house was modest. As they ascended the stairs, Styr could see a few doors to rooms in the second floor. “None of those are my rooms,” Caël said.
Instead they ascended a short ladder-like stairs to the attic. “My room is the converted attic,” Caël told Styr matter-of-factly. "It's big enough so we can have a sleepover."
Caël managed to turn the house’s attic into a comfy place for himself. On one end, near the window, was his bed and dressers. Nearer the door were his study area with bookshelves and a computer. He also had a covered bookcase of comic books and other geeky stuff. At the centre of the room was a bean bag in front of a television with some game consoles underneath.
Styr could not help it but a “wow” escaped his lips as he laid his knapsack down on the floor. He did not have these stuff at the orphanage. He shared his room with other orphans who seemed destined to be adopted – his roommates come and go… but not him. The orphanage only has shared gaming consoles and computers. There was a library, but it was too limited for his thirst for knowledge.
Caël seemed to have noticed Styr’s wonder. He worried that he might be rubbing in what he had. “A lot of these were gifts to me,” Caël said diffidently. “Our family cannot buy these stuff,” Caël gestured towards the
Arts Électroniques gaming consoles, an Asika StarDrive 5, a Taiga handheld console, the flat-screen television Caël presumably plays games on, and the other various gadgets. “I have doting uncles and aunts, they give me these stuff.”
Styr seemed attracted to the bookshelf filled with books and comic books. “That’s my
Capitaine Saintonge comic book collection,” Caël said proudly. “I save part of my money to regularly buy copies.”
“Capitaine Saintonge?”
“It’s a superhero comic book,” Caël explained. “I believe we have watched one of the movies at Uncle Thibault’s house.”
“It was a comic book?”
“Yes,” Caël opened the glass door of the bookcase and took out a copy for Styr to look at. Styr marvelled at the colourful glossy pages.
“I also have a collection of
Griffe Noire.”
“
Griffe Noire? ‘Black Claw’?”
“Another comic book series,” Caël explained. “Did you have comic books in Prydania too?”
“No, we didn’t,” Styr said. “We did have Syndicalist sh~t propaganda comics in school but it was so bad that me and my classmates just used them to make paper planes or as toilet paper.”
“Toilet paper?” Caël suppressed a chuckle.
“We ran out of toilet paper so we’d use those comics,” Styr laughed.
“Serious?”
“Serious.” Styr then handed the comics back to Caël. “Those are precious,” Styr told Caël, who started returning the comic books to their proper place in the bookcase.
Styr’s gaze fell upon the side table beside the bookcase. There was a lamp and an assortment of pictures. There was a picture of a young Caël with his parents. It reminded Styr so much of his younger days, before all the troubles. Styr tamped down on the urge to pick up the picture and look at it further.
“I’m sorry,” Caël mumbled as he saw Styr’s reaction to his family pictures.
“Don’t be,” Styr assured his friend. “You’re lucky. Cherish your family while they’re still with you.”
“I do and I will,” Caël replied softly.
Another frame showed an entire picture of the Boënnec family – Caël, his parents, and his four sisters. Another frame showed Caël with a blond bespectacled teenage guy about their age. “Who is this?”
“That’s Fintann, by childhood best friend,” Caël answered. “He lives across the street. We’ve known each other our entire lives.”
“Is this the one you said you will introduce to me?”
“Yeah, he will be dropping by later. He is also fond of computers like you,” Caël grinned. “You two will get along well. He will also help you with that…”
Caël then pointed to a mysteriously-wrapped thing perched on the swivelling chair in front of Caël’s desk. It was a big box inside a tote bag.
“What’s that?” Styr asked.
“It’s for you,” Caël answered, gesturing for Styr to go and take it.
“For me?” Styr said disbelievingly.
Caël nodded. “You deserve it. I think you will like it.”
Styr approached the tote bag and opened it. His eyes widened in shock as he saw what was inside.
Styr turned around towards Caël. “Is this really for me??”
“Yes!”
“THANK YOU!!!” Styr threw himself at Caël. Styr hugged his Santonian friend tightly. “Thank you so much…”
Then Styr started sobbing.
Caël rubbed Styr’s back as the Prydanian cried. “You deserve it. I know you will make good use of it.”
Styr mumbled incomprehensively.
“I hope that even if it’s pre-loved, it will still be useful.”
Styr broke the hug and looked at Caël. Styr’s blue eyes were swollen and red from crying, but his face was beaming with joy. It was an expression that Caël rarely saw in Styr.
“I don’t care if it’s used already,” Styr muttered. “At least I will have something I own. I don’t have to be limited by what is there in the orphanage.”
“Go on and open it,” Caël told Styr.
Styr wiped his tears off as he took the tote bag. The two friends proceeded to sit on the floor. Caël watched as Styr excitedly opened the box. Inside was a black 2013 Transformer 3000 laptop –
Nolf’s renowned gaming laptop series, commonly shorted to
TF 3000.
“This is new, Caël! You said it’s used?”
“It’s used,” Caël confirmed. “I got it as a Christmas present last 2013 from Uncle Thibault.”
Styr opened the laptop and was struck at how pristine it looked. If this was used, Caël takes care of his stuff well.
“You take care of your stuff.”
“I do,” Caël replied.
Styr looked at the specs printed on the laptop and was even more amazed. “This has an FSS Victus e5!” He said, referring to the computer’s processor. The Victus e5 was the second most advanced gaming processor from the
Fonderie Saintongeaise de Semiconducteurs, behind the recently-released Victus e6.
“Oh my…” Styr mumbled as he then saw what the graphics card was – also one of the latest in the market. “A
JaloC EnForce 4700!” He knew what it was; he was a computer geek. This computer must’ve been…
“Caël, this is expensive stuff!” Styr looked up at his friend. “Are you sure you are giving it away?”
Caël’s big smile and happy nod was a confirmation.
“I can’t believe it,” Styr touched his forehead and knocked on his temple twice to ascertain that he was not dreaming. “It’s like a dream.”
“I knew you would like it.”
“I do like it, Caël! Thank you!” Styr looked at the expensive device on his hands. Now he would have a computer of his own to do the stuff he wanted – read more, study, do his coding and computer projects… and maybe play games with Caël and his friend even though they’re far away! But what will Caël use?
“What will you use then?” Styr asked Caël, “You won’t have a laptop to play games in.”
Caël smiled sheepishly. He was too embarrassed to say it. “Uh… another aunt gifted me with another laptop…”
“That’s nice!” Styr remarked.
“So, I asked permission from my parents and Uncle Thibault if I can give that laptop to you… because I knew you would like it.”
“Thank you for thinking about me!” Styr beamed. His gaze fell again on the pictures on the side table. “But, uh… your sisters…?”
Caël picked up what Styr was implying. Why didn’t he give the laptop of his other family members?
“They have their own,” Caël answered the implied question. “Aunt Arwenn gave laptops to all of us last Christmas.”
“What laptop is it?”
“Transformer 4000,” Caël said hurriedly to mask the fact that he got the newer version of the laptop he was giving away. “My TF 3000 was still working fine and it’s a waste if I just let it gather dust in the house. Somebody could make use of it better… you.”
“Didn’t you want to give it to your childhood friend?”
“Who, Fintann?” Caël confirmed. “Fintann was so on board with you having it – he has a TF 3000 too. He will help you set it up when he arrives. He’s excited to show you how to play games on it too! We can have another guy on our team!”
“I can’t believe I got my hands on one of these things now! I had been seeing them online and I was like… I wish I could afford and have things like these…”
“You are a smart kid, Styr. I know you can use that computer for good. I know you can make it here in Saintonge,” Caël told Styr. “I’ll be here for you, even if I live far away. It will be easier now, because we can do it online.”
“Thanks, Caël,” Styr said gratefully. He was about to happily cry again when they heard a knock on the door.
“Come in!” Caël said loudly.
The door opened and Caël’s mother went inside, carrying a tray of wholesome snacks. “You boys have some bites,” she said as he laid the tray on Caël’s desk. As she turned to leave, she spied Styr holding the laptop. She smiled knowingly at Styr. “Enjoy your new stuff.”
“Thank you, Madame Boënnec,” Styr said, touching the laptop gently.
“You’re welcome,” she replied, “but I’m not the one who you should really thank. That is Caël’s idea. It’s all on him.”
OOC Note: Thanks to @Prydania for reviewing the post!
