Page 62 of Hansel and Gerhardt
Hansel said, “I’ll kiss you all you like if you only listen to me now.”
“That’s a lot of kisses.”
It was a smile. A small one, but it was there. And Gerhardt, hazy somewhere behind the brightly coloured scene of idealistic beauty that clouded his mind, realised he hadn’t seen that smile much of late. He loved that smile. If only Hansel would eat, he would smile so often.
“I’m going to count to five,” said Hansel, low and calm, “then we’re both going to run to the forest. Just there at the top of the yard.”
Gerhardt laughed. “Why ever would we do that?”
The smile falling away. “Don’t you want to come away with me?”
“Why, yes… but… no.” That tingling haze. He was getting confused again.
“You promised me. Last night, don’t you remember? You promised you would come away with me.”
“Yes, I did. I did. I do remember that.” Gerhardt reached an absent-minded hand into his pocket as Hansel continued to work, continued to act as if they weren’t talking.
Hansel, looking hard at his work, asked, “Then what’s changed? Besides you eating breakfast.”
“Well, I don’t know.” Gerhardt pulled the bar of chocolate from his pocket—the one Herr Candy had given him just before they came outside. “Maybe it’s just that you look so nice, all sweaty like that.”
That blush again. Pinker still. He wished Hansel would take him in his arms. He wished he could feel the press of his skin in the bed once more. He bit into the chocolate. It made a cracking sound, and Hansel reacted to it with strange alarm. But Gerhardt’s mind cleared the second the sweetness hit his tongue. “We’re happy here. Why would we leave? You need some meat on those bones, dear Hansel. Perhaps in the spring—”
He lost the words with a gasp as Hansel’s great arm wrapped around his waist—as he was lifted. As he was thrown clear overHansel’s enormous shoulder. And Hansel ran. It was a wonder those legs could carry Gerhardt so high and so fast. Hansel bolted for the trees, and Gerhardt dropped his chocolate in the commotion. He watched it fall there in the grass, increasingly distant, his only thought beyond the pleasure of Hansel’s bare skin against his own. “Hansel, my chocolate!” he cried.
What was he doing, anyway?
Then Hansel slowed.
He was funny, grabbing Gerhardt like that.
But why let the chocolate sit there on the ground and go to waste?
Yet he didn’t turn back.
He walked on, a few more heavy and shaking steps, then he set Gerhardt down gently.
He sank to his knees.
Gerhardt got his balance, remained standing, then he realised. Looking around in wonder, he became caught in the fantastic vision that Hansel had already seen. “Isn’t that amazing?” he whispered. “Hansel, look! All the trees have turned into lollipops!”
Hansel said nothing, only sat there on the ground in a heap, breathing heavily.
“But look,” Gerhardt insisted. “They’re so bright and colourful. Thousands of them! They form a complete wall. Impenetrable. Isn’t that marvellous? But Hansel, why are you crying?” Gerhardt slipped down onto his lap and wrapped both arms around his neck. “Is it because I dropped my chocolate?”
Hansel brought one hand to Gerhardt’s bare waist to hold him, and Gerhardt wiped his tears away with his thumb. “Don’t worry. Herr Candy has lots more chocolate.”
Hansel dipped his head to Gerhardt’s shoulder. Gerhardt leaned down and kissed his hair.
Hansel said, “I have failed you. I have failed us both.”
Clasping his cheeks, Gerhardt brought his face up. How he wanted to kiss the sadness away. To make him all better.
If only he would eat…
But Hansel looked deep into his eyes, that beautiful, sapphire-clear gaze sharpening so it pulled him in. “Listen to me. Please. If you can still hear me.”
Gerhardt let out a kind scoff. “Of course I can hear you. Perfectly well. I’m right here with you.”
