It was Friday at Saint Claus Academy. And like every Friday, the Spa Club met today for a special infusion. Today, a slightly different sauna experience was on the agenda, because Anders was the sauna master.

Tauno, John and Ivan, today without sauna hats, had made themselves comfortable in the top row. 

Taro sat on the lowest bench as usual and watched the action with great interest. Without his glasses, he could only see half of what was going on, but it was enough for him to recognize that Anders had dripped a sauna essence smelling of violets into the tub.

The three gentlemen in the top row were bored. When Anders, or Mr. Niminy-Piminy as Tauno often jokingly called him, made an infusion, the basic temperature of the sauna heater was always set so low that even on the top bench one could hardly break a sweat. It was a 60-degree bio-sauna, in which even older gentlemen and small children could enjoy without any problems.

“By the way, I’ve been wondering about one thing all this time …”, Tauno began to whisper. 

Ivan rolled his eyes and wanted to move away from him, but he was penned between him and John.

“… the whole school is looking like crazy for the principal’s two golden eggs this weekend.” He undid his braid, made especially for the sauna, which gave him the features of a well-known ice princess, and began braiding again, strand by strand.

“Everyone would love to have one of those golden eggs, wouldn’t they?”, asked John, leaning back. “We’d certainly have a use for a year’s supply of barbecue and hop cold brew too.”

Anders poured some violet water on the hot stones of the sauna stove and began spreading the rising heat around the room with a heavy fabric flag.

Tauno furrowed his brow. “No, that’s not what I’m getting at.” He pointed at Taro, who clapped his hands enthusiastically and cheered incomprehensible Japanese words at Anders.

“Ah, you must be thinking about the elephant involved with the two golden eggs,” Ivan interjected.

Tauno nodded. “Exactly. Have you ever noticed that Taro has never been seen naked?”

John leaned forward and propped his hands on his knees. Slowly the moist heat came to him. He sighed with satisfaction. “You mean without-towels naked? Like, really elephant-naked?”

Ivan laughed softly. “That’s right. He hides when he showers and always has a towel wrapped around his spiritual center in the sauna.”

Anders added another touch and also sprinkled some ice on the hot stones. 

Ivan’s pigment-lacking skin slowly turned red.

Tauno put his hand to his chin, pondering. “I’d really like to know if there’s any truth to that ominous statistic. You know the one I mean. The one about the size of African, Asian and forest elephants. The way he’s acting, you’d almost think he’s seen our elephants and is now rattled.”

“Or maybe he has Thor’s hammer and is being nice enough in his own way not to want to embarrass us,” Ivan added.

The three in the top row began to laugh.

Anders curled his lips. “Shhht!”

“Sorry, your sourness!” Tauno winked and bowed slightly. “But seriously,” he returned to the subject. “I’m totally curious. What if he’s not a boy at all, and that’s why he’s afraid to bare himself in front of us?”

The other two first looked at Tauno irritated and then watched Taro, who was happily enjoying the rising heat. They saw his delicate neck, narrow shoulders and recalled how feminine he walked, ate and expressed himself. A strange feeling spread through them.

Ivan swallowed. “He’s really cute.”

John and Tauno nodded in agreement. “Yeah, he is.”

Ivan wiped the sweat from his brow and looked at them both seriously. “So we’re doing it?”

John raised his thumb. 

Tauno’s face contorted into a thieving grin. “Let’s get ready to rumble!”