And A Child is Born - 3. Carefree Day

"It is beautiful outside. What do you think about cutting class today and spending it on the river?"

Yonatan grinned at Matan and liked his lover’s idea.

"Do we call in sick for class?"

"Yep, spring fever. Come here and let me feel your forehead."

Yonatan walked over to Matan.

"Yep, just as I thought. You have a fever. You are burning up."

Yonatan reached out and grabbed Matan's junk.

"Yep, and you are hot, also. I think you need me to provide some medicine to make that swelling and fever go down."

"Neither of us has taken a day off from school this semester, so I think we will be alright cutting classes for one day. Let's send emails to our professors."

Yonatan called out Black's name as he stepped through the door.

"Is the boat ready for an outing? We are going out on the river today."

"I can have the boat ready in 30 minutes. Are we going to pack lunch or do we eat at one of the dock restaurants on the way?"

"Let’s pack some snack food. We will plan on a big dinner tonight.”

Matan came out of the bedroom wearing a pair of speedos. Yonatan caught his breath, looking at his partner. He was stunningly beautiful in a pair of green trunks, which complemented his red hair and fair skin.

“You are beautiful. I mean, you are really, really beautiful. I am already hard just looking at you.”

Black stood back, smirking at how these guys were hyper-sexual with each other. He thought they were always a heartbeat from jumping into bed. Matan twirled and then looked at Black.

“Do you think Jeremiah and Bobby might want to go with us?”

Black was taken aback by the question since it was a school day.

“I need to check with Tim. I don’t think he will be happy about Jeremiah taking a day off from school.”

“Call and find out. It would be enjoyable to have them join us on the boat. They are always up for some fun times, and we don’t see them enough. They are like dolphins in the water.”

Black walked into another room and called while Yonatan was getting changed. He put on his speedo but also had his boat shoes, shorts, and a windbreaker.

“It will be cool on the river, Matan, so that you will need more clothes than that.”

They walked into the kitchen, where Black was packing a picnic basket. He said that Jeremiah and Bobby would arrive in about 45 minutes.

“Can we water ski today?”

“Matan, I think it will be too cold on the water without a wet suit. It is early April; you might freeze your balls off.”

Matan grabbed his junk and laughed. He acknowledged it was early, and he didn’t want blue balls from being in the cold water. Water skiing would come later in the spring. Jeremiah and Bobby arrived and were bouncing on the balls of their feet.

“Thank you for inviting us. Daddy Tim let us come, but we both have to work in the bookstore on Saturday for going out with you today.”

The four young guys and Black walked down the steps to the dock. Matan and Jeremiah loosened the lines, and they drifted away from the dock. Black started the engine and guided them to the channel.

“Where to Captain?”

“I want to see the Ghost Fleet.”

“Aye, aye, captain. We will head north.”

Black turned the wheel, and the boat left the mouth of the Nansemond River and headed up channel in the James River. There was mostly commercial traffic on the river that day. Several container ships were heading north to the Port of Richmond. Black stayed clear of them as their boat was just a speck compared to those ships. Jeremiah stuck by Black’s side, asking questions about the boat and how to plot a course in the river. Black was so happy that his son wanted to know how to safely navigate the river; Black was a patient teacher as he used a teach-back technique to make sure that Jeremy understood what he was told.

Matan and Yonatan sat in chairs on the stern deck. They would point out different landmarks, and both enjoyed the views. Matan grabbed Yonatan’s hand when he saw a bald eagle. The bird circled overhead and then dove straight down into the river and grabbed a fish. Matan could only gasp at the beauty of the sight. It had not been that many years before that the bald eagles had practically died out from the poisons emitted from the chemical plants in Hopewell. It was wonderful to see them returning.

Matan stood and held onto Yonatan so he wouldn’t fall over. The river was relativity flat, but they were still moving with a fair amount of speed and would occasionally cross the wake of a cargo ship, and he didn’t want to be tossed overboard. Black had taught Matan and Yonatan boat safety lessons each time they went out. There was always something to learn, but they were fairly skilled already for their size boat.

Matan was glad that Yonatan made him bring a lightweight jacket as it was rather chilly. After standing to watch the eagle, he sat in Yonatan’s lap. He wiggled and then laughed when he felt the effect he was having on his partner. He leaned over and kissed him hard on the mouth. It was no quick peck on the lips; this kiss was deep and sexy.

“Stop it, or I will have to fuck you right here on the deck of the boat.”

Matan grinned and said he wouldn’t mind.

“Yeah, I would be the one embarrassed. You would enjoy showing off.”

They grinned at each other. Yonatan grabbed Matan and kissed him. They were both weighing the options of dropping down to the deck when Bobby came and sat in the chair beside them and said he had never been upriver before.

“We are going to see the Ghost Fleet. These are a lot of World War Two ships that are moored in storage on the James River. The military keeps them somewhat ready, in case they are needed. They are a reserve fleet though it will require a lot of work to put back into service, but not as much as building new ships.”

Black maneuvered the boat in front of the line of cargo ships, and there was no wake to cross. He opened the throttle all of the way, and there were five men with huge grins on their faces. It was the perfect spring day to be on the water.

They saw the lines of ships in the distance, and Black slowed their speed. When he did, Jeremy asked if he could be pilot the boat. Black looked askance and asked if he would keep them safe, and Jeremy swore that he would. Black knew there only one way to learn how to skipper a boat, which was to do the job. Black choked back the speed a couple of miles per hour and held the wheel while Jeremiah settled himself in the captain’s seat.

“Steady on, Jeremiah. When we come abreast of the fleet, slow it down even more, and we can look at them.”

Bobby moved beside Jeremiah while Black went back to talk with Yonatan. Jeremiah wasn’t satisfied with the distance they were from the ships and maneuvered out of the channel. Yonatan and Matan knew they were approaching the ships but figured that Black had instructed Jeremiah on how to approach the massive vessels. Black felt it first as he was thrown off balance and went to the deck.

Jeremiah's eyes opened wide, and he pulled back on the throttle. They all felt the bump when the outboard motor bumped the sandbar under the boat. Black jumped up from the deck and lunged toward the wheel.

He looked up and saw they were practically under the ships. He then looked at the navigation screen, which was blinking and warning that they were in less than three feet of water. Jeremy had taken them over a sandbar. Black turned off power to the motor and called for Yonatan and Bobby to pull up the motor and secure it. Black wanted to yell at Jeremiah, but he was too busy cursing himself. He should not have left Jeremiah alone at the wheel.

“Matan, go to the bow and drop the anchor.”

Matan scrambled to the bow and dropped the anchor, which stilled the boat. When the boat stopped moving, everyone waited for Black to explode. He didn’t. Instead, he pulled off his clothes and was wearing a budgie warmer underneath. The other men looked in awe at the body in front of them. They forgot about their predicament.

“I need to check the rudder and propellor, and I can do that best while I am in the water. We have to make sure we don’t have a bent crankshaft or have lost the propellor. Black grabbed the ladder stored on the port side and attached it to the lee side. He climbed down the ladder and, while holding onto the side of the boat, started moving his legs in a circular movement, trying to find the river bottom. He wasn’t successful. He pushed away from the boat and started swimming. Suddenly he stood, and the water was at his waist. He kept a hand on the side of the boat as he moved to the stern. He asked Jeremy to take the key out of the ignition and to give it to Matan.

Black reached out and inspected the propellor for damage, then he turned it and did not encounter any problems. He asked Jeremy to turn the wheel, which put the outboard engine in a different position. Black then turned the blades again. He didn’t notice any problems. Yonatan helped him lower the engine into the water. Black dove underwater and tested the propellor again. He surfaced and grinned.

Black asked Yonatan to strip to his swimsuit and get in the water with him. Once Yonatan was in the water, Black asked Matan to turn on the navigation system, and when the system booted, they needed to know where there was the channel which the ships would use when being moved from their moorings. Matan, Jeremiah, Bobby, all conferred to make sure they were giving Black accurate information.

“Okay, Yonatan, you and I are going to push the boat until we get to the channel. The bottom will drop off suddenly, so be prepared. I don’t want you to drown.”

Black grinned at Yonatan and knew the man was an excellent swimmer.

Bobby pulled up the bow anchor, and the boat’s bow started swinging. Black told Jeremiah how to position the motor, which would help them as they pushed the boat. Both men pushed the boat south along the sandbar. Matan gave them notice when they were six feet from the drop off. The boat started floating toward the channel.

“Okay, we are going to get out the way. Yonatan, get in the boat.”

Yonatan did as he was instructed. Black grabbed the ladder but stayed in the water, and then told Matan to give him notice when they were in the channel. Matan gave a shout-out, and Black told him to start the engine. It started with no problem, and there were no untoward sounds. Black climbed into the boat and then told Jeremiah to take the helm and get them back in the channel very slowly. Jeremiah realized they were drifting quickly, and he opened the throttle and moved them to the center of the channel.

When they were safe in deep water, Black moved beside Jeremiah and told him to head north in the channel. Jeremiah was surprised his dad would let him continue to skipper the boat. He was scared that he was going to mess up again. When they were north of the Ghost Fleet, Black told Jeremiah how to safely turn the boat, so they were heading south. Black then took the helm and gave a narrative about the ships they went past. He described the different types of ships and their functions in the war. Black had slowed the boat and moved out of the channel, but his eyes were continually glancing at the navigation system to ensure they were in deep waters.

Once they were past the ships, Black showed Jeremiah where they were going and said to keep the boat in the channel. Jeremiah was hypersensitive about his mistake and double-checked everything he was doing. He kept waiting for Black to yell at him, but his father kept up the praise for his good navigating. They approached a beach, and Black asked Jeremiah to let him have control of the boat. Jeremiah gladly turned it over to his father. Black positioned the boat and asked Yonatan and Matan to drop the bow and stern anchors. They did, and the boat stilled in the water.

Black grinned and said the boat would block them from view when they went swimming. Black attached the ladder and then dropped his swimsuit before diving off the side of the boat. The last the boys saw of Black was his naked white ass. When Black surfaced, he chided them to drop their suits and join him. Bobby was the first to jump, then Jeremiah did a cannonball. Matan was frightened about being in the water, and Yonatan immediately sensed his trepidation. Black chided Matan and asked if he needed a Mae West.

“What’s a Mae West?”

“A flotation device. You young guys don’t know anything.”

Black moved his hands like he was holding onto large mammary glands. Yonatan laughed and told Matan to hold his hand when they jumped.

“Remember, I will protect you.”

Matan dropped his suit and wagged his penis at the guys in the water. He wasn’t afraid to show his man bits, but he was afraid of drowning. Yonatan and Matan stood on the gunwales of the boat, and on the count of three, they both jumped. Yonatan held hard to Matan’s hand and pulled his partner to him as they surfaced. Matan was grinning. The others knew of Matan’s limited swimming experience and kept close to him while they frolicked in the water. At one point, Black pulled Matan to his chest, so they were looking at each other; Black then floated on his back with Matan lying on top of him. They both grew wide-eyed when they realized they were both chubbing. Matan started laughing and slipped off the body of the bigger man. Black flipped in the water, hoping that no one could see his tumescence. He wasn’t so fortunate as the other guys talked about what he was packing. There was good-natured ribbing.

Yonatan was the first to say he was hungry. They climbed into the boat, with Matan going first. As Yonatan started up the ladder, Bobby reached out and slapped his ass. Yonatan was caught by surprise and fell back into the water. Everyone thought that was hysterical. It then became a contest to see who was going to climb next. They all knew there would be ass slapping. They did not notice that Black disappeared until he pulled himself into the boat from the other side. He didn’t need a ladder to pull his body over the gunwales and into the boat. He flexed his muscles and said he might be an old man, but he still had the moves. None of them knew how old he was but figured he was in his mid-thirties. He was in incredible shape.

Black took command and told Jeremiah to climb the ladder. He reached out and grabbed Jeremiah’s hand when he was climbing on board and yanked him into the boat. The boy flew through the air and then was standing on the deck. After Jeremiah yelped in surprise, he grinned from ear to ear.

While that was happening, Yonatan scooted up the ladder, so Bobby was the only one left in the water.

“Come on boy, take your punishment. You either come on board, or we leave you in the river.”

Bobby climbed aboard, knowing that he would pay for smacking Yonatan’s ass. He was surprised when nothing happened while he put his clothes on. Then, in a synchronized movement, Yonatan and Matan grabbed him and tossed him overboard.

“Man overboard, man overboard.”

Bobby was spurting water from his mouth and grinning. He hadn’t had this much fun in a long time. Yonatan reached out a hand to help him up the ladder, but Bobby was hesitant. Finally, he allowed Yonatan to help him aboard, and he received a big hug. Matan then gave him a hug and said he hoped he brought some more clothes.

They all looked at each other and laughed. Their pendulous cocks were all shrunken from the cold weather. They were grabbing their junk to try to restore warmth and get the blood circulating. Black put on his swimsuit and told them they were ready to leave.

“We are heading to Burwell’s Bay for lunch. We will beach the boat and eat on the shore.”

“Yonatan and Bobby, be ready to lift the motor when we get there and then get in the water and push the boat to the shore.”

It went exactly as Black planned. He, Jeremiah, and Matan waded to shore with the foodstuffs. They ate sandwiches and chips, drank Coca-Colas, and then laid on the sand to nap. Matan had his head on Yonatan’s chest and liked listening to the steady beat of his heart. They all had on swimsuits, but it didn’t hide much as they were all showing wood.

It was late afternoon when they roused and knew they would have to race downriver to reach the dock before the sunset. Yonatan and Bobby pushed the boat into deeper water, climbed aboard, got seated, and then Black opened the throttle all of the way. Everyone was cheering. Black looked at Jeremiah and pointed to the wheel.

“Take it, Lieutenant. Get us back home.”

Jeremiah grinned and had never felt so affirmed. He was extra careful of the late afternoon boaters and the ships plying the channels. As they drew near the landing, Black stood beside Jeremiah and instructed how to safely come alongside them and give instructions to the others for securing the boat. Jeremiah got it exactly right.

When he turned off the engine and handed Black the key, he was beaming.

“Thanks, dad. You are wonderful.”

Bobby came up and hugged the two of them.

They smelled food when they were on the deck. Tim was waiting for them; he told them to strip and rinse off before coming in the house. The swimsuits were laid on the deck railing to dry. They went running through the house to bathrooms to properly shower. Yonatan and Matan pulled out some clothes for Jeremiah and Bobby to wear. They didn’t fit very well, but at least they covered them while they ate dinner.

Jeremiah was like a magpie, telling Tim about what he had learned. He left out the part of grounding the boat on the sandbar.

Black said that Jeremiah was an excellent student.

Bobby sniggered and said, “ yeah, except when he grounded the boat.”

Everyone gave Bobby the stink eye.

Tim was immediately concerned and asked what had happened.

Black made light of it and that Jeremiah had acquitted himself brilliantly the rest of the day.

“Dad, I only have one question.”

“Okay, what is it?”

“Why did I have to give Matan the ignition key to the boat?”

“It was a safety thing. I was trying to control my emotions and problem solve how to get the boat back into deeper water. By giving Matan the key, neither you nor I could get angry and throw the key at each other or overboard. Always try to have someone else there – a safe person. Remember, it is not about the person but the problem. Matan would not let either of us do something foolish. By the time we got our emotions under control, I handed the command back to you. Then you did a bang-up job for the rest of the day. I am so proud of everything you learned today.”

Bobby looked at Jeremiah, pleading forgiveness with his eyes. Jeremiah smiled, then reached out and grabbed Bobby’s hand. All was forgiven.

“Next time, I am going to teach Bobby. We’ll see how he does.”

Tim brought out a store-bought cake and said he hadn’t have time to bake that afternoon.

“Eat your dessert, and then we are going home to sleep. You boys have school tomorrow.”

“Tim, thanks for letting them go out with us today. It was one of the best days we have had in months.”

“You’re welcome, Matan. There will be hell to pay if Jeremiah’s grades drop. He has a 4.0, and we want that to continue. Black and I are so proud of him.”

“Sometimes we need a day where the cares of the world disappear, and we get to be young men. Today was that. Yonatan leads such a busy life between school, the crazy family foundation stuff, and then being the best lover in the world. Today there was no one with problems for him to fix, or something that he had to address, or overbearing professors with endless lectures. He needed a break, and I figured Jeremiah and Bobby did also.”

Matan leaned over to kiss Yonatan, and their bodies melted into each other.

“Okay, you guys leave. I have a partner I need to ravish tonight. Don’t worry about the dishes; Black will wash them tomorrow.”

Yonatan ducked as a napkin was balled up and flew by his head.

Everyone kissed goodnight and agreed it was a special day. Matan had not seen Yonatan as relaxed in many weeks. Neither had anticipate that their lives would be so incredibly busy. They often had to remind people they were young college guys and were supposed to be having a fun time without life’s stressors. People would nod like bobble-head dolls and then present the next thing that needed attention.

Yonatan was excited as he and Matan compared their sunburned skin.

“We are getting our base tan. We will be rocking suntans by the time June arrives. Here, let me put some lotion on you.”

Rubbing lotion on each other led to the anticipated play. The lotion was smeared across their bodies and the sheets as they made love. When they finished, they lay in each other’s arms, giggling and laughing like teenagers. Which is what they were. Matan didn’t care that his burn was already hurting because it had been the perfect day with his partner. Yonatan thought it reminded him of his seemingly carefree days at Camp Falls. They fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.