Catering with Benefits (1) - 5. Edward

Edward was born in 1960 and grew up in Ipswich, an outer suburb of Brisbane. At school he did well academically, especially in maths and science. However, he lacked the sports gene and suffered accordingly at the hands of the school bullies who called him names such as homo and cream puff, a cake that was commonly sold at school tuck shops in those days. The bullying went further than words and he was often the target of the chief bully, John Oxenham, whose speciality was creeping up from behind then suddenly appearing in front of Edward and punching him in the stomach. This was known as winding, as it took Edward’s breath away, left him gasping and sometimes nauseous. However, this was never reported to teachers as there was little chance of any action being taken in those days, especially at Marist Brothers’ schools. The brothers would just laugh it off or say something like ‘toughen up’. Apart from his passion for maths and science in high school, there was little that Edward liked about school. From day one in convent school till the day he graduated from high school he hated every day of Catholic school. Many of the nuns in convent schools were very cruel and Sister Fiacre, the mother superior of the convent, took an immediate dislike to Edward. Perhaps she disliked all her students, thought Edward, and in later years he mused that it was a strange occupation for a frustrated old woman to choose. On one particular day, in his first year at school, Edward was late finishing his lunch and had not put his lunch box in his bag when all the other children did. When he went up to Sister Fiacre for permission to put his lunch box away, she hit the five year old so hard that he was knocked to the ground. When Edward reported this to his mother she was so furious, she went down to the school the next day to confront the nun. The woman, supposedly a bride of Christ, that had made a vow to God and was put in charge of vulnerable young children, lied to Edward’s mother by denying the incident had happened. Edward’s mother did not buy this and warned the nun she would be keeping an eye on her actions.

After this, Edward had no trust in the nuns. He also had no interest in school activities. The class was often left unsupervised, as there were not enough nuns to staff all the classes and they dashed between class rooms trying to teach more than one class. Edward became so bored that when unsupervised he would just get up from his desk, take his bag and jacket and walk home. When he arrived home, he told his mother the sisters said he could go home early. His mum did not believe this but knew what was happening and made no big deal about it. She took him to school the next day and waited in the park opposite. Sure enough, a few hours into the morning, Edward came out the gate swinging his bag happily as he headed for home. His mum caught him and took him back to class, only to find that he had not even been missed by the nuns. Edward’s mum waited in the park for the next few days in wait for Edward. About three days later, he decided school was too boring that day so he set off from class again. Buy this time Edward had discovered the back gate of the school and so avoided being caught by his mum, who lay in wait in the nearby park. When he arrived home, no one was there so he waited on the front porch. By lunch time his mum assumed he had settled in for the day so she headed home as well. To her surprise she found Edward sitting on the gas meter, waiting for her.

By this time, Edward’s mum, who was raising him alone, because his father had been killed in an industrial accident four years before, was suffering from anxiety and went to her doctor for help. After a discussion about the school incidents the doctor asked Edward’s mum if he had any other friends. He did of course have friends in the street where he lived but they went to the state school. The wise doctor suggested that it may be better to send Edward to state school where he would at least have some friends. This was done, and Edward never walked out of school again. The school was properly staffed, the students were kept engaged and Edward already had friends his own age with whom to play.

Then after primary school Edward was transferred to the local Marist Brothers’ school. It did not take long before Edward’s dislike of school set in again. The bullying started and continued through high school. Edward stuck it out and graduated from high school, but having suffered so much, he could not even contemplate any further study. He just wanted out and wanted to work. Through the entrance exam system, he secured employment and training with Telecom Australia, at the time the only phone company in Australia and was solely owned by the Federal government. It was considered then a prestigious place to work.

He was trained in telecommunications and electrical engineering and worked his way around the organisation learning as he worked. Although he was treated badly at school, because he was seen as a pansy, Edward did not connect this with his sexuality. He was a late bloomer in this regard and it was not until his first year out of school that he thought about sex and began searching out sexual partners.

The Fortitude Valley area of Brisbane had long been the area associated with sex and perversions in Brisbane, with strip clubs, brothels and street walkers. Edward knew it was easy to get straight sex there, but was not sure where one went to meet men. As a starting point, he went there one night to check it out. As he walked down the main street, past strip clubs the spruikers tried to lure him in but he just kept walking, hoping he would see something that would give him a clue as to where to meet other men like him. The streets were lined with girls trying to sell their wares but nothing attracted him. He had almost given up when he saw a woman standing on the corner of a narrow alley. She called out to him in a deep voice “Looking for some alternative entertainment young man?” Curiosity made him stop this time and ask what she meant. “Come with Priscilla and all will be revealed before your beautiful eyes”. He knew he should not go with her, but rebelled and followed her down the alley to a doorway. A sign on the door read Live Show with beautiful “Women”. Edward asked why the word, women, was in parenthesis. Priscilla replied “After tonight you will understand”. Just as she was trying to usher him through the door, she noticed another young man lurking just behind them. She turned towards him and said “Another new and curious visitor, please join us on our adventure”. Edward, feeling a little more relaxed, now that there was someone else that seemed to be as new as him at all this, beckoned the young man forward and they all entered the club. After they paid their entrance fee Priscilla said “Now take your ticket to the bar, the first drink is free and the show will start in fifteen minutes, just enough time for you to get acquainted.”

As she left, Edward said “I’m Edward.”

“Pleased to meet you Edward, my name is Paul.”

“So I take it this is your first time here as well.”

“Yes, I’m not sure what to expect, but a friend did tell me they are not really women on the stage.”

“Ah, so that’s what the sign means.”

“Just take a look around, what do you see?” suggested Paul. Until then Edward had not really noticed who was in the room. It all felt so strange he had just concentrated on his new friend and his drink.

“There seems to be a lot of ugly girls and the rest are young men. But they don’t seem to be mixing.”

“Well the girls are transvestites and the boys are gay, like us”. It was the first time Edward had heard the word gay used in regard to him.

“How did you know?” asked Edward.

“I think it’s fairly obvious they are just men dressed as women.”

“No, not that; how did you know I was er... gay?”

“Maybe just a wild guess or because you are here.”

“Fair enough, I think I like you Paul.” Edward said and then thought perhaps he should not say so, it might be taken as something more than he meant. As he was about to explain, a loud voice announced “Ladies, gentlemen and others please welcome to the stage Lily of the Valley.”

Edward was transfixed by the performances and afterwards asked his friend how drag queens got started in the business. Paul was surprised but replied “I guess you have to buy a dress”.

Edward thought about this and then let the subject drop. They had a few more drinks and chatted for a while till Paul said “Can we go to your place?”

“I live out at Ipswich, it’s a long way. Besides, what’s wrong with talking and drinking here for a bit longer?”

“I didn’t mean for talking and drinking.”

“Oh, well I live at home. My parents will be there, what about your place.”

“Same.”

“Well, where do guys go around here?”

“We could go down to the park.”

“Isn’t that a bit dangerous, the police might be there?” questioned Edward.

“They come sometimes but if there are other men around you can tell if it’s safe and they warn each other if anyone sees the police coming.”

“You seem to know a lot about this. Have you been there before?”

“No, I was told by a friend.”

“So where do you usually go?”

“There is no usual, this is my first time; same for you?”

“Yes.”

“That’s good.”

“Why?”

“It’s just that I want my first time to be with someone who is a first timer as well.”

“Have you sucked off a guy before?”

“No.”

“Well maybe we could just do that for the first time. Let’s use the toilets here. That should be a safe place,” suggested Edward.

They went to the toilets three times before they finally found an empty cubicle. Edward went in first, put down the seat and sat on it. After Paul locked the door, he turned toward Edward, pulled down his zipper and said “You want to suck me first?”

“Sure, why not, get it out.”

It was the first time Edward had seen another man’s cock, except for the locker rooms, but certainly the first time he had one so close. Paul was already excited and Edward said “You certainly have a big one there.”

“Thank you, can you handle it” Edward could not reply as he had already taken Paul in. It only took a few thrusts of Paul’s cock before he came in Edward’s mouth. Edward wanted to say how fast Paul came but could not speak as he was still holding Paul’s cum in his mouth. Paul asked “Are you going to swallow”. Edward nodded his head side to side, indicating no, so Paul pointed to the toilet paper. Edward took some paper and spat into it.

“That’s not very flattering,” rebuked Paul.

“Well I’ve never done it before, is it safe?”

“Of course, now change places and I‘ll show you.”

“I thought you had not done this before either”

“I haven’t but my friend told me about it.”

The boys swapped places and Edward came quite quickly as well. Paul swallowed then said “See, that’s how you do it.”

“Mmm, you keep mentioning your friend who told you so much about this, how come you didn’t do it with him?”

“Oh that wouldn’t be right.”

“Why?”

“He’s my parish priest at St Agatha’s.”

“What! You have sex talk with your parish priest?”

“Only in the confessional.”

“So, he tells you all this stuff in the confessional and then does he have sex with anyone?”

“I don’t know, he’s never asked me. Maybe he just gets off talking about it.”

“I suppose that’s better than sucking off the altar boys.”

Before Paul could continue someone banged on the door and yelled “There are others waiting, time you two were finished.” The boys laughed, zipped up and left the cubicle.

They went back to the bar for another drink and Edward continued the conversation from the toilet, “This priest of yours talks to you about sex and told you how to suck and swallow. Did he also talk about fucking?”

“A bit, he said he would tell me more after my first experience at sucking.”

“Gee, I never thought of going to a priest for a sex education. They give great service at your Catholic Church. So how do you think he learnt all this? I doubt it would be at priest’s college.”

“That’s probably exactly where he did learn it.”

“What! They teach that stuff.”

“Not officially, but with all those men living together in the seminary and all that testosterone pumping through their bodies, what do think is going to happen?”

“I see your point.”

“So, now that you have sucked me off, when are you going back for fucking tuition from your priest?”

“I usually go to confession on Saturdays.”

“Why, are you so sinful?”

“Well I don’t go to mass on Sundays so I need to go to confess it the next Saturday.”

“That’s a convenient arrangement, does your priest chastise you for missing mass.”

“Not really, he gives me a penance of three Hail Marys and says, see you next week.”

At the end of the night, they swapped phone numbers and said they would keep in touch.

When Edward phoned Paul and invited him to meet at the drag bar the following week, he declined saying he was busy. Edward went on his own, and over the next few months became a regular at the drag bar. One night he approached an older performer named Bubbles, at the bar and found her very easy to talk to and was given some helpful advice, “Honey, if you want to make it in the drag scene, Brisbane is not the place to start.”

“What do you mean, you work here.”

“Yes honey, but this place is a backwater when it comes to the gay scene and especially drag. Honey if I can make it through a month without at least one fag bashing, I’ve had a good month.”

“What do you suggest Bubbles?”

“Honey, Sydney’s the place to be these days.”

“I’ve never been to Sydney, what’s different there.”

“Oh Honey, compared to here it’s gay heaven. Homosexuality is still not legal, but is generally tolerated. Just on the edge of the city is a street called Oxford Street, which has a growing gay scene and a number of bars and clubs with drag shows.”

“Have you been there?”

“Oh yes Honey, the gay mile glitters, but I’ve been in this hole of a city for so long now, I don’t think I could make the change.”

“That’s sad Bubbles, but thanks for the advice.”

“I like you Honey and I won’t encourage you to start doing drag here in Brisbane, but I would be happy to give you some ideas about dressing and make up as well as performing.”

“That’s generous of you Bubbles.”

“It would be my pleasure Honey, so whenever you want to start you will be welcome to come to rehearsals and to stay backstage on performance nights to learn the ropes. Then you can go down and wow them in Sydney.”

“I’d love that and I will think about the move to Sydney also.”

Edward did attend Bubbles unofficial drag school and he also put out some feelers at work about a transfer. Apart from his Mum he had no other connections to keep him in Brisbane. She was now married again to a loving man that he trusted to take care of her. So he thought to himself, ‘what is there to keep me here?’

About six months later Edward got a transfer to Telecom in Sydney. By then he had learned much from Bubbles and she even let him participate in a few performances, in the chorus line. That taste of performing gave Edward a thirst for more. So he packed up his car with all his belongings, including a make-up kit a blond wig and a few hand-me-down gowns from Bubbles, said goodbye to his mum and set off for the Emerald City.

Edward arrived in Sydney on 16 October 1980 and stayed overnight at a cheap motel. The next morning he bought a copy of the Sydney Morning Herald to scan the classifieds for a flat to rent. Inside the paper he saw a news item that gave him confidence that he had made the right decision to move to Sydney. The paper reported “NSW Labor Council adopts strong gay policy calling on Labor Premier Wran to repeal anti gay laws and to extend the Antidiscrimination Act.” However, it would not be until June 1984 that that the law would be passed by the NSW parliament, to de-criminalise sexual acts between consenting adult males.