Marco - 13. Chapter 13

On my 29th birthday, I was awakened by someone knocking on my door. At first, I ignored it, but whoever it was, they were persistent. I immediately thought something happened to Mom or Dad. Putting on a robe, I went to answer the door.

Turning on the light, opening the door, expecting Dad or Mom, a young man was there.

“Hello, may I help you?”

“My name is Ephram Wight. I was told I had relatives living here.”

At first, I was surprised, and then I realized he spoke with an English accent. “Come in. The Wights do not live here anymore. Are you from England?”

“Yes.”

I remember reading that one of the sons of Ephram returned to England. I made coffee while we toured the downstairs. Over coffee, he told me his story.

“I always knew we had family in America. I remember as a boy my dad telling me about the family and our American cousins. As I grew older, I became interested in our family tree. Dad had some old records he said his great grandfather gave him. As they passed down through the family, each generation brought the records up to date. I was interested in our American cousins, and Dad decided I should travel to America and see if any of the family were still living here and if I could make contact with them. The records showed this to be the place, and so I headed here.”

“Have you made any arrangements for the night?”

“No, I was hoping that if the family was still living here, I could stay here.”

Now I needed to think, he seems harmless, and if he is a relative of the Wights, it would only be natural for him to think about staying here. I wonder what his plan would have been if there wasn’t a house here anymore.

“It’s late; I’ll show you the bedroom you can use. The only bathroom is here, and I’ll show you where it is in case you want to shower.”

I showed him the bathroom, and then I took him upstairs to one of the vacant bedrooms. Wishing him a good night, I went back to bed.

I awoke in the morning wondering if last night was a dream or not. Heading for the shower, I saw a pair of shoes in the foyer, and I knew I had a guest.

I started the coffee and went to take my shower, shaving, getting ready for the day. Walking into the kitchen with a towel wrapped around me, I was startled. Efraim was sitting at the table with a cup of coffee. Seeing me, he got up to get a coffee for me, and he was naked. Being gay, I took a good look.

“There are towels in the closet, and the shower is yours.” I watched as he smiled, walking toward the bathroom. I now had the privilege of seeing a bubble butt.

The thoughts that ran through my mind I hadn’t experienced since graduation. I took my coffee and headed upstairs to get dressed. When I came down, Ephraim was sitting at the table wrapped in a towel.

“I didn’t think about being naked when you came down this morning. I’m used to living by myself and didn’t think.”

“That’s okay. My parents are often visitors, so I always wear shorts when I come into the kitchen. What would you like for breakfast, eggs or hot cereal?” It was eggs with bacon and toast.

Over breakfast, we chatted, and I discovered that Ephraim wasn’t going to return to England. “I fought with my dad, so I stayed with a friend for a while. Then I got my place. My family didn’t want me to stay in England, so they said if they gave me money would I leave and go to America. I had read my family’s history when I was growing up, so I knew about Ephraim Wight and his family here. So I came and met you.”

I was concerned about why his family disowned him. “Ephraim, if you don’t mind telling me, what was your problem with your family?”

“My family was extremely religious, and I wasn’t.”

I felt there was something more than just that. I would take a chance and tell him I’m gay and my family has accepted me. If that is a problem for him, the door is there.

I watched his face as I said, “I’m gay, and my parents and friends have accepted me. I don’t know what I would do if they hadn’t accepted me.”

Watching Ephraim’s face as I said that. What I didn’t expect was the smile he had on his face.

“I am gay also. That is what my father found so objectionable and told me to leave. I moved in with my lover at the time, found out he was cheating, and left. I was on the street for a week when I saw my sister. She arranged the money for me to come to America. When I arrived, I had five pounds in my pocket. I started to walk west, and I arrived here by getting rides. I was afraid I would be asked to leave this morning. That is why you saw me naked; I hoped you might want to pay me for my body. I sold myself when I was on the street in London that one week before I saw my sister.”

I looked at him, and he had tears in his eyes. I was his last hope. If he didn’t stay here, there was no other place for him except the streets.

“Ephraim, if you are willing to help me run this place, you can stay here. I need someone to help repair the barn. I was thinking of getting a cow and some chickens as well as putting in a garden. What do you say?”

He looked at me as if he didn’t believe what he heard. Then he was on my lap, hugging me.

“You need to get dressed. If my parents drop by and see you running around with a towel, (which had dropped off) they will wonder what was going on.”

All of the clothes I have are dirty, and the only decent clothes I have is what I had on last night.”

Come with me, and I think I have some clothes you might fit.”

Picking up his towel, he followed me to my room. Going through my dresser, I had undershorts, a t-shirt, and socks for him. In my dresser, I had a shirt and a pair of pants. I watched as he dressed. He had a nice body, and I knew that he would add a little more muscle to his frame if he stayed. The shirt was a little large. He rolled up the sleeves, and the pants were too long. He rolled up the legs. It wasn’t perfect but would do until he got new clothes.

“Efraim, get your clothes, those that are rags get rid of, those that need to be washed bring to the laundry room. And make your bed.” I laughed as I said that. Mom used to say that to me when she called me for breakfast.

“Get dressed, and I’ll give you the tour.”

I went down to the kitchen and had another cup of coffee. I just sat down when Efraim came down dressed. “Grab a cup of coffee and follow me.”

Walking out the back door, “Marco, who cuts your grass?”

“I have two boys from the town who come out to cut the grass. They will come again in the spring.”

“I can do that.” I smiled

Passing the well, “Does the pump work?”

“Yes. Try it.”

He drank his coffee, filled his cup with the water, and drank it. “It’s cold.” I laughed.

Walking to the barn, I showed him the outhouse. “This is our emergency bathroom.”

We were laughing as we entered the barn. “I have had the roof repaired, and there are a few shingles which need to be replaced. I was thinking of raising chickens, and I would use a part of the barn for that.”

“Have you thought of other animals like a cow? I could milk it for you.”

The image of a gay guy pulling on the teats of a cow caused me to laugh. He looked at me with a strange look on his face. I pretended to be milking a cow. He caught on and broke out in laughter as well.

Leaving the barn, laughing, we walked the property line. He was surprised by the amount of land. “Who owns the property outside of the fence?”

“I don’t know, probably the county. I’ll ask around.” I wonder why he was interested in that land considering he had no money,

“If you got a plow for those riding mowers, we could plow up this land here, and we could grow some vegetables.”

I caught the ‘we’.

Walking back toward the house, my phone rang. “Excuse me, Hello Mom, what’s up? ...No, I haven’t started to cook anything for lunch. If you and Dad want to come over, come on over. ...Yes, two is okay for lunch. Mom, I have a guest. ...Yes, he is from England, and I’ll introduce him to you when you and Dad are here. ...Okay, see you at 2.”

“Was that your parents?”

“Yes, they are coming over for lunch. Sometimes I think my mother has a sixth sense. I’ll introduce you to them when they are here.”

“And they know you are gay?”

“Yes, I told them when I was in high school. My dad was okay, but I think my mom was more concerned, no grandchildren.”

“You are lucky. My parents threw me away.”

“I’ll share my parents with you.” He had tears in his eyes. I knew how lucky I was. Why does it take someone’s tragedy for a person to realize what he has taken for granted? Another person would give everything to be in his position.

Walking into the house, I stopped to put the wet clothes in the dryer. While doing that, I noted the sizes. Now, I have a job for Mom. She’ll love doing this. It’ll be like the times she shopped for me.