My First True Christmas - 1. Story

It’s the day before Thanksgiving and I’m busy making out my Christmas list. I do this every year, so my parents will know exactly what I want from them. Since they’ll be starting their shopping the day after Thanksgiving, I have to give my list to them before then. My mother has been bugging me about it for days.

“Tommy, if I don’t have your list by Thanksgiving Day, then you won’t be getting anything for Christmas,” she threatened, quite effectively.

I’m smart enough to heed her warning, since I know she’d do it to prove a point. That’s why I am rushing to get it done now. You know how it is. It’s just like with my homework. I put everything off until the last minute and now I am praying I won’t forget anything important before I give the list to them. I’ve already written down the titles of a bunch of CDs, DVDs and video games I want and I’ve also listed a whole bunch of designer and name-brand clothes I’ve spotted while shopping with my mother on previous occasions and pointed them out to her. Now that all this little stuff has been added, I just have to put down the major gifts I want.

I started doing this by writing down new skis and ski boots, since I have been telling my parents that I’ve outgrown my old skis and boots. This isn’t exactly true, but the boots are getting snug and I want those new skis for the slopes this year. They are much nicer than my old pair and I’m certain everyone on the slopes will immediately notice them, so getting the skis is very important to me.

In addition to those items, I’m also asking for a new smart phone, even though I know I really don’t need it. My old phone is working just fine, but this new one has a lot more features. I’ve also put down that I want a new dirt bike or a 4-wheel ATV. I feel I’ve outgrown my old dirt bike, an 80, and I want to move up to a 250. I could have asked for a 125, because I’m afraid my father won’t go for me having a motorcycle as powerful as a 250, seeing as I’m only 15. I put it down anyways, figuring he’ll buy me the ATV instead, as a safer alternative.

The reason I haven’t really outgrown my ski boots and my father won’t buy me the bigger motorcycle is because I haven’t done much growing over the past year. I’ve only gained maybe an inch in height, going from 5’ 5” to 5” 6”, so I just kind of get lost whenever I’m anyplace with my peers. Not even my looks get me noticed, since I’m pretty ordinary. You know brown hair, brown eyes and average build – nothing that makes me stand out in a crowd. That’s why I want the new skis and the 250-motorcycle, because I know they’ll help get me noticed for sure. I know my dad probably won’t buy the motorcycle for me, but the ATV will do basically the same thing, so I’ll be happy with either. Now, I’ll just have to wait and see what he decides to do.

I know I won’t get everything I asked for, but I’ve learned a few things over the past few years. I now understand that the more I have on my list, the more I’ll end up getting. That is as long as I don’t go completely overboard.

Yes, I suppose I do look greedy, but my family can afford it. My father is a lawyer for an insurance company and my mother is a second-grade teacher, so we’re not hurting for money. Besides, I’m an only child, so there’s no one else for them to spend it on. Well, that’s not exactly true. My dad does something every year that I don’t understand. Just before Thanksgiving, he asks three different charities give him the name of a needy family and a list of the things they could use, including individual clothing sizes for the various family members.

Once my father has these lists, he goes out and spends like a thousand dollars or so on each family for the holiday. Maybe it would be all right if he got something in return for doing this, but he takes all the things he buys down to the charity and lets them deliver it to those families – anonymously. Most of the families send a thank you note back to the charity and then the charity passes the note along to dad, but what good is it if no one knows you were the one who gave them all those things?

Dad’s tried to explain this to me before, several times in fact, but I just don’t get it. He told me that just because a family is needy, it doesn’t mean they are undeserving or lazy. He says sometimes it’s just a matter of not getting the right break or receiving the necessary guidance. It’s possible they’ve merely lacked the resources necessary to better themselves or they didn’t have anyone to show them a better way. He informed me our family might have found ourselves in similar circumstances, if he hadn’t received some help from an outsider when he was younger.

Dad then went on to explain that he was born into the fourth generation of an immigrant family and everyone in the previous generations had supported their families by being underpaid and overworked factory employees. He informed me that he probably would have ended up being a factory worker too, if one of his friends’ fathers hadn’t shown him that he could make a different choice.

His best friend’s father was a CPA and he encouraged my dad to go to college. The man convinced my father that he was not only capable of earning a degree, but he could also find a way to pay for his education, such as by taking out student loans or earning a scholarship. In order to do convince my dad he could do well in college, he taught my dad techniques to study effectively. This would also help him improve his high school as well and thus increase his chances to earn a scholarship. He even let my dad do odd jobs and run errands for him, so he have some spending money for other things that would help him be successful, but his parents just couldn’t afford to buy for him.

This man also helped my dad select a college, since he ended up receiving several scholarship offers, and then he helped him fill out the college application forms and other paperwork when it came time. He even bought my dad a nice suit for the one-on-one interview and explained to my father that he needed dress for the occasion, so he would make a good impression. After doing all of this, he also helped guide my dad to choose a profession and select the courses he should take, including the electives. My father told me that without this man’s help, he probably never would have broken free of the vicious cycle his family was in, because he wouldn’t have believed he could do anything other than work in a factory himself. He said even in his wildest dreams, he never thought he would ever become a lawyer.

Although I did understand what he meant about his friend’s father helping him, it was also true that he knew the person who was doing this for him. I still didn’t understand why he would spend all of his money on strangers who wouldn’t know he was the one doing this for them. He could spend it on us instead and then we could show him our appreciation. I’ll admit I often became very bitter about him doing this, especially in a year I didn’t get everything on my list. My dad would have had the money to get it all for me, if he didn’t spend so much on people he didn’t even know. I tried pointing this out to him once and all he said was, “when you get older and look at this more maturely, then you’ll understand.” Sometimes I wonder if that day will ever come?

Anyways, I made sure I went shopping with my parents on Black Friday, which is what everyone calls the day after Thanksgiving. I wanted to make sure they knew exactly what clothes and other things I wanted, because I didn’t want there to be any mistakes. We’d walked around the mall for about three hours and during that time I kept noticing a boy about my age or maybe a little older. I guess he stood out to me because he looked a bit on the dirty side, so I thought maybe he was either lost or in trouble.

Each time I saw him, he was walking up and talking to a different person, so I figured he must have been asking them a question. Whatever he was doing, no one seemed to be interested in listening to him or sticking around for very long. This made me curious to see what he was up to, so I kind of directed my parents to move closer to where he was, so I could find out what he was saying to all of those other adults. As we approached where this boy was standing, he spotted us moving in his direction and came up to my father.

“Sir, could you spare a little money, so I can buy some food?”

Knowing what a soft-touch my father is about people in need, I expected him to reach into his pocket, pull out a few bills and hand them to the kid. I was surprised when he didn’t do that. Instead, my father spoke to the boy softly.

“I’m not sure what your problem is, but I won’t give you money, because you may use it for something other than food,” he told him. “However, it is nearly time for my family to have lunch, so if you’d like to join us, I’ll buy you a meal and you can eat with us.”

I’m sure the boy wasn’t ready for my dad to make this offer, so he didn’t immediately respond. Once the shock wore off, he must have made his decision as to whether this was an acceptable option and mumbled out a weak reply.

“But I’m not dressed as nice as you are,” he began, without looking directly at my father. “Do you really want me to sit at your table and eat with you?”

“Yes, I do and I think we’ll be able to correct the problem you mentioned, at least partially,” my father responded. “When we get inside the restaurant, I’ll have my son go with you to the men’s room so you can wash up. Once you’ve done that, then we’ll sit down and eat together. By the way, this is my son, Tommy,” he continued, pointing in my direction.

Actually, I was amazed that my dad had assigned this responsibility to me. I thought he’d do it himself, so he could make certain the boy cleaned up to his satisfaction. I didn’t object though and eagerly reached out and offered the boy my hand, so we could shake. He hesitated for a couple of seconds before he grasped it, but then he finally did.

“Hi, I’m Jason. Jason Farber,” he replied simply, as we shook.

I grew weak in the knees just from touching his smooth skin. I’m not sure why that was, but his touch seemed to be electric. It might also have had something to do with the fact that he wasn’t bad looking either. He was a couple inches taller than I was, had dirty blond hair, green eyes and was built a lot like me, just average.

My father then led us to a restaurant and pointed out the location of the restroom to us as we entered. I went with Jason, to make sure he did a good job washing up, as my father wanted. I know how fussy my father can be about these things, so I didn’t want him to get upset with Jason if he didn’t do the job correctly. On the way there, Jason expressed his shock that my dad had brought us to a regular restaurant and not a fast-food place.

“I can’t eat here with your family,” he told me, while looking down at the ground. “This is a nice place and I’m gonna look really out of place with the rest of you.”

“No, you won’t and don’t worry about it,” I assured him. “My parents invited you, so no one is going to say anything and you’ll be fine.”

I tried to say this as confidently as I could, but I’m not sure how convincing I was. Jason still looked hesitant, but eventually he started to wash up. While he was doing that, I decided to use my time to find out more about him.

“Why are you here all alone?” I asked.

This question must have startled him, because he stopped cleaning up momentarily. When he looked at me, it appeared as if he wanted to bolt out the door, so he didn’t have to answer me. To prevent this from happening, I moved between him and the exit, but I also came up with something else to say, which I hoped would put him at ease.

“It really doesn’t matter,” I told him, “I was just curious.”

He seemed to relax a little, but he still eyed me suspiciously. Finally, he started to let down his guard a little.

“I guess maybe I would want to know that too, if I were you,” Jason responded, “but it’s a long story and I’m hungry. Can we eat first and then I’ll tell you?”

I think this was his way of avoiding my question, so I decided to let him off the hook, but just for now. I was intrigued and really wanted to hear his story.

“Sure, that’s fine,” I told him.

He finished cleaning up and then I checked him over quickly to make sure he didn’t miss anywhere. Once I was sure he got all the visible spots taken care of, I then helped him tidy up his clothing, as much as we could. When we went back outside, my parents were waiting for us and the hostess was ready to lead us to our table.

After we were seated, my father told Jason he could order whatever he wanted and get as much as he liked, as long as he didn’t waste any of it. After giving my father a bewildered glare, Jason nodded in agreement. However, when it came time to order, he still seemed tentative about telling the waiter what he wanted, so I thought I’d try to help out. I quickly made a few suggestions about some of the selections I’d tried before and then urged him to get any of those items that sounded good to him. After another few seconds thinking about it, he finally ordered one of the meals I’d told him about.

Throughout lunch, we exchanged the usual small talk, and during this time I learned that Jason was less than a year older than me. We were going to be in the same grade, because he started school a little later than most kids normally do. He didn’t say way, so I was polite and didn’t ask why.

In an effort to find some other common interests with him, I asked Jason if he liked to ski or ride dirt bikes. He quickly told me that he had never tried either of those things before and this made me realize I should probably wait until we were alone before I asked him any more personal questions. I didn’t want him to feel embarrassed about any of this in front of my parents, so I decided I needed time alone with Jason. That would give me the opportunity I needed to learn more about him. I don’t know why I was so intrigued with this guy, but suddenly I had a very strong desire to discover why he was obviously on his own. Therefore, as soon as we finished eating I made an announcement to my parents.

“I know you’re going to want to do some shopping without me, so Jason and I will walk around the mall for a while, to give you time to do that. You can call me on my cell phone to let me know when you’re ready to leave and where you want us to can meet you.”

“Tommy, I don’t think that is such a good idea,” my mother replied, skeptically.

I knew this was because we didn’t really know much about Jason and she harbored concerns about how safe it would be for me to go off with him alone.

“I’ll be fine,” I assured her, slightly annoyed. She should know that I could take care of myself. “I don’t want to leave Jason all alone again and this way you and Dad will be able to shop for my presents without me being there.”

How was that for a hint?

“He is welcome to come with us and you boys can just go to another section of the store we’re in,” my father countered. “We aren’t going to shop for anything that the two of you won’t be able to see anyway.”

Damn, why can’t they just trust me? I’m not afraid of Jason and I’m sure he isn’t here with anyone else, so I guess I’ll just have to convince my parents to let me do this.

“Dad, I’ll be fine and there’s nothing to worry about,” I reasoned. “I just want to talk with Jason a little more, so I can find out more about him.”

My father rolled his eyes and then pulled my mother aside so he could speak with her privately. After nearly a minute of intense discussion, they walked toward me and spoke.

“Okay, we’ll let you do this, but call if you need anything,” my father advised me. “We’ll call you when we’re ready to leave and you’d better be ready to go then.”

I got his implied threat and agreed to it. Then, I grabbed Jason by the hand and dragged him behind me. I know it was probably pretty stupid thing to do, pulling him along as if he were some little kid, but I didn’t want to take the chance he wouldn’t follow me. He never said a word about what I’d done, nor did he complain, so I guess it didn’t bother him.

It wasn’t long before we were walking around the mall acting like two old friends, talking about all sorts of things and cracking jokes with each other. When I felt he was relaxed enough to answer me truthfully, I asked him the questions that were foremost on my mind.

“Okay, so where are your parents and why haven’t you eaten in a while?” I asked him directly.

He looked at me strangely when I confronted him, so I thought he might refuse to answer or try to run away. I had to take the chance though, because I really wanted to know the answers. This couldn’t wait any longer, because once my parents and I left the mall, there was a good chance that I’d never see Jason again. This was the moment of truth, but would Jason cooperate?

“I guess I owe you that much for what you did for me,” Jason began. “I saw the way you guided your parents to make sure they’d end up coming over by me, so I figure I should be honest with you, to repay you for your help.”

I blushed immediately after hearing him say this, because he’d caught me red-handed. I really thought I’d acted much more smoothly and subtly than that.

“Well, my father likes to help people,” I admitted, “and you looked like a decent guy who could use a hand, so I took a chance.”

I grinned after saying this, hoping it would keep him calm.

“Why did you think that?” Jason asked, since he didn’t fully understand what I meant. “You didn’t know anything about me or what I was talking to people about.”

Now, I had to think of how I was going to explain this to him. I certainly didn’t want to offend him.

“I know, but I felt if you went to my school I probably would have tried to make friends with you,” I replied, sincerely. “I mean you look like a pretty neat guy and someone I’d like to get to know.”

When he heard this, Jason began to blush, which he did very nicely. Rather than waiting for him to respond, I decided it would be best if I just kept talking.

“I also thought it looked like you might be having a rough time. I don’t mean this to sound nasty or cruel, but you were a little dirty back then and your clothes aren’t in the greatest condition, so it gave me the feeling that you might need some help.”

“Thank you,” Jason responded, sincerely. “That was a really nice thing for you to do.”

“But I’m still confused about why you’re all alone,” I pressed.

Jason hemmed and hawed for a few more seconds, before he answered. After licking his lips and swallowing hard, he finally began to speak.

“It’s because my mom’s latest boyfriend doesn’t like me and kind of threw me out of the house,” he admitted, but he didn’t look me in the face when he told me this.

“Why? You’re not so awful or hard to be around,” I blurted out.

I was totally shocked that anyone could do something like that to any kid, let alone one who seemed as nice as Jason.

“And your mother let him do it?” I continued.

“I’m not sure she knew what he did,” he explained, although not satisfactorily.

“What do you mean?” I pressed, since I wanted all of the details. “She lives with you, doesn’t she?”

“Yes, but Ralph, my mother’s scumbag boyfriend, always tells my mom lies about me, to make it look like I’m the bad guy,” he informed me. “He tells her I say awful things and throw stuff at him. He even told her that I said I wished he was dead. I never said that, although I had thought it, but mom believed him and not me.”

“That’s plain sick,” I empathized, but he didn’t seem to hear me.

“About a week after Halloween, my mother had to work late one day. When I got home from school, Ralph said he had a surprise and threw a trash bag at me. I thought he just wanted me to take the garbage out, but he told me to look inside. When I did, I saw the bag had my clothes in it. When I asked him what he was doing, he said he was going to make a man out of me. When I asked him what he meant by that, he told me I was going to start living on my own and support myself from now on. That’s when he told me to get out and never come back, or he’d beat the shit out of me.”

“My God! What did you do?” I asked, dumbstruck.

I couldn’t picture my parents ever doing anything like that to me. How could anyone treat another human being that way?

“At first I thought he was joking. He’d done mean things before, but nothing like this. The trouble was, after a few minutes it became clear he was totally serious,” Jason explained. “That’s when I told him it was my mother’s and my house and I wasn’t going to go anywhere, so if he didn’t like that then he could just leave instead. He laughed and said that wasn’t going to happen and told me if I didn’t go, he’d make my life a living hell.”

Jason paused briefly and I think he was trying to gauge my reaction. When I saw this, I thought I’d encourage him to continue.

“But why would he do that?” I asked.

“He said he loved my mother, but he didn’t want a family and he wasn’t about to share her. That’s when he told me that if I didn’t leave, he’d either find a way to get her to send me away or he’d think of a plan to get me arrested and put in a detention center. One way or another, he said I was going to be living somewhere else, and since I knew he meant it, I turned toward the door and got ready to leave.”

Damn! I was even more shocked after hearing that. Ralph was really a cold, calculating and conniving son-of-a-bitch. He literally moved in to Jason’s home, took over and then forced Jason out. I think I hated the bastard as much as Jason did and I think Jason could see how I felt, just from the expression on my face. He smiled feebly at me, before continuing.

“When he saw I was going to leave,” Jason continued, “he stopped me. I thought he was going to tell me he’d just been joking, but instead he said ‘no hard feelings,’ and handed me $100. He told me the cash was so I could get out of town and have enough money to buy food for a while, until I could find a way to earn some money. I thought that was kind of decent of him, since he didn’t have to do it and I’d never seen him do anything nice for anyone other than for my mother or himself.”

“No way! He wasn’t doing it because he was being nice,” I screamed. “He just gave you the money and hoped you’d go far away from home, so you’re mother wouldn’t find out what he’d done or why you took off.”

I was pissed and didn’t want Jason to have any positive feelings about Ralph. He was an ass and didn’t deserve anyone thinking he’d done something out of kindness.

“My mom wouldn’t have believed me anyway,” Jason admitted, “so I took his money and left. That’s the only thing he ever gave me, besides grief.”

Jason paused briefly after saying this and I saw him swallow hard. I think he was beginning to choke up with emotion and I wondered if he might begin to cry. That didn’t happen though, and after composing himself again, he continued.

“I guess I must be over a hundred miles from home by now and I’ve used up all my money,” he added.

I could still see the pain in his eyes, even though I could tell he was trying to put up a brave front. Just then, my cell phone rang.

“Hello. Oh, sure Dad. We’ll be right there,” I responded, before ending our conversation.

I then led Jason to the main entrance of the mall, where my father had just told me to meet my mother and him. After hearing his story, I had an even stronger desire to help Jason, so on the way to meet up with my parents, I came up with an idea. When I saw my mom and dad, I made a hasty request,

“Jason, will you wait here with my mom, while I talk to my dad alone?”

Jason looked at me oddly, but nodded he would do as I’d asked. As I looked at my mother, she appeared confused about what I was up to as well, so she was also unsure if it was wise to do as I requested. Before she had a chance to object though, I pulled my father a short distance away, so we were out of hearing range of the other two.

I hurriedly told him what I’d learned about Jason’s background and explained that he was living on the streets. When I though my father had absorbed all of this information, I asked my question.

“Dad, you’ve got to let Jason stay with us,” I announced, rather than asked.

My approach seemed to shock my father. Noting his initial reaction, I felt I should quickly explain why I thought we should do this.

“Dad he really needs us to do this,” I began, “and if it will help, you don’t need to buy me any Christmas presents this year.”

“Tommy, I’m not going to take back the presents we’ve already bought for you. It took your mother and I a few hours to pick them out and purchase them for you and I’m not going to spend an equal amount of time trying to return them. I may choose not to get you any more, but I’ll have to think about that first.”

“Maybe you could just give the presents you’ve already bought for me to Jason then,” I countered, “especially if they’re clothes. I’m sure he can use more and we look to be about the same size, so they should fit him. I’m sure he’d appreciate the other things too, if you don’t want to take them back.”

Dad appeared dumbfounded that I had even made such an offer. After regaining his composure, my father’s smile broadened.

“Yep, my boy is definitely growing up and is more mature than I’ve given him credit for,” he almost whispered.

Dad had uttered this like he was talking to someone else, not to me, but I was still stunned. ‘Had my father actually said that about me? Did he just give me a compliment?’ I wondered.

He’s usually telling me that I’m immature and selfish, so this is a total surprise. I’m not exactly sure why he said this or what I’d done to earn his praise, but it felt good to hear him say something positive about me. I was still enjoying the moment when Dad suddenly changed my focus again.

“Tommy, I’m pleased you want to help him and all,” he stated, and I suddenly felt like the hammer was about to drop, “but I’m not so sure about taking him home with us. I’m not saying he’s dangerous or would harm any of us, but we just don’t know much about him. He could end up robbing us blind or worse.”

“Dad, I’ll take responsibility for him,” I offered. “I’ll stay with him at all times and if he steals anything, then you can take it out of my allowance or not give me any presents this Christmas, my next birthday and next Christmas too. It’s just like you said though. He’s had a bad break and comes from a rotten situation, so I want to see if we can help him.”

I guess regurgitating the lessons my father has been trying to get me to learn might have helped. He looked at me very thoughtfully and didn’t say ‘no’ immediately, like I’d feared, but he hadn’t said ‘yes’ either. After a few more moments, he finally spoke.

“I’m glad you’re growing up and are starting to think of others, not just yourself” he stated, “but I’m just not convinced it would be a wise move to take him into our home.”

“I promise I’ll watch him carefully until we’re sure he’s not going to do anything wrong,” I promised. “I really want to do this for him. Please. Just give me the chance to get him started on a better life.”

I guess maybe I was just as confused about why I wanted to do this as my dad was, but for some reason it just seemed important and the right thing to do. Now, I just had to get Dad to agree. He gave me another skeptical look, but then went over to speak to my mother. While they were doing that, I took Jason away from where they were standing, so they could discuss this without Jason overhearing any of their conversation.

“What’s going on?” Jason asked.

“I just ask my dad a question and he’s talking it over with mom. That’s all,” I offered, simply.

“Is it about me?” Jason asked, after a brief hesitation.

“Hang on, my dad’s on his way back,” I responded, while also trying to avoid answering Jason.

Fortunately, my dad was coming toward us at that moment, so it got me out of an awkward situation and prevented me from having to explain this to Jason further. I held my breath as I awaited my dad’s reply.

“Jason, Tommy has asked his mother and I if we’d be willing to bring you home with us and we’ve agreed,” Dad stated, and I nearly catapulted to the top of the mall. “Is this something you might be interested in?”

“Um, yeah,” Jason answered. “It beats having to find someplace to crash, which is usually outdoors. Are you sure this is okay with you though?”

I think Jason was trying to give my father an out, just in case he thought I had forced them into doing this.

“Yes, it is,” my dad agreed. “It seems very important to Tommy that we don’t just leave you here to fend for yourself and he’s shared a little about your situation with us, so we’re willing to give it a try. I want you to know, however, that this arrangement is only temporary, unless I get to speak with your mother and am able to work things out with her. Until that happens, we’re pleased to help out, but just on a trial basis.”

I was ecstatic when I heard my father complete his answer. This time I couldn’t contain myself and enthusiastically began to jump up and down, spin around and whoop real loud. Then, I hugged my mom and dad tightly, before I raced over and did the same thing to Jason.

After I’d released him, Jason was looking at me like I was crazy. Hell, I imagine everyone else in the mall thought that too, at least those who had witnessed my reaction to what my father had agreed to, but it didn’t matter. I didn’t care what anyone else thought, just Jason.

Now that he understood and accepted our offer, he seemed excited too, but then he told me he had to run out behind the mall to collect his things first. He said he’d hidden them there when he came inside, since he had nowhere else to leave them. I told him I’d go with him, primarily to make sure he didn’t try to run away, but I guess that thought only crossed MY mind, because Jason wasn’t about to take off.

After I explained what I planned to do to my parents, Jason and I took off to collect his things. We ran most of the way there and back, because we didn’t want to upset my parents by having to wait too long. When Jason and I returned, everything seemed to be fine and my parents appeared to be in a good mood as we walked to the car.

When we got home, I gave Jason a quick tour around the house. When we went upstairs, I told him he could have his own room or he could share mine, since I had a king-size bed. It didn’t take him very long to decide, but I was somewhat surprised when he told me his choice. He said he’d prefer to stay with me.

Jason must have sensed my confusion, so he explained there wasn’t any reason why he should mess up another room, since he wasn’t sure if he’d be staying for very long. Before I had a chance to ask him what he meant by that, he told me he figured my parents wouldn’t let him live with us forever. He said he hoped they’d let him stay around through the worst of the winter months, but he’d take whatever he could get. After that, he asked me if it was okay with me if we shared a room and I told him it was fine. I didn’t mind if he stayed with me, because he was cute and I was kind of attracted to him, although I didn’t tell him that part.

At that moment, my dad knocked on my door and asked what Jason had decided. I immediately informed him that we were going to share a room for now. He said that would be fine, as long as we both agreed to it, so we quickly told him we did.

Once that had been taken care of, Dad asked to look at Jason’s belongings, so he could see how much Jason had and what condition it was in. Jason wasn’t eager to comply with Dad’s request, but eventually he gave in. I could tell my father was making a few mental notes as he looked things over and determined what Jason might need. When Dad finished checking everything out, he told us that my mother and he had to run a few errands, so he asked if we’d be all right alone. I quickly assured him we’d be fine, so he left the room. A short time later, we heard the car start and glanced out the window as my parents drove off.

As soon as my parents were gone, I suggested to Jason that he might want to shower and then change into some clean clothes. I didn’t mention that he smelled kind of funky, because I didn’t want to embarrass him. I also told him he could wear any of my things, if he wanted. I didn’t care if he just liked them better or didn’t have anything clean to put on. From now on, whatever I have is his too.

After I’d told him this, Jason turned away from me quickly and I was afraid I had said something wrong or offended him. However, when he looked up at me a few seconds later, I saw tears in his eyes. That’s when I realized he was just touched by my offer. Rather than making a big deal out of this, I just told him he’d probably fit into my clothes and he quickly agreed. That’s when he went off to shower.

Jason was actually in there quite a long time, so it must have felt good to him. I guessed he probably hadn’t had a real shower in ages and was taking advantage of the opportunity, so I didn’t bother him. When he came back to our room, he was only wearing a towel, which was wrapped around his waist. Shortly after he entered, he dropped the towel and then just stood there, completely naked and unembarrassed.

“Okay, what is it you want me to do for you?” he asked.

This totally confused me and I didn’t know how to respond. I didn’t expect anything from him, but I was unable to take my eyes of his lovely, perfectly formed, circumcised dick. The fact that I didn’t respond seemed to confuse him, so he addressed me again.

“Just tell me what you want and we’ll get it over with,” he suggested.

“What do you mean?” I asked, still unable to figure out what he was getting at. “I don’t want anything from you.”

“Oh, come on,” Jason insisted. “No one does anything nice for you, unless they want something in return. Believe me, I know. I’ve learned it the hard way. Every person who’s been nice to me since I left home has always wanted something in return, mostly sex things. I’m sure you’re no different; especially with the way you’re looking at my cock. Besides, I saw you talking your parents into doing this, so what do you want in return?”

“Really, Jason, I don’t want anything in return,” I told him, honestly. “But if you want to fool around a little, I’d be willing. I’ve had fun doing things with a couple of my friends, but it would be entirely your choice. You don’t have to do anything special just to stay here.”

Jason’s mouth dropped open and he stared at me.

“I thought…” but I cut him off.

“Then you thought wrong,” I informed him, forcefully. “Other than following the same rules I have to obey, anything else is your choice. No one will force you to do anything, nor will any of us expect anything from you in return.”

At this point, Jason walked over and sat beside me on the bed, still totally naked.

“But why?” he asked.

“Because we don’t take advantage of people,” I told him, not knowing what else I should say.

“But I don’t understand,” Jason countered. “It seems everyone else does.”

“Maybe, but my dad says that many people who have bad lives is either because of bad luck or bad choices, but they still deserve a break. After seeing you in the mall and then hearing what happened to you, I figured you could use some help. That’s why I talked my dad into letting you come stay with us, for as long as you need.”

“You did that without really knowing me?” Jason gasped, still doubting his good fortune.

“Yep and it’s for as long as you need,” I repeated. “Dad says if you want to stay with us permanently he’ll need to talk to your mother first. He’ll let her know that you’re okay and have a place to stay, but then he’s going to want to see if she’s willing to sign papers to let you stay with us permanently. You don’t have to worry about that though, because my dad’s a lawyer, so if he can’t take care of this himself, he knows other lawyers who can. The only thing my dad wants to do is to make sure it’s all legal and he won’t get into trouble for kidnapping or anything crazy like that.”

“Wow! You guys are too much!” Jason exclaimed. “I didn’t think anyone would ever do anything nice for me, not even my mother any more. Not since she began to take Ralph’s side over mine.”

Jason seemed kind of down after mentioning his mother and Ralph, so I wanted to assuage his concerns.

“You don’t have to worry about that any more,” I said soothingly, “because we’re on your side.”

I gave Jason a few seconds for my words to sink in. Shortly after that, he began to cheer up a little, so I continued.

“Do you want to get dressed or fool around?” I asked, since I was starting to sprout wood from looking at his adorable naked body.

“Tommy, are you gay?” he asked, bluntly.

“I don’t know for sure,” I answered, honestly, “but I like seeing good looking naked guys like you and I like doing things with them. It’s confusing, because I’ve also had some fun with a couple of girls too.”

“I guess you might be bisexual then,” he responded, more to himself than to me. “I wish I was, but I know I’m gay. That’s another reason I left when Ralph told me to. He’d either have been on my case all of the time or beat me silly, if he ever found out I was gay. I’ve seen him do that with gay adults, so it would have been even worse for me, since I’d have to live with him.”

“Nothing like that will happen here,” I explained. “My parents don’t really care if I fool around like that, as long as I take the appropriate safety precautions and don’t force anyone into it. My dad has told me that boys my age tend to experiment, so as long as I am safe doing it, he won’t get upset.”

He looked at me kind of funny, as if he couldn’t believe what I was saying. Seeing this, I put my arm around his shoulders and tried to convince him of my sincerity, and then he leaned into me in response. As he rested his head on my chest, he let out a big sigh.

“I didn’t know parents could be so understanding,” he whispered, in a barely audible voice.

I didn’t respond and left him to his thoughts. He still kept his head on my chest, but after a minute or so, he tilted his head upward, toward mine, and looked into my eyes. Slowly, he moved his mouth closer and I began to find it difficult to breathe. I was sooooo excited. I wanted this to happen as much as he did, so I met him halfway and lowered my head toward his. The instant our lips met, I felt all kinds of strange feelings flood through my body and I began to tingle all over. I guess the same thing must have happened to Jason too, because when I looked down, his penis was as hard as a diamond drill bit.

I knew he wasn’t sure how far he dared go, but I wanted to make sure whatever we did was his choice. I would lead him only so far and then give him a chance to say yes or no, but it was his decision to make. Cautiously, I reached my hand toward his hard member, but stopped short of touching it, as I waited for his permission. When he saw what I was doing, he gave me a slight nod, so I lightly ran my fingers over his leg, inner thigh and then lightly brushed it over his package. He let out a very encouraging moan and I felt his body tremble when I made contact with his boy-toy. That’s all the encouragement I needed to keep going.

I kissed him again, while I ran my hand over his smooth chest. I teased and tweaked his nipples with my fingers and his little nubs immediately became erect as I played with them. Slowly, I edged myself off of the bed and lowered my body to the floor, until I was kneeling in front of him. I pushed his legs apart, to get full access, and he cooperated fully. I stuck my tongue out and moved forward, until I was able to lick his ball sac. As I moved his eggs around with my oral muscle, his upper body fell backward, so that now he was lying on the bed. I continued to bathe his scrotum with my saliva and then I moved upward and ran my tongue along the side of his shaft and around the flange of his helmet. Jason moaned even louder and thrust his hips upward, as if he were trying to impale me on his penis. I understood what he wanted, so I kept going.

Carefully, I lowered my mouth over his throbbing shaft and took it completely into my throat. I could feel it pulse and he instinctively began to thrust his pelvis up and down, as he energetically made love to my mouth. I added a little suction and let my tongue run wild, as it delicately teased the surface of his love muscle as it slid in and out of my throat. Jason had closed both of his hands on the bedspread and grasped everything underneath it in the tight ball of his fist, as he continued to buck up and down. He was making all kinds of noises, but he wasn’t saying a thing. I, on the other hand, was feeling awesome knowing I was giving him such pleasure.

As his moaning increased, his humping movements got faster, so I knew he was getting close. Finally, I heard him start to say something.

“I’m… uh… almost there. I’m… a… gonna… cum,” he panted.

I think he did this so I could pull off if I wished to, but I wanted to taste his seed. I’d never swallowed with any of my friends, but I just felt I had to do it with Jason. Maybe it was because I thought my other friends might be grossed out or would make awful comments if I did it, so with them I finished by jerking them off when they warned me. I wasn’t going to do that with Jason though. I clamped my lips tightly around his shaft and kept sliding up and down on it, as I waited for the eventual eruption.

And erupt he did, like a volcano that had been dormant for centuries and then released all of it’s pent up fury in one awesome explosion. I actually felt the first blast of his semen strike the back of my throat, followed by a few less forceful shots. I swallowed it all; except for the last few drops, which I held in my mouth. I wanted to be able to continue to enjoy his taste a little longer, but I did continue to nurse his deflating member, at least until he pushed my head away and let me know he’d had enough.

When he did that, I released his dick, got up and sat on the bed beside him, as I watched him enjoy all the feelings that were still coursing through his body. He looked so happy and relaxed at this point, so I just sat there and stared at him. I was just so glad I was the one who caused him to feel this way and didn’t wish to see that feeling come to an end. When Jason finally came down from his high, he had the biggest grin plastered across his face.

“Oh, my God. That was so wonderful!” he exclaimed. “I’ve only had a couple of blowjobs before, but no one ever made me cum that hard when they did it.”

After saying this, he sat up and leaned over to kiss me again, and I readily accepted his attempt. As his tongue entered my mouth, I let him taste the little bit of his own seed that still coated the inside of my mouth.

“Let me do you now,” he almost begged.

Hearing this made me chuckle at his eagerness, but I was more than willing to let him have his fun. I merely smiled in reply and then started taking off my clothes. I wonder if he knew that’s exactly what I’d hoped he’d say. When I shed my underwear, he just gawked at me, especially at my crotch. I was cut, like he was, and we were about the same size, but he seemed entranced by what I had.

“Oh, Tommy,” he sighed, with what almost sounded like wonder and awe. “You are so beautiful and perfect.”

He began to blush after he said this, because he realized he had spoken his thoughts aloud. I was blushing too, because no one had ever said anything like that to me before. Well, my parents always told me I was handsome, but all parents do the same thing. I’ve even heard parents tell their ugly children they’re beautiful, but I think Jason really meant what he said. I’m not sure, but I think I’m falling in love with him. I wonder if he is feeling the same way about me?

Hesitantly, Jason reached out toward my groin. As I watched him, I felt he was almost afraid to touch me, but he eventually grabbed my stiff pole and started to run his fingers all around it. After a few seconds of manual exploration, he began to do everything I did to him. He pushed me back on the bed and forced my legs apart, so he could get at my nuts. He licked them eagerly, as he tested the taste and feel of my skin, before he sucked me off.

When he clamped his lips over the shaft and swallowed everything I had to offer, he went at it with a kind of animalistic enthusiasm I had never seen before. He actually did a very good job at this, but it was over far sooner than I wanted it to be. I was just too aroused and couldn’t control my orgasm, but the sensation was awesome. I tried to warn Jason when I was going to shoot, but he didn’t slow down or stop what he was doing. He kept going and eventually swallowed my load. It was incredible and I was beginning to hope he would stay around and never leave.

Since the fun was over, we got dressed and headed downstairs. I took Jason to the family room, where we watched a little TV and just relaxed. I don’t think he’d had a chance to do that for a long time and he seemed to enjoy it. When my parents returned, they came in to talk to Jason and explained this might be a good time for him to contact his mother. He agreed to their request, so my dad handed him the phone. Jason immediately dialed his mother’s phone number. He was prepared to hang up, if Ralph answered instead, but fortunately his mother got to the phone first.

“Hi, Mom,” we heard Jason say. “I just wanted you to know I’m doing okay.”

“No, I didn’t steal any money from him and I didn’t runaway! Ralph had my things packed when I came home and he threw the bag at me and told me to leave. He gave me the money when I started to go and said it was so I didn’t starve before I found a way to earn my own money,” he responded defiantly. We could guess what his mother had said in between.

“I’ve been all right, but this nice family has taken me in for now,” he informed her. “Tommy’s father wants to talk to you, before he decides how long I can stay with them, so here he is.”

Jason immediately handed the phone to my dad.

“Hello, this is Steven Weston,” he began, while letting her know who he was. “I want to assure you that your son is fine, although he’s been through some rough periods and missed a few meals along the way.”

Jason’s mom must have said something in response, but we couldn’t tell what it was.

“Mrs. Farber… all right, Michelle,” my father corrected himself. Jason’s mom must have told my dad she wanted him to call her by her first name. “My wife and I have talked this over and we’ve agreed to let Jason stay with us, but only if it’s done legally. I am a lawyer and don’t need any accusations of misconduct later. If you are willing to sign guardianship papers, which will give us temporary charge and legal responsibility for your son’s welfare, then he can stay here as long as he needs to. If you agree, then I’ll send those papers to you, but I’ll also include our address and phone number, so you can call your son or come to visit, whichever you want. That way, you can see for yourself how he’s doing.”

There was a long silence following what he’d said, so we concluded Jason’s mother was either thinking this over or had comments or questions of her own. Eventually, she must have asked my father a question, so he responded.

“My wife is a teacher and we have a five-bedroom home and a fifteen-year old son. The two boys seem to be hitting it off very well and we can easily afford to cover Jason’s expenses. Therefore, you won’t have to worry about any financial responsibility. We don’t expect anything from you, other than that you keep in contact with your son and let him know you still love him.”

My dad paused again.

“Thank you and I shall send all that information out to you as soon as I can. Hold on a moment and I’ll let you talk to your son again. Good-bye, Michelle, and thank you for you cooperation.”

Dad then handed the phone over to Jason, before he walked over and wrapped an arm around mom and me.

“So you believe me about Ralph then?” Jason asked her, as soon as he took back the phone. “And you’re going to let me stay here? Thanks, Mom, and I love you too. I really do.”

His mother must have been saying something to him, because there was a long pause before he spoke again.

“I know you were sad and lonely for a very long time before Ralph showed up and you seem to be a lot happier with him there,” we heard him say. “I guess I don’t blame you for wanting to be happy, but I do think you could do better than him. I know he cares for you, but he’s never wanted me around. He’s lied to you about me and hardly any of the crap he told you was true.”

There was another silence, as Jason was listening to his mother’s response. Finally, he started speaking again.

“Rather than fight with him all the time and since he’ll be happier if I’m not there, I know I’ll be much better off here. Tommy and his parents are all so nice and they have this huge, beautiful home. It’s not that I don’t love you, because I do, and I don’t want us to stop being close. It’s just that I know I can’t live there as long as you’re with Ralph. Okay, Mom, I’ll be good and keep in touch. I love you too.”

Jason hung up the phone and I could see tears forming in his eyes. My mom and dad had slipped out of the room during the last part of his conversation, to give him some privacy, so there were just the two of us there when he hung up. I went over and hugged him after a minute or so, because I knew he must be feeling very sad. I wanted him to know he was going to be loved and accepted by us, and when I saw the expression on his face as I hugged him, I knew he did.

My dad sent all the paperwork the following week and Jason’s mom signed it, had it notarized and sent it back the week after. Since she’d returned it so quickly, Dad had everything wrapped up before Christmas.

Since she’d been so cooperative and hadn’t tried to extort any money from him, Dad wanted to do something to show his appreciation. He figured setting up a reunion between Jason and her would be appreciated, so he had Jason call to set up a date and time. After they finished talking, Jason came back with a long face.

“She can’t come,” he told us, while looking dejected. “Her car broke down again and Ralph won’t let her borrow his truck to come see me. I know he’s not doing this just because of me, it’s just that he won’t let anyone else drive his truck – ever!”

“Can’t she get the car fixed?” I asked, thinking this problem wasn’t insurmountable.

“She said she’s tired of constantly dumping money into that piece of crap and thinks she’d be better off saving her money up and buying a better one instead,” Jason explained.

“So how long will that take?” I wondered aloud.

“Probably quite a while,” he told me. “She said she’ll bum rides from the people she works with for now, if Ralph won’t take her to work and pick her up afterward, but she doesn’t know how long she’ll have to do that.”

Once Dad heard about this, he had Jason call his mother back and set up a date and time anyway. He told Jason to tell her that we’d bring him wherever she chose. I heard Jason tell her he wasn’t going to agree to do this if Ralph was there, so they worked it out so we could me her at a park near his former home.

When that day came, Jason directed us on how to get there and we drove him to the park. We left the two of them alone for a while, so they could visit and get their differences ironed out, but we kept them in sight at all times. First, we wanted to make sure Ralph didn’t show up and cause a problem, but we also wanted to make certain that things also went all right with the two of them. When my dad felt they’d had long enough to visit and it was just about time to leave, we walked over to meet her too.

I was surprised that she didn’t seem as vile and repulsive as I’d first suspected, especially since I felt she hadn’t protected her son and had chosen her boyfriend over him. However, since Jason was willing to accept that situation and still wanted to be close to her, I wasn’t about to object and rain on his parade.

On the way back, Jason said he hoped he could see his mother once in a while like this, without Ralph around, and I noticed my parents took note of this too. Once we were at the house, they talked to him about this further, and then my mom and dad went off, so they could discuss this in more detail alone.

I think Jason and I were both surprised when they returned and announced that they had come up with a solution that would allow Jason and his mother to be able to spend time together. They were going to buy a used car for Jason’s mom and then she could use it to drive here and visit him on a fairly regular basis. They felt if she came to our place, then there would be hardly any chance that Jason would run into or have to put up with Ralph again. Not only that, but it probably wouldn’t be much more expensive for them to buy her a vehicle than it would cost them to continually drive back and forth so the two of them could meet. In the end, they said that’s why they were willing to do this for her. They emphasized this was primarily for Jason’s benefit, even though it would help his mother out as well.

When Dad took us there to deliver the car, he let her know it was a Christmas present from Jason and the rest of us, which made all of us feel good. Jason was really excited knowing he had played a part in helping his mom like this, especially since he knew he’d now be able to see her more often. He also knew Ralph wouldn’t be driving the car, since he had his own pickup truck and didn’t like to drive or be seen in anything else, so this was working out just fine.

Since my mom had followed us to Jason’s old house in our car, she drove us back after Jason mother had a chance to thank her son and us for the car. I think Jason and his mother really enjoyed their time together today and I thought maybe they might some day be able to work out their problems, especially if Ralph were to fade out of the picture. I guess we can all hope, can’t we?

When Christmas morning came, I was looking forward to seeing Jason enjoying himself and having a great time opening his presents. I wasn’t expecting getting anything myself, since I’d told Dad he could skip getting me gifts or just give my presents to Jason, as long as Jason got to stay with us. I guess that’s why I was so surprised when Mom started handing me packages.

“We weren’t about to penalize you for being so mature,” Dad explained, in response to my quizzical expression. “I know you offered to sacrifice your gifts if I would allow Jason to come live with us, but we were so proud of your selfless gesture that we felt you’d more than earned a few packages.”

After Jason got over his shock that I had made such an offer, we began opening our gifts. Not only did I get presents, but Jason got everything I did too. We received the same types of clothes, just in different colors or designs, and we got an equal number of CDs, DVDs and video games, which we agreed to share with each other. Dad also bought us skis, ski boots and ski outfits and explained this to Jason by saying the family goes skiing together all winter, so he would need his own equipment so he could take part too. Jason liked this idea a lot and was looking forward to his first time on the slopes. I think I got my ski equipment as a reward for finally showing I was mature and willing to put other people’s needs ahead of my own.

On top of everything else we’d been given, Jason and I both got smart phones too, so mom and dad could always get a hold of us. I know, I still had my old phone that worked fine, but mom said she thought Jason and I should have the same one. Dad said by having these phones he could be sure we were where we were supposed to be when he called, because he’d make us take a scan the area with our phone to prove it. Damn, I never thought of that!

Christmas Day, Dad also gave Jason the option of having his own room again. My parents didn’t want him to feel that he couldn’t change his mind now, in case he wanted to be on his own, and my parents totally trusted him now. Dad also told Jason he’d even get him his own computer and TV if he wanted to have his own room, but Jason said he’d rather continue sharing with me. Jason explained his decision by saying the room was more than big enough for both of us, we got along great and we really enjoyed being together. What he didn’t tell them is that we were becoming lovers too and neither of us wanted that to end. Mom and Dad were fine with his decision, as long as we both agreed to it, which we did.

I think I’m finally beginning to understand why Dad does all of those things for strangers now. It does have it’s own rewards. If I hadn’t thought of Jason, instead of myself, neither of us would be this happy today. I don’t see Jason ever wanting to leave now and I think we’re going to be really close for a very long time to come. We’ll always be brothers, but maybe we’ll be even more than that to each other. I’m not sure whether either of us is ready to make that type of decision or commitment just yet, but we do know how much we love each other and how great we make each other feel.

After this, I can’t wait until I can help someone else. I think I’m going to make sure Mom and Dad let Jason and me help pick things out for the kids of the families we help next Christmas, even if they won’t know these things come from us.