The Boys of Summer - 8. Lancing the Boil

The rain was whipping around the house. We were sitting in the library attempting to read. Every time there was a gust we would both look up wondering if something had blown off the house. I had driven to the Stop and Shop that morning to get newspapers. Jube and Garry had called to let us know they weren’t coming for the weekend since we were going to be hit by a hurricane. I was relieved because I wasn’t sure how to have a conversation with Garry after his call to Timmy.

I kept thinking that you gotta love an August hurricane. The beach was cleared of tourists. My parents had driven to Richmond to escape the storm and were very upset when I told him that we would ride out the storm at the beach. I heard my father’s concern that I lived on the ocean front and that we could actually wash away. We had taken ET’s car to a friend’s home in Currituck County and had the Jeep if we needed to get away. Blue and Tommy had gone inland to stay with Tommy’s family. Most everyone had left. It was just Timmy and me.

There was a loud crash and we both jumped. I looked out the window and saw a wave recede from the deck. It was the first time I thought we had made a huge mistake by staying. I couldn’t let ET know that I had fucked up. It was mid-afternoon but I had lights on in every room as there was little sunshine to lighten the rooms. I suggested we eat dinner early in case the lights went out. I was listening to a recording of Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald singing Porgy and Bess. It was a Verve recording from 1958 that was a studio recording. The jazz arrangements were perfect and Gershwin’s score about preparing for a hurricane in Charleston seemed prophetic. Of course there was no similarities to the characters in the opera and ET and me but that didn’t bother me in the least. Of course, Blue cut a damn good figure as Sporting Life. I could imagine being in Charleston and living out the frightening circumstances put forth by Dubose Heyward. It was playing out in our lives.

Just as we sat at the table in the breakfast room the lights flickered and died. The wind howled. ET reached out and grabbed my hand. “Please tell me that whatever happens that you love me and will take care of us.” I could tell he was very serious and quite scared.

“We will be fine and I love you. No matter what happens, I love you. Always.” I lit a kerosene lamp and put it in the middle of the table. We finished dinner and washed the dishes. I realized that there would be no hot coffee for breakfast the next morning.

We went back to the library and could feel the house heating up already. The temperature and humidity would be nasty overnight. I suggested we take a shower while there was still hot water and we could then sit around in our underwear and tell each other ghost stories. We told stories until we could not think of anything else to say. We went to bed and lay side by side. We were wide awake and would jump when there was a blast of wind. Sometime during the night we both fell asleep.

When I awoke, ET had his head on my shoulder. He had wrapped his body around me. The room was filled with hot air and we were both sweating. I kissed the top of his head and he looked at me and smiled. We both stretched and realized that the world was absolutely quiet.

“Open all of the windows to air out the house.” The sun was shining and it looked to be a beautiful day. The hurricane had passed. We went from room to room opening windows and opening doors to the deck. Just as we finished I realized a light was on in the library and then heard the hum of the air conditioner. I chuckled and thought I would get my cup of hot coffee after all. I turned off the air conditioner and knew that we would have a beautiful day before the August humidity returned. The Porgy and Bess recording started playing again and I knew that today we needed fun, energetic music of the pop variety and not opera. I pulled out some house music that was perfect for dancing and keeping our energy level up.

After making coffee, we grabbed our cups and I told ET that we needed to survey the property. “Put on a pair of work boots because I don’t want us stepping on a board with a nail that would require a hospital visit.” ET gave me a strange look when I suggested he put on work boots. The closest he had was a pair of Sunday go-to-church shoes.

We headed out to the deck. I stood at the rail and realized that the steps leading down to the beach were gone. I saw them further down the beach tangled with the hull of a ship that had been exposed during the storm. We then walked out the front door and went down the steps. I opened the garage door and a flood of water poured across our ankles and then formed a rivulet down the drive. Water was up to the bottom of the Jeep. It quickly started diminishing. ET and I just looked at each other with wonderment. We walked down the drive to the beach road. It was completely covered in sand and there were building supplies scattered everywhere.

“Well, the scavengers will be out soon and pick up several thousand dollars’ worth of lumber. We are not driving until they get the road cleared off. I don’t need flat tires on the Jeep. Did I tell you that my mother’s uncle would scavenge every time there was a ship wreck? His house was filled with wonderful things. When I was a child we would go visit him and he always had wonderful tales of scavenging on the beach.”

ET grabbed my hand as we started walking back up the drive. “Let’s go to the ship wreck, because I want to see if there is anything worth recovering. We could tell stories like your mother’s uncle.” We crossed the dune line and headed south down the beach. We arrived at the wreck and were amazed at the size of the timbers. All of a sudden ET yelped, bent down and picked up a gold coin. We were both stupefied. He put the coin in his pocket so he wouldn’t lose it. We started digging in the sand hoping to find a treasure trove and realized we needed tools instead of our bare hands. We walked back to the house and got shovels and buckets. We spent the rest of the morning digging but didn’t find anything else. Our dreams of finding a chest of gold coins was deflated. We were hot and sweaty from our work. I suggested we jump in the ocean. The water was warm from the hurricane pushing the Gulf Stream closer to the shore. We took off our clothes and swam and dove through the flat surf. I was amazed at the power and fury of yesterday and the relatively flat surface today. We picked up our clothes and walked back to the house naked. ET kept looking askance but we were the only people on the beach.

We dropped our clothes on the front porch and went inside for a shower. We washed the sand out of our hair and ass cracks. We both spent more time washing his hairy crevice than necessary but it was wonderful to sit on the shower floor and have him back up to my face so I could make sure that every grain of sand was gone. I stood and grabbed the shampoo bottle and put a glob on ET’s head. I built a mountain of suds on top of his head. I then took the suds and put on my chest and my cock. He grinned and he started scooping the suds and putting them on his cock. I started stroking and ET did the same. The stroking led to grunting and then we shot huge loads of blistering cum on each other’s stomachs. The water quickly washed the cum down the drain. We got out, dried each other and put on our ubiquitous gym shorts. These were a faded military green. I loved these cheap gym shorts that we bought at K-Mart. They reminded me of the gym shorts I wore in high school. Cotton, draw string waist, and loose fitting in box cut design.

We headed to the kitchen and I started making tomato sandwiches. I had put out a gallon of sun tea earlier in the morning so it was ready. Luckily, ice had frozen and we fixed tall glasses of tea to drink. I pulled a bag of chips from the cabinet before we headed to the deck. We stood by the rail as we feasted on the sandwiches. After eating, ET went to the front porch and retrieved the coin from the pocket of his shorts and we looked at it. I had a book about old coins and identified that it was Greek and was from the 1800s. I joked that it was only fitting that it was Greek since that was his favorite position. He wanted to get a gold chain and wear it around his neck. I told him the chain would be a gift from me and that we would visit the jeweler later in the week to find the right weight chain that looked best with the coin.

Just then the telephone rang and I went into the house to answer it. My dad was on the line and he asked if it was okay to come home. I told him to come back and if they didn’t have power at their house they could stay with us. I hung up just I heard someone come in the front door. It was Trace and Michelle.

“Do we have to drop our clothes on the front porch before we come in?”

I hugged my friends and told them to, “Fix yourselves sandwiches and take your beautiful selves out to the deck while I grab some glasses of ice.”

We chatted about their overnight stay in Elizabeth City and how they had just been allowed through the State Police barricade to come home. The police were stationed at the bridge to only let residents back on the beach. There were no vacant motel rooms in Elizabeth City and they had slept in a shelter or tried to sleep but the number of people and the howling wind had prevented much rest. They had recently bought a house west of the by-pass and had moved in. Unfortunately, their neighborhood streets were under water. I told them “their” bedroom was vacant and ready for them to take a nap.

ET and I cleaned up the deck and pulled the deck furniture from the garage. It would take a couple of days for it to dry. The teak was soaked and heavy. I was glad that we had moved it downstairs to protect the furniture and the house given the ferocity of the winds.

I heard the doorbell ring. ET went to the door to find Art standing there. He said there was no electricity at the Grove and he hoped that we would be home and have electricity. ET invited him in and we fed him lunch. ET was a little shy around him and mostly let me do the talking. Art let us know the theater was in good shape. There was no serious damage and the rigging used for the ship had been put back up that morning. The Saturday night show had been cancelled so they didn’t have another performance until Monday.

Art told us how Adam and James had called him every night after the show. They were asking him to visit them when he was in Richmond. Art was obviously very pleased that he had snagged a lawyer and a banker. I asked if he was going and he said he had nothing to do after the season and maybe he could find a job at one of the theaters in Richmond. I asked where he was planning to live and he gave me an odd look.

“I thought I would be living with Adam and James. They call me every night and want to know when I am coming to visit them in Richmond”

“Did they ask you to stay with them or to see them when you were in Richmond?”

“Damn, you are good. They didn’t explicitly say they wanted me to stay with them but rather to see them when I was in Richmond.”

“I suggest you clarify. James is a lawyer and is very precise with language when it suits his needs. He can also be incredibly ambiguous and you think he is saying one thing but after careful analysis you realize he is saying something different.”

Art looked crestfallen. He was pretty but not the brightest boy in the world. I asked Art if he had slept much the night before and he told me they stayed up all night having a Hurricane Party. I told him to go to the back bedroom and take a nap.

The house quietened.

ET and I lay on the bed and chatted about the storm. We both admitted that we were scared during the storm but we were both trying to be strong for each other. We laughed at our foolishness and agreed that the next time we would leave the beach. We were holding hands while talking and I raised our hands to my mouth and kissed his hand. He then brought our hands to his mouth and kissed my hand. We both sighed at the same time and put our hands back down. I remember looking at the ceiling and feeling perfectly content and then I heard knocking at the front door. It was my parents and it was 6 pm.

My parents brought in bags of food they had purchased on the way back to the beach. “I only need to cook the butter beans and corn,” my mother said. That won’t take long and then we will have the perfect dinner. Art and my dad took the breakfast room table to the deck. Chairs were corralled from around the house and put on the deck for us to sit.

ET started bringing out platters of food. Fried chicken. Biscuits. Potato salad. Green beans. Garden salad. Fresh tomatoes. Butter beans and corn. It was a feast. Trace and Michelle grabbed plates and flatware for us. My mother had brewed tea and make her famous sweet tea. We started off by being polite and letting others take something from the platters of food. By the time we were on our second helping it was every man for himself. Even ET, who generally ate like a bird was having a second helping. My dad looked over and said, “as my great uncle Bob would say, ‘now this is some kinda good’.” We all agreed that we couldn’t eat another bite. My mother then frowned and said, “I guess then you don’t want any Ukrop’s Lemon Chess Pie.” It was like waving a red flag in front of a bull. We argued over who had the bigger slice and how there was nothing better than Lemon Chess Pie. We destroyed the pie.

Art then let out a loud belch.

My mother loudly proclaimed, “Arthur, we will not have such manners at dinnertime.”

Art was totally embarrassed. He had spent too much time with the crew this summer and his manners had receded.

Then my father belched.

Then Trace.

Then my mother laughed.

“Take it as a compliment, mother, that you knew exactly what to bring for dinner tonight.” I was grinning as I proclaimed the meal a grand success. ET then let out a loud belch. Everyone laughed.

My parents did not have electricity and there was much discussion about putting us out by staying with us. I told them that there was one empty bedroom and it was theirs for as long as they needed it. My mother said they could get a hotel room and not be a bother. I gave my father the look. He then told my mother they were taking advantage of our hospitality and would be staying. We all went around closing the windows and doors. I turned on the air conditioning because by morning it would be hot and sultry again.

ET and my mother put the food away and cleaned the kitchen. I was already in bed when ET crawled in. It had been a long eventful day. The house was cooling off and ET slid up against me and had me put my arms around his chest and pull him into a hug. His head was on my shoulder. We fell asleep contented.

I awoke with a start and realized there was someone in the bedroom with us. My heart was pounding and I pulled ET in close to make sure he was protected. My eyes were adjusting to the dark and I looked to see Art sitting in the wing chair. He was wrapped in a summer weight blanket. In a whisper I asked what he was doing and in a tearful voice he told me that he was scared and couldn’t sleep. He said he was sorry for waking me and that he needed to feel safe and he thought he would feel safe if he was in the room with us.

I whispered, “Let’s go sit on the deck. I don’t want to wake Timmy.” I slid out of the bed and pulled the cover over ET’s shoulders. I knew he would awaken if his shoulders got cold.

I grabbed a pair of gym shorts and pulled them on. Art stood looking at me while I dressed. His eyes were riveted on my dick. We then quietly walked through the house and out on the deck. All of the chairs had been moved back inside after dinner so we sat on the deck with our backs against the house.

Art was crying and I instinctively reached out and pulled him into a hug. He then bawled like a baby. I was rubbing his back and trying to calm him. He put his arms around me and lay his head on my shoulder. His body was wracked with hurt and pain. After several minutes of crying he eased away from me and sat with his back to the house.

“I apologize. I don’t think that I have ever cried like that before. Especially with someone I barely know.”

“No apologies necessary. You obviously needed to get that out of your system.” I had learned from Trace how to live into the silence during emotional situations. I kept quiet and waited for Art to talk.

“He beat me, you know. He beat me after he found out I had sucked a cock. My dad. He said horrible things to me. He beat me and then never talked to me again. Even at high school graduation he didn’t talk to me. He was there reveling in the fact that his son won athletic awards. He liked that I was receiving a college scholarship. He liked the fact that other people thought I was the greatest kid in town. But he knew. He knew and he hated me for it. I was a faggot. I was a cock sucker. I was the scum of Bear Swamp.” At that he snorted and said you had to be pretty damn low to be the scum of the biggest scum town of eastern North Carolina. I let the silence engulf us after that confession.

“I hurt him, you know.” I thought he meant his dad. “I threw him up against the lockers. I spit in his face. I called him a faggot and told him I was going to kick his ass. I told him all of the things my father had said to me.” My hands balled into fists. “I was so afraid and I did an awful thing.” At that point Art started crying again. I couldn’t let myself comfort him at that point. He had hurt my Timmy. He was in my house and he had hurt Timmy.

“He will understand. I know he will. He is a good person, he is not like me. If I fully explain what happened I know that Timmy will understand and forgive me. I loved him and didn’t know how to tell him. I hurt the person I thought I loved.” The silence thickened. “I need for him to forgive me and I need for you to forgive me for hurting your boyfriend.”

I sat in shock. “I am not nice like Timmy. I have a mean streak a mile wide. Why the fuck are you telling this to me? Why in the middle of the fucking night are you in our bedroom acting like a fucking stalker and then tell me how you fucking abused my boyfriend. I should kick your ass right now. I should fucking kill you right now. You should just fucking get the hell out of my house.” I didn’t realize I was standing and yelling. My fists were raised ready to pummel him if he approached me.

Art lurched forward and was on his knees crying. Snot was running down his face and he was shaking all over. His cry turned into a wail like you would hear from a wounded animal.

The door opened and ET was standing on the deck. He asked what was happening. Art dropped to his side in a fetal position and continued to cry. ET dropped to his knees and started comforting Art. I was standing in a boxer’s stance with my hands raised to strike. ET was telling Art that everything would be okay. My parents came through the door asking if everything was alright. ET was smoothing Art’s hair and shushing him like a parent would do with a crying baby.

I was standing with my back against the house, arms raised ready to fight but couldn’t speak a word.

ET told my parents that Art had a bad dream and they should go back to bed. He assured them that everything would be fine by the morning. I wasn’t so sure. My dad looked at me and I nodded. I was still in a boxer’s stance and my dad knew that I was still too worked up for him to leave. Trace and Michelle walked out on the deck and just stood observing. Trace saw me clenching and unclenching my first. He was keenly observing the situation. When he saw my shoulders finally slump he turned to my parents and told everyone it was time to go to bed.

The sun was shining through the blinds when I woke. I reached out to pull ET close to me but realized it was not ET. Art was in between ET and me in bed. ET was cuddling him from behind and I was looking right into Art’s eyes. They were filled with fear. Fear that I would hurt him. Fear that I would reject him. Fear that I would not forgive him. Was I capable of such forgiveness? I lay still for a minute and stared at him. I then leaned forward and lightly kissed his lips. “I hope you are feeling better this morning. It has been a long night. You two stay here and I will fix breakfast. I will bring some food in here so the two of you can talk.”

I went to the kitchen and found a note from my mother thanking us for the hospitality and that they wanted to give Art some time to recover without the “old fogies” being around. The door to the room where Trace and Michelle had slept was open and they too had gone. We had the house to ourselves.

I put on a pot of coffee, sliced some cantaloupe, fried bacon, toasted English muffins and waited for ET and Art to appear before scrambling the eggs. Art asked if we could eat on the deck and ET said that was a splendid idea. The two of them moved the table to the deck and we took our plates of food and cups of coffee outside to eat. The weather was glorious.

We ate in silence. It felt awkward and none of us knew how to start the conversation.

Finally, Art asked if he could stay with us for the day? ET immediately said that he could. They had bonded in some fashion that I couldn’t make sense of. After breakfast, ET suggested I clean the kitchen while the two of them would do outside chores. Art and ET came out of the bedroom wearing matching gym shorts. I realized that Art had on a pair of my shorts and one of my prized German gym shirts. ET gave me a crooked grin. I didn’t say a word but nodded my head.

The two of them spent the morning moving the water soaked teak furniture back to the deck. I knew that ET’s muscles would be screaming in pain after all of that heavy work. Art took tools from the garage and he and ET went down the beach to disentangle the deck steps from the shipwreck and to dismantle the steps so they could be brought back to the house in pieces. Art actually did the majority of the work with ET bringing the pieces of lumber back to the house. Art said that he would come back the next weekend and rebuild the steps if I would let him. I knew it was a way of paying penance for what had happened with ET but also knew that he found healing and solace being with us.

We ate a cold summer dinner on the deck. I thawed some shrimp and steamed them. We ate like pigs and afterwards decided the only way we could get clean would be to jump in the ocean. It was dark by the time we reached the beach. We played in the waves and had a raucous time laughing about who ate the most shrimp and who was the messiest eater. We ploughed through the water toward the shore and sat on beach towels. ET was sitting between my legs with his chest against my back. I was contented after an emotionally charged day. I was enjoying the quietude at the end of the day.

“You don’t want to go to Richmond.” I heard ET say.

“What do you mean?”

“Art, they are users and will only use you.”

My interest was piqued but knew to keep quiet.

“How do you know, Timmy? They were really fun to be with and have called me several times. I think they really like me.”

“Art, they are users and will throw you away like a used condom when they are done with you. I know. You have to trust me.”

I was getting very uncomfortable with what ET was saying as he reached down and grabbed my hands. I realized that my hands were shaking as hard as his.

“I have something to tell and I need for you to both listen and not talk. I never thought I would have to tell this story.”

I sat riveted. Art was making comforting words about listening and not interrupting.

“I was in college. I had a good friend, Jaynelle. Anyway, Jaynelle had been invited to a Halloween party in Raleigh and she wanted me to go with her. I wasn’t much on Halloween and didn’t want to go but she said that she would make us costumes. I finally agreed as she was my best friend. We arrived in Raleigh and were staying at her friend’s apartment. It was my first time in Raleigh. I was going to sleep on the sofa for the weekend which was fine with me. Jaynelle had told me that our costumes would be a secret and nobody could know….even me. She opened a suitcase and pulled out my costume. It was a doggie mask, mittens for my hands and feet and a small bikini bottom. All were covered in black and white fur and it was a doggie costume. I told her I couldn’t wear it. I had never exposed myself like that in my life. I didn’t have the body to wear such a costume. Jaynelle told me I had to and that she would protect me because I would never be more than three feet from her. She then took out a dog collar and leash. I was in Raleigh with my best friend and had no way to get back to school because she had driven; I wasn’t happy about the situation but foolishly trusted Jaynelle. She took out a dominatrix costume and said that this was her fantasy. I finally agreed because the mask would cover my face and no one would know who I was. I knew this was about her fantasy and I had been duped into playing along. I should have refused at that point.”

I was feeling a lot of apprehension and I could feel ET’s hands crushing my hands so I knew this was hard for him to talk about.

“We went to the party. I wore my clothes in the car and changed when we got to this warehouse off of Glenwood Avenue. I took off my glasses so the entire world was blurred. She put the collar around my neck and I was mortified. I kept wondering what would happen if something happened to me and I had to go to the hospital. Sort of like your mother always telling you to wear clean underwear in case you had to go the hospital. I was also worried that someone would recognize me and tell my parents. Anyway, there were a lot of people at the party and I was only allowed to bark once for yes and twice for no. Jaynelle said I wasn’t allowed to speak while the collar was around my neck. People would pet me on the head and tell me what a good puppy I was or they would pat my butt and say that I was pretty doggie. I was drunk. Jaynelle would get our drinks and I had to lap my drink from a bowl she had the bartender get. I think it was pure alcohol. I would be down on my hands and knees to drink. I felt a hand on my ass. The fingers started sliding into my briefs. The man said he was trying to tell if I was a bitch or a stud. Jaynelle laughed and told him I was a transgender dog. The man looked at his companion and said he thought I was bitch because I had such a hot hole though I still had my balls. He suggested that they might need to castrate me so when they fucked me I would know what it was like to be a true bitch. I was scared and was about to speak when Jaynelle used a paddle and swatted my ass. She told me to be a good bitch or she would do the castration herself. I barked once. They couldn’t see the tears running down my face behind the mask.”

Tears were running down ET’s face as he told us the story. Art moved over and stroked ET’s hair. Neither of us said a word. My chest was heaving and I had moved into a different universe to process what I was hearing. I was struggling to breath as ET was struggling to get the story out.

“Jaynelle, drove us back to their hotel room where they used me all night long. Every time I would groan, Jaynelle would slap my ass with a paddle and tell me she had sold me for breeding purposes and that I was to be a good puppy or she would have me castrated. I had never been to Raleigh and didn’t know where to go if I escaped. I was only wearing my mask, briefs and mittens and I didn’t have any identification or money and I didn’t know how to get back to her friend’s apartment. Plus, without my glasses I couldn’t see much of the world – it was all a blur. I was terrified and kept convincing myself it was my fault because I had agreed to wear the costume. I had trusted Jaynelle and looking back I could have refused but we were best friends and I trusted her.”

I had my arms wrapped around ET and Art was now wrapping both of us in his arms. Tears of rage were running down my face because of what had happened to my Timmy.

“At first I didn’t think that what was happening was their fault. They must have assumed that I had agreed to such degradation. Jaynelle was a powerful personality and had agreed to what they suggested. When I was crying while they took me they teased about taking my doggie virginity. They were totally wrapped up in the game that Jaynelle was playing. The next morning, they told Jaynelle that I would probably have a dozen puppies in a litter because they had put so much cum in my ass. They then said I needed to get out of their room because I was a whimpering mess. Jaynelle told me to wait in the hallway while they ordered room service. One of them led me out of the room and told me to sit. When I sat like a man with my back against the wall, he slapped me and said I was a bitch and I was sit like a bitch. I was confused and then he kicked me. He then said, “Heel” and I knew he was going to continue to treat me like a dog. I did as he instructed. He then said if I moved I would get a good thrashing. I sat in the hallway while people checked out of the hotel. They would walk by and look at me. Most had confused looks but several chuckled and said that I smelled like a common whore. The room service guy just laughed at me when he brought food to the room. They had ordered a bowl of kibble for me. He sat it down in the hallway along with a bowl of water. All night they would only let me drink from the toilet which I refused to do and so I was very thirsty. My thirst trumped my humiliation and I lapped the entire bowl of water while the room service guy watched me. He then reached down and pushed a finger in my ass. He chuckled. Jaynelle came out, grabbed the leash and pulled me to the car. Once we got back to the apartment I took a shower and walked out. I had my wallet with a credit card my dad had given me in case of an extreme emergency. I got to the bus station and took a Trailways back to college. I never spoke to Jaynelle again.”

We were silent for a long time. We stroked ET and held each other tight. I looked up into the night sky and saw the stars as they had always been. However, my world had shifted on its axis. How could the stars still be shining in the sky?

“Those guys were Adam and James. I have hated them ever since even though I did not know them. I realized that even though Jaynelle was doing her dominatrix routine they enjoyed fucking and hurting me. They took her paddle and beat my ass as I was leaving the hotel telling me to jump into the backseat of Jaynelle’s car. I recognized them when we were in Richmond at that dinner and stayed away from them all night. I was scared and that is why I sat beside you. I didn’t realize those were the friends you were inviting for the weekend.” He turned and looked into my eyes. “You were my savior that night and you didn’t even know it. I acted that way at lunch when they were here thinking they would recognize me and apologize. It didn’t make sense what I did and I am so sorry, I should have told you earlier. I came to the conclusion that I was just one more trick they had used and had no reason to know who I was. Pate, I’m sorry.”

Art released us from his strong hold. He stood and started pacing. “I hate them also. They took advantage of you. I am sure they knew that their actions just weren’t right. Those fellows are mother fucking bastards. I don’t know about this dominatrix stuff but it doesn’t seem right or logical. If I had been there, Timmy, I would have protected you.” Art was crying. “You were abused and have been carrying that pain around since then just like I have been carrying the pain from my father.”

I sat with chills running down my spine. How had I misjudged Adam and Steve? I knew they played around but because it involved Timmy I couldn’t let it go. It was visceral and I wanted to throw up. I clung to Timmy. The only sound was our ragged breathing. Timmy finally stood and hugged Art. I stood and they both grabbed hold of me and shed tears of pain and reconciliation.

We sat on the beach for a while longer and then without saying a word I stood and grabbed both Art and ET’s hands to raise them from the sand. I put my arms around their shoulders and walked them back to the house. I led them into the shower and stripped them. I squirted shower gel into my hands and started washing both of them. They each took some of the shower gel and we ended up washing each other finishing with a group embrace. We gently toweled each other and crawled into bed with ET in the middle. We kissed each other good night and fell into restorative state. The boil had been lanced for both Art and ET.

I awoke with ET kissing me on the mouth. He was dressed and heading to the office. There was an openness about him this morning that made me smile. He slipped out the door and I slid across the bed and kissed Art good morning. His eyes popped open and he had a look of fear on his face. His body was tense and he was ready to pounce and defend himself. I immediately told him that everything was okay and he had nothing to fear. His breathing returned to normal. I got up to make coffee. I walked to the kitchen with nothing on. He walked into the kitchen a few minutes later wearing a pair of my gym shorts and a tee shirt that he found in the tall chest. The tee shirt was taut against his chest. His nipples were very prominent. He had on his pair of construction boots. He looked like a hot porn star.

“I hope that it is okay that I am wearing your clothes. I promise to return them this weekend when I come to fix the steps.”

I assured him that it was perfectly alright and that they looked better on him than me. He playfully flicked my right nipple and told me I looked right good for an old man. We both chuckled and he asked if I had a “go cup” since he had to get to work. I grabbed a cup and handed it to him. He poured a cup of coffee, leaned over and kissed me saying, “Thanks for the weekend, dad. I am heading to work and will see you in a few days.” We both smiled as he headed out the door.

I went to the deck and leaned against the railing. The power of love and forgiveness had worked. I thought of the fact that we never know of the pain that someone else is carrying and that we should always treat someone as the walking wounded until we know better. I knew about being the walking wounded.

I had not told them my story. I still couldn’t get it out.