Life Goes On - 67. Where Have All the Boys Gone – Part III – Ralph & Tim

Ralph Woods & Tim Snodgrass

Another update on the lives of friends of Peter, Tom and Vlad - Brief Background - Boys of the 1950s – Chapters 27 to 29 and 32. In 1960 during his US Army basic training at Fort Knox Tom met 19 year old virgin Ralph from Breslau, Pennsylvania. The two shared a cheap motel room when they had a weekend pass that enabled them to escape from the rigorous training. Tom assumed Ralph was gay oriented and introduced him to the joy of man sex. Later Peter joined them during a visit to the base. Tom encouraged Ralph to write to his possibly gay friend back home. Upon completion of his army duties Ralph returned home and shared his man sex training with his five year older friend, virgin Tim. Mary, one of Tim’s classmates married the town bully. His brutal treatment resulted in two sons, one conceived prior to the marriage. Eventually the sheriff gave him the option of leaving town or being arrested for spousal assault. He disappeared. Mary was now stuck living with her forty-two year old mother who was basically supported by the men she entertained. Sometimes these men would stay for a week or more. Mary’s two sons were an embarrassment to the grandmother who did not want her men friends to know she had grandchildren. They were also a nuisance to the very sexually active woman as she entertained her various men. To provide her sons with a better life and provide a home away from her promiscuous mother Mary had a plan. She asked Ralph and Tim to take care of the boys for a weekend while she went on a job interview in Pittsburgh. The day after she left Tim was hand delivered a letter by Mary’s best friend stating that she was not returning and asking him to take care of the boys. With the cooperation of the sheriff, county social worker, school principal and a lawyer it was arranged for Tim’s parents to legally be the boys’ foster parents while the boys actually lived with Ralph and Tim. Eventually the boys were adopted by Tim’s parents since it would have been impossible in the 1960s for two men living together to adopt children. While legally the sons of Tim’s parents the boys lived with their two dads: Ralph and Tim. What happened later in life with the family of four follows:

1965: The boys, Eddie and Charlie, had a stable home life with two loving parents for the first time in their lives. After school they went to Tim’s parents’ home to do homework and play until their fathers picked them up after work. As they became close to Tim’s parents, Ralph’s mother totally rejected them. She considered her son living with another man was troubling although she never learned or would understand their relationship. Ralph’s dad, Phil Snodgrass, did not agree with his wife, Lilly, and did everything possible to be close to the boys who he considered his grandsons. Once when he called them his grandsons to the face of Lilly she exploded “Those little bastards are no kin of mine or yours. I just don’t know how a Christian man can approve of two men raising those boys. I don’t ever want to hear you say such abominational stuff again.” Actually Ralph’s dad, Phil, was very supportive of their relationship. He suggested that he could baby sit on Thursday evenings when Ralph and Tim went to choir practice. He then offered to cook dinner Thursday evenings for the family. Since he had never cooked or even been allowed in the kitchen except to wash dishes and clean at the beginning his meals consisted of take out or just hamburgers and hot dogs. Eventually he felt comfortable in his son’s kitchen and began planning simple and then more elaborate meals. First he made spaghetti and then lasagna; hamburgers then meat loaf and then post roast. He taught himself to bake cookies and then cakes and to his amazement a pie with a flakey crust. His son and grandsons looked forward to the weekly visits by ‘Grandpa’.

Phil began to wonder about the relationship of his son and Tim. Usually he arrived at their home on Thursday before the others arrived from work and school. One week he went especially early and decided to snoop. He knew there were three bedrooms upstairs as he had frequently put the boys to bed. In addition to their room there was a large bedroom with a queen size bed and a small room with a bed, small dresser and nightstand. The only unusual item he found in the large bedroom was a can of Crisco in the nightstand drawer. He could not imagine why it was there. In one of the drawers of the dresser in the large bedroom he found about ten pairs of bikini men’s underwear in a rainbow of colors. There were no other underwear briefs. As he felt the soft material he imagined how it would feel on his body. He was tempted to try a pair on. He felt himself getting hard just thinking about it. Carefully putting everything back in place he closed the drawer. The bed was not made and there were no pajamas on the bed or hanging in the closet. Did the person in this room sleep naked or just in his tiny briefs? He then checked out the small bedroom. He was surprised when he discovered the dresser contained only towels and winter sweaters. The bed was neatly made. When he pulled back the covers the pillow and sheets appeared smooth with no indication that anyone had slept in the bed since it was made. To determine if this bed was used he folded the top sheet in a unique way that would not be noticed. If the sheet was in the same position next week it would indicate his son and Tim slept in the same bed. This thought fascinated him. (The following week the sheets were folded in the same unique way indicating the bed in this room had not been slept in and confirmed his suspicion that his son and Tim slept together either naked or only in tiny briefs.)

He heard a car pulling into the drive and hurried down to the kitchen. That night as he laid in bed next to his wife he fantasized about his son and Tim. Although the thoughts were making him hard he had no desire to touch his wife. It had been over ten years since they had done it and when they had it was fast and with no emotion. Years ago his hand gave him more pleasure than his wife and now gave his dick it’s only pleasure. The more he thought about Tim and Ralph the harder he got. He got up and went to the bathroom. With his PJ pants lowered he stood at the sink and placed his hand on his swollen dick. Suddenly he realized he was imagining Tim with his hand around his son’s dick. He soon was shooting his load into the sink. It was the most intense cumming of years if not ever.

(Note to reader – in 1965 there were no gay or hetro porn publications. Porn movies, both straight and gay, were not shown until the 1970s.) The following night as he laid in bed with his dick again hard he thought about jerking off. He had not had any strong sexual urges in years. He had been jerking off about once a week, not with any special emotion, just going thru the motions. He wondered why two men slept in the same bed? Did they do anything sexual? If so, what did they do? In high school he had been involved in a couple of jerk-off sessions at church camp. That was the only time he had seen another’s hard dick. How do two men with such sexual desires meet? How did Ralph and Tim discover each other? He wanted to ask his son about this but knew he never would. He now remember sly comments about guys living together. Then he suddenly realized, he wanted to touch another guy’s dick.

For five years he thought of other men in a sexual way. His wife’s attitude about life in general and specifically her rejection of their son and grandsons caused him to dislike her more and more as time went by. He considered leaving her but had no specific place to go in life and realized the cost of providing her with alimony would be too expensive. So he just went through the motions of living with her. When Lilly complained about his snoring he with outward reluctance and inside glee he told her he would sleep in the small bedroom that had been Ralph’s. The first night he moved into the new bed he slept naked for the first time in his life. He kept a pair of pajamas and robe nearby just in case he needed to leave the room. As he stood naked in front of the mirror over the dresser he examined his forty-eight year old body. He said to himself, ‘If I lost a few pounds and firmed up my body I would be handsome for my age.’ He decided to go on a diet and start some kind of exercise regimen. He knew his wife had no interest in dieting and would not be willing to change their eating habits. He would just eat less of what she cooked at home and eat extremely healthy lunches. Also he would stop with the candy and junk food he so loved. When he discussed his concern about his health with Ralph and Tim they were fully supportive. Tim suggested he go to the local fitness center. There he could discuss his exercise needs and health plans with a professional trainer.

The next day on his lunch hour he visited the Body Shop. This fitness center had a large room with exercise machines and weight lifting equipment. There were men’s and women’s locker rooms. The men’s had lockers, a shower room with four shower heads and a sauna. He arranged to meet with a personal trainer the following day after work. He then made a quick trip to a sporting goods store and bought appropriate gym wear and shoes. When he told his wife that evening that he would be home late the next day as he was going to the gym to no surprise she was not supportive. “Why would you waste your time in a place like that? Don’t you have better things to do than prance around in school boy gym clothes? Don’t expect me to wait for you to eat dinner. You can warm it up when you get home.” He thought to himself, most wives would be happy to support their husband’s health. Going to the gym has an added bonus of not having to sit at the dinner table and listen to your ramblings and complaints.

He started a schedule of visiting the gym on Monday, Wednesday and Friday after work. With his Thursday visits to Ralph, Tim and grandsons he only was home at dinner time on Tuesdays.

During the first session the trainer started by discussing his goals. He was then given instruction on the use of eight different machines with a warning to take it easy and slowly increase the weight of the exercises. The trainer then had him use an elliptical machine for ten minutes. He suggested this over a treadmill as it would put less stress on his knees. At the completion of his session he went to the locker room. There were four men there in various stages of dress / undress. Nudity did not seem to be an issue so he stripped and walked to the shower area. There were two other men taking showers. Since there were only four shower heads he was standing within three feet (1 m) of another naked man. The furthest guy was about sixty and had a toned body. The man next to him was probably in his thirties and somewhat chubby. As much as he wanted to take a peek, he did not to be caught looking at their dicks. When the older man walked out he caught a quick glimpse of a swinging uncut piece. He returned to the locker area, dressed and went home. He had totally enjoyed being in the exercise area, locker room and showers with other men. He did not bother to heat the meal left out and enjoyed eating the cold dinner alone more than he would have a hot one with his wife.

He looked forward to his gym visits. A week later he asked the personal trainer about the health benefits of the sauna. He entered the sauna with a towel wrapped around his waist as he had seen other men do. He sat, sweat and sometimes had conversations. About a month after he had begun his gym routine he was alone in the sauna when another man about his age entered. The two tier benches of the sauna were along two walls. He was sitting on the middle of an upper bench and the newcomer sat on the middle of the upper bench on the other wall. As the newcomer sat he removed his towel and placed it on the hot bench. Phil was sitting on his towel that was wrapped around his waist. The man looked at Phil and smiled. Phil smiled back. As they discussed their workout session the other man continued to look directly at Phil. He had spread his legs fully exposing his soft dick. Phil could not help examining this impressive piece. As they talked the man reached down a nonchalantly scratched his balls. Phil stared with interest and lust. Suddenly Phil realized his dick was getting hard and tenting his towel. The man smiled and looked at Phil’s tent. Phil then realized the other’s dick was starting to rise. The man reached down and gave it one stroke. Phil thought to himself, ‘It is time I did something.’ He spread his legs and let the towel slip to one side. His hard dick was exposed. The man smiled and began stroking himself. Just as Phil decided to join his friend in stroking the door to the sauna opened. Both Phil and his friend closed their legs while pushing down the dicks. Phil immediately deflated and soon got up, wrapped the towel around his waist and went to the shower area. Following a quick shower a flustered Phil returned to his locker and began to dress. The friend came out of the sauna and instead of going to the shower walked up to Phil, “Could I buy you a beer at Smilie’s?” A totally conflicted Phil answered without thought, “Sure. I’ll meet you there in ten minutes.” Phil finished dressing while his friend walked toward the showers.

Phil found an L shaped empty booth in the back of the local bar. He had not been there for years and then it had been with a group of fellow workers to celebrate the completion of a project. When he had returned home after having the smell of two beers on his breath he was chastised the entire evening by his wife. His new friend soon arrived and joined Phil in the small L shaped booth, each sitting on one side of the L. After introducing himself he realized his new friend’s knee was pressed against his. The beers arrived and they talked about the usual stuff: wives, work and the Pittsburgh Pirates (baseball team). Al was about Phil’s age. He had been divorced for fifteen years, had a daughter in college and lived alone. Phil did not move his knee away from Al’s. He next felt Al’s hand on his leg. It felt good. This was the first time in years that he had been touched by another person other than the hugs he gave his grandchildren. The hand moved up and was next massaging his growing dick. Al smiled as he said, “You seem happy tonight.”

“This is new experience for me. But I can tell you that I do enjoy it.” Phil then told Al about his son’s situation. Then Al asked a strange question.

“Do you enjoy fishing? I have an extra rod. You could come by my place on Saturday and I could show you the special secluded place along Oil Creek where the big ones are.” Phil happily agreed to the fishing trip. He realized Lilly would have a fit. She had a list of chores for the weekend posted on the refrigerator. Getting her wrath was a small price to pay for an enjoyable day of fishing and whatever, if anything, would happen. When he arrived home she was so engrossed in watching on TV that she did not realize he was late in returning from the gym. He decided to wait two days until Friday evening to tell her he was going fishing. Friday when he returned from the gym to his cold supper he told her he was going fishing the next day and that the list of chores would have to wait. As expected she exploded, then sulked.

Saturday morning he knocked on Al’s door. His friend answered and invited him in for coffee. As Phil sat at the kitchen table Al walked up behind him and placed his hands on Phil’s shoulders. He began massaging them. “You feel tense, assume your wife gave you grief.”

“She did, as expected. That sure feels good.”

Al leaned forward and was now massaging the chest. “That feels even better.” When Al leaned further and put his hands on Phil’s belt buckle there was no resistance. He unbuckled the belt and unzipped the pants. Al reached into the underwear and touched Phil’s now hard dick. This was the first time anyone had ever touched him. His wife had never touched him with hands and of course not with lips.

Al asked, “Why don’t we mess around before we go fishing.”

Phil replied, “I have never done anything with another man. I have never done anything with anyone except my wife and that has not happened for years. But I want to. I just do not know what to do.”

Al took his hand and he followed his friend to the bedroom. Al unbuttoned Phil’s shirt and removed it and then pulled the T shirt up and off. “Now you do the same to me.” Phil removed Al’s shirt and T shirt. Al kneeled and removed Phil’s shoes and then reached up and lowered the already unbuckled pants. Phil did the same to Al. The two men were now standing facing each other wearing only underwear, Phil in his Fruit of the Loom tighty whities and Al in nylon maroon boxer shorts. Al kneeled and slowly pulled down Phil’s tighty whities. Out popped the hard, now leaking dick. Al examined it and softly stroked it. He then stood and taking Phil’s hand led him to the bed. They laid next to each other. Al moved his face in until their noses were touching. He leaned in further and their lips touched. Al kissed and Phil with years of pent up desires kissed back. Al forced his tongue between Phil’s lips and then probed the inside of his mouth. When Al pulled his tongue out Phil explored Al with his tongue. Meanwhile their dicks were pressed against each other. Al moved his head down kissing Phil’s chest, each nipple, stomach, balls and dick head. Then to the amazement of Phil Al opened his lips and swallowed the virgin dick to its base. Phil felt his juices rise. He unloaded shot after shot into the willing mouth. Al then moved up next to Phil and laying on his back took his dick in hand and soon shot man cream onto his stomach and chest. They just laid there on their backs for a few minutes holding hands. When Al asked Phil if he was OK, the satisfied man replied, “That was amazing. I have never had such strong feelings.”

Al replied, “I hope that was the first of many adventures. It’s fishing time. Al went to the bathroom and wiped off his chest and stomach. Then without closing the door he took a long piss. Phil stared at the yellow stream and felt himself getting hard again. He quickly dressed and the two were soon on the road.

They parked at a pull off on the road near the river and walked down a path that appeared to be seldom used. Then they continued through underbrush to a very secluded area on the river bank. During the next hour they each caught three fish, four trout and two bass, and then released them as neither wanted to take fish home and clean them. As they fished side by side Al told Phil about his friend of years. His friend was married and the two got together at least once a week, more if possible. Actually the rod in Phil’s hand had been used by his friend. Then after more than ten years of friendship Jay’s plant where he worked closed and he was given the opportunity to relocate to Kansas City. He missed Jay and had not been with another man since he moved nine months ago. About an hour after they had arrived Al announced, “The coffee has gone through me. Need a break. Care to join me?” He then opened his fly and pulled out his impressive cut dick. Phil did the same. As they stood shoulder touching shoulder each let a yellow stream flow. Al reached for Phil’s dick and held it as he pissed. When finished he shook it. “Need to get the last drop off.” He then turned Phil so he could kneel away from the piss spot. He squeezed a final drop out of Phil and swallowed the now almost totally erect piece. Soon Phil was shooting his second load of the day down his friend’s throat. Al stood and took Phil’s hand and placed it around his dick. Phil needed no instruction as he helped his friend finish. “Do you want to fish more or head out for an early lunch?”

“Lunch sounds great.”

When they returned to Al’s home Phil followed him into the house. Al turned to him, “You really turn me on. I don’t want to sound like an oversexed pervert but I would like some more quality time.”

Phil just smiled as his friend led him to the bedroom. Al then told Phil, “I really want to be taken care of in a special way. You are not being forced to do anything you do not want to do.”

“I trust you.” Then with a chuckle Phil added, “Teacher.”

They were soon naked. Al took some stuff out of the drawer of his nightstand, a small packet and a can of Crisco. Remembering the can of Crisco in his son’s nightstand he wondered what was going to happen. Al kneeled in front of Phil and opened the small packet. He took out a condom and rolled it onto Phil’s dick. This was actually the first time in his life Phil had worn a condom. Then Al opened the can of Crisco and got some on his finger. He then laid on his back with his feet off the side of the bed. Raising his ass he rubbed some Crisco onto his hole. Phil was totally confused as to what was going on. Suddenly it dawned on him. Al wanted his dick up his ass. “Stand between my legs.” Al then raised his legs and placed them on Phil’s shoulder. “Lean in and fuck me.” Phil just did as ordered. He easily shoved his dick into Al who moaned with pleasure. By instinct he pushed in and pulled back. The feeling was amazing. Never had he had such feelings. Being his third event of the day he lasted longer this time. When he cried out that he was cumming Al grabbed his own dick and stroked it to a mutual cumming.

To the dismay of Lilly the two became frequent fishing buddies. She was relieved that he did not bring any home as she did not want to have dead fish in her house. What she did not know was that not every fishing trip included a trip to the river and the only rod held was that of the other man. Phil saw an announcement for a Tuesday evening yoga class at the gym. He had an idea and discussed it with Al who supported the concept. That evening at home he told Lilly, “Yoga classes are being offered at the gym on Tuesday evenings. Going to the gym has really made me feel peppier. We could do the yoga together. I understand it is good for both the mind and body.”

His wife was incredulous as she raved, “Are you crazy. I have seen yoga on TV. No way would you catch me in public in one of those outfits. I am happy with my mind and body. If you want it you can go by yourself. You’re already gone Monday, Wednesday and Friday at the gym and Thursday at our son’s house. Why don’t you make it a full week?” She had reacted just as Phil expected. He now had the opportunity to go out Tuesday evening, but he never made it to yoga. Tuesday evening became his and Al’s special night. Phil enjoyed cooking, Al did not. Phil planned and cooked tasty healthy meals. The first week he had brought steak, potatoes and fresh broccoli. When he put the potatoes in the oven to bake he said to Al, “It takes almost an hour to bake a potato. What shall we do? We could watch the news on TV.” Al smiled as he took Phil’s hand who with no resistance followed him to the bedroom that day and every future Tuesday.

About a month later Al told Phil, “Friends of mine in Jonesville invited me to dinner. When I mentioned I had a met a special guy they told me they wanted to meet you. These are like minded men, if you know what I mean. You probably know the good friend of our host. He is Gene Morton, principal of the school your grandchildren attend. He and Albert, an antique dealer, have been together for over ten years. There will also be another couple there.”

Phil told Lilly he and Al were going to the movies in Jonesville to see Mash, a movie that took place during the Korean War, and invited her to join them. Her reaction was totally predicted. “Why would I want to see a war movie? If you must waste your time on such frivolous stuff, so be it. I have better things to do.” Phil thought to himself, ‘Yea, like planting your ass in front of the TV all evening’.

Phil told Al he was free for a late evening in Jonesville. He asked about a host gift. Al replied that he was taking a bottle of wine and that a bouquet of flowers would be appreciated by Albert. Phil suggested they stop at the florist shop on their way so the bouquet would be fresh. When they parked near the shop Phil handed Al money and asked him to go into the shop and buy the flowers. “If any of Lilly’s friends saw me in the flower shop buying flowers I would have some very difficult explaining to do.” He had made a good decision because as Al walked out of the shop he met Laura Mouthmaster, the town gossip, who commented on his buying flowers. Luckily she did not see Phil in the car parked on the opposite side of the street.

They were greeted at the door by Albert, a portly man in his fifties. As soon as they entered the house he grabbed Al and kissed him on the cheek, “Welcome, and who is this fetching man?” Before Al could reply Albert embraced Phil and planted a kiss on his cheek. He whispered into Phil’s ear, “We have heard good things about you. I am so happy for you both.” Then Phil and the man standing behind Albert spoke simultaneously, “Mr. Morton / Mr. Woods”. “I am Gene

to my friends.” “And I am Phil.” The two men had met on a few occasions when Phil had attended events at his grandsons’ school.

Gene commented, “We all have our little secrets.”

Phil laughed as he replied, “What happens in Jonesville, stays in Jonesville.”

They were then introduced to the other couple that include a married acquaintance of Phil’s from church. He was Phil’s age and his partner about ten years younger. The evening was an eye opener to Phil. Never had he imagined just regular guys like himself had the same outlook on life as he. As they drove home he thanked Al for introducing him to such interesting men. He was amazed that the evening with a group of gay guys was similar to an evening with straights. The conversation centered on their jobs, politics, weather, and of course the Pittsburgh Pirates ball team.

Phil and Al were now more than just friends with benefits. Al became a regular at the Thursday dinners with Tim, Ralph and the grandsons. The two took the boys fishing and for each of the boy’s birthdays a Pirates game in Pittsburgh with both grandsons. When Tim and David attended the Association of Air Conditioners meeting and seminars in Philadelphia that lasted four days Phil and Al stayed with the boys. Since Tim and Ralph slept in the same bed Al and Phil decided the grandsons would not be surprised if they did.

About six months after meeting Al, Phil discussed his situation with his son and Tim late one Thursday evening when they returned from choir practice. His son was not at all surprised when his father told him how for years he had lived a loveless life. He told them his wife, Ralph’s mother, had no interest in anything including travel and sex. The marriage had been broken for years and the only reason he did not leave was because it was easier to stay and also he had no place special to go. He had no interest in pursuing another women. Then he admitted that he became infatuated with the lives of his son and Tim. The he told that when he met Al at the gym they begun a physical relationship. This had grown to more than just sex. His mother did not object to his spending less time at home. Actually she seemed happy with the situation. She complained about his being gone, not because she missed him but because she needed stuff done. She did not dislike Al. He had spent a day a month earlier at the house helping Phil clean gutters and wash all the windows outside. When he volunteered to bring his rototiller over to plow to expand her flower garden she actually was pleasant and had invited him to stay for lunch. “I assume you and Tim are in some sort of a man to man relationship. It is probably similar to what Al and I have. Life certainly takes strange turns.” Ralph got up and walked over to his sitting father. Phil stood and Tim joined in as the three men embraced.

Three months later following their usual Thursday evening dinner Phil was told to stay at the table while the grandsons cleared the table. He heard some commotion in the kitchen. Then the door from the kitchen opened and Eddie entered the dining room carrying a cake covered with burning birthday candles. Charlie followed carrying wrapped gifts. Phil had a difficult time keeping the tears back as the others sang ‘Happy Birthday’. With Lilly his birthday was ignored or if he was lucky she gave him a card. This was the first birthday party in his honor in many years. The boys eagerly watched as he opened their gifts, fishing gear including lures. After the grandson’s went to bed Tim and Al left the room returning with wrapped gifts. Tim chuckled as he stated, “We are not sure the boys would understand these gifts.” Phil burst out laughing as he opened it. All cheered as he displayed ten pairs of brief underwear identical to the ones he had found years earlier in Tim and Ralph’s dresser. There were two each of red, black, violet, light green and light blue bikinis. With a smile Ralph stated, “We got you matching pairs in case you want to share with Al. Are we going to see you model them?”

Phil replied, “I’ll save that act for Al’s pleasure. He can give an oral report of the visual results.”

Al’s gift was a selection of massage oils in fun flavors: woodsie, citrus, tropical and musk.

Tim examined the bottles, “Could we borrow one of these? It might be helpful for my sore leg.”

Phil with a serious expression, “Are you going to give us old guys a demonstration of how to use them?”

With a twinkle his son replied, “We will give an oral report of the visual results.”

Three years later Lilly’s brother-in-law died. Her sister, Rose, like Lilly had never developed a life of her own. She depended totally on her now deceased husband for both social and financial support. She would have to sell the house and live on the proceeds of its sale, as well as the proceeds of a small life insurance policy and a minimal pension. Lilly was concerned that her sister would not be able to support herself. She mentioned frequently that Rose would need a cheap place to live. Phil had an idea and discussed it with Al. The plan was that Phil would stay married, especially since his wife needed his medical benefits, and move in with Al. Rose then could move in with Lilly. They decided it would be best that Phil not make the suggestion. They wanted it to appear as if it were Lilly’s and Rose’s idea. One of the rare evenings that Phil was home as Lilly discussed her sister’s plight Phil said, “What do you think we should do with the third bedroom? Right now it is just a storage room and a place for your sewing machine.”

Lilly replied, “I was thinking of asking Rose if she wanted to move into that room.”

Phil continued, “That room is really tiny and the closet holds almost nothing. I do not believe she would be comfortable there. Also, it would be challenging for the three of us to share our one small bathroom. Maybe there is a solution. She could have my bedroom. Al has mentioned that he might rent out a room. He certainly has more space than we do. I will ask him if he would be willing to take in a tenant.”

Lilly: “He seems to be a nice man. If he is willing it would certainly make life for poor Rose better.”

That weekend Phil and Al rented a U-Haul truck and with the help of Tim, Ralph and the boys they moved Rose’s furniture to either her new home with Lilly, to Phil’s new home, to a rented self-storage place and the remainder to the Goodwill Donation Center. They also moved all Phil’s personal belongings to his new home. As tired as they were from the move Phil and Al spent a good part of the first night together celebrating their living together. The relationship between Lilly and Phil greatly improved after he moved out. He continued to take care of the yard and do all necessary repairs and maintenance, usually with the help of Al. He stopped attending the fake Tuesday evening yoga classes that he had never actually attended. Wednesday evenings he and Al were invited to dinner with Lilly and Rose. Rose, an accomplished cook, went out of her way to prepare a special dinner for the men.

About five years after she had left her sons with Tim and Ralph they received a letter from Mary. She explained that the hardest thing she had even done was to leave her sons. She was afraid that the boys’ father, Hank the bully, might return and continue to abuse them and forcibly get her pregnant again. When she had been pregnant he made no attempt to hide the fact that he was out every night getting all the pussy he wanted. Living with her mother, the boys’ grandmother, was difficult and a terrible environment for the boys. Grandmother had a constant assortment of various men in her life, some of whom provided short term financial support in exchange for sex. More than once the boys who were less than seven years old had seen grandma playing grownup games with the bedroom door left open. Since giving up her sons Mary had been in continuous contact with her friend, Loretta, and knew the boys were in school, doing well, and involved in activities such as Little League baseball. She then told about her life. She had moved in with a cousin in Cincinnati, Ohio. She first worked at a low paid position as a grocery store clerk and stockperson. She attended secretarial school and was able to get a better position. She met Flynn and they had been married for six months. He worked at the Proctor and Gamble factory. They had a small apartment and were saving to buy a house. He knew all about her past. She hoped they would soon have children. She also wanted to see her sons but thought that should wait until the boys were mature enough to understand why she did what she did.

A few years later when Charlie was 16 and Eddie 17 Mary visited with her husband and daughter. Ralph and Tim prepared the boys for the meeting. They discussed the boys’ lives prior to their mother’s disappearance. Neither remembered their abusive father as he had disappeared shortly after Charlie’s birth when Eddie was just one year old. They both did remembered the terror of living with their grandmother. Frequently her men friends would tease or even beat the boys for just being boys or because they had spied through the open door as grandma played her adult games. They also remembered being hungry and missing school just because no one was able to get them there on days their mother was at work.

After reconnecting with their mother. They began exchanging gifts at Christmas and birthdays. Mary returned for special events such as high school graduation, university graduation and sat with her boy’s adopted fathers at their weddings. The boys wanted to do something to prove their love and thanks for the sacrifice she made to give them stable lives. For her 50^th birthday they planned a special gift. The boys were now 30 and 31, happily married with children and employed in the family business. They contacted their mother’s husband and he agreed to the gift. The boys, their families and dads traveled to Cincinnati for a long weekend to celebrate Mary’s birthday. She was overcome with emotion when she opened the small box that contained tickets for her and her husband for a Caribbean cruise. She truly knew that her sons were thanking her for changing the lives of two little boys when they were six and seven.

Today, 2020: The boys are both married. Eddie is the father of two sons and Charlie a son and daughter. The boys stayed in the area after graduation from university. Eddie has taken over management of the family business at its original location from his fathers while Charlie manages a second location of the business in Jonesville. The family business is now one of the largest electrical, plumbing, heating and air conditioning contractors in northwest Pennsylvania.

Ralph at age 79 and Tim 86 still live in the little house they had shared for fifty-seven years.

Grandpa (Phil) and Al lived happily together until Al’s passing at age seventy–two. Phil’s wife had died three years earlier and Rose remained in the house. After Al’s death Phil moved in with his sister-in-law. Rose, unlike her sister, was a loving aunt. She enjoyed being with her nephew, Ralph, as well as Tim and the boys and then the families of the boys. She and Phil remained in the house with frequent visits by all the family until both passed away in their late eighties.