Usual Disclaimer: If you are not of an age to read this because of the laws of your country or district please desist. If you are a bigot or prod-nosed fundamentalist of any persuasion find your monkey-spanking literature elsewhere and keep your predilections and opinions to yourself. Everyone else welcome and comments more than welcome.
This is a very long tale. It unfolds over a good number of years. What is true, is true: what is not is otherwise.
ALADDIN'S AWAKENING
By
Joel
Chapter 45
(Part Two)
On Tuesday Pascal told us he would not be able to come to see us for the rest of the week as they had an influx of summer visitors at the hotel and he had to help. He would have next Monday off so could he join us then? We said immediately of course and that we would miss him and to make sure if there were any English visitors to speak to them.
Tuesday evening came and Aunt Lilian drove the two of us to the imposing church. Johann was a bit miffed but his mother said he would hear everything on Sunday. The organist was already playing as we wended our way up to the organ loft. He asked if Tony was ready and when he said he was he told him not to sing out loud but to stand behind him and let him hear how he was doing. I stood to the side and watched as the organist selected the stops and then played the first two opening chords of the recitative. Tony was perfect. It was just over a minute of singing of the highest quality. The organist went on immediately to play the opening phrases of the aria and Tony's first "Geduld!" was so heart-felt and when he sang that bit about 'false tongues' he really spat fire. He sang on and negotiated the long runs on 'rachen' with dexterity. When he had finished and the organist had played his last few chords there was complete silence. The organist turned and said, in English, "You have a great voice!".
They then did the whole piece twice more, these times with Tony singing out fully. Aunt Lilian and I went down and sat in the pew the family usually occupied. Tony was perfection. His voice soared out into the cavernous building and, only once, did he hesitate on a word. Afterwards, the organist asked if he would come on Friday when the choir was there. He would sing his contribution to the service on Sunday instead of the congregation singing the hymn before the sermon.
We made up for Johann's disappointment that night. We had found he was like me with sensitive spots round his chin and neck. The pair of us had him in throes of ecstasy by licking and feathering those crucial little areas and finally drew from him two full loads of his boycream before we let him loose on us.
Wednesday it had been arranged that I should have my knee X-rayed at Professor Bechtelman's clinic. He was quite a short man but with a bush of black hair brushed up on his head and was, obviously, very efficient. He examined my leg first then his assistant took me to the X-ray department. I only had to wait a few minutes before the X-rays were delivered back. The Professor said my leg was very well healed and the surgeon had done a good job. If I liked I could leave the strapping off but I should still carry my stick. I walked, unbandaged, to the cafe where Johann and Tony were waiting for me. I heard Tony mention 'Here comes Granddad' as I approached and I threatened to shove the stick where the monkey shoved its nuts.
Johann laughed when he heard that and told us the joke about the monkey in the Geneva Zoo which always poked any plums given to it up its backside. When a lady asked the keeper why?, he said the monkey had been given a very large plum one day which it had swallowed complete and the big stone in it had made him 'tres constipe' so he always tried the plums that way first now. We laughed, but I remembered I had heard the joke at school years before, so some other things than wanking must be universal!
The Friday night rehearsal was a success, in fact, the organist's wife played the cello part and the choir clapped when Tony had finished. He was word perfect now and really relished 'Schimpf und Spott'. The congregation had not been told on Sunday about the solo and I saw several people looking for their hymn books at the appropriate moment. Tony's clear voice rang out over the crowded church. He sung his heart out against the most wonderfully played accompaniment of organ and cello. I wished young Georgie had been there. "Thass ould Bach, he's the best!"
After the service many people came up to shake Tony's hand and thank him. I saw Heinrich and Hubert standing well back and I nudged Pascal who stood beside me. Very rudely, on a Sunday, he whispered 'arschlochen', which I took to be a sign he didn't like either of them! Even Heinrich's father came up and thanked Tony and shook hands with Uncle Johann as well. Hubert and Heinrich had real sneers on their faces and I thought good luck to them, miserable buggers.
Pascal asked if he could join us on next day and we all said of course he could. He said they had been very busy in the hotel and he had been complimented by an English officer and his lady on his English.
Monday morning we had all assembled and Johann and Pascal were discussing where we should go when Pascal, who was standing near a window overlooking the path up the hillside, beckoned us. There were Heinrich and Hubert, dressed in white tennis shorts and shirts, carrying a racket each, one of them with a bag of balls, marching up the hill path, talking animatedly to each other.
Johann looked at Pascal. There was no tennis court on the hillside. Where were they going? We decided to follow them - at a discreet distance of course. We would have been a credit as a team of Red Indian trackers as we stealthily followed and shadowed the two determinedly trekking lads. At one point they turned off the main trail. Johann looked at Pascal and both shrugged their shoulders. We followed and hid in some trees as we saw the pair approach an old barn, almost derelict, with a gaping hole in its roof. They went in and after about three or four minutes I motioned to the boys I would go forward and recce. They followed about ten or so yards behind me as I sidled up to the opening where a door must have been years before. The barn was quite big, about thirty feet or so in depth and would have been quite dark if it hadn't been for the hole in the roof. What I saw was startling. The two boys were standing against the far wall illuminated by the sun streaming through the roof. I turned and put my finger to my lips and nodded that the others should witness the sight within.
Heinrich was standing, almost leaning against the wall. His shorts and underpants were round his ankles and he was holding his rucked up shirt well up his chest. His head was thrown back, his eyes were tight shut and his mouth was wide open as he had Hubert sucking voraciously on his stubby, thick-looking cock. Hubert was kneeling, his shorts back round his ankles but his underpants were not pulled down except at the front where the waistband was below two large balls. He was frantically fisting his own meaty tool as he sucked on Heinrich.
We stood across the opening and watched for maybe half a minute while the two, oblivious to our presence, carrying on with their endeavours. Unfortunately, or perhaps fortunately, Pascal could not contain himself and snickered. It was loud enough to alert Heinrich whose eyes opened as he snapped his head to see where the noise came from. He let out a roar, "Schysse!" he bellowed and at the same time pulled himself back from Hubert's sucking mouth and slammed a clenched fist against the side of Hubert's head. He added insult to injury as, trying to step back, his right foot kicked out and scored a direct hit on Hubert's pendulous bollocks so conveniently arrayed and ready. A look of astonishment crossed Hubert's face as he lurched to the side and then he gasped and squawked when the agony from the testicle toeing combined with the pain from the whack to his head finally reached his little brain. Automatically, his right fist came up and connected with Heinrich's prime set of goolies and a second shout, which I took to be "English Swine", came from Heinrich before he took a second shot at Hubert's eminently kickable balls. Hubert was in full-throat too, "Schyssdragg" was only one word I construed from a torrent of rather unpuritan German. As we four turned and walked away the two of them were rolling in the dust whaling into each other and swearing and shouting. We heard Heinrich scream out as Hubert must have done something pretty nasty to his bollocks. We went into the little group of trees and sat hugging each other, not laughing, but satisfied that two ugly customers would never in future make reference to boys' habits, warranted or unwarranted, as the case may be.
As we waited the noise lessened and then there was silence. The lads must have been discussing things. Tony leaned forward and whispered that he pitied them, they were only doing what he and friends had done many times, but once they saw us watching they couldn't cope. He thought that was a pity that boys had to hide things. I saw Pascal watching him carefully. Tony had said this slowly in English and Pascal must have understood but was puzzled. Tony had unwittingly let out that we must have done things like that with Johann. >From what Johann had told us Pascal and he had only tossed each other off and that only twice. Pascal looked at Johann who was sitting next to me. Johann smiled at him and nodded. I knew that at some time Pascal would be initiated into that next stage of boyish exploration of their sensuality. I knew it would be better for just the two of them so nothing more was said.
We watched and we waited. At last, a rather dusty Hubert appeared cautiously at the opening and scanned the area. We were well hidden and he saw nothing. He turned and must have reported back to Heinrich. Next thing was that Hubert came outside rather rapidly, propelled by the handle of Heinrich's racket pressed into his back.
He was not happy, he turned and must have called Heinrich a few choice names as Heinrich then thrust him further forward by a well-aimed cut across his well-upholstered backside with the flat of the racket. We thought there would be another fight but then a very dishevelled Heinrich appeared. His once immaculate white shirt and shorts were filthy. Hubert must have got his own back for the thump and testicular attack. In fact, Heinrich grimaced as he walked out. His own balls must have been aching as his hand gripped the lower regions of his shorts as he walked out and also surveyed the scene. Two more grumpy looking youths could not be imagined. Instead of the confident walk up the path they now slouched off. Hubert leading and neither talking to the other. A pleasant wank, suck and whatever else planned had turned into a sour experience.
We watched and waited until they were long gone. We did not have to discuss or comment on what we had seen but it would be savoured, especially by the two youngsters. We spent the rest of he morning just chatting and walking then returned to the chalet for lunch. Pascal then said he'd better get back to the hotel and changed quickly into his school outfit. He shook hands very formally with Tony and me and said we had helped him so much and could he join us again when he had a day off. Of course he could but I thought to myself we couldn't guarantee such entertainment each time!
That night we had a real Alpine storm. Lightning flashed, thunder roared and the rain pelted down. I think I was more scared than when the doodle-bugs came as the whole place seemed to light up with the intensity of the flashes. It was still raining heavily in the morning and Johann looked a bit downcast that we couldn't go out. We had breakfast with both his mother and father before they went off to the town to work. Johann said we would amuse ourselves and as long as Marthe, the cook, produced some lunch we would be happy. Uncle Johann said that would apply to me. My eating capabilities were now legendary even here in Switzerland!
We went back upstairs to Johann's eyrie and saw that the storm clouds were still overhead. He said we wouldn't be disturbed and he had a certain gleam in his eyes when he said that. The reason for the gleam was soon revealed. He was a bit hesitant but we settled down to a game of cards, gin rummy, which Tony was a past master at and nearly always won. We had played about three hands when Johann began to fidget. While Tony was dealing out the next hand he started.
"Please, I would like to know," he said in very careful English, "What other things boys can do?" He paused as Tony slapped down the last of the cards. "Please," he started again, "The boys in the school say...." He looked expectantly at us "....They say boys can.... figg, you say fuck." He went bright red.
I stood up slowly and went over to him and put my arm round his shoulder.
"Johann" I said, "We've done other things but you have to really want to do that. It's something you should only do if you trust the other person." As he looked at me I said the same sentence as best I could in French. He nodded.
"And if you love them," he said slowly in perfect English.
Both Tony and I nodded this time.
"Why do you ask?" said Tony.
"I want to know," he said "And I trust you." He smiled, "And I love you both."
We talked for a while as Tony and I explained that we had to be very clean and everything had to be unhurried, one could not risk hurting your partner. After that, things moved naturally on. First, after we had stripped off we each made sure we were as clean as possible, then helped each other to wash those most private places for each other quite unselfconsciously. We joined each other on the wide bed and caressed each other under the undulating duvet. Tony was hugging Johann as I carefully placed a towel under Johann's buttocks. I had found a bottle of unscented skin oil in a cabinet in the bathroom. Johann had said his mother had given it to him when he had some rough skin on his feet to help soften it. Perfect, I thought, for another essential use.
The boys pushed the duvet away as Tony lifted Johann's knees up to reveal himself. As Tony licked and laved Johann's chin and neck I anointed Johann's rosebud with oil and sucked carefully at Tony's erect shaft to moisten it ready. I fingered Johann guardedly, not wanting to alarm or hurt him and gently pressed against his puckered ring. The response was immediate, he was relaxed, waiting. One finger entered him and I withdrew it to add more oil. He gasped and his buttocks twitched. He sighed deeply when my finger entered him again and was slowly joined by a second. I pushed further in and he gasped again as I touched that mound I had learned would give such pleasure. He was ready and Tony was ready. We hadn't decided beforehand but Tony and I were such friends whoever was first would not matter. Slowly, Tony positioned himself above Johann and I could see they were staring intently into each other's eyes. Johann had such a sweet smile of contentment on his face I hoped against hope he was not going to be hurt or frightened. He nodded at Tony. A signal of readiness.
I felt for Tony's rock-hard rod and slipped his foreskin back and, as he moved forward I placed his tip directly on the oil-slicked goal. He pushed down and, with a slight movement of his head on Johann's part, took his virginity. No, no, that is wrong. Nothing was taken! Johann willingly gave Tony, his new friend, his virginity. I slid up the bed and watched as slowly and with such tenderness Tony entered Johann fully. I was reminded of those wonderful times I had experienced with all my friends and my other cousins when we had first passed into that so much higher state of intimacy. Johann's face was a mask of concentration. Tony moved slightly back and forth and must have been touching Johann's internal bud each time. They fucked slowly for a long time until, with a look of absolute wonderment on his face, Johann's engorged shaft erupted with a stream of creamy spunk. Tony quickened his thrusts until with a gasp and a grunt on his part he filled Johann with his own, no doubt, massive load. They laid face to face, chests heaving as they descended from those particular heights of passion. Tony lifted himself, then brushed his lips against Johann's.
"You are very beautiful," he breathed, "You are wonderful!"
Johann couldn't speak. I knew. I had been in that state where the whole world stopped still. Those times when all existence was suspended. Later I was to learn that most expressive French phrase to describe those exquisite moments, 'Le petit mort', 'The little death'.
I leaned over to Johann as Tony leaned back. My lips met his and I kissed him tenderly. I withdrew and his eyes met mine. He shook his head in wonderment.
"Jacques," he said softly, "Et tu."
Tony rolled away from Johann his cock still erect and glistening with the combined mixture of oil and spunk. I took his place and forgot about my knee as I knelt over my dear cousin. He looked up and smiled at me. "Maintenant," he commanded in the gentlest voice.
I was more than ready. I hoped that Tony had opened Johann sufficiently to take my slightly larger prick. I needn't have worried. I was completely in Johann in moments, held close to him with his arms round my back, my stomach bathed in Johann's already shed semen.
"Wait," he enunciated, in English, W perfect!, "Let me hold you and tell you how happy you have made me and how happy you and Tony make me today."
He licked his lips and lowered my head and we kissed deeply, tongues just touching each other as my hips thrust forward and back with his hips responding in synchrony. I was so deep in him I was pressing hard on his spread buttocks. All was silence until I could hold on no longer. Somehow some animal instinct must have been triggered in me. My torso arched back and my lips were torn away from him as my head jerked back and open-mouthed I let out the most unearthly noise as spurt upon spurt upon spurt of my spunk jetted up through my shaft and flooded deep into Johann.
It was just a matter of moments before I relaxed a bit but I could see the startled looks on the faces of the two boys. Jacko's howl had been unexpected. I collapsed on top of Johann and then the three of us hugged each other, exchanging kisses with each other. I was still hard and jammed up as far as possible in Johann. Neither of us wanted to part but after five minutes I began to soften and we rolled away from each other. We were immediately joined together by Tony who drew up the duvet to cover us and we lay together quietly like a litter of contented young puppies.
At least an hour passed. Mainly in silence. Johann said several times how happy he was and we stroked his back and sides an he caressed us, too. In the end, with no pre- arranged signal we decided it was time to move. We giggled at the rather mucky state of the large towel. Johann said we were not to worry as he would put it in the basket ready for the laundryman to collect. He said Pascal had told him that the hotel sheets and towels were often stained so the laundry would know all about such things. What if his mother, or Marthe, or the maid, Lily, should find the towel, we asked? He laughed and said once things went into the basket no one bothered.
We spent another happy half hour in the bathroom and Johann had to have his bath last as he spent a lot of time in the lav complaining that he was full of strange stuff. Tony and I made sure he was dunked comprehensively in the bath and subjected to a thorough, giggling, cleaning with a rather rough loofah applied to all his delicate parts.
Over the next two days Johann fucked both Tony and me. I was first and in the end poor Johann was so carried away with the whole ecstasy and urgency of his needs he was thrusting into me like a mad thing just before he shot his load, ramming himself against me as hard as he could. I wasn't complaining. I had fucked Tony equally hard, and perhaps, more brutally. Johann's cry of triumph echoed mine. Perhaps that was inherited from that earlier Jacques!
Tony got the same treatment and he responded in kind, urging Johann on by himself thrusting up and arching his hips especially when Johann made his last massive plunges into Tony's depths. Two sweaty bodies lay entwined in a deep sleep after that and I wondered if those primal screams had echoed down below to where his parents' slept. No worry. The sturdy wooden building was absolutely soundproof!
That was that. We didn't fuck again. We didn't have to. We had each exchanged a part of ourselves with the others. Our friendship with Johann had moved onto another level. I felt with him almost that so, so deep feeling I had for Lachs and Flea. In a way it was the same, just as I felt with Tony and my other close friends who had shared themselves with me in that way. I thought long and hard about it. It was difficult to know but there was still some intangible bond with Lachs and Andrew which I couldn't define which transcended all my other friendships. It wasn't love. It was more than that. A perfect feeling of wholeness with another. I wondered if I could ever feel that with another person as well.
On Wednesday I was taken again to the clinic for more massage. I had forgotten completely about my knee when kneeling over Johann. In fact, I felt my knee was almost back to normal. The lady manipulated my leg and also massaged the muscles of my right leg. She said she was certain all was well, but..., always take care, still take the stick with me when out, don't do anything foolish, don't over-exert, she would see me next week.
Aunt Lilian was waiting outside the clinic when we emerged. Johann and Tony had been twitting me about being in there with all the old people with their crutches and sticks. I had whacked both, gently, on their backsides with my stick and said, if they had eyes in their heads, they would have seen that the patient before me was a sixteen-year-old boy who had fallen off his bike and done the same as I had! And if they didn't shut up they would be inextricably joined by having my stick stuck up both their holes at the same time but I would leave them to choose who would have the curly handle. Johann got the gist of this diatribe I had delivered in English and I was just explaining 'inextricably' to him, with Tony walking beside him holding up his left fist with his right hand forefinger inserted 'inextricably', when Johann spotted his mother sitting in the car on the other side of the road. We had to compose ourselves and I said I would deal with both of them later.
Aunt Lilian said she was taking us to Uncle Johann's tailor to be fitted for new suits. We were both flabbergasted. I tried to protest but she raised a finger, a sign I knew from Ma's response to any question she didn't want to answer, and I fell silent.
"But," began Tony. He didn't know the sign. Johann did. He grinned at me.
"You are being measured for new suits," my aunt said with finality.
Tony understood and was also silent.
The tailor was expecting us. Johann had to have new clothes for the new term so the three of us were measured and fussed over while Aunt Lilian went round and selected shirts and socks. Both Tony and I chose a soft, very dark grey cloth. The tailor nodded sagely. He said it was a wise choice and it was good English cloth he had bought in England in 1938.
Johann, of course, was to be re-breeched. I dreaded to think of the cost for the three of us, especially when Aunt Lilian re-appeared with the shirts and socks. We couldn't protest. She had that look on her face and I knew Johann was secretly enjoying our discomfiture. He was going to get tickled to death tonight, I vowed!
We were to return next Wednesday for a fitting. Johann, on the way back in the car, where I was sharing the back seat with him, kept grinning at my rather set face. Wait, toad, I thought, your 'petit queue', your 'petit souris', your most-valued 'petit bout', will get more than you've bargained for tonight! You're prime six inches of Swiss sausage will be tantalised beyond belief until you'll be begging for relief! I nodded to myself internally. I think I could persuade Tony for us to do a Tom on him!
Of course, we had to thank Uncle Johann but he merely held up a hand. Johann's knowing grin was there again.
I and Tony had discussed Tom's desire for being tied up and kept in suspense, just horizontally, several times. We had things all ready for Johann when we got to bed that night. I'd found several winter scarves, which when knotted together would make good tethers, and secreted them under the bed. So, after Tony and I had hogged the bathroom first, a rather startled Johann was pounced on and tied firmly by hands and feet to the bedposts. Then we started on the poor spreadeagled lad. I took the top end and Tony the bottom. He was licked from forehead down by me. From every toe and sole of each foot, upwards, by Tony. He squealed and was hushed by me clamping my mouth over his as his head wildly thrashed from side to side. We met at his navel with Tony purposely missing touching his cock or his balls. We started again, this time reversing the direction. We each made certain that when we reached any area which made him squirm just that bit more we concentrated on it until he was shivering and trembling and shaking all over. By the time we finished that second tour, with Tony finding that the sole of his left foot was particularly sensitive and I concentrating on his right nipple, young Johann was almost delirious. He was making disjointed noises in his throat with his head thrust back and his Adam's apple bobbing up and down in uncontrollable movements.
Tony and I looked at each other. I winked at him and we quickly feathered our tongues, me down, and Tony up, his body until we almost met. Almost. Tony started to tongue his balls which were already drawn up tight in his scrotum against the base of his prick. His slim tool was straight up his belly, his 'tringle', or 'hard-on'. I licked at the end of his knob just peeping from the enshrouding foreskin. He was desperately trying to free his arms by now and his whole torso was twitching. As his legs were wide apart Tony moved lower and lapped at that tight skin between his upraised balls and his hole.
Soon Tony was probing his pucker as I unsheathed part of his knob. I tickled that for ages with the tip of my tongue while just lightly touching, firstly, his right nipple, then his left. Johann didn't know what to do. The noises became a continuous moan. I tapped Tony on the shoulder and we rolled away from. It took a moment or two for Johann to realise that the onslaught had ceased. His head jerked forward, his mouth still open, a look of puzzlement on his face.
His cock was twitching of it's own accord. "Please," he said, "I want."
"You must wait," I said quietly. "We will decide."
We lay either side of him randomly touching different parts of him. His chin, an ankle, his left ball, a point on his chest, a bunch of pale hair above his knee tweaked, his navel explored. His muscles in various places jerked as we did this. After about ten minutes I nodded at Tony. We exchanged our routes. I nibbled at Johann's toes while Tony explored behind his ears with his prehensile, probing tongue. We did everything much more slowly this time and Johann was reduced to gurgles well before we met at his middle and started the return journey. Johann by this time was so far gone I wondered if he might piss himself when Tony sucked on his hard nut-like balls. This time I uncovered his knob completely and drew my tongue once round that so sensitive ridge.
We lay again each side of him and repeated the touching and exploring with our fingers. He was reduced to muttering " Plait, plait, plait," repeatedly when we began to tease his balls, cock and precious hole. I drew his foreskin back very slowly and wanked him half a dozen times while Tony laved those rock-like orbs in their red ridged tight sac. We stopped for a few moments then repeated it. After about ten minutes he was in a complete frenzy so at a nod from me Tony forced his tongue against his pucker and I gave his steel hard 'chibre' a dozen or so very firm strokes and he coated his pillow, face and neck with the biggest load he could ever have produced. He was almost gibbering with excitement and the euphoria of what had just happened. Without thinking I straddled him and thrust my own hard-as-iron prick into his open mouth. He clamped his lips round it and sucked on it so ferociously my own pent-up load burst from me in a torrent. He spluttered as I squirted both into his sucking mouth and, when that was too much for him, all over his face and pillow as well. I rolled onto my side. I was well and truly spent. If Johann felt as I did then..... Wow!!! Next thing I knew was that Tony had taken my place and Johann, having I assumed, swallowed the greater part of my load, was sucking on him, taking in great gulps of air at the same time. Tony was a bit slower than me in coming but he matched me, I would think, in output. Again, what didn't disappear down Johann's gullet was splattered over his face and his already cum-soaked pillow.
I quickly untied Johann and cradled him in my arms as Tony and I licked up and shared with him our combined donations of boycream. He was still murmuring and gurgling and, with Tony spooned up at his back, we fell fast asleep.
In the very early morning I woke and found I still had Johann clinging to me. What had roused me was the urgent movements of his hips thrusting his hard prick at me. He was fast asleep but suddenly a warm rain of his boyseed was shed between us. His movements subsided as he grunted and nuzzled his head against my chest. My cousin was with someone he loved and trusted. He had showered another gift of his love on that person, me. I felt honoured and gratified to have that love and trust. I was so content and relaxed. I kissed his head as he lay against me and fell asleep again. Those oh-so-tender moments with Flea were recalled before I, too, dozed off.
It was well past eight o'clock when we finally roused ourselves. At least Johann and I did. He smiled shyly at me as we unglued ourselves from his dried-up spunk.
I whispered that he must have had a wonderful dream. He smiled and nodded. We went to the bathroom together and he stood and watched as I washed myself carefully, lathering my chest, stomach and belly as well to rid myself of night-time residues. I then shaved and as I rinsed the razor in the water in the sink and put it on the bathroom shelf he put his arm round my waist.
He pointed to my drooping cock. "Tu es monte comme un ane," he said softly. He scratched my backside gently. "Un beau ane."
Whether I liked to be compared with a donkey was not in question. My cousin was comparing my cock with his. At sixteen he had a fine cock himself, still growing I assumed. I reached down and took hold of the end of his foreskin and pulled down on it, stretching it.
"Dix-huit ans, dix-huit centimetres," I whispered. I tugged down and his skin lengthened considerably. "Vingt ans, vingt centimetres," I announced categorically. We grinned at each other's reflections in the big sink-top mirror. I, at almost eighteen, still had just a little way to go for the seven and one tenth inches of eighteen centimetres. I wondered if I would reach that goal? Eight inches was way way past any dreams, midsummer or not!
Looking at me in the mirror he said, in English, very feelingly, "Thank you for last night."
I patted his bum then hugged him round the waist too. I wrinkled my nose. He smelt rather ripe. "Wash," I said in English, "Everywhere!"
He giggled and I left him to it. I went back to the bedroom and began blowing hot breath gently into Tony's ear. He muttered and swivelled his head and was smiling in his sleep. Unfortunately, the third time I did it he woke and looked a bit startled.
"Oh, fuck off, Jacko," he moaned "You've spoilt a wonderful dream!"
I dragged the duvet away and there was Tony, "bande comme un cerf", a hardon like a deer, a phrase Johann had taught us in one of our lighter moments. I repeated the phrase to Tony who nodded. I then said my cousin said I was hung like a donkey. He sniggered and said I was just boastful and it wasn't a matter of size but what you could do with it and if I wasn't careful his dear deer would be inserted fully into that part of me which, no doubt, could accommodate a full-sized bull elephant. We were rolling and wrestling on the bed when Johann came through.
"Tell him to stop, Jacko," he said, "He will make you smell again, just like him. I am clean and sweet now."
We giggled as we had taught him that phrase as one to tell his mother after he'd had a bath. I think he knew at the time we were 'pulling his leg' as he said it with such a straight face now. True.
"I say things like English boys, now," he said. "Not 'fuck' because that is rude for young boys to say and young Tony said it just now. But how do you say it? 'Fuck off, Tony, into that bathroom, quick or I smack your bottom!' Is that what his mama who is old would say?"
Good old Johann. He was learning fast. He was held down and tickled by two lads, tears streaming down their faces from laughing. We let him go and I sat beside him, arms over each others shoulders, giggling, as Tony fucked off to the bathroom to wash his smelly self.
We spent the day wandering up the hillside, laughing and chattering. The storms had abated and the whole place was bathed in warm sunshine. Naturally we found a quite area and stripped off and sunbathed, tickling each other with long fronds of feathery grass when we judged we might be over-cooking. Johann's pale legs had gone through the red stage and he was tanning just like Tony and me. He kept comparing his legs with ours and kept slyly rubbing his hands up my rather hairy thighs. Twice I had to hold him down to chastise him. I teased his nipples and then tweaked his ballsac and said he would lose the contained objects very soon so he wouldn't then be able to grow any fur on his shapely young legs. Tony told me to put the boy down as I was just a hairy monster and Johann scuttled over to Tony and held onto him. I said the only reason Tony was kind and considerate to him was so he could get his evil paws on him. By the time all these phrases had been explained to Johann it was time then for evil mouths to be clamped round "les queues bandez comme trois tigres!"
On Friday Johann had a dental appointment so Aunt Lilian took us all into town. After she left us and Johann went on to the dentist's I managed to get up the winding, hilly road to the big church at the top. My knee was holding out well and Tony didn't make me hurry or make remarks about 'poor old man'. When we came back down Johann was looking a bit miserable as he'd had to have an injection and a filling. This meant he wasn't allowed to have hot coffee so we walked along to the hotel where he popped in to see if Pascal was OK.
He was gone for some time and we sat and contemplated the lake and the passing people. Quite a few nodded at us and we were polite and said "Good morning". On Johann's return he was smiling. He wouldn't say anything until we were well along the promenade and sat on an isolated seat.
"I have something to say," he began, "Pascal has told me those boys have gone to Heinrich's grandmother's house in the country." He grinned.
I said if he found the English difficult to say it in French. He shook his head.
"No, I say English," he said determinedly, "Pascal he says the boys went to tennis but the tennis was full." He paused. "How you say, other boys had written."
He looked at me. "Other boys had booked." I said
He nodded. "Other boys had booked so that two boys were angry and went off." He giggled. "Pascal tells me they were coming home dirty and they say they climbed on roof of... la grange...." I said 'barn'. He nodded. "....and it fell down. We laughed. We know. Poor boys not like us, eh?"
I went through the sentence with him and he nodded. "I get good, eh?"
"Better," I said.
Aunt Lilian collected us just after twelve and, because Johann couldn't eat either, we went home instead of going to the restaurant Aunt Lilian had promised us. That afternoon we walked up the hill a bit and as it was boiling hot soon found a quiet place, stripped off and sunbathed. We teased Johann saying we would remove all his teeth because we should have had a good lunch. We'd had a good lunch anyway as Marthe came up trumps with some lovely cold cuts of meat. When he protested we had eaten and he had not I said he'd see what would happen because if he had no teeth he would be much better at sucking as there was no danger of biting. Tony said I was not to tease him as he had a sore mouth. Huhn, were they ganging up on me?
That night I asked him to forgive me because I had teased him. As I knelt in front of him I pushed him back over the bed and his first load of the night was soon straight into my throat.
"You have big mouth," he said when he got his breath back, "Not feel your teeth, OK!"
Tony was asked if he would sing something else and volunteered an aria he had practised from Mendelssohn's Elijah. He said this time he would like to sing it in English. He knew the words because the vocal score the organist produced only had German words. We practised hard and on Tuesday evening the organist nodded and said he was good.
Wednesday I went for more massage then we had our fittings. The suits were perfect, some stitching just to be finished and they would be ready for Friday. On Friday we collected our suits and Johann had his new coat and britches as well. We paraded in all our new finery before Aunt Lilian took us all to the church for the final rehearsal. Tony's voice rang round the church and the choir members already there applauded.
So, Sunday came and in the packed church Tony sang his heart out. He said beforehand to me that he wanted to do it well as a thank you especially to my aunt and uncle for all they had done for him. "Then shall the righteous shine forth" rang out in the most confident way. Near the end he hit the top held A flat on "Sun" and descended to a pianissimo with such artistry before finishing with a ringing forte that I realised he could be a great singer if he had his voice trained. Many people congratulated him afterwards. Heinrich and Hubert were conspicuous by their absence but both the fathers came up and shook Tony's hand. I think my aunt and uncle were proud of at least one of their English visitors. The pastor was particularly gracious and was very interested when I told him my grandfather had been a professor at Strasbourg and had been one of the pastors at the Lutheran church there. He said he knew it well and hoped to visit Strasbourg soon for a conference. Pascal was grinning as he stood with us and asked if Johann could play tennis with him tomorrow afternoon at four o'clock as he had booked the tennis court because there were now vacancies!.
That afternoon I asked Tony why hadn't he applied for a choral scholarship at one of the colleges? He said Dr Baines had suggested it but he didn't want to be tied down as he wanted to enjoy being at Cambridge. We had to explain to Johann that the colleges all had chapels and choirs and some were famous like King's College where Tony was going. Uncle Johann said he knew about Oxford which was the same and he had enjoyed going to services in Christ Church. His college had been Brasenose. Johann couldn't understand why a college should have such a funny name, Brass Nose!
One thing we had to do was visit Johann's grandfather. Johann made it clear he was not looking forward to this. His father had two elder brothers. The eldest now ran the factory which belonged to the grandfather. The next brother was an engineer and worked in a specialised watch factory as he wouldn't work for his father. Uncle Johann had been sent off 'to learn manners' and studied to be a lawyer. Grandfather was very strict and had no time for little boys! But protocol had to be observed and two visitors from England had to be paraded for inspection. Luckily it was after we got our new suits so we would look impeccably smart. Johann cheeked his mother and said he would go in old shorts and if grandpa didn't like it..... He got no further, the finger was raised. I smiled at Aunt Lilian and said we would see he behaved. He was not in a good mood for most of the rest of the day. He kept saying he didn't want to go.
The five of us went by train to Geneva and marvelled at the sight of Lake Leman. We were met at the station there by a large old-fashioned car driven by a chauffeur. If Tony and I thought Uncle Johann's chalet was large then his father's house seemed almost as big as Ulvescott Manor except it was very square and red brick and heavily ornamented with railings and ironwork. Ugly wasn't the word. Johann had a very sour face when the heavy iron gates were opened and we drove in. We marched up the wide stone steps to the front door and were ushered in by an old, black-suited servant of some kind. There were dark drapes and old dark pictures on the walls as we walked up the hallway where the servant opened a door and stood back as we entered. Another equally old, grey-haired man was sitting behind a large desk covered in books and papers. He got up and he was very tall and thin. He was taller than Uncle Johann who was a couple of inches shorter than me, but broad, so I judged we were about the same height. He kissed Aunt Lilian ceremoniously on both cheeks and waited while Uncle Johann introduced us. Up to now he hadn't uttered a word. I stepped forward and was eye to eye with him. I put a hand out. He looked slightly startled but did the same and I shook it and said in my best French that I was very pleased to meet him.
"My boy," he said in English with a very upper-crust English accent, "I am pleased to meet someone who speaks to me in my own language so well."
He turned to Tony and shook his hand with Tony repeating exactly what I had said. He didn't smile but complimented him also on his accent, again in pure aristocratic-sounding English.
He turned to Johann. "And you, my little grandson, what have you to say?"
Poor Johann went red and waited just a moment. "I am well, grandfather," he said in English, "My friends have t....," I thought for a moment he was going to say 'teached' but he caught himself. "....taught me a great deal. They are good friends. I think they are like brothers."
I think the old man thawed a little. Here were two very smart looking English boys, both seemingly fluent in French. His equally smart grandson in his black puritan school outfit had given good account of his progress in English. He gave a rather wintry smile. He turned to Aunt Lilian and in rapid German said her nephew and his friend were smart, upstanding young men. I wondered if he didn't realise that I knew what he said. So, in my best German I said, "Sir, we think your grandson is also a fine young man and we are proud to be his friends."
I must say this rather stunned him and also the family as well. I don't think he was used to be spoken back at. He looked me straight in the eyes again. "Young man, even I underestimate people sometimes. Your mother was very clever and so is your father. Their son is a credit to them."
I don't think any of Johann's family had ever heard anyone praised before. Uncle Johann was keeping very quiet. I said, in French this time, that I would tell my father and mother what he had said and no doubt if they had known I was coming to see him they would have sent their greetings. He bowed and a hint of a smile played on his lips. I got the feeling he was more used to yes-men and relished the rare occurrence of someone not kow-towing to him.
After that the frost went a bit. I had the distinct impression that Uncle Johann and Aunt Lilian felt they were skating on thin ice when in his presence. Obviously Pa had made an impact when he had met the old man as well. I was learning a lot more about Pa while I was away from home.
The old man announced that luncheon would be served at noon and after that we could look at the house before we left for home. He had arranged for his chauffeur to be ready at five thirty. So our day was planned. When I first heard about the visit I had assumed we would be staying at least overnight because of the distance, as I thought, on the map. I was rather glad we weren't as the place was like a mausoleum. Each room seemed so over-furnished. Two things I noticed. A rather nice grand piano and also a very fine oil- painting of a country scene hanging on the wall in the room where the piano was.
As we entered the music room Aunt Lilian remarked that I played the piano. He marched up and opened the keyboard lid. I sat down and played a Brahms Intermezzo, the first music that came into my head. It was the second thing I had done which stunned him. He started back as I played the first few notes, but, as I played on, he visibly relaxed. At the end he put a hand on my shoulder and said in a very quiet voice, "That was my wife's favourite piece. She used to play it every time. Thank you, you played it so well."
I didn't offer to play anything else, he was satisfied with that. I stood up and went over to have a closer look at the painting which had caught my eye. It was so different from any of the other paintings. It had a clearness and also a freshness about it in contrast to the rather heavy style of many of the other paintings. I turned to him and said I liked the painting. This time he did smile.
"I bought that for my wife in Paris. It is by Manet. It was her favourite too, like the Brahms. You have a good eye as well as being a good musician."
I was being praised. I didn't know about the Brahms and that painting certainly stood out, especially for me. I didn't know who Manet was. Why had I chosen that piece? I hadn't played it once since being in Switzerland although I had played almost my entire memorised repertoire. The music and the particular painting. Odd.
Anyway, Johann took us on a tour on the next floor up where there were large reception rooms looking out on a sadly overgrown garden. On the third floor were bedrooms. Huge, full of heavy, dark, carved furniture. It looked very much like the sort of thing I remembered seeing in an old copy of Grimm's Fairy Tales which frightened me as a kid. We didn't go up further as Johann said he thought there were only servants' bedrooms up there. He shook his head and said he was glad we weren't staying as the place really frightened him. I didn't like the look of it and Tony said it all gave him the creeps.
When we got down we followed the sound of conversation and found Aunt Lilian and Uncle Johann drinking wine. Johann's eyes nearly popped when his grandfather indicated we should also partake of a glass. It was a lovely, fairly sweet wine and as two bottles had been opened we had two glasses each. I could see Uncle Johann was puzzled over the conviviality and Aunt Lilian had a look of wonderment as well.
Lunch was served on the dot. Three ladies in black frocks and starched white aprons served us, supervised by the old manservant. We had substantial thick soup followed by some choice cuts of meat, then a platter of vegetables each to have with the meat. Even I was bloated when I finished this, but then cheeses were brought in followed by a fine creme brulee. I knew all about this as we had fine meals with Aunt and Uncle each evening and we had also been introduced to his extensive wine cellar as well. I was surprised as the old man scoffed up just as much as I had. And he had three glasses of wine to the two which the rest of us drank. Those two wines were gorgeous, too. The boys were also enjoying the food and Aunt Lilian and Uncle Johann looked much more relaxed.
During the afternoon we three went into the extensive garden. We were too full up and drowsy after the wine and food to explore but found a couple of garden seats and sat and dozed. We were called back for tea at four o'clock and I felt stuffed again. I'm afraid we three boys got a slight fit of the giggles, probably because the effects of all that wine had not worn off, but I don't think the others noticed.
Dead on half past five we were shown the door. I don't mean that nastily but everything in the house obviously had to run to exact times. Actually, I was warmly, yes, warmly, shaken by the hand and told I, my friend and Johann were invited to visit him whenever we wished. Johann didn't look too pleased but was perfectly civil to his grandfather as he bade him goodbye. Johann breathed a sigh of relief as we got into the car. I prodded him as I wondered if anything might be reported back by the chauffeur. I noticed that Uncle Johann and Aunt Lilian said nothing on the journey to the station and Aunt Lilian had Ma's frosty look on her face..
We had a reserved compartment on the journey back and then we heard the full tale. Grandfather was going to sell the factory. He had received an exceedingly good offer from an American company. He wanted Uncle Johann to handle the sale and he didn't want his other sons to interfere. He was also going to sell the house to the Americans as they wanted a big place for their company offices and accommodation. He was going to buy a smaller house in Neuchatel as he liked the place, which was the reason why Aunt Lilian didn't look too pleased.
I asked how he could speak such good English. Uncle Johann laughed and said his father had had an English nanny and then an English governess. His own mother had died when he was very young and in the end Uncle Johann's grandfather had married the governess. Then she had died when the boy was sixteen or so and he had to take over the factory which his father had founded as soon as he finished at Geneva University. Then, when he married, he had to carry on living in the house, which had never been changed or updated and Uncle Johann was born in the house and said his father was very strict with his three sons. Uncle Johann had actually wanted to be an artist but his father forbad this and after a number of confrontations his father had told him to leave the house.
He and his father had become somewhat reconciled but, I think the best phrase which I told him and he laughed, was 'distance lends enchantment'. Aunt Lilian said she wondered how near one could be before the enchantment wore off!
Anyway, I was the star of the show. I had thawed the old man so completely, he had produced the pre-lunch wines which Uncle Johann said had never happened before and then he had offered to pay for the rest of Johann's schooling and also wanted to know if Tony and I had any pressing needs. So perhaps I had done something in my own small way. I know that night Johann showed his relief at not having to spend time at that house and also that I had been instrumental in getting his school fees paid. He had been well-taught not only to speak good English enough to impress his grandfather but also how to pleasure horny young English lads in a most delightful way. After four loads of good English boycream had been delivered by Tony and me, he was asked if he did not think that creme Anglais was not better than the creme brulee he had so eagerly lapped up at luncheon. The toad had to construe that double negative and then said we'd better see if creme Johann was equally as good. Toad paid dearly as we extracted three good loads and a final meagre portion of very thin gruel which Tony said even Oliver Twist would have rejected. No, we didn't have time that night to explain who "O-liver Tvist" was. I tweaked his left nipple and said he would be repeating 'twist' plenty of times in the morning and woe betide if he got it wrong. 'Woe betide?' We smothered him with licks and told him to get to sleep!
**
The rest of the holiday went by so quickly we were not ready to say goodbye so soon it seemed. Johann was most put out as he had to start his new school semester and Tony and I were left to wander about by ourselves. I had a final massage session and the lady said my knee and surrounding muscles were good. My limp would go once I felt able to put most of my weight on the injured leg. We sat at the cafe several mornings and spoke to a number of people who struck up conversations with us and felt immersed in listening to and answering in French to numerous accents. I was very confident now.
I must say we both missed the little toad when he went back to school. Little toad? He was growing fast as his mother commented the first time he put on his new puritan suit. He reported back that Hubert and Heinrich gave him and Pascal a wide berth and they seemed much quieter now and didn't make bullying comments to the younger kids. He did tell us one night towards the end of our stay that he was certain his cock had grown since the beginning of the holiday. Tony said probably so as it had been bathed in good English mouth juice enough times and he'd also had the benefit of lots of good English spunk which he was sure was most nourishing for growing boys. We held him down and admonished him that he wasn't to play with his cock too much when we went home to England as he would wear it away and if he did it too much it would affect his eyesight. He just laughed and said he'd heard that at school and if it was true I, at least, should have a white stick like a blind person inside of the brown walking-stick I carried. I said by the time I'd finished with him that night his little cock would be worn to a stump but he wouldn't worry about it because he wouldn't be able to see it tomorrow anyway. The toad just giggled and grabbed my hand and put it on his stiff prick and said I could start now and he would keep his eyes closed to practice being blind!
Of course, I wondered what I could do to say my own thank you to my aunt and uncle. I had spent very little of my money. We had been supplied with Swiss francs in abundance for coffee and pastries when visiting the town. I had bought postcards and stamps and sent plenty off to all my friends and family. I had sent one to Herr Vogel as well and written a long letter to Hans in my best German. Just before we had to return to England there was a letter from him, saying that Friedrich had arrive home to general rejoicing after trekking home from somewhere in the East. It sounded like Russia and he must have escaped through the border somehow. He was recovering from his long journey but the doctor said he needed medicine. Aunt Lilian immediately said she would try to find out more and see what she could do.
I counted up. I had nearly twenty-four pounds left. I had looked at the menu in Pascal's father's restaurant and wondered if I could afford to take five people out for a meal. Johann must have overheard me say something about it to Tony because at the end of the week before we were due to leave he gave me a note from Pascal saying a table had been booked in my name for Monday evening. Johann wouldn't say anything and I knew better than to ask more. Tony also had an enigmatic look on his face when I read him Pascal's note. Was something up? Anyway, the dinner was superb. Also, both Pascal and his brother Nicholas were our personal waiters. I asked Uncle Johann to choose the wine and I dreaded to think what all this was going to cost as we had two lovely wines with the meal. At the end, Pascal presented me with the bill, made out in English currency, with the total as twenty-three pounds ten shillings. Uncle Johann insisted on adding the tip, in Swiss francs.
The last morning Johann slightly staggered out of bed having just been relieved of a final load of fresh Swiss boycream and as he almost reached the bathroom door a rather lively Tony dived out of bed and executed a very neat Rugby tackle on him just below the knees, catching him so that he didn't fall forward. He then swung Johann round and still clasping him by his lower legs warbled
"Brown legs I love upon a nice Swiss lad,
Where are you now? Who lies beneath your spell?
Whom do you lead on Rapture's roadway, mad!
Before you agonise them in farewell?"
He then kissed Johann's left knee and, to a startled but then happy look on Johann's face, leaned up and kissed the end of Johann's drooping, spit-slicked and cum-spattered tool. He patted Johann's backside.
"Thanks," said Tony, getting up and enveloping Johann in a great hug, "You've made my stay so wonderful."
He kissed Johann and I could see that Johann was in tears. As soon as Tony let go of him he led him over to where I was sitting up in bed.
"You have made me grow up," he said, sniffing, "I was a little Swiss boy. Now I am a big boy." He smiled. "Swiss and English, eh?"
I leaned over and hugged him. "You are a big boy anyway. You've taught us a lot as well. I hope we will never forget each other."
He nodded and kissed me on the forehead. He turned to Tony.
"Come on, big boy Tony. Ve vill go and vash together as you shtink like..." He looked at me and grinned.. "...ze polecat, vottever zat is!"
I slapped his backside. "Cheeky toad," I said, "After all the hard work of getting you to pronounce words properly!"
He stuck his tongue out. "Pulling your leg, old chap," he said, mimicking the upper- class accent we'd tried out on him, "I can say all those difficult words for us foreigners, what!" He shrugged his shoulders and tossed his head, almost coquettishly.
We had taught him well! I stood up and hugged him again. Tony led him off to the bathroom while I finished my packing.
All the family came to see us off at Basel station as Johann had been given special dispensation to be absent from school. Johann was in tears again as we hugged each other. I said he was to come to England and bring Pascal with him as soon as possible. Aunt Lilian hugged me and she was in tears, too. I had to tell her sister she wanted to see her as soon as possible and to tell her what a good son she had. She rather let the cat out of the bag. She kissed me again and said not many boys would willingly pay all their money like I had, I must have a good heart. I realised then, of course, that meal must have cost much more. A conspiracy! Johann helped us into our sleeping berth compartment with our bags. I hugged him again and swatted his backside and said he would have a very good time when he came to England, and I would pay for all of it! He grinned. He knew! I then whispered that he must keep Pascal as a good friend but not to lead him into any bad habits. The toad made a sucking noise and licked his lips so I swatted his backside again. Tony hugged him and said he'd made him so happy and welcome. The toad grinned and said in faultless English, "I have two big brothers now. Very big! C'est vrai?".
I think we were more than a little sad to be going home. We had both had a most memorable time. We were both overwhelmed with all that had happened. As we settled down we were both silent. The train rumbled on as we sat quietly. I was reading another Simenon book which Uncle Johann had given me when Tony reached out and touched my arm.
"Jacko," he said and then continued slowly and deliberately, "Can I tell you something....? In fact quite a few things. I think I have to talk to someone."
I said I thought we'd known each other long enough to share most things, even private things. He knew lots of very private things about me and I also knew things about him. Of course, I meant all those very private things we had done together, sharing our bodies and our feelings.
He nodded. He looked at me with a very serious expression on his face.
" I have to tell you this because it's very important to me. What would you say if I said I think your cousin is the sort of boy I could fall in love with?"
Fall in love? I loved my cousin. I loved him more every day over the past two months but I knew what Tony meant. To love someone you had to share yourself completely with them. No, I loved Johann, but not in that way. I thought about my other friends, my new cousins, Lachs and Flea. My love for them was nearer to what I think Tony was driving at. We had shared ourselves willingly and pledged to do anything for each other. It was an intense sort of love and that pledge was important. Then, why did Tony say to fall in love with a boy? I thought back to what Matt had said about he couldn't be bothered with girls. I hadn't quite dismissed that just as Matt's reaction to having Julia as a sister and not knowing any other girls. Yes, Matt had said he preferred to be with boys.
I asked Tony straight. "You mean you would like to live with a boyfriend rather than having a wife?"
He nodded. It took quite a while before he could answer. "I think I want to live with a boyfriend as husband and wife," he said slowly. "I don't know, but I am not interested in girls at all." He smiled. "Kats has that friend Bella and when she comes to stay or we've been on holiday she's all over me." He snickered slightly. "I think she wants me to snog her, you know, kiss her and feel her up, but I don't want to. I don't even get a hardon when she strokes my leg and I know you do when Kats gets near you." He smiled . "And those new cousins of yours both had stiffies as well." He leaned forward. "Nothing for me, but when I see Johann I get a jolt inside. I get the same with your cousin Andrew, you know, Flea. I could cuddle him and make real love with him." He stopped. "Should I be saying this to you?"
"You can tell me anything," I said, "I've wondered about me, but as you say, Kats does things to me and when those Land Girls have nudged me, or the girls at Mike's sister's wedding, I've got a hardon."
Tony smiled and shook his head. "Yeah I know what you mean about the Land Girls. I like Miriam and she has sat next to me very close but, no, nothing happens."
I was curious. I knew I liked being with boys very much. I enjoyed having such intense sex with them. I loved them in a way - who couldn't, having shared such close, intimate things. But I also knew I would not be satisfied unless I explored things further with girls. My fantasies at night were peopled exclusively with those friends with whom I'd shared so many exquisite occasions. I knew it would be difficult for me to give up such things, but, if? But, if the right person came along, a girl, and I really fell in love... I didn't know. I would be eighteen in a week or so. I had only known sex with boys.
I wondered if I should make an attempt. I'd heard lads in the Sixth Form joking about going off with a pro, a prostitute, a tart. "Biology Question: How do you make a hormone?" "Fuck her with a twelve-inch prick!" If I tried that action would I know what I preferred?
"I don't mean I want to be with young boys," Tony said, breaking into my reverie. "I want someone like me. Someone I can love. Someone I can be together with and share things. I suppose some day I'll find someone like that."
How could I answer? I murmured some platitudes about one probably found the right person in the end. I said I thought my mother and father were happy together. They shared things and must love each other. He nodded and he said he felt the same about his mother and father.
He grinned at me. "And I think I know who's in love with you?" he said, fluttering his eyelids, "My dear sister! It's always, how's Jacko? Would Jacko like to come to tea? Why don't you ask me to go out with you and Jacko? How do you feel about that, eh?"
I said I liked Kats very much but I didn't know her well enough to say I was in love with her. No more was said but Tony had that enigmatic look on his face again. And so the train rumbled on. We slept and were awakened early just before the train slowly edged its way into the Paris terminus. It was very early morning and still almost dark but we easily found a porter and a taxi-cab. Pa's bundle of French francs was very useful in more ways than one. We had time at the Gare du Nord for a quick coffee and bought a filled baguette each to eat on the train. Tony also made us nearly miss the train as he insisted on buying five packs of foul French cigarettes. I had to rescue him as I found him waving an English one pound note under the protesting nose of the little Frenchman behind the tabac counter. I whipped out the diminishing bundle of French franc notes and pacified him. He was instantly mollified and looked at me quizzically as I spoke to him in fairly rapid French apologising for my stupid friend.
"You are English?" he asked, in French, of course.
I said we both were.
He laughed and shook his head. "I thought you were Swiss or Belgian," he said and laughed again. He then thrust another pack of Gauloise on Tony and waved away any payment. "Yanks, OK," he shouted then in English, "Mais, English Tommy ver' good. Bang! Bang!" He saluted and finally gave us a true Churchillian V-sign.
Well my accent must be getting better I thought. And what did the Bang! Bang! refer to? I'd heard rumours of the reputation of soldiers with French women, or perhaps the other way round! Mademoiselle from Armentieres perhaps. Bang! Bang! Guns or otherwise?
In fact we managed to bundle ourselves on the much earlier train, just as the guard was about to wave his flag and blow his whistle, and were in such good time we were able to sail on the late morning ferry from Calais and arrived tired in Kerslake near midnight. That meant not having to stay in London overnight at the Bloomsbury hotel Pa always stayed at and had suggested to us.
So, a taxi deposited two exhausted boys at their respective homes complete with suitcases, haversacks, various parcels and packages and, in one case, a rather unwanted walking-stick!
To be continued:....