Briarwood

All rights reserved. Copyright held by the author. If you are underage or are offended by gay fiction, containing graphic sex and explicit language, please exit now.

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"BRIARWOOD"

Copyright Ritchris, 2006

A dramatic saga

by

Ritch Christopher

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THE BEGINNING OF BOOK NINE

"A NEW HEAVEN AND A NEW EARTH"

Chapter Ninety-one

"Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven

and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer

any sea. I saw the Holy City..." Revelations 21:1

from The Holy Bible

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Lee Malone left Briarwood. He left his dead brother, Jake. He left the Briarwood Boys, the only family he had ever loved. He left without knowing where he was going, without a plan, without a goal and, more than likely, without a future. He had one-thousand dollars in his waistband. When that was gone, there would be nothing. He'd be homeless, broke, and hopeless by his own volition. Thanks to Father Cliff, Roger, and the Cole Institute, he was cured of his AIDS. Was he gay? He wasn't sure. He'd had sex that first time with his piano teacher, Buddy McClain in Fort Stockton, Texas, and contracted the dreaded virus. The only person Lee had ever loved was his brother, Jake. The two brothers had been in an incestuous relationship ever since they had moved from Texas to Briarwood.

However, loving one's brother and having sex with him was a special circumstance because Jake had loved Lee the same way. There had been no other boy or man whom Lee had loved or with whom he'd engaged in homosexual activities. He had lived with Mike and Tom, two Briarwood Boys, and he'd seen how two men could love one another as a couple. It wasn't the same with Jake. Jake had been Lee's own blood. Lee asked himself if he could love a man, ANY man, as Tom, Mike, Jay, Troy, or even Father Cliff and Roger did? Often Lee had wondered what it would be like to love a woman? He had never had a girlfriend or even a date back home in Texas due to his father's strictly enforced religious guidelines on how to raise two sons. COULD he love a woman?

His life in Briarwood had been surrounded by men, men who were all gay. The Briarwood boys actually had no female friends as their world was composed of all males. Lee hadn't known his mother long before she ran off and left him, his dad, and his brother Jake. Thinking back on his young life, he realized his mother was the only female he had seen naked and he could only remember that occurring twice while she was bathing. Once he had accidentally entered the bathroom when she was bathing in the tub. The second time was deliberate. He wanted to see her one more time. It was strange to see just a patch of hair with no noticeable female organ. Sure, he knew about the birds and the bees by the time he was thirteen but somehow it seemed dirty to Lee for a man...for ANY man to invade a woman's body. It embarrassed him to think about it...and HIS DAD? DAMN! His mother had actually let him, the man Lee and Jake hated most, put his penis inside her and deposit sperm? NO WONDER SHE LEFT HIM! She was probably mortified by the act!

As Lee left Tom and Mike's abode, he hadn't left a note to say goodbye. He just left quietly while they were asleep. He hitched a ride to the main street of Briarwood and walked ten blocks to the Greyhound Bus Terminal. He stood about six feet back from the ticket counter to read the cities on the board, including arrivals and departures. A thousand bucks could take him anywhere he wanted to go. If he was free and independent now, the choice was his and his alone. Los Angeles? Chicago? Miami? New York? Las Vegas? The listing of the various places was endless. It reminded Lee of a huge menu where he could afford to buy any item he wished without worrying about the cost, without having to bend to anyone's suggestions. He knew that his destination would NOT be Texas. That's where he'd come from and he WASN'T going back there...too many bad memories of his dad, his house on fire, Jake, and getting AIDS from his piano teacher. NO, not TEXAS! What should he do? Flip a coin? That was as good an idea as any!

He would pick out the first and last cities listed, flip a coin and eliminate one...then another, another, another...until he had narrowed his choices between Seattle, Washington and New York City. One last coin toss. He slapped the coin with his hand and closed his eyes firmly before seeing what fate had in store for him. He kept his left eye closed while he peeked with his right eye and slowly removed his hand to see heads for Seattle or tails for New York. Lee wasn't aware that he had been holding his breath with bated anticipation for when he finally saw the coin, he exhaled and became dizzy. TAILS! NEW YORK!

Lee had heard so much about the big city from the Briarwood Boys. All of them had been there to see two of the original Briarwood Boys on Broadway...Rob and Tim. SHOULD he flip one more time just to make sure? Father Jeff's brother, Alex, had lived in Los Angeles with his lover, Ted. Both had had nice things to say about L.A.! Okay, it would be between L.A. and NYC. This would DEFINITELY be the last flip. Again he closed his eyes before slowly revealing his gamble of kismet. DAMN! It was New York again. He looked at the bus schedule and saw that there would be a bus leaving for New York in two hours.

The decision was made. Lee wouldn't change his mind again! He walked up to the ticket seller and asked for a one-way ticket to New York. The die was cast! There was no turning back. The trip would take six hours and fifty minutes and a one-way ticket was ninety-six dollars. Well, that was less than half the price of a ticket from Briarwood to Los Angeles. The clerk put Lee's ticket in an envelope and Lee stuffed it down his shirt for safety...and to keep from changing his mind again.

With two hours to kill, plus the fact that he'd left before eating breakfast, he suddenly felt a hunger pang making itself felt now that the decision of his destination had been made by several flips of a quarter. Walking out of the bus station, he looked down the main street of Briarwood, seeing if there was a coffee shop nearby. On one corner was a Starbucks, but then, what town DIDN'T have a Starbuck's on the corner? Across the street was a smaller diner advertising Cinnabons. This was a treat Lee and Jake had seen advertised on TV, but neither brother had ever tried one. Now's as good a time as any, he thought and he crossed the street, and entered the shop. Before the door closed behind him, his nostrils were filled with the aroma of cinnamon and caramel. His mouth began to water and his empty stomach let out a growl, demanding to be fed NOW!

Behind the counter, several young men and women were making the delicacies, sliding one batch into a huge pizza-like oven as a tray was coming out, filling the room with its wondrous aroma. Lee couldn't decide between the regular Cinnabon, made with fresh dough, filled with Makara cinnamon and iced with homemade cream cheese frosting, or the caramel Pecanbon, concocted with the same warm dough, Makara cinnamon, and topped with pecans and smothered with rich caramel. 'Hell, why have to make a choice?', Lee thought. "I'll take one of each, please," Lee told the young girl who came to take his order. He felt sure his blood sugar would raise above the diabetes level when he ordered a mocha latté with his two large sweet rolls.

Lee sat at one of the tables and after his first taste of one of the cinnamon goodies, his appetite became ravenous. He ate quickly as if he were starving and hadn't eaten for a week. There was one moment of guilt when he thought about Jake and how much Jake would have liked the treats as well.

Two tables away from Lee sat a young man about Lee's age, sipping plain coffee. He couldn't help but notice the way Lee was gorging himself on the sweet buns, almost stuffing them into both sides of his mouth. When Lee saw the young guy staring at him, Lee became slightly embarrassed by his haphazard table- and eating-manners. The young man could see Lee's display of shame and tried to ease the slight tension by saying to Lee, "They ARE good, aren't they?"

Lee's mouth was still quite full when he tried to reply, or rather, explain, "Thith ith the firth time I ever ate one of 'em!". Then Lee tried to swallow everything in his mouth at once and got choked. He coughed, sputtered, reached for his latté, but discovered it was too hot to wash down the warm bun and Lee burned his tongue and inside of his mouth in the process.

The young man saw Lee's dilemma and brought his glass of water to Lee. "Here, try this and see if you can wash it down!"

Lee took a huge drink of the cold water and choked even more. The young man could see that Lee was actually choking and quickly stood Lee on his feet, ran around to Lee's back, put his arms around Lee, just below the chest and squeezed two times in succession. Lee was still choking, so the young man, squeezed him tighter this time and a large piece of Cinnabon came pouring out of Lee's mouth, hurling to the floor.

"There!" The young man said. "That ought to do it."

Lee was no longer choking, but he was still coughing...half as the result of the now dislodged bun and half from sheer embarrassment.

"Oh, God, look at the mess I made!" Lee said.

"There's nothing that three or four paper napkins won't fix!" The young stranger said, picking up a handful of napkins and stooping to pick up the debris Lee had spat up. He looked at Lee and said, "Now drink some more water. Wash it all down."

Lee sat back down and drank what was left of the glass of water while the young man took Lee's 'spit-up' and tossed it into one of the garbage containers. Then he walked back to Lee. "Are you feeling all right now?"

"Uh...yes, thank you. I...I made a fool of myself," Lee said, avoiding the young man's eyes.

"Shoot! You think you're the only person who ever got choked on food? It's happened to me dozens of times."

"I...I guess if you hadn't been here, I...I might have choked to death."

"Maybe...and maybe not. I'm just glad I was handy and close by."

"I suppose you saved my life. I...I don't know how to thank someone for something that big..."

"'Thanks' is enough, in and of itself!"

"Then, well, thanks. I...I still think that feels so small for what you just did for me."

"Look! Suppose it had been I who was choking. Would you have helped me?"

"Of course I would. I...I learned the Heimlech maneuver at Cole Institute."

"Oh? You were a patient there?"

Lee didn't want to tell the truth for fear the young stranger would know that he had been an AIDS patient...even though he was now one-hundred percent cured. "I...I used to know Mr. Cole and did some volunteer work there for him."

"You knew Roger Cole?"

"Yes, my brother and I were guests at his house many times."

"Wow! You must be some kind of member of the elite squad!"

"I'm not rich if that's what you're asking. When my brother and I moved from Texas, Mr. Cole found us a place to live with two of his adopted sons."

"You mean you live with two of the Briarwood Boys?"

"You've heard of them?"

"Who hasn't? In my world, it's every guy's wish to be a Briarwood Boy. Are you one of them yourself?"

"In a way, I guess my brother and I were."

"Is that where your brother is now?"

"Uh, no. My brother died a few days ago."

"Gosh, I'm sorry. Was he ill?"

"No, he was murdered."

"Good Lord! I hope they caught whoever did it."

"They did and he's gonna pay for it, too."

"Thank God for that! I see you're carrying quite a bagful", the young man noticing Lee's single suitcase. "Are you going some place?"

"Hmn? Oh, yeah, I...I'm taking a bus to New York City. My bus leaves in just short of two hours."

"That's quite a coincidence! So does mine."

"You're going to New York on a Greyhound?"

"Yep. If you'd like a traveling companion, I'd love to sit with you, but I think we ought to introduce ourselves first. I'm Hunter Morgan," Hunter said, extending his hand toward Lee.

"Pleased to meet you, Hunter, I'm Lee Malone."

"My coffee's probably cold by now, but would you mind if I go get my cup, ask for a refill, and sit with you?"

"Heck, no! I think I'd like that."

Hunter went to his table, picked up his mug, pointing to it so that a counter girl could see him, had it refilled and came back to share Lee's table with him.

"Do you want a fresh...whatever it is you're drinking?" Hunter asked.

"No, I think I've had enough to eat and drink for one meal...even though half of it landed on the floor."

Hunter laughed. "I'm glad we met...I'm just sorry it was under such dire circumstances. I didn't know how I was going to kill two hours."

"I bet you never thought you'd spend part of your two hours cleaning up someone else's puke."

Hunter chuckled again, "No, actually, I didn't! But at least I met you."

"Do you live in Briarwood? I mean, do your folks live in Briarwood?"

"No, I'm from Hotlanta. I had to reroute my trip to New York through Richmond to see my mother. I live with my dad in Atlanta. That detour is how I wound up in Briarwood."

"You're from Atlanta and yet you say you've heard of the Briarwood Boys? I...I think the way you phrased it was, 'in my world, it's every guy's wish to be a Briarwood Boy'."

"I see you're very astute AND a good listener to boot. You caught my 'tell all' expression."

"Meaning?"

"My world..."

"What is YOUR world?"

"Okay, I'll tell you and then if you don't want me to sit beside you on the bus, I'll understand. My world is really the gay world."

"You're gay?"

"Does that offend you?"

"Of course not!"

"I didn't think it would...IF you lived with two Briarwood Boys. Everybody in the upper echelon of gay society knows that Roger Cole and Father Cliff harbour a haven for misplaced gay men. It's rumored that most of them have been made millionaires by Roger. That's why it's a gay guy's dream to become one of them."

"In that case, let me assure you that I'm not a real Briarwood Boy. I'm a far cry from being a millionaire."

"Money's not important. I'm a rich kid, been one all my life."

"You're rich and riding a Greyhound bus? Why, for heaven's sake?"

"I have a Corvette and a Jag in my garage in Atlanta...both belong to me, but I'm moving to New York, and there's sure as hell no place to keep 'em there. As for taking the bus...flying scares the shit out of me."

"You're kidding!"

"Nope. My dad has a plane that he uses on business trips, but to me, it's too small and I won't get on it. As for commercial airlines, ever since I saw the newscasts of the nine-eleven, twin-tower crashes, I don't want my life taken away so suddenly. I mean, those passengers had only fifteen minutes to live and they KNEW it! Fuck that! I think I can jump off a bus if a terrorist ever tries to hijack one. But jumping out of a plane...?"

"I see your point."

"My dad knows I'm gay but every time I say I won't fly, he calls me a sissy faggot!"

"He doesn't approve of your being gay?"

"Hell, he loves it...as long as I'm careful. He and my mother divorced years ago and he said it was so peaceful not to have a woman in the house. He was scared half to death every time I dated a girl, hoping that I wouldn't knock her up, marry her, and bring her back home to live with us."

"Is your dad gay?"

"Shoot, no! He fucks a different woman every weekend, but that's as far as he'll commit. 'Women are made to fuck, not to live with.' That's his motto."

"I hope you won't think I'm being too forward, but does he allow you to bring guys home with you?"

"Too forward? Not in the least. He sometimes scares my male tricks half to death, though. If he thinks the two of us are fucking, my dad will run into my bedroom, turn on the lights, throw back the covers and tells whichever one of us is on top to pull out!"

"HE WHAT?"

"He wants to see that whomever is doing the fucking is wearing a condom. Once he sees we're having safe sex...which I ALWAYS DO...he throws the covers back on us, turns off the lights, goes to the door and says, "Have fun, boys". Then he leaves."

"Gee, that's hilarious!"

"It wouldn't be if he caught us WITHOUT a condom. All and all, he's a pretty great guy. We get along well."

"What about your mother?"

"Do you mean when she's drunk or when she's not sober? I swear to God, if she could find a doctor who could hook her up to Johnny Walker IV's, she'd be in heaven. God knows, she won't see heaven when she dies."

"Does she know you're gay?"

"I'm not really sure if I ever told her when she was stone-sober or not. Either way, she couldn't care less. When they divorced, Dad gave her several million just to keep her liquor cabinet filled...twenty four-seven, fifty two-three-sixty-five until she's seventy. Then she's on her own. IF she lives until she's seventy, she'll more than likely have to take up prostitution in a rich nursing home and give blow jobs to old geezers to keep her supplied in booze."

Lee was feeling better and laughed out loud several times as Hunter was reciting his nutshell biography. "You are SO funny...!"

"All right, it's your turn..."

"My turn to do what?"

"Tell me about your parents and make ME laugh."

"My parents? They were a cross between Sinclair Lewis' 'Elmer Gantry' and Charles Dickens' 'Oliver'."

"Jesus, what a coupling!"

"My dad was the most holier-than-thou hypocritical-Holy-Ghost-horror that ever lived."

"More so than George Dubya?"

"Actually worse...although, Bush would run a close second in the race."

"You said, 'ever lived'...he's dead now?"

"Yes, thank God...that is, if there IS a God...and if there is, I'm sure He's sorry He ever took my dad to live with Him!"

"And your mother?"

"Mother took off when Jake and I were real little. My dad said she's dead."

"I can see how losing your brother was such a big loss for you. You had no other siblings?"

"Just Jake...and now...no..."

"Since you asked me, can I ask you if you're gay? I mean, you WERE living with Briarwood Boys."

"I...I really don't know. I mean, Jake, my brother, and I, we fooled around as all brothers do, but outside of him, I...I've never had a sexual partner...male OR female."

"Wow! You mean no Briarwood boy ever came onto you?"

"Kinda, but not really. All the Briarwood Boys have partners. They all remain faithful to one another. That's probably because they're deeply in love PLUS I think it's out of respect to Mr. Cole and Father Cliff. All of them have been married by Father Cliff, and both he and Mr. Cole like monogamous relationships."

"If that's a prenuptial agreement for becoming a millionaire, I can't say that I blame ANY of them."

"They are ALL so happy."

"What about you? Why are you going to New York. For a visit?"

"If I told you why I'm going to New York, you'd laugh."

"Probably not. I'm going on a fancy."

"I flipped a coin at the bus station and New York came up."

"So you ARE going for a visit?"

"Until my money runs out."

"I hope you've got enough for New York. It's damned expensive there."

"In that case, I won't stay as long as I'd planned."

"You got a place to stay?"

"I was thinking about the YMCA...but I don't know how much IT costs."

"Fuck the YMCA. You can stay with me."

"Ha! I'm not so sure..."

"Why? Because I'm gay and you don't know if you are or not?"

"Well, that thought DOES enter into the equation."

"Look, Lee, my dad owns a four-story brownstone townhouse on the East Side. It has four bedrooms with four baths. You could have an entire floor all to yourself."

"But you don't even know me. I'm just a hick from Fort Stockton, Texas, with a high school education. I could be a thief or an ax-murderer for all you know."

"If you were trusted to live with one of Roger Cole's boys, I have NOTHING to worry about!"

"I'd feel like a sponge and Southerners don't sponge off people."

"I'd even pay you for your company...you know, like a paid companion."

"You're nuts!"

"Probably, but with my parents, I have a good reason to be nuts."

"Why are YOU going to New York?"

"Now THIS will make YOU laugh."

"Good."

"I...I want to try my hand at acting."

"TV? Movies?"

"No, Broadway musicals."

"I know a couple of Briarwood Boys who work on Broadway."

"OH?"

"Yeah, Rob Hawley and Tim Woodrow."

"Rob Hawley, who won the Tony for 'Brigadoon' and 'Green Dolphin Street'? JESUS CHRIST! You could be the person to open doors for me!"

"I don't know them that well, but I thought I'd look 'em up when I get there."

"Well, for chrissakes, take me with you. Introduce me as your roommate. Hell, tell 'em I'm your ex-lover! ANYTHING!"

"Are you a singer?"

"SINGER AND DANCER!"

"Okay, but once you're introduced, you're on your own, so to speak. I mean, I don't know how well you sing and dance...I saw a bunch of guys on 'American Idol' who thought THEY could sing, but even Jake thought they were tone-deaf."

"Lee, I'm not just ANY singer and dancer, I'm good at both...REAL GOOD!"

"I'll let Rob and Timmy be the judge of that."

"So what do you say, partner? Be my roommate? PLEASE?"

"OK, but only until I can get a job and find my own place to live."

"I swear, if it wouldn't embarrass you, I'd grab you and kiss you, right here!"

"That WOULD embarrass me!"

"You know I won't...and I also promise to let you have your own privacy at the town house...if you'll respect mine. I won't make any play for you or make you feel uncomfortable. I mean, like you said, you don't know if you're really gay or straight! If you meet some girl and want to bring her home with you, just warn her that you have a gay roommate and not to be shocked if she sees naked men running from the bedroom to the bathroom!"

"For the time being, I don't think I'll be bringing ANYONE home with me, FEMALE OR MALE."

"But if you do...feel free!"

"What time is it?"

"We still have about half an hour before boarding. Let's go to the newsstand and find us something to read in case we get tired of talking. I'll buy you a 'Playboy'...OR a 'Playgirl' OR BOTH, if you want them!"

"I think I heard that 'The DaVinci Code' is out in paperback. Do you think the newsstand will have a copy?"

"Jesus! That's heavy reading, but if they're out of the paperback, I'll see if there's a book store nearby and I'll get you the hardback."

"Don't start buying me things. I already owe you my life. I don't want to run up a bill on top of that!"

"Let me set you straight about one thing. I'm not a Briarwood Boy, but that doesn't mean my dad didn't put a seven-figure bank account in my name when I graduated high school. That way, I never have to ask him for money!"

"Crap! You're a millionaire, too?"

"Several times over. The town house is paid for. The utility bills go to my dad, so what the fuck do I have money for if I can't buy whatever I want...and a few things my new roommate wants?" Hunter rose from the table and paid both his and Lee's checks, tipped the counter girl and the two of them walked out onto the street. "Well, kiss my ass! Would you look? There's a Barnes and Noble bookstore, halfway down the street. COME ON!"

Hunter and Lee practically ran down the street to 'BN'. The manager was just opening the store when they arrived. Beside the information desk was a stack of 'The DaVinci Code', in hardback AND paperback. Hunter picked up a hardback and tossed it to Lee. Then Hunter ran back to the GLBT section and browsed for a sexy gay novel. He picked up one entitled 'Hard Licks Short Stories' and put it under his arm. "This ought to get me good and horny," Hunter said to Lee. "Oh, don't worry, I simply LOVE to jerk off in those tiny Greyhound toilets!"

Hunter took both his and Lee's books, paid the cashier, and the two left to walk back to the bus station. The bus to New York was already in the dock, so they boarded and found two seats in the back just across the aisle from the tiny restroom. "If you don't mind, I'll take the aisle seat since I'll probably be getting up more than you," Hunter joked and Lee laughed.

It suddenly occurred to Lee that this was the first happiness he's known since Jake's death. When the two took their seats, Lee turned to take a long look at Hunter. Hunter was about twenty years old, with light-brown, almost blonde hair. He was slimly built. Hunter's skin was light olive and his eyes were blue with a gray cast, almost as an eagle's. Lee kept trying to think whom Hunter looked like. The only person who came to his mind was an actor in one of his and Jake's favorite movies, 'Hackers'...Jonny Lee Miller, who incidentally, co-starred with Angelina Jolie in the same movie and the two of them married for a short while after they made the film together. 'Yes, DEFINITELY Jonny Lee Miller' he decided. Lee chuckled to himself when he thought about Angelina Jolie...the three men in her life...the hunk, Jonny Lee Miller, followed by the 'un'hunk, Billy Bob Thornton, and now she was living with another hunk, Brad Pitt. So would Lee's next roommate look like Billy Bob before he got his third one---the Brad Pitt look-alike?

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At the Cole mansion, Troy and Jay were in their bedroom watching a new DVD, 'Running Scared' starring Paul Walker. Troy was practically being forced to watch it because of his and Jay's never-ending argument as to which was better looking, Paul Walker or Josh Duhamel from the TV series, 'Las Vegas'. Jay had all but given up on ever making Troy see that Paul was indeed more handsome and better built, so now, he was trying to make his point by proving to Troy that Paul was the better actor.

Cliff and Roger had planned to go to the airport to pick up Father Chris on his return from Europe, but Billy still showed signs of depression over the death of Jake, so Cliff suggested that Roger stay at home with Billy and he would pick up Chris by himself.

Billy had been shut up in his room most of the evening after dinner. Roger was in the den playing the Barbra Streisand concert on DVD for the umpteenth time. This was one DVD that Roger could never tire of. The last time he was in a DVD store, he had bought two extra copies of the concert, just in case his got damaged or the disc might be discontinued from the DVD catalogue. Barbra was singing, 'Why Did I Choose You', which always brought tears to Roger's eyes, when Billy opened the den door, walked in, sat on the couch next to Roger and put his head on Roger's shoulder. Roger took his arm and embraced his son to give him added comfort. Roger turned the volume of the TV down to speak to Billy.

"Hi, little man," Roger said. "Feeling any better?"

"Some, Daddy Roger, but...well, not really."

"You're not still blaming yourself for what happened to Jake, are you?"

"Well, no...not exactly."

"Billy, I saw a movie once about soldiers in combat. Two of the marines were very close buddies. One of them was killed in a battle and his buddy almost went crazy. His commanding officer had a long talk with him, trying to get him on track again. At any rate, to make a long plot short, the buddy who wasn't killed was blaming himself, feeling guilty because, subconsciously, he was glad it had been his buddy that was killed and not himself."

"You mean, I'm supposed to be glad that Jake got hit with the acid and not me?"

"No, of course not...but deep inside, probably you ARE glad you weren't hit with the acid...and even if you do, that's a normal human response for ANY survivor."

"Do you think God wanted Jake to be with Him?"

"I'm sure that's what your Daddy Cliff would tell you..."

"What about you?"

"Your Daddy Cliff is the priest, not I. He knows more about those things than I do, Billy."

"I just can't understand, if God wanted Jake so badly, why couldn't He have taken Jake while he was asleep...not make him suffer the acid burns. I mean that's almost like God was punishing Jake...Jake was just a kid. He wasn't mean or evil."

"No, Jake was a fine young man...just as you are."

"Daddy Roger?"

"Yes, son?"

"If a person doesn't go to heaven when he dies, where does he go?"

"I remember what Arthur Miller said. He was a very famous playwright who wrote among other works, 'Death of a Salesman'."

"Where did he say a person goes?"

"He said, 'to the next thing...'. When a person leaves one place, he just goes to the 'next thing'. That's all there is...the next thing..."

"I wonder if Lee went on to the next thing...?"

"What? What do you mean?"

"He left Briarwood. I heard Troy telling Jay. Tom had talked to him at the hospital today at work."

"What do you mean he ran away?"

"I don't know. It seems he packed one suitcase and left before Tom and Mike woke up this morning."

"Oh, my God. Let me see what I can do to find him," Roger said, anxiously, as he got up from the couch, looked at his hospital directory and phoned Mike.

"Hello?" Mike answered.

"Hello, Mike. This is Roger Cole. Is Tom there?"

"Yes sir. Let me get him for you."

"Hello?"

"Tom?"

"Yes?"

"This is Roger Cole."

"MISTER Cole! How nice to hear from you."

"Tom, before I get into the discussion of why I called, how long have you been with us now in Briarwood?"

"Several months, sir."

"And by now, don't you consider yourself one of Cliff's and my Briarwood Boys?"

"Oh, yes, sir! Both Mike and I do."

"Then why do you still call me MISTER Cole?"

"I guess it's out of respect sir."

"Well, I'd feel more honored if you and Mike would call me 'Roger', 'Uncle Roger', 'Daddy Roger'...ANYTHING but MISTER Cole."

"Sorry, sir. I mean, sorry, Rog...UNCLE Roger!"

"There, that's better."

"Thanks."

"No, thank YOU! Listen, the reason I called...Billy said you told Troy that Lee left this morning without telling you or Mike?"

"That he did, sir."

"He didn't come home this evening?"

"No. Mike and I got the impression that he had moved out for good."

"He was from Texas originally, wasn't he?"

"Yes."

"From what I heard about the way he was treated in his home town, I don't suppose he'd return there, do you?"

"I doubt it."

"Do you have any idea where he MIGHT have gone."

"No. After Mike and I discovered he'd left, Mike wanted to get into the car and try to find him, but I stopped him."

"Why, for chrissakes?"

"I told Mike that Lee knew he had a home here with us and would always be welcome, but if Lee felt he needed to get away and find himself, that was the best thing for him to do."

"My God, Tom, you're more mature that most adults I deal with daily. That was a wise decision, son."

"Thank you."

"Do you know if he left with enough money to get him where he wanted to go?"

"I'm sure you know that both Lee and Jake were brought up poor without much money, so Lee's used to getting by with little or no money to survive on..."

"Dear God! I only wish I had known he was leaving. If Lee had just talked to Cliff or me, NEITHER of us would have stopped him, but both of us would feel better if we could have given him a little something, say some cash, to live on for a while..."

"Knowing Lee, more than likely, he would have refused money."

"I just hope to God he's all right. All you boys are so dear to me. I love each and everyone of you as if you were my own blood. Cliff feels the same way. It's just that after all Lee has gone through...his dad dying, his house burning, suffering with AIDS, and then having to find out that his brother was murdered...I just WANT to give him something to prove to him that life isn't hard all the time."

"Mike and I can vouch for that, Uncle Roger. You AND Father Cliff have made a heaven on earth for the two of us."

"It does my heart good to hear you say that, son. Tom, I want you to promise me that if Lee contacts you OR Mike, you'll try to find out where he is. Maybe somehow I can help him if only anonymously."

"That would be great and I DO promise."

"Is everything all right with you and Mike?"

"Couldn't be better."

"Is there anything EITHER of you need or want?"

"No, nothing."

"Well, if there ever IS something you need, PLEASE call...and PLEASE! Don't either of you ever run away."

"THAT we won't do...EVER!"

"Good. I'm sorry if I interrupted you, but I HAD to find out about Lee."

"If we hear ANYTHING, you'll be the first to know!"

"Thanks, Tom. I...I love you, son."

"Mike and I both love you, too!"

"Good night, Tom."

"Night, Uncle Rog."

Roger hung up the phone and stood by the table, pondering if he should ask one of his private investigators to locate Lee on the sly. His first instinct told him to do so, but after pausing a second, he thought it best to talk it over with Cliff first. Roger went back in the den and resumed his position next to Billy, who was still watching the Streisand concert. Roger leaned in to give Billy a big kiss on his forehead and said, "Billy, do you have any idea how important you are to Cliff and me?"

Billy looked up at Roger and replied, "About as much as you both mean to me, Daddy Rog."

"Always know that whether we're with you or not, we love you, Billy."

"Heck, I've always known that, ever since you and Daddy Cliff adopted me."

Roger looked back at the TV set. "Look! Here's where Barbra sings a duet with herself on stage and on the boat in 'Yentl'. I love this part best!" Roger gave Billy another big squeeze.

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Chris' plane arrived on time and Cliff all but jumped over the railing of the airport to grab him and give him a welcome home hug.

"My God! It's good to see you!" Cliff said, excitedly, kissing Chris on the cheek.

"Cliff, I can't tell you how good it feels to have your arms around me. I haven't felt so safe since..."

"I know, Chris. We'll talk about Ed later."

"Thanks."

"Are you tired out from the flight? Are you, at all hungry?"

"Tired? A bit. Hungry? I wasn't until I saw you."

"Roger wanted to come but he stayed home with Billy. I'll tell you all about our latest dilemma when I think you're ready to hear it."

"Is everything all right between you and Roger?"

"Oh, our walkers collide when we go for our morning jog! Other than that, we're the same as ever."

"At least that's some good news."

"Let's go get your luggage."

"I only brought two suitcases with me on the flight. There are boxes and boxes of items which Ed and I bought and I'm having them shipped air-freight...just the things of ours I wanted to keep."

"Perhaps this is too soon to ask, but are you going to continue living at yours and Ed's house."

"Yes. All that's left of Ed is there. I want to keep his memory alive as long as possible."

"Are you ready to get back to work? I mean, it's sort of horrific to think about sitting in a confessional again and listening to all the Briarwood sins."

"Actually, I'm looking forward to it. Perhaps hearing other people's problems will help me forget about mine."

"You said you were hungry---would you like to go to my house and see what Jay has conjured up in the way of leftovers? If not, we could go some place, have a drink and a bite to it."

"The latter sounds better."

"Good! Let's go get your luggage and we'll be off. It'll be good for the two of us just to sit and chat."

"Cliff, just looking into your eyes helps fill the void that's been in my life since Ed died."

"Then look deeper into my eyes and you'll see how much you've been missed."

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

The air-conditioning on the Greyhound bus was on overload. Hunter and Lee felt as if the temperature was fifty degrees. Their teeth were almost chattering as Lee tried to read his novel. Lee didn't know if Hunter kept going to the bathroom to jerk off or if he had the runs because during the first two hours of the trip, Hunter had stepped inside the tiny restroom six or seven times. Actually, it was warm in there. The air-conditioning duct didn't work in the bathroom, so this gave Hunter the chance to warm up a bit.

During Hunter's latest trip to the bathroom, Lee stood up to get his suitcase from the luggage rack over his seat. He pulled out a sweater and a light-weight jacket...one for himself and the other for Hunter. Hunter was more than glad to see the jacket on his return. He didn't don it, he just draped it over his chest and hid his arms beneath it.

The cold air hitting Lee soon made him sleepy and he nodded off. His head slid over to Hunter's shoulder and Hunter was grateful to feel another body next to his. He had thoughts about telling Lee to disrobe so they could place their entire bodies together as winter campers and Eskimos do to combat the cold weather. Then again, he knew that Lee would get the wrong idea and Hunter didn't want to lose his new roommate before they BECAME roommates. Hunter, however, DID take advantage of the situation by placing his head on top of Lee's. When they touched, Hunter felt a tingling in his loins and knew he was getting an erection. Thank goodness Lee wasn't aware of it. Hunter thought that before Lee DID see the protruding bulge of his crotch, he could always make ANOTHER trip to the bathroom and take care of it quickly.

While Lee slept, Hunter's imagination went wild. He began to wonder what it would be like to have Lee as a lover. Hunter had never had a lover. In truth, Hunter had never been in love. He'd never spoken the words 'I love you' to anyone...not even to his parents. Most of Hunter's sex partners had all been from affluent families in Atlanta...rich guys wanting to 'get off' with other rich guys without romantic or financial involvements. He often thought that NO rich kid knew what love was...but IF the right person ever came along in his life, Hunter was ready to fall in love...heart, body, mind, and soul. If there was just some ONE person in his life...someone who could love him back, Hunter would have achieved his seventh heaven and he swore to himself and his potential partner (whomever that might be), that he would be faithful for the rest of his life.

For some unknown reason, Hunter already trusted Lee. If he was good enough to live with the Briarwood Boys, THAT meant something in itself. And when Hunter offered Lee a place to stay...Lee's reply was that he would stay only until he got a job and found his own place to live. Most guys without money would have taken advantage of Hunter's wealth, but not Lee.

In his mind, Hunter replayed his conversation with Lee at the Cinnabon shop. Lee didn't know if he was gay or not. He'd never had a woman. Hunter asked himself if he could be devious enough to find Lee a woman...a woman who would make sex so bad and nasty with Lee that he would forget about women altogether. Would the time ever be right to approach Lee, himself, and go to bed with him? These thoughts only made Hunter's penis get even harder.

Lee began to move a bit in his sleep. His right hand found its way under the jacket covering Hunter and his hand landed lightly between Hunter's legs. Hunter didn't know what in hell to think. Was Lee really awake? What would happen if Lee woke up suddenly and saw where his hand had landed? Should Hunter try to move Lee's hand or just let it rest in place? Hunter was so nervous and excited, he felt a climax was eminent and boy! would he be in trouble then!!!

Hunter almost jumped out of his seat when Lee grabbed Hunter's penis and squeezed it. Then he heard Lee mumble in his sleep, "That's all right, Jake. I'll take care of that in a minute..."

'Jake? Wasn't that Lee's brother's name?' Hunter was more puzzled than ever. All he knew was that he had to pee IMMEDIATELY!

<><><><><><><><><><>

(To be continued in "Briarwood", chapter ninety-two of "A New Heaven and a New Earth").