I Once Was Lost

I ONCE WAS LOST CHAPTER 9 BY THE CAROLINA SCRIBBLER

THE USUAL DISCLAIMERS APPLY HERE. IF YOU AREN'T OF LEGAL AGE (18 IN MOST AREAS) THEN PLEASE LEAVE. THIS STORY IS ABOUT THE PEOPLE WE ENCOUNTER IN LIFE AND THE RELATIONSHIPS THAT DEVELOP BETWEEN FRIENDS, FAMILIES AND LOVERS. IT MAY ALSO CONTAIN DESCRIPTIONS OF SEX BETWEEN MALES. IF THAT BOTHERS YOU THEN PLEASE LEAVE. ALL TRADEMARKS AND COPYRIGHTS ARE PROPERTY OF THEIR RESPECTIVE OWNER(S). FEEDBACK IS APPRECIATED AND FLAMES WILL BE IGNORED. I HOPE YOU ENJOY THE STORY.

***I've addressed this question in a few emails already but more and more come in asking this so I'd like to answer it here.

ARE YOU REALLY THE CAROLINA SCRIBBLER OR SOMEONE ELSE?

Yes I'm really the Carolina Scribbler and no one else. I promise you guys, I'm not another author "moonlighting" or trying something new. I'm just a dude from NC writing a story and that's all-honest. I appreciate the comparisons to some of the names you've thrown at me though, that's pretty cool. Hope this clears up any confusion or speculation.

Take Care, The Scribbler

(RECAP)

"You ready to go back to bed?" he asked.

"I guess but I'm still not sleepy," I answered as I put our glasses in the sink beside Charles'.

"Who said anything about going to sleep," he replied with wide grin. He then let out a soft guttural chuckle.

"You, Mr. Myers are one...bad...boy," I said playfully.

"C'mon and find out just how bad I can be," he replied in a naughty voice.

We hurriedly made it up to my room, taking the steps two at a time and soon I did find out.

(THE STORY CONTINUES)

I woke up and immediately felt that something was amiss. I glanced over my shoulder and saw that Will wasn't in the bed. I felt the sheet and it was still warm. I stood up and stretched wildly then I glanced at the clock. It was 7:46. I scratched my balls, wondering where Will was.

I opened the door to my room and heard the shower running across the hall so I went in, figuring it was Will, thinking at the last moment there was a possibility it could be Charles. I thought for a moment about how he'd react to seeing me standing there naked with a 7 inches sticking straight out.

I wanted to open the shower door but was afraid too. If it was Charles he'd be embarrassed to death or then again he might make some crack like, Nice one there Jess' then we'd laugh. I struggled for a moment and then decided Screw it' and I opened the door.

Will jumped and damn near fell. It was so funny I cracked up and he looked pissed. Then he did fall, right on his butt with a loud thud. He started laughing and I really lost it. I sat down hard in the floor. In about 15 seconds flat we heard a, "Jess? Will? Are you guys alright" coming from the top of the stairs.

We were laughing so hard, neither of us could answer. Charles tapped on the door but all I could do was gasp for breath. The water from the shower beat Will in the face as he practically convulsed with laughter.

"Jesse, are you guys ok?" Charles asked as the bathroom door opened slowly. He poked his head in and Will and I howled.

He opened the door wider and stepped in, quickly assessed the situation and threw his hands up in the air as he looked skyward.

"Why me Lord?" he said with a chuckle, "Ya'll be careful, I've got bacon burning I think."

He looked at each of us again quickly and flashed a grin as he exited, closing the door behind him.

"I bet Charles thinks we're completely insane," Will said as he finally picked himself up.

"Probably," I said.

I stepped into the shower with Will and we didn't fool around either. I think we were both too hungry. I was careful not to get my bandage wet too. That thing was a pain but only a couple more days then I'd be rid of it. We finished, dried off and dressed all in about 15 minutes. We walked into the kitchen just as Charles was setting the plates on the table.

"Hey guys, all clean?" he said devilishly.

"Inside and out," Will said without missing a beat.

Charles groaned and rolled his eyes.

I eyed the spread on the table. "Man! You did make a big boy breakfast,' I exclaimed.

"Charles, you really shouldn't have made all this," Will added.

"Aw shucks fellers, twern't nuthin," he replied. We laughed as we sat done and started to dig in.

We picked at each other and joked around through breakfast and Will and I made Charles sit at the table as he and I cleaned up.

"Just be quiet and relax," Will said as he placed his hand on Charles' shoulder and gently pushed him onto his chair.

"Ok ok. I'll just sit here," he said.

He wasn't still for long. He got up and walked into the living room, first turning on the stereo and then putting in a cd before coming back into the kitchen. He poured himself another cup of coffee and offered another cup to Will, he accepted. I didn't drink coffee but he did pour some more orange juice in my glass.

Once Will and I were done cleaning up we sat down with Charles but in a minute we all decided to go out to the picnic table under the oak tree out back. I grabbed the cordless phone and followed them outside.

"Thanks for cleaning everything up guys," Charles said appreciatively.

"It was the least we could do after you made that...what did you call it, big boy breakfast?" Will replied. Charles nodded and smiled.

"What are you gonna do today?" I asked Charles.

"I was going to go over to Mom and Dad's about 11 and pick up Michael's stuff. My friends' Mark and Lin are going to meet here and follow me over. Mark's bringing his truck too so we can get it all in one trip, hopefully. Frankly guys, since all this happened with Michael and Dad and now the house is up for sale and Mom's moving to Savannah, I just don't want to hang around long over there. It was my home for a long time but...well, that's all in the past now."

Charles sighed loudly and stared blankly at his coffee cup, circling the rim with his index finger.

"You ok Charles?" Will asked.

"Yeah, I'll be fine, thanks," he said.

Charles smiled politely. Behind that smile was pain though. Charles was hurting and I knew it. I leaned over and kneaded his shoulder. Will took my cue and gave him a hug.

Charles took a sip from his cup as the phone rang. I answered it and almost went into shock when I heard the voice on the other end.

"Uncle Bert!" I shouted.

It was my Dad's older brother, Albert. He told me that he had some great news but in short, he along with my aunt Maxine and Scott, my cousin, were bringing my things down from Winston-Salem. He didn't go into details only saying that he'd give me the full story tomorrow when they got here. I thanked him and we hung up. This was great! I couldn't wait to see them. Bert and my Dad were as different as night and day. They looked alike but that was it as far as the similarities went.

"Guys, you aren't going to believe this. My Aunt Maxine, Uncle Bert and my cousin Scott are bringing my stuff down tomorrow. Dad's not coming." I said excitedly.

"Cool Jess!" Charles said.

"That's great!" Will chimed.

I told them all about Bert, Maxine and Scott but there was one thing in particular I wanted them to know about.

"Just so you guys will know when you see Bert limp, he was in an accident. One night about 6 or 7 years ago he and Aunt Maxine were going out shopping, it was right before Christmas and they were hit from behind while sitting at a stoplight. The impact pushed their car into the intersection where they were hit a second time. They both had some pretty bad injuries and Uncle Bert's leg had to be amputated. It took a long time for them to recover, especially Bert but they have never complained about it."

"That's horrible Jess. I'm really sorry," Will said as he patted my shoulder.

"Me too," Charles said.

"It's ok guys, really. They're doing fine now and Uncle Bert even cracks jokes about his artificial leg. He's a total idiot sometimes, Scott too so I know ya'll are gonna like them. He and Aunt Maxine go out and do stuff now just like nothing ever happened. Bert went back to the company he was with before the accident, he's a dock foreman now. He dispatches too. They live in Statesville which isn't far from Winston-Salem but Uncle Bert and Dad aren't too close. We've always seen each other at holidays but when I was a kid it seemed we saw them more. Maybe they had an argument or something, I don't know. I'm just glad they're the ones bringing my stuff and not Larry."

"Larry's your father, right?" asked Charles.

"Yeah, and my mother is Sandra."

"I think you told me that but I forgot," he said scratching the side of his head.

"That's so good about your uncle doing so well and not feeling bad about losing his leg. A lot of amputees fall into a depression especially adults. Kids and teenagers are more resilient and bounce back quicker but it's wonderful about Bert though," Will said.

"You guys are going to love `em, all three of them," I beamed.

"They sound like good people," Charles stated.

"Oh they are. I wonder why they're bringing my stuff though, that's odd."

Will and Charles shrugged their shoulders.

"Hey Jess, let me bum one of those," Charles said as he pointed to my cigarette.

"I thought you didn't smoke," I replied. I took my pack out of my pants and handed it along with my lighter to him.

"I don't now, I used to along time ago. I smoked in high school and just after but I quit," he said.

"My God Charles and I thought you were such a Boy Scout," Will said acting surprised.

"I was never a Boy Scout. I was a Girl Scout but they kicked me out."

Will looked stunned. I knew right then this had to be a joke.

"You're kidding me, right? You were in the Girl Scouts? They kicked you out because they found out you had a little winkie, right?" he said with a sly grin.

Charles took a long drag from his cigarette and exhaled slowly. Damn he was good. He cocked up an eyebrow as he stared at Will.

"Nope, they caught me eating a brownie," he finally replied stone-faced.

I had to turn away to laugh and poor Will still didn't catch it right away.

"Charles Stoneman, you are horrible you know that? I mean it, just horrible," Will finally laughed.

Charles and I cracked up over that and gave each other a high five. That was pretty funny.

"Tea! I need tea!" he suddenly shouted and jogged back to the house.

"He's such a mess that boy is," Will chuckled. I nodded in agreement.

"What are you're plans today?" I asked.

"I'm all yours if you want me," he replied.

"I think you know the answer to that question already, but..."

Will leaned over and kissed me.

"Yes I do know the answer already and I hope that kiss let's you know how I feel."

"It does and it makes me feel good too."

Will grinned.

Charles stepped back out and flicked his cigarette onto the driveway.

"Now I remember why I quit those things," he chortled.

"Why?" I replied.

"They're nasty man." He twisted up his face to emphasize the point.

"Not to mention unhealthy," Will added.

"Well shit, let's pick on the smoker," I said defensively.

"I'm not picking on you Jesse. I'm just stating a fact. I used to smoke too."

"I didn't know that."

"Oh yeah," he said, nodding his head.

`I'll quit one of these days.' I thought.

I leaned over to Will and whispered in his ear, "Why don't you ask Charles if they could use some extra help moving Michael's things?"

"I was just thinking of that," he grinned.

"Hey Charles?" Will asked.

"Yeah" he replied.

"Do you think that you, Mark and Lin could use some more hands to help move your brother's things?"

"Sure man, that'd be great! With five of us we could knock it out in no time," Charles said.

He shook Will's hand and then mine.

The phone rang and Charles answered it this time. In a moment he stood and cupped his hand over the phone, telling us he'd be right back. He went inside the house.

"Will, um...about tomorrow night, I don't know if"

"Say no more Jesse. I know your Aunt and Uncle and cousin are bringing your things down and you're excited to see them. If we can't go out tomorrow night we'll have other nights."

"Yeah but I was really looking forward to us having an evening together, you know?"

"What about last night?" Will said playfully.

"Last night was heaven, it was but I want us to go out and see things and do things...together. I guess I'm not making any sense at all, am I?"

"You're making perfect sense Jesse. It'll happen too but let's just play it by ear. Maybe we can get together with your relatives tomorrow night and do some family stuff. There will be time for us I promise," he said with a twinkle in his eye.

Charles back out and told us that was Jennifer who had just called and she was going to stop by this evening on her way to work.

We hung out just shooting the breeze until Mark and Lin pulled up. They were in Mark's truck. Charles introduced everyone and we shook hands then went over to his parent's house to load up Michael's things. Will and I both noticed that Lin called Charles "Moose" and we laughed as we speculated why. I rode with Will in his car and we followed Charles. Mark and Lin were behind us.

We stopped at a Scotchman's so Charles could top off his gas tank. We pulled into the lot off to the side and waited for him. Mark pulled in behind us. He was driving a red Silverado. He hopped out of his truck and went inside. Lin walked up to my side and I rolled down the window.

"Hey men, how ya'll doin'?" he asked with a grin.

I fell in love with his accent right away. It was a cross between thick Vietnamese and a healthy dose of that twangy drawl one could only get from having grown up in the southern US mixed with a dash of urban coolness.

"We're doing good man," I replied with a chuckle.

Lin smiled. In fact, that boy grinned all the damn time I found out. He was short about 5'2" I guessed and a little bundle of energy. He walked fast and talked fast but not in a slick, shady way. He was cool, I liked him.

"So man, you Moose's new roommate huh? How you like it out there?"

"Yeah, I like it. It's nice and Charles is cool," I replied.

"Yeah he's cool. He's my best friend too, man. We've known each other since high school I guess and he's got me outta so many jams, shit."

"Was Charles crazy in high school?" I asked.

"Oh hell yeah. That's when he got his nickname man. One year, I think it was our junior year, there was this huge Halloween party some chick was havin' at her house. Her parents were gone so everybody shows up. I mean everybody too and we all were dressed up too. Well after a while, you know, people start pairing up and disappearing to hook you know? Charles disappears too but I figure he's getting him some since he's been bitchin' for like 3 or 4 weeks about havin' to jack his dick all the time. Well, I ain't too worried and I figure my boy is off doing his thing so I ain't gonna rush him but...it's startin' to get late and people are leaving. It gets down to maybe 15 people and I hear some girls talkin' about Where's Traci, Where's Traci?' She was this fine girl too, real pretty. Some dude comes into the living room and whispers out loud that he thinks Charles and Traci are fucking in one of the bedrooms. Everybody sneaks down the hall real quiet you know and we all stand there at the bedroom door and sure enough, we can hear em inside. They doin' it too, man! Somebody says let's all rush inside the room and take a picture. Hell it seems like everybody had a camera that night too and somebody gave me one. Well Greg Jordan turned the doorknob real slowly and he pushed the door a little and SHIT it opened too. Shame on them man, they should have locked the door. It opened all the way and everybody was really quiet. There they were man, oh damn it was funny too. Charles' ass was sticking up in the air and his big old balls flopping back and forth while he's dicking that girl. Somebody giggled and made a comment about how big his nuts were. Charles must have heard it too because he raised his head but all you could see was the back of it though. He had on a pair of some goofy moose antlers or something and everybody started laughing. He turned his head to face us just then and he musta came at the same time. The expression on that boys face was priceless man. I snapped the picture right then and two or three others did too then everybody rushed into the room, taking pictures and laughing and shit. Oh man it was funny. He was a little embarrassed at first but he was a good sport about it. Every now and then somebody will bring it up and we'll joke about it. We used to do crazy stuff like that to each other all the time man."

Will and I were practically in tears over that story. Charles walked over at that point. Mark was just behind him.

"What are you guys laughing at?" he asked with a smile. He glanced at Will and me and then back to Lin.

"Nothing man," Lin replied with a look of total innocence.

"Yeah right. Spill the beans, Jess."

"Honest man, it was nothing," I chuckled.

Charles looked back at Lin. His eyes widened and a big smile washed across his face.

"Shit! You told them my nickname didn't you?"

"I did not tell them how you got the nickname "Moose", I swear it man," Lin said now chuckling.

That cracked everybody up.

"You're supposed to be my best friend," he said to Lin.

"Charles, that story is too funny not to share."

We laughed a little more and teased Charles some then he ran inside to pay. In a minute we were back on the road.

After a minute or two I looked over at Will, thinking to myself. He glanced at me and back at the road and started laughing hard.

"What?"

"I know exactly what you're thinking Jesse Mayhew so go ahead and say it."

"I'm not saying anything," I laughed.

"Ok then, I'll tell you. You're sitting there, staring at me thinking, `I wonder how Will would look in a set of Moose antlers?' aren't you? Admit it Jesse."

Oh Lord, he busted me. It was true.

"Yes you shit," I laughed, "I was thinking that. How did you know?"

"I was thinking the same thing about you."

Just when I was about to catch my breath he looks at me and yells `Moose!'

We finally calm down just before we pull into the driveway of Charles' old home. It was a two story brick house in a very nice neighborhood. His mother greeted us at the door but it was obvious there was tension between her and Charles. We all hustled up to Michael's bedroom and began breaking down the bed, emptying drawers and packing boxes. Just like Charles had said. With five of us, we were done quickly. We told Mrs. Stoneman goodbye and we left.

"I can see what Charles meant when he said he didn't want to hang around long. His mother was a bit standoffish," Will said when we were back in his car.

"I think she acted like a bitch."

Will snickered at that.

We made it home and unloaded everything into Michael's room. It's funny how unpacking always seems to take longer than packing. When we were done Lin suggested we all go out for a pizza. Mark said he needed to get back home to shower and change for work but would take a rain check. He was a police officer too and he worked 2nd shift. He was a big, burly guy, not as tall as Charles but stockier. He had a slight belly too and was pretty hairy. Charles said he'd run Lin back home when we were done, that way he could go and not worry about a ride.

We left right after Mark did. Will and I followed Charles and Lin. We went to a locally owned joint just off King's Highway. They had a large outdoor dining patio. The tables had big umbrellas for shade but they didn't help much in the midday sun. We could have eaten inside but chose the patio. I'm sure in the evening or at night it would've been great though. It was some of the best pizza I had ever eaten but we didn't stay long. It was just too damn hot. We parted company with Charles and Lin when we left the restaurant.

Once we were in Will's car, he asked if I'd like to see his place. I said sure. He lived in an upscale condo community. It was mostly singles and young married couples he told me. In fact, we saw a young couple decked out in swimwear walking up the sidewalk with a little boy of maybe 2 or 3 years of age.

Will knew them and we stopped for a moment to say hello. Their names were Danny and Marissa Cash. They were taking Danny Jr. to the pool for a few minutes. We chatted cordially and then let them continue on. Danny was a mechanic for a small but growing airline based in Myrtle Beach and he was going to have to leave tonight and be gone for a couple of days. I can't blame a father for wanting to spend a little time with his family. I just hoped they remembered sunblock for the baby.

"They seem nice," I said glancing over at Will.

"Oh they are a sweet family," he replied, "They live right next door and they've been so good to me. We're really close."

I figured there was a story there so I asked.

"How so?"

We pulled into a parking space and got out of the car.

"This might get emotional Jesse," he said as he quickly glanced around, "I'll tell you the rest inside."

We walked up the sidewalk and went inside. We stepped into the kitchen and he took two diet sodas from the fridge, handing one of them to me. We sat at the table as he continued.

"Ken and I moved in here shortly after college. We were so happy too because this was our first "real" home together but we were also a little nervous. We had decided to live openly and by that I mean we didn't go around flaunting our sexuality but if anyone should ask, we wanted to be truthful. Almost immediately Danny took up with me and Ken, mostly with Ken because they had so much in common. Both had played sports in school and loved watching them on tv too. Danny would be over here or Ken would be over there, it was funny really because they acted just like kids. Ken would say, `Will I'm going over to Danny's, I'll be back in a few' and I knew, that meant a few hours not minutes. After a while I'd knock on Danny and Marissa's front door and when Marissa would let me in she'd say the kids were playing in the living room. It became an inside joke with us because the same thing would happen when Danny would come over here.

This went on for several weeks and like I said, we all became close. Occasionally Danny and Marissa would have a little spat and one of them would come over to here to brood or pout a little. We'd talk or tell jokes until he or she felt better then all would be well. It was and still is rare but it happens occasionally. They're a very happy couple most of the time.

I remember the day they found out Marissa was pregnant. They were both on cloud 9, I mean absolutely ecstatic and they rushed over here as soon as they got the news. We couldn't have been any happier for them.

I think one of the reasons too that Danny took up with Ken so much was because he was an only child. Danny's parent's died when he was young and both of them were an only child so he had no brothers or sisters or even cousins. He was raised by an older great aunt. She passed away just after he graduated high school. He grew up pretty shy and introverted. His great aunt was strict too he said. He was really in need of friends, buddies he could just pal around with and shoot the shit with.

Ken and I had mentioned in passing to each other that we figured Marissa and Danny probably suspected we were gay but they just hadn't broached the subject. One night he was over and the three of us were watching a ballgame. We were really getting into it when it went to a commercial. Somehow the subject of homosexuality came up and Danny said he could tell if a guy was gay or not. The conversation continued for several minutes until finally Ken just came right out and told him that he and I were gay.

Danny was silent and looked back and forth between Ken and me for a long time before finally turning back to the tv. After 10 or 15 minutes had passed he stood up and said he had to run and would talk to us later. Ken wanted to go over and talk to Danny to find out what was wrong but I convinced him to give Danny a little time. About 3 days passed and I ran into Marissa outside one day and she told me that Danny had told her what Ken had said. She hugged me and said she had no problems with us and had even suspected it but Danny was having some difficulties. She said he acted "lost" and kind of moped around the house but wouldn't really talk what was bothering him. A few more days passed and then one day I found an envelope in the mailbox for Ken and me from him. We read it together and Jesse, it damn near broke our hearts. We saved it too and I still have it upstairs, tucked away. It was almost 4 pages and it was so heartfelt. The short of it went like this. Danny was raised, just like so many other people are, to believe that homosexuality is a sin and it's wrong. He said he never, not even once, suspected that Ken and I might be gay and it stunned him when Ken told him that we were because he never saw us "acting" gay. He believed that all the stereotypes we see in movies and on tv were what gay men really were and that was that.

Well, at the end of the letter he apologized and asked us to forgive him and if we did to please call him. When we read that part my heart melted. Ken got emotional too and soon tears were running down our faces.

Ken called Danny and invited him to come over, with Marissa too, if she was home. Ken hung up the telephone and we waited. It seemed like forever before the doorbell rang. I answered it and let them in. They stepped through the doorway with a soft `hello' and I invited them to sit. I sat on the sofa next to Ken and we held hands.

Ken started talking but the very second he said `We forgive you' Danny began sobbing and then Marissa started. Well, as you can imagine we all had ourselves a good cry. What was said next though was a bombshell we weren't expecting."

Will said he'd be right back and stepped out of the kitchen. I walked over and grabbed a paper towel and blew my nose. I sat back down and Will came back with a box of tissues. I wiped my eyes, he did too.

"Well," he continued, "Danny dropped a bomb on all three of us. He said there was something that had bothered him for a long time but he had never told anyone, not even Marissa and it was hurting him inside. Danny was having a difficult time trying to get started. He seemed embarrassed actually so Ken stood up and motioned for him to do the same then he hugged him and told him we were his friends and that no matter what it was we'd still be friends and we'd be there for him. Danny sat back down and he embraced Marissa. He sobbed so hard and they held each other for a long time. She told him that she loved him. When he was ready he cleared his throat and told us there was another reason, one he hadn't mentioned in the letter, why he acted the way he did the other night. He said he had been molested when he was younger, about 12 I think he said, by an older teenage boy in his neighborhood and that had left him emotionally stunted and contributed to his beliefs about gays and lesbians. There wasn't any penetration but he was forced to perform oral sex on the guy. It was a guy whom everyone in the neighborhood thought well of. All the parents liked him and the kids all looked up to him. Danny said it was a horrifying experience and he was crying and begging the guy to stop but the boy teased him and laughed at him and finally did something so humiliating."

"What could have possibly been more humiliating to the boy than that?" I asked.

"When the guy was finished he grabbed Danny by the hair and told him if he breathed a word to anybody that he'd kill his aunt and burn down their house and then...he rubbed Danny's face in the mess he just shot onto the bed and then he made him stop crying before he'd let him leave. Danny grabbed his bike and peddled off down a trail into the woods to a fort he and some friends had built and he said he just sat there and cried, afraid to guy home, afraid that someone would find out what happened to him and afraid he'd see that guy again. When he finally did go home he said his aunt beat him because he was late for supper."

"Will, I can't begin to imagine what that was like for Danny. Did that incident really screw him up?" I wiped my eyes again. I felt so sorry for Danny.

"Yeah, he said it did for a long time and I know for a fact that it takes victims of certain crimes a long time to heal, emotionally.

"Will, why didn't he tell his aunt or a neighbor or somebody...anybody?"

My tears were flowing again and Will dabbed my eyes for me. He crumpled up the tissue and wiped his too.

"Jesse, I've seen victims of rape, incest and molestations come into the E.R. and in almost every single case the victim has an overwhelming feeling of guilt and embarrassment. They feel that what happened was somehow their fault. Forced sex in any form and on anybody is a horrible crime. It rarely leaves visible scars but the emotional scars are far, far worse I think. The damage that's done manifests itself in countless ways too. In Danny's case, he withdrew and that incident, coupled with his strict upbringing fueled his intolerance for anybody who was different. Sex is meant to be something wonderful, loving and fun between two people who want it but when one of them, male or female, gay or straight, it's the worst thing imaginable. A lot of the victims get help, some don't and Danny was one of those who didn't. He kept it bottled inside for a long time."

"That's why he freaked when you guys told him you were gay. He was molested by a guy so he probably made some kind of connection between what he was forced to do and homosexuality, right?"

"Yeah, and the guy called him some nasty, derogatory names while it was going on too so you can imagine what that would do to a kid's psyche. All that plus his aunt, well society too, warped him."

"I still can't get over the fact he never told anyone. The guilt must have been unbearable."

"Not a soul. But after he told us we could see a noticeable difference in his personality. He seemed a little happier, more sure of himself. I don't think he's seen a counselor but I guess just talking to us and getting it out of his system helped."

"Amazing, that's absolutely amazing. I guess you never know what people have to deal with in their lives," I sighed and shook my head.

Will took my hand in his.

"Everyone has a cross to bear," he said softly.

`I guess they do,' I thought to myself.

Will stood up and walked over to the sink, opening up a cabinet door underneath. He took out a small watering can and began to fill it from the faucet.

"Walk with me Jesse," he said.

I followed him upstairs and through his bedroom. He unlocked the sliding glass door and we stepped out onto the balcony.

"See this plant?" he asked.

"Yeah"

He held up one of the runners which looked about 3 ft. long.

"Jeannetta and Rashaad gave this to me when Ken passed away. For a while I really didn't pay much attention to it. I set it in the corner and kind of forgot about it. One day I noticed it seemed to be dying so I picked off the dead leaves and watered it and placed it where it could get some sunlight. In a few days it was greener. A few weeks later, after watering it and talking to it and making sure it was in the light regularly, I noticed it was really starting to grow. Now look, it's completely healthy, flourishing even."

"Yeah I see. You gave that plant some attention and it started to grow."

"Exactly, but it's more than just a little attention. Plants are like people, give them what they need and they'll flourish."

Something clicked in my brain just then.

"Why does this happen? I mean, it's seems that I learn something every single time I'm with you?" I smiled.

Will chuckled and shrugged his shoulders.

"You mentioned that Eric and Marissa have been good to you. What did you mean?" I asked.

"Like I said, we all became good friends but when Ken became ill, they'd do a lot of our shopping for us and sit with him if I needed to run errands and when he died I...I fell into a depression, my dark hole as I called it. They pulled me out and just like this plant, they cared for me and loved me and now...I'm ok."

"I'm glad you're doing ok Will."

He wrapped his arms around my waist.

"Let's take a shower together." He said out of the blue.

"Ok," I said.

We did technically shower but much more than bathing took place. When we were done and had dried off, Will found some fresh clothes for me to wear back to my place.

We pulled into the driveway and headed around to the back. There was a silver Honda Prelude parked next to Charles' truck.

"I bet Jennifer is here," I said.

We parked and walked into the house.

"Hey guys!" Charles said cheerfully as he stood up.

`Damn, he sounds like he's in a good mood' I thought.

A beautiful blonde stood and turned our way. She was a lot shorter than Charles, maybe all of 5'2" or 5'3". I noticed they were holding hands and he had a grin bigger than Texas on his face.

"Guys, this is Jennifer. Jennifer, this is Jesse and Will."

When we shook hands her's felt soft and delicate. She smiled warmly and then she pulled me into a hug. She did the same to Will then we all sat back down.

Charles asked if we wanted some tea and of course we said yes. He ran into the kitchen to get it and returned shortly. We chatted with Jennifer and she was so sweet. She told us about how she met Charles and her family and school too, she was a student at Clemson and I teased her about that. She even cracked a couple of jokes which had us rolling. Every time I glanced at Charles he was staring at her with that goofy look people get when they're in love. He had it bad.

After a while Jennifer announced she had to leave since she had to work. We walked with her and Charles to the back porch and she hugged Will and me again and we told her goodbye. We went back inside to give them a moment alone.

I flipped on the stereo and Charles came back in the house. He was still smiling, damn!

"I'm gonna take a shower. Will, make yourself at home man. I'll be back in a minute," he said as he walked past us quickly.

"What's up?" I asked once Charles was out of earshot.

"From my vantage point I'd say about 7 inches, of course I could be wrong," Will said with a totally expressionless face.

I cracked up.

"Did he have a hard on?"

"Either that or he had a banana in his pocket."

"You're as bad as I am," I chuckled.

Will nodded.

I sat on one end of the sofa and motioned for him to come over. He did and I suggested he lie down. Will took off his shoes and socks and got comfortable on the sofa with his head in my lap. I played with his hair and in a few minutes I heard his breathing get a bit heavier. He had dozed off. I continued running my fingers through his locks when Charles brought me out of my trance.

"Hey Jess, is Will asleep?" he whispered.

I nodded.

"I'm going to run to the hospital to see Michael for a little bit. Did you guys have plans this evening?"

"No we hadn't planned anything, why?"

"Just wondering, maybe we can do something later on. Ya'll have fun," he said. He started to leave.

"Hey Charles?"

"Yeah"

"Jennifer is cool, man. Ya'll make a good couple."

"Thanks Jess. She's the best and she likes you and Will too," Charles beamed.

"Alright man, see you later."

Charles left and I felt happy for him. He deserved a good woman and Jennifer certainly seemed to be just that. I looked down at Will thought I had a pretty good man myself. He was so cute lying there with his head on my lap. I decided to catch 40 winks too.

The telephone woke me up with a start. I jumped a little and that woke Will up. I answered and it was Charles. He invited us to go bowling with him and Lin. I asked Will and he said ok in a groggy voice. I told Charles we would and he said to meet them there in a half hour. We hung up and Will stood up stretching.

"I need to use the bathroom before we go," he announced. He took off up the stairs.

I turned off the stereo and gave the room a once over. Will came back down, put his socks and shoes back on and we left. One the way I asked him what he thought of Jennifer.

"I think she's wonderful. She and Charles were acting like a couple of high school kids, they look so good together."

"He was happy, that's for sure."

"Oh he wasn't just happy, he was on top of the world. Jennifer was too."

"Think they'll get married?" I asked.

"They certainly seem to be in love so it wouldn't surprise me."

"They should."

"Mmhmm"

We made it to the bowling lanes a little early but decided to park and go on in. I scanned the tightly packed lot as we made our way up to the entrance but I didn't see Charles' truck. When we stepped inside we looked around briefly before going into the arcade to kill a few minutes. I whipped Will in a game of air hockey. He teased me about cheating and I teased him about sour grapes. We walked back to the entrance and decided to wait for the boys outside. I had just lit a cigarette when they cruised by.

"Man, this place must be packed," Lin said after he rolled down his window, "we might have to park in Conway and take the shuttle back down here."

We laughed and watched as they passed by two more times before finally getting a space. Will commented to me about how cute Lin's accent was.

"Good God, where did everybody come from tonight?" Charles joked as they stepped up onto the sidewalk.

"Maybe they closed the beach," Lin added with a chuckle.

We went inside and rented our shoes, picked out a ball and went to our assigned lane. It was noisy in there but we had fun. One time Lin slipped on the approach and busted his ass but good. We cracked up over that and he laughed too. He was a good sport in spite of our teasing him the rest of the night. Another time, Will's ball slipped and rolled back towards us. We gave him hell over that too. We were having a blast.

I did notice that Lin was drinking a lot which wasn't a big deal mainly because he wasn't acting belligerent or stupid but Charles explained it to me once when we took a break and he and I were using the restroom. He said Lin usually drank but not a whole lot and since his girlfriend was in Europe with her family he wanted to cut loose a little. I was cool with that. Charles had only drunk 1 beer so far and I think Will had consumed 2, maybe 3. I was sticking to soft drinks.

We finished around 11pm and the bowling alley was still jumping but we decided to cut out. We had fun and it had been a full day. Tomorrow was going to be just as busy or actually more so. I couldn't wait to see my relatives.

We made it back to our place and Charles pulled in behind us. He said Lin had passed out so he was going to let him crash here. He walked around to the passenger side, opened the door, reached in and scooped up Lin like he weighed nothing. Truth be known, Lin probably didn't weigh much. Will and I got the doors and we all made it up the stairs with Will walking behind Charles, steadying him as I steadied Will. It was pretty comical when I thought about it.

Charles sat Lin on the bed but had to hold him upright since Lin was dead to the world.

"Help me get him undressed guys," Charles asked in a whisper.

I took off Lin's shoes and socks while they struggled with his shirt. When that was off they stopped.

"You gonna leave his pants on?" I asked, "At least take everything out of his pockets."

Charles looked at me and giggled. Will did too.

"Well, it's uncomfortable waking up with keys and shit digging into your leg."

Charles reached into one pocket and Will the other, neither one could get their hand in it.

"Fuck, why are his pants so damn little?" Charles grumbled.

We laughed at him.

"Hell, just take them off then," Will said.

Charles reached down but stopped.

"Shit!" he exclaimed loudly.

"Sshh!" you'll wake up Lin, what's wrong?" I said.

"Look," Charles pointed at Lin's crotch, "button fly."

"So, I ain't afraid of no buttons," Will grinned as he smacked Charles' hand away.

"Be my guest," Charles said.

"You two are idiots, you know that?" I said. They laughed again.

Will got the buttons undone and we slid Lin's pants off.

"Damn Charles, your boy was going commando tonight," I said.

Will let out a soft whistle and added, "Yeah and that obviously wasn't a role of quarters I felt in his pocket either."

We giggled.

"I have to admit, he's got more hanging than I figured he did," Charles said with a glance down to Lin's crotch then back up at us.

"Should we leave you boys alone now?" Will said and wiggled his eyebrows at Charles.

"No" Charles chuckled, "Help me slide him up further in the bed."

With Will on one side and Charles on the other they scooted Lin up the bed like he was a rag doll. Will held his head up while Charles fluffed a pillow. Then they covered the naked boy up.

Charles looked at his poor little passed out cold, naked under the covers, helpless little buddy and when he turned back to face Will and me he had a wicked little grin.

"Man, this would be the perfect opportunity to get revenge on him," he said with devilment in his voice.

"Ooh, ooh, like what?" I asked.

Before he could respond Will chimed in, "Charles don't you dare do anything to this boy. He's precious. I mean it, leave him alone."

Charles looked surprised. Hell, I was surprised too.

"Wait until the next time he passes out...after we've known him awhile. Then we'll fuck with him," Will laughed.

Charles nodded, "You're right man. That is a better idea than mine."

We laughed as Charles grabbed a blanket from the closet, tucking it under his arm as we exited his bedroom.

"Ya'll want to join me for a nightcap of sweet tea?" he asked.

"Sure" I replied.

"Sounds good" Will added.

Charles tossed the blanket onto the sofa as we passed by and poured three tall glasses of cold sweet tea once we were in the kitchen. He took off his shirt and laid it over the back of his chair.

"Charles, I had a great time tonight," Will said.

"Me too man," I said between gulps.

"Cool guys, I had a fun night too and we know that Mr. Tranh upstairs did. I don't know if he'll think so in the morning but he did enjoy tonight. Oh, and thanks for helping me get all of Michael's stuff over here today too, I appreciate that."

Will and I both nodded.

We talked a few minutes longer and laughed again about Lin falling down and Will losing his ball. Charles teased him again about that Will ate it up too. Charles gulped the rest of his tea down and set his glass in the sink.

"Well gents, ya'll have a good night. I gots to pee now and then hit the hay."

"Charles, that's entirely more information than we needed to know," Will deadpanned.

"I just wanted to keep you informed," Charles replied with a grin then he went upstairs.

"You like teasing him don't you?"

"I love teasing him, Jesse. He doesn't get mad or offended and he can dish it out too."

"You ready for bed?" I asked.

"Just about, am I staying here?" Will asked.

"Absolutely...besides I'm gonna put your ass to work tomorrow hauling stuff up to my room," I said with a grin.

"What, may I ask, will my pay be for rendering such a service?" he said with a gleam in his eye.

"You'll have to wait until tomorrow night to find out," I teased.

"Can't you advance me just a little?"

"Well maybe just a tad."

"I think I'm going to like this," he grinned.

I flipped off the kitchen light and turned on the nightlight above the sink and we retired to my room for the night.

TO BE CONTINUED

This was an emotional chapter for me to write folks. I put in something very personal and I did it mainly to draw attention to a very serious subject as well as to give another example of how people can become "lost" and find their way back again. I also did it for myself and I feel better for it.

Send your comments, critiques, praises, etc. to carolinascribbler679@yahoo.com

Take Care Gang, The Carolina Scribbler