ITALIAN BROTHERS 3 ENRICO PICCIN by Andrej Koymasky (C) 2005 written on February 2, 1996 translated by the author English text kindly revised by Dave
USUAL DISCLAIMER
"ITALIAN BROTHERS 3 - ENRICO PICCIN" is a gay story, with some parts containing graphic scenes of sex between males. So, if in your land, religion, family, opinion and so on this is not good for you, it will be better not to read this story. But if you really want, or because YOU don't care, or because you think you really want to read it, please be my welcomed guest.
CHAPTER 8 . The two "Ma"
Enrico sold his home and all his belongings, and after saying farewell to Gaetano he set out. During the journey he felt inside himself clashing feelings - on one side he was excited at the thought that he finally could avenge the life of his friend and maestro, and he could give his life for the cause; but on the other side he regretted he had to part from his lover.
Could he ever find somebody as much splendid, and not only on a physical level or in bed? The period they shared had possibly been the most beautiful of his life, thanks to the fresh and strong love of Gaetano. And now he had lost him.
He reached Genoa and here found his old friends. They went to enlist together. The recruiting officer was a Genoese. With his drawling speech he asked Enrico his data and wrote it on a big register.
"Ah, you are a physician. Very good, you will be precious, Giuseppe will be glad to have also a physician." the officer said.
Giuseppe! He was talking about the hero calling him by name! Enrico was struck by that. He noticed that everybody was totally informal, there were no formalities, and this pleased him. The maximum of formalism was to call someone with his family name, but always in an informal manner.
He wore the beautiful uniform with the red shirt and felt proud. Red like the love they had for Italy, like the blood they were ready to shed for her, red like the fire burning in their young chests.
He received his weapons, and then was accompanied in the volunteers' quarters and here he met his comrades. All youths were handsome, and were all enthusiasts. Well, perhaps they were not all handsome, that was not right, but who cares when in the eyes of all of them were shining the light of enthusiasm?
"What's your name?" a voice asked him.
Enrico turned and saw a boy, twenty-twenty two years old who was looking at him with a soft smile. He was beautiful, eyes dark hazel, a big rebel forelock of brown hair, finely chiseled features. In particular he noticed his hands with long tapered fingers.
"Enrico Piccin."
"Happy to meet you. I'm Maurizio Ferrante. I am from Asti."
"I am from Vicenza, but was living in Ravenna - Austrian police wanted me..."
"We will free also your home, then!" Maurizio said with a smile full of assurance.
They chatted. Enrico loved the Piedmontese accent of his young comrade. He came to know that he left the conservatorium where he was studying violin, to follow Garibaldi. His family did oppose him coming but he, being of age, decided his own way and went to enlist, almost fleeing from home.
"Aren't you married?" Maurizio asked at one point.
"No... I never thought of it."
"At least you had to leave nobody." the boy commented with a smile.
Enrico thought of Gaetano with a pang of pain but nodded. Then asked, "And you, bedsides your parents, you had to leave somebody?"
"Well... not really. It was a while that a girl and I made eyes at each other... but nothing yet serious, nothing more than glances from afar. Anyway she came to say farewell to me at the station, when I left, and asked me to come back, alive and sound... That gave me pleasure."
Enrico nodded. Who knows, but unconsciously he hoped that the other answered him he was not interested in girls... The more he came to know him, the more he liked that boy. He didn't have the sensuality charge of others, but he was really attractive.
Who on the contrary was sensuality made flesh and blood, was another very young volunteer - his name was Manfredo Donvito, he was twenty years old, the third son of a notary family originally from Siena; his grand father moved to Turin and both his father and he were born there, therefore he considered himself a Turinese.
Manfredo had bright, shining eyes, was always smiling and had an expression that was half way between that of a mischievous urchin and an ingenuous boy... For sure he had to be all but naive. It was evident he knew he was fascinating and he was proud of that - he used his charm with everybody and soon he became the favorite of all the volunteers.
Enrico thought that Manfredo attired himself sexually above all, Maurizio more spiritually. He started to think of his two comrades as the two "Ma", both delicious. Manfredo and Maurizio were often together and it was agreeable to observe them - they were poles apart from one another, but they seemed to bind well together - the attraction of opposites. Maurizio was staid, calm, and meditative; Manfredo was impulsive, always in motion, mischievous.
One afternoon Garibaldi harangued his volunteers - Enrico thought that an irresistible fascination gave off from that man, he was a natural leader, and he knew how to inflame hearts and minds. Everybody was ready to follow him to the ends of the world. Enrico would be the first amongst these volunteers. The general was a warrior, not a soldier. He was a chief, not a superior.
After the assembly, where he forebode the eve of the expedition to free the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, and from there of all Italy, the volunteers swarmed away, discussing excitedly amongst them their coming venture. Enrico reached the two Ma who were talking with intensity - calm, quiet but enthusiastic Maurizio and excited, noisy and merry Manfredo.
"Let's go to celebrate, friends! It's up to me!" Enrico proposed to the two boys. Manfredo immediately accepted declaring he would willingly get a little drunk, Maurizio thanked and accepted with his usual coy smile.
They went to a tavern and Enrico ordered a jug of red wine.
"To our friendship and to our venture!" Manfredo said, toasting.
The other two repeated his words and drank - Manfredo gulped down his glass all in one go, Maurizio sipped it slowly. Enrico observed them both with fondness. He drank slowly, savoring the good and full-bodied wine - the tavern keeper served them well.
"I never traveled by ship..." after a while Maurizio said, thoughtful.
"Neither have I, never. And you, Enrico?"
"No never. It will be a good and long trip."
"I hope not to suffer from sea sickness." Manfredo said pouring to himself a second glass of wine.
"It's enough to have an empty stomach, I heard." Maurizio remarked.
"An empty stomach? The entire journey long? That would be the last straw! You tell me what one has to suffer for Italy unity!" Manfredo merrily countered.
"Wouldn't you do it?" Enrico asked him, amused.
"Well... if it was really, really needed... But sincerely, I hope not. I'm a type... how to say... who likes to enjoy life. Enjoy everything, that is, simply to enjoy!" Manfredo corrected himself with a mischievous and cunning expression.
His comrades laughed and Enrico asked himself how the boy would like to enjoy himself.... He had the sensation that Manfredo could love his own sex like him, or else, "also" his own sex. Well, honestly, he would have liked being right. He would have liked "simply to enjoy" with that boy.
"Hey, Enrico, are you still with us or did you leave for the world of dreams?" Manfredo asked him.
"Yes, I was really leaving for the world of dreams, forgive me," he admitted with a smile.
"I would like to enter in your world of dreams. Who knows what kind of surprises I could find!" Manfredo said cunningly.
"I'm afraid you could be disappointed..."
"Or pleased, who knows?" Manfredo countered.
Maurizio smiled and said, gently, "I don't believe that one could be deceived by your dreams, Enrico. But the fact is that dreams are the most personal thing, therefore the least accessible to the others. Even if you or I could enter in Enrico's dreams, what we would see never would be what he really dreams..." he then said to Manfredo.
Enrico felt a sensation of pleasure and gratitude for Maurizio's words.
"But if I dreamed to do a good fuck, what more would there be to be seen?" Manfredo ironically asked.
"I would not know if your dream is born from love or lust, from a sweet desire or from will of possession, from the yen to give vent to your instinct or to donate yourself... or a little of all that mixed together and in what proportion. And even if I could know it, I would not know why and how you had that dream. Would I?" Maurizio countered.
"I totally agree with you..." Enrico said, feeling he loved that boy, his way of thinking, his gentleness in offering things, even in contradiction. He loved him more than desiring him. Therefore he was ready not to reveal to him his love, non to upset him, to desire him in silence, to suffer in dreaming impossible things.
At last the sailing day came. They all assembled at Quarto, near Genoa and went on board in closed up ranks, merry and noisy like if they were going to a party. They settled for the sea passage. Enrico was asked to tour the ship to eventually assist the sea-sick people. On the pier a crowd had gathered and was greeting them, flying the tricolor flag and singing hymns. The moment was moving and exciting.
As the travel started, also Enrico's task had to begin. At evening, tired, he looked for a corner where to settle. He passed in front of Maurizio who made him the gesture to sit near him. Enrico accepted at once, happily.
"How are you? Problems?" he asked his friend, sitting heavily and sighing.
"Thanks heaven not for now. You seem very tired."
"My god, I cannot say I am not. But it is alright. Did you eat something?"
"Just a little as a precaution."
"You did right."
"If you want to lie down for a while... you can lean your head here, on my lap." Maurizio offered.
Enrico felt excited by the offer of his friend if only he could know what he was awakening in him, he for sure wouldn't have made his offer. But the offer was way too enticing to be refused so Enrico, with a simple "thank you" stretched his body against the bulkhead and leaned his head on the lap of his young friend. He quivered at that contact. He desired that Maurizio would caress him, bend on him and kiss his mouth. But even if Maurizio wanted to do that, of course he could not, there, in front of everybody. And anyway for sure he was not either thinking to do such a thing.
Maurizio, in a friendly gesture, put his hand on Enrico's chest and the young doctor hardly restrained a pleasure quiver and became aroused. He luckily had his doctor-bag on his lap, therefore his erection would not be visible, and he thought settling better.
"Are you comfortable?" Maurizio asked him.
"Like the pope!" Enrico answered.
Maurizio had a giggle, "Then you are not so comfortable! After the Bourbon, we will fling away also at the pope."
Enrico smiled and answered, "But unhappily I neither can be so comfortable forever... right like the pope, then."
Maurizio smiled. They were silent for a long while.
Then Enrico said, "You will get tired, acting as my cushion. I rested enough, thank you." and was about sitting up.
But Maurizio, his hand still on Enrico's chest, with gentle firmness pushed him down again and said, "Don't worry, if I get tired I will tell you." and his hand lightly caressed his friend's chest.
Enrico closed his eyes and thought that it was a sweet torture. In that way his hard on, instead of lessening, became stronger. If Maurizio suspected what he was felling, he told himself, he would for sure keep his distance. A voice inside him suggested, "And you don't make him aware of that!"
"What are you thinking of?" Maurizio asked him.
"Of you." Sincerely Enrico answered. "And you?"
"Of our friendship, I feel like if we have known each other for ever. It is a good sensation."
"And yet, after all, we still don't really know each other." Enrico murmured thinking of his burning desire.
"And yet, at times, it is easier to understand a friend than one self." retorted Maurizio. "Friends are useful for this also - to help us to understand ourselves, don't you think so?"
"Yes, also," Enrico admitted and on instinct he put his hand on the one that Maurizio kept on his chest. Maurizio didn't withdraw it, on the contrary turned it with the palm up and squeezed lightly Enrico's hand and the latter felt aflame.
"I am happy we are friends, really happy." Maurizio said.
"I am too." managed to say Enrico, a lump in his throat.
Oh, how much I desire you! The young man thought, closing his eyes and enjoying that light contact that the other, unaware, was allowing him to have...
Later Enrico was called and had to stand up and to leave Maurizio - more men were starting to feel sick. Maurizio offered to accompany and assist him so he acted as a nurse.
The ship stopped not far from Sardinia coast, near a small island where there was an arsenal of the Piedmont and Sardinia King army. They had to "steal" the weapons - in reality the commander received a secret order, from Turin government, not to offer resistance. Then, now fairly equipped with good weapons, they sailed again.
Enrico and Maurizio went to sit in a corner of the stern, leaning against the bulkhead.
Maurizio asked him, "Can I lean on you?"
"Yes, sure, come..." Enrico answered, once again excited.
Maurizio moved a little and leaned his head on the left shoulder of Enrico. This one felt the impulse to hug him, to caress him, to clasp him in his arms. But he limited himself to lightly encircle with an arm his shoulders, saying him, "This way you will be more comfortable..."
"Yes, thank you." Maurizio answered with a smile, settling more comfortably. Then said, "You know... I was thinking... I was thinking about my life. Who knows if I can resume my violin studies, after we accomplish our duty?"
"Did you like it?"
"Very much, I always hear the music, inside my head, since I was a child. I would like to become a composer... when I am grown-up." he concluded with self-irony.
Enrico smiled, "Don't you miss, now, your violin, your music?"
"No... not so much, the violin a little. But my music is within me, inside me, as I said."
"I would like to hear it..." Enrico said with a dreamy expression.
"And I to have the ability to make you hear it. How limited we are, we human beings, aren't we?"
"At times... we can succeed in surpassing the limits..." Enrico said, thinking that if he could make love with Maurizio he surely could hear, through their union, the music that his young friend had in himself.
"Yes, in rare moments of grace." Maurizio answered and Enrico felt that these words were the echo of his thoughts.
And Enrico, amazed to hear himself saying such words, whispered, "I desire you, Maurizio." and started to tremble.
"I know. I understood it." the young man answered sweetly.
"You know? And..." Enrico asked deeply astonished.
"I'm sorry not to be able to answer to your desire. But I really cannot. Really."
"I'm not asking you that." Enrico said, moved.
"I know, and I am grateful."
"But... you know and... you stay in this way with me?"
"It is beautiful, and I know that you will not take advantage. I feel safe, with you. And I know that at least, even if a little thing, I can give this to you. If so doing I don't make your life too difficult, of course. Be sincere."
"No, on the contrary. I am grateful."
"And I to you. I was asking myself if I am not selfish - I like being in that way with you, but you? It is not too much for you? Or more exactly, is it not too little for you?"
"Aren't you annoyed knowing that I am... that way? Don't you judge, condemn me?"
"Who am I to judge? You are one of the most splendid persons I ever met, Enrico. Your friendship is the most precious thing I ever knew. And your respect, in spite of your desire, is the most beautiful gift you could give to me."
"Thank you." Enrico whispered.
"For what, for being selfish?" the youth asked him with a light smile.
"For accepting me, even knowing it, for giving me warmth without fears, to allow me to stay close to you."
"But to you... is it alright?" Maurizio asked again.
"Yes... very good." Enrico sighed happily.
After that moment it became easier for Enrico to resist his impulse to touch his friend, to solicit a physical answer. And he was gladly astounded for this.
They were within sight of Marsala. The Bourbons' ships maneuvered in order to intercept and to block them. But also the English ships moved and went in between, so that the Bourbons could not fire their powerful cannons nor approach the ship of the Garibaldians. Meanwhile Marsala's population rebelled, forcing the troops on the port to leave their postings. Therefore Garibaldi and his men could disembark undisturbed, and were cheered by two wings of a merry multitude.
While landing, Enrico found himself at the side of Manfredo. "You there! I thought you fell in the sea. I couldn't see you in all the ship, all the trip long. What has become of you?"
"You looked for me?" the youth gaily asked.
"I didn't really have time, with all who suffered the sea crossing. But you evidently didn't have troubles, or else they would have called me to assist you too."
"No, in fact, I had no problem. I had a splendid crossing. Yes, really splendid."
"Good. I am glad for you." Enrico said.
"Don't you ask me what I did?" Manfredo asked.
"No... why? Did you sleep? Eat? Play cards?"
"Slept, we can say, then ate a little, and played a lot... But not with cards." The youth answered, sibylline.
"And with what did you play?" Enrico asked, guessing that his friend was expecting that question, and going along with that.
"You really want to know?" Manfredo asked and, approaching his lips to Enrico's ear, whispered, "I realized my dream - I got Leo, the handsome man from Siena, to fuck me like a rabbit."
Enrico looked at him, amazed. Manfredo smiled amused for his friend's expression.
"Why you tell me that?" a confused Enrico asked.
"Because I know you are like me - you lost your head for the beautiful Maurizio, didn't you?"
"I... yes it is true. I think I am in love with him." Enrico confessed in a low voice, happy to be able to say those words and not only to think them.
"And he? Is he game?" Manfredo asked.
"No. He understood, but told me we can only be friends. He is not... like us."
"It went off badly."
"Not really. His friendship is enough."
"It would not be enough for me, for sure. But even though he is not like us, that doesn't matter. Also Leo is married, and he is a womanizer. But the whim is whim. He accepted without fuss to do it with me, and rather with pleasure, I can tell you. And what a stallion of pure breed! Therefore, don't give up, my friend."
"No, Maurizio is different and I don't intend to ruin our friendship only for a physical whim. Friendship is a precious thing."
"But Leo now is a better friend than before, I can tell you. He told me he didn't think it could be so good doing it with a male."
"So, now you go into a relationship with him?" Enrico asked him with a hint of envy - he liked Manfredo, in fact, and felt strongly attracted to him.
"Noooo! I came here also because I heard that the Sicilians do it like gods!"
"How come! Not for the unity of Italy?" Enrico asked trying to seem scandalized, but, not being able, burst in laughter.
"Sure thing - more united than in that way? Carnal union before the political one, isn't this wise, a deep, intimate, and agreeable union. What can one desire more?" Manfredo merrily answered winking him.
"You make me regret I am not a Sicilian!" Enrico told him jokingly.
Manfredo looked at him then said, "But... are you interested in me? I thought you had eyes only for Maurizio..."
"He... I love him. You..." stared to say Enrico but stopped, afraid he could hurt his friend.
"Me... You desire me, you mean?"
"Correct."
"Good. Because I too feel like having a great whim with you, even though you are not Sicilian!" concluded smiling provokingly the youth and gave him a slap on the shoulder. Then Manfredo said, "As soon as opportunity offers itself, promise me we will be together for sex."
They didn't get the occasion so soon. They had to sleep separated, or else together with others, and in day time they had no time no way to be alone together.
But when they stopped at Milianni, Manfredo approached Enrico, "I've found it!" he announced, triumphant.
"Found? What?" Enrico asked, without understanding.
"But how? Did you already forget? I found where to spend the night you and I alone. Is it not good?"
"Oh, yes. Very good, and where?"
"Aren't you by chance a sanctimonious guy, a bigot?"
"A bigot, me? No, not at all, but what that got to do with it?"
"Well... amongst others, the parish priest offered to host some of us for the night. And as he was saying he can put two here, two there... I thought the offer was interesting so, when he said that he could put a mattress in the cell at the base of the tower under the belfry, I at once gave my and your name. Isn't it perfect?"
Enrico smiled for the enthusiasm of his friend and playfully said, "Provided that we are careful not to get tangled in the bells' ropes, or else..."
"Wow! This means that you are proposing me an animated night, then! Good! We will knot them carefully, in order not to wake up the entire village with a peal of bells. So then, to tonight! I'm longing to finally see you totally naked, and to do crazy things with you."
"I hope not to disappoint you..."
"I don't think so... and I am connoisseur. Ciao." the youth answered cheerfully, winking to him and going away.
CONTINUES IN CHAPTER 9
In my home page I've put some more of my stories. If someone wants to read them, the URL is http://andrejkoymasky.com If you want to send me feed-back, or desire to help revising my English translations, so that I can put on-line more of my stories in English please e-mail at andrej@andrejkoymasky.com ---------------------------