TO THE READER:
THIS STORY CONTAINS UNPROTECTED SEX BETWEEN MALES. IF THAT OFFENDS YOU, OR IT IS ILLEGAL FOR YOU TO READ IT, PLEASE LEAVE NOW.
SENIORS UNITED, CHAPTER 9
Charlie and Henry carefully walked on the partially cleared sidewalks, avoiding the icy patches. The street were fairly well cleared of snow and ice. Soon they were at Applebee's. The hostess showed them to a booth for two, where they took off their heavy winter outerwear, and sat down facing each other. A waitress came and gave them menus and asked for their drink orders. Each immediately responded, "Coffee, black." They looked over the menu, but each concentrated on the favorite soup, tomato basil. They agreed that spaghetti and meat balls sounded good. Their waitress with returned with their coffee and they gave their lunch order together. She smiled and left.
Henry reached across the table and covered Charlie's left hand. "Charlie, I'd like to have retired to California or Florida, but if I had, I wouldn't have met you. And, now that we're together I can say you're definitely worth it."
"Now, what do you think happened to Sam, and about John leaving?" Henry asked, " I knew John had hands all over any man he could reach, and he certainly tried to rub his hard cock against me every time he hugged me."
"I should have done something about that, Henry. I had decided that the next time he tried to get off rubbing his cock against me I'd give him a piece of my mind, and maybe a knee in the crotch."
"Henry, what do you like to do, aside from what we've been doing? Is there something you'd like to do that we haven't done together, maybe something you wouldn't do by yourself?"
"Uh, now that I think about it, Charlie, I'd like to go ice skating. I haven't done that since I was a child. Maybe I'm too old."
"Henry, you're not too old for anything...well, almost anything. If you want to try ice skating again, I'll be glad to go with you. I never was very good, but I always enjoyed it. Let's try it this afternoon. There's a rink downtown that has been refurbished since I last skated there, it's probably a good place to start. You may end up at the Olympics yet."
While they both chuckled, the waitress arrived with their lunches. There was little conversation while they ate. When they finished, the waitress brought their check. They divided in two, put up their shares, noting each added a 20% tip. They saw they agreed on more things.
Getting dressed for the cold outdoors, they left the restaurant and carefully walked home. "We'd better check in on Sam. He looked pretty upset." Charlie agreed. Back home, they took off their winter outerwear, left it at their apartment, then went to Sam's apartment.
A knock on the door brought no response. A second knock and Henry calling out that it was Charlie and Henry brought a sad Sam to the door. "C'mon in. I'm just not doing too well today. Have a seat. Can I get you anything to drink?"
"No," Henry said, "we just came from lunch. Now tell us what's up with you and John? You look like it's a big thing, as he's gone completely. You can tell us as much as you want, or as little as you want."
I hardly know where to begin. I guess you know that John was younger than I. I'm 67. John is 53." Henry started to ask how John qualified to live at Seniors United when the minimum age is 55, but Sam silenced him, holding up a hand. "Yes, I know he shouldn't have been here.
"He needed a place to live, had little money, and I took him for a short time. That was O.K. with the apartment rules. He just stayed on, and on, and on. I didn't mind. It was the first man in my life in a long time. He made love to me, made me feel like a whole man again. I was happy. Then, a few months ago I became aware that he seemed to have to stay on at work several days a month. Then it began to be several days a week. He always called and told me that he would have to work, and not to hold supper for him.
"I should have gotten smart, and investigated. He wasn't some big boss, or even a supervisor. His job was just a typical 8 to 5 job, putting in time. He didn't seem to have any extra money for all that extra time he was putting in. I know. I should have gotten smart, but I didn't I loved him." Sam began to cry. Henry and Charlie rushed to hold him, rubbing their hands on his arms, his back. Sam cried a bit, then raised his head, rubbed away the tears, wiped his face with a tissue, and began to speak again.
"There was a call from his doctor's office. John had had a recent physical, and they wanted him to come to the office. I told him when he got home from work late. He didn't say anything more than it must be him needing to have some tests after he had had that bad flu a month ago. I didn't think anything more about it until I noticed he had some new pills in the medicine chest. In the waste basket was a sheet of paper, the kind of thing you get with some pills to tell you how to take them. I looked at it and saw that it was a medicine for people who tested positive for HIV. I was shocked. My John HIV positive. He needed to have special care. I promised myself I'd give him the best care.
"When he came home from work I asked him how I could help him get through the illness. He told me it wasn't much, just a slight case. I asked him how he got the disease. He blew up at me and said that he needed to have special sex, and I couldn't give it to him. He had found men who could give him what he needed.
"I asked him if he had been having unprotected sex. He said he had, and it was none of my business. Oh, no,' I replied. When you got the virus, you could have brought it home. You didn't use a condom when you fucked me. I didn't think we needed it, but, apparently we did.'"
"I don't know exactly what he said, but it could have been Screw you,' and he left the room. I just sat there for a while. Then I became aware he had brought his luggage to the front door of our apartment. He handed me his door key and said I guess you don't need me around any more, and I sure need to leave." He collected his luggage, walked out the door, slammed it, and that's the last I've seen of him. He's gone, and he's left me infected." Sam began to cry again.
"Sam, have you been tested for HIV?" Sam shook his head `no.' "Then the first thing you need to do is to get tested. There's an immediate test available at the Aids Foundation. You don't need an appointment. We can go there now. Charlie and I will take you. Charlie, would you get our outdoor clothes from our apartment? I'll help Sam get ready to go."
Charlie left and Henry asked Sam where he kept his winter jacket. Sam just nodded towards the hall closet. Henry got Sam's winter jacket, gloves and cap. He started to put the outerwear on Sam. Sam didn't say a word. He just held out his arm as Henry put on the sleeve of his jacket. The rest of the clothing Henry put on without Sam saying a word. It was almost as though he was a million miles away.
When Charlie returned with their winter outerwear, both men dressed quickly, helped Sam move to the door, asked if Sam had his door key, which Sam held up for them to see, and they took him to their car. Sam said not a word. At the Aids Foundation Henry steered Sam to the testing area. They helped the interviewer get the necessary information for their records. Sam said not a word. The interviewer took Sam into a small room and shut the door.
Henry and Charlie sat quietly waiting, saying not a word. Perhaps 20 minutes later Sam returned to the big room. He looked at his friends and said, "Well, so far I'm O.K. The test only tells me about infection several months ago. Any recent infection won't appear in the test for several months."
Charlie and Henry began to help Sam into his jacket, but he was able to do it by himself. "Thanks, fellas, but I'm out of my funk. I've got a chance to come through this safe. I just have to wait it out."
On the way home in the car Charlie asked Sam, "I know this is kind of personal, but we seem to be fairly far in anyway. Has John fucked you since he started `working those extra nights?'"
Sam thought for a while, then replied, "When he started working those extra nights, he always came too tired to make love. He hasn't fucked me in several months."
"Then, there's a very good chance that he didn't share the virus with you if he only started fucking bareback with those men after he had quit fucking you. The virus, I read, only passes rarely in oral sex. Did you have oral sex after he started with those guys?" John shook his head, no. "Then you didn't get infected. Let's leave it at that now."
"O.K., I'll try to accept that. I know it sounds dumb, but I still love John. Sure, he stepped out on me, and didn't use common sense, but I still love him. He's positive now, and he probably will continue barebacking and whatever else he's been doing. I can't change him, and he has cut the ties binding us, but I'll still care for him."
At home, Sam invited Henry and Charlie into his apartment with an offer of fresh-brewed coffee. "We can't turn that down, can we, Henry? Just give us a moment to dump our winter jackets in our apartment. We'll be back before the coffee is brewed."
Minus their winter outerwear, Charlie and Henry returned to Sam's apartment as he set out three coffee mugs and asked them, "What do you take in your coffee?"
Henry answered, "Black for both of us."
"That's good. I don't think I have anything but skim milk. John didn't drink milk, and I have to watch my cholesterol. I drink my coffee black, too. Would you like some cookies?"
Charlie answered for both of them, "We had a big lunch. Coffee will be just fine."
Soon Sam returned with the coffee mugs, handed one to each Henry and Charlie, and took a seat opposite the couch where Charlie and Henry sat. "I guess I'd better start turning my life around. I've been pretty much focused on Sam for several months, and I can't keep waiting for him to return. I don't think I'd even take him back now. Look, I'm sorry I've taken up your afternoon, and I'm just a silly old man."
"No more than we, Sam, " Charlie replied. "Henry and I were thinking about going ice skating. Did you ever ice skate?"
Sam smiled and said, "I loved it. I skated for my high school and continued to skate as an adult until there was nobody who still wanted to skate. I haven't skated in years."
"Great," Charlie said,, "we're all going ice skating tomorrow. Does 10 a.m. sound good? We can skate for a while, have lunch at the rink, and finish our skating before all the school kids take over the rink. O.K.?" he asked Sam.
Sam smiled, "Sure. I'll be ready."
Henry and Charlie gave him hugs, then returned to their apartment.
"That was pretty smart thinking, Charlie, asking how long it had been since John fucked Sam bareback. It gave him some hope, and we all need to have hope."
"Love, just wait till you see me on the ice. You'd better hope I don't embarrass you with my bad skating."
"No way, Charlie. You'll always be the best for me." They hugged, kissed and started for the bedroom.
TO THE READER:
NIFTY IS A NON-PROFIT WEB SITE NOT USING ADVERTISING. YOUR CONTRIBUTIONS KEEP IT ON LINE FOR US ALL.
AUTHORS LIKE TO HEAR PLEASANT SUGGESTIONS AND COMMENTS FROM THEIR READERS. YOU MAY WISH TO SUBMIT A STORY I'D LIKE TO READ. GIVE IT A TRY.
dastardlyd3@aol.com