This is a story that involves sex between males. if such a story is offensive, or illegal for you to read where you live, then do not continue,
go and surf elsewhere.
This is a work of fiction and in no way draws on the lives of any specific person or persons. If there is any similarity to any real persons or events it is entirely coincidental.
The work is copyrighted (c) by the author and may not be reproduced in any form without the specific written permission of the author. It is assigned to the Nifty Archives under the terms of their submission agreement but it may not be copied or archived on any other site without the written permission of the author.
My thanks to John and Michael who have read this through and made a number of corrections and suggestions. Any remaining errors , grammatical, spelling or historical or whatever are entirely my fault.
If you want to comment on the story then do contact me on Jeffyrks@hotmail.com. I aim to reply to all messages.
Part 5 The weekend 26th - 27th June 2005.
Michael and Stephen arrived with their families within half an hour of each other late on the Saturday morning. It was a bright sunny day, and the five grandchildren split into their usual groups and went off to do the things they usually did on summer visits to their grandparents.
The six adults sat outside in the sunshine and drank coffee.
"Are Kev and Kate expecting to get here for lunch?" asked Stephen.
Malcolm and Janice exchanged a quick glance. "They're not coming down." said Malcolm.
"Oh pity. Is Katie suffering from morning sickness with the baby on the way?" asked Paula, Stephen's wife, who had suffered greatly from that affliction during her two pregnancies.
"No, it's not that. They have a problem, we'll tell you all about it, when we can have some time, and not be interrupted by children."
"What? My kid brother misbehaved himself?" asked Michael.
They were interrupted by Jonathan, who was usually called Jon, coming up to ask if the three boys could go into the copse at the end of the lane. Janice took the opportunity to say that she had to go and prepare lunch. Her two daughter's-in-law followed, knowing that there were things they could do to help. Malcolm said he wanted to have Michael's opinion on something in the greenhouse; Stephen was left enjoying the sun for a few moments, and then Abigail and Zoe, who were both aged ten came along and announced that they were bored.
Michael, the eldest of the Pridham boys, was a determined man. When he had gone into the family business he had been full of ideas, as Malcolm had been many years before when he joined his father in the ironnmongery business. Malcolm had said `yes' to a number of Michael's proposals, and when he saw that they tended to be good ideas, he began backing out of the business, and had eventually handed the management over to his son.
"What's the trouble with Kev, Dad?"
"If I tell you now, I will have to repeat it to Stephen, and to Lois and Paula. I intend to tell you all at the same time."
"It sounds serious."
"It is quite serious."
"Trouble with the law?"
"You can fish around as much as you like, but I am not saying anything more until I can tell you all, uninterrupted by children. Then we can talk it all over properly."
"It does sound serious."
"Now look at these tomatoes. What do you think's wrong with them?"
Malcolm had succeeded in diverting Michael's attention away from Kevin, at least for the time being. But Michael told Lois and Stephen that he had tried to get it out of his father, and had not succeeded, and that it sounded serious. This meant that the rest of the day was not the usual care free time such family reunions usually were. There was an underlying darker current.
The barbecue was a success, and the children enjoyed it, though the adults wondered what was going to be revealed later that evening.
Paula said that she would see that all the children were eventually settled down for the night, and would join the family conference when she could. Her offer was gratefully accepted by Malcolm and Janice. This meant that it was about eight o'clock in the evening when Janice and Malcolm, Michael and Lois, and Stephen sat down in the sitting room drinking coffee, and liqueurs.
"Now, Dad, what's all this about Kevin?" asked Michael.
All eyes turned on Malcolm.
"I will tell you from how we heard and got involved. Last Wednesday week, we had a barbecue. We had the vicarage couple, and the Ironsides, Kimptons, Hursts and the Wallaces."
"Your usual gang; though I don't know the Wallaces," said Michael.
"They moved into the village about five years ago, and we've become good friends. To return to the subject, we were sitting outside talking, when the phone rang. Your mother went to answer it, and came back looking quite ashen. It was obvious to everyone that she had received a great shock. Apparently Katie had come home earlier than usual. As she was driving up the road she thought she saw a car pull out of their drive way. She did not see who was in it. When she opened the front door there was Kevin just inside."
"I thought you were going to say they'd been robbed," said Lois, Michael's wife.
"Katie went upstairs and found the door of the small bedroom open and the bed in disarray."
"Kev having it off with another woman!" muttered Michael, in shocked horror.
"That's what Katie thought at first. She knew sex had taken place because of the smell of fresh semen. Kevin had followed her rather sheepishly upstairs. She accused Kevin of having an affair with another woman. He denied it. It was not with a woman, and then it all come out it had been with the driver of the car she'd seen leaving."
"What!" exploded Michael: "How disgusting," said Lois: "What a shock for poor Katie," said Stephen, all simultaneously.
When the explosion of comments had died down Malcolm continued. "You can imagine Katie's horror. She asked him to leave and he packed a small case and left."
There was a stunned silence, and then a host of questions. "Where is he?" "What's he done?"
"Let me finish telling you all what happened. That will answer some of your questions. Time for questions and discussion when I have finished."
Malcolm had not chaired a large number of meetings in the course of his life for nothing.
"Katie then rang her parents, and later in the evening rang us."
"In the middle of your barbecue?" asked Michael.
"Yes."
"So they know? Does the whole village know?"
"Yes. But let me continue. When our guests had departed your mother and I discussed what to do, and we decided that we ought to go up to York, even though the Gledhills would also be there. We drove up the next morning and stayed in a B and B. The atmosphere was a trifle strained, as I think they saw us as pro-Kevin and anti-Katie. We were very careful not to stick up for Kevin. Whatever Kevin's story is, he's certainly landed poor Katie in a mess."
"We talked with Katie quite a lot," said Janice, "Both her parents and us wanted to know if she had any inkling that Kevin might be that way inclined.
She had not, though she said that things had not been fully the same between them since he got back from doing that work in New Zealand."
"But to choose to be a little shirt lifter when your wife is pregnant!" said Michael.
"It is not quite a simple as that", continued Janice. "Katie told us, and you must keep this information to yourselves for obvious reasons, that she had stopped taking the pill believing that a child might put things back on course for Kevin and herself."
"Did she talk it over with Kevin?" asked Stephen.
"No, she did it off her own bat. He just thinks they were one of those of statistical oddities where the pill for some reason does not work."
"I think that makes quite a difference," said Stephen quietly.
"I don't think it does at all," said Michael emphatically. "The runt of the litter is still a dirty poofter!"
Janice glared at Michael. When the boys were growing up Kevin, as the youngest, was always the smallest, and Michael would taunt him as the runt of the litter'. As things turned out Kevin had ended up three or four inches shorter than his older brothers. Janice had always objected to Kevin being called the runt of the litter', and the slang description of him as a poofter just added insult to injury.
"He's really landed all of us in it, hasn't he? He leaves his pregnant wife for a man. This juicy bit of gossip is now all round the village. `Did you know the Pridham's youngest is gay, and was found with his trousers down screwing another man?"
"Michael," said Janice sharply, "he was not found with his trousers down as you put it."
"But Mum, that's near enough! That'll be how it is getting round this village, with its love of gossip."
"Let me continue." said Malcolm. "We stayed in York until Saturday. When we got back here there was a message on the answerphone from Kevin. It was a hesitant message, saying sorry for the trouble and upset he has caused. We had a text message from him yesterday saying that he has found another job and somewhere to live.
"There is something else that I forgot to tell you. On Monday while Katie was out shopping he came back to the house and removed all his clothes and things. He also left a letter for Katie saying that he would stand by her and the child financially."
"Have you replied to his messages?" asked Michael.
"Yes. I've sent him a couple of text messages. I wouldn't know what to say to him if we spoke on the phone," replied Malcolm.
"I wouldn't `ave replied. As far as I am concerned Kevin is no longer my brother. I'm finished with him."
"You've always been hard on him," interposed Stephen. "Even when we were kids you used to bully him, and be awful to him. I seemed to spend all my life saving him from you."
"And look at what you were protecting. A pansy limp handed fairy. Not worth protecting in the first place."
Stephen took a deep breath, to calm himself down. He continued quietly. "I don't think you can call Kevin a limp handed fairy. He was a sportsman, every bit as much as you and me. Do you remember when he took six wickets for the village against Morton. He scored at least two tons [centuries] for the village. Both at school and University he also played rugger. Wasn't he hooker in both the school and University XV? His sporting record is every bit as good as yours, Mike."
"I bet he played hooker because he liked getting his arms round other guys in the scrum."
"Boys!" said Malcolm. "We haven't heard Kevin's side of the story."
"As far as I'm concerned," said Michael, "there's no other side to hear. Kevin's a queer, and that's the end of it."
Lois now contributed to the discussion. [Michael and Lois had recently started attending an independent evangelical church in Luton] "The minister at our church is very critical of the Anglican Church in the States over the appointment of a gay bishop, and for the appointment of Jeffrey John in this country. He says homosexuality is clearly condemned in the Bible. But what I don't understand is why some men turn out homosexual. Why did Kevin choose to be a homosexual?"
There was an uneasy silence.
"Mal, you know something about these things. We talked about it in the car going up to York," said Janice.
"I don't think Kevin chose to be homosexual. I don't think a person in his right mind would choose to belong to a despised minority. I think there is something deep within that makes a man like Kevin a homosexual."
"He certainly chose to have sex with that man in his spare bedroom, now didn't he, Dad?" said Michael.
"Yes, I agree with you on that, Michael. But I was trying to answer Lois' question. True he could, and should, have chosen not to do that in the spare bedroom. But modern research does not say that men and women choose to be homosexuals."
"Women as well? I didn't know women could be homosexuals," said Lois.
"Yes, there are women who like sex with other women, just as men like Kevin like sex with other men. They are usually called Lesbians."
"I wonder what they actually do?" muttered Lois thoughtfully.
"There's probably a web site somewhere on the net that'll give you all the lurid details," said Michael.
"But to get back to your original question, Lois," said Malcolm. "There is a lot of discussion as to whether it is in the genes, - nature, or by upbringing, - nurture."
"If that's so, why aren't Stephen and I poofters too? I presume you're not, Steve. I damn well know I'm not. The three of us have similar genes, and had a similar upbringing."
"I'm afraid I can't answer that one."
"I still say the simplest explanation is that Kevin, and guys like him, choose to be that way. It's so flaunted now. Cabinet ministers, Church of England clergy, their disgusting perversion is everywhere. You give this sort of guys an inch and they take a mile. Remove the legal barriers and it is everywhere, in the papers, on the radio and TV, films extolling it."
At that moment Stephen's wife Paula, slipped into the room. The children had been settled down for the night. She sat alongside Stephen and gave him an enquiring look.
"Kevin has been discovered to be gay," said Stephen, bringing her up to date.
"That all!" said Paula.
Everybody looked at her in amazement.
"Do you know anything about it?" asked Stephen.
"My uncle Robert's gay. The family have known it for years. We don't talk about it, just accept it. When I worked at Barts [St Bartholomew's Hospital - one of the great London teaching hospitals] before I was married there were a number of gays around."
"You never told me," said Stephen.
"You never asked me; and it's something we've never talked about."
"But Kevin's married, with a baby on the way," said Michael.
"So what! Nothing particularly unusual in that. I've known unmarried gay men, married gay men, who've fathered children, some still married, some divorced."
"How awful," said Lois.
"I feel sorry for Katie, especially as there's a baby on the way. Terrible time for it to come out about Kevin. But I'm sorry for Kevin too. Think what he's been through, and is going through now."
There was another shocked silence.
"How do you mean?" asked Stephen.
"I would like to hear Kevin's account of his life story. Not just what happened last week. I would like to know when he first felt attracted to men. Was it before or after he got married? When did he have his first sexual encounter with another male, at school? at University? or when? He's had a church upbringing where such things were regarded as sinful. It must have been a strong compulsion to go against all that."
"Our Minister says the Church of England is woolly and liberal on this issue." said Lois.
"Not the vicar of this parish," said Janice. "Bruce Perkins is as hard line on this issue as any. I had a visit from him on Wednesday afternoon while your father was out. There's no doubt he is strongly against homosexuals."
"I hope you agreed with him," said Michael.
"Kevin is your parents' son," said Paula to Michael. "Wouldn't you want to stick up for Jonathan, Abigail or Thomas, in these circumstances?"
"No child of mine would ever be a homosexual," boasted Michael.
"That is something you cannot decide," said Paula, looking Michael straight in the eye, "And of that you will also never be a hundred per cent certain."
Michael glared back, saw the determination in Paula's eyes, and decided to remain silent.
"That's put you all in the picture," said Malcolm. "Sooner or later, and I hope sooner, there is going to be the opportunity to speak, and see Kevin."
"Don't ask me to speak to him, or see him." said Michael. "Not only is what he's done filthy; he has landed the rest of his family, and especially Katie, in the mire - to put it mildly. As far as I'm concerned he is no longer my brother."
The discussion continued for some time in the circulatory fashion that often happens on such family occasions.
"There is one matter on which I would like your help," said Janice. "Last week we didn't go to church, I just couldn't face everyone knowing that they knew about Kevin. Every Sunday I miss will make it harder for me to go. I would like you all to come to church tomorrow with Malcolm and me."
"I don't know about that," said Michael. "With everybody in the church knowing, and thinking of what they are going to say to each other once they get out into the churchyard."
"Stephen and Paula glanced at each other. "We'll come with you, Mum," said Paula.
The family conference broke up. Michael and Lois went off to their caravan.
Janice went to do something in the kitchen. Paula went to check on her children. Malcolm and Stephen were left.
"Dad, I just can't get over the fact that Kev is gay. It's as though the whole geography of my life has been changed. Kev is different, he's gay. .
. . .I thought I knew him. I remember his being born, - just. I remember looking after him on his first day at school. Teaching him how to pass a rugger ball, and how to spin a cricket ball. You taught us all how to bat! . . . . .He got married like Michael and myself. Katie expecting a baby; and now this." Stephen shook his head in puzzlement.
"But at the end of the day he is still my brother. When I stop to think about it, Paula's reaction was right, - `that all!'. . . . . I think it would have been worse if he had got into serious trouble with the law, or had got involved in drugs or booze. Oh yes, he's landed himself and the rest of us in a mess. But Paula is right, we don't know his story." He was silent for a while. "Dad, when you next text Kev, give him my love. If there's anything I can do for him. . . . .He's still my bro. I hate to think of him somewhere, estranged from his family."
Malcolm reached across and held Stephen's hand for a moment. "Thank Paula for what she said. I think both of you have helped us clarify our thinking."
Janice came out and joined them. She gave Stephen's shoulder a gentle squeeze as she passed. She sat down and gave the two men a bleak smile. "As I feared, the family is divided. Paula's words have made me realise how important it is to hear what Kevin has to say. I don't think it could have been easy for him."
Kevin's apartment in the Old Vicarage at Potter's End was small. In the 1980s the large rambling Victorian vicarage had been sold to a developer for a nominal sum, in return for building a new vicarage in a corner of the large grounds of the Victorian house. He had the original house and the outbuildings. These he had turned into five attractive apartments. Kevin's was the smallest of the four, and up in the attics, which were the servant's sleeping quarters in the dim and distant days when there were some
vicars who had private incomes and could afford servants. It was fully furnished. The rooms were small, a sitting room, a bedroom, a tiny kitchen and even smaller bathroom. Kevin could afford the rent, and it was certainly large enough for him.
Kevin had spent Saturday morning shopping in High Wycombe for the things that he would require. In the afternoon he sorted things out and that had not taken him long.
In the evening he relaxed for the first time since he had left York. As he sat in his sitting room, listening to the radio, he remembered that a family reunion at Whitgest had been planned for that weekend. He now thought it certain that his brothers and sisters- in-law would know all that had happened over the last ten days.
He thought about their probable reactions. He had never got on well with his older brother Michael. He thought that Michael and Lois' reaction would be hostile. He knew they had started going to a more fundamentalist, or literalist, church, where homosexuality in any form would likely be listed as one of the most serious of sins. So unspeakable it was not even on the list of the seven deadly sins. He was more uncertain about Stephen and Paula's reaction. He had always been closer to Stephen, but what was their attitude now?
When he had considered the attitude of his brothers, he went on to consider his past. He remembered that strange incident with Mark in his school days. His pleasure when Mark had handled his cock, and played with it for several minutes. Then that feeling of rebuttal when Mark had immediately stopped him returning the action a few days later. But was that the only evidence that he might be gay from his earlier days. Was he making a mountain out of a molehill in thinking that there was any sign before his time in New Zealand?
He started thinking about his days at University. He'd gone to Manchester University where he had read maths. He thought about those in the same year who were maths students. There had been no particular friends in that department. Certainly none of the male students had attracted him in any way. He had been fully engaged in sporting activities during his three years at University. He played rugby [union, not league] during the first two terms of the academic year, and cricket in the summer term. The team had even gone on a fortnight's tour in the summer, playing various village teams, either for an evening during the week, or a day match on the Saturdays and Sundays.
His closest University friends had been two men who played in the same teams for both rugger and cricket. Yes, there had been a camaraderie with other men in the teams. The fooling around in the showers, the singing in the coach after a rugger match, and slightly less so after a cricket match. There had been the visits to the local, where many pints of bitter had been drunk. But they were two friends in particular during his university days.
There had been the fact they all showered together, especially after a game of rugger. There were the usual surreptitious inspections of one another's
endowments. Where did one's own cock stand in the hierarchy of length and thickness. Who was circumcised, and who was uncircumcised? Who had the largest balls? But there had been nothing overtly sexual in these discreet inspections, or had there?
Billy and Tosh. Kevin continued to think about these two men who had played an important part in his three years at University, but with whom he had lost all contact soon after leaving Manchester.
Billy was a big guy. Well over six feet in height, broad shouldered, and heavily built. He weighed 14 1/2 stone on the scales. Not that there was any surplus fat on him. He was strong. He played in the scrum at rugby. He did not run very fast, but he was irresistable. Once he had got hold of the ball it took two or three men to tackle him and bring him down. At cricket, he was a batsman, and a slip fielder. In his big hands a cricket bat looked small. Once he had got his eye in he could hit the ball hard and far. The surprising thing about Billy was his voice. You expected him to have a deep bass voice, because of his size, but it was quite high pitched.
Tosh; and Kevin realised he had forgotten, if he had ever known his true name. Tosh was under six feet, and fleet of foot. At rugby he played on the wing. He was agile, catching the seemingly impossible passes, and then running fast. At cricket he was a fast bowler, and on a hard wicket could make the ball do all sorts of unexpected things. He was witty, and frequently had his companions falling around with laughter.
Kevin smiled to himself. He was shorter than the other two; `the runt of the litter' as his older brother, Michael, had so often called him during the years of childhood. He thought about the friendship. Had there been any sexual attraction to either of them? As he considered Billy he was certain there had not. But when he came to think about Tosh he was not so sure. There was something different about his relationship with Tosh. He suddenly realised that there were some quite strong similarities between Owen, his friend in New Zealand, and Tosh. They were of similar build, both blond and blue eyed. Was there something there? He realised that he remembered that Tosh was circumcised, he could not remember about Billy.
He thought on.
What was it that was different about Tosh. Then some words that were frequently on the lips of Billy came back into his mind. Words he had not remembered or considered for years. Words that were often said when the three of them were together. Would you two stop fooling around!' Tosh and Kevin were frequently engaged in mock punch ups, or soft punches to emphasise a point in discussion. Neither Tosh nor Kevin had done it with Billy. It was just something you did not do to him. Frequently the two would be engaged in this activity, and Billy would say, Stop fooling around. Stop behaving like a couple of kids.' Specific incidents came back into Kevin's memory. Yes, that was the difference between the relationships, but did it have any significance, and if so, what?
He realised he had liked touching Tosh. But there had never been any inappropriate contact. Would he have liked there to have been? Slowly he realised, he would have liked more; there had been a sexual attraction to Tosh. Had it been reciprocated? He thought on that, and came to the conclusion there may well have been.
His mind began to meander among other memories of his University days. The room began to darken and dusk fell. It was time to go to bed.
The three couples back at Whitgest made their way to bed. They all held a post mortem on the evening's events.
"I would have thought your brother would have had more control over his sexual urges," said Lois to her husband Michael.
"I know. He's a bloody disgrace."
"There's no need to swear, dear, however strongly you feel."
"I feel ashamed. My own brother one of these homosexuals, and married, and a baby on the way! I don't think I'll be able to go to church with Mum and Dad tomorrow, with everybody in the village knowing. We've always been a respected family in Whitgest. Now in one afternoon of Kevin's carnal lust all that has been shattered and we are the laughing stock and centre of gossip."
"I glad you're not one of them," said Lois, giving Michael a kiss.
"But he's married! He's fathering a child! How could that happen?"
"I thought men were either homosexual or not homosexual. If they were they didn't marry."
"Are such men called bisexuals or something?"
"Paula seems to know something about it all. Seems she's worked alongside these homosexuals. Perhaps we should find out some more about it all from her."
"No way! I know it's wrong. It is against the Bible. It used to be against the law. That is sufficient for me. I don't want to hear their excuses and explanations!"
"I seem to remember reading, in one of these women's magazines at the hairdresser's, that homosexuals tend to go into the caring professions. The article mentioned nursing, and also said there were quite a number amongst the clergy as well."
"Of the Church of England," added Michael emphatically. "I am sure there are none in our church. The minister is dead against it, I seem to remember him calling it an abomination of Satan."
"Do you think we know anyone who is a homosexual?"
"If you'd asked me that before this evening I would have said, definitely no. But now I am not so sure. I suppose anyone could turn out to be one."
"What a horrible thought. It's even worse than finding out someone was a communist during the days of the cold war."
Janice and Malcolm were clearing up in the kitchen.
"How did you think that went," asked Malcolm.
"Michael got quite heated didn't he?"
"I think he's become more intolerant since they started going to that independent church."
"I think you're right. Paula's made me think."
"In what way?"
"We need to hear how its been for Kev. Steve has asked me to pass on his love to Kev, and has said that if there's anything he can do."
"Steve was always closer to Kev, caring for him, and quite often protecting him from Michael."
They reminisced over several events from the boy's childhood.
"Mal, I'm beginning to want to see Kev, and give him a hug. I didn't want to do that a week ago. I was so angry with him. I do hope he's alright, wherever he is."
"I think he'll want to see us and talk, sooner or later."
"I just hope it's sooner rather than later." Janice stood in silence for a while, before continuing. "It is rather as though a stone was thrown into a pond last week, and the ripples are spreading out. First, those who were at our barbecue. Then it spread through the village, and the waves of our encounters with the Ironsides, and Hursts, and of course, the visit from Bruce on Wednesday afternoon, came back to us. This evening the ripples reached the rest of the family. I wonder what long term effect it will have on us all?"
"I don't think the family will ever be the same again."
"No. I can't see Michael and Lois with their present state of mind sitting down for a meal with Kevin."
"Or allowing him near their children," added Malcolm.
Janice held her hand to her mouth. "Oh! I'd not thought of that. Is that a risk?"
"I wouldn't have thought so. I think most child molestation is from hetero-sexuals."
"We'll have to ask Paula, she seems to know about these things," said Janice with a laugh.
Stephen and Paula also chatted about the evening's events as they got undressed ready for bed.
"Thanks for what you said, love. Especially for standing up to Michael."
"Those two have become more bigotted over the last couple of years. Michael has lost what little sense of humour he once had. It is all a serious piety now."
"I didn't realise you had worked with a number of gays. I knew there were one or two."
"After working in a place like a hospital for several years you are able to spot who is gay and who is not. There was also quite a gay network in operation."
"Did I meet any of them?"
"Yes, I think I can remember a number you met."
"Who?"
"Do you remember Tom, the anaesthetist?"
"Yes."
"Well he's as gay as you make them. Has lived with a pharmecist for ten years."
"But he's quite normal."
Paula laughed. "What do you expect? Limp wristed, mincing walk, effeminate voice, or a forked tail, and cloven hoof?"
"But Tom is burly and tough, not the sort of person you want to meet down a dark alley at night. And a deep bass voice too."
"You, my love, are expecting stereotypes. Some are, but they are a minority of gay men."
"Can you tell?"
"Fairly often."
"How?"
Paula thought for a moment. "I think a woman has an advantage over a man. I think a woman can tell the difference between a man who looks at her and thinks, she looks nice', and a man who looks at her and thinks I'd like to get her into bed'. I always felt absolutely safe with a gay man."
"They don't flirt with you, I suppose."
Paula laughed. "Some don't at all, but some do. Some quite outrageously."
"Doesn't that offend?"
"No not at all. You met Simon, who I went out with a bit for a while before I started going out with you?"
"You're not telling me he was gay are you?"
"Yes. Simon's gay."
"Did you know?"
"Of course."
"Why did you go out with him then?"
"Because he was fun, he was generous, and there was no price tag at the end of the evening."
"What do you mean?"
"He would take me home. There'd be a quick peck of a kiss on the cheek, and a `Good night'. No pushing me against the wall for bouts of French kissing, with hands groping for my breasts, or fumbling up my skirt, with the desire to get me into bed as soon as possible."
"Paula, I did not try all those things when I started taking you out."
"No, love. You were the perfect English gentleman. You never tried to go further than I wanted to go at the time, but I knew from the first time we went out, that you would like us to end up in horizontal nakedness. Because you were such a gentleman I married you, and then let you have your wicked way with me." Paula stepped up to Stephen and gave him a passionate kiss.
"Women! Wives! We've been married well over ten years and you still surprise me."
"Good," she said with flirty eyes as she got into bed.
As the house was settling down for the night, Malcolm slipped outside and went into the garden shed. He rang Simon.
Mal:- Sorry to ring so late. Hope I didn't wake you.
Si:- I was just about to drop off. How did it go?
Mal:- Michael was very hostile. More or less wants to disown Kevin as his brother.
Si:- Stephen?
Mal:- Much more supporting. Says things like, Kevin is still my brother', and Tell him, if there's anything I can do for him'.
Si:- You surprised?
Mal:- Not really. Steve has always been closer to Kev than to Michael. They often used to gang up against the older brother. But the real surprise was Paula.
Si:- How?
Mal:- She knew a number of gay men when she worked at Bart's in town before she was married. Said we should hear Kev's story before rushing to judge him.
Si:- How did Michael take that?
Mal:- Not well.
Si:- How's Jan?
Mal:- Still conscious of the spreading repercussions. Like ripples spreading over a pond, is the way she put it.
Si:- You going to church tomorrow?
Mal:- Jan wants us all to go as an act of family solidarity. Steve and Paula have said they'll come. Michael and Lois are not so sure, and probably will not. They go now to this fundy church in Luton.
Si:- How are you?
Mal:- Very tired. It was all quite a strain. It is not easy seeing your family splitting up over one of your children. I need a good night's sleep,
and some days of normality.
Si:- Need to visit Fred again?
Mal:- I'd like to. But we can't go again so soon. I just wish I could get into bed with you, just for a good going-to-sleep cuddle.
Si:- That would be nice. But we'll have to wait until the second Test Match up in Birmingham.
Mal:- Even watching England being thrashed by the Aussies would be better than what's happened over the last ten days.
Simon laughed.
Mal:- Good night, sleep well.
Si:- And you too. And if you can't dream of me naked in your arms may you dream of the first five English batsmen scoring centuries against the Aussies.
Malcolm laughed. Mal:- That'd be the day. Good night.
A Cricketing gloat! There were five cricket Test Matches - England versus Australia during the summer of 2005. Australia won one, England won two, and two were drawn. The coveted Ashes were therefore won back by England, after eighteen years of Australia holding them. Malcolm and Simon were very happy men in September 2005.
If you want to comment on the story then do contact me on Jeffyrks@hotmail.com. I aim to reply to all messages.