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This is the final chaptyer in Part I of this series; the following section (Part II) will follow next week.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Ross and Joaquin had just finished relating to Mason and Mario how much they were in awe of the new side of their lives, after spending nearly a year as a married couple. Ross had quit his job as a professor and had taken a position as the director of staff development for a large hi-tech firm in Los Angeles. He had sold his house in Virginia and his condo in Atlanta, had moved in with Joaquin in his Craftsman-style bungalow in the hills high above the gallery in Malibu, and was getting acclimated to the southern California lifestyle.
"A year in gay years is like dog years almost" laughed Joaquin, and Mason and Mario agreed. They raised a toast to the newlyweds, and as their champagne flutes clinked together, Mason reflected on all the changes in his life in the past five years. Their `adopted' Venezuelan son Carlos had graduated from Santa Monica City College in civil engineering and had taken a position with an international engineering firm that allowed him to travel to South America frequently. He was over-joyed to be able to visit his family at regular intervals.
Tad Carlysle had graduated culinary school and he and Mike Williams had broken up and gotten back together at least five times, and were currently planning on taking over the tapas restaurant together; Mason was a silent financial partner.
Jeremy and Vince had graduated with Carlos, and Vince had gone on to law school and Jeremy was in his second year of an MBA program in New York City. Their neighbor and friend and fellow fucker Jimmy Richins had gone to grad school at George Washington in DC.
Mario was in his fourth year as a full partner with Baylor and Baylor, the law firm where he had begun his career after graduating USC law. Stuart had finished his stint as a clerk for the federal district court and had joined the staff of the legal counsel for the Mayor.
The Governor had taken Mason's advice, hiring two of Mason's recommendations for financial and investment managers and had taken an extended vacation traveling around the world with his kids in order to exit politics; he was currently working on two books.
Raj and Stuart were now a couple, living together in a bungalow in Silver Lake, and commuting to work together at city hall and visiting Mason and Mario on the weekends. Stuart had convinced the Mayor it was time for him to run for Governor, and asked Mason for his support. Stuart had sold the farm in Idaho that Mason had given him, and relying upon Mason's Saudi friends, invested wisely and was nearly as wealthy as his Uncle. Raj's sister Aneth was now department chair in economics at Santa Monica college.
The surfers had dispersed but returned frequently to visit Mason and Mario and Tad and Carlos. The waiters had also dispersed, mostly returning to Argentina. Yoshio Sato had visited Japan several times and had gathered a few investors to purchase several Japanese restaurants in Southern California and had turned them into a chain.
Mario's father had retired from politics as well, and he and Mario's mother were travelling the world. He had become a consultant for an international firm in resources management and environmental issues and spent a great deal of his time in forums and conferences in Europe. Whenever they could manage the time, Mario and Mason would visit with them in Europe.
Mario suddenly realized his attention had wandered, and the audience was waiting patiently for him to return to his speech. "Friends, as I began this tribute to my life-partner and soul-mate, Mason Sturdevant Taylor, I was suddenly overwhelmed with the knowledge that the past twenty years had flown by almost without me noticing. Thank you for joining me here today to celebrate the great life that was the man I will always love; Mason was unique and wonderful ."
Mario continued "When I met Mason, I never anticipated that he would be the most fulfilling thing to come into my life. Today, even though he is gone, and as we commit his ashes to the beautiful Pacific just beyond us there" and he swept his arm toward the west, "I can tell you that I have never been happier than when I was in the arms of that man."
He stopped again, overcome by tears; after a moment, he regained control and said "I had considered selling this house and moving to a small apartment near my office, and then realized that to Mason, that would be caving in to the wrong emotions, to the fears of being alone, and to the darkness. Mason would never do that, and instead, as you know, lived his life in the light, and invited all of us to enjoy the light with him as well. I am grateful beyond words that I had that chance. Thank you again for being here today, and please accompany me as we spread his ashes as he requested, from this beach that he called home for three decades."
When the brief ceremony was over, Ross and Joaquin and Raj and Stuart and Carlos surrounded Mario; he was still grieving and did not know how long it would last, but he also knew that there was a light inside of him that had been ignited by Mason that would never go out.