The Wounds Within My Heart By James
Disclaimer
This is a fictional story which depicts sexual/romantic situations between consenting teenaged boys. This story may also at times contain scenes concerning rape, child abuse, Ableism, Racism, Anti-LGBT Bigotry and suicide. If you're not of the legal age to read such material, or if you're offended by this kind of story, then back out now.
Please remember to donate to Nifty, as it's your donations that keep this and other stories on the site free to the public.
I wanted to take a moment to thank my editor K. Without your editing, corrections and suggestions this story probably wouldn't be what it is today. You've really done an amazing job at finding and correcting words I mix up sometimes, as well as giving the correct arrangement of various punctuations I sometimes put in the wrong places. Also, you've done really good with the more lengthy chapters of this story. Above all though, you've helped me with better understanding some of the writing process I didn't quite get while doing my writing. I always appreciate your editing and help. Thank you.
Finally, if you like this story and haven't done this already, spend a couple of days at the house of my E-mail address, jamesheady1985@gmail.com, listening to the book Toxic Love by the author Tomas Guillen. Once it's finished, get up from the couch and offer to make them a glass of lemonade.
The Wounds Within My Heart
Chapter Ten.
Nohea
It's really amazing how quickly time goes by. Pietro and I, along with our friends Alex and Aiden, were continuing to do well at the new school. All our other friends, from Evan, to his girlfriend, to Brianna, to Collin along with Chelsey, were doing well with all of our classes and going after what we wanted in life. Triston and Jack were also continuing to spend time together. They had the support of Jack's mom along with my family. They were truly in love, and it was always really nice seeing them together!
It was hard to believe that we all had come as far as we did. Pietro and I were a few days away from turning 16, and he was doing extremely well at his driving practice. He had one more test to do, and provided it all went well, then he would have his license. I thought about this as he left to get the test done. This was on a bright, sunny and crisp Winter Tuesday. I kissed him after he zipped up his coat, then he returned my kiss.
"I'm sure you'll do really amazing!" I said, as we hugged for a moment.
"Thanks," he answered after we separated. "Your support really helps."
"I really appreciate that," I said. "Also, feel free to drive me anywhere of my choosing."
We shared a laugh, then hugged once more. Then he was out the door and driving away.
One might wonder how he would be able to drive given his Cerebral Palsy. Fortunately, the answer was as simple as us paying to have hand controls built into the various instruments he would use to operate the car. I had heard of people using stuff like that who needed modifications for similar disabilities, and I was really glad that something like that could work for Pietro.
After returning to the kitchen, I finished the message I had been writing on my phone. We only had school for part of the day. They had several staff meetings that afternoon, so they wouldn't have enough time for class afterwards. It was nice to have the rest of the afternoon off, and it was nearing 1:00 P.M.
Finishing up the message, I sent it, then put down my phone. At that time, I had the house to myself, as Dad was still at work, and his partner was as well. That's another truly wonderful thing that happened for our family. My dad finally began dating someone, and I had been wondering about that during the first several months I was living with him and Triston. I asked him about it a couple of times when first living there, and he said that he was focused only on raising Triston and I at the moment. He said that he would like to have a boyfriend at some point, but that for the immediate future, Triston and I were his top priority. That really meant a lot to hear him say that. He did sound like he would like to date sometime down the road, but I could also hear the determination in his voice to really be there for us, and that made me love him even more!
It went on like that until back in the summer of last year. I was 15 by then, and Dad had talked a little about possibly dating. He definitely sounded more serious about it than the couple of times before when he and I discussed it. He talked a little more intently about it when he, Triston, Pietro and I were at the dinner table one early Summer evening just finishing up with our food.
Dad said that he made it a point to bring it up now, since we were all together in that moment, but also because he wanted to see how Triston would react since it could be a rather big change for us all, but for Triston especially. Triston said that he was glad that our dad might be dating at some point. Pietro and I agreed.
"I'm glad all of you agree," Dad said. "Most importantly though, the guy I date will have to treat you guys as well as I do. He'll have to accept your Autism as it is, Triston, and not think of it as something to be fixed or cured. The same goes for him where you're concerned Nohea, and you too, Pietro. Anything less, and his ass is out the door."
We laughed, but still understood that Dad was serious. I loved him even more for saying that. When he and the guy who would eventually become his boyfriend did meet, it was when he was out getting food for us one Friday evening in August. That was a couple of months later after our discussion. The guy's name was Eric. Dad had been waiting on the food to finish, and Eric asked if he could sit down to wait on his order.
Dad agreed, and they sat there talking. As they talked, it felt so natural, and they felt like it had been forever with them sitting there when Dad's number was announced. After he returned from taking the food from the counter and paying the guy at the register, he asked if Eric would like to exchange numbers and maybe get together at some point. Eric agreed, and with that, they parted ways with the agreement that Dad would call Eric soon.
He called him a couple of days later, and they began getting together for drinks a couple of times a week, mostly on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Not too long after that, Dad invited Eric over for dinner. At that point, they were still friends, and dad didn't know if Eric was gay, but I could sense that he really hoped that he was.
On the night that Eric came over for dinner, it was a slightly cool Friday night in the middle of September. We all sat on the deck eating steak that dad made with Eric's help. Eric and I were getting along really well, and the same was true for him when he interacted with Pietro and Triston. I was really glad to see the two of them were getting along with Eric as well as they were. Once dinner was finished, we all went into the living room to relax and to get to know Eric more.
Eric was a nurse at Sangger University Hospital, and he lived alone for a few years. He told us all this while we sat in the living room. Dad asked where he had lived before that, and Eric told us that he had been with a guy for about four years, then the boyfriend broke up with him after returning from being with his family. He added immediately that it wasn't issues of an unsupportive family, but that the guy met another guy while on the family visit, and they hooked up during the course of him being there. When the guy returned to the house he shared with Eric, he told him about it the next day, and it wasn't him telling it like he felt bad about it. He just let him know that he met the other guy, and that things were better for him.
"The truth was, that things were starting to sour between us for the couple of months leading up to that," Eric said, then paused to take a sip of his wine. "He was always one who made it more about sex than the romance, and even with me working long hours, I always made it a point to be there with and for him. When he told me about his new boyfriend, I asked if it was due to me, and he did tell me that he needed someone who was more into sex, and I could hear the mocking tone in his voice. I immediately told him that he was free to leave as soon as he could, and he left the day after. He didn't have much to pack up fortunately."
"I'm really sorry to hear that," I said, and I did feel really sad for him.
"Thanks, and I do appreciate that," Eric answered. "I worked to get through it for the next several months. That hand-full of months soon turned into a year, then into a few more, and I just didn't think about dating. I was busy with work, and doing other things I hadn't gotten to do before then."
We talked a little more, then Pietro, Triston and I excused ourselves to go upstairs to give dad and Eric some time to talk among themselves. I could almost feel the attraction they clearly had towards one another. Soon though, Eric was coming over more regularly when Dad would invite him to the house. Finally, by the end of September, they sat us all down and announced that they were beginning to see each other. We were all truly happy, and we hugged both of them! I remember being so happy for our dad that he finally found someone!
I smiled as I thought about dad and Eric's relationship. Even more exciting, dad had talked to us a couple of weeks before asking about how we would feel if Eric moved in with all of us. Triston and I hugged Dad, and both said that we really hoped that that could happen! Eric was truly becoming a second father to both Triston and I, and Pietro was becoming really good friends with him as well. Eric was there for all of us if we needed to talk, or just to hang out and do fun things with. I was really glad that he was making time for us, and that he was as good to all of us as he was!
The next few days passed, and Pietro received the news about his final driving test that up-coming Monday. He passed it with a 100%, and we all cheered then hugged him! It only got better when at the end of that week, Dad sat down with us and let us know when Eric would be moving in. It was going to be at the end of the following week. We were all really excited, and that night we had Eric over to celebrate! I couldn't believe how amazing everything was going for all of us at that moment! I was happier than I could have ever thought possible!
0000
Later that night after everyone was asleep, David kissed Eric, letting him know that he would come to bed in a little while. He said he had a couple of work E-mails to deal with, then he would be finished for the night. Once in his office, David checked his second phone, and saw the texts.
Sitting down behind his desk, David read the first one. It regarded Dan Connelly of the school for the blind Nohea had been at only a couple of years ago, but seemed like a lifetime ago. The group had successfully dealt with Connelly. It seemed that Connelly met with an unfortunate event when he suffered fatal Food Poisoning. His steak had been seemingly contaminated with Cyanide. The second E-mail concerned the principal of the school for the blind. He had been out on his boat just a couple of days ago when he slipped and fell into the shark-infested waters. Well, it appeared as if he had just slipped. Connelly's accident occurred earlier that day, and Derrick hadn't waited too long to give David the updates. Smiling to himself, David replied back to the two texts, then powered down the phone. After locking it in his desk, he exited the office locking it up as well. The last of Nohea's abusers had been dealt with once and for all.
0000
Nohea
It was now the end of October, and I sat in my room while Pietro sat beside me at the desk. He was finishing up homework, and I was sending an E-mail. I hoped to hear back, and even if I didn't, then my dad would. He told me he would let me know if and when he did. I was glad about that.
Just then Pietro put away his papers and closed his laptop. He then put his arm around me, and we hugged for a moment. After sharing a gentle kiss, I heard my phone go off. Picking it up, I opened the message and read it.
After replying back, I smiled then put my phone back down on the desk.
"What did they say?" Pietro asked.
I had my earbuds in while listening so I wouldn't disturb Pietro as he finished up his assignments, otherwise he would have heard what was being said in their text back to me.
"They'll be able to put the money through, and Dad will sign off on it. Of course, he's going to help with the areas I'm not old enough to run by myself, so that's good," I said.
"I'm really glad to hear that," Pietro answered as we hugged again.
Getting up from the desk, I went to find Dad to let him know what they said.
"I'm really happy for you!" he said once I was seated on the couch in his home office. Eric came in a moment later as Dad's phone chimed. He let me know it was them texting him as well, and while he answered it, I filled in Eric about what was going on.
What was going on, was that I was beginning the process of starting a place that could help my fellow blind people. It would be a different place, and it would be different than the usual training centers and schools for the blind in society currently. Given everything I had gone through with the school for the blind, and their unhealthy views of independence, I wanted to do something completely different. Of course, I wanted proper Orientation and Mobility training for blind people, but I wanted it so that they could have good vehicular options. That is to say, that I wanted them to have bussing options where they could have busses in their respective areas that could pick them up, rather than them having to walk in bad weather, having to wait on city busses that may or may not come. I also wanted these options to be designed so that they took in to consideration any co-occurring disabilities some blind people might have. In short, the one-size-fits all Bullshit of tossing a guiding cane in a blind kid's hand at six years old, yelling at them when they made a mistake, and having them walk across street crossings where drivers may or may not pay attention, were going to be over if I had anything to say about it!
I also wanted to have adaptive technology available for blind people where it could be paid for, so they wouldn't have to almost bankrupt themselves trying to pay for it, or just go without because of not being able to pay for it at all. For example, the Braille Note Touch Plus dad bought for me was $4995.00 if you didn't add shipping charges. A Braille Sense Mini, which is one of the other electronic note takers for the blind, is about $6000.00. Finally, a regular size Braille Sense note taker is almost $9000.00.
As for various talking-book players for the blind such as the Victor Reader Stream, also bought for me by my dad, that was almost $500.00. Others such as the Book Sense, when it was around, would go for almost $300.00, and I'm sure you get the idea. These devices are needed in order that blind people can be independent, whether that be independently taking notes, or reading books. Yet these devices that could make that possible are out of the price range for most of us. I was fortunate in that I had the money along with my dad's help. I knew though, that this wasn't true for a lot of my fellow blind kids and adults, and I quickly had enough of this kind of treatment! Unless the Department of Vocational Rehabilitation would pay for any of these devices, then the blind kid or adult would usually go without. Even if the Vocrehab system paid for one of these devices, it did so by way of such strict parameters that it refused payment more often than not. It wasn't totally dissimilar to health insurance companies who do almost everything they can to not have to pay for an expensive treatment for a sick child or adult.
I first talked with my dad about all this back a few months ago. He and I had been talking about where I'd go to college, and just what exactly I wanted to do as far as helping others. I knew I wanted to do something with helping people, but I hadn't quite decided whether or not I'd want to do counseling, or something else. Finally, by the end of us sitting there, the conversation had turned to how I was really fortunate to have the wealth I had. I then expressed my disgust at the way things have been for blind people.
Dad and I had been at lunch on this particular day when we had been talking. After I finished my rant, I then got the idea of wishing I had a place that could help other blind people. I told Dad how good it would be if there was a place that could help my fellow blind people, but in ways that really did help them, not just teach them several random skills that didn't take into account any other issues they might have. Dad and I talked a couple of weeks later about it, then over the next couple of months, we began to think of a place that might be able to do what I was wanting.
Dad, Eric and I began reaching out to people who we thought might be able to help. Dad also got my accounts readied so that money could be accessed should things go how I was wanting, and I soon sat down with Pietro, telling him all of what was going on. I talked with him about it some, but didn't have much to tell, at least not yet anyway.
Finally, as October drew to a close, a few people who might be able to help had gotten back to us, and that day when I had gotten the message I mentioned a while ago, it was from one guy who said that he and his group would be able to help. They could add more financial backing, as well as find an area of land where we could work on setting everything up. I knew none of this would happen over night by any means, but I was glad that things appeared to be getting off to a good start.
"I'm really glad that things are coming through!" Pietro said, as we went into the living room to relax and wait for dinner to finish cooking.
Leaning back against the couch, Pietro put his arm around me. I felt really relaxed and content. It was a dark and rainy Friday afternoon that was now evening, but it was definitely the best time of my life with having received the good news!
"Thanks, me too!" I answered. "I hope everything else goes well, and we can get this off the ground very soon!"
"I'm sure we will," Pietro answered, as we sat there cuddling while the rain began falling more heavily now.
Author's Notes
I hadn't expected to come up with something like this for Nohea. I knew he would go on to help others, but further down the road than this, but here we are. The idea came to me a few days ago, and so here are the beginnings of it. I hope you guys like how it turns out. I'll continue on with this part of the story coming together for Nohea, Pietro and the rest of the family. I hope you all like how that goes as well.
All that being said, I hope you're all doing well, and having a good evening. I'll see you guys in Chapter 11.