This story is fiction and resemblance to anyone living or dead is purely coincidental. I hope you enjoy the story. If you have suggestions or comments, please email me, I look forward to hearing from you. Frontrnrusa@netscape.net
Copyright 2002 Holloway H.
The drive was long, Tyler sleeping as I drove. I couldn't sleep much in the truck, but Tyler's head in my lap as he slept was worth a couple sleepless days. We'd stop for hours at a time to see sites. We camped a few days along the roadside where Tyler managed to fix our meals. We arrived in California on Sunday morning.
San Diego was already starting to wake up, we drove around the streets before stopping and paying two dollars to fill up the truck with gas, back home it costs us no more than a dollar fifty. We left San Diego and drove out to Hollywood California. We saw the big Hollywood sign and took pictures. We stayed in Hollywood at a small motel for three days sightseeing. While we were there we listened to people talk. It seems people farmed up near Alameda California and further north, a lot of people also mentioned the Valley where they grew grapes. Just by chance we met the Anderson Family, Bill and his wife Mary were traveling with five children to the Valley. Bill had grown grapes before and was excited as he told us about farming and making wine. I don't think that either Tyler or me had ever put a wine glass to our lips but listening to Bill had us excited. Over the next three days we traveled along with the Anderson's. When we arrived it didn't take long for Bill to get himself a job, his wife and kids almost danced with joy, anyone could figure out money must have been running low. We said our goodbyes and Tyler and me continued on. We camped at night in open fields, in the morning with first light we saw what looked like mountains rising in the distance, the land we were on sloped away, we both stood in awe watching the wonder of the morning unfold. After another fine breakfast we found a small stream and cleaned ourselves up, I watched Tyler for a few minutes, realizing all the while just how wonderful he was. He looked over at me and asked what? I smiled, feeling my eyes water, I was just thinking how lucky we've been and how happy I am.
He grinned, Zach I've loved you since the day you sat beside me on that tree trunk.
We smiled at each other than cleaned up. We drove less than a mile before we saw a hand painted `for sale' sign. We looked at each other and decided we had nothing to loose. We drove down a hard dirt drive almost a quarter mile before we pulled up to a Mexican style house, called a hacienda. Behind the house rose two large hills. We were getting out of the truck when an old man came out of the house wearing a shirt and tie with a huge smile on his face. He introduced himself as Roberto Montanez, his wife followed a few minutes later and Roberto introduced his beloved wife, Angelina. We were invited to sit on the porch and have a cool drink, as we sat down Roberto told us about the property. He and his wife had grown grapes on his 700 acres for the last 40 years. He said wine making had always been his families business. He could see we didn't understand everything he was saying and he took us on a tour of his winery. He showed us presses and barrels, but neither of us was prepared when we walked through two huge wooden doors in to the side of the mountain and saw hundreds of oak barrels filled with wine stacked one upon the other.
We listened to Roberto talk for hours, his wife calling us to lunch made him stop. We sat down at their table and I saw the happiness on Tyler's face. I had thought to myself this place was far enough away that we could live our lives fairly safe and in time we'd learn to grow grapes and make wine. After lunch we continued our tour ending up on the porch with a glass of wine. Out of curiosity we asked Roberto about the property. When he told us the asking price we looked at each other and smiled. Roberto and Angelina allowed us to camp on the property that evening, early the following morning before we left we asked Roberto to sell us the property, he looked at us as though we might be kidding, I assured him we weren't. We drove into the nearest town and had half the ten thousand dollars he was asking wired to us from our bank account, that was a lot of money and we knew the risk we were taking. When we returned to the farm, Roberto and Angelina drove us into the tax surveyors office were we signed papers on the property, we had sixty days to come up with the remaining money otherwise the deal would be off and we'd lose 500 of our 5000 down payment. Roberto and Angelina were as excited as we were, they would be returning to Spain in two months and the first vines would be ready.
A week later we put our farm up for sale, it didn't take long for us to get the five dollars an acre we were asking and another five thousand dollars for the house, barns and machinery, a new company bought up our land quickly. We packed up everything we'd be taking with us and headed out for California with twelve thousand dollars in the bank. Along the way we stopped at the farm where Bill and Mary were working, Bill was glad to see us and he was even more excited when we told him about the farm. We offered him a job making five dollars more a week than he made now and he jumped at it. Bill promised to be at the farm one week hence. Tyler and I drove through town stopping at the bank and signing the last of the paperwork, we walked over to the Tax Surveyors Office and delivered the remaining amount to him. He handed us the deed and said he'd follow us out. As soon as we pulled down our drive we knew it was our home. Roberto and Angelina were on the porch, their faces all smiles. The Tax Surveyor handed them a check for ten thousand dollars, Roberto hugged his wife as she cried. Angelina broke away from Roberto and took Tyler's arm dragging him in the house. The Tax Surveyor shook my hand and wished me well offering his services if needed. Roberto began at that minute to teach me the art of growing grapes.
Over the next week Roberto and Angelina completed packing, the majority of the furniture was staying as had been agreed to when we bought the house. We helped Roberto and Angelina move into the attached bedroom with its own small kitchen and bathroom. As we walked through our house and into the center courtyard we fell in love. On Monday Bill, Mary and the kids showed up to begin work. Mary helped Tyler in the house, the kids played out front and Bill, Roberto and me continued with planting and learning. Bill was a wealth of knowledge he knew how to determine the soil's acidity, he knew what vines needed in order to grow healthy. When it came to the actual wine making though he only knew the basics. Roberto spent what time was left teaching me as much about wine making as possible. On the day of their departure, Roberto presented me with several books including a leather bound journal that he'd kept the last 50 years he'd been making wine.
We drove Angelina and Roberto to catch the boat for Spain. Once their belongings were onboard we hugged and shook hands wishing each other everything the world had to offer. I felt very sad seeing them leave and Tyler and I were quiet as we returned home.
The transformation of the farm was amazing. Mary and Tyler had transformed the house back into a Mexican Style Mission that felt open and airy. Mary was also an outstanding cook and she quickly took Tyler under her wing teaching him to cook until finally he found it to be something he enjoyed. Bill took charge of growing and I read and experimented with making wine until I had a basic understanding of the process. The farm had 900 oak barrels, 300 of the barrels contained wine from Roberto and Angelina. We also had twenty five thousand empty wine bottles that would need to be filled, corked and labeled. The funny thing about all of this, until that moment I had never thought about a name for our Winery. Together Tyler and I went over thousands of names until we settled on Zach Tyler California Winery. Tyler designed a label for our bottles and within days the printer began the process of making thousands of labels. Bill told me the grapes were almost ready for our first harvest.
Bill and I drove into town arranging to have pickers come the following Sunday afternoon. The cycle had begun in earnest for the first time and I was scared to death, I loved this land and the house and while we still had money in the bank if this year was a bust we'd be cutting it close financially without any income to pay expenses. On Sunday afternoon three things happened, the Priest from the local parish showed up at the house. We invited him in and asked him to stay for lunch, during lunch he worked on converting Tyler and me he wanted to convince us to join the church we said we'd think about it. Two trucks filled with Pickers showed up and began working in the fields. Three workers followed me and we began the task of removing wine from existing barrels, bottling, corking, labeling and stacking the bottles for the next process. By week's end half the grapes in the field had been picked, washed, crushed and were fermenting in two of five large vats especially for that purpose. Following Roberto's instructions, I tested the fermentation juices for sweetness and alcohol content. I wasn't use to drinking wine and it was hard for me to gage the taste, Bill eagerly assisted and assured me we had a fine slightly sweet tasting white wine.
Another week passed before the fields lay bare of grapes. The final two vats were filled with a mixture of Pinot Noir grapes in the hopes of producing champagne, Roberto left me his recipe and with Bill's help we'd attempt to produce a full bodied California Champagne. When the fermentation process stopped in the first vat, the liquid was slowly siphoned off into large oak barrels to continue the process including taking on some of the flavor of the oak barrel. Tyler and I had a lot riding on this first harvest and decided we needed the help of an experienced winemaker. I called the Tax Surveyor and he was able to put me in contact with Joachim Blount.
I followed the instructions the Tax Surveyor had given me and found Joachim living out of a tent near an old railroad clearing. When I pulled up in the truck he came out of his tent, he was a small man, not more than five feet and appeared to be in his late seventies, if a strong wind came along he'd be blown away. I got out of my truck and introduced myself, he had a healthy handshake and invited me to sit and have a cup of coffee. We sat for a while then Joachim got right to the point he wanted to know my business. Over the next couple of hours I told him everything about the winery and my lack of knowledge. He smiled when I finished and began talking about himself, I listened intently his life was fascinating. When he finished he looked at me asking about my living arrangements and who all lived at the winery, I told him about Bill and Mary and then I told him about Tyler. He was very interested in Tyler and asked several questions, mentioning that he too had never married. I offered him a place to live and salary for his expertise. He thought about it and then jokingly asked me to help him pack. It took until dark to get everything he owned in the truck and back to the house. It was dark when I pulled in the drive, Joachim walked in the house with me and we startled Tyler, he had a worried look on his face. I quickly introduced Joachim and Tyler shook hands then led us to the kitchen to eat. The three of us talked like we'd been friends all our lives. After dinner, we got Joachim settled in the small attached apartment. Tyler and I heard him unpacking well after 11pm then there was silence.
Tyler and I talked as we lay in the dark together, Tyler turned on his side resting his head on my arm, I studied his face in the semi darkness, my fingers moving through his hair and down the side of his face, he fell asleep and I soon followed. Tyler woke me with a start, he yelled that something was burning, I smelled something I couldn't be sure what. I ran through the house in my underwear, as I entered the kitchen the light was on. Joachim was fixing breakfast, he smiled as I entered and told me to get Tyler and get dressed we had a full days work ahead. I walked back down the hall to our room I could feel my face still red from being seen by a stranger in my drawers. I told Tyler what Joachim had said, he looked at me shaking his head. We cleaned up then dressed and headed for the kitchen. The table was set with a breakfast of eggs, bacon and biscuits. The three of us sat down, I could see Tyler's look. After we prayed Joachim looked at Tyler and explained that he wanted all of us to work together explaining it would be better to have three of us with the knowledge than just two. Tyler thought about it and agreed Joachim smiled and thanked us for giving him the job.
Using only his sense of taste and knowledge of wine, Joachim became more accurate than the instruments I had learned to use. Tyler had keen senses and he was quick to pick up on a particular aroma or flavor, my senses were not as good and it was harder for me.
Joachim taught us the business from the ground up. He found the labels we had spent twenty-five dollars on and threw a fit. He looked at the two of us and asked if we would buy a bottle of wine with such a plain label on it? We nodded our heads Joachim shook his and stomped out of the tasting room. At the breakfast table Joachim handed Tyler a label he had designed. `Napa Valley Vineyard of Zachary and Tyler Mason.'
Tyler looked at me then at Joachim, "my last name isn't Mason."
Joachim looked at me for a moment, "so change it." As quickly as he'd said that to Tyler, Joachim moved on with showing me the label. It was beautiful he had drawn a cluster of grapes with huge leaves. Behind the grapes were the winery's cellars and in front was the house above was the name, `NAPA Valley Vineyard' below the grapes he had printed Zachary and Tyler Mason, Owners. Joachim cleared out after breakfast, I helped Tyler clean the kitchen he sat down at the table and looked up at me and asked me what I wanted him to do. I knelt down in front of him and looked around quickly and kissed him on the lips, telling him I loved him and whatever he decided to do was going to be all right. He stood up and told me to call him Mr. Mason from now on. When he said that to me the feeling that went through my body and mind was electric, I felt a ton of emotions. It didn't take long to change his name legally matter of fact all it took was a birth certificate and five dollars.
We had the label Joachim designed printed. It had been almost four months since harvest and Bill was working in the vineyard pruning vines. Mary was cleaning house and Joachim, Tyler and me we worked on filling and labeling each bottle, then placing the bottles on a rack with the cork down. It took time, we had to be sure the liquid coming out of the barrel had as little sediment as possible as it was placed in clean bottles, once the bottles were corked and put on end they would require a ritual of turning allowing the remaining sediment to settle and be drawn off. The barrels of sparkling wine had not been touched. At the end of six months we had bottled almost ten thousand bottles of a sweet and dry white wine, Pinot Noir. Joachim and I loaded the truck and made rounds dropping off bottles here and there trying to drum up business. Bottles were sent through the mail to magazines and anyone else we could think of then we sat back and waited.
A month passed before we received our first order for five bottles, it wasn't much but it was an order. Joachim carefully crated the five bottles and with a bill of sale in hand we delivered the wine and received six dollars and twenty-five cents. Getting paid for the work we had done was exciting. Orders trickled in over the next few weeks and soon we'd sold almost a thousand bottles, however we still had 8500 bottles left. It was also time to start bottling the Sparkling Wine. I liked the bubbles in Champagne and the flavor. Another five thousand bottles were sitting in racks and once more Joachim and I made the rounds. We continued to get a steady flow of orders for our wine. However after a month we hadn't received a single order for Sparkling wine, we all felt let down, but the Pinot Noir profits would carry the vineyard for another year. As the year drew to an end we had sold almost the entire ten thousand original bottles. We placed one bottle that the three of us signed on our mantel and a case of wine we kept in our wine cellar for our own use. We did the same with the Sparkling wine but one thing was sure we wouldn't run out.
New years 1950 came in quickly. At 27, I still looked in my teens. Joachim would officially be eighty years old and he still got around like a young man. Tyler would be 26, every year Tyler's looks became more striking and no matter how many times I told him all he ever would say was how lucky he was to have me, I was the lucky one to love him. Near the end of January we received a letter from a restaurant in New York ordering 50 bottles of Sparkling Champagne at 3.50 a bottle we were excited. The following morning five crates of 10 bottles each were sent for delivery. We waited almost 10 days before calling the restaurant ensuring the bottles had arrived in good shape. The restaurant was pleased and assured me that another order would be forthcoming. 100 bottles was the next order from another restaurant in New York, when I contacted the restaurant to follow up on the delivery I was informed that my wine had been featured in a new magazine called the New Yorker. Joachim and Tyler drove all the way into town to get a copy of the magazine. The story was half a page and spoke of the light, sweet taste and the wonderful bubbles. By the middle of the year every bottle of both wines had been sold. We had a backlog of orders to be filled. With our next harvest we put up nearly 20 thousand bottles. We had a good customer base from the first harvest and we hoped to continue to grow. I began buying up adjacent land on Joachim's advice to expand our vineyards. The same as the last year we sold all of our stock.
The Winery was doing better than could have been expected and while it was exciting it was also tiring. I needed time to be with Tyler, away from the daily operations of the vineyard. Tyler had become angry with me, he wanted time for the two of us, we never had the chance any more, he cried one night as I held him I heard the frustration in his voice. I made love to him until he begged me for release. I lay atop him covered in sweat our bodies warm against each other, his lips to my ear he whispered his fears and his need for us to be alone for a few days.
The following morning I told Joachim that Tyler and I were going into the city for a few days. Bill said he'd help out until we returned. Tyler and I jumped in the truck and headed to San Diego. We checked in at a hotel, cleaned up and changed clothes then we went out to eat. We looked in store windows as we walked the world was changing. We watched television for almost half an hour standing on the sidewalk, laughing along with a few other people gathered outside the store. We continued to walk stopping in to have a drink, while we were standing at the bar we heard a commotion behind us and saw the bartender trying to force two men out the door, he was yelling at them that their type wasn't allowed in here, they should go down to the Hanging Tree bar where deviants were welcomed. I felt my face turn red. We finished our drinks and left.
We talked about going back to the motel but instead we searched out the bar we had heard the man mention. It wasn't hard to find. When we walked in all eyes turned toward us and watched us make our way to the bar. It took a few seconds for the low murmur of voices and soft music to fill the air once more. I looked around and noticed men our age talking, occasionally touching their partner. The bartender got our attention asking if this was our first time we shook our heads yes. He explained that the police would come in and harass everyone about once a night so we'd better drink up and leave.
We finished our drinks and walked out, the bartender yelled at us to come back the following night earlier. We returned to the motel bolting our door and stripping each other we made love for hours. My fingers moved through Tyler's hair as I begged him to release me, my breath was still coming in gasps as he slid beside me, putting his lips against my shoulder. I looked at him and kissed him deeply, knowing we were apart of each other. His body gave way as he offered himself I took him willingly making him cry out before I would fill him. We slept the following morning until well after 11am. We walked the city again having breakfast and then lunch before returning to clean up and head once more to the Hanging Tree bar. The bar was already filled with customers. It was lighter inside and I could clearly see the faces of the people. I felt sad, many looked lost and alone some seemed hopeless. As I lifted my drink Tyler looked at me, "I want to go, we're different than them."
I heard the urgency in his voice. We stepped out of the bar into the sunshine and returned to the motel. Tyler bolted the door behind us. He had me sit on the side of the bed, he knelt down resting his hands on my knees and he looked up into my face. He spoke softly, telling me he felt sorry for the people we had seen in the saloon because we weren't like them because we loved each other. I held his head against my chest kissing him over and over. His words touched my soul and I cried as I held him making him swear he'd never leave me alone. We finally ended up washing our faces and went down the street to eat before returning to our room. As I held Tyler close against me we talked about the future. Early in the morning we checked out and returned home. As the months passed our sales increased and we purchased additional land.
An opportunity came about for us to purchase almost 500 acres we knew in doing so we would completely drain our cash reserves. I had strong feelings something was wrong and I convinced Tyler we shouldn't buy the land at this time we could afford to wait another season and another opportunity. We didn't have long to wait to find out what I had felt was wrong that day.
In June of 1951, Tyler and I had just finished with dinner. We cleaned up and headed to bed as we lay there, we heard Joachim in his room and soon he was quiet. Tyler and I were making love when the bedroom door burst open and the lights went on. Standing next to our bed with a look of disgust was two Federal Bureau of Investigation Agents. The two men yelled at us to get out of bed and get dressed, then we were handcuffed and dragged outside where Mary and the kids watched as we were forced into the back of a police car and taken to police headquarters. On arrival at the jail we were separated Tyler went one way and me another. I felt nothing but hate for these people and at the same time I imagined the fear Tyler would be feeling. I'd been sitting on a bench for over an hour when an agent walks in and jerks me to my feet by my bad arm. I winced with pain and the agent looked at me like I was crazy or something. He literally shoved me down a hall and into a room where Tyler was seated his face was red, his eyes swollen from crying and blowing his nose. At that moment I wanted to kill both of the agents for hurting Tyler.
One of the agents offered me a cigarette, he handed it to me then lit it, my hand was shaking so bad. He asked me if we were communist and I told him no. I told him what had happened was my fault and Tyler had tried to resist but I overpowered him. He looked at Tyler who looked at the floor. Then he looked at me and asked me if I was a pervert and I told him yes. He shook his head and told the other agent to release Tyler. With Tyler out of the room, the agent pointed to another chair and told me to move, as I went to stand he took his foot and pushed me, I fell against the table and to the floor unable to hold myself up with my bad arm. He looked at me smiling and said I needed to be more careful.
I stood up and looked at him but said nothing. He told me to sit down again I sat with my hands cuffed in front of me. The agent walked over and removed the cuffs, he walked around the table and sat on the corner and looked at me. He began asking degrading questions about my sexual habits. I answered them all up to the point when he said that he hated fighting for this country so perverts like me could stay home and do nothing. At that point I looked at him and said he was a dumb son of a bitch. He stared at me, I told him had been an Army Air Corps Pilot and Army Officer, awarded the Purple Heart, Distinguished Flying Cross and a disability pension, before he could say a word I ask him what sacrifice he'd made to serve this country. He looked at me, then got in my face and called me a liar. I literally ripped the buttons off my shirt removing it and showed him what war does to someone. He looked at me with anger then I told him if he could read he'd have seen my military papers in my wallet. He walked out slamming the door behind him. He returned with my papers and another agent. The other agent looked at my chest, arm and stomach, almost repulsed by the damage and they walked out.
It was morning when they returned to the room, I sat there almost six hours without water or anything else. The next agent that came in the room introduced himself. He looked at me and said that I didn't look like a pervert. I looked at him and said he didn't either my comment angered him. I demanded to know why my house had been broken into in violation of the constitution and State law? He smiled and said my hired hand had reported there were illegal activities of a communist nature going on in the house, I asked who made the report and he said Joachim reported that we were communist. He told me he could care less about me being a pervert but the communist comment had to be taken seriously. He handed me my paperwork back and told me I could leave, I stayed seated and said I wasn't going anywhere until the agent that kicked me apologized, if he didn't I would go to the papers and tell them the FBI broke into my house, a decorated veteran of this country and see what they made of all this. He looked at me incredulously and said, he could charge me with perversion, I told him to charge me. He walked out returning with the agent that had shoved me with his foot. He walked up to me looked me in the face with scorn and he said he was sorry I was a pervert, my knee came up catching him in his groin, he bent forward and I told him I was sorry he's stupid. I looked at the main agent and told him he could arrest me now if he wanted to, he shook his head and pointed to the door.
At the desk the agent returned my belongings, he treated me like I had a plague, I emptied the envelope and threw it back at him and called him an idiot, I waited for his reply he said nothing. I stepped out the front door Tyler was sitting in the truck waiting for me. I opened the passenger door and got in without a word. He looked at me and I looked at him, we said nothing. He pulled away from the building and drove slowly down the main street taking the first turn off the main road we could find. We drove for well over an hour before pulling off the road. We stopped in a vacant area, I looked at Tyler and he began to cry, he cried like they had ripped out his heart, he cried like a man destroyed. I didn't dare move, I wanted to hold him but I couldn't not until he was ready. Through his tears his anguished voice spoke of seeing me in handcuffs and nothing he could do. I knew at that moment I could hold him. I put my arms around him and held him tight he cried against my chest his tears soaking into my shirt. I kissed the side of his face whispering that together nothing could hurt us.
In time he calmed down, I couldn't let him go, not yet. I caressed the side of his face and whispered all the words my heart was filled with, my love and devotion to him. I told him everything that had happened I got a slight smile from him, we discussed Joachim and decided to throw him out in a sign of strength, we didn't want to appear to be afraid to get rid of him, we weren't. It was mid afternoon when we arrived home. Bill saw us pull up in the truck he hurried over I told him I would talk with everyone this evening. Tyler and I returned to our bedroom, we showered and changed clothes before calling everyone together in the kitchen. Tyler stood beside me as I looked at Bill, Mary and Joachim. I proceeded to tell them Tyler and I had been arrested because we are homosexuals and because we had been labeled communists. I explained about my military service and told them we had been released without charge. I asked Bill and Mary if they wanted to keep working with Tyler and me, they nodded their head yes. I looked at Joachim and told him to pack his things and be out by five. I turned and looked at Tyler telling him to get a locksmith to change the locks today, I didn't care what it cost. Joachim stood up and began screeching at the four of us. He called us every imaginable name. I looked at him and shook my head, no wonder he had lived alone, he was so filled with hate. Bill ushered him to his room and helped him pack. By five Joachim wasn't on our land any longer and his room was emptied. Mary had spent the last hour cleaning the room. When Bill returned he took a screwdriver and changed the locks himself. Before Bill and Mary left they told Tyler and me that they understood, it didn't matter what other people thought they thought we were good people and we had their support. We shook hands and they left for the day.
The house looked the same as it did the day before, no sign that anyone uninvited had been inside. Tyler and I ate a sandwich for dinner neither of us was hungry. I lifted Tyler's hand and led him to our bedroom.
We undressed and crawled under the sheets. I held Tyler tight in my arms and we talked about how happy we had been up until last night. Gently I moved down Tyler's body and made love to him, making him cry out loudly over and over, I wanted him to realize this was our home, nothing could harm us here. I lay back exhausted on the bed, Tyler's head on my stomach, my fingers moving through his hair, he looked at me before making love to me the way he had since we were kids. I gently held his head in place and gave him the last measure of my being. He gladly accepted, crawling beside me as I fought to recapture my breath, the excitement of the moment overpowering. Tyler leaned against the headboard and held my head against his chest, his fingers moved up my neck and into my hair he caressed my body as he reminded me of my importance in his life. Tyler had never held me like that before and I soon fell asleep. Nothing appeared in the paper the next day, the next week or the following months, only a few people knew we had been arrested.
Three months had passed and word came our way that Joachim had died. I felt saddened by his death but I couldn't make myself attend his funeral, what he had done to Tyler would never be forgiven.
Tyler and I turned 30 in 1953. Our vineyard has had continued success and we often have more orders than we can produce wine. We expanded and with the expansion hired on a few new hands picked by Bill. On a piece of land almost a mile from where we lived, Bill and Mary began building their own home. We deeded the land to them out of gratitude.
My shoulder began to give me problems and I was sent to the new Veteran's Hospital in San Francisco for treatment. Tyler and I drove to San Francisco on a Tuesday and checked in with the hospital. I was scheduled for testing the following morning. After finding a place for dinner we walked around town. We knew there were bars that only men frequented but neither of us had the desire to go and we didn't drink anything but our own wine.
In the morning I convinced Tyler to remain in bed while I went for tests. The hospital quickly put me through one test after another, not even I noticed that lunch had passed. At five the doctor told me to return again the following morning. As I walked out into the waiting room to leave, Tyler stood up and looked at me, he wasn't happy. As we walked out the front doors he proceeded to tell me how nervous he'd been all day wondering what was happening. I explained about forgetting the time, he settled down just a little but he was still upset. That night as I lay in Tyler's arms, I knew something was wrong with my shoulder, something serious. I'm sure the doctor's thought I hadn't noticed they repeated a few test several times. I was expecting the worst I knew that losing my arm was a possibility. I turned my head and looked at Tyler. He bent forward and kissed my lips, then he smiled and told me how handsome I was and how much he loved me. We were gentle as we made love and then fell asleep holding each other.
I was on my way to the hospital before Tyler woke, I hoped to have the bad news before he woke up at least I could tell him from our motel room. I had just entered the hospital and got a chair in the waiting room when Tyler walked in, he looked at me saying, "I'm coming along."
I shook my head in understanding. We waited almost an hour before the doctor from the day before escorted me back to his office. He smiled as he sat down. I noticed by the way he wrung his hands that he was a bit uncomfortable with the news he had to deliver. He put a few x-rays under a lighted glass and pointed out different structures in my shoulder. He came to a very light colored area the size of my fist. He studied our faces before saying the words we'd never expected to hear, "Zachary you have cancer." Tyler gasped and I looked at him, patting his leg. The doctor continued speaking, he told me there was nothing medically to be done the cancer had spread into my body through the lymphatic system. He foretold the future and how to deal with the associated pain that would increase with time. After he finished speaking he looked at both of us and offered his sincere sadness that this was happening at my age. I shook his hand and walked out of the hospital. Tyler was a wreck but held himself together in the hospital and now he wanted to fall apart, but I told him not to, I had to get home.
He looked at me nodding his head. We arrived home around 10:30pm. Tyler fixed a bite to eat we ate on the porch and looked up at the stars. When Tyler finally cried, it hit me, I was dying and I wouldn't live to see another year. Just as quickly as it entered my mind it left and fear overtook me, what would happen to Tyler, I was terrified, my whole body began to shake, I told Tyler what I was afraid of and he just stared at me in disbelief, I told him I loved him that much, he held me close to him. Time was of the essence I couldn't afford to waste any. I sat down that evening and wrote a letter to Nick, I'd not corresponded with him in well over five years. I wrote about the Vineyard and many other things but I didn't mention my illness. I asked him to come visit as soon as possible.
Several weeks passed when I received a reply from Nick. He was doing well and would love to come and visit. He said he was pleased to hear that Tyler and I were still together. He promised to spend two weeks the following month. The nights were getting cooler but the days were still oppressively hot. Tyler was happy that I was seeing friends and he was excited at the prospect of meeting one of my military friends. Near the middle of the month I heard a car pull up in the drive, I looked out the screen door. Nick, looking as handsome as he did seven years ago as he stepped out of his car and looked around whistling. I threw the screen door aside and he ran over to me. He threw his arms around my neck and whispered in my ear saying I never changed. I commented on how wonderful he looked.
He winked, I grabbed a suitcase, he carried another and I got him situated in his room. When he walked out onto the porch Tyler was sitting next to me on the swing. I saw the look Tyler gave Nick and vice versa, there might be hope after all. I feigned being tired and asked Tyler to take Nick on a tour. I sat on the front porch once they had gone, the pain in my shoulder was growing and already morphine was my only freedom from pain. My greatest fear was losing my sight and hearing before I died, I swore to myself it would never get to that point. When Tyler returned with Nick we drove into town and had dinner, most of the town folks knew about my cancer and were quick to offer apologizes. Nick looked at me when one of the neighbors mentioned an aunt with cancer. Nick stared at me asking when I was going to tell him. I said when the time was right. For two weeks Nick and I played cards, talked about the war and each other. He used any excuse to hug me and tell me how much he still loved me. He'd made us both cry several times. He told me that Tyler was beautiful but he'd never feel anything for anyone the way he felt about me. On the last day of his visit he asked to come back in a month or two for another visit, he made me promise I'd be here, I promised him, while all the while I knew I was dying and wouldn't live another two months. Prologue:
I'm not a writer the way Zachary was. He was always thoughtful, caring and excited about each story, while all I wanted was to finish this story for you. Almost two months passed and Zach's health got progressively worse. He couldn't eat and his eyesight began to fail. I saw the fear and pain in his eyes but he refused to complain, it passed the point where Morphine no longer helped. Sunday night as we lay in bed, Zachary lay in my arms and after looking up and me, he told me he loved me and died, it was very peaceful. I held him until morning before calling an ambulance as the doctor had instructed. They moved him into the ambulance for an autopsy and further transfer to the undertakers. With all the necessary funeral arrangements completed, there was nothing more for me. I'm lying on the bed fully dressed and I've injected a syringe filled with Morphine into my arm the same way I'd injected Zach hundreds of times. I always knew nothing would keep me from Zach, we will camp together throughout eternity, I believe God understands. I'm getting very tired, my eyes will barely stay open, my hand barely writes. I see Zach, he's pulling me to him, I feel his arms around me, he's kissing me and.
---The end---