A TRIAL OF STRENGTH – PART 581 by Rob Williams
Chapter 581 – "JAMIE ENTERTAINS ANGELS UNAWARES"
IN THIS CHAPTER:
Surfer Jamie meets a homeless boy living rough at the beach, in the US illegally. He wants to help the boy but the tough cop Mark, his lover, warns against it. The tribe's leader Bob shows Mark that love is mightier than the law – and "strangers might be angels unawares." Mark relents. "I was wrong – go follow your heart Jamie." Jamie returns to the boy, and a new friendship is born. ______________________________________________________________________
<><> IN THE PREVIOUS CHAPTER <><>
It had been a dramatic and painful episode where the senior boys Pablo and Darius were punished for putting at risk their boys, Tyler and Ryan, by driving their motorcycles recklessly.
After the bosses Randy and Zack had dealt with them it was time for reconciliation. Pablo took Tyler on a long hike in a local canyon. But Ryan, ever the computer expert, said he needed to make some urgent program updates in the office. Darius smiled as he told Ryan's boss Brandon. "And I'd like to stay and watch my boy work his magic if that's OK, Brandon."
So Darius watched as Ryan's fingers sped over the keyboard, a gentle smile on the boy's face lit by the screen. Although Darius understood little of Ryan's running commentary, he was enchanted by the boy's soft, eager voice. And that's where Darius found his magic – gazing at the fine-boned Thai features, the slanted brown eyes, and hearing the musical lilt of his voice.
They lost track of time and were startled by an interruption when Jamie burst into the office. He had obviously come straight from the beach, still wearing red boardshorts and a loose tank, with sand in his tangled blond hair. He slumped in a chair, looking thoughtful. "Brandon, I'm sorry to barge in on you all like this but ..."
"... but you have something you wanna get off your chest, am I right?" Brandon chuckled.
"Well ... I dunno, Brandon. I mean yeah, I do, but I'm not sure what. See I was down at Malibu with the director of Grady's lifeguard movie – just us two going over plans for a difficult upcoming scene. It's a complicated fight scene between two rival surfing groups that lifeguard captain Grady breaks up, so we'll have a lot of surfing extras.
"While we walked back and forth on the beach I kind of noticed a kid sitting a distance away – maybe a lone surfer or something. Anyway after the director was called away to the studio I decided to take a walk on my own to run over a few ideas in my mind.
The kid had disappeared but when I came over a dune I saw him again and stopped to chat. He's just turned eighteen and was at the beach alone – like, living there. He's homeless."
"Pour guy," Brandon said.
"He's Hispanic, but his English is good. The hell of it is, he's undocumented – he seemed to trust me enough to tell me that. He's an immigrant from Honduras and he crossed the border illegally and made his way all alone up to L.A. He loves the beach so he's ... kinda living there."
"Wow, quite a mess," Darius said. "Ain't he afraid the cops will question him and turn him in to Immigration?"
"All the time. I gave him some cash and left him there, but he said he'd be there again tomorrow, he's always at the beach."
"What's his name?" Brandon asked.
"I don't know, dude, we didn't even get that far. I can't get the poor kid out of my mind ... but I don't know what I can do."
"Jamie," Brandon said, "complicated stuff like that, you gotta talk to Mark. As a cop, he knows all about homeless guys and undocumented folks."
"Yeah, you're right Brandon. But Mark is a cop, like you say. He's very by-the-book. Don't know how he'll react."
========= CHAPTER 581 =========
<><> JAMIE RELIEVES THE COP'S TENSION <><>
After a day at the beach in Malibu, blond surfer Jamie had seemed troubled when he came home and looked in on the guys in the office.
He told the office manager Brandon, and other guys there, that at the beach he had stumbled across a young man who, it turned out, was homeless and living on the beach. More troubling was that he was undocumented – he had crossed the border alone and made his way to L.A.
Jamie didn't even know the boy's name, but he gave him some money and left him there. "He said he'd be at the beach again tomorrow, he's always there. I can't get the poor kid out of my mind ... but I don't know what I can do."
Jamie was the boy of the rugged cop Mark, and Brandon immediately advised him to share his unease with Mark. "As a cop, he knows all about homeless guys and undocumented folks." Brandon looked at his watch. "Isn't Mark due home from work real soon? In fact that sounds like his truck pulling up now."
Jamie shot to his feet. "It is. Gotta go, guys. Thanks for the advice Brandon." He bolted from the office and the guys there grinned knowingly at each other. It was a well know ritual that when Mark got home from his shift, he was usually hot and horny after eight hours of his police motorcycle throbbing between his legs. And Jamie had to be waiting for him, naked on the bed.
Brandon looked out the window and smiled. "Judging by Mark's determined stride and clenched jaw it's been a tough day, and Jamie's ass is gonna get it real good." He was right about that. Jamie was waiting, as always, lying on his back on the bed butt naked.
The cop growled, "fucking bullshit day" as he unzipped his uniform pants and yanked out his rock-hard cock. His chiseled features stared down at the naked young jock and, without another word, he spat on his cock, knelt on the bed and pushed his boy's legs back. His cock found the target and drove deep into the warm, willing ass.
"Fuck, I needed that," Mark sighed. "I love you, man ... always here to ease my tension. And so fucking gorgeous."
Jamie gazed up at the police officer, still in full uniform – black shirt open at the neck showing a triangle of white T-shirt underneath. His muscular torso strained against the shirt, tapering down from broad shoulders and lats to a slim waist cinched by a heavy belt. His pants, a silver stripe down the side, were tucked into high, shiny black motorcycle boots.
Jamie looked forward to this moment every day, and gazed up at the macho, alpha cop rising and falling above him, filling his ass with his thick shaft. They were a perfect match – no longer master and boy, but lovers, friends, fuck-buddies, and passionate life partners. Even so, Jamie still called Mark `sir'. It turned him on to feel dominated by such a powerful authority figure.
When Mark eased forward and braced his hands on the bed on either side of Jamie, Jamie reached up, opened two more buttons of the cop shirt and ran his hands inside, feeling the bulge of his pecs under the T-shirt. "I love you, sir. My ass is yours ... fuck me, please."
Having been asserting his authority all day on the streets of L.A. it was a perfect antidote to have this beautiful blond jock submit to him. He gazed down into his blue eyes and smiled. "Mind if I fill that hot ass with jizz, kid?"
Jamie grinned, "Mind if I shoot my jizz all over my chest, sir?"
"Fuck, you're gorgeous. Here it comes man ... damn I love that ass ..." The cop fucked harder, his cock a piston driving faster in an out of the naked young jock until their jubilant shouts bounced off the walls and their cocks erupted – Mark inside his man, and Jamie pulsing spurts of juice over his ripped abs and chest.
<><> MARK LAYS DOWN THE LAW <><>
"Beer?" Mark asked, standing up, pushing his cock back in his pants and zipping them up.
"No thanks." Mark thought he heard a distracted tone in Jamie's curt reply. He got himself a beer from the kitchen, came back and sprawled in an armchair. "OK, now that I've vented my day's stress in your ass, dude, how was your day?"
"Fine. I met the movie director at the beach and we had a long talk about the upcoming fight scene between rival surfers that Grady breaks up. The blocking's gonna be real complicated involving a ton of surfer extras, and we worked hard on it ..."
"And ...?"
"And what, sir?"
"There's something else on your mind, dude. You're kinda distant, don't have that usual post-sex glow about you. You sure you're getting on OK with your director?"
"Oh yeah, no problem there, he respects me a lot and I like him."
"But ...? Jeez, this is like pulling teeth."
"It's nothing to do with work, sir. It's something else I can't get out of my mind. See, while the director and me walked up and down the beach I got glimpses of this kid sitting at the back of the beach. When we'd finished, the director left and I stayed, walking on the beach a bit, running ideas through my mind.
"The kid disappeared, but when I walked over a dune, there he was – a young Hispanic kid, bit disheveled looking. We chatted and his story came out. He just turned eighteen, all alone, and homeless, living rough at the beach."
"Yeah, we see stuff like that all the time."
"I figured you did, sir. But the real problems is, the kid is undocumented. He came from Honduras and crossed the U.S. border illegally. All alone he made his way to L.A. and wound up at the beach. He's kinda lost, and scared that the cops will question him and turn him in."
"He's right to feel scared – there are just too many of them, it's a real problem. When I come across guys like that I arrest them and turn them over to ICE – Immigration and Customs. We have to, it's the law. Otherwise we'd be overrun by immigrants."
"But I can't get the poor kid out of my mind, sir. I kinda liked the guy, feel I gotta do something for him."
"Jamie. There's nothing you can do. If he were just homeless you could take him to a homeless shelter. But there's nothing you can do about his illegal status. Like I said, if I had found him he'd be in custody right now."
"But what if I ..."
"If nothing, Jamie," Mark snapped, getting annoyed. "If you get mixed up with the kid you'll find yourself in trouble too. Aiding and abetting an illegal alien is a crime and you'll find your own ass in jail."
"But I can't just leave it there, sir. I liked the guy and ..."
"Liking him has nothing to do with it, boy," Mark said angrily. "I don't wanna see you do something illegal like that. I know how impulsive you can be, so you can't see this guy again."
"You forbid it?" Jamie asked incredulously.
"Damn right I do. It's not your problem, Jamie, and you can get in a shitload of trouble. If you do, don't come running to me for help. That's my last word on the subject."
Jamie took a deep breath to object, but he didn't want a fight. So he stood up and pulled on his shorts and sneakers.
"What you doing?"
"I gotta go see my buddy Nate up at Chad and Adam's house. I told him I'd fill him in on stuff the director and me talked about, `cos he'll be working on the scene too."
Mark frowned. "You, er, you alright Jamie? Sorry I yelled at you."
"I'm OK, sir. I'll be back before dinner." He grabbed his tank-top and abruptly left the room.
<><> LOVE IS MIGHTIER THAN THE LAW <><>
"Fuck," Mark said softly. He wasn't sure what just happened here, but he knew something had.
In the past he had often spoken sharply to Jamie, and he had obeyed him. Jamie was his boy after all – or they used to call it that. And this time he had only been quoting the law to him – it was a fact, not an opinion.
But the look on Jamie's face had not just been resistance to an order, there was something else. He had looked surprised, disappointed, as if something about Mark puzzled him.
"Fuck," Mark said again and paced the room. Jamie had run out in such a rush, as if he wanted to get away from him. It was such an abrupt change, right after they had had such great sex. It must be the immigrant kid thing. But Jamie barely knew the boy ... apparently they had only spoken a few words. Why did he seem so upset?"
Mark tried to put the thing out of his mind. Maybe he was overreacting, seeing problems that weren't there. But the look on Jamie's face as he went out still haunted him. "Fuck." He couldn't settle, and knew where he would go. Without stopping to change out of his uniform he went out, crossed the garden to Bob and Randy's house and went upstairs.
The door to the master bedroom was ajar and he saw Bob working at his desk, dressed in his usual V-neck white T-shirt and jeans. He tapped at the door, "Hey dude, room for one more?"
Bob's face lit up with a smile. "Hi there, officer. You come to arrest me? I hope so. I'm going cross-eyed with all these figures."
Mark came in and looked around. "Randy here?"
"Nah, he's gone with Zack and Lloyd to the empty lot that's gonna be our next project. That's what we've been meeting about. Randy and Zack want Lloyd to look the space over with his architect's eye. You just get home? Where's Jamie?"
Mark shrugged. "Oh, he went out."
Bob knew Mark well. "OK, what's the problem, buddy? You and Jamie just had a fight?"
"No ... at least I don't think so. Damned if I know actually. He was waiting for me on the bed as usual and we made love ... then suddenly everything changed." Bob raised his eyebrows, waiting for more. So Mark told him the gist of the conversation he'd had with Jamie.
Bob frowned and asked a few questions for clarification. "So you say Jamie seemed upset by finding the kid there, wanted to help? And you kinda threw the book at him – the law book."
"I only told him the truth. I wanted to save him from getting in trouble."
"Er, what kind of day did you have today?" Bob asked, out of nowhere.
"What? Oh, bitch of a day actually. Fucking crap going on everywhere, smart-asses into all kinds of illegal stuff and trying to bullshit their way out of it. Had to call for backup several times."
"And you came home, in full angry-cop mode and found your own boy talking about getting into illegal stuff, as you put it, by helping this kid."
"Well, yeah ... I suppose ... if you wanna put it like that. I mean, come on, man, gimme a break here."
"I will, if you'll stop being a cop for a while and become the man I love."
"Stop being a cop? How the fuck do I that ...?
"Well first, by getting out of that damn uniform. Here, let me help you with that."
Mark found himself staring into the soft, sexy brown eyes that always made his dick hard as Bob undid the rest of his shirt and pulled it out of his waist. Smiling, he pushed the black shirt gently back off Mark's shoulders and caught it as it fell. He draped it over the back of a chair, stood back and admired him.
"Hmm, one of the looks I like best – T-shirt stretched over a muscle torso." Bob went close again, pulled the T-shirt up from his waist, over the wide lats and off over his head. "Oh yeah, another favorite look – cop stripped to the waist in uniform pants and biker boots. We could leave it right there, but let's go for broke, eh? Hold onto my shoulder and ease off the boots."
At this point Mark was so turned on he would have done anything Bob told him to. He braced his hand on Bob's shoulder and eased off his boots, one after the other. Bob faced him close up, and unbuckled his belt. He unzipped his pants and pushed them and his shorts down.
Mark stepped out of them and Bob said, "Now that one is my all-time favorite – muscle-cop buck naked with iron-hard cock. Irresistible." Bob stared into the cop's blue eyes, and kissed him lightly on the lips. Then he stepped back and smiled at the naked man, stripped of his uniform.
"There, no longer a cop eh? No more the authority figure. Guess that means I'm in charge. So on the bed, big guy."
"Fuck you, man ..."
"That's what Randy always says when he gives into me." Bob smiled, pushed against Mark's chest and he fell backwards onto the bed. The naked cop stared up at him as Bob pulled off his T-shirt and dropped his jeans and shorts.
"Fuck, man," Mark groaned. "You know I can never resist that."
"That is the general idea, buddy. And now, to prove that the cop has lost all his powers, Superman is gonna fuck him up the ass."
"I'm always powerless with you, dude ... aaahh!" Mark sighed as he felt Bob's cock easing into his ass. Bob leaned forward, curled his hands over Mark's biceps and pinned them to the bed. "There, my prisoner. Nothing sexier than a captive cop. Now relax, and make love to my eyes."
That part was easy. Right from that very first day long ago when the cop had pulled Bob's car over, the driver lowered his window and their eyes met, Mark had fallen in love. Now, as they made love, all Mark's frustrations, anger and troubles with Jamie melted away and he stopped being a cop. He was Bob's lover.
Nothing more was said as Bob made love to Mark's ass, to his mind, and deep into his blue-gray eyes. For long minutes they moved in perfect unison until at last their love-making reached its inevitable climax. They smiled, their bodies tensed and, with deep sighs, they spurted their pent-up juice – Mark over own his ripped body, Bob deep inside the naked cop.
Bob lowered his body onto Mark's and they lay silently, breathing in unison, Mark's arms wrapped around Bob. After a while Bob slid off him, lay on his side propped up on his elbow, and smiled down at Mark. "OK, officer, now we got that settled, let's cut to the chase here.
"The boy you love is hurting, probably because of something you said. He wants to help a kid in trouble and you have a problem with that. Your problem is with the law, his is with his heart, a heart full of compassion. And you and I just proved that the heart is mightier than the law.
"But all that aside, Mark, I want to take you back a long way to the day when two homeless skinheads attacked a couple of our boys, and you're impulse was to arrest them and throw them in jail for assault and battery. But my heart went out to the two young street-kids ... I could see behind all their bravado that they were scared. So I persuaded you to let me take charge of them and put them to work in the house.
"Thankfully, you agreed. Because you know what became of them? The one called Larry is now the treasured boy of our own Uncle Mike. And the one named Jamie is the love of your life. Reminds me of that biblical saying ... `Forget not to show love to strangers for thereby some have entertained angels unawares'. And your Jamie can be pretty angelic sometimes.
"As for the rest, we'll cross all the bridges when, and if, we come to them. I'm not an expert on immigration, I'm a corporate attorney. But an old buddy of mine is a top-flight immigration attorney who has worked every angle there is to work. I know he'd help us if it came to that.
"But for now let's focus on Jamie. He is a beautiful, wonderful boy with a kind heart. So Mark, let him follow his heart ... please, buddy."
Tears were running down Mark's face. He leaned forward and kissed Bob, then leapt off the bed. "I gotta go, I gotta go to him, he's up at Nate's." Mark frantically pulled on his pants and boots, then his T-shirt, and ran to the door. He turned and said, "Man, I fucking love you, dude."
And he was gone.
<><> "WHAT'S THE PROBLEM?" <><>
With a satisfied smile Bob pulled on his boxer shorts and settled back at his laptop to pick up where he had left off when Mark had come in. But his solitude didn't last long before another interruption – Randy this time, home from his visit to the new construction site."
Bob looked up. "Hi, Randy, how was it?"
"Good meeting. Lloyd had some interesting ideas about the new project. Hey, how come you're just in your boxers."
Bob had guessed this would be the next question and he smiled. "Because I had a visit from Mark. He had a problem with Jamie and the law, and I proved to him that love is mightier than the law."
"Did he fuck you?"
Bob had also guessed that would be the second question and smiled again. "No Randy he did not. As a matter of fact I fucked him – fucked some sense into him."
Randy gave a satisfied smile. "Yeah, must have worked `cos I caught sight of him rushing out the gate like a bat out of hell, still in his uniform, minus the shirt. So what was the all-fire hurry?"
"He was rushing off to see Jamie up at Nate's place. OK, here's the story ..."
Bob related the agitated way Mark had reacted to Jamie's conversation about the homeless boy at the beach. He described how he himself had made love to Mark, and then persuaded him to look at Jamie through the eyes of a lover instead of a cop. "Like you say, buddy, it seemed to work `cause he bolted, saying he had to see Jamie."
Randy frowned. "Am I missing something here? I don't see the problem. You come across a boy who's all alone and in trouble, so you help him. Of course you do. So what's the problem?"
Bob stood up and kissed Randy on the cheek. "That's why I love you so much, Randy – you're so strong and pure. You have a way of cutting through all the bullshit and offering love and protection to a lonely kid. You have a great big gypsy heart."
"And a great big gypsy cock, dude, that gets hard just being near you. But that'll have to wait, `cos right now I would kill for a cocktail."
"No need for anything so drastic, buddy. I'll get your cocktail without stepping over any dead bodies. Dinner in half an hour. And don't worry about Mark and Jamie. I have a feeling they're gonna be just fine."
Randy chuckled, "Amazing what a good fuck'll do eh? You gotta refresh my memory on that right after dinner." He rubbed his chin in thought. "Pure, eh? First time anyone's ever called me pure, usually the exact opposite. But thanks, dude. I like the ring of it."
<><> ANGELS UNAWARES <><>
Bob was right about the cop and his boy. At Nate's house Jamie was sharing his troubles with his best buddy, who said in his comforting Aussie drawl, "Ah, no worries, mate. Mark will come around. I know how you feel about seeing a kid like that, all alone, homeless and scared. But what you got from Mark was a knee-jerk cop's reaction. You know how strict he is when it comes to enforcing the law – totally by-the-book."
"Yeah, you're right, Nate. But I don't care, I'm gonna go back down to the beach first thing tomorrow, even if I have to disobey Mark. I just hope the boy's still there, not moved on, or worse – already picked up by the cops."
Nate smiled. "Kinda reminds me of me when I first met you down at the beach, remember? Not that I was in the same predicament as this poor guy. I was just a tourist from Sydney, but I was all alone and feeling kinda lonesome, when I spotted you and Mark outside your shack, working out and making love. I plucked up the courage to go and meet you and ..." Nate gave his cheerful Aussie grin ... "here we are now, best mates and working on Grady's movie together."
"Never looked back, eh?" Jamie smiled. "Oh, talking of the movie, don't forget we're back on location on Thursday. Our call time at Malibu is the ungodly hour of 6am. It's a tough life, eh dude?"
They heard a truck pull up outside and heavy footsteps, then Mark burst in. Jamie shot to his feet, startled, but as Nate had predicted, he needn't have worried. Mark opened his arms wide. "Come here kiddo." He wrapped his arms tight round Jamie who felt the comforting sensation of the cop's T-shirt brushing against him, muscles flexing underneath.
"Jamie, I was wrong. I sounded off like a heartless cop, and that really ain't me. I had a long talk with Bob ... long session ... and he set me straight." The boys exchanged knowing glances, both guessing, correctly, what that long session had included. Nate got up, ready to leave discretely but Mark said, "No, stay, Nate. I want you to hear this."
Mark and Jamie sat facing each other. "Jamie, you were right about that kid you stumbled across. It's just common decency to help a boy like that, even though he's a stranger." Mark smiled. "Bob reminded me of that old saying – `be sure to show love to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares'."
Mark chuckled. "I'm not saying this kid is an angel, that's for you to find out. But you reacted with your heart, Jamie, and I love you for that. So go ahead, follow that big generous heart of yours and go see the kid again, if you can find him.
"Thank you for saying that, sir. But the stuff you said about the law ... it was all true, after all, and I don't want to create trouble for you."
"Ah, don't sweat it dude. Bob was helpful there too. He said if it comes to it, be knows a terrific immigration lawyer, a buddy of his. I would have total confidence in turning that side of it over to Bob ... his heart is as big as yours."
"OK if I go down to the beach tomorrow morning?"
Mark laughed. "You don't have to ask my permission for that, kiddo. This is your show now. So go for it, dude ... do your thing. So, Nate, where are Adam and Chad?"
"Oh, they went off for one of their upscale date-nights at that posh hotel down the coast. They'll have dinner and stay the night. Need I say more?" he grinned.
"Good for them. But you can't be here on your own. Come down and have dinner with us and all the other guys. Stay the night if you want. And bring your dog Molly. God knows there are enough dogs down there for her to hang out with."
Jamie smile at Nate. What a difference, he thought, from the cop who had roared home a few hours ago – hot, horny and angry, expecting sex and subservience.
When the three of them, plus Molly, arrived at the compound the tribe was already gathering at the long outdoor dinner table. The grapevine being what it was, everyone had heard of the disagreement between Mark and Jamie – especially upsetting as they were known to be such a tight, loving couple. So there was a general sigh of relief to see them so relaxed together.
There was also a noisy greeting for Nate, the easygoing Aussie who didn't often have dinner here with them. And a chaotic scene when Molly greeted her pals – Pablo's dog Billy, Tyler's Milly, and Will's pug Norman. Amid the racket Nate caught Will's arm as the young chef hurried past. "Hey, Will, sorry to drop in unannounced like this. If there's not enough food I can ..."
Will laughed. "Not enough food? In this house? Nate, we always make a few more than the meal count for last-minute additions. Fr'instance, we never know if Randy's gonna be held up at the construction site, then he shows up right at the last minute."
"Hey, Red," Randy grinned, "you bad-mouthing me to our Aussie friend?"
"Me, sir? Never, sir? Just telling the truth. You do keep us on our toes, sir."
"Damn straight. And it's one small shove from on your toes to on your back. Hmm, there's a thought."
Will smiled. "A thought you'll have to check out with the twins, sir, then with my dad Seth."
Randy pulled off Will's chef's hat and ruffled his hair. "Just busting your chops, Red. Hey, you still got some of that special Scotch ... you know the one ...?"
"In the private stash, sir, just for you. Just say the word. Now I have to get on with serving dinner, sir. And Nate, we'll even come up with some food for Molly and pals."
And so the usual joshing and kidding around kept the mood light and prevented Jamie from brooding over the boy on the beach, though it was hard for him to stop wondering how he was feeling, how he was keeping warm in the cool night air. He couldn't wait to go down there tomorrow and help him.
<><> COMPASSION IS CONTAGIOUS <><>
Nate stayed overnight in Mark and Jamie's apartment, and next morning the three of them were the first of the guys at the breakfast table – except for young chef Will, of course, who was already setting it up.
Will smiled, "Early start, eh Jamie? You off to the beach to find that homeless kid?"
"Wow, word sure gets around fast here. Yeah, I am. So just coffee for me, Will."
"'Cos I was wondering if you'd like to take him some food. I could pack breakfast for you both in one of the insulated hot-food bags I use on my catering gigs. I'll include a hot dish – scrambled eggs and sausage – and a bunch of sandwiches for him for later. Living rough down there he must get hungry."
"Dude, that's so kind of you. Sure it's not too much trouble with everything else you have to do?"
"Nah, piece of cake. Talking of cake, I'll put in some of my rhubarb pie I keep in the fridge."
He ran off to the kitchen, and Nate asked, "You want me to come with you, Jamie? I'd be glad to help."
Jamie frowned. "Thanks for the offer, dude, but nah, I wanna really low-key this – keep it casual. Yesterday I got this real nervous vibe from him, and he might feel safer if it's just me."
"OK, but I'm just a phone call away, mate. And at least I can give him these ..." Nate pulled out of his backpack a plaid shirt and cargo shorts. "These are almost new, Adam bought them for me. I always carry a change of clothes with me in case it turns chilly, and my guess is the kid don't have much in the way of extra clothes."
Jamie hugged Nate. "Real generous of you, buddy. They'll be just the thing."
Mark stood up, already in his uniform. "I gotta go – early shift. I'll be home early afternoon. Here, take this for the boy – he probably don't have much of this either." Mark pressed a wad of cash in Jamie's hand and Jamie stood up and hugged him.
"Jamie, I'm so proud of you, boy, and the way you boys rally round someone you don't even know. And you're learning something already ... kindness and compassion are contagious – it spreads from person to person and place to place. And it started with you, kiddo."
They kissed and Mark left. Jamie stuffed Nate's clothes in his own backpack, and a few minutes later Will came out with a heavy thermos bag of warm food. "There's coffee in here too, Jamie. It'll all stay hot for a long time in this bag. Good luck, dude. I hope you find him."
"Thanks guys. I love you both." Jamie picked up his backpack and slung the food bag over his shoulder. As he walked to the gate he felt the warmth of the bag against his body, and the warmth of his friends' smiles behind him, watching him leave.
He heard Nate shout, "Good on ya mate ... we got your back, dude."
<><> SURPRISED BY JOY <><>
Jamie drove to the exact spot on the beach in Malibu where he had seen the boy yesterday. He parked right behind the beach and as he got out of the truck he half-hoped to spot him again right away. But the beach was deserted at this hour. It was a little-used beach anyway, the reason it had been selected by the location scouts for the movie, but filming wouldn't resume for another couple of days.
He walked down to the water looking in each direction ... but no luck. He walked along the beach in both directions, then up onto the low dunes. He kept walking, feeling strangely lonely as the only person in sight, but there was no sign of the kid.
His heart sank, surprised at how depressed the boy's absence made him feel. He had been imagining how it would feel to be with him again. He had rehearsed what he would say, the reassuring tone he would use so as not to frighten him away. But it was all for nothing. Will's food, Nate's clothes, Mark's cash ... all for nothing.
The kid had told him he would be here again today ... said he was always here at the beach. So what had happened? Had he forgotten? Or worse, had he been picked up by the cops and was even now being held by Immigration and processed for deportation?
Stop it, Jamie told himself and sat on the sand hugging his knees. Why was he obsessing about this, anyway? Had he blown the whole thing out of proportion? Maybe the kid had treated yesterday as just a chance encounter and forgotten all about it. It was the most obvious answer.
Jamie stared out at the ocean, at the steady sets of waves coming ashore. Fuck, he thought. Fuck it. He went back to his truck and grabbed the surfboard that was always in the back. He tucked it under his arm, ran down to the water and launched himself on the board into the surf.
The thought came to him that he was drowning his sorrows and he grinned at what Mark would say – "Not a great choice of words, kiddo". As he paddled out to the waves he thought of Mark and Nate and Will. Maybe that's what all this was about – just an exercise in kindness. Never mind if there was no actual result – it was the thought that counted ... `The greatest of these is charity' he recalled from somewhere.
As he sat on his board facing the shore, waiting in eager anticipation for the next set of waves to lift him up, his heart lightened. His mind cleared of its disappointment and, as the swell rose behind him, he jumped up on his board and stretched out his arms. Riding the crest of the wave, an immense surge of joy swept over him, he laughed into the wind ...
And that's when he saw him.
At least it looked like him – a lonely figure standing on the beach, shading his eyes as he gazed out to sea. Jamie sped forward, carried by the wave toward him ... and yes. It was him.
The wave broke, launching Jamie's board through the surf and up the beach, skidding to a halt on the sand. The boy's face lit up with a smile as he said, "Hello. I didn't think you would come."
<><> "BECAUSE I CAN" <><>
"I didn't think you would either when I didn't see you here. But, well, here we are." He held out his hand. "Hello, I'm Jamie."
They shook hands shyly. "And I'm Felipe."
Suddenly at a loss for words, Jamie said, "Are you hungry?"
Felipe shrugged stoically. "Always"
"And cold?"
"A little."
And broke?"
Felipe laughed. "Hungry, cold and broke, yes Jamie, all three, most of the time."
"Well come with me, buddy, `cos I can take care of all those things."
Jamie tucked the board under his arm and they walked up the beach to the truck. He loaded the board in the back of the truck, then opened the door and pulled out the insulation bag. "Here take this would you?"
Felipe smiled. "Long time since I saw one of these." He slung it over his shoulder, Jamie grabbed his backpack and they went back to sit on the sand at the foot of the low dune. "This is our breakfast," Jamie said, unzipping the bag. Will had done them proud – plates, knives, forks, cups, coffee, sandwiches and of course the scrambled eggs.
Felipe's eyes opened wide and when Jamie served up he dug into the eggs, sausages and toast. As Felipe ate voraciously Jamie got a good look at him – a good-looking young man with dark Hispanic features, short dark hair and a lithe body under his thin T-shirt.
"When did you last eat, dude?"
"Yesterday morning, I think. At that little restaurant up the beach there's a waitress, Rosa, who sneaks me leftovers out the back door. But this food is delicious, all the herbs and spices in the eggs. You are a very good cook, Jamie."
"Oh that's not me, it's a buddy of mine and he is a terrific chef."
"I can tell. I know a bit about food because I went to the Culinary Academy in Tegucigalpa. When I graduated I was planning on becoming a chef but ..."
"But what, Felipe? If you wanna talk about it."
"Not really. Just that there's not much work in Honduras and a lot of violence. I had a friend who was in a gang and when they came for him they tried to get me too. I realized that was the time to get out, so I made the biggest decision of my life and decided to risk coming here."
"All on your own?"
"What did I have to lose, Jamie? Only my life, one way or another. I was pretty good at avoiding cops and crossing borders at night." He took a big mouthful of oatmeal. "Only thing I didn't plan for was what I would do when I got here. I didn't know anyone at all here. So I wound up here in Malibu – one of the glamor capitals I'd read about."
"Only there ain't much glamor for you, right?" Jamie grinned.
Felipe smiled. "Sitting right here with you eating this great food is about as glamorous as it gets Jamie."
"Hey, that T-shirt's real thin and there's still a cool breeze. Another buddy of mine gave me this for you – cargo shorts and a warm shirt. And while we're at it, might as well get this over with. Another friend sent this for you." Jamie shoved the crumpled wad of money from Mark in the pocket of the shirt. "I don't mean to embarrass you or insult your dignity or whatever, but ..."
Felipe laughed. "Jamie, any last shreds of dignity I had disappeared when I crawled wet and tired out of the river and stumbled across the desert in the dark. In my country, dignity is in short supply."
"Felipe, your English is much better than I thought when I first met you. It's near perfect."
"Ah, when we first met I was nervous and my language went to pieces. I learned good English working as a cook for a while for an English family in Honduras. I'm good at languages and they spoke very proper English, of course. But finally they couldn't take the violence anymore and left the country, so I was out of a job again."
He stared at Jamie and frowned. "Jamie, I have a question. Why are you doing all this for me?"
Jamie thought for a minute, then shrugged. "Because I can. There you are with almost nothing left, and me with so much, so of course I help out. Our positions could so easily have been reversed. Believe it or not, I was a homeless street kid once, running wild with a buddy, and some great guys helped me and took me in. So you see, there but for the grace of God ..."
"Hey, this is rhubarb pie isn't it?" Felipe smiled. "That English family made that, but it tasted nothing like this. This is perfect. One day I'd like to meet this chef of yours."
On an impulse Jamie blurted out, "How about today, dude? I mean right now? I don't care what you say, Felipe, I am not gonna leave you here ... even if you do have a warm shirt," Jamie grinned. "Will you let me show you where I live?"
"Jamie, I don't think I've ever met anyone as kind as you, but I don't want to bring any trouble to you. I mean, if we got pulled over by the cops, or something ..."
"Dude," Jamie insisted, "you don't have to worry about stuff like that, not when you're with me. Please come, Felipe. Also, there's ... there's another reason I want to help you ... just because I like you, dude. Simple as that."
Felipe smiled. "Well, if you put it like that. But I'm only doing it to get another tase of that rhubarb pie, understood?"
"Understood, kiddo. OK, where's your stuff?"
"Back over here." Felipe ran over the dune and came back with a small backpack. "I'm like a snail – carry my home on my back. This is my stuff, Jamie, all the stuff I have in the world."
"Not anymore, buddy. You got me."
<><> HOME AT LAST <><>
On the drive back across town they talked mostly about Jamie's movie. Felipe had secretly watched some of the filming, "But I had to be careful `cos they got cops doing the security, and cops are the last thing I need."
Jamie was only too pleased to talk about his work, and Felipe was fascinated. He asked many perceptive questions, which led Jamie to say, "Felipe, I wanna ask you something. I mean you're only eighteen, but the way you talk makes you sound older. I'm seven years older than you but you're so smart, your command of English, your confidence ..."
"Oh," Felipe smiled, "that's partly an act. A lot of the time I'm faking it. It's a survival skill. You get pretty good at faking stuff when you're just trying to survive. You must not show fear, even if you are peeing your pants.
"But most of the time I am scared underneath – scared of people, scared of the cops, scared of what comes next or where I'll be tomorrow. I'm even scared of you, Jaimie. That's why I didn't show myself when you first got here because I was plucking up the courage to talk to you."
"You're not scared now, are you?"
"Less and less, Jamie. It's hard to shake off, but I'm getting there."
As they drove across town Felipe looked with fascination at the city he had hidden from before. But as they drove up a winding tree-lined hill his heart beat faster, especially when they pulled up at a big gate and Jamie announced, "Here we are ... home."
Jamie sensed Felipe's tension and drove round the back to the garages. As they grabbed their backpacks and got down from the truck Jamie saw there were a few guys milling around by the pool so he decided to go in the back way and straight to Bob's house. Felipe needed to feel safe, and Bob was the guy for that."
"It's a big compound actually," Jamie explained, "but first I want you to meet a man you're sure to like. He kind of runs the place." He felt Felipe tense more as they went upstairs and Jamie knocked on the door to the master suite.
"Come in, it's open."
When they walked in Felipe saw a tall dark man, barefoot in jeans and a white V-neck T-shirt. He was square-jawed and muscular and reminded Felipe fleetingly of Superman from the movies. He was scared at first but that changed when Bob's handsome face broke into a gleaming smile.
Jamie said, "Bob, I'd like you to meet my friend Felipe."
"Felipe, what a pleasure. Welcome to our home. My name is Bob." Felipe held out his hand nervously but Bob walked up to him with outstretched arms and wrapped him in a warm hug. "Jamie told us about you and I was hoping he'd bring you home. And here you are. Would you like something to drink?"
"Er, lemonade please, sir, if you have it."
"Of course we do, our kitchen guys keep us well-stocked with everything." Bob gave a slight nod to Jamie who went to the kitchen. Good idea to leave the boy alone with Bob for a few minutes, he thought.
"Have a seat, Felipe. Not nervous are you?"
"A little, sir. I mean, all this is so ..."
"Overwhelming, I know. But I want you to relax, you're among friends here. Jamie told us about your situation and we're here to help in any way we can. You've made a perfect start by meeting Jamie."
"I know that, sir. He's been wonderful to me, so kind."
"And I believe you had breakfast at the beach, right?"
"Yes, sir, it was delicious. I know quite a lot about fine food and this was the best I've tasted ..." He smiled for the first time. "Especially the rhubarb pie."
"Ah yes, Will's specialty. He shares the recipe with very few people ... perhaps you will be one of the chosen few. You, er, say you know about fine food?"
"Yes, sir. In Honduras I studied at the Culinary Academy in Tegucigalpa. I wanted to be a chef but ..."
He broke off nervously and Bob jumped in to save his embarrassment. "That's really interesting, Felipe. The only thing I know about Central American cuisine is Honduran baleadas."
Felipe smiled. "I learned many baleadas recipes, sir, and created some myself."
"You must show our kitchen staff. They are always interested in broadening their culinary skills into ethnic foods. They are young men like yourself, you'll meet them later. Ah here's Jamie."
As Jamie handed round the lemonade Felipe smiled up at him and Bob's sensitive antennas picked up signs of an already close friendship between the boys, despite their age difference.
As they drank Bob said. "Felipe, I understand if you feel disoriented and a bit nervous but before we do anything else I want to say a few things to reassure you.
"I realize that your main fear is your immigration status, but I want you to stop worrying. I am a lawyer and I have a friend who is a very skilled immigration lawyer. Of course, I don't know your details and can't make any promises, but I feel pretty confident that he will be able to help, he knows all the angles. Maybe even your specialized culinary skills will help.
"In the meantime you are safe while you're here. You'll be staying with us of course, we have plenty of space and Jamie's apartment is large. A nice warm bed for a change. But first things first. Tell me, when did you last have a nice hot shower.?"
Felipe blushed. "I can't remember, sir, so long ago. They had cold showers at the beach and I used those every day ..."
"Well, cold showers and homelessness are a thing of the past. We have a huge shower here – jets from all sides. So Jamie, why don't you show Felipe the way, then we'll talk some more?"
"Thank you, sir, I ... I ..." he stammered, tears brimming in his eyes. When they stood up Felipe fell into Bob's arms and the floodgates opened. He sobbed uncontrollably, great heaving sobs, his face buried against Bob's neck. Jamie was startled but Bob signaled to him to stay back.
Bob knew this was a catharsis, a merciful release of all the pain, fear and uncertainty the boy had fought against in the last weeks. It was good that he now felt secure enough to let it all out.
"I know, I know," Bob whispered quietly in his ear. "I can only imagine what you've been through recently, Felipe, but it's over at last. You're safe, among friends. I promise nothing bad will happen to you here ... you can start to live again."
At last the sobs subsided and the boy pulled away and wiped his tears away with the back of his hand. "I'm sorry, sir ... I didn't mean to cry ... it's just that ..."
"Sshh," Bob smiled, "crying is good. But now you really need a shower. Your buddy Jamie will show you the way."
Jamie led him gently away, leaving Bob deep in thought, his mind already running with ideas.
<><> THE GREATEST OF THESE <><>
When Jamie reappeared he gushed his thanks. "Thank you, sir. I'm so glad he felt able to let go like that. He feels so much better. He knows there are no promises and his future is still in limbo, but at this point a good meal and a nice warm bed are luxuries for him. What did you think of him, sir?"
"Quite remarkable, Jamie. For one so young he's very polite, speaks well and is obviously very bright. I can only imagine being that intelligent yet being stifled by poverty and fear. He's a good-looking boy too with those dark, slightly mestizo looks and short dark hair. And I think we can certainly do a little better for him than just a warm shower and a warm bed. Jamie, what are your feelings about Felipe?"
"I, I'm not sure, sir. I feel sorry for him, of course, a lot of sympathy, but it's more than that, something deeper I can't put my finger on."
Bob smiled. "Let me tell you something, Jamie. There is only a very fine line between love and compassion. I see them as two faces of the same coin. You've heard that Biblical thing about Faith, Hope and Charity but the greatest of these is Charity'. In modern translations the word Charity becomes Love, they are interchangeable ... but the greatest of these is Love'.
"And that's what you gave him, Jamie. What you feel for Felipe is compassion, of course, and a kind of love. Exactly what kind remains to be seen."
"I can't wait for Mark to meet him, sir."
"Er, yes ... I'd go easy there, Jamie. You know, low-key it ... no pressure. He'll be home soon."
They talked some more about Jamie's conversation with Felipe, until at last they heard the shower stop and minutes later Felipe appeared with a broad smile on his face, wearing the plaid shirt and cargo shorts Nate had given him. "Wow, quite the transformation – the boy cleans up well," Jamie laughed. "Now we gotta find you some clean sneakers."
Felipe stretched and took a deep breath, as if inhaling clean air for the first time. He walked to the window and smiled. You have a wonderful garden here. I used to love gardening, love watching things grow."
Suddenly he froze and his eyes opened wide in fear. "NO ... NO ... the cops are here." He whirled on Jamie. "You promised, you broke your promise. You said you were my friend ... I trusted you, Jamie ... I have to leave."
He rushed from the room and down the stairs. Bob glanced from the window and said, "Oh no ... it's Mark, in uniform. Go after your friend, Jamie."
Jamie bolted from the room, almost fell down the stairs and ran across the garden to the gate. Outside he looked frantically in both directions and saw in the distance Felipe running wildly, barefoot down the hill."
Jamie yelled, "Felipe, no! Stop. Please, dude ... wait for me ... I love you ..."
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
TO BE CONTINUED in "A Trial Of Strength" – Chapter 582
Hey guys, this is Rob Williams. I hope that chapter turned you on, and I welcome your comments and suggestions, which can be very helpful in planning future chapters. E-mail me in confidence at rw6789@aol.com.
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