My Blonde Brad - Chapter 11
Disclaimer:
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This is a fictional story with fictional characters. Any resemblance to people living or dead is purely a coincidence.
This story involves love and physical intimacy between two consenting adult men. If you do not want to read this or are prohibited by law, house rules etc, please leave.
The is a story about relations and not about sex. So there will be very limited sexual acts and even when it occurs, there will be no graphic details.
The story does not intend to preach any religion or culture. The reader is at the liberty to stop reading if he or she does not wishe to continue.
My Blonde Brad - Chapter 11
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Friday evening, we landed in San Francisco. Lei, Jason and his girlfriend Jamie joined us too. This was one of the things-to-do-before-we-graduate, and this looked like the last opportunity. Dae for some reason preferred to be left alone. He was very friendly and all, but never hung out with us. Even when I visited my ex roommates he'd be in his room most of the time. I didn't hate him for that, but was not happy about it either.
Vijay, my sweet brother, had come with Tanya, his girlfriend to pick us up. Although we talked regularly on the phone, it was the first time we were meeting since I came out to him. And although he'd be satisfied with just a handshake, I gave him a big hug. My relation with my brother had definitely become stronger, and my love for him had definitely become more explicit in the last four months.
Tanya was such a pretty girl with a smile that shone through her eyes. She was standing all excited and ready to meet me, and her friend Lei, from last summer. I shook hands with her with the standard "So good to finally meet you".
"Arey, isse kaam nahin chalega" she said. (Just a handshake? this won't work)
"Haan, tumhe to pair chuna padega" kidded my brother (Yes, you have to touch her feet and take her blessings)
"That's not what I meant..." she said and pulled me into a tight hug.
After four more hugs and kisses, we all headed for the CALTRAIN. San Antonio where they lived is about an hour from the airport. Thank God for public transportation. We were informed that Brad, Jason and I would stay in my brother's apartment and Jamie can stay with Tanya. Lei's parents lived in Millbrae, right in between San Francisco and San Antonio, so she decided to go home and join us on Monday.
Luckily for us my brother's two roommates had moved to a friend's place for the one-week we were visiting. The six of us had dinner together and the girls left for Tanya's apartment, which was only a two minute walk from Vijay's. We all were pretty beat after a five hour long flight and also because it was 1 am back home. I decided to stay up with my brother and may be call mum and dad.
Vijay showed Brad and Jason their beds and joined me in the living room. We started talking and may be like five minutes later, Brad came out into the living room.
"Just wanted to kiss my honey good night." He said, leaning in and kissing me on the mouth. I kissed him as usual and then, suddenly became conscious of my elder brother sitting right next to me. Ofcourse, Brad didn't have a reason to think anything was out of place. He left. Now, I couldn't look my brother in the eye. I looked everywhere but him.
"What happened?" asked my brother with a tinge of tease in his voice.
I continued to stare at the floor.
"Hey! I understand. He is your boy friend and you guys kiss. No big deal."
"You mean, you..."
"We've kissed."
"You have!"
"You sound surprised. It's not like we've had sex. Have you...?"
"OoooK. Can we talk about something else, please?" How the hell does one talk about love and sex to one's brother. So we talked about random things before deciding to call home. That lasted another hour. By the time we went to bed, it was 3 AM San Francisco time.
We decided to spend the weekend with Vijay and Tanya, as they had to go back to school on Monday. Lei would join us then and we'd go touring the city. Brad and I would leave to Oakland, to meet his parents and return Saturday. And thus, the plans were laid.
The weekend was spent doing nothing a tourist would be expected to do. We woke up late, went out for lunch, visited a local park for a game of Frisbee, and spent the evening cooking a huge Indian meal. Tanya is a culinary expert. She prepared Pav-Bhaji. I would say it is to Bombay, what Pizza is to Italy. But it is a tedious recipe, requiring at least ten different vegetables and a couple of hours to cook them authentically. It was all new and `alien' to Jamie, but she was having a good time. Sunday was spent similarly.
Lei joined us on Monday. In 4 days we say so many places that it felt like we've been to every nook and corner of the city that is worth visiting. We met Lei's parents, visited the Golden Gate, Alcatraz Island, China Town, Lombard Street - the most crooked street in the US, the Pier's, a hill top that I don't recollect having a name but offering a beautiful view of the city, especially in the night with acres and acres of twinkling lights and ofcourse Castro Street, the gay street. Wow, how different this one was. It was a weekday, and we still saw so many guys. Muscular guys with beautiful tans and minimal clothing paraded the streets hopping from one club to the other. It was in stark contrast to the only gay club back home where people were wrapped in coats and sweaters for a bigger part of the year and there were more people standing in a street corner here than there are people in our club.
* * *
It was Friday and I woke up feeling nervous. I could see Brad was occupied too. This was not a coming out party. I was only a close friend from school that tagged along. I wondered if they'd buy the story, but then his parents had no reason to doubt. I worried anyways. It also appeared to me that Brad was spending more time than usual in getting ready.
Vijay left for school and I sat munching cereal and pretending to watch TV when he came out. He was dressed in a dark forest green long-sleeved shirt and light blue jeans. The same thing he wore when he came to my birthday party. Did he dress up when he wanted to impress people? He sat down next to me. Poured cereal and milk into his bowl and stirred it.
"It's going to be easy." I encouraged him although I had no clue how things were going to turn out. "I can't wait to see your home."
"Let's see what you say after we come back."
"Well, I don't know about you, but I can hardly wait to see the place you grew up."
We took the CALTRAIN and then changed to the BART to reach Oakland and then a cab to reach his home. The houses looked beautiful and lavish. Trimmed trees, manicured lawns and the cars parked in the driveways revealed the affluence of the neighborhood. We approached a white two-storied building and Brad rang the bell.
The door opened and a man emerged. "Hello Mr. Taylor".
"Hey Peter. How's it going?" Brad shook hands with him and Peter took his bag.
"And this is Anand. Would you leave these in my room? Thanks." Brad took my bag and dumped it in Peter's arm. He gave me a warm smile and left and I followed Brad into the living room.
Their opulence was very clear. Everything was either an antique or a branded item. I was afraid that my shoes might make soil the tiles. Brad gave me a tour of the first floor and then we headed upstairs to his room.
"What's wrong?" he asked closing the door behind us.
"Umm. Nothing, just feeling a little strange. Worried and excited."
"Oh c'mon, there is nothing to worry about. Let's loosen you up. Come here." He sat me down on his bed, got behind me and started massaging my neck and back. "How does that feel?"
"Real good." I moaned. I didn't realize how tired I was. All that walking around last week had taken much out of me. He continued kneading my shoulders and my back and that's the last thing I remember. I woke up more than four hours later next to Brad, who as usual was wrapped in his blanket. A whole week of walking around sight seeing, had taken a toll and I guess we were more tired than we realized.
I found my bag and clothes and got under the shower, the hot water washing away the laziness. I was hungry. All I'd eaten was a bowl of cereal in the morning, but I couldn't muster enough courage to go downstairs and ask Peter. I switched on the TV, keeping the volume down, and started watching something random. There was a knock on the door. It was Peter with a tray of food. He smiled, placed it on the bed and left. God bless him.
"What time is it?"
"Hey! You are up! It's about 3. Want some lunch?"
"I am starving." He grabbed a sandwich from the tray. "Where did you get this?"
"Peter dropped it off a few minutes ago."
"Oh shit! You don't think he suspected anything, do you?" his face flushed.
"I don't know Brad. I was on the couch and you were fast asleep. I don't think he had a reason."
He was silent.
"When are you expecting your parents?" I changed the topic
"Not until tomorrow afternoon. Didn't I tell you? They are in Seattle" he settled next to me.
"What do I talk to them about?"
"Anything you want!"
"May be I should let you meet your parents alone."
"Oh c'mon, don't be silly. There is nothing to worry about. Just be your self. They'll like you. I know it. Don't sweat it, alright?"
"I guess"
"C'mon, let us go out. I'll show you my school." He got out of the bed and offered an hand.
We drove around the neighborhood in his mother's car. He showed me all the buildings, parks and playgrounds that held any sentimental value to him. Finally after we had `seen' his school, he drove up to a park. It was quiet. May be because it was just a Friday evening or may be because most people prefer treadmills to parks. I was glad they did. We walked around for sometime in silence before settling down in front of the man-made lake.
The sun hid behind the trees, hanging low on the horizon. The birds were returning to their nests. The cool breeze, the fragrant flowers and total silence - It was perfect to just sit back and enjoy nature in silence. And that's what we were doing.
"I am sorry about what I said earlier."
I turned to face him wondering what he was apologizing for.
"About getting all worked up about Peter"
"Oh, don't worry about it. Been there. Done it. I still do it." I sighed.
"Are you kidding me?"
"You haven't seen me around my folks."
"How do you think they'll react, you know, if you told them?"
"I don't know. I sincerely don't know."
"Your brother is cool about it..."
"Yea, he is cool about it." I chuckled to myself. "But he lives in San Francisco, for luck sake. It's different in India. I am not sure if they even know what it means."
"Is it against your religion?"
"No. But unfortunately our society doesn't reflect our culture."
"What do you mean?"
"That your neighbors have a bigger influence on you than god, and that we are stuck with the borrowed penal code that even the English have eliminated."
"So do you plan to ever tell them?"
"Yea. But i don't want to tell them over the phone."
"Right"
"I need to. I owe it to us and I owe it to society in a way. Can you imagine where we'd be if the first gay guy who made headlines had decided to stay in the closet?"
"True."
We fell silent. The sun set and it was dark when we decided to leave the park and head home. We brought dinner up to Brad's room and ate pretty much in silence. It was clear he didn't want to talk.
"Is there anything else you'd need?" Peter inquired.
Brad looked at me. "No Peter. Thank you very much." I replied. He left with the dishes. And so I did. I changed, brushed and got into the bed. There was a knock on the door.
"You didn't need to knock!" If his behavior all evening was weird, this was weirder.
"There is something i wanted to ask you?"
"Sure." My eyes followed Brad as he walked up to the bed and sat next to me.
"Do you love me?"
"Ofcourse I do" I broke into a smile.
"No, i mean, are you in love with me?"
"Yes, yes Brad. I am in love with you. There is no doubt..."
His lips pressed against mine and pulled me into a passionate kiss.
"I am in love too." he said when our lips parted.
"What's all this about?" I wasn't complaining, but a little confused.
"Nothing...Do you mind if I sleep in your bed?"
"What about Peter?"
"No, he's going to sleep in his own bed."
"That's very funny. You know what i meant..."
"Well, screw him, I am sleeping with my love." He slid under the sheets.
"I can't believe we've gone without for five straight days. It's going to be..."
He didn't let me finish the sentence.
We woke up pretty late. His parents were going to be home around 10.30 and we had like two hours to get ready. In a way I was glad that there was not too much time left before they arrived. I mean I could talk about being brave and convince others that everything was going to be just fine, until my face turned blue, but i guess I was not very good at handling my own situations.
We were waiting in the living room when the door bell rang. Brad rose and went to meet his parents and I followed behind him.
"Brad..." his mother wrapped her arms around him. His dad joined with a light hug. I don't know what Brad complains about, but they looked like a caring, loving parents. Eventually their eyes rested on the stranger. Me.
Brad turned around and extended his arm. "Mom, dad, this is Andy, my boyfriend."
* * *
A whole year has passed since then. And we'd waited four years for this April. Freedom was in sight. Two more weeks and we'll be done giving our finals. Just thinking about was bliss. At the same time the thought of leaving behind friends and to some extent the campus was painful. It sounds ridiculous, but what are you supposed to do when you don't need to do the same things that you've been doing for the last four years. Visiting home was some consolation. Vijay will be married in a couple of months. That was as weird as it can get. I considered myself an adult but couldn't see my brother as a grown up. I still saw him, as the one who picked fights with me, needed my mother to tie his shoelaces, played pranks on my grandma and aunts. Time doesn't stop. Does it?
I wasn't much worried about Brad. We had applied to the same universities and decided long ago that we'd consider a university only if we both got in. The only concern was his trip to India. What in the world would he do there for two months? Except for my brother's wedding there was nothing else to keep him interested. He still hadn't shown me his list and I was 99% sure he didn't have one yet. And I had dismissed this visit as a possible candidate for my coming out. I mean; it will be too soon after the wedding. There will be so much going on before and after the wedding...I mean, it just wouldn't work.
I felt like shit about being so selfish, but I had to do what I had to do. This didn't mean I loved Brad any less than he loved me.
The last two weeks passed by us as fast as a lighting in the sky. Graduation was scheduled for Friday and the results would be out the following Monday. Lei's parents stayed with us, while Jason's parents stayed with him. Dad and mum declined to travel 12000 miles for a three-hour function. Oh, well. Brad received a card from his mom. She had wished "you and all your friends", which I believed included me. I was glad she was not bitter.
It was a big bright day. Warm and sunny. Hopefully a reflection of our future. People were dressed in their best clothes under the graduation gowns and honor chords and clicked away photographs of everyone and everything that they wanted to remember. It was like a carnival, several makeshift ice-cream shops on one corner of the grounds, swarms of people, professors in their ridiculously colorful gowns, laughter, tears, hugs, kisses – you know – graduation.
Finally our school band, all dressed in kilts, started playing and walked to the stage followed by the professors. Then we walked. It took a good half hour for everyone to settle down and the band kept playing the entire team. The parents were seated at the back rows or were standing outside in the grass of the huge open-air auditorium. The band continued to play until the dean and the guest of honor arrived on the stage.
Suddenly everyone fell silent as our dean spoke on what we have earned from the university and what we should give back. The guest of honor, an alumni and a successful businessman, expressed what an honor it was to be here, and how important it was for us, a privileged few, to use our knowledge for the benefit of mankind and not just to make a quick buck. The PhD's were the first to be awarded their degrees, followed by grad school. We waited patiently clapping as and when required.
It was our turn and the crowd suddenly became boisterous. Every time a popular name was called, there were loud cheers, whistles and catcalls from friends. Cameras clicked unceasingly. The four of us went together, one after the other, received our diplomas and got out. Brad received quite a bit of vocal support. No doubt he is popular with half the school and notorious with the rest. After several individual, group and goofy pictures, courtesy Lei and Jason's parents, we returned to the quite of our apartments.
Lei and Jason parents left the following day. We had one more week together before we all flew home for the summer. We had a truckload of work to do – wrap up our life in short. We did all that and spent all our time together.
The lights went out and the airplane taxied on its runway. It reached cruising height and as the hustle and bustle settled, I realized for the first time that this was real. We were not merely lovers, but partners. We were married without a wedding. We were as much a couple as our parents. I felt light. I looked at my husband. He was strangely quiet, watching his cartoon. I turned my gaze out the window, to the clouds below, wondering how I was going to spend the next two months pretending to be straight.
The end
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Andy
I am sorry I have to end the story this way. So many things have changed since the time I started writing this story. I neither have the time nor the inclimation now. Please feel free to leave the yahoo group.
My other story (completed) on Nifty is First Love.