TIME-TO-SEE-19
I got Hugo off to work and was back at the house before the Astroturf guys showed.
Once they got started, I went upstairs and piled the furniture in the middle of each of the boy's rooms, where I covered it with plastic drop clothes that I had bought at Home Depot. In minutes I had my roller out and ladder set, and I was splashing color on the boys' walls like I knew what I was doing. Actually, it was fun to be jumping into a big life-encompassing project.
I decided that the paint was so thick that one coat was certain to cover the light gray walls that I started with. It took me two hours for each room, giving myself time here and there to refresh with a drink of iced tea, a pit stop, and a visit to the backyard to see how the Astroturf was going. "I'd need more time later to do the trim," I thought to myself.
I was surprised at how the Astroturf too went down quickly; most of the morning was devoted to their adjusting and fastening the seams. Well, there was really only one major seam that, when they finished, was entirely invisible. The rest of the fastening was around the edges of the yard and up against the house. In no time it was finished and looking beautiful. I'd recommend Astroturf to everybody.
The door to the outside from the kitchen went out onto a stoop where 5 steps led down to the Astroturf itself. I could picture the boys doing their chores and not messing up the house at all... Hummm? Unless someone tracked in dog shit, which I couldn't imagine anyone doing....
Uh?... Given a few moments to reflect, I supposed that virtually anything was possible with pre-teenaged boys... "OHHHHHHH WELLLLLL," I thought with a sigh of resignation... All I can do is love em... Only time will grow them up and experience make them civilized...
It was so exhilarating. With the rooms painted, Astroturf installed, and workmen gone, I opened the windows in both bedrooms, took a deep breath of fresh air, and left the house for the walls to dry.
It was just before lunch, but I drove straight over to the boys' hospital and went in with a tape measure. To each boy I went in turn with a pencil and paper and tape to take and record their measurements.
I was all business: Height, waist, sleeve length, chest size, neck size, waist-to-mid-heel pant length; crotch-to-mid-heel length!!!! If you don't think getting THAT measurement didn't turn out to be a circus:
"NO, I am NOT trying to play with your balls, Jilder!" "No, Nicky," I said, "I AM NOT playing with YOUR balls either! That's the way the stores HAVE TO measure boys," I protested, attempting to keep their absurd complaints from being broadcast all over the ward.
"I just need to know your measurements; so I can shop at Target or Kolh's or somewhere for clothes to put on your butts and bring you home from the hospital in," I protested.
"Now are you going to stand up straight for me to finish or am I just going to have to guess your sizes? Huh? Huh?..." I challenged, however, nothing but time would dampen their silly giggles when I attempted to measure from you-know-where to heel... "OMG, I thought... This had to be worse than a room full of teenaged girls."
But finally I was done and thankfully they calmed down and had their lunches. By the time I had to leave to go get Hugo from work, both boys were ready for naps and relaxed in their separate beds. I went to both and told them that Hugo and I would be back after we went shopping for their clothes. They yawned and thanked me for visiting today, and gave me a hug in exchange for my kiss on the forehead.
In spite of the aggravation, I would not trade ANYTHING in the world for EITHER of them... And just for the record: I was NOT trying to play with their balls!!!
Hugo got off a few minutes later than usual, but I was sure in no hurry. When he came out I asked if he felt like going shopping with me to get clothes for the boys; so they'd have something to wear home from the hospital.
Even though he'd had to work a few minutes late, he was game to do the shopping. Now, Nicky had been brought to the hospital emergency room in pajamas; so he had virtually no clothing that was useable. We had some things for Jilder, but I thought that giving something new to one would imply giving something new to the other-- or at least a reasonable effort to be fair.
Hugo suggested that jogging pants might be the easiest thing to get to avoid problems of fit, but I didn't agree about pullover sweatshirts. These guys were not going to be ready to raise their arms over their heads to put on such shirts; so I suggested we get some bright, colorful plaid flannel shirts for both of them.. Okay, I knew that they may not regard the plaid design as the "coolest" thing in existence, but they'd both appreciate that those shirts would be loose, and not require much in the way of contortions to put on and remove. We topped everything off with some middle-of-the-line Nikes; actually they were these very cool looking white shoes with one wide black stripe from toe to heal, not expensive, but very respectable looking. I think we'd accomplished our mission.
Humm? Now, what are we going to need in the coat department? It was very cool at night now, and even more so on a windy day in the hills; so how about two generic windbreakers-- not striving for "cool" but for warm in the conventional sense. They could shop for "cool"-warm things in the future on their own time.
And like two straight guys, we were outta there in 45 minutes flat! Neither of us was a regulation gay shopper. Each of us had too much pragmatism in us to have room for THAT part of the gay persona... I'll settle for the part that resides between my legs-- and wherever else it resides in my psyche...
We grabbed the bags and shoe boxes from the store and eventually stowed everything in the back of the SUV, behind the back seats where they could just stay until we needed to take them in for the boys to wear.
I realized that Nicky, for sure, would need more clothes immediately, but first things first... We had to get his butt home from the hospital, and ensconced safely and comfortably in his new room first.
Then on Sunday-- or even late on Saturday afternoon maybe-- we could begin our search for pooches.
We'd need to look around to see what kind of dog suited them. It occurred that I might jot down some nearby farms or breeders who'd have healthy animals in our price range... Or, I might check with the guy who lives a few doors down; I think he has SEVEN dogs and ought to know somethin- what was his name? Cratchet? Chet? Craig? Something like that... For that matter, I was totally satisfied with the possibility of shopping in a County Shelter, or even a private shelter for that matter. Mutts often made nice pets... But I get ahead of myself...
Everything was almost ready for us to bring the kids home.
It was late, relatively speaking, when Hugo & I got up on the ward. And for some reason it was a busy night there.
The nurses and an orderly assisted by two "inmates", none other than our very own Nicky & Jilder it seemed, were distributing cellophane packages of toys to the younger children. I could tell that the boys enjoyed the prestige which accrued to their status by virtue of their taking on this chore of helping the nurses.
I think there were 24 beds in the ward, and every single bed was in use. The place was always packed. Obviously there were so many children in need of surgical intervention to treat their disorders. We were all so blessed to have access to this wonderful hospital-- their elevators notwithstanding.
I was glad that the boys were getting a chance to administer to the other children who were suffering in their own ways. It allows them to understand that living in this world involves contributing to the success of the whole thing, and not just to our own roles alone.
Hugo and I went down to Jilder's bed and took our seats; both of us dragged over low comfortable chairs which were perfect for our conversation but completely useless for seeing the patients. The boys didn't notice when we came in.
When they finished their work for the nurses, they both made a beeline for Jilder's bed, which I guess had become home base, and when they saw us their faces lit up and Jilder yelled, "Hi, when did you get here?" Followed by Nicky who said, "We didn't see you come in..." And they ran and jumped up on the bed together.
I answered them, "Oh, it was maybe 10 minutes ago. You guys were busy working. We didn't want to bother you."
"Yeah, it was a LOT of work too. The little kids were getting toys that somebody donated," Jilder said. "The nurses wanted some help; so we volunteered," Nicky added.
"Well that was really thoughtful of you guys. I'm glad you wanted to help. It's like returning the good things that other people have done for you," I said.
"Yeah!" they replied together understanding what I'd meant.
Hugo stood up and went over to the bed and gave Nicky a hug; then he turned and gave Jilder a hug too. He pulled up his pad and wrote, "Only one more day before you guys can come home. Are you sad to be leaving?" Hugo asked them.
Both boys chorused out loud "NNNNOOOOOOOOooooooo!"
Hugo smiled and wrote, "Not even maybe `un pico'- a little tiny bit????"
Again, both: "NNNNOOOOOOOOOoooooooo!"
And he continued writing on his pad, "I'll bet the nurses will miss YOU. They think you are both nice kids and no trouble at all...."
"Yeah????" they answered like they couldn't believe THAT ONE!
"Sure, you ARE very nice kids," Hugo wrote. "See how you don't mind helping them when you can. They like that. They think that's terrific, guys."
The boys looked at each other with some indication of self-appreciation in their faces. They nodded their heads in agreement. (Oh, God, are kids wonderful? They may not do as you ASK them to do, but they absorb the way you are when you aren't noticing at all...)
Our jabbering with the boys was interrupted with the appearance of Dr. Gilmer. "Hello, Gentlemen," he addressed our gathering.
"Hi, Dr. Gilmer," "Hi, Dr. Gilmer," each boy said in near unison. Hugo and I nodded hello in return.
"I see you must be feeling well this evening," the doctor replied to the boys.
"Yeah... mostly," Nicky said, "My side still hurts, but I didn't take any pain pill today. I thought I'd wait until it was time to go to sleep."
"Now that's quite responsible, Nicky. But keep in mind that you ought to take one if you are really, really having pain. There's no need to suffer, Nicky. You are healing very nicely. Let's keep you feeling okay too," the doctor said.
"But when I take one in the day I feel kinda sleepy, and I don't want to feel sleepy in the daytime," Nicky declared.
"Well, okay, fine. You manage your own schedule that makes you feel best. But we do want you to get to sleep and get some sound sleep; so don't give up the nighttime pill until you've been home maybe two weeks, Okay?" Dr. Gilmer replied.
"Okay," Nicky acknowledged.
"And how about you, Mr. Jilder," the doctor inquired directly of Jilder.
"Yeah. I feel pretty good. Only sore a little bit, but at night I'm still waking up cause I can't get comfortable sleeping on my back," Jilder told Dr. Gilmer.
"Are you taking your nighttime pain pill?" he asked.
"Yep. But still I wake up really late at night," Jilder said.
"Well, we could move that morning pain pill to late, late night; so that you would get two at night and none in the morning?" Dr. Gilmer looked Jilder in the eye questioningly. "What do you think?"
"Uh? I don't know... I don't want too many pain pills. Hugo said that isn't good for me." Jilder replied.
"Well, Hugo's right. But you would just be moving the time you take the pills, not how many you take in a day... But, okay, you don't have to change unless you want to... Maybe you can try two tonight and see whether you sleep all night through?" Dr. Gilmer suggested.
"Humm? Well..." Jilder was clearly NOT enthusiastic about taking more pain pills when Hugo had said take fewer.
I was writing to Hugo about the boys' conversations with the doctor. At one point Hugo picked up his pad and wrote to Jilder, "If doctor says try two pills just one night, it would be okay if you want to do it, Jilder. I will remind you when you are taking too many." And he passed the pad to Jilder to read.
"Okay." Jilder told the doctor.
"Fine. Then I'll tell the nurse," the doctor said.
And then he went on, "Boys, I'm signing your release papers for SATURDAY MORNING; that's THE DAY AFTER TOMORROW at eight a.m."
Then he turned to me and Hugo and said, "Everything okay at home for these guys?"
"Oh, sure," I answered. We can't wait. I just repainted their rooms today, and we're thinking of going dog shopping this weekend when the boys get home. I think we'll have everything they need and a lot they don't really need also. They even know that in a little while, I'm going to start home-schooling, which we'll do until they can go back to regular school. So we're all set for things to move on."
"Well, I'm so pleased to hear that. And if there is anything I can do, please just ask," the doctor said, and he stood and indicated that he would be moving on. He put one hand on Jilder's leg and one hand on Nicky's, patted them both, and said we've enjoyed having you, but we're glad you're healthy enough to be leaving us too.
(And nobody accused the DOCTOR of trying to play with their balls! I noticed...)
The boys were happily visiting with each other when we left them, discussing some critical issues they found in one of the magazines on computer gaming that I had bought for them... I realize that they were strategizing over getting computers and the games in question, but I had a few days between now and that particular assault; so I didn't think much about it... They were happy, constructively involved, and not in intolerable pain. We were getting there.
Hugo and I walked through the parking lot below the bright, bluish, halogen bulbs, holding hands, and smiling. Finally we found the vehicle and boarded. Contentment not dictating any urgent communication, Hugo still leaned over and gave me a lengthy smooch on my neck. I squirmed and loved every drippy moment.
Hugo and I showered and climbed into bed. He mentioned the new pillows and comforter. "Yeah! It's for us to enjoy since we'll be doing all the work around here when those kids get home."
Hugo pulled a pad from the bedside table and wrote to me, "Would you mind if I do a lot of the cooking?"
"MIND!!!" I wrote back... "You gotta be kiddin... And you can actually teach me more about cooking too, because I know very little really..."
"Good." he wrote. "Today at work, I asked if it might be possible for me to work a second job down in the kitchen, maybe 3 or 4 extra hours a day. Alberto, the supervisor, said that it would be okay, but they'll have to check it out with the department head. I'll have to have different shots and health examination, but it won't cost very much."
I wrote, "I think that's terrific, Hugo, if you want to do that, but you don't need to kill yourself. We won't be wealthy on my salary alone, but we'll do okay. And you do know that if you go into surgery, you'll need to stop working completely for 2 or 3 months yourself..."
"Yeah. That's what I know. So I thought maybe I could work a little more now and save the money. When I can't work, I'll have a little money saved," he wrote.
"You know that I will be completely able to take care of us, Hugo, for as long as you'll need when you are going through the surgery... I have a little money saved up from when I was in the Air Force, and then my grandfather left me some money when he passed away. I've saved it all."
I paused to see whether Hugo would feel intimidated by my volunteering to cover the tab while he deals with his surgery. When I realized that he appeared to feel okay about it, I went on:
"You and I and the boys will all be able to live on my salary and pay for the one-time things from my savings. Like, Hugo, I know that the Astroturf sounded nuts, but really it will increase the value of the house; so we're not really loosing money. And the boys' medical bills, like yours, will be one-time expenses, and savings are for those kinds of things."
Hugo wrote, "But I want to help too, and I can't do nothing much really."
"Yes, you can," I wrote back right away. "You give me and the boys the love we need to keep living, and the boys contribute in the same way."
"Without YOU, there would be no world for us or for our boys, Hugo. And one day you may find that you will contribute a lot more money than you do now. I'm not worried; I wish you wouldn't worry either."
I let the pad drop to the floor and put both arms around Hugo's chest and snuggled down beneath him under the covers. Hugo engulfed me kissing my head and neck and literally enclosing me in his arms.
I kissed his chest and nestled my face and nose in the hair that billowed from his chest and underarms, and inhaled deeply taking in his scent until I was intoxicated. My penis was instantly hard, and large, and rubbing along his hairy thigh. He pressed his solid penis into my abdomen and rolled it back and forth. Our mouths joined warmly, one with the other, with no special advantage being sought-- a direct, deep, uncompromising connection between our bodies and our souls was taking place.
We began to squeeze each other tightly, developing amazing pressure, and our bodies made intimate sounds as they rolled about in bed. Finally Hugo's penis rounded the bend from my crotch under me to enter the channel separating my buttocks. He reached back with his left hand and with just his middle finger directed his organ into my body; with one bold thrust, he moved it very deep into my anal opening...
It induced a most profound feeling of physical, scintillating love when it entered, leaving me gasping for breath. I knew I loved Hugo in no uncertain terms, but when I felt his penis deep inside of me, the physical experience confirmed the meeting our minds had made months ago, and emphasized what connection and commitment really meant... Our love & commitment were as real as the sensations we both felt when his penis traversed my body's inner spaces.
I grabbed his ears and forced him to look directly into my face as I said softly, "Fuck me, Hugo... Oh..Fuck me!"
He forced his face down onto mine and plunged his tongue into my mouth and his dick in and out of my anus in a coordinated assault. And we began to copulate in earnest...
Back and forth, bouncing up and down, pounding my buttocks and crotch with his loins, we mated as if there would never be another day in our lives. We mated and loved one another.
It must have gone on for 15 minutes; oh, I don't know; it just went on and on until I was ready to explode in orgasm, wanting to sling the seed from my body out all across the room, all across Hugo, all across the universe. I didn't care. I just HAD to ejaculate!
And Hugo ravaged my body with his own passion until at some ultimate moment we both exploded together and Hugo filled me with his semen. I wanted it deep inside of me... I grabbed his testicles and squeezed them when he came... I craved every scintilla of his maleness.
"Oh, my, God.... Oh, my, God... I love you, Hugo...."
Hugo gathered my spent body and cradled it in his arms, kissing me gently on the face. He didn't need to speak to convey the love he was offering in this tender after-glow. We sank softly, silently into undefined bliss, totally, completely into the Creator's peace.
And the night faded away as did the world, leaving Hugo and me together.