This is a continuation of a fictional story with roots in my real mission experience in France and Belgium in the early 70's. Much of the detail is true but it is still a fictional account...something I wish my mission would have been like!
Part III - The First Week
Seraing was a working man's town built on a steep hillside along the Meuse River. In typical Belgian style, the houses were connected together in neat rows lining the streets. Each house had a deep but narrow back plot where most grew some form of a vegetable garden. The small business area had various stores. The closer to the river you walked, the closer you came to the steel mill that employed most of the town. The buildings and walls became noticeably grimier and the air thicker as you approached the river. But the upper areas of the town, along the top of the ridge, were pleasant and green with newer and more prosperous housing. Overall, it wasn't a bad place to do missionary work.
The Branch at Seraing was one of the more vigorous in the mission. It was evident to most missionaries that the Belgians were more accepting of the Gospel than the French. The Belgian part of the mission had larger branches with more Priesthood to operate them. The Liege area in particular had 3 very large and active branches of the Church and a new chapel in Liege with plans for a new one in Seraing. There were members in the area who had multiple generations of ancestors in the Church. Indeed, the Branch President in Liege in 1970 is now, in 2003, a member of the Presidency of the Seventy. It was a fruitful area.
Elder M and I, like most missionaries in the mission, spent 90% of our time going from door to door trying to set up appointments. In the winter, it was more difficult to ride a bike so we either took the bus or walked to our current tracting area. We got along really well during the daytime hours when we were just going from door to door. The two of us would talk about most anything and enjoy each other's comments. It seems we both spent a lot of time before our missions performing and acting in theater. Although I was older than him, we still had some good experiences we could share about acting. We both enjoyed musical comedy and singing came fairly naturally. Sometimes, as we walked to our area, we'd start singing a musical and try to remember all the words and even harmonize on them.
Success came slowly. We were always pleasant at the door but we constantly heard the same responses. Every once in a while, however, we'd get in the door and have a serious conversation about the Gospel. At least the time inside allowed us to get warm. Some people even gave us a cup of hot chocolate. We taught 3 or 4 discussions a week, sometimes more. We had 3 families we were continuing to discuss and hoping to baptize.
Our routine put us out at 9:00am to tract and run errands. We would return to the apartment for lunch and go out again about 2:00pm only to return for dinner at 6:00pm. The evenings would see us out until 9:00pm, generally not later. The Belgians close up their shutters early. So, day after day, it was pretty much the same - lots of door knocking and a lot of walking! But we enjoyed it. We were a good team. We had a lot in common and enjoyed each other's company. After a long day's walk and talk, we'd come home to our little one room apartment to try and warm up.
On the fifth day, after a good discussion with one of our 3 families, the two of us climbed up the steps and entered into our small space. We plopped down on our beds, tired but feeling good. We had set a baptism date for 2 weeks for the whole family. It looked like it would actually happen. Elder M. and I stretched out with our coats on and just reveled in the good spirit that was with us. I stood up and started to take off my coat.
"Come on, Elder," I said as I hung up my coat. Let's get that coat off."
"You and what army is going to make me," he challenged back.
I thought for a second about letting that remark go but couldn't help myself. "Me and the army of righteousness is going to make you," I replied, standing there in my best fighting pose.
"Ha, that's a laugh," he said. "I'd love to see you try!" He threw his gloves at my chest.
With that challenge, I reached down and grabbed his arm and tried to pull him up. He resisted while poking his leg out to trip me. I fell on top of him and had his arm trapped behind his back with my full weight on his torso. We were face to face. Practically nose to nose.
"And now, Elder," I grunted. "Who has whom here?" I brought his arm further up his back.
Elder M grimaced but he was stronger than I and was able to bring his other arm up around and under my knee and lift me up over his head. I landed at the end of the bed with him now on top of me! It began to get serious at this point. This was clearly a battle to be won! I pushed him off me and stood up and removed my suit coat and tie. He removed his coat, tie and suit coat. We stared at each other with silly grins as we disrobed to get ready for action. We removed our shoes and socks then unbuckled our belts and removed our pants then our shirts. We stood there, slightly panting, in our garments.
"Now, Elder," Elder M. sneered. "What was this about an army of righteousness?"
"You're about to find out, Elder," I said as I lunged for his knee and forced him back on my bed and up against the wall. I was about to pounce on him when he moved aside and I landed on the empty bed. He then threw his body on top of my back and brought his arm around my front to grab my arm. He had me tightly in his grip. I could feel his hot, panting breath on my ear. I tried to scoot out from under him and managed to end up with my head near his butt. He released my head and then he wrapped his leg around my waist and interlocked it with his other leg.
The two of us continued to wrestle for 20 or 30 minutes or more. Elder M. would get a good hold around my neck then I'd lift him off the bed and onto the floor and then pile onto of him. We'd both then get off the cold floor and back up on the bed, kneeling and grinning at each other, ready to grab what we could to establish dominance. Our outstretched arms grabbed at garments and hair and the neck, even arriving down around the crotch as we pulled up each other's thighs. The flap in the back of Elder M's one piece garments fell open a couple of times and I could see his balls and ass. Of course, the reverse was true as he got over the top of me. Neither of us cared. We were too busy pursuing the manly art of companionship wrestling!
Finally, I was caught. He had my arm around my back and both legs around my right leg and hooked into the end of the bed. There was no where to move.
"Okay, Elder, it appears you have me where you want me." I pleaded as he tightened his grip. In reality, I was where I wanted to be. I could feel his body on my body and his crotch was all over my ass. His dick was slightly hard while mine was like a rock.
"What's the magic word," he mockingly asked?
"What do you mean, magic word," I asked?
"Surely, you don't expect me to let you loose just because you ask, do you? Let's hear you sing for your supper!"
"What the flip do you want me to sing?"
"How about 'I Feel Pretty' .. do your best Natalie Wood interpretation for me."
"You're nuts! I'm not going to satisfy your deviant desires and pretend I'm a woman for you! Get off me you idiot!" I was only half trying.
He tightened the grip on my leg and my balls got squeezed. "Ouch!" I yelled out. "You're mashing my balls together!"
"Then you better start singing or I'll make mush out of them!"
"Okay, okay, I'll sing. Just let loose a little so my future children will survive!" He loosened his legs up and my balls hung lower but my dick was hard as it could be between me and the bed. I started to sing in a falsetto voice.
"I feel pretty. I feel pretty. I feel pretty and witty and gay. It's a pity^Å.."
Elder M started to laugh and got up from me, standing there next to the bed with his garments loose. I rolled over and stayed on the bed, scrunching up the end, rubbing my balls. He sat on the other end of the bed. We were both there in our garments, our knees touching as we sat Indian style. We leaned back. I could see the sweat on his chest and I could see his dick outline in his garments. There was little I could do about my hard on but it was kind of off to the side and maybe he didn't notice.
We sat there and talked about our night. We laughed and talked not realizing it was getting later and later. We were enjoying each other and the new intimacy we had just established by being physical and wrestling. When we finally realized it was after midnight, we knelt down for companion prayer thanking the Lord for the Dumonts and for the opportunity to be missionaries and for each other as companions.
After prayer, we stood up and Elder M. took me in his arms and held me for just a little longer than usual before he said, "Elder, thanks for being my companion. I love and appreciate you more than you'll ever know." Then he hugged me again. We then quickly got ready for bed and climbed into our beds, our heads only a few inches away from each other.
We said good night and snuggled down in the beds.
I thought about his hug and his words. I remembered his warm body on mine and the talk we had while just sitting there nearly naked. I continued to feel his hot breath on my ear and the touch of his arm on my back. I was becoming attached to this man. I listened as he again went to sleep quickly and his heavy breathing started. Tears came to my eyes and hope came to my heart.