This is a continuation of an story based on my mission experiences in France and Belgium in the early 70's. Though based upon real circumstances and surroundings, it is still a work of fiction -- something I would have like to have happened.
Gary
Part VII - New Life
I was walking in a forest, surrounded by mists and brush. I was alone. I looked desperately for my companion. I was breaking mission rules being alone. I walked along a path that led to a farm that had a red barn like you would find in middle America. There were hay stacks around the barn. But still no companion. I was getting more worried. I approached the red barn and called inside. No response. I opened the large door in the front and walked inside. The outside of the barn disappeared and I was in a train station surrounded by hundreds of travelers all rushing to different destinations. I grabbed one and asked if he knew where my companion was. He brushed me aside and continued down the steps to the quay. I began to panic. My breathing increased and I started to stutter and sweat. I began to faint and looked for someplace to sit down in the busy terminal. Just as I was beginning to crumple, someone grabbed me from behind and helped me to a bench. When I turned around it was Elder M. I was so happy to see him. I turned my head towards his and put my hand behind his neck and brought his face to mine...
The alarm went off in my ear. It was my turn to turn up the heat and put the cold water on the stove to boil. I tried to shake off my drowsiness while at the same time I tried to recapture the moment when Elder M and I were going to kiss. But the alarm was too insistent and I had to get up. Damn!
It was the day after P Day. Elder M and I finally went to bed after the incredible spiritual experience we shared the night before. Typically, Elder M went to sleep quickly and naturally. As for me, my heart and mind were too stirred up to receive sleep. My spirit tried to recapture the renewing fire I felt just a few hours before. Did it really happen? Was I really becoming a new man? Did Elder M really hold me and kiss my cheek? All I could truly realize was that for the first time, I did not feel an empty hole in my chest where all my hopes and desires disappeared. As I realized the hole was gone, my heart rejoiced once again. I got up out of the bed and kneeled against my bed and prayed, thanking my Heavenly Father for reaching into my body and filling that need.
My feelings were so mixed up. At once I was feeling great spiritual freedom from my past and also feeling great love and attraction for the man who helped me find that freedom. I continued to pray. Please, please, let this love I feel be pure and not tainted by sexual desire. Let us be like Jonathan and David in the Old Testament, loved and beloved. Help me to be honest in my heart.
But in my heart, I still felt an enduring desire to be held in his arms and to belong to him in a way I knew he would not understand. It was one thing to be close and united as missionary companions. But I wanted more. I knew that. I prayed to God that somehow it would be different, that this love would be purer and more sanctified by His spirit. I made promises that I would keep our relationship clean and I would strive to be free of sexual desire for this man.
I was up half the night with these conflicts. I wrapped myself in my blanket and sat on a chair then the bed. I went down the hall to the water closet trying to sort through the complexity of my feelings. By the end of the second hour, I was so tired but convinced that this relationship would remain pure and free from "unnatural" desires.
And then I dream about kissing him. It was going to be a tough promise to keep!
After the water was hot and the second alarm went off, we both lurched over the edge of the bed and groaned. We didn't get enough sleep and were tired. It was cold. Elder M didn't say a word about last night. He just got up and took care of business. He took a quick spit bath and put on the freshly scrubbed, nearly dried garments from our washing the night before. Meanwhile, I cooked the semolina and got washed and dressed as well. Neither of us really spoke other than a grunt or a groan here or there. By the time we sat down for companion study, I was a little worried that he was feeling awkward about the words we spoke and felt the night before.
I needn't have felt that way. He gave the prayer for our companion study. In it, he concluded, "We thank you for the incredible outflowing of Thy spirit last night. We express our love to Thee for the chance to learn about each other and to become closer as brothers not just in the Gospel but also in real life. We pray that Thou will use the unity and love we feel as brothers for Thy purposes in this corner of Thy vineyard. We love each other and we love Thee and this we say..."
After the prayer, we stood back up and Elder M grabbed my hand strongly and smiled as he said, "You're my companion, my best friend, my brother. There's nothing we can't do together!"
Catching his enthusiasm, I replied, "I love you and I know you love me. Together we're more than apart. Let's do some good!"
We embraced and sat down for some serious study of the Gospel and French.
The spirit in our room was different from then on. For the rest of the time we were together, Elder M and I said those words to each other at the beginning of companion study. We really meant them and used that unity to do a lot of good in Seraing.
The week following our P Day in Liege was filled with promise. We worked closely with the Dumont family trying to get them ready for baptism. We had street contacted Mr. Dumont at the train station and set up an appointment to meet with him and his family the following night. They were what we used to call Golden Contacts! Mrs. Dumont was delighted to receive us. They were about 40 or so and had 2 children - Martine and Pascal who were 12 and 8. They lived in a modest apartment in a huge block of apartments up on top of the ridge.
The first night we met them in their apartment, they warmly welcomed us. The 6 of us then had a family home evening of a sort. We taught them a lesson about Christ and then we made smors for them with close approximates of our well known ingredients. Elder M always thought that the spirit taught when people could relax. We had a really great time with the Dumonts. They accepted further lessons and even accepted a baptism date 3 weeks hence.
We taught them the 6 discussions in regular order. During those days you had a flannel board and very memorized dialogues to present to the families. We did our best to keep to the program. But they still had questions. Luckily, Elder M was aware of the answers to these questions. He really did know his scriptures.
The Fifth Discussion was always the tough one in those days. It presented all the "Don'ts" about the gospel - the Word of Wisdom, Chastity and Tithing. Mr. Dumont, upon hearing the Word of Wisdom, took us over to his refrigerator and the 3 of us dumped 17 bottles of Belgian beer into the sink. The family didn't even flinch when we asked them if they could accept the principle of Tithing.
After the Sixth Discussion was over with, Elder Simpson came out to interview the family and pronounced them all prepared for baptism. It was my first opportunity to baptize and I was really excited. We made preparations to baptize the family in the font at the Liege chapel. We also got several members of the Seraing Branch to come to the baptism and provide an opening prayer and a talk. All of the missionaries in the Zone would be there. The Verviers Elders were also baptizing a new member on the same day. Everything was set for Saturday morning.
"...I baptize you in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost. Amen" With those words, I slipped Brother Dumont under the water the following Saturday and brought him out of the waters of baptism. Then, in order, I was able to baptize Sister Dumont and both of the children. By the time I was done with Pascal, I was pretty wet but very excited. I stepped into the dressing area where Brother Dumont was helping his son get dry and dressed. Elder Peters from Verviers then stepped into the font and helped his new member down from the women's dressing room. I watched as he performed his first baptism as well. Then, when the new sister went back into the dressing room on the other side of the font, Elder Peters pulled the plug on the font and slogged his way back into the men's dressing room.
I was a little shy in the dressing room with both of the Dumonts there as well as Elder Peters whom I didn't know very well. How do you tell new converts about garments? So, I slowly removed my white shirt and slipped down my garment top and dried off my hair and upper torso. By the time I'd finished with that, the Dumonts had exited back to the Chapel and I was left alone with Elder Peters who had also waited until the Dumonts left before exposing his garments. I pulled off my wet white trousers and my equally soaked garments and stood there naked drying myself off while Elder Peters did the same. We were both naked when we started to talk about how cool it was to be baptizing. I was distracted somewhat by how good looking this guy was. He had that dark five o'clock shadow and black hair with blue eyes. And when he got naked, I had to note the nice distribution of black hair on his chest and stomach and a dick to die for. I know he checked me out as well. Both of us took some extra time drying our legs or back or whatever. We talked about where we came from and what school we went to and our families - anything to prolong the time when we could look at each other. We were sitting on the small bench provided. My dick was swelling. I tried to cover it with my towel. Elder Peters' dick was also growing larger but he didn't try to cover it at all. He sat there next to me with his legs apart, chatting away about something I couldn't remember because I was trying to concentrate on keeping my dick from tenting up completely. Elder Peters stood up then but only after he put his hand on my thigh for just a second too long. He turned towards me. He was nearly completely erect. He started to stroke his dick some while placing it about a foot in front of my face. I stared at its perfect shape. My heart was beating fast and I was nervous that someone would come in. It was very clear what his intentions were. And I'm afraid I was pretty obvious by then as well. He reached down and briefly touched my hard cock while stepping even closer to my face. My eyes closed. I leaned forward with every intention of taking his dick into my mouth when the door opened to the dressing room and Elder M stepped in.