Date: Sun, 4 Jan 2009 16:25:31 -0500
From: chris james <drmeta4@gmail.com>
Subject: Granny's Pride and Joy, Chapter 9

Dear Reader: this is a story of adult fiction, persons under the age of 18
are not permitted to view the contents.

	I have been pleased to read the comments several of you have sent
in about farm life, it is gratifying to write something that gives meaning
to you very special people. I cannot present every detail about farming,
that is not the objective of this story. But the vast majority of you don't
need the details, the brief education I offer is enough to make you
understand farming is best left to others.

	The constant demands on a farmer must be observed like a general at
war commanding troops on a battlefield. The elements of nature often
conspire in opposition to the wishes of our heroic farmer, for to battle
against the forces of nature is often a losing proposition that means
salvaging the very life blood of a farm. The storm clouds gather. As
always, your comments welcomed.  Chris James

drmeta4@gmail.com



				Granny's Pride and Joy (M/B)

Chapter Nine

	The month of July was the beginning of my life as a farmer. I was
sure that some years down the road I would look back on these days and
wonder what had possessed me. I knew nothing useful, I was afraid I would
be more of a burden than a productive worker.

	But Jim gave me a tour of the equipment sheds down by the tree
line; it was an eye opening experience. Not only did the farm have to
undertake hours of care for the livestock and crops, there was also a huge
amount of work to keep the machines running. And what behemoths they were
too.

	Jim showed me this huge green and yellow tractor, the major work
horse of all his equipment. The diesel engine was as big as my Jeep, almost
five hundred horsepower Jim explained. And it needed every bit of that to
pull the huge plow, harrow and cultivator needed before planting; I had no
idea what he was talking about.

	In the next shed over sat a piece of equipment I recognized, a
combine. OK, I knew about them from a film in science class. This machine
was used for harvesting grains, and Jim had a good bit of red wheat out
there in the fields. It was their cash crop he explained, as every bit of
it was sold at market.

	So I was shown bailers, hay rakes, disk harrows and the smaller
tractor I'd seen Tally driving. Jim said every piece of equipment would be
inspected, lubed and checked for worn parts in the next three weeks. If
something broke down in the field we would work all night to fix it, lost
time meant falling behind schedule and that cost money.

	"But this is the trickiest piece of machinery we own," Jim said,
leading me down to the largest shed on the line. "It's also the first one
we have to check out."

	I stared at the contraption which looked like a prop from a Mad Max
movie. "What does it do?" I asked.

	"This is a corn harvesting machine. See, the header takes in about
four rows at a time and cuts the corn stalks off about two feet above
ground. The stalks are separated from the ears of corn and get tossed back
out. The ears go up a conveyor through a system of fans which separate the
husk and strip away the remaining stalks."

	He led me around to the side of the machine where I could see a
long conveyor belt. "The stalks blow out the other side and the ears travel
up this belt into a hopper, then the corn gets separated from the cob and
goes up another belt into the storage bins that the small tractor pulls
along beside it. It takes about three passes to fill the hopper and we
pause the machine to go empty out the corn, and then we resume. Takes a few
days to finish up, if the machines work right."

	"Sounds like things break down a lot," I said.

	"Not a lot, but once is enough. There are so many moving parts
within these things, I barely understand them all. But that's why we
inspect them so carefully. Engines, belts, augers, fans...so many things to
worry about," Jim said.

	"You do your own maintenance, that's handy."

	"What we can, Paulo is darn good with machines. But we can weld a
broken fitting and replace bearings; it's the engines I worry about
most. Parts are damned expensive and fuel costs are through the roof." Jim
smiled. "Don't be intimidated, you won't have to drive one of these
monsters. But you will have to unload them, and that's back breaking work."

	"Where does the corn go when you bring it in?" I asked.

	"The corn cribs. I know you've seen them, those little round
buildings with the pointed roof."

	"Yeah, Tally said they were empty," I said.

	"Just about, that was last year's feed crop. It's all timed out,
Evan. We use up what we have and bring in the new, no waste in that. Pigs
will eat most anything but corn makes them fat. No profit in a skinny
pig. The cows get their fair share because they need the vegetable protein
in their diet. Come September we'll be feeding them this year's crop."

	"You grow only feed corn?"

	"No, I have about fifty acres in white corn as well, the market
likes that and so do I. Ma cleans and freezes some right on the ear, the
rest gets cooked and canned." Here he paused and gave me a sad smile. "I
know it's a lot of work for her, I'd appreciate all you can do to help her
out. I want you to have the harvest experience, that's why you hired
on. But I think she really wants you in the kitchen, if that's not too much
trouble."

	"No, Jim, it's no trouble at all...I've already told her that. What
she puts up must save you thousands of dollars every year in grocery bills;
it's all a part of running this farm. I'll be happy to help anyone out,
just tell me what to do," I said.

	Jim smiled and clapped a hand on my shoulder. "Tally was right, he
said the other night that you'd come into our lives at just the right
time. Ma sure has taken a liking to you, and if you haven't noticed yet,
she always gets her way."

	I laughed. "I understand, she's a determined woman."

	"Got that right," Jim agreed.

	The sound of a pickup truck came up the back road towards the sheds
and Jim grinned.

	"As I said, Paulo and Miguel are always on time, and here they
are."

	The old tan Ford squeaked and groaned over the gravel road, coming
to a stop beside the nearest shed.

	"Hola, Miguel," Jim said, as a middle aged Mexican man stepped out
of the passenger's seat.

	"Mister Jim, so nice to see you again," Miguel said, shaking Jim's
hand. His English was halting but understandable. And then a young guy
stepped around the truck and stuck out his hand for a shake. It was the
first time I realized that Paulo was probably Miguel's son; he was about
Brad's age, maybe twenty-one or so.

	"Paulo...how was the trip?" Jim asked.

	"Very easy, except for the price of gas," Paulo said. His accent
was far less noticeable than his father's, my impression was that he'd been
in school until recently.

	"Miguel...Paulo, this is Evan, he'll be working with us this
season. He's here to learn, but Ma hired him so go easy or you know what
she can be like," Jim laughed.

	Miguel laughed and Paulo smiled, giving me the once over. Oh, that
certainly felt strange. I wasn't physically built like the other men here,
Stan used to call me String Bean. But I knew Paulo was appraising
me...physically, and it felt strange. No, he couldn't be.

	I wasn't totally innocent; I knew when someone was looking at me
with more than a "Howdy" on their minds. Last year in Charlotte at that
comic book convention a guy had come on to me very seriously. He was
handsome, but I wasn't ready for anything like that. Looking back I suppose
I should have been flattered, instead I was shocked.

	No, I was reading Paulo wrong; Mexicans didn't generally go for
that, but then I was sure some did. I was careful not to look back at him,
but still my heart was pounding. Stan would know, but he wasn't here. I
wondered if Tally knew anything, but then he would have told me.

	I shouldn't feel threatened; Paulo and I would both be very busy
the next few months. I could make sure we were never alone together...maybe
I was blowing this up into something that wasn't real. I shook hands with
both men and detected nothing. Yeah, I had been wrong.

	Jim told them that Sam had made sure the trailer was clean and nice
before they moved in, Miguel smiled at that. They would take their
belongings down to the trailer and meet us back at the barn in a bit. I
knew Jim had their lodgings set up somewhere out behind these sheds, but I
had never seen the trailer. The guys got back in their truck and Paulo
started the engine. I felt nothing but relief as they left.

	I had to tell Tally what I'd felt, mainly because it would make him
laugh. Jeez, Evan...here you are out of the closet for two weeks and you
think every handsome guy is looking at you. It was silly, and I was sure
Tally would see it that way

	"Jim...are we done here? I need to get back to the house," I said.

	"Sure, tell Ma we have two more mouths for supper, I'm sure she
could use your help," Jim said.

	Oh Lord, would they be eating with us too? I ran back towards the
house and wondered where Tally was. But he was sitting in the back yard
shucking corn.

	"Hey, I picked us some corn for dinner. Young ears, the tastiest,"
Tally said.

	"Wonderful...we gotta talk," I said.

	"Oh?"

	"Miguel and Paulo are here...what do you know about Paulo?" I
asked.

	"He's only been here about three times; Miguel had him in school
down in Texas...what's up?"

	"He looked at me Tally and I thought, well you know," I said.

	Tally looked shocked; he knew exactly what I meant. "No way."

	"OK, I'm not very experienced at this, but I felt
uncomfortable...has he ever let on?"

	"No, I don't know Paulo that well, but I doubt if he's interested
in you. Mexicans are pretty straight up, they don't like gay people."

	"I have no idea what he thinks. I don't feel threatened; I don't
have to work with him much. I'll just have to keep an eye on him," I said.

	Tally laughed. "No, don't go lookin at him, I'll be jealous."

	I winked. "You have nothing to worry about. So what's so special
about that white corn?"

	"Sweeter than the yellow, eats better and sells better. Granny says
it comes off the cob easier too; I could eat about six of these. What have
you been doin?" Tally asked.

	"Your dad was showing me the harvest equipment."

	"Ah, grease monkey time...it gets real messy." Tally smiled. "Maybe
we can bathe together."

	"Not a great idea."

	"We'll see. Those machines have about a billion grease points and
we have to hit them every day. Dad and Paulo drive the harvester, Miguel,
Rick and I usually unload, but now we have you," Tally said.

	"Yeah, I want to help, at least when Granny doesn't need me," I
said.

	"Corn and tomatoes are ready about the same time; I think you're
gonna be real busy keepin up." And Tally wasn't kidding.

	The following day found four of us working on the corn
harvester. The belts came off and every roller bearing had to be
inspected. The cowlings were stripped off exposing the interior of the
machine, again more inspection. Miguel and Paulo checked out the engine,
Jim and I crawled over and under.

	Funny thing about the hundreds of grease fittings, they looked like
nipples. I must have unscrewed and unclogged dozens before we were
done. Dirt and chaff from the corn worked its way onto the nipple
preventing the grease from reaching the bearings. Then they could overheat,
seize up and grind the ends of the roller shafts into metal dust, too many
of those and the belts stopped moving.
	The harvester ran for hours moving tons of corn, it all had to work
perfectly all the time, the odds were against it. Jim had spare parts,
boxes of rollers stacked on a shelf; he was used to the failures. We
replaced seven that first day and as Tally had warned I was covered in
grease. The slimy yellowish goo seemed to stick to anything, and I had
tried to be careful.

	Beyond our efforts, the workings of the farm had run on, Tally and
the others had seen to that. I saw the brat with a shovel here, and
carrying bags of feed there...he seemed to be everywhere at once. And then
just as I was cleaning the grease off my hands he pulled up in the small
tractor and grinned.

	"Wanna come along? I have to take some more pipes out to Barry and
Brad," Tally said.

	Jim nodded. "Yeah, give him a hand with the cart; it's tricky to
hitch up."

	I stood on the step of the tractor as Tally drove us around to the
back of the equipment sheds. There was a long cart filled with aluminum
pipes, feeder lines for the water pumps out in the corn fields. They had
been spraying the crop again; I'd heard about it but never seen it done.

	The summer had been fairly dry, rain only coming in short sudden
storms that didn't water the crops very well. A good day of rain might
saturate the ground an inch or so, a passing storm did little except turn
the surface into mud. Setting out the giant sprayers to irrigate the crops
was the only way to assure a healthy product.

	We grunted and groaned jacking the head of the trailer hitch into
place, and then Tally backed under it like an expert. I held on as he took
us down the driveway towards the road, the field they were working on was
two miles away.

	The river fed a lot of the fields by way of a portable pump, but
across the road there were several ponds used for just that purpose. Most
of them were stream fed and consisted of a low dike around a depression in
the land, Tally told me his grandfather had stocked one of them with fish
years ago and they were still worth catching.

	Riding a tractor on the road was fun until several cars backed up
behind us. Top speed on a tractor like this with a load pulled behind was
about fifteen to twenty miles an hour; we were a rolling road block. Tally
pulled over on the edge of the road several times and waved the drivers
around, some waved back and others glared angrily as they sped past.

	I clung to the seat as we rode, my hand occasionally brushing his
back.

	"You drive real well," I yelled above the noise of the engine.

	"Been doin this since I was twelve," Tally yelled back. "I have
driving class this fall at school, you gonna let me drive your Jeep?"

	"You get that permit and I'll show you all I know," I said.

	Tally laughed and nodded, and then he looked up. "Oops, showers
ahead."

	I turned to look just as the overspray of a sprinkler drenched us,
Tally laughed.

	"Brad has the damn thing located wrong...again. Last summer the
sheriff went by with his windows down; boy did we catch hell for that."

	Tally swerved the tractor off the road and turned into a dirt track
at the end of the field. All I saw was a wall of corn but he aimed us into
the void between two fields and followed some hidden lane that seemed to
exist in only his head. I would have been lost out here; the corn was
taller than a man now.

	I could hear the sound of the pumps now, their engines humming away
in the background. We cleared the field and I saw that Tally had brought us
out in an open area beside a pond, Brad's pickup sat there.

	Tally throttled back and rolled the tractor down the slope towards
the back of the truck. He had this evil grin in his face as we rolled up
behind and kissed the truck's bumper with the front of the tractor. Clunk,
we touched and Brad's head popped up in the rear window.

	Tally laughed at catching Brad napping. "Got ya," He yelled.

	Brad was laughing; this must have been an old game between them.

	"Just relaxing, Squirt. Hey, Evan," Brad said.

	"You have the pump set too high, it's raining out on the road,"
Tally said.

	"Oops," Brad yelled and ran over to the pump. He turned a valve and
I assumed that cut the pressure back on the sprinklers. I carried pipe for
the next hour, following Tally and Brad deeper into the field with each
load. I had no idea how they knew where to go, but they did. The last pipe
brought us to this large spray head mounted on a tripod, the darn thing
stood eight feet tall.

	Brad made the final hookup and adjusted a valve on the side of the
standing pipe, then we walked back to the clearing. Two more pipes and
Tally coupled the line to a flexible hose as Brad started the second pump's
engine. A long feeder hose ran out into the pond and I could see the hose
stiffen as the water coursed up into the pump. And then suddenly high over
our heads I could see the arch of water cascading down on the crop.

	My dad had a small sprinkler in the yard, but here the five inch
lines fed a monster version able to water a half dozen acres at a time, it
was impressive. We shared a soda out of Brad's cooler and talked. The spray
heads would run for the rest of the day before being shut down and moved
tomorrow to cover a different section.

	"We're a hundred and twenty days into the growth cycle of this
field," Brad explained.  "Another month and this crop will be ready to
harvest. Corn really needs about twenty-five percent moisture for a good
harvest; the combine likes it that way. Too wet and the corn won't come off
the cob well enough, besides drying it out is a pain in the ass."

	I nodded, not really sure what he was talking about, but then I
would soon enough. Tally and I climbed back on the tractor and headed out
of the field, leaving the cart behind for tomorrow. He throttled back when
we were almost back to the road.

	"You ever want to make love in a corn field?" He asked...the sly
grin back on his face.

	"OK, is this where I have to say yes?"

	"Yeah." Tally leaned back and I saw the front of his overalls
tented out, he revved the engine and pulled forward, turning right instead
of left towards the road. Brad was acres behind us as Tally pulled the
tractor deep into the corn field and stopped. He leaned over and kissed me,
I was a goner.

	I sat on the broad tractor seat, pants around my ankles as a naked
Tally sat on my lap, impaling himself on my cock. I could see the water
from the sprayers arching up across the field in the distance, the sun
creating rainbows in the coarse spray. Tally leaned back to press himself
fully onto my cock and I marveled at the excitement of doing it out here
under the open sky.

	Now I knew why he had come for me, this had been his ultimate
goal. Alone in a corn field with a beautiful boy, how much better could it
get? We could never do this anywhere around the house, even the loft of the
barn seemed risky. But the acres of corn hid us here; I felt comfortable
giving into his need and satisfying my own.

	Tally leaned forward, clasping my neck with his arms and grinding
his ass in my crotch as his cock wore a groove on my stomach. His lips
caressed my neck and ears, his fingers digging into my scalp...it was all
so sensual, so right. I thrust up into his heat, feeling the seat bounce
beneath my bare ass. I groaned as I felt myself reaching the tipping point,
Tally moaned with my efforts and then his cock flooded my belly, pushing me
over the edge into orgasm.

	He ground into me for a while, not willing to let it all go just
yet. We kissed and sighed, these were moments that made it all
worthwhile. Finally I slid out of him and Tally jumped off the tractor,
pulling a roll of toilet paper out from under the seat. He squatted down
and emptied himself, then proceeded to wipe his cum off my stomach and
chest. We dressed and I held him in my arms for a while.

	"I'll be fifteen end of next week," Tally said.

	"Yes, a happy time for us both," I replied.

	"Can you take me into the city after my birthday? Mom is gonna give
me some money as a present, I already asked her."

	"Sure, you have something you want to buy?" I asked.

	"Yeah, I want to get you something."

	"Me? You don't have to spend your money on me," I said.

	"But I want to get you something special," Tally said.

	His eyes were full of emotion and I couldn't deny feeling the same
way. "Sure, we'll go to town if that's what you want. I can never say no to
you."

	Tally grinned. "You spoil me, that's what Granny would say."

	"Hmm, I like spoiling you, baby. We'll have to come out here more
often, this feels like a safe place to love you."

	"At least for the next thirty days, then it'll all be gone," Tally
said. "We should go camping again when the work slows down a bit; after the
wheat is in might be a good time."

	"You just let me know," I said. "Maybe Jerry will want to come
along."

	"Maybe, we haven't talked much, I don't know what he's thinking."

	"I think he wants to leave us alone, he might think he's in the
way," I said.

	"Maybe we could take Stan and Freddy," Tally suggested.

	"Stan in a tent, that would be something new...he's not exactly the
outdoors type."

	Tally laughed. "Freddy could protect him from the bears. We ought
to get back, dad will be wondering what happened to us. You wanna drive?"

	"I never drove a tractor before, you think I can?"

	"Sure, it's easy." And he proceeded to show me how.

	This little Allis-Chalmers was easy; the big green one was
different. OK, throttle and brake, that's all I needed to know for the
moment. He explained the left/right braking for when the machine was
pulling a rake or something, but now they were locked together. He told me
to use the hand throttle for now, and off we went.

	I felt a little exposed riding this high off the road with no walls
around me, but it was fairly simple. The three point stance of a tractor
made steering a little strange; the machine could turn on a dime. But
without a load behind we made it back to the shed that much quicker, and
Jim was waiting.

	"You have fun playing in the sprinklers," He asked.

	"Yeah, Brad was trying to explain about moisture in the crop, but
he lost me. Guess I'd better start making a list of questions to ask you,"
I said.

	"Sure, I have some information from the state agricultural people I
can show you too. Maybe you can make sense out of it all, I sure can't. My
daddy taught me everything I needed to know. But sometimes there seems to
be no answer and then the state boys come in to help us out. They're very
good, makes me feel like my tax dollars mean something."

	I drove the little tractor into the shed and parked beside the
large green machine. Tally jumped off and went over to where Paulo was
working under the flaps of the engine.

	"Little man, where you been all day?" Paulo asked.

	"Watering the crops in the north fields," Tally responded. "You
know how it is; Brad was washing cars on the highway."

	Paulo laughed. "And you catch him every time, good man, he's
wasting the water."

	I watched their talk, I must have been wrong about the man. Tally
was a great lookin boy and Paulo didn't even give him a glance, he was busy
with something under the hood of the tractor. Standing down here looking up
at the cab of the thing towering over my head I wondered, could I even
drive something like this?

	"Hey, Evan...climb up and start the engine will you?" Paulo asked.

	Tally grinned so I knew something was up. I climbed the ladder to
the step outside the door and opened it up. Switches and gauges surrounded
me as I sat on the seat; I had no idea how to start it up. Tally was
leaning in the door with a grin.

	"Oops, a bit different isn't it?"

	"Yeah," I laughed, "I'm totally lost, how does it work?"

	"Pull that knob out and turn the key," Tally said. I did as he said
and nothing happened except a lot of little lights came on. "Now push the
button to the right of the key," He said and I did, startled by the sudden
whine of something and then the engine cranked over, bursting into a full
throated roar as it fired up. A burst of salsa music filled the cabin and
Tally pointed up at the CD player mounted to the roof.

	Paulo appeared a moment later wiping his hands on a rag. "She runs
fine, you like my music?"

	I laughed. "Not sure, it sounds like dance music," I said.

	"Oh yeah, the senioritas love to dance to this, shaking their hips
all over the place," Paulo said. "I love to dance with the ladies when I go
home. Now we work and make money, then I dance at Christmas, its all fine."

	He grinned. "I was going to teach Tally how to dance this summer,
really impress the girls he knows at school. You still wanna learn, little
man?"

	Tally blushed but nodded. "OK, but like I told you, I am not gonna
be dancing at any high school dances...I have two left feet."

	"At your age clumsy is normal, boys are all like that as they grow
up. It takes courage and big balls to dance with the ladies at first, but
you will learn how. You have the balls, little man, now all you need is the
knowledge."

	I laughed and Paulo smiled at his humor, Tally was the only one
that looked worried.

	"High school is a bitch, Tally," I said. "But Paulo is right, it
only takes courage and you do have to learn to be social."

	"Oh Lord, not you too?" Tally said.

	"He is shy around the ladies, every boy must learn sometime," Paulo
said. "Otherwise you'll be a virgin your whole life, Tally."

	"Jeez," Tally yelled and climbed down off the tractor. We watched
him leave the shed and I shrugged.

	"He'll do just fine," Paulo said. "It's hard for farm boys to keep
lady friends; there is too much work for him. But a handsome boy will soon
make the ladies happy, Tally will learn."

	Paulo reached over and turned off the key, the engine shut down and
the music died.  "And what of you, Evan...did you leave a lady behind to
come work here?"

	"No, none of them will miss me, I'm pretty sure of that," I said.

	"Oh, the voice of a man who has lost love before, I understand
that. Following my father from place to place leaves no time for love,"
Paulo said. "Money or love, it's a hard choice since one cannot do without
the other."

	"Did you leave a lady behind?" I asked.

	Paulo smiled. "Not one...but many. I am too young to have only one;
I must celebrate life until the right one comes along. We have not been
home to Mexico in some time; my heart now lives in Texas. I would stay here
if my father returns to Juarez, he will some day when he tires of the
work."

	Paulo placed a hand on my shoulder. "You have a wonderful country,
my friend...there is so much to see and do here. The ladies in Texas want
me to stay, how could I refuse?" he laughed and grabbed at his crotch. "I
must give them something they need, yes?"

	We both laughed and climbed down from the cab. OK, Paulo was a
total ladies man and I was an idiot. He didn't have a clue about Tally and
I, and that was probably a good thing. I left him to clean up his tools and
made my way back to the house. Granny was looking at a row of tomatoes on
the kitchen counter.

	"Evan, help me decide something," She asked. "These three are the
same variety, I usually can them stewed. These three are a different
variety and I can them whole. But this year they look too big to fit in the
jars, we must have received the wrong seeds to plant."

	"Can you switch them out, either that or get bigger jars?" I asked.

	"Suppose I ought to do that, I need both kinds of tomatoes for
different recipes. Yes, that will work. Tomatoes will start comin in next
week; I'll start workin on them every Saturday."

	"I'll be here to help, I don't want you overdoing it this time," I
said.

	"Good boy, we'll set up a production line then," Granny said and
she laughed. "You still look a little dirty behind the ears from workin on
those machines. I expect you'll need a bath before supper, Tally will too."

	She left that hanging in the air as she went on about her
business. Was she suggesting we bathe together? Sometime I think she said
things just to shock me, it was her form of humor. So maybe we should,
bathe that is.

	Tally was back at the milking shed so I fell in step with the work
going on around me. Milking cows, watering corn, fixing machines...this had
been a full day, and tomorrow would be no different. I was beginning to
understand the life these people led was filled with things to do. The work
never ended, it just changed with the seasons.

	I knew the work became harder as the winter set in, but there was
less of it. Keeping the livestock in order would then become the
focus. Chasing cows across an icy field might even seem like fun if I
thought about it. It would mean the family spent more time huddled
together; Tally and I would have less privacy.

	We'd had sex every day I was with him, that couldn't last, it
probably shouldn't. The urgency had worn off, Tally was secure in the
relationship, and I was too. He was still a completely fascinating creature
to watch, but now I was absorbing the finer things about him, filling in
the details of my knowledge.

	We had hooked up my computer; Tally had the basics down from
school. I hooked up to the phone lines and cringed at the slow speed of the
modem. I had Sam come in the room and look at some of the sites Tally could
view, Googling things like Mars and India. No one in this family was very
computer literate, I was about to change that.

	I felt like a farmer in my high rubber boots, I was even wearing an
old pair of Rick's overalls as Tally and I hosed down the shed. The boy
kept looking at me as we worked and I finally couldn't stand it.

	"What?" I asked.

	"You look cute like that, a regular farm boy, only sexier," Tally
laughed.

	"God, you are such a tease," I blurted out.

	"I just wanted you to know...never mind."

	"No, I didn't mean it in a bad way, Tally...I like it when you look
at me."

	He stopped the spraying, standing there with the steam pouring out
around him, and he looked at me. "It's just...I still can't believe you're
here Evan. Things are so different now, I feel different."

	I nodded. "I feel it too, together we've created something
different. It's not just me I think about, it's us."

	Tally smiled. "Yeah...it is us. It feels so good, so right."

	"Come on, let's finish...I want that bath with you," I said.

	Tally grinned and returned to work, fifteen minutes later we were
done. We left the boots on the porch to dry out and walked through the
kitchen. Granny and some of the family were out on the front porch, it was
their living room for most of the summer when it got hot inside. Each
bedroom had an air conditioner in the window as sleep was essential for
hard working people, but the house wasn't cooled except when there was a
breeze.

	Granny looked up from her pile of snap beans. "You boys finished
for the day?"

	"I guess," Tally said. "Where's dad?"

	"He and Brad went down to shut off the pumps; your mom is over at
your Uncle Tom's. You got about an hour before supper," Granny said.

	"I guess we better wash up," Tally said and Granny smiled.

	We went upstairs and shucked off the damp overalls, Tally went in
to fill the bath tub. It was an ancient thing, sitting up on legs and big
enough for two. I shut the bathroom door as I joined him, wondering if I
should lock it.

	Tally smiled. "Lock doesn't work anyway; no one will care if we get
in the tub together. Rick and Barry did when they were my age."

	"You think they fooled around?" I asked.

	Tally laughed. "I watched them playin around, but it was only
jerkin off, I don't know if they ever did anything else...I don't wanna
know."

	I climbed in the hot water and it felt like heaven, then Tally sat
between my legs. I took the wash cloth and started in on his back.

	"I wish I'd had a little brother when I was growing up," I
said. "It would have been fun."

	"My brothers think I was a pain in the ass up until a few years
ago, I probably was. Not much a kid can do around here by yourself, I
woulda gone nuts of it weren't for Jerry comin over."

	I ran the soapy cloth over his shoulders and he leaned back to
allow me to wash his front, the contact made us both erect. I was not going
to allow this to go anywhere; we could save it for later in the bedroom. I
handed Tally the wash cloth and picked up the shampoo bottle, pouring some
out in my hand. Tally reached for the pitcher beside the tub and dumped a
load of water over his head to wet it for me.

	He had such a thick mane of coarse blonde hair; it was just like
his mother's. Tally paused as I applied the shampoo, working it up into
lather. His head slumped and I knew his eyes were closed as he enjoyed the
feeling of my fingers working on his scalp. I heard a soft moan of pleasure
escape his lips, yeah; this was just as much fun for me.

	I worked my fingers through his hair and around his ears. His skin
was so tanned back there, yet so soft and pliable. There were times when I
couldn't get enough of touching him, but now I absorbed the feeling of his
body through my fingers and put love in my touch. He bent forward as I
poured water over his head, moving his hair to allow all the soap to rinse
out. Then we switched places.

	If I hadn't already been erect his first touches would have sent me
through the roof. Lying in bed Tally loved to place his head on my shoulder
and run his fingers across my chest, that feeling was electric, this was so
much better.

	He approached washing me as if I was a painting he was making. The
cloth wiped me here and there, removing spots of dirt both seen and
unseen. Tally was an artist, I was his canvas.

	"You were on the ground under that harvester weren't you?" Tally
asked.

	"Yeah, a few times...why?"

	"Oil got through your shirt; you have black spots all over back
here."

	I had seen the oil and hoped the shirt would wash out, I didn't
know it had soaked through. But Tally gently soaped my back and then up
onto my shoulders, pulling me back on his chest. The caressing fingers
found my chest and he explored. My cock was sticking up out of the water
like a periscope but I ignored it.

	Tally soaped my chest and arms, stopping his downward motion just
above my pubes. I was thankful, this was already too damn sexy for
words...and then he did my hair. The hot water poured over my head, a bit
cooler now that we had sat absorbing the heat, but it still felt fine. And
then his fingers in my scalp, those strong farm boys hands...I was in
heaven.

	Tally's massage elicited a few moans from me ands I heard him
giggle. That naughty little boy was always lurking below the surface, it
made him adorable. Water over the head again while I scrubbed at my legs,
and then I turned around so we were facing one another, Tally began to wash
my face.

	Again the dabs here and there, always gentle, sometimes
persistent. He would make me clean, I had no doubts about that. His gaze
held me entranced; I could fall into the pools of his eyes and drown quite
happily.  Every move of his head, the concentration that wrinkled his brow
as he worked, I adored him like this.

	Fingers caressed my neck as his other hand held the cloth, he knew
the effect he was having on me, I couldn't hide the emotions that must have
shown in my eyes. He smiled and dropped the cloth, pouring water over my
face to remove the suds and then wiping it away, his fingers gentle across
my skin. Now it was my turn.

	I had no doubt that the freckles on his nose were one of the most
endearing qualities about his face. I rubbed then gently, afraid they would
be gone if I worked too hard. So foolish a thought, they were as much a
part of him as those blue eyes that often mesmerized me. I felt like this
was the most sensual moment we had ever shared, and I was amazed, my cock
was limp as a dishrag.

	I removed the suds and stared at him, all I wanted was one simple
kiss to seal the spell we were under. Then the door flew open and Rick
appeared with a bucket in his hand. "Supper's ready." he yelled, and dumped
the bucket of ice in our laps.

	We both leapt up as Rick made his escape. Fortunately we weren't in
the water long enough to feel the effect, I just had to laugh...Tally
growled.

	"I'm gonna put a rattler in his boots tomorrow," Tally said.

	"No...no, it was funny...you guys must do this stuff all the time,"
I said.

	"I have to get even somehow," Tally said, but he was smiling.

	"I can call Stan if you don't have any ideas; he knows a million
ways to get even."

	Tally started to giggle. "I put a picture of a cow in his new
Playboy magazine last month, pasted it right over the middle of Miss May's
best parts, Rick was pissed." Now Tally started laughing.

	"It's always Rick isn't it?" I asked. "I think he loves his little
brother."

	"Yeah, we're never evil about the jokes, dad would skin us both
alive...did he say supper was ready?"

	We dressed for supper and went downstairs. Rick grinned and Tally
smiled casually. He didn't say a word to anyone about the ice and I think
that made Rick nervous. I could see where the fun was in all this, Rick
would get paid back and somehow I knew Tally was a master at revenge.

	We sat at the table when Miguel and Paulo finally arrived. We all
bowed our heads as Jim said the blessing once again, including our new
guests in his words. Tally went straight for the corn as expected, he
really was planning to eat six ears all by himself. The bounty of Granny's
garden graced the table, fresh vegetables both raw and cooked. The tomatoes
looked wonderful and tasted even better, beans, carrots, peas, and a small
bowl of peppers which pleased our Mexican friends.

	"Thank you so much," Miguel said, nodding to Granny.

	The ham was covered in pineapple, probably the only ingredient not
grown here. But it was all delicious, the silence at the table a tribute to
her cooking. We all cleared the table before dessert, and Granny gave us
strawberry pie. Another Saturday night success, tomorrow we had church and
a day of rest...well mostly.

	Cows to be tended, morning and night...other animals to
feed...crops to water...the never ending cycle of life. Only now we had
more help, Miguel and Paulo would be welcome to lighten the load on the
rest if us. And suddenly as I sat there amidst this family I truly felt
like one of them, I had worked hard this day for the good of us all.

	I saw Granny looking at me and she nodded from across the
table. She felt my changes, the wisdom of age giving her insight to my
thoughts. We moved from table to kitchen, Tally and I both telling Granny
to go sit on the porch with the others. She smiled and left us alone. I
rinsed and Tally put the dishes in the washer, then we put the food up
before joining the gathering on the porch.

	The sun was low in the sky, dark clouds gathering in the distance,
another day was ending. Miguel gave me a nod and glanced at Tally.

	"Mister Jim says you were attacked by a bear in the woods, how did
this happen?" He asked.

	I rolled my eyes and saw the others looking on amused; they wanted
Tally to tell my story once again. Tally smiled and began; the boy was a
natural storyteller. And in the gathering gloom the story took on a new
life yet again, I was so proud of him for making the effort. And when he
got to the part about Jerry punching me in the stomach both father and son
roared with laughter, Paulo almost fell off the porch.

	Miguel and Paulo soon wandered back to their trailer as the sun
set, leaving us sitting in darkness. Everyone got up and went back in the
house to avoid the mosquitoes and sat down to watch television, Granny
begged off and went to bed. Tally and I went upstairs where he turned on
the air conditioner and we started to play on the computer.

	I was determined not to show him anything about the porno sites I
knew of, although he had been curious. I told him the access we had over
the phone lines was too slow to view films and he accepted that. Instead I
gave him lessons on the keyboard for a while.

	When school started up again we would get serious about his
studies, that was a given. I had explained that I would help him, but that
he would have to do the work, Tally had agreed. His success would make our
lives easier; it would fill the void over the long winter ahead.

	The hour came and we knew it was time for bed. I was grateful
tonight, tired and ready all at the same time. We did our nightly routine
in the bathroom and then shut the bedroom door. Tally cuddled up close, I
hugged him and our lips met.

	"I really loved washing you," Tally said

	"I feel the same way; just touching you like that makes me tingle
inside."

	"You did real well today, Evan...that's what Dad told Granny."

	"Oh...I didn't think it was that hard, but we stayed busy...I guess
it's always busy," I said.

	"Yeah, I can't keep doin this forever; we'll think of something
else and do it together."

	"I made love to a sweet boy on a tractor today, that was something
else," I said.

	Tally giggled. "Yeah, it was awesome."

	I felt his fingers on my chest and his soft breath on my
shoulder. My hand roamed his back until I felt him sag against me
asleep. The hum of the air conditioner filled the darkness and I soon
joined Tally in sleep.

	Outside the night sky lit up with flashes of light, lightning
shooting through the distant storm clouds, a testimony to the heat that
parched the earth. The crickets filled the humid air with their mating call
and mosquitoes battered the screens trying to get in, but to no avail. I
slept with Tally in my arms, oblivious to the forces of nature outside, but
not for long.