Date: Tue, 09 Mar 2004 10:26:39 +0100
From: Adrie van Dijk <ganymedes62@hotmail.com>
Subject: Lashes of Love Chapter 9

The following story is mainly fictional. It describes the relationship
between a man and a teenage boy. Sex will only play a minor part in the
story.

The story is copyrighted, but free distribution in any form is allowed, as
long as no changes are made.

All the usual disclaimers apply.

Comments are welcome, but flames will be ignored.

Lashes of love

Chapter 9. Decision time.

After Nafut had gone I decided to get going on my solution for his problems
with Zoltan. I knew that if I went to see him, the problems could only run
out of hand, so I decided it was time to call in a favour from two of my
nephews.  They were actually the two sons of one of my older cousins and
they had had a rough childhood. That was one of the reasons they both had
started to visit a gym when they had been in their mid-teens. Both of them
now held jobs as professional bouncers at one of the large discothèques in
the centre of the city.

I called Rick, the older of the two brothers, and after we had exchanged
pleasantries, I came to the point.

"Listen Rick, I had this 15 year old boy here this afternoon who I'm pretty
sure is gay and he told me something about being molested by a guy living
here in my street, a few doors down from me. This guy coaches the street
soccer team and has been forcing him to suck him off, threatening to tell
the boy's friends about him if he didn't cooperate."

Rick was silent on the other side, and I knew my statement had fused anger
inside him that I've only witnessed a few times. I continued:

"There's not much I can do about it without the boy getting hurt, so I was
kind of hoping you and Peter could help me and the boy out here."

"Willem, you know some of what Peter and I went through, when we were
young. Just give me this guys name and address and we'll make sure the boy
is safe from now on."

I gave him the information he asked for and he told me Zoltan would get a
visit later that evening. They wouldn't hurt him physically, I was sure of
that, but I shuddered to think what they might have in store for him.

Just before noon the following day the door bell rang. I looked outside and
saw it was Nafut. I quickly opened the door and he came rushing up. Once
inside my apartment he almost leaped into my arms and kissed me.

"Wow, what's that?"

"I don't know what you did Willem, but it worked!"

"Slow down! What did I do and what worked?"

"Oh, well, I got a phone call yesterday evening from Zoltan. He told me he
was very sorry for everything he had done and he promised to never tell
anyone about me. It was strange because he also said he would stop coaching
the soccer team and I think he was crying when he talked to me."

"I didn't do much, just asked my nephews to visit him is all. I guess they
did."

He continued to hug me fiercely and I couldn't help but get aroused by his
closeness. Then after a little while I heard his all too familiar chuckle.

"What? What are you laughing about?"

He looked at me with the biggest grin on his face I had seen yet.

"You have a hard-on! You must like me! I like you!"

I couldn't contain myself and started laughing. Nafut joined in and we both
ended up on the couch getting stomach aches for our troubles. It took quite
a while before we settled down. Then Nafut's face became serious again
while this time he took my hands in his.

"After I had the phone call last night and went to bed, Willem, I started
thinking. I thought about all the things you told me yesterday. I, well, I
know I'm gay. I've had feelings for boys and men for as long as I can
remember, but never for girls. I quit the soccer team last year because I
used to get hard with some of the boys around and I didn't want anyone to
find out. Then a few months ago I started dreaming about you and I know you
love me and I know now I really love you too. And I have decided to talk to
my dad this evening. I don't know what's going to happen, but I know I have
to tell him about myself."

I was speechless for a while. It was obvious that he had been thinking
things through, but I was worried about his decision.

"Are you sure you want to tell your dad? It's a pretty big step to take."

"Yes, I'm sure. But I'd like you to be home in case things go wrong and I
need to call you. Will you be home?"

"I'll be here and you call me in any case, promise! I'll be worried sick if
you don't."

He promised and we hugged then sat next to each other, holding hands like
old lovers. We were both anxious about the things that lay ahead. The cats
must have felt it too as they joined us on the couch, snuggling up to
us. Finally he had to go home.

"Make sure you call me, you hear?" I said as he left. He smiled and again
promised he would.

After dinner, I sat by the phone waiting. It finally rang at eight.

"Hi Willem, its Nafut. Could you please come over? My father wants to talk
to you."

"Are you all right?"

"Yes, I'm fine. But come over please?"

"I'll be there as soon as I can."

When I hung up, I felt my stomach turn into knots again. Nafut had told his
dad about himself and now his dad wanted to talk to me. A weird sense of
apprehension came over me as I made my way over to Nafut's house. It seemed
his talk had gone all right, but I had no idea what to expect. Nafut let me
in and led me to his room, where his dad sat waiting.

"Hi Willem," Nafut's father said, while offering me his hand. I shook it
and returned the greeting, and then sat down on the chair I was offered.

"You know Nafut and I just had a long talk and it wasn't easy for either of
us.  For a while now it had been clear to me that Nafut was not like other
boys, but I'm a father and I hoped things would turn out otherwise. I love
my son very much and I want him to be happy, whatever may come. Nafut has
told me about what has happened in Turkey with the two boys and here with
Zoltan. He told me you took care of Zoltan. I will phone Turkey tomorrow
and make sure the two boys there are dealt with too."

There was a hard edge in his voice when he said that and I was sure the two
boys in Turkey were in for a surprise. But his voice changed into a
concerned one when he continued.

"Now there is one other thing that needs to be addressed and that is why I
told Nafut to ask you to come here. I don't like beating around the bush,
so I'll get right to the point. My son has told me he loves you and that
you love him too.  Do you?

I looked at Nafut, sitting on his bed, then turned back to his father and
in as steady a voice as I could muster said: "Yes, I love him very much."

"Good, because I want *you* to consider something."

"What would that be?"

"The Turkish community is a small world here and things like these tend to
get out sooner or later. Some of the people are very much stuck in the old
ways and they will never accept Nafut for being what he is. I love Nafut,
but I also have to think about my daughter, my wife and the rest of the
family. That is why I want you to consider Nafut moving in with you, living
with you."

I was completely dumbfounded. This couldn't be real, this couldn't be
happening. I looked at Nafut and from the look on his face I knew this had
come as a shock to him too.

"I think we need a drink. Nafut, go to my cabinet and bring the whiskey
with two glasses, please."

Nafut went to do what he was told. His father looked at me, clearly waiting
for an answer.

"I'd love to have Nafut with me, but ... " I said.

"But what?"

"Well, it's not my decision to make, it's Nafut's."