Date: Tue, 19 Mar 2002 21:27:21 -0500
From: Jeff Allen <jeff_allen15@hotmail.com>
Subject: Love of a Lifetime Part 9

This is a fictional story dealing with love and consensual sexual
activities between males.  If you are not of legal age, reside in an area
where viewing such material is illegal, or are offended by homosexuality
and/or homosexual themes, leave this site now.

The author retains all rights to this story.  No reproductions or links to
other sites are allowed without the permission of the author.


LOVE OF A LIFETIME

PART 9


     The ringing of the phone jolted me from a deep sleep.  I fumbled for
the receiver and mumbled something that was supposed to have come out
"Hello" but instead was more like, "Ungh?"

     The urgency in C.Z.'s voice brought me fully awake instantly.  "Andy,
mom's having trouble breathing.  I'm taking her into the hospital."

     "I'll meet you there."  My feet hit the floor.  I glanced at the
clock.  It was 4:08 a.m.  I was dressed and on my way into town in a matter
of minutes.

     I found C.Z. and Emily in one of the small treatment rooms in the
emergency suite of the hospital.  She was hooked up to an oxygen mask and a
couple of IV's.  Her skin had a grayish cast to it that I'd never seen
before; I knew instantly she was dying.

     C.Z. was standing by her bed holding her hand.  He looked up at me
with tears in his eyes.  "Andy, I thought she was gone!"

     I put my arm around his shoulders and gave him a hug.  "I'm here for
you, buddy."

     He leaned into me as I hugged him.  "Thanks for coming.  I really need
you here right now."

     "I'm here as long as you need me."

                       **********

     The emergency room wasn't very busy at that hour of the morning so
Emily had lots of attention from the staff.  Around seven Emily's doctor,
Frank Kalian came in.  Emily was awake at this point and insistent on going
home.  Dr.  Kalian examined her and then took C.Z. and me into a small
conference room in the emergency suite.

     "C.Z., there's nothing I can do for your mother.  Her heart's just
giving out.  I can admit her to the hospital, but it won't make any
difference this time.  She wants to go home, and, at this point, we can do
as much for her there as we can in the hospital.  It's up to you."

     C.Z. swallowed and blinked back some tears.  He looked over at me, and
I gave him a slight nod.  "I'd like to take her home."

     Dr. Kalian nodded his head in agreement.  "Okay.  I'll go make
arrangements for the ambulance and for some equipment to go home with you.
I'll contact Hospice, and they'll come check on you everyday."

     He left the room, and C.Z. turned to me.  "Andy, what can I do about
the paper route?"

     I pulled him into an embrace.  "Don't worry about that, babe.  I'll
take care of it.  Did you get any of the papers delivered this morning?"

     "Geez, no!  When I got up mom was having trouble, and I just brought
her right in to the hospital."

     "Okay.  You take care of your mom, and I'll go get the papers
delivered this morning.  I'll see you back at your house when I'm done."

     He hugged me even tighter.  "Thanks, Andy.  I'm scared.  This is
happening a lot sooner than we thought."

     "I know, babe.  I know."

                       **********

     It took much longer than usual to deliver the papers that morning.
Because the papers we arriving so late a lot of people met me at the
roadside for their papers and seeing me instead of C.Z. they wanted to know
if anything was wrong.  I briefly told them what I knew and tried to get on
with the route, but most folks wanted to talk about C.Z. and Emily.  Many
promised to bring food by the house or to sit with Emily while C.Z. was
doing the paper route or painting houses or just to give him a break.  The
kindness and concern was so moving that I had a constant lump in my throat
the whole time.

                       **********

     When I got over to C.Z.'s later that morning Emily was asleep in her
bed.  C.Z. came out into the kitchen from her bedroom when he heard me come
in the house.

     I hugged him.  'Why don't you try to go get some sleep?  I'll sit with
your mother for a while."

     He started to argue with me, but the fight just sagged out of him.
  The dark circles under his eyes that always made him look older seemed to
grow.  "Thanks.  I think I do need a nap."

     He disappeared down the hall to his bedroom, and I moved quietly into
Emily's room.

     Emily woke up as I came into the room.  She smiled at me and said,
"I'm glad you're here.  I need to talk with you."

     I sat in the chair beside here bed.  "What do you need to say?"

     "I'm not going to make it this time.  I'm so tired."

     "Emily, of course you'll make it."  I protested.

     She placed her hand on mine.  "No.  I won't, but I've got to get some
things taken care of first.  I know you love C.Z."

     "Of course.  He's the little brother I never had."

     "Oh pshaw!  You two are a lot more than like brothers."

     I reddened and started to protest, but she continued.  "I was so
afraid I'd die before he found someone.  Promise you'll take care of him
for me?"

     Tears welled up in my eyes, and it was hard to swallow.  "You know I
will."

     "I changed my will last week to name you as C.Z.'s guardian.  There
won't be much in my estate.  We owe a lot of money to the doctors and
hospital.  I think you'll have to sell everything.  There probably won't be
anything left to help you with C.Z."

     "Emily, I don't care about that.  I love him.  I don't care about any
money."

     "I know.  I just needed to say it."

     The effort of talking had exhausted her.  She grew quiet and seemed to
nod off toward sleep.  I held her hand.

     After a while she opened her eyes again.  "The next time you come
over, bring Larsen with you.  I want to see that old mutt again."

                       **********

     I brought Larsen over that evening.  He went over to her bed and put
his nose on her hand.  She reached over and patted his head and smiled.
Larsen never moved away from Emily's touch.

     Emily died a couple hours later surrounded by people who loved her.
C.Z.  was holding her hand.  She had the other hand resting on Larsen's
head.  Reverend Baker and Dr. Kalian were there in the room also.  I guess
it was as peaceful as a death could be.  She went to sleep and just stopped
breathing.  Larsen moaned and moved over to lay his head on C.Z.'s lap.
C.Z. buried his face in the fur of Larsen's neck and cried.  I stood beside
C.Z. and stroked the hair on his head as he cried.

     After the funeral home had taken Emily's body away and Dr. Kalian and
Rev. Baker had left, C.Z. and I lay down on his narrow bed and I held him
as he cried until he fell asleep.  In so many ways C.Z. acted like an
adult, but that night he was just a scared 17 year old who had lost his
mother.

                       **********

     It's been a year and two months since Emily's death.  The house and
land were sold at auction to pay for some of the debts.  C.Z. of course
moved out to my house.  He kept the paper route which we have done together
most mornings.  I insisted that he stop driving the school bus which gave
him time to go out for football in the fall of his senior year.  He made
first string wide receiver, and I was at all of the games cheering for him
(and the rest of the team).  C.Z.  had another great track season in the
spring and got scholarship offers from the University of North Carolina at
Chapel Hill and from Adams State University in Adams, North Carolina.
After visiting the schools and meeting with the respective coaches, C.Z.
decided to go to Adams State.
     A lot of factors entered into C.Z.'s decision.  Chapel Hill seemed so
big to a kid who had lived in Carterville all his life, and, while Adams
State had almost 10,000 students, it still had a "smaller" feel than UNC.
Another factor...possibly the deciding factor...was the open attitude of
the coach, Jack Kensington, toward C.Z. and me.  When C.Z. and I visited
Chapel Hill the coaches we met seemed more interested in talking about how
great the team and the school were.  At Adams, Coach Kensington seemed more
concerned about what C.Z. wanted to study for a major than the reputation
of the school.  He also realized that C.Z. and I were a couple and let us
know there were other members of the track team who were gay and that he
valued people for their talents and their effort instead of judging them
because of their sexual orientation.

                       **********

     C.Z. leaves for college tomorrow.

     All of his things are packed.  Larsen's walking around with his tail
hanging down.  He knows something's up.  C.Z. and I have a special evening
planned for his last night at home.  Neither one of us will be getting much
sleep!

     God, how I'm going to miss him!  I keep trying to tell myself that the
separation will be good for us.  He needs the time and the experience of
college.  We replaced his old rusty Subaru with a much newer and more
reliable model that should get him home at least one weekend a month to see
Larsen and me, and I'm planning on visiting Adams on one other weekend each
month.  I just have to find a motel over there that will allow Larsen to
come along.

     We know it's going to be rough, but we're ready.  Both of us know that
what we have is the love of a lifetime, and we'll make it.



AUTHOR'S NOTE: That's all of the story for now.  My original intention was
to stop here, but a number of you have written urging that the story
continue, and, as I was writing, I found that I really liked the
characters.  There will be a hiatus in posting while I work on the next
series of episodes in the lives of Andy, C.Z., and Larsen.  Since I'm a
moderately compulsive person (nothing too pathological...yet) I'll need to
have several chapters written and edited before I do the next posting.
Please be patient with me.

Thanks,

Jeff Allen