Date: Wed, 16 Jan 2002 01:24:59 -0500 From: Tom Cup <tom_cup@hotmail.com> Subject: The Innocents by Richard Dean - Part 1 Chapter 3 Gay - A/Y The Innocents by Richard Dean Copyright 2001 by the Paratwa Partnership: A Colorado Corporation. All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic or mechanical, except in the case of reviews, without written permission from the Paratwa Partnership, Inc, 354 Plateau Drive, Florissant, CO 80816 This is a fictional story involving youth/youth or adult/youth sexual relationships. If this type of material offends you, please do not read any further. This material is intended for mature adult audiences. Names, characters, locations and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental. ************************************************************************ This story is part of the Tom Cup Library and may be accessed at http://tomcup.iscool.net or at http://www.eroscities.com ************************************************************************ The Innocents By Richard Dean Part 1 Chapter 3 The Answer "Paulo, I need your help and assistance. I can't release Toninho back to his life on the streets, without knowing that he can rely on either of us should he decide he wants to return. I am going to take him with me and buy some clothes and shoes for him. Will you help me figure out how to deal with this issue? I have only two days to come up with a solution before I leave. You are the only one I can fully trust who has good judgment and might know of ways we can figure out together, OK?" "Of course. How could you think I would not help you? I know you'll do the `best' thing, the `right' thing for him. I'll always be at your side, especially when I notice you trying to make things better for those unfortunates. They're my brothers and sisters too, don't you know?" To dispel public embarrassment, I hugged him and patted him on the back, before pulling away quite near to full-blown tears. "I'll see you tonight at our place then." Paulo gave his nodded approval. I turned away and made my way to the table where Toninho was sitting watching out across the Boulevard to the beach scene while sipping on the last of his drink. "Come with me, Son. We've much to do and not enough time to get it all done, before I have to return to work." "What," stuttered Toninho, confused and somewhat dazed by my urgency, "To do what, to go where?" "We're going shopping. Where's the nearest department store? Come on lad, get a move on!" I placed enough money to cover the restaurant bill, along with a generous amount for Paulo's tip and hurriedly walked off with Toninho scuttling behind me trying to catch up, still confused. "Pae, wait for me!" I set my foot brakes on full, when I heard his plea, stopping in place. Dad? He called me Dad? I thought. Am I hearing right? One of the warmest feelings emanated through my corpus as the realization struck me that it was indeed what he muttered. I'm now his Pae, his Dad. I opined. Enough of this, I don't have time to concern myself at this time and place. On to bigger and better things. Too much to do, not enough time. I purchased several outfits of outerwear, including undergarments, a Dopp kit to enclose his toothbrush &. paste, comb, hairbrush, deodorant, nail file and clippers. I even found some bubble bath, thinking this might be a bit extreme, but a delightful change of pace for my kid. My kid needed to savor the luxury to soak and be pampered for once in his young life. We ended up with two pair of shoes; everyday and dress including flipflops to wear within the apartment. I decided I must remind him to take off his shoes at the entrance and put on slippers or flipflops when within, to save the wear and tear on my hardwood floors of which I took especial pride. We bought a lightweight jacket to dispel the frequent rains that occurred during the afternoons of the Spring and Fall months. On the walk back to our apartment, I explained my plan that he was to live with Paulo and I temporarily until I could make arrangements to contact his Granny and deliver him to her. If during my absence, he needed anything, I would give Paulo authority to draw on my household account money with the proviso, however, that Paulo would have to deem it appropriate and just. Also he would have to handle some of the household chores that Paulo and I were doing presently. He would have to make up the beds of both bedrooms, help clean the bathroom, assist with the dishes, if Paulo and he ate in, take out the garbage and other small incidentals that either Paulo or I would ask of him. During the time of residence with us, he was going to be schooled by Paulo in reading, writing, and arithmetic, as well as learn English. This was to be his "job". He would receive a weekly allowance of an amount set by Paulo and I for doing his work. That money was his to spend or save, as he saw fit. If he needed other clothing or supplies, he need only ask either of us, and they would be supplied, at our cost and expense. During the hours that Paulo would be at the restaurant, he would study, watch only a little television, or spend the other time at the restaurant, assisting Paulo in whichever task he asked of him. -- There were times when meals were to be delivered to offices or shops nearby. -- Paulo would assign him hours of study, TV, et cetera. One thing he could NOT do was to associate himself with other street children unless Paulo or I had a chance to meet them; and approve of their behavior and attitude. I told Toninho, that we would both love him equally, and show him the proper respect that is usual to a member of a family. I added though, that I loved him first and probably more deeply than did Paulo. "Don't tell Paulo I said that, though." He agreed to this contract with a full heart and eager affirmation that he would publicly shame neither Paulo nor me. Reaching the door to our apartment, I set the packages down and searched for my keys, slipped the key into the lock and we entered into our sanctuary. Toninho dropped the packages in his hands onto an easy chair and went racing through the six rooms and then on to the balcony which from his right gave him the view of the hills and mountains and in front of him lay the Atlantic Ocean with the beaches of Ipanema. The view from the left, gave on to Corcovado and Cristo Redentor (Christ the Redemptor). Tears of generous gratitude flowed abundantly from his eyes, his sobs were filled with glee, joy and elation and all the while he was hugging me as tightly as he could saying "Pae, meu Pae." Holding his head to my chest, I murmured to him, that he was safe and deeply loved, hugging him to me as tightly as I dared without squeezing the breath from out of him. Somehow during this time, we managed to make our way to the lounge chair, and plopped in it. He positioned himself on my lap, while still hugging me, and crying, sobbing softly. He noticed that I was in my stocking feet, and then started bursting in loud wails of tears declaring, that he had forgotten and not taken off his shoes and may have damaged the floor. I assured him that this was a moment that is to be forgotten, he is not to blame nor at any fault. I kissed his forehead and tousled his hair, murmuring "Its OK my boy, its OK. You're home now. Nothing can happen to you. You're safe with "Pae and Paulo". I would venture a guess that we remained in that chair for nearly 45 minutes, before I became cramped and had to adjust myself, but he was adamant that he wanted us to stay like this. "Toninho, you are much to big for me to continue holding you like this. Allow me to get up, we'll make arrangements for your clothes, and toiletries, first. Then we can go out onto the balcony and await Paulo's return home, OK?" He agreed but with some hesitancy. I made room on one of the shelves in the towel closet for his toiletries. In my room I cleaned out one of the drawers of my bureau for his socks and underwear and we hung up his clothes in my chifferobe. His new dress shoes he placed under the chifferobe. The daily shoes he placed on a mat adjacent to the front entry. "I think it's a good idea if you were to take a bath before Paulo comes home as he will need access to it at that time, Toninho. Your choice, tub or shower?" "I want to take a bath and soak the grime away from my soul," he said in a very adult manner. "Well off with you then, and don't think for a moment that you will wear those same clothes you have on. With an enlightened soul, you need fresh clothing." He could find no fault in that statement. And went into the bathroom. I heard the water running along with the sound of his humming a tune, somewhat out of tune. I asked him to let me know when he was in the tub, and he yelled out that he was in it already, so I entered the bathroom, picked up his soiled and discarded clothes from the floor after I set out his new clothing on the sink cabinet. "These are history," I said holding his old clothes and pouring a bit of the bubble bath fluid into his bath water, "This will foam up and let you soak in a relaxed state and come out smelling like a newborn." "Blechh" he remarked pointing to the old clothes, "they spit up." We both chuckled over that remark, while he was busy sloshing the water to command it to foam. I left him to handle his ablutions with the discipline of a teen. Messy, no doubt, but he promised he would keep our place clean, I reminded him of that. I tossed the clothes into the trash with his nasty old shoes. My God they were several steps from disintegrating and foul smelling to boot. Away and begone, I thought. Paulo came in then, with his usual singsong greeting; "Luucy, I'm hooome!" Toninho yelled out "Who is Lucy?" We looked at each other and ended up in uproarious laughter, which would calm down a bit, and then when we looked at each other once again, it made us laugh all the louder and longer. Finally, composure set in and I remarked to Paulo, "Our boy is home." We collapsed in each other's arms weeping happily. Toninho yelled out "Whats wrong?" "Nothing that you haven't made right," Paulo shouted back. I went into the kitchen and fixed us several glasses of iced "cha" (tea) and we took them out onto the balcony where we sat and talked about the events of this day, and how we would continue to handle the remainder of our days with our new charge. He approved to my plan as I laid it out to Toninho on our walk home from shopping, but he suggested the issue of locating his Grandmother, may be somewhat of a problem. "We know his Mother's married name is or was Carpazetti d'Souza. And as you tell me his Grandmother's name is Flávia, we may have difficulty finding a person named Flávia Souza. In Central and South America names are enjoined with the paternal then the maternal names. We have no way of knowing what the paternal last name of his Grandmother's father was." "Could we make an engine search via the internet?" "We can make a try, but I don't give it much luck, as Brazil's database may not be as complete as one would be in the United States. In the US they use various sources for the database, telephone records, tax rolls, voter and auto registration lists. Here it's haphazard, at best. But I'll give it a go, and then we can come up with a plan, whether it be successful or not." "What about some of the neighbors in the favela where they lived, might not one of them know of the Grandmother or where she lived in Porto Alegre?" "I'll ask about, Ricardo, but don't get up your hopes on that too much. Some of those people would never even think about disclosing anything of their past or their present lives to anyone." "Oh no," I said despondently. My hopes crushed. "Wait a minute," he interspersed, "what about the baptismal records of the church? Almost all children are baptized whether they are Christian or not, even the indians, if there is a priest in shouting distance. I'll check into that from information Toninho can tell us. We'll need his birthdate, place of birth, and diocese in which the closest church would have been at the time of his birth. He was probably born at home, as seldom do the indigent have the funds available to utilize a hospital." With hopes once again buoyed, I reached over and pulled Paulo's face to mine and laid a giant lip lock on him. "Aha, I knew you weren't telling me the truth about you and Paulo. You are lovers!" accused Toninho as he strolled onto the balcony wearing clean and neat clothes, his hair combed and presenting himself to us as a normal young teenager, with that assured strut that they assume so often. Paulo broke away from my liplock somewhat embarrassed at being caught in delicto. I replied, "Toninho, I said that we love each other as friends. We are not lovers. We cannot be because we have no sex together. A mutual kiss between friends no matter how desirable cannot be construed to mean sex." "Oh OK" he remarked putting his accusation out of mind. "That's different. Then I can kiss you both and it means that we are not lovers?" "Yes." I agreed. "So between the three of us, we are now family. We can kiss each other all we want." "All right!" He jumped between us and kissed each of us fully on the lips. "Toninho," I said after his pleasing show of affection, "we have questions that need be answered." *********************************************************************** Send comments to: richard@boystories.zzn.com To support this and other stories by Richard Dean, visit http://www.eroscities.com *********************************************************************** You'll find my newest writings at http://tomcup.iscool.net. I also recommend visiting these sites: Boyztown - Gay Pictures and Stories http://www.boyztown.net Girlztown - Lesbian Pictures and Stories http://www.girlztown.net Eroscities - Featuring the writings of Richard Dean http://www.eroscities.com All my best, Tom Cup "Why is it that the words we write for ourselves are so much better than the words we write for others?" Sean Connery as William Forrester in the film "Finding Forrester."