Date: Sat, 14 Jan 2006 04:05:29 -0800 (PST)
From: John Nail <seekingurdick@yahoo.com>
Subject: Ben Finds His Love
You can email me your comments or if you live in the Cadillac area and
you want to meet my email is seekingurdick@yahoo.com
I can't believe I am celebrating my 10th anniversary with the guy I
love. The years have flown by. My name is Ben Johnson this story is
incredible especially the start of it. I am 38 yrs. old and to this
day I still can't believe I am gay and living with a guy I love but here
is my story.
I was hitchhiking south of Toledo and it was a cold and rainy
night I was about to give up when this pickup slowed to a stop about 30
feet in front of me. I went running up to the pickup and opened the
door.
The man said," I'm Eli Edwards why don't you get in
from the cold. I don't usually pick up hitchhikers but I do know it is a
miserable night to be out there beside the road."
I replied as I was closing the door and fastening my
seatbelt," Thank you. I don't usually hitchhike either but I now don't
have a choice."
He asked," Where are you going?"
I replied," Anywhere there is a job. I lost my job in
Cleveland and my car, and I've been evicted from my apartment."
He replied," Well I'm going back to my farm in
Videllia Georgia, you are welcomed to stay with me until at least you get
a job and back on your feet. What do you do?"
I said," I'm a web page designer, I worked for this
company and it went under and because of that I couldn't get unemployment
and I wasn't able to find another job."
Eli said," Wait a minute there is a web page design
company in Videllia."
I said," That will be great if there is."
Well our conversation ended and I felt myself go to
sleep.
I didn't wake up for several hours it must have been
because when I woke up I noticed that we were in a midsized farming
community. Than we headed toward this pretty wide gravel road and drove
up that road for about 10 minutes and we pulled in to this dirt drive way
drove down that w/what he told is onion fields on either side for about
80 yards up to his house. It was a 2 story white with a massive porch in
front.
Eli told me," This is my home, sweet home. What you see on
either side is onions. They are still growing well get your bags out and
we will head into the house.
I said," This place is beautiful, did you build this?"
He looked at me and laughed than said," No, No this farm
has been in my family for 9 generations. You will meet my son and
daughter they are both going to the University of Georgia. My son hopes
to take over this farm when I retire."
I asked," So where is your wife?"
He said," She died about 5 years ago. She died of
Muscular Dystrophy."
I said," I'm sorry I brought up such a sensitive
subject."
He said," Don't worry about it you wanted to know. I am
done mourning her I am just living with happy memories of her now."
I said," I am glad, the last thing I want to do is bring
back something unpleasant for you."
We went inside and we put our clothes away.
He said," The day is still young why don't I show you
around our town. Do you have a resume and if you do bring it with you."
I went to my attache case and I found it and grabbed
it. We cliimbed into the pickup buckled up and headed into town. We
pulled into town and parked at this business called Sunshine Web
Designs.
He says as we walk in," This is it right here.
Rochelle where is that no good boss of yours Chris?"
She laughed and said," Eli are you finally putting
your farm on the web?"
He said," No but I think I have a young man who can
help put your business on the map though."
She said," Well with that I just might have to get
Chris than."
Chris walks out I couldn't believe it he was a
knockout broad shoulders and he tapered like a surfer.
Chris says," Is the guy you were bragging so much
about to my assistant, Eli?"
Eli says," Yes he is, I think you could use him."
Chris looks at me and says," Well let me look at
your resume and I can decide to talk to you or not."
Chris took my resume and went back to his office.
Eli and I sat out front waiting for about 30 minutes
when Chris returned.
He says to me," You are so well qualified, looks like
I don't even need to interview you. I called your alma mater and your
former employer he just raved about you and said that if his company
didnt go under you would have still been with him."
Chris asked me," So how does $12 an hour sound to you?
I know it isnt what you are used to. You have made about $8 more an hour
but that is all I can start you out at."
I said," That sounds fine with me since I'm going to be
staying with Eli."
Chris said," Great than how about starting Monday if
that is convienent for you."
I said," Well, Tuesday would be better I would like to
get a hair cut and make sure I have clean clothes if you don't mind."
Chris said," You know what I can respect that and even
appreciate it. I like my employess to be presentable. Well Tuesday it is,
well your employer folding like that and Eli picking you up has been to
my great advantage. Welcome to Sunshine Designs I'm glad you have decided
to become part of the team"
. We shook hands and left the office.
Eli said," Chis was a couple of years ahead of his kids
and after graduating high school and taking a couple of years at the
business college he opened the business. You will enjoy working for Chris
he is a nice guy and he definetly knows his business."
Well after about an hour more of touring the town we
went home. I could tell my future was bright in my new town. It wasn't
big but it was nice and with Eli's hosptality I could have definetly done
worst.
But before going home we went to the local diner and sat
down.
The waitress came over and said," Eli, Chris was here
checking the software to see if it was working all right and he was
bragging about this boy as if he descended from heaven. How did you meet
this young man."
Eli spent about 5 minutes telling who I found out was
Deloris how he picked me up hitchhiking south of Toledo and that left
Deloris shaking her head.
Deloris said," You must be something because Chris
doesn't normually brag about someone as much as he bragged about you.
Before he left he was amazed that you would take $12 an hour and he was
thankful that Eli brought you. You have made his day and all I have to
say is welcome to Videllia."
As she was talking I felt myself blushing, I know I must
have turned 12 shades of red.
I just said," Thank you mam, for making me feel welcome
in your wonderful town."
She said," And to top it all of he is so polite, you
will do well in this town."
While we waited for our orders we started talking again.
Eli said," Ben, this has been one great day for you I can
tell. You are starting to look content already. When we went
into Sunshine Designs you looked as nervous as a long tailed cat in a
roomful of rockers. After Chris said you were hired you starting looking
more relaxed but after what Deloris said you really look content. I have
a gift of reading people that is how I know. This diner is more than a
place for people to eat this is a central social center for here in
Videllia. Deloris is going to talk about you and let me tell you, you
will be accepted as part of this community real quick."
I said," Eli I am already feeling like this is my new home
and I am already feeling like I am part of this town."
He said," Well Ben I am glad to hear that because Chris
sure likes you."
Our orders were brought and we ate.
He chuckled and said," The way you are wolfing that food
down,. you are acting like it is your last meal."
Well half hour later Eli was paying for our meals after
leaving a generous tip for Deloris and we headed out to the pick up. We
belted ourselves and Eli backed out of the parking space. We headed for
the house he told me that this is a friendly quiet town. We were talking
about various things than we were at the house before I knew it. I told
him I saw the barbershop and he said good.
We sat down on the recliners in the livingroom and we
reclined back. He turned on the t.v. and I noticed he Dish T.V.
I asked," Are you busy through out the year?"
He said," My 2 busiest times of the year is planting and
harvesting. After harvesting I go over my equipment, you know cleaning
maintanance and what not after that I'm pretty free. Now that is why I
was visiting some friends in a town outside of Cleveland since I'm not
busy right now. I have everything where the billing period is annual
instead of monthly it makes everything easier."
I said," Oh ok so what you are saying than that really
after planting and harvesting you farm is essentually dormant right. Wait
a minute everything is able to go on without your constant supervision."
He said," You can say that within a couple of months
those onions will be ready to harvest. Now I am able to harvest 2 times a
year since this is early spring I'll be able to harvest one more time.
Now the 1st harvest is always the best that is when the onions are at the
sweetest. I'll give you a sample in fact Ill take half a bushel for
personal consumption."
I asked," So how much do you usually harvest a year?"
He said," Oh about 120 bushels a year which is about
15,000 lbs If im not mistaken. This is one of the harvest richest farms
in the area."
I whistled and said," Wow that is alot of onions, so
this farm makes you a pretty good living huh?"
He said," Well, I don't go hungry and I am able to make
ends meet. I am just fortunate enough to be able to hold on this farm.
You see the house doesn't have a mortgage neither do any of the buildings
or any of this property. I just have to make payments on the equipment
and pay the taxes and oh ya pay on the dish t.v. every year."
All of a sudden it was 9:30 and I was tired and I said
I am ready for bed.
Eli says," Good night Ben I will see you in the
morning."
After that I crawled into the bed and fell fast asleep.
Well weekend went and it was Monday morning and I woke up
smelling some more of Eli's delicious cooking. I came down stairs in
nothing more than my underwear and one of my button down shirts.
Eli laughed and said," I see you are comfortable here in
just your shirt and underwear"
I blushed and said," I forgot about my state of
undress,I'm sorry about that."
Eli said," As long as the kids are still at school don't
worry about it. I got a surprise for you."
I said," What is that?"
Eli said," I've got a car out in one of the shops here.
The car is old about 20 years old but it is mechanically sound and it
does look decent . I thought you could use it to go to work go back and
forth to in."
. I said," Your generosity is overwhelming, I don't know what
to say."
Eli brought the breakfast to the table and dished up both of
our plates.
He says," Well let's eat our breakfast and I will show you
the car."
We ate our breakfast and an hour later we had eaten and
the dishes washed. We went out to the shop and he opened the door and
there was the car it was covered in dust but I saw an 75 Chrysler New
Yorker.I opened the door and I saw that the interior was in good shape.
I turned to him and said," This car will be good to
use."
He went over to one of the cabinets and grabbed a set of
the keys and gave them to me.
He said," Start it up and see what you think."
I started it up and it ran so quiet and smooth.
I said," This car runs real well."
He says," I'm glad you appreciate it. Well we just have
to get the insurance and plates current and it will be yours to use. Give
me the registration out of the glove box and turn off the car so we can
go to town."
I turned the car off and handed him the registration and we
exited the shop and he closed the doors. We got in his pickup and went
into town where first I got my hair cut and I looked in the mirror and
liked what I saw. Than we went and got the insurance renewed on the car.
After that we went to the court house 20 minutes later we walked out w/
new license plates. We went back home and put the plates on the car.
He said," Why don't we go out for a drive it is such a
beautiful day to do that and maybe have a picnic."
I said," That sounds like fun."
He packed a lunch and drinks for us and we took off in the
car.
I couldn't believe how well the car rode. Well before we knew it the
sun was going down and it was time to go home. We ate supper and I was
ready to go to bed.
I went fast asleep that night.