Date: Fri, 23 Sep 2016 13:35:06 +0000 (UTC)
From: hankbrookscc@comcast.net
Subject: The Prodigal Son

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			     The Prodigal Son


 When I was fifteen, I accepted the truth about me.  I was gay and nothing
was ever going to change that.  I lived in The Bible Belt, and my parents
were strong fundamentalists.  When it came to religion, my kid brother was
not only as bad as they were, he was very homophobic, and never hid his
feelings.  I was determined not to shame my family, and I kept my secret
until I graduated college.

 Even in college, far from home, I remained chaste.  The fear of discovery,
and having to face my parents was too much to bear.  I made a decision, and
I was determined to stick to it.  I had a college degree, and something to
offer in the job market, so I decided to leave home, and simply disappear.
I was just too miserable to remain there.

 I confided in nobody, and one Sunday morning, I pretended to be ill.
While my family was in church, I packed all my needful things in my car,
and headed for New York City.  If there was ever a city I could get lost
in, it was The Big Apple.  I didn't even leave a note.  I just wanted to
disappear.  I was young, and I never considered the grief I would cause my
parents, and even my brother.

 I had done my research, and I headed for a YMCA in Brooklyn.  I wanted to
work in Manhattan, but preferred to live more quietly.  As soon as I got
settled at the Y, I got out my lap top, and began my search for a job.  I
had majored in MIS (Management Information Services) in college, and I had
no trouble landing a job with a major brokerage firm in Manhattan.  They
were located in lower Manhattan.  It was an exceptionally easy commute to
Brooklyn, so I found a pleasant one bedroom apartment in a nice
neighborhood, and began my new life with an apartment in Brooklyn, and a
great job in Manhattan.

 I gave some thought to changing my name, in case my family tried to find
me, but my name was so common, I decided not to.  I am William Smith, Jr.,
middle name, Henry.

Greenwich Village was about a fifteen-minute subway train ride from my
apartment.  While I was working up the courage to visit a gay bar in The
Village, I was becoming friendly with a few of my fellow co-workers, and a
miracle happened.  One of them hit on me.  I didn't know how to handle it,
but I readily agreed to have a drink with Marvin Weil on Friday night at a
local bar in Manhattan.  It was a straight bar, but it was there that Marv
admitted to me that he was gay, and had the hots for me.

 I whispered in his ear that I was gay also.  He smiled and hugged me.  "I
knew it," he said.  "Next time we'll go to a gay bar."

 "Yes, please," I said.  "I've been too chicken to go alone."

 "You're a virgin," he smiled at me.  He didn't say that facetiously.  He
just made a statement.  I nodded, and he asked, "Could I have the pleasure
of being your teacher?"

 I must have turned ashen, because he said, "We don't have to do anything
the first time.  We can just talk, and get to know all about each other.
Just let me know when you're ready."

 Marv must really have cared about me.  He didn't just want to slam bam and
fuck me Ma'am.  He wanted to get to know me and be my friend.  I relaxed
and said, "I'd like that a lot."

 "I live only a few blocks from here," he said.  "Why don't you go home,
pack a bag, and come to my apartment tomorrow morning?  We'll have
breakfast together, and spend the day getting acquainted.  Then tomorrow
evening we'll go clubbing."

 "It sounds like a great plan," I said, "but why the overnight bag?"

 "I was hoping you'd stay over, and we can have brunch together Sunday
morning."
 As much as I liked Marv, and as comfortable as he was to be with, I was
shaking in my boots.  Finally I said, "Of course I will."

 We had a few drinks and then I headed for the subway.  Marv insisted on
walking with me to the entrance.  He smiled, and said that he really hoped
that this was the beginning of a beautiful friendship.  With that
devastating smile, I took a good look at him.  He had sandy blond hair, and
beautiful big blue eyes.  He was very good looking, and easy to the eye.
"Goodnight handsome," he said, and blew me a kiss.  Marv thought that I was
handsome too.  The thought of it made me shiver.

 As you can imagine I got very little sleep that night.  I kept getting
erections, but refrained from jacking off.  Marv said that nothing would
happen the first night, but I wanted to save myself, just in case.

 I guess I was really anxious to be with him.  I was at his door early the
next morning, way too early.  I rang the bell several times before Marv
answered.  All he was wearing were boxer shorts, and I stole a peek.  I
could tell he was well hung.

 "You're really early," he said.  "I was just going to jump in the shower."

 "I can leave and come back later," I muttered.

 "Not on your life.  Care to shower with me?"

 "Not this time." I mumbled shyly.

 "Okay.  Get comfortable on the sofa, and I'll be with you in a few
minutes."

 About five minutes later, he came out of the shower.  He was naked, and
drying himself with a big bath towel.  "Take a good look," he said.  "It's
part of the process of getting to know each other."

 So I took a good look.  Marv was about four and a half inches flaccid.
"It grows to about seven and a half inches when I get aroused," he answered
my unasked question.  "When I whack off, it doesn't grow to more than seven
inches.  I guess I can't arouse myself."  That must have struck him funny,
because he roared with laughter.

 Before coming to New York, I had never seen a circumcised cock in my life,
but I knew that he was cut.  As you can imagine, none of the men in my
family are cut.  I had seen some naked boys in the locker room, but they
were all intact.  I had gone to a very conservative Christian college.

 "Come into my bedroom while I dress," he said.  "I decided to make
breakfast and lunch for us, rather than to go out.  Maybe we'll go out for
dinner before we go to The Village."

 While Marv was making us poached eggs on toasted English muffins, he asked
me to tell him all about myself.  I told him about my fundamentalist
family, and the shame I would have caused them.  "So I ran away one
morning.  I didn't leave a note because I intended to disappear," I
confessed to him.

 "You mean your family has no idea what happened to you.  That's cruel,
Bill.  You should have told them."

 "My father would have killed me."

 "You don't know that.  Maybe his love for you would have been greater than
his religious beliefs.  Maybe your family had a suspicion about you,
especially your brother, and they were just waiting for you to tell them.
I don't even know your folks, but I feel sorry for them in the way you
handled things."

 "I realize I handled it badly, but it's too late now."

 "Shouldn't you contact them?"

 "Never!  I have to keep my secret.  Do your folks know?"

 "Of course.  I told them before high school graduation.  You know what my
father said?  He said, `Don't fool around and get sick.  Find a nice Jewish
boy and settle down.' "

 "You're Jewish?" I asked.  I guess I was flabbergasted.  I had never met a
Jewish boy in my life.  As I told you, I went to a Christian college, and I
don't think that there were any Jews in my small town.

 "Yeah, didn't you know?  Not only Jewish, but I have black blood in me."

 "What do you mean?' I asked.  I didn't want to admit it, but my
conservative Christian upbringing was getting me upset.

 "I figured I was one hundred percent Eastern European, but out of
curiosity, I did one of those DNA ancestry tests.  I was partly right.  I'm
eighty-five percent Eastern European, and fifteen percent African.  Close
your mouth, and don't ask questions, because I don't have a clue where that
came from."

 "Wow," I said.  That was about all I could muster up.  Then I started to
laugh.

 "What's so funny?" Marv asked.

 "I was just wondering what my conservative Christian father would say if
he knew that I was dating a Jewish boy with black blood."

 "Are we dating?" Marv asked as he put our breakfast on the table.

 I don't know what came over me.  I jumped up, and enveloped him in my
arms.  Marv was an inch taller than I am.  I reached up and placed my lips
on his.  I knew nothing about open mouth kissing, but I learned quickly,
when Marv parted my lips, and started tickling my tongue with his.

 When we separated, he whispered in my ear.  "I fell in love with you the
first day you walked into our office."  He put his cheek against mine, and
it was wet with tears.

 "You told me to tell you when I was ready," I said.  "I'm ready."

 "That was fast, but I'm starving.  Do you think we could have breakfast
first?"  We laughed and dug into the poached eggs,

 After breakfast, we put the dishes in the dishwasher, and Marv grabbed my
hand.  He pulled me into his bedroom, and we both stripped.  He pulled me
onto his bed, and began to kiss me passionately.  "No matter what you think
you want to do," he said, "we are still going to go slowly.  Let's fondle
each other until we are both good and hard.  Then we'll go down on each
other.  If you are comfortable with that, we'll move on to anal, probably
tomorrow."

 "Whatever you say," I murmured.  "It's all new to me.  I'm just content to
be lying here in your arms."  Marv smiled at me and took my cock in his
hand.  He kissed me again and started stroking, so I did the same to him.

 "Look at your uncut cock," he said.  "Now that it's hard, it doesn't look
any different than my hard cut one."  I actually did look, and I smiled.

 "Look at your cock," I parroted him.  "It's way bigger than seven and a
half inches.  I guess I really arouse you."

 "You do," he said.  Then I heard him yell, "Fuck, I can't wait."  He
leaned over me and took my cock into his mouth.  This was my first blow
job.  I didn't know what would happen, but I didn't expect it to be so
erotic.  I lay back, screaming, "Oh God," over and over.  I wanted to tell
Marv that I was cumming, but I couldn't talk.  I exploded in his mouth, and
he wouldn't release me until he swallowed every last drop.

 "I'm sorry," I cried.  "I didn't expect to cum so fast."

 `Please don't cry," he said.  "This is only the first time.  I'm sorry I
didn't save any cum for you"

 "Then I'll just have to drink yours," I said.  I went down on him, and I'm
sorry to say that he had to warn me about my teeth a couple of times, but I
learned quickly, and he came inside of me.  I drank every bit of his
essence, as he had drunk mine.

 Afterward, we lay side by side.  Marv had his arm around my shoulder, and
was fondling my cock very gently.  In my thoughts I heard myself saying
Thank you God for letting me glimpse a little bit of heaven.

 It wasn't even lunch time, but we both fell fast asleep.  When we woke,
Marv said, "I'd like us to fuck each other when we come home from the club
tonight, but not unless you are ready."

 "I've been ready all my life, my love."

 I had called him `love,' and I was shocked at myself.  I always knew that
I wanted to have sex with men, but I never thought that two men could love
each other, like that.  In that moment I realized I loved Marv, just
exactly like that, and I held him tight to me.

 We had a great time that night at the gay bar.  I was in a jovial mood.
Since we had come by subway, we drank all we wanted.  Marv introduced me to
some of his friends who were at the bar.  We stayed until almost closing.
When we got home, Marv said that we would fuck in the morning.  We were
both three sheets to the wind, and he wanted me to be fully aware of the
intimacy we were about to experience and share.

 In the morning we showered together.  We soaped our cocks constantly.  At
one point, Marv took a condom off a shelf and opened it.  He rolled it down
my cock, and I nearly came.  He turned his back to me, and said, "Go for it
sweetie, fuck me, and don't be gentle.

 Notwithstanding the fact that he didn't want me to be gentle, I went in
slowly.  When I was all the way in, Marv began to moan with pleasure.
"Now," he said, and I began to pump.  I came way too quickly, and Marv
wasn't shy about telling me that he was disappointed.  "Don't worry," he
said.  "You'll get better and you'll learn to delay your orgasms."

 He grabbed another condom from the shelf and rolled it down his blood
filled, throbbing cock.  I expected him to enter me, as I had entered him,
but he prepared me better.  He rimmed me for what seemed like hours, and
then he inserted one soapy finger.  It felt wonderful, especially when he
started to stretch me.  The second finger wasn't bad, but the third hurt
like hell.  He didn't withdraw.  He just kept wiggling his fingers and
trying to stretch me out.  At some point the pain left me, and I told him
so.  Suddenly his fingers left my ass, and his cock started to enter.  I
was taking him without difficulty.  He wasn't in all the way, when he
yelled, "Fuck," and he came.

 "So much for delaying our orgasms," I said with a laugh.

 "We'll get better.  I promise you," he said.  "It's just that I have been
dreaming of this moment since I met you, and I couldn't restrain myself.
I'm going to get tested as soon as possible, so we can give up the
condoms."

 "I'd like that a lot," I stammered.

 One month later, I gave the required thirty days notice on my apartment to
my landlord, and I moved in with Marv.

                                                                      §§§§§§§

 We were in our fifth year together, and we loved each other more every
day.  With all that love, I don't know how it happened, but I began to
think constantly about my family, and the desire to see them overwhelmed
me.  I concluded that only one of two things could happen.  Either they
would kick me out, or welcome me home.  If they kicked me out, I could find
closure at last.  If they welcomed me, I would have my family back.  It was
a win-win situation.

 Marv became aware of my growing consternation.  Of course, he did; he
loved me. He could read every emotion in my face, and in my love making.  I
had to confide in him, and when I did, he urged me to try to reach out to
them.

 "Call them," he kept urging me.

 "No, I can't do it that way.  I need to knock on their door and come home
just as I left, without a word of warning."

 "Then do it.  When will you leave?"

 "It's, `When will we leave?'  I won't go unless you're with me."

 "Do you think that's wise?" Marv asked.  "It'll be tough enough for your
folks to hear that you're gay, but what'll they do when they find out
you're shacking up with a black Jew?"

 "Well, Jewish, yes, but hardly black."

 We arranged to go on Labor Day weekend.  Our flight was scheduled to
arrive at 10 AM.  We would rent a car at the airport and head home.  Our
return flight was for Monday afternoon, but if need be, we could re-book.

 Fortunately, my folks, Marie and William Smith, Sr. were at home.  They
were expecting my brother, Jimmy, and his new bride, for lunch.  When the
doorbell rang, Mom said to Dad, "They're way too early.  Keep Jimmy
occupied, and Janet can help me in the kitchen."

 My dad opened the door.  For a few seconds, he stared, trying to get his
senses back in gear.  Then he screamed out, "Marie, Billy's home."  He
grabbed me, and smothered me with kisses.  My mother came running, and she
too started crying, hugging and kissing.  They pulled me in, and saw Marv,
"Come in, come in, whoever you are," Mom screamed.

 Inside the house, they kept hugging me and crying.  Not once did they
reprimand me for the way I left home.  They just kept telling me how
wonderful it was that I was home, and that they could hold me in their arms
again.  Finally I introduced them to Marv as a co-worker, and my best
friend.

 "I was afraid to return alone in case you wouldn't want to see me, so I
brought Marv for support," I explained.

 "How could you ever think that we wouldn't want to see you?" Mom asked.  I
couldn't answer, so I asked them about Jimmy.

 "He's married, Honey," Mom said proudly.  "We're expecting him and his
wife, Janet, for lunch any time now.  If you see a little tummy bump, don't
comment.  Janet is pregnant, but they're not telling anybody yet."

 "That's wonderful," I said.  "I can't wait to see him and meet Janet."

 "William," Mom ordered my dad, "Set two more places for lunch.  It's like
I always told you, Honey, God is good.  He brought Billy back to us."  I
could only wonder what would happen when I introduced Marv as my partner."

 There was one thing I had to do in advance.  I took my dad aside, and told
him that Marv was Jewish.  I didn't want him to say anything inappropriate
at the lunch table.  Of course, my dad rushed over to Marv, and said the
most stupid thing.  "I never met any Jewish people before.  Welcome to my
home."

 "You're mistaken sir," Marv said.  "According to Billy, you are intimately
acquainted with Jesus and his disciples.  They were all Jewish, so you have
known Jews all your life.  You're familiar with that infamous last supper,
but are you aware that Jesus was celebrating The Passover?  It was a Seder
dinner.  The cup that Jesus dipped the `bread' in was Elijah's cup.  We
fill a cup for him at every Passover dinner.  I think that not only have
you welcomed Jews into your home, but into your heart as well."

 "Thank you for pointing that out to me.  I knew, of course, but I forgot."
Dad, gave Marv a big hug, and said, "So welcome into my home, young man."

 Just then, Jimmy and Janet walked in.  They never bothered to knock in
what had once been Jimmy's home.  Jimmy's first thought was that our father
was hugging some handsome guy he didn't know.  He wondered if it could be a
long lost relative.  Then he sighted me.  He gave out one strange screech,
and ran over to me.  He hugged and kissed me on the lips, which surprised
me greatly.

 He too told me how wonderful it was to see me, and that I had come home at
last.  There were no words of anger or recrimination at what I had done.  I
wondered if my loved ones were true Christians after all.  I introduced
Marv to Jimmy and Janet as a friend and co-worker.  Jimmy introduced me to
Janet.  He was too excited to keep their secret.  "We're going to have a
baby," he told me and Marv.  I hugged them both, and Marv shook Jimmy's
hand.  We were enthusiastic in our congratulations.

 I waited until after lunch to speak to everyone.  I still could not
believe that none of them had asked why I left.  They were all just happy
to see me come home.  I was reminded of the parable of The Prodigal Son.  I
wondered if that was why my dad invited me home with loving arms, and no
recriminations.  Surely, he was acquainted with the story.

 When everyone was comfortably seated in the living room, I took Marv's
hand.  "I have to tell y'all why I left home," I began.  "I became aware
that I was gay.  I was able to keep my secret for years, but one day I
realized that sooner or later it would come out.  I knew how ashamed y'all
would be.  I just wanted to save you the embarrassment, so I just left.

 "Marv is more to me than a friend," I continued.  "As hard as it is for me
to say this to y'all, we love each other."

 The room was terribly silent until Jimmy said to our parents, "I told you
so."  I didn't think that was funny, but everybody roared with laughter.

 "We've been kicking that theory around for years," my dad said.  "Look,
Jesus didn't like all the terrible things his children did, but he loved
them just the same.  I may not condone what you two do, but I love you.
Nothing can change that."

 By now I was sobbing like a baby.  Marv hesitated, but he put an arm
around my shoulder.

 "Does this mean that we can come for Christmas?" I asked in a blubbering
voice.

 "You better," Dad said.  "How long are you staying this trip?"

 "We're leaving Monday afternoon."

 "If you are to be part of our family, Marv," Dad asked, "would you mind
going to church with us Sunday morning.  I mean, if it won't offend you."

 Marv smiled.  "Let me quote from the letters of your own St. Augustine;
`When you are in Rome, do as the Romans do.' "

 "You are a far better man than I." Dad said.

 "Your son is not Godless, Sir.  He practices his religion, and it rubs off
on me.  I wish I could say that I practice my religion, but I don't.  I
understand how important your religion is to you.  It's important to my
parents also.  The only thing Billy and I do, which makes them very happy,
is to have Sabbath dinner at their house every Friday evening.  Billy can
even say some of the prayers in Hebrew."

 "I've also celebrated Passover with the Weil's, Dad," I said.  "I got to
experience the last supper just as Jesus would have celebrated it."

 I don't think my dad knew just what to say, so he just smiled.  Jimmy and
I got busy filling each other in on our lives for the past five years, and
we were ignoring Marv.  My father took him aside, and asked a favor of him.

 "I won't be comfortable with you and Billy sharing a bed for the two
nights you'll be here.  Would you mind taking Jimmy's old room?"

 "Of course not.  Billy and I have already discussed it, and that's what we
decided to do.  I know this whole situation is a lot for you to absorb, and
I appreciate your candor."

 "Do your folks know about you and Billy?"

 "Oh yes, and they are crazy about your son, even if he isn't a Jewish
doctor."  The two of them laughed so hard they couldn't stop.

 Finally my dad called everyone to order.  "Listen," he said, "I feel like
celebrating.  I'm taking y'all out to dinner tonight.  Janet, call your
folks and see if they can join us.  If they ask what we are celebrating,
tell them that my prodigal son has returned.