Date: Mon, 25 Apr 2005 23:31:43 -0400
From: Sequoyah <sequoyah@charter.net>
Subject: Moon Watching 9

MOON WATCHING

Chapter Nine

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Chapter Nine

After our time at the river, Keith seemed more and more like the Keith I
had known before LaTasha's tragic death. I realized one afternoon as he
headed up the walk to his house that I had relaxed. I was suddenly aware of
having been--figuratively--holding my breath since the day I found the
gun. I felt really good that Keith -- and I -- had survived.

The official conditioning for baseball started the second week in February
and the last week of the month we were on the field and the selection of
the team started. After I saw Derrick pitch ten minutes there was no doubt
he would make the team. Keith and I had to hustle a bit, but we made it as
well.

The last Friday in February we were on the field practicing, our last full
week's practice since our opening game was the following Friday. I was
sitting in the dugout, waiting my turn at bat when Derrick did what
pitchers seldom do; he took a swing at the ball, connected and it was bye,
bye ball. He had hit a home run, the first in the season. As he took his
leisurely stroll around the bases, I looked at him and knew something for a
fact. While I wasn't looking, I had fallen in love--head over heels, ass
over teakettle -- in love with Derrick Murphy.

When I told my parents about being in love with Keith, I had said I was as
in love with him as a person my age could be. It was not puppy love, but
real love, but the love of a middle schooler. But now, NOW I was older and
my love for Derrick was deeper, more intense, a wildfire love. And with the
love came the agony and as the love was deeper, so was the agony. The agony
was deeper not only because my love was deeper, but also because my fear
was stronger, paralyzing.

When I had finally told Keith I was in love with him, I had several things
going for me which I did not have with Derrick. Then I had known Keith
practically from birth; now I had known Derrick less than a month. Then I
had been naive about how a straight person might react to being told a gay
man was in love with him; now I knew how violent that reaction could
be. Then Keith and I had such deep affection for each other for years it
was unlikely anything could have split us apart for very long; now Derrick
and I were friends, but thereit definitely wasn't the kind of friendship
Keith and I had. That kind of friendship takes time.

I guess there may be love at first sight, but I suspect there is not
friendship at first sight. But maybe I was wrong. Maybe it wasn't love I
felt for Derrick, but lust. "It's just lust?" I asked myself. I don't think
so, no, it was love all right and I was playing the same ball game I had
before, yet a very different one! This was definitely major league!

The first Sunday in March was perfect. There was March wind, but it was a
very gentle, a very warm breeze. I put the top down on the convertible --
actually I hadn't put on a new top and up or down made little different the
top was in such poor shape. Derrick and I and the other guys helping were
making real progress. We had all the dents and dings out of the body --
what was left of it -- and had found the body parts we needed after
searching through several junk yards -- I beg you pardon -- automobile
salvage establishments. Well, we could use a left front fender--if we could
find one, otherwise our talents and abilities would be sorely tested in
beating the one on the car back into shape.

Keith and his crew were way ahead of the game so far as getting the car in
good mechanical shape was concerned. In fact, he and I had a talk with Dad
last week about souping up the car. We finally compromised, but still it
would be souped up a lot more than I had expected we would be allowed to
do.

While the car was a "work-in-progress" it was still something to show off
so when I picked up Keith and Derrick, Keith suggested we go "circle the
mountain." Every pretty Sunday you can find a flock of teenagers in Stone
Mountain Park doing what teenagers do best, showing off. They circle the
mountain a few times, then park and watch other teenagers circle the
mountain. Of course all the cars and trucks have their stereos cranked up.

After circling the mountain a few times, we parked, sat on the trunk of the
car and watched the cars, trucks and kids go by. "Damn," Keith exclaimed as
an especially well-done car went by, "that is some set of wheels, but,
Baby, oh Baby" he said, grabbing me around the neck, "what's to come will
be better yet. When are we going to get THIS baby ready for the show?"

"Soon, I hope, soon," I replied.

Monday, after we finished tutoring, Keith suggested we go to Cool Place on
Main, a new ice cream shop in East Point. Derrick had said we could drop
him off at his place before we went and Keith kept at him until he finally
confessed he didn't have the money to spend on ice cream. When Keith said
he was buying, Derrick was still refusing to go, but finally Keith more or
less forced him to go with us.

When we got our ice cream, we sat outside to eat it and Derrick said,
"Look, I appreciate your buying me the sundae, Keith, I really do. And to
be honest, I absolutely could die for a good hot fudge sundae, but this has
to be the last one you buy for me."

"Money very tight?" Keith asked.

"Grams managed very well on her small pension and social security when she
was living alone, but now that she has another mouth to feed...."

"And a teenage male mouth which can't be filled," Keith laughed.

Derrick grinned -- every time the boy laughed, grinned, or smiled I almost
achieved orgasm. "Yeah," Derrick agreed. "Things are pretty tight most of
the time. Someone at the senior center told her there was a program which
could help with her drug bill -- it's well over $400 a month -- so I told
her I'd go with her to check on it. We have an appointment with a social
worker Wednesday so I won't be at school."

"I suggested I get a job, and should, but Grams won't hear of it. She says
school is more important and she insists I play baseball now that I know I
have made the team. The friend from the senior center thinks there might be
other programs which can help. Anyway, we're going to find out. I'm like
Grams in that I don't like to take charity, but I also know we are in need
and won't waste any help we get."

"You do get free lunch, don't you?" Keith asked.

"What do you mean free lunch?" Derrick laughed. "I've been told there is no
such thing as free lunch."

"Hey, half the kids at East River get a free or reduced- price lunch. Some
who have their own cars included. You should. That'd give you a meal you
wouldn't have to pay for," Keith said.

"We can do better than that," I added. "If you are on free or reduced
lunch, you can also get free or reduced breakfast. We'd just have to get
our lazy asses out of bed and get to school fifteen or twenty minutes
early. Half the zero period kids come walking in carrying their breakfast."

"So I have noticed," Derrick said. "But I don't want to be a problem to you
two."

"No problem," I said.

"Yeah, no problem," Keith added.

Wednesday, when I picked up Keith, I asked him if he'd like to go to the
river after baseball practice. "I really need to talk," I said. Keith said
fine, but asked if I didn't want to wait until Derrick could go as
well. "No, I need to talk now."

The temperature was still in the upper seventies when we reached the
river. We spread a blanket on the sand and as soon as we had, Keith started
taking off clothes and when he was down to his birthday suit, lay on the
blanket. The sun was shining through the bamboo, casting a dappled pattern
on the blanket so I decided to join Keith. Had the blanket been in the full
sun I would have not have dared because even the March sun was enough to
burn my fair skin. The only thing being in the sun did for me was increase
the number of freckles across my nose or, if I was in it long enough, cook
my hide.

The two of us lay there, listening to the river and the sounds around us
for several minutes before either of us spoke.

Finally Keith turned on his side and said, "Thought you wanted to talk."

I didn't answer immediately. I was suddenly afraid of how Keith might
respond. Finally I guess I got up my courage and said, "Keith, I have a
real problem, one that's driving me nuts. I'm in love with Derrick."

"So tell me another surprise," Keith responded. "I have known that
practically from the time you first laid eyes on him. You told him?"

"Of course not! I sure don't want a repeat of what happened when I told you
I was in love with you."

"Yeah, well, seems reasonable. But what can I do? I don't think I can pull
the trick you pulled with me and LaTasha." At the mention of her name, I
could see Keith get a far away look in his eyes. He sighed and said, "So
what do we do?"

We talked for over an hour, solving nothing, but Keith did suggest that we
both try to be observant. "I mean, maybe he's gay and maybe he's not,"
Keith said, "and I can understand how you'd like to know, but I guess
you'll just have to be patient."

I couldn't think of anything better, but by nature, patient I'm not.

Friday after the ball game -- we won by one point -- a pickup--well, it was
what remained of a pickup--drove into the parking area at the ball field
and Keith's dad got out. He walked toward us and when he got to where we
were waiting for him, said, "Guys, I'm really sorry I didn't make it to the
game. I certainly planned to but I was thirty seconds too late getting out
the door and had to handle a problem at work before I could leave."

"So what's with the truck?" I asked.

"Oh, I forgot. Think you and Derrick might be able to do anything with that
wreck?" he asked and when we both nodded, he tossed the keys to Keith.

Keith had talked a lot about wanting a pickup, "I wanna be a black,
African-American redneck," he had answered when Derrick asked him what he
wanted with a pickup.

"Body needs work, but most -- well, some of it--is there. I mean what's a
hood and couple fenders and a bed among friends?" I laughed.

The truck was missing several body parts--most in fact--but it was a crew
cab, Ford F150, V6, four wheel drive. It had been red, but as I said, a lot
of it was missing and the paint was pretty bad. It had potential, which is
a neat way of saying, "You'll have to work your ass off to make something
from THAT pile of junk."

I looked it over very carefully and decided it would take awhile, but it
was definitely fixable. Actually, since it was five years old, there should
be plenty of wrecks available in salvage yards. We could get any body parts
we needed there. " No doubt Derrick and I can make it LOOK good but I can't
do much about the way it runs. Crew cab, so all three of us can ride in
it. Good deal -- if Keith and the mad mechanics can get the mechanical work
done."

Keith had his head under the hood and when he pulled it out he had a huge
grin on his face. "When I get through with this baby she'll run like a
scalded dog--hound of course," he laughed. Keith's dad rode home with us
since he left the truck at school for Keith to begin work on it.

Keith was ready to get to work on the truck right away since the crew
working on my car have just about finished. It ran like a well-oiled
machine and sounded downright awesome!

Derrick had been with us when Keith and I talked to Dad about souping the
car up a bit.  Dad had serious misgiving about allowing Keith to install a
new computer chip -- expensive!--dual exhausts and all the things Dad
claimed just showed I had misgivings about the size of my penis. "With all
that hot-rod stuff everybody's going to know you are a needle dick," Dad
said.

Mom turned bright red and said, "Thomas!" Then without missing a beat, she
added, "Besides, it doesn't look small to me, but then that could be just
in comparison!"

Keith, Derrick and I just about fell over and we laughed so hard we were
all crying before we got control again. And the car did get souped up and
sounded like it.

Derrick and I were making good progress on the car's body. There was still
work to do putting on the finishing touches, but by the time Keith's Dad
arrived with the truck, finishing touches was all that was left.

My car had umpteen coats of dark, dark red metallic paint and was so shiny
you could see yourself 'way down in the paint. The chrome was shining and a
new white top set off a beautiful car. We had lucked up on a wreck which
had a leather interior and got the junk yard owner to donate the seats and
all else we could use to the school and we then bought them from the
school. He got a nifty tax write off and we got the seats and all for
practically nothing. I put in a nice -- but not one of those window
rattling ones -- stereo system and I was done.

One afternoon end of March after we got to my place, the phone rang and
Queen Joyce asked if Keith and I could come over. "You two have been
neglecting your queen big time," she pouted. I told her we had another
student with us and when she asked if he ranked as a good friend and I said
he did. "Then bring him along," she said. "If you had been attending to
your visiting with the Queen, I would have known about him." I explained
that we all had been so busy with everything the nice fun things had kinda
dropped by the wayside.

Anyway, when we pulled up to the Queen's apartment, she came out to meet
us. "Babee," she exclaimed, "I see the queen's coach has arrived and the
queen is ready to visit her subjects! You just wait right there!"

Queen went back into the house and came out, a very long, bright red and
gold scarf about her neck and wearing one of her "church hats," an
elaborate creation in red and gold which towered above her. She immediately
climbed in to the back of the convertible and took her seat.

"Baby, what's your name?" she asked Derrick.

"Derrick, Derrick Murphy."

Queen gave a loud laugh and said, "Real African name you got
there. Murphy. Don't think I know that tribe. You just come sit back here
with me, Chief Derrick Murphy," she said as she patted the seat beside
her. As soon as Derrick was seated, Keith climbed in front with me and
Queen said, "A slow drive around my kingdom, Lord Thomas."

Keith dug through the collection of CDs in the car and found one of the
school's band, popped it into the player and we were off, march music
blaring, Queen nodding and giving the royal wave to folks out walking.

By the time we had reached Main Street, we had a couple cars ahead of us
and two behind, a regular parade. When we reached the police station, Joe
and his partner had obviously been warned Queen was touring her kingdom and
were waiting for us. They got in front of our parade and flipped on their
lights. The police station is near the south end of Main Street and when we
reached the end of the street, we regrouped and drove back through town,
slowly. I guess the word had spread because there were people gathered on
the sidewalks all the way to East Point.

At East Point's city limits, we turned into a side street and our parade
disbanded. As soon as he had traffic moving again, Joe pulled up beside
us. "Queen Joyce, I ought to throw your royal ass in the dungeon for
blocking traffic."

"Baby, how these poor subjects of mine be knowing they's queen cares about
them unless they sees her royal face?"

"We're talking about your royal ass, Queen Joyce," Joe chuckled.

Queen got a horrified look on her face, and said, "Shut yo' mouf! Queens do
not moon they subjects! Come on to the palace for tea and bring that good
looking white boy in yo car wif you," Queen said, posing herself in the
back seat again, "To the palace, Sir Thomas."

There were people on the sidewalk all through the neighborhood and all
waved and cheered as we drove by.

We were soon in the royal apartments, where Joe and his partner joined
us. "I put no sugar in my lemonade, just sugar substitute, so I can join
you in that, but you can't make decent sugarless cookies.  I dearly love to
bake cookies, but then I can't eat 'em, but the head of the royal guard and
the minister of transportation can and now I guess you three be showing up
as well. I bake, you eat," she laughed, as she passed around a huge plate
of cookies, all of which disappeared in short order.

"Queen, we've got to get back to protecting your subjects," Joe
said. "Derrick, nice to have met you. Tom, Keith, I haven't seen you around
lately. Drop by, You too, Derrick. By the way, be-u-tea-ful car there,
Tom. You have done yourself proud."

"Thanks. Derrick deserves a lot of credit for its looks and Old Keith has
her purring."

"Just be careful and don't let her purr too fast and hurt yourself or
someone else. Well, we gotta run."

"Baby, I did forget. That ugly lover of yours called and said for you to
plan on a long weekend. He has plans," Queen said.

"Yes!" Joe said and pumped his fist in to the air.

I got a quick glance at Derrick and could see the light dawn slowly.

After the two police officers had gone, Queen dropped most of her act -- or
maybe being counselor was the act -- anyway, she turned to Derrick and
asked how he came to be in College Park, how he was adjusting, half a dozen
questions, then stopped and said, "I guess if I want answers, I need to
stop talking."

Derrick had never talked about his family, his former life. All he had ever
told Keith and me was that he had lived in Baltimore. Queen asked how
school was going, talked with Derrick about how he was adjusting, that sort
of thing. Queen Joyce was really good at her job and it showed. She soon
she had Derrick talking like mad, telling her things he had never told us.

He started talking about how worried he was about the money situation, but
they had been able to get Grams signed up for the drug program which would
cut her drug bill to less than $90 a month, a big help.

"Aren't your parents helping pay your and the added household expenses?"
Queen asked and then asked, "Can't they help out?"

"Not a matter of can't, but won't," he said.

As I said, Derrick had never said anything about why he was in College Park
or about any family he had other than his grandmother. But Queen Joyce was
about to change that.

"Oh, your family's not supporting you? How'd that come about? Parents
divorced or something?"

"Or something," Derrick smiled. "My dad was killed in a trucking accident
just after I started school," he said. "I guess there was insurance money
because while we lived in a nice neighborhood in a very nice house, shortly
after he was killed, Mom moved us into a nicer house in the suburbs. I
always had everything I wanted -- not spoiled, but I never really lacked
for anything."

"Mom dated off and on and a couple times I thought I was getting a dad, but
plans would go right down to the wire, then I wouldn't see the man around
again. I guess it was a little over three years ago, I heard Mom on the
phone talking to one of her girlfriends. 'Brandy, I'm almost afraid to keep
going out with the Major. I know I'll get all involved and then he'll
realize I come complete with a middle school boy and hit the road. It's
happened too many times. I love the kid, but when am I ever going to get a
life again?' Sure made me feel good - NOT!"

"The Major was a retired Marine major, Major Harvey Culpepper, and "a real
catch" according to Mother and her friends. He had his military retirement
and was now working as a military consultant for small defense
contractors."

"He might have been a real catch for Mother, but I sure didn't consider him
one as a father. He was constantly on my butt about the way I was dressed,
how I spoke or something or other. Anyway, after they had been dating for
about a year, they broke up. When I asked why, Mother was very blunt, 'He
has real difficulty with your shitty attitude. It wouldn't hurt you to make
a little effort to behave around him and keep yourself and your room neat.'
A couple months later the two were back together. The Major moved in and
pushed me aside. That wouldn't have been so bad, but he was always ragging
me out. Not infrequently he'd grab me, tell me to shape up and give me a
good shaking. His idea of child raising and of producing good marines were
the same and wrong on both counts, at least I hope so."

"Just after last Christmas, they got married. One afternoon, before Mother
got home, I came in and he was home, working in his office. 'I'm home,
Harvey,' I called out as I headed for my room. 'Get your black Watusi ass
in here right now, Young Man!'"

"' Watusi ass?' I thought to myself as I headed toward his office, he kept
on. 'I am a Marine officer and you will treat me as such.' Why I was
suddenly a Marine escaped me. 'You will remember to call me Sir and Major
or Father. You will not call me by my first name. Do you understand?'"

"'Sure, I do, MAJOR,' I said as sarcastically as I could. 'I'll call you
Major Asshole, because you sure as fuck are not my father.' I turned to
leave the room and before I was turned around, the Major slapped me across
the face, hard. 'To your room and you'll not come out until tomorrow
morning,' he ordered me.

"After that, things got worse, not better. He kicked me several times, I
got the open hand in the face more than that first time and shaking became
routine. He never did it in front of Mother and when I tried to talk to her
about it she said, 'Derrick, I have given up my happiness time and time
again for you. I am now happily married and you'll not mess it up. You'll
just have to be more disciplined. It'll not hurt you. You either do that or
you'll have to find another place to live. I will not have you come between
the Major and me.'"

"Things finally came to a head the first week in February. My friend, Andre
and I were at home -- teacher workday -- and Mom and that man were gone. He
came in without our knowing it. Kinda stupid of us, I guess, but we were in
my room with the door ajar. When he walked by he didn't like what he
saw. He told Andre to leave and not come back, then he gave me a good
beating and tossed me out. I called Andre to tell him what happened after
he left and to see about staying with him. His mother answered the phone
and when I told her who I was, she said Andre didn't want to talk to me and
I certainly was not welcome in their house. I have no idea what Andre had
told her or maybe the Major had called her. I don't know."

"I went to Sherlean's house. She was a girl I knew from school who was a
friend and her parents said I could spend the night. I called Mom and she
said, 'There is nothing I can do or will do. You know you can't come back
here. And that's my decision as well as the Major's.'"

"The next day Mother came by with my clothes and told me I was on my
own. 'I have tried to tell you the Major is just being a stern father and
you needed that, but apparently you see it another way. You're eighteen
soon, old enough to choose to live at home under the house rules or make it
on your own. The choice was yours, but you blew it. Neither of us want you
back in our house.'"

"When I tried to tell her, again, how the Major had abused me, she would
not listen, saying that one day I would appreciate what the Major had tried
to do for me. 'Here's fifty dollars, Derrick, that'll help get you to your
Grandmother Murphy's if you can't find a place here. I'm sure she'll take
you in regardless of what your are or have done. After all, you're all she
had left of a family. Good luck,' Mother said, turned and walked off."

"I couldn't stay with my friend any longer so the next morning I made it to
downtown, found the Greyhound station and headed for College Park, leaving
Baltimore behind. End of my sad story."

"And I certainly hope the beginning of a happy one," Queen Joyce said.

We talked awhile longer then left. When we were in the car, Derrick asked,
"Did I hear right? Did I hear Joe call his lover he?"

Keith laughed and said, "Yeah, you did. Joe and Trey are such good friends,
I guess Tom and I just forget they are anything other than just two normal
lovers. Yeah, they're gay."

We drove to the park, got out and started swinging in the kiddie swings
while we told Derrick about Joe and Trey. "And they allow him on the police
force?" he asked.

"Better believe it," Keith said. "In fact, they gave him a bonus to keep
him here. Little town of Thomasville tried to hire him as chief, but he's
not leaving his house and all. And you'll love Trey. He's even a better
comic than Queen Joyce.

Later, after we had taken Derrick home, Keith asked if I had seen Derrick's
reaction when Queen announced that Joe had a male lover? "What do you
think?" he asked.

"I did notice and I'm not sure what to think. I am sure he wasn't upset,
well, you know, disgusted or horrified. Beyond that? Who knows. Could be he
reacted exactly the same way you would, you know, with a 'so what'
attitude."

"Hadn't thought about that. Yeah, I guess that would be my reaction--I mean
my reaction would be no reaction."

"Yeah."

March's weather continued to be perfect. Some March wind of course and a
couple rainy days, but by our second ball game, spring had definitely
sprung. The following Tuesday Keith had a dental appointment and left
school at lunch. He had managed to get his truck street worthy--barely--and
the emissions tested so he drove it. We were alternating driving and
Derrick had offered to help pay for gas, but we told him we had it easy and
he was struggling, our families had plenty and his grandmother did not, so
he was not to pay anything. Besides, he was working like a Trojan on the
truck.

It had started raining Sunday night and rained Monday morning, then turned
very sunny and the wind was blowing pretty hard when we left
school. Tuesday dawned the perfect day. After school, I called Dad and told
him Derrick and I were going to the river. Derrick called his grandmother
and told her.

When we reached our spot on the river, I started stripping without
thinking. Keith and I often did that, but we had never done it when Derrick
was with us. I dropped my pants, bent to pick them up and when I looked up,
Derrick had an amazed look on his face. I felt myself blush and stammered,
"I hope you don't mind. Keith and I get rid of the clothes anytime the
weather is right. I just forgot. Join me or I'll redress. Our mothers said
we had started getting rid of clothes as soon as we could walk."

"No problem," Derrick said, "well, I may pop a boner."

"Know what you mean. A bit of a warm breeze on Mr. Tomas and he's up,
waving in the wind."

Of course, I had seen Derrick nude before -- after all we were on the
baseball team and had PE together -- so there were no surprises when he
stripped. Well, except I was always surprised at how beautiful his body
was.

Again, I lay on the blanket in dappled shade and when Derrick asked why I
didn't get in the sun since it felt so good, I explained that us white boys
were delicate.

"Maybe so far as the sun is concerned," he said, "but nothing delicate
about you that I can see."

We were both quiet, relaxed , listening to the river for a good spell, the
Derrick said, "Tom, tell me about Joe and Trey. How'd they get together?
How'd you get to know them? Are they really a couple?

I told Derrick the story of the two and how they had made a real life for
themselves after being put out on the street. "Kinda like you were, but
they didn't have anyone to take them in. Of course they did have Queen
Joyce pulling for them."

That meant, of course I had to tell him all about Queen Joyce. When I
finished, Derrick said, "Queen Joyce seemed to adore Joe and I have never
seen anyone as happy as he was when she told him Trey was planning a long
weekend for them. Does he not live with Joe?"

I told him about Trey's job and how sometimes he's close enough to be home
at night and at other times, he stays in a motel if the drive home is too
long.

We were both silent for several minutes, then Derrick said, "You and Keith
have been best friends always?"

I didn't answer right away. If I said "Yes," that would be the end of it
and not really a lie. If I said "No," how was I going to explain years
without ever having a falling out and then a major one. After several
minutes I said, "Since birth practically. We are really like brothers,
closer, I guess than some -- most--brothers." Having said that, I said no
more.

"I have never had a friend like that. I've always had friends, don't get me
wrong, but I have never had a friend who was there for me regardless of
what came down the road."

"Keith and I were always right there for each other. Well, we did have a
disagreement just over a year ago. I misread him and caused a real problem,
but we got it straightened out, obviously."

"And LaTasha didn't come between you?"

"Maybe a little. Maybe I was a little jealous of her, but, well, she was so
special and Keith loved her so much I couldn't stay jealous. How about
Andre? Wasn't he an extra special friend?"

"I thought so and that was a big mistake. As soon as the Major landed on
us, he was out the door and gone. I thought his family would take me in,
but when I called him his mom told me to stay away and not call again.
That's why I ended up spending that one night with Sherlean. I might have
stayed there at least until the end of the school year, but Andre called
her and took care of that. All he was doing was covering his ass."

I waited for Derrick to say more, but he was silent.