Date: Thu, 14 Nov 2002 03:13:19 EST
From: RitchChristopher@cs.com
Subject: and-a-time-for-reapin'-6-conclusion

	All rights reserved. Copyright held by the author. If you are
underage or are offended by gay fiction, containing graphic sex and
explicit language, please exit now.


<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>


                       AND A TIME FOR REAPIN'

                            A story by

                         Ritch Christopher

                                <>


                            Chapter Six


		"Then let's go into my bedroom," I suggested. "I want all
of my dreams to become real in the room that's been filled with my
fantasies about you."

	"Suits me," Webb said. "This night's just for you...whatever you
want to do. I guess you've kinda earned it."

	"You wanna go to the bathroom while I put clean sheets on my bed?"

	"What's the matter? Your sheets stained or somethin'?", he joked.

	"Well, maybe just a little. But the real reason is...if you work up
a sweat, I want my bed to smell like you."

	"Boy, you sure got peculiar notions in that sex-crazy mind of
yours."

	I wanted to say to him, "You don't know the half of it", but I
chose not to, just gave him a smile and went to the linen cupboard to get
fresh sheets and pillow cases. I wadded the dirty ones up and piled them on
the floor in my closet. Next, I raised my window a couple of inches to let
in the early Autumn air and listen to the sounds of the night. Often when I
had trouble getting to sleep, I would crack my window and listen to the
quiet lowing of the cows coming from the barn and the night bugs and
insects singing in the tall cornfields. I didn't have a radio or record
player and the sounds of the night became music in the dark and lulled me
into slumber.

	In the distance I heard an owl, "Who? Who? Who?" I looked out my
window into the dark and replied to him, "Me, Mr. Owl...Me..and Webb". Just
the sound of our names in the same thought caused a peaceful excitement to
stir in me. What I had wanted for so long was about to be mine at last.

	"I suppose you want me to take off all my clothes, huh?" Webb said,
coming back into my bedroom.

	"Well, I'd always dreamed that if something like this was ever to
happen between us, I pictured myself undressing you."

	"Am I supposed to undress you, too?"

	"If you want to," I replied., after a brief hesitation.

	"No, this is your dream. I want it to be the way you imagined it,"
he said.

	I couldn't believe how complying he was to my wishes.

	"In that case, yes, you're supposed to take my clothes off."

	"Sounds fair enough," he said. "Where do you want me? Standin' or
sittin'?"

	"Why don't you sit on the side of my bed while I take your boots
off?"

	Webb sat down and I knelt to raise his right foot and began tugging
at the tight cowboy boot. The darned thing wouldn't budge. Once more I
heaved and pulled with all my might and the shoe still wouldn't come off.

	"I can see you ain't had much practice undressin' another
man. Here, let me help you," he offered. "Stand up and turn around and pull
my foot up between your legs."

	I obeyed.

	"Now grab hold of the boot and bend over a little bit."

	'S'funny, I had seen cowboys do this in movies and westerns on TV,
but I always thought that was something they did just for show. Next, Webb
put his other foot in the seat of my pants and gave me a big shove. The
boot I was holding came off with ease, much to my surprise.

	"That's it!" Webb said and added. "Now don't go nowhere. Take the
other one off the same way!"

	I did as he said and suddenly both boots were off.

	"Now ain't that a lot easier than tryin' to pull my foot off?"  He
smiled gently.

	"Yeah," I laughed. "It's a heckuva lot easier. I might as well get
your socks off while I'm at it."

	"You might want to hold your nose," he said. "I ain't bathed since
Sunday."

	"I don't mind."

	I was amused at the way he wriggled his toes which were now naked
and free.

	"Now what?"

	"I guess you'd better stand up to let me remove your shirt and
jeans or is there some trick I don't know about the way you do that, too?"

	"No, I take them off the regular way."

	Webb stood and I turned to him and began to unsnap his red and
white gingham shirt.  I yanked at the shirttail to release it from beneath
his belt. I slipped off his shirt with the stained armpits and admired his
tanned chest. It was hairless and smooth. His manly odor overpowered his
Mennon spray deoderant. He had a sweaty manly aroma coming from his bare
skin.  To me it was intoxicating to smell his sexy body. I leaned forward
to get a full sniff and placed my lips on his right nipple.

	"Oh, God." he moaned. "I've never even had a girl do that to me
before."

	I licked his nipple and bit it slightly with my lip-covered
teeth. I had my eyes partially open and was surprised to see tiny goose
bumps rising on his chest. Maybe no one had done this to him before. Maybe
women didn't fantasize about men the way other men do.  I let my tongue
slide over his breastbone to his dry nipple and began working on it the
same way. I was so relieved to be pleasing him. He hadn't objected to
anything yet...but then, the night was young. He might get angrier as our
evening together progressed in the passion I had planned.

	All the while I was exploring his chest with my tongue, I had
continued to take his arms out of his shirtsleeves. Once he was free from
his shirt, I tossed it behind me, hoping it would land in a chair. With my
left hand, I raised his arm. His rancid manly scent was drawing me to his
hairy armpit. He flinched as if he were ticklish when I began to kiss him
there. Maybe he was embarrassed by his sweetened stench, or maybe it was
because his armpit was being ravaged by a male.

	"Goddamn, boy!", he said, trying to lower his arm. "Where did you
learn to do all these things?"

	"Kissing your armpit...is that something new for you, too?" I
asked.

	"Damned right it is. I've never done that to a woman, let alone,
let a woman do that to me."

	"Did it feel good, Webb?"

	"Well, kinda..." he realized.

	"Then shut up and enjoy it!" I replied, "I'm only just getting
started."

	"Oh, Lordy! What the fuck have I gotten myself into?", with
wonderment mixed with delight.

	I paid no heed to his exclamation. I darted over to his other pit
and began to lick it as well. Then I offered my next surprise as I puckered
my lips and began to gently blow cool air, tracing my saliva trail across
his chest.

	"Oh, God!", he quietly whimpered. "You're gonna freeze me half to
death!"

	I let my lips glide about an inch away from his body, straight down
to his navel, stopping to unhitch the gold buckle shaped like a saddle on
his belt. His dick was not erect but I still had a difficult time
unbuttoning the five buttons on the snuggly fitted fly on his jeans, When I
had completed this task, I lowered his pants by pulling on his front
pockets. There was no underwear to remove, so the unveiling of his enormous
crotch was finished. I hadn't seen his organ up close in the light as it
had been rather dark in the barn when I had previously gotten to look at
it. It was even sexier and larger than I had imagined. I pulled on the legs
of his trousers one by one as he helped by stepping out of them. I had him
where I wanted him...naked and ready for my hands and mouth to explore. I
took his limp package in my hand and wobbled it to free if from his sticky,
sweaty thighs.

	I blew cold air on him, trying, literally, to get a "rise" out of
him. His dick still didn't respond to my foreplay.

	"Is it my turn?", he asked.

	"Yeah, I guess."

	"Then stand up."

	I complied and he began to remove my clothing piece by piece. Since
I wore penny loafers instead of boots, he had an easier time undressing me.
In a less than a few moments, I was standing in front of Webb, as naked as
he. Without saying another word to him, I took his hand and backed him up
to he bed and motioned for him to lie down. I thought maybe he would
perform better in the dark, since it was women he was used to, not a
sixteen year old boy. I cut off the lights, leaving only the intrusion of
the harvest moon to invade and illuminate the room.

	I crawled into bed next to his right side, placing my left knee
beneath his legs where they joined at the crotch. He responded by opening
his legs to give me more room, I slowly moved my chest on to his to get my
face closer to his. The left side of his face was lit, leaving his right
cheek shadowed. Webb was so darned handsome, even in the dark, Before he
could ask for his next instruction, I placed my lips on his and opened them
with my tongue. His saliva was still flavored by the beer he had drunk. It
dawned on me that never in my life had I tasted beer or alcohol of any
kind. It tasted sweet, even though it was second hand, as his tongue met
mine. Perhaps he was trying to say something or maybe object but with my
mouth covering his, all he could verbalize was "hymmph", My knee was
grinding slower and deeper into his balls. It was then that I felt the
beginning of his erection. My cock had been totally stiff from the moment I
had joined him on the bed. Mine was resting on the right side of his lower
abdomen. I slowly began to hunch him to, sliding my swollen appendage in
the sweat his hot body was emitting to create a moist friction for my
enjoyment and pleasure.

	During this beginning action, I lowered my right hand to grip his
cock in my hand to excite him futher. It must've worked because after five
or six of my strokes, he was as hard as I. His erection caused him to
respond more to our kissing as he pushed my tongue backward with his to
invade my mouth.  His moans were growing in volume. He lifted his upper
torso to turn me over so that he was now on top of me and in charge of our
activity. I loved the feeling of him assuming dominance over me. That meant
he wanted me, whether he was aware of it or not. His left hand reached
lower to grab my manhood and matched my grasp on his. I was no longer
calling the shots. He was now in charge, just as I had hoped.

	With his tongue he practically duplicated the salivary route on my
chest and armpits which I had traced on his. Being fair skinned, I didn't
sweat as he did and had lesser cause to worry about my body odor. I had
never worn deoderant, I had always relied on soap and water to prevent a
body stench. I expected him to stop his exploration when he reached my
waist and was surprised and thrilled that he continued his journey lower
into my private area. He grasped my pubic hair with his lips and began
pulling on it. It tickled more than hurting. His lower lip was now resting
at the base of my enlarged shaft. In one unexpected swoop, he engulfed all
of my penis in his hot beer aromatic mouth. I cried out with passion. All
that I had dreamt, fantasized, and hoped for was coming true at this
moment. I had never been happier in my life as he began bobbing up and down
on my erect member.

	"Careful, Webb, I'm very, very close," I warned.

	Just as I had hoped, he ignored my caution and continued until I
had reached my orgasmic delight. I could hear his gullet swallowing my
youthful jism as he drank all that I had to give. Inside of a few seconds,
I went limp and he quickly returned to my lips with his and deposited some
of the last strains of my liquid refreshment into my mouth. I found it
extremely difficult to kiss, breathe, and swallow all at the same time. I
managed the best I could, thinking if I suffocated now, it was worth it!

	He needed to gasp for air himself and he withdrew from my lips to
whisper;

	"How was that?"

	"It was wonderful, Webb."

	"I didn't disappoint you, did I? I mean, was it as good as you
expected?"

	"Better," I sighed, "much better."

	"Is this the point where I'm supposed to tell you that I love you?"

	"Only if you mean it..."

	"Then.... I love you."

	"For real? Or are you just saying that?"

	"For real, Jerry," he replied. "I guess I've known it since the
night we kissed on the front porch."

	"If you felt that way, why did you hurt me by fucking Rita?"

	"I guess that was my way of trying to convince myself...not
you... that this wasn't happening to me. I desperately wanted to prove that
I was still a man and liked women as I always have."

	"And Rita...?"

	"Sssh, don't mention Rita, Jerry," he said. "Rita is gone and will
never come back....she and all the other whores I've known."

	"You mean it's just gonna be me and you from now on?"

	"Yes...just you and me from now on."

	"I suppose now I know what it feels like to love and be loved." I
said.

	"I guess both of us had to learn the meaning of that word,' he
whispered. "You know, in all my life, I've never said 'I love you' to
anyone, not even your grandma while she was alive."

	"I told my mother often that I loved her, but not like this."

	"I know. Loving your ma is not the same thing."

	"Do you mind if I have my turn now?"

	"Your turn?"

	"Yeah, I wanna pleasure you the same way you did me."

	"I'm not sure I need to be pleasured, Jerry. Holding you in my arms
seems to be enough right now."

	"OK, then let me be selfish by letting me pleasure myself more by
pleasuring you."

	"Well, since you put it that way," he said. "Go ahead and pleasure
yourself any way that you want to. I belong to you now, body and soul."

	I couldn't believe this was happening. I had felt the passion
inside me, growing toward Webb, for some time. I never thought he would or
could ever care for me the same way. Dreams DO come true, not just in
books. Sometimes the real prince does come along, falls in love, and
gallops off into the sunset with his mate and they live happily ever after.

	I motioned him to turn on his back and lie flat as I lowered myself
to his hips and began to fulfill my wildest desires. The past was past, the
present was now, and the future would be better and more of the same.. I
slowly lowered my mouth onto his crotch while he lay back sighing and
smiling. This was the beginning of forever.

<><><><><><>

	For the rest of the week, Webb and I made all the necessary
preparations during the days for next week's oncoming harvest. At night,
with only the two of us in the farmhouse together, we freed our inhibitions
and walked around the house nude, having sex often, any time either of us
felt an urge, We even ate our meals sitting naked at the kitchen table.

	The taboo Webb had always connected to male sex suddenly had become
a thing of the past. He had learned to be the aggressor, instigating our
ritual, showing no signs of concern or embarrassment. He didn't initiate
anal sex until our third night together when he got so emotionally caught
up in our love making that he had entered me anally before I knew it. My
ass had not been virginal since the afternoon I had spent with Larry, Ben,
and Eddie. Webb was still reluctant to let me fuck him. I hadn't won him
over completely. But, in time, I was confident that he would come around.

	I was worried that I had offended Larry in some way because he had
not called me once, as I thought he would. Then again, in spite of his dad
being the Baptist preacher, Larry's dad had a huge peach and apple orchard
to attend to their picking. Perhaps when the harvest was finished, he would
give me a ring. Still, since Webb and I were finally together, I wondered
how I would turn down his offer if he made one.

	The pickers were coming some time Sunday afternoon.  Great care and
plans had been made to make their stay pleasant and their work swift, since
we were paying each of them a whopping $1.50 per hour.

	The weatherman's forecast had only been 50% accurate. For the next
three days, we had heat lightning on all sides, but not one drop of badly
needed rain. The corn tassels were so dry and brittle they were falling off
the stalks in the south field. It looked as if that whole area was a total
loss.

	The Saturday afternoon before the pickers arrived, we had a
tremendous electric storm. Bolts of dry lightning struck in the south
fields and started a fire. Webb had gone to town for more supplies while I
busied myself in the kitchen planning the evening meal. I was very much
surprised when I saw Larry's car speeding toward the house. He jumped out,
not even bothering to shut the car door.

	"HEY! JERRY!", Larry screamed while banging on the screen door.

	"What's up, Larry?" I replied.

	"Have you seen all the smoke coming from your fields?"

	"No, where?"

	"From the south field. I saw streaks of fire and smoke from the
highway. That's why I pulled in."

	I ran out the door, past Larry, and into the yard. Smoke and blazes
were stretching out as far as I could see. Acres and acres of cornstalks
were on fire and it was spreading rapidly.

	I came back to the phone and called the fire department which only
had two engines. I hysterically told the fire chief, Lloyd Kidwell, about
the raging flames and that I needed assistance as fast as possible. Lloyd
said that he would be out quickly and would spread the word throughout the
county. We all might have been competitive farmers, but when an emergency
arose, everyone available came to the rescue of anyone in trouble.

	The fire engines came, as did hundreds of trucks and cars with
neighbors toting hoses, buckets, axes, hoes, rakes, etc...anything that
might help curtail the impending disaster. The driveway was so full that
Webb had to park his Corvette on the highway and run toward the house on
foot.

	I had never seen this type of catastrophe and was not much help
deciding how to solve it. Off in the distance down the highway, many
farmers were slowly driving their tractors and other pieces of tilling
machinery. Apparently, they had an idea on what to do.

	"Jerry!", Webb screamed at me. "Take a bunch of these men out to
the shed and uncover all our tractors and reapers! We gotta move and move
fast! That fire is spreadin'! We gotta cordon the south field off or else
we're gonna lose every crop we hope to save!"

	"Whachu want me to tell them to do?", I yelled, desperately.

	"We gotta plow up all the ground around five hunert feet around all
sides of the fire. Set them plowshares as deep as they'll go! Try to dig
trenches with 'em the best you can! Tell Lloyd to start pumpin' water in
the ditches as fast as we can dig 'em! Never mind about tryin' to save the
corn in the south field. There ain't much left to save anyway! The main
thing is to separate the flamin' area before it gets to the good fields!"

	Webb sounded like he knew what he was talking about. I hoped he
did! Anyway, no one else seemed to have a better plan and Webb's plan did
make sense.

	The tractors trying to enter the dirt drive were blocked by all the
parked cars, so the drivers knocked down sections of our fence and drove
straight through it and sped toward the blaze, pulverizing bushes, plants,
and anything else that was standing in their way. People from miles around
were scampering all about the farm like hundreds of ants in an ant
hill. Everyone had the tool of his choice, be it a bucket, a rake, a hoe,
or hose...anything and everything he had thought would be beneficial.

	Webb started one of our tractors and Larry took his post on
another. They headed off in the same direction but soon split up in a fork
so that they could head off two sides of the flames at the same time.

	I thanked God that Grandpa was resting in the hospital because the
sight of this commotion would have killed him. I still had no personal plan
of action. I felt like a lonely housewife who had just sent her man off to
war, only in this case, I had seen both my lovers leaving to go off to
battle.

	I didn't believe that the farmhouse was in any danger but for
precaution, Lloyd pulled a fire engine around to the house facing the south
field to water the clapboards and roof. The Donahue manse was so old that
it would probably burn down to the ground in less than five minutes if the
wind should bring an ember toward it.

	From my vantage point, I could see acre after acre being attacked
by the raging fire. The wilted ecru cornstalks were igniting swiftly, going
up in flames in a matter of seconds leaving a huge black spot of land where
the crop had stood only moments before.

	Some farmers had driven to the adjoining east and west fields to
divvy whatever water they could find from our delapidated irrigation pumps.
They then headed toward the south with as many buckets and barrels as they
could carry in one load.  There wasn't much breeze, but what wind there was
was blowing south, thank the Lord, at least it wasn't blowing the
disastrous inferno toward the fields we had to save.

	Everyone was doing every conceivable thing he could, but the
efforts seemed futile. The only hope was the trenches. I had lost sight of
both Webb and Larry's tractors as they invaded the columns of black
smoke. A couple of the huge combines were working on the already charred
sections of the field, followed by several tractors pulling tillers to plow
under the burnt stalks.

	The only large fire I'd ever seen was the scene of the burning of
Atlanta in the movie, "Gone With The Wind", but the real one I was looking
at far surpassed any Hollywood illusions. The hurtling black smoke was
streaking upward and forming dark clouds for miles. If only these were rain
clouds!! Fortunately for all concerned, the heat lightning which had caused
the fire had subsided. In the distance, I could hear the rumbling of
thunder, but I feared it was too far away to telegraph an approaching
rainstorm. I looked straight up and prayed to Mother, as though she could
see what was happening, asking her to plead with God for a miracle to save
the land she had recently departed.

	Two hours passed and though everyone was tired and frustrated, no
one gave up. They all worked diligently as if they were trying to save
their own crops...and who knows. it might be theirs tomorrow to get hit by
fire, the same as ours. I just presumed that the entire southern field
would be lost, not knowing just how many acres it encompassed. But as fast
as it was disappearing, surely to goodness it couldn't last much longer, or
at least I hoped. I was more worried about Webb's safety and well-being
than I was about any of the Donahue property because, in less than five
months, we'd be plowing this same acreage again and planting new seeds,
hopefully with a different crop and a new irrigation system. Webb's ideas
of soybeans, cotton, and tobacco would come to fruition.

	It was nearly dark before the fire got under control. The farmers
and firefighters returned from the southern field; their faces blackened
from the charred rubble and smoke mixed with perspiration. It had been
quite a day for everyone who had helped. Even the onlookers were weary. I
thanked each of them for the work they had done, or at least, those that I
could. I kept looking over my shoulder for any signs of Webb's and Larry's
return. When nearly everyone had packed up his or her gear back into their
cars and left, I really became concerned and worried. How deep into the
blazing field had Webb and Larry gone? Most important, where were they?

	Around 8:00 PM I was keeping vigil by myself on the front porch
when I heard the far off sound of a tractor sputtering. Not two, but a
single tractor, which only gave me half relief. I held my breath until the
noise became louder and close enough for me to could make out who had
returned. It was Larry. I ran down the steps to greet him.

	"Hey, guy!" I exclaimed, "Are you all right?"

	"I don't know. I'm too exhausted to tell you right now."

	"I thought you'd be back a long time ago. All the others have
already gone home," I said to him. "Why don't you come into the house and
let me fix you some supper and something cool to drink?"

	"That sounds mighty good, Jerry."

	I grabbed his hand to support his weight as he climbed down off the
tractor. I put his arm around my shoulder and braced him by putting my arm
around the back of his upper torso.

	"Oooh! Be careful," he said, "My body is blistered all over from
the heat."

	I eased my grasp on him and helped him walk up the stairs.

	"You wanna go into the bathroom and clean up a bit?"

	"Yeah, but I'm about to burst to pee."

	"Let me get you some towels and some of my clean clothes to put on
if you feel like it."

	Once the two of us were inside and I could get a better look at him
in the light, he wasn't exaggerating. His face was as red as a ripe tomato,
as were his arms, hands, and other body parts that had been exposed, naked
to the hot flames. There were black streaks of cinders and soot on his
cheeks, nose, and forehead. I put the lid down on the commode and set him
down.

	"You didn't see or hear Webb out in the fields, did you?"

	"You mean he's not back yet?"

	"No, I've been standing and waiting for both of you to get back. I
heard your tractor, but I haven't heard or seen hide nor hair of Webb!"

	"Think we oughta go lookin' for him?"

	"I don't know. The night sky is still cloudy from the smoke and you
can't see anything in the dark."

	"I know." Larry replied. "I just kept drivin' through the debris
until I spotted the light comin' from your farm and followed it like a
beacon."

	"Do you think you'd like to take a bath?"

	"Maybe, but not a hot one!" he said, "I'd like to soak in a tub of
ice cold water."

	I turned on the cold tap in the tub while Larry slowly removed his
smoky soil clothes. Even his tan that I had admired in the woods looked
white compared to his face and arms. He shivered when he stuck his foot
into the cold bath. I gathered all his dirty clothes and took them to the
back porch and placed them in the washing machine.

	Next, I went to the cupboard to get him a plate and some
silverware. I dropped the plate and it shattered into pieces because my
hands were trembling from worrying about Webb. I prayed to myself, "Oh,
Mother, please, watch over Webb! Let him be all right and guide him home
safely and soon!".

	I heated a plateful of leftovers for Webb and returned to the
bathroom to check on him. He was lying in the tub sound asleep, stark naked
with a raging hardon in spite of the water temperature. Dirty or clean,
Webb was still beautiful and nice to look at. I smiled and went out the
door, letting him sleep as long as he wanted.

	The house was too quiet. I needed some noise, but not too much,
because my focus was on listening for the sound of Webb's tractor. There
was some Elizabeth Taylor movie on TV, about halfway over. I watched it
until around nine o'clock when I became aware that Larry had entered the
living room wrapped only with a towel around his waist.

	"How about those clothes?" he asked.

	"Gee, I'd forgotten all about them. I'm sorry, let me get you a
shirt and a pair of my jeans." I replied.

	"Don't bother about any underwear, I don't wear it anyway."

	"I'm aware of that," I said, in jest.

	"Still no word from Webb?"

	"Nope!" I said, feeling another nervous tingle. "Why don't you go
into the kitchen and get your plate of food that I've got warming in the
oven while I get you those clothes?"

	"OK".

	Larry slowly made his way into the kitchen in his bare feet which
he hadn't bothered to dry from his bath. He left a trail of wet size twelve
footprints behind him.

	I picked him out my newest shirt, my cleanest jeans, a pair of
white socks, and some practically new sneakers that Mother had bought me
for gym class to which I had never worn them. I stacked them neatly in a
pile and took them to Larry who was already eating at the kitchen table.

	"Got any milk or beer?", he asked.

	"Milk."

	"That's better than nothin'."

	"Let me pour you a glass."

	"You sure it ain't a good idea to go lookin' after Webb?", he
asked.

	"Webb'll be all right. He the toughest man I know." I said.

	"He's a looker, all right...for a man of his age."

	"I know. Most women downtown think he's handsome."

	"I'm sure he gets his share of pussy."

	"Enough, I guess." I said, sloughing off the remark.

	"I've been meanin' to call you."

	"I know. I've been pretty busy myself, what with the harvest
preparations and all."

	"You ain't had second thoughts about what me, Ben, and Eddie done
with you, have ya?"

	"Good Lord, no! Why would I have second thoughts about that?"

	"I don't know...but being it was your first time and all...."

	"Larry, it really wasn't my first time. I'd been with Ben and Eddie
just the day before."

	"Was you truthful about there being no others?"

	"Not exactly," I replied, coyly. Once again, my thoughts returned
to my missing Webb.

	"Well, that's good."

	There was a long period of silence while Larry finished his meal.

	"Hey, listen." he finally said, "Would you like me to stay here
with you until Webb gets back?"

	"Thanks, Larry. I think I would like that a lot."

	"I need to call my mom and dad. You have no idea what it's like
have a preacher for your father. When he gets mad at me, you'd swear he was
in his pulpit. Sometimes he even pounds Mom's table with his fists...just
like the lecturn on Sunday mornin's."

	"The phone's in there by the couch in the living room."

	He still hadn't donned the clothes I had brought to him. He was
still wearing the wet towel which was clinging to his private body parts.
        I listened from the kitchen as he explained the situation to his
parents. I could tell from Larry's answers that neither of them were too
pleased at the idea of his staying with me, but apparently they relented
and let him stay.

	"Hey, Jerry! Come look at the television!"

	I semi-hurried to see what had grabbed his attention. It was
Elizabeth Taylor in a white bathing suit, so tight that you could see right
through it. Her nipples were erect.

	"I seen this movie!" Larry exclaimed. "It's 'Suddenly, Last Summer"
and her cousin is a queer and makes her wear that bathing suit to attract
young boys for him to suck off."

	I must've seen an hour of the picture while Larry was sleeping in
the tub and I hadn't got the gist that it was about queers and young
boys. I thought it was about Elizabeth Taylor having a nervous breakdown
and winding up in an asylum. I watched with more interest now.

	"God, for a woman, she's sure got big tits!" Larry added.

	"I read somewhere that she's only five feet tall and even though
her tits look big, they can't be for a woman her height."

	"Don't matter how tall she is...look at them knockers!!"

	I wanted to see her cousin and the young boys that Larry had talked
about, not her breasts.

	"Damn! What I wouldn't give to smoosh up her tits and slide my dick
in between them. I'd probably shoot off, first thing, and splatter her
whole face full of my cum."

	It didn't take much imagination seeing him doing that to Elizabeth,
but I'd rather he "smoosh" up my buttcheeks and slide his dick into my open
ass.

	"Don't girls excite you at all. Jerry?"

	"Not much! Being perfectly frank, I've never seen a woman's breast
except for my mother when I was little."

	"Well, you know that I love to suck cock, but I cain't help myself
when I see a pair of boobs like them!", he all but shouted and quickly
added, "Here, look at this!"

	Larry whisked his towel from his body to reveal his mounting
erection to me. I couldn't help but look. Only a few days ago, I had
examined his penis; touched it; and felt it in my mouth and ass. It was the
sight of his hardon that excited me, not Elizabeth Taylor's shapely body.

	"Wanna blow me while I watch this scene?". he invited, never taking
his eyes off the television screen.

	I had a qualm about having sex with Larry again, since Webb and I
were making love regularly...plus I had a slight tinge of guilt about being
unfaithful to my uncle-lover. But his dick did look awful appetizing. I
couldn't find myself refusing what had been offered to me.  Without giving
it a second thought, I lunged down on my knees in front of him and sucked
him with all my might.

	The whole time I was doing him, I kept thinking that in spite of
all our sexual misdemeanors, we had never once kissed. I wondered how he
would react if a kiss were added to our action. I figured I might not ever
have the chance again to find out. There was no time like the present.
When he spewed my mouth with his manly milk, I didn't swallow. I stood up,
pressed my lips on his, and let all his sperm seep into his orifice. His
reaction surprised me as he drank his spunk from my mouth before swallowing
his entire load. His tongue kept probing into my mouth as if he were
searching for more. As he returned my kiss, I felt his arms go around my
back and pull me closer to him.

	Reliving how our friendship had started, I nodded my head as he
kissed me again and again.

	"God! I've wanted to do that!", he whispered. "I was so afraid of
what you'd think of me if I kissed you. I jerked off three times in one
night just dreaming of kissing you."

	"It was I who was afraid. I wanted to kiss you in the car the other
day when you drove me home."

	"Why didn't you, for God's sake?"

	"I thought you'd hit me with your fist and that would be the end of
our friendship."

	"You're fuckin' crazy! We are best friends, ain't we?"

	"I suppose."

	"You suppose? Don't you know?"

	"Not really. I keep wondering where I fit in the picture with you
and Bridget."

	"Shit! Bridget's nothin' more than a hound dog to me. I keep her
around for company. Besides, I gotta keep up a front for my folks and the
guys at school."

	"What if you had to choose between Bridget and me?"

	"I dunno. Who's askin' me to choose?"

	"Maybe me."

	"Then, I'd just take her collar off and turn her loose."

	"What would your folks say then?"

	"We'd just keep it nice and low until we're eighteen and then we
could do as we like."

	"That's two years of waiting for me."

	"Am I worth waitin' for?"

	I didn't know why I was having this discussion with Larry. He and
I, being a couple here in this county?  It seemed like an impossibility. As
far as I was concerned, my heart and soul belonged to Webb and always
would. Where the heck was he and why hadn't he come home yet?"

	"Jerry, it's about five hours 'til sun up. You want me to spend the
night and help you go lookin' for Webb at first light if he ain't home by
then?"

	"Yes. I would, but you'd better call your mom and dad first."

	"You're always playin' it straight, ain't you."

	"I just don't want your dad coming down on us with God's wrath. He
could even forbid you from seeing me."

	"Horseshit! Wild Indians couldn't keep me from seein' you if I
wanted to. But, I'll call them, just to put your mind at ease."

	Larry re-attached the towel around his waist and went to the phone
to call them. From his reaction, I could tell that Brother Tomlinson was
putting up a fuss, but Larry finally got his way and his dad gave in.

	"See there?" Larry said, hanging up the phone. "Easy as pig
grease!"

	"Thanks, I feel much better."

	"Now, whatchu wanna do? Watch TV or go to bed so we can get an
early start?"

	Any other time, the idea of spending an entire night in bed with
Larry would be a dream come true, but with Webb being out there in the
field somewhere...hurt or maybe worse, it would be a session of meaningless
sex between Larry and me.  What the heck! It would make the time go by
faster.

	"We can go to bed. I know you're tired after fighting the fire all
day."

	"You got any kind of ointment or salve you could put on my scorched
body?"

	"I think there's some in mother's medicine cabinet. I've left it
just the way it was before she died."

	I showed Larry to my bedroom and pulled the covers down for him
while I went to get the balm. When I returned, he was fast asleep, naked on
his stomach. I thanked God for small favors. I was glad Larry had offered
to stay but even more grateful that I wouldn't spend the night ravaging his
body. I turned off the light in my bedroom and went back downstairs to
watch late night TV and keep my watch for Webb. Some time later, I fell
asleep on the couch. I slept soundly trying to forget the woes of the day
and anything else that tomorrow might bring.

	"Hey, Jerry!" Larry said, shaking me. "Wake up! It's almost five."

	"What?"

	It took me a few moments to gather my thoughts and try to
understand why Jerry was waking me. He was already dressed in the clothes I
had given him earlier.

	"Let's go look for Webb!" he continued.

	"Yeah, sure. Give me time to go to the bathroom."

	"I'll go out and rev up the tractor."

	Larry went outside while I sat on the john and did my early morning
business. I washed my hands and splashed cold water on my face. I took the
time to squeeze out an inch of Pepsodent and put it on my tongue to swirl
around over my teeth. I ran down the stairs and went out the door to meet
Larry. I stood behind him on the seat of the tractor, bracing myself by
holding on to his shoulders. He drove off toward the south field, taking
the same direction that I had last seen Webb yesterday.

	Gosh, hundreds of acres of cornstalks had burned to the ground. All
you could see for miles was a big black open field. The sun had risen about
three fingers high, so there was plenty of light to see by.

	Larry drove down row after long row of stalks and still we saw
nothing of Webb or his tractor.

	An hour later, the two of us spotted Webb's tractor at the same
time.

	"Look!" Larry screamed.

	"I see it!" I replied.

	We rode as fast as we could considering the turf and the primitive
engine of our vehicle.

	Webb's tractor which was usually dirty red was now black from
having been on fire.

	"I don't see him!", Larry remarked.

	"He must've made a run for it when the tractor caught afire."

	"Let's split up and go on foot," Larry suggested. "You go down that
way," pointing north, "and I'll go the other."

	Surely to goodness, we should be able to see Webb in this now flat,
barren land. I walked slowly at first but picked up my speed in
desperation. I looked over my shoulder to see Larry who was now about a
half mile in the distance before I continued my trek. Left. right, north,
east, south, west, Webb was nowhere to be found.

	Suddenly, my blood turned cold when I heard Larry scream. I turned
to look in his direction. His image seemed barely a quarter on an inch from
the distance that separated us.

	"Jerry!", he cried.

	I ran swiftly to learn of his discovery, falling twice, tripping on
stobs of former cornstalks. I was about fifty feet from Larry when I saw
what had made him scream. I froze. My heart stopped. I couldn't go any
further. Even though I had many steps to go, I could see a charred gingham
shirt on what appeared to be a body lying beside where Larry was standing.

	Slowly, I forced myself forward, praying that I was not about to
find what I had feared most. It was Webb's body. It looked as if he had
tried to dig a trench with his hands to try and escape the smoke. His head
was in a hole stretched downward about six or eight inches.

	My eyes met Larry's and we gave one another a "knowing" look before
we both looked down to see Webb.

	"Oh, my God, NO!" I cried out as tears gushed forth from my eyes.

	Larry rushed to me to hold me and keep me from looking to closely
at what the flames had done to Webb's skin.

	"Stay here, buddy," Larry said, consoling me. "It's best that you
don't look."

	"Oh, God, WHY? WHY? WHY?" I kept saying. "First Mother, Grandpa
doesn't know who he is in the hospital, the fire, and now Webb. What more
can happen?" I buried my head into Larry's shoulder and sobbed. I could
tell by the movement of his chest that Larry was also crying. He tried to
comfort me by stroking the back of my head again and again. I shouldn't've
been crying. I was no longer a kid or just a boy, in one split second, I
had to become a man.

	I pulled back from Larry's embrace and girded my stance before I
walked over to see Webb. His body wasn't burned by the flames, I could only
assume he had stiffled to death from the smoke. I knelt beside him and
stroked his hair. I don't know how long I stayed while Larry went back to
the farm to attach an open bed trailer to the back of the tractor to
retrieve Webb's remains.

	While Larry was gone, he had called his dad to relay the tragedy,
so by the time Larry and I returned to the farmhouse with Webb's body,
Brother Tomlinson was already waiting on us. He came to me to give me a
sympathetic hug. I had always feared him, sitting in his congregation on
Sundays with Mother, so much that I was somewhat taken back by his
demonstative affection. He actually appeared to be sincere. I was so
depressed that I welcomed his gesture.

	Thoughts were swarming in my mind.  Webb was dead. The pickers
would be here later today. Webb was dead. Grandpa was in the hospital. Webb
was dead. I was really alone now. Webb was dead. Could I run the farm by
myself and take care of Grandpa at the same time? Webb was dead. Webb was
dead. Webb was dead.

<><><><><><>

	The harvest was over. The fields that had been rich in corn were
now bare and their fruits were separated and shipped or stored for their
final destinations. This year's crop wasn't particularly bountiful, but it
would supply enough money to keep the farm going and give me enough courage
to replant come Spring.

	Webb was dead, gone, and buried. The funeral was attended by the
usual wellwishers but primarily most of the unmarried women he had known in
town. Grandpa was home from the hospital but stayed there with
Mrs. Harrison and didn't go to the service. As for me, my love, hopes, and
dreams were buried inside Webb's casket. I knew I must assume the
responsibilities of the Donahue legacy if it were to continue.

	The only bright spot in the past two weeks was that Henry had
somehow heard about the fire and Webb. He had returned to the farm to offer
whatever help he could supply. I was so glad to see him. Even though he
wasn't blood kin, Henry had always been as close as one of the family. He
resumed his role as Grandpa's caretaker, including the daily back
rubs...and only Lord knows what else Grandpa required of him.

	The two-week harvest hiatus from school was over. I hadn't talked
with Larry since he had helped me find Webb. I did see him at the
funeral. I looked at him several times and he returned a mournful glance.

	The first day back at the school was tomorrow. I had spent all this
Sunday walking the fields and sitting on the front porch trying to make
some decisions. I had more than enough money to send Grandpa to a old folks
home. Since I was the sole survivor and Grandpa's will was made out to me,
I knew I could get a good price for the farm and property, should I decide
to sell it. But then, what would I do? I could go anywhere in the world
that I'd ever dreamed about. I would have several hundreds of thousands of
dollars in the bank from the sale, which meant I really didn't have to work
for a long, long time.

	I had a whole year before I finished high school, but college
didn't seem very appealing to me since I'd never been fond of books and
learning. I'd often thought about going to California to see if I could
find any of Mother's relatives, relatives which were actually mine,
too. Going to California did seem like a good prospect for me. But selling
the farm and giving up a whole century of Donahue labors seemed like a
copout. I was a man now and should think and act like one.

	Gosh, I was so lonely and with Grandpa's condition, I was alone,
too. I'd read about people saying they could be alone in a crowd, but they
didn't say how lonely it was when you're by yourself.

	I watched the Autumn sun setting over the Appalachian
mountains. The sky was dark red with streaks of orange and yellow. The air
had a chill in it. Soon it would be winter. Wallowing in my loneliness, the
wind made me feel colder. Henry had fixed Grandpa's supper and had put him
to bed and had come downstairs to watch TV. I had no appetite, I really
didn't care if I ever ate again.

	As I surveyed the shadows on the barren fields, I tried to imagine
acres of soybeans, cotton, or tobacco. That was Webb's dream, but not
mine. I had no dream. I had resigned myself to making Webb's dream come
true...while he was alive. And now, soybeans, cotton, and tobacco didn't
seem all that important to me. I wasn't aware of the tear that trickled
down my cheek until I accidently felt the warm moisture on my cold cheek.

	Never in my life had I thought about suicide, but since I was
weighing all my possibilities for the rest of my life, ending it was an
option. Since there were no more Donahues, I supposed the county would take
custody of the property, sell it, and do whatever it did with the
proceeds. Money wasn't enough to stay alive for. If I died, and IF there
was a heaven, I could be with Mother and Webb again...and I could get to
know my dad.

	I stood up to go inside and get warm. I had almost reached the
screen door when I heard the sound of a car coming down the drive. It was
getting too dark to see who it was, so I waited. It was Larry's
Chevrolet. Suddenly, I was glad that it was he. I'd almost forgotten that
he was my "best" friend...my ONLY friend now,to be exact.

	"Hey, buddy," Larry called out as he got out of his car.

	"Hey, Larry,"

	"Whatchy doin' outside? It's turnin' cold as blazes."

	"I was going inside to get warm."

	"Did you eat yet?"

	"No, I wasn't hungry."

	"Wanna go for a drive?"

	"I don't know."

	"Come on. It'd be good for you to git away from this place for a
while. Keep you from sittin' aroung here, mopin'."

	Larry was right. Getting away would be good for me.

	"Wait and let me get a jacket."

	"OK, but I've got the heater turned on in the car and it's nice and
warm."

	I hurried inside, told Henry that I would be gone for a bit and not
to worry if I didn't get home until late. I went upstairs, got my Levi
jacket and ran downstairs to get into Larry's car.

	"I'm sorry I haven't been over earlier. but..."

	"I know," I interrupted, "you've been just as busy with your crop
as I have been."

	"Yeah, but I didn't have on my back all the things you did."

	"That's OK. I got everything done."

	"Webb would've been real proud of you, I bet," Larry said.

	Just the mention of Webb's name created a lump in my throat.  I
didn't say anything.

	"You miss Webb a lot, don't you?"

	I nodded my head.

	"He was pretty special to you."

	"Yeah," I whispered.

	"You all ready for school tomorrow?"

	"Maybe...I haven't even decided if I'm going or not."

	"Me, neither, but for a different reason, I guess." He drove
further down the highway before he added, "You gonna take the bus or are
you gonna drive Webb's Corvette?"

	That thought hadn't even occurred to me. I guess Webb's car was now
mine, too. Henry had driven it back to the front of the house after he
discovered where Webb had parked it on that fateful day.

	"I...I suppose I'll take the bus, like always." I finally said.

	"I could come by and pick you up."

	"No, I couldn't ask you to do that. You have to pick up Bridget as
well,"

	"Not any more."

	"Whaddya mean?"

	"Bridget and I broke up Friday night. She even gave my ring back to
me."

	"What happened?"

	"Damned if I know. Said she didn't want to settle down with a
Tennessee farmer who was a preacher's boy as well. Seems she has some high
falutin' idea of going to Hollywood and bein' a movie star or somethin'".

	"You're kidding!"

	"Nope," he said, "so it looks like there's gonna be a lot of time
for just you and me."

	A glimmer of hope stirred inside me.

	"But what about...?" I tried to say.

	"Now don't go givin' me your 'what abouts'. You and me are best
buddies...maybe even more than that...and I don't give two hoots in hell
who knows about it!" Larry declared, giving me a big smile. "You ain't got
no one to say it's wrong if I come to see you and my Dad can rant and rave
all he wants to about you comin' to see me!"

	"Can I ask you a question?"

	"Here you go with twenty questions again! All right, what's your
first one?"

	"Why the change in your attitude? What's wrong? What happened to
make you feel so open?"

	"Damn, I asked you to give me one question and you just used up
three."

	"You didn't give me three answers. I'm still waiting on one."

	"Well, that night...the night before we found Webb. I came into
your house all dirty and sooty from the fire. I'd bathed and come down to
you and I was wearin' that towel. You remember?"

	"Yes."

	"Well, you went down on me and then you kissed me. You remember the
kiss, don't you?"

	"Yes," Of course I remembered. I always would.

	"And afterward, you and I were gonna go to bed together, weren't
we?"

	"I suppose."

	"And then I fell asleep or somethin' and when I woke up, I was in
bed by myself."

	"I was too upset to go to bed. I came back downstairs to watch TV."

	"Well, back to that kiss..."

	"Yes?"

	"Well, when we were kissin' and I put my arms around you..."  He
hesitated.

	"I remember. Go on."

	"That's when I knew."

	"Knew what?"

	"That I loved you. Now, don't go interruptin'. It's takin' me a lot
of gumption to say what I have to say." He waited for me to respond and,
when I didn't, he took a big breath and continued. "I know we're both boys,
or young men, and it ain't right for a man to feel this way about another
one, but I do. I cain't git you outta my mind...day and night, you're in my
every thought. I start to eat and wonder if you have any food. I wonder if
you're with some other guy. I go to bed and jerk off, thinkin' about doin'
all kinds of things to you. I awake with a mornin' hard on and it won't go
away until I beat off one more time, thinkin' about you. I wanna be with
you...all the time. I wanna live with you, help you, take care of you. I
wanna love you and I want you to love me back."

	I couldn't believe my ears. Webb had been in my constant dreams and
I had been in Larry's the same way. He DID love me, but...did I love him? I
looked at him as he drove, his hands gripping the wheel tightly. He had
made his speech looking at the road and never once at me. Larry was the
most handsome and the biggest jock in the school. He could have any girl,
or guy for that matter, that he wanted...and he was pledging his love to
me. Except for my mother, no one had ever said that he loved me before,
except for that one night when Webb said it. I'd never given Larry an
inkling as to how I felt about him. I didn't know why, but I was sure I
hadn't said anything out loud to him. I could see Larry's hands trembling
slightly as he gripped the steering wheel. It had taken a lot of nerve for
him to say what he had just said to me. I wasn't sure if it was pity or
compassion, but I did have a strong feeling for him.

	"Are you gonna say somethin' or not...or did I just go and make a
big fool of myself."

	"You didn't make a fool of yourself, Larry, I was trying to compose
what I wanted to say to you."

	"Well, do you love me a little?"

	I smiled before I could break out into an audible laugh.

	"Of course I love you , Larry."

	"But not the same way I love you?", he asked, almost in despair.

	"I'm not sure.,,but maybe."

	"Can I say the rest of my speech to you?"

	"Sure."

	"I've been thinkin'...about us...you and me...! Well, if you loved
me like I love you, then, I'd tell my dad that I'm movin' out of his house
and move in with you...if you'd let me. Then you and me could plant the
Spring seedlings and run the farm as it's always been run."

	The cogs in my brain were whirling at his suggestion.

	"But what if your dad...?"

	"I don't care!", he remarked strongly. "I'm tired of bein' a
preacher's boy! Why do you think I do all them mean things I do that Ben
and Eddie get the blame for? I want my own life! I wanna be normal, like
other guys."

	"Loving another guy isn't exactly being normal, Larry," I said,
quietly.

	"Why not? Didn't David love Jonathan? There was nothin' wrong with
that! That's in the Bible!"

	"I suppose..."

	Larry was getting impatient. He pulled his car down the next dirt
road and parked, and turned to face me.

	"Now...will you kiss me?", he asked, almost like a grammar school
kid on his first date.

	I looked at him, smiled, and slid on the seat to get next to him. I
took his face in my hands and made him look at me with the same eyes that
had been avoiding mine for the past five minutes.

	As soon as I peered into his "baby browns", I realized I loved him,
too. I moved closer to touch his lips with mine and we kissed gently at
first...then it became more passionate and it was if we were trying to get
inside each other's body through our open mouths. We moaned as our hands
reached up and down the other, exploring and getting to know everything
there was to know.

	"I DO love you, Larry. Gosh, I wasn't even aware of it until just
now."

	"God, Jerry, you've made me the happiest guy in the world."

	"We're gonna face a lot of adversity. You know that, don't you?"

	"First, I'll have to look up 'adversity' in the dictionary before I
know if we'll have to face it!"

	I laughed out loud.

	"You think we can make a go of it?" he asked, still kissing my lips
and face.

	"Yes, Larry. Yes, I do."

	"You think I can move in with you tomorrow?"

	"That depends on you and your dad."

	"No, it depends on you and me! It's our lives and our future!"

	"Then, yes, you can move in tomorrow."

	"Hooray!", he yelled. "I'll be over right after school!"

	Maybe it was a fool's dream we were having, but at this moment, it
was the only dream I had and, for now, it was enough.

	We spent the next hour trying to make out in his front seat before
we gave up and went to the back seat. As we had sex, it was no longer "just
sex", for the first time, Larry and I were making love.

	When we had finished and dressed, I snuggled next to his chest for
the short drive back to the farm. I'd never been this happy in my whole
life. I felt warm and safe with Larry's arm around me.

	"I have to give you a fair warning."

	"What's that?"

	"If and when you move in, don't be surprised if Grandpa starts
calling you 'Webb'!"

	"I can live with that." Larry smiled. "I can think of a lot worse
names he could call me, but 'Webb'?. That'd almost be an honor."

	"Thanks, Larry."

	"You know what else I was thinkin'?"

	"No, I'm afraid to ask..."

	"I was thinkin' about that south field of yours..."

	"What about it?"

	"What would you say if we didn't plant corn down there?"

	"Then what?"

	"How about soybeans?"

	Larry's mentioning soybeans was almost like a reincarnation of
Webb's dreams. Larry was the only man in my life now and thanks to Webb, I
had been taught how to love. Maybe I didn't love Larry the same as
Webb...or as much...but I had years ahead of me. "Soybean"? I had this
funny feeling that somewhere, somehow Webb must be looking down on us,
giving us his blessing. I'd never forget him and there would always be a
special place in my heart for him, my first love.

	I gave Larry a long look, smiled, and hugged him all the way home.



                            ><><>END<><><


<><><><><><><><><><><>

Author's note:
       I hope you enjoyed this Southern tale and would like to invite you
to visit the Author Page at Nifty, scroll down to "Ritch Christopher" and
try one of my other stories.