Date: Wed, 26 Jun 2002 19:12:26 +0000
From: Jeffrey Fletcher <jeffyrks@hotmail.com>
Subject: Coutrymen 15

This story contains consenting sex between gay adult men.  If it is illegal
to read such material where you live, or you dislike such material, then
surf elsewhere.

Thanks to those who have communicated with me.  I believe I have replied to
all who have done so.  My email is jeffyrks@hotmail.com

It was my fault that the final words of Part 14 were not copied fully.  The
final phrase should read, "the car didn't `alf stink of cum."  So nothing
vital was missed.

For those of you who have read the whole of the Countrymen Stories and
think you know them.  You can take part in a test!  Get a pen and paper,
and see if you know who is doing the various things to Phil.  I am afraid I
cannpt give you any prizes for correct answers.

Resume:- Phil a man in his 60s has met Colin a Yorkshire farmer several
months before.  Colin is a member of a small gay group called the
countrymen.  Colin has met the other three, and there has been a mutual
telling of stories.  The time has now come for Phil to be admitted a full
member of the Countrymen.

The Countrymen Part 15.

At long last the day dawned for me to become a full member of the
Countrymen.  It had taken some arranging as Vic, in particular, had a full
diary when it came to evenings.  It was the 26th July, and by one of those
great coincidences, it was my birthday.  Though birthdays were now facts
that Tom and I tried to forget, the other two thought it was a good excuse
for a real celebration.

It had been decided that we would begin our time together with a light
meal.
  Though how you could satisfy Kevin and Colin with a `light' meal I do not
know; and when it came to eating both Archie and Tom were not mean
trenchermen.

Needless to say I was told to prepare the food.  I had gathered from Colin
that Archie and Kevin had been planning a rite of initiation.  I wondered
just what to expect. I prepared most of the food at home.  I thought we
would have coronation chicken [recipe available on request] with a salad
and cold new potatoes, and a fresh fruit salad for dessert.  I had cooked
the chicken the evening before, and took it, with all the other ingredients
for our meal, out to Colin's in the early afternoon.

As I drove into the farmyard to my usual parking place, Shep, Colin's
collie, gave me her usual welcome of barks and a wagging tail.

Colin came out of a barn.  "Hi there," he said and walked over and gave me
a kiss.  "Welcome for your big day."

"Thanks."  Shep was walking round us, wagging her tail.  "She's putting on
weight," I remarked.

Colin laughed.  "She is.  She's in pup.  She'll be dropping them in a
couple of weeks."

"Do you know the father?"

"No.  I only hope its not Mrs Smiley's Pekinese."

I laughed.  "Shep has better sense than that.  Any way it would be a bit
difficult for a peke to screw a collie."

"Where there's a will there's a way," added Colin.

I unloaded the car, and Colin and I sat, enjoyed a cup of tea, and caught
up with the news.  Then he went off to do some more farm work, while I
finished preparing the chicken, and cutting up the fruit for the fresh
fruit salad.  I laid the table, [Yes, I know - you American readers!] and
got everything ready.

About 6.00pm Colin came in and went upstairs to have a shower.  When I
offered to join him, he said that if we showered together we might fall
into temptation and I needed to keep my strength up for the evening.  Tom
was the next to arrive. He came in, and we had a nice kiss and some good
hugs.

"Does Jenny know where you are," I asked.

"Aye.  And she knows Kevin will be `ere.  But she don't know that `is
reverence will be `ere.  She knows as much as is safe for her to know."

Archie was the next to arrive.  There were further kisses and hugs all
round.  I tried to winkle out of him what was going to happen later.  He
just gave me a broad grin, and said, "You'll soon find out."

It was nearly half past six when Kevin came bursting in.  "Sorry I'm late.
It's been a terrible day.  Everybody's machine has been breaking down, and
I have had to rush from one end of my patch to the other."  There were
further kisses and hugs all round.

The food was set out on the kitchen table, buffet style.  But before we
started to eat Tom spoke up, "We're forgetting to say grace.  And that
won't do with `is divinity `ere, and on such a suspicious occasion."  Then,
in a very assumed parsonical voice, with his hands together and eyes
closed, he said "God bless us all an' make us able, to eat all t'stuff
that's on this table."

"Where did you get that from?" asked Archie.

"That's a good old Yorkshire grace, Vic.  You ought to say at your next
Harvest Supper."

"I might well do."

So we stood around eating our food. The other four had pints of beer, but
they would only allow me a half pint.  `Alcohol can make this thing limp,'
said Kevin, grabbing my cock and balls, `And we can't have that tonight.'
There was whispering between Kevin and Archie and I wondered what they were
plotting.  Eventually we had all eaten.  Colin insisted that we washed up,
`I know no one will feel like doing it when we're done tonight, and I don't
want to come down in the morning to a pile of dirty pots.'  So Kevin donned
an apron.  I think it had been Colin's mother's.  Anyway we all
complimented Kev on how much it suited him.  He, of course, acted up to the
role.  Tom and Archie each took a tea towel and wiped up.  Colin went
upstairs to check that everything was ready in the special room.  They all
insisted that I sat down, as I would need all my strength for what lay
ahead!

Colin came down as the other two finished the washing up.

"All set then?" said Colin.

"I don't know about you, but I need a shower after the day I've had," said
Kevin.

"I've just had one," chorused Archie, Colin, with Tom putting in a
variation in that he'd had a bath.

"I could do with a shower, after slaving over a hot stove all the
afternoon," I said.  Not that there had been much hot stove.

Colin took charge.  "Kevin, you go up and have the first shower.  Call down
when you're done, and Phil you follow him.  When you done, you come and
join us in the gang room.  Remember the rules, no clothes are worn in
there."

They all went off upstairs, and I heard a lot of laughter.  I wondered what
was in store for me.  Very soon I heard Kevin shout down.  I went upstairs
into the bathroom.  Kevin was still in there finishing drying off his
wonderful body.  He grabbed my head between his hands and gave me a full
kiss.  "I hope you're going to really enjoy this evening.  Fun and
pleasure!"  He gave me another kiss, and was treated with the sight of his
buttocks as he made his way out of the bathroom.

Again it was a difficult shower.  Many different thoughts were running
through my head.  I was remembered my first time in this very shower with
Colin several months before.  I was thinking of the wonderful times I had
with each of the four guys who were now waiting for me to join them.  I
wondered what was in store.  I didn't think it would be painful in any way;
but it might well be surprising.  The thought of the four of them stark
naked waiting for me, caused my cock to stir itself ready for action.  Yet
the last thing I wanted to happen was for me to go into that room to come
face to face with them with my cock sticking out its full length in front
of me.  As most of you know, the more you want your cock to be at ease the
more determined it seems to stand to attention.  I eventually had to resort
to the cold water treatment, that calmed him down.  But I had to dry myself
quickly before he started stiffening again.

I took a deep breath and went out of the bathroom, across the landing.  I
was then posed with the question as to how was I to enter.  Should my hands
be shielding my vital equipment?
  Or should I walk in brazenly unashamed?  As my unruly member was for a
change being ruly I walked straight in.  The four of them were seated in a
row leaning against one of the walls to the side.  Their arms were in
various way entwined.  Their penises mostly half erect, except of course,
for Kevin's which was full ready for action.

As I stood there with a foolish grin on my face, Archie spoke.  "Phil, I
believe you wish to become a member of the Most Exalted and Noble
Fellowship of Gay Countrymen.  Before we can admit you it is necessary for
you to pass certain tests.  Are you willing to undergo these tests?"

I answered, "Yes."

"I believe that you know the four of us seated here, and that you have had
some intimate contact and taken pleasure with all four?"

I nodded.

"For the tests to be carried out it is necessary for you to be blind
folded."  Archie turned to Kevin.  "Will you blindfold thoroughly the
candidate for admission?"

Kevin got to his feet, and taking a scarf came and stood behind me, and
proceeded to blindfold me.  While he did so he pressed his cock firmly
against my buttocks, and rubbed himself against me.  This of course, had an
immediate result upon my member, which immediately became, not merely
unruly, but totally rebellious.  This was greeted with a wolf whistle from
Colin, laughter from Archie, while Tom muttered, "That's certain a
worthwhile addition to the group."  By now fully blindfolded I heard them
get to their feet.

Archie spoke again.  "Phil, will you please kneel."  I knelt down.  "This
is all a test of recognition.  Without using your hands in any way you are
to begin to give each of us in turn a blow job.  When you think you knows
whose cock you are sucking, you just pull your mouth away, and the next
cock will be placed against your lips.  You will suck all four of us in
turn, and then you will tell us in order whose cock was which.  Is that
clear?"

I nodded.

The first cock was placed against my lips.  I knew I would not be able to
pick out Archie's, as being the only cut one of the four.  I slowly let the
cock enter my mouth.  When I had got it well lubricated and started running
my mouth up and down it, I realised that there was a slight curve to it.
It was not absolutely straight.  I then knew whose it was, and I pulled my
mouth away.  There was a sound of them moving around.

Archie spoke, "You think you recognise that one?"

"Yes."

I then felt a second cock touch my lips.  It felt good, but I was unsure.
It might have been Colin's, it might have been Tom's.  I sucked for quite a
while, and realised that I would only be able to decide in comparison with
the other two.  So I stopped and pulled away.

"Next one."

There was some movement and again I felt the warm soft hardness of the head
of a cock against my lips.  As I licked it, and sucked it into my mouth,
and knew that it was certainly thicker than the one before.  I sucked it
for the mere pleasure it was giving me, and I thought was giving to its
owner.  I knew who that was and I pulled away.

"Last one."

There was some movement, and the four and final cock was placed in my
mouth.  Again I lubricated it, and I realising it was a long one, I
immediately knew whose it was.  Again I sucked for a while beyond that
point of recognition.  And I stopped.

"You think you know whose was which?" asked Archie.

"Yes."

"Then tell us."

"The first was Kevin, the second was Colin, then Archie, and last, and
certainly not least, there was Tom's tonsil tickler."

There was a round of applause.  "Well done.  That was ten out of ten.
There is now one further test, and that is the reverse.  It is for you to
recognise who is sucking you.  Would you like to stand or sit for this
test?"

"I think I'd prefer to sit.  I might as well be comfortable in my
enjoyment."

I heard someone leave the room for a moment.  I presumed it was Kevin as he
had been the acolyte who had blindfolded me.  Then I felt the chair behind
my legs.  I knew then why someone had left the room for a moment.  A couple
of helpful hands guided me to sit down in it.  I sat towards the edge of my
chair, with my legs apart to allow a free and easy access to my landing
gear.  As I had not been allowed to use my hands in any way, so no hands
touched me.  I my have been able to make some deductions from the guys'
hands.  Tom's and Colin's were certainly rougher than Kevin's and Archie's.

I sensed movement and suddenly my cock was in someone's mouth.  I
immediately realised that this was going to be a far more difficult test.
I racked my memories to try and recollect particular idiosyncrasies of the
four Countrymen.  One thing I began to notice was just how firmly whoever's
lips gripped my cock as he sucked up and down.  The lips were very strongly
round my cock. It was like a smooth tight rubber ring going up and down. I
tried to picture each of the guys doing it to me.  There was one picture
that fitted.  I knew who it was.  I said, "I think I know who it is."

Whoever it was stopped sucking and there was some more moving around.  Then
I felt a gently kiss on the tip of my cock, before it went into someone's
mouth.  I knew who that was fairly quickly.  "I think I know who that is,"
I said.

With the next one I tried to isolate some feature that was special.  My
cock was soon receiving a good lathering, licking and then sucking.  Then I
felt the tip of his tongue feeling round the tip of my cock, almost
searching for any trace of precum that may have been flowing.  Now who
sucked like that?  He kept doing it, so it must have been a feature of the
way this guy gave a blow job.  I smiled to myself and nodded.  "Yes, I
think I know who you are."

There was the final change round of suckers.  Yet another hot wet mouth
fastened itself over my dick.  It was well lubricated from the attentions
of the previous guy.  then I felt his tongue feeling round the edge of the
helmet of my cock.  It seemed to trace the rim.  "Okay, I recognise that
one too," I said.

Kevin removed my blindfold and the four of them were standing round with
broad grins on the faces.  "Well, who was who?" demanded Kevin.

"The first one was Tom."

"How on earth did you know that," said Archie.

"Well, when Tom gives a blow job he holds your cock very tightly with his
lips.  Its like a rubber ring going up and down."

"Yes, he does.  I had never noticed it before.  But that's exactly how he
does it," exclaimed Kevin.

"I didn't know I did it a special way," muttered Tom.

"You all have your special ways," I said.

"And who was next?" asked Archie.

"You," I replied.

"And what is my distinguishing mark then?"

"Let me show you."  I knelt down in front of him and softly kissed the head
of his cock before popping it in my mouth.

"Do I always do that?"

"Nearly always."

"And who was third?" asked Archie again.

"Kevin.  He always tries to raid the tanks containing my precum with his
tongue."

The other three roared with laughter in agreement.

"He is always impatient whenever it come to anything to do with sex.
That's true isn't it, my love?"  said Archie.  He pulled Kevin to him and
gave him a big kiss.

"You're always taking it out on me," said Kevin with mock seriousness.

"And you Colin, my dear, where the fourth and final one."

"Is that purely a process of deduction?" asked Colin.

"No, you have your special way too.  Your tongue always feels round the rim
of the helmet of my manhood.  It is your special way.  I like it, it
arouses me, so don't you try to change."

"Well," said Kevin, "If we ever have to admit someone else to the
Countrymen, we'll have to disguise our sucking.  But how did you tell who
you were sucking?"

"That was more a process of elimination.  Yours has a slight, but very sexy
curve to it.  Tom's is longest, Archie's thickest, and your's Colin my
friend is somewhere in between.  They're all special to me.  I was only
sorry you would not allow me to complete the job."

"There's plenty of time for that," said Archie.  "Well, you've passed with
flying colours.  ten out of ten, or a hundred percent.  You are now a
member of the Countrymen."

I stood up and they all came up close, and put there arms round me and
kissed me.  It was a wonderful warm embrace from these four wonderful men.
All our hands wandered up and down and into the crooks and crannies of each
other's bodies.

Then Archie broke away, and spoke again.  "There is one thing that remains.
You have passed the test.  We need to welcome you properly and fully into
the Countrymen.  All four of us would like to give you our love juice.  We
realise it might be asking a bit much, for you to be fucked four times one
after the other.  If it is proving too much, we'll understand.  You could
always give a blow job, or indeed a hand job, to any who are not able to do
the job properly."

"I cannot think of any better way of being welcomed.  I might not be able
to sit down for a week, but let's go for it."

"There are just two things," said Archie.  "You can decide how you would
like to do it, and the order in which you take us."

"I think I would like to be able to look each of you fully in the face." I
thought for a moment.  "I know.  Each of you in turn on your back, and I
will sit on your cock.  Then I can decide the rate of penetration and so
on."

"And the order?"

I thought again for a while.  "In the order your four lovely cocks made
their first entrance.  Colin first, then Kevin, Tom, and finally Archie."

"If you want a break, just say so.  This is meant to give you pleasure, not
be an endurance course." said Kevin.

Colin got down and lay on his back.  Kevin got some lube, and promptly put
some on Colin's cock, to their mutual enjoyment.  I meanwhile prepared
myself.  I stood over Colin looking down at him.  We smiled at each other.
I then knelt over him, and began to sit back and reached round for his
cock.  I held it and placed it on target.  I slowly sat down, and his cock
slid into me.  I held it there.  We looked at each other.  I remembered
that walk several months ago, and our conversation as he was hedging in
that field.  I remembered that cup of tea with him in his kitchen; and then
our first sexual encounter in his shower.  I remember the times we had
enjoyed each other, of going to sleep and then waking up in each other's
arms.  I realised just how much he meant to me.  I had made a wonderful
friend over the last few months, and the friendship had more to it than
what we were doing then.  I realised that if we could not have sex for some
sad reason, we would still be good friends.

As I looked into his eyes, Colin said, "Penny for them?"

"I was just thinking about our relationship, sex, yes, that's important;
but I think more so is the friendship." I managed to bend over and whisper
in his ear, "I love you Colin."  I kissed him.

"I love you too, mate," he whisper to me.

We continued to enjoy each other, then I slowly began to work on him.  I
concentrated on pleasuring him.  I tried to squeeze his cock. He obviously
felt what I was doing.  He began to make appreciative noises.  He face
flushed, and the flushing spread down his neck, and into the thick
hairiness of his chest.  Then I felt him climax.  His cock pulsed within
me, and I felt the hot jets of his cum pour into me.

I continued to sit there, as I felt his cock go limp inside me.  Our eyes
were fixed on each other.

After a while, he said, "Thanks, Phil that was great.  I welcome you into
the Countrymen."

I kissed him again, and then I moved to one side, before standing up.
Colin got to his feet, and gave me a hug and kiss.

Kevin now got down on the floor.  He slid into me easily.  Again I
remembered his story.  Our times together.  "Kevin," I said, "You're a
wonderful lad.  Six months ago I would never have dreamt that my sex life
would be up and running again, and I would be having wonderful fun with a
great young guy like you."  I ran my hands over his body.  Quite quickly he
too came, and felt him shoot great loads of his love juice into me.

I got off him, and he stood up.  We gave each other a kiss and a hug.  He
whispered in my ear, but all could hear, "Phil, I'm glad you're now fully
one of us.  I first fell in love with one man."  He looked at Archie and
smiled.  "Then I met another guy," and I soon realised he was special too."
  He looked at Colin and smiled.  "Then there was the old man of the party,
he's always saying I'm too one track minded, but I think that I just remind
him of his younger days.  Though he keeps that tonsil tickler of his busy
night and day if he can."  Kevin walked across and gave Tom and kiss.  "And
now there's you," he said turning back to me, "Welcome."  He gave me a
final kiss and a hug.

"Let us oldies show these youngster `ow to do it," said Tom.

He too got down on the floor, and again I positioned myself on him.  His
whole length was soon probing deeply.  "Good to `ave you, Phil.  Another
member to enjoy, will `elp keep me a bit more satisfied."

"You satisfied?" said Kevin.  "We'd need to enlist another ten men."

"For me, boy.  But for you it'd need to be an `undred."

I soon brought him to his climax.  "That were good," said Tom, "I `ope
there's going to be plenty more times."

"I hope so too, Tom. We'll have to show these youngster that we're never
past it."

Then finally it was Archie's turn.  "You all right, Phil?" he said.  "I
won't be upset if you want to call it a day."

"No Archie, I'll always be ready for you."

For the fourth and final time that evening I was penetrated.  I must admit
I was beginning to feel a little sore.  Archie had the thickest one, but it
I was exceeding well lubricated by now.
  I thought of Archie's story.  I remembered our wonderful walk in
Swaledale.  I realised that this man too was coming to mean a lot to me.
We smiled at each other.  No words were needed I had been very careful
about myself.  With Archie I stopped resisting my own desires.  Believe it
or now, the timing was perfect.  We both came together, his ever hardening
cock shooting into me, set me off, and great threads of white cum shot out
over his chest.  I had not shot like that for years.  The others, who had
been standing round watching, cheered.

"Well done," said Kevin, "That was perfect timing."

"You're now well and truly a Countryman," said Archie.

I now felt exhausted.  They helped me to my feet.  Their arms were around
me."

"I think you might need a quick shower and so on," said the ever caring
Archie.

"I think so too.  But I have got something downstairs to complete our
celebration.  So give me a few minutes."

"I've got something too, to fetch from down stairs." said Archie.

I made my way to the bathroom, and made myself feel a little more
comfortable and respectable.  I then nipped downstairs and got a bottle of
champagne out of the fridge where it had been cooling.  It was one of the
bottles that my son had brought back from France, and I had been saving it
for a special occasion.  I took it upstairs on a tray, with five champagne
glasses, that I'd bought from home.

When I went into the den they were all standing round a small table on
which there was a large iced cake.  It had just one candle on it.  But in
bright blue icing there were the words, `Happy birthday Phil.'

"Your doing?" I said, looking at Archie.

"Yes.  I didn't know whether to use pink or blue icing.  Pink is rather the
gay colour; but I thought its blue for a boy, certainly on his birthday."

"Thanks Archie."  I put the tray down, and gave him a kiss.

Then Kevin realised that I had brought up a bottle of champagne.  "Bubbly!"
he shouted.  "A real party!"

"I've only drunk champagne at a wedding," said Tom.

"Well it is a sort of wedding," said Archie.  "Four of us have just gained
another husband, and Phil here, has just got four husbands.  I think that
almost constitutes a wedding, of sorts.  We have had the ceremony.  I
suppose you could say the union has already been consummated."

"And what does that long word mean?" asked Tom looking at Archie with a
perfectly straight face, except for a slight twitch in the corners of his
mouth.

"It means, Tom dear, that we've already fucked," said Kevin.

Three of us convulsed with laughter, but we just managed to hear Tom say,
"Kevin, you shouldn't use such language in the presence of a man of the
cloth."

"Phil, you must cut the cake," said Archie.

"Let's also make it a wedding cake, and us all cut it," I suggested.

So we all gathered round.  It must have been a strange sight, five naked
men standing close together cutting a cake!  I noticed that Kevin was
already hard again, and probing Colin's buttocks with his cock.

"Whose going to open the champers?" I said.

"Me please," said Kevin.

I handed him the bottle.

"Shall I do it grand prix style?" he asked, deliberately mispronouncing
prix so it sounded like `pricks'.

"You've got a grand prick," said Tom, "And stop waving it around for us all
to see.  I want to drink some of this champagne, it will make a change from
your cock juice."

"Don't you like my special taste?" said Kevin, with a mournful look on his
face.

"There is a time and a place for everything, now champagne, and in a few
minutes your potent special, if it's still on offer," said Archie.

Kevin eased the cork off, and it came of with a resounding pop and flew
round the room.  There was some bubbling out onto the mattresses, but very
little.  We were soon standing round drinking the champagne and eating
slices of a very rich fruit cake.

"I've been thinking," said Archie.

"Now for another swallowed dictionary," said Tom.

"I was thinking just how much we Countrymen are a good representative cross
section of the gay community."

"In what way?" asked Colin.

"Well!  There are two single men, two men who have been married, and one
still married.  Are forty per cent of single, forty per cent been married
at some stage, and twenty per cent remaining in marriage?"

We stood around thinking this out.

"I think the per centage of married men is probably greater, certainly
among the older age group, but less among the twenty and thirty year olds,"
said Colin.

"Why's that?" asked Kevin.

"There are certainly a lot of married men who are gay, or at least bi, but
with the younger generation they've had more opportunity to find out the
truth of their sexuality before falling into marriage.  That is because
homosexuality, and homosexuals are more in the open than even before.
We've now even had openly gay cabinet ministers.  That would have been
unheard of ten or fifteen years ago.  I know I found the appointment of gay
cabinet ministers very affirming."

"It is just the Church that is the most hostile," muttered Archie.

"We love you, even if they don't," said Kevin.

"It is great for me to stand here, stark naked, and to do what we've done
tonight, knowing that I'm with a group of guys who totally accept me.
Thank you, guys.  I say all that yet again."

There was a lot of more talk.  As if by mutual agreement, the party began
to break up.  Some went for a shower, other just got dressed.  Then we
drifted down to the kitchen.

Tom was the first to go.  I went out with him into the yard.

As we stood by his car, Tom said, "It's good to have you as one of us.  I'm
looking forward to calling on you when Colin sends me into York, as well as
our times here."

"Same for me, Tom."

We hugged each other for several minutes, and kissed.  We waved to each
other as he drove out of the yard.

Kevin was the next to go.

"Got to get some sleep in.  If tomorrow is like today, I'm going to be
busy," said Kevin.  He put his arms round me, and as usual, started
thrusting with his crotch.

"Kev, my love, you're impossible."

"No not impossible.  I just like, and get, a lot of good man sex.  I hope
to call in on you towards the end of the week for a cup of tea."

"Just a cup of tea?"

"Well, perhaps some fun together as well."

We laughed.

He continued.  "Archie has told me that you're thinking of having a proper
walking holiday together in the autumn."

"We have talked about it.  What do you feel about it?  I know you and
Archie are special."

"Phil I'm glad.  For me five miles is plenty, for Archie five miles is just
a stroll.  Anything less than ten is hardly worth doing.  You can give him
that.  Go with my blessing on you both.  I must admit, I'd like to be able
to slip in between you both at night."

I laughed.  "To slip in, and be slipped into, eh?"

"That's the idea."

We kissed.

"See you late in the week," he said.

He got into his car and drove away.

Before I could go back into the house, Archie came out.

"I hope you have enjoyed this evening, and your arse is not too sore."

"All in a good cause.  Yes, I've enjoyed this evening.  I will no longer
feel a bit of a gate crasher."

"Did you feel that?"

"Yes, a bit.  Colin and Tom go back a long way.  You and Kevin are special
together.  I wondered how I'd fit in."

"You fit in with us all. In every way!"

We laughed.

"Maybe what we've done tonight, having a ritual making you a member has its
emotional place, as well as being fun."

"I think you're right.  A sort of rite of passage!"

"You're getting a bit theological in your language!"  We laughed, and after
a pause he continued, "I've told Kevin that we might go on a walking
holiday abroad."

"So I gather.  He told me.  And he seems happy about it."

"I'm still going to have our special fortnight away at the cottage with
him."

"You can take the time off?"

"Yes, as long as I get all the services covered, that's quite a task.  I
can be away for up to three months without asking for episcopal
permission."

"Lucky man."

"They don't pay us enough to take that amount of time off and go away.  So
they keep a tight rein on us.  If we go on a camping trip we'll get
sleeping bags that zip together."

"That sounds a good idea."

We then had a good hug and some kisses.

"I hope our next time together is soon." he said.

"So do I."

He got in his car and drove away.

It was late, and the sun had set some time ago, but there was still some
brightness in the north west sky.  I walked across the farm yard to a gate
that looked out over the fields towards the dying light.  Shep came across
with me, wagging her tail.  I leaned over the gate taking in the sounds and
scents of dusk.  I saw a barn owl fly across, and heard the rustlings of
smaller creatures in the hedgerow.  The world seemed at peace.

I sensed rather than heard Colin join me.  I turned to him, and we both
grinned.

"Enjoy this evening?" he asked.

"Very much.  I fully feel one of you now."

"Good."  He put a strong arm round my shoulders and held me close.

"Archie and I are thinking of going abroad on a walking holiday together."
I wondered for a moment how he would take the news.

"That's great!  For Kevin a walk is just exercising his dogs.  Archie likes
serious walking, like you.  I think that's a great idea."

We moved closer, and I put an arm round his waist.

"Thank you, Colin, for everything."

"For what?"

"For everything since our first conversation when I was out walking, that
first time in your shower, the many times in your bed, and at my place, yes
for the sex, but also for the friendship and introducing me to the others."

"Thank you too, for everything, for being you."

We kissed.  His hands moved down my back and fondled my bum.

"Bed?" he said.

"Yes.  But my arse will have to be out of bounds for at least forty eight
hours I reckon"

"I thought it might me.  I have some ointment that I will put on your arse.
It will hasten the healing, and you won't feel so sore whn you move.  But
thank you too.  Our relationship is more than sex.  I hope you'll always
feel free to come and go here, and to stay as long as you like. Make it
your second home."

"I love it here, especially on an evening like this."

We were silent for several minutes.  We gave each other a kiss, and then,
in the gathering dusk, walked across the farmyard with our arms round each
other.

.......................................

That is the final instalment of Countrymen.  At least for now.  I may
return and add some more.  But I want a break, and write some other things.
If you want to be put on my notification mailing list email me on
jeffyrks@hotmail.com