Date: Wed, 2 May 2018 15:17:55 +0000
From: Al Peres <al.peres@hotmail.com>
Subject: LOOKING FOR AN HEIR PART THREE

			LOOKING FOR AN HEIR
			------------------------------

					PART 3
					=======

CHAPTER 12
----------------
The month of August came as hot and humid as usual. Alex's mom went into
the hospital with many tears for both sides, and Alex promised her he would
be a good boy. They travelled to Connecticut's countryside farm to spend a
whole month hiking, swimming and playing with other children that also were
on holidays around there. They became summer friends but nothing else; they
climbed trees, played cowboys and did what children do in those
circumstances.  However, most of his time was for his foster parents,
painting, helping, and learning about colours and Mother Nature. He had got
a nice tan as they always went to their cold river and lagoon to swim; he
enjoyed being naked when swimming. He thought on Tom but his first thought
every morning was for Margarita. His loved Margarita! He sighed; a whole
month without watching her beautiful eyes; he missed her! He felt ashamed
because she was always in his mind and not his mother.

During that month, Margarita's mother received bad news before they
abandoned their old home; yet she kept them for herself. One referred to
the death of her oldest son in the prison where he was jailed; apparently,
he had committed suicide; but almost certainly his Mafia's old colleagues
had murdered him.

The second news referred to the trial followed against her second son, for
possible rape and murder of a young woman. He had pleaded guilty to prevent
being executed, so he had been condemned to long life imprisonment. She
silently cried but she recognised her sons' criminal lives since they were
boys. Very similar to their father, who died in strange circumstances when
the boys were teenagers. She went to the trial, but the lawyer told her
there were not any hopes. The proofs were so evident that the only way to
keep the man alive was to admit and assume his guiltiness, and he did
it. She had done all she could, and now it was the moment to recognise that
still, she had two daughters to protect; she would not commit the same
mistake as with her younger son.

They moved and occupied their new home, and the Electric Company sent their
man to establish the new contract. The girls were surprised because the
electrician was an 18 y/o technician, just come out from the school, his
name's Andrew Perking. While he was inspecting the installations, he talked
to the girls. Brenda, as usual, flirted with him, but his interest was on
Margarita. When he finished he told their mother:

	"Mrs Lopez, if you have any problem, please don't hesitate to
contact me at any time.  I live just two miles away from here with my
mother." They thanked him. The young man suggested some changes just for
safety. "I'll do them myself; you only need to pay the material."  He said
goodbye and drove off in his Ford pickup."

Alex returned early September and met his mom that seemed recovered. He was
very happy going to school and meeting new boys and girls; however, he
missed a lot his princess and wanted the time to elapse quickly to watch
her beautiful eyes and to kiss her lovely dimples.  Everything went
smoothly during the first week. His foster parents had given him an
emergency telephone number in case he observed anything abnormal on his
mother. He was nervous waiting the days elapsed quickly, since the next
weekend he would stay with his new father, but above all, with his adored
girl. On Monday of that week, he got up early, and when had breakfast
entered in his mother's room; she looked asleep.

	"Mom, it is too late to sleep. You might be late for work." She did
not respond; he shook her trying to wake her up, however, she continued as
she was sleeping; he feared she was not well, so he ran down to the grocery
shop, tears filling his eyes. He marked the phone number advising where he
and his mom were. Ten minutes later an ambulance came and took both to the
hospital. Julia was on guard and had been advised about a heart emergency;
when she saw the boy, she feared the worst. She gave quick orders and faced
the boy that was crying in silence.

	"Alex, son!" She hugged the boy to comfort him. "Stay here in the
waiting room. I'll come back as soon as I can; I have to look after your
mom." A nurse took the boy to a little and a more comfortable room where
there were not adults. His heart was telling him he would not see his
mother alive again, she had passed away. Julia immediately phoned Robert
after providing the first aid to Alex's mother. She was still alive but the
symptoms were clear; it was a question of minutes, maybe an hour. Robert
entered the waiting room and Alex jumped into the man's arms bitterly
crying. He cuddled the boy to his chest and caressed his back. He did not
want to say anything because Julia had transmitted that the boy's mother
was in the last minutes of her life.

	"Alex, son, please remain here, I'm going to see how your mom is
getting on. It is strange that mom Julia has not come back." Just at that
moment, Julia entered.

	"I'm sorry, my son; but... your mom..." Alex exploded in muffled
sobs and she took him into her arms as if he was a baby. She felt the
spasms of the boy's body as he cried. She caressed him with soothing words
that only a mother could do. After some minutes, the boy looked more
calmed.

	"Please dad, mom. Let's go home in New Jersey. I don't want to see
her corpse. I want to remember her as when she was alive."

	"I must stay here. You can go with dad." Julia said.

That was a serious strike for the boy; the funeral took place in their old
church filled with Russian friends; near him were his foster parents and
Mrs Lopez with her daughters. Margarita was crying in silence, not for the
dead woman, but for her boy that was suffering. After she was buried, they
went to his old home, picked up his easel, the sketches, and a little chest
where his mom kept old pictures and their private documents.

	"Let's go home, dad. I don't want anything from here." With this,
Alex broke with his first near eleven years of life, starting a new
term. One month later came his 11th birthday and they celebrated it in the
intimacy of the family, only Margarita, Brenda and their mother assisted to
a lunch.

The New Year 1961 started and soon Julia and Robert filled the emptiness
left by his mother; he felt happy, mostly because he had all the time he
needed with Margarita. They went to the same school and had started new
friends. From time to time, his parents took both to their house in
Connecticut; in those instances, they made love but never reaching the last
point, still, they were children. During the last visit, Julia entered the
boy's large room and opened the large wardrobe that contained her
disappeared son's clothes.

	"Alex, please, tell me if you want to keep anything from this. You
are our son and will be dressed according to your own wishes." He hugged
his mom; he had thought about it many times and she seemed to read in his
mind.

	"What are you going to do with them?"

	"I don't know. Can you think of something?" Then Margarita
intervened.

	"Alex, in your old parish we saw many children poorly dressed, even
some men."

	"That's an excellent idea," Julia said. "Alex in the loft there are
a few large empty cartons, please bring a couple." Happily, they went
upstairs and into the large loft.

	"This is a good place to hide and make things." He took Margarita
in his arms and they kissed. "We'll see later how it works." They
laughed. Julia filled the two cartons and a new one to put shoes and other
garments. The parish's priest thanked the boy and girl for their generosity
and told they had many people in need, especially orphan children and old
persons.

Somewhere in LA, Tom had written two letters. He asked a friend to whom he
was fucking that evening to post them as his. He gave two addresses: his
old home and Alex's home. Twenty days later the boy returned the two
envelopes to his friend, they were marked "Unknown addressee. Return to the
sender." He thought many things but finally discarded any action and
continued with his life.

Alex and Margarita enjoyed their lives together, taking the opportunity
when Alex's parents were at work in the hospital and when the assistant was
off; or Brenda was not at home; they had sex, at least a couple of times
per week, though he was very hot all the time. They grew, and in a strange
coincidence, they matured near at the same time, only with two months
difference.  Margarita was twelve and Alex going to thirteen. She was
really a pretty girl and Alex a tall handsome teenager boy. Their parents
couldn't be happier, watching the development of their children's lives
together. Margarita still was a virgin and eagerly wanted to get rid of her
virginity with the boy that she loved.

The same as two years back, on Saturday 24th of June, Julia and Robert had
invited her and her family to spend the weekend in their countryside house,
where Alex had planned to celebrate Margarita's 12th birthday, yet he did
not mention her anything. Since a couple of months back, her mother was not
feeling well, and the young Brenda had gone with her new best friend for a
trip to Niagara Falls, therefore she felt frustrated when his mother and
sister declined the invitation.

Secretly Alex had prepared the party, inviting many girls, boys and their
parents from the neighbourhood farms that he had met during the two
previous summers, including Sheila and Lucy that were in charge of
everything. Soon Margarita forgot her family as she had her boy with
her. On purpose, Robert and Julia had delayed the time of arrival to the
house; they did in the afternoon rather than in the morning as they used to
do because Monday was a holiday. At their arrival, everything was in
silence; Alex stared at his father in complicity winking one eye.  Alex and
Margarita, hand in hand ran to the house; as they entered, all the sudden,
all lights went on and a choir of boys and girls of all ages started
singing "Happy birthday to you".

Margarita had forgotten about her birthday, so she did not know what to say
as her eyes blurred, she then tenderly hugged and kissed Julia and
Robert. She approached her boy, she would have kissed him in front of
everybody, however, she did on the cheeks as she told him:

	"You devil rascal..." All the boys and girls surrounded her as a
little band of teenager boys started playing music for the
dancing. Margarita was confused since she had not any suitable dress for
the party; then Alex dragged her from the hand, and in seconds they reached
her room. On the bed was the most beautiful light blue velvety dress she
could have imagined.  Astonished she closed the door with her butt and
kissed the boy long and tenderly. "What shall I do with the most beautiful
boy in the world?" Alex smiled slyly and sighed.

	"To get dressed; I'll wait for you downstairs unless you want me to
undress you and..." She pushed him outside. Alex dressed and went to the
large room that Sheila and Lucy had adorned properly. All boys and girls
were already dancing, together with some adults. Julia helped Margarita and
a few minutes later she appeared at the top of stairs. Alex would have
kissed her there. She looked like a real princess!!! Their hearts jumped
inside their young chests... and everything was forgotten.

All spent a lovely time on that warm afternoon. When the sunset was
approaching, the band stopped playing, and adults and children started
leaving after congratulating Margarita. A few minutes later, a large van
arrived with a team to clean and put everything back to normal. Alex and
Margarita changed their shoes but kept their elegant dresses on.

	"Mom, Dad, let's go to the back of the house to watch the sunset."
That was something that Robert and his son made frequently when they were
there; however this time the adults excused themselves arguing:

	"We must look on these people and help them if necessary. You take
care of yourselves." Robert winked his son. Hand in hand they went to a
place a few hundred yards away from the house, where it could be watched a
large a beautiful landscape and far away the high peaks. They sat down on
an old trunk and with their hands entwined they kissed tenderly.

	"I'll never forget this birthday, Alexei." Those were the only
words that they exchanged during that sunset. Their young hearts did not
need anything else; still, they were near children; too early for worries,
only they were thinking in their true and deep worship.

Margarita was under treatment to arrange her menstruation's irregularities,
very common in young girls. They had learnt about those pills that
prevented from any pregnancy. As many moments from the time when they were
10 y/o, that night she went under the covers and cuddled near her king. She
looked at the boy's blue eyes and kissed them.

	"Alexei, I'm twelve and I feel as a woman like you feel as a man. I
can't wait for anymore. Let's consummate our love tonight here, in the same
place we started." Alex loved his girl immensely; he caressed her hair and
kissed her softly.

	"I love you Margarita; are you sure, my little princess? Today when
you descended from your room I thought I was in another world." Alex kissed
her with a gentle kiss. "I don't mind to wait until we are married; my dick
gets flaccid only thinking that I may hurt you." She kissed him again and
took his hard tool in her hand. It was now long and thick, but still devoid
of any hair; only a few silky pubes had started at the base of his cock.

	"I'll take the lead, so you won't hurt me, I'll do myself. I want
this special experience with the most handsome boy in the world; my king."
They needed no more words. He started those preliminaries that she liked so
much, ending sucking those little pointing out hard breasts.  She felt hot
and his boy's cock harder than ever before. He turned their locked bodies
placing the girl on top of him. They were near their first climax of the
night; she then took her boy's long and fat prick and placed it at the gate
of happiness. She pushed hard and felt the sharp pain hitting her. She
retrieved and gritted her teeth. She observed how Alex closed his lovely
blue eyes, a symptom of his imminent orgasm. She bravely pushed harder this
time and the pain was sharp and strong, followed by the most beautiful
sensation they had ever experienced, as her king boy's cock entered into
her to the hilt. The pain disappeared as the greatest rainbow exploded with
millions of colours as she felt the warm discharge of her boy's seed into
her core.  She was not a virgin anymore! She felt terribly happy as she did
it. She laid her head on Alex's left shoulder while they were recovering
from that wonderful and historical orgasm. She felt her boy's hands
caressing her hair and back.

	"I love you, my beautiful husband." Alex kissed tenderly her and
dragged out a tuft of hair stick to her sweated forehead.

	"I had feared this moment, but now I know how much I love you, my
princess. My life wouldn't have any object without you." They kissed
lovingly. They spent that night making love until their young bodies were
exhausted. At dawn, Alex woke her up while he started kissing her face.

	"We better get into each other bed, my princess. It is almost
dawn. I am sure mom would say nothing but I don't want she knows that." For
an answer, she rode him again until their bodies tensed and they travelled
to the far outer space. She then, after a sweet kiss, left her little
husband's room.

Two years later, they were celebrating her 14th birthday; and when the
party was over, and all their friends were gone, together with Brenda; the
two teenagers sat near their parents.  Margarita was radiant, Alex could
not take his blue eyes off her; he was every day more in love with that
precious girl. They had agreed to talk to their parents about their sexual
relationship.  Alex, taking her hand in his, said:

	"Mrs Lopez, Dad, Mom; as you know very well, we love each other
since we were ten.  Probably you have guessed that we had some sexual
relationship together." The boy blushed and the girl grinned to herself
watching the difficult moment her boy-man was going thru. Alex had secretly
told his father what they did, the doctor understood his son, and did not
encourage this action since it implied a serious risk. Mrs Lopez said:

	"I understand you and I guess your parents share my opinion; you
are very young and could have gone into a serious problem. Julia and Robert
nodded, this felt a little bit uncomfortable since he knew it. Alex then
said:

 	"You are right, Mrs Lopez but we have always taken the necessary
measures to prevent... well... you know." Julia interrupted her son.

	"Pregnancy." His mom helped him. "We presumed that Alex. You are
both healthy, young, love each other, and spend much time together. To
think otherwise would be silly. Am I right Brenda?"

	"Of course, you are." Then Margarita went right to the point.

	"Mom, what Alex is trying to say is that we are fed up with hiding
and want to do it in our homes, but with the limitations that you impose
us. That's all." Alex sighed released. A silence followed and then, as
usual, Julia came to the rescue.

	"Well, Brenda, Robert, what do you think about this lovely couple's
proposal? I do agree with them. They have been sincere and honest asking
us; they deserve our support and confidence; I prefer they do it into the
privacy of our homes than not in the cars, as I have seen many boys and
girls of their ages doing it." Then Margarita's mother confirmed.

	"I agree to it whenever you carry out your love manifestations in
privacy and without interfering with the freedom of other persons who might
think otherwise at your ages.  Unfortunately, we are obliged to keep the
rules imposed by the society in which we live.  Robert?" The man knew all
about because his son had trusted him telling the truth since some time
back, and he had guided them. They deeply loved each other; however, he had
to keep forms.

	"Well, I suppose I don't have any other alternative." Alex hugged
his father as he whispered into his ear:

	"I thought you would change your mind." The man punched on his
son's hard belly."

	"You little imp." He murmured.

In spite they had their parents' consent, they did not increase their sex
contacts, however those nights were entirely satisfactory for them, not
needing to change room at dawn because they had the same room for both,
except if some other person was present in their homes; so mostly they did
at Alex's home to prevent her sister Brenda's gossips. The peak of their
happiness came after Alex's 16th birthday; he obtained the driving licence
and his father bought him a second-hand car. At least two weekends in the
month, they drove alone to Connecticut's farm, enjoying not only sex but
also mostly long walks hand in hand thru the meadows and being on the couch
in front of the fireplace looking into the flames together, making
thousands of plans for their future. When the weather permitted, they hiked
to the lagoon; that was their favourite place; they swan and sometimes,
made love on the grass and under the warming sun. Talking about the future,
he would follow his father's career, being a good heart surgeon in order to
prevent what had happened to his real mother. She thought to study art to
help her mom in the gallery that she partially owned because she had noted
her mother did not feel well lately.

Alex told his father about his project, definitely, he would study to
become a heart surgeon.  They were sat in front of the fireplace where the
oil portrait of Margarita had been hanging for the last four years. Julia
hugged their foster son.

	"That is a great specialisation; you fill my heart with pride, my
son." Robert hugged him very tightly. "In the Middle Age, most of the
surgeons started to learn the profession being very young near a master; so
if you agree, we will do something the same. I'll give you some books to
study in your free time; and from time to time, you'll continue to
accompany us to the Hospital, though now with a different aim.

	"That's great, dad! I love you." He would start being a heart
surgeon long before anybody else.

Robert had been promoted to Hospital's Director and Julia as General
Administrator. Those tasks implied more responsibilities but gave them more
free time to be with their sons, because Margarita spent more time there
than in her own home. Alex took any opportunity to visit the hospital,
especially the children ward, sometimes accompanied by Margarita. The
children interned in the hospital were expectant when they knew their
friends would come. Sometimes they cooperate with doctors in case of young
patients that needed to be convinced about operations. The hospital Board
appreciated the work that the teenagers made and thanked them.

Margarita and Alex had planned to marry during the following yearly school
vacation, so she could accompany him to the same university and being
together for the rest of their lives; they could not be separated,
therefore that would be a long year for them, they thought. However, they
were far from the tragedy that had already started in the form of a lung
cancer in Margarita's mother. Her sister Brenda had left as soon as she was
eighteen, as she said: "I want to do what mom did before."

That year Margarita had just turned 17 y/o, and the terrible sickness
consumed not only their energies but also their money and their plans; she
could not desert leaving her mother, as Brenda had done. Alex was the only
one who had succeeded. He had ended high school brilliantly and got ready
to go to the University. The last night that they spent together was of
tears and frenzy lovemaking. Her mother was interned in the hospital, and
Brenda had not shown up. In the moment of Alex's departure, he extracted a
golden St. Patrick's cross with a large red stone on the centre. Alex put
it into her hand. That was the present he had received from his new parents
in his eleventh birthday.

	"Please, my little princess, keep it; perhaps it will protect you."
Then extracted all the money he had saved during the last year, about one
thousand dollars, and gave it to her. She was to reject it, but she knew
her "king" was doing it with all his heart, and not for charity and she
needed it.

	"Alexei you need this money. I can't take it."

	"You can and you may get it. I'll ask my father for more." Then
looking into those eyes he loved so deeply, added: "Margarita, my father
will help you. Mom Julia adores you; please promise me you will ask their
help while I am away if you need it." She did not like to disappoint her
boy in those moments, but she was too proud to ask for help to anybody,
except her Alexei; however, she answered.

	"I'll do, but please, write me, your letters will be my only real
hope and help. I love you, my king." She kissed her boy again for the last
time and closed the door. She fell on the couch and started to cry
bitterly; she could not think but she was alone. Alex was very much in the
same condition; but soon, the company of other students and the hard work,
made his life different. He was a disciplined boy and had promised himself
to study and work firmly. He would comply with the promise he had made to
his adored princess and his parents.

One month elapsed and Margarita received long tender letters every week,
she answered them with passion, tenderness, and some yokes. She had been
experiencing some morning nausea and she thought it probably was due to the
stress caused by her mother's disease; but after two weeks, she alarmed
herself. She had received Alex's sweet letter including a nice photo that
she kissed amorously. In that week, suddenly her sister Brenda showed up
with a fair amount of money.

	"Little sister, now is your turn to rest and enjoy, at least during
some weeks. I'll deal with mom; but as the doctor has said, I think she has
not many opportunities to survive."  Margarita could have answered her
sister differently, but instead she hugged her; after all, she was her
sister and she loved her; besides, Brenda had changed a lot lately; now she
looked more responsible and tender.

	"Thanks, Brenda; I am really tired and probably sick." During a
week, she did not go out and rested, however, morning vomits continued even
stronger, besides she had missed her menstruation for the second time. She
was seriously worried and alarmed, therefore, decided to know the
truth. She took a sample of urine to the chemistry, telling it was from a
friend. She gave a fictional name and a few hours later, she picked the
result up. Without any doubt, she was pregnant. She panicked. What to do?
To tell her sister? No. She probably would make fun of her. She thought to
write or call Alex urgently, but she discarded that option, too; she would
spoil the boy's studies. There was only an open option, to tell Julia; but
she was too proud to ask their help, in spite Alex had told her to request
their help if needed. She was into a whirl of desperation; after all, she
was only seventeen y/o. Tired she fell asleep. The doorbell rang wakening
her up; she opened the door and found Andrew Perking the electrician,
standing up.

	"Sorry Margarita, I have come to check something in the measuring
unit; today is my last working day for this Company, and I want to do the
job properly. Tomorrow I'll leave for San Francisco, a company has hired me
for near the double that I'm getting here now." She forced a smile and
allowed the 25 y/o man into her house. "Margarita you look tired and sick;
remember what I have said you a few times; if I can help you don't even
hesitate asking for my help. I know it is not very honest with me,
especially now that Alex is away, but... but... I love you." The man bent
his head ashamed as he added. "Sorry Margarita, but I did not want to
leave, at least, without telling you." The young man went to leave when
Margarita's brains were working at maximum speed. She took his arm and
stopped him.

	"Please, Andrew; sit down. You are very honest and brave telling me
what you have said; but really, do you love me knowing I belong to another
man?"

	"Yes. You may think it is stupid of me that I pretend to love and
or marry a girl that is in love with someone else, but I suppose love is
like that. I love you since the first time I saw you; you were then just a
little girl."

	"Andrew, I am in a desperate situation; my mother is dying in the
hospital and I have discovered something important that you must keep for
yourself for the rest of your life. Do you promise it?"

	"You can trust me, Margarita." The man eyes beamed only speaking
with the girl that he had secretly adored. She kept silence for a moment,
and then she said staring at him:

	"Andrew, I am expecting a baby from Alex, if you are ready to marry
me, I am ready to marry you; but I want to be honest with you right from
the beginning. In my heart, Alex will be my man for the rest of my life, no
matter what happens to me." He sighed and looked into his adored girl's
black eyes.

	"There is only one problem Margarita; honesty for honesty." He
extracted a document from his pocket as he continued: "If marrying me you
are thinking to have more babies, I'm sorry because I'm sterile." He
extended the paper to her; she, for courtesy, read: "Diagnosis: Sterile."
She stood and hugged the trembling man."

	"Don't worry Andrew; we will manage together. Do you have your
pickup ready? The man smiled openly.

	"I don't know if this is a dream or not, but yes, it is ready and
full of diesel oil. I know a place some miles away from here where we can
get married. Get your things ready and tomorrow before dawn, I'll be here
to pick you up." When he was to leave, Margarita stopped him.

	"Thanks, Andrew Perking, I'll try to be a good wife for you, but my
heart and my life belong to Alex, and I want you to know it right from
now."

	"I know it, Margarita. I know it." He kissed her on the cheeks and
left. He could not be happier. Margarita did not tell anybody; Andrew was a
single man with no relatives, except a few cousins in Chicago. The
following day, at dawn, while Brenda was taking care of their mother, the
pickup converted into a closed van roared to the West, carrying a happy man
and a pregnant young woman.

Two weeks later, Margarita's mother passed away; Brenda was not surprised
that Margarita had deserted. She thought her sister was tired of this
situation having borne the worst part of it; she probably had gone with her
lover. She would have done the same. However, she did not mention anything
to anybody; she said that Margarita was sick depressed and could not assist
to the funeral. Robert called his son telling about the death of Mrs Lopez;
he thought Margarita was with him. Alex then asked his father:

	"How is Margarita? She loved deeply her mom, especially since they
moved to our area. I would like to be there, dad." His father was taken
aback.

	"Isn't she with you, son?"

	"No. I haven't seen her since I left to come here." Alex noted that
something was not right. "Dad, please, is Margarita okay?" Robert did not
know what to say to his son.

	"During the funeral, Brenda told me that Margarita was sick with a
strong depression, but no one had seen her since Brenda came. Therefore, I
thought she was hiding that she was with you." They speculated about the
situation during ten minutes on the telephone; they agreed to wait. Two
more weeks elapsed; the Bank held their house and was labelled "for
sale". Alex's letters were sent back with "unknown addressee." He could not
explain what has happened. He, or his parents, could not go to the police
since they were not the girl's close family. Privately his father made some
inquiries. The detective company in charge said there was not any trace of
the girl, and since she was a minor, must be the Police who should carry
out the investigation, however, Police would work if a close relative
officially demanded it; but they were not.

Christmas holidays arrived and Alex returned home. He hugged his
parents. He had lost weight and seemed older than he really was. They were
sat down in front of the fireplace where Margarita's portrait was hanging.

	"Dad, it is impossible that no one had seen her. She was not an
invisible person."

	"We know it son. The last person who saw her was her own sister
Brenda, and you know what she said." He knew the rest of the information
provided by the detective company.  They had even searched into hospitals,
morgues and police stations. No trace was found. He took the car and went
to the house in Connecticut. He needed to analyse all details and being
alone; however, his father accompanied him. In his heart, he thanked him
deeply; nevertheless, Robert knew his son was going thru difficult
moments. They walked under the cold weather recognising every spot, every
tree, and every corner of the old farm. When they arrived at the little
river, the boy fixed the sight in a lost point and started to cry
uncontrollably. He had not cried since his mother disappeared. Robert
hugged his son as he did years back when his mother died.

	"Don't be ashamed of crying, my son; men should cry from time to
time." They sat down on an old fallen trunk as the sunset started. They
remained there in silence for near half an hour. The young man's sobs
subsided and he took his son to the warm house. After dinner, they sat in
front of the fire and his father caressed his son as when he was a little
boy.

	"Dad, how did you know I wanted you with me here?. I told you and
mom I needed to be alone." The man kept silence for a moment, and then
answered his son with other question.

	"How to happen you haven't done any masterwork since you painted
Margarita?" The young man looked into his father's eyes.

	"Because I put all my love in that paint, and I cannot repeat it;
even if I wanted it."

	"That's the answer, my son. To be a father doesn't mean to conceive
a baby; many men do it every day and abandon them. The day you were sat
behind me in the park, I knew you were my son, more than my real son
was. All my love went to you and a father knows when his son needs him."
They hugged. Alex had grown in all senses, and he was even taller than his
father was.

Alex returned to the University more comforted, however, he could not
forget his love, his adored princess. He started swimming and studying even
harder in order to rub all that out of his mind. The girls in the campus
signalled him as the "lonely clever handsome"; many of them tried to
approach him and Alex always had kind words for everybody, but nothing
else. With the time, as the man that he was, he took many girls to his bed,
but that was only a sex act; never transmitted a single word of love. That
word had disappeared from his mind. He only had kept his affection for his
parents, mostly for his father, the man that had conquered his heart.

CHAPTER 13
-----------------
A few years later Alex became an MD. The experience that he had accumulated
in the hospital with his parents during his free time, along with his hard
work, helped him to become one of the youngest students reaching the
Doctorate with "Cum laude" qualification in that short time. Alex put all
his energies into his profession and, at the time, became a well-known
heart/lungs specialist surgeon, one of the best in the country. Rich people
around the world came to his hospital for treatment, and he had to attend
to meetings and conferences explaining the new techniques that his
hospital, and mostly his team, had developed and applied in that field with
great success. He was open to any suggestion from anyone, no mattering
whether he was black, white, or yellow, as long as he was a human being.

Almost forty years had elapsed since Alex painted Margarita. The US had
gone into two bloody wars. The man had reached the Moon, and a new era of
technology, as computers and cellular telephones had flooded the
world. However, still there were many persons starved; waves of immigrants
came secluded as slaves; and children, mostly sons of immigrants, went to
the different places for hustling. In addition, the most terrible sickness,
AIDS, had appeared to punish the humankind. Alex welcomed the technology
because he could save many persons; and hated the wars because they
destroyed countries and killed people, especially innocent children.

He kept the oil painting in his parents' house and the sketch in his room
in the farmhouse in Connecticut. He had decided to enjoy the life and
dedicate it to his profession. However, during his late forties,
unexpectedly he got married. He found a good and young pretty woman, an
Irish nurse-girl who worked in his hospital and loved little children. For
the first time in many years, he felt good and happy with a woman; he liked
those bright blue eyes, her freckled white skin, and that lovely character
of the Irish people. She was twenty-five years younger than he was. They
married, and three years later, the house was filled with the cries of one
little red-haired boy that filled with happiness that large house. Julia
had died with 85 and his dear father two years later.  Mother Nature gifted
them with a quiet and quick death.

However, Mother Nature still hated him. He had been playing with his son
and arrived just in time to start a serious operation on a boy of ten. He
thought if everything were right, after the transplantation of a new heart
to the child, he would take a few days off. He needed badly some time for
relaxing. After the operation, he was washing his hands when a nurse came
with a cellular telephone to him.

	"Sir, it is a call from Paris, he has been waiting on the phone for
more than fifteen minutes, until you were available."

	"Thank you." He dried his hands and took the device. "Hello there,
who is calling?" He asked. A broken voice that he did not recognize
answered on the other end of the line.

	"Did you find my heir, my little friend?" A storm of thoughts came
into his mind and a bump in his throat prevented his voice comes out,
finally, he could say: i
	"Tom! Tom Lopez-Barrio! Where are you?" The voice broke a little
more.

	"I am dying in St. Mary's hospital in Paris; if you hurry, probably
you will be able to see me alive."

	"My God, Tom! And you call me when you feel are going to pass
away?"

	"It isn't a moment for reproaches, Alex. Please come to Paris, if
you can." He hanged the phone.

While he was driving back home, many questions came into his mind and he
thought almost certainly his friend had the answers; he wanted to know
them. He talked with his wife and she agreed he would travel to France.

	"You owe me one, tall Russian; you must allow me to go to Ireland
to show our son where their ancestors came from, and his mom's family is."

	"Granted." He thought for a moment, spun and kissed his little
Irish, as he called her.  "Now my lovely Irish, please, prepare my suitcase
while I make some calls." The red-haired woman thought for a moment, then
stopped him.

	"I have never flown in that fast plane and the baby is too little
to travel. What's about if we leave him here with his nanny? While you
remain in Paris, I'll continue to Dublin. You then can join me there and
spend these days as a second honeymoon, my hunk." He smiled, he had not
felt so good in many years.

	"Excellent idea my red Irish. Please, get ready everything."

He reserved for the Concorde and a few hours later, they were landing in
Paris. They kissed till tomorrow. His wife would stay around the airport
for another two additional hours to fly with Irish Airlines direct to
Dublin. It was a bright sunny morning. Alex checked in at the hotel, and
after a quick shower took a taxi to St. Mary's Hospital. He identified
himself as Dr Lorton in the hospital and immediately was taken up to Tom's
room. He scarcely could recognize the figure sat in the armchair and
breathing with difficulty, but his large eyes and still his lovely dimples
smiled at him. An old man was accompanying him that left the room as he
entered. He tenderly hugged his friend and could not stop some tears. After
a few minutes of emotions, Alex sat near him and asked Tom.

	"Tom, for God's sake, please, where is she? What happened when your
mother died?  I need to know it. I have been living all this time hoping to
find her, but I couldn't." The sick man opened wide his still bright black
eyes and a grimace of disbelief showed on his face. With breaking voice,
slowly he said:

	"I had the hope that you would tell me." They almost started to
laugh.

	"You rat, have made me fly through the Atlantic, and now you are
telling me you know as much as I do. It's incredible!"

	"You may believe it or not, but that's the truth." He hugged his
friend tenderly.

	"I believe you, Tom." He said sadly. "How could I doubt about you?
You have been the only real friend I have had in my life."

	"And something more, don't you think so?" Both smirked.

	"Yes." Alex paused ordering his thoughts. "Since that day..." Alex
told him his life, especially near Margarita and about those great years
together full of projects, and how he had been waiting for his princess
without getting married until only a few years back. He ended: "It is a
pity that you are going to die; I would have introduced you to my new
family." He said it as if the death was just a joke. His friend grinned and
pressed his hand.

	"Now is my turn. As I promised you, and spite my new father had
made me promise on contrary, several months later I wrote you and my sister
a letter each; they were sent back as "unknown addressee, I insisted a
month later with the same result; now I know why." He continued telling him
his life, his great success in the fashion world business helped by his
father and lover. He ended: "You have not found my heir. Do you remember
that account I opened for you?" Alex smiled.

	"How could I forget, 01-252525."

	"Good memory doctor. There you can find a lovely fortune if you
have not spoiled it with whores." Both laughed as the old man entered and
sat in the corner. Tom added, "My father can tell you about it and the
profits that my company produces every year." He looked tenderly at the man
in the corner. "Please dad, sit between us, now that I have the best of my
family near me, I feel much better." The old man approached a chair and
arranged Tom's breathing tubes. Tom then placed his right hand between the
man's palms and sighed. He then continued. "If she is not dead, she must be
somewhere. Please, Alex, you must find her, she deserves that. I have not
any child and she is my heir. If you cannot find her, make a fund and spend
the money on recovering abandoned lost intelligent boys. Still, there are
many in the streets that need our help." They talked about many other
things and people. When he looked tired, they hugged. "Are you returning
home, Alex?"

	"No. I'll come back tomorrow morning to see you. Then during the
afternoon, I'll fly to Dublin to meet my wife." Tom coughed.

	"Do you still keep those sketches from my sister and me?"

	"She found yours and your letter behind the mirror; she kept it as
the best treasure during those happy years; the best time of our lives,
Tom. The portrait I made to Margarita preside my bedroom in Connecticut. My
father made an oil copy that my foster mother called "Princess in love"; it
hangs on top of the fireplace in New Jersey, my home." Alex noticed Tom's
tiredness and stood up.

	"I'll see you tomorrow, Tom." They hugged and he went out. The old
man, now in his late seventies, took Alex to a small room.

	"Alex, I will never thank you enough for coming; he has recovered
his strength. It has been bad luck. He was not obsessed with sex; he went
from time to time with others, especially here in Paris, but less than we
may think because he always was very busy with his company.  He had
feelings or premonitions that I followed in the financial world; he raised
a large fortune and my bank, too. AIDS was unknown and still, we do not
know who or what infected him.

	"Okay, Mr Corporate. I'll contact you to deal with Tom's wishes."

	"Tom's last Will reflects what he had said to you; so there will
not be any problem.  Besides, he is my legal son and therefore my natural
heir; I adopted him before he entered the school that year." The old man
broke and stopped talking, tears were trickling along his old cheeks; after
a few minutes, he recovered. "Alex, he had been for me the best son I could
imagine, not only a lover. We spent many happy years together. During the
first years, when he became a real man, he demonstrated how we loved each
other. In such a way we have been very happy for a very long time. After
all these long months of suffering, however, he has given up and has
surrendered to his fate." Alex stood because he had agreed with his wife
she would call him about nine, and now it was close to it. He said until
tomorrow and left the hospital.

As soon as Alex left, John dried his eyes and entered his son's room; he
was breathing with difficulty but a new bright was shining in his near-dead
eyes; John thought that was the beginning of the end, yet he was wrong.

	"Dad, please, call Dr Meraux." The man stared at his son not
understanding. "Please, dad." In silence, the man went out; some minutes
later Dr Meraux arrived and sat in the bed near his patient; Tom had
behaved more as a friend than as a patient during those long years he spent
in Paris. Tom looked at his friend; the white dressed man took his hand in
his.

	"Tom, your eyes have a special bright and..."

	"Paul, I have a premonition and I need to live. Please bring me
that new medicine retroviral cocktail, I'll take it just now." The doctor
looked at his friend and patient astonished.  Tom had rejected to take any
medicine during the past few weeks, arguing there was no hope for him. He
was his own real devil since he gave up fighting. Nevertheless, the MD
could guess a possible result.

	"Tom, I'll bring them in seconds, though I must be honest with you,
this could precipitate the tragic final, ending... Tom stopped him.

	"Or the happy beginning." The man watched him with perplexity. He
brought the pills and Tom, with some difficulty, swallowed all of
them. "Please, draw the curtains, put lights off and leave me alone with my
father." When John was sat near his son, he could not but to admire his
boy's bravery. After some minutes of silence, Tom said: "Dad, I just had a
premonition when Alex left." John caressed the sick man forehead and kissed
it; he thought he had started to delirium. "I never told you the dream I
had that day on the plane when we left New York." Stopping for breathing he
told his father everything. "This matches perfectly with my premonition. We
will see our sweet Margarita with Alex again." The man did not want to
argue.  "Please dad, go home, you and I need to rest." The man kissed
tenderly his son again on the forehead and closed the door behind. Dr
Meraux approached him.

	"How's is he." John thought not to answer, but he bent his head in
order the doctor could not observe the blur in his eyes.

	"I think he has started to delirium."

When Alex arrived at the hotel, as soon as the receptionist saw him
entering, lifted the phone and made an internal call; before he took his
key, the Manager came out from his office.

	"Sorry Mr Lorton, you have an urgent call from your Embassy and
another from the US. I think they are looking for you. Please call them."
He handled a small slip with the numbers.

	"I don't know what they want from me. I am on a private trip with
my wife."

	"Sorry sir, is it your wife with you?" He was a little bit annoyed
but he saw that the man was worried.

	"No. We arrived in the Concorde this morning and she was due to fly
to Ireland two hours later. I think you have something in your mind,
Monsieur...

	"Lamer, sir. Mr Lorton, didn't you hear the news? An Irish plane
has crashed as she entered in England. All passengers and the crew have
died. Near two hundred casualties." Alex got white.

	"Please dial that number and pass the call to my room." In seconds,
as he was opening his room's door; the phone rang. They confirmed what he
had started to suspect.

He flew to Ireland, and as when his mother died, he received the
condolences of many people that he had never seen before, except those
close members of his wife's family. Thanks to the ring she wore, he could
identify the corpse. It was not a corpse, but a bundle of ashes. She was
buried near his people and he returned home. His toddler received him with
love. It seemed that Mother Nature was playing with him again. He thought.

CHAPTER 14
----------------
Some years before of the above events, somewhere in the outskirts of San
Francisco, Andrew Perking was sat in a swinging chair in the porch of his
little house, watching his 8 y/o grandson arguing with his grandmother
Margarita. Alexandra, his daughter, a beautiful blonde, came out giving her
hand to her 3 y/o daughter.

	"Come on, Alexis, or we will be late at the church."

	"And what's about grandpa? Why doesn't he come to that stupid
church? Margarita pressed her grandson to her.

	"Alexis, grandpa is sick and cannot walk as we do. You know that,
don't you?

	"Yes granny; but most of my friends don't go and remain playing
soccer in the park."  Slowing the voice Margarita said to the little boy:

	"Next week your mom is travelling to a convention in New York,
while she is away, you can miss the church. I don't like it either." The
little boy grinned in complicity.

	"Thanks, Granny, you are great. I love you."

Alexandra, Margarita's daughter, was a lovely widow of 28 y/o; her husband,
a marine sergeant, had died three years before in one of those stupid wars
created by the politicians. She was not proud of that because she hated
wars. After his death, the Navy provided her with a miserable pension, and
the classical flag folded in three corners. She left her Medicine studies
when she got pregnant, and thanks to her father's pension and the help of
her mother, she continued studying a low level to become a good
nurse. After a few years of hard work, she was now a good nurse in San
Francisco's General Hospital. The Director, a cardiology specialist, had
commissioned her, along with a few others, for a Convention in New York,
where the best doctors of the country would expose the new tendencies and
advanced techniques in that field.

A week later she flew to the East; and after one of the first conferences,
one of her colleagues called her attention.

	"Sandra, I have seen your father here. Didn't you say he was sick?
He is very well and very handsome. You didn't tell us anything regarding
his presence here." She looked sternly her colleague and with some
annoyance answered her.

	"You are mad, Mary. My father is in San Francisco and he isn't a
doctor, but a poor sick electrician pensioner."

	"It seems you are a little bit of a liar, and you don't want us to
know him. We'll see him in the next session, it is his conference. It seems
a very important person." She took her papers and sat in the second row of
seats, only a few metres from the lecturer. She trembled and her heart
started bumping into her chest when she saw the man with the white
robe. Her friend was right; a strange coincidence, she thought, but the
resemblance was evident. When the doctor finished his conference he
encouraged the nurses to make questions. Alexandra raised her hand and made
some questions regarding heart transplants. The two pairs of blue eyes met
when the man said:

	"My daughter, I would like to have enough hearts to transplant,
especially in sick children; on the other hand, we must think that for one
candidate we transplant, a child or a young person has passed away normally
in traumatic circumstances. Whenever I operate, I think in the other
parents. However, you and your colleagues make an incalculably great job,
convincing parents to donate their sons' or daughters' organs to save other
lives. That has no price."

Those words of humanity sank deeply into her. It was not strange that man
was a great surgeon; he was not only an MD, he was probably a father with
children, a real father. She could not stop thinking about his
words. Suddenly her colleague dragged her off from her thoughts.

	"You were a liar; even he called you, daughter." The girl grinned
as she jabbed her friend jokingly.

A middle-aged woman had heard the conversation between the young nurses;
she approached Alexandra.

	"Mrs Camp, it is evident that Doctor Lorton is not your father
because he isn't married...  yet. However, the resemblances are
extraordinary." The woman paused. "Now Mrs Camp, I want to talk you about
business; do you mind to come to my office?" She looked at the kind woman
with some expectation and nodded. She was the headmaster of nurses in that
large hospital. As soon as they were sat down in the woman's office,
Alexandra asked:

	"What kind of business Mrs Louth?" The lady smiled.

	"I have seen your background file and I believe those mean
Californians don't appreciate what they have. If you like, Mrs Camp, I'm
ready to offer you a place in this hospital as Area's supervisor; I must
say it is not an easy job; among other tasks, you would select the best
nurses to help men like Dr Lortonoff and his team in the operation
theatres; and many times yourself." Mrs Louth paused in order Alexandra
could digest her offer and make any question, however, she kept
silence. "We would double your current payments plus incentives.  Please
think about it. We don't hurry, but before three weeks will be a good time
to get your answer." Alexandra did not know what to say. She was
astonished. The woman thought for a moment that the young woman doubted to
accept; perhaps due she considered a low wage, so she added. "After a year,
we may revise your wage up if you fill our expectations." Alexandra was
speechless.

	"Mrs Louth, I wouldn't be honest if I say I'm not interested, I am;
and I'll answer you before that time as soon as I arrive at San Francisco
and speak to my family. It is a large distance and we are not used to this
weather; besides it would imply a drastic change for my family and I have
two kids."

	"I understand. Please, Mrs Camp, treat this as confidential; it
might affect some other persons less capable than you are."

	"You have my word, Mrs Louth. Thank you very much for your
attention. You will hear from me very soon." Alexandra could not be
happier; that meant near three times her current income; plus to be near
great heart specialists participating and helping in surgical operations.
She might even resume her studies in medicine. She decided to come back by
train; she hated airlines and needed to think about her life.

Yet she was young, why not to restart her life? Her marriage had been more
an accident than a real marriage, mostly due to her youth; her husband had
been most of the time absent, and when he came, his only goal was to fuck
her and come back to his wars. That had been the cause she had not divorced
him, his continued absences; they received a small monthly payment that
helped their tight economy; however, now could entirely be different.

Once the conferences were over, she boarded the train and sat on her cabin
in the express to San Francisco, digesting all these thoughts. Unexpectedly
the image of Dr Lorton came to her mind; she examined carefully every
detail about the man; it was true. Se had rejected her colleague's comments
and jokes; however, she had to recognize that the resemblances were
obvious, even his movements. Now she started doubting about her real
identity, not because she resembled that man, but about her own father.

Her father had been a good one for her, he adored her and she loved him
with all her heart; but, what's about her mother? Strangely they never
quarrelled, never had differences or discussions like almost the majority
of couples she knew. Why? That was not normal. Her mother was always prompt
to help him or care about him, but she did not do as she would have done in
case she was in love with a man; he mother behaved as a good friend respect
her father.  Nevertheless, it was clear that her father was in love with
his wife; but sometimes she felt her mother did not pay him back. She had
never watched his mother kissing him on the lips, always on the cheeks. She
would have shouted, "Why don't you love that good man as he loves you?"
Yet, that was their own life and she had not the right to interfere in
their lives.

Sometimes she observed her mother when she was taking care of her
grandchildren, especially about Alexis, her beautiful, intelligent and
stubborn blond son. She loved deeply her grandson boy and the child
responded in the same manner. For him, his Granny was a sacred person. He
never rejected an order from her; all on contrary, he enjoyed doing things
for her. If she asked little Maria, his sister, to do something, he would
immediately say, "I'll do it myself granny; Maria is too little."

Though it had nothing to do, she and her son had strong resemblances and
both were blond, with waving hair, in summer her son's hair was almost
white." Again Dr Lorton's image came to her mind; he had white waiving hair
that surely had been blond in the past.

The train arrived two days later to San Francisco Central
Station. Margarita and her grandchildren waved their hands when they
spotted her on one of the windows. Her father was seriously ill and forced
to retire since some years back when he was contaminated by radiation in a
Nuclear Electric Plant outside Los Angeles, so he could not have come to
receive his daughter. They hugged tenderly, took little Maria in her arms
and hugged her son and mother.

	"I have great news but I won't tell you until we see grandpa. How
is he, mom?"

	"He isn't better, my daughter; it seems the doctor was right and
every day is worse than the previous one. He misses you." She gave little
presents that had bought for them and when she arrived home hugged lovingly
her father.

	"How are you Andrew Perking?" He loved his daughter calling him
like that. He openly smiled and hugged and kissed her tenderly."

	"Only your beautiful eyes fill me with happiness, my daughter."
They sat in the living room's couch and her father in the armchair.

	"Now my dear family, I want to make you a serious question." She
looked around and all were expectant. "I have a good proposition to work in
New York's Great Hospital as a Supervisor. Do you want to move to the
East?" The first answer came from her father, though Margarita felt a pang
in her stomach.

	"Why not? We don't have strong roots in California and changes
always break the monotony. I vote to come back to the polluted City." He
said enthusiastically.

	"Mom, what's about you?" Margarita sighed. She knew what that could
mean for her, yet her daughter and grandchildren ignored what had started
in her heart and in her mind. Most likely Andrew guessed her thoughts, but
he did not say anything.

	"Well, I think your father is right. Why not? We have nothing here
that retain us, except this house; we can sell it and invest in a new one
there; however, New York is more expensive than San Francisco." Immediately
Alexis shouted.

	"I like the idea. I have many friends here, but I suppose I'll find
many others there; besides, I'll go where Granny goes, no doubt." Little
Maria remained in silence; she was asleep.

She confirmed her acceptance to the new job. With the help of the hospital
Administrators, she hired a little house in New Jersey, in a town called
Maxville, with the option to buy it if they liked the area. It was well
connected to her work, and there was a good school for the children in the
town, so they would not need to catch a bus daily. Her mother was magically
happy to come back. However, Alexandra did not mention anything regarding
Dr Lorton. That was not strange in her behaviour, she rarely spoke about
her jobs or the problems she might have if any.  Margarita was also
scrupulous and never interfered or asked anything to her daughter unless
she initiates it. The girl had grown independent as her mother was; only on
rare occasions, they discussed something.

The school was near the end of the term; Alexandra flew and prepared the
house; she liked it. It was larger than the one in California but more
expensive; they would need to sell one to buy the other one, plus to incur
a mortgage. Once the school was over, everybody flew and started a new life
in New Jersey's area, near the great city of New York.

Alexandra liked her job, and she enjoyed working in it; from time to time,
she helped Dr Lorton in the operation theatre, especially in grave
cases. There was something that connected their minds, not needing to
talk. Before he could ask, she always was ready to provide a tool or
instrument; however, at home, Alexandra never talked about her life in the
hospital and its staff, except in general details. Two months later
unexpectedly, she knew Dr Lorton had married. She felt a pang of jealousy
as if something had been stolen from her. She thought should not even think
about it. Apparently, he was a single man and had married a girl more than
25 years younger; a second class Irish nurse, not under her control. She
did not understand why that handsome and tall man had married a girl like
the red-haired Irish. And what had puzzled her more: "Why this eminent and
rich doctor had remained single for so long time? Surely, he had had many
opportunities to marry. Well, it is his life;" she murmured for
herself. She was too immersed in her work and in her problems at home with
her father's sicknesses.

Pablo entered in the main hall of his school in Maxville; this was his
third year from the time his family had moved from New Mexico, and he was
happily starting a new school-year in the fourth grade; he had turned nine
on February. He was strong, had a round face, large and deep black eyes,
and thick black hair to his temples. He was popular in his school because
he was a good soccer player; however, he missed a real best friend. He had
many but none of them to trust.

Suddenly his young heart bumped into his chest when he watched that
beautiful blond boy looking at the board, apparently searching for his name
and class because he was new; he had not seen him the previous years. He
noticed he had rare sparking green eyes. He was beautiful!  He thought. The
boy did not realise that Pablo was peering at him. He heard how the boy
said in Spanish.

	"Shit of school and class!" Pablo smiled as he felt the strong need
to protect that boy and hug him. He could not explain why he was so
attracted to him; he badly wanted to be his friend. So he approached the
boy and said in Spanish:

	"If they hear you speaking liked that they would wash up your mouth
with detergent."  The boy spun and stared directly into his eyes. He liked
that. Pablo then quickly added gently: "Can I help you?"

	"Well... I'm looking for my class. I'm new and when I registered
they told us to look at the list here, but I can't find my name."

	"I guess you are for grade four. I'm Pablo Cortez in the same
grade."

	"Yes, you are right. I'm Alexander Camp, but my friends call me
Alexis." The blond boy extended his hand and Pablo shook it, as he
smiled. "The problem is that up to now I have not any friend here; we have
just come from Los Angeles."

	"Since our surnames start with "C", we are pals in the same
class. If you want, I'll be glad being your first friend." Alexis watched
that lovely and strong boy and felt very happy to have met him.

	"I like to have friends, and better if they speak Spanish. Let's
go, I don't want to be late the first day." Happily, they walked up to
their classroom. That was the beginning of a strong friendship.

After the second year, things at home started to go on the wrong
way. Alexandra's father was very sick; his sickness' gravity increased in
spite her mom's caresses. She had never seen his mother so worried and
dedicated to her husband; night and day Margarita was near him; guessing
his wishes and providing anything he liked. In one of his crisis, she took
him to a specialised clinic and stayed with him, knowing it was not
necessary. Nevertheless, doctors told them there was nothing they could do,
except palliate his pains. The damages caused by the atomic radiation were
irreversible; they recommended he stayed at home and called them only in
case of a crisis.

All this affected in her work; sometimes she noted her lack of
concentration in what she was doing; and in an operation that was critical,
she had to make great efforts to do her job properly and efficiently. She
had not a close friend to whom to speak about her problems, only her
mother, but Margarita had enough work with the housekeeping and taking care
of her sick husband and the children. A few months after Dr Lorton's
marriage, when they were cleaning themselves after an operation, he told
her:

	"Mrs Camp, if you don't mind, I would like to talk to you in my
office; we may have a good coffee instead of the stained water we have
here." She smiled.

	"Yes sir, at any moment. I'm free until we go into the new
operation with that young girl."  She followed him as Mrs Louth watched how
they sat and he prepared coffee, leaving the door ajar. The woman could not
take her eyes off of them. "They look as father and daughter." She thought
for herself. When they were sipping the coffee, the tall man said:

       "Mrs Camp, this afternoon we will have a child's life in our hands
and you know how special I feel when a child's life is before us. I'm
sorry, I can't be indifferent." He paused waiting for the girl's comments.

       "We are as we are, sir; you are like everybody else." He grinned
because that young woman had taken his words from his mind. As usual, she
was ahead of him.

       "Mrs Camp, you are an excellent assistant, as Mrs Louth used to be;
but a better nurse.  I would say one of the best I ever had on my team, if
not the best." She blushed at the man's compliments. "However, lately I
have noticed, let's say... some lack of concentration and that when a life
is amongst our hands worries me more."

       "Yes sir; I have thought the same as you are telling me. If you
think that I must leave my task to someone else I am ready to do
it. Patients are above all our problems." She had to make a great effort to
keep her tears back into her blue eyes."

       "That isn't the solution. I want you near me in the operation
theatre, not someone else. I believe you must have a justification and
would like to know it, just in case I could help you. As you may
understand, I am selfish, I want to help you so you help me." She grinned a
little bit relaxed; she sipped her coffee.

       "I have problems at home, sir. My father is gravely ill due to
nuclear radiation that he received some years ago, while he was working in
a Nuclear Electric Plant." The man placed his hand on top of Alexandra's
hand. She felt as a current of tenderness went thru her entire body and
trembled. She did not move it.

       "Sandra, we are human beings with limited strength; fortunately we
are not robots; I guessed you had something." He retrieved his
hand. "Unfortunately, there is nothing I can do, but please, think we are
supporting you. If you need some free time or anything that depends on us,
please ask for it. I repeat: I want you with me in our task. Sorry I called
you by your strange name." She grinned.

       "Well it is not so strange; it is a nickname that started early in
the school by my friends; a deformation of my real name, Alexandra. We
don't have a similar name in the family, but my parents thought it was
exotic at that moment; they had watched a good movie with that name."

       "It really was. I can remember it referred to the last Tsar's
daughter. For a strange coincidence, my real name is also Alexander;
however, in this instance, it was not a movie, but my grand father's name,
Alexandrovich. He was a Russian that emigrated during Stalin odd times,
like many others." He said this as a pray. She felt how emotions filled
her; she would have liked to continue talking with that man, but work was
work, and she needed to start again."

       "Thank you for calling me, Sandra. I don't mind at all, it is a
deference to me." The man smiled.

The operation was a success and she returned home full of energy; to
complement that day her father felt better and found the children engrossed
doing their school homework, and above all, her mother called her to sit
near her father and the three chatted long. But her mind was about the
events in the hospital. She knew that those light confidences of one of the
best cardiologists of the country were not vain for her. Her heart was
telling that he had not told that to anybody before, even to her own
wife. She had lied him about her name; her mom never told her why she was
named Alexandra, feminine of Alexander; of course, she had never asked; she
always thought that was a pretty name.

Some weeks later, Mrs Louth called her to have coffee at her office. She
was a good woman and she liked her; they had become friends but not to the
point of exchange secrets or confidences since Mrs Louth could be in age as
her mother or even more. In the mid of their coffee, she asked the woman.

	Mrs Louth, may I ask you some questions? They have nothing to do
with our jobs." The woman smiled. "They are more gossips than..." The woman
kindly interrupted her.

	"To start with, I think you should call me Mary, at least, when we
are in private, like now."

	"Thank you Mary; please do it to me as you prefer. I don't have
many friends here... yet.  My job and the situation at home absorb all my
energies, therefore I must thank you for these moments." She paused as the
woman smiled at her, encouraging to continue; and then she asked. "I guess
you know Dr Lorton since a long time." The woman seemed not surprised.

	Yes, for many years. His foster father, Dr Leigh, was the General
Director of this hospital and his mother the economic Administrator, though
she was a great MD. Once, we travelled to Colombia as our Government's
assistants to help in the installation of a new hospital in Bogotá;
there we learnt about good coffee." She paused and Alexandra argued:

	"But his name is Lorton, not Leigh!" She argued.

	"His real surname is Lortonoff or Lortonov, both are correct and
the same Slav origin. Dr Leigh fostered him when he was a little boy. They
were very rich and left his fortune to him, however, he did not change his
surname because, he argued, did not want to take advantage of it in his
career. They loved immensely him and he responded the same way. They were a
very happy family for many years. I knew all this thru his father. Dr Leigh
had lost his own son years before; however, that son never was as Alex was,
as he called him. Alex filled their lives and I never saw parents as proud
of their son as they were. Dr Lorton is very reluctant to speak about his
family and never talks to anyone about his past or private life." She
paused.

       "His father knew him in a park when he was painting; at the time the
boy was nine. Two years later, his mother died and he moved into Dr Leigh's
home as his own son; the boy's mother had clearly expressed her will when
she was near her death. The first time I saw him, he was around fourteen
y/o. He wanted to be an MD and his father could not be happier. He brought
the boy many times to the hospital when the child had free time, especially
to the children ward. Sometimes, we had difficult patients, mostly young
ones, they were scared to death if they were to be operated, and we badly
needed the patient's cooperation. You know very well how important that
might be." She paused while Alexandra was digesting her explanations. She
continued. "We asked Alex to talk to boys or girls and you cannot imagine
the success; he always got his goal." She paused again trying to gather her
thoughts.

       "He always had a special bright in his eyes that transmitted
happiness and confidence; rarely did we see him sad during those early
years. At the time, I thought he might be in love because I was just
married and I observed the same symptoms on my young husband. We had a
young girl patient, a difficult one, and we needed her cooperation. Alex
came and talked to her; however, when he left he was not happy. The
following day was Sunday, he came back, but this time accompanied by a
beautiful girl, probably about thirteen, because she still wore long plaits
to her shoulders. We left them alone, and half an hour later, they
abandoned the room as the happiest couple I had ever seen; she smiled at me
and showed two beautiful dimples on her young cheeks and large black
eyes. She then with a sweet voice said: "You can operate her now if you
want." I never saw her again." Sandra again felt something in her chest as
the image of her own daughter came to her.

       "He continued coming to the hospital. During those years, he even
formed part of the team in the operation theatre, however only to watch and
later to help; that gave him a tremendous advance and experience. After his
first year at the University, he came to the hospital, even more
frequently; nevertheless, the bright on his eyes had vanished. He worked
very hard, unusual for a handsome and young rich boy as he was. He was kind
and polite with everybody, but during many years rarely I saw him
laughing." She paused again and suddenly changed the subject.

	"Do you know that he is an excellent painter and chess player?
Especially doing sketches. Well, the chess is not strange; it seems all
Russians carry it in their blood." She stood, opened a drawer and extracted
a large folder; she took a DIN-A3 sheet and handed it to Sandra. It showed
a couple dressed in the typical MD white robe. "He made it during our stay
in Colombia; the man is my husband." The drawing and her words internally
convulsed Alexandra, especially when she thought about her own son. The
woman noticed the change. "Sandra, do you feel well?"

	"Yes, sometimes I feel like that when I am with the menstruation."
The woman grinned.

	"I'll tell you something. Please don't offend yourself."

	"Why shall I be offended? You are the only friend that I have
here."

	"I have observed you and Dr Lorton, and you have many things in
common; moves, expressions... it is like two twins of different ages, as if
you both had a common ancestor and had come up now many years later, but
that's impossible, you come from California and he was born in the West End
of New York." They finished their coffee and returned to their duties.

There were too many coincidences, but she discarded the idea of her mother
being with another man, let alone wit Dr Lorton. They were approximately of
the same age, and she had learnt that her parents had lived in New York
before coming to San Francisco, where she was born.  However, according to
Mrs Louth, he lived within the high society, while her mother was a poor
girl that married a worker, an electrician. It could have been a rape. No,
she negated herself; that man could not be a criminal of that sort. Mrs
Louth had told her that he had many friends of both sexes, but never a
close friend; except when he was a boy; then he had two, one girl and one
boy, though his father never disclosed the names. She was engulfed in her
thought when she felt her ten y/o son hugging her from behind.

	"Mom, if I get good qualifications, will you buy me an easel and
painting material? You know I am very keen on it and I would like to be a
good painter."

	"Alexis, it is too soon to start painting. You can make
sketches. Then, later on, you have to go to school to know how to mix
colours, etc. It is a hard long work and only a few earn enough money to
live from."

	"Mom, I'll be a good MD, but I like the painting, too. That's all."
He left to get a shelter near his grandmother. She sighed and rubbed the
boy's blond hair.

	"Don't worry, my son. I'll take some bit of money every month from
grandpa's pension and you will have, at least, a block of sheets and
pencils." The boy looked at his adored Granny and kissed her.

	"I love you, Granny." The boy rubbed the woman's face with the back
of his hand. "Do you know something? You have a very smooth skin as little
Maria has." She grinned.

As the boy had presumed, soon he started having new friends in the school,
especially a boy from New Mexico; he was nine months older than he was, but
both were in the same grade since had been born in the same year. The boy
lived three blocks ahead, however, his house was bigger than Alexis'; he
had two elder sisters of 12 and 14 y/o. In California the common language
in the school, out of classes, was Spanish, on contrary than in his new
school, so Alexis and Pablo spoke in this language when they did not want
other boys knew what they were talking about. They were best friends. The
boy had lank black hair to his temples; large and deep black eyes, round
face and a nice turned-up nose that made Alexis laugh when the boy rubbed
it. During the summer, they always were together and went to a nearby
swimming pool.

That summer was warm and Andrew felt better. In the hospital, Alexandra
knew that Dr Lorton's wife had given birth a boy. As usual, he did not
comment anything, but Mrs Louth told her all about. The man was extremely
kind with her, and that increased her affection for that rare tall man;
however, he never asked Alexandra about her family; obviously, he knew she
was married but not that she was a widow. From time to time, he asked about
her father's health, but that was all. Her son 10th birthday was on October
15th, and since her father was a little better, Alexandra and her mother
decided to make a little party, inviting a few boys and girls. Pablo stayed
to sleepover there as his best friend. In spite of the good wage and
pension, they were very short of money. They had spent a lot of their
resources in her father's sickness, plus the mortgage on the new house.

When the boy saw the large block and the wallet containing the pencils, he
hugged his Granny tightly. Margarita's thoughts went back near 40 years
when she posed for her little lover; how proud he was telling her. "The
wallet is a present from Tom." Two tears ran down her still fresh
cheeks. Her inquisitive and intelligent daughter looked tenderly at her
mother; she knew those tears had nothing to do with the boy's hug, but she
did not dare to ask.

The party ended, and boys and girls returned to their homes, except Pablo;
sometime later everybody went to bed. The two boys together went to Alexis'
room. As usual, Alexis got naked and went under the covers; Pablo looked at
his friend, as he got nude; he felt how his pecker got hard; he was now
near eleven and recently had started beating his dick.

	"Alexis, do you mind if I get naked as well?" Alexis stared at his
friend and saw his dick tenting his underwear clothes.

	"It is up to you. I do every night and feels very good, especially
when I get hard like you are now." The Mexican boy flushed being
discovered. He quickly recovered, discarded his underwear and went quickly
under the covers in front of his friend. "You have a large cock Pablo,
let's compare them." Alexis dragged the covers down and they crossed their
dicks; they were the same; Pablo's was a little bit thicker but still
devoid of any signal of puberty.

	"Can I touch you, Alexis?" The boys were excited.

	"Yes, why not? We are not fags, but best friends; aren't we?" Pablo
did not respond; then took Alexis' long cock in his hands, spate on it, and
started slowly masturbating his friend.  Alexis knew about this, but he had
never done it before with other boy or girl. That felt fantastic as he
closed his bright green eyes and Pablo started slowly beating his friend
and himself. After a few minutes, they reached the point of no
return. Alexis stopped breathing and he saw in his mind the prettiest
rainbow and an explosion of colours as he received the impact of his orgasm
for the first time. When they recovered their breathing, Pablo grinned.

	"Did you like it?"

	"Oh yes! It was fantastic. I never felt anything like this."

	"Still, it can be even better and stronger."

	"How do you know it?"

	"I know it; my elder sister's boyfriend, that is now 16 y/o, made
it to me a few months ago."

	"Was he different doing it?"

	"Yes; he put my dick into his mouth and sucked it. I thought I
would faint." Both boys smirked.

	"Was it that good?" Alexis excitedly asked his friend.

	"Yes. I can do it to you as he did to me if you promise you won't
tell anybody."

	"Well, we are best friends and I suppose best friends never
disclose their secrets to anybody." The Mexican boy chuckled; he had his
best and beautiful friend in his hands.

	"Please, place your hands under your head and remain still." Alexis
obeyed. Pablo thought to go farther but he understood the first steps would
be more than enough by now. He lapped and sucked Alexis' nipples and the
blond boy felt as an electric jolt went from his toes to his cock. Then
Pablo continued with his bellybutton and finally took Alexis' dick into his
mouth.  His sister's boyfriend had taught him well and he proceeded
accordingly. Only his lips touched the sensitive boy's dickhead, dragging
back the soft foreskin that covered it. While Alexis was erratically
breathing tossing his lovely head from side to side on the pillow, Pablo
left his dick and started sucking his balls sack. Alexis tensed and Pablo
returned to his dick. He did not need very long as he was masturbating
himself. Alexis then arched his young hips and could not keep his hands
under his head; he placed them on his friend's head, pushing deeper into
his mouth his engorged cock. This time was not only a rainbow but also an
explosion of rockets that sent him to the outer skies for a few seconds as
he groaned in ecstasy. He was breathing hard. When Pablo watched that his
blond friend had recovered, asked him with a broad smile: "Was it good,
Alexis?"

	"Yes, really good; you were right. I thought I would pass out."
Instinctively Pablo kissed tenderly his friend a peck on his
forehead. Alexis was shocked and the Mexican boy blushed.

	"Sorry, Alexis. I do not know why I did it. I just felt I needed to
do it." The boy was scared fearing this could end their friendship; then a
couple of tears appeared in his black eyes.  "Sorry." He said again bending
his head ashamed. Alexis was like his mom and granny, entirely goodness; so
he dragged Pablo's face to him and kissed his cheeks.

	"We are even now." The Mexican understood and felt the happiest boy
of the world.  They hugged and then drifted to sleep.

It was now during the third year of their arrival; Alexandra was in the
hospital even better than she could imagine when she arrived more than two
years before; only the shadow of her origins disturbed her thoughts. She
had been thinking about her mother; she had been tented to take an
opportunity, when they went to the church, to ask her about her past life,
and if Alexander Lorton had anything to do with it. Yet, she rejected the
idea, since she hated to interfere in any other's life, as she detested
anybody interfering in hers; however, she was determined to put an end to
it. She then had the idea.

Recently, it had been installed in the hospital one unit of identification
thru the DNA, of course, that was only used in official cases to help
police and judicial authorities. She knew the Manager of the unit, a strong
and intelligent Mexican, a friend of hers. She had met him several times in
the cafeteria, and he was one of the few persons she had contact with.

	"Manuel, I want you to make me a favour." He showed his white teeth
as she spoke in Spanish.

	"Shot, beautiful Slav; I'll do anything to please you." She smiled.

	"Can I give you four samples so you can determine their connections
thru the DNA?"

	"You know I'm not allowed to do so, especially if names are
involved."

	"I know it. There will not be names whatsoever, only A, B, C, and
D.

	"Okay, bring me the samples. Sometimes we do things like this to
teach in training."  They shook hands and she thought about the way to
obtain the sample from Dr Lorton. Then, one of her nurses met her.

	"Sandra, we are preparing a little feast for the children on the
4th floor, those affected by cancer, and we need white hair to make a
beard. The barber is a friend of yours; please could you get some from
him?" That was the idea! She thought. She went to the barber as he was
ready to sweep the floor and she told what they needed.

	"You are just in time. You can get your white hair; it belongs to
Dr Lorton; I suppose he does not mind someone using his hair to make happy
sick children." He laughed. She took the hair into a plastic bag and
extracted a small portion into another tiny one; she got from a drawer a
label and marked "C" sticking it on the bag. The rest was easy: her father
was "A", her mother "B" and herself "D". She gave the samples to Manuel.

	"It will take some weeks, we have now a load or work and this needs
some quietness to develop the samples."

	"Don't worry Manuel; it is not a question of life or death; you
just call me when they are ready, and I'll come personally to pick them
up."

Life continued; however, Alexandra could not avoid a pang of guiltiness
when she was near Dr Lorton; he had always been kind to her and in such a
way had helped her a lot. She felt in debt with him, however, she was
paying him back intruding into his private life. What would he think of her
if he discovered what she was doing? The man was highly sensitive about his
private life.  She thought on the other way around and trembled, but could
not stop it now. She needed to take those thoughts and worries out of her
mind. She continued being efficient in her job; some nurses that worked
under her command even hated her, but she was the first to undertake the
hard work without any consideration, so the rest had to follow her.

At home, things were worsening; her father's crisis increased in frequency
and that was a bad symptom. She found her mother, as never before, entirely
devoted to her father; she had lost some weight; fortunately, she had
always been a strong woman and rarely needed a doctor.  The only
consolation she had was her children's performance. Alexis was a
responsible little man; his school qualifications were bright, besides, he
looked after his little sister in all moments, and the sweet Maria loved
her brother dearly.

He had made sketches of all members of the family, except her father; and
as per the teacher's report, he was very good at it, "a promising boy" in
the teacher's words. The only concern was that he seemed obsessed with his
friend. Pablo was a good boy, his father an engineer and his mother a
computer specialist. The boy and his sisters were almost all afternoons
alone and free at home while their parents were at work; and that, from her
point of view, was not good; however, she understood that not everybody was
as lucky as she was, having his mother at home helping her and her
children. Near every day, Alexis finished his homework and flew to meet his
friend. Yet, nobody reported any mischief from them; on the contrary,
Pablo's mother loved Alexis, and when the women met, she told Alexandra how
happy she felt about Alexis being Pablo's best friend.

As his mother feared, Alexis was having something extra a few times a
week. The boys had started exploring themselves; then Pablo asked to suck
in a 69 position, and that was really fun.  As soon as they were alone,
they stripped naked and went to his bed. Pablo was more active, as he was
more experienced and liked it a lot. He was more developed into sex than
Alexis was, and enjoyed it, especially when he sucked his friend. One of
those afternoons, unexpectedly Pablo's youngest sister entered and caught
them almost in action. She was well developed for her age. She had pointing
little breasts and missed a boy's cock as her sister had. They got white,
as she looked at the naked boys.

	"Don't worry boys; there is nothing to fear about; our sister is
out and won't come back in a couple hours. If you don't tell anybody I
won't do it myself; however, I want to participate in your plays." They
looked into each other's eyes and smiled naughtily.

	"Okay sister. A deal is a deal. Do you agree, Alexis? The boy
grinned slyly.

	"Yes. But she must get naked as we are." The girl looked at the
handsome boy and grinned back. Both boys got excited and Alexis' cock
immediately got very hard watching how the young girl started undressing.

	"Okay." In seconds, the girl was naked. Alex could not take his
eyes from those wonderful tits. His dick had never been so hard as far as
he could remember, jerking with every heartbeat. The girl then asked:
"Alexis, have you ever kissed a girl?"

	"No. They look silly and don't like it." The Mexican girl laughed.

	"That's because you have not done it properly."

	"Properly? I just kissed one a peck, not on her cheek, but on her
lips, as in the movies, and she said that was nothing exciting." The girl
smirked.

	"She was right. To kiss a girl must be in a lonely place like here,
and not only a peck, you must put your tongue into her mouth. Let's try
it." She watched the young boy's face and saw how his eyes were locked on
her breasts. She smiled. "These are for later use; don't worry." She then
took the lovely boy's face into her hands and slowly pressed her lips
against the boy's red mouth. Alexis squirmed excitedly. She pushed her
tongue into Alexis' mouth; instinctively the boy closed his teeth, but
after a couple of tries, he opened them and allowed the girl's tongue mixed
with his. His body shuddered as a wonderful and warm sensation started in
his groins. He then went into action, as their tongues danced inside. The
girl was as excited as the boy was. She separated for a moment from the boy
and Alexis grinned and said:

	"Rose that was wonderful, I almost got the feeling." She chuckled
satisfied as her brother was beating his cock furiously.

	"You are a fast learner and I'm going to give you the prize. Suck
my breasts, as much as you like, but be careful and don't bite them, they
are very sensitive; just do it with your lips and tongue. Now lay on top of
me." The little boy did as instructed and in seconds, he was sucking her
lovely protruding tits. She then spread her legs and guided the young boy's
cock into her vagina. Alex felt the warmness of her cavity and
instinctively pushed into her soft cave; but his dick was not large enough,
though his cock head pressed against something that he could not go
beyond. Both at the same time squealed as they reached their orgasms. This
time Alexis saw rainbows, rockets, planets and all the beauties of the
world. Exhausted he fell on top of the girl that was breathing hard as she
caressed the boy's blond waving hair. When he recovered his breathing, he
could say:

	"It has been marvellous, nothing to compare with what we have done
so far." Alexis looked into his friend's eyes and saw jealousy and
disappointment in them since he could not participate in his friend's joy.

	"You are very good at it, Alexis. I'm glad you came to fuck
me. Next time it'll be even better. Now boys, get a shower and finish;
Alice will be here in half an hour. The boys went to the bathroom. While
they were soaping he could see some tears in his friend's eyes.

	"Why are you sad, Pablo? We have enjoyed it very much."

	"Yes, we did, but..." Alexis understood his friend; he knew he
expected to be alone and make things together; however, in his mind, he
thanked Rose deeply to have come.

CHAPTER 15
-----------------
The crises of Alexandra's father were very frequent now, and a few times
had to be taken to the hospital for recovery. They were in November and
Alexandra had near forgotten her problems.  Alexis' birthday had come and
he was eleven; he did not make any feast because everybody was sad with his
grandpa's situation, besides, the boy observed their tight economy in his
home. From time to time, Alexis met Rose, even without Pablo's presence; he
then felt guilty but those moments were great! His penis had grown a lot
lately and had broken that magical point in Rose's pussy. That afternoon
was the best he had ever enjoyed. He had to lie his friend, telling he had
not been there. He felt ashamed not telling the truth to his best friend,
but it was so great that it was impossible for him to say no to the girl.

At home, he had noticed they were very short of money; mom and granny did
not make any present to him on his birthday; in fact, it was a sad day for
him because everybody forgot about it, except his Granny. She hugged and
kissed him and furtively gave him one dollar so he could buy something or
spend it with his friends. How could he forget this? He thought.

Two events took place in those days, the probable death of Tom in Paris and
the Irish airliner crash in England. That was front-page news in Europe,
but in the States, maybe in a little corner. It was too far and not in
America, therefore nobody cared. However, Tom had not passed away as
everybody expected; even the doctors could not believe his body's reaction;
but two factors had a strong influence: the new pills, and above all, Tom's
will and determination to live.

During the first week, after Alex's visit, Tom remained in bed next to
unconscious; during the second week his body was clearly fighting against
that terrible virus; the third week brought a strange and hopeful moments:
his pneumonia and fever practically disappeared, and he found himself
talking to his father, though he was very weak. In view of the patient's
improvement, during the following week, he was transferred to room 405,
leaving room 425 that was only for very critical patients. While he was
being moved, his father was eyeing an old magazine of four weeks back with
a report related to the Irish plane crash. It contained the full list of
persons that lost their lives; all of a sudden, his heart near stopped:
Maureen Lortonoff was there, Alex's wife.  That explained why he did not
come back, and Tom had been so grave that no one had thought about it
anymore. He thought to call Alex to express his condolences, but surely he
was very busy after that event; besides, he preferred to say it to his son
before. He thought to postpone until Tom sickness improved.

Four days later, near something similar was happening to Alex. After a
difficult operation, he was alone behind his desk ordering his thoughts. It
has been a very hard month; he did not go back to see Tom, or at least to
ask about him; he was critical and probably had passed away; he felt
ashamed for not, at least, asking about his friend's situation;
nevertheless, he needed some confirmation. He lifted the phone and dialled
Paris hospital number. A young woman answered on the other end of the line.

	"St. Mary's hospital. Can I help you?"

	"Yes, please. Pass me onto room 425." He heard how the operator
punched into a computer before answering him.

	"Sorry sir, room 425 is vacated since three days ago. The patient
passed away and as the records show, his family took him to be
incinerated." Alex did not have the strength to continue. He placed back
the receiver as two tears rolled along his cheeks. He did not know that was
a different patient. In those moments, Alexandra entered and immediately
she guessed something was not right; she thought she was not the only
person with problems.

	"Sorry, sir, I just came... I'll come back later." Alex dried his
tears and motioned her to enter. "Bad news, sir?" She realised immediately
had committed a terrible mistake since that strange and handsome man was
very jealous about his private life. However, Alex forced a smile.

	"Yes, Sandra, very bad news. My best friend passed away three days
ago, and I was not there to hug him and to console his father." He
paused. "We were as brothers, the only real friend that I ever had since we
were children." She did not know what to say but felt as if his sorrows
were hers. She knew he had lost her wife in an air crash, however, when he
returned to work, she did not find him as affected as he was now;
therefore, then she did not express her condolences, but this time it was
different.

	"I'm sorry sir... let me express..." She did not finish. Alex
looked into her eyes and that was enough. She knew he was thanking her
sincerely; they did not need words, as when they were operating. When she
left his office felt a wave of tenderness and affection about that strange
good man. Why this? She asked herself. Immediately her sick father's image
came into her mind and she sighed.

That night she had a strange dream. She was on a beautiful beach of white
sand and lazy palms that near touched the sea crystal water; suddenly, just
a few yards away, she saw a lovely teenager couple that did not notice she
was there; they were very young because the girl still wore long and thick
plaits to her shoulders, probably about thirteen or fourteen y/o. They were
naked and apparently in love as the blond boy took a red flower, placed it
on the girl's hair and they kissed lovingly. They started running and soon
disappeared among the palm trees.  Then a new image came in, even more
shocking. Dr Lorton and her own mother were walking along the white beach
hand in hand nude, and abruptly they stopped walking and hugged
tenderly. Unexpectedly, her children, Maria and Alexis appeared in the
scene, also naked, running to where the adults were; then, little Maria
jumped in Margarita's arms and Alexis did the same in Dr Lorton's waist,
fixing his legs around him. Alexandra shouted calling her children and that
woke her. She was sweating and could watch her daughter placidly sleeping
near her.  She kissed the girl softly.

Christmas passed and in January, Manuel called Alexandra. She seemed as not
interested due to her father's situation, but her heart was racing, though
the man did not notice this. Then her dream, of some weeks back, came into
her mind. They met at the cafeteria and the man gave her an envelope
containing the results of the proofs.

	"Sorry Manuel; I had forgotten all about this play. My father is
gravely sick and I had not much time left."

	"I understand. I hope he gets better; however, a promise is a
promise. Here you are the results. Inside there is a piece of sheet
explaining it with a little diagram."

	"Thank Manuel, I expect to give you back the favour sometime." They
grinned and shook hands.

	"A good coffee will be a good pay when we have time.

She kept the envelope in one drawer of her desk until she finished her
work. Dr Lorton was away with some holidays, so she was more relaxed. She
closed the door, extracted the envelope and opened it with trembling
hands. She had not been so excited in years. She then read:

"Results: Subject "A" is strange to B, C and D. Subjects "B" and "C" are
strange between themselves; however, both have a strong connection with
subject "D". Genes of "B" and "C" are strongly present (first grade) in
"D", but not otherwise."

Alexandra almost passed out and fell into her seat, her arms hanging along
her sides; the paper escaped from her hand to the floor. She recovered,
bent over and picked it from the floor. She was trembling and her heart
bumping into her chest. A storm of thoughts came to her; two tears dribbled
her smooth cheeks. She wiped them with the back of her hand and read again
the paper. Then a muffled scream came out thru her throat. She then
recalled her dream, now it had a real significance.

	"Oh my God! He is my father, my real father!" She started crying as
she thought. "And now, what? I cannot ignore him. I cannot ignore my other
father either. What had happened more than 30 years ago? Had my mother been
raped by a rich boy? No!" She near shouted.  "He is not a criminal; he is
the best man I've ever known out of my father. He couldn't do that; then,
what happened? What does my dream mean? Who was that young girl that helped
him in the hospital and I saw in my dream?" The thoughts were storming into
her mind. She then put the envelope into her pocket, wiped her tears again
and closed the door. She said goodnights to the security guard and left her
office.

Two more months of agony came for the tortured family, and for Alexandra's
father. He was near unconscious most of the time, expecting the inevitable
death. The children got used to that situation, however, Alexis noted the
lack of many things; he did not demand any object, only the necessary for
school; on contrary than his friend, Pablo always had abundant money in his
pocket. They waited for each other every morning to go to the school
together.

	"How do you manage to get so much money? I don't think your father
is so generous with you." The Mexican boy grinned.

	"You could have even more than I have because you are prettier and
besides blonde."  Alexis looked into his friend's eyes. Pablo kept his
sight. "Yes, I am telling you the truth."

	"How could I get money? I don't want to go into criminal
activities, like drugs, etc. I know some boys act as couriers or horses
making the distribution for de capos; I would never do that."

	"Nothing criminal. I'll tell you, but you must promise not to
disclose it to anybody." Alexis nodded. "I am into hustling."

	"Hustling? What do you mean with hustling?"

	"Well, there are many men that like young boys for sex; boy-lovers
or gays. They pay you ten bucks for sucking your cock; fifteen if you suck
them; twenty if you suck them and get their semen into your mouth; and
hundred if they stick their cock into your butt." Alexis made a gesture as
if he was to vomit, and Pablo continued. "You don't need to do that, only
the easiest as I do."

	"But, but that is nasty!" Alexis argued.

	"No so nasty if you know how to choose. You are blond and within
the best age. They'll queue to suck your cock. You must be careful because
the cops are watching; besides, you should only go with persons that look
rich and clean, rejecting others. We can make a try if you want."

	"Do you mean they will suck my dick and will pay for that?"

	"Exactly, even they'll invite you to lunch before going to a hotel
and suck your dick."  Alexis thought for a moment that he would lose
nothing trying. The situation at home was critical and very hard; he felt
the need to help and thought he could.

	"Where are those men?"

	"In the Central Plaza and some other places. The Plaza is the best
for the richest; other places are for coloured boys and Latinos. We can
form a team for the first times, then you can go on your own if you
like. We can start next Saturday morning."

	"Okay, let's give a try and see; but if my mom or my granny knows
this, they will crucify me. Under any circumstance I want them to know it,
especially my granny."

	"Don't worry. They do not go to those places, let alone on Saturday
or Sunday. After all, you want to help them, not just getting money for
yourself." He was right; so the following Saturday they met and took the
sub; they made as if they were watching into window shops. An elegant man
descended from a Mercedes car and walked up to where they were.

	"Are you ready, boys?"

	"Yes, but only suck; my friend wants fifteen for you sucking
him. He won't suck anybody." The man doubted.

	"He is new, isn't he?"

	"Yes.

	"Okay let's go before a cop comes." They entered the car and the
young man rode outside the city to a Motel. It was a large and comfortable
room. The man looked young and above all clean. "Let have lunch first, I
suppose you are hungry."

	"Yes, we had breakfast very early this morning," Pablo said. "While
you order the food, we want to have a bath in private; do you mind?" The
man grinned.

	"Not at all. I like clean boys; that's why I chose you." Then he
added: "If your friend fucks you, I'll pay fifty each; then I'll suck you
both." Alexis chuckled. He had fucked Pablo many times and that would be
really fun with public watching. Alexis then said.

	"I agree if my friend agrees." Pablo nodded with a sly grin. They
went to the bathroom and had a bath. The boys laughed while they were
enjoying the warm water. "You like my dick Pablo, I'll reach the magical
spot and promise you will see the best rainbows." They laughed
again. Wrapped in the large towels they came out. A few minutes later, a
waiter entered pulling a trolley. After lunch, the show started. Alexis
started fucking Pablo from the rear as they had done many times, while the
man watched masturbating himself. They did not fake. Some minutes later,
the young boys reached their orgasms. Pablo screamed in lust and Alexis
fell on top of his friend spent, as the man spurted his load on one of the
towels. Exhausted the three remained quiet on the bed enjoying the bliss of
their orgasms.

	"You are very good at it, boys; I liked it. Next Saturday I'll wait
for you, same time and same place." He extracted six twenty greens and gave
to them. After some relax and jokes the man sucked Alexis and then to Pablo
until they were completed. Still, he asked for some sandwiches, and after
they finished, dressed, and the man asked where he could drop them.  Pablo
suggested a rail station and he did as ordered. Alexis could not be happier
with his sixty dollars.

	"How do you feel now?

	"Wonderful. I'll fuck you right now if you like it."

	"I like it, but it is neither the time nor the place." They laughed
loudly as they took the train that would leave them at home in fifteen
minutes.

When he arrived home his mom was not there, and the little Maria was
playing in a neighbour's house with a friend of hers. Grandpa was
unconscious, he kissed his adored granny, and introducing his hand into his
trousers' back pocket, he extracted fifty-five dollars, keeping the rest
for the next week rail fares.

	"Granny, take this money, you are in need." She looked into her
grandson's bright green eyes.

	"Where did you get such amount of money? It is not easy for a boy
that had just turned eleven."

	"I know this granny, but I have done nothing criminal. Please don't
ask me anything more. Next Saturday I'll bring a similar amount." Margarita
hugged very tight and kissed her grandson; she did not like to force the
boy, though she guessed that was not from a criminal action, she had the
certainty that the boy had done something at least wrong. She felt guilty
of many things, among them not to have enough strength to care closely for
her grandchildren.  Probably with a simple phone call she might solve many
of their problems, but the chains that linked her to the unconscious man
were very heavy. The boy was honest, they badly needed that and more money;
the long sicknesses was taking its toll. Alexis looked into his granny's
eyes and kissed her back.

	"I know it, my son. That's why I love you so much, my child."
Alexis relaxed.

	"Please granny, don't be serious. Please smile a little bit so I
can watch those beautiful dimples you have on your cheeks." The
frustrations about her husband's long sicknesses and the love for her
grandson made her sob while she hugged very hard her child. "Have I... if
you don't want..." She made an effort, wiped her tears and smiled. The boy
smiled back. "You are beautiful, granny." She raised the boy's chin and
kissed the little dimple the boy had there."

	"I love you my Alexis; thank God you are near me, otherwise I would
have never..." She stopped.

She paid urgent debts and the following Saturday, as the boy promised,
brought a similar amount. She did not dare to ask the boy but hugged him
tenderly.

	"I love you, Alexis." The boy hugged his granny and she noted he
was making great efforts to keep his tears away.

	"I love you, too, granny, more than you can imagine." He broke the
hug and ran to his room. He had planned next week would not go with Pablo,
yet he could see the needs everywhere. They were in January; autumn had
been strangely warm, like in California, however winter had started cold as
usual, and his clothes were not appropriated for that season in New
York. He changed his mind, and the following Saturday he went to the Plaza,
Pablo was not there; during the night, the weather had drastically changed
and was very cold; he was freezing. A tall and muscular man came out from a
large "Jaguar" car and approached him; he looked at the boy and Alexis knew
the man was a customer; instinctively he said:

	"Fifteen bucks, no fuck, only suck and no semen in my mouth." The
man grinned at the boy."

	"Okay. Get into the car or you will be ice in ten minutes." And he
was true. Alexis could not control his trembling; he bravely gritted his
teeth to prevent the sound. The man watched the scene thru the rear mirror;
stopped the car for a moment, took a thick woollen blanket from the luggage
compartment and wrapped the boy's body; fastening him up with the safety
belts. The boy looked at the man and his strange green bright eyes
expressed an immense gratitude. The car started smoothly. The vehicle's
heating and the blanket made the miracle; only a few minutes later, Alexis
stopped quivering and went into a nice lumber. The man drove during more
than half an hour into New Jersey. An iron gate opened as he marked a
digital code on the cell commander; placed the car into the large garage,
and through a lateral door accessed the house. Took the sleeping boy in his
strong arms and dropped him with care on the large and comfortable
couch. The boy moved but continued sleeping.

Alex watched the child's features that had called his attention; they had
many resemblances with Tom when they met the last time, before he
disappeared, except the hair and those strange bright green eyes now
closed. If Tom had not said he had not any son, he would have affirmed this
boy could be his child. The temperature inside the house was warm; so the
boy did not need so many clothes around him. With care, Alex unwrapped the
boy and could see some beads of sweat forming on his smooth forehead. He
looked a strong boy that could be eleven or twelve. Alex had nothing to do
and did not want to wake the boy up. Suddenly he smiled. Many years had
elapsed since he was really inspired and painted for the last time. In
front of him still was his childhood easel; it has been restored and
polished and looked as new; it was placed under Margarita's portrait that
presided the large room. He remembered sadly how his Irish wife wanted that
"gadget" as she called it, to be removed and kept in the loft.

He placed a thick block of sheets on the easel; it was ready and he did not
lose a single moment. He started painting the sleeping boy; it was a sudden
inspiration. Two hours later, he had finished the sketch. In fact, it was a
draft that needed some minor corrections, as he did to Margarita. The boy
woke up and rubbed his eyes; he looked around perplexed.

	"I think I slept too much. Where am I?" Alex looked at the boy and
ruffled his blond curly hair.

	"You slept what you needed. You are in my house, in New Jersey."
Alexis was surprised, none of the men before had taken him to his house,
always to hotels. He remembered now where he was when the man picked him up
and why. So he said.

	"I, I think we have to finish some business." He looked at the
strange tall and white- haired man. He had something familiar to him that
he could not trace."

	"Sure, but before that, you need to have a good and warm bath, and
to feed your young body. I guess you are hungry; am I right?" The boy
blushed. That was not a common behaviour amongst the clients; he still
could not guess why that man was acting like that. "But business is what he
needed to think about; his granny needed the money." He thought.

	"Yes sir, you are right." He stood. "Where's the bathroom?"

	"That door." Alex signalled.

	"A deal is a deal. I'll soap you and you will soap me, right? Alex
smiled.

	"Are you serious? You don't need to do that if you don't want it."

	"We have a deal, and I suppose you know the conditions. I like to
pay my debts."

Alex started to like the boy. Some weeks before, he had received the last
report from the detective company; unfortunately, they had not been able to
trace Margarita or any of her descendants; therefore, following Tom's will,
during a few weeks he had started testing boys, however, up to now he had
not found what he was looking for. He brought them, cleaned, fed, and paid
what they had agreed; he never had sex with any of them, even he did not
bath or showered with the boys. He was looking for intelligent boys to
sponsor and to take them out from the streets. He had assumed he could not
find a direct heir to Tom's fortune; therefore he would help as many boys
as he could. He had set up a few traps in the house that an intelligent boy
would be immediately interested in. This boy, however, had started
surprising him; he was not as the previous he had brought.

	"Okay. Let's go to the bathroom." Without any inhibition, Alexis
got naked and the man did the same. Alex could not but to admire the beauty
of that child and the resemblances to his old friend were evident, except
for those strange and beautiful bright green eyes. "Who do first?"  The boy
grinned. The water's warmness had started doing its effects and his dick
was getting hard. Then he said:

	"Please, soap me first, then, I'll do it to you." Alex put some gel
on his hands and started rubbing the boy's silky blond hair and scalp; then
took some soap on a soft sponge, and started cleaning his ears and every
part of him, except for his penis and butt. He looked back to Alex: "My
penis and my butt are also part of me, and I like them clean." Alex smiled
and washed carefully both parts; he retracted the delicate foreskin with
care and washed the head. The boy got hard and moaned." They smiled.

	"Now it is your turn."

	"Please, sit down. You are too tall and I won't be able to do my
job properly if you remain standing." Alexis did the same, but when he
reached the man's package, he did not hesitate; however, it was the first
time he was doing that task to a man. He could observe Alex's penis was
completely flaccid. He admired the hard muscles, his body devoid of any
hair, except on his crotch and armpits. "You have a nice muscled body. Do
you make any sport?"

	"Yes. I swim five hours a week since I was very young; that keeps
me fit and healthy."  They rinsed and Alex tossed a large towel to the boy;
quickly the man went out still drying himself. When Alex returned, he
brought with him a pair of clean and thick underwear for the boy and
sleepers, and for himself. "Please wear these; you cannot go out into this
cold weather with your clothes." The boy looked at the man surprised.

	"They are of my size. How did you know...

	"I didn't know anything; they are mine when I was your age. Now
they are yours; if you like them, of course." The boy grinned approving the
man's resolution. He then took a white robe and placed it on the boy's
shoulders, taking another one for himself. You will be more comfortable
while I prepare lunch." When Alex was walking up to the kitchen, Alexis
said:

	"I can help you if you like. If not, may I have a look around the
living room?"

	"Yes. I prefer it; you can see whatever you like. I'm used to be
alone, except when my toddler son is with me." He entered the kitchen and
could observe how the boy looked on one set of papers on the small
table. He read the text that was composed of questions and answers; a
chessboard ready to start a match; and a few crosswords. They seemed
easy. Finally, he looked at the oil paint over the fireplace; he felt a
strange sensation as if he recognised the good-looking girl of the
portrait, the same sensation as he had felt about the man. Then he saw the
easel, a small one, as for a child of his age, he thought. There was a
block of sheets on it, and an old wallet full of used pencils; it was near
the same as the one his granny bought for him but more completed. The
curiosity innate in each clever boy took him to raise the first page. He
raised his hand to his mouth to keep out an exclamation. Then he heard on
his back.

	"Do you like it?" He spun facing the tall man.

	"It is me... sleeping! Am I like that?" The man grinned.

	"Well, at least, it is as I saw you during more than two
hours. Still, it is not finished."

	"Is that easel for your son?" The boy touched reverently the
object.

	"No. My father gave it to me when I was ten; we have restored it
recently and polished."

	"It is beautiful; my granny has promised me to buy one when we get
in a better situation; currently I only have the sheets and a wallet
similar to that one, but not so full of pencils."

	"Let's have lunch; afterwards we can continue chatting." The boy
was to argue but he watched the food on the trays, his mouth started
watering and his stomach to grumble.

	"Yes, you are right; but I think it is too much for me."

	"You need to grow and have strong muscles." The boy smiled, he felt
very comfortable with this strange man. He thought it was a pity to have to
go, but business required it since his granny needed the money. They ate in
silence, and when finished, took the trays to the large and clean
kitchen. They placed everything into the washing machine, returned to the
large living room and sat down on the couch.

	"I'm very comfortable and I like here, but I think we need to
finish our business.  Probably you must have many things to do and I need
to try to score on something else." The man looked into the boy's beautiful
eyes.

	"If you feel comfortable you don't need to go so early. It is cold
outside and with this rough weather, I don't think business will be
good. How much do you expect to get today?" That was a personal question
and they had agreed not to make any; however, the boy thought that the man
knew about it more than he thought.

	"Maybe forty o fifty bucks."

	"In that case, I'll pay you sixty, and you will remain here with me
until you want to come back." He saw the boy's expression and
added. "However, no sex; I only want your company, as two good friends."
The boy smirked satisfied.

	"I would do gratis if you insist; however, we still have to finish
what we agreed this morning, and I want to fulfil our deal. Either I suck
you or your suck me." Alex thought for a moment, this boy was even further
than he thought.

	"I don't want you to make sex to me. I'm not into boys;
nevertheless, as you say, a deal is a deal, so I'll suck your little
pecker; yet after that, our sex relationship will be finished. Do you
agree?" The boy chuckled, starting to get naked; he liked that tall and
strange man.

	"Yes, I do. Let's go to the bed."

	"The sofa is very comfy and large enough, we don't need the bed."
Alexis lay down on his back on the thick soft couch; he was already
hard. He had not jerked his dick off from a couple of days back. Alex took
off his robe and remained with his underwear on. He caressed the boy curly
hair and slowly started licking the boy's earlobes, then nibbling his
neck. Alexis did not expect that; he only wanted his dick sucked, but he
had started feeling very good. Alex gave him a peck on the forehead and
sucked the boy's parted chin. Then he raised the boy's arms and licked his
armpits. The boy laughed in a mix of pleasure and ticklish sensation. His
dick was jerking with every heartbeat and could see how the head was
peaking thru the foreskin, covered with clear precum. He badly wanted to
beat it while the slow ministration from the man got his breathing
hard. Alex continued and sucked the boy nipples, Alexis felt a jolt as the
man rubbed with the tip of his tongue the sensible tiny nipple; then
scooted a little bit down and his tongue drilled on his buttonhole, while
the boy's breathing was erratically increasing. Half a minute later, Alex
missed the boy's dick and took in his mouth his hairless ball sack. That
was too much for the excited boy. He raised his hips and closed his eyes;
gritted his teeth and his fingers gripped a couch fold as a strong dry
orgasm hit him. He moaned and fell on the couch breathing hard.  While
Alexis was recovering his breathing, he thought that had been wonderful and
was all over.

Alex grinned as he saw the boy's cheeks red as poppies with the excitement
still breathing hard.  When he thought the boy had recovered, he continued
his trip down to the boy's feet. Alexis was excited and astounded, he did
not expect that, but he was feeling in the heaven again. Alex sucked all
toes one by one. Alexis never could imagine that his toes were so erotic,
and his dick again started jerking in anticipation. He could not explain
why the man had not finished yet; of course, he would not stop him because
he had not felt so good since he fucked totally Pablo's sister, and now he
wanted eagerly a new orgasm. Alex continued nibbling the boy's smooth
thighs; impulsively he spread his legs to give a better access to the
man. Alexis was breathing even harder than before, moaning as he approached
his dick. Then Alex tenderly raised the boy's legs to his chest and licked
the space between the ball sack and anus. Then he tried to drill his
butthole with his tongue, but instinctively the boy clenched the
sphincter. Alex missed it and in a quick move, he took Alexis' package into
his mouth; sucking his hard boyhood. In spite he had had a strong orgasm
just some minutes ago, he only needed a few sucks; Alexis bucked his hips,
placed his hands on top of the man's head and groaned in ecstasy as in his
mind exploded rockets and rainbows of all colours and he went into the
outer space. Alex continued sucking him to prolong the boy's pleasure, but
soon he noticed his pecker started getting flaccid. He smiled satisfied.

He would have liked to kiss the boy's forehead, but he only ruffled his
waving blond hair. After some minutes of relaxing, Alexis recovered and
looked into the man's blue eyes. He felt the need to hug him very tight,
but he reluctantly did not. The man was a stranger and did not know what
his reaction would be.

	"Well, I think our deal is completed now," Alex said.

	"Yes more than completed. Thank you." Responded Alexis.

	"Now, if you like, you can get dressed. Sex is over, and since we
are going to be together, what about if we name each other. I hate to call
you boy and you call me sir." Alexis grinned.

	"Well, I'll do first. Do... do you mind if I call you Alex? It is a
common name and I like it. I think it fits you." Alex near jumped, but he
accepted. "Now your turn."

	"Well, I think Tom will fit on you perfectly." That was his real
second name, Alexander Thomas Camp. Given that Tom was a common name,
everybody, including his granny, started calling him only by his first
shortened name of Alexis.

	"Yes, okay, I don't mind." The boy went to the bathroom and
returned immediately after wearing his new shorts white underwear, but kept
near nude with the robe on, as Alex did.  When he came asked. "Alex, what
do you do with those papers? I think I have seen them before, but I can't
remember where.

	"They are partial to test persons' intelligence. Do you want to
try?"

	"I would love it."

	"In that case, let's start. It is very important the time that you
spend." He took a chronometer. "Don't rush, just get the answers
correctly." The boy took the papers and a pencil and started answering the
questions. It seemed made for little children, except some more complicated
questions. He ended and handed the results to the man. Alex put down the
elapsed time. "More than excellent, great!" He thought. "Now make the
crosswords". That took more time for Alexis, but he handed back
successfully the papers. "This confirms the bright intelligence of this
boy." He thought.

	"What do you think, Alex?"

	"Not bad at all; I have to check with the master sheets to get an
accurate result." He already knew it but did not want to give that
importance to the boy. The time had elapsed quickly and he thought the boy
needed to return home. Alexis thought the same.

	"I think I must go home." I don't want to be scolded."

	"Tom, I want your company, nothing else. Please forget about
sex. Would you like to come back next Saturday?" The boy smiled and sighed.

	"I thought you wouldn't ask me. Yes, I like it very much and
gratis. Do you agree, Alex?"

	"Well... leave the economic part to me. Now come with me." They
entered his bedroom; he slid one of the wardrobe door sides and started to
get some clothes. Pants, upper underwear, shirt, pullover, jacket, boots,
and thick woollen socks. "Now wear all this; you are not appropriated
clothed for this cold weather." The boy did not know what to say; he was
amazed.

       "But, but..."

	"No buts; we are friends, you just wear them, you need these
clothes. They were mine, but now are yours." He then went to the other side
of the wardrobe and extracted a thick brown anorak and a wool cap."

	"But what shall I say to my mom?"

	"You have demonstrated to be a clever boy; I know you will find the
right explanation.  The boy looked into the man's eyes and impulsively
without thinking, he hugged the tall man's around the waist.

	"Thank you, Alex, you are a good man." Alex caressed again the boy
silky hair. He started wearing all garments, except the anorak and the
woollen cap."

	"Now, where do you want me to drop you?" The boy thought for a
moment.

	"Is it too far Maxville?" A friend of mine is waiting for me at
6:30 PM to sleepover in his house. We agreed at the rail station."

	"Not very far, half an hour drive, maybe less than that. I'll drop
you there. We have time enough for a cup of coffee and some sandwiches. You
must already be hungry."

	"Yes. I am." He took off the windbreaker and again they sat on the
couch. Alex brought a large tray with cold sandwiches and a jug of hot
chocolate for the boy. He then took some coffee. Alexis looked at the
portrait, he wanted to ask him, but Alex guessing his thoughts told him.

	"We'll talk next time about this and other items."

	"For next Saturday I'll make a bet you playing chess." The boy
said. "If I win, you will answer my questions, if you do, I will be the one
to answer them."

	"Okay, it is a deal." Let's go if you don't want to miss your
friend." He took his overcoat and gloves and entered the frozen
garage. Alex smoothly drove thru the empty roads and twenty minutes later
they arrived at the destination. "Tom, what about if I pick you up here,
right in this point next Saturday around 9:30? I guess you don't live far
away."

	"Okay Alex. 9:30 am. I'll be here same dressed." He would have
kissed that strange and at the same time familiar man. Then he ran to the
station building. Five minutes later, Alex watched the twos boys leaving
the station; strangely, he felt happy. He started the large car's engine
and went back home. Pablo had been waiting for his friend.

	"I didn't recognise you, Alexis. Where did you get those clothes?
Do you know they are first class and very expensive? I don't recommend you
going to school with them; more than one would think you are a rich boy,
and I suppose you know what happens to rich boys in the streets at night."
They laughed and Alexis told him the entire story, except the sex part.

	"I'll meet him next Saturday, so don't wait for me."

	"I have heard some boys in the Plaza talking about a rich man that
takes them, never have sex, feed and pay them and return to origin. Only he
makes questions about simple things; but as far as I know, no one has gone
twice with him." Alexis felt very good and happy because he was the only
one, the first, for that kind and good man. He sighed.

	"Please Pablo; I want you to make me a favour. I'll tell mom, if
she asks me, that you have given me the clothes."

	"But what's about if she thanks or asks my mom? My parents buy me
good clothes, but not as expensive as these ones."

	"I know you would manage." They laughed.

Alexis entered in his house, fortunately, his mother was not there, he
hugged and gave the money to his granny and told her the entire story,
except the sex part, after all, it had been only a blowjob. "But what a
blowjob, my God! The best as far as I can remember." He thought and grinned
for himself. Then he added about the painting and the chess match for the
next week.

	"Granny, believe me, that's all." She hugged and kissed her
grandchild. Her heart was telling her that the final fate was approaching;
the port of her final destination was far away, though she could feel it
now. She did not want to ask more questions to her grandchild. A strange
sensation that she could not identify flowed thru her entire body; she
trembled, as her mouth got dry.

	"Alexis, can you remember how the house is externally?"

	"And internally." The boy answered proudly. "It has a large white
front with two columns supporting a little red roof. The door is white with
a golden-lion handle. Inside there is a large living room with comfortable
armchairs and two couches, one in front of the fireplace. Presiding the
room there is an oil painting over the fireplace; it shows a beautiful
young girl of about nine or ten with an enigmatic smile; she's holding a
red geranium on her lap as those we had in California that you were so
proud of. She has two little dimples as yours, granny; that was the cause I
was so attracted to the portrait." Margarita near jumped on her seat as the
boy described the painting. She heard her husband calling her and the boy
did not notice her excitement and trembling. When they attended the sick
man, Margarita dragged her grandchild to her and kissed him tenderly.

	"Now Alexis; please, don't say a single word of this to
anybody. Don't worry about the clothing if mom asks you; I'll find an
explanation for it. Next week get as much information as you can gather;
for example, his name, or the names of his parents."

	"Granny, we are not allowed to make those types of questions. We
agreed on a name for each other. I chose his name and he did mine. I chose
for him my own name, Alex." The woman looked surprised to the boy, he
paused and then continued. "Granny, do you know?  When I peered at him I
got a strangely familiar sensation as he moves or says something." She
looked at those beautiful green eyes of her grandchild and kissed him
again.

	"And what name did he choose for you?

	"He named me Tom." Too many coincidences, she thought. "More than
thirty years my God; thirty years of endurance! What shall I do now, my
God? What shall I say to our daughter?  What shall I say to him? However,
if he still loves me, surely will forgive everything that I did."  She
trembled again.

End of Part 3