Date: Fri, 21 May 2004 00:22:43 EDT From: RitchChristopher@cs.com Subject: lush-life-2 All rights reserved. Copyright held by the author. If you are underage or are offended by gay fiction, containing graphic sex and explicit language, please exit now. <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><> LUSH LIFE by Ritch Christopher Chapter Two "Clay" * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * "Sing a song of sad young men, glasses full of rye. All the news is bad again, kiss your dreams goodbye. All the sad young men, sitting in the bars, Knowing neon nights, missing all the stars, All the sad young men, drifting through the town, Drinking up the night, trying not to drown. All the sad young men, singing in the cold, Trying to forget that they're growing old. All the sad young men, choking on their youth, Trying to be brave, running from the truth. Autumn turns the leaves to gold, slowly dies the heart. Sad young men are growing old, that's the cruelest part. All the sad young men seek a certain smile, Someone they can hold for a little while. Tired little girl does the best she can, Trying to be gay, for a sad young man. While a grimy moon watches from above, All the sad young men play at making love. Misbegotten moon, shine for sad young men. Let your gentle light guide them home again, All the sad young men..." "The Ballad Of The Sad Young Men" from the Broadway musical, "The Nervous Set" Music by Tommy Wolf, Lyrics by Fran Landesman Copyright 1959. <><><><><><><><><> Clay Lawson had graduated in the upper ten percent of his class at McNair High School in Plantation, Florida, one of the 38 or so municipalities which make up Broward County where Fort Lauderdale is the mainstay. His parents had moved there in the mid-seventies from Charlotte, North Carolina. Elizabeth Lawson, Clay's mother, had fallen in love with Plantation at first glance. Of course, at that time, Plantation was a small community of houses built on either side of the main thoroughfare, Broward Boulevard, which stretched east from downtown Fort Lauderdale as far west as it would go. At the fortieth block westward, the boulevard crossed State Road #7, also called Highway #444, where the city limits of Plantation began. The well-traveled street had only two lanes at the conjunction but there were high piles of dirt and clay on either side with Caterpillars, steamrollers and shovels working daily to make it wider for the tremendous growth Plantation expected to encounter during the next thirty years. Thousands and thousands of homes, hospitals, malls, shopping centers, businesses, parks, and playgrounds would be built on what was once green pastures and swampland. To Elizabeth, Plantation didn't resemble any other city or place in the state of Florida. As a child, all but forced to visit her grandparents in Jacksonville each and every summer, she had hated the heat and the sand. At her grandparent's house, there was no lawn...no green grass, only sticky sand which clung to her sandals and which she and everyone else tracked into her Grandma's living room. Elizabeth had all but hated Florida. Then one year on college Spring Break, she and John, her soon-to-be husband, came to Fort Lauderdale and one night decided to drive west to see the Everglades. As luck would have it (so the couple claimed later), they 'ran out of gas' and woke up in a section which is now known as Plantation. There was NO sand...no sticky salt air...no Florida heat...just trees, bushes, and green grass as far as they could see. The area was composed of tremendously wide ficus trees, extremely tall Australian pine trees which resembled bottle brushes climbing 40, 50, 60 feet in the air. Colorful blossoms of crepe myrtle, red poinciana blossoms, orange and yellow frangipani bushes, orchid plants. Both Elizabeth and John felt they had awakened in Eden. This was the closest place to a paradise either one had ever seen. It was on THAT morning that they decided, when they married and chose to raise a family, it would be HERE in the Garden of Eden. They did just that! They moved to Plantation after John got his law degree and passed his bar exam. John opened his office in the small but growing city, but practiced law at Broward County Court House where he was a defense attorney. During the next three years, he would be elected to the Plantation Town Council. Elizabeth's love for flora and fauna would make her president of the garden club. She got pregnant and had hers and John's only child, a son, Clay. As Clay grew up in the Plantation community, his parents became active politically, choosing to become liberal Democrats. They joined the local Episcopal Church where Clay was christened and later confirmed on his thirteenth birthday. The main present he asked his dad for was a puppy. So John drove his son to the Broward County Animal Shelter and told him he could chose two (and also save them from impending euthanasia). Clay wanted at least a dozen, but finally decided on black Scottish Terrier which he named "Jocko" after the Scottie in "Lady And The Tramp" and a yellow Labrador Retriever who was a dead ringer for "Old Yeller". Clay called him "Fred" and made sure he was inoculated against rabies and not have to suffer the doom of the Disney dog. Clay's mother had bought him a huge aquarium for his room and every Friday, he looked forward to the salt-water-filled clear plastic bag his father brought him on his way home from work. John would stop at a pet store and buy a large assortment of tropical fish, small sea creatures, and an array of tiny plants to add to his son's oceanic menagerie. Clay loved science. He loved the world where he lived. Plantation had loads of mysterious bugs and things that crawled and each of them fascinated him as he grew up. It was common to see Palmetto bugs, lizards, chameleons, snakes, opossums, frogs and toads...even the ones with poisonous bumps on their backs which sometimes caused the death of a pet cat or dog should they put the toads in their mouths. Occasionally, in the morning he might see a fox, a wild hare, or a raccoon in his backyard, trying to get a morning dip in the Lawson swimming pool. The Lawsons were not wealthy, it's just that practically all the older houses in Plantation, no matter how big or small, had various sized swimming pools. That went along with the dress code. All the kids, except when they were at school, wore nothing but swim trunks, shorts and tank tops for the girls. And for shoes? Flip-flops! What else? Thus Clay matured into a very handsome young man. Like most kids in Florida, he had a natural tan. But he also had golden hair, dark eyes, with long velvety lashes, smooth skin with a slight muscular build in spite of the fact Clay had played little or no sports at school. Clay's good looks would turn all the girls' heads with a teen lust and the boys eyes, green with envy. Girlfriends? Boyfriends? Pubescent sex? Nah! Who needed them? Who had time for them? All Clay wanted was to hurry home every day to Jocko and Fred. They had been inseparable all through junior high and high school. They swam in the pool together every day until dinner time, after which, Clay would do his school homework, with a dog at each foot. The three of them would watch a little TV and share a bowl of popcorn, followed by a nightly bath...again, with all three in the tub...Clay, Jocko, and barely enough room for big Fred. When bedtime came, Clay would have a snack...Jocko and Fred had dog biscuits, and the three of them would go to Clay's room and bounce upon Clay's queen size mattress, curl up, and fall asleep together. This was Clay's world and his family and he felt no need for outsiders, friends or buddies. One day when Clay was eight years old, a neighbor had purposely stepped on a Palmetto bug (most people would call them large cockroaches). Seeing the yellow insides spill out of the insects made Clay cry out and rush home in tears to his mother. Clay could not stand for any animal, fish, or insect to be harmed. He loved them all. God put them on earth for a purpose and Clay felt God had placed him on earth to protect them...ALL of them! When Clay was fifteen, his dad bought him a Radio Shack DOS computer with many science programs. Clay focused his attention on biology and human anatomy. His love of animal life was inherited,it would seem, from his mother's love for plants and nature. It didn't take a psychic or a fortune teller to predict Clay was born to become a doctor. His house was located between two hospitals, Plantation General and a smaller HMO clinic. When he was old enough to be permitted, he volunteered at the larger facility to assist in pushing wheelchairs for those patients who wanted to go outside or that were unable to assist themselves going to meals or activities. Before assuming this responsibility, he took Jocko and Fred into the living room and sat the on the couch to explain he was needed for short periods of time to help others. Being satisfied that his two best friends understood, he did his hospital work as often as possible. This task became even more enjoyable when the activity director at the hospital told him that Jocko and Fred could assist with pet therapy. This was better than Clay could dream. By the time he was sixteen, he had become a paid worker, a teen orderly, filling ice buckets, water pitchers, and occasionally emptying a bed pan. He was paid two dollars an hour up to twenty hours and upon receiving his first paycheck, he came home to show his mom and dad, as proud as if he'd won the lottery. Elizabeth had no worry about their son. He was perhaps the best-looking kid at McNair High with a 3.75 GPA. He socialized from time to time with a group of his peers by going to the Plantation Cinema on Saturday afternoon. Spending all his free time with his two pet dogs, Clay didn't get involved with a close buddy or a girlfriend. He showed no sign of depression or being socially ostracized; he was merely happy in his own world. Why should anyone be concerned? He tried out for the senior play and got the lead, memorizing the entire script in four hours. If some social agency were to scrutinize the life of Clay, the report would come back as his being nearly perfect. Drugs, alcohol, sex, wild parties, fast cars...NONE of them caught Clay's interest. But if he felt old Mrs. McIntire, a patient at BGH, needed someone to read her mail to her or a passage from a new book or from the Bible, he would rush on foot or bicycle to be by her side. John and Elizabeth could not have been more proud of their son. In spite of his choice to be socially isolated with his peers, his parents knew that the day would come in the future would he would meet that "right" girl and his life would change, but until that time arrived, let him be happy living the life he chose. John had approached his son when he was beginning the first stage of puberty with the subject of the birds and the bees, but as most father's, John soon learned that Clay was better versed on the topic than he. Although Clay attended mass every Sunday and loved reading Bible verses, especially Psalms, Song of Solomon, and Ecclesiastes, he was not a religious fanatic and yet, he told his dad during their private conversation that he wanted to wait until marriages to attempt sex. Due to the onslaught of AIDS, HIV, Hepatitis C, and other raging STD's, many of Clay's classmates had selected this 'no sex before marriage' idea which relieved Elizabeth and John to no end. 'Masturbation'? That was fine. Clay had indulged in self-pleasure since he was thirteen and even told his dad about it openly. He had studied about its need on one of the anatomical programs on his computer and had approached masturbation as a scientific, medical, AND emotional need for every young guy and it was healthy, causing NO harm to the body nor to the young male psyche. Only Jocko and Fred had seen Clay performing his naked masturbatory ritual, but his parents were aware of it and never mentioned it since it was the natural thing to do. In other words, CLAY'S WORLD WAS PERFECT! There was nothing he or his parents could want more out of life. Then one day his father came home early from work and went to bed earlier than usual because of a "tired" feeling. The following day, John felt almost too weak to go to work. It was if his muscles didn't want to work. He spiked a fever and Elizabeth became very concerned. By midday, John's condition had worsened. She tried to get him to walk to the car so that she could take him to the hospital, but he couldn't stand on his own and she was unable to pick him up. She dialed 911 for an ambulance. Fifteen minutes later, John was on a gurney at PGH with two doctors and three nurses examining him. Clay was on the fourth floor at PGH doing his afternoon rounds when he heard the news that his dad was in the ER. He rushed down the stairs instead of waiting on the elevator to be by his dad's side. His mom was in the waiting room talking to one of the examining physicians. As Clay approached her, he heard the words, 'Hodgkin's Disease'. Clay knew he had read about it on his computer but he couldn't remember anything more except he was sure it was serious. He was only two steps away from Elizabeth when he saw her place her hand over her mouth to muffle her saying, "Oh, my God, NO!". She seemed to crumple to the floor as if to faint. Clay ran to catch her and succeeded before her head reached the cold hard tile. This would be a day Clay would never forget for the rest of his life. Not only was it the first time he'd ever experienced the heartbreak of reality, it was the first tinge of unhappiness and disappointment he'd ever known. Life was NOT perfect. There are bumps and curves in the road. After leaving his mother at his dad's bedside, Clay rushed home to tend to his best friends' supper and go to his computer to read more about his dad's impending doom. 'Hodgkin's Disease'...usually fatal. Fatal? Death? His dad? How much or how little time would they have together? Should he attempt to go to college? It was assumed that he would go to the University of Miami, just a 45 minute drive from his house, but there was the problem of tuition. Would or COULD his family afford it? He remembered hearing a news item on ABC about how the costs of going to college rose higher each year...forty...fifty thousand dollars! Clay had never known the need for money. His dad had always given him anything he wanted gratis. His mom didn't work. He couldn't support her, his dad, and himself on the meager salary he made at PGH. How could he even pay for Jocko's and Fred's upkeep? It had been years since Clay had any reason to cry but with his whole world crumpled by two words, 'Hodgkin's Disease', he sat on the floor and cried. His best friends sensed his sorrow as each began comforting him with huge kisses and licks on both sides of his face. Five days later, John returned home from the hospital looking, pale, weak, and emaciated. His smile that Clay and Elizabeth both loved had vanished and the three of them were filled with fear. John was still young, only 42 years old, and unfortunately for his family, had never bought life insurance. He had alwaysplaced a certain amount of his monthly earnings in a trust fund for Clay's college education but it appeared that that might have to be used for household expenses instead. Clay wanted to put off going to college for at least a year or until his dad... He didn't want to think about that just yet, nor did he want to leave his dad's side. Clay had learned to take care of sick people in the hospital and now he would take care of his dad as long as he could. John wouldn't hear of Clay's decision. His son HAD to go to college and that was final. So, after much discussion, Clay compromised and agreed NOT to go UM, instead he would go to Broward Community College for two years for a fraction of the tuition costs. He would go to school for four hours each morning and spend the rest of the day tending to his dad, whom it appeared grew weaker, his condition worsening, daily. John's favorite pastime was listening to jazz music. He had a huge assortment of vinyl LP's, most of which Clay had never listened to due to his obsession with science and anatomy projects. So every afternoon, John would choose a jazz artist of the day and he became a musical tutor for his son...Basie, Coltrane, Getz, Kenton, including many vocalists such as Ella Fitzgerald, Anita O'Day, June Christy, Chris Connor, and especially a jazz vocal group called, "The Hi-los" which became Clay's favorite. Clay found there was a correlation between science, math, and music. The two of them spent a week listening to the irregular time signatures of Dave Brubeck, putting five beats into one measure or twelve/four and it was great fun to hear Dave play in 4/4 time while his drummer Joe Morello played in 3/4 all at the same time. Jazz opened a new world for Clay which was very important since the world he knew with his dad was drawing to an end. Not many eighteen year old kids could honestly say that their favorite tunes were "Little Girl Blue" and "The Boy Next Door", but Clay could. There WAS a 'boy next door' that Clay knew, had played with, had attended the same schools for twelve years...Scott Parsons. Clay and Scott were next-door neighbors and friends, but not best friends. John had the foresight to know that, when he was gone, Clay would need a best friend to confide in or "pal around" with. So one afternoon, he told Clay to invite Scott over to their house for an afternoon jazz session. Clay objected as he didn't want anyone to usurp the little time he had left with his dad, but at John's insistence, Clay invited Scott to his home. Clay was not even aware that Scott was a musician. He could play piano, trumpet, trombone, and a wee bit of clarinet and alto saxophone. When Scott reluctantly came to visit Clay and John, he was pleasantly surprised for the reason. Scott loved listening to John's music and his commentary. It was during these afternoon musical interludes that he and Clay became close friends. Scott didn't mind doing things for Clay's dad. He became an assistant to Clay in taking care of John's needs. Soon his occasional visits became a daily routine, Scott spent EVERY afternoon at the Lawson residence. His interest in music equaled Clay's in science. Before long, Clay and Scott became best friends. Even Jocko and Fred approved and loved jumping into the swimming pool with their next door neighbor. John said a silent prayer of thanks every day that Clay had found someone, other than Elizabeth and himself, to share his young life with. Both boys were having fun getting to know one another in spite of the tragedy inside the Lawson house. The first night that Scott was invited for a sleepover with Clay, another world opened for Clay. At bedtime, Clay, Jocko, Fred, and Scott piled into Clay's huge bed to watch a VHS tape. John had recommended Judy Garland's "Meet Me In St. Louis" to listen to the Ralph Blane/Hugh Martin musical score, filled with many songs they had learned earlier in the day from jazz recordings. Judy sat on a window sill looking at her next door neighbor, played by Tom Drake, and yearnfully began to sing, "How can I ignore the boy next door?" ending with "I just adore him. So I can't ignore him...the boy next door." The melody and the lyrics somehow created a bond between them two boys, sharing a bed for the first time. It was a magical moment as they turned to look deeply into each other's eyes. As the instrumental arrangement of the song continued Clay and Scott drew their faces closer together and their lips touched...slightly, but very tenderly. Neither of them knew why they did it, nor were they ashamed. It just seemed like the right and natural thing to do. They kissed again with a bit more passion and for the first time in both their lives they felt what it meant to love. No matter how long Clay lived he would never forget that song. It would haunt him the rest of his life. After the second kiss, Clay held Scott's hand for the remainder of the film. Scott gave Clay's hand a special squeeze when Judy sang, "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas" to Margaret O'Brien. Both of them knew that this Christmas would be different. Clay feared his dad might not be with him while Scott felt that he had someone special to spend his next Christmas with. The movie ended and Clay turned off the VCR and the TV by remote control. Then he reached to his bedside table and flipped off the light. The two boys had loved the movie and were still lingering in the reverie of the two kisses. They scrunched down under the covers, leaving only their heads out. Each wondered what the other was thinking. Should they take their fantasy to another level or was it best to leave things as they were for the time being? Both were virgins and had no idea of what to do or how to take things further even if they were both agreeable. The first word spoken was by Clay. "Did you like the movie?" "I loved it!" Scott replied. "especially the music!" "Yeah, the songs sounded different from Dad's jazz recordings. I mean, putting them into context...the way they were used in the story. I don't know why they stopped making Hollywood musicals." "Probably because guys like you and me really aren't aware of them or what they're all about. I always thought it was silly for people to sing instead of speaking dialogue. I...I always liked "The Wizard Of Oz" with Judy Garland, but it was like a kid's movie...the kind you see on Mr. Rogers!" "Did you watch that show when you were a kid?" "Every morning before I started school," Scott said. "Me, too. He did lots of science things...elementary, of course, but I enjoyed them all the same." In the darkness, under the covers, once again, Scott reached out to hold Clay's hand. Clay didn't resist. The touch reminded him of their kiss. "Scott?" "Yeah?" "You...you didn't get mad when we kissed, did you?" "No. I've never kissed anyone before." "Me either." "That's crazy. We're both eighteen...high school graduates. I don't believe that either of us are queer but how the heck could both of us go our whole lives without ever kissing ANYONE?" "It does seem stupid. I just never had the urge to kiss anyone before. A kiss is special, I guess, and I've never felt special about anyone." "Yeah, but you kissed me. Am I special, Clay?" "I suppose you're as special to me as I am to you if I'm the first person you ever kissed, too." "Then it's safe to assume you've never had sex with another person either?" "Nope...just by myself. I told my mom and dad the first time I did it!" "WOW! What did they say? I could never tell my mom and pop about doin' it!" "They approved. They said it was normal and all part of growing up." "Can I ask you something really personal?" "Sure." "When you do it...do you fantasize about anybody? I mean, do you have a Playboy magazine or something to help get you off?" "No, I just try different grips or speed until I reach an orgasm. I never have to fantasize. What about you? Do YOU have adult magazines?" "Heck, no! My mom would wet her panties if she saw a girlie magazine in my room." "Well, do you fantasize or just masturbate until you climax as I do?" "Yeah, I fantasize." "About what?" "You won't get mad?" "Why should I?" "Because...sometimes, I think about you when I'm doin' it." "ME? You're crazy. How do I fit into your fantasy." "Sometimes I see you in your pool, swimming with Fred and Jocko, and I peek through the cracks in the fence that separates our two backyards." "And?" "I wonder how you look without your bathing suit." "You mean naked? You want to see me naked?" "In my imagination, you are." "My God, Scott! My bathing suit is only hiding my penis and my testicles. They're just parts of my anatomy. There's certainly nothing about them to excite anyone." "Well, you asked what I fantasized about and I told you." "Well, for God's sake, if you're that curious, I'll show them to you. I'm going to be a doctor and I guess I'll see lots of penises, testicles, and vaginas in my work. Is that what you want? Do you want to see them?" "I'm not studying to become a doctor. I'm afraid I'd be embarrassed." "That's bullshit!" Clay exclaimed, throwing down the covers and turning on the light in a flash. He stood beside Scott's side of the bed and without flinching he pulled off the top of his pajamas and threw them on the floor. Then, without hesitation, he untied the waistband of the bottoms and let them drop to his feet. Scott was astonished by Clay's brazen attitude. What he longed to see was only two feet from his eyes. "There!" Clay announced. "Look all you want!" Scott became wide-eyed as his face turned red, then pale, then red again. "Are you disappointed?" Clay asked him. "No, not at all...only it's bigger that I ever dreamed." "OK, now let's see yours!" "No way!" "Why not? Suppose some night I want to fantasize about you? I won't have the advantage you have." "I...I can't show you me." "Why not? If you came to see me professionally in a few years, I'd have to see you then." "Yeah, but...but I wouldn't have the erection then that seeing you has given me now." "You have an erection now?" "Yeah, thanks to you!" "Then I DO want to see it. You HAVE to show me now!" "You won't laugh or make fun of me, will you?" "Scott! If you were my patient, I couldn't laugh...so let's see it!" "OK, but you promised." Reluctantly, Scott sat on the side of the bed and slowly took off his pajamas...top first, then the bottoms. He wasn't lying for Scott had a huge raging hard on. It, too, was red with seeming embarrassment. "Good Lord, you've a very healthy looking organ!" Clay announced. "Why were you ashamed to show me?" "Because YOU caused it! Clay, you excite me...sexually! You have for many years. I just never got close enough to you to let you know. Then, tonight, a few minutes ago, we kissed and I hoped against all my daydreams that you might feel something for me." "I suppose I do, otherwise I don't think we'd have kissed." "Would you kiss me again...I mean us being naked and all?" "Sure. Do you want to stand or want me to sit down beside you?" "Uh...sitting is better...because if we stand my...you know... would be touching yours." "Oh, for crying out loud! This is anatomical, NOT emotional." "For you, maybe..." "What's THAT supposed to mean?" "Clay, I think I love you." "How can you be so sure?" "The way you excite me. The way you make me feel when I come over here to your house. The way I feel right now when I want you to take me in your arms and hold me." "Stand up! Please!" Clay ordered. With a great deal of reticence, Scott stood up slowly. His erection was solidly parallel to the floor. Clay moved toward him and their naked bodies touched as he put his arms around Scott and drew him near. Not expecting it, Clay soon had an erection which matched Scott's and they seem to challenge themselves for position like two knights meeting in a joust. Their lips merged and Clay became even more surprised as Scott forced his tongue into Clay's mouth. With an ounce of bravery he didn't know existed in his being, Scott moved his hand to surround both their erections and slowly began to move it to and fro. Clay couldn't believe anything like this could be so sensual. It never occurred to him. Clay lowered HIS hand to cup both sets of testicles which aroused both of them even more. Neither dared to speak. They covered their unspoken words with a series of kisses with their tongues tangling. The two boys were suddenly swapping eighteen years of pent-up emotions. They were beyond being ashamed. With their two free hands, they explored every possible part of the other's body they could reach. Both Clay and Scott realized they had to stop kissing long enough to breathe as they were both gasping for air. Both their chins were covered with the other's saliva. "Oh, God, Clay, how I've dreamt of this. I can't believe it's happening for real!" "Scott, if this has been what you've yearned for, why the heck haven't you said something?" "Our friendship was rather tentative. I never thought we, or rather, I, would get the chance to get this close to you. I didn't want to lose our friendship." "Scott?" "Yeah?" "Are you hiding any more fantasies you'd like to discuss?" "Well.....Maybe one." "What?" "THIS!" Scott exclaimed, sinking to his knees and taking Clay's penis into his mouth in less than a second. "OH, MY GOD!" Clay yelled in delight. "Don't hold back! I'm not stopping you. Just keep doing that!" It took no longer than a minute for Clay to climax in Scott's hungry mouth. Scott raised his eyes for Clay's approval and got it. Clay put one hand in each of Scott's armpits and raised him to eye level and kissed him firmly, tasting his own manliness for the first time. When the kiss broke, Clay whispered, "Scott, I've got to do THAT to you. It's only fair." He dropped to his knees and reciprocated Scott's action completely until Clay had a taste of Scott's love fluid. After the next kiss, the two of them lay on the bed, holding each other tightly through the rest of the night. Neither of them attempted another try at sex but each of them found himself closer to another person than either of them had ever known possible. Had they just had their first gay experience? Were either of them actually gay? Or were they the closest of friends? It didn't matter. John had always told Clay that he would never forget his first time. This was it and he would never forget! Neither would Scott. <><><><><><><><> For the rest of the summer, there were many sleepovers at Clay's house. Their intimacy never went any further than oral sex, nor did either of them ever speak of love. Whatever happened between them was special, but both were aware that autumn was approaching and Scott was leaving to go to the Chicago Conservatory of Music. Scott wanted to be a band director of some large college, perhaps the University of Tennessee and create marching band routines, the kind that used to be seen on TV during halftime at the football games. "Used to" because now the TV was spent with analyzers telling the viewing audience what they had just seen. Talented kids worked their butts off every week, even harder than the football players practiced, but no longer got more than one minute on national television. Clay entered junior college in Broward County, taking as many science courses as possible, satisfying his thirst for knowledge, while trying to avoid the reality of his life. The week after Thanksgiving, John died at PGH. His disease had not been caught in time and he died an early death. The major part of his bank account went for medical expenses, doctors, and hospitals. The little money left went toward an inexpensive funeral, with barely enough afterwards to pay off the mortgage on their house. Having an analytical mind due to his science background, Clay accepted his dad's death in stride. Not that he didn't love his dad or the realization he would miss him, especially those musical interludes, Clay felt that death was a final resolve of nature. He never shed a tear. He assumed the responsibility as man of the house and guardian/caretaker of his mom. Going on nineteen, Clay took a job at PGH on the night shift as a medical coder. He was good with numbers and Lord knows he knew every known disease mentioned on his computer. Before long he knew all the familiar codes from memory and his supervisor said he did an excellent job. Elizabeth found work at a plant nursery and loved playing in the dirt and planting dozens of small pots with flowers and ferns to be sold later. Jocko and Fred stayed home to watch the house and they were good at it, too. Clay took care of the chores around the house and stayed ahead of the repairs and the upkeep. A year after John's death, Elizabeth branched out into landscaping and designing people's lawns in the newer houses. She even had waterfalls, fountains, and fishponds installed to surround her precious greenery. One rather large job she undertook was for a doctor in Weston, a new development just southwest of Plantation. The landscaping took her nearly four months in which time she got to know the doctor, have dinner with him occasionally, eventually falling in love and marrying him. Clay liked Dr. Robert Haskins, his future step-father and was thrilled for his mom when she decided to marry him. What made everything even better was that Robert was wealthy and had made many donations to animal shelters which meant he loved Jocko and Fred and they would be welcome to move to his new house. Robert had graduated from Vanderbilt Medical School in Tennessee and wanted his step-son to follow in his track. So, college and med school were no longer out of reach for Clay. The next year, sadly, he said "so long for a while" to Jocko and Fred, who would be in the best of care, and Clay went to Nashville to become a doctor. Clay hadn't heard from Scott for over a year. They hadn't been lovers but each held a special place in the other's heart. Clay had experienced sex with a very special person and felt that future sex should be special as well. Therefore, he dived into his studies at Vanderbilt, rarely dated, never had a sexual partner. He didn't have time or didn't want to spare or waste the time. There was too much scientific work to be done. He became friends with Tom and Rachel Weiss, two married fellow students. Tom wanted to become a plastic surgeon, while Rachel opted for lab study. She wanted to become a medical scientist and find cures and treatment for looked-over illnesses and diseases. In particular, she wanted to work on a new study on Hodgkin's Disease which made her and Clay become closer friends. God! How he wished HE could find a cure or rather how he wished a cure had been found when his dad was sick with the killer disease. Clay decided that he would do graduate work in that field once he had gotten his doctorate. Years passed and saw Clay graduate with honors. His mom and Robert came up from Florida to congratulate the new doctor in the house. Time had taken its toll on Fred and Jocko and Robert had buried them quietly in part of his garden, unbeknownst to the city fathers of Weston. Robert couldn't stand a house without dogs, so he went to the shelter and adopted six, all at one time. He had even built a large spare room onto the back of his house just for the pups. The night after graduation exercises, Clay took his mom and Robert out to dinner in downtown Nashville. He mentioned to Robert his ambition of pursuing a treatment for Hodgkin's Disease and Robert suggested that Clay go investigate a large new experimental hospital and institute called Cole Institute in a small town called Briarwood. Cole was famous for finding the cure of many strains of AIDS and HIV and they were investigating possible cures for other illnesses as well, including Hodgkin's. Robert knew Dr. Ed Middleton, the administrator, and would happily call him for Clay if he were interested. Clay could also do his residence there and continue his pursuit. Two months later, Dr. Clay Lawson was working in the ER at Cole. Dr. Ed took an instant liking to Clay and invited him to dinner at his house. Clay was dumbstruck when he found out that Dr. Ed's "wife" was a man, a priest, whom everyone called, "Father Cliff". They were a gay couple with two more gays living with them, Troy and Jay. But that wasn't all...there were several "adopted" sons of Ed and Cliff, known as the Briarwood Boys. A PRIEST? AN ADMINISTRATOR? Only Lord knows what else! But they were openly gay and everyone in Briarwood loved and respected them... gay AND straight people alike. Yet, for some reason, Clay couldn't come out to them and admit his homosexual side, even though it had only been with Scott. Clay had finally admitted to himself that when it came time to choose a mate, it would have to be a 'he' not a 'she'. Clay didn't own up to being an active homosexual but he knew he was gay just the same. He still wasn't ready to admit it to anyone...not even to himself in the mirror. Clay got to know several of the Briarwood Boys, including a very handsome couple, Ryan and Kyle. Clay was stunned when he learned that Ryan was a former AIDS patient, but was now suffering from...what else?...Hodgkin's Disease--and it nearly broke Clay's heart to think about it. Clay was very popular among the ER patients and he swore he cured more psychosomatic illnesses than real ones in women patients who wanted to be examined in the nude by this new young handsome physician. Clay took his work seriously, although he laughed to himself occasionally, thinking, "If I were heterosexual, I could have a field day playing with tits and pussies all day long". There were also times when he felt himself getting a slight erection while examining a healthy young stud for a hernia. Many times he realized perhaps he had spent too much time handling a long penis or hefty scrotum. Yes, he got urges, but didn't act upon any of them because he hadn't met that 'special' person. One night when Clay got home to his apartment, he received a call from his old classmates, Tom and Rachel. Tom was doing post-graduate work in plastic surgery in New York City. Tom asked Clay if he could get away for a weekend and come to visit them in the Big Apple, but Clay, declined casually, not wanting to interrupt his own work or studies. After two weeks, Tom called Clay once more with the same invitation, feeling that Clay should see the city. Realizing Clay's potential as a doctor, Tom wanted to tempt him with the Big Apple's delights and possibly give him reason to move to New York to work. Clay had never seen New York and he finally gave in and accepted Tom's offer after discussing the trip with Dr. Ed. That's when Clay learned that there were two more Briarwood Boys on Broadway in the hit revival of "Brigadoon". Cliff would call one of them and get orchestra house seats for Clay and his two guests. Clay flew to New York and it was love at first sight...not with a person, but with the city itself. Nashville was the only large place Clay had ever visited or lived in, but Nashville seemed a wide place in the road compared with New York. The second night of his visit, Clay took Tom and Rachel to the Schubert Theatre to see "Brigadoon" and to meet the star and the conductor, Rob and Tim, friends, or rather "sons", of his boss at Cole. After the show, Tom and Rachel hailed a cab and took Clay to Greenwich Village for a snack, a drink, and to hear this jazz combo with, they understood, a sensational saxophone player. Having spent so much time with Rob and Tim, they were late getting to the Rustic Inn. The band was playing their third and final set. The three of them entered and found a table up front, close to the bandstand. In all the years of loving jazz music as his dad had taught him, Clay had never heard jazz played "live". The three of them took their seats and ordered drinks. Clay sat back in his chair to drink in the room and atmosphere and suddenly his focus was pulled to the saxophonist. There stood the most handsome guy Clay had ever seen. The horn player ran his fingers through his hair to get it off his forehead and Clay saw Dave's eyes. At the same time, Dave's eyes locked into Clay's stare and something "clicked" when they looked at each other. Something mystical, almost. Dave turned around and said something to the piano player and the pianist started playing, "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas" for about sixteen bars before going into "The Trolley Song". This was too ironic for Clay to fathom. He hadn't heard those tunes since the night he and Scott had watched, "Meet Me In St. Louis"...that "special" night. It was a good thing the room was dark or else Tom and Rachel would have seen every hair on Clay's arms and hands standing on end. Then the windows of heaven opened for Clay as the saxophonist began to play, "The Boy Next Door". Clay couldn't believe it It seemed the song was being played for him and to him by this tall, handsome musician. Clay could feel goose bumps popping up over his entire body. Whether the horn player was aware or not, this moment was special to Clay. It was as if he was meant to be there, eyeing this guy, listening to the most beautiful sound Clay had ever heard. Clay didn't believe in destiny. He was a man of science...but something miraculous was happening! Clay was unaware of the passage of time or that the band had concluded its final set. He watched the saxophonist go off stage into a room in the back. He thought that Dave would come back out front for a drink or to mix with the crowd, but he never appeared. Clay wanted desperately to meet this musician only to tell him how much he enjoyed his playing... how much it meant to him. Clay got up from the table and excused himself. He told Tom and Rachel he had some calls to make back to Briarwood and he would meet them at their apartment later. Next he went to the bartender to ask for the name of the saxophonist and was told, "Dave". The bartender also told him that Dave might be at Washington Square, where he went sometimes to unwind after a job. He gave Clay directions to get to the Square. Clay left the Rustic Inn and hurriedly walked to Washington Square where he saw Dave sitting on a bench, smoking a cigarette. He slowly approached Dave, who had just stood as if to leave and, once again, their eyes locked. Each of them felt something mysterious as they gazed at each other. They spoke. They talked for almost ten minutes. Something special was revealed in their conversation. Call it fate! Call it God sent, but each of them knew he had spent his entire lives looking for the other and this was meant to happen! A moment later, they kissed openly in the Square under a streetlamp for the whole world to see. They didn't care...for all they knew and felt, the rest of the world had disappeared. No one else existed, only Clay and Dave, alone together, as Adam and Eve in the garden. After the second kiss, Dave flagged down a taxi and the two of them went to his apartment. <><><><><><><><><><> (To be continued in "Lush Life-3".