Date: Mon, 2 Oct 2023 21:38:40 +0200 From: Marin Giustinian Subject: Tender and Wild, my latest story In the following story, all of the characters are totally fictive and the setting is real. For whomever it would be illegal, immoral or prohibited for any other reason whatsoever to read a story about love between two young men is kindly requested to refrain from continuing. A free picture album illustrating this story (pdf) is available upon request at . Please remember to help Nifty stay online by sending your contributions, using the link https://donate.nifty.org/. This being said, I hope you enjoy the tale. ---------- TENDER AND WILD by Marin Giustinian ---------- Nowadays, Nova Scotia, Canada ---------- Samuel Tremblay, was born and raised in Montreal. His father owned an automobile dealership and his mother taught acting in a theatre school for children and teens. Sam, of course, was her favourite pupil. At the age of fourteen he was cast in a television series on the CBC. He continued his formation in a specialized high school for the arts. After graduation, his mother sent him to Paris to study stage acting. There he was noticed by a French film director and cast in a film where he starred as a young male prostitute on the Riviera. The shooting lasted for five months. The experience upset him; the pressure of the work drained him; the other actors with whom he worked were aggressively superficial and got on his nerves. Once the film was finished, he began wondering if he wanted to continue acting or not. He thought to himself, "After all I'm only twenty-two... I can do lots of other things for a living... I'm not only an actor, I'm a certified sailing skipper as well... As soon as I can, I'm going to invest my money in a boat and sail away for good. I really need to get my head back in shape and take a break from people, not from life..." In spite of his young age, Sam found himself with quite a comfortable bank account from his acting both in Quebec and in France. He knew his mother would be furious, but he also knew his father would open his arms to help him, whatever. Too bad for his mother. His decision was made. "I'm going back home and take it from there." ---------- "Air Canada flight 871 to Montreal is now boarding..." announced the hostess at the gate. Sam joined the flock of other passengers leaving Paris-Charles-de-Gaulle Airport. With a plastic smile, the same hostess scanned Sam's boarding pass. He made his way down the gangway, into the plane. Finally installed in his seat, he buckled up, sighed, and blankly stared out the window at the springtime drizzle. Sam felt sort of numb, crouched by himself in the narrow seat. His was a mixed, weird feeling being finally alone, with nothing in prospect other than to take a break, recharge, and maybe change lives. Musing to himself, he thought, "Am I a coward or am I wise? I'm not unhappy... but I'm not happy either. Was I acting because I wanted to, or because my mother wanted me to? Who really wants what?" Sam paid no attention to the little safety demonstration performed like robots by the cabin crew in the aisle. The roar of the motors and the acceleration brought him back to nowness. He loved the sensations of takeoff. He enjoyed being pushed into the back of the seat, the vibrations, then the clunk of the wheels being pulled back into the plane's belly. He looked at France slowly slide away beneath him. He had nothing to read, no gadget to play with. Being disconnected from the world like that dazed him, gave him a vague impression of nothingness as he left one reality and wasn't yet in another. As the hostess poured his cup of coffee Sam thought to himself, "Smells like mother's coffee. It's not French coffee... but after all, this is a Canadian plane, with Canadian coffee, weak and insipid like the coffee back home... Home?... What's Home?..." The eventless hours in the sky slipped by. The meal wasn't bad. He stood in line to pee. Looking at the sea slowly slipping by, way down below, Sam began to realize that his real passion, more than acting, or fucking, or partying with mates, was sailing the sea in a chilly wind, riding the waves with a silent companion, enjoying together the same wonders. He remembered his teenage summers in Halifax with Bryan. Sam's father had a good friend in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Bill Sinclair. Bill ran a Jaguar dealership in Halifax like his own father, Michel, did in Montreal. The Sinclairs had two sons: Bryan who was a year older than Sam and little Jay, six years younger than Sam. In the summer of his growing up years, when he wasn't on stage or on set working, Sam's father sent him to the Sinclairs to improve his English, sail, and even, attend courses in navigation, boat maintenance, etc. By the age of seventeen, with Bryan, he had obtained his Royal Yachting Association coastal skipper certification. A year later, their paths split. Bryan went off to a university in Toronto. Sam was busy acting and studying in Montreal at the same time. Sam felt a bit guilty to not have kept in touch with Bryan as much as he should have. He promised himself to go see him as soon as he could. Musing to himself, Sam reminisced, "Ah... dear Bryan and the ocean... as the old poem goes, 'those were the days'. We were so carefree and happy. Sam felt really down. The intercom aboard announced their imminent landing... ---------- Sam's father, Michel, was there to greet him at the International Airport Montreal-Trudeau. His mother was busy with her drama classes as always. Michel's first comment after hugging his boy was, "Comme tu as l'air rendu, mon beau!" (You look really exhausted, my handsome lad!" "Je le suis, Papa! Je le suis!" (That I am, Dad! That I'm!) In the car driving to their home, Sam asked about everybody, especially the Sinclairs. (Translated from the French) "Didn't you know? Last February my old friend, Bill Sinclair, died of a heart attack at the wheel driving. The car hit the ditch and flipped over. His younger son, Jay, was with him. Jay was wounded but above all psychologically blasted. Your buddy Bryan's now living in Chester, Nova Scotia. I thought you and Bryan kept in touch." "We sort of lost contact, him studying business in Toronto and me working full time... I feel bad about that..." "I understand... Now I want you to rest up and give your nerves some time off!" "Will do, Dad!" murmured Sam, laying his head on his father's shoulder, feeling a sudden surge of total abandon. It felt good. ---------- Several days of rest later, Sam called the Sinclair's house. Kelly, Bryan's mother answered. "It's Sam Tremblay calling from Montreal." "Oh Sam! How great to hear your voice. So you're back from Europe..." "Yes, I arrived a few days ago. I waited to get over jet lag and readjust to home before calling. Mom wasn't happy to see me off the job, but I needed the rest! Dad told me that Bill passed away. Please accept all my sympathy to you and Bryan. How is Jay?" "He's recovering... slowly, but he's recovering... Bryan's now working at the Scotiabank. He lives in Chester. He still has the same phone." "I lost mine with his number in it..." "Do you have something to jot it down with?" "Yes" "He's going to be so thrilled to speak with you, Sam. He's missed you a lot..." "I didn't realize how much I missed him until I was in the plane... I was so busy with the work... I feel really bad that..." "Don't feel bad, Sam. That's a part of growing up. You were in another world, another dimension from ours... Here's his cell number... If he's working, leave a message. Do you think you can come over to see us soon?" "I'm sure I can... I don't know when, but I'm coming, Kerry. Tell me, how are YOU doing?" "I'm okay." "That all?" "For the time being, yes. Of course I miss Bill, but life goes on." "So you say that Bryan's got a good job in a BANK! That's hard to imagine!" "Yes, he's with Scotiabank. Also he and his girlfriend Mandy are planning on getting married. As for Jay, I'm still worried about him. I keep praying that he'll find his merry self again... He was terribly shocked, but... whatever! Now call Bryan. He'll be so happy!" "Thank you, Kerry. Love you. Bye" "Love you too, Sam... Bye-bye." Sam was a bit nervous. He saw it was 4:30 PM in Montreal... "So it's 5:30 for Bryan. I guess he's off work." mumbled Sam to himself. He punched in Bryan's number. The phone rang twice, then Bryan's voice, "Hello, Bryan Sinclair speaking." "It's me, Sam, Sam Tremblay in Montreal." "SAM! Oh my God! HOW ARE YOU?" "I'm fine and you?" "I AM SO GLAD TO HEAR YOU, Sam! You're back from France... What's going on?" Sam explained that he'd decided to take a break from acting and come home for a while. He apologized for not having called or written but pleaded that he was so busy all the time these past summers. "I missed you a lot. My father told me about your father. I've just spoken with your mother. I had to talk with you, Bryan..." "Yes, Dad died four months ago. He had a massive heart attack while driving. Jay was in the car. They left the road and landed upside down in a ditch. Thank God the ditch was dry. Jay had a sprained shoulder, bruises everywhere, and was in a state of total shock, but was able to get out of the wreck before it began to burn. He passed out on the roadside. He was in the hospital for little over three weeks. He wasn't able to go to the funeral..." "How is he now?" interrupted Sam. "He shut himself up in the house with mother. He decided to drop out of school now that he's sixteen. Maybe it's best for him. He was never an ace in class. The kid's too brilliant and a complete misfit for school discipline. I see him as often as I can, but I'm now working at the Scotiabank an hour's drive away and I can only get up there to see him and Mom on weekends." "Can't he come see you?" "I live with my girlfriend, and future wife, Mandy in a small loft apartment on Mill Cove, near the boatworks." "I see... I was sort of hoping I could come to see you, but if there's no room..." "Mandy's just left for the UK. She'll be gone for six weeks. There's room! Come!" Sam immediately replied, "If there's a spare pillow on your bed for me I'd like to arrive Saturday. I need the ocean air and I need to cuddle with you like we used to do. I need to try to make up for my overdue summers." "No problem!" exclaimed Bryan. Sam heard his smile over the phone and was touched. "I'll find a flight with any airline and send you a message giving you my time of arrival. Can you meet me at the airport?" "Absolutely! I'll meet you there. I can't wait! You have made me one happy man, Samuel Tremblay!" "Bryan Sinclair! I still love you a lot! See you Saturday!" ---------- The message on Bryan's phone read: flight AC1594 arrival in Stanfield at 3:36 PM Sat April 20. I have an open return. Hugs Sam ---------- Sam's flight landed on time. Bryan was standing in front of the arrival gate with Kelly and Jay. Sam was one of the first passengers to come out the gate. Bryan waved. Sam saw the three Sinclairs beaming and hastened his step. Kelly was the first he hugged, then he grabbed Bryan. They held on to each other for moment, saying nothing, then Bryan said, "Do you recognize Jay?" "Of course I do! He's really grown into a handsome fellow!" replied Sam, looking at Jay in the eyes. Jay stood steadfast with a faint smile on his lips. "I still remember you. You are better looking now than back then," stated Jay. "And so are you..." quipped back Sam, opening his arms. "Sam's right!" declared Bryan. Surprisingly, Jay let Sam give him in a quick hug. The slim auburn lad of sixteen, looked younger than his age. However, inside there was something about him that gave the impression of untimely maturity. When Sam released him, Jay stepped back, smiling, his grey-blue eyes still locked with Sam's. "Jay, you flatter me!" exclaimed Sam. "Yes, I know..." replied Jay. Jay's eyes glowed as his plump adolescent lips slightly opened. Sam winked. Bryan changed subjects. "We've got an hour's drive to Chester. I'd like to beat the five o'clock traffic." Walking to the car, Sam thanked them all for coming to welcome him. "I hope you can find a moment to come for a visit in Halifax," expressed Kelly, "This is so brief, but it's so good to see you again. I know Bryan is in a hurry to have you all for himself. Do come soon. Promise?" "Promise! I'll come for a visit while Bryan's working... that is if he'll lend me his car." "No problem, Sam!" asserted Bryan. In the parking lot, Bryan showed Sam to his car. Kelly and Jay were parked a little further down. "See you soon, Sam," repeated Kelly. "See you!" echoed Jay. ---------- On the drive to Chester, Bryan mentioned Jay. So you saw how he's grown into a really sweet guy. Before the accident he was lots of fun to be around, but now he's so quiet, almost silent, and really nervous. I get the feeling that he's simply lost, as if caught up in the claws of a nightmare." "He'll get out of it, Bryan..." "I hope so... Goodness Gracious, Sam, I'm so happy to have you back!" "I'm really happy to be back!" Bryan and Sam didn't stop reminiscing about their young summers sailing together. "You're still wearing the same Versace Eros I gave you for your sixteenth birthday!" remarked Bryan. "Wouldn't change that fragrance for the world!" Opening the door to his loft, Bryan said, "No use showing you around. All's in this one space. The sofa opens into a bed, our bed. I made room for your stuff in the closet over there. There are fresh towels in the bathroom. What can I fix you to drink? Beer, wine, whisky? Hope you're not too..." Interrupting, Sam exclaimed, "Bryan! Stop being so fussy and give me long, sweet hug! That's what I need right now!" Grabbing Sam, Bryan whispered, "Me too!" ---------- While Sam undid his bag, Bryan fixed drinks. Then they snuggled together on the sofa and continued reminiscing together. "I'll leave you my car while I'm off at work. Take advantage of me being out of your footsteps to relax and enjoy some time for yourself here. You'll see, Chester, Lunenburg, and the area are still beautiful, especially now in the spring." "Thanks Bryan. I don't want to get sentimental, but being with you now makes me realize how much I've missed you. When you left for Ontario and I got totally involved in acting, I really think I went astray. You know my mother's a powerful woman. She made me imagine that I had only one thing to do in life, act and become a star. I acted and fortunately I avoided becoming a star." "I don't understand. Your career's just begun..." "We'll talk about that later... Tell me what YOU've been up to for the past four years!" Bryan told Sam about the university, meeting his future wife, then getting his job at the bank. "As you see, like the song goes, 'find a girl, settle down, if you want you can marry'. That's what I'm doing. It's okay, but... only three weeks vacation, no sailing, Cindy hates boats... Before the accident, Jay went sailing in the same club we went to when we were teens. Shit man! I've missed you too... missed you a lot." "Let's stop talking about how much we missed each other and celebrate getting back together again!" suggested Sam. "Amen!" That evening they went out for dinner, came back, drank a little more, showered, and made their bed. Like when they were lads, they crawled in together, cuddled some, and fell asleep entwined. ---------- They slept in late, enjoying a lazy Sunday morning. They then went to lunch in town. Sam told Bryan that he was looking for a boat. Bryan suggested they take a stroll at the boatworks near his loft. Arriving in the marina, Sam gasped. There she was, the perfect boat, the ideal boat, THE boat he had always wanted. Her name was Moon Dancer and she was FOR SALE! (see "Moon Dancer", in the Beginnings archive of Nifty, October 22, 2022) Sam exclaimed, "I've got to have that boat, Bryan!" He immediately called the number shown on the sign. Julian Montgomery answered. He and Jamie Swanson worked in the boatworks. They said they could be at the boat in just a few minutes. Bryan tried to calm Sam down as they waited. Julian and Jamie arrived and showed them aboard Moon Dancer. "We now live in town. We want to get married and buy the 42' Tancook schooner moored in the cove over there. That's why we are selling," explained Julian, the older of the two. Moon Dancer was a classic wooden sloop with a fan stern and a clipper bow. Not counting the bowsprit, she was 35' feet in length with a rather wide beam. A nice cockpit occupied the rear. A cabin, heated by a solid fuel stove, occupied the centre behind the mast. She was in perfect shape. The paint and trimmings, the polished brass, all was like new. She was equipped with an inflatable tender, necessary electronics, and even an extra set of sails. Julian said they were asking Canadian $220,000, fully equipped, ready to sail. Sam thought it was a bargain! "I want to buy, but I need to give Moon Dancer a try under sail before concluding the deal." "Of course... when?" inquired Julian. They made arrangements to sail the following evening, Monday, from 5:30 PM to dark so that Bryan could come along too. ---------- Moon Dancer was a dream under sail. Sam had lost nothing of his instinctive skill at the tiller. Bryan let Sam take over. Jamie admired him; Julian was impressed. It was obvious that Moon Dancer concealed no mystery for Sam. They were made for each other. Everything went like clockwork. Once they had moored, furled the sails, and began talking about the purchase, Sam said he wanted to change the boat's name from Moon Dancer to Chybre. "Why Chybre?" asked Julian. "Chybre in old French sailors' talk means penis, cock, dick, you know, what we males cherish perhaps the most... It comes from the word 'guibre', the upper part of a clipper bow holding the bowsprit. Even if in English one says 'she' for a boat, in French it's a 'he' and for me a boat is definitely male... and this boat has a chybre!" "Sounds fine enough to me!" exclaimed Jamie as Julian nodded, saying, "I approve!" "Can I come by tomorrow and settle all the details with you, paper work, insurance, and so forth?" "Does 10:00 AM suit you?" ---------- Sam and Bryan had a pizza delivered and opened a bottle of Chianti. "What do you want to do with your new boat, Sam?" "I want to take my time to explore the east coast up north and then decide where I might set up a day charter business living aboard. I've still a few years of royalties coming in but as of today, for me acting is finished!" "I don't understand..." "While in France, I played the role of a gay whore and I realised that I'm fundamentally gay and as an actor, a whore. Like a whore, I was striving to please an audience, a director, and my mother. I now know that I'd prefer falling in love with a male instead of a female and sailing to acting." "Prefer sailing to acting, that I can understand, but are you sure about being gay? I always assumed you were a Casanova. You always talked about your girlfriends and your fun fucking..." "You're right, I did have my fair share of fucking, but that was for the sport... and my reputation with the other guys. Now, I feel I'm ready for love... and that with another guy." "But you were only acting when you played a gay call boy..." added Bryan. "It was more than that. You know I love you, Bryan, but you don't arouse me sexually. Acting the role I was in, I felt a strong sexual arousal. Now I'm open to experience deep love with the same arousal. I love you the way you are, Bryan, and you're my friend in love, but not my lover. Our love is special, don't you think?" "I wouldn't have it any other way, Sam. I loved to cuddle, make out, and sleep holding you in my arms, and I still do. You're right, we do love each other, but we're not IN love." "Absolutely!" ---------- Tuesday, Sam took care of the business with Julian. "I'd like to have Chybre careened, the motor overhauled, and the interior repainted." "Jamie and I can take care of all that. You can count on us to have everything ready aboard Chybre in order to hoist her sails by mid-May," replied Julian, giving him a ring of keys for the boat. Sam called his parents to give them the news. His father was delighted; his mother was shattered. Sam felt a sudden rush of relief as he turned his phone off. Lighthearted, he went to Chybre, stared at her, listened to her, felt her. He went down inside and just sat there, happy. He had no more problems. He was free to be really gay if that was his nature. He had totally cancelled the memory of camera-fright, of acting, of socializing, and of being nice to the people he despised. Then he began to inspect Chybre in every nook and cranny aboard. He felt that he and the boat were in fact made for each other." That evening Sam and Bryan went back out to dine. As the table, Bryan mentioned, "Perhaps you could take Jay along with you for a week or so on your cruise up north. He's a great sailorboy and I'm sure it would do him loads of good to be with you aboard Chybre..." Looking at the water, Sam uttered, "I'll think about it..." The next morning, Sam asked Bryan if he could use the car. "I'd like to go to Halifax for a visit with Kelly and ask Jay if he could give a hand to sail up to the Wild Islands". "NO PROBLEM! I knew you'd do that for me... and for Jay, Sam. Jay needs you! Here's the key. Now call Mom!" exclaimed Bryan. "Okay, Bryan... okay, keep calm!" joked Sam, "Aren't you afraid that I might pervert your little brother." "If you AND Jay fall in love together... real love, I mean... then there's nothing to fear, Sam." "Are you telling me the truth, Bryan?" "Absolutely!" ---------- "Of course you can come for lunch, Sam!" replied Kelly on the phone, "Jay's going to be thrilled. You made a real impression on him, you know." Upon arrival, Sam told Kelly and Jay about Chybre. He showed them the photos he took of her. Jay was awestruck, saying, "I'd give anything to sail aboard a boat like that!" "Well guess what, Jay, I'd like for you sail aboard Chybre with me. I need you to help me go up the coast to the 100 Wild Islands. I read that it's really tricky in the islands up there with the tides, shoals and rocks. I'm thinking about doing some day charter in the summer later on. What do you say?" Jay looked stunned. He looked at his mother. Kelly smiled at him, then at Sam. "You're not joking, are you, Sam?" slowly inquired Kelly. "Not in the least... Bryan told me that Jay was an excellent sailor. He was the one who said it would be safer for me to have Jay aboard. I gave the idea some thought and said to myself that Bryan's right." "Bryan's always right!" affirmed Jay, beaming. "Okay Jay, if we get along, we get along... If we both agree we don't get along, then I'll call your Mom or Bryan to come fetch you and that's it..." "Oh, Mom, let me go..." begged Jay. "Only if you live up to Sam's expectations... and not annoy him." "Mom, I'll live up to his expectations if he lives up to mine and doesn't annoy me..." replied Jay looking at Sam straight in the eyes. "Excellent answer, Jay!" exclaimed Sam. "Then it's settled. Let's have lunch..." concluded Kelly. After lunch, Sam gave Kelly and Jay the plans for their departure. "I'll soon know when we leave. I don't know when we'll be back." "No problem, Sam. Jay's no longer in school. You just tell me how much you need to cover his expenses..." commented Kelly. "Out of the question! Jay's my guest. You can continue his allowance, if he has one, but that's all!" exclaimed Sam. "If you insist..." "I insist. So getting back to our plans, we'll stay in touch. I'll let you know when I'm ready for you to come, Jay. We'll be leaving on a Sunday so that Kelly can drive you to Chester and be with Bryan for our departure. Do you know how to pack your seabag?" "Of course I do, Captain!" laughed Jay. Kelly nearly wept from joy hearing Jay laugh again. She said she'd be worried to death, but could get over that if her boy was happy. She repeated her motherly recommendations and told them both to call as often as possible. Also, she wanted Sam to have Jay improve his French! "Nous verrons (We shall see)... By the way, Kelly, I'll have Jay insured. I'll also need your written permission for him to embark." "No problem." Driving back to Chester, Sam felt light as a butterfly. "I see that all went well for you in Halifax," stated Bryan seeing Sam come through the door. "More than well, Bryan", Jay laughed. "Kelly wept with joy seeing Jay so happy and excited... I just let things happen, and they are happening for the best!" ---------- The next day, with Bryan's car, Sam went shopping in Lunenburg to equip Chybre's cabin with the finest of linens, comforter, galley ware, cushions, cutlery, etc. He ordered anthracite, kindling, fishing gear and the rest. The boatworks gave him a space to stock his purchases until Chybre was ready. Sam then made reservations for his return flight to Montreal. When the day came, Bryan drove Sam to the airport. In the car, he asked, "Do you think I'm crazy, Bryan?" Bryan hesitated a moment, and then staring at the road as he drove, replied, "Yes, Sam, you are crazy as a loon. For the vast majority of people like me you are totally out of your mind, and for the tiny minority of poets, lovers, adventurers, and prophets who create the meaning of life for us all, you're not crazy enough." Sam had tears in his eyes as he listened. "You know, while you and Jay are sailing, free as the sunrise, I'll be thinking of you in my office at the bank. Of course, I'll be jealous and a bit angry at myself for not having the balls to do like you, but you are you and I am me and in spite of that difference, we sincerely respect and love each other. My Dad wanted me to have a serious, steady job... so I did as he wanted. Your Mom wanted you to be a star... you tried... and flunked. You had something higher to do... and you're doing it. People like me need people like you to create the dreams that help us live -- and people like you need guys like me to handle your banking, give you hugs, and keep you out of trouble. Yes, indeed, Sam, you are crazy! Like you say in French, 'completement fou'! You don't know how glad I am for Jay, who, by the way, is as crazy as you. I'm glad that you'll help him grow to be even crazier! The world needs people who refuse to believe the Big Lie of our conservative society today. We, who walk the straight line and CONFORM, need you and Jay and all the other misfits out there to prevent us from becoming fascist robots." "Good God, Bryan, I needed to hear that! You give me strength, your trust warms my heart, and I know that come what may, you'll always be there! Bless you, my love-friend. Bless you." For the rest of the drive to the airport nothing more was said. As they stopped in the drop-off lane, they shared a big, wet kiss on the mouth. Sam hopped out, grabbed his bag, and said, "See you in a few weeks!" "Take care, Sam!" "That I shall!" Bryan drove off. In a little less than an hour, Sam was boarding his flight to Montreal. ---------- With his parents, Sam spoke his heart. When he told them he was, in fact, gay, his mother declared, "Best you be gay, floating a boat with your little Jay boy than making your come out on television, creating a buzz all over the Province!" Sam laughed! Little by little, peace reigned in the Tremblay household. Michel Tremblay was more than proud of his son, even a bit jealous. They had never been closer. Sam promised to take him on an outing with Chybre. His mother declined the invitation saying she wouldn't be caught dead on a boat with such a vulgar name! Sam enjoyed visiting with his former teachers and schoolmates. He sought advice concerning the advertising of his future day charter business. He also studied the necessary legal paperwork he would have to do. ---------- Julian and Jamie finished the work aboard Chybre on time. They called Sam saying he could move aboard. Bryan took two days off for personal reasons and met Sam at the airport on Thursday. Friday and Saturday, they installed Chybre, making her comfortable, ready to be lived in. They filled her with fuel, water, kindling and anthracite for the stove, kerosene for the cooker. They went grocery shopping and stocked the galley. Saturday night, Sam invited Bryan to spend the night with him aboard. Bryan said it was best that for the first night, he be alone. After thinking about it for a few seconds, Sam agreed. "Bryan, I'm a bit nervous about all this. It happened so fast. I don't know when Jay and I'll be back and I don't even know where I'll spend the winter, but..." Bryan interrupted, "If it happened fast, that means it had to happen, Sam. You stay gone as long as you need, with or without Jay. Maybe you can spend winter not too far away, can't you?" Sam smiled, saying, "Okay..." ---------- Early Sunday morning, Jay and Kelly arrived. They were both totally awestruck by Chybre. While Bryan chatted with his mother on deck, Sam gave Jay an extensive tour of the boat. Jay giggled for the first time in months when Sam explained the boat's name!" Jay asked, touching the double berth, "Is the bedding real linen?" "Yes, I want only the best aboard! The pillow cases are linen too. There are also two other sets along with the towels in the cabinet overhead." replied Sam. "We'll be nice and warm..." commented Jay, smiling. "I hope you don't mind sharing the berth with me..." "Never in your life!" "Good. Once we're underway, you can put your stuff in these drawers here. They are for you. You'll hang your slicker with mine in the locker by the companionway. How do you feel about being just the two of us to sail Chybre?" "I feel secure! Sailing a beautiful boat with a gorgeous man... with you, Sam... Wow! it's a dream!" Joining the others topside, there was a lot of polite small talk about the weather and such. Jay's mother and brother seemed to want to stall the departure. Jay, on the other hand, was impatient to get underway. He stated, "Sam, after we put everybody else ashore, we can cast off and catch the ebb tide, can't we?" "We're already gone," quipped back Kelly grabbing Jay in a big hug, "Do be careful, you two, and call often!" "Of course we shall, Mom!" asserted Jay, wiggling in his mother's arms. "Love you, Jay," said Bryan as his 'little' brother melted in his hug. Then looking at Sam, he added, "Love you too, my friend... Both of you, be who you are!" Bryan and Kelly stepped off Chybre onto the pier. Sam started the motor. Bryan tossed the mooring lines to Jay. Sam was at the tiller easing Chybre into the channel. Kelly and Bryan waved. Jay began hoisting the mainsail, then the foresail and jib. Chybre caught the breeze, heeled a bit, and picked up speed. Sam turned off the motor. Jay sided up to Sam and stated, "Now, we can hug too!" Sam held Jay a bit longer than a hug. Jay totally surrendered to Sam's embrace, almost purring. "Tell me all this is real, Sam!" "Neither of us are dreaming, Jay. This IS real. We are real, really real, living our new reality." Sam's phone beeped. The message read, "You are beautiful under sail! Fair winds and following seas to the crew of Chybre from the crew of Moon Dancer II" Sam looked at the shore and saw Julian and Jamie standing side by side admiring Chybre entering the bay. He waved. Julian and Jamie waved back. The ocean was now in sight. ---------- Underway, they felt no need to talk. They moved together, never colliding. With uncanny grace, they shared the limited space with ease. After nearly five hours of tricky sailing in moderate winds they dropped anchor in a secluded pass between islands just after Peggy's Cove. Already there's a feeling of being alone in the world while sailing in open waters, but when at anchor no civilization is in sight, that anchorage is the world. With her anchor well embedded in the sandy bottom, Chybre gracefully rose and fell riding on her chain in the soft swell. The sun was still up as they furled the sails. Jay inquired, "Before supper, would you like to share a glass of wine with me?" "White or red?" replied Jay grinning. "Red!" stated Sam. Sam replied, "Good! Fetch the glasses and nibbles while I choose an excellent bottle in the bilge." The moment was ripe for rest after a long day. Settled down in the cockpit, sitting close side by side, after a sip or two of wine, Jay asked, "Can we talk?" "Of course..." "Before the wreck, I loved sailing, hanging out with my friends, being generally foolish. I didn't have what you call a best friend... I just had friends. I never went out for sports, nor clubs of any sort in high school. I read, surfed on the internet, and whenever I could, I went sailing. I took courses and was really good at it." "I noticed. Your brother Bryan was an ace under sail as well!" "I'm like him..." stated Jay. "You're right," acknowledged Sam, admiring Jay's forwardness. Taking another sip of wine, Jay stated, "Now, Sam, if you don't mind, I need to tell you about myself after the wreck. I think we shouldn't hide anything from each other if we want to really get along well aboard." "I agree... I'm listening," replied Sam, taking a sip himself. "So here goes... Dad was driving me to North Preston to spend a weekend sleepover with friends. Kent's family had a country home up there. I felt really hot about Kent. I felt deep down inside that I was gay... and I was going to find a way to sleep with Kent. I felt that he fancied me too. Dad and I got along really well and I wanted to tell him that I felt gay. Bryan taught me to not hide my feelings. So I wanted to warn him so he wouldn't be surprised if Kent and I became intimate and all." Jay stared off as he spoke. "An old Bob Dylan song was playing on the radio. Dad listened to the that station because he liked old tunes... The words were in my mouth to tell Dad about how I felt for Ken when he gasped, looked at me with startled eyes, and fell dead on the wheel, his foot on the accelerator. The car swerved, I screamed, we hit the ditch and turned over on the roof. All I felt was pain. Dad was hanging upside down in his seatbelt. He didn't move at all. The radio was still playing and the motor, idling. I pressed the window button. It worked. I managed to free myself from the belt, fall, and crawl out. I made my way up to the road. There was a car stopped with people looking down at the wreck. I passed out at their feet and woke up several days later in the hospital. I was one gigantic sore. My left shoulder was in a kind of cast. My body hurt really bad, but less than my mind. I remembered every detail of Dad's dying, looking at me. The scene never stopped playing on and on in my mind. The nurses gave me pills to knock me out." Jay looked at Sam. "They bathed me, fed me, took care of me, but I still hurt. Thank God, nearly every time I woke up there was Bryan or Mom there, holding my hand. Sometimes neither were there and I wept. Little by little I got better. I talked with the psychologist. He helped me get over the shock, but..." "But..." "But it took me longer to heal my soul than my body. I knew I was no longer just a sixteen year old kid. I had looked death in the eyes. I had lost my father just when I needed to tell him something really important. I then slowly realized I had to become my own father, I had to console myself, sire myself, so to speak, and let myself grow into the age of my soul. My only solution was to curl up inside myself, cut off the world except for Mom and Bryan, and wait. I was determined to no longer put up with obligations. I couldn't face the bullshit of news on the television. The idea of school brainwashing us horrified me. I felt no need to be popular nor even sociable. I didn't know what I wanted, but I knew what I couldn't put up with any more." "What was that?" "The system" Sam felt Jay slowly release hold of a shadow that had been dimming his soul for way too long. "Were you really that sure you were right?" gently inquired Sam. "For me, yes! I've always seen through people. I could tell when they were true, thinking for themselves, or just thinking what they were told to think. It's not fun, seeing through people. After my Dad died, it was worse. So it was MY decision to no longer try to play the game everybody was playing. In other words, I resigned from society. Then as the days passed, I realized that I still thought about Kent, especially when I jerked off. I called him. He was barely polite on the phone... nothing more. I was disappointed to tears, but... well, you know what I mean." "I understand..." "And then you arrived, Sam. You arrived just at the right time! I saw through you and what I saw was clear. You didn't play the system's game either. You were making your own life. I saw how much Bryan loves you, and I trust Bryan... even if he's now conforming to the big LIE. Deep down inside, he's aware... When I saw you at the airport, and then on your visit to our house, I felt you were really awake and pure, and when you said you needed me to come with you, I wanted to explode, give you my heart... I came back to life. That's exactly what I'm doing here and now! Seriously, only today, sailing together, saying little, just with your smile, you moved me, made me feel more love than you can imagine. The feeling I feel with you makes me blossom into my real self. Bless you, Sam! Bless you!" Sam was stunned by what he had just heard. He was also spellbound by the genuine maturity of Jay's declaration. "Bryan said you were just as crazy as I am. Was he right, Jay?" replied Sam. "I've already said that Bryan is always right!" Laughing, Sam realized that he wasn't in a play. This was not acting. This was real life... uncommon, unaccustomed, crazy life, crazy but real. "Jay, I'm deeply moved, definitely unsettled, and yet actually elated by your presence on this first day of my amazing new life." "You can say, 'our' amazing new life, Sam." Jay sipped has wine, staring at Sam. "So, I guess it's now my turn to open my heart and be as honest as possible with you as you are with me." "That's right," nodded Jay. "I've never faced death like you have, be it my death or anybody else's, but I have experienced the visceral terror of facing myself. If I've made a name for myself acting, it's probably because when puberty hit me, my hormones began acting up in my crotch and at the same time, I ceased being pretty. I became beautiful. Everybody wanted to touch me... I was about fourteen... I didn't know what to do with myself. As a child, it was simple. I was Daddy's little man. Even when Mom put me on stage in her acting school, I was just one of the kids. But when I began to grow into manhood, and being gorgeous to boot, I was at a total loss with myself. So I created a make-believe 'me' as an actor. Acting and being beautiful, fleeing my confusion, gave me the skill... some said 'talent'... that I had. In fact, I've never really grown up. You grew up in the split second of a tragedy." "But Sam, you are not just that!" "That's what I realized. What happened to me only a month or so ago opened my eyes. I was playing the central role in a film. I was playing the part of a gay call boy, a prostitute, a beautiful boy-toy whose sexual feats killed a well known evangelist preacher." "How's that?" interrupted Jay. "There was a sex scene between my character and the other actor playing the preacher. The preacher had to blow me. So, the actor played like he was sucking me off and I played like I shot off in his mouth. The script read: 'The call boy orgasms in the preacher's throat and the preacher chokes, suffocates, and dies'. The symbolics of the scene went straight to my guts and blew my mind. At the same time, with my jeans open, the other actor was bobbing his head with his mouth on my cock through my briefs and I actually shot off." "Was this on camera?" "No, the camera filmed the blowjob from three quarters behind me. The action was all fake, except when I shot off. Thank God nobody saw the stain before I zipped up. Everybody thought I did a remarkable job simulating." "In porn videos, they go for it for real..." "I know, but this wasn't porn; it was mainstream gay, so to speak. But that's not all. I had to play like I was being sodomized in another scenes with another 'client', this time younger and very handsome. We were in a bed, naked, except for a g-string, under a sheet. The scene had to be shot several times. My 'client' was stretched out on top of me. He simulated fucking me. During the third or forth shot, I felt that he was stiff and leaking. His cock had popped out of his g-string and was actually rubbing the inside of my butt cleft. Then he shot off, for real. It made me feel so good that I shot off too. Nobody on the set knew that we actually orgasmed under the sheet. We were congratulated for the realism of the action." "When you both shot off, it was just physical, a kind of accident on the job, wasn't it?" "Yes and no..." "I see... Tell me Sam, have you already had gay sex for real, wanting it?" "Never in real life. I always stuck to girls. I've fucked many a girl ever since the age of fifteen. I did it because the girls wanted me to fuck them, so being a nice boy, I gave them what they wanted. I'd be lying if I said I didn't like it... but I could have done without as well. I prefer masturbation to stirring a cunt with my cock." Jay giggled, "I've never fucked anybody, male or female, but my fist and my cock really do get along well." "Mine too!... But getting back to the film. The role I was playing led to the conclusion that the character was caught in the trap of his fake lovemaking as a call boy and couldn't get out of it. He had become incapable of true love. The end of the film had me standing on the edge of a cliff, facing the ocean, weeping. The script didn't say if I jumped or not. The end of the film was like that. Does he jump or not? Playing the part, I slowly became aware that perhaps I'm just a fake myself. That was something I had never let dawn in me. Was I gay for real or for fake? Several men had tried to seduce me, but I always disappointed them. I was scared of having sex with them so I imagined I didn't want to enjoy it." Jay seemed to have trouble understanding. "The point is since the whore's job in the film was to please others, doing what they wanted him to do, I too was captive of my job as an actor, always striving to please an audience, or a director, or my mother... To be brief, I was a whore and didn't know it. I began to know it the night after viewing the finished film. I saw myself really involved in sex with other men, and loving it. I laid in bed, sweating with knotted guts, wondering who in the hell am I -- who I am and who I'm NOT. Who am I FOR REAL?" "Do you know now?" "Yes... I'm not a whore, and I'm gay. There, I've spilled my bucket." Jay lovingly gazed at Sam, admiring him in silence. "Hungry?" jested Sam. "Starved!" was Jay's immediate reply. ---------- Sam cooked a gigantic spaghetti dinner which Jay devoured in a flash. Then they sponge bathed each other, complimenting each other's erection. "Your cock is nice and slim, just as beautiful as the rest of you, Jay." "I love yours too, Sam. It's just like I imagined... and hoped it would be." Naturally they crawled in bed nude and hugged. Jay kissed Sam on the lips. Sam kissed back. Jay's kisses slipped lower and lower. Sam's followed. Jay flipped around and together they began sucking on each other's moist, plum-pink glans, stroking each other's shaft. With thirsty, twirling tongues and deep strokes, neither lasted more than several minutes. Their cum gushed at the same time. They swallowed every drop. Licking his lips and giggling, Jay spun around once more. Elated, Sam laughed. Jay pinned Sam under his slim body and asked, "Sam, are you happy?" "Very happy... and you?" "In HEAVEN!... and I'm sure we can do more than just that together." "I'm sure we can too... but not now. We need to sleep..." "and gather our force for all the good loving to come!" Sam gently hugged Jay's lithe, velvet body in his arms, caressing his back, his firm sweet ass. Jay hummed, smiling with tears of joy gleaming in his eyes. Entwining, they fell into a deep, dreamless sleep. The moonlit night spilled its magic on Chybre. All was calm. A distant seabird sang on wing overhead. ---------- With the daybreak, Jay woke up, still enlaced in Sam's embrace. He contemplated the relaxed smile adorning Sam's unbelievably graceful face. Slowly, Sam came to his senses, blinked, discovering Jay hovering over him. Sam gave Jay a quick kiss, whispered, "Gotta pee". They raced together topside, laughing. A double arc of streaming piss glittered in the rising sun. The sky was clear, chilly, nearly cold. They dashed back down into the cabin. Jay scrambled under the covers as Sam lit the stove. Soon, the dancing flames broke the chill. Sam and Jay frolicked in bed, laughing, jacking each other's eager cocks with total abandon. Afterwards, they hummed, tenderly washing their cum-splattered bellies, dried off, and dressed. Jay made breakfast while Sam warmed up the motor and unfurled the sails. A stiff steady breeze was blowing out of the southeast. With set sails, Chybre sped, splitting the waves. Sam and Jay relished the wordless bliss of harmony with the sea. They were at home. Sam gave Jay the tiller and reclined against the cabin bulkhead. He admired the lad's shaggy hair dancing in the wind, his keen eye glancing at the rigging, his blatant beauty glowing in the sun. He also smiled noticing the prominent bulge in the crotch of Jay's jeans. 'Yes' he thought, 'this teen lad is definitely a splendid mix of turmoil and grace'. They enjoyed sandwiches for lunch. By six in the evening, they had dropped anchor up Sambo Creek. The water was so clear that the boat seemed to be suspended in mid-air. Without warning, Jay stripped stark naked and dived overboard. There was a splash then a scream. "Good God, it's freezing!" Jay shrilled, thrashing in the water. Seconds later, after having scrambled like a monkey up the anchor chain, he stood shivering on the deck. Sam laughed seeing Jay's blue lips and shrivelled-up cock. 'Please Sam, a towel!" begged Jay, trembling. Having pity, he disappeared below and returned saying, "Come here, imbecile! Let me friction you back to life. That'll teach you to be wary in these waters!" "I'm sorry, Sam. You can spank me if you want." "Oh shut up, blockhead!" quipped Sam squeezing Jay's shivering buttocks. Once things were back in order, they fired up the stove again, opened a bottle of wine, and prepared a hearty canned beef and carrot stew. After dinner they curled up under a cover together in the cockpit. The stars overhead were coming out. The moment was ripe for some lusty bonding. "Will it be like this all the time we're together, Sam?" "No... We'll run into storms and bad weather, doldrums too. There will be moments when we'll have to find shelter really fast. Maybe we'll have words, try each other's patience, but that won't be a real problem as long as we pay loving attention to each other, if we..." "...love each other even more than I love you now..." stated Jay, finishing the sentence. Overtaken by the phrase 'more than I love you now' Sam took a deep breath and palely asked, "How do you know you love me?" Caressing Sam's chest, Jay calmly replied, "I know it because I feel it. I know it because I have already loved in silence. I know it because I know that I know it. Yes, I was awkward and in your arms, the other day in the airport, but suddenly something happened, like an invisible event happening inside. I FELT graceful, open, and craving to be loved by you... and so did you." Sam was touched. "Now, here I am sailing with you, and last night drinking your semen, giving you mine. You gave me the light to discover real love glowing inside me, becoming a flame, and the flame is you, Sam. Sucking each other was not just lusty fun, not just play sex like in your films. It was... I don't know how to say it... It was sacred..." Sam was spellbound. Jay continued. "Listen, about a month ago, when Bryan announced that he was going to marry, I asked him, just like you asked me, 'how do you know you're in love?' He took his time to answer. He began by inquiring, 'Jay, have you already fucked, be it with a girl or a boy?'. I said no... He went on. 'Okay, guys usually start sex by jerking off. Right?' I nodded. He said that he started with Wayne, our older cousin in Dartmouth. Wayne showed him how to jerk off. He even said that the two of them had sucked each other off from time to time. He said that was 'boy sex-play'. He said that with you he enjoyed cuddling and even making out some, but he said that didn't count for sex. That's 'friend-love' and 'friend-love' doesn't need sex. Then he said when girls start wanting us, things get complicated. That's when we fellows get involved with 'game-sex', often mistaken for love. He said the effect is the same as jerking off. Once you've dumped your load, it's 'Game Over' and bye-bye. But! When love strikes, and it can strike at any age, irregardless of the sex of the loved one, it grabs you by the balls, the dick... and above all by the heart. When THIS happens, love doesn't let go, doesn't ever release its grip. With you, Sam, Love grabbed me with you and has never let go, not even for a second. I need more and more of loving you." Sam pull Jay in close to him, looking up at the stars. "Sam, after my father's death, I thought I was doomed to be alone, love myself on my own, believe in myself, defend myself, by myself, and become my own dream father, my own prince, and princess too. Little did I imagine I was simply waiting for you. Now you hold you, I drink you, you love me and I love you, and now, while I'm talking, I feel that we're both hard. Am I right?" "Yes" "That's how I know, Sam." "Does Bryan know you're gay?" "Yes" "And what did he say?" "He said, 'So what? If gay sex is fun, enjoy, if it's love, so much the better.' He even said that the road for gays is bumpy, but if it leads to a higher level, beyond sex, domination, and kinky stuff like that, then it's a blessing." "I guess we're both on the bumpy road together, Jay..." declared Sam, dabbing with his sleeve the tears of emotion brimming in Jay's gleaming eyes. Saying nothing, Sam leaned over, took Jay's head in his hands and kissed his quivering lips. Jay's mouth opened. He rolled over onto Sam and melted. Sam held him, squeezed his glutes. Their tongues explored their mouths. Their kisses, both tender and wild, opened the gateway to ecstasy. The moon-drenched waters glimmered around Chybre. Love. They retired into the cabin and slowly undressed each other. Jay fetched the cruet of olive oil in the galley and put it in the hanging pocket by the berth. Sam held out his arms. Jay climbed in with him. Instinct took over. Jay didn't know what he wanted to do, but he did it. Sam felt that he should let Jay take the lead. Jay began covering Sam's neck, chest, and balls with kisses. Sam writhed in the berth as Jay sucked him, fingering his anus. Jay took his time. Sam loved the time Jay was taking. Jay knew that he wanted to penetrate, to fuck Sam. Sam knew it too and turned over. Jay's darting young tongue worked wonders rimming Sam, making in hum, moan, whimper as he craved for Jay's cock to enter him and drive him wild. Jay could no longer control himself, neither could Sam. Breathless, Sam stuttered, "Take me Jay, fuck me, fuck me now!" Trembling, Jay slathered his drooling cock with olive oil, placed the tip on Sam's quivering hole, and began to push. Sam arched. Jay gasped. Suddenly his complete cock, shaft and all, was lodged up to his pubic curls inside Sam. Neither moved. In spite of the passing pain, Sam's anal ring squeezed Jay's throbbing erection. Sam began to rock, at first with infinite precaution. Jay gently rolled in the cradle of Sam's ass, delicately pushing, stirring, sometimes pulling. Immediately their motion amplified, increasing in rhythm as well as in frenzy. Jay fucked Sam with quick penetrating thrusts, then slowly sank deeper inside. Sam progressively went wild wallowing in the berth. Jay held on, his cock gliding inside Sam. Jay sweated, shivering with newfound pleasures. Sam prayed that Jay's zeal never cease, stirring him to the edge of orgasmic bliss. His whole being was afire as the prostatic waves of ecstasy flowed within him, pushing him close to oblivion. Jay quaked, then screamed, his nostrils flared as the repeated surges of his juvenile semen shot over and over into the depths of Sam's being. Jay slid up on Sam's back, biting his shoulder, kissing his neck. Sam managed to turn over under Jay, freeing the lad's deflating cock. Their lips met. The kiss lasted until Jay finally whispered, "My love is in you. I need you in me too, Sam." "With the dawn, I'll be there, Jay." "Yes, with the dawn," yawned Jay, surrendering to the sweetest sleep ever. ---------- Morning broke. Rising in the east, the sun-drenched clouds stretched into the west. Sam whispered in Jay's delicate ear, "Do I fuck you before or after breakfast?" Barely awake, Jay smiled then mumbled, "Breakfast first. Then we fuck." Sam dashed topside, followed by Jay. Shoulder to shoulder they pissed in the morning sun. Once back inside Sam pulled on a long sweater and lit the fire. Jay did likewise. Then he hugged Sam from behind, kissing his neck, playfully fondling his plump balls and swelling cock."I love you, Samuel Tremblay!" "I love you too, Jayson Sinclair. Now set the table for breakfast." That morning, the grace of their lovemaking deepened as if guided by all the gods of lust and youth combined. Sam splayed Jay's legs and rimmed him for a long moment. Jay's anus opened like a rose in dawn dew. With one, then two fingers, Sam loosened Jay's tight sphincter. He took his time as Jay discovered his prostate and the wonderful feeling of welcoming love's pleasure inside him. Mixing olive oil with both his and Jay's precum, Sam anointed his cock. He placed the tip onto Jay's hole and wait until Jay slightly pushed. Wide-eyed with impatience, Jay suddenly winced from the sharp pain of Sam's glans popping in. He never resisted as Sam slid gently in and began to fuck him. When fucking girls, Sam usually hastened things, quickly driving them to orgasm. Here, Sam's cock had never been so hard. He discovered an unknown dimension of himself as he delicately moved inside Jay. The scent of Jay's pits, his innards clenching Sam's throbbing cock, the wild look in Jay's eyes enthralled Sam. He breathed Jay's bliss, feeling no need to hasten. Slowly things began to churn deep inside. Fresh sweet semen began to rumble inside, taking its time to work its way up to the inevitable orgasmic eruption. Jay and Sam were now fucking in perfect unison, beaming, breathing deeply, their eyes locked, their lips swollen and moist. Their rhythm hastened to the boiling point as Jay suddenly screamed, shooting his young cum all over Sam's chest. Sam froze, jerked, then growled, his gushing cock trembling as deep as it could inside Jay. Drained, catching their breath, they were spent, lost in their own astonishment. They laughed as Sam's softening cock slipped out, as they writhed enlaced, drunk with joy. After a long immobile moment, Sam nibbled Jay's ear and whispered, "Want a second coffee?" "With sugar, please... and a second round of you whenever you want." "The second round is your turn!" "Okay" ---------- As they sailed into the morning, the wind increased. Sea foam flew, swirling off the white caps. Chybre split the waves as the miles clipped behind. Jay called his mother, then his brother, telling them how happy he was sailing with Sam. "Sam, both Mom and Bryan were happy for me. Bryan asked if we had become lovers. I replied yes. He said he knew it would happen and congratulated me. He's so cool!" It was close to dark when they finally dropped anchor not far south of Little Harbour. Underway, in spite of the choppy seas, Jay, had prepared pasta. While Sam furled the sails, Jay reheated the dinner. They devoured it in a flash, rinsing it down with a bottle of Burgundy. They were still so keyed up and aroused from the day's sail that they stripped and jumped in bed, impatient to indulge in another round of bliss. ---------- During the following days, they soared, each time higher, as they made love. The hours and the days no longer made sense. Each instant they were living seemed to be eternal. Several nights later, somewhere at anchor among the 100 Wild Islands, they cuddled, gazing at the star-splattered sky. "You see, Jay, for the mortals that we are, we have to fully experience darkness in order to understand the joy of pure light. We need to let grief, doubt, and loneliness dig out our souls so they can be filled with joy. Our bodies need to experience the ineffable power of making love so that our souls can fly. Do you understand?" "My mind doesn't understand everything you say, but what you're saying is so beautiful, so deep, so true that my soul understands... That's the point of it all, isn't it?" "I guess so... In French, we say 'N'est-ce pas' for 'Isn't it', now repeat after me, 'Ness Pah'." "Shut up. French is for later. Now it's my turn to send you to the stars!" ---------- Epilog Just off the coast of Nova Scotia, south of Sheet Harbour, there are miles of untouched islands known as the 100 Wild Islands. They are, in fact, even more than that... This natural paradise is now protected and visits are regulated. To visit them under sail is a privilege. They spent weeks exploring those islands. They only ran into bad weather twice. Michel Tremblay flew over for a weekend, rented a car and paid Sam and Jay a quick visit. He fell in love with both Chybre and Jay. Seeing his son radiating such happiness, he congratulated him and wrote out a nice 'in-case' cheque, saying that if he needed more, he knew where to knock. Kelly drove up to Tangier to visit with them for a few days and quickly returned to Halifax where her brand new boyfriend was waiting. She was relieved to find Jake and Sam in such perfect shape. In September, they sailed back down to Chester to attend Bryan's wedding and probably spend the winter in Mahone Bay. While Sam planned to work on a two man show with Jay, based on their own story, Jay agreed to attempt a return to high school, doing it by home study on the internet. With Sam's help, he let it be known that he might even get a diploma, just for the hell of it. The premiere of their play was scheduled for March, 2024 in the Chester Playhouse. Afterwards they were going to sail back up to Tangier for the summer season of day charters, taking guests to discover the 100 Wild Islands. Once love decides to never let go, it can be a very, very busy thing.