Date: Wed, 10 Nov 2010 20:07:16 -0800 (PST) From: Joe Collins Subject: Tomorrow is another day Chapter 6 If this is illegal where you live, you are under age or you are offended by gay love then I suggest you leave now. Since you are still here, enjoy. Drop me a line, I would like to hear from you. joecollins7420@yahoo.com Chapter 6 Martha meet us at the door and we each got a great big hug and a kiss. She brings back a lot memories I had with my mother. I still call her and we talk but my dad doesn't know. As far as he is concerned, I might as well be dead . I wish that he and I could settle our differences for Mom's sake but that is not to be. Martha had a big dinner for us and after eating, we went into the living room and talked until midnight about our `adventures'. Martha was very excited about the property at Loon Lake. She had grown up on a farm and now this would be like returning to her childhood. She made Tony promise to take her when we returned on Saturday to complete the deal. That night when Tony and Dave went to bed they decided to use just one bedroom which had a set of bunk beds in it. Molly went into the room with them. Tony found an old blanket and made her a bed which she didn't use. She jumped up on the foot of Tony's bed and stayed there. They lay awake and talked for a long time. "Dave, you have never really told me about you childhood and young adult life." "My childhood days weren't very exciting and you already know about most of it. My teen age years, was anything but exciting. After my dad, kicked me out, I found a low entry job and enrolled in college. It was a struggle , but I made it through and got two degrees, one in accounting and the other in culinary food preparation. Out of college, I landed the job from which I was laid off when I met you. I never had a chance to do anything with my culinary skills, which is my choice of occupations. As an accountant, I made very good money , moved into a condo and paid off all my school loans. I never dated male or female. I guess I was still carrying the torch for Jerry, my teenage friend who got into trouble with me." "That explains why you are such a good cook. You really enjoy cooking don't you. I hope that you can follow up with it and become a world famous chef. Then I could really put on the pounds eating your cooking." "Not going to happen! You forget that I have a degree in accounting and that makes me pretty good with figures and math. I can figure out the calories in every little thing that you put into your mouth. In fact you will be put on a very low calorie diet." Laughed Dave. "You are not fun at all, Kill-Joy!" Said Tony joining into the laughter. Martha was up early the next morning and had just turned the coffee on when Tony came into the kitchen. "Tony, you look like you are just about to keel over! Are you sick? Here sit at the table and tell me all about what is bothering you." "Martha, I just didn't sleep well last night. I will be just fine after I get a cup of coffee down." "Honey, I know better than that. Come on, out with it!" "Martha, do you remember Ellen, the girl I dated before I married that cheating gold-digger?" "I sure do. I have always wondered how things would have turned out, if you had married her instead of Janice." "She is back in town and called me yesterday. I agreed to have dinner with her today. That is not what is bothering me. Martha, I am falling for Dave. Our bond goes beyond just friendship." "Tell me something that I don't already know. You two can't even look at the other without getting all starry -eyed." "Martha, What am I going to do? Do I tell Dave that I have a dinner date with Ellen or do I just keep it to myself? Do I tell her about Dave? I want to be up front with the both of them but I don't want to hurt either of them." "Tony, I am not going to tell you what to do. This is something that you have to decide for yourself. I think that you have already given me some clues about what you are going to do. All you have to do is make up your mind and then do it!" "Tony, I heard what you just told Martha. So I am going to help you make your decision." Commented Dave. "Dave, did you hear everything?" "Sure did. I came down the stairs shortly after you did. Tony, I fell for you that very first day when I tried to kidnap you. Whoops, I am sorry Martha from the look on your face, I can tell that this is entirely new to you. Let me finish with Tony and then I will tell you the whole story." "Dave, you are right, I didn't tell Martha anything. I wanted you to be the one to inform her. I didn't want to scare you off." "Hey, the coffee is done. I'll pour us some and then get breakfast started. You two can talk. If you want, you can go into the den and I'll yell when I have it ready." "Martha, I would like for you to remain in here. I want you to hear what I have to tell Tony." said Dave. I am fine with you staying here also." Replied Tony. "Tony, I care for you a whole lot and I enjoy being around you. However, I am not going to stand in your way to happiness. If you want to date others, then I say do it. If and when we develop a different relationship, then that will be a different story. I want you to be completely up front with this young lady and tell her about me. Let her make the decision, if she wants to continue seeing you, that is her choice. Just be honest! That is all I ask. "Dave, Ellen and I were very close at one time. I hurt her once by letting my ex come between us." "Tony, all I ask is that you be completely honest with both of us. If you can't do this, then I am out of the picture completely." "Dave, why don't you join us for dinner tonight?" "Not an option. You need some time alone with Ellen. Maybe at a later date, we can get together. I talked to my mother this morning and she is coming for a visit. She is bringing the friend that dad caught in bed with me. I want to meet with him alone and then I would like to bring them here to meet you and Martha. There were no emotional ties between us. Just two teenagers experimenting. However, when dad kicked me out of the house there were a lot of hard feelings between us. I blamed him and he blamed me. We both should have been blaming dad and working together. We just want to straighten up this whole mess. We have carried this burden much to long." "Breakfast is ready, whenever you guys are." "Thanks, Martha, I think we are ready now and Martha, we would like to have you join us." Said Tony, giving her a big hug. Breakfast was very relaxed. A lot tension had been released and Tony and I were both feeling good. Martha picked up on this and commented that she like the relaxed atmosphere a lot better than all the tension that we had when we started. "Dave, when will your mother and friend be coming?" Asked Tony. "They will be here on Tuesday of next week. I asked them not to come on the weekend because I wanted to go back to the lake with you and Martha. If I may?" "Of course, you can come. If fact, why don't you have your mother and friend stay here at the house. "That will be just great and Martha, I will do all the cooking." said Dave. "I wouldn't think of letting you cook when you have guests." Responded Martha. "Then I will help you. End of discussion." Laughed Dave. "I think I will run and get the boxing gloves. This should be good!" "Go ahead and we will use them on you!" said Martha. All of us roared with laughter. I told Martha the story that I had mentioned earlier about me trying to kidnap Tony and how I had failed. "Tony, I think that I should go to the police station and make a report. I want to do the right thing for you." "What would you gain. There would have to be an investigation and I don't think any charges would be filed. I am not going to sign a complaint, if anything, I will deny the whole thing. Thank you for being honest. I think we should drop the whole issue. I am completely at ease with the way things are now. Martha, what do you think?" "It really doesn't matter what I think but I am going to give my option anyway. I say drop the whole matter. Dave, you were desperate and you thought that this was the only way out. If you can live with what you did, then we can also." "I am going to start looking for a job tomorrow. I have to start providing for myself again. I may end up washing dishes in some greasy spoon but least I will be working." "Dave, there may be several things that you can do. We will start investigating all options tomorrow. I am going to be in this with you all the way!" "Thanks, Tony, you're the best!" "I think you are pretty good, yourself. Said Martha. "I had one son and now I have two. Right now I need a big hug from both of you." That evening Tony came into my room and sat down on the bed. "Dave, I will be leaving soon for my date with Ellen. I am just scared to death. It has been three years since we broke up. Why has she waited so long to contact me and why now. She moved out of town and went to live with an aunt. I haven't even spoken to her since we split." "Tony, I know just exactly how you feel. I have the same feelings tearing me apart. Jerry and I have not seen each other since Dad kicked me out of the house. I just wonder why Mom has waited this long and what is Dad going to do when he finds out that Mom has been here." "Dave, what am I going to do? Asked Tony putting his head in his hands and starting sobbing. I just moved over and sat next to him and took him in my arms. "Tony, there must be a very strong reason for Ellen and Jerry both to come to us and at the same time. We must find out what the compelling force is behind all of this. I believe that destiny is a force to be reckoned with. There must be a reason. I say let's don't jump to any conclusions and just wait and see. Just go and meet with Ellen. Keep an open mind and go from there. Am I making any sense?" "Yes, Dave you are! Thanks for being here for me. I hope that next week, I can handle you as you just did for me." "You will be, Tony, You will be! Don't waste your energy trying to out guess and trying to change things you know nothing about. Now, I think you need to go into the bathroom and wash your face and go meet that young lady. Chin up and smile!" "Dave, may I have one last hug and a kiss before I go?" "Tony, you never have to ask me. Just do it!" Tony left the house smiling and was very relaxed. Evidently, he listened to everything I had said. I would even say that he was looking forward to meeting Ellen with anticipation.