Date: Wed, 05 Oct 2005 09:00:18 +0000 From: Jeffrey Fletcher Subject: Malcolm's Boys Part 2 This is a story that involves sex between males. If such a story is offensive, or illegal for you to read where you live, then do not continue, go and surf elsewhere. This is a work of fiction and in no way draws on the lives of any specific person or persons. If there is any similarity to any real persons or events it is entirely coincidental. The work is copyrighted (c) by the author and may not be reproduced in any form without the specific written permission of the author. It is assigned to the Nifty Archives under the terms of their submission agreement but it may not be copied or archived on any other site without the written permission of the author. My thanks to John and Nels who have read this through and made a number of corrections and suggestions. Any remaining errors, grammatical, spelling or whatever are entirely my fault. If you want to comment on the story then do contact me on Jeffyrks@hotmail.com. I aim to reply to all messages. Malcolm's Boys Part 2.of 11. Thursday. 16th June 2005 *** It was seven o'clock in the morning when Malcolm was awakened by the alarm. His hand reached out and automatically switched it off. He was fully awake. Janice was disturbed in her sleep, but after a grunt, turned over to carry on sleeping. This was the normal pattern of early mornings for them both. Malcolm slipped out of bed, went into the kitchen and put the electric kettle on, and then went into the downstairs loo for his first-in-the-morning pee. As he emptied his bladder he looked down at his cock. So Kevin liked to use his cock in the same way as himself. But Kevin had been found out, almost caught at it. So far, he had managed to avoid discovery. He made a decision to be extra careful when he was with Simon. Nothing they said, did or even looked, must give away the truth about the two of them. That task finished, he made his way back into the kitchen, and made a pot of tea. He made up the tray, and then went back upstairs to the bedroom. Janice stirred, and then sat up in bed. "Why is it that after a dreadful night I am always fast asleep when the alarm goes? I don't think I slept a wink, I heard the grandfather clock strike every hour, even six." "Well, I heard you snoring two or three times." Malcolm handed her a mug of tea. "You can talk. You were snoring, I know that." "We'd better get moving. I presume that you want to get up to York sooner rather than later." Janice drank her tea. "Have you thought about where we are to stay?" "What do you mean?" "Well, Jan, we cannot stay at Kev's and Katie's. Her parents will be there, and I am sure Katie will not want to go into the small bedroom where the....I was going to say, `crime' was committed." "I hadn't thought of that." "We could try and stay a B and B. There are plenty of them in York." The morning ritual of bathroom and breakfast was soon accomplished. They started packing. "How long are you expecting to stay?" asked Mal. "I need to know, for shirts and socks." "I hadn't thought about that. What do you think? The very most four days?" It was just after nine o'clock when they drew away from their home and started along the village street, and the roads leading to the A1. They drove the first six miles almost in silence. "Mal, what do you know about homosexuality?" "What sort of things?" "Why are some men homosexual, and others not? I've been wondering, are we to blame for Kevin?" "In what way?" "Well, I've been thinking. Was I too soft with Kevin? You know I feel closer to him in some ways than to Michael and Stephen. Did I mother him too much?" "I don't think so. He was brought up the same as the other two. I never thought you were softer with him." "But why him? If they had the same upbringing, why not the other two as well." The thought went through Malcolm's mind of saying, `Perhaps they are,' but he realised that would be a dangerous response. "I don't know much about that. I gather there is some sort of debate going on whether is caused by nature, i.e. that it is inherited, or by nurture, the way a guy is brought up." "Either of those places some responsibility at our door." "But presumably something further happens, otherwise Michael and Stephen would be the same." There was a pause. "I've just had a thought, perhaps they are!" Malcolm weighed his words carefully. "I suppose they could be. We had no idea that Kev was, until Katie phoned yesterday evening." "I thought such men were effeminate. Limp-wristed and so on, like some of the men you see on television, who make no bones about it. Kevin is not like that." "But what about guys like Chris Smith. [Minister in Tony Blair's government 1997-2001] If you didn't know, would you say that he was gay? Is he a typical gay man?" "I would not have guessed." "Or Stephen Twigg?" [Another Minister] "Perhaps. I'm not sure." "But Kevin's married. Do you think it was some rash impulsive one off act on his behalf?" "It doesn't sound like it. He took the other man home, I presume he already knew him, and it was not a casual pick up off the street." "That sounds horrible. I thought such men didn't get married." Malcolm thought carefully again. The last thing he wanted was to appear the expert; but no man likes to appear an ignoramus, even before his wife. "It appears they do." "Do you think we know any homosexuals, Mal?" "We may well do. The old squire was, and old George Blackstone was his other half." "I didn't know that until it came out over dinner a few months back. Did you know?" "Yes." "Why didn't you tell me?" "It's not the sort of thing men go talking about to their wives, `Did you know old so-and-so is gay?'" "It is strange that the village accepted it." "I think that there was a slow process of people realising the relationship between the two men. The squire was the squire, and was respected and liked in the village, as well as being quite a number of people's landlord. George Blackstone was respected, he'd fought in the first war. He was a useful man to know whenever you wanted certain jobs done, especially on your car." A lengthy silence of several miles was broken by Janice. "I feel in some way responsible, especially towards Katie." "How?" "He's our son. We brought him up, made him the man he is, and now this!" "I think we've done quite a good job with our three. We'd have both been sure about that this time yesterday. They've all got good jobs, they're not alcoholics and drug addicts, they're good to their parents." "And I suppose you're about to say they're all good cricketers." Mal laughed. "Yes, they all good sportsmen. They did play rugger as well." "But now Kevin! One of them! Are there many homosexuals around?" "I remember reading in the paper a few months back that there is uncertainty about the exact percentage. Some say it is as high as twenty per cent, though most think that is too high. Others say that is somewhere around ten per cent. I think it is difficult to be sure what percentage of the population are gay. The article said that it was interesting that the people who are making the most fuss at the moment, are the hard line evangelical Christians..." "Like Bruce Perkins, our vicar?" "Yes, like Bruce, are saying that the percentage is even lower, somewhere around two and a half to five per cent." "Do you think they really know the percentage?" "I guess not. If a married man can be, but perhaps they are Bi." "Bi? What do you mean?" "Bi sexual. Likes sex with both men and women." "How horrible. To think that the penis inside you has been up some man's back passage. It is a revolting thought. I think it is that more than anything that really offends me." Janice paused for a while. "Do you think our Kev was actually doing that?" "I don't know. I heard somewhere that some research had revealed that thirty percent of gay men practised anal intercourse, and fifteen percent of hetero-sexual men did." "Why do they do it?" "Form of birth control, I suppose; or just to do it differently, the novelty." "I suppose I should be thankful. You never tried to do it to me." She paused. "You seem to know a lot about all this, Mal." "My dear, I read the papers, you only glance at them." "Yes, dear." They continued to drive steadily north. The A1 bypasses many towns, like Peterborough, Grantham, Newark and Doncaster, so there is a tendency to feel that it is never ending. They stopped for coffee and a loo break at the service station at the north end of the Grantham bypass. They were on the Doncaster bypass, a motorway, when the next serious conversation started. "How are we going to play it when we get there?" asked Mal. "What do you mean?" "I think there will be a lot of anger and blame towards Kev, especially with this baby on the way." "I know. Just how could he do it. Poor Katie. She must be feeling desperate. She was so looking forward to being a mum, and now this has to happen. I think I'm really very angry with Kev." "It does appear to be rather irresponsible on the face of it." "That is putting it mildly." "I think that is why when it comes to it, we may well find ourselves wanting to stick up for him. Kate's parents are probably calling him everything under the sun." "I see what you mean. If we start sticking up for Kev, it might sound as though we are sympathetic to what he has done and are finding some fault with Katie." "Exactly." "We'll have to be careful. Perhaps just as well, we are not staying there. Let's go there first, and then we will have to come away to find a B and B. When we've done that, we can decide whether to go back." "There is also eating. Should I suggest taking everybody out for a meal this evening." "I just don't know. We'll have to play it by ear." Eventually they turned into Beechlands Way, the road where Kevin and Katie lived. "Now for it!" exclaimed Malcolm. They got out of the car, and made their way to the front door. They rang the bell. Ralph Gledhill, Katie's father opened the door. On all the previous occasions when they had met the four of them had got on well. He held the door wide open for them to enter. "You've made good time. How was the traffic?" They entered. The two men shook hands, and Ralph gave Janice a peck on her cheek. Anne Gledhill, Katie's mother bustled out of the kitchen, wiping her hands. "I was just getting us all some lunch. The two women kissed, and Malcolm gave Anne a peck on the cheek. Ralph led the way into the front room, which served as the lounge. Katie was seated on the settee, and looked up, showing reddened eyes and lack of sleep. Janice immediately sat on the settee alongside, and put her arm round Katie. "You poor dear! What a terrible thing to happen. How could he?" Katie buried her head in Janice's neck and began to sob. The two men just stood looking helpless, just not knowing what to say or do. A few moments later Anne put her head round the door. "Lunch will be ready in about five minutes." Katie pulled away from Janice. "I must go upstairs and wash my face. I must look frightful." She stood up and went out of the room. Janice stood up and followed muttering, "I must see if there is anything to do to help Anne." The two men still stood. Ralph was several inches taller than Malcolm. He was skinny whereas Malcolm was well built. He had a thin closely trimmed moustache, and Malcolm was clean shaven. "Would you like a drink?" offered Ralph. "No thanks. It'd only make me sleepy after the night we had and the drive up here." "I don't think any of us got much sleep last night." "It's a really rum do, isn't it?" "You can say that again. Had you any idea that Kevin was that way inclined?" "None in the slightest. Came as a complete bolt out of the blue. Poor Katie, the shock of it all. We've been talking about it on the way up." "I know very little about such things. I don't think I know any of these so called gays." Malcolm had a little inward smile, with the thought, `Oh yes you do, you're talking to one now.' But the inward smile was immediately removed by Ralph's next remark. "Do you know any?" The pause before answering was of the shortest. "I think so. Working in a shop, dealing with all sorts of people, I've wondered from time to time." `God forgive me for that prevarication,' was the accompanying thought. "The whole idea revolts me. I think this country has become too legally tolerant on these things." Meanwhile in the kitchen Anne and Janice were talking. "Poor Katie, what a terrible shock for her. I have been trying to think just how I'd feel if it'd happened to me." "I know. She says she doesn't want to see him again, let alone have him touch her. She says she feels unclean." "I think I can understand that. Mal and I were talking in the car, wondering whether it was some sudden impulsive act on Kevin's part, or whether something had been going on for sometime." "Ralph and I talked about that in bed last night. We haven't dared do any probing of Katie so far. She's just told us what happened yesterday afternoon." Soon Katie came back downstairs. She had washed her face, and tidied her hair. Conversation turned to the practical details of the meal. It was a simple meal. Some soup, and bread and cheese with chutney. Conversation was intermittent and superficial. Everyone was avoiding the event that had brought them together. It was when they we sitting in the lounge, some drinking coffee and the others drinking tea, that Ralph raised the subject. "Do you two know much about homosexuality?" "I certainly don't," said Janice. "Mal was telling me things I didn't know in the car coming up." "Do you know the cause then?" asked Ralph, looking straight at Mal. "No. I am no expert. Only what I've read in the papers. I gather they can't decide whether it is in the genes, or as the result of upbringing." "The old nature or nurture thing," said Ralph. "Or some combination of both." "All that makes me feel in some way responsible," said Janice. "I suppose if either of those ways are correct, you are in some way. Inadvertently if it is in the genes, and I presume unintentionally if it is the result of upbringing," commented Ralph with a sniff. Janice and Malcolm felt that the atmosphere in the room had become more hostile. It was Katie who came to the rescue, if to the rescue it was. "I have been thinking a lot during the night and at odd moments this morning. Finding out that Kev had been having sex with a man yesterday afternoon was a shock, a complete bombshell. Then I started thinking back, things that have happened, even things that he said, and I started wondering." "How long do you think this has been going on?" asked Anne. "That I'm not at all sure about. I somehow don't think it was going on when we got married." "Why's that?" asked her father. "Something he said once. It was very shortly before we got married. We'd had a very passionate time together." She blushed slightly. "A lot of kissing and cuddling." She looked at her four elders hoping that those words were a sufficient explanation. "He looked at me very seriously. 'I think being married to you will make sure I keep to the straight and narrow.' I asked what he meant. He said something about being married to me would fulfil everything that he wanted in life. I thought it a rather strange comment at the time. I just wonder now if there was something behind that." "Anything else?" asked Ralph. "Over the last year he has been slightly more erratic in his time keeping. He said it was work, maybe it was, but he did not go into the detail of what he'd been doing, as he had done when we were first married." "But that was typical of a man, I would say. Mal gave me more details of his goings on when we were first wed. I don't think that necessarily signifies." Janice looked to Mal for support, but he felt that they were in danger of getting into a situation where they were sticking up for Kevin because he was their son. Mal looked at his watch. "We need to make sure of somewhere to sleep. It is summer, the height of the tourist season, and it may prove difficult in an hour or soes time. We don't want to have to go out to somewhere in the sticks. Have you any idea, Katie?" "The bottom end of Bootham Crescent is almost all B & Bs. I am sure you could find somewhere down there at this time of day. But you're right - you shouldn't leave it too long." "Let me help you clear up from lunch," said Janice. "Then we'll push off." "Can I take you all out for a meal this evening?" asked Mal. They all looked at Katie. She was the one who would find it the most strain. "That would be nice, Pa-in-law. As long it is somewhere where we are unlikely to run into someone I know." "Shall we call back here about seven then?" When they parted Katie went upstairs to try and catch up on some sleep. The two couples analysed the conversations and revelations so far. Anne decided on a sleep on the bed, while Ralph dozed downstairs. Janice and Malcolm soon found a pleasant B & B in Bootham Crescent. "Do you know what I'd like to do?" asked Janice. "What?" "I'd like to go to the Minster and hear Evensong. I can be quiet, and I want to pray for us all." "Fine. And it's not too far to walk from here." Malcolm and Janice went to Evensong, and Janice found some of the peace that she was seeking. Mal enjoyed the choir. They walked back to their B & B and after a quick wash and tidying of themselves they drove round to collect Katie, Anne and Ralph. The two men, as the largest present sat in the front of the car, and the women squashed into the back. Fortunately Katie was still slim, so it was not too uncomfortable. It was while they were driving out to a village pub that Janice asked the question she had hoped she would not need to ask. "Do you know where Kevin has gone?" There was a momentary silence before Katie answered. "No. I don't know. He'll have to make contact sometime. I think he only took a few things, enough for a couple of days at the most." "I hope he hasn't done something silly," said Janice, with the thought of suicide in her mind. Ralph gave a very audible sniff as much as to say that he thought something silly on Kevin's part3 was the best thing that could happen. "Perhaps he's gone to stay with the man he was with," suggested Anne. "If whoever it was can put him up, why had they not met at that man's place?" asked Malcolm. "Perhaps the man lives some distance away, Manchester or Birmingham or even London. They're places with a large homosexual element, aren't they?" offered Ralph. "Does anyone know if he went into work today?" asked Malcolm. "No. I ought to have rung to find out," said Katie. "You were too upset. Perhaps you can ring tomorrow," said Anne. The meal went fairly well. They felt they could not talk about the family crisis as there were other people close by. So the men talked cricket, and the women talked about clothes. The summer sun had set, and the light was beginning to fade when they arrived back at the house. Janice and Malcolm accepted Katie's invitation for them to come in for a drink. Malcolm and Janice had a couple of minutes alone. "I wish I knew where Kev was," said Janice. "I'm beginning to get worried. I hope he's all right." "I know. I wouldn't know what to say to him. But at the end of the day he is our son." *** At that moment Kevin was driving past the house. He had gone into work at the usual time in the morning. He worked for a small company, where about fifty men and women employed. He asked to see Stan Thomas, the boss of the firm. When he walked into the office Stan spoke. "Kevin, what's the matter you look as though you've been on the town all night." "Not that. I've hit a major problem. A major domestic crisis. Nothing illegal or anything like that. I think it would be best for me to get away from York." "You'd like some leave?" "No, more than that." "What do you mean?" There was a worried note in Stan's voice. "No, for good." "We don't want to lose you, mate." Kevin spent a long while with Stan. He did not tell him the exact nature of the breakdown of his marriage, except that he saw it as serious and irretrievable. Eventually it was agreed that Kevin would leave. He was due a fortnight's holiday and that would begin as soon as he had finished his work in hand. Kevin reckoned that he could finish it that day, or possibly within a couple of hours the following morning. On his way back to his office Kevin looked in on the place where Bill worked. Bill worked with a number of other people, so he went over and whispered in his ear. "I need to have a private word with you sometime today. I'll be in my office most of the day." It was just after lunch when Bill put his head round the door of Kevin's office. "You wanted a word." Kevin looked up. "Yes. I'm afraid the balloon's gone up." "What do you mean?" There was a note of anxiety in Bill's voice. "We were very lucky yesterday that Katie did not find us together. She arrived home within seconds of you leaving. In fact she saw you driving away, and wondered who it was. She went upstairs before I was able to sort out the bedroom. She saw the dishevelled bed, and smelt the cum. She thought I'd been having it off with another woman. When she accused me of that I denied it. So it all came out. I'd been with a man?" "And? Does she know it's me?" "No I did not tell her." "So what happened?" "She was very upset, to put it mildly. In fact she hit the bloody roof. The long and short of it is that I've left home. I spent last night in the motel on the A19." "Kevin! What are you going to do?" "I've handed in my notice here. I shall be leaving sometime tomorrow morning. As soon as I have finished this particular job. I shall try to find a job down south somewhere. "Is there anything I can do to help?" "Yes, there is. Can I keep in contact? I will ring your mobile. I shall always ask you where you are. So that will give you an opportunity to say if you are alone, and we can really talk. If you are with your wife or someone else, I shall ask a a number of questions requiring a business answer, so anyone with you will not know who it is phoning. Is that all right?" "Fine. Look in before you go off tomorrow." "No. I won't. We haven't flaunted our friendship here, and if I pop into your office to say goodbye, you will be connected with me when the balloon goes up here." "Do you think it will?" "Certainly. Sooner, rather than later, Katie is going to ring here to find out if I've been into work. She will not hesitate to spill the beans. It'll be all round this place very soon, that I'm a depraved monster, one of those homosexuals." "I shall miss you. Very much." "I'll miss you too." "Thanks for all the good times. I'm so sorry this has happened." "So am I." They stood facing each other for a moment. Then gave each other a quick hug and a kiss. Bill broke away, and with sadness left the room. It was several minutes before Kevin was able to concentrate on his work again. During the afternoon Kevin worked hard and worked late, but he knew he would have to come in in the morning. A further session with the boss late in the afternoon settled all the paper work. Kevin said he would say good bye when he had finished all that he had to do the following morning. The sun had just set and the summer light was beginning to decrease. It would be another hour or more before it was any where near dark. Kevin had decided to risk driving along the road in which he lived. He spotted two cars outside his home. He recognised both - his in-laws, the Gledhill's car, and his father's car. The Gledhill's presence came as no surprise. He was certain that Katie would have rung her parents soon after his disappearance. He was not unduly surprised at seeing his father's car. `So they've come up as well.' So his parents now knew everything. For the first time in his life he felt completely alone. He had always felt that his parents were there to turn to in a time of crisis. He drove back to the motel, and continued to make plans for what he would do. *** It was late, when they were back at their B & B that Malcolm told Janice that he was going to ring Simon. "I'll go and have a shower, while you phone." Malcolm and Simon had worked out a code by which they could tell how free to speak they both were. Malcolm used his mobile. Mal:- Hi Si, Mal here. How are you? Si:- Fine. And you? Mal:- Jan is just having a shower, in the en-suite off our room. Si:- Not completely free to speak then? Mal:- Yea Si:- How's the day gone? Mal:- Interesting. We drove up this morning, arriving in time for lunch. Si:- How's Katie? Mal:- Very cut up. A lot of tears have been shed. Si:- I'm sure. Were her parents there? Mal:- Yes, they were there. Si:- How did it go with them? At this point the door of the en-suite opened at Janice came into the room. Mal:- There were some difficult moments with Ralph and Anne. Janice speaking aloud, so Simon would hear:- You can say that again. Si:- Have you seen Kevin? Mal:- No. Si:- Do you know where he is? Mal:- No. We are beginning to get concerned. We thought he would have contacted Katie by now. Most of his things are there. He only took an overnight case. So:- Did he go into work? Mal:- We don't know. We're going to check on that in the morning. Si:- How long are you going to stay in York? Mal:- We don't know. Then turning to Janice. "How long do you think we will be staying up here? Jan:- Tomorrow's Friday. I think we'll be home Saturday or Sunday. I would like to be in contact with Kev before we go south. But we cannot stay up here indefinitely. Simon heard all that. "Is there anything I can do? Plants to be watered?" Mal:- Yes, can you check that there is nothing to show that we are away. Post or papers or whatever. The plants won't hurt not being watered for a couple of days. Si:- Okay. Pat and I are thinking of you both. Bye. Mal:- Bye. *** To be continued. 2nd of 11 Jeff at Jeffyrks@hotmail.com