Date: Sun, 9 Apr 2006 23:55:29 -0400 From: Lawrence Prichard Subject: Tuesday Evening and Wednesday Morning 10 Disclaimer and all that. If you are under age to read male-male romance, Begone--until you are of age. Names, locales, and trademarks are fictitious or used fictitiously. Thank you to some devoted readers. Thank you again to Tim Mead, Rimpig, Drew Hunt, Mickey S., and George Gardner. "The Night Listener" film will be out this summer! Blessings on all veterinarians, veterinary technicians, and the phone ladies (and phone laddies) in every veterinarian's office, worldwide. "Mr. Smith", also known as "Long John Silver" was in my life from 1999-2006. He was adopted as an adult from a local shelter, and do consider cats and dogs from shelters. Also please consider adult cats and dogs. They are often surprisingly adaptable, and can bond just as well as kittens and puppies. Copyright 2005-2006 by Lawrence Prichard. _______ Tuesday Evening, 10:15 pm, early April. Jerome's turn. Want to make God laugh? Make plans. Denys and I were in the shower with excellent shower gel (sandalwood!) and some loofas, and brushes, and having a great wet time. We don't shower together a lot, because we try to keep the water bill low. Unlike the motto in the early 1970s, "Save Water, Shower With A Friend," we found that when we showered together more than once a week, our water bill skyrocketed. We do have a shower date every week. Always loving, sometimes frisky. I was "polishing his medals," or washing his chest. I found two lumps in Denys's right breast. One is about five centimetres long, and the other one is the size of a large green pea or small marble. Denys hadn't noticed them, or he hadn't told me if he had. I dropped the bottle of shower gel (plastics in some cases are wonderful!), and I started to cry. Denys opened his arms, gathered me closely, and said "Whatever this is, we'll get through it together. Together." Denys was not doing well. Mr. Smith, his beloved cat, had recently been diagnosed with a very aggressive cancer, and went to the vet the last time earlier in the week. Gayle, his long term woman friend, is a cat foster, and has a Russian Blue for him to meet, Nikoli. Denys without a cat is like a baseball player without a cup that needs to be adjusted. I stared at my dear, dear man. I said "What are you going to do?" Denys looked at me very forthrightly, and said "I am going to call Dr. Bill's office in the morning, get the first available appointment, and go from there. It it is, it is, and if it isn't, it isn't." Denys took a deep breath, and added--"I am going to slash, poison, and burn, as necessary." "Dr. Bill" is Denys's internist, Billy Szyzmanski, MD. He's a good guy, and considered (with reason!) to be one of the best internists in the area. "Slash, poison, and burn" is a defiantly amusing way to discuss current cancer treatment methods. Surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation. We stayed clenched in the shower until the water eventually ran cold, which is a challenge with a 80 gallon hot water tank. The previous family in the house had four teenagers. Denys took the big striped towels off the heated rack and dried me off. I took the big jewel toned solid towels off the rack and dried him off. I'm in the kitchen now, sitting at the kitchen table, having a carton of Cherry Garcia, and thinking. Wolf, my dog, padded into the kitchen, and looked up at me. I gathered him into my arms and started to cry again. Denys is in the computer room, catching up on his email. I am holding on to hopes that it's just cysts or some other innocent lumposity. Time will tell. We're two bummed bruins. Again. _______________ Feedback welcome OhioBear330@webtv dot net