Date: Mon, 18 Jun 2018 04:16:16 +0000 (UTC) From: D J Subject: The Grassy Hill part 2 Author's note: This story is a work of fiction, and the characters in it are not real persons. This work is copyright of the author and all rights are reserved. I hope you like it, and I appreciate all comments, praise, complaints, death threats or flames. Send them to Sahypo at dj92570j@yahoo.com. Thanks to everyone who has written to me; if you wish, please let me know a bit about you. I would like to know who my readers are, and what touches you about the story. Please donate to Nifty if you like the stories; your contributions provide this place and keeps it going. http://donate.nifty.org/donate.html The Grassy Hill Part 2 Copyright 2018 By Sahypo Kevin walked back into the trailer and caught a quick shower. It had been a warm Sunday and he didn't feel climbing into bed all sweaty. After he finished, he put on briefs and found his mother watching TV on the couch in her robe. She had just gotten out of the shower before Robby left, and had a towel on her head to dry her hair. He would often snuggle with his mother on the couch before they went to bed. When his alarm went off, he would find breakfast on the table that his mother had prepared before she left. He would shower and dress, run a load of laundry in the washer. In the afternoon, he would dry the laundry, vacuum and straighten up a bit. Evenings were the time they could spend together. Kevin was unusually quiet tonight, prompting his mother to wonder "You haven't said anything since Robby went home, Kevin. Is everything okay?" "Lotsa stuff going on, Mom." "Heavy bad stuff, or real good stuff, or just stuff, honey?" "Um, like heavy, but not good or bad." Kevin replied. "Is it between you and Robby?" Kevin nodded, looked down and drummed his fingers on his mothers' knee. She ran her fingers gently through his hair as she waited for him to continue. "You know.... Well, it's...um, like when you know somebody for a long time and then you find things out that you didn't know...and it takes getting used to because things are different now?" "Yes, honey, I do." "Well, that was today for me and him." "I see...You learned something about Robby, or did Robby learn something about you?" "Both, actually." "No wonder you're so quiet. Are you two still friends?" "Oh, yeah...me and him are solid, Mom." "Well, that's good. So, you feel like talking about all this heavy stuff so you can go to sleep?" she teased. Kevin would toss and turn all night in a dither until he calmed down if he were left to his own devices. She had learned very early in Kevin's life that Kevin didn't fare well when he bottled things up. Kevin smiled. He knew she was right and drummed on her knee some more as he composed his thoughts. "Umm, I had to tell Robby some things today, so he could decide if he still wants to be friends with me." "Whoa...That does sound pretty heavy, Kevin...Care to share?" Kevin looked down for a long moment and considered his words carefully before he spoke again. "I'm... I'm gay...Mom." His mother sat in silence for a moment to digest that. She turned off the TV and put her arm around Kevin. "Kevin, are you sure about this?" "Are you kidding? You don't believe me?" Kevin asked, somewhat defensively. "I didn't say that, honey, I believe that you think you are...It's not unusual for boys your age to have intensely close friendships. It doesn't mean that either one of you are gay, Kevin." "Yeah, but am I supposed to have weird dreams and stuff?. It wasn't like this before..." "What sort of dreams? And before what, honey?" "Dreams where boys have no clothes on... Those began when the other stuff did." "Other stuff?" "Uh-huh...you know, down there." "You mean pubic hair..." "Uh-huh" Kevin nodded. This was a revelation for Kevin's mother. Kevin's voice had not broken, and he had no signs of acne at present, so she had always assumed that puberty was a few years down the road. "Oh, I see. Sounds like you're growing up. I'm told that boys sometimes look at each other to see if they are normal and so on. Again, it doesn't make you or Robby gay. I'm guessing that you two went there?" Kevin nodded. "And you learned something about Robby?" Kevin nodded again. "We went to the mound today and talked. After I told him I was gay and yes, I wondered what he looks like and stuff, he said we're still friends and it doesn't matter if I am gay. So later this afternoon...not sure I should tell you this without asking him." "I'll make sure not to say anything in front of him, Kevin." "We came back here, and...well, um ...we took all our clothes off... I didn't ask him to, or nothin.' I wasn't expecting that, we never did it before...and...well, his isn't like mine at all." "So, he's not circumcised?" "That's not it. They told us about that in health class. He pees from underneath his um, thing, and he has one ball, Mom. I never knew he was different." "He must have been born like that, I guess. Why do you think he showed you?" "He wanted me to know...I guess he felt like he was keeping a secret just like I did." Kevin explained. "So, now that you both know these things about each other, does it change anything?" "Umm, only that I feel closer to him, I guess. It's hard to explain. He never told anyone about it except me." "Kevin, about being gay...Just let things sort themselves out. You are awfully young to really know for sure if you are, so keep an open mind. Things are going to change a lot at the age you are, and you might find yourself girl crazy in a year or two." "But what if I am, you know, gay?" "Then it is what it is, Kevin." She said with a smile. "Look, be good to Robby, all the riches in the world can't buy a friend like him. Take care of each other and whatever will be will be, okay?" Kevin nodded and hugged his mother. "Thanks, Mom. I love you." "I love you too, baby boy. Go to bed, you have school tomorrow." "Good night, mom." Kevin said as he kissed her on the cheek. She returned the kiss, and replied "Good night, honey." In the morning, the boys met at Their Place on the recess yard, and they stood and watched as the other students who walked to school or rode bikes arrived. "Hey, did you talk to your dad?" Kevin asked. Robby nodded. "Yeah, I did. I should have done that a long time ago. It was good. He said...he said he was proud of me, and I didn't break him and mom up." "Uh...why wouldn't he be proud of you, dude?" Robby hesitated and looked at the ground. "'Cause, um, you know...I was sure he'd rather have a real boy for a son." "You are a real boy...Damn it, Robby! We pinky shook on this!" "I said was, dude. Don't be mad at me, please? Dad said he loves me the way I am and he wouldn't lie to me about anything. But anyway, now I know for sure. I had to ask...it's been on my mind for years...I just never told you about that." "Sorry, man. I didn't mean to...I could never be mad at you." "It's cool, Kevin. You're just stickin' up for me and stuff." "You don't really think you made your mom run off, do you?" "Not any more...Not after Dad did one of those "look at me, Robby" speeches, and told me that was total bullshit." "God, your Dad is awesome..." Kevin stated. "Yes, he is, Kevin. So is your mom." "I talked to her after you left." Careful of close-by ears, Kevin lowered his voice and said "I told her what we talked about on the mound." "How did she take it?" "She thinks I'm going through a phase and stuff...and I'll be into girls later when I "become a man." I think I might have shocked her a little though." " How's that?" "She didn't know I'm getting' puberty and stuff." Kevin giggled and Robby smiled. "She says it's normal for boys to be curious and all that stuff and I shouldn't freak out over it." "She doesn't know we uh...you know..." "She does know." "WHAT??? You told her?" Robby blurted in a panic. "Relax, I didn't have to...She brought it up, Robby." "Really?" "Yeah. I never lie to her about anything...you know that. Anyway, she was totally cool with it." Robby relaxed a bit. If Kevin said she was cool, that was good enough for him. "She thinks you'll go straight soon...what if you don't?" "Whatever will be will be." "She said that?" "Yup." "Wow." Robby whispered. "Umm, Robby...I was thinking about asking mom if you could stay over Friday night...if you want to, and you dad says it's okay, I mean." Kevin and Robby had never had a sleepover, and Robby didn't hesitate to reply "Sure, I'll ask Dad when I get home, and you'll clear it with your mom?" "Done deal!" Kevin replied, his words cut off by the first bell. All the students began to shuffle inside the building, and another school week got off to a start. Robby and Kevin left school in the afternoon, and Robby's father was home soon after, and found Robby on the couch in his briefs watching afternoon television. He walked up behind the couch and ran his fingers through Robby's hair to let the boy know he was home. "Hi, dad...How went it today?" Robby asked. "It went...not bad, but I'm glad it's over. A/C in the shop was on the blink...It was hot as hell." His father said as he stripped out of his clothes. "I needs me a beer and a shower, he said." Robby always giggled when his father spoke in third person. He looked up as his nude father padded down the hall to the bathroom, pausing to throw the sweaty clothes in the washer. He returned to the living room in a pair of shorts about twenty minutes later, looking refreshed. Robby turned off the TV and turned to look at his father. "Hey, Dad?" "What's up, Tiger?" he replied as he went into the kitchen and opened the refrigerator. "Can I spend the night at Kevin's after school on Friday?" "Um, yeah...I can't see why not. Did Kevin clear that with his mom?" "He's doing that tonight, I'll know at school tomorrow." "Good enough." "Um, Dad?" "Yeth, my Thun?" His father said in a Daffy Duck voice, emphasizing the slobber on the "S"s. Robby closed his eyes and wiped his hand across his face. "Eww, that was wetter than usual, Dad. So, um, okay. Remember last night you said there was an operation they do on um, boys like me?" "The one to move the pee hole? Or the testicle one?" "Um, the Pee hole." "I remember, sure." "You said I don't need it, right?" "Right...Doc Murray talked to us about it, and he felt that it wasn't worth the risk, and we decided not to do it." "What did he mean, what risk?" "Well. Doc said there were a number of things that could happen...Like, you could have scars on your penis, or the surgery might have failed and you could look worse afterwards, you could get an infection, and so on. The other thing he told us is that the specialist that he sends his patients to for this surgery, doesn't take boys with cases like yours." "Um, why not?" "The boys he operates on can't pee standing up, Robby. Put it this way, they can't do what you can do unless they have surgery, so they are willing to take the risks. Understand?" Robby nodded. "Robby, look at me, son." Thus, began another heart to heart from father to son. "The only thing that makes you different is the way you see yourself. No one is going to care about this if they really love you, Robby. Um, look..." his father paused to gather his thoughts. "How do I put this.... When the time comes and you are um, alone with a lady, and so on, chances are good that it will be her first time too..." "Okay" "So, she's not going to be comparing you to other boys, if you're the first she's seen up close, um that way and all." Robby giggled. "What?" his father asked, puzzled. "You're blushing, Dad." Robby grinned. "I get what you said, though." "That's what matters, Tiger." "Um, Dad...If I got that piece of skin taken off, would it look more like yours?" "You mean if you got circumcised." "Yeah" "Yours would still be bigger, Robby." The man joked. "Oh Dad! Stop! I'm serious!" Robby protested. "Yes, I know you are...I want you to think long and hard..." Robby burst out laughing, followed by his father "Oh, Shit! Did I really say that?" They both enjoyed a good laugh for a long moment before his father continued. "Yes, Robby, it would probably look a lot more like mine...Give it a lot of thought, and if you still want that, let me know, okay?" "Okay" Robby hugged his dad for a long moment, and his father patted and rubbed Robby's back. "You got homework?" Robby nodded. "Gotta read" he mumbled into his father's chest. "Get your reading and let's knock it out. Then we'll go get something to eat." Robby got his reading assignment out of his book bag and sat on the couch. His father sat next to him, like they did almost every school evening. Robby was not a strong reader, and his father would coach him through unfamiliar words, and quiz him from time to time about what he was reading to get Robby to think about what he was reading, instead of just making it through the words. Halfway through the essay, Robby ran into a word he had not seen before. "It's got a p-h in it, Robby. What does that sound like?" "Um, fffff?" "K, so what's this word?" "Sax...fffff.....Saxophone?" "Good! Nailed it, buddy." Robby's reading and comprehension had improved greatly since last year, but it was the result of a lot of hard work on Robby's part and patience, guidance and time from his father that got him there. `Robby...That's why I'm proud of you...because you never give up. Last year you would have really struggled to get that word, and you would have gotten upset and frustrated." "Yeah, I know." "Let's finish this and get dressed. I'll take you out for burgers." "Yeah! That sounds good." While Robby and his father were out at a local café, Kevin and his mom baked chicken in the oven and made a salad. His mother had the day off, so she took Kevin to the Piggly Wiggly when he got home from school and did the grocery shopping. They took advantage of coupons, and Kevin had diagrammed the aisles in the store so they could find the coupons in the correct order in Kevin's zippered bank pouch easier. By taking advantage of every cash back and cash off gimmick they could find, they often brought hundred-dollar grocery trips in at under seventy dollars or were able to purchase brand name items at the same price as generics in some cases. Kevin coated the chicken legs with spices and corn meal in a bread bag saved for this purpose, while his mother put the other items away. He liked to cook, and often his mother would buy him tougher cuts of beef she could get at a discount from the meat counter, so he could make stew, beef burgundy, or his favorite, stroganoff. "Mom, can Robby stay over Friday night?" "Sure, if his dad says its okay, that would be fine...Um, you two have never done a sleepover, have you?" "Nope. I gotta figure out what to make for supper Friday night too." Kevin said as he laid the chicken out on the baking sheet. His mother turned the gas oven on, and checked to make sure the old burner was lit. "Mom, can you get the door?" Kevin asked as he picked up the sheet and she opened the oven door for him. He slid the sheet into the oven, and waited as she closed the door and set the timer. "Got homework?" "Just some reading, Mom. I'm going to take a bath while the chicken bakes." Kevin took his shirt off, and began unbuckling his belt as he went down the hallway to the back of the trailer where his room was. He laid his jeans on his bed, and stuffed the shirt and his briefs in the hamper before taking his socks off. In the bathroom, Kevin turned the water on, and waited until the temperature came up, then climbed into the bathtub and got on his knees. He put his head under the running water to soak his hair before putting shampoo in his hand from the bottle. Working the lather into his hair, he made sure he got all of it before getting under the spout again to rinse off. With that task done, he lay back in the tub and watched the water rise up until everything below his nipples was submerged. Kevin would often sit in the bathtub in the silence of his own thoughts and contemplate alternatives to the life he knew. He looked down at his perfectly shaped circumcised boyhood, with its perfectly formed and located urethral orifice, and the two perfectly matched and symmetric testicles in his perfectly formed scrotum. He looked like any other normal, typical Caucasian western male child entering puberty, and wondered what it must be like to be Robby. Robby, who looked like no one Kevin had ever seen. Admittedly his experience was limited to what he had seen in public toilets, the locker room at the pool, and school urinals and so forth, but at least his penis looked like the ones illustrated in the Health Science class book and slides. He wondered what Robby must have thought sitting through those classes. Kevin absent-mindedly studied his erect organ, floating in the water. He ran his fingers around the edge of the corona and studied the faint scar line where he had been circumcised. As usual, he enjoyed the sensation of erection, but after some time, he would get bored, the erection would subside and his mind would move on to other things. Kevin had never experienced climax, and had not begun masturbating to orgasm, or with orgasm as a goal. Kevin's attention turned to fact that he had been in the tub long enough that the water was growing cold, and dinner was probably ready. He soaped up, scrubbed and rinsed. Pulling the plug on the drain, he stepped out of the tub and looked at his face in the mirror. Still no sign of pimples, but he could tell that his skin was a bit oilier than it had been in the past. He looked under each arm but could find no traces of maturation. Drying off, he slipped unseen back to his room, and found a pair of shorts to put on. He sat down at the table, and looked at his mother, who was reading a romance novel waiting for the oven timer to go off. "Did you get to the sex yet, Mom?" Kevin asked. His mother's eyebrows went up, and she put the book down on the table. He had clearly taken her by surprise. "If you must know, there was a bit at the beginning, yes. But to answer your burning question, I have not gotten to that part yet," she.replied. "It's kinda lame anyway," "Oh, is that so?" "Yeah, All that heaving bosoms and breathless passion stuff sounds like she's passing out on a treadmill instead of getting laid." Kevin complained. His mother cracked up laughing "These are written for women who want to read about romance, Kevin. Wining and dining and falling in love and seduction...The sex is not the main thing." "Mom...I'm horny as hell twenty-seven hours a day...I'm gonna break out in zits, have wet dreams and squeak like a rusty screen door any minute...Sex is the ONLY thing!" "My poor little cursed baby!" his mother teased. They both had a good giggle Even though there was a lot of truth in what Kevin said, she knew that he was pulling her leg pretty hard about her habit of reading those penny dreadfuls. "Mom.... Do you think about that stuff, you know...? Wining and dining...falling in love? After my, um...sperm donor..." Kevin trailed off, letting her put the rest of his unsaid thought together. Kevin had never used the word "father" to describe the person who sired him in his life. He was just an abstract concept that left his genetic material with his mother, then disappeared. She sat and thought for a long minute. "Well, honey. After, your...he left us, I had to be a mother and raise you...It takes time to find the right man, and I sure as hell wasn't going to make a bad choice like him again. Then, I guess we fell into a routine, and I just didn't have time to fit that in the schedule." "But, now, you know...I'm older and stuff...do you have time?" "Are you asking me if I want to date again, or are you giving me your blessing, honey?" "Both, I guess...if it would make you happy, I want you to, Mom." "Thank you, honey, but that's not even on the radar for now. I will make you one promise though." "What's that?" "I won't have a relationship with a man that you don't feel comfortable around. I won't force you into that sort of situation." "Thanks, mom" Kevin replied as he pulled on the oven mitt. "You sure you don't want me to get that?" "I'm sure, Mom." She reached into the cabinet and grabbed two plates and put them on the table, so Kevin would have a place to land the hot baking sheet. "Cover me, men...I'm going in!" Kevin exclaimed as he opened the oven door. He gripped the sheet and pulled it gently out of the oven and set it on the plates. "How's that?" he crowed, closing the oven door. "Almost done." She replied. "Oh yeah." Kevin remembered, shutting the oven and timer off. They sat down and munched on the hot juicy chicken. Kevin's mother was surprised. "Mmmm, this is really good, Kevin. What did you do to it?" "There's some cayenne pepper in it this time. Is it too much?" "No...It's just right, baby...You wrote it down and everything, right?" "Of course, Now that you like it, we'll keep the recipe." After dinner, Kevin needed to work on some of his model airplanes, and took some old newspaper and spray paints outside. While he was busy, his mother picked up the phone and dialed a number. "Hello." "Mister Thomas? This is Laura Porter, Kevin's mother." "Oh, Yes! I'm Robert... It's good to speak to you. I'm not sure if we've met." "I don't think we have, actually. Um, I called to see if we could meet over coffee and talk." "Sure, that sounds fine...Is everything okay?" "Oh, yes, no worries." "Can you meet me at Louie's in about ten minutes?" "Sure, I'll see you in ten. Bye." "Bye." Robert hung up the phone and looked for Robby. "Robby?" he called. No response. The house was quiet as a tomb. He looked out the back door and saw Robby in the back yard with a golf ball and a putter, practicing in the fading evening sunlight. "Hey, Killer, I got an errand to run. I'm going to lock the front door, okay?" "Okay, Dad. I'll be fine." Ten minutes later, he was just about to sit down in a booth at Louie's when Laura walked up. "Robert? I'm Laura." She said, offering her hand. "Hey, I do know you...from high school. I was two years ahead of you." Robert replied, taking the offered hand. "I thought you looked familiar when I walked in." They sat down and the waitress came over, and looked at Robert with a confused look. "Yes, I am back, fair maiden." "I thought so...at least I'm not seeing things, then." The waitress said, with a giggle. "Robby and I had dinner here about an hour ago." Robert explained. "Doctor Pepper, please." "Iced tea, no sugar" Laura ordered. Robert held up one finger to the waitress, who nodded, and left. "So, is Robby a junior?" "No, he's actually Robin, not a Robert." "Oh, we never knew that! I mean, Kevin never said anything about that if he knows." "They might have hooked pinkies on it...you know about that, right?" "Yes, the sacred pinky swear." They both giggled about the boys' ritual, and more directly, the seriousness with which they regarded the pinky swear. Their soft drinks arrived, and Robert discretely swept the check into his hand. "Well, I really appreciate you and Kevin. Robby really loves both you guys, and Kevin helps him so much in school." "I think of Robby as a second son at times. It seems those two are closer than brothers." "Well, if they ever get into trouble over there, don't hold back on Robby." "Oh, they've never done anything to abuse my trust...Kevin tells me everything, even if it gets him in trouble. Being by myself, I give him a lot of freedom, and have to trust him. I'm...just glad that he has such a super good kid like Robby as a friend." "Thank you...It's hard for Robby sometimes...you know, to fit in. Kevin is always so good to him when others can be cruel...It's been seven years for us, since his mother left. I think it's been a little easier for Robby because he has known you." "That's very kind of you to say. Thank you." Robert nodded. "I do need your help, if it's okay with you." "What's up" "Kevin never knew his...father. He's never had a male role model other than when he's at your house. He's started um, growing up recently, and there are things I can't teach him. I love my son and we talk about everything, but if you are willing to be there to answer the things I can't, it would mean so much to us." "I would do anything for Kevin. If he's comfortable coming to me, of course I will do what I can. It's funny that you should ask me this...Robby opened up the last few days about things we have never talked about before." "Kevin was very quiet and preoccupied with something the other night...I thought maybe they had a fight. He said he and Robby had a very heavy and serious conversation, and that their friendship was stronger afterward. I can't say what all was discussed because Kevin hasn't said I could, but they both shared things that the other didn't know." "Hmmm, Robby didn't tell me any of that, but my talk with him makes sense now". "Did Robby tell you that Kevin asked him to spend the night this Friday?" "He did...That's cool, and Kevin's welcome to stay with us any time, too." "Was there any particular time you would like him home on Saturday?" "Nah, I'm going to pull some overtime at work, and he has a key. It's up to you and your schedule, really." "Not that my schedule is all that complicated." Laura giggled. "Hey, um, Robby said you work housekeeping at the motel?" "Yes." "I'm a technician over at FreightMaster...they let one of the housekeeping guys go the other day, and I think there's an opening. You might think about coming by and applying." "Does it have benefits?" "Pretty sure there is dental, medical, retirement plan, yeah...but you should ask when you apply." "I sure will, thanks for the awesome tip!" "No problem...Hope you can use it." "Well...Thanks so much for meeting and the drink, Robert. I guess we should be getting back to our unattended children." "Yes...It was good to meet you. Again...seems like forever since high school." Robert peeled bills off and left them on the check to cover the bill and the tip. "Next time it's on me" Laura said as she got up. "I'll hold you to that." Robert said with a grin as they turned to leave. Once back at the trailer, Laura heard the shower running. Peeking her head in the door, she asked "Is that you? I'm home." "Jesus, Mom! You almost gave me a heart attack!" Kevin said as he turned the water off. "I'll make us some hot chocolate, honey." She said as she closed the door. Kevin swept the curtain aside and grabbed a towel. He almost did a double take in the mirror, spotting his first pimple. "Shit!" he spat in disgust. "I hate puberty." He pulled on a pair of shorts and left the bathroom fan running as he joined his mother in the living room. "Do people have to go through puberty?" Kevin groused "Unless they're dead, I think so." Laura deadpanned, not looking up from her novel. "That doesn't actually help, Mom." Kevin whined. "Sorry, baby. Don't know what to tell you." She got up and opened the microwave door and pulled out a measuring cup full of hot water and poured it into two coffee cups that had cocoa mix in them. She got two spoons out and handed one to Kevin. They stirred their cocoa in silence for a few minutes. "Great. Can you just shoot me now? He teased. "Baby boy...Just accept it with grace, dignity and humility....or not. Mother nature don't care either way." Kevin met Robby at school as usual and the boys settled their plans for Friday night. The next few days ground out slowly, and it seemed like eons passed before the last bell rang. They met up and walked out to the bike rack. "We gotta swing past the house and pick up my stuff, then we can go to your place." "With one stop on the way. I gotta dollar." Kevin said with a grin. "Dude, cool!" Robby crowed. Kevin giggled at his friend's delight. A stop at Michy's store was always a treat. They took off and pedaled in the direction of the small general store. The humidity was fairly high that afternoon, and the boys were soon sweating a bit from the ride. The air felt like a hot wet sheet on their skin, and the coolness of the air conditioning in the store felt good. Just walking over the wood plank floor, smelling the candy, popcorn, hot dogs and comic books was intoxicating. The old man didn't like the service fees that the local soda distributor charged for vending machines, so he sold his soda out of an insulated metal box filled with ice water. An overflow kept the water just above the caps on the bottles, and the ice would last four days if the lid wasn't opened. It was the coldest soda in town and the kids loved it. Kevin opened the lid and pulled an Orange Crush out of the frigid water and looked back at Robby. "Grape, right?" "Uh-huh" Robby nodded. It was his favorite, along with licorice. Kevin couldn't stand licorice, although his mother also liked it. Kevin pulled the bottle of grape soda out of the tank and closed the lid. He laid the dollar on the counter and the old man smacked it like it was a snake and smiled. The boys giggled as old man Michy slid the bill off the back of the counter and put it in the till. "Thanks for stopping by, boys!" he said as they turned to leave. "Bye Mister Michy" Kevin replied. Robby had his bottle of soda tilted back in mid-swallow, so he just waved. Once at Robby's house, they left the bikes in the side yard and walked up to the back door. They set the empty bottles down on the porch, and Robby fished in his pocket for his key. The house was warm and still when they entered. Robby kicked his shoes off and unbuckled his belt. He pulled it out of the loops and slipped his jeans off. He unbuttoned his shirt and took it off as well and put the school clothes in the laundry basket next to the washer and dryer in their alcove off the kitchen. Robby was clad only in socks and underwear, a state Kevin had seen Robby in hundreds of times. "I wish I was tall, like you." Kevin observed, taking his shoes off by the door. "I'm not that much taller." "Dude, stop, Turn around, okay?" Kevin commanded. He stood nose to chin with his friend, so close that Robby had to adjust his feet to avoid stepping on Kevin's. "Put your hand on my head." Robby put his hand on Kevin's head. "OK...hold it there." Kevin said as he stepped back away from Robby. The edge of Robby's hand was against the tip of his nose. "See, it's not even close, Mister "I'm not that tall!" Kevin taunted. "Stretch!" "Quit!" "Too Tall." "Stop" Robby giggled. Kevin grabbed Robby around the middle in a bear hug and tried to throw Robby side to side. Robby began dragging Kevin as the boys laughed hysterically. Every time Kevin pulled on Robby, Robby would bend forward to lift Kevin off his feet and spoil his leverage. Kevin had little choice but to hang on as his feet slid on the hardwood floor. "Dude, you're humping me!" Robby cackled. Kevin responded by slamming his pelvis into Robby's back rapid fire. "No, that's me humping you." Kevin giggled. "Asshole!" Robby teased, cracking up in laughter. "Mister Asshole, please." Kevin cracked in reply, grunting as he tugged and pulled on Robby. By this time, Robby had dragged Kevin into the living room, and lined up for a landing on the couch. Standing up straight and arching his back caused Kevin to lose his balance and fall over backwards onto the couch. Robby landed heavily on top of Kevin, who let out a loud "Ooof!" "Shit, I hope we didn't break the couch." Robby said, breathing heavily from the exertion. "No...just my ribs...and my back...and my weenie." Kevin giggled. "Minor injury." Robby teased. "Screw you, too!" Kevin squeaked, and Robby cackled in laughter. "Get off me, I can't breathe, dude." Robby got up and stood looking down at Kevin who was sprawled on the couch. "Come, on, let's get going." Robby said, as he reached down and pulled Kevin up. Robby went to his room and returned in shorts and a tee shirt with his toothbrush. Across town, business at the motel had been slow, so Laura checked in with the owner and let him know that all the unoccupied rooms were ready. He gave her the rest of the day, and she decided to stop by FreightMaster on the way home to inquire on the position Robert said was available. FreightMaster was a brand of semi-truck tractor, and Laura pulled into the lot full of new trucks and found a place to park. This was a fairly large dealership, and the showroom was full of people in uniform shirts and displays of chromed accessories were everywhere one turned. Laura must have looked like a lost puppy, and in a moment a young woman about her age appeared at her elbow. "Ello, there. Have ya been assisted?" she asked in a pleasant Australian accent. "Oh, uh no...I'm here to ask about a housekeeping position you might have open." "Well, word gets around fast doesn't it? We haven't even advertised it yet...May I ask how you heard about the job?" "Yes, Robert Thomas suggested that I might apply." "Oh, very good. I just have some questions for you to get started. Do you have experience?" "Yes, I have been cleaning rooms at the motel in town for thirteen years." "And what all does that job require?" "The rooms have to be vacuumed, dusted, bathrooms sanitized, windows done, tile mopped. Sheets linens, towels changed, beds made. We have to run the trash, and one of the men there cleans the parking lot." "Good...good." The woman replied. "Let's have a seat in my cell, shall we?" Abigail joked as she led Laura to a small, efficient office. "This job is mainly keeping the public areas and the offices clean, as well as the restrooms. You don't have to clean the shop areas, the technicians are responsible for that. The parking lot is taken care of by a contractor, so other than running trash the job is indoor." "Ok". "Um, I have to ask this, but is anything going to come up on a background check, or drug test?" "No...I've never had a traffic ticket in my life. I'm a single parent of an eleven-year-old. My life pretty much revolves around him. So, no drugs...Sorry." The two women giggled at that before the interview went on. "Is it okay to ask what you make presently?" "Uh, it's seven twenty-five an hour." "Well, that might be a problem." The woman shook her head. "I don't understand." Laura replied. Abigail smiled and winked. "Well, it's just that if we hire you, the job starts at ten eighty. We also provide health, dental, vacation time, and a retirement plan." Laura began to tear up and held her hand up to her face. "Is something wrong, Miss?" "It's just.... This would change my little boy's life...I'm sorry. This is probably not very professional of me." The witty Australian lady had liked Laura at first sight and had a pretty good record of judging character. She knew in that moment that Laura was struggling, and really should have this job. It was hard to find good workers who could pass pre-employment screens and sometimes jobs would go unfilled for months until the right candidate came along. She decided that Karma was calling, and that she should not pass on the opportunity. "Uh, that's fine, no worries. By the way, I'm Abigail Smith. They call me the assistant general manager around here. I'm really a gofer." Laura giggled. "Laura Porter." The women shook hands. "Laura, I need someone as soon as possible. Normally we would give you an application to fill out, then we would process it and all that stuff and it would take a month to get someone on. When could you start?" "Um, I should give two weeks' notice...or maybe I could work two jobs for two weeks..." "No, that wouldn't be fair to your son...Two weeks it is, then. In the meantime, I am going to give you an application, and get a copy of your identification, if I may. Fill out the paper work and drop it off, and we will get your drug test done any time. It can be after you leave your other job if you can't get time off." Laura fished her driver's license out and put it on the desk. Abigail took it and walked over to a cubicle with a copy machine and copied the ID. "Normally, I would never bring someone on board until their background and drug screen comes back, but I think I can trust you, Laura. You'll be probationary, or pending hire until they come in." "Wow, like how long does that take?" "It can be thirty days...but like I said, I have immediate need." "Yes, ma'am. Thank you so much. This means so much..." "Let me show you around and introduce you to your crew." Ms. Smith took Laura all over the facility, shops offices, guest lounge, restrooms. In the service bay, Laura and Robert saw each other at a distance. Robert gave her a questioning look, and she returned a huge smile and a thumbs up. Robert made signal language for "You got it?" Laura nodded. Robert waved to her and turned back to the truck he was working on and spoke into the engine compartment. "You can pay up, Spanky." A short, heavyset black man walked around to Robert's side of the truck. "Oh yeah? What's up?" "Remember that referral bonus we bet on? She just got the job." "Ain't nobody announced nothin' yet!" "Keep your ears on, Spank. It's comin'." Laura walked around the facility with Abigail almost in a sense of disbelief. Thirteen years at one place and soon it would end and this sprawling, busy and exciting place would be her new reality. The better pay and benefits would greatly impact their standard of living, and although Kevin had never been ill enough to need to see a doctor, the shots and immunizations were a considerable drain on the budget when they came due. She had to give notice tomorrow. This would be hard, but she rationalized that folks change jobs all the time, and it is just a part of being an employer or employee. Abigail's guided tour had lasted an hour and a half, and they were standing in Abigail's office trying to think of last minute things before Laura left. Abigail handed Laura the application form, and the referral sheet for the drug test. "Take this to the medical clinic next door to the Safeway. It shouldn't take five minutes." "Sounds pretty simple. Oh, uh, could you please thank Robert for me? I wouldn't be here if he hadn't said something to me." "Oh, no worries, I'll let you do that." Abigail replied as she unclipped a radio from her belt. "Robert Thomas, please report to employee lounge, Robert Thomas to employee lounge." The radio bleeped and seconds later it replied "Copy" "Shall we?" Abigail led the way to the employee lounge and turned to Laura at the door. "I must go now...Good luck and get that stuff done ASAP, and we will see you in two weeks, six thirty in the morning." "Yes, Ma'am...Again, thank you so much." "No worries, welcome aboard!" Abigail left the room as Robert came in from the shop. "So, it's teammate now?" Robert asked "Almost. Abigail hired me on probation until my background check is done and I pass the drug screen." "Awesome...That's super, Laura. Congratulations...Glad this worked out." "Thanks...I can't wait to get home and tell the boys." She reached out and gave Robert a hug. Robert embraced her back, and said "I'm probably greasy, you know." "Yeah, probably". She replied. "I should get going before they sell the trailer or set it on fire or something." "Give Robby my love, would you?" "I will do that. See you in two weeks." "Take care, Laura." "And you too." Laura got back to the trailer, and found the boys watching TV with only shorts on. "Hey, boys!" "Hi mom" "Hey Miss Porter." "Robby your Dad said to tell you hi, sends his love." "Really? You talked to him?" Laura leaned over the back of the couch and gave each boy a kiss on the cheek. "I did. Your father turned me on to a job opening at FreightMaster." Kevin flipped around to face his mother as if he had been shocked on a bare wire. Eyes wide, he stammered "D-Did you? Did you g-g....?" "Yes, baby. I got the job! I start in two weeks." She replied, as Kevin began jumping up and down in celibration. "Is...Is it more money, Mom?" "About fifty more dollars a week, honey. We'll have to see how that works out. But now, we'll have medical and dental insurance too." "So, will you be working with my dad now?" Robby broke in. "I won't be working with him, no...but at the same place, yes." Gears were already turning in Robby's head. He had to talk to Kevin about this, but he would wait until they were alone tonight to bring it up.