The day came when Osvaldo had to go back to Milan. Neither of the two lovers wanted to leave the other.
"I'm afraid it's time for you to leave..." Giulio said sadly.
"Unhappily."
"Call me as soon as you get home, won't you?"
"Yes, of course. I'll call often. Then next weekend you will come to me in Milan, right?"
"Yes, but these five days will be very long, not seeing you."
"I will think of you day and night."
"I will too. And working will make the days seem less long for me... well, I hope so. The bed will seem empty, without you near me. The whole house will seem empty..."
"I'll start looking for a job for you at once. I hope I can find one soon. I'd like working with you, one day, on that idea of making animations on the computer."
"Yes, that would be great. Just think, having work which is all our own, being together day and night."
"I hope you won't get fed up with me." Osvaldo said.
"It's impossible to get fed up with the air one breaths."
"Unless one wants to die of asphyxia..."
"Exactly. And I don't at all intend to die of asphyxia, don't worry."
"Yes, I'll not worry, but I'll miss you during this week."
"Do we have the time for a cigarette, before the train leaves?"
"Yes."
Giulio lit two cigarettes and gave one to Osvaldo.
"I would so like to go with you..." he murmured.
"It would be good..." the boy answered.
"And just think that one month ago, for me you were just a name..."
"And for me, Giulio, you didn't even exist."
"Life is funny."
"Life is beautiful, Giulio."
"Yes, it's really beautiful now, thanks to you."
"To us, rather."
"Sure, to us."
Osvaldo had to board the train, as they were already shutting the doors. He leaned from the corridor window for a last farewell to his lover. When the train started, they waved a salute, until they could no longer see each other. Then Osvaldo went to his compartment and sat down.
He recalled all that had happened in that month... He had left Milan in a quest for his mysteriously missing sister... and he had found a lover. And what a lover! If he was already in love with him before, the last few days just spent together had totally conquered him.
When he arrived in Milan, Osvaldo went straight home and even before undressing he called Giulio. He must have been near the telephone, because he answered immediately. They talked for a long time, and when they said goodbye, neither wanted to be the first to hang up.
"You hang up first, Osvaldo."
"No, you first..." the boy answered.
But finally it Osvaldo was first to replace the receiver.
The next day he started work again. He had to recover the lost time; in fact he had only one instalment prepared, ready to be published. He went through the story, then laid out the new drawings. Besides having a lot of drawing work to recover, he had also to busy himself looking for a job for Giulio. He decided he would work mainly in the afternoons and evenings so as to have the mornings free.
In the yellow pages he found six whole pages of addresses of publicity agencies. Osvaldo photocopied them, and started to call agencies that were also doing computer-graphics and animation. He crossed off those who answered negatively, and asked the others if he could call to give them the curriculum vitae and the documentation of a computer-graphics technician looking for a job in Milan.
So he started to visit them, leaving Giulio's cv and also a demonstration computer disk with them. Each evening he called Giulio, to tell him where he had been, what he had done, and just to chat with him for a while.
So his days were really busy and passed quickly, one after the other, until Saturday came and he went to wait for Giulio at Milan central station. He saw him arrive. They hugged tightly, careless of some perplexed glances from passers-by. Then Osvaldo took him to his home.
"It's nice, here at your place." Giulio said, entering it.
"Oh, it's ugly, compared to your place. I think you are probably tired, how about a shower?"
"Later. Right now I want you. I missed you so much!"
"I missed you as well. Come, then."
He guided Giulio to his bed and, almost hurriedly, they undressed each other. Once naked, they laid down, embracing very tightly.
"Osvaldo, each passing day I feel I'm more in love with you. That seems almost impossible, because each day I feel I already love you to the maximum... and yet it is so."
"The more one loves, the more one becomes able to love..." Osvaldo answered and kissed him.
They made love until late, and then, finally assuaged, they laid there happily, tightly embracing. They were whispering tender words and looking at each other with dreaming eyes.
Osvaldo had fixed a cold collation which they ate by candlelight, then they went back to bed, one again inflamed with desire for the other.
The weekend flew away too fast. The melancholy of their separation took the place of the dream-like hours they had spent together. Six more days to pass until the next weekend and their next encounter. They were now living intent to wait for the weekends they could spend together. But the more time was passing, the more they were feeling the need for the each other increase. The long evening telephone conversations and the weekends spent together were no longer enough for them.
In mid-June the first replies from some of the agencies started to arrive. Giulio and Osvaldo evaluated the replies together and finally chose the most interesting offer and Giulio resigned from his firm in Florence. He would start his new job just after the summer vacation. Before then he moved to Milan, bringing all his belongings to Osvaldo's house. After they settled his things at Osvaldo's, they left together for a holiday.
First of all they spent three day at Osvaldo village, so Giulio met his parents. Letizia had indeed written a letter to them, writing more or less what her brother had suggested to her, and Osvaldo was pleased about that. He then looked for Marco to introduce Giulio to him.
"Marco, this is Giulio, my lover. We met in Florence, but he is now living with me in Milan."
"How do you do, Giulio. I'm really very glad to meet you."
"I too, Marco. Osvaldo has spoken a great deal about you."
"Yes? Well, Osvaldo and I are... very special friends."
"Yes, I know. You were his first lover, weren't you?"
"Yes. But I have not been able to be faithful to him... I discovered I was more attracted to girls... unhappily."
"But I, on the contrary, made the opposite discovery."
Marco looked at him stupefied and curious, and so Giulio and Osvaldo told him their story.
Marco carefully listened to them, without interrupting, and at the end commented, "I asked myself many times if, all summed up, mine hasn't been a lack of courage. I was so very fond of him, and went very well with him, and sexually I liked being with Osvaldo too. But I was possibly too young to... to go against the mainstream. Too young, and too provincial. For me it was easier to get married... It's not that I married only out of conformity, I loved and I still love my wife, and sexually I am very close to her. But if I'd had more courage... I would possibly still be with you, Osvaldo, and we both would be happy being together. So now I'm really very happy you found your man, because now I can feel less... guilty. I wish you to be happy together always."
"But have you really felt guilty towards me all these years, Marco?" Osvaldo asked him, amazed.
"Yes, because I hurt you badly, even though you forgave me, even though our friendship is standing up, beautiful, strong, and true... But I knew that you were really looking for me in your partners, and you couldn't find me in any of them, so you were turning them down, one after the other."
"It's true. But I didn't think you were aware of it..."
"Yes, and it pained me. But now I see that everything is going right for you, at last..."
"But, what if my reaction is like all the other times?" Osvaldo asked, provocative, but at the same time squeezing Giulio's hand, as to reassure him.
"No. First of all, he is the first you have brought to meet me. And then, I know you far too well - it's enough to see how you look at him, listen to how you talk with him to understand that you're really and fully in love with him."
"That's true, Marco. I hope that you and Giulio will become friends."
"I think it will be easy and spontaneous. I really like your Giulio." Marco answered with a smile.
They spent some more time together.
When Osvaldo and Giulio were alone again, Osvaldo asked, "So, then, what do you think of Marco?"
"He is a dear boy, good-hearted, clever, and also fascinating. I think we will become good friends too. And, moreover, it's clear he really loves you, and even if it was just for that, I will love him."
"He somehow stupefied me, for what he said before."
"What? That if he had had more courage, he would have stayed with you?"
"Yes, that."
"Well, Marco is evidently a honest person. You know, in the past days I was asking myself if it is not quite natural that the eighty per cent of people who are bisex could live with, and love, a partner of their own or of the opposite sex quite indifferently... If it is not our society and our culture to impose on us different choices."
"Eighty per cent?"
"Yes. If statistics saying that the pure homosexual are about a ten per cent, and more or less the same per cent the pure heterosexuals, excluding these who are strongly orientated, both physically that psychologically, toward only one of the sexes, all the others could make love and fall in love with a man or a woman impartially, without a problem... And therefore they would finally live with the person they are in love with, regardless of the partner's gender. But unhappily society, culture, and religion are conditioning us thoroughly..."
"Not you, anyway, it seems..."
"Well, happily the conditioning is never perfect. But anyway, it does create a lot of problems."
"I have been lucky I met you, Giulio."
"I too, Osvaldo, I as well." Giulio answered, with a radiant smile.
After they left the village, they went on their "honey moon". First of all they went to Genoa, where Giulio wanted to buy two identical rings to symbolize their union. There they embarked for a cruise on the Mediterranean. They had booked a double cabin, not caring at all about the surprised glance of the clerk in the travel agency, and later, also of the ship's personnel who, thinking a mistake had been made, proposed that they change their cabin for one with two separated beds, which they refused.
"Have you noticed, Giulio, how women look at you, and also some men, here on board?" Osvaldo asked him, amused, the second day of their cruise.
"No, But I've noticed how they look at you. You are very attractive."
"Bah, never as much as you are."
"I wouldn't be so certain."
"When you see some really beautiful girls, don't you feel a little regret being with me instead?"
"And you, Osvaldo, when you see some really beautiful boys, don't you feel a little regret being with me instead?"
They both laughed.
During the cruise they became friends with a man in his fifties, Francesco, an industrialist from Milan who was on the cruise with his twenty-one year old son and his son's girlfriend. The man was separated from his wife. During the day he allowed the two youngsters a lot of freedom and only for meals were they always together. The man was very likeable, so Osvaldo and Giulio were spending a good deal of time with him.
When the cruise was nearing its end, the man said to the two lovers, in a rather hesitant tone, "May I dare to ask you something rather personal?"
"Yes, of course." Giulio answered.
"You two are... lovers, aren't you?"
After a moment's hesitation, Giulio answered, "Yes, we are. But why are you asking us?"
The man smiled, "Well... because of the friendship that is starting between us... and I really like you both... to give you a proper answer, I would like to tell you my story, if you want me to."
"Yes, sure, Francesco." Osvaldo answered.
"Well then, when I was just sixteen... I fell in love with a man and started a beautiful relationship with him. I was so happy that decided to tell my parents about it. But they not only forced me to leave him, but also made me undergo specialist treatments - psychologists, endocrinologists, and so on. They had me undergo a real brain-washing until they persuaded me that mine was just an adolescent's disorder, something to treat and to 'heal'. And so I was convinced I was really 'healed'.
"When I was twenty-one I met my wife. For about six years, all seemed to go on well. I liked her, liked making love with her... even though I now can understand I wasn't really in love with her. Then, when I was twenty-seven, and my son Cristiano was just born, I met Paolo. He was my new secretary, in my father's firm. We at once became friends... and then fell in love. At first I tried to fight against what I was feeling for him... a struggle that lasted for one year.
"But at the end, I surrendered. So then, out of honesty, I decided to talk about it with my wife. She reacted rather badly, but I couldn't help it, I didn't feel like going on cheating on her any more, but also I wouldn't break with Paolo either. She asked for divorce and took Cristiano with her. I moved to another apartment together with Paolo. And so, we passed thirteen years of real happiness. I could see Cristiano often, as he spent weekends and holidays with us. Paolo and Cristiano grew fond of each other.
"Three years ago, Paolo had a car accident, and died... and so I was left alone. Then, two years ago, my ex-wife also died, of septicaemia. So then Cristiano decided to come to live with me. That, in short, is my story.
"Seeing you two and guessing you were lovers, made me remember my happy years with Paolo. That's why I dared to ask you... and dared to nose into your private life."
"You've really been unlucky, Francesco." Osvaldo said.
"Well, not really, not so much. I've lived thirteen years of great happiness and I have Cristiano. I promised him and his girlfriend this cruise for his twenty-first birthday. He insisted I had to come too, because he knows that the anniversary of my Paolo's death is about this time..."
"But does your son know that Paolo was your lover?"
"Yes, of course he knows. He was also really affectionate with Paolo, as I told you."
"And... after Paolo, didn't you have any other lover?"
"No, not yet. One day I can possibly met somebody, but for now..."
"You are a handsome man, Francesco, still young and likeable... You will find somebody for sure, sooner or later." Osvaldo said him, with a friendly smile.
"It could happen. Not so easily though, as I don't attend gay premises or bars. I dived into my work, and I devote all my free time to Cristiano. You two would be my first two gay friends... and I really feel the need to have somebody like me with whom I can open my heart, do you see? When this cruise is over, I hope we can stay in touch, can we? After all, we all live in Milan..."
"Yes, of course, Francesco, and more than willingly." Giulio answered.
Osvaldo asked, "Cristiano knows about us two?"
"He guessed, as I guessed. And it has been he who pushed me to become friends with you two. My Cristiano is a really dear boy."
When the cruise ended, they went back to Milan.
Giulio started his new job. With Osvaldo, they started to look around hoping to find a larger apartment. They stayed in touch with Francesco and their friendship deepened. After they found another apartment, they invited him with his son Cristiano, to a small party to show them their new place.
Cristiano became fascinated with both Osvaldo and Giulio's work. So they told him about their project to buy all the equipment to start working together to produce animations. Cristiano asked them to explain their project carefully to him and he was enthusiastic too. So they spent a very delightful evening.
Three days later, in the evening, they got a telephone call from Francesco.
"Cristiano told me he would be really glad having you both here at our place for dinner tomorrow night. Are you free?" he asked.
"Yes, and we'll come very willingly."
During the dinner in Francesco and Cristiano's beautiful home, they chatted of this and that. Then they moved to the lounge, where the Philippine servant served them coffee.
"Now Cristiano has a proposal to put to you." Francesco said.
"Really? What about?" Osvaldo asked, curious.
"Well, you see, your project about making electronic animated cartoons fascinates me." Cristiano said, "Right now I have to carry on my university studies. But after I graduate, I would like it very much if I could work with you. So then... I asked Dad if he would finance your project so that you can start. In exchange, you would start to teach me your work so that, after I've left the university you can hire me in your firm. What do you think?"
The two lovers looked at each other, somewhat taken aback, then Osvaldo said, "Your proposal is certainly interesting. Without help it would take us many years before we would be able to start our own business. Are you thinking of starting a partnership with us, Francesco?"
"No, I was thinking to make you a loan, to finance you, on very easy terms at prime rates. The firm will belong only to you two."
"Couldn't it be a partnership with you, or with Cristiano, or indeed, with both of you?"
"I don't want you to feel tied. Especially because it isn't certain that Cristiano will become a valid collaborator. The fact he likes it is not an automatic guarantee he will succeed."
"It's not sure that we'll succeed either..." Giulio pointed out to him.
"No, you two have talent, real talent." Cristiano said.
So they discussed it thoroughly. In the end Francesco accepted thir proposal - they would start a partnership joint venture, where Francesco put up the capital and Giulio and Osvaldo their competence. The founding partners would be Cristiano, Giulio and Osvaldo.
So they started the business. Francesco gave them the premises on trust. They bought all the necessary equipment, the best available, and started work. They hired Cristiano's girlfriend as their secretary. Cristiano, besides attending the university, was also to work with them a few hours a day to start to learn the job, and he was more and more enthusiastic.
They produced their first animation movie, which was snapped up at once by Tele+1 and was a success. They started work on their second animation. As the business was proceeding well, they decided to hire two more technicians.
Then they took part in a competition held by the European Community for a set of didactic movies about the history, culture, economy, arts and geography of the various countries of the Community. They prepared a plan, created some clips and sent everything for the competition to Brussels.
The result came back - they had won the competition. So they hired four more people to be able to carry on the work in the required time. Among them there was a young man of twenty-eight, a designer of French origin, called Philippe. While they were working together, Osvaldo got the feeling that Philippe could be gay. He then started to discreetly observe him, until he was certain he was not wrong. So, he told him about Giulio and himself and started to invite him to their home quite often, and they soon became friends.
Philippe told them he realised he was gay rather late, while he was doing his army service in France, thanks to a comrade. But after they completed their army service, they didn't remain together. He then had a relationship with an athlete, when he was in Paris working as illustrator for a publishing house of books for children. Their relationship lasted three years.
When he was twenty-five, still in Paris, he had met an Italian tourist, a doctor from Milan, so that after a few months he decided to move to Milan, where he had been hired by the De Agostini publishing house. He lived with his doctor friend for two years, until his companion left him, so that now, for a year, he was alone. He remained in Milan, because he liked his job and also living in Italy.
Osvaldo asked him, "And what kind of man is your mister right, Philippe?"
"Mature men."
"Forty, fifty years old?" Giulio asked.
"Yes, more or less... Possibly more on the fifty side."
"But do you have a particular type you like best?" Osvaldo asked.
"Not really... A peaceful man, intelligent, affectionate, with a lively mind... But above all an honest man."
The two lovers said nothing, but both had had the same idea. They thus decided what they could do so that Francesco and Philippe could meet. They started to always invite both of them together and as they guessed, a mutual interest soon arose between them, and Francesco, whenever he invited Giulio and Osvaldo to his place, always invited Philippe too. The two friends were silently observing the situation develop. The two seemed to become more and more close, but nothing more seemed to happen.
So they decided to talk, separately, with both of them. They started with Philippe, as they met him every day.
Osvaldo asked him "Tell me, do you like Francesco?"
"Yes, very much."
"But... do you also feel attracted to him?"
"Very strongly. He's really a handsome and likeable man." the French youth answered.
"Why don't you tell him then? Nowadays you are in his confidence enough, aren't you?"
"But he never takes a... a first step. He's always very kind with me, but... but nothing more."
"And why, if you're interested in him, don't you do the first step?"
"I'm afraid he would think I'm interested in him just because of his wealth."
"But it's not so, is it?"
"Of course not. He's a fascinating man, so gentle... I really like him a lot... I'm falling in love with him, but..."
When they met Francesco in private, Giulio asked him, "Tell me, Francesco, do you like Philippe?"
"He's a really dear boy."
"But do you... also desire him?"
"It would be difficult not to desire him."
"But then, why don't you tell him?"
"I'm always been rather shy about such matters, about love. Also with Paolo, it was he who took the first step to hook me. But Philippe doesn't do it... therefore he possibly wants just friendship from me, not a relationship. I don't want to make him feel ill at ease with a proposal.
"Well, then, at this point we can tell you that he too is feeling strongly attracted to you. But he doesn't dare take the first step simply because he is afraid you'll think he is aiming at your money..."
"Really? No, no, that can't be so. I know him well enough now..."
"So then, just once, Francesco, try to be you the one who takes this damn first step!" Osvaldo spurred him.
"My god... I'm feeling like a school boy with his first crush, in spite of my age. I don't know if I would be able to tell him."
"Then, write him a letter..." Giulio suggested.
Less than a month passed and at last Francesco and Philippe were together.
"I'm happy, Osvaldo. I hope they are getting along together as well as we are."
"Yes, Giulio, I hope so. When someone is as happy as I am with you, he would like all his friends to be just as happy, wouldn't he?