Date: Thu, 31 Dec 2015 10:29:13 +0000
From: tpickles <tpickles2@gmail.com>
Subject: Thai Pan - Chapter 2

THAI PAN : A JUNGLE TALE

My latest story for Nifty takes a quite different approach to my previous
stories (for a list of which, please see the end of this chapter). This is
a more timeless tale. You could regard it as more of a sexual fable or myth
– with its roots deep in our collective history, culture and traditions as
gay men and male tribes. The tale involves teenage boys and their
discoveries with each other, and with a few men as mentors or guides. It is
set deep in a jungle forest amidst myths, rituals, rites, taboos,
initiation and elderhood.

....................... The end of Chapter 1 .........................

Muni re-covered his Gra-juu with his cloth. I remained naked in the room
and I moved to pick up my clothes from where they had been discarded.

"You have done well, my boy. Everything that has been asked of you, you
have done excellently. This gives me confidence to believe that your
journey tomorrow will go well. We will set out together at sun-rise. For
tonight you must rest. I have prepared a bed for you over there against the
wall; I trust you will find it comfortable. You need to rest and re-cover
your strength for all that is to come on your journey. I shall be sleeping
in my room as usual."

He led me to the bed and bade me good-night.

"There is one more thing that I have to tell you. `Nattawut' is the name
given to you by your father and mother. It is a good name. You also have
another name that you have not heard before but which is passed down to you
through our rituals." I looked at him, questioningly. "That name is `Pan'.
It is a name with a long tradition associated with the wilds and the
forests. Others will recognise you by this name in the rituals to come. We
are told in the traditions that Pan was famed for his Gra-juu. In other
stories, Pan became the leader of boys who were searching for their role in
life. Now this name is yours too." He paused and began to walk to his room
before turning one last time. "Good night, my boy, my young man - my Pan of
Thailand."

CHAPTER 2

I was awoken in the early-morning, on a strange mattress, by a hand shaking
my shoulder. "Wake up, Nattawut, it's time for us to set out." I rolled
over and remembered where I was; and that I'd agreed to set out on a
journey to an unknown destination this morning, under the guidance of Muni.
As I put my clothes back on, he reappeared with a bowl of rice and soup.
"Eat this to prepare you for the day ahead."

Twenty minutes later, we set out from Muni's house. The sun was just rising
over the tree-covered hill to the east, its horizontal rays casting light
through the branches and early-morning mist. It was cool now, but the
temperature would rise considerably over the coming hours.

Muni avoided the centre of our village. I think he wanted to avoid meeting
anyone. Instead, we took a track that skirted the fields behind his house.
I knew better than to ask him where we were going. This area I knew well
from my boyhood, but as we began to walk away from the village, the ground
became less and less familiar. After a while we found ourselves walking on
a track that was wide enough for wheeled vehicles and buffalo-pulled carts.
Perhaps it was the route between two villages. We maintained a steady pace
on this track for nearly an hour without meeting anyone. When we came to a
fork in the track, Muni chose the less-distinct path that led to the right,
deeper into the jungle. This path wound between the trees; we needed to
step over fallen branches. Fortunately, this was the dry season so the
ground was hard and firm. I guessed the path would be impassable in the wet
season. He led the way in single-file without stopping for a rest, brushing
branches to the side, and stepping from boulder to boulder across old
stream-beds. After another hour, when the sun was high in the sky, we came
to meeting of paths, marked by a particularly tall tree. Here he stopped,
set down his own pack, and reached inside for some food wrapped in banana
leaves, and some fresh oranges. "Take these," he said, "Make sure you keep
your strength up, Pan."

I noticed his change to my name. I sat on a log and started to eat the food
and drink some water from a flask I was carrying.

After a few minutes rest, he turned to me. "This is where we part. I shall
return to our village. And you, Pan, will continue along this path," and he
pointed along the track to the left. "You have the skill to follow the
path. Keep your eyes open. There is plenty of food in the forest, and you
have already learned the poisons to avoid. When you come across pools and
wells, take the trouble to refill your bottle. You can live without food
for several days, but you can only survive without water for a few hours.
If you see danger, hide yourself until you are sure it is safe to continue."

"But what will I do when I come to another crossing of paths, like this
one?" I asked.

"Trust yourself, Pan. Look for signs. Listen to your own instinct and
intuition. Wait until you know you are certain. There is no hurry on this
journey. The journey itself will lead you forward."

"But where am I going? How will I know when I've got there?"

"Trust me, Pan, you will know. Your whole life so far has been bringing you
to this journey. This journey takes you into your manhood. This path is one
step on the way to discovering your true self. Remember our Ritual of the
Seed. You can repeat the same ritual at any time and it will re-connect you
with the wisdom we share. It will bring you and me closer again. Although I
cannot know when, I do know that we will meet again – and I will see the
difference in you. It is highly likely that you will meet other men or boys
in this forest. If your instinct tells you they are safe, then trust them
also, for they too are following their journeys. You will never be alone.
There are eyes – seen and unseen – that follow you and watch over you. You
are protected, always." He paused a moment. "And now it is time for us to
go our different ways."

I packed up my bag and turned to face the direction he had pointed me. "One
more thing, Pan. I trust you – in just the same way that you trust me. No
doubt I will hear reports about you. And when we meet next, we shall have
many things to tell each other. For now, I send you on your way with my
blessing – in trust, in hope, in mystery, in brotherly love, and in the
Sharing of our Seed." And with those words, Muni picked up his own bag,
turned, and walked quickly back the way we had come.

oOo

I was alone. Deep in the jungle, in a place that was totally unfamiliar,
hours from home, I was alone. I stood still for some time, hardly daring to
move. There were noises all around me – the noises of the daylight jungle
that I had heard all my life; but now they seemed more menacing. I could
see the jungle stretching out in every direction, but I could see nothing
that was making these calls and creaks and crashes. For a moment I
contemplated running back after Muni. Then I remembered what he's said to
me about trust. It would be an act of dis-trust to go back after him now.
There was no real option but to go on. I turned again to look down the path
he'd told me to take, and started to walk forward.

For the rest of that day, I followed the same path. There were some
cross-paths but they seemed so instinct that they might only have been
animal tracks. My way ahead seemed clear and I was not called upon to make
any decisions about the route. I heard various unseen animals in the jungle
but I met neither man nor beast. I felt totally alone.

After a time it actually began to feel as though I was enjoying myself.
This was an adventure! I was exploring! Although I had no idea where I was,
whilst nothing untoward happened, I felt relatively safe. I came across
some root vegetables, wild herbs, fruit and berries, and collected a little
of each to carry in my bag. From time-to-time I came across a stream that
was still slowly running, or a pool amongst stones, from which I could
replenish my water. Late in the afternoon, as the light was just beginning
to fade from the sky, I found myself following an old stream bed between
some hills. Up on the right side I saw a black mark amongst a low
cliff-face; as I approached, I realised that this was the entrance to a
small cave. I climbed up away from the path to investigate. In the absence
of any villages, this cave could serve as shelter for the night. I put my
pack down, and descended to collect some more water. Then I gathered some
kindling and made a small fire. I put the vegetables and herbs into a pan
that I'd brought, together with some rice, and made a soup. I sat at the
entrance to the cave and looked out over the little jungle valley as the
noises died away for the night. It was not long before I rolled out my
sleeping mat and fell fast asleep.

I awoke the next morning feeling fresh and rested. My sleep in the cave had
been surprisingly good. I ate some of the food I'd brought and drank the
little bit of soup I'd saved from the night before. The day was still cool
as I packed up my few belongings and said goodbye to the cave. Once I
regained the path in the valley bottom, I walked along it, gaining height
steadily. The trees began to thin out and more grasslands appeared. I
wondered if I would meet anyone that day. It felt more exposed amongst the
higher grasslands and I kept my eyes open, scanning the horizon in all
directions. I didn't want to be caught unprepared. By midday, the sun was
strongest and I was feeling the effects of the heat and dehydration. My
water bottle was running out but the path started to descend and after
another thirty minutes I was back amongst the trees. Not long afterwards, I
came across a small stream where I rested for a time, bathing my feet,
cooling my body and drinking as much liquid as I could take on board.

Throughout the afternoon, I was walking through the forest. The jungle
trees seem to have been undisturbed for decades. There was no sign of
habitation or cultivation. If this land had ever been occupied, then the
jungle must have reclaimed it some time ago. Just as the light was
beginning to fade, I heard noises from the track some distance ahead of me.
Suddenly feeling wary after a whole day in solitude, I stopped to listen
more. I could make out the sound of human voices - maybe two or three. They
were male, but they seemed to be making for too much noise for the peace of
the forest. I stepped off the path and retreated into a dense part of the
jungle, perhaps thirty metres away where I hoped I would be hidden by a
denser patch of foliage. As I waited, the voices grew louder; they were
coming towards me down the path. Five minutes later, I detected their
movement. Three young men were walking on the track. In their hands they
were carrying large knives with which they were cutting and hacking at the
foliage on either side. They were dressed in rather dirty clothes and
carrying bags over their shoulders. As they walked, they kept up a loud and
raucous conversation. They didn't look like any of the men that I was
familiar with from the villages around my own home; they didn't inspire
trust in me, and I ducked my head to make sure there was no chance of them
detecting me. After they'd passed, I waited perhaps ten minutes to give
them plenty to time to go away. By now dusk was falling, and I needed
somewhere to spend the night. I walked on for a few more minutes before
coming across a small side-track. I decided to turn into this (in case the
three men turned back) and after just a few minutes I found myself in a
clearing with a grassy floor and a small stream close-by. I kept listening
out for the men as I rolled out my sleeping mat and set about collecting
water and some sticks to make a fire. I added some rice and some vegetables
to the pan and made a simple supper. When the light had gone, there was
nothing to do but sleep. I wondered just how far I needed to walk on this
journey.

The next day was very similar to the previous one. I walked on through the
jungle for most of the day. Still there was no sign of people or
habitation. I encountered a couple of forks in the path, but each time I
felt an instinctual impulse to take just one of the options. I walked on
through the day and it was only as the afternoon was drawing to a close
again that I noticed the change in the landscape: the trees were still tall
and dense, but periodically they were interspersed with clearings and
grassy swards. There was also a distant low-level sound that in my
imagination I thought might be a river flowing over rocks and small
waterfalls. As this thought came to me, I became aware of a small light
some distance ahead of me on the track. I stopped immediately to take
stock. The light didn't move, although it flickered, as if there were
branches and leaves moving in front of it. This time there was no sound, no
accompanying voices. I crept closer as silently as possible. I got to
within fifty metres of the light before I stopped again. Now I could see
the light was a lantern hanging from a wooden pole. Beneath it sat two
figures both dressed in light-coloured tunics. They didn't move; they may
have been talking to each other, but no sound carried to where I was
watching. The figures looked peaceful, the light welcoming, and I slowly
walked forward towards them.

I got to within perhaps thirty metres when one of the figures stood up. I
froze again, and slipped my body behind a tree trunk. "Greetings," came a
male voice, "We are friends; we mean you no harm."  I kept still, not
wanting to be seen. The second figure stood up and joined the first as they
looked down the track in my direction. "You are safe with us. If your name
is Pan, we have been sent here to wait for you and welcome you. We are
people of the forest, just like you. You are safe."

I waited to see what would happen next. Nothing happened. The two men
continued to stand together and one was slowly waving the lantern from one
side to another. Instinctively, I felt reassured by their absence of
activity. Very slowly, I began to move along the path towards them. I tried
to make no sound but something must have carried to their ears.  Even when
I was still some distance off, the first man said "Greetings, wandering boy
in the forest. We have been sent my Muni to wait for you and show you where
to go." At the mention of Muni's name, I felt reassured, and walked towards
them more confidently.

As I approached the figures, I could see they were two young men, perhaps
two or three years older than me, both wearing simple tunics and sandals.
Even in the dim light of the lantern, I realised with a shock that they
were both good-looking young men - fit, lean, athletic, and clean-shaven. I
stepped into the circle of light cast by the lantern and stopped before
them.

"Who are you? How do you know my name?" I asked.

"We have been expecting you, Nattawut - Pan," replied the first young man.
"My name is Zee and this is my forest-brother PeeJay. We took a similar
journey some years ago into the great forests as you. Our other brothers
have been looking out for you, making sure that no harm came to you since
you left your home village. We were warned to expect you. Now we are here
to welcome you and to show you the final part of your journey to your new
home. It is not far from here."

I had many questions to ask them, but suddenly I felt overcome by tiredness
after three days of walking in unknown lands. I didn't have the energy to
sustain the conversation. These young men knew who I was; I didn't need to
be afraid of them.

"Come, Pan, let us carry your pack for you and show you to your new home,"
said the second man, PeeJay stepping towards me. And as if to reassure me,
he added, "You have done well to get here so quickly. You are completely
safe with us. We too know what this mysterious journey is like."

I handed him my little bundle of possessions. Both men turned. Zee carried
the lantern and set off down the track. PeeJay indicated for me to follow
him and he brought up the rear behind me. We walked for perhaps five more
minutes through the jungle before PeeJay turned suddenly to the left. He
stepped onto a much narrower track that I would probably have missed
entirely. There were no markings to show the junction. After another couple
of minutes we reached a small roofed hut beside the narrow path, and a
barrier across the track. "Only those with permission and true wisdom may
pass this barrier," said Zee, lifting the log out of the way, and
indicating for me to follow him before PeeJay replaced the barrier. "All
the others who live or pass this way know not to enter. This is a very
special place.

We walked on for a few more minutes, the lantern casting a dim light on the
surrounding jungle. Then the trees fell back and we walked into a cleared
area. I could make out several traditional wooden huts built on stilts,
each surrounded by a small verandah and with an over-hanging roof to keep
channel the rainwater away from the buildings.

"This is your new home, Pan," said Zee, leading me towards what seemed the
largest of the huts. As I'd seen no habitation at all since I'd left home,
I expected these jungle huts to be in very poor condition, but as we
mounted the steps, I realised they were well-kept. "All the huts have been
repaired for you," said PeeJay, "We hope you will find them dry and
comfortable. There is a kitchen area beneath and all the tools you are
likely to need. There is a shower next to the bedrooms. There is some fresh
food for you in the cupboards. Now you can settle in and rest. Perhaps
tomorrow you will start to explore the area. You are welcome to wander
freely through the trees. You will find a chicken coop and some fields for
crops. You can explore the other huts if you do not like this one. In that
direction - and he pointed a finger in the dark - is the river which is
clean and refreshing. We simply ask that you do not pass beyond the barrier
that we crossed on the track; that way you will remain completely safe.
This is a special place and nothing bad can happen to you here. Trust us."

"And now we need to leave you, as we still have some distance to go before
we sleep," added Zee. I had so much I wanted to ask these two men and I
wasn't prepared for their sudden departure. As if anticipating my response,
Zee added, "We will leave you the lantern to give you light tonight. And
you will see us again before long when we will tell you more about this
place. But for the moment, just eat and rest after your travels. Remember
you are safe. All this is as Muni expected." And with that, the two men
disappeared silently back into the jungle.

I turned to open the hut door, holding the lantern in one hand. I stepped
in and then remembered to fetch my pack which they had left outside. Inside
was a living room furnished with table, chairs and cupboards. I explored
further and found three bedrooms and a large bathroom leading from the main
room. There was food in the cupboards. I was too tired to start thinking
about cooking a meal so I contented myself with some dried food and fruit,
and fresh water from a large jug on the table. Then I laid out my sleeping
mat on the bed in the largest bedroom. I stripped off my clothes and left
them on the floor to be washed the next day. I walked to the bathroom and
luxuriated in the flow of water from the shower over my body. A thought
came to me of the last time I'd been naked three nights before in front of
Muni - and of what we'd done together. Whilst I admired the shape and look
of my young body in the bathroom mirror, I was too tired to repeat the
ritual alone. I turned off the water and reached for a towel. I walked back
to the bedroom and lay down, covering myself with a simple sheet. Within a
few minutes, I was in a deep, dreamless sleep.

oOo

I awoke relatively early next morning feeling refreshed by sleep. I tested
the comfort of the bed without opening my eyes, wondering briefly where I
was - before the memories of my journey and my arrival here returned. I
took another shower to rinse more of the dust from the journey from my body
before making a simple breakfast in the kitchen beneath the hut. I'd
dressed in some clean shorts and t-shirt and the first task of the day was
to clean and rinse the travel-stained clothes before hanging them to dry in
the morning sun. Next, I decided to explore the collection of huts. I found
six or seven different huts, each of a traditional design built of wood and
standing on upright logs to keep them above the ground. Most had two or
three bedrooms; each seemed to be in a good state of repair. The hut that
Zee had shown me to last night was certainly the largest and best
furnished; I decided to remain there. I walked beyond the huts and found
some cultivated fields for rice and vegetables, whilst several small
compounds also provided enclosures for chickens and for some pigs. Someone
certainly had been looking after these huts and this land, even though
there was no sign of them this morning. I seemed to be the only person in
the whole area.

As the sun got hotter, I decided to find the river. I could hear the noise
of water and by following a small path from the hut encampment, the noise
got louder. The path wound its way through trees until it emerged into a
large grass-covered clearing in the forest. The clearing was completely
flat and almost circular in shape; it was as though someone had carved out
this space from the jungle. I walked across the centre of the clearing and
quickly found the river bank. The river was broad and free-flowing. A
series of cascades and small waterfalls fed water from the right into a
large, deep pool where the water eddied and slowly rotated before spilling
out again to continue its journey downstream. A gentle gravel beach led
from the river bank into the pool. It was too tempting in the heat of the
sun. I stood on the bank and pulled my t-shirt off over my head. Then,
after looking around quickly, I released the buckle on my shorts and let
them slide down my legs until I stood naked on the bank.

I stepped forward onto the gravel and walked into the water. It was cool
and refreshing as I waded out. The water rose up my legs until it was just
below my genitals. I sank into the water, savouring the thrill of the water
covering my cock and balls, and flowing between my thighs and buttocks. For
half-an-hour, I swam in the pool, sometimes floating on my back as the sun
beat down on my exposed body. I dove down into the pool, relishing the
freedom of swimming naked with my legs kicking behind me. Eventually, I
waded back out onto the gravel. Finding a sunny grassy spot on the bank I
lay out to let the sun dry my body. Perhaps inevitably in such a situation
of nudity, sunshine and relaxation, my cock began to slowly fill. I lay
still with my eyes closed as it lolled onto my thigh and then, in a series
of little jerks, began to thicken and stretch as the head rose across my
hip and belly until it was at full stretch pointing up my body. My hand
went automatically to hold it and give it several gentle strokes. My mind
filled with images of the Ritual of the Seed that I had shared with Muni a
few nights before. We had both exposed our Gra-juus and brought ourselves
to a climax, collecting the white sticky juices in a bowl. I had no such
bowl with me today, yet I felt the need to pleasure myself again and relive
the experience of ejaculating my seed. As the thought formed, I could feel
my buttock muscles beneath me, and my hand cradled my full balls.

I opened my eyes and looked down at my maturing body. I held my Gra-juu up
and away from my body. It looked strong and firm. I slid the forekin down
to expose the purple helmet beneath and my cock reached its maximum size. I
needed to cum. I looked around and sensed that the river bank was too
exposed. I didn't know if other people used the river as a route through
the forest. I stood up and looked around again. Behind me was the large
grassy clearing amongst the trees. Still naked, I walked back into it. My
cock stood out proud from my body. One hand cradled my balls whilst the
other alternated between stroking my length and playing with my ass cheeks.
It was only in the past year that I had started to discover the illicit
pleasure of my ass. I enjoyed slapping my buttocks, pulling them apart, and
letting my fingers run up and down the crack where my legs came together.
In the open air of the outdoor glade, the whole of my body felt
increasingly hot and excited. My Gra-juu felt as strong and hard as it had
ever done. I started to dance and move around the clearing, my cock
bouncing against my belly and thighs. With my hand I slapped my buttocks
and then pinched my nipples - another sensitive body area that I had
recently discovered. I bent forward as I slapped my buttocks, my feet
planted wide to open my ass. I tried again to get my mouth close to my cock
- I really wanted to take it into my mouth - but I had tried this before
without success. As I danced around more, thrilled by the erotic experience
of such naked outdoor pleasure, I felt the imminent rise of my Seed. With
one hand I squeezed my buttocks whilst with the other I stroked my Gra-juu
vigorously. My feet were planted wide on the ground and my body arched back
as I reached the point of no return. A thick string of Seed-juice erupted
from my enlarged cock-head, landing on my chest as a white rope of sticky
fluid. Another burst followed, landing on my belly and running back into my
light covering of pubic hair. As my body straightened up, a third and
fourth jet were pumped out by the strong muscles around my anus; they
landed on the ground before me and some leaked across my hand. My legs
began to feel weak, and I sank down onto a convenient boulder at the edge
of the clearing. I watched the juices trickle down my chest and abdomen. I
licked some of the cum from my hand, tasting the sweet, salty texture. In
front of me, I could see the globules of my Seed on the grass where the sun
was already beginning to thin and evaporate the liquid. I felt deeply sated
and relaxed. This was so natural; and so enjoyable.

Twenty minutes later, I walked back to the river bank, my still swollen
Gra-juu swinging before me. I walked back into the river and let the water
clean my body again. Then I climbed out, picked up my clothes from where
I'd undressed, and enjoyed the freedom of walking back to my hut naked.

............ to be continued soon in Chapter 2 of 'Thai Pan' .............

YOU MAY ENJOY MY OTHER WRITINGS

'BOY: The Mentoring of a Gay Teenager'
http://www.nifty.org/nifty/gay/adult-youth/boy-series/
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0177EX1XY for the Kindle version
Search your local Amazon / Kindle website by the title.

TOBY: The Secret Journal of a Gay Teen
http://eu.nifty.org/nifty/gay/adult-youth/toby/

THAI PAN: A Jungle Tale

And please support Nifty to keep publishing all these stories!
http://donate.nifty.org/.

(c) Tom Pickles, 2016   I love reading your reactions to my writings
tpickles2@gmail.com.