Date: Sat, 23 Nov 2013 15:59:59 -0500 From: Eff Del Subject: Young-but Daily Growing-Chapter 23 Young, but Daily Growing-Chapter 23 By Eff Del It has often been debated as to which is more beautiful; stunning natural wonder or lovingly crafted art. Those that advocate for manmade creation do so because they feel it best represents the superior inventiveness of the human mind while those who hold forth for natural magnificence maintain its very randomness argues for its superiority. The stated case of either side fails to take into consideration that the source of each is essentially the same; the sense of what is beautiful which God has implanted in the human soul and therefore the discussion is moot. The cool untamed wind whipped his thick black hair wildly about his face as he leaned upon the rough stone wall and gazed down into the pristine valley that lay far below. >From this vantage, the remote earth was almost a carpet of greens and browns made vivid by the burgeoning buds and young supple growth which were the fruits of the life renewing rains of spring. Down the center of this tapestry of color and texture, the river ran carving a gently looping line as if it were a sliver of oddly broken glass. We had pulled off and onto a scenic vista spot, taking a short break from our drive up the mountainside to the remote lodge that would be our final destination for the day. "Except for flying in the jet, I've never been this high up Eric. It's so beautiful!" He had turned to me smiling while trying vainly to keep his tempest tossed hair from obscuring his eyes. "And I don't see any buildings or roads or stuff down there...just the river, the grass an trees an bushes." I placed a hand lovingly on his slender shoulder and said; "That's why our National Parks are so important Sean. It keeps these large areas of great natural beauty safe from ...well from people. They'll stay natural and unspoiled forever so that generations from now some little kid like you will be able to lean on those same rocks and see the same lovely valley down there." He nodded his head...he truly understood. "That's so neat Eric." I wrapped my arm around him and gently guided him back to the Escalade. "We'll have all day tomorrow to explore the park little man. It's getting late and the air is getting cold. I don't know why I didn't think to bring you a jacket. I guess it's because it was so hot way back at the capital when we started out this morning. The last thing we need is for you to catch a chill. You're still pretty weak yet." About twenty minutes later we had checked into the rugged looking but actually quite luxurious lodge near the waterfall on Mount Fuente de Oro. While most people know that such accommodations are available in most of our National Parks, they are generally unaware that within these facilities are private housing units reserved for the exclusive use of persons of celebrity or power: usually euphemistically referred to as VIPs. When I had called two nights ago to arrange for the use of these particular lodgings, I had been politely informed that they had been previously reserved by a US senator and his family. I'd thanked the young man I'd been speaking to and then I'd placed another call to a different source. Fifteen minutes later my cell phone rang and it was the same young man sounding rather chaste and issuing heart felt apologies for his "mistake"...it seemed that the accommodations I'd requested were "of course" available. It was not my nature to use my wealth and power to gain an advantage over another person but I also had no qualms about trumping some political pimp who made a living sucking on the public teat and taking selfish advantage of his elected position. From my point of view, his free wilderness junket was secondary I frankly hoped that all they could find to downgrade him into was a damned tent. Our private "cabin" was a two story wood, stone and glass structure with four bedrooms, a massive river rock fireplace that Sean could have stood up inside and a rustic balcony/terrace that looked out over the falls and the wild gorge it cascaded down into. As the young man from the lodge showed us around, I asked him if there were any shops in the complex where I could purchase a couple of jackets as I'd forgotten how chilly the evening could be in the mountains this time of year. He smiled and told me that the lodge was always prepared for such emergencies and that if I'd excuse him he would be right back. Sean and I strolled out onto the terrace and watched the waterfall. It was at its peak- being swollen and enriched by the generous spring rains and the melting snow from higher elevations. The roar of the frothy white water resonated throughout the gorge and canyon as it crashed down the almost sheer face of the cliff in two long breathtaking flights before exploding dramatically as a misty storm into the river below. "Gosh Eric...that's loud! How are we gonna sleep with all that noise?" "Well, in the first place, once the doors and windows are closed, you won't hear it hardly at all but in the second place little man, I think you'll find that after a while with natural noises like this you get used to the sound and pretty soon you don't notice it." I was interrupted by the return of the young man who presented us each with beautiful forest green jackets bearing a lovely embroidered patch of the park logo on the left breast and our names stitched artfully on the right. "My apologies Mr. Tucker; these SHOULD have been given to you when you checked in. Artis at the desk is new I'm afraid. They are of course with the compliments of the lodge management. I've taken the liberty of setting up a diner reservation for you two in the De Oro Room. I've reserved you a table by the window. The reservation is in 45 minutes if that's alright...I can easily change it but I suspected you might like to eat early after your long drive." I took a quick glance at his brown name tag...Chris it said. "Chris...thank you for the jackets and thanks for your thoughtfulness regarding dinner. You have a fine grasp of customer service. I hope you'll pardon my curiosity but tell me, when the season is over up here at the lodge, what do you do with yourself?" "I'm a student at the University sir. I'm in pre-law right now though I've been thinking of changing my major to business. This is my second season here at the lodge, my first year as assistant concierge and I love it...it's almost like being paid to be on vacation." I nodded and took out my wallet. I extracted one of my personal business cards and handed it to him. "Chris, when you've graduated please give me a call so that we can discuss some possibilities for your future. I will always have use for a good clear thinking person like you." I slipped a folded hundred dollar bill into his hand and he was almost blushing as he thanked me and left us assuring me that if I needed ANYTHING I should call upon him. I guided Sean into the master bathroom so that we could wash up before diner. Looking around he said; "This is nice Eric...not nearly as nice as OURS, but it's really pretty neat." I couldn't help but agree but then, VIP accommodations ARE VIP accommodations...even in the middle of the wilderness. ***** Chris had indeed reserved a very exclusive spot for us in the restaurant. The table sat next to a stone and glass wall that looked out upon the gorge and the falls. Though the view from the terrace of our cabin was actually more up close and spectacular, this was a very impressive backdrop to the rustic elegance of the dining room. Our waiter had recommended a meal that was not on the regular menu; fresh caught rainbow trout grilled over mesquite with sage and lemon. It sounded so good that we both ordered it and as we sat waiting, I sipped upon a very dry vodka martini while Sean enjoyed a lemonade and maraschino cherry juice "cocktail" served in a tall Collins glass. Small bits of memory were returning to the boy and while I listened patiently and encouraged him to share his thoughts I did not pry or attempt to bring out any recollections that were not yet ready to manifest themselves. I frankly did not care and in fact preferred the idea that he remembered as little as possible of the entire episode. More than anything I didn't want him to be emotionally scarred by fear, anger or insecurity. Sean was a happy inquisitive little boy and I could not bear the idea that some sick bastard might have stolen those attributes from him. At the moment the kidnapping and subsequent hospital stay seemed to be the furthest things from his mind as we discussed our plans for tomorrow. He was talking in his usual mile a minute fashion and wiggling in his chair as he did so. A stranger would never have been able to guess at the traumatic experiences he had just endured. "I'll show you a map of the park in the morning Sean, a lot of the famous sights are just a short walk from places we'll be able to park the car. If you enjoy yourself, next year when you're fully recovered, we can come back and take a few of the longer hikes that go deeper into the park maybe even do an over-nighter." He took a long drink from his glass and then slowly raised his eyes up to meet mine. There was a melancholy little half smile on his face and he said softly; "You made a mistake Eric. You said `next year'. Next year I'll be gone back to the NEST...I guess...I guess you forgot." "Tell him!" The voice in my head screamed. "You've made up your mind tell him that much at least!" Not yet, I thought...I'm going to tell him this trip for sure but not yet...I reached across the table and patted his hand smiling softly. I was saved from the need to say anything by the arrival of our dinner. As his plate was placed before him Sean stared down at it with a look of complete bewilderment. "Eric..." he whispered. "They need Walter up here to show them how to clean fish!" I smiled. The trout on his plate was an entire fish grilled as was traditional and garnished with herbs and lemon rind. "What do you mean Sean?" I feigned innocence. "They left the head and the tail onnit. Yours too!" He answered sincerely concerned. "Oh, that's OK. This is the way trout is usually served. I promise you the guts and stuff have all been cleaned out and you don't eat the head or the tail unless you're a raccoon or something. Watch me, I'll show you." I filled my fork with a chunk of the soft sweet meat from the body and tasted it. It was wonderful. Always adventurous and never shy about food, Sean followed my lead and was soon smiling and nodding his head; an indication that he found the fish as delicious as I did. He was almost finished when he suddenly began giggling. It was obvious that he was trying to keep his mirth under control but it was seemingly a losing battle. "What in the world is so funny Sean?" "I never had somethin' for dinner that watched me while I ate it before!" I joined him in his laughter. ***** After we'd finished dinner he seemed refreshed and not quite as weary as he had been during the drive up into the park. Therefore, rather than go directly to bed, I'd suggested he might enjoy a soak in the hot tub out on the terrace. We'd undressed in the large master bedroom and slipped into the thick white terry cloth robes the lodge provided for its guests. While Sean's was a size "small", it was intended for a small adult and thus, he was almost lost in its folds. This didn't seem to bother him a bit and I enjoyed looking at him...he looked warm and cute. Out on the terrace, he moved to the edge of the bubbling steaming water and let his robe fall to the deck. Wincing at the chill of the night mountain air, he stepped gingerly into the hot water and let himself slowly sink down until just his head and shoulders were above the surface. Instantly a contented smile spread across his face and he called for me to join him. I poured myself a generous glass of single malt Scotch whisky, dropped my own robe onto the deck next to his and stepped into the hot frothing water next to him. Little pleasures are often the best and the exquisite luxury of soaking in hot water bubbling with therapeutic force while outdoors surrounded by crisp ambient air on a mountain night in early spring is just such a thing. We both sat silently for long moments just enjoying the sybaritic experience. I noticed with some smug satisfaction that the thunderous roar of the water fall had indeed become a hardly noticed leitmotif, providing the perfect background for our private little world. Without saying a word, he slid over and placed himself so that he was sitting on my lap. He pulled my arms until they were wrapped around him in a loose embrace and then he leaned back into me resting his head upon my chest. He sighed softly. "You haven't held me in a looong time Eric." He said almost in a whisper. Thinking quickly I realized that it had been over two weeks since we'd last been in each other's arms sharing the silken pleasure of the feel of flesh against flesh. I tightened my embrace around him and nuzzled my nose through his beautiful thick black hair. "I know." I answered him in my own almost whisper. "But that stuff is all behind us and I'm holding you now little man...that's all that matters." "That's kinnda like what the Professor says. He always tells me that I shouldn't worry about things that happened in the past as long as I'm moving forward. At first I didn't understand him so he told me to think about it like this; that as long as you're movin forward, you can't trip over what's behind you." I smiled and softly kissed the top of his head. My hands were now slowly moving along the surface of his smooth skin reacquainting themselves with the feel of him while my mind enjoyed the tactile pleasure of touching him after such a long and terrible time. He silently shifted and raised himself to accommodate my exploring fingers. "Man! Lookit ALL those stars Eric! There's even more stars than you can see by the lake at Fish Camp!" "That's because we're at a much higher elevation than at Fish Camp and besides, the air here is even clearer than it is back home. They're beautiful aren't they?" "Yeah...and so many. I never saw anything like this when I was back at the NEST." "Well, the NEST is in Houston and that's a big city...one of the bad things about a big city is the air is dirty and...there's always too much light so you can't ever see a beautiful night sky there." I was gently brushing one of his little nipples with my fingertips while my other arm was wrapped around his waist. "Why are you talking about the NEST right now Sean?" "Oh, I was just thinkin'...do you know next month is my birthday?" "Sure I do. It's June 17th and you're going to be twelve years old." "Yeah...well back at the NEST when it was my birthday they'd say the year was half over...that it was just a half a year `till Christmas and New Year's. " "So, what's wrong with that?" "Well...this year, Christmas and New Year means my contract is pretty much over." He's stood up and was facing me. Even in the dim light on the terrace I could see he was shivering in the cold air. I quickly climbed out of the tub and held his robe out to him. "It's late and it's cold, let's go inside and talk Sean." We both pulled our warm robes on and walked briskly back into the cabin. Thanks to the microwave, I soon handed him a steaming mug of hot chocolate and poured myself a generous dram of whisky. "Let's get into bed and get warm while we talk OK?" "Kay" he took a sip from his cup a came up with the tip of his nose covered in whipped cream. I leaned down and dramatically licked his nose clean causing him to smile brightly. I turned the covers on the tall king-sized bed down, helped him slip out of his robe and lifted him up onto the soft mattress. My eyes drank in the sight of his beautiful body displayed for the moment in all of its magnificent nakedness before I pulled the blankets up over him and climbed into bed beside him. We sat propped up by pillows, our bodies touching and sipping on our drinks when he spoke again in a soft voice. "Eric...I'm sorry. I'm not supposed to talk like that. It was really wrong. I hope you're not mad." "Why should I be mad Sean? What do you think you've said that's wrong?" "Well, I ain't had any of my trainin' yet, but I know we're not supposed to get involved with our clients or care when a contract is over but..." "But what Sean?" "But I guess I don't know better cause I do care an I'm involved with you. I'm sorry Eric I'm not s'possed to talk like this." His eyes were moist and glistening I reached over and pulled him over so that he was laying on top of me resting his head on my chest while I hugged him tightly. "I've been talkin to the Professor about it a lot an he's been tryin to help me understand. He calls it getting' in touch with my feelin's. He says I'm not confused just motionly unfistigated." I had to think about that for a bit. "Do you mean emotionally unsophisticated?" "Yeah, that's what I said...motionally unfistigated. He says I just don't understand all of my feelin's cause at the NEST I didn't learn about them the way most people do." "I see, and what are you and the professor coming up with little man?" He sat up suddenly sitting on my stomach while his legs straddled my sides. He had the blankets draped over his shoulders and he was looking at me in the most serious manner. "What I've come up with Eric is you an that's what's wrong... Nobody ever treated me like you do an nobody ever talked to me like you do and nobody ever acted like they like me like you do...all I ever, ever want is to be with you Eric. All I ever want is to care about you an to know that you care about me. You make me happy alla time an I want to try and make you happy. This isn't what a contract is spossta be like...I just know that when the year is over and my contract is over everybody's gonna be sayin `happy new year' to each other but not to me Eric cause Now is...THIS is my happy year an when it's over I can't help it...I'm gonna be sooo sad." He was crying softly and he lay back down with his beautiful little head on my chest. "I'm sorry Eric. Please don't be mad...I'll never talk like this again." "Tell him! Tell him NOW!" the familiar voice screamed in my head. "Yes!" I finally... FINALLY agreed. I sat up abruptly taking him with me so that he was inadvertently sitting on my completely flaccid cock and looking directly into my face. HIS face- his beautiful little face I took it between my hands and gazed for a moment into his moist stunning blue green eyes. "Sean...you'll NEVER talk like that again because you'll never have to. I hope for you that EVERY New Year turns out to be a hundred times happier than the one before it and I'm going to do everything I can to make certain that happens. I want to care for you and watch you grow day after day. " He was staring at me, his eyes blinking in confusion. He didn't understand what I was saying. "Just tell the poor kid asshole!" screamed my inner voice. "Sean, forget all about contracts and clients and all that...CRAP. I'm your...friend...I'm not your client. There is no more contract. You are NEVER going back to that place...to the NEST. Unless you don't choose to, you're going to stay with us...with me... forever." He just looked at me. There were large pools of water welling in his big wide opened eyes and for the longest time I was afraid he hadn't comprehended what I'd just told him and then the tears began to slowly roll down his cheeks and his lower lip trembled. He reached out his little hand...it was trembling as he touched my face as softly as a butterfly. "E-E-Eric...don't be mean. Please don't fool me...I said I was sorry." My hands were at his waist and slowly stroking his taut little ass cheeks. "Little man, I'm not fooling. I've never been more serious in my life. I want you with me and I hope that's what you want too." "I...I gedda stay? I gedda stay with you for always?" his little body was as tight as a spring and his arms and shoulders were shaking. "Eric...Eric! For truly real? For TRULY?" "For TRULY little man!" and I pulled him tightly to me. He buried his face into my neck and shoulder and I could feel him heave as his body was wracked with sobs. We stayed that way for at least a half an hour until exhausted I lay down still holding him close. His sobs subsided into cute little squeaks in between the unmistakable sound of him trying to suck the snot back up into his nose. I sat up and slipped off of the bed still grasping him to me and carried him into the bathroom. Sitting him up onto the smooth stone vanity counter I ran a cloth under lukewarm water and gently washed his face while he sat there limp and hiccupping. I bent down and kissed him tenderly and he smiled up at me...the most magnificent of all of his many magnificent smiles. "Are you alright?" I cupped his cheek in my hand. "I'm better than alright Eric. Promise you wasn't foolin?" "Promise." "So...I'm really gonna be your boy alla time?" "All the time. You're going to be my boy...my Sean." Smiling, he reached out and wrapped his arms around my neck pulling himself up and off the vanity and wrapped his legs around my waist. I carried him into the bedroom like that. Once we were beneath the covers, he threw an arm and a leg across my body and pulled himself against me tightly. "We'll talk a whole lot more in the morning. You're exhausted, goodnight my little Sean." His warm little body jerked from a residual hiccup. "Nite...MY Eric." And like that...he was fast asleep. (to be continued) OK, so I SAID this chapter would cover the entire mini-vacation but it took a different turn. I hope all of you who have been hounding me (nicely of course) are as happy as I am that Sean no longer has to worry about going back to the NEST. There is still more to come however. As always thanks for your Emails and your encouragement. AND...don't forget that NIFTY needs your contributions