Robert and Johnny-The rest of the story Ch 15

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Robert and Johnny
The rest of the story
(Part three of the trilogy began in My 11th Summer, then Tween to Teen)
By: Kewl Dad

L to R: Campsite, Kid's fishing pond, Deep end of creek, Spillway from creek level.

That summer, after graduating from college, Johnny and I just took it easy. We could have both gotten summer jobs, like Tony did, but we decided we'd earned a rest, especially considering we'd be moving to Tulsa soon.

We hadn't told Mikey that we were moving yet, but I knew we couldn't wait too much longer to break the news to him. I didn't want the news to spoil his summer, but I didn't want to drop it on him at the last minute either.

Johnny and I spent a lot of time with him that summer, going places like the movies, the park, the zoo in Tulsa, and to Bell's Amusement Park again. We went camping too, usually at Spavinaw, but also at Sequoya, where we'd gone with Tony and Caleb.

Mikey loved camping, and dad promised him that even when Johnny and I couldn't take him, that he and mom would. Dad was easing Mikey into the mindset that Johnny and I wouldn't always be available, even if he didn't tell him why. He explained that Johnny and I would soon be taking full time jobs and wouldn't have as much time to spend with him.

Mikey, like most kids his age, didn't think much about the future, he lived in the here and now, and just concentrated on having fun, and enjoying having Johnny and I at his beck and call.

On the Fourth of July that year, we had a huge picnic in the park by Johnny's house, and everyone was there, including Caleb, Tony, and Caleb's granny. She loved these get-togethers, and always insisted on bringing her share of the food. This time she'd outdone herself with lots of sweet treats, including her near famous cookies, cinnamon rolls, and two cakes.

Our dads grilled hamburgers, hot dogs, and chicken, and of course no picnic was complete without mom's baked beans and homemade potato salad. We had two ice chests of drinks, including beer for the men, and our folks surprised us by telling us we were men now, and could have a beer or two ourselves. I'm sure they knew we'd drank at college, what kid didn't? but it was still nice to have them acknowledge that we were grown-ups now.

There were other families in the park that day, but fortunately Johnny's folks had reserved the shelter across from their house, though we did share it with a family Johnny's folks knew.

The shelter was huge, and there was plenty of room, but we wound up mingling with the other family, the Clarks, and it was very enjoyable. The Clark family had two kids, David who was 9, and Philip who was 11. Since the two boys went to Jefferson Elementary, Mikey didn't know them, but it didn't take long for the three to become friends. Mikey was an easy going, friendly guy, and made friends easily.

Johnny and I sort of enjoyed not having to entertain Mikey as much that day, and we spent a lot of time chatting with our families and friends and enjoying ourselves. The Clarks lived near the school the boys attended, and Johnny's dad knew Mr. Clark from work. Mrs. Clark was a substitute teacher, and though she had filled in at Washington, Mikey's school, it had been in another grade.

While we had some time away from Mikey, I decided to talk to mom and dad about how best to break the news of our moving away to my little brother.

"Well, son...Mikey might only be 9, but he's very mature for his age," Dad said, "he's very intelligent as you well know, and he understands things better than most kids his age. He's not a whiner, nor is he spoiled by any means. When the time comes, I suggest you treat him like an equal and don't talk down to him. Assure him that you'll be seeing him often, and as we discussed before, he can come visit you whenever it's convenient for all involved."

"He'll be fine," mom added, "he'll be a little sad at first, but he'll adjust to this, just like he adjusted to you moving away to college. I suggest you tell him soon though, it might go harder on him if he thinks you've been keeping this from him."

"Oh man, I never thought of that," I groaned, "How about if we take him camping next week and break the news to him then? Or, do you think that might spoil his fun?"

"I think wherever, or whenever you tell him, it will be about the same, but at least you'll have his full attention that way, and he can't run away," dad teased.

"Dad, don't even kid about that. I've had nightmares about stuff like that. I love my little brother with all my heart, but I have a life with Johnny, and right now it's taking us to Tulsa."

"It's not like Tulsa is a thousand miles away. Less than an hour's drive, and we'll be able to come see you guys at times too," mom reminded us.

"I know, he's just...so happy right now...having us all to himself," I choked out.

"Look at him out there son, playing with his new friends and enjoying himself. He'll be fine. He's resilient and has lots to keep him occupied. In fact, since you boys have been home, he's been sort of neglecting his other friends, and his cousin Joe. They have always been so close," Dad said then.

"Well, maybe we should wean him off us slowly," Johnny chuckled, finally joining in.

"Yes, slowly. You know, you boys don't have to spend every minute with him," Dad reminded us.

"Yeah, yeah...I know," I groused, "but it's not like we don't enjoy it. I don't know if we've ever talked about this before, but...Johnny and I think...I mean, if there was some way we could have a kid...well, we think we'd like to be parents. I know, I know, that's crazy. No court is ever gonna let two guys raise a kid, but we can dream..."

"Its not crazy, and stranger things have happened. There are lots of kids out there that need a loving home, and other ways than going through the courts to make that happen," dad said, as if he'd been thinking about this for some time.

"You boys would make wonderful fathers," mom said smiling warmly, "and any child would be lucky to have you in their lives. Mikey adores both of you, as we all do, and he's an excellent judge of character."

That conversation, as brief and as casual as it had been, is still embedded in my mind to this day, and with good reason, since my dad's prediction would eventually come to pass.

Of course, no July 4th was complete without fireworks, and Johnny and I had spent a small fortune on firecrackers, roman candles, sky rockets, satellites, and the like. We grabbed some firecrackers, and punks and joined Mikey and his new buddies and shot off several packs. We taught the boys the fine art of lighting fireworks and running for the hills, and Mikey took it all very seriously. He showed just the right amount of fear and respect for the power of Lady Fingers and Black Cats, and I felt sure he'd be just fine, even when we weren't around.

As darkness fell, we started our fireworks show, shooting most of them across the pond, but making sure to clean up the mess afterwards. The adults sat on blankets at the water's edge, while the boys stood a safe distance behind me and Johnny.

The fireworks display was the perfect way to end a wonderful day, and we were all a little sad when it was time to go. The women had divided up the leftovers, and we loaded up the other stuff according to where it went, then headed home.

We'd brought mom and dad in the Bug Bus, and Mikey was sitting between her and dad looking sleepy. It had been a big day for the little guy, but I'm sure it would be a 4th of July he would remember for a long time to come. I knew I would, for who knew now long it might be before we could all gather like this again.

The campout

The following Monday, we loaded up the Bug Bus and headed to Spavinaw for what I hoped would be a fun-filled week of camping. We had dad's Coleman cooler filled with ice and pop, and a second cooler with meats and other things that needed to be kept cold. Two boxes held our non-perishables and our tent and other paraphernalia filled the rest of the space.

We sang along with the radio, till the station began to fade out about the time we reached Salina. Fortunately, Johnny had installed an 8-track tape player, (look it up if you're younger than 40) and we were soon singing along with Leon Russell as he walked the tight rope.

Even Mikey sang along, his sweet clear little boy voice, music in itself, and I felt tears sting my eyes. I was glad Johnny was driving, for it was hard to see through my tears, but fortunately neither of my companions seemed to notice my emotional state. I was, and still am, very emotional, and even as I write this, the tears return to my eyes.

We were lucky, our favorite camping spot was open this early in the week, and we wasted no time parking the Bug Bus and erecting our tent to claim our territory. Later we planned to pay the park ranger a visit and pay the fees, but right now we just wanted to get our camp set up.

Mikey seemed in an especially good mood that day, and who could blame him. He was 9-years-old and had a week of fun and adventure to look forward with his two favorite guys. I thought back to when I was 9, and though most of my adventures were with Johnny and my other friends, I do remember some good times with my Uncle Joe. He was always my favorite, partly because the age gap made him seem more like a brother than uncle, but mostly because he treated me with such love and respect. He treated me like...like an equal, I guess, and I loved him for that. He was a dad three times over by now, and would eventually have 6, 3 of each, and what a great dad he was.

We were just finishing up when the park ranger came by, saving us a trip, and we paid for the week. We'd camped there so many times that we knew him by name, and he us, and we visited a long time before he finally said goodbye. He said he'd keep an eye on our campsite, since he knew we often made side trips to town and nearby places, and we thanked him sincerely.

Mikey took to Ranger Smith right away, teasing him and asking him if he knew Smokey the Bear, causing the older man to burst out in laughter. He told him he'd never met Smokey personally, but that he'd gone to the same school for his Ranger training, causing Mikey to laugh then.

It was only around 11 by the time we said goodbye to Ranger Smith, but the temperature was already in the 80s. It was going to be one of those hot, sunny Oklahoma days, but we had the perfect remedy for that, a trip to the creek for some cool refreshing water fun.

We quickly changed into our swim trunks in the tent and boarded the Bug Bus for the short trip to the creek. That way, we had our coolers, towels, and such for later, and though it wasn't a long walk, it saved our bare feet from the hot pavement.

There were only a few people in the water when we arrived, mostly kids, and a few adults on blankets in the shade watching them. Despite coming here quite often over the years, we had never seen the same families or groups more than once. I knew there must be locals who hung out here regularly, but despite that fact, every time we came the faces were new.

We parked the Bug Bus under a shade tree nearby and grabbed the inner tubes and the air mattress we'd blown up at the Sinclair station, and headed to the water. As we approached, I saw some of the kids watching us with interest, or at least our water toys, and by the time the water was around my waist, two of them had swam up to meet us.

The oldest appeared to be about 12 or so, and the younger one nearer Mikey's age, and they were both very cute. Red haired, with green eyes, there was no mistaking that they were brothers, especially since their facial features were so similar.

"Hi, y'all," the older one said in Okie speak.

"Howdy," I said giving the boy a friendly smile.

"Hi," the younger boy said in his cute little boy voice.

"Hello guys," Johnny said to the boys.

"Hi," Mikey finally managed to say, his smile as wide as the creek, "I'm Mikey, want to play with me?"

Okay, maybe I have a dirty mind, but I couldn't help but think what that innocent statement might mean under different circumstances. However, I was able to keep my dirty thoughts to myself, though I thought I saw Johnny snicker a bit.

"Sure, I'm Johnny and that there is Fred," the oldest boy said.

"Huh uh," my Johnny laughed, "Johnny is my name too."

"Really, are you teasin' me?" the boy said looking skeptical.

"I swear," Johnny said.

"Neat," the boy said, then to me, "What's you're name mister?" the word mister suddenly making me feel quite old.

"Robert," I said, "Mikey is my brother, and Johnny is my b...my friend, I said, almost slipping and using the word boyfriend.

"Okay," the boy said then, "I reckon you can call me John then, sos we don't get mixed up," he added looking thoughtful.

"Good idea," Johnny agreed, "how old are you guys?"

"I'm 12 and he's 10," John said pointing at his brother, "we got a stupid old sister that's 16, but she ain't with us. She's with her boyfriend," he said, making the word boyfriend sound like a curse word.

I laughed, "I'm guessing you and your sister don't get along that well."

"She's a ding danged old girl. I don't like girls, they're stupid," John said seriously.

I wondered if he just hadn't discovered not all girls were stupid, or if like Johnny and me, he liked boys, but that was one conversation we'd never have. I was an adult now, he was a kid...end of discussion.

We took turns using the tubes and air mattress, and as the boys got to know us better and warmed up to us, they became more physical. I don't mean that in a bad way, but as with most boys, they craved the attention of someone older like Johnny and me, and sometimes that meant touching as well.

Fred was first, playfully climbing on me and pretending something was biting his leg. As he clung to me, his legs wrapped around my waist, his arms around my neck, I could swear I felt something hard against my hip. I humored him and didn't make him get off me, and he relaxed some, then did the sweetest thing. He laid his head on my shoulder, sighed deeply, and kissed my cheek.

"Wow, what was that for?" I asked with a smile.

"You're nice," he said simply, then he released his grip on me and fell backwards into the water, laughing as he came up for air seconds later.

John wasn't quite as demonstrative as Fred, but he wasn't shy about touching, wrestling about with us, and once or twice I felt his hand brush my crotch, and I don't think it was accidental. Later, Johnny told me that he'd experienced the same thing, and had actually gotten hard. He said that John had noticed, and had given his dick a little squeeze as if to be sure, and Johnny said he noticed a bulge in the boy's trunks as well.

Mikey seemed oblivious to all this, which I was thankful for, but of course he was only 9, and I hoped it would be a while before those kinds of thoughts changed him. Little did I know he was not nearly as innocent as I'd thought.

We learned in the course of our conversations that the boys lived with their mom and grandparents just outside of town, and that their father had, their words, ran off with some 'hoochie momma' from Miami. I almost laughed at that, but the boys seemed dead serious, no doubt having heard that explanation from their mom many times.

Their mom worked at the cafe in town, and grandpa had brought the boys and dropped them off, then went into Pryor to do some shopping, leaving the boys alone and unattended. Today that would have been thought of as irresponsible, maybe even illegal, but back then kids took care of each other. I mean, Johnny and I had done our share of swimming alone with no adults nearby, and we'd lived to tell about it. We were tough and resourceful back then, and we didn't need smart phones to keep us safe.

I was beginning to get hungry, and I was sure Mikey and Johnny were as well, so around noon I suggested we get out and have some lunch. We had stuff for sandwiches in the cooler, and I invited the two brothers to have lunch with us, and you'd have thought I'd offered them tickets to Disneyland.

Once we were out of the water, I noticed how slender the two were, and I wondered if they ate regularly, or if like most kids back then, they just ran all the fat off. We didn't sit around playing video games or watching TV, we were out running around all day, playing in real time and having fun. Something kids today don't do nearly enough.

Despite being slender if not skinny, John had a nice little butt, and I could see the pale skin of his cheeks through his thin trunks. Fred's butt wasn't quite as pronounced, but it was cute nonetheless, and quite adorable, as was the rest of him.

The boys sat on the blanket we'd spread out as Johnny and I prepared lunch, and Mikey kept them entertained with tales of his dog Snoopy and our exploits, including our picnic on the 4th. The two brothers listened with interest, only stopping him once to say that they had two dogs, and a cat.

We put the sandwiches and some chips on paper plates, handed each of the boys one, then asked them what kind of pop they preferred. Once again they became excited as Johnny named the flavors of pop we had, but they still looked confused. Finally, he suggested they just come over and select one on their own, and that's what they did. I don't remember who got what, but I do remember the look of pleasure on their faces when they took their first drink.

The two brothers ate slowly, seeming to savor every bite, pulling off little chunks of their sandwiches and popping them in their mouth, eating a chip, then taking a drink, then repeating the whole process. We spent at least an hour eating our lunch, taking our time and enjoying the lazy summer day, getting to know each other better, and tasting life at it's best.

When I offered the boys a cookie for dessert, they eagerly accepted, and ate them as slowly as they had their sandwich. Eventually, we cleaned up the mess, but lingered a bit longer, letting our food settle before heading back to the water. We still believed that old wive's tale about waiting two hours before going in the water, even if we seldom waited quiet that long.

While we rested in the shade, Mikey stretched out his head in my lap and his feet on Johnny, I noticed the two brothers watching us with interest. I could tell this was new to them, this open show of affection, and I wondered what their home life was like. I knew many kids in situations like theirs were starved for attention, and easy prey for any molester who came along and showed them the attention they craved. It was sad to think they weren't loved or cared for, but there was nothing I could do except make their day with us one they'd remember for a long time.

When it was time to get back in the water, Johnny suggested we carry the inner tubes and raft upstream and ride them down. Despite it having been a hot summer, there had been frequent rain storms that spring, and the lake was full. The excess water coursed over the spillway and down into the creek, causing a swift current that pretty much petered out by the time it arrived at the deeper part of the creek where most folks swam.

The two brothers chattered excitedly as we walked upstream, recounting our many adventures of riding the current when we were young boys ourselves. Mikey, who had experienced this thrill ride several times jumped in the conversation as well, assuring the two brothers it was the most fun ever.

Once we got to the head of the creek, it was decided that since it was the brothers' first time, they should ride with one of us three. Mikey happily agreed to have Fred share his inner tube, and Johnny said he would take the raft, leaving me and John to ride the second inner tube.

I hoisted Mikey into the inner tube first, legs out and his bottom in the water, then lifted Fred aboard and sat him down at a 45 degree angle on Mikey's lap in the same configuration. They fit nicely, and I foresaw no problems with them making the trip without tipping over.

Next I plopped down in the the other inner tube and Johnny then helped John move into position on my lap, just as Fred had with Mikey. I could feel John's fleshy little bottom against my dick and my only fear was that I was going to get hard from that brief but intimate contact.

Johnny gave us a push, me and John first, then Mikey and Fred, then carefully climbed on the raft and followed behind us. The water wasn't so swift as to be frightening, but we did move along at a steady pace, the inner tube swirling around as we proceeded, and water splashing us, cooling our skin where the sun beat down on us.

As we bounced along, John's plump little butt pressing against my dick, as I had feared, my dick was soon hard as a rock. There was no way John couldn't have noticed, yet he didn't say a word about what was poking him. Then looking down into his own lap, I saw why. His own little pecker was rock hard and sticking up, clearly visible through his thin trunks. In fact, those trunks were so thin I could clearly make out the fact that John was uncircumcised, and fairly large for a boy his age.

The ride ended then, and we were in calm water, just floating there as we waited for the others to arrive. Suddenly, John turned to me, his face flushed and his eyes searching mine for something...though I didn't know what, then he sighed and turned away.

"That was fun," I heard Fred say as he and Mikey approached, then suddenly John scrambled out of the inner tube and hit the water with a thud. I saw him swim away to deeper water, quite sure I new why, to hide his arousal. Speaking of which, I had quite a bone of my own, so I followed John's lead and quickly immersed myself to hide my excitement, however innocent it might have been.

Johnny arrived last, drifting lazily up to me, and I grabbed his raft and held him in place, his face only inches from mine. God, I wanted to kiss him so bad, but I caught myself in time to prevent being tarred and feathered, and ran out of town on a rail.

"How was it, with John on your lap?" Johnny chuckled, "did you get a boner?"

"You know me so well," I said blushing, "but I wasn't the only one," I said, then going on to describe in detail what I saw.

"I'm not surprised, he's that age when a boy is hard more times than soft. I wonder if he knows how to jack off?" Johnny mused.

"Why, are you gonna show him how?" I teased.

"Nah, that would be creepy. We'll have Mikey teach him," he joked.

"Johnny...he doesn't know how either," I said, hoping I was right.

"Ha, that's funny," Johnny laughed, "think about it, did you know how when you were his age?"

I did think about that, even as Mikey and Fred finally flipped their inner tube over so they could join us in the water. Johnny stayed on the raft however, looking drowsy and comfortable, and I thought again about how nice it would be to kiss him, or lay on top of him and make love to him.

"Let's go again," Mikey said excitedly, but Johnny decided to stay right where he was, and so the four of us made the trek once more, this time switching partners for the ride down the creek.

Fred was a lap full, and a snuggly little bunny, actually holding my hand as we floated down the creek. His soft bottom was pressing against me, but I didn't get nearly as aroused as I had with John. I finally decided it had nothing to do with sex though, it was just about the contact, and it could have been anyone, or anything causing the rise in my crotch.

We eventually made our way down the creek to where Johnny stood waiting for us, the air mattress now on the bank. He grabbed my inner tube once we were close enough for him to do so, then held us while we waited for Mikey and John.

John had opted to be on bottom with Mikey in his lap, and I heard them giggling about something as they approached. I turned the inner tube over, dumping both Fred and me out, then grabbed Mikey's inner tube when he got closer.

"That was fun," Mikey said, can we go again?"

"How about if you three take the tubes and the raft and all come down separately," I suggested, "Johnny and I will wait for you here."

"Okay, I get the raft," Mikey said excitedly.

"Just be careful guys," I warned, but I knew it was relatively safe since Mikey was experienced at riding the current of the creek, not to mention he was a strong swimmer.

When they'd gone, Johnny and I continued our earlier conversation. He was right, at nine I'd been keenly aware that touching my penis felt good, though it was a while before I found out just how good it could feel if I kept doing it. We were 11 when Roger changed our world forever by introducing us to sex, and we'd soon become obsessed with it.

I was conflicted when it came to my little brother however, as much as I'd enjoyed doing those things as a kid, I was hoping Mikey would remain innocent a bit longer. It was hard to think about my little brother doing the things I had as a boy, but I also knew that there was nothing abnormal or unnatural about it. It was part of growing up, and most boys did some of that stuff at some point in their lives, even if my buddies and I had started a bit early.

"I bet Johnny Jr. does it all the time," my Johnny said, referring to the older brother, "and I wouldn't be surprised if he hasn't taught Fred a few things."

"Yeah, I wondered about that. Never having a brother, I guess you were the closest thing I had to one, and we sure did plenty of stuff as kids."

"Yeah, I think even if we hadn't met Roger, we'd have figured things out eventually," Johnny said then, "I think we're oversexed, and always have been," he added laughing.

"I think we're sexed just right," I chuckled, "and right now...It's all I can do to keep my hands off you."

"Later, lover boy," Johnny said, "once Mikey is out cold, we can do some quiet fooling around."

"Yeah, fortunately he's a hard sleeper," I said, then laughed at the double meaning of that.

"Oh, does he sleep with a little boner?" Johnny teased.

"Probably, but I'm sure it's all innocent. I can't imagine him having dirty thoughts."

"What's dirty about sex?" Johnny chuckled, "but I do wonder, whether it will be boys or girls that turn him on."

"You know how I feel about that, one gay son is enough for our family. Besides, mom and dad want grandkids, and I want to be an uncle someday."

Johnny laughed, "Yeah, that would be nice. Uncle Johnny..." he said, "I like the sound of that."

The boys had made it back to us by then, and of course wanted to go one more time. We watched as they carried their floats back up the creek, and I thought about three other little boys who'd made that same trek many times. Even after almost ten years, I still thought of Roger and what had become of him. Was he even still alive, I wondered, was he happy, did he have friends as good as us wherever he wound up? It was sad not knowing, but it was a mystery that would never be solved, and still haunts me to this day. Roger, if you're out there and reading this, please email me and let me know you're okay.

Eventually the boys' grandpa gathered them up, and we said goodbye to our new friends. They'd said they might be back later in the week, and we assured them we'd still be there, and even told them where we were camping just in case.

As we watched them drive off I wondered if we'd really ever see them again, or if like all the other kids we'd met there, they'd be just a pleasant memory.

We headed back to the campsite then, changing into shorts and tees, then had a snack and a pop while sitting in the shade beneath one of the huge old trees nearby. Mikey jabbered excitedly about his new friends and how much fun they'd had that day, but eventually he wanted to know what was next.

"How about fishing?" Johnny suggested.

"Yaaa!" Mikey cheered, "at the pond?"

"Yeah, that's the best place," Johnny agreed, "better put some shoes on though, don't want ya to get a fish hook in your big toe," he teased.

We put on socks and shoes, then Johnny drove us the short distance to the kid's fishing pond, which was just up the hill and across the road. There was no one there that day except us, and we fished off the little spillway at the far end.

Mikey was a pretty good fisherman, but unless he caught something worth eating, he always threw it back in. That day, he caught a sun fish right off, and held it up for us to see. I watched as he gently, almost lovingly, removed the hook from the fish's mouth, then said something to it before he squatted and placed it in the water. I smiled, he was such a gentle soul, a real child of nature, and I hoped he would always be that way.

We stayed about an hour, but Mikey was the only one who caught anything that day, although Johnny said he had a few good bites. After stowing our fishing gear in the Bug Bus, we walked across the street and up the stairs to the top of the dike that separated the town from the dike.

We walked to the end overlooking the spillway, where there was a cement observation deck, and looked over the railing to watch the water cascading below us. It was scary to think that all that water was just on the other side of the cement barrier, but it had held back the water for over 50 years by then, and I supposed it would still be there long after I was gone.

Eventually, hunger drove us back to camp, and Johnny and I began preparing our first cookout meal. That night we had hamburgers and hot dogs, with chips, and mom's potato salad on the side. We'd had a busy day, and we were all hungry and ate heartily, even Mikey, who wasn't always that big an eater.

While Johnny and I cleaned up the mess, Mikey announced he was going to go poop, and he bounced off to the bathrooms which were nearby. Again, we had no qualms about him going off alone, though we did keep an eye on the bathrooms the whole time he was gone.

"What next?" Johnny said once he was gone, "You know when he gets back he's gonna wanna know the answer to that question," he chuckled.

"God, I know it. Maybe we can play Frisbee, or toss the ball around."

"Yeah, we should've brought the badminton set. We could've set it up in that level area over there. Wait, I just thought of something, did we take it out after the picnic on the fourth?" he said jumping up, then from the back of the Bug Bus I heard him say, "hot damn, it's still here. Come on, help me set it up.

By the time Mikey returned, we had the net set up, and the look on his face was priceless. He ran the last few yards to the campsite, and was jumping for joy as I handed him a racket. I let Johnny and Mikey battle it out first, then took Johnny's place, and we kept Mikey occupied that way until it started to get dark.

Mikey loved badminton, and the little stinker was very good at it. He liked tennis too, and though he was still learning that sport, I predicted soon he would be better than either of us.

We played badminton till almost dark, and while Johnny and Mikey battled out the last game, I built a fire in the fire ring that had been there as long as we'd been camping here.

By the time Mikey had whipped Johnny's butt, the fire was roaring and darkness was approaching fast. We roasted marshmallows and sat around the fire and talked, and soon Mikey demanded a ghost story. I had one in mind that I'd heard from a guy at college, but I'd added some parts and given it a better ending, and as I began speaking Mikey moved a bit closer.

When the last words rang out over the campfire, Mikey laughed nervously, "Good one Robert, but ghosts aren't real...right?"

"Well, some people think they are, but in stories, and movies, and such they make them worse than they probably really are. I think maybe some ghosts are good, just lost...looking for a way to get to the afterlife or whatever," I said voicing my own opinions.

"Yes, like they have something here on earth they have to do before they can move on," Johnny agreed, "I think that's why they hang around. I guess some of them never get to do that and they're stuck here forever, like the ones that haunt old castles and such."

"Can we get in the tent now?" Mikey said, sounding a little spooked.

"First, showers for everyone," I said then, "guys, help me douse the fire."

That night Mikey surprised me by suggesting we all three take a shower together to save time. Though we'd seen Mikey many times naked at bath time, it had been awhile since Mikey had seen either of us in that state, and I was hesitant at first. However, Johnny, being the level-headed, logical person that he was, made that decision for all of us.

"Sure, just us guys here," he said easily, "after all, we ain't got nothing to hide, right Robert?"

I thought about it about two seconds before I agreed. Then it suddenly occurred to me that earlier when we'd changed into our swim trunks, Mikey had seen both of us naked, and hadn't even batted an eye. Nudity was only an issue to a kid if you made it one, and I decided I wasn't going to do that with my kid brother. Like Johnny said, just us guys, and we had nothing to hide.

The shower area had a curtain closing off the changing area, and the shower itself was just large enough for the three of us, if we stood front to back. I placed Mikey in front of me, nearest the shower head, and Johnny began to wash my back as I washed Mikey's. When Johnny let his hands wander down to my butt, I sighed a little and Mikey giggled.

"Is Johnny touching your butt?"

"Maybe, but his hands on my back feel so good...like a massage. Like this, I said moving my hands to Mikey's neck and shoulders and demonstrating.

"Oh gee...it does feel good," Mikey moaned lowly.

That crisis averted, I finished washing Mikey's back, even running the washcloth between his cheeks as I'd done so many times when I'd helped him bathe. I let him wash his own front side while I washed mine, then I washed Johnny's back and we took turns rinsing off beneath the shower head.

In the changing area, we dried off and slipped on shorts and tees, donned our flip flops, gathered up our dirty clothes and walked out into the room. There was a long vanity with two sinks and a mirrored wall above it, and we stopped a moment to primp before heading out. As we were leaving, two teenage boys were just rounding the corner and we exchanged greetings as we passed.

I wondered what those two were up to, but I guess I just had a dirty mind, or maybe it was because I had once been a teenage boy myself. I guessed the two to be somewhere between 15 and 17, both very cute and well built, dressed only in shorts and no shirts. In the short few seconds I had to observe them, I pretty much checked them out head to toe, and I liked what I saw. Even though I was happily joined with Johnny, I could still appreciate a cute, sexy boy when I saw one.

Back at the tent, we hung our towels on the clothesline we'd stretched out between the trees nearest our tent and went inside. The tent was a bigger, better tent, than the ones we'd used for our first camp outs, this one being 8 by 10 feet and tall enough to stand up in. On the floor of the tent, we laid out foam mattresses, one of each of us, covered them with quilts to fill the gaps, then threw down our pillows. We had a sheet to cover us, should we get cold, but that was unlikely since the night time temps were in the 70s that time of year, not to mention the high humidity.

In fact, as soon as we were inside the tent we'd begun to sweat, and Johnny was the first to remove his shirt. Mikey was next, then I joined them. We were down to our shorts now, and in the soft glow of the lantern I looked my two companions over and smiled. Both were brown as biscuits and cute as a button. My heart swelled with love for my two fellas, two different kinds of love, one hot sexual love, and the other a deep devotional love only two brothers can share.

"I'm gonna grab us a pop," Johnny said wiping his brow, "what kind you guys want?"

While Johnny was gone, Mikey stretched out on the mat, his hands behind his head, and stared at the ceiling. I wondered what thoughts were going through his mind, but he soon shared them.

"I wish I could stay with you and Uncle Johnny all the time," he sighed.

Oh boy, he wasn't going to make telling him our news any easier.

"Oh, you'd get tired of us sooner or later. We're not always doing fun stuff like this. Sometimes we're down right boring."

"Maybe I could come and stay with you some time...when you move away," Mikey said suddenly, surprising the heck out of me.

I was still sitting there, my mouth open and thinking about how to reply, when Johnny returned with our drinks and some cookies. Did Mikey know we were moving away, or had he just assumed we would since we'd graduated college?

"What's going on?" Johnny chuckled, "you look confused," he said staring at me questioningly.

"It's cause of what I said," Mikey said taking a bite of his cookie, "I'm nine, I'm not stupid," he said grinning, "I know you guys aren't gonna stay in Pryor forever."

Johnny looked at me and I sighed, "Yes, brother...you can come visit us anytime you want, and when there's no school you can come stay for as long as you'd like."

Johnny chuckled, "So, you know we're moving to Tulsa?"

"I didn't know where, but I figured," Mikey said taking a sip of his root beer, "Tulsa's not so bad, right? It's not that far, right?"

"Not far at all," I said then, "so, you're okay with us moving?" I said, a great burden being lifted off my shoulders by his words.

"I'm not crazy about it, but...I understand," my kid brother said, sounding years older and more mature than his nine years.

"Come here bubber," I said opening my arms, and he swarmed into them.

I kissed his shaggy hair, his face, and hugged him close to me, tears filling my eyes, "You're the best little brother anyone could ask for. I love you so much," I managed to choke out, "we were so worried that you'd take the news badly, but you're amazing..."

"Hey, don't hog our little brother," Johnny said moving in for a three way hug.

We laughed and we cried that night, and we sat there a long time hugging each other and celebrating life and love. When we finally broke apart, we finished our snack and talked about what fun we'd have as if nothing had ever happened. I had a whole new respect for my kid brother after that, and I never underestimated his level of maturity or understanding again.

End Chapter 15

Next, the campout continues, and summer winds down.

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