On a cool day in September, the leaves already starting to
fall, Johnny and I said our goodbyes and headed off to our new life in
Tulsa. The night before, both families had gathered at Johnny's house
for dinner and we'd sat around till ten or so just shooting the bull.
I could tell my folks were a little reluctant for Johnny and
I to be moving away...again, but Johnny's folks seemed to have
accepted it without too much grief. Maybe it was because they'd lost a
daughter and it had somehow numbed them from loss, or maybe they were
just realists. They knew we couldn't stay kids for ever, and that
eventually we would go off on our own to start a new life.
Mikey of course, took it the hardest. The little guy had
really become attached to Johnny and me over the summer, and I knew he
was going to miss us the most. The feeling was mutual however, and I'd
even shed a few tears a couple times just thinking about it.
Sad as he was however, Mikey was a trooper and he kept his feelings pretty much under control, most of the time. I guess he didn't want to spoil things for us, because he knew how important this move was for us and our careers.
In two weeks I'd be starting a job at a magazine publisher, and Johnny had a teaching position lined up at a private college there in Tulsa. The position was only three days a week, which was perfect because it would give Johnny time to work on his art as well. He'd continued to sell pieces through the gallery in Tahlequah, even after we'd graduated, and he intended to keep doing so, as well as finding a gallery in Tulsa to display his work.
When we headed back to my house that night, Mikey snuggled up to me as Johnny drove, my folks in the back of the Bug Bus, and everyone seemed quiet and introspective. Even Mikey, who was usually a little chatter bug, was quiet, but I supposed he might just be tired since it was well past his bedtime.
At our house, Mikey insisted that I tuck him in, and after he peed and brushed his teeth, he slipped on his jammies and climbed into bed. Pulling the covers up around him, I patted him gently.
"I'm gonna really miss you guys," he sighed, looking so sad it broke my heart.
"Oh, buddy, we're gonna miss you too, but you'll be busy with school, and we'll be busy with our new jobs, so it won't be so bad. Then, as soon as we get settled we'll come get you and you can spend a weekend. We can go to the fair or something, won't that be fun?"
"Yeah, I guess," he said perking up a little, "just don't forget me, okay?"
"Forget you?" I laughed, "Little brother, I will never forget you. I love you, and Johnny loves you, and you're a big part of our lives now. I always wanted a brother, and mom and dad finally gave me one, and no way am I ever gonna take that for granted."
"Okay, will you lay with me till I go to sleep?" he said, seeming to be satisfied with my answer.
"Sure, scoot over big guy," I said as I moved in beside him.
He felt warm and soft and his gentle scent, the scent of my little brother, comforted me and made me drowsy. If not for Johnny showing up a while later I might have fallen asleep right there and spent the night.
After disengaging myself from Mikey, I stood and just watched him sleep for a moment, then Johnny came over and stood by my side. He was even more beautiful when he slept, a little angel, and my heart was filled with such love for him it felt ready to burst.
Fortunately, Johnny finally led me to the living room where mom and dad were waiting.
"I know you boys are probably tired," Dad said, "but your mom and I wanted to talk to you guys and give you something."
We all sat down then, and dad handed me an envelope. For a
moment I just held it in my hands, turning it over and over, and
listening to my dad speak. My dad, who had raised me from a pup to be
the man I was today, my dad, who despite my being different and daring
to love a boy had accepted that and continued to love me, my dad, who
was one of the strongest, kindest, and most wonderful human beings on
this earth.
"Open it son," my mom said dabbing at her eyes. What can I say about my mom, the woman who dried my tears, patched up my boo boos, and stood by me with love and kindness and caring all my life. The woman who had accepted Johnny into our lives as easily as if he'd been her own, and who treated him that way, even after she'd learned our deep dark secret, that we were gay.
Inside was a card, and when I opened it, five one hundred dollar bills came spilling out. Now back then, that was a lot of money, and I was rendered speechless for a moment. Though Johnny and I weren't broke, we had spent most of what money we had on deposits, first and last month's rent on our new apartment, and this money would really come in handy till we got our first paycheck.
"Dad, mom...this is too much," I said, wiping tears from my eyes.
"No son, your mother and I have been saving for your future for a long time. College was only part of it. Now that you're moving on, and entering the working world, this money will give you a little cushion to fall back on if unexpected expenses come up. And...I want you boys to promise me that if you ever find yourself short of funds, you will tell us. We're not rich, but we'll find a way to help, no matter what. Unless it's to buy a fancy sports car," he added the last with a chuckle.
"Thanks, thanks so much. Most of this will go into the bank, but it will come in handy the next few weeks. Both of us will be getting paid twice a month, so once we get our checks started we'll be fine."
I handed the money to Johnny then and read the card out loud.
Good Luck on the new job(s) Mom must've added the s cause it was perfect.
Be careful, and call me everyday, Love mom. XXOO
Good luck son, I know you will do fine, Love dad.
I chuckled at mom's message to call her daily, and though I thought that might be a bit too often, we did talk regularly once we'd made the move.
"This is really nice," I said wiping yet more tears away, "thanks mom, thanks dad."
"Yeah, thanks mom and dad," Johnny said grinning, "when we're famous we'll buy you a Cadillac or something."
"Or a new house," I effused.
"All we want is for you two to be happy," mom said hugging both of us, "just live a good life and do your best, and the rewards will be there."
"I'm proud of both of you," dad said then, "it's hard to believe those two boys I caught kissing in the garage so long ago, are now like an old married couple," he chuckled, causing me to blush.
Johnny thought it was hilarious however, and leaned in to
give me a kiss to demonstrate that he wasn't bothered by dad's
reminiscing.
Eventually, yawns overtook us, and after hugs and goodnights,
we headed off to bed. Tomorrow we'd start a new era of our life
together, and we were both excited and apprehensive.
We'd already said goodbye to our other friends, Caleb, Tony, Jake, Ronnie, Donnie, and a few others, and I'd written Gerald to give him our new address, but hadn't heard back from him. However, we soon would, and not in the way we expected.
Johnny and I were content to just snuggle and kiss a little that night, but even that was magical with the man I loved. Besides, we figured we'd save ourselves for our first night of lovemaking in our new apartment.
Despite all my concerns and the excitement of the move and all, I slept really well, as did Johnny. We awoke early, around 7 a.m., and after draining our lizards, we dressed and went in to find mom already busy preparing breakfast.
"Morning boys, how did you sleep?"
"Like a 9 year old," I teased, "speaking of...where is the little guy?"
"He's still sleeping, why don't you go wake him...gently. He can be a real grouch in the morning," she teased.
"Aww, I know how to handle him," I said grinning, "come on Johnny, let's go wake the tiger."
Mikey was already awake, and when we entered the room, his face lit up and his sleepy blue eyes sparkled.
"Morning buddy," I said going over to sit by him on the bed, "are you hungry?"
"I guess," he said yawning and stretching his lithe little body under the covers.
I pulled back the covers then to reveal that his pj bottoms were gone, and now he wore only his white Fruit of the looms. There was a little tent in those tighty whities and he grinned when he saw me looking.
"I needa go pee," he giggled.
"I see, well...just be careful and don't hose down the walls, okay?" I teased.
He giggled again and sat up, rubbing sleep from his eyes and looked at Johnny, then held out his arms, "Johnny, carry me to the bathroom...please."
My boyfriend didn't hesitate a moment as he swept my little brother up in his strong arms and carried him on his hip to the bathroom. He told me later that he could feel Mikey's hard little pecker on his hip, and that Mikey seemed to be pressing into him deliberately. I guessed my little brother was going to turn out to be just as horny as me.
After breakfast, mom handed me another envelope, the kind you get your pictures in when you have them developed at the drug store. Inside was about a dozen pictures of the family, Mikey, Johnny and me, and even a group photo of all of us, both families, which I remembered posing for at one of our picnics in the park.
"Aww, mom, these are great. Did you keep a set for yourself?"
"Yes, and I have the negatives if you need any reprinted."
"Oh, these are very good," Johnny said peering over my shoulder, "I might turn that group picture into a painting. It would look great in our new living room."
By 8:30, Johnny and I were ready to roll, and now came the hard part, saying goodbye. Mikey had been upbeat during breakfast, and when Johnny and I had gone with him to feed Snoopy and say goodbye to the mutt, he seemed fine.
"When can I come over?" he asked for the tenth time.
"How about in two weeks?" I said, finally putting a date on it, "Both of us are off weekends, and we should be settled by then."
"Really? You mean it?" he said perking up some, "Mom, dad...can I go to Robert and Johnny's in two weeks?"
Mom laughed and dad just shook his head, "Whatever works for them is fine with us son," she said, ruffling his long blond hair.
"Well," I began, having stalled as long as possible, "I guess we should hit the road. We need to get the trailer unloaded and returned to the U-haul place before six."
"All right son," Dad said, giving us both one last hug and a pat on the back, "Call us when you get there, please, for your mother's sake," he added with a chuckle.
"I promise," I said returning the hug, then hugging my mom, who kissed me on the cheek.
"Be safe son," she said softly, before hugging Johnny.
Now it was my turn to say goodbye to Mikey, and that was the hardest thing of all. I could see tears forming in his blue eyes, but he was trying oh so hard to be strong. Heck, there were tears in everyone's eyes at that point, and you'd have thought Johnny and I were moving to Timbuktu or something.
The three of us had gotten so close that summer, going almost everywhere together, and the campout had really sealed our bond. I'd gotten used to seeing his smiling face, hearing his soft voice, and feeling the innocent love he showed me in everything he said and did.
Now, it was time to say goodbye, and I was barely able to speak, but somehow I managed to find my voice as I stooped down to eye level to talk to him.
"Okay, buddy...you stay here and take care of mom and dad, and Snoopy, and we'll come get you in two weeks, okay?"
"Okay," he said with a little quiver in his voice. He was fighting back tears and trying to be a big boy, for our sake, but I was only seconds away from becoming a blubbering idiot myself.
"Yeah, and we'll go to the zoo or something if the weather is good," Johnny said, "we'll have lots of fun."
"I just wanna be with you guys, that's all,' Mikey said, wiping at his eyes.
"Well, we can just sit around and eat pizza then," I joked, and he managed a smile.
"That's fine," he said looking into my eyes.
"Well, give me a hug big guy, and we'll be on our way."
My little brother leaped into my arms then and I hugged him tight, kissing his hair, his forehead, his nose, and his sweet face, not caring how sentimental I was being.
Mikey kissed me back, on both cheeks, then sighed and delivered the same treatment to Johnny, who picked him up and held him on his hip for a moment before sitting him down.
"Whew, you're getting too big to carry around," Johnny laughed, "You gotta stop feeding this boy, mom."
"They grow up so fast," Dad said nodding, "seems like only yesterday that you two were that size."
"Walk us to the Bug Bus," I said taking Mikey's hand, and my folks tagged along as well.
Johnny had already climbed into the driver's seat, and I got one last hug from my folks before I climbed in beside him. Mikey could barely peek over the top of the door, and I ruffled his hair as he gave me one last soulful look.
"Bye mom, bye dad, bye little brother," I said, barely able to contain my emotions.
"Byeeee," Mikey said stepping back at last, "Don't forget me," he said, and my heart ached for him.
"Don't worry, I won't forget, and I'll see you real soon."
There were a few more goodbyes thrown out, but eventually Johnny put the bus in gear and we pulled away from the curb, where we'd parked the night before, Bug Bus plus U-haul trailer.
I could see Mikey standing in the street still waving as we reached the stop sign at Graham Avenue, then we turned the corner and I lost sight of my brother, my folks, and my first home, headed to a new life and a new home in a new city.
*****************************************
That next week passed quickly. We'd worked hard unpacking and
arranging and we pretty much had the apartment like we wanted it. What
furniture we lacked we managed to pick up at thrift stores and flea
markets, using some of the money mom and dad had given us.
We'd decided to rent a two bedroom, not because we wanted to sleep apart, but because Johnny needed a work space for his art, and by sticking a twin-sized bed in there as well, it also served as a guest room.
Our apartment complex was fairly new, with central air and heat, which was very nice, and three pools scattered around the property. We looked forward to summer when we could take advantage of that fact, and I knew Mikey would love it. That kid swam like an otter.
Our first night in the apartment, we'd had a candlelight pizza dinner, a bottle of wine, and a long sweaty night in bed, resulting in multiple orgasms for both of us. It was a great way to christen our new digs, and did much to alleviate most of our worries and apprehension about the move and the new jobs.
We spent a lot of time that week exploring our neighborhood and the city, checking out the shops, and figuring out where we'd do our grocery shopping and such. Fortunately, we were fairly familiar with Tulsa, having visited there many times, and we found it easy to get around and only got lost once.
That week we checked in at our new jobs, I at the magazine, and Johnny at the college, and we filled out paperwork and got all the particulars of when and where. Both of us would start on a Monday two weeks after we'd made the move.
The weekend before we were to start our new jobs, we'd promised Mikey he could come over on Friday night and stay till Sunday afternoon. Johnny and I would pick him up on Friday, and mom and dad had agreed to come get him on Sunday to save us that trip. They planned on making a day of it, going out to eat and such, while they had the free time, and Mikey didn't protest, he preferred to stay with us while they did all that.
The Monday before we were to start our new jobs, I received a
phone call from Gerald's mom. I wasn't sure who it was at first, or
how she got my number, but I would soon find out.
"Is this Robert?" the voice sounded vaguely familiar, but it took me a minute to place it.
"Yes, this is Robert...Robert Warren," I said, thinking it might be someone about the new job.
"This is Gerald's mom, Rose," she said, and the pieces fell
into place.
My heart stopped for a moment as I thought about all the reasons she might be calling. Had Gerald been hurt, or killed? Or was this just a social call? Maybe it was good news, maybe he was coming home.
"Oh, hello," I said in a shaky voice, "Is...is everything okay?"
"Well, yes and no," she said with a nervous laugh, "Gerald is back in the states, in Virginia...at an Army hospital there. His copter was shot down, and he was badly injured, but the doctors tell me he should make a full recovery."
"Oh, no..." I said finally daring to breathe. At least he wasn't dead.
Johnny, who had been watching and listening the whole time, moved closer now, and sensing my distress, he took my hand in his.
"How long will he be there?" I asked then.
"The doctors say if he continues to improve, he can come home
in a week or two, but...I don't know how I'm going to take care of
him. I work full time now that the boys are out of the house, and...I
just don't know," she said sounding tired.
"We'll figure something out," I said, willing to take him in myself if I had too, and that was when I got a wonderful idea. I'd need to talk to my folks, but I was almost sure they'd agree with what I had in mind, "Meanwhile, can you give me the name of the hospital and his room, we'd like to send some flowers and a card, and talk to him if possible."
She gave me the information, and as I repeated it Johnny wrote it all down. We finally ended the call, and I turned to Johnny at last and I lost it. I cried my heart out for our fallen friend, one of America's brave young soldiers, and for all the boys we'd lost over there in that senseless war.
When I'd finally composed myself, I went in and washed my face and thought about what to do next. It was an hour later on the coast and pushing five here, so I decided to wait till tomorrow to call the hospital. I wasn't even sure if they'd tell me anything, since I wasn't family, but I was sure as heck gonna try. Meanwhile, I called a florist and explained what I wanted and the young girl I spoke to said she had just the thing. I promised to come by the next day and pay for the arrangement and she said she'd take care of everything on her end.
"I want to find out what happened, but his mom didn't seem to have any of the details. I wonder if dad can find out more," I said grabbing up the phone again. I knew dad would be home by then, and though they might be eating dinner, I was willing to risk it.
"Hello, Warren residence," Dad answered on the third ring, and his deep mellow voice was music to my ears.
"Hello, Dad, I guess mom told you about Gerald, but I was wondering if you can find out more about what happened?"
"Yes son, I was sorry to hear that. Gerald is a fine boy, and that war in Vietnam has eaten up way too many young men like him. I'll see what I can find out and let you know. I have a friend at the Daily Times, I'm sure it was a newsworthy story, and he will have more details."
"One more thing," I said, steeling myself for what I was about to ask of my family, "Gerald's mom said she doesn't have a place for him and that she can't take care of him, uh, when he's discharged..."
"Oh, well...the Army should pay for his care...perhaps at one of the assisted living facilities..."
"Yeah, I guess...but Gerald would hate that. He needs to be with family and friends..."
"Well, what did you have in mind?" dad asked, but I think he already knew what I was really suggesting.
"My room is empty..." I began, and you know how mom likes to take care of people..."
Dad sighed, "That's asking a lot of your mother...and me, and then there's Mikey to consider."
"I know, but if the Army won't pay for his care, Johnny and I will," I said, knowing I could speak for both of us.
"It's not about the money, but we don't even know what kind of injuries he's sustained, or what care he'll need going forward..."
"I know, and I'm gonna try to find out...tomorrow. His mom didn't seem to know very much. I wonder if she even asked," I said, my frustration growing by the moment.
"Calm down son. I'll find out what I can from this end, and you find out what you can from the hospital, and we'll talk more about this tomorrow, all right?"
"Yeah, dad...sorry, I just..." I stopped to compose myself, and dad's voice was more soothing when he went on.
"Son, I know you're upset, we all are, and we'll do what we can, but you need to calm down and take it slow, okay?"
"I'm sorry, yeah, I'm fine. Johnny is here, and I'm fine. Can I talk to mom and Mikey?"
"Your mother is right here, but Mikey is at a birthday party with his cousin Joe. I can have him call you later if you'd like."
"Yes please," I said, then mom was on the line, and we talked for a while, but she didn't know anymore than I did about Gerald. She said she was going to call me later if I hadn't call, and she sounded almost as upset as I was.
Johnny and I had a quiet dinner that night, watched some TV, then went to bed early. I planned on making an early start tomorrow, but I wasn't too tired for Johnny and I to make love, and that was just the tonic I needed to help heal my wounded spirit.
*************************************
Between Dad and me we were able to find out exactly what had happened to Gerald and the extent of his injuries. He'd been on a routine supply run to a medical unit when they'd encountered unfriendly fire. They would have been fine however, and could easily have outrun the snipers, but suddenly Gerald saw a wounded GI on the ground, and being the hero he was, he took it upon himself to rescue him.
All went well at first, they landed nearby and two of his crew members carried the wounded soldier to the chopper, and in seconds they were in the air again.
However, one of the enemy soldiers had finally caught up to them and began spraying the copter with machine gun fire. Gerald caught two bullets, one in his left leg, one in his upper chest, but fortunately it missed any major organs.
Even in excruciating pain, Gerald managed to fly the copter 7 miles to the air strip, and was about to land when suddenly the engine died. Later, they would discover that bullets had perforated the gas tank and fuel line, and though the leaks had been slow, eventually the copter ran out of gas.
Gerald had many hours of flight training and experience by then, and he knew just what to do. The problem was, he was in so much pain, that he was in danger of passing out at any moment. However, somehow he managed to stay conscious long enough to crash land the copter, and amazingly everyone survived, including the wounded soldier.
In the crash, Gerald suffered a broken leg to go along with his bullet wounds, as well as a concussion when his head hit the windshield of the copter. The other crewmen suffered only cuts and scratches, and all attributed that to Gerald's skill in landing the dead copter.
Medics were there even as the copter settled into a heap of twisted metal and glass, and Gerald and the wounded soldier were given top priority as they were whisked off to the field hospital set up there. Later, after they were stabilized, they were flown to a hospital in Germany, where they stayed for a few days before being moved to the Army Hospital in Norfolk, Virginia.
Due to some mix-up in paperwork, Gerald's mom hadn't been informed of Gerald's injuries or his arrival in the states until the day before she had called me. It angered me to think that Gerald had been there all alone for so long, unable to contact anyone, and wondering if anyone cared. Well, we care, I thought, and we're going to make sure he knows it.
This was all new territory to me, but I'd seen my mom and dad in action in situations like this, and I knew being polite and professional was the best way to go. However, I needn't have worried, the nurse I spoke to at the hospital was very friendly and put me through immediately.
There was a short pause as I heard the call being transferred, then a voice I'd recognize anywhere came on the line.
"Hello."
I nearly started bawling when I heard Gerald's voice, but I wanted to stay strong for him so I sucked it up.
"Is this Gerald, the gold-bricker," I teased, "I heard you been laying around doing nothing, you lazy dog."
"Robert?" he said, his voice quivering with emotion, "is that really you? Is Johnny there too? Of course he is, you two are always together," he chuckled.
"Yeah, he's here. I'll let him talk in a minute. How are you, I mean really? I heard you took a couple bullets and crashed a copter. Do you have to pay for that?" I teased."
"God, I hope not. It would take forever, especially since I'm unemployed at the moment," he laughed.
"Oh no, you'll still get paid," I said, "Uncle Sam better not turn his back on you, or we'll make a stink that goes all the way to Washington D.C."
"Yeah, I guess so...till I get discharged at least..." he said sounding sad.
"Discharged?"
"Yeah, I've decided I've had enough. The Army is giving me an honorable discharge, plus some kind of metal," he chuckled, "I guess for crashing the copter or something."
"Or...for saving the life of that wounded soldier. Yeah, I know all about what you did. And the way you managed to crash land that chopper without killing everyone was really something too. Your crew members swear they'd be dead if it wasn't for you."
"You never know what you can do till you have to," he said, sounding tired, "I'm just glad it was me that got hurt, and not those guys."
"Well, I'm just glad you didn't get your sorry ass killed," I said, trying to be tough, but wanting more than anything to break down and cry like a baby, and tell him how much I missed him and loved him.
"I'm too ornery to die," he laughed, "but if I have to stay in this place much longer, suicide is going to look better and better by the day," he laughed.
"Don't even joke about that," I said, finally letting a little emotion creep into my voice, "we all want you back here with us, safe and sound. It will be just like old times."
"Yeah, I guess," he sighed, "except...well...probably gonna have a limp now, that one bullet fractured my leg and then the crash pretty much finished it off. They had to put some rod and plates in there. Hurts like a sonofabitch, but they give me some pills that help."
"So, when do they say you can come home?"
"Dunno, nowhere to go when I do, so I'm not really in any hurry..."
"Oh no, that's not true. I've already talked to my folks, and I mean, if you want to...you can go stay with them till you're completely healed. You can have my old room, cause Johnny and I are living in Tulsa now...in a really nice 2 bedroom apartment. And of course you can come visit us too."
"I...I can't ask your folks to do that," Gerald said, his voice choked with emotion, "that's too much..."
"You don't have to ask them, I already did, and my mom is already making plans," I laughed, "she's redecorating the room just for you, and stuffing all my stuff in the closet."
He actually laughed then, "What about your dad, what does he think about that?"
"My dad says you're a hero, and he's proud to do whatever he can to help." Well, maybe I was paraphrasing what he'd said, but I knew he felt that way from our previous conversations.
"You have a kid brother too, right?" I knew he knew that, but I guess he was just getting things set in his mind, maybe starting to accept the idea.
"Mikey, and he's 9 now, and a really good kid. You two will get along great. Just don't steal him away from me," I teased, "he thinks my shit don't stink."
Gerald laughed, "I could really come there...?" he said softly, "and I could see mom too...?"
"Sure, anytime. She can come visit you or you can go over there. You're not a prisoner," I joked, "mom or dad can drive you anywhere you need to go."
"I'll think about it," he said sounding unsure again, "anyway, I don't even know how much longer they're gonna keep me locked up here."
"Hey, did you get my flowers yet?"
"Flowers," he laughed, "What?" Are you trying to romance me?"
"Hell no, I've already had the milk, why buy the cow. These are to smell up your room and cover your stinky butt smell," I teased.
"Ha...you ain't wrong there. Been having to use one of those bed pan things, and I got a tube in my pecker to drain the piss. It ain't fun dude."
"Aww, sorry man. I wish we could visit, but it's kinda far."
"Save it for when I get home...or whatever," he said, sounding more upbeat now. I could tell he was teetering on the fence about accepting our offer to stay at my house, but I was sure if we worked on him hard enough he'd give in. A phone call from my mom should just about do it, I decided.
"Anything else you need? We could call a local place and maybe have some food sent there or something..."
"Nah, the food is okay. Don't have much of an appetite anyway."
"Since when? You used to eat like a lion," I chuckled.
"Some of the things I've seen sort of put a guy off of eating," he said sadly.
"I can imagine," I said gently, "and I thank God I didn't have to see them first hand. You're so much stronger than I am, Gerald, please get better and come back to us. We need you," I said, finally letting the tears flow freely.
"Are...are you crying? Oh man, don't do that, you'll have be boo hooing, and the nurses and docs will think I'm crazy on top of being shot up."
"Sorry, here's Johnny," I said, unable to go on.
"Hey," Johnny said, and I left the two to talk while I went to the bathroom to wash my face and compose myself.
**************************************
On the Friday we were to pick up Mikey for his visit, we hung around long enough to discuss our plans for Gerald in person and I inspected what had once been my room.
Gone were my baseball print curtains and matching bedspread,
and in their place, plain blue curtains and a blue and white chenille
bedspread. The walls and ceiling had been freshly painted as well, and
I felt as if I were gazing upon some stranger's room, and not the one
I'd lived in most of my life.
When I'd moved out I'd taken most of my books and other
treasures, and some I'd given to Mikey, but now what little had
remained had been relegated to the hall closet. As I stood there
staring at this barren almost antiseptic room that had once been my
personal fortress, I felt a great sense of loss.
It hadn't seemed so permanent when I'd gone off to college, for it was always there when I returned to visit, but now...now it was gone, perhaps forever, and I knew things would never be the same again.
"It looks...nice," I said, feeling as if I needed to say something. After all, this had been my idea, and Gerald deserved to have a nice place to recuperate.
"Well, it's clean, and it's dry," Dad chuckled, "Gerald may want to put some finishing touches on it, but we'll deal with that later."
"Good job," Johnny said, but I could tell he was having some of the same thoughts I was. After all, a good deal of his childhood had been spent in this room as well.
We finally pulled ourselves away, and once we were on the road, Mikey's effervescent personality had me in a good mood. As luck would have it the Tulsa State Fair had just started the day before and we were going to take Mikey on Saturday and make a day of it. We'd yet to tell Mikey our plans though, because we wanted it to be a complete surprise when we got within sight of the fairgrounds and all the fun.
That first night we had Ken's Pizza and watched TV, then played a board game till it was time for bed. Mikey insisted he'd showered at home before we'd picked him up, so I didn't press him to bathe again. However, Johnny and I enjoyed our nightly shower...together, and once we had him tucked into bed, we went off to the bathroom for some wet fun.
We let Mikey sleep till almost nine the next day, and by that time I had breakfast all ready to put on the table. I wanted us to have a good breakfast before we headed off to the fair, because once there, we'd be consuming mostly junk food. Corndogs, funnel cakes, roasted corn, roasted turkey legs, or polish sausages with peppers and onions. All our favorite treats, and every year there was something new.
"What are we gonna do today?" Mikey asked as he spooned scrambled eggs into his mouth.
"Oh, I don't know...maybe we'll go for a drive after breakfast. How does that sound," I said giving Johnny a wink.
"Okay, that's fine. Where can we go?" Mikey asked, giving me a curious look.
"Oh, nowhere special, just around town, but I promise there will be some cool stuff."
"I wish it was summer and we could go swimmin'," he said then, looking up at me with those blue eyes that sparkled like the ocean.
"Well, that will be awhile, but there are things to do in fall and winter that are fun too," Johnny answered.
While Johnny and I cleaned up the mess, Mikey took care of business in the bathroom, and afterwards announced he was going to take a shower cause he'd pooped.
I just shook my head, but Johnny thought it was hilarious, "Who does that sound like? Maybe his big brother?"
"I don't say pooped, I say had a bowel movement," I said sticking out my tongue.
While Mikey was showering, Johnny and I dressed for the fair,
jeans, tees, long socks and tennis shoes. The temps had been in the
70s the last few days, but once the sun went down it sometimes cooled
off rather quickly, so I made sure we all had jackets to take as well. Mikey gave me a curious look as I gathered up our jackets,
but didn't say anything till we were on the way.
"Are we gonna do stuff outside?"
"Maybe," I said not wanting to give anything away, "I just like to be prepared, that's all."
"Oh," he said as he rode on in silence for awhile, gazing out the window, then out of the blue he said, "When is that one boy...Gerald, going to come live with us?"
"Probably in a couple of weeks, he still needs to heal a bit in the hospital. In the hospital they can watch him all the time and help him build his strength back up."
"Oh," he said softly, "I think it will be fun having him there. Will he play with me like you guys do?"
"Maybe not rough stuff, but you guys can play board games or watch TV, maybe play with Snoopy."
"Oh, okay. Wait a minute...what's that?" Mikey suddenly said excitedly, as Zingo, the huge wooden roller coaster at Bell's Amusement Park came into view. Bell's was actually located on the fair grounds back then and became part of the Tulsa State Fair during it's 10-day-run.
"Oh, looks like a roller coaster to me," Johnny laughed, "think you'd want to ride that thing?"
"Yessss!" he said jumping up and down, well as much as he could while buckled up beside me.
It took a while to get parked, but once we had, we looked around and made note of where we were so we could find the Bug Bus later, then started off for the gates. I'd bought two books of five tickets, and we used three, then turned the other seven into ride tickets.
Despite his excitement at seeing Zingo, we started slow, riding a few less scary rides till he worked up his nerve to give the huge roller coaster a try. I'll confess, I'd always been a bit intimidated by the ride, and though I'd ridden it many times with my friends, I still felt a bit apprehensive as we stood in line.
Fortunately, all three of us were able to squeeze into one car, and off we went, clickety clickety clack, up the first hill till we were high in the air. Then we did a stomach churning dive and went into a turn that had all three of us hanging on for dear life.
I remembered the first time I'd ridden Zingo, Johnny by my side, and it had seemed like it went on forever and ever, but this time it seemed as if it had ended all too soon.
Mikey begged to go again, but we managed to persuade him to wait till later, and instead we headed for the bumper cars. From the bumper cars we progressed to the gas powered mini-cars, guided by a track down the middle to keep drivers from going over the edge, and each of us had our own car.
Next, we played a round of miniature golf, and though I won,
Mikey came in second and was beaming as we headed to the exit. Johnny
was a good sport about it though, and gave Mikey a high five to show
he wasn't upset at losing to a nine-year-old.
After that, we were ready for some junk food, and while Mikey had cotton candy, Johnny and I split a funnel cake. As we sat eating our treats and sipping freshly squeezed lemonade, we talked about what to do next.
"You guys really surprised me," Mikey said, pulling off a piece of sticky fluffed up sugar and popping it in his mouth, "I forgot all about the fair. Mom and dad knew, didn't they?"
"Yep, and they promised to keep it our little secret, cause we wanted it to be a big surprise for your first time to visit."
"It was, and it's so much fun. Next, I want to go in that big building and see what's in there, like we did that one time..."
The big building was called the IPE (International Petroleum Exposition Building) back then, though it has had many names since them. I don't know if it's still true, but for a long time it was the largest building of it's kind held up by cables. It is so large that they even hold Monster Truck shows and motocross races in the lower end of it.
During the fair, there is always a vintage car show on the
lower level, and that is where the 4-H and other youth associations
feature their members entries as well.
The upper portion featured food vendors, new cars, mobile homes you could walk through, portable buildings, and dozens of other vendors trying to sell something.
There was a lot to see, and free goodies along the way, like wooden yardsticks, cardboard fans, and of course the chance to enter a contest and win any number of prizes. We never entered those however, for it was obvious that what they really wanted was our contact information so they could bother us with phone calls or mail, trying to make a sale of some kind.
One of our favorite places in the IPE was the Dairy Association's ice cream booth, which sold huge cups or cones of soft-serve ice cream at a very cheap price. You could choose from vanilla, chocolate, or twist with both, or a milk shake or sundae, but we usually just got the cones.
It was a lot of ice cream too, so I got mine in a cup and shared it with Mikey. He didn't seem that interested in the ice cream anyway, and only took a few bites, and I ate the bulk of it.
We sat and rested while we ate our ice cream, then we were on the move again, and Mikey found a place that had all sorts of novelties and toys, and being the wonderful brother that I was, I bought him a couple of things. Problem was, now we had stuff to lug around, and if we went on anymore rides we'd either have to take them with us, or leave them with the attendant.
After the IPE, we went to the Educational Building, then the kid's barn where there were all sorts of animals, some you could actually pet. Mikey loved the bunny rabbits best of all, and said he was going to ask mom and dad if he could have one. I didn't think that would go over very well with either of them, and especially not with his dog Snoopy, but I kept quiet.
Mikey was beginning to drag a bit by then, well...actually so
were Johnny and I, but there was still so much to see. We rode the
Skyride across the fairgrounds then so we wouldn't have to walk, and
the view from up above was spectacular. The Skyride was like those
cable cars you see in Switzerland and places like that, and went from
one side of the fairgrounds to the other.
While Johnny and I sat on one side holding hands and enjoying the view, Mikey was on his knees peering out the opposite window, oohing and ahing as we passed each brightly lit amusement below.
Now we were back at Bell's again, and right beside us was the Phantasmagoria, a spooky ride that combined a roller coaster with a spook house. It had always been one of my favorite rides as a kid, and though I now knew every twist and turn, every spooky surprise, seeing Mikey's reaction to all of it brought back those old childhood feelings.
Next, we tried the bumper cars again, then The Himalaya, with me on the outside, getting squashed by Johnny and Mikey as the thing spun around like a centrifuge, pushing us toward the outside edge.
Time for more food then, but I was genuinely hungry and wanted my usual polish dog with onions and peppers, while Johnny opted for a huge roasted turkey leg. Mikey loved corndogs, and I got him a footlong and a helping of spiral potatoes, which we all shared.
The crowd grew larger once darkness fell, and now it was a chore to wade through the throng of people as we headed back up the midway. Mikey wanted to play the frog game, and I had to admit I liked that one too, so all three of us wound up slapping the little metal catapults with a wooden hammer, propelling the rubber frog into the air, and hoping it would land in one of the plastic lily pads.
Believe it or not, Mikey actually did it, not once, but twice, and got a nice sized stuffed green frog for his efforts. He was so proud of that frog, not because of it's value, but because he had won it, on his own, and as far as I know, he still has that frog to this day.
As they say: all good things must end, and so it was with our night at the fair. By ten, all three of us were dragging, and reluctantly we headed to the Bug Bus. Mikey talked nonstop about everything we done, all the food we'd eaten, and especially about Croaky, his new stuffed pal, and I was glad we were able to bring him so much joy.
On the way home however, my little chatterbox grew quiet and soon was snuggled in to my side, his stuffed frog clutched tightly to his chest as he slumbered softly.
I leaned down and kissed his soft hair and Johnny looked over
and smiled. That smile said he must be thinking the same thing that I
was, that if this was what being a parent was like, we definitely
wanted a kid of our own. I didn't know how, or when that would happen,
but somehow deep inside I just knew it would, and that Johnny and I
would be the best dads any kid ever had.
End Chapter 19
Next: A
war hero returns
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