Date: Sat, 16 Jun 2018 07:11:38 +0200 (CEST) From: marin.giustinian@laposte.net Subject: Distant Thunder - 3 In the following story, all of the characters are totally fictive. For whomever it would be illegal, immoral or forbidden for any other reason whatsoever to read a story about love between two consenting young cousins is kindly requested to refrain from continuing. A photo album (pdf) concerning this story is available upon request . This being said, I hope you enjoy the rest of the tale. ---------- DISTANT THUNDER Part 3 out of 3 by Marin Giustinian ---------- Nowadays, in and around the Pamlico Sound in North Carolina (Google Maps or Google Earth if you're not familiar with the place) ---------- In the evening of the second day on Portsmouth and our forth day together, we were on the beach cooking more fresh fish. The greenish flames of the salt soaked wood fascinated us both. However, Jonathan was a bit too quiet. "What's wrong, cousin?" He cleared his throat and blurted out, "I don't want to go back to Raleigh. I want to stay with you! I want to experiment, create, work together with you. I'm sure we'd make a hell of a pair!" I just listened, waiting for him to say more. "Barry, you were a great model and I loved taking pictures of you. I loved it just as much as I do modeling for you. Whatever we do seems to turn out good. You know, we should make elegant gay art, you and I, not porn, just a simple declaration that gay love is beautiful too. We'd only do classy stuff, honest stuff. Only natural settings of our life. With your system, we could paint and print on driftwood. It would be so beautiful... so meaningful too! Barry, don't you realize that together, we are dynamite! That's what I want to be, I want us to be dynamite together. Boom!" "But what about your folks, your life in Raleigh?" He jumped up on his feet suddenly retorting, "What about my folks? It's my life, not theirs!" He paced around the fire some and continued, "There's nobody, nor nothing in Raleigh I hang on to. My life is with you. Don't you feel it?" The quivering firelight accentuated the determination in his eyes. My mind was whirling, spinning faster than a toy top gone wild. I swallowed hard and stood too! "There's nothing I need more than you too Jonathan, now! I need you for real!" "Oh Barry! Say it again." "I need you, Jonathan, and we'll find a way to work it all out. Listen, I've gotten over the fact that that you woke me up, that you pulled me out of my selfish solitude. I want to live with you. At least, that's how I feel right now -- I was dreading like death the drive back, leaving you in Raleigh. You talk about going through hell! But my lifestyle, Jonathan... Could you put up with it all the time?" "I don't put up with it, I love it. Your lifestyle, Barry, is mine too. We're in the same family after all!" "And you've got more ambition that me... You might get bored, feeling tied down by me." "You don't know how ambitious you really are, Barry!" I flopped back down on the sand. "Come and sit over here! I want to cuddle some. Look, the stars are beautiful tonight and I think the moon's going to rise from over there in a minute or two. The horizon is already clearer." "So is my heart, Barry, so is my heart, beating so hard, just for us!" We lingered on a while. The moon rose. Our souls wandered together on the road of light, spilt by the moon on the breathing sea. We were on our way. Enough was said for the time being. When we were crawling in the tent, I said, "Jonathan, let's move on tomorrow. Let's go check over to Ocracoke -- and indulge in a restaurant! I've still got your mother's two hundred bucks!" "Yeah! Let's splurge. We're out of beer anyway!" He was back to himself and I was finally in myself, all the way! The moon was high and our love making was deeper, stronger, more joyous than it had ever been. As we began to slumber, I murmured in Jonathan's ear, "Good night, cousin." "Good night to you too... my big cousin-lover!" ---------- We had to wait for the tide to rise a little more to be able to get out of the creek without too much stress of running aground. That wasn't too bad, since we had to roll up the tent and tidy up Spirit, making her shipshape. Ocracoke has a wicked reputation of being a snobbish tourist trap. We didn't play in that field. We were simply elegant locals with an elegant, local boat. We washed, shaved and dressed for he occasion. Being naked savages on an island is great, but getting back to being less savage is fun too. Jonathan's hair had bleached. His tan was the color of golden terra cotta, deep and warm. Even the platinum hairs on his arms and legs covered his skin with a subtle glow. I felt rather good looking myself! We looked a little funny though with clothes on... We warmed up the motor, pulled up the anchor and eased out of the creek. There was a rush of space welcoming us out on the water. I swung around west of the island and in less than an hour we cruised into Silver Lake, Ocracoke's harbor. I finally found a mooring space, tied up and walked up to the shop the pier led to. It was an art gallery! Jonathan broke out laughing, exclaiming, "That's awesome! You talk about a funny coincidence!" We went in and were surprised by the air conditioning. A nice looking lady with very short bleached hair and big, round ear rings greeted us. "Hello fellows. I saw you tie up. How long do you want to stay?" "Don't know yet, M'am. Need to walk around town some to see if we like it here." "I understand... Ocracoke is special... in many ways, good and bad. I know. I'm a local, born and raised here. Anyhow, you can stay as long as you want. We hardly ever have locals come over! Good looking boat you've got... almost as good looking as you two. Excuse me for being nosey, but are you brothers, cousins, friends, lovers?" Jonathan quipped back, "Cousins and lovers! My name's Jonathan and he's Barry and the boat's name is Spirit. And you?" Smiling at his audacity, she replied, "Sandra and my boat, so to speak here, is Shore Creek Art Gallery." "Yeah, we saw that outside. That's a real coincidence. Barry and I paint." "Really," she acknowledged, "and what do you paint?" "Nude males alone or together in nature, like in the dunes. No porn, just an elegant declaration that gay love is beautiful too." "Interesting! Are you from around here?" I made surface and spoke up, "We live across the sound, up a creek not far from Engelhard." Since the ice was more than broken and that the lady was truly interesting, I said, "When we tied up, we didn't know this was an art gallery. I guess it's fate that brought us here. If you're interested and have the time, would you like hear a little about our work?" "Please tell me all! Have a seat! It's not everyday I get such interesting and handsome guys tying up at my pier and walking in all, with such open, smiling faces!" Without getting too involved in details, I told her my background and Jonathan took over when it came to him. I told her we'd planned to go do some more shots further up the island that we'd take home to work on and that we'd probably be around the here until tomorrow afternoon. "That's fascinating! Do you have something with you that you can show me now?" "Not with us. I can send you some images later if you give me your email." "No problem! Promise you'll send something. I'm always on the lookout for new talent." "You'll hear from us, I promise!" "Listen, there're two guys I'd like for you to meet. I'm closing around six thirty. Could you come back then? I've got some white wine in the fridge and peanuts. We'll have a little happy hour. Can you make it?" "That's great!" we almost chimed together, making her laugh. Once we were outside, Jonathan turned to me and yelped, "I CAN'T BELIEVE IT! That's almost spooky." I, too, was a bit shaken. I have a way of being wary of things that go too well. I guess I've got to change. "Well, cousin, we'll just have to relax and let it happen! Don't you think so, Jonathan?" There he was, reading my mind now! "I certainly do! Let's go check this place out!" ---------- Ocracoke, as she said, is really strange. Fifty years ago, the people were struggling for a living. After centuries of hardship, wrecks, pirates, civil war, depression and all the rest, it's now a touristic boom town. Bars, shops, art galleries, brand label clothes from France and Italy, trendy B&B's everywhere. We made eight o'clock reservations for two at a window table in one of the restaurants overlooking the water, and went on snooping around. "What do you think, Barry?" "You can still feel the past here, in spite of what it's become. The phony Outer Banks style of the condos and the restored little houses that must cost millions now get on my nerves. The swarms of tourists get on my nerves too. What used to be real is now fake. Even the people look fake, dressed and made up like clowns. Every place on the planet is special. Tourists usually don't realize that. This place is special, but... I don't know what I feel. And you Jonathan, what do you feel here?" "I feel like a cub bear that's discovered the bee hive! It's obvious that the place has sold its soul to the tourists! Somewhere I can't blame them. Who spits on easy money? I'm like Sandra, even if I'm not from Ocracoke, like she is. If we were clever and honest with ourselves, we could make a killing here!" "You are exquisitely ruthless, Jonathan! I love you! You don't lose your head with anything." "That's not true! I lost it when I fell for you, Barry! And thank God, I fell hard!" "WE fell hard, man! Hard in many ways!" I broke out laughing when he grabbed his crotch, hunched and said, "Yeaaaahh, real hard!" Taking a glance at my phone, I saw it was already six fifteen. "Hey, it's about time for our happy hour invitation. Let's go!" ---------- Sandra was waiting for us with two rather good looking guys, a bit to 'composed' for my taste, but friendly. We sort of sneaked in as she whisked over asking, "Did you all have a good look around town?" "It's... It's interesting." "That's what people say when they don't like something and want to stay polite anyhow. I say it everyday! Ha!" she laughed. "We've got reservations at the restaurant four doors down for eight o'clock." "That place is horrible, expensive and not at all for you guys! I'll call and cancel immediately. You're going out to eat with us! Meet Paul and Melvin!" "Well, that's really great of you to include us, Sandra! Hello Paul, Marvin, I'm Barry." "And I'm his cousin, Jonathan." "Sandra's told us some about you guys! Glad to meet you both," replied Paul, holding out a limp, fishy hand, while eating Jonathan up with his lecherous eyes and syrupy smile. Was I jealous? Marvin just smiled and sat back, posing. Sandra came came out of the office with the Chardonnay and glasses. "These two guys work in the theater here. They act, write, sing..." "Clean the toilets and sweep, and do the accounting and everything else you can imagine, dear!" piped up Paul, interrupting. "Don't complain! You love it!" replied Sandra, pouring the wine. We drank to Spirit, to the Gallery, to the Theater, to Ocracoke and, of course, to love! "Martha, MY one and only love, is due in any minute now. We'll finish the wine and then go eat! Oh, shit, I forgot to cancel your reservations. It's not too late!" -------- All six of us had a great time around the table in a little backroad restaurant. We talked about our work, they talked about theirs. Martha was a jovial kind of butch dike. Everything about her was solid! She worked on the ferry as a crew member with the other guys, only her mustache wasn't as thick as theirs. The two fairy queens said they'd model for us for free if we took them on a boat ride. We took them up on it. You never know. Sandra said she wanted to come along too and take pictures. Martha said she worked the morning shift and couldn't come... and admitted that seeing naked guys in the dunes really didn't turn her on. We made an appointment for nine o'clock the following morning. "I must go and turn in," slurred Melvin, "Since we'll have to be up at dawn, I need to get my beauty sleep. You coming, darling?" They tossed three twenties on the table, kissed us all and left. We followed suite. Sandra walked us back to the boat with Martha, saying how lucky they were that we showed up. "See you tomorrow, boys. You can use the shower here on the pier and fill up with all the water you all need. Make yourself at home. I'll take care of the picnic!" We stepped onboard, popped up the tent and were sleeping like babes by eleven. ---------- The weather was fine, just a bit overcast without much wind. Sandra showed up right on time. Jonathan and I had gotten up early and after a hearty breakfast and a shower, got the boat ready for our guests. We were going to the northern end of Ocracoke Island, take pictures in a creek I had spotted on the charts and then leave Sandra, Melvin and Paul at the ferry landing where Martha would come to pick them up in her car after a call. As soon as Sandra had camped her space onboard, the two guys showed up, running, a bit out of breath, dragging with them a big shoulder bag. Each one had a rather extravagant hat on and Saint Tropez sandals. "Hello everybody! Do we look 'modely' enough? I'm sure I look like a disaster..." "You always do, Melvin!" grumbled a still sleepy Paul. We all chuckled a little. It felt strange having other people aboard. Jonathan came to sit in the back with me on the engine box. We made a gas stop and pulled out into the sound. Avoiding Howard's reef, we turned into the creek, anchored and waded ashore. Sandra chose a beautiful spot in the first group of dunes. We decided to start the shoot right there. "What! I don't have my make up on!" squeaked Melvin, "I need some time to get in the mood!" Sandra took over with her very professional behavior and said, "Listen my little princess bitches, this is not a shooting for Vogue! So just strip and do what Barry says!" "Yes, madame! As you wish!" I looked at Jonathan, who was bent over, trying to stifle his laughter. Sandra winked at me and sat down beside of Jonathan. "So Boss, what do you want us to do?" asked Paul, standing there cupping his shriveled cock and balls, looking a little ill at ease. "First of all, just be natural. I don't want any acting up. Just do what you feel for real, together." The two guys looked at each other, a bit puzzled, and started to strike poses like I'd seen the male fashion models do on Tumblr. The problem was that these guys weren't professional, and I mean not professional at all. They faked the bored expressions that the fashion models think they have to make to look classy, no smiles, just aggressive bullshit. Paul tried to look a bit sexy, in a macho sort of way, domineering and mean but with his little cock dangling, it wasn't very convincing. Then they started bickering. I said, "Okay guys, great, that'll do! Thanks a lot." Sandra then said, looking a bit relieved, "Barry, Jonathan, if you want to do some stuff together, I'd be happy to be your photographer." "What do you say, Jonathan? I'd love to model with you. We've never done it together..." He stood, stripping and said almost in a whisper, "Let's give those two faggots a lesson in simplicity!" He strode, tanned all over, into the designated space and just stood there. Sandra started snapping pictures with my camera like mad! Jonathan filled the air with his presence, doing apparently nothing. Sandra knelt, walked around, crouched, took pictures from every angle possible. Jonathan winked at me and smiled. I was already nude and when I walked up to him I could feel our space densifying. Then very slowly, looking into each other's eyes, our faces, open and happy, our foreheads touched as we started to coil around each other. We were in total communion with the wind, the sun, the sea and, most of all, with each other, oblivious to the camera and to the others. Then, as if drawn together, we shared a deep, loving kiss, holding each other with our cocks delicately crossing, neither soft nor hard. "Hold up guys! I can't go on any longer. I'm overwhelmed! That was absolutely awesome! You guys just reek of love like nobody else can! Even a middle-aged dike like me nearly had an orgasm! Wow and wow! Thanks a great big Merci, Gracias, Danke and all! Not only are you beautiful, but you're so sincere, so authentic, so... so, I don't know how to say it, so yourselves. There's not one shot in that camera where you're phony. Unbelievable!" Jonathan and I were dumbfounded! First of all from the experience of being caught up in the energy Sandra put into taking the pictures and then from the reaction she just expressed. I understood better what Jonathan was saying when he said we were 'dynamite' together. Also, I realized that what we did was a lesson in authenticity for everybody, not only gays. We simply did what we felt and we felt what we are deep down inside : two humans, becoming, by the grace of love, angels. It's something anybody can live if they just stop fooling themselves and just be sincere. "Thank you, Sandra, your energy is wonderful! You put a lot of love in the air." "That's exactly what you guys were doing... so how could I stay behind? Impossible!" Standing up, looking a little pale, Paul asked, "Where did you two learn how to act like that?" Jonathan sighed, tucking his sex back into his shorts. Sandra rolled her eyes back and shrugged. Melvin just sat there, looking down, playing with his toes in the sand. "Listen Paul, it's a long, long story and we don't have time now..." Sandra strode up saying, "Okay guys, let's go for a swim and eat. Then we'll let our friends go, they've a long way back home. They've got to cross the sound and I feel that they'll have to go really soon to beat the storm that's brewing out there!" So we took a quick swim, enjoyed the picnic and talked. Sandra, Jonathan and I felt we had a lot to say to each other, but it wasn't possible with the two others bickering and carrying on. Too bad... After lunch, we left our three guests at the ferry landing. We hugged Sandra real tight, saying that we'd stay in touch. We gave the guys a peck on the cheek each saying that perhaps we'd see each other again someday... and under a heavy sky, Spirit took the direction of home sweet home. ---------- Like a gigantic monster in a horror movie, the ominous black thunderhead rolled slowly in behind us. I pushed the throttle. Since the wind was forcing from behind, we powered through the chop with very little hindrance. Lightening bolts were falling on the Banks and the thunder was closing in. Even though it was only three in the afternoon, the sky was gloomy, gusty and sooty, nearly dark. I was not comfortable at all. Jonathan was crouched up in the bow to level Spirit off as she made her way through the waves. When at last the creek was in view, big globs of water started falling. Torrential rains were on their way, becoming stronger by the minute. They splashed up a mist on the surface of the creek as we eased in. I could feel Spirit relaxing... or was it just me. Home was in view. I was shivering. When we pulled up to the dock, Jonathan jumped out, slipped on the slick, wet planks and nearly fell right on his ass! He looked back at me and laughed, a bit tense, the rain streaming down his face. "Close call! No damage!" he shouted, slapping his ass. We couldn't get any wetter, so no use to scramble. I took our bags and followed Jonathan into the wagon. We opened it up. It was good to be back! Outside the storm was raging. We started undressing to get out of our cold, drenched clothes. Jonathan, naked, rubbing himself with a towel, came over to me and simply said, "I need a hug!" "I do too!" Then suddenly, was it the storm, the electricity in the air? Or was it the tension of the day that broke? Anyhow, we started laughing. It was a nervous laugh that we couldn't stop. We went into hysterics, laughing to tears, holding each other, our cocks hard as tillers. We stumbled over each other, falling on the bed. We squeezed and tickled each other all over. We writhed in the sheets, groping, kissing, grabbing, gasping, clawing each other with a kind of animal frenzy we had not yet known. Jonathan grabbed my head and pulled it to his mouth. He whispered something in my ear as a bolt of lightening struck nearby. "What did you say?" "I WANT YOU IN ME!" he shouted. I pinned him down on his back and with no hesitation whatever, my fingers found his hole and worked their way in. "YES! BARRY, NOW!" Then he grabbed my head and kissed me, darting his tongue, licking me inside my mouth, bruising my lips. He was panting, writhing, whimpering and sweating. I needed to be in him too! I needed it like I need to breathe. I jumped over to the galley, grabbed a little bottle of olive oil, came back over and slathered my cock. Jonathan turned over. I anointed his hole, fingering it deeper, opening it. He fisted my cock and arched his back. I flipped over on my back. Jonathan understood and immediately straddled me, his fingers kneading the flesh of my chest. I held my cock pointed up and he sat, squirming his way down on me as I arched, urging myself up in him. He was smiling, quivering, swooning and then he sat -- all at once, all the way! He gasped, didn't move. After an instant, holding his breath, he began a slow lascivious dance with his rear, grinding me deep inside his bowels. I shook, grabbed his cock and in perfect rhythm we labored and grunted, pulled and pushed our ecstasy to the blasting limit. Jonathan howled like a banshee as his semen spewed all over my chest and face. My belly tightened, his ass clamped down, my balls drew up and in a series of spasmodic convulsions, my whole being orgasmed, electrocuting me from inside, blasting my mind. Jonathan collapsed on me. We just laid there, catching our breath, listening to the distant thunder as the storm rolled on. He had slid his hand under my ass and kissed me, slowly fingering my hole too. It felt divine. Then he slowly lifted off, freeing my cock. He leaned in and kissed me more, fingering me a little bit harder. I whispered to him, "Let's take care of my needs tonight." "Yeah! Yes! Yes!" he shouted as he jumped out of bed doing a little dance towards the sunshine flowing through the screen door. "Wow, everything is bright in the slanting light! God! Life is beautiful! Come with me to the pump Barry. We'll unload the boat together after cooling down a bit!" ---------- The boat was in perfect shape, so was the wagon and so were we after having put everything back in order. I heated up the last jar of stew and opened two other cans of beer. "Barry, I'm so glad we're not like Paul and Melvin. I love loving you and if loving you makes me gay, then I'm gay... but not gay like they are. They are so involved in being queer that I feel like there's nobody but a puppet of a queer in front of me." "To tell you the truth, I've never really thought that much about it but the first thing that comes to mind is that I don't think homosexuality is an identity. They're mixed up about that. They are walking declarations! But you see, I think it's the society that points out the homosexuality of guys and girls. It's the society that makes homosexuality an identity and not just another facet of the mystery of love. For instance a doctor who is homo is a homo in their eyes before being a doctor or even before just being himself. So, since the guys are labeled homo, they act homo, playing the part of a homo because that's what is expected of them. But it's just a farce, a fake role, a superficial, tribal sign telling the world that you're conforming to the way THEY want you to be... because that is how they think you should be if you love someone that is physically like you, who feels in his body the same things your body feels, then you're queer. It's old as the world, people claiming that their way of loving is the only way and that the rest is either being sick or a sin -- or both and they get killed for it!" "Not any more... don't you think?" "Jonathan, the demon back, the monster has been released once more. Racism, vulgarity, homophobia, radical religion, easy guns, all those monsters are now shamelessly crawling out of their holes, where we thought they were dead. They're not dead! They're now out to take their revenge on free thinkers, free lovers, democracy, tolerance and fellowship! They invade the real world, the natural world with pollution, money, guns and hate." "Every time there was a shooting in a school, I was scared shitless to go back to class. The guys who go rampant and kill like they do aren't really crazy. They're just fed up! Somehow, I can understand..." "I can too. But getting back to what we were talking about to begin with, even if everything is related, the real, natural world doesn't give a damn who you love and who loves you. Preachers, politicians and their like don't represent the real world. They represent a fairy tale or nightmare world usually made of money, controled by assholes who just want to prove they can dominate you, get you to pray for them or vote for them and get your money, your devotion, your taxes and your lives on battlefields for them. No, it's not over... maybe it's just beginning again, each time worse." I paused, thought and took Jonathan's hand. "Our love, yours and mine, is just love, nothing other than love, simple, pure and healing. That's how the real world meant love to be, a love where only love is involved, whatever. If the person you love has a cock or a vagina, so what? It's the sharing of what each one is in the most intimate way, that counts, caring less about who's in charge, who's top or bottom, who's fucked and who's fucking. Our kind of love doesn't give us an identity. Only our sense of dignity gives us an identity. If we're gay, it's just our nature! And what's in nature is natural. Hate is something you learn. It's not natural at all! I know all of what I'm ranting about is really mixed up. But, cousin, do you get the picture?" "Wow, it's complicated... but I think I sort of understand... Time will unravel it for me, I'm sure. You know, when you make me think hard like that, I get dizzy. Then even the simplest of words can confuse me." "Which ones?" "Ones such as 'sincere' or 'authentic' or even 'honest'. Who's really sincere and not phony, always honest? Certainly not the people in power! Who then? Can you tell me, Barry?" "Those kind of words are beacons, Jonathan. Some people don't see beacons. They only see what their ego tells them to see. All the rest can go to hell. If you see the beacons, you see that they just show us an ideal, a hope. It's up to us to find out how to heed them, avoiding the quicksand that society and their harsh words of guilt threaten to suck us up in. Forget power and maybe it'll forget you. Get away from its decoys who lure you into their web. Who needs power anyway? Only the guys in it... the rest are poor, stray fools, or the filthy rich bleeding them more. Forget power! That's why I live like I do." "And that's why I want to live with you too. Not only for that... Ha! Tell me Barry, without a beacon, how did you see the way to get into our creek as the storm bashed down on us?" "I had a beacon with me up front!" "You say that because I was sitting there! Right? Ha!" "Maybe..." I looked at him and smiled. He smiled back, with a knowing glow in his eyes. "Jonathan, do you think you can take care of my needs now?" "Always... I know when they show up, it's always urgent! Wait for me in bed while I fetch the olive oil!" ---------- As I fell asleep, the whole day's film passed through my mind. It was a rather mind-shattering day! The photos in the dunes, the return trip and the storm, the joy of... of loving all the way... and always and all ways! Jonathan was so gentle, yet firm. His whimpering, as he entered me, kissing my neck, drove me insane with lust. My ass welcomed his gorgeous cock, urging itself deep in me. He too was discovering fulfillment. It crashed down on him, on us like the storm. I wept when he orgasmed in me and me on him and then whispered in my ear, "You make me feel like a man... not too much, but just enough!" Our laughter was serious, deep and meaningful. There's a philosophical dimension to glee that most of us neglect! I discovered, with him in me, a whole new world of sensations, delights and self-awakenings that I had yet to understand. Something clicked in my innards. It was like gentle lightening and all I felt as I laid there then was simple, pure fulfillment. Perhaps there's nothing more to feel. All things don't need to be understood by word, buy the head. We can even think with our cock or our asshole. These things just need to deepen in time, revealing themselves in the simple, evident truth of their own light. Tomorrow we'll go shopping, use the wifi at the phone store and go have lunch at Mildred's Diner on our way back. I'm sure we'll come across Trigger. I owe him anyhow! In the afternoon, we'll look through the pictures and study our future plans while another batch of stew and vegetables simmer. I've got to start doing my canning for the winter. Jonathan was asleep. It was a big, big day for him too. I leaned in and kissed him on the forehead. "I was waiting for that, Barry!" he said, quite clearly, his eyes shut. "But, I thought you were asleep." "I heard you thinking so hard, it kept me awake..." "What the hell! Ha! Bullshit!" He opened his eyes and broke out laughing. Reaching down, he grabbed my cock, kissed me deep and cooed, "We don't have to get up early do we?" "Not really..." ---------- We slept in late. It was so good! We went and shopped in Engelhard and stopped at the diner coming back. As I pulled in, I recognized Trigger's old truck in the parking lot. "Well, hello there, boy! Glad to see you back! Come here at my table. Come on and have a seat. How's life?" exclaimed dear old Trigger. "Jonathan, this is the gentlemen who rents us our campsite. Trigger, this is Jonathan, my cousin." "Handsome young critter you are, boy! Hattie told me all about you coming to town. So Barry kidnapped you over to the islands. How did it go?" "Fine. We came back with a lot of work in mind." "As long as it stays in mind, you don't get much cash do you?" I replied, "That takes time, Trigger. I'm learning how to abide the right time. Time is like the tide, it's something that..." "Barry, you're getting really complicated there! Calm down boy!" Mildred came up and we ordered barbecue. There was a little lull in the conversation. I looked over at Jonathan who was looking at me. We smiled and bumped shoulders. "Well, bless my heart! I be damned, if you guys ain't in love! With each other, I mean! Bless you boys, I love kissing cousins! Used to have one myself. Year's back..." Jonathan and I looked puzzled at each other which made Trigger laugh. "I can smell a man's kind of a man a mile away! Barry I knew you wouldn't be having any honky tonk with a broad going on in your wagon the day I saw you, right here." Jonathan's eyes were like saucers. "Don't fret, boy! No harm. Enjoy what you're living. You look happier than a possum in molasses." Then he chewed down a mouthful of barbecue. "Better eat it before it's cold, just like sex! Ha!" We both laughed as Mildred set our plates down in front of us. She looked at Trigger with a scolding eye and quipped, "I want you to behave now! Is he shooting you two a bunch of bull? Don't upset that handsome young fellow there, Trigger!" she proclaimed, smiling, patting him on the back. "Everything's fine M'am," defended Jonathan. "Enjoy your meal then, you good looking guys! Changes from what I have to see around here all the time!" she stated, looking straight at Trigger. Once she was gone, Trigger leaned in and in a more confidential tone, uttered, "Listen to me, boys, just don't fool yourselves!" "Fool ourselves?" Jonathan shot an almost startled glance at him, then at me. "Yes! Just heed your heart and be sincere. Don't fool around with your feelings and even less, with your dick. Fooling around too much makes a fool out of you. I know what I'm talking about. I fucked and was fucked by the best studs from Key West to Norfolk and ended up by myself back here on the farm a crazy uncle left me before he shot his head off... because of a fool." "What do you mean about fucking and getting fucked by the best studs, Trigger?" inquired a very intrigued Jonathan. "I ain't gonna tell you all the kinky stuff I craved on, boy. Ain't very decent. No Sir, we weren't fairy-like at all. No swishing our asses around with limp wrists. No, we were more like the log cutting kind, hairy and horny, always walking on the wild side. I could take it and I could give it as fast as it could come, Ha!" he laughed at his own pun, finishing with, "They didn't call me Trigger for nothing! How long's your cousin staying, Barry?" "I hope forever!" stated Jonathan, very quietly. "Have you come out to your folks yet? Down here nobody gives a damn as long as you don't flaunt or fool around, but your folks...That's goddamn important, boys! Don't fool with them cause you'll never be able to fool them for long! I'm sure they love you. If they didn't, you'd both be as ugly as sin... Only love makes beauty! And since they made you two so good looking, tell'em about your love and tell'em now! Do you hear me?" "We hear you, Trigger! Want another beer?" "I sure do!" ---------- Jonathan and I didn't say a word driving back. We were both thinking, as he said, hard enough you could hear it. I finally spoke up and said, "I'm going to call Mom, invite us for Sunday lunch, insist that Aunt Sally and Uncle Pete be there too. We'll spill the bucket then. Okay with that?" "Of course, cousin... I ain't no fool!" he replied as we both laughed out loud. We unloaded the car. Then Jonathan and I walked out on the dock and sat down on Spirit's gunwale, real close, touching, side by side. I pulled out my phone and rang up the flower shop. I simply told Mom that Jonathan and I had some very important things to tell our four parents, without the sisters hanging around, and that we'd be back home in Kinston for Sunday lunch. "Don't ask me any questions... Please, Mom, just say 'yes' and we'll talk about everything real calm like on Sunday... and please insist that Sally and Pete be there too. Jonathan needs them there. I love you." She was a bit surprised about my determination, but all she said was, "It's going to be a pleasure to have everybody for lunch, dear." Always prim and proper, like the real Southern lady she is! I looked at Jonathan. He smiled at me at said, "Don't worry, man, everything's going to be just fine! Let me help you get the canning started and we'll look at the pictures." We hugged real tight. Suddenly, two white herons flew off, free as the wind, soaring over our heads. "Where do you think they're going, Barry?" "I don't know. Maybe they don't either, but aren't they beautiful going there?" ---------- Epilogue The photos were great. We had thousands of ideas about how to process them and create our own very personal images. The dreaded Sunday lunch went much better than we hoped. Sally made us all laugh when she said, "Since you have to be gay, it's better to keep it in the family!" My dad said he always knew it. That made me wonder some. Mom just started crying some, saying, "I love you two so much! Watch out and don't get beat up with all those wretched rednecks down there where you all live. I'm going to be so worried..." She always had to be worried about something. Uncle Pete said nothing. He just stood up and said, "Boys, come here!" I was shaking, sure as hell he was going to slap us cockeyed. Well, no! He just hugged us both, real, real hard, kissing his son's hair, caressing my back. We broke down and wept, both of us at the same time. The others came up and we all hugged some more. That made quite a teary huddle. Then Sally sniffed, blew her nose and said, "When do we get dessert, Sister?" We'll be at Sally's and Pete's for Thanksgiving and in Kinston with my folks for Christmas. I finished off the last batch of commercial stuff for my gift shops and we delivered them just after Thanksgiving, right on time for the Christmas rush. They understood when we told them why we ceased production and each one sincerely wished us good luck! A page was turned. I sent a file showing our latest creations to Sandra. She called back saying we absolutely had to come over with them. She had to see the real thing. She said we had a lot of business to talk about together. She was going to be our agent and she became our agent. She made a website for our work. Our bigger pieces are now exhibited in the finer gay oriented galleries up and down the coast. They are asking for more. Our life style hasn't changed. We're on Spirit roaming around in the endless rivers, creeks and swamps down here in the summer. We do our exploring, lost in nature, loving in nature, building up energy and gathering material for winter's work on our next collection. Also, we go to Ocracoke often to work -- and to have fun too with Sandra and Martha. It's really nice there, off season. We've even got an art book in view! Trigger helped us decide on the title : Distant Thunder. ---------- A photo album (pdf) concerning this story is available upon request .