I spent a little more time in the jacuzzi by myself while Jack threw on a pair of shorts and went into the kitchen. Jack left me a towel and a pair of shorts and a shirt to wear for bed. I toweled off and put on the clothes. I heard the TV on in the kitchen and what sounded like Jack counting to himself. I think he was doing sit ups while waiting for the pizza man. I started to get ready to go and join him but as I passed his bed room I could not resist the temptation to take a peak. He had a nice dark cherry four peice bed room set. The carpets and walls were a nice neutral masculine color. I looked on top of his desk and of coarse there was a picture of his girl friend, one of my grand parents, one of some guy I never saw and one of me?? I took a closer look. It was definetly a picture of me and Jack at the beach. I was only a toddler, funny though, I looked a lot more like Jack then than I do know. My hair had gotten much darker over the years but back then it was almost as blonde as his. I quickly walked over to the closet, knowing that I was pushing my luck I quickly opened the closet door. There were a lot of suits, some shoes, jeans shirts sweaters, jackets and......................a black leather jockstrap and paddle?! I quickly shut the door turned and walked right into Jack. I jumped back scared _s_h_i_t_less. He had caught me messing in his room. " Hey, the pizza should be here any minute why don't you come on down stairs buddy," he said
I just stood there looking at him. He looked at me trying to figure me out. " Why do have a paddle?" I said.
" What?"
"Why do you have that leather paddle, in your closet, th. tho.. those things hurt you know," I muttered half scared half angry.
" Oh, wow."
"Did you get that to use on me!"
"No Bill."
" Because I think I've had my share of it. If yo..you...your gonna lay into me everytime I make a mistake around here then I'll just take my chances on the street!" I screamed. I zoomed pass him into the hallway. He turned after me, grabbed me.
"I managed to wiggle free, but I didn't run. I looked him right in the eye and pulled down my shorts and ripped off my shirt. "Look at these, man. Look at these scars," I screamed!! "I DIDN"T DESERVE ONE OF THEM"
" I know you didn't Bill. It wasn't supossed to be like that. Your Dad, he was supossed to love you and protect you. I can't change that. I can beat the _s_h_i_t_ out of him if you want and I can promise you from now on NO MATTER WHAT, the only people that touch your ass will be your girl frie"
" I DON"T HAVE A GIRL FRIEND. "
"O. K. I think I sorta knew that already."
" I DIDN"T SAY I WAS GAY,." I yelled.
" I didn't say you said you were, but it would not matter to me one way or the other," he said. My uncle walked over to the bath room and got some unisalve lotion. He walked up to me and looked me right in the eye. He opened the bottle and began applying the lotion to his hands. He gently but firmly began tracing my old and knew scars with the lotion. I began sobbing. Now just to let you guys reading this story know . I am not a crybaby. I've been through plenty without shedding a tear, but this night was really a bit much on me and I could not stop balling.
"I'm your man Bill. I am here to protect you. I am here to love you. I am here to teach, no show you how to enter into adult hood. I'm going to show you a whole new life buddy," he said. "The paddle was a gift from an old fraternaty brother in college. I will get rid of it and anything else here in our house that offends you." Still sobbing he picked me up and placed me on his bed on my stomach and continued to place the salve on my body. He paused to grab the phone and cancled the pizza, then got up went into the bath room to get some tissue. He walked back over to me. " Hey buddy lets get that nose cleaned," he said as he tenderly wipped the snott and tears of my face. I suddenly stopped crying. Every thing seemed so quite. I reached out with my tongue and licked his hand. He didn't resist. His hands were so cool. So warm so perfect. I swallowed his finger and sucked myself into a deep sleep. (to be continued, comments and suggestions welcomed anonymous@zdial. com)