Brothers From A Different Mother
by:
Hankster
© 2022 by the author
The author retains all rights. No reproductions are allowed without the
author's consent. Comments are appreciated at...
hankster@tickiestories.us
The
telephone rang shrilly at five minutes before midnight. Carl Christianson, Jr.
was jolted awake from the deep sleep he had just entered into. He was too
groggy to see his caller ID.
“Hello,” he mumbled, hardly above a whisper. “Who is this?”
Instinctively, the young man knew that something had happened to his father. Why else would a funeral chapel call and ask about him? His father was only forty-five and in tip-top shape. Carl’s mother had passed away two years ago after a gallant fight against cancer, and now his father was already dating, and fucking his brains out. Carl steeled himself, and prepared for the worst. He thought that maybe his father had been involved in a terrible accident.
Finally, Carl got his tongue working. “Yes, I am. I’m his son Carl, Jr. What’s going on with my dad?”
“I hate to be the one to tell you such bad news,” Jacob said. “Your dad suffered a massive heart attack at dinner tonight, and he didn’t survive. Your mother was buried from here, and he had one of our cards in his wallet, so the EMTs brought him here. I have to ask you to come to the chapel first thing in the morning to identify the body and make funeral arrangements.”
Carl was in shock. His father often did not come home all night. He knew that Carl, Sr. had taken a woman out to dinner this evening, and he just assumed that his father got lucky. Shock or not, he managed to mumble, “Yes, I’ll be there first thing tomorrow morning.”
“Good,” Jacob said. “I’m sorry for your loss,” he said as he hung up.
He was neither sorry to be the bearer of bad news, nor was he sorry for Carl’s loss. Jacob dealt with the families of the recently deceased every day of his life. He was hardened, and recited platitudes of sympathy as part of his daily routine.
*****
About an hour earlier, Carl’s father’s body was brought into the chapel. The first thing that Jacob did was to examine Carl’s wallet to aid him to call next of kin. Identification of the deceased was not usually difficult, but locating next of kin was sometimes a challenge, and he hoped to have good luck tonight. It had been a long day. He was tired and wanted only to go to bed. Unfortunately, it was going to be one of those long nights. He not only found the deceased’s driver’s license, he found two of them. One was in the name of Carl Christianson, Sr., and the other was in the name of Harold Christianson. The picture on both licenses was the same, and obviously, it was that of the deceased. Only the man’s name and address differed on the two cards.
Nothing like this had ever happened to Jacob before, and it elicited a long groan from him.
*****
Carl was a senior at CCNY, and he lived with his father in an apartment on West 27th Street and Ninth Avenue in Manhattan. Moments after his telephone call with Jacob was finished, a young man who lived on 87th Street and Ninth Avenue with his father, was also awakened from a deep sleep.
“Hello,” the man mumbled out of sheer habit, and without knowledge that he had even answered the phone.
Jacob went into his well-rehearsed routine. “My name is Jacob Witherspoon from Witherspoon Memorial Chapel on Eighth Avenue,” a strange voice said. “Are you related to Harold Christianson?”
“Yes, I’m his son, Franklin. What’s wrong? What happened?” Frank was fully awake now.
Frank’s mother was a lawyer. About the time Carl Jr.’s mother died, Frank’s mother was transferred to Los Angeles. She and Harold were in the process of getting a divorce, so Frank opted to stay ‘home’ with his dad. Like Carl, Frank was a senior at CCNY. Their paths had never crossed. Frank was also accustomed to his dad not coming home often. He was a travelling salesman, and when he was home he spent many nights out chasing women. Both young men were aware that their fathers were busy fucking as many women as their bodies allowed. What they didn’t know is that they had the same father. In fact, they didn’t know each other. Even so, they were half-brothers.
Jacob went through his spiel of informing Frank that his father had died of a massive heart attack at dinner. He expressed his sympathy, and not knowing what else to do, he asked Frank to come to the chapel early the next morning to identify the body and make funeral arrangements. Jacob was surely not looking forward to tomorrow. The dead father had two driver’s licenses with different names, and his sons had different addresses, even though they were both named Christianson. Something was definitely not kosher.
*****
Frank arrived first at 9:15. He identified the body, and followed Jacob into his office to make funeral arrangements.
“Your brother should be here any minute. Don’t you want to wait for him?” Jacob asked.”
Frank looked at Jacob like he was crazy. “I don’t have a brother,” he said. “In fact, I don’t have any sisters either. I’m an only child.”
Jacob showed him the two driver’s licenses. He pointed to Carl Christianson, Sr.’s card, and especially to the man’s picture. We called this address also, and a Carl, Jr. lives there. He’ll be here any moment.”
Frank was stunned. He didn’t even hear the buzzing of Jacob’s intercom. His secretary indicated that Harold’s or Carl’s other son had arrived.
“Look,” Jacob said. “he obviously doesn’t know about you either. I’ll take him to view and identify the body, and we’ll know. Please, don’t leave until we return.”
Frank was too stunned to speak. He just nodded his head. A few minutes later, Jacob and a very handsome young man came into the room. The stranger was crying. Two chairs were facing Jacob’s desk. Frank was sitting in one, and Jacob indicated that Carl should sit in the other.
“Sit down, please,” he said to Carl. I, we, have something to tell you.”
When Carl heard the news, he was more stunned than Frank. “It’s impossible,” he said. “How could he manage to have two families.”
“He told us that he was a manufacturer’s rep and travelled a lot,” Frank said.
“He told us the same thing,” Carl said. He was still weeping.
“Well, you’re both wrong,” Jacob interrupted. “His employment ID was in his wallet also. We called his office this morning, and we learned that he was a foreman in a clothing manufacturing factory in the garment center under the name of Harold Christianson. He was being paid under that name and social security number, so I guess that was his real name.”
Jacob let that sink in, and then he said, “We have to plan your father’s funeral. I would expect that you would each contribute to the expenses. For your information, he was legally married to both your mothers under two different names. You’re both his legitimate sons. In light of these revelations, if neither of you wants to pay, I’ll turn his body over to the city, and he’ll get a pauper’s funeral.”
“No,” Carl screamed out. “If Frank doesn’t want to pay his share, I’ll work out a payment plan and pay the whole thing myself.”
“He was my father also. I loved him in spite of what I learned today. I’ll pay my half,” Frank insisted.
Then let me ask you some questions,” Jacob said. Everything he asked was very routine, but when he asked them to estimate the number of people who would be at the funeral, both men told him that there was no family at all except themselves. They both thought that one or two of their friends might attend, but they weren’t certain.
“My father, Harold,” Frank emphasized ‘Harold’ to Carl, “had an older brother named Franklin. He was killed on 9/11 in one of the towers, and I’m named after him. I was born a few weeks later. Franklin was my dad’s only living relative, and now he’s gone too.”
The funeral was set for two days later. When the three men concluded their business, Jacob decided that he had to say something to the young men. He felt very fatherly. He had never faced a situation like this before, and he was very out of his business and comfort zones, but after all, he reasoned, this was the most shocking day of both their lives.
“Listen guys,” he said. “This whole enigma that your father created is shady and illegal, but the bottom line is that you’re brothers. Not only that, each of you is the only family the other has. After the funeral I urge you to remain friends. Hopefully, in time, you might even learn to love each other.”
Carl and Frank were two lost souls, and they took to heart what Jacob said. When they stood outside the chapel, Carl said, “I’m not going back to school until after the funeral. Do you go to school or are you working?”
“I’m not working yet,” Frank answered. “I’m a senior at CCNY.”
“No shit,” Carl gasped. “I’m a senior there also. We go to the same school, and we’re in the same graduating class. I can’t believe it. What a coincidence.”
“I wonder what else we have in common,” Frank asked. “When’s your birthday?”
They were born a day apart. Even though their hearts were breaking, they wondered how their father managed to be there for both their mothers when they were born.
“I guess he was very inventive,” Frank remarked. “I wonder if he loved them both equally.”
“I guess not, if he divorced your mother,” Carl said.
That hurt Frank a lot, but he managed to say, “Obviously two women were not enough for him, the old lecher.”
“Let’s have lunch together,” Carl suggested, in order to change the subject. “I never had any siblings, or any family for that matter, and now I have the brother I always wanted. Fuck our father for betraying our mothers. One of them is dead and the other is divorced from him. We should be friends and brothers no matter what.”
“Absolutely,” Frank said, “But Carl, there’s something I have to tell you before we get too buddy, buddy. I hope that it won’t make a difference in us becoming friends. I’m gay.”
“I know you’re gay,” Carl said.
“How did you know?”
“I have impeccable gaydar. Before I knew you were my brother, I got serious hots for you when you entered the room with Witherspoon. I guess you don’t have any gaydar at all,” Carl observed.
“You’re right. I don’t have any,” Frank said.
Then he shocked the hell out of Carl. He threw his arms around his brother, and right there on Eighth Avenue, he kissed Carl on the lips. When they broke the kiss, Frank whispered in Carl’s ear, “Brothers or not, I think we should cement our new friendship tonight … in bed together.”
“You’re on Bro,” Carl said, “but I’m taking you out tonight. I’m going to wine, dine and romance you. We’ll go to my favorite restaurant in Greenwich Village.”
“If you say that The Male Room is your favorite, I’ll go ape,” Frank said.
“It is.”
“It’s my favorite also,” Frank said. Now it was Carl’s turn to grab his brother and kiss him in full view of the crowd on Eighth Avenue.
After lunch, they decided to spend the afternoon together, and really get to know each other. They went to Carl’s apartment which was closer. Pictures of Carl and his father were all over the place, and Frank could only marvel.
Carl could see the wonderment on Frank’s face. “We were very close,” he explained.
“We were also,” Frank said. “How in the world did he manage it? It must have been exhausting.”
“Shit,” Frank yelled suddenly. “Even though my folks are divorced, I’ve got to call my mother and let her know about Dad. I’m going to have to ask her to help me with the rent until I graduate and get a job.”
“I’ve got nobody to help me unless Dad left us some money. We better call his lawyer right after the funeral. I hope he didn’t have two of them. I know his password. I can get into his computer. We should also find out if his place of employment offered any life insurance.”
“Stop worrying, Carl,” Frank said. “You’ll move in with me.”
“If I do, we’ll have to tell your mother that one of Dad’s marriages was illegal,” Carl said. “My folks were married on June 2, 2000. When were yours married?”
Frank broke out laughing. “My folks were married on April 1, 2000. I guess you’re the illegal one. But don’t worry, we’re still brothers and I already love you.”
“Why do you have to tell her about Dad’s infidelity,” Carl asked. “We could just say that it’s a coincidence that we have the same surname.”
“No, she has a right to know the truth. Besides, I want to be able to introduce you as my brother.”
They never went out to dinner that night, nor did they make it to The Male Room. Instead, they stayed home to make love.
*****
They chatted for about an hour or so about everything and nothing. Carl didn’t care if they were brothers. The fact is, they were strangers to each other. Carl stood up suddenly. He grabbed Frank’s hand and led him into the master bedroom. Until yesterday it was his father’s room, but he was taking over, because it had a king-sized bed, and an ensuite bathroom. The long-term plan was for the two brothers to move into Frank’s apartment. It was larger, and they would have financial assistance. In the meantime, the master bedroom in Carl’s apartment would better serve the short term plan of the two very hot brothers.
They undressed rapidly, and gawked at each other. Their cocks were identical in size and girth, but Frank was circumcised and Carl wasn’t.
“That’s strange,” Carl remarked. “I wonder why Dad cut you and not me.”
It wasn’t his doing,” Frank said. “My mother is Jewish. By Jewish law that makes me Jewish, and I was raised in that faith. I even had a bar mitzvah. It was a blast. Too bad you weren’t there. Do you know how much ribbing I took from my friends, because I was a nice Jewish boy with the name Christianson. I let it roll off my back.”
Frank wanted a reaction from Carl, negative or otherwise. Frank grinned the biggest grin, he ever managed. He thought his jaw would break. “That’s fantastic,” he said. “Now we can celebrate all the holidays together.”
“Not all of them,” Carl said. “I don’t think we’ll be celebrating Ramadan.”
“Never say never,” Frank laughed.
As soon as the water temperature was to their liking, they stepped into the shower together. They stared at each other for a moment, and they both began to cry. Carl grabbed Frank, and they shared their first passionate, very wet, kiss. The two kisses on the street were dry.
“Let’s wash quickly and get out of the shower. I want to make love in a dry, comfortable bed, “Frank said.
“You’ll get your wish,” Carl said. “I’ve lost count of the number of women Dad brought home and fucked in that bed.”
“No wonder his heart gave out,” Frank mused.
They paid close attention to cleaning their assholes, and under Carl’s foreskin. They happily assisted each other in that effort. Then they dried off, and got into bed. Once in bed, they cuddled and fondled. A very strange thing happened. The day had been traumatic and exhausting for both of them, and they had been awakened in the middle of the night. As much as they wanted to make love, they fell asleep wrapped up in the other’s arms. They woke up at two in the morning and the love making finally began.
Frank woke up first and he went down on Carl. That woke Carl quickly enough. Carl could not get over how good Frank was at cock sucking. He’s a fucking PhD in oral sex, Carl thought. Carl had not jerked off in the shower that morning as he did every morning. Instead, he ran to Witherspoon Memorial Chapel. He was one horny half-brother, and he started to cum too quickly, so he pushed Frank away.
“Stop,” Carl yelled. “I don’t want to cum yet. I want us to fuck each other.”
“That’s fine with me,” Frank said, “But suck my cock first, and get me good and hard.”
“It’ll be a pleasure,” Carl said, “but be warned. I’ll never be as good at it as you are.”
“You’ll be better after I teach you my little secrets,” Frank said. “We’re both going to be great cocksuckers. After all, we’ll be doing it to each other for the rest of our lives.”
“I have a secret also,” Carl said. “I prefer to be a bottom.”
“That’s no problem, but every so often, I’d be much obliged if you fucked me also.”
“Done.” Carl agreed.
“Goddam,” Frank cried out. “Do you realize that we just committed to each other, and we only met this morning?”
“What does it matter?” Carl asked rhetorically. “We’re brothers. That bond can never be broken. We may want to stop being lovers one day, but we’ll never stop being brothers.”
“We’re talking too much,” Frank said. “Let’s continue to make love. We have plenty of time. We’re not going to school today.”
They made love all day, and in the evening they went to The Male Room for their promised night out. For a few hours, they even forgot their great loss, but the enormity of that loss, hit them like a sledge hammer the morning of the funeral.
Frank’s mother, Sarah, and her new husband, Richard, flew to New York for the funeral, and they stayed in Harold’s apartment, so Frank stayed with his brother. Carl and Frank’s father was being cremated, so there was no long procession to the cemetery. The family was grateful for that.
Because there were no other mourners, neither Frank nor Carl had arranged for a spread to be served after the funeral at either of their apartments. Richard insisted that he wanted to take everyone to dinner. The boys chose a five star restaurant that they could never have afforded on their own. After dinner, Sarah and Richard took a cab to the airport to make the redeye which was taking them back to Los Angeles.
This time the two young students ran off to Frank’s apartment. It was closer. They made love all night, and wended their way to school the next day. They both kept dozing off in class.
As soon as he could, Carl moved in with Frank, which added to their blissful sex lives. It also eased their financial burden somewhat. More good luck, their father left a modest life insurance policy. Both his sons were beneficiaries, and they each received $5000,00. It wasn’t much, but it saw them through to graduation.
They were grateful that Frank’s mother, Sarah, came to their graduation. They had no other family. Unfortunately, Richard couldn’t make it. This time Sarah treated the graduates to a celebration dinner.
In spite of the bizarre circumstances which brought them together, Carl and Frank loved each other more every day, both as brothers and lovers.
After graduation, they both got good jobs with promising futures. Their fortunes improved steadily, and after Carl got a big promotion one day, it was he who took his brother out to a five star restaurant. Two months later, Frank got a big promotion and he reciprocated.
No matter where they were, when they were out of their apartment, one of them would whisper in the other’s ear, “I can’t wait to get home and make love with you. I want you inside of me so badly. I love you so much.”
It’s frightening to consider that if their father didn’t have two drivers’ licenses in his wallet on the night he died, these two men, who loved each other so dearly, might never have met, and one of them would never have known what happened to his father. He would have believed that he just disappeared without a trace. Such events are the stuff our fates depend on.
Posted: 08/05/2022