Cousins All
by:
Will B
(©
2007 by the Author)
Advisor: E Walk
The author retains all rights. No reproductions are
allowed without the author's consent. Comments are appreciated at...
Author’s Note: “Supercalifragilisticexpialdocous,” “Feed the Birds,” and “Chim Chim Cher-ee” are songs from Walt Disney’s Mary Poppns, and are © by Walt Disney Prductions.
From Chapter 3: Al and Mark fantasized what they would like to do with each other but kept their thoughts to themselves. They help the Lombardis obtain custody of Tony and then attend a block party.
For Jaz and Nicky
Chapter 4
I. Guess who’s coming to dinner (or supper)?
Later that afternoon, as Mark and Al were driving home, Mark said, “Al, I have a question to ask. I don’t know what you’ll say, but please don’t laugh at me, because I ask this in all seriousness.”
“I won’t laugh, Mark. What’s the question?”
“Well, Al, I was wondering if . . ., if your musical group could use a kazoo player, one who can sing and one who loves the songs from movies and shows?”
Al was silent for a moment, then looked at Mark and grinned, “Mark, we sure could use such a person. Do you know someone with those talents?”
Mark said, “Well, I might. I can give you his name if you like?”
“Of course I would like, but let me guess. Would his first name begin with an M and end with a K?”
“Yep.”
“Mark, my cousins and friends and I would love to have you join us, but I think there is something I should tell you first. After I tell you, if you decide that you don’t want to join us, I will understand. There’ll be no hard feelings. I just don’t . . . know . . . if . . .”
“Spit it out, Al. I’m a big guy. I can take it. What is this thing you think might turn me off?”
“Mark, it’s just that . . . ., that some of the men in the group are . . . are . . . gay!”
“Is that all? No big deal. It doesn’t bother me,” Mark said, but he thought to himself, ‘Al seems pretty accepting of the fact that some of his relative and friends are gay, but what if he knew I were gay? What if he knew how I feel about him?’
“I’m glad you feel that way, Mark,” Al said, but thought to himself, ‘I’m glad he took it the way he did, but what if he knew that I am feeling so attracted to him that I would like to jump his bones right now?’
Al went on, “I have an idea. Let’s get back to the station, change into street clothes, and then go to my brother Steve’s apartment. You can meet the gang. And we’ll discuss just what numbers we’re going to do. I know everybody will be delighted to have you join us.. . . . sometimes we go to the Golden Corral for a meal, but not on the evenings we have a performance. Sometimes we go out to eat after the program.”
Mark agreed, and so they went back to the station, got changed and headed for Steve’s place.
When they got there, they went in and Al greeted his fellow performers. “Hey, everybody, I’d like you to meet my partner, Mark Taylor, who would like to join us. He’s pretty cool even if he is a cop.”
This brought cheers, jeers, and laughter. Al introduced the group. “Mark, this is my brother Steve Johnson. He teaches school, and this is Jim Smith, he is also a teacher.”
“Hi,” Mark said.
“Welcome to the group,” Steve said, shaking Mark’s hand.
“This is my little sister, Sarah. She’s in college, but she has a voice like you wouldn’t believe!”
“Hi, Mark. Don’t believe everything you hear,” Sarah said.
“This is Tim Heckman. He’s in seminary, gonna be a pastor, so we have to watch out, or he’ll tell us what’s what.”
“Shut up, Al. It’s good to meet you Mark. Welcome to this motley crew. This is my fiancée, Linda Fell. She is also attending college,” Tim said.
“Hi,” Linda said shyly.
“And this is Tim’s sister, Tammy, who is in training to be a nurse.”
“Do you sing, Mark,” Tammy asked.
“Well, I try,” Mark said.
Al asked, “What numbers are we doing tonight?”
Steve replied, “Since we’re going to the Cancer Ward at the hospital, we want to do songs that are cheerful. I was thinking we could do some songs From Walt Disney’s Mary Poppins, like ‘Supercalifragilisticexpialidotious ©,’ ‘It’s a Jolly Holiday with Mary,’ and ‘Feed the Birds.’”
“Don’t forget that Sarah’s doing ‘Just a Spoonful of Sugar,’” Tim remarked.
Mark asked, “Does anyone else know ‘Chim Chim Cher-ee’? I sang that once in a concert when I was in high school.”
Al said, “I can play that on my guitar. Mark, could you do a solo if I played along with you?”
“Sure.”
Steve went on, “We can also do ‘Whistle While You Work,’ from Snow White, ‘Bibbidi-bobbidi-Boo,’ from Cinderella, and ‘Over the Rainbow,’ from The Wizard of Oz,
“We’ll take some requests from the patients, but I wish we could come up with something for a final number,” Steve said.
Mark raised his hand slowly, almost diffidently, “ How about ‘Goin’ Home,’ from Dvorak’s New World Symphony? I once saw a movie, “The Snake Pit, I think it was called, about patients in a mental hospital, and on Friday nights when the weekly dance was over the band played that song and someone sang it. The song told how the patients longed to be able to be well enough to go home.”
“Great. We have our program worked out.” Steve said. “I guess we better get in our cars and go to the hospital. Does everybody know how to get there?”
Sometimes people in love are extremely sensitive to the vibes coming from other people in love. As they walked to their cars Steve said quietly to Jim, “Mark seems to be a great guy. I wonder if he and Al are going to be more than work partners?”
Jim looked at Steve, grinned, and said “Well, duh . . . Do you really think so?” He smiled and he and Steve “high-fived” each other.
II. At the hospital
The Children’s Hospital was established by James Lawrence Kernan, a Baltimore businessman, in the 1890s. The Cancer Ward was a large room with walls painted in cheerful pink and yellow. Pictures of characters from stories and Walt Disney movies were hung on the walls. There were several large tables with toys and games on them. There were some chairs, but there was also room for children who were bedridden to be wheeled up to the tables so they could play with the toys, make the puzzles, or just be with their friends. The nurses wore colorful smocks.
On this evening twelve children, ranging age from six to twelve, and one older young man of fifteen. The five girls and six boys were sitting expectantly, looking forward to the entertainment. Most of them were in wheelchairs, but in the hospital bed pushed against the wall, the fifteen-year-old boy just lay there with his eyes closed.
The “Cousins” came in and smiled and Steve said, “Mademoiselles and Monsieurs, we hope you like our singing and playing. We are going to do some songs that we have been practicing, but if there is a particular song you would like us to sing, just raise your hand, and ask. We’ll do our best, but if we hit a wrong note, please don’t throw anything at us.”
There were giggles and laughs from the children, some of whom were wearing silly hats with feathers and ribbons. The hats were worn to hide the loss of the hair that many of the children had experienced.
Mark noticed the boy who was lying motionless in the bed, and quietly asked one of the nurses about him. “That’s David,” Nurse Hoffman said. “He’s very very weak. The cancer has gone so far that there’s nothing anyone can do. We just try to make him comfortable the best we can, and it’s just so . . .,” Her eyes began to fill up.
Sarah announced, “Hello, you beautiful people. I’m Sarah. Tell me do you like to take medicine?”
There were shouts of “No! No! Yuck!” from the audience.
“No?” laughed Sarah, “Neither do I, but here’s a song from a movie that might make it easier to take some medicine.” She sang “Just A Spoonful of Sugar Makes the Medicine Go Down,” from Disney’s Mary Poppins. As she sang she walked around the room, and handed each of the children a mint.
Then she sang “Supercalifragilistexpialidocious ©.” This time as she walked around the room, she gave each child a kiss on the forehead or cheek.
The boys and girls loved her. The nurses were loud in their applause, but the children were louder.
Al pushed Mark forward and he stepped up and said, “Hello, y’all. I’m Mark, and I would like to sing about a job that means you get dirty. Do you like to get dirty when you play? It’s a song about a man who was a chimney sweep. Chimney sweeps get very dirty when they are cleaning chimneys, so if you ever meet one, and you are friendly enough to shake his hand, it means you will have good luck.”
Mark began to sing “Chim Chim Cher-ee ©.” While he sang he did a sort of soft shoe shuffle and went around the room, shaking each child’s hand. Mark had hidden a small jar of black shoe-polish that he had borrowed from Steve at the apartment, so that as he shook each hand he left a black smudge on the hand.
The nurses laughed, all of the musicians laughed, but again the children laughed and clapped the loudest. The nurses went around the room with damp cloths and cleaned the hands, and Al thought to himself, ‘I didn’t realize that Mark was such a great guy. I . . ., I . . . think . . . I think I am falling in love with him!’
Tammy stepped forward and said, “Hello, I’m Tammy. I’m studying to be a nurse. You know that nurses take care of people, but I’m going to sing a song about an old lady that took care of our feathered friends, the birds. She sang “Feed The Birds ©,” which had been written by Richard and Robert Sherman, also from Mary Poppins.
Early each day to the steps of Saint Paul's
The little old bird woman comes.
In her own special way to the people she calls,
"Come, buy my bags full of crumbs.
Come feed the little birds, show them you care
And you'll be glad if you do.
Their young ones are hungry,
Their nests are so bare;
All it takes is tuppence from you."
Feed the birds, tuppence a bag,
Tuppence, tuppence, tuppence a bag.
"Feed the birds," that's what she cries,
While overhead, her birds fill the skies.
All around the cathedral the saints and apostles
Look down as she sells her wares.
Although you can't see it, you know they are smiling
Each time someone shows that he cares.
Though her words are simple and few,
Listen, listen, she's calling to you:
"Feed the birds, tuppence a bag,
Tuppence, tuppence, tuppence a bag."
As Tammy sang, she took two of the smallest children, sat down, and held them in her lap. She looked at the children and prayed that they would come through this terrible illness. The children looked at her as though she was an angel that had come to sing to them.
The singing lasted for an hour. The children requested songs and the “Cousins” sang and played their instruments and danced. As the evening wore on, Mark went over to David. David hadn’t laughed, and he hadn’t asked for a song, he had just lain there looking at the ceiling. Mark said “Hey buddy, I’m Mark. What’s your name?”
“David.” The boy answered so softly Mark could scarcely hear him.
“Is there a song you would like us to sing?” Mark asked.
“No. I’m just so tired, and I . .. I . . . I’m scared.” David began to cry quietly..
“David,” Mark said, “We all get scared sometimes. I’m a policeman, and sometimes I am so scared, I don’t know if I’m going to get through the day without being shot. But, David, it’s OK to be scared. I have a song I would like to sing for you. The words were written by a man named William Arms Fisher and the music was written by a composer Anton Dvorak. It’s called ‘Goin’ Home.’ May I hold your hand while I sing it?”
David nodded and Mark sang
Going home, going home,
I'm just going home.
Quiet-like, slip away-
I'll be going home.
It's not far, just close by;
Jesus is the Door;
Work all done, laid aside,
Fear and grief no more.
Friends are there, waiting now.
He is waiting, too.
See His smile! See His hand!
He will lead me through.
Morning Star lights the way;
Restless dream all done;
Shadows gone, break of day,
Life has just begun.
Every tear wiped away,
Pain and sickness gone;
Wide awake there with Him!
Peace goes on and on!
Going home, going home,
I'll be going home.
See the Light! See the Sun!
I'm just going home.
As Mark sang the last line, David gripped his arm tightly and whispered “Thank you, Mark. I’m not scared any more.” David gave a sigh and closed his eyes, and then . . . David went home, to a land of perpetual light, and freedom from pain, where that most tender Shepherd would gather him in his arms and gently lead him to a place of love and joy.
Tammy, Linda, and Sarah, Al and Steve, Jim and Tim, and the nurses were wiping their eyes, but the children remained calm. They knew that David had gone home, and they knew that some of them might be going to that home too, some day.
Al went to Mark and asked, ”Are you OK, buddy?” He gave Mark a “one-armed hug,” like guys do.
The nurses thanked the musicians for coming, and they all had a hug for Mark, thanking him for the way he had calmed David’s fear and eased his going.
The cousins and their friends went out into the warm night, reflecting on what they had just experienced. They decided that the events of the evening, and David’s passing, had left them without any appetite. Before they drove away, they all thanked Mark again and told him how glad they were he was joining them. Steve and Jim hugged him and each one kissed him on the cheek, and whispered “Welcome to the family, Mark. Welcome.”
III. The end of the evening.
Al got into Mark’s car. Al said casually, “Mark, when we get to my place, would ya like to come in for a cup of coffee or something?”
“I’d like that, Al, and there’s something I want to say to you,” Mark said seriously.
“As a matter of fact, there are a couple of things I’d like to say also,” Al said. “And, Mark, I cannot tell you how much I was touched by the way you comforted that boy. You’ve got a heart as big as all outdoors, as they say.”
They drove up to Al’s apartment building, and went in. “I’ll just put the kettle on. Do you want tea or coffee? I’ve got some herbal tea that is really pretty good.”
“Tea’s fine,” Mark said, and then got very quiet. ‘Can I do this?’ he thought to himself. ‘I’ve got to say something.’
Al came into the living room, and said, “Sit down, Mark. Make yourself at home (‘Because you’re already at home in my heart, he added to himself’).”
Mark remained standing, saying “I want to stand, because after I say what I want to say, you may want to throw me out, if you don’t punch me in the mouth first.”
“Don’t be silly, Mark,” Al reassured him. “We’re partners, aren’t we?”
“Yes, we are,” said Mark, “and we make a great team. That’s why I’m so afraid of saying or doing something to screw things up, but holding David’s hand this evening made me realize how short, . . . how precious life is. I thought about how David would never grow to be a man, to fall in love, to do something with his life. So . . . , I have to say this and I hope you will accept it – and accept me.”
Mark took a deep breath and went on, “Al, since I was a teenager, I’ve known that I’m gay. Does that disgust you?”
“No, Mark, it doesn’t. You are what you are, and all I see is a good cop, and a great man! I saw how you have showed a loving, caring side of your nature, not only tonight with David, but many other times as well. No, my friend, I’m not disgusted.”
Mark took a really deep breath. “The other thing Al, is that in the past few weeks, I have felt myself becoming more and more attracted to you. I . . . I even think . . . I’m falling in love with you.”
Just then the teakettle began to whistle. “What a time for that damn kettle to boil!” Al said. He went into the kitchen, turned the kettle off, and came back and stood facing Mark. He had a smile on his face.
Standing facing Mark, Al took a breath, another breath, and then said, “Now, Mark, let me tell you something about me, . . . I’m gay, too!”
Mark looked surprised, amazed, and then happy.
Al went on, “There’s more, Mark. For the past few weeks, I have come to know and love a wonderful man. That man is you, Mark!”
Al put his hands on Mark’s shoulders, and leaned forward and gave him a kiss, a light, butterfly kind of kiss.
Mark gave Al a kiss, a firm, loving kiss.
Al returned the kiss, and ran his tongue around the edge of Mark’s lips, and then pushed until Mark opened his mouth. Al ran his tongue around Mark’s teeth and into the roof of Mark’s palate. Mark sucked on Al’s tongue.
Both men had their hands moving over the neck, shoulders, chest and abdomens of the other man.
Mark pulled away and said, “Al, I want us to get naked.”
The two slowly, sensuously, unbuttoned each other’s shirt. With each button opened, they exchanged a passionate kiss. Mark raised Al’s arms into the air, and pulled his tee shirt off, and Al did the same for Mark.
Now they took turns kissing, licking, and nipping at each other’s pecs and nipples. Al put his nose into Mark’s armpit and licked the hair. Mark slowly kissed his way down Al’s abdomen and then he tongue fucked Al’s navel. Al put his head back and said, “Aaaaahhh! Aaaaahhhhhhhh! Ooooohhhhh!”
Again the two hot studs pulled away from each other long enough to undo the other’s belt and let the pants fall to the floor. Shoes were kicked off. The two young Adonises stood facing each other clad only in their briefs, which were hugely tented.
Slowly each slid the other’s briefs down to the floor so they faced each other naked, aroused, and smiling into each other’s eyes. They moved together into a tight embrace. Mark’s black chest was pressed against Al’s pink one. Al’s tan nipples touched Mark’s purple ones. Mark’s mahogany man meat caressed Al’s lighter organ.
Mark sank to his knees and put his lips against Al’s very enlarged cock. The engorged penis was adorned with a few drops of precum.
Mark put his arms around Al’s thighs and hips and pulled Al toward him. He made his lips into an “O” shape and gently enclosed Al’s glans within his lips.
Slowly at first, but gradually increasing in speed, Mark flicked his tongue over Al’s slit, touching it here, there, and then probing the underside of Al’s man-meat, manipulating (or should we say “tongulating?”) Al’s organ became even harder (if that were possible), his desire rose to a higher and higher pitch of tension, and then . . .
“Mark, I’m coming. You’d better pull away if you don’t want your throat to be flooded,” Al warned.
“Flood my throat you hot fucker, I want to swallow your semen, your seed, your man-milk. Shoot it in me. I want it NOW!” Mark almost shouted.
“Oooohhhhhh! Uuuhhhhh! Aaaaahhhhhyyyyyyyeeee!”
With that Al coated Mark’s mouth, palate and throat with his creamy ejaculate. Mark swallowed almost of that sweet substance.
Mark stood up and kissed Al on the mouth, letting Al taste his own cum. The kiss lasted three or four minutes.
“Mark, that was just . . . just . . supercali . . . .”
“Fragilistic,” Mark added.
“Yes, you hunk of a horny hot lover, just . . expialidocious,” Al completed the phrase.
After a moment or two of holding each other and looking into each other’s eyes, Al said, “Let’s go into the bedroom. I want you in me. I want you to coat my love chute with your lovely elixir of euphoria.”
In the bedroom, Al pulled the covers back, and put some large bath towels on the bed. He lay on the bed on his back, and said, “Come into me, Mark. Fill me. Make me yours! Here’s some hand lotion you can use for lube. That’ll do the trick.”
Al pulled his legs back, and Mark knelt on the bed and lined up his penis with Al’s rectum, and started to enter into that kingdom of love and delight guarded by a muscle so tight that Mark had to push a little to gain entrance—but gain entrance he did, and then pumped his cock slowly and easily, then harder and harder until Al ejaculated a second time, and Mark delivered his own load of genital gravy into the hungry mouth of Al’s anus.
When the two had regained normal breathing, Al looked at Mark, and said, “I love you, Mark, and I want us to be together tonight, tomorrow, and for the rest of our days.”
Mark looked at Al, and said “My love, I feel the same way. For now I just want to hold you, and ‘never let you go,’ as that old song says.”
Lying in each other’s arms, the two men, now lovers, fell asleep. They would have things to work out and some problems to overcome, but they would worry about those things tomorrow, because, as the heroine of another story said on the last page of her book, “After all, tomorrow is another day.*”
To be continued.
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Historical Note: James Lawrence Kernan was a Baltimore businessman who operated several movie theatres at the turn of the century in Baltimore. He is best remembered for the Hospital for Crippled Children, which opened in 1909 and moved to its location in Dickeyville about 1914. It is not known if the hospital had a cancer ward, but it is known that he organized Christmas treats for poor children of all races in Baltimore. He would arrange matinees at his Maryland Theatre for every sick child he could identify. “Give them the treat of their lives and send the bill to me,” he would say. He died December 14, 1912, at the age of 74. His hospital became one of the most famous orthopedic centers in the United States. I didn’t know all of these facts when I started writing this chapter. I think he would like the idea of the “Cousins” coming to entertain the patients at his hospital. (Biographical data from Robert K. Headley, Motion Picture Exhibition in Baltimore . . ., 1895-2004. Jefferson [NC] ad London: McFarland and Co., 2006).
*If any of my readers don’t know who said that famous line, send me an e mail and I will tell you.
Assistor’s Comments: Well, Will has outdone himself with this chapter. If you don’t like to cry, to sing, or read about men finding love, then you are at the wrong place. He even throws some music history as well as the local color from the Baltimore area. I’m trying to decide what his devious mind is planning for the next chapter. E.
Author’s finale: I hope my readers enjoy this chapter, but I owe a great deal to Ed and Gerry. They not only find typos, but thy have each pointed out some inconsistencies and contradictions which I think I have fixed to their and my satisfaction. I suggest that if a reader ends an e mail to an author telling how much he enjoyed the story, he should also send a note to the editor. Thanks, you two. Hugs to both of you.
Posted: 01/18/08