Flatbush Avenue

 by: Staley Cole Smith

© 2019 by the Author

The author retains all rights. No reproductions are allowed without the author's consent. Comments are appreciated at...

scsmith@tickiestories.us
 

Chapter 16
Dim grows the flame

Adam and Andrew were happy living in Asa’s building, as time passed into history.

After the first year was complete, Adam began paying rent every month. He and Andrew were now in good financial shape, thanks to Asa.

Asa’s was reluctant to accept payment for the apartment, but he did. He wanted the young men to be responsible people and not dependent on free stuff.

Asa sat in his favorite chair thinking. He did a lot of thinking lately, and it was all about Adam and Andrew.

The three of them had become very close living in the same building.  Andrew thought of himself as a Jew by injection and indeed, that is what he was.

Adam screwed his bones every place in their apartment; once even in the window with Andrew clutching the molding to keep from falling. They were young and testosterone controlled their lives. A wild romp on the floor, in the middle of the day, was common. However, they never forgot or avoided Asa.

Asa slowed down quite a bit and didn’t hunger after them as he once did.  He considered himself the luckiest old gent still living on Flatbush. Anything he wanted was only a text message away. He had come to love Adam and Andrew and the feeling was mutual. They adored Asa.

Adam catered to Asa and waited on him as much as possible. When it was not Adam, it was Andrew, who looked out for the old gent they called grandpa.

Asa though and thought about the boys and then picked up the phone and made an appointment to see his lawyer. He wanted badly to do something good for them. He was especially attracted to Adam, but thought of them as a team, and he adored them like his real grandchildren.

He brought Adam with him to see his attorney. Asa added Adam Wexler’s name to his property with ownership going to the survivor. Of course, it would be Adam who survived, providing a bus or a subway train never hit him.

Then, he went to Bank of America in Brooklyn, to make Andrew the beneficiary on his savings account, which was considerable. Asa would deposit their rent checks into the account with the intension of returning the money to them someday. However, they were not aware of what he was doing.

Carolyn, the owner of the Morse Bakery, was retiring. It was a sad decision, but she decided to sell the business. She ran the business by herself with help from her employees, ever since her husband Harold, passed away years earlier.

Adam was a tremendous help to her and she promoted him to manager. He had a wonderful personality, working with customers and the neighborhood folks, who were mostly Jewish, adored him. 

She trained Adam not only to be a grand pastry chef, but also a good businessman. He knew everything there was to know, about running the bakery business; which he did for Caroline.

“Adam, she said to him when he came in that morning for work; I want to talk to you.”

“It’s okay Caroline; I will have the display cases stocked in just a few minutes.” Said Adam “and the deliveries, don’t worry, everything is under control.”

“No, forget about doing that. Come in and sit down. Why don’t you buy this business? You are a first rate pastry chef and it is a successful business. You are already a perfect asset here on Flatbush Avenue.”

“Gosh Caroline, nothing would I like better, but I don’t have enough capital to buy anything, especially this building.”

“Maybe you could find backing someplace; perhaps your family would help you,” she said

“Perhaps,” replied Adam, thinking there was no way in hell that would ever happen.

Several days passed and the subject of the bakery closing was not a subject of conversation.  Caroline was holding off putting the property in the hands of a real estate agent. She quietly waited to see what Adam was going to do, if anything. Adam told no one about the bakery closing, including Andrew and Asa.

Two days later, Asa was waiting for the elevator to come down from the third floor when Adam stepped beside him.

“Hey grandpa, I will ride down with you,” said Adam

“What – you are not sprinting down the stairs three steps at a time?” commented Asa trying to be jovial

“No, not today, I don’t feel so good.” Said Adam

“Maybe some chicken soup, you should be eating.”

“I don’t think so.” Replied Adam

Adam leaned against the elevator wall with his arms folded, but not looking sad. He was smiling a different smile from what Asa normally saw on his face. He looked troubled and although not complaining, something was bothering him.

The elevator stopped at the ground floor and the two of them walked   together, out to the street. The air was cool but the sun was shining and it was a beautiful day. There were a few folks heading into the park. The park had tennis courts and it attracted neighborhood people.

“Come, walk with me and tell Asa why you feel sick.”

“I’m not sick, I just don’t feel right.” Said Adam

“You are not sick – but you are not right. This is what you are telling me?”

“I guess so”

“You guess so – what kind of an answer is that?” said Asa. “Is it Andrew?”

“No”

“Is it me?”

“Of course not, it is my job. The bakery is closing and I will be unemployed”

“It is closing?” said Asa, “why”

“Caroline is retiring and the building is for sale.”

“That’s it – you are troubled over a building?”

“Of course, it’s a very big deal,” said Adam

“It’s meshuggeneh, such a worry is not a big deal. We will buy the damn building,” said Asa.

“Oh no, grandpa, I can’t let you do that,” said Adam

“And what makes you think I need permission?

“Well, you don’t but…”

“That is right – I don’t”

Asa purchased the property and put the business in Adam’s name as sole owner. He was too elderly tied up owning more property, so it went to Adam.

Adam worked his heart out 7 days a week making the business more and more competitive and successful. He changed the name to ‘Wexler & Morse’ 

This tickled Asa because he always called him Wexler from the first day they met years ago. It pleased Caroline also, because Adam kept the Morse name alive. Caroline had given them a good deal on the purchase of the property. Everything was upbeat and wonderful.

Adam began repaying Asa for the property. Every month he faithfully handed Asa a check.  It was not a requirement, but it was necessary in Adam’s view.

Sharing sex was very much alive between our three amigos. It was not the major part any longer, but lust and hunger was still there, only now they loved body and soul.

They refused to believe that it was the material, or the sexual things that held them together and kept them close.  Actually, the material things were the realistic part. The sexual things were the human part, and friendship made everything work.

Adam’s maturity bound the wounds of everyday living. He had a keen understanding of duty, respect and age.

Andrew was very much the same. It was as if they stumbled on a storybook romance, which included Asa. A man they adopted as their grandfather.

Respect was something each of them needed. Sex was nothing more than a game. Asa had gone without sex for quite a while. Although the young men in the apartment above him were available, he never asked.

Asa believed that everyone wants to be relative almost to the point of becoming a religion. Often it is lunacy, when one gifted with knowledge, becomes crazy sweating over a warm body.

“I am due for some lunacy,” Asa said, talking to himself. He felt his sleeping dick, and the mere touching made him horny.

He remembered Andrew once saying to him; that three in bed was a sandwich. He wanted to be that sandwich.

A point comes when there is nothing wrong with using all your assets in the bedroom. Asa was not thinking about financial assets. He was thinking about assets of lust, He wanted hot, dirty, unspoked physical erotic sex; and he was going to ask Adam and Andrew for it.  He only hoped his heart could take it.

Nothing much mattered Asa wanted what he wanted. After a certain age, one just stops caring how people think.

***********************************

To be continued...

Posted: 10/25/19