The following story is mostly true. I have kept a journal or diary since I've been twelve years old, this story has been written by combining the memories from the main characters and diary entries. The names of the characters have been changed to protect the identities of each person other than that the story is accurate to the best of our memories. I have the permission of the main characters involved to publish this and they have all read it. It is also told from a combination of third person and narrative perspectives. I have a copyright for this story and the story is the legal property of the author.
This event took place in 2014 and begins on Monday, May 26, Memorial Day. The four of us, Patrick, Sean, Travis, and myself are in the backyard of the house we rent and share grilling steaks for dinner. We had splurged a little that night with the steaks instead of the more traditional burgers and hotdogs but it was a holiday so we decided to live it up a little.
So a little about us. We had all just finished our junior year at Purdue University. All of us were on our way to getting our engineering degrees. Patrick was studying bio-medical engineering, Sean was studying aeronautical engineering, Travis was studying electrical engineering, and I (Vaughan) was studying mechanical engineering. All of us were about the same size, heights ranged from five feet ten inches for Patrick who was the shortest to my six foot height as the tallest of us. All of us were in great shape and we weighed from a low of 155 pounds to 170 pounds. None of us had six pack abs but none of us cared, we were all very happy with how we looked and considered ourselves to be in decent shape.
All of us could be described as boy next door types and if not for hair color it would have been difficult to tell us apart from a distance. Patrick was a typical Irish red head, when the four of us all met freshman year he still had some freckles on his face which had now faded. Sean's hair was chestnut brown and naturally curly, Travis was half native American Indian so his hair was deep black. My own hair was a light sandy blonde. The fact is the four of us were so similar that all of our clothes was interchangeable other than shoes.
Sexually, three of us identified as being gay, Sean as bisexual. All of us knew each other's bodies intimately and we had all enjoyed each other one on one, in threesomes, and several times all four of together at once. We had discussed relationships among ourselves and all of us were in agreement that at this time in our lives school needed to be the priority. Additionally while a strong bond existed between all of us we all believed it would be wrong to develop a truly deep and serious relationship since none of us knew where we would end up upon entering the workforce.
We had all just finished eating when we heard Sean's phone start to ring. Digging it out of the pocket of his cargo shorts he looked at it and said, “It's Dad, I better take this.” Then got up and went inside to have some privacy as the rest of us chatted and sipped our drinks.
Returning about fifteen minutes later Sean asked, “So who wants to go with me on a college River trip?”
“You mean road trip not river trip don't you?” Patrick asked.
“Well some of it will be by road. As all of you know I have an uncle that didn't discover he had cancer until it was way too late and he knows he hasn't got a lot of time left so he is putting his affairs in order. Uncle Rodney lives near Lacrosse, Wisconsin and has a houseboat which he has sold. The buyer lives in Cairo, Illinois and wants the boat delivered. This boat is huge and it's heavy, it would cost a small fortune to have it trailered that distance, best solution is to take it down the Mississippi River. That is what my Dad just TOLD me I would be doing. He has rented a car for me here in West Lafayette to drive to Lacrosse, I have to do the drive on Thursday, spend Friday with my uncle learning how to operate the boat and get through the locks and damns on the river, then on Saturday I set sail for Cairo. Uncle Rodney thinks it will take nine to ten days to do the river trip. When I get to Cairo I have to call Dad and he will make arrangements to rent a car to return here.”
Everyone looked at each other for a moment then Travis was the first to speak up saying, “It's a really unique thing to do and sounds like a lot of fun to me. Count me in.”
“On my budget that's the only thing I will be able to afford for a summer vacation so count me in too.” Patrick said.
I also agreed to thinking it sounded like a fun adventure. We spent Tuesday looking stuff up that we thought would make interesting stops along the way as well as planning the drive on Thursday. We decided to circumnavigate Chicago which made the trip a bit longer but considering the traffic issues in that city we all felt our route would be much faster.
Thursday morning around nine we went to the rental place, Sean filled out some forms and we were quickly on our way. After stopping for lunch and twice for a restroom break and driver change we rolled into Lacrosse a little before five that afternoon. We had a hotel room for the night so we checked in then returned the car to Avis which was only a few blocks away.
The University of Wisconsin has a campus in Lacrosse and we were not ready for dinner yet so we took a walk through the campus. There weren't many people around but we did notice a few people staring at us as we walked around. Maybe they liked our Purdue shirts we all had on?
After the walk we found a small local place to eat at. I wish I could recall the name of the place. While I've forgotten the name I will never forget having the biggest most amazing Philly cheese steak sandwich I have ever had. The sandwich was enormous and could have easily fed three of us and the taste was incredible.
After eating it was back to the hotel where we changed into our swim suits and used the pool and hot tub until the closed the aquatic area at eleven PM. It had been a long day so after a quick shower to rinse off the chlorine we went to sleep. The room had two Queen beds in it so we had to share a bed, not a problem for any of us.
The next morning we had breakfast at the hotel then Sean's aunt picked us up and drove us north for about forty minutes to where the houseboat was. I was shocked, at 77 feet in length it was way longer than a semi trailer and maybe 5 times as wide.
Sean's uncle was a successful defense lawyer with a firm in the twin cities and was licensed to argue cases in over a dozen different states. On the back of the boat was an image of a pair of handcuffs. In an arc over the handcuffs was the name of the houseboat, Crime Pays.
Sean gave us a tour of the boat starting with the wheel house area where all the controls were, then the galley where we would prepare and eat our meals, the two bedrooms, the bathroom which consisted of a sink for hand washing and sponge baths plus a toilet, no shower. Next was the engine room with the twin engines in it and then up on the roof was an area with a hip high privacy curtain around it that Sean said was the tanning area. There were some beach loungers up there and when you laid back on one you could just barely see over the privacy curtain.
“In the past when I've gone along on family trips on this boat, this is where we sunbathe and before you ask, yes, you can sunbathe in the nude up here. I always did when I went along on these river trips.” Sean explained.
“Wait are you saying that you, your aunt and uncle, and your parents would all be up here sunbathing in the buff?” Patrick asked.
“Yes, and also my younger brother and my sister.” Sean replied.
“And that didn't bother you to have your family see you naked? I mean yeah not a big deal about your dad, uncle and brother, but your mom, your sister, and your aunt!” Travis said.
“Not at all, in my family we were told from an early age that the human body is the most beautiful thing God created, that it should always be admired and that I should never feel shame or embarrassment if someone sees me naked. I'm not religious but I do believe that to be true. If someone takes a good look at me while I am naked I feel honored, not ashamed.” Sean said.
“In that case, maybe we can all get some really great suntans this summer sans the tan lines.” I said which the others all agreed with.
We spent the day learning all about the boat and the river as well as how to get through the dams that had been constructed to help mitigate flooding and help maintain a minimum water depth in drought years to keep the river navigable for the river barges.
That evening we enjoyed a traditional thanksgiving feast and were told that we would be taking all the leftovers along on the trip to provide all of us with food for a couple days. That night after all the food was put into the refrigerator on the houseboat everyone said their goodbyes. The next day would be Saturday and we had been told to expect the river to be busy with fishing boats, pleasure boats, and the always present barge traffic.
That night the four of christened the boat with some hot four way fun which consisted of two of us doing a 69 while the other two buried their cocks balls deep in our asses. By the time we went to sleep each of us had a load of cum in our ass and another in our stomach and everyone felt sexually satisfied. Sex is not the focus of this story so I won't go into much more detail, but if you ever have the opportunity to have a warm wet mouth sucking on your cock while you suck on a hot hard cock and have another one slamming onto your ass don't pass it up.
All the fresh air, sunshine, and the long day on the river combined with a large meal then sex made all of us tired. All four of us basically collapsed onto the bed and the gentle rocking motion of the boat had us sleeping in minutes.
Saturday May 31, 2014
The next morning we were all up as the Eastern sky started to lighten. We enjoyed breakfast and coffee as we watched the sunrise that morning then detached the mooring lines and began our journey south. Our first destination was the marina at the city of Lacrosse, where we filled the fuel tanks that fed the diesel engines. In addition to that Sean paid to have the 50 gallon potable water tank filled. There was a smaller tank for non potable water used for flushing the toilet. That tank didn't get filled. We only used the toilet if we needed to take a dump then used a small bucket of river water to flush it. Being guys, if we had to pee we just did it over the side of the boat. If there was a lot of boat traffic we would pee into one of those bottles they use if you're in the hospital then emptied it over the side of the boat when there wasn't any boat traffic to see us do it.
Sean's uncle Rodney had made out a schedule for us that he had said would get us to where we needed to be on time but was relaxed enough to allow us to really enjoy the trip. Our first day our goal was to get to a place called Prairie Du Chien, Wisconsin. We managed to get there just before 7 PM that night. The attendant at the marina filled the tanks with diesel and offered us a spot to moor the boat for the night if we wanted. We decided to accept because it meant we would have access to the shower facilities they had there.
Once we got the boat secured we warmed up some of the leftovers from the previous night and had dinner. About half past 8 the four of us put on some flip flops, grabbed our shower kits along with clean underwear and headed to the men's shower area. The shower area was like your classic highschool locker room. A couple of benches and some hooks to hang your stuff on. The showers were in a small room open on one side and one shower head on each of the other three walls. There was one person in the locker area in the process of taking his underwear off as we walked in and he instantly had that deer in the headlights look on his face as we entered. He had reddish brown hair styled like Daniel Radcliffe did in the final Harry Potter movie, piercing green eyes and the start of a nice tan. He appeared to be a year or two younger than we were and he had a nice swimmers build to his body.
“No need to be worried.” we told him, “Looks like we don't have enough showers for everyone but the four of us will pair off and share and you can have one to yourself.”
“Thanks, you guys startled me a bit when you walked in. I didn't expect anyone to be here at this hour.” he said as he finished removing his underwear then opened his shower kit and added, “Awe fuck I forgot my soap.”
“We have a bottle of Irish Spring liquid soap and can share if you want.” someone in our group said.
“Thanks, I appreciate that. By the way, I'm Matthew or Mat as some people call me but I prefer Matthew.” Matthew said as he introduced himself.
We all introduced ourselves as we got wet under the spray from the showers and lathered up. The four of us took turns washing each other's backs which caused Matthew to comment that we all must be pretty close.
“The four of us are all students at Purdue and live together. None of us have any hang-ups about anything and don't see a problem with helping each other out. If you want, one of us can wash your back too if you want us to, you just need to let us know.” Sean said.
“Sure if you don't mind,” Matthew said as he walked up to Sean and handed him his loofa then turned around and gave us a very nice view of his perfectly shaped hairless ass.
“How do you guys like Purdue? I've been accepted there, Texas A&M, Vanderbilt, and MIT. I figured I can rule out MIT simply because of cost so it will come down to Texas, Purdue, or Vanderbilt.” Matthew said as Sean washed his back.
“We all really like Purdue and getting first hand accounts from students at the schools is a great thing to do, but also perform your due diligence and research how highly each school is ranked nationally for the field you want to study.” I said as Matthew turned and faced us and retrieved his loofa from Sean.
“Well I think mankind needs to look to the heavens and get serious about space exploration so I want to study aerospace engineering and I know Purdue is a great engineering school.” Matthew said.
“All of the schools you mentioned are great schools, but for that specific field of study only two of them are in the top ten list each year, Purdue and MIT so I think your choice is pretty clear. We can trade contact info if you want and maybe you can visit us this summer and we could show you around the campus.” Travis said.
“You guys would actually do that for me when you don't know anything about me?” Matthew said as he started to shampoo his hair.
“Absolutely, being a freshman and being away from home for the first time can be a bit overwhelming and intimidating. I think each of us felt pretty lost much of our first semester so if we can help someone in some small way then why not do it? Best that could happen is we would all become good friends. Worst that could happen is you decide you don't like the school, us, or both and decide to go somewhere else.” I said.
As we all finished our showers Matthew asked, “So what brings you guys here to this marina?”
We explained what we were doing as we toweled off and dressed. Matthew said, “Your trip sounds a lot more fun than the one I have been on this week.”
“Are you traveling the river by yourself or something?” one of us asked.
“No, I'm with my parents. Tonight they went over to the casino but I'm not old enough to go in there so I get to watch the boat and play games on my phone. I didn't even want to come along on this trip this week but was left little choice, what I wanted to do was go and see Purdue because the commitment date is approaching fast. Now I'll probably have to commit without seeing the place. This really hasn't been a fun week for me, meeting you four has been the most interesting thing that's happened all week.” Matthew said.
“So where do you live if you don't mind telling us?” someone asked
“Iowa City, but Dad put the boat in the river at LeClaire, Iowa. That's where were heading to tomorrow I think.” Matthew said.
“We'll be overnighting there also, but we won't get there until Monday evening. The big houseboat we are using wasn't built for speed.” Sean said.
As we left the shower area Sean paused and then pointed to the houseboat saying, “That's the boat we're taking to Cairo, if you're not doing anything how about hanging out with us, that is if you want to of course.”
“Oh my God thank you! My mom and Dad have been driving me crazy with the stuff they have been talking about all week. I'll just drop my stuff off at our boat and be right over.” Matthew said.
We all watched as Matthew ran to one of the pleasure craft tied to one of the slips and put his shower kit in it then came running back and joined us.
“You must have been a really gifted student.” Patrick said to him. “I applied to MIT and was turned down.”
“I know they have super high standards. No idea if it's true or not, but I was told that you need to be a straight A student in highschool and score in the top two percent on the entrance exams. I only had one incorrect answer on my SAT exam so I was nearly perfect. I would love to go there but it's over fifty thousand dollars a year, mom and Dad make good money but not that good and I think mom's job may no longer be all that secure. I also have two brothers, one is fourteen and the other is ten years old and they will also probably go on to school so Mom and Dad have that to consider as well.” Matthew said.
“Are they on your boat? Go invite them to join us.” Travis said.
“No, they are spending the entire summer at my cousins farm to kind of get a break from some drama at home.” Matthew said sounding sad.
We had gotten on the houseboat and shown Matthew around. “Your uncle must be really affluent to have a boat this big.” Matthew said
“Well he and my aunt have both always had good jobs, but the family legend is that my uncle won some lottery prize for like a quarter of a million dollars back in like the late eighties and used the winnings to have this boat built.” Sean replied as he handed each of us a cold bottle of water. “ Let's head up to the sunbathing area, there is enough seats up there for all of us.”
All of us went up and sat around talking about school. Patrick had grabbed his phone and was using it to look something up and suddenly blurted out, “Commitment date for the incoming freshman is Friday June the twentieth. We are supposed to deliver this boat to its new owner on or before Sunday evening June eighth then we will spend the next day traveling back to West Lafayette. You don't have a huge window of opportunity there if you want to see the campus and have us show you around.”
“Yeah, I probably won't get to see the place until the day I arrive to start school.” Matthew said sadly.
“Just a thought, but any possibility your parents would let you finish this trip with us then we could take you there and show you around then you could get a flight from the university airport.” Travis said.
“I can ask them when they get back. I don't think they would be very supportive of the idea since they have never met any of you and don't know you. I'm positive my mom would be totally against it. I don't know what is going on with her, but she is not the same as she used to be.... On the other hand, I am of legal age to make that kind of decision for myself, but doing that would create another huge family drama.” Matthew said.
Matthew's sad tone of voice and the far away look on his face caused me to think that his home life might not be all that great but he didn't elaborate and we didn't know him well enough to ask those types of personal questions so no one said anything.
The subject of the conversation changed and Matthew asked several questions about the academics, the professors, the laboratory equipment, research projects, and class sizes that impressed all of us.
We had been talking about school for about ninety minutes when Matthew suddenly asked, “So what's the deal with you four? Are you like two gay couples or something? Sorry for being so direct about it but I just get this vibe from all of you that you're all a lot closer and far more comfortable with each other than straight guys typically are.”
The four of us were surprised by what he had said but the sound of his voice was purely inquisitive and in no way condescending or judgemental. We glanced at one another before Travis spoke up and said, “I don't think any of us realized it was that obvious. While it's true we are all really close we are not couples or even boyfriends. Yes it's true we are sexually active with each other but none of us flaunt our sexuality. However we are always honest and tell the truth about ourselves if someone asks. I know I am speaking for all of us by saying we hope that doesn't bother or offend you in any way.”
“It doesn't bother or offend me at all. I like friends who are high caliber people that are trustworthy and honest, sadly they seem to be impossible to find. Also I don't care if they are hetero, gay, bi, or any of the other new politically correct terms that are used now. I might be just like you guys, I don't know yet. I have dreams and fantasies and sometimes they are of women, other times it's men. Besides hugging my family members, having Sean wash my back earlier is the most physically intimate thing I have ever done with anyone.” Matthew said.
“Please don't interpret this as me hitting on you but you're extremely good looking and have a really sexy body so I don't think you would have any trouble finding someone that would be intimate with you no matter the gender.” Patrick said.
About that time we heard a slightly worried voice from across the marina loudly call out the name, “Matthew.”
“Over here Dad, on this big houseboat talking with some new friends I've met. You and Mom should come meet them.” Matthew called out in reply then added in a quieter voice, “Sorry, I should have asked you all first, I hope inviting them over is not a problem.” Matthew said.
“Oh it's no problem, in fact why don't you go below and welcome them aboard then guide them up here. Oh, offer them some bottles of water from the fridge if they want one.” Sean suggested.
Matthew returned with his parents a moment later and introduced all of us then we told them why we were traveling the river. Matthew's mother commented, “I noticed that there aren't any beer or alcohol bottles on the boat and I don't smell any evidence of drinking on your breath, are all of you under 21?”
I think all of us were surprised by what she said and more than a little put off by the very snarky and condescending tone she had used. Travis was the one to reply and bluntly said, “No, all of us are old enough to drink alcohol if we want and on very rare and special occasions we may have a drink. We simply prefer being sober so we seldom imbibe in alcohol.”
That was followed by one of those awkward silent moments that was finally shattered when Matthew said, “Mom, Dad, these guys have offered to take me with them for the rest of their trip and then show me around Purdue then I could catch a flight home from there. That would save both of you from having to miss work and the cost of trip and hotel.”
Matthew's father's name was Edward and he said, “Nice sales pitch son but your mother and I will need to think about this and talk it over.”
Sean responded, “How about this idea, Matthew can spend the night here and use the spare bedroom. That will afford you and your wife the privacy and opportunity you need to think the idea over and discuss it. When we bought fuel we were told about a cafe nearby that supposedly has great food, generous portions and fair prices. We can all meet there at 8 AM for breakfast and you can announce your decision then.”
Edward glanced at his wife who glared back at him then stood and shook each of our hands saying, “That's a wonderful idea, Anne and I will see all of you in the morning then.”
They then disembarked and started to return to their own boat.
For those readers who are not science savvy, please be aware that sounds and voices can be clearly heard about ten times farther over water than land.
When they were about forty yards from the boat Matthew's mom could easily and clearly be heard telling Edward, “I'm calling the police and having them search that boat with a canine unit. Those boys are drug trafficking and they're recruiting Matthew to help them and like the fool you are, you allowed it.”
All of us heard it, all of us stood there with our mouths hanging open and a dumbfounded looks on our faces. Matthew let out a single sob as tears started to run down his face, he looked like he was about to jump off the boat and run. I was the person closest to him and instinctively put my arm around his shoulders to be supportive and told him it was okay.
“I'm really sorry about that guys.” Matthew said with tears still running down his face. “Mom never used to be like that but about a year ago something changed and I don't understand it. She was an awesome mom but now it's like she hates everyone on the planet. The day after school got out my youngest brother Ben was getting a glass of milk and accidentally spilled it on the floor. She pulled his belt out of his pants, pulled his pants and underwear down and started beating his bare ass with the belt. I was in my room and heard him screaming and went running to see what was going on. I stopped her from hitting him any more but now he is having nightmares about it.”
After what Matthew's mother had said and then hearing this all of us were feeling way out of our element. After all, we were going to become engineers not shrinks. All we could do was stand there holding him and give him our emotional support.
“It's almost midnight guys we should all turn in and get some sleep.” Patrick said.
We all went down to the main level of the houseboat and Matthew said, “I know you only have the two bedrooms, I'll just claim a spot on the floor. That's where I've been sleeping on our boat anyway since that bed on it isn't really even big enough for two people.”
“No Matthew, you can sleep on one of the beds. As you noted earlier the four of us are very comfortable with each other so we don't mind sharing a bed.” Travis said.
“That's generous but hardly fair. I'm willing to share a bed if you want. My youngest brother started sleeping with me after what mom did to him so I'm used to sharing. Just please don't ask me to pick who I will be sharing with.” Matthew said.
We decided to utilize a highly scientific yet completely randomized method of determining who would share a bed with Matthew, we played rock, paper, scissors. Patrick was the one who got to share s bed with him.
The four of us had a ritual of giving one another full on frontal hugs every night at bed time and were doing that as Matthew watched with a curious expression on his face. Sean noticed and explained, “We give each other hugs every single night before we sleep. We tell each other thanks for being my friend and the hug is kind of a non verbal way of saying if I did or said anything today that upset you then please forgive me.” Having said that he pulled Matthew into a tight hug which seemed to surprise him but he didn't resist it. The rest of us each gave him hugs as well.
“Wow, I've only known you guys for like four hours and already feel like I am closer with the four of you and know all of you better than I do with friends I have known nearly my whole life.” Matthew said.
“It's far more preferable to have a few quality friends as opposed to a bunch of pretentious fake ones. To quote something my Dad once told me: A fake friend might come and bail you out of jail. A true friend will be sitting in jail with you saying, Buddy, we fucked up.” Sean said.
We all laughed, then went to sleep.
Sunday June 1, 2014
We all got up a little after 7 AM and used the facilities at the marina then cleaned up and went to the cafe for breakfast. Matthew's Dad was already there and seated at a table that had a total of six place settings. When Matthew asked his dad where his Mom was he replied that she wasn't feeling well and didn't want anything to eat.
After we finished our breakfast Edward asked, “So what's your destination for tonight and tomorrow?”
Sean replied, “Not every marina on the river sells diesel fuel, in fact most of them do not. We need to put in and get fuel at the ones that do. The plan for today is to travel to a place called Dubuque, Iowa. There's a yacht club there that sells diesel fuel, we will fill up there but then go about another mile or so to a place called the Port of Dubuque. It's a secured marina and we will overnight there. If we arrive in time there's also a water park a few hundred yards from it that we may go to. Tomorrow we need to travel to a place called Leclaire, Iowa. On the map our destinations for this trip are maybe 60 to 80 miles apart. Due to the way the river meanders, by traveling the river they are about a hundred or more miles apart and the houseboat is no speed demon.”
Edward glanced at his phone and said, “Excuse me this is Anne calling so I need to answer.” Then stood and walked towards the restroom and returned a short time later. Looking at Matthew he said, “Your mother is still furious that you never even applied to the University of Iowa and she and I are at complete odds about what you proposed last night. I think it would be a good experience for you and support the idea. Your mother adamantly disagrees with me but as you know she and I have had disagreements before, especially in the past several months, and I am certain we will have a few more before we reach the grave. That said, I am going to permit you to have this little adventure but to help keep your mother off the warpath and prevent her from murdering me, you must call each day and let us know where you are. If you fail to do that you very well might not get to start university until the spring semester starts in January. Additionally a short time ago I transferred two thousand dollars into your bank account. I know you haven't got any clean clothes beyond what you're wearing now so you will have to buy a few items. I also expect that to cover your food and flight to get home.”
With a look of shocked surprise on his face Matthew said, “Thanks Dad.” then looked at us and asked, “It's still okay if I go along with you guys right?”
“Absolutely, we would have never made you the offer if we weren't sincere about it. I would say welcome to the crew, but crews get paid. All were getting is lots of sunshine, scenery, and adventure, so I think that means we're all slave labor.” Sean said.
That got a chuckle from Edward who stood up and gave Matthew a hug then turned to us and said, “Your meals have been paid for already.” then looked at Matthew again and said, “See you in a couple of weeks.” then headed towards the door. Each of us left an additional tip for the waitress and then left as well. As we walked out of the cafe we noticed that a small shop next door had opened for the day. They had sunscreen in stock and we each bought a few bottles.
With a day of practical experience to our credit, getting the houseboat underway took a lot less time. Twenty minutes after returning to it we were back out on the river and headed south. Patrick was helping Sean, serving as an extra set of eyes to help watch for any navigational hazards so Travis, Matthew, and I went up to the sunbathing area.
“I'm in favor of no tan lines, I might never get an opportunity to have a full body tan again.” Travis said as we all liberally applied sunscreen to ourselves.
“What do you mean by that?” Matthew asked.
“This sunbathing area up here was built to allow nude sunbathing. No one on any of the other boats can see through the privacy boarder and see us up here.” Travis said as he slipped off his shorts, he was going commando. I applied sunscreen to his back and ass then stripped naked and had Travis put sunscreen on my back and ass while Matthew watched, his eyes large as saucers and mouth hanging open.
Guessing what Matthew was possibly thinking I said, “Don't worry, you don't need to be naked unless you want to and if our being naked pushes you past a comfort zone then please be honest and tell us. We all like you and want to keep you as a friend and would feel terrible if our being naked made you want to abandon ship.”
“Oh that's not an issue, in fact I think I'll join you and sunbathe nude as well, I just need a couple minutes is all.” Matthew said as he lay face down on a lounger.
I sat down on the lounger beside him and started to put sunscreen on his shoulders and back. As I worked the sunscreen into his skin I leaned down and softly whispered into his ear. “I'm guessing you have an erection and feel a little embarrassed. Please don't feel like that. Travis and I both have erections too. It's normal, we're all guys here, we get hard, it's as normal as breathing.” Then I returned to my own lounger.
Travis and I were sitting back on the loungers on either side of Matthew, eventually he turned his head from side to side and took a look at each of us and saw our hard cocks resting on our flat stomachs. Slowly he turned over onto his back, a very noticeable and respectable tent in the front of his athletic shorts. After a while he asked, “So are you guys so casual about seeing each other hard come from having had sex with one another?”
“No,” Travis said, “We're so casual because of five primary reasons. First, we never lie to each other, in fact I don't think any of us ever lies, period. Second, we all truly cherish the friendship we have with one another and protect it fiercely. Third, we never shame one another. Fourth, we never humiliate each other. And last, what you saw and experienced with us last night at bedtime when we all hugged each other and thanked each other for the friendship. That hug is genuine and we don't just say the words, we mean them. Do we tease each other? Hell yes, but we know where the line is, where good natured fun ends and hard feelings start. We never cross that line.”
Everyone was silent for a bit then Matthew shrugged and slipped off his shorts. His thick cut six plus inch cock slapping against his belly and asked, “So are all of you like in love with each other?” As he started to apply sunscreen to his freshly exposed skin.
I said, “Matthew we're all young and all of us have a lot to learn about love. The ancient Greeks had a plethora of terms to describe the different kinds of love they identified and none of them seem to be correct for us perhaps due to societal evolution. I can look any of these guys in the eyes and honestly tell them I love them. But I'm not in love with them, at least not yet and I think all of us feels the same way.”
“I agree with Vaughan, I love all these guys but I'm not willing to go down on my knees and propose marriage to any of them and ask them to be my lifelong partner and soul mate. At least not yet. I'm not saying that won't happen in the future but not saying it will happen either. We're evolving as individuals and as a group, but the cornerstone of the friendship we have is based on honesty and that has created an incredible amount of trust between us. Because we're always honest with each other that trust keeps getting deeper and the friendship keeps getting stronger. At least that's my perspective on it.” Travis said.
Matthew took several minutes to process everything we had said and then said, “Earlier and also last night you said you all wanted to be my friend, what's my contribution or what do I need to do for all of you?”
Travis and I both sat upright with frowns on our faces after he asked that. As I looked at Travis I suddenly realized that Matthew was a very lonely young man and replied. “Matthew, friendship and love have to be given freely and unconditionally. I don't know what your past experiences have been like, but if people have like been friendly with you to let's say get your help passing a class, then that person is not or was not a genuine friend. I think the one word that describes the four of us best is genuine. All of us feel perfectly safe baring our soul before the others. That's how deeply we trust each other. With time that is the kind of friendship we hope we will have with you.”
At that point Patrick called up the stairs saying he had made some sandwiches for lunch and as soon as we ate we would be going through the first of two dams that we needed to go through that day so we went down and ate. Later that afternoon Travis and I operated the boat to give Sean and Patrick a break. Later that afternoon we got through the damn at Dubuque, topped off the fuel tanks, and made it into the Port of Dubuque just before the attendant went off duty for the night. After looking over some information they had there we decided to go for pizza at a place nearby.
Walking back after eating we noticed the temperature had dropped considerably, it was going to be a cold and probably rainy night so we just stayed on the boat and talked. It gave Matthew the opportunity to learn more about each of us and vice versa. One of the many things we talked about as Matthew continued to get to know us was his dad's comment about the university of Iowa.
“Mom wants me to go there because it's like a ten minute walk to the campus from where we live. I took a hard look at the engineering program there, honestly, I find it to be very lacking. They don't even have any aerospace engineering classes. I realize that a lot of students change majors once they are in school because they discover they don't like something as much as they thought they would. But if the program isn't even offered and I went there then I would never truly know for sure if I liked it or not so yeah, I tore up the application and threw it in the recycling. When my acceptance letters started arriving and none came from Iowa mom called them and asked why rather than asking me. When she was told I had never applied....... let's just say things got really hostile between us and still are.” Matthew said. “This past while mom has kind of become a domineering control freak so me not doing what she wanted really upset her. Now Dad letting me go with you guys, she is apt to go all Columbine on someone.”
“Sounds as if she needs a prescription for Valium.” Patrick said.
Matthew checked in with his parents and as he hung up the call it started to rain. We sealed up the boat as we had been taught then logged on to the marina wi-fi and posted updates on our trip on FB. When we were finished it was time to go to sleep. We did the rock, paper, scissors thing again, that night I would sleep with Matthew. That night the temperature dropped to the middle fifties as the rain fell. There were no blankets on the beds or in the closet. In the morning when I woke up Matthew was snuggled up tight against me. He was the big spoon, I certainly didn't mind and all we did was exchange a warm smile as we got out of bed.
Monday June 2, 2014
After eating a breakfast of pancakes and coffee we all grabbed our shower kits and the key card we had been given to get into the bathroom and shower area. After we had completed the standard male bathroom routine of the three S's it was back to the boat and we were underway by half past 8. The overnight rain had raised the river level perhaps a half foot or so, there was also a lot more debris floating down the river that morning so everyone helped to watch for anything that could be dangerous to the boat.
The first dam we needed to get through that day was located at a place called Bellevue. While the river still meandered it was doing it a lot less than it had north of Dubuque so we got there earlier than expected and got lucky to be put through with only a few minutes of waiting. The sun had broken through the clouds and there was a lot less debris in this part of the river below the dam so Travis took a turn at running the boat and the rest of us sunbathed sans clothing. After a few hours Travis yelled up the stairs that he wanted us. Sean sat up and looked over the privacy fence and saw we were nearing the next dam at Clinton, Iowa and went rushing down the stairs.
A little past 2 PM and we had gotten through that dam. Our destination for the night was only a couple miles away, Sean suggested we simply take on fuel and keep going. The next dam wasn't to far down river and if we could get through that we could overnight at Davenport, Iowa which was a much larger city than Leclaire and offered more opportunities for entertainment. Leclaire being a small town of just a few thousand people.
Luck was with us that afternoon and evening and we made it through the dam south of Leclaire and the one at the Rock Island Arsenal. We were now about 6 hours ahead of the schedule Sean's uncle had created. We moored the boat at the marina and learned there was an IMAX in the city. Planet of the apes was showing so we climbed into a taxi and saw it on the jumbo screen.
We got back to the boat that night shortly after midnight. Once again we did the rock, paper, scissors game to determine who slept with Matthew. For the second night in a row it turned out to be me. We all exchanged hugs and thanked each other for the friendship and happiness they brought to our life and then settled in to sleep. That night the instant I laid down in bed Matthew pressed his body tight against mine, tonight he was the little spoon.
Tuesday June 3, 2014
When we woke up Matthew and I were in almost the exact same position we had been when we went to sleep. The only difference, when we went to sleep my right hand was resting on my right leg. Now my arm was draped over Matthew's chest, my hand over his heart and his right hand over mine holding it in place.
The instant I started to move he came awake, looked at me over his shoulder and smiled warmly saying, “That was the best night of sleep I have ever had. I don't ever remember feeling this refreshed and alive.”
That morning we ate at a family restaurant a few blocks away. The place was cozy, the food was delicious and the young Asian guy who waited on us had us drooling with lust. As we ate Matthew said, I was wondering since we are a little ahead of schedule if each of you would take a few minutes and share your coming out stories with me.”
Sean spoke first saying, “In the past I've always considered myself bisexual so I haven't come out. In highschool and even at the university I dated women until meeting these guys. After getting to know Patrick, Travis, and Vaughan the way I have I now realize that while I like women and I don't mind having sex with them, those relationships have always been meaningless and empty. When I marry, it will be for love and it will be with another man. I am going home to see my biological family over the fourth of July holiday. I am going to come out then. So ask me this question again in five weeks.”
With a sad faraway look on his face Patrick said, “I hope everything goes well for you Sean.” then turned to Matthew and said, “My story is not a happy one. I came out after my highschool commencement. By then I had already been accepted at Purdue and all the financial aid stuff was taken care of. I decided to tell my parents and they both went crazy. It was a week of pure hell for me. Then I accidentally discovered they were planning to have me sent to one of these brainwashing centers for conversion therapy which everyone except my parents, knows doesn't work so I packed a few things and basically ran away. Anyway I made it to Purdue, talked with a counselor there, got some legal help to prevent my parents from doing what they planned and met these three guys who basically took pity on a lost stray and befriended me and took me in.” Patrick paused and took several deep breaths as a few tears ran down his face then continued on. “I have an aunt on my mom's side who is a tiny bit more open minded than my parents are but not much. She won't answer my calls but she does call me on my birthday and at Christmas each year. She told me that my parents threw everything I had out and labeled it a contagious biohazard. They also destroyed any pictures they had with me in them. According to my parents they never had a child.”
Matthew had tears running down his face at that point and said, “I honestly don't know what to say to that. I'm sorry seems woefully inadequate.”
“My story is I guess best described as apathetic.” Travis said. “I have no memory of my father I was told he left mom when she was pregnant with me. When I told my mom I was gay she lit up a cigarette, looked at me, and said well at least there won't be any dirty diapers to change then she turned around and walked away. I have attempted to talk with her about it on three other occasions but she always stops me as soon as I start.”
Everyone turned their eyes to me, in the past whenever that would happen I always got nervous and would wonder if my fly was open and the family jewels were on display. This time was no different. Clearing my throat I said, “Well as everyone but Matthew knows, I have no aunts, or uncles and I have one sister and no bio brothers. When I told everyone my sister was supportive, my mother said she wasn't surprised and that she had suspicions for a couple years. Dad said he didn't like it and truly didn't understand it but he knew that it was how God wanted me so he would accept and support me. He said his only regret was that the surname would come to an end with me.”
We decided to pay our bill and head back to the boat, as we were walking Sean asked, “Why did you want to hear those stories Matthew?”
Once everyone was on the boat Matthew said, “Last night as we were all hugging each other before going to sleep I had an epiphany. At that moment I realized that I love how simple and easy everything is between the four of you and I realized that it was your pure honesty with each other that made that possible. At that moment I realized that before I can be that nakedly honest with the four of you and everyone else, I had to start being honest with myself. Last night as I brushed my teeth, for the first time ever I admitted to myself that I am gay and I need to come out so I can live my life and feel free. The instant I did that I felt my stress level fall drastically and last night as I cuddled up against Vaughan I had the absolute best sleep of my life. So my plan for today is to call Dad at lunchtime and get an insanity update on mom, then this evening when I call home I will put the phone on speaker so you can all hear it and with the four best friends I will ever have at my side to draw support from, I am going to come out.”
The four of us looked at each other not really knowing what to say. Patrick was always the most insightful person among us and after a minute he broke the silence by saying, “Matthew, maybe you should rethink coming out like that. Imagine for a moment that you and your dad have traded places. Would you want your son to come out to you via a phone call or would you want to hear it from him man to man as you looked each other in the eyes. Which way will he respect the most?”
“I see what you're saying and thank you, I would never have thought of that or if I did it would have been after the fact.” Matthew said.
“Forgive my ignorance but geography was never one of my favorite subjects. How far is it from here to where you live.?” Travis asked.
“Sixty five miles west of here, if we had a car we could be there in an hour.
“We got far enough ahead of schedule yesterday that we would be fine staying here for another day and traveling to Matthew's home if he wants us to be there for his coming out. We would need to rent a car but to do that we need a credit card. All we have are debit cards and rental places won't accept them.” Sean said.
“I have a credit card, it's got a really low credit limit of $250 though.” Matthew said.
All of us looked at Matthew for a moment then I said, “Well it's decision time for you Matthew, do we go south or West?”
Matthew looked at each of us then said, “I want to do this, I NEED to this. If I don't I will just be living a lie and that would make me a hypocrite and damage or destroy the trust you guys have in me. Let me just call Dad quick and make sure they don't have some prior commitment that I don't know about.”
Matthew went into a bedroom and made his call then came back with a puzzled look on his face. “Dad said he needs to talk with the four of you and he would be at the house waiting for us when we get there in a couple hours, that means he is not at work.” Matthew said.
We took a taxi to an Enterprise rental agency and Matthew rented a minivan that would seat all of us comfortably. The whole process took about an hour and at ten AM we left to go to his house and arrived a little after eleven. Matthew let all of us into the house and led us to the kitchen where his father was waiting. All of us gasped when we saw him with Matthew saying, “Dad what the hell happened to you? Were you in a car wreck or something? Wait, where's mom at?”
Edward's left arm was in a sling and was bandaged up and he had several bandages on his face.
Edward motioned for us to take seats at the table, once we did he began to speak. “Matthew, your mother attacked me with a butcher knife last night and I had to get the police involved. They want me to press charges which I am not willing to do but I had no choice but to have Anne committed to the psychiatric unit at the hospital. I should have had this done after she attacked your brother Ben ten days ago and I regret that I didn't. I learned earlier today that she also did something similar to your brother Gabriel but you weren't here when it happened so he had no one to help protect him. He felt so humiliated about it that he never said anything.”
There was a shocked moment of silence then Patrick said, “Sir this seems to be a private family matter, perhaps the four of us should go wait in the car so you and Matthew can finish this conversation.”
“No, all of you are going to be a part of this now, or at least that is my hope.” Edward said. “A parent has a lot of duties to their children, you're responsible for providing them with food, clothing, education, and most importantly a place where they feel safe and loved. I don't know what happened to Anne but something inside her changed about a year ago. From that time forward this house has not truly been a safe environment for my son's. Now because I failed to provide that safe and loving environment I have to send them away. Matthew's two brothers are staying with their cousin where I know they are safe. I need the four of you to keep Matthew with you until he can move into the dorm at the university. You need not worry about his expenses I will see they are taken care of. If Anne gets released from the hospital I just can't risk allowing any of my children to be here alone with her until I believe she is cured of whatever it is that's afflicting her and that it's safe.”
Patrick, Sean, Travis, and I simply sat there looking at one another for a moment as one of those awkward silent moments took place. I couldn't take the silence anymore so I said, “Each one of us has accepted Matthew as a friend and we help each other out when ever we can so unless someone has a valid reason to say no, then I say let's help him.”
Everyone nodded in agreement then as one we looked at Matthew, smiled, raised our right hands and waved and said, “Hi roomie.” which got a smile from both Matthew and his dad.
Just then Sean looked at Edward and said, “It's significantly less expensive to live off campus, but the university has a policy mandating that freshman live in the dorms unless they are local and can commute or live with a guardian that lives in the West Lafayette area. If you were to inform the university that you had appointed one of us as his guardian then he could keep living with us and get about eight thousand dollars a semester back from the school. that's the money they normally charge for room and board. That might make his being at Purdue a lot easier for you from a financial standpoint.”
After reflecting on what Sean had told him Edward replied, “Well I guess I wouldn't be opposed to that but let's not rush into it. How about the five of you live together until the end of July then all of us can revisit this idea. That will give all of you time to think about this as well as see how well you're all getting along after a couple of months.”
“That sounds like excellent advice.” someone said.
“So Matthew on the phone earlier today you said there was something you needed to tell me. Is it something private we should go into one of the other rooms for or can you say it here in front of your friends?” Edward asked.
“No, I can say this in front of them but I was hoping I could tell you and Mom at the same time.” Matthew said then continued on, “Dad, in the past couple of days these guys have taught and shown me how much easier life is when you're always honest. Additionally I have realized that I can't be honest with anyone unless I am honest with myself and my family. So Dad, I hope this doesn't make you upset, but I need you to know that I'm gay and I can't continue on pretending I am not.”
Chuckling Edward said, “I've been wondering when you would say something, hopefully now that dreary cloud that's been over your head these past few years will finally go away.”
“What!? You knew? How!?” Matthew exclaimed.
“Contrary to what all you young people think, parents, at least the ones that really care, actually do know their own children. Your mother and I've noticed you looking at other young men but never girls, also you never once dated a girl in highschool or went to any of the social functions like the prom. There were ample clues but I wasn't certain I was right until just now.” Edward said.
“And your okay with it?” Matthew asked.
“Well not being attracted to other men I guess it's best to answer that by saying I accept it. You don't know this but there's a picture in the photo album of me holding you in my arms that was taken on the day you were born. As that picture was taken I made a promise to you that I would love you no matter what for all time. I will not break that promise.” Edward said.
There wasn't a dry eye in the house as Matthew and his father hugged each other tightly for a prolonged period of time. Once they finally parted Matthew went to his room and packed all his clothes to take back to Indiana along with some other things like his laptop that he would need for school then we all said goodbye and good luck to Edward and returned to Davenport.
We unloaded the van at the boat then found a Pizza Ranch restaurant and gorged ourselves on pizza and fried chicken before returning the van to the rental agency. Just as we got back to the marina a very soft gentle rain began to fall so that night we stayed in the boat. We had found a monopoly game in one of the storage areas so we played that until Patrick made a comment about how our tans weren't going to as perfect we had hoped because the hair covering the pubis, our balls, and on our asses would prevent an even uniform tan.
“I guess we will just have to shave it off then,” Sean said mostly as a joke.
A bit more banter took place between us and that was the end of the monopoly game for that night. We all grabbed our shaving kits and within about 90 minutes we had all removed the hair from our arm pits, crotch, and ass. All five of us looked very prepubescent.
By the time we finished shaving it was near eleven PM, time to go to sleep since we wanted to leave a little earlier than we had been the previous days to make up some miles. As we did our hugs that night there was a difference. All of us had accepted Matthew as one of our group so we said the exact same thing to him that we said to each other. He caught it right away and his eyes got moist as he smiled from ear to ear. That night Sean slept with Matthew.
Wednesday June 4, 2014
We all got up at six in the morning grateful that we hadn't stayed up as late as we normally did. We availed ourselves of the showers and restrooms at the marina then had breakfast. By half past seven we were ready to cast off and resume our journey. As we started to release the mooring lines a woman in a boat from the Iowa Department of Natural Resources approached us with it's flashing lights on. She informed us she was doing safety inspections making sure that there were enough life vests for everyone aboard, that the horn and navigation lights functioned properly, etc. Everything went fine until she asked to see our maritime safety certificates. The four of us just gave her a dumb look like she was speaking some alien language.
“This boat is more than 22 feet in length, at least one of you must have the boating safety certificate to legally operate this boat. If none of you have one then I will have to issue citations to each of you and the boat will have to remain here until the fines are paid and at least one of you has passed the safety course or hired someone with the certificate to pilot the craft for you.” she informed us.
Matthew had been in the galley all this while cleaning up from breakfast. He had heard the conversation so he came into the wheel house to join us. As he did he removed a card from his wallet and showed it to the officer saying, “I think this is what you're looking for.”
She took the card from Matthew, examined it then handed it back saying, “Yes, it is and with that everything is in order here. I hope you all have an enjoyable and safe experience on the river.” Then she left and went to another boat to start another inspection.
“Wow bro, thanks! You just saved all our asses big time. I wonder what my uncle will say when he hears about this. Curious though, why do you have that certification?” Sean said.
“Dad's boat is 21 feet, sometimes mom and Dad would be sight seeing on land while I took the boat out with my brothers and would take them tubing, wake boarding, or water skiing. Having the certificate is easier than arguing with those people about the size of the boat.” Matthew said, shrugged, then added, “I've been wanting to ask this but never wanted to change the topic of a conversation already taking place. Why is it that sometimes you guys us the term family, bro, or brother and at other times bio family or bio brother?”
“Our second semester our freshman year we all had the same philosophy class. One night whilst doing our reading for that class we got into a pretty interesting discussion. We had all bonded by then and kind of adopted each other as like step brothers. As a result we began thinking of the four of us as a family unit even though there is no shared blood among us. For the simple sake of clarity, if we ever talk about our biological family members, those of us that have them that is, we use the terms bio family or bio brother to avoid confusion. Terms like mom or sister are pretty self explanatory so we don't feel the need to say like bio mom or bio sister. So yeah bro, like it or not you now have four older brothers.” Travis explained.
The entire rest of that day none of us saw Matthew without a huge smile on his face.
That day we easily got through the locks and dams at Muscatine, Iowa and New Boston, Illinois where we also topped off the fuel and continued south towards the next lock and dam location at Gladstone, Illinois. In the late afternoon Sean used the marine radio on the boat and contacted that lock and dam to inquire about getting through and were told it would be several hours since they had a cruise ship and two barges already waiting to get through. Sean informed them that we would tie up for the night and wanted to go through early the next morning.
Sean maneuvered the boat to an island a few miles north and we tied up there for the night. It was too early to eat so the five of us went to the sunbathing deck worked on our tans for a few hours. By then even Matthew was totally at ease with any of us putting sunscreen on him or vice versa. At one point Matthew went back down below for maybe twenty minutes but no one wondered what he was doing. Around seven that night we were getting hungry plus the mosquitoes were starting to come out in force and we were naked and really didn't want mosquito bites on our male tackle so we went below and ate the last of the turkey we had on board.
As soon as everything was cleaned up from dinner Sean went to grab his phone and give his uncle an update on the trip. That's when we discovered that the bed frame in one bedroom had been taken apart and the mattress was on the floor. Additionally the mattress from the other room was butted up against it.
“Why are the mattresses from the beds on the floor of the one bedroom?” Sean asked.
“I did that,” Matthew explained, “We can all sleep on them together, that way two of us will have a little less room, three of us will have a little more room, but all five of us brothers will be sleeping together.”
No one said anything about it because we could tell from the look on Mathew's face and the tone of his voice that he had put the mattresses together like that because he genuinely cared about us. Mathew had told us the first night before he admitted he was gay that he was a virgin and didn't feel that he was ready for sex. While whomever slept with Mathew each night did nothing more than cuddle and sleep, the three of us in the other bed tended to get a lot less sleeping done. Since sex isn't the focus of this story I will just let you readers use your imaginations as to what went on in that bedroom.
Everyone that needed to spent some time making phone calls and posting stuff on social media then we continued our monopoly game from the previous night. By ten PM it was clear that Patrick had or would win the game. We had found a paper Burger King crown in one of the cupboards in the galley so Matthew went and got it and put it on Patrick's head. It looked hilarious since none of us had put any clothes back on after sunbathing. We snapped a few pictures of him which he didn't mind since he knew we would never post them online.
That night as we began to hug one another Matthew impressed us all again telling each of us, “Thank You for adopting me and becoming my brother, I love you.” We were all a little choked up by that as the five of us laid down together and went to sleep sans clothing.
Remainder of the Trip
The only thing of significance that happened during the rest of this trip happened on Thursday night June 5. that night we arrived at the marina in Quincy, Illinois and after we had eaten Matthew connected his laptop to the wifi at the marina and started a Skype call to his two younger brothers. They talked softly and we all gave Matthew his privacy to talk with his brothers but near the end of the call Matthew increased the volume of his voice and we all heard him say, “I know I have never told either of you this before, but I want both of you to know I love you.”
That prompted Sean and myself to do the same thing with our bio siblings. Patrick and Travis had no one to call and were looking a little down so each of us including Matthew called them to say I love you. Yes, it was silly when they were sitting just a few feet from us but it cheered them up immensely.
We delivered the boat to it's new owner on time and learned it was going to be remodeled and repurposed as a small dredge boat, it would also be getting a new name.
Matthew loved the campus at Purdue and committed to attend there. Edward along with his sons Gabriel and Ben arrived the weekend of July 4. The boys were happy and excited to see their big brother but they were tired from their long trip to Indiana. Sean had left to visit his bio family so Matthew had Ben and Gabriel take a nap on Sean's bed. When Matthew didn't return after a half hour both Edward and I were curious so we looked in the bedroom and discovered all three of them sound asleep. Ben the youngest was spooned up against Gabriel who was spooned up against Matthew. Edward quietly took a few pictures of the three of them sleeping like that. Once we were out of the room, with a huge grin on his face, Edward said, “I can't even imagine the amount of complaining they would have done if I asked them to sleep like that.” One of those pictures was used later that year on the family Christmas card.
That weekend Edward revealed what the medical people had discovered about his wife. At some point she had contracted meningitis and it had never been treated. It slowly caused irrevocable brain damage and she would need to remain institutionalized. After speaking to the five of us Edward decided to permit Matthew to live with us off campus his freshman year.
That Autumn as school started up brought one more change to our little band of brothers. During our junior year a guy named Xavier had transferred to Purdue and he and Travis had become friends prior to this trip. Both were studying to be electrical engineers and during our final year things got serious between them. Both managed to get jobs with a company on the West Coast and in 2016 they got married. Patrick and Sean both got jobs in the Chicago area and continued living as roommates there until March of 2017 then they married each other.
I had been hired by a firm that was just over a half hours drive from West Lafayette where we had all lived so Matthew and I kept the place and continued to live together. Mathew graduated in May of 2018, the following Saturday he and I got married. All of us are happily married and each year except for 2020 when the pandemic was raging we get together and enjoy a camaraderie that we suspect few others ever experience.
In early April 2025 we all gathered at an all male clothing optional resort in Fort Lauderdale. One afternoon as we were sitting naked around a pool of shimming blue water Patrick observed me adding an entry into my journal. Yes, I still do this old school, a book with blank pages and an ink pen. Anyway, as he watched me Patrick asked if I still had the journal with my notes from the river trip. When I said yes he suggested I type them up and share them with everyone who was there before time and age stole our memories. Everyone else agreed and that comment turned out to be the idea that birthed this story.
Matthew, Patrick, Sean, Travis, and myself hope you have enjoyed this tiny glimpse into our lives from 11 years ago. Anyone wishing to make a comment about this story may do so by submitting an email to [email protected]
