Mike meets Walter
I had just started to read the first page of the journal that I had found under the floor, when I heard the unmistakable sound of my dad’s car coming down the road. I pushed the journal back into its hiding spot and ran out the door and to our house. Dad had just sat down at the table and was going through the mail, mom was at the stove stirring a pot as she stared into space. I washed my hands and finished setting the table for mom as she finished putting the food on the table. We ate in silence, just as we had done the past two weeks since Steve had died. Mom was picking at her food taking a nibble every now and then. Dad was finishing his last few bites when he asked, “What did you do today, Mike?”
I said, “I went swimming with Murph and Bug and hiked through the trees for a while.”
Dad pushed his plate away, lit his cigarette and began opening his newspaper, “The lawn needs cut, and the garden should be weeded. You can do that tomorrow.”
I nodded, “Yes sir, I will do that first thing in the morning.”
I helped mom clear and wash the dishes and went to my room. My mind kept going back and forth between seeing my friends naked and wondering what was in that journal. I kept seeing the date, 1922, that was 50 years ago. Why was it left in that shed? Who was Walter Hankins?
I got up the next morning. There was still a light dew on the grass, so I decided to weed the garden first. I found a couple of ripe tomatoes; I took them in the house as mom was folding a load of laundry. I filled the mower with gas and finished mowing the lawn an hour and a half later. It was almost lunch time, so I made myself a sandwich and asked mom if she needed help with anything else.
She said, “Thanks Mike, but no. You can go spend some time with your friends.”
I said, “Thanks mom, we will be in the trees. Just yell if you need me.”
I ran out the door, taking my sandwich with me.
We had made plans to meet right after lunch. Since I was a little bit early, I ran to the shed, pulled out the journal and sat down to start reading.
***
Walter Hankins’ Journal
May 15, 1922
Miss Fillmore gave me this notebook a few weeks ago - She said that she thought that I was really good at writing and should start recording my thoughts in a journal. I told her that I didn’t know what to write about, but she just said to write whatever I felt - it didn’t matter what it was. She said that she knew I was having a hard time since my ma had passed away last fall, maybe that would be a good place to start. I guess that is as good a place as any. I’m not sure how good of a writer I really am, but here goes.
I am Walter Hankins; I just turned 14 years old in March and finished the 8th grade last week. I live here in Westburg, Tennessee, my ma died last November leaving me alone with my pa. I guess ma was my best friend - If I am being honest, she might be my only friend. My pa has always been a bastard to both me and my ma, but it’s getting worse now that she is gone. Pa works down at the Thornhill Mill all day and as soon as he gets home, he opens a bottle of booze and drinks till he passes out. He wants me to have supper on the table when he gets home, so I make sure everything is ready just to avoid another beating. I always make sure his bottle is in easy reach, cause the sooner he starts drinking the sooner he passes out. The only time I remember my pa not being a bastard was right after prohibition started in 1920. It only took him about 2 months to find a place to get his booze. A few illegal stills popped up and the worthless sheriff we have around here looks the other way as long as he gets his weekly cut from the moonshiner’s profits. That, along with his own bottle of booze whenever he wants it. As soon as pa found those stills, he was back to his old ways. His drinking has only gotten worse since ma died.
He told me that as soon as I finished eighth grade that I was going to start working down at the mill with him. Since school has let out, I keep expecting him to tell me that I will be going to work with him tomorrow. Today when he got home from work, he was in an extra foul mood. He said that stupid old bastard Thornhill had just brought in another load of those damn negros to work in the mill. It was probably going to be late fall before there would be a spot for me to work with him. I was secretly relieved. He said that I had better have all his meals ready when he got home and to keep the wood pile stocked until I started working. He smacked me across the face to show he meant business. He raised his hand a second time, but I grabbed him by the wrist. He just gave me a look, and for the first time, I think I saw him realize that I was soon going to be able to fight back.
As I chopped wood, kept the house clean and prepared our meals, I was trying to figure out a way to get out of this dead-end town. I knew once I started working at that mill I would be stuck here forever. I still couldn’t understand why my old man would want me to be stuck at the same job that he hated so much.
I knew I would need some money if I was ever going to be able to leave Westburg. I checked with a few of the other houses on Mulberry Road to see if they had any odd jobs that they needed to have done. I began splitting wood and doing cleanup chores for three of the families near our house. I was hiding the money in a can and kept it in the old tool shed behind our house, I wasn’t sure how much I would need to leave, but I figured anything would be better than nothing when the time came.
I had just finished splitting wood for Mrs. Harris; I was walking down the road back to my house. I decided to take a quick swim in Miller’s Pond to cool off. Approaching the pond, I heard splashing, and I hid behind a tree to see who was swimming. I saw a splash of water and the rope that was tied to a nearby tree, swinging in the breeze. A few seconds later I saw a black kid about my age walk out of the water and grab the rope and swing into the water once again. He was naked, just as the rest of us always had been anytime we swam in that pond. This was the first time that I had seen a black boy naked. I know it was no different than seeing the other boys I swam with, I mean we have the same parts and all. I just couldn’t take my eyes off of him, he had the longest pecker that I had ever seen. I was beginning to get a strange feeling in my trousers that I had never felt before. I thought I saw him look toward me, so the next time he was in the water, I snuck away and headed to the old shed behind our house to add today’s money to my can. It was getting late, and I knew pa would be coming home soon, so I ran home to get supper ready. I will write more tomorrow.
***
Just as I was going to go on to the next page, I heard Bug and Murph coming through the trees. I stashed the journal and spread the Playboys out.
They walked in and I said, “It’s about time you got here.”
Bug said, “My old man left me a list of chores to do before I could leave, I just got done.”
Murph added, “Yeah, I had to watch my kid brother until my mom got back from the store.”
I said, “Well, you’re here now, have a seat and grab a magazine.”
We picked up where we left off the day before. Soon we were all naked and jerking ourselves. I continued to check my friends out over the top of my magazine. Jesus how did Bug not pass out once all his blood went to his dick. I kept thinking, why was this turning me on? The girls in Playboy should be doing that. Murph stood to get a different magazine and bent over right in front of me to pick through the pile. Damn he had a nice-looking ass, full and round. Shit, what was I thinking? If these two knew I was looking at them this way, they would beat the hell out of me. Bug joined Murph looking for a magazine that he hadn’t seen yet, and I started to compare the two asses before me. Murph with his round bubble butt and Bug with flat cheeks that were just an extension of his back with a crack in the center. I chuckled to myself as Bug bent down, and those big nuts hung halfway down to his knees.
Murph stood up, “Damn, I think I have seen all of these already. I’ll take them back home today and bring another batch from my dad’s stash tomorrow.”
That night as I was trying to get to sleep, my mind kept going back and forth from Bug’s nuts, Murph’s ass and then to the black dick that Walter had described in the journal. Jesus, I need to get my mind off this. It’s not right to think about my friends like this. What the hell is wrong with me? That’s when it dawned on me that Walter had mentioned that he was turned on by seeing that black kid swimming in the pond. Was Walter gay? I had never heard of gay people in the 20s, but I guess there must have been. I know more people are talking about it now in the 70s. I suppose it was kept hidden much more back then. I wonder what Watler’s dad would do if he found out. I can’t even imagine what my dad would say if he found out I was having these thoughts. All of this is so confusing, I can’t even fathom what Walter was going through 50 years ago. I sighed as I wished that Steve was here for me to talk to.
We continued to meet at the shed every couple of days for the next few weeks, Murph bringing a new batch of Playboys every few days.
As we were looking at the magazines one day, Bug rolled his eyes as he said, “Well, my mom signed me up for a summer camp, I’m going to be gone for the next two weeks.”
I asked, “What kind of camp?”
He shrugged, “It’s band camp.”
Bug had joined the band in 7th grade and was actually a pretty good musician. He was also a decent singer.
Murph said, “Well, it looks like you are your own for a while Mike. My mom is sending me to my grandparents for the next two weeks too. She is going with dad on some business trip.”
I shrugged and said, “That’s ok, I’m sure I can find something to keep me busy.”
I was actually glad. I really wanted to read more of Walter’s journal, but I didn’t want to take it home and risk my dad finding it. I also wanted to read the whole thing before I told Murph and Bug about it. First of all, I didn’t know if they would even be interested in it. Secondly, I wasn’t sure how they would react to Walter being gay - if that is what he was saying in the journal.
Mike Meets Kyle
The garden was getting ready to pick, so mom was starting to can the produce. In the morning, I would harvest and wash the vegetables, and my mother would preserve them in the afternoon. I would head to the shed to read the journal after I finished my morning chores. The next few entries were mostly just about the odd jobs Water was doing in the neighborhood and about his dad. That man truly was a bastard as Walter had said. He hadn’t mentioned the black boy again.
The second day after Bug and Murph had left, the temps were well into the 90s. After I had finished my chores, I decided to go to Miller’s Pond for a quick swim. I grabbed a towel and headed down the road. On the way I saw another kid walking towards me. As we got closer, I noticed he was about my age with brown hair and was shirtless with just a pair of cutoffs and sneakers, just like I was.
I said, “Hi, I’m Mike.”
He said, “Hey, I’m Kyle.”
He explained that his family had just moved into the old Henderson place and his dad had just started working at the mill. I told him I was going to the pond for a swim and invited him to go along. He accepted, and we headed to the pond. We swam for an hour and then sat on a rock to dry off and talk. I found Kyle very easy to talk to and soon we shared all the details of our lives. He told me about his family, and I told him about mine including that my brother Steve was killed last month. I told him about Murph and Bug and all about the clubhouse we had.
I said, “Hey, do you want to go check it out?”
He nodded, “Sure, I don’t feel like swimming anymore.”
Once we got to the shed, I told Kyle about the Playboys and pulled them out of the floor. He took one and started to flip through the pages. I watched him, and he didn’t seem as interested in them as Bug and Murph were. I asked him if he would like a different magazine.
He said, “No, that’s ok. It’s just that this is kind of boring.”
I agreed, I told him about us stripping down and jerking off together without even thinking about it. He became a little more interested and I just went right into telling him about Bug’s big dick. It was just so easy to talk to Kyle that I was telling him things that Bug, Murph and I agreed to keep secret.
I said, “You have to promise that you won’t tell anyone else about this, especially Murph and Bug.”
Kyle nodded, “I understand, I won’t say anything. How long are they going be gone for?”
I replied, “They left two days ago and are supposed to be gone for two weeks.”
He said, “I’m looking forward to meeting them.”
I said, “If I can trust you not to tell anyone, I have one more secret.”
He nodded, “Sure Mike, you can trust me.”
I said, “I found this when I was hiding the Playboys.”
I pulled the journal out of its hiding place and filled him in the first pages that I had read.
He said, “Wow, have you read any more?”
I shook my head, “Not yet. I planned on reading some more after my swim today. Do you want to read it with me?”
Kyle nodded, “Sure.”
We settled in next to each other as I opened the journal to where I had left off.
***
May 24, 1922
I got home after cutting wood at Mr. Parker’s place in time to fix pa’s supper, and he was quickly halfway through his bottle by the time I had finished cleaning the dishes. I stepped out on the front porch for some cool air. I sat on the floor with my back against the wall, thinking about the boy I saw at the pond. Why was I thinking about him? I just couldn’t get that naked body out of my mind. I shouldn’t like looking at other boy’s peckers, that just ain’t natural. His whole body was just perfect though, how could I not enjoy looking at it. What was even worse, I felt like I wanted to touch him too. That smooth ebony skin glistened as he walked out of the water. The droplets of water falling from his body like falling stars. I sighed when I thought about what pa would be more upset by, having a queer son, or the fact that I was liking a negro. If he ever found out about either, I would be in for the beating of my life. Thankfully, he passed out by the time I went back into the house. I put out the cigarette that he had left burning and went to bed.
I went back to the pond the next day. Just like the week before there was splashing as I approached. I took a deep breath and walked up the path, deciding not to hide today. I saw the same boy swinging into the water as I reached the shore. His head came up out of the water and he gave me a cautious look.
I said, “Hi, I’m Walter.”
He said, “I’m Ellis… is it ok if I swim here?”
I nodded and smiled, “Oh sure, all of us in the area use the pond - It’s ok.”
Relieved, he started to walk out of the water. As he got closer to the shore, more of his body came into view. I was in awe as I watched the water run off of his brown chest, then his stomach, and finally his willie and balls. It was even more impressive than when I saw it last week.
He asked, “Do you want to come swimming with me?”
I shrugged, “Sure.”
I watched his pecker bounce back and forth as he walked to the rope and swung back into the pond. I removed my clothes, grabbed the rope and swung to join him in the water. We swam around and took turns swinging on the rope and trying to splash each other. Ellis ran to the shore and climbed back on the rope, took a big run, and flung himself off the rope landing right next to me. As he came up for air, I swear I felt his pecker rub along my leg. I looked him in the eye as he was standing right next to me, returning my gaze. He had the most beautiful deep dark brown eyes. I was surprised to feel my willie stiffen. I was standing in shallow enough water that the head of my pecker poked into view. Ellis looked down as I felt the embarrassment rise in my face. I looked down and saw that he was as hard as I was. We stood there and stared at each other for a few minutes, not sure what to say.
Ellis broke the silence, “I saw you watching me last week, why didn’t you join me then?”
I shrugged, “I didn’t know if you wanted me to swim with you. I guess I don’t have too many friends.”
He nodded, “Yeah, my family just moved here, so I ain’t got too many friends either.”
I smiled, “I’ll be your friend, if you want me to.”
He returned my smile and said, “I would like that.”
I looked at the sun and knew it was time for me to get home and get pa’s supper ready.
I said, “My pa will be home soon, I have to go get supper ready. Will you meet me here again?”
He nodded, “Yep, I’d like that.”
We dressed and headed to our homes. I smiled as I walked home, I liked Ellis and was looking forward to the next time we could be together. I’ll write more after I see Ellis again.
***
I sat back and looked at Kyle, “Damn, it didn’t seem to bother them that their dicks got hard.”
Kyle said, “Yeah, I noticed that too. Do you really think there were gays back in the 20s?”
I laughed, “I’m sure there were. Our preacher was talking about men lying with men being a sin back in biblical times, I guess there has always been gays.”
He nodded, “Yeah, I suppose you’re right.”
Kyle sat back in his chair, trying to process what we had just read.
I looked at Kyle, “What do you want to do now?”
He grinned, “I think I want to go skinny-dipping.”
I was stunned, I didn’t know what to say. I just kept my eyes locked on Kyle’s. I reached over and took Kyle’s hand and said, “Come on, let’s go.” He grinned wide as we ran out the door to the pond.
Kyle kicked off his shoes and pulled his shorts off before we reached the shore of the pond. There was no longer a rope to swing on, so he just dove into the pond. I was still pulling my clothes off as I saw Kyle’s ass disappear into the water. God, I thought Murph had a great ass, but Kyle’s was twice as nice. I ran and dove in behind Kyle, my hard cock flopping up and down the whole way. I came out of the water and turned to find Kyle. He was walking out of the water and over to a tree that had a branch hanging over the pond. I was embarrassed that I had a hardon, but when I saw Kyle was in the same state, I was a little relieved. He climbed up onto the branch and dove back into the water.
He swam next to me and said, “Sorry about the stiffy, I guess reading that story and being naked outdoors kind of got me worked up.”
I stood up revealing my own hardness and nodded, “Yeah, me too.”
We both reached down and grabbed ourselves and began to stoke. Within a couple of minutes, we were both shooting our loads into the pond.
Kyle asked, “I wonder if Walter and Ellis ever did that?”
I chuckled, “Maybe Walter will tell us in his next journal entry.”
He smiled, “Yeah, maybe so. Do you want to meet at the shed tomorrow to find out?”
I nodded, “Sure do. I have to pick peas in the morning for my mom to can, but I’ll be there right after I eat lunch.”
We pulled on our shorts and shoes and headed home; the sight of Kyle’s body running through my mind. Was he like me? Did he like boys too? He was looking at me just much I was looking at him. I guess I’ll have to see what Walter and Ellis do next to see if Kyle wants to copy them again.
To be Continued…
