THE RED HOODY

PART 2

Chapter 1: Homecoming

Two days later...

   Timothy was sitting in his rocking chair gently rocking, gently dozing. Lucky the puppy was in his lap, a curled up and comforting presence. He had named him Lucky because he figured he was lucky to have him. And depending on how well he did well in his sessions and if Brian decided to keep liking him, he'd be lucky to keep him.

   NO! Timothy moaned and shifted uncomfortably in his sleep. No! He couldn't let that happen! Not again! Never...again.

   The puppy whined as the warm lap he was in had an earthquake. Uh! Oh! His human was having a nightmare! Fortunately, Lucky knew just what to do.

   Lucky stretched out and licked his master's hand in comfort. Immediately, Timothy's moans quieted and he settled down. The hand he had licked petted him with several hard pats that eventually found that sweet spot behind his ears and quickly turned the dog to jelly.

   "Timothy! Timothy! Come out Timothy!"

   Timothy settled back and smiled a little. Ahhhh!! This was better. He liked this dream. Timothy had won an award (he could never remember what it was for after he woke) and an audience was chanting his name. Timothy! Timothy! Timothy!

   "Timothy! Are you still in there Tim! Tim!?"

   Timothy frowned. Something was wrong. This chanting was more demanding than adoring, more worried than starstruck, and much clearer. It was almost like...

   "Timothy! Timothy, we're back! We're back, honey! Please open the door!" There was a furious knock at the door.

   Timothy's eyes flew open and he sucked in a breath. This wasn't a dream. Someone was knocking at his door. Holy shit! Someone was knocking on his door! No...body knocked on his door...well had knocked on it...and I mean like never!

   "Brian...what if he...he died in there? What if he had a heart attack? What if he was alone!!?"

   "Sentimental tw-ink! ("Nice save!" piped in a female voice) "He hasn't gone anywhere! He's strong as an ox and too stubborn to boot. Timothy! Timothy! It's Brian! Come out!" came a different, deep, rich as chocolate voice and an equally deep and masculine knock.

   Lucky had jumped off his lap and was jumping and barking at the door by this time. Arf! Arf! Arf! "Oh boy! Other people! Man people! How exciting!  How wonderful! Come on, master! Open the door!! Let's see who it is!! It could be anybody!! I'm so excited!!" Arf! Arf! Arf!!

   Lucky jumped and strained and wished he had thumbs like his master, he would have opened the door for him. Arf! Arf! Arf!!

   Timothy heaved to his feel and tottered over on stiff legs. When he finally opened the door he was dumbfounded. He eyes widened comically and his mouth dropped open. He simply could not believe this was happening.

   Brian and Justin stood on the porch. They were dressed elegantly but casually. They were happy and glowing and not tanned exactly but they had an air that Timothy had not seen in many a year and yet recognized all the same. It was the air of the freshly fucked.

   Behind them were:

   Two women and a very young boy.

   A young (but older than the boy) girl.

   Ted. (Looking rather uncomfortable)

   Arjax. (Looking very uncomfortable, twisting his hat in his hands) He was flanked by two red haired older women who looked as alike as twins. Or bookends...Timothy couldn't decide which. One carried a cake and the other held a simply enormous platter of sandwiches

   A man, obviously there under duress, holding a platter in each hand, one filled with a huge hamburger pyramid and the other with a dessert pyramid consisting among other things: Brownies, slices of cake and slices of pie.

   Two men, one dark haired, one sandy and hugely muscular who were obviously a couple.

   A tall, thin man that Timothy decided it reminded him of a piece of gum stretched long. He had a charming, gap-toothed smile.

   There was about 5 seconds where nobody said anything. Everybody else was waiting for him to say something and Tim was too flummoxed to say anything.

   Brian decided to get the ball rolling. "Hi Timothy! How are you doing?"

   Timothy opened his mouth. "You came back." Was all that came out. Timothy decided he sounded like an idiot.

   And then he was enveloped by twink as Justin full on bear hugged him. Timothy submitted and basked in the affection of the effusive blond. Just for a second. The blond wore his hair in that peculiar fashion, the one he would for the rest of his life: short on one side, long and flowing like a curtain down the other.

   "Of course we've come back! We'll always come back! Why didn't you answer the door? I thought you..I mean...I thought something had happened." Justin asked worriedly.

   "I was asleep," Timothy answered crankily, "I'm old. I do that, y'know!"

   "I heard a puppy," the little boy piped up. He was shifting from foot to foot and you could tell he had been dying to ask this question.  "Do you have a puppy mister?"

   Timothy tensed. "Yeeeeess," he answered carefully He reached behind him and held the puppy and shuffled out onto the porch. "You can...pet...him. But that's all." He held the puppy tightly, jealously and held it down for the boy to pet. The boy did and was in further raptures when it licked his hand.

   "Ohhh! It's sooo cute! And he licked my hand Daddy! He likes me! He likes me!"

   Lucky went into raptures, responding to Gus' young and enthusiastic voice. He knew that kind of voice! Oh boyohboyohboy!! A boy! Boys liked sticks and balls and running and jumping and puddles and mud! Lucky liked all those things too!! He had to be a part of it! All of it! Right now!

   He wriggled and twisted and jumped his way free of Timothy and ran down the stairs into the yard. He ran and found a twig and carried it back to the crowd of voices. He stood and hopped around in a circle with the stick in his mouth and dropped it at the little boy's feet or close to it he hoped. Then he picked it up and did it again and dropped it and said: Arf! Arf!

   Everybody laughed, even the ones who looked uncomfortable to be there. It was too cute.

   Gus picked up the stick, and looked at his father and Timothy with hope, need and desire clear in his eyes. It was clear he had won some kind of little boy lottery here. "Can I please play with the puppy Daddy! Pleeeeaaassse!!?"

   "It's Tim's dog. It always will be," Brian added softly, his meaning only understood by Tim himself. Tim felt something unclench somewhere. "You'll have to ask him."

   "Please can I play fetch with your dog?" asked Gus desperately.

   Timothy sighed. "You can play with him in the back yard. You might as well come through the house. Stay in the clearing and don't go into the trees. Promise?"

   "I promise!" said the little boy as he ran past him with the wiggly dog scampering after.

   I suppose the rest of you might as come in as well. Introduce yourselves to me one at a time and spill out into the back if you need to. I need to sit."

   And that was that. Everyone came forward saying hi and how are you and talking all at once, to him, to each other, and the whole lot of them invaded his house. In no time, the house and back yard was filled with life and talking and noise and his warm, timeless, safe, silent bubble was popped forevermore.

BJBJBJBJB

That night...

   Timothy went to bed and slept heavily that night. His guests had worn him out and he was bone weary.

   Behind his eyelids, he dreamed.

   He was old and in his rocker. And then he was young again and in a rocket. He was shooting through the cosmos and he could see....everything. The sky was so full of stars it was as if the sky was swirled white with colors and comets dancing with black patches worked in there as an afterthought. It was a common dream but a fantasy that he shared with no-one. This....this one thing...was his alone.

   As he sped through the universe, a group of stars and planets swirled out of their orbits and spun around him, orbiting him. They shifted and changed, each one becoming a face.

   There was a cratered moon that became a thin, gap toothed man named Emmett.

   Two stars spun around each other and sprouted red frizzy hair. Timothy smiled. They were Debbie and Beddy. They had fussed over him mercilessly, ignoring his cantankerous objections as if they were deaf. He secretly loved it but he couldn't let them know that. They promised to send someone over regularly with food, pasta and burgers, muffins and cookies. Timothy figured he'd be fat as the house he lived in, in no time.

   A comet passed across with the rather dour face of a man called Randy who was to be a head chef at the castle. Another passed the other way with Arjax on it. That comet smashed into a large planet they had Ted's face of it and both of them exploded.

   There was a full moon and a new moon. The full moon turned into Lindsay's face and the new moon turned around and the silvery face joined the darkness hair and became Melanie.          

   "What's the point of this? He can't possibly remember all of us." Melanie said.

   "Oh Mel! Don't be so negative! We'll help him!" said Lindsay.

   The rocket put on a burst of speed and suddenly he was past them and gone.

   A bright young star orbited a red giant and although they had no faces the red giant wore wire spectacles. Timothy remembered the young man with dark hair who was coupled with the hunky older dude. He had gazed adoringly at him and stayed close to him, just as this star orbited his giant. They introduced themselves. They were...Michael and...Ben. Nice names. Quiet men. Timothy had to admit...he liked quiet.

   "Hello, Sir! Nice to meet you! I'm Molly," said Molly. Molly's face shifted out of a star and then morphed back to normal. Then it was a little boy who was puckered in distaste.

   "I d'wanna! I wanna play with the puppy!" the little boy said. It was obvious he was scared and put on the spot and didn't like being either one of those things.

   "Come and be polite and say hello to the nice man and you can go outside again," came Lindsay's voice from wherever he had left her behind.

   "But he's scary," Gus whispered not so quietly.

   There was an awkward silence, which Timothy filled easily.

   "Hello, young man! And what's your name?"

   Gus stubbed the ground with his little foot. "Gus."

   "Well Gus, I'll tell you what. If you want, you can come and play with my puppy whenever you like as long as you bring me something good to eat. In time, maybe you won't be so scared of me. My dog's name is Lucky. Do you like Lucky?"

   "Oh yes! He likes me a lot too!" Gus thought hard, his tiny forehead scrunching adorably. "Oh...but...where'll I get the goodies?" he asked shyly.

   "Someone'll give you something to bring me. How bout it?"

   "OK!!" They shook on it and Tim's hand burned with the feeling of a small person's in his, something he hadn't felt in seventy years.

   The scene faded, brightened and there was a supernova.

   When it faded there were two new stars in his vision, both equal in beauty and so bright it was like heaven but it didn't hurt to look at it. There were no faces on these ones, only voices.

   "What do you suppose he's dreaming about?" asked Justin.

   Timothy smiled a secret smile. He'd never tell.

   "He's smiling. It has to be something good. Come along and let him sleep. Stop hovering!"

   "I - I can't help it. I can't stop thinking back to when we first met. All he did was take care of me. Give me his treasure. Now all I want is to take care of him. But he's being so stubborn. Why won't he let us in?"

   "He's very independent. And he's an old man, not a child, Justin. You have to treat him like one. Besides, there's his past to consider. His...issues. I'm sure us just showing up here today, showing him that we're not going to ditch him will make a big impact. But we'll just have to wait and see. And be patient. Now come on...he's had a big day and he's sound asleep in his own bed and...I want to get you into yours."

   There was smothered laughter, sounds of doors and keys and in Timothy's ship he was a fresh faced 20 something and the ship sped up

faster...and faster....and faster....and faster still. Every so often, a face would reveal itself; a scene would repeat and Timothy would be reminded of that person's face and name. Over and over until finally there was a star that was actually hot. There was heat on his face. The star grew bright and Tim turned his face away and he was opening his eyes and it was the heat and sunshine of next morning.

BJBJBJBJBJ

Two weeks later...

   "Brian...Justin...we've given it a lot of thought and..." Lindsay took a deep breath for courage.

   "We'd really like to thank you for this...it's been like a dream...like a holiday..." said Mel.

   "But we should get back... to reality...to home...we need to get back to Pittsburgh." They somehow stuttered out.

   "Back!? Back to what? Linds...Mel...when we brought you here, I thought it was understood. We can take care of you here. Of everyone. We brought everyone here...to live."

   "You can what!!?" screeched Mel, "Do not tell me you seriously just said you were going to...take care of us!!!"

   Lindsay closed her eyes. Here we go.

   "Brian didn't mean like that," Justin said, "You're perfectly welcome to work, Mel. But you don't have to go back to Pittsburgh. You can lawyer right here. Or take a trip...be a lawyer in Italy...or wherever. Take the cases you want. Take cases because you want to....not because you need to. Be your own boss. There's no debt...no mortgage to back to. And we'd love for you to make this your home. We want you...and Gus to be as comfortable as possible."

   Mel was starting to dream build and settle down slightly but as the mention of Gus, her eyes narrowed and the pink in her cheeks rose back up.

   "So! That's what this is really about! You don't want us taking Gus away!"

   "Well, d'uuhh!" said Brian indelicately.

   Justin smacked him on the arm. "What Brian is trying to say is...that's correct. We've never made that a secret," Justin said, "We love that little boy and Brian's gone through a lot of changes. He wants and needs his son in his life more that a bi-annual visit here or there. And I love him like a son too. I need him too."

   "Well, you can't keep us here just for the sake of Gus! We're his parents! And this place is great but it's not real! It's not real life! We need to get back to it! We need to get back to something that's ours! This castle...this is your life...your home...But it's not ours! It's not us!" Melanie yelled.

   "Who says we can't keep you here?" Brian said nastily, "I'm sure I remember a whole level of dungeons....somewhere along our tour."

   Both girls gulped visibly.

   "He's kidding!" Justin interjected overly brightly, "There aren't any dungeons! At least...I'm pretty sure....Well...good grief I hope there aren't...."

   "I wouldn't doubt it, Justin, m'boy! This place is a proper castle and so huge it makes Buckingham Palace seem like a summer cottage!" said Timothy.

   "YAAHHHHHHH!" all four adults recoiled in obvious fear induced surprise.

   "Timothy! Hey hon! I'm sorry but...but the four of us were...were having a private conversation," Justin gasped out, "You shouldn't be here."

   "Well then you shouldn't be having it in a huge living room!" retorted the oldster, "Besides, I've been standing here for about ten minutes. I've heard everything. And I think I have the solution to your problem."

   Timothy was dressed more modernly than he had before. Rich life and security agreed with him. He was dressed in loafers and casual but elegant slacks and a black sweater with yellow lightning stripes all the way around. Lucky was lying in the crook of one arm, as usual. One hand carried a walking staff with the head of a silver eagle on the top of it. He had had his beard trimmed to about two inches long. He still looked like an old man but it was a more grandfatherly image he exuded now rather than hermit or hobo. Even Gus had proclaimed him "not so scary" and had visited him a few times since and was tentatively calling him "Opa". (Grandpa)

   "I already have a solution!" snarled Melanie, "We're leaving! I'm not going to sit here and be threatened!" she got up to storm out and was unpleasantly surprised when Lindsay wasn't right behind her. "Linds..."

   "If there's a solution, I'd like to hear it," she said, "Mel...I know he's upset you but that's just Brian's way. We have to try to fix this...if only for Gus' sake. Please."

   "The way I see it," Timothy said as if it didn't matter if Mel came or went, "Is that this really isn't about reality or jobs or holidays or comfort. It's the fact that this is Brian and Justin's home no matter how big it is and you feel you are encroaching. This is about territoriality. You need your own space."

   "That's not it at all!" sputtered Mel indignantly, "I just don't think we should...I mean Gus is getting spoiled around splendour 24/7 and...not to mention I can't find my ass from my armpit in this monstrosity and...I mean....Oh my God, that IS the problem. You're right, Timothy!"

   Timothy was examining his manicure the gay way, palm out, waiting for her to finish. "Well, of course it is! Sister, I've been there! And I have the solution. You need a place that's a ways away from the castle but still close enough for visitations and to receive any monetary or grocery needs. So you'll take my house and live there."

   "Uh...Timothy....Don't you like your house? Should it have been bigger? Are you warm enough?" Justin asked worriedly.

   "Good God! Are you sure you're not the lesbian around here?" Timothy asked irritably. Brian high fived him behind Justin's back. "Not that house! My old house! The one that was hit by magic and turned sissy! You know...the one with....PASTELS!" he shuddered.

   They all laughed. "Oh Tim, I'm sure it can't be as bad as all that!" Justin said.

   "You've never been there! But you'll see, whippersnapper! You'll see!"

BJBJBJBJBJBJ

   They collected Gus and took a golf cart and it's a good thing they did. It was at past Timothy's door, past the hedge maze and onwards for another 15 minutes or so.

   "Where is this place?" asked Mel.

   "Almost there. But now you can see why it took me a week to walk to the main castle when I first came here," Timothy said.

   A few minutes later he stopped at a point along the edge of the forest where it made a natural border to the grounds and there was a path leading into the forest.

   "It's through there. I think it's about half a day's journey in. At least at my pace. Of course that time, I didn't have access to a massive, muscular, moose of a mighty man who might lend an old man a hand...or a back..." Timothy said, " Yeah...soooo....hintety hint hint..."

   Brian sighed and helped the old man onto his back piggy back style.

   "I wanna ride! I wanna ride like Opa!" piped up Gus. So he was hoisted onto Justin's back.

   "He! He! He! Now this is more like it! I'm going to have to go hiking with you a bit more often!" Timothy cackled from high atop his perch.

   "Yeahhhh!! Hike more often! Hike more often! He! He! He!!" cackled Gus, copying Timothy.

   "Yeeeaaaahhhh...." Brian drawled, "No!"

   "Spoilsport!"

   Fortunately, moving more quickly, it only took about a half an hour's hike to get to the clearing where Timothy's old/new house was. It had a rather stale, abandoned, forlorn air to it but otherwise it was in perfect shape. It was squarish at the bottom level and rose bumpily up several levels with plenty of gables and dormer windows. The outside was indeed painted the most girlishly pink you could imagine. The shutters were white. There was a porch.

   "Why...this is just lovely!" gushed Lindsay.

   "I think so too," Mel said.

   Timothy slid off Brian's back. He didn't say anything but the pinched look of disgust on his face spoke volumes.

   Gus saw and pinched his face too.

   Timothy saw, took a deeeeeeeeeep breath, passed a hand over his face, pulled on his beard in frustration and....BOOIINGG!!!...reschooled his face into a huge yet fake smile. But it was enough to fool the child and Gus smiled too.

   "Boy oh boy, you certainly are a little monkey see-monkey do, aren't-cha?" he said, taking Gus by the hand.

   "Monkey! Monkey! Monkey!" chanted Gus.

   "Ohhhhh boy......this is gonna be one loooong day," said Tim.

BJBJBJBJBJBJ

   The inside of the house was just as Timothy had described. The furniture was all overstuffed and poufs or contrary-wise spindly and delicate. The lamps were fancy and endtables on spindly legs were plentiful as were the delicately spun doilies on them. There was fancy china in the cupboard and teapots and matching delicate teacups. There was silverware in the drawers, cookery, a crock pot and a waffle iron that somehow managed to look fancy.

   The walls. Oh dear God, how do I describe the walls? They were indeed pastels. Each area was a different color scheme. The halls and stairway were all mauve, which led into the living room that was a pale blue. The bathrooms were as pink as a virgin's blush. The kitchen was yellow. Upstairs, the bedrooms were also pale blue.

   This type of thing continued throughout the whole house save for two areas. The first was one of the upstairs bedrooms which was huge and had blank, white walls wallpapered with canvas. Brian and Justin gasped. Except for the size, the bedroom was exactly like Gus' room in the family wing. It was completely furnished, had all of Gus' things in it, his toys and clothes in the closet. His toothbrush was in a holder in an attached bathroom and his picture that Brian had carried around all these years was on one nightstand. On the other was a recent photo of Brian.

   "But...but how did you know?" Linds asked, "Brian, when did you have all this brought over?"

   "I didn't! Sunshine?"

   "Not me."

   "Maybe the bright men did it," Gus said, looking to see if his bat and ball were in the closet. They were.

   "Bright men? What do you mean, Gus?" asked Brian.

   "You know...up at the castle," Gus said carelessly and wandered away, losing interest. He wanted to play with Lucky and a peanut butter sandwich.

   They kept exploring and found the second area when Brian pulled open a door and found a staircase going down. At the bottom was a huge basement/rec room with a second living room set that was more normal, a small table and chair set that fit Gus exactly, eggshell white walls and an equally off-white linoleum tiled area with a train set, a small trampoline and a toy box in the shape of and roughly the size of: a pirate's treasure chest. It was crammed with puzzles, books, stuffed animals building block toys and other toys.  To the left was a door that led to a laundry room with the top of the line machines and on the other end of the room was a door that led to a small bedroom with its own toilet.

   The adults were all in flummoxed shock and silence for several minutes while Gus ran around the room five times, dived into a pile of stuffed toys, jumped on the couch, all the while shrieking like an insane monkey. He was now quite sure that he had won some kind of little boy lottery and was the luckiest boy on Earth. And who know? Maybe he was.

   "Well, now will you stay? Retire, work, if you want, have this space to yourselves but close enough to visit. And of course, Gus has his room at the castle and can stay there anytime as well." Brian said.

   "Plus there's a path connecting our houses in the woods if the kinderling ever wants to visit me. An adult can bring him back and forth until he's old enough but as long as he stays on the path he won't get lost," said Timothy.

   Well, of course they said yes. It was like a dream come true.

   Eventually they worked out a schedule for Gus to live with both sets of parents equally. Timothy had occasional visitation that seemed more and more often, for as time went on he was more and more "Opa" to the little tyke and Gus grew to love him dearly. And although Timothy remained gruff and crotchety in demeanor, it was clear he loved little Gus back and could deny him nothing.

   And...for a while...this is where our story ends. The castle flourished, the resort, hospital and hospice all prospered.

   They all lived happily ever after.

   Of course, sometimes the end of one story is simply the beginning of another. Sometimes in a journey you can cross a mountain, come to a happy valley where things seem green and peaceful. It's a good place to rest before tackling the second mountain in your way. A mountain that could contain snowy peaks with avalanches, craggy cliffs, dark and scary caves and insurmountable odds.

   And so for now, I leave you in the green and happy valley.

TBC