Seth’s Perspective
BroMax Farm was loud with Easter Eggstravaganza excitement. All the grandma’s (including Mom Nicholls), and Great Grandma Harrington were fawning over the world’s two cutest twin girls all dressed up with Easter frills… nobody else could get near our village’s newest princesses. The other kids were all hyperactive with excitement! They were playing while (im)patiently waiting for the Eli Bunny to get there and start the egg hunt. Freddy and Teddy were strategizing about where to concentrate their egg hunting efforts for the biggest return, Teddy was on his home turf and knew all the best hiding places. A group had gathered in the living room to watch the vacation video Zach had pulled together, and I was out on the porch catching up with the Villagers after a week away.
Caleb, River, and Che all drove over together in Che’s car (Daddy James had fixed the window that Shadow Wolf’s thugs had broken). Caleb had moved into Harrington House while I was away, and seemed to be settling in nicely. It was good to see Che move from Caleb’s bully to his buddy, and I was relieved that no one had heard from Shadow Wolf since his run in with BA. While we were all talking on the porch, Zach’s old GTI Whirred up the drive and out stepped Colton, Craig, and Ella. Ella came running up to the porch and excitedly asked Cay, “did you tell him yet?”
“No, I told you I’d wait for you” he responded. Then the two of them turned to me and said in sync, “We got accepted into NC State!”
“In Raleigh?” I responded excitedly.
“Yeah, and I got a scholarship too!” Cay said.
“Me too” Ella Added. “It won’t cover everything, but I’m applying for some other scholarships and financial aid.”
“Me too, Rodney’s helping us.”
“That’s so awesome you guys!” I was so proud of the two high schoolers. They both had shit parents but weren’t going to let that stop them from getting an education and succeeding in life. “So have you figured out your majors yet?”
“No, I have no clue what I want to do, something with business or marketing, maybe public relations” Ella said.
“I’m gonna major in psychology” Cay said, then he gave me this shy, half smile, “I wanna be like you.”
“You are such a kiss ass” Che said making the others laugh.
Cay turned beet red and said, “I mean it. I want to help people like you do.”
At first, I thought he was just giving me shit, but he was serious. I had inspired him. I chuckled a little, but if I didn’t know the other guys would give him shit about it forever, I would’ve wrapped my arms around him and hugged him. While we were talking, Rodney had joined us on the porch. He’d been working with our two soon-to-be college students on scholarships and financing, He had also been working with Che and River getting them ready for the GED exam. It was clear that life at Harrington House went on while I was away.
“So, what about you guys?” I asked Che and River.
“I dunno what I want to do yet, I just wanna get my GED, then I’ll figure it out” River Said.
“I… um, I’m lookin’ into some stuff” Che said. I looked at him waiting for more, but all I got was, “I’ll tell ya’ ‘bout it in our session tomorrow.” Okay, I was intrigued. We were still talking about school, goals, all that stuff when a new Kia SUV pulled into the drive and as close to the porch as it could get. I didn’t recognize the vehicle and the windows were tinted so dark that I could see inside.
A very pregnant Riley got out of the driver’s side, and without a word opened the passenger door to let the Eli-Bunny out. Teddy and Freddy saw him from the window, screamed to the other kids and they all ran out and attacked him. The grandma’s, grandpas, and all the other guys followed behind. Eli hammed it up while Brody handed out empty Easter baskets to the kids (of all ages) and told them the rules of the Egg hunt. Then the Eli Bunny signaled everyone to go, and hopped his way into the backyard holding hands with Izzy and Maggie as he did. Teddy and Freddy were walking backwards in front of him asking for hints on where the eggs were hidden. Ali was toddling behind holding Zach’s hand, walking next to Dylan who was carrying an excited DJ. The villagers, parents, and grandparents all got into it.
I stayed back with Riley and Gina, “When did you guys get this?” I asked Riley as I looked over her new Kia Telluride.
“Yesterday. I couldn’t fit in the damn Mercedes anymore and we needed something that fits a baaaaaaby seat” she said in a mocking tone as she rolled her eyes. “Taylor got us a good deal on this.”
“It’s cute” Gina said.
“No it’s not. It’s fucking hideous, but it’s practical, and the car payment is a hell of a lot cheaper. I miss my baby Mercedes. That was my first brand new car” she said with a pout as she tried to accept her new lot in life as a future soccer mom. Then she looked at her belly, rubbed it and said, “never forget that your momma loves you so much that she gave up her little red Mercedes convertible for you.”
I shook my head, “Riley in a mom car, whoda’ thunk it?”
“Shut up” she said with a grin as she playfully punched me, then put her arms around my waist and her head on my shoulder.
“Let’s go join the kids.” I said putting my arm around her in response. Gina put her arm around me and I walked into the backyard and into the chaos sandwiched between two of my favorite moms.
The air was filled with the excited screams, giggles, and just sheer joy of the kids, villagers, parents, and grandparents as they hunted for eggs. By the time I got there Izzy had recruited “Cheese” to help her “Heo Cheese, dis one pink” Izzy said to her hunting buddy as she put another egg in the basket, he held for her. I loved how our little princess had totally put the tough thug into submission. Meanwhile River had partnered with Maggie, and Caleb and Ella were helping the DJ and Ali… everyone was so into it. The hunt went on for a while and ended with every kid (and villager) having a basket full of plastic eggs filled with candy and… well… junk. And they were all in heaven.
At the end of the hunt Freddy came up to me and Zach and said, “Dads, that’s not the Easter Bunny, it’s Uncle Eli.” Dammit, he was getting too old to believe. Already? Shit! We got him later in life and were hoping he would believe in The Easter Bunny, Santa, and all that magical stuff for a few more years. But apparently, he was figuring it out already. Then he said, “The real Easter Bunny would be WAAAAAY too tired to come here, He’s not like Santa, he’s just a rabbit!” Zach and I both laughed. Freddy still believed, but it was clear he was questioning things… hell, we were going to stretch this out as long as we could… I wanted him to hold onto that childlike wonder forever.
After the hunt, we all ate, talked, and just had a great time being together. It was so great having all the grandparents around that year, especially Mom and Pop Nicholls, what a fantastic surprise to come home to.
About noon, the little ones were all starting to nod off. Gina and Dylan headed home, we loaded up the Atlas, and Zach’s parents and the Nicholls’ followed us home… Freddy was having too much fun so he stayed to play with Teddy. When we got home, The moms help me put the kids down for their nap, then the three of us went out to the garden to plant. Maverick had come by and tilled everything for me while we were gone. Meanwhile, Zach, Nathan, and Pop Nicholls went into the dining room and spread Karen’s case out on the table. Nathan walked the other two lawyers through what he found and his strategy for presenting it in court. That’s how we spent the rest of our Sunday… it was good to be home.
Che’s POV
“Heo Cheese, dis one pink” Izzy said as she handed me another plastic egg. Izzy was this not even three year old girl, and yeah, I was huntin’ plastic easter eggs with her while I hung out with a bunch of gay white people with kids. Damn, What the fuck? I thought to myself.
I was datin’ River, his dad was a big fuckin’ deal in our town, and he hated me… gay, black, and his son loved me. What’s not to hate? I turned 18 a coupla’ months before River and that’s when the shit hit the fan. His dad told me if I kept hangin’ out with his son that he’d have my ass thrown in jail for statutory rape… but on top a’ all dat shit, he decided to scare the shit outta me and make my life a living hell. He controlled that town, he had the cops pullin’ me over, the teachers flunkin’ me, and the principal givin’ my ass detention just for bein’ alive. My Dad? He was a drunk who didn’t give a fuck. My mom died when I was younger, so now I was just the town’s broke, black faggot that nobody gave a shit about… well nobody but River.
When Riv turned 18, we got in my car and got the hell outta there. My grandma had left me her Toyota when she died, and I had saved some cash from odd jobs n’ shit. I met River at the end of his road and we took off. We drove to North Carolina ‘cuz we thought we had jobs lined up on a fishin’ boat, but it didn’t work out. I answered a post online, but the guy was fulla shit. He promised us fulltime work and a place to stay, but he only gave us a couple of days work at a time, and just let us sleep on the boat when we were at sea. It didn’t pay shit and we had nowhere to stay when were weren’t workin’, we ran out of money, and we used our last coupla’ bucks to rent a storage unit. We were livin’ in it until the manager figured it out and called the cops; they hauled us in… I was pissed! I fought ‘em, called em all pigs and some other stuff. I pissed ‘em all off. I gotta say in my defense… thanks to River’s dad, Shadow Wolf (what a dumbass name), every cop I met was out to get me. Seriously. But the cops we met in North Carolina were decent. The storage place didn’t press charges so they didn’t have no reason to hold us. The officer was kinda nice (even though I was a total dick to him) and wanted to make sure we had a place to stay before he let us go. We had stayed at a homeless shelter one night when we first got to North Carolina, and it was fucking nasty! Some guy picked a fight with us when he realized we were gay, and another guy tried to get into bed with River… I almost kicked his ass! We left in the middle of the night and we weren’t gonna go back.
The cops brought in these two guys from some local charity that helps homeless fags find a place to stay, jobs, stuff like that. They seemed legit, but I didn’t trust them for shit (but it’s not like I trusted anybody). They spent over an hour with us, River finally convinced me to go with them. Honestly, I did it just to shut them all the fuck up so we could get out of trouble with the cops, I didn’t plan on stayin’ with them long. Well, these guys got us some gas so we could get my car started, they talked the manager of the storage place into giving us our shit back, and then they took us back to their office. We agreed to let them help us, but shit, I figured we’d take off the next day. They promised to help us find jobs, and they set us up in an apartment on the second floor of the building, it was the nicest place we stayed since we took off. They even gave us a pre-paid Visa card that had a hundred bucks on it so we could get somethin’ to eat. The next day they found us jobs, and they told us we could stay in the apartment for three months. Seth helped us figure out a budget to save for our own place. And Rodney was helpin’ us figure out how to finish school or at least get our GED’s so we could get better jobs… they were legit.
I remember finding shampoo and soap in the shower of the apartment that first night. I know it don’t sound like no big deal, but we were livin’ in that shithole storage unit with no toilet or shower or nothin’… damn we were both rank as fuck. The first thing we did when we were alone is took a shower together. It felt so good, I soaped up Riv’s back with body gel, his body was so small compared to my solid build, and his skin was this light brown color with a reddish tint, damn he was hot. I got behind him, hooked my arms under his pits, and pulled him against me. He felt so damn good, and we aint had sex in a while cuz’… well, cuz’ we both smelled like shit! I was so horned up, I pushed my big, black, uncut cock against his crack. I looked down and watched my dark slab of meat sitting between his reddish buns like a huge sausage in a toasted bun. Yeah, I gotta huge dick (I know you was wonderin’). It’s long and fat and River knows what to do with it.
I kissed his neck while I was soapin’ up his hole with my finger, my fingers are long and thick… just like other parts a’ me. I moved in, out, and all around. Damn it felt so good and my cock got hard just thinkin’ bout my dick in there. I pulled my long fingers outta him, reached around and stroked him while my cockhead pushed against his tight hole. He grunted and pushed out as I pushed my way inside. Holy fuck! His tight hold grabbed onto my dick like a vise grip as I stretched his hole and filled him completely. I swear if I was just a ltitle longer or wider I woulda’ ripped him in two, but I know he loved it. “Damn, you tight” I whispered in his ear as I slowly sawed in and out of him. I know it hurt at first, but he grit his teeth and took it, he told me that it always felt better after I pumped in and out a few times. My big slab of dark flesh made him moan and gyrate, he moved his ass around, pushed it back and begged me for more… every fucking time. River always said that my cock hit his prostate over and gave him anal orgasms. That night he shot his load against the wall. Man, he shot like a quart of boy juice, I swear! When he did, his hole clamped down even tighter on my big black snake and that hot little fuck moaned with pleasure. “I’m gonna shoot right up your tight, red/brown ass” I growled into his ear as my low hangers slapped against him. I filled that fuckin’ hole with ropes of my juice… man I shot and shot; it had been a long fuckin’ time since I was in there. His knees buckled and I did my damnedest to hold him up while I kept fuckin’ him against the shower wall.
After I came, I pulled him tight against me again and we just stood there under the warm water with my big dick inside him goin’ limp. I pulled my black beast out of him, spun him around and kissed him, shovin’ my thick tongue down his throat.
After that, Riv finished cleaning our clothes and we unpacked, then we went to get somethin’ to eat and bought some groceries. When we got back to the apartment, we sat at the little kitchen table and talked about everything that had happened to us that day. We had already used over half of the money on the Visa card. “We better hang on to the rest of it, who knows when we’ll get jobs.” River said. He was always thinkin’ bout the next meal; I was just tryin’ to survive.
“Never” I said back, I didn’t believe these guys were on our side. “They aint gonna get us jobs, they’re full of shit like everybody else. You just better hope they don’t call your dad.” I said. I was sure these guys were out to get somethin’ from us, I just hadn’t figured out what. River argued with me about it, told me I had to trust somebody sooner or later. “We could leave tonight” I said, “I saw a stack of those Visa cards in Seth’s desk, it wouldn’t take shit to break into that office, grab the cards, and hit the road. We’d be long gone before they even knew.”
River put his foot down, he aint never did that with me before. “No. These guys were nice to us… They’re the only fucking people who have ever been nice to us. We’re stayin’ and at 8:30 tomorrow morning we’re going downstairs to that office and gonna try and get jobs” he said, then added, “Got it?!”
That made me smile, River was finally standin’ up for himself. “Wow. You a bad ass” I said with a laugh as I gave in. “Fine, we’ll stay tonight, meet with them in the morning, and see what they have to say. But I aint promisin’ to stay” I told him.
Later that night we got into the bed naked, slid between the clean sheets, and I spooned River to sleep. It was the best sleep we had had in a long time. The next morning, we met with Seth and Rodney and they found us both jobs at the candle factory across the street. We started immediately. Those guys were legit and came through on every promise, so we stayed.
We caused a lot of trouble at first. Neighbors were bitchin’ because me and River were up all night arguin’, then this old lady parked right fuckin’ next to my car… like two inches away from it. We got into an argument, they called her BA (I don’t know what it was short for) and it turns out she worked down in the office. She basically told me I parked like shit and to go fuck myself (without sayin’ it). A couple of days later, River’s dad sent his thugs lookin’ for us, they smashed one of my car windows in. It turned into this whole thing where they got arrested and we were all worried that they’d come after us again. So, BA, the lady I called an old bitch, and her husband took us in. Yeah, they let us stay with them. Then Seth and his husband Zach, (So, I aint into white, blond jocks… but DAMN!) had us over for dinner and let us play with their kids (yeah, gay guys with kids… and they trusted us around ‘em. What the actual fuck?). Things were so different there.
Well, The Shadow Wolf came to bail his thugs out, then came lookin’ for us. Get this, before that asshole could get to us, BA had his fat ass up against the wall with her baseball bat to his throat. Sorry, for laughin’ but it was fuckin’ hilarious watching her take him down. That’s when I decided BA stood for Bad Ass. That old bitch was a’ight.
Well, the cops came (my third run in with them in like a week) and they took our side against The Shadow Wolf. The cops took our fucking side! Holy shit, that never happened before. Shadow Wolf owned all the cops back home; they were out to get us. But these cops, especially Officer Booth were out to help us. It took a little convincing to get me to believe it. But… my ass wasn’t in jail and Shadow Wolf was gone. Seth said I wasn’t gonna get more proof than that. He was right.
At the same time, we were startin’ new jobs and I decided to stake my claim as the guy in charge and bullied this guy Caleb… he was an easy mark. Well, I got called out on it, apologized, and we ended up bein’ friends, he lives in the apartment next to ours now.
So, all this shit just to say… my life had changed a lot and we finally got the hell outta Iowa and away from The Shadow Wolf, at least for now, and I was lookin’ at the world differently. So, that brings me back to huntin’ for plastic eggs with a little girl with glitter/rainbow painted nails, wearin’ a princess dress.
This place that was helpin’ us… The Village. It was more than just some charity. They became like family… and I aint had no family that gave a shit since my mom died. Hell, I took off like two months ago, I got the same phone number, and I haven’t heard nothin’ from my dad. He’s prolly been drunk the whole damn time and didn’t even notice I left. But all these people, these people I barely knew… these people treated me like family. And shit! All these gay guys with kids! I aint ever hearda’ nothin’ like that back home. There I was on an Easter Egg hunt with a bunch of kids who weren’t afraid of me, they all called me “Cheese” (I swear, if it were anybody else, I’d kick their asses… but I kinda liked it) and treated me like I was… well family. Nobody back home would let me near their kids, I was just a thug lookin’ for trouble. Hell, I think the last time I was even around little kids was when I was one. But all these kids, and all these people made me feel important. Loved even. I wasn’t used to that. We left BroMax Farm that night, with baggies and containers full of food, and a shitload of candy. But more than that, we left feelin’ like we finally belonged somewhere.
Since our run in with the cops (all three times), I’d been lookin’ at things differently. I decided to talk to Seth about what I was thinkin’. We met Monday on my lunch break. I met with Seth a couple of times a week to talk through shit, check-in on my goals, and talk about the future. I hate to admit it but he helped me a lot. He made me think about what I wanted from life and was actually helpin’ me figure out how to get it. Like I keep sayin’, he gave a shit.
“Rodney says the GED studying is going good” Seth Said.
“Yeah, he’s really helpin’ us. I think we’re gonna ace this shit” I said gettin’ a grin from Seth. Then I changed the subject “So, I been thinkin’ about what I wanna do when I get my GED.”
“Good. What are you thinking?”
“I’m thinkin’ well, I think I wanna be a cop” I said. Seth gave me this look of like surprise, but he had a smile, like he believed I could do it.
“I think that’s awesome, but I’m kinda surprised, I mean, last I heard… and I quote. “all dem fuckin’ pigs are assholes” he said mockin’ me.
I laughed, cuz’ yeah, dat sounded like me. “Yeah, but Officer Booth and all these other cops, they aint like the guys back home. They actually seem to give a shit. They wanna help people like us. I think I’d be good at dat I mean, shit who knows more about what they’re dealin’ with then me?”
Seth nodded, still grinnin’, “Well, do you have any idea how to go about it?”
“Not really, I been doin’ some online research about the application process, and all the requirements n’ shit. I was thinkin’ a callin’ Officer Booth and talkin’ to him about it. He gave me his card.
“That’s a great idea. Maybe you can do a ride along too.”
“What’s dat?”
“You know, a ride along. Like you ride with him during his shift and see what he really does all night” Seth said.
“DAMN! They do dat?! They’d let me ride in a cop car? In the front?”
Seth chuckled at me. “Yeah, I did it when we lived in St Louis. I learned a lot. You should talk to Officer Booth about what you’re thinking and ask if you can do a ride along.”
“Hell, yeah I should” I said like a little kid at Christmas, I mean, shit I was really excited about this. Seth was laughin’ at my excitement. I think he was happy that I was tryin’ to get my shit together.
Me? A cop? Shit. Maybe me N’ Riv could even adopt kids. That was the moment it all hit me. We did it. We got the hell out of Iowa and were startin’ our life together. Riv was right, we should stay here a while.
To be continued…
