autumn 1993 [or thereabouts--noblesavage will know]
he'd summoned his courage, sneaked outta the compound and travelled to weho from venice by bus. he knew it was against the teachings, but could deny the urge no longer.
it wasn't just the shabby clothes and weird hair that set him apart on the boulevard that night--it was the sweet, guileless smile that grew even wider when our eyes met that caused me to drop the twink i was talking to like a bad habit and head in his direction.
and so we met.
after that first night, he'd steal away after evening prayers whenever he could and come see me, usually bearing fruit or flowers from the altar. we'd talk into the night--he loved his life and his deities, and it showed in that smile.
it was a slow seduction. i didn't push; i knew i'd have to be careful with this one.
finally--i think it was a sunday night--
it had to have been sunday because that was their high holy day, and i remember he hung the garland he'd stolen from the statue of krishna around my neck, gave me a long kiss and used it to drag me to the bedroomi introduced him to the garden of earthly delights. and with each new discovery, his eyes and that smile grew wider, until his joy knew no bounds.
couple nights later, there was a knock at the door. i answered and there he was, arms laden with treasure, eyes dancing with delight at catching me by surprise. until he looked past me and saw the boy on the couch.
that night, i watched his smile die.
because i killed it.
2 comments:
Yeah, it was Fall, 1993.
He was just the sweetest man imaginable. And, true to his kindness, while he gave you a garland, he even brought one for your roommate, me. It was, as I remember, because I was kind to him.
The reason I was kind to him was because you had scolded me for not even looking up when you introduced me to your trick the week before. Call me mean, but why should I even bother to learn and then remember the name of someone I was never going to see again? It was during a particularly prolific time for you. And, I was just a little tired of it myself.
But, yes, this one was different. He was a truly a kind sweet 20 year old.
If you will remember, he was the designer and costumer or something. He was the one who would design the different costumes and flower arrangements for the community.
So, he brought the garland to you from the krishna statute after a particularly important holy day. When others asked he was going to give it to, he said someone very special. That was you.
You monster.
noblesavage: couple things:
(1) if your two most recent comments are any indication, sunny florida is not having the desired calming effect.
(2) for what it's worth, i count what i did to this boy among the two or three worst things i've ever done to anybody.
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