DJ Pt. 35

"Perfect!" Brandon exclaimed, smiling, "so where is Uncle Carl?"

"He's working until 12:30, and won't be home until after 1:00 AM," Karen said, "you guys likely will not meet him until tomorrow morning. The same goes for Phil, but he'll be home about 11:30, and he may be home before you go to bed. Bryan works at Applebee's and is due home about 8:30 or 9:00."

The 'family' finished eating about 7:00 PM, Jamie walked over to the kitchen sink and started to draw hot water for the dishes, and DJ gathered all the dirty plates and silverware from the table, and took them to Jamie. Karen, still chatting with Damion and Brandon, put away the leftovers. By 7:30 Jamie had finished the dishes, and DJ pulled them from the rinse water and placed them in the drainer. When Jamie had finished the dishes, he took the dishrag and wiped the table.

"Mom," Jamie said, "I know it's not even 8:00 yet, but DJ and I have had a long, hard day, and we're going on to bed. Damion, Brandon, we'll see you in the morning."

DJ and Jamie gave both Damion and Brandon a loving hug, and kissed Karen on the cheek then headed to their bedroom. Bryan came home a little after 8:30 and Karen introduced him to Damion and Brandon. Bryan, Damion and Brandon chatted for about 45 minutes, and the California boys also were exhausted, and headed to their bedroom. They took a few minutes to hang their dress clothes in the closet, stripped to their underwear, and crawled into bed, leaving a two-foot space between them, and soon fell asleep.

Not too much later, Bryan and Karen also went to bed in their separate rooms, Bryan awaiting Phil's return and Karen waiting for Carl.

* * * * * *

At 7:00 AM Friday morning, Karen and Carl's alarm sounded, waking both of them. Karen slipped out of bed, made a trip to the bathroom and put on her housecoat.

"Sweetheart," Carl said, "I'm going to grab a shower while the coffee is brewing, then the hot water will have a chance to recover before all these young men decide to shower." Karen acknowledged and headed to the kitchen.

Karen started a full pot of coffee. She wasn't used to feeding eight people breakfast, but had made plans to prepare a large bowl of pancake batter, and was cooking up two pounds of breakfast sausage links in the oven. Carl finished his shower, donned a clean pair of briefs, and came into the kitchen, ready for a cup of coffee.

"Carl," Karen spoke, "I'm making pancakes and sausages for breakfast, and I'm trying to figure out how to keep everything hot until we're all ready to eat."

"Hun," Carl replied, "there is no way all six of the boys can shower at the same time, they're going to have to stagger their showers, and they can stagger their breakfasts too. Some of them can eat, while the other ones shower, and vice verse. We need to all be ready to leave here by 9:45 to be at the funeral home by 10:00, and we have all six of the pallbearers here. I'm just wondering who we should wake up first."

"Probably Damion and Brandon," Karen said, "that will give you a chance to meet them, without the commotion of the other four boys."

Carl slowly opened the door to Damion and Brandon's room and stepped in. He could see in the dim light that they were sleeping on the outside edges of the bed, with room enough for him in between them. He was much more used to seeing DJ and Jamie, cuddled together in the center of the bed.

Carl, approaching the boy closest to the door, "Wakey, wakey, time to rise and shine! Coffee is served." Both boys were awake.

Brandon, slipping out of bed and trying to hide the morning wood that was tenting his boxers, "I gotta pee."

"The bathroom is down the hall, last door to the right," Carl said. Brandon left the room and headed toward the bathroom.

Damion, still lying in bed, "Are you Uncle Carl?"

"I don't know about that," Carl said, "I'm Carl Seldon, Jamie's Dad."

"Aunt Karen said that, since we're DJ's cousins, we would likely be your nephews."

"That's under the circumstance that DJ and Jamie eventually marry. As strong as the love between them is, I think that will happen down the road, and that would make DJ our son-in-law." Brandon returned.

"Do you guys drink coffee?"

"Yeah," Damion said, "we both do."

"Well, come on out to the kitchen, and we can get to know each other a little, over some coffee."

"We're naked, we need to get dressed," Damion stated.

"You're not naked," Carl said, "underwear is fine, to sit at our table."

Carl, Damion and Brandon headed toward the kitchen, Damion making a pit stop at the bathroom. Carl assumed his regular seat at the far end of the table, and the two boys sat together on one side. Karen placed two more coffee mugs on the table and poured coffee in them for Damion and Brandon, and refilled Carl's mug.

"This is kinda wild," Damion said, grinning, "Mom and Dad would have had a fit if either of us came into any common area of the house just wearing our boxers. They said we were indecent."

"Do you guys swim?" Carl asked.

"Yeah, why?" Brandon replied.

"Don't swimming trunks cover the same part of your anatomy that underwear covers?" Carl said, "What's the difference?"

Brandon, grinning, "Not much, I guess, actually, I think it's kinda cool."

Over the next half an hour Carl and the two boys chatted, mostly small talk. Damion explained his job and talked about his girl friend, Silvia, and Brandon talked about his school and what he was planning to do as a career. The more they talked, the more Carl liked them. Karen asked if they were ready for some breakfast, they were, and Karen started to fry some pancakes.

Damion and Brandon were really enjoying Karen's pancakes, smothered in real butter and real maple syrup, along with the link sausages.

"Aunt Karen," Damion said, "Mom never made pancakes, and these are so much better than IHOP or Denny's, these are a real treat!"

"Why, thank you," Karen replied, smiling, "I'm glad you liked them."

"If staying here with you is any example of Southern Hospitality," Brandon said, "I'm not so sure I want to go back to Frisco."

"Folks here are a lot different from people back home," Damion said, "and I don't mean that in a bad way. I think I'm beginning to see why Grandma decided to stay here, after DJ's Dad's wedding."

"Damion," Karen said, "Granny and DJ quickly formed a very close relationship, and I think the biggest reason she didn't go back was because of that. She was DJ's only grandparent, and when she passed, DJ was devastated! He took it so hard that the doctor put him on tranquilizers, and he's just starting to be himself again."

Karen and Carl took some time to tell Damion and Brandon about DJ's past, how I found him, and loved him, and eventually adopted him. They told the boys how far DJ had evolved, from a poor boy in the projects to become the incredible and awesome young man he is today.

"Guys," Carl commented, "Karen and I knew that Jamie was gay, he came out to us when he was about 14. When he started dating DJ, I questioned him as to why he was dating a black guy and he said that love is colorblind. It truly is. Karen and I have grown to love DJ as much as we do our own son. Even if Jamie and DJ should ever part ways, we will still regard DJ as our second son."

"Thanks, Uncle Carl," Damion said, "for sharing that with us, we didn't know, until DJ and Jamie picked us up at the airport, that our first cousin was black, and it was a bit of a shock, at first."

"We think that DJ and Jamie are both pretty cool dudes," Brandon added, "and we're looking forward to spending lots of time with them this weekend, making memories that will last a lifetime." Karen and Carl glanced at each other and smiled.

DJ and Jamie came out of their room and headed to the bathroom, sharing the toilet for a morning pee. They then headed to the kitchen, and both DJ and Jamie gave the cousins a warm good morning hug and then sat together on the opposite side of the table. Karen poured DJ a mug of coffee, and Jamie a glass of orange juice.

"Guys," Brandon said, "I think, while no one is using the bathroom, Dami and I will grab showers, and shave." They rose from the table and headed to their bedroom.

"Maybe," Damion said, "we should be considerate, if we shower together, it would conserve the water and considerable time. There are still four more guys needing to shower."

"I guess we could," Brandon agreed, "just this one time."

They grabbed their toiletries and a clean pair of boxers, and headed to the bathroom. Damion turned on the water and adjusted the temperature. Both boys dropped their boxers and stepped into the tub, dodging around each other between soaping and rinsing.

"Brandon," Damion asked, "I know I haven't seen you naked for 3 or 4 years, when did your prick become bigger than mine?"

"I didn't know it was," Brandon replied.

"I'm 2 years older, and 3" taller than you, but your cock is bigger than mine, somethin' ain't right!" Damion remarked, "When I had about five inches you only had about three."

This conversation caused both brothers to take a closer look at their own and the other's cocks. Neither of them was erect.

"Yeah," Brandon agreed, "I guess I've got an inch or so on you. I know I've got almost 8 inches hard, I've measured it, you're able to satisfy Sylvia aren't you?"

"I guess," Damion replied, "she's never complained."

"You know what they say," Brandon said, "it's not the size of the boat, it's the motion of the ocean, if you're able to satisfy your woman, I don't think you have anything to worry about."

"I'm probably just over reacting," Damion said, grinning, "and maybe just a bit jealous."

The Whitlock brothers turned off the water and stepped out onto the big bathmat to dry off. They were both standing naked in front of the twin sinks, drawing hot water to shave when the door suddenly opened, and Phil and Bryan stepped in. (There is no lock on the door)

"Don't you believe in knocking?" Damion asked.

"Not as a rule," Bryan replied, "sorry Damion, it's just us guys that use this bathroom, and we all just kinda come in and leave as needed. We've all seen each other naked a few times, and we think nothing of it. Damion, Brandon, this is my boyfriend of almost three years, Phil Raish, Phil, these are DJ's cousins, Damion and Brandon Whitlock."

Damion and Brandon ignored their nudity for a moment and turned to face Phil, and the three boys shared handshakes.

"Are you guys done with the shower?" Bryan asked.

"Yep," Brandon answered, "it's all yours, and we'll be out of here in a few."

Bryan laid his and Phil's clean boxers on the toilet tank next to Damion's and Brandon's. Phil and Bryan both dropped their boxers on the floor, and Phil adjusted the water. Phil and Bryan then entered the tub and showered, soaping and scrubbing each other as usual. Brandon observed the size of Phil's flaccid cock in the mirror.

The brothers returned to their bedroom to start dressing.

"Damion," Brandon asked, "did you happen to notice the size of Phil's—tool?"

"Damion replied, grinning, "It would be kinda hard, not to notice THAT elephant in the room. I'll admit that I'd like to have a little more than what I have, but I wouldn't want it to be that big!"

Jamie led DJ to the bathroom to shower, not realizing that Bryan and Phil were still showering. They dropped their boxer-briefs and Jamie told Phil not to turn the water off, as he and DJ were right behind them. When Phil and Bryan stepped out, DJ and Jamie stepped in. By 9:00 AM all the pallbearers were showered and shaved, and ready to dress.

DJ didn't own an actual suit. Luckily, he and Jamie are so close in size that Jamie had DJ try on one of his and it fit fine. DJ also didn't have any dress shoes, but Carl had a pair that were too small for him. They were a bit too large for DJ, but he put them on anyway. Jamie only had one pair, and he needed them today. Jamie is highly concerned, as to how DJ is going to handle the funeral.

Carl, about 9:30 AM, "Come on boys, y'all can put on your makeup later, we need to get out of here!" It did draw some laughs. Damion and Brandon were to ride with Jamie and DJ. Phil and Bryan were going in Bryan's car, as they needed to be back home by 2:15 to change for work. Carl and Karen were going by themselves.

Joe and I arrived at the funeral home parking lot about 9:45 and the only other vehicles there were the hearse and Lynches limousine. Joe had not yet seen his nephews since they arrived, and I had never met them. I did think to bring my camera, despite the sadness of the occasion. I would definitely want to get a photo or two of the pallbearers, especially since our loving son was one of them, and of course DJ's cousins.

About five minutes after we arrived, Carl and Karen pulled in and parked next to Joe's Taurus, followed by Jamie and DJ, and Bryan and Phil. As Joe and I exited the Taurus, Damion and Brandon tumbled out of the back seat of Jamie's car and hurried toward us and threw their arms around Joe, nearly knocking him off balance. They then turned their attention toward me.

"You must be Uncle Doug?" the taller one asked.

"I guess so," I replied, "and you are?"

"I'm Damion," he said, hugging me tightly.

"And I'm Brandon," the other one said, also giving me a warm hug.

"Guys," Joe said, smiling, "I was going to introduce you to my husband, Doug Kendall, but you kinda took the wind out of my sails!"

"Uncle Doug," Brandon said, "we are very happy to finally meet you. We are very aware of Mom and Dad's feelings toward you, and your marriage to Uncle Joe, and I'm pleased to inform you that Dami and I don't share those opinions."

"We believe that love is love," Damion added, "and if two people really love each other, there's no damn reason they shouldn't marry, and be happy together, regardless of sex!"

"Brandon, Damion," I said, with tears in my eyes," I've known you for what, five minutes, and you wouldn't believe the love I have in my heart already, for both of you." Both boys smiled and I wrapped both of them in my arms, holding them tightly. They both gave me a kiss on the cheek.

One of the staff opened the front door of the chapel, signaling that it was open. We all walked to the door and entered. He asked if we were friends or family of Agatha Reynolds, and then pointed to the room where she was at rest. We were all literally shocked at the display of flowers and arrangements surrounding her casket.

Karen, Carl, Joe and I all agreed that the staff had done a wonderful job in preserving her, she looked almost the same as she did on the day we were married. We almost expected she would wake up at any second. The attendant told us that, after the graveside service, they would gather the tags from all the arrangements for us so that we could send thank you notes to the people that had sent flowers, if we wished.

Joe and I spent about 10 minutes viewing the flowers, and making a mental note as to who had sent them. There was a beautiful casket piece, sent by the staff and coworkers of Southside Drug. A huge arrangement sent by the fellow officers of the county Police Department and a lovely, rather large basket sent from the staff of the Golden Age Senior Community. Smaller arrangements were on display from Stephen and Valerie Jones, Antonio and Maria Chevas, Annie & Matt Gill & Marie Walsh, Justin & Sherry Masterson, and Jamal Robinson & Rusty McKeever.

I slipped out to the car and got my camera, thinking that earlier was probably the best time to get some photos, rather than wait until after the service. Back inside, I gathered the six pallbearers together and asked them to stand in front of the casket and flowers. I captured a nice photo of all of them, and then asked just the cousins to group. I got a great photo of DJ in the center with his arms around the shoulders of Damion and Brandon. Getting DJ to smile was like pulling teeth from a hen.

About 10:30 Matt, his Mom and girlfriend walked in. I could not help but marvel at how stunningly handsome Matt looked. Had I not known that Matt was Trans, I would never have suspected that he was anything other than just a handsome young man. He, holding Marie's hand walked toward Joe and me.

"Marie," Matt said, in his fairly recently acquired, masculine voice, "I'd like you to meet DJ's Dad, Doug Kendall, and his step-dad, Joe Reynolds, Dad's, my girlfriend, Marie Walsh." Joe and I both shook her hand, and told her we were happy to meet her.

"Are you staying for the service?" I asked.

"Of course," Matt replied, with a couple of tears escaping his eyes, "there's no way I wouldn't be here to support my best friend in his hour of sorrow." Marie pulled a tissue from her purse and blotted his eyes, as they walked over to the casket.

"I only met her once," Matt told Marie, "at Doug and Joe's wedding, and she was a very loving mother, and grandmother to DJ." They then walked over to DJ, and Matt took DJ into his arms, holding and hugging him affectionately.

Marie, kissing DJ on his cheek, "DJ, we're very sorry for your loss, and we share your pain."

"I greatly appreciate your support," DJ said, "thank you for coming."

DJ was fighting a battle within himself. One side wanted to break down and cry, the other side was telling him to be strong. Rusty and Jamal entered the room, slowly passing the casket and paying respects. They approached Joe and me, and Jamal asked if we were DJ's Dad's. We confirmed that we were.

"I'm Jamal Robinson, and this is my boyfriend, Rusty McKeever," Jamal stated. "DJ and Jamie are two of our closest and best friends, and we needed to come and support them. How is DJ handling the loss?"

"Not too well," Joe stated, "DJ and Mom had a very special relationship, and DJ is taking her passing pretty hard. Thank you for coming." Rusty and Jamal walked toward DJ. Jamal wrapped his arms around DJ and sensed that DJ was about to burst.

"Let it go, my brother, let it go!" Jamal said.

"I can't," DJ argued, "I'm one of—the pallbearers, I have—to stay strong."

"DJ," Jamal said, "tears are God's way of cleansing the heart and soul, just let God do his work. You're holding on to a lot of pain and suffering, and it's weighing you down, you have to let it go. Use my shoulder, and let it go!"

A river of tears started to flow from DJ's eyes as he started to sob heavily on Jamal's shoulder, Jamal holding him tightly. Rusty instinctively walked over and grabbed a box of tissues. Everyone present in the chapel gathered around Jamal and DJ, including Pastor White, who had arrived just a few minutes ago.

After about five minutes, DJ's breathing returned to normal, and the tears ceased to flow. He slowly raised his head from Jamal's shoulder, which was soaked with DJ's tears, and looked around. DJ's face turned red from embarrassment, but then he displayed that patented smile that everyone loves.

"Do you feel better, Son?" I asked, giving him a hug.

"Much better," DJ replied, "I might just be able to function now."

"Welcome back, baby!" Jamie exclaimed, giving DJ a loving kiss."

"Who are you, young man?" Pastor White asked Jamal.

"Jamal Robinson, DJ and Jamie are two of our closest friends."

"Who is the 'our' if I may ask?"

"Oh," Jamal replied, "me and my boyfriend, (pointing) Rusty McKeever."

"Folks," Pastor White spoke, "Jamal, here, is a prime example of how our Lord uses his people to do his work. Nice job, Jamal!"

Randy came by to show his support for DJ and me, but wasn't staying for the service. DJ grabbed his attention.

"Randy," DJ said, "I know my bereavement time ends tonight, but I'd like to ask a big favor. My cousins came from California to pay their final respects to Granny, and they have to be back Sunday night. We only just met each other, and we would like to be able to spend some time together before they fly back on Sunday. If I could I have Saturday off, that would give us tonight and tomorrow together."