Eta Carinae Pt. 11

I've been writing for sometime now. Once in a while, I'll start with a story that 'develops a life of its own'. This is one of those stories. It began life as a small multipart story and now it's growing in a number of directions that I never expected! I took some time and got organized with plot branching, story, character arcs, etc. Hopefully, god willing and the river don't rise, I'll be back on my chapter schedule this month!

*****

I actually turned in a little early on Monday night. Tuesday was going to be a big day! Elaine and I did our usual 'thing' for breakfast. I was eating granola made up of nuts, grains, twigs, and gravel that I get at the Whole Foods store. Keeps things moving. I guess I looked lost in thought.

"The 'Dream' again?"

"Yeah. The one part, the orange sky has become more ocher and opaque. The fall into the earth has changed too."

"Why don't you write down the differences? Maybe you'll see a pattern!" She suggested.

"Interesting idea."

I left first, around 10 am. Driving north on the Golden Gate would be against commuter traffic and fairly smooth. Picking up the boat, and heading back into the City and across the bay was a different story! Traffic was a nightmare and I didn't arrive at Ed's shop until noon! Ed's shop had a huge yard with an automatic gate. I pulled the truck in, backed the boat into where Darrell wanted to work on it, and then drove it to a bay. Manny was going to give the truck the once over. He did the usual fluids check, then raised it on the lift. He walked around underneath, twisting the drive lines, checking the brakes, and looking for whatever was out of place.

"Where's El Jefe?" I asked.

"He's out buying pizza for lunch."

"Pizza on a Tuesday? A little odd." I observed.

"He's in one of his 'moods'. He's a little maudlin about something. You know how he gets."

"Yeah. I think it's that passionate Catholic thing!"

Manny cracked a crooked grin.

Ed returned and I carried the pizzas to the lunch room. We ate and I went out into the yard to see if I could give Darrell a hand with getting the trolling motor installed. He had found 3 AGM deep cycle batteries that were half the weight of the old lead acid. He was missing a wiring harness and wouldn't be able to get it until tomorrow. Not a problem, I'll come back on Thursday, bring the boat back to storage, and get ready for Saturday. I went into the office and Ed's office manager, Linda, was having computer problems. Being the geek that I am, I have a soft-sided flash drive case with computer repair tools on the drives. I carry it in my messenger bag. The problems were simple and she was up and running in short order.

It was quitting time and I went out to the patio area, behind the shop. He had one corner that was covered with translucent fiberglass panels. Manny moved a number of palms, elephant ear, and palmetto in and around. It was nice on a hot day. I grabbed a beer and Ed was having some of his Kentucky sippin' whiskey!

"So, you have Manny talking about you. What's up?" I asked.

"Oh, no worries. I've been thinking about 'redemption'. I went to mass on Sunday and someone sat down beside me. It was Jake. Needless to say, that was a surprise, to say the least! We went out to eat after and he had some interesting things to tell me. He's back in outpatient recovery. Voluntary! I know how many times I've said that this time is different, but this time, it is!" He said.

"What makes you think it's different?"

"He hasn't asked for anything!" He proclaimed, raising an eyebrow. He went on to talk about realizing how losing his leg and the aftermath that followed. They both lost touch.

"Do you remember when I finally got out of the hospital, you gave me a tablet with an audiobook subscription?" Ed asked.

"Sure."

"Well, one of the free books included was Moby Dick. That story hit me!" He revealed.

"Care to share?"

"When I came back from Iraq with pieces missing, I realized it was more of a devastation than I first imagined. I felt I let down my men, the Corps, and my family, and I wasn't a man! I know you'll say Ed, that doesn't make any sense at all! Of course, you're a man!! The problem is that we are in the realm of irrational and distorted emotional perceptions. I read Moby Dick in high school, like everyone else. This time, it was very different. There are many memorable lines, but this is the one that was a 'gut punch'.

'He piled upon the whale's white hump, the sum of all the general rage and hate felt by his whole race from Adam down; and then, as if his chest had been a mortar, he burst his hot heart's shell upon it.'

I looked at him. I could see that this hit him deep.

"Hearing this, all the anger, hate, and resentment I was stewing in was a mask for how badly I hurt inside. The whale took Ahab's leg and left him a broken shell of a man. The Taliban took my leg, and my plan was to become a mercenary, and kill as many of those mother fuckers as I could! It became clear that if I didn't change course, I'd be the one tied to the whale and beckoning!"

"I remember that I wanted to visit you in the Palo Alto hospital, but you weren't too keen on seeing us. I thought you were angry with me. Mom explained that you were having a tough time." I returned.

"I wanted to say thank you." He revealed, looking me in the eye.

"If memory serves, after everything fell apart with mom and I, you stepped in and kept me moving in the right direction. As I recall, you took me to my first Giants game, taught me how to fish, and spent time with me. So this isn't altogether altruistic! I wanted you back!" I replied with a crooked smile. You're something Davy Boy! Let's play some cards! I tried some bourbon. Very different from scotch. It has a sweetness that is a little odd for my pallet. Who cares! I'm drinking bourbon and playing black jack with my uncle!

I finished up with Ed and headed home. Five o'clock traffic....yahoo! As I was crawling along, something hit me. I have been very judgmental of Jake. I always thought of him as a fuck up. What dawned on me was maybe, he was more affected by what happened to father than I was! Maybe that's why he's had so many problems! I felt like a dick! Maybe Paige is right, there is a 'protocol droid' in me.

*****

I finally returned home around 6. Elaine had prepped dinner and we ate as soon as I came in. After dinner, we sat in the living room and I watched some TV. She was working on her laptop and closed it after an hour or so. I told her about my day with Ed. I also told her about my insight about Jake. She seems to think all this is making me a better person.

We went to be around 10 and it was one of those evenings.

"Where's the frenulum ring?" I whispered.

She opened the lower drawer of her nightstand.

"Is this safe to have on when I'm inside you?"

"Babe, it's not going to get lost! Besides, with your glans, it's not coming off!"

"I'm going to put the other ring on too. I have an idea." I said. I slid the cock ring down my dick, threading my balls through before I got hard. I started kissing behind the ear, moving along her hairline, to the back of her neck. I am one of those individuals, with outdoor plumbing, that needs foreplay! Elaine and I need to synchronize; get our 'rhythm'. Kissing my way down the clavicle, to the top of the deltoid. Nibbling, light teeth dragging, and a considerable amount of kissing. I found the armpit is an unbelievable gold mine of nerve endings!

I was getting lost on her upper back when she turned me over. She moved quickly up to my neck and bit me. She worked her way to my pecs, kissing them. Her fingers ended up on my nipples, which immensely pleased her! I rolled on top of her and held each other. We recently started back into the Kama Sutra. The Kama Sutra covers various topics, eg., socializing, courtship, how to act in public, etc. We skipped to the good parts, sex! I'm certain no one else does that! We have a number of positions, but I was focused on some sort of synchronicity between us.

I became aware that something was in a state of chrysalis, for lack of a better term. I felt as if a new me was trying to emerge from our relationship. It was as if I needed to let something go, but I didn't know what. My attention came back to the present. I moved myself to where I was face to face, nose to nose. I matched my breathing to hers, our noses touching. Our breathing slowed to long, deep cycles. I moved just enough to take her lower lip in my teeth. She tried to move, I bit down just a little. We did this a couple of times until she slowly moved her tongue into my mouth. She flicked the end of my tongue. I let go of her lip and met her tongue. We did the most erotic 'tongue dance' on record! She pulled her tongue back in her mouth and I would 'chase' it. This went on until I grabbed her hair and pulled her head back. I laid my teeth on her neck and pressed. I maintained that position until she relaxed, I mean went limp! I started to kiss her neck. She had fallen into a level of relaxation yet seen!

I became aware of what was happening. Elaine wants a man and not a boy. That man started to really make an appearance tonight. I'm thinking that those 'bodice rippers' that I read of hers contain fantasies that many women want to make realities! I'm aware now that there's been a 'man' inside of me that has been trying to push out. That man in me was going to pleasure my partner! I kissed my way down to her magnificent tits once again. I know I was against the implants, but I became a believer now! I straddled her and placed my hands on her breasts. I was wondering if she was all right. Her arms flopped back, and she was making cooing sounds. I placed my thumb and fingers on her nipples and gently rolled the ends. I bit on one nipple ring and tugged on it. Looking at her, she was someplace else.

My face landed in the usual place, her gorgeous pussy! I was facing toward her feet and I spun myself. Elaine was fairly 'pliable'! I pushed her legs to the side and I began with the pubic mound. After a lavish amount of kissing and licking, it's the outer labia crease. Since my experience with women is limited, I don't know if other women produce as much 'girl juice' as she does! I do my best to lick up as much as I can, but she still soaks towels under her! My tongue moved to the next level, the inner labia. I often think something is very wrong with me. I have a real 'cunnilingus fetish'! I think I might have vaginal OCD!

Next up, cow tongue on the 'little man in the boat'. This is right about when Elaine starts speaking in either Elvish, pig Latin or 'tongues'! I heard 'David, blub, ooohhh!' and I took that to mean 'press harder'. So I did! That produced screaming gibberish and her knees crushing my head! I wasn't done. I drilled my tongue deep into her vagina. I start to 'dribble' when my tongue is in her vagina. I was very hard! I could feel this huge load pressurized in my cock! Any hope of delivery was held in check by the ball on the frenulum ring. It was uncomfortable but strangely erotic! It was time for me to enter her! I climbed up to slide my manhood in and she pulled her legs back further than I knew she could go. I really don't have to use my hand to get my cock in her. I pushed the glans in, pausing. This was different this time. I pushed forward until my pubic bone met hers. We both gasped, together. I wrapped my arms around hers and pinned her. I began to grind my dick into her as deep as it would go! I felt savage, or maybe raw is a better word. As my dick moved around her vagina, the ball on the frenulum ring would bump. Each time it did, it would move enough to allow some cum to release.

I was squeezing her hard, I could hear her struggling for air. I couldn't stop! I was stirring my dick around her like she was a pot of marinara! I was being held 'captive' by this teaser 'nut'! Little bits and pieces of ejaculation! It was torture and I was loving it! Finally, I couldn't take it any longer. I pulled out, popped the ring off, and slid myself in. I think I moved my pelvis and came. It felt as if I shot a quart out of my dick! My cum combined with her juice made for a rather large dollop of goo on the towel! I crawled up beside her and tucked her head on my shoulder. I laid back and just felt good. "What happened to you tonight?" She said, reaching for her cigarettes.

"I think I let go of 'parts' that weren't David," I said as she handed me her cigarette. Strangely enough, sometimes I think smoking with my mother is more difficult than sleeping with her. Yeah, I know, strange!

"I think I know what might be going on here." She thought out loud.

"What's that?" I asked as I took a long drag. I handed it back.

"I think you're taking that next step. You know the one I'm talking about."

"Yeah, I do. There's part of me that's afraid. I don't want to lose what we had. I know that losing my childhood is impossible! That being said, I'm not sure what the new 'us' looks like:" I said instantly realizing I'm overthinking life again.

"David, we are doing everything that we did before, and some!" She grinned. "Become who you were meant to be!"

"Something like ' Put aside the ranger and become who you were born to be!' out of Return of the King?" I replied with a side-eye and a smile.

"Yeah. I think it's time you pulled the sword from the stone." She said, hugging my arm.

"I think we're getting lost in similes!" I laughed. I got up and went to the bathroom. I was getting back into bed.

"You know, I've had an idea for a couple of books that might make money. 'Incest for Dummies' and 'Dating Your Mom for Dummies'! What do you think?" She gave me her 'stare', then laughed.

"I just don't see them getting traction! I think they're too weird for California!" She laughed.

"I saw on the news that a guy wants to legally marry his Labrador! And what we're doing is sicko-twisted! Go figure!"

We both laughed! It was needed. For me, it was a turn of a page.

*****

I picked up the boat from Ed's on Thursday. Darrell had done an excellent job with the installation! He went through all the particulars of the system. The motor was 36 volts, so three 12-volt batteries needed to be installed in series. He fabricated all the cables and covered them with a heavy layer of battery shellac. The boat's forward railing was destroyed in whatever accident it was in, which made the installation easy. Darrell mounted another low-end fish finder on the gunwale and mounted the transducer on the motor itself. Cool, I can troll and fish! The boat was ready to go! I stopped in to say goodbye to Ed and he gave me a card for public storage in the City. A friend of his owned it and said he had a spot if I wanted it. I did! It was in Laurel Heights, not too far from the house and close to Highway 1, which runs through the City. Perfect!

I drove the boat back to San Rafael, for the last time, hopefully. Having the boat so far away is a major pain. I was home by 7 and Elaine and I had a simple meal. We parked on the couch; she worked on her laptop and I went through a list of everything I had to pick up tomorrow. We had the stereo on and I decided to watch the last innings of a Giants-Cubs game. We lost 5 to 1....to the Cubs! Elaine finished up and we went into the bedroom. She turned on the TV and tuned into the Brit TV channel. The police procedural Prime Suspect was on. Helen Mirren stars in it. Yeah, I think she's pretty hot!

I thought of a number of other items to add to the different lists. I had a document going that I would print when I was done.

"Deev?"

"Please stop the list for tonight. You're driving me nuts!"

"Sorry," I said, closing my laptop.

"I forget that my 'tweekiness' can be annoying!" I put everything on the nightstand. I lit a cigarette. Fourth one this week. I should stop counting and trust my self-control. That sounds like famous last words!

"Is there something wrong with me? How can I get so highly focused that I get 'tunnel vision'? I know I am totally out of touch with what's going on socially. I watch some of the current programs on mainstream TV and I am clueless!"

She turned to look at me.

"Do you remember we took you to see Dr. Miller in the eighth grade?" She asked.

"Sure. He was that shrink that looked like Dr. DeGrasse-Tyson. He took me up to the cafeteria and we had cheeseburgers. We talked and he said that you and some of the teachers were concerned about my behavior. I told him that some of what was being taught was crap and I said so! We talked about that briefly, then we talked about science, radio-controlled airplanes, and the brain. I liked him! What came out of that? I never heard anything and I wasn't committed, so I figured I was good to go."

"Well, he seemed to think that your intelligence is fairly high and you have an unusual ability to focus and organize. He seemed to think any type of intelligence testing or special advanced classes would be counterproductive. It was recommended that you find your own interests. That's what we did!" She said with a smile.

I reached around to grab my tablet.

"Sorry, just one more thing!" She rolled her eyes.

"I'm certain that Mac will be most impressed with your cruise!" She observed.

"That obvious?"

"I kind of wonder, if we weren't in this particular 'arrangement', would he hang out with me?"

"Ask him. Put all that shit away and hold me!"

"Yes ma'am!"

Friday zoomed by. It took me about 4 hours to get all the food and drink for tomorrow. After working 6 hours on a code project, I was drained! Elaine and I had a short evening. There was considerable work to be done, for a day of recreation. We were on the road by 7. First was across the Golden Gate to San Rafael to pick up the boat. Then, across the San Rafael-Richmond bridge to Berkeley. We picked up Paige and Mac, then up to a tiny park at the entry to the delta. We finally had the boat in the water around 9. Pretty good, all things considered.

I turned inland, up the main channel of the Sacramento river. Elaine came up beside me at the console.

"You know you can relax now." She said softly.

"That bad?"

"You've had a busy week putting this 'expedition' together. Let's have fun!" She said with that smile of hers.

"OK, if you say so." I kissed her.

The women sat in the stern seating and Mac was forward, rigging a rod for some trolling on the way up. The bay foggy haze and the morning mist formed a white gossamer on all the numerous reed beds. This is the infamous Tule fog that California is famous for. All evaporated as the sun moved toward its zenith. Elaine had put on a straw, wide-brimmed sun hat that had a green chiffon tie. I've always loved how she looked in that hat. Paige had a similar hat on and they both quite relaxed, sitting in the stern seats. They were both enjoying scones and coffee that Paige brought. We were in 40 ft deep water. One of the depth finder alarms went off.

"Mac, I'm showing a 'bait ball' or a shoal of something!" I called out

A minute or so later. "FISH ON!" He called out. I slowed and he had a nice-looking striped bass by the gill plate. We had brought the 35 mm camera with us and Elaine snapped a pic. She went up on the bow and faced the stern, taking a number of pictures. I looked back at Paige and she was truly enjoying the day!

I turned east, up the San Joaquin river. We motored past reed bed islands and the levees. On the other side of the levees are large, flat rice paddies all green with new shoots. I killed the motor and used the electric lift to raise it out of the water. Up in the bow, I lifted the top of the trolling motor with the attached lanyard and it plopped into the water. I turned it on and gave it some speed with the foot controller. I was impressed with the thrust! I found around half speed was perfect! I tied on a spinner bait and worked the opposite side of the boat.