It Started in the Rain Ch. 05

"Megan, do you remember a story from your childhood about a man who met another man in a far off land and they saved each other from death?"

"Yes."

"This is the man, Lee Wong, who saved my life."

"It must be my place to correct you father's poor memory. It was he who saved me from death and possibly worse. These are my oldest children, Lee Wong and Lee Ann Wong." The two children were teens and they stood and bowed to me as they were introduced.

Megan stood and hugged all three, thanking them and kissing Lee Wong, the older.

Rina asked, "Mr. Wong why are you and your children all named Lee?"

"We honor the one who saved us. I had another name once. When I came to America I was told I could change it. I did."

The conversation turned back to the food and to eating. Within an hour the leftovers were in the refrigerator and the Wongs were gone. I sat on the couch with Megan and Pam beside me. Eric sat with Rina and Monica. Pete seemed lost in thought with Bonny sitting next to him and touching him.

"Dad, you always seem to surprise me."

"How is that?"

"I thought that story was just a story and that I was supposed to learn something from it."

"Did you?"

"Yes. But I didn't know it was real."

Pete spoke up. "I think I missed something. What story?"

"Dad and Mr. Wong were in South East Asia a long time ago. There were a lot of people looking for both of them and if they were found they would be killed. By helping each other they both escaped."

"When was that Mr. Peterson?" I wasn't Lee anymore. My status had changed.

"1967. A long time ago. Mr Wong is possessed of a faulty memory as well as I am. We can leave it that we are life long friends and even brothers of a sort."

"I don't know about everyone else but I'm ready for bed. Pete has a room with his name on the door. The rest of you may stay up, swim some more or find a place to sleep. Is anyone planning to go home?"

"I thought we were home." Megan said, smiling.

"OK, let me more precise. Is anyone leaving before breakfast?"

No one spoke. No one moved. I stood and headed down the hall. When Kat stood Pete recognized her.

"Aren't you Lt...."

"No. When we are on base, yes. Here I'm Katharine or Kat. This is not the Navy."

She bent to him and kissed him on the cheek.

"Having a good time, so far?"

"Yes Ma'am! A fine time."

Kat smiled and followed me down the hall. Behind the closed door of our bedroom Megan asked, "Are you really tired Dad?"

"Too tired to be all that social when I could be touching a deeper level of intimacy here."

Clothes disappeared and the touching commenced. The four of us enjoyed each other fully. Talking and kissing and prodding and teasing for the joy of being joined in love and affection. Each lady wanted me inside her and each got her wish. I wanted to nibble and feel each quiver to my tongue, lips and fingers and they granted my wish. We heard Pete twice more during the night. Once he woke us up. I looked at the clock and saw that it was four twenty-two.

Kat said, "Noisy isn't he?"

No one answered. We went back to sleep.

Early the next morning I went to the kitchen and started breakfast. Rina was next to join me in the kitchen. She made coffee. I got out another coffee maker and made Navy coffee. Together we made a huge omelet with bell peppers, chopped broccoli beef and braised green beans and two kinds of cheese in it. I used a dozen eggs. Rina was slicing and toasting bagels when Pam and Kat joined us.

Pam and Kat were wearing the Hawaiian print wraps. They kissed me and Rina good morning and set the island and the table for breakfast. Some of us were finishing up when Bonny and Pete arrived. He looked like he had just had a vitamin shot. He was smiling, moving well and joking as he loaded his plate high.

During breakfast he asked if it would be OK if he used the pool for a while to swim some laps. I asked how long he wanted it and he said an hour. In his head he was already on the road back into the SEALS. I said sure. Bonny let us know that she had three appointments and might not be back until tomorrow. Pete walked her back to the bedroom to "help her pack." I think he helped to pack her. While they were occupied Rina said, "I love Bonny and everything... and I'm glad she's leaving. I want a shot at that young stud!"

She sat out by the pool and counted laps for Pete while he swam. The longer he swam the better he got at it. At the end of an hour he was very tired and Rina decided she should rub his sore muscles. She rubbed muscles he hadn't even used while he was swimming. The young lion roared again before noon.

After lunch Pam said to Pete, "I want to check you're healing. If it will help I'll put on my whites."

Pete stood out by the pool and dropped his shorts and took off the t-shirt. Pam looked at his scars. She turned him so the sunlight shone on him between his knees and chest. His attitude had changed. Back on base he hadn't wanted anyone to see his scars. Now he was not hiding them.

"You're doing well." Pam pronounced.

"Yes, Ma'am. I just needed some good lovin."

"Don't we all."

"You and Lee have a real thing, huh?"

"Yes. A real thing. Every minute I spend with him I get to say Thank you."

"Last night... I noticed that Megan and Katharine and you followed him through that door. Is that a bedroom?"

"Are you asking me if Lee slept with three women last night?"

"I guess I am."

"I guess that is a question you should ask Lee."

"I couldn't. That's so personal and I don't really know him very well."

"Do you trust me?"

"Yes, you're my nurse."

"You can act as if Lee were the Dad you always wanted and your older brother all rolled into one great guy. You can talk to him about anything non-medical. He knows more about relationships and women than any man I have ever known. He also knows about God and Love and Life."

"Wow! You really are gone on the man aren't you?"

"Yes! And I'm gone on Life and Love too. Go spend some time with him. The ladies around here will still be here when you're ready for whatever's next."

He pulled up the shorts and thanked Pam. She reminded him that around this house "Thank you" was often accompanied with a kiss. He gave her one and she molded her body to his and kissed his soul and his body with equal intensity.

As the kiss ended he looked at her and said, "I thought you were with Lee?"

"Does that mean that it is just Lee and me?"

"Doesn't it?"

"Are you and Bonny in a monogamous relationship?"

"Not yet. We just met yesterday!"

"Pete, sit down."

He did. Pam sat next to him. "I need to talk to you even before you talk to Lee. I want you to hear me not as your nurse, not even as a nurse, but as a woman. I'm not a girl. I was once, now I'm a woman. I want you to fully be a man. I can see that you are on that path and doing well. I can help you get there. Kat, Bonny, Megan and Rina can help too. I'm sure Eric wants you to be the best man you can be. I know Lee wants that."

They sat quietly for a while. Pete looked at Pam and said, "I'm on new ground here. I want what I hear being offered but I can't even tell you what it is."

"So?"

"So, help me."

"OK. Close your eyes. Remember back to the week before you shipped out to the Middle East. Where were you?"

"Home with my family."

"And your girl friend?"

'Yeah." His tone was flat and hurt.

"Did the two of you have sex?"

"Yeah." The tone was better, warmer.

"Was it different than last night?"

"Yeah!"

"I want you to think about this for a while, then answer. On an emotional level what was the difference?"

Pam stood and then said, "Pete, stay here. I'll be back in a few minutes and we'll talk some more. I'll bring you a beer. Anything else you want?"

"Another kiss?"

"Later."

She was gone. Pete sat with his eyes closed and thought about the night with Bonny and the last night he had with his old girl-friend. At first his thoughts were about what Bonny did and what Sue, his old girl-friend, had done while they were in bed. But as he thought he noticed that Bonny was with him in a way he had never thought of before. She didn't allow him to fuck her. She wasn't giving in. She didn't act like she was doing him a favor. Sue did. He thought more about the two women. Sue had rules for their relationship. She had even told him that he wouldn't get sex with her until he had taken her out ten times. She would let him go down on her but thought sucking him was disgusting. He stopped thinking about the rules and went back to thinking about being with Bonny.

He remembered something she had said while they were kissing. "Pete, I like the feeling I have when I'm with you like this. I want more. I want you to open up and really be with me."

At the time he hadn't understood what all that meant except he was going to get laid. Now he was seeing that there was more in what happened last night than sex. He opened his eyes.

Pam and Lee were sitting in front of him. Pam held an open can of beer in front of him. Lee held a plate with a sandwich on it. He smiled, took the beer, downed a swig and then took the sandwich. As he chewed Pam spoke.

"Which experience would you like to have again, last night or the last time you were with your old girl-friend?"

"Last night."

I asked, "Why?"

"Bonny and I were together last night. We were really together. She really wanted to be with me."

"How would life be if that was your experience of being with everyone?"

"I can't even imagine."

"Pete, how tightly are you holding on to the things you were taught as a child?"

"Like what?"

Pam asked, "Are you willing to entertain the idea that I love you?"

Pete smiled, and then looked at Lee. "I'm uncomfortable with you saying that in front of Lee."

"He already knew."

I nodded.

"Isn't love about one man, one woman?"

"That is what we were taught. The evidence in front of us says that isn't the only way things are. You love your Mom and your Dad. Where is the conflict?"

"That's a different kind of love!"

"Only because our society says so. Can you imagine anything more loving than having someone you love teach you how to love others?"

"Isn't that what our parents do?"

"Who taught you how to kiss?"

"Sherry Snyder. Seventh grade, behind the theatre in town."

"Imagine that Bonny was your aunt. Your Mom sees that you have developed an interest in girls so she has your favorite aunt come and teach you how to kiss. Imagine what that knowledge would do for your self-esteem and your popularity with the girls at school."

"Sherry Snyder didn't really know any more than I did. We just kissed and it felt good."

"If we taught everyone the truth about kissing, about relationships, about each other I think most of the problems the earth is wrestling with would be gone."

"Oh, the old prayer about world peace and no more wars."

"No. That prayer has been spoken, asking God to convince politicians and religious leaders to be more interested in doing what's best than in wealth and power. That path has been trod for so long it must be evident that it hasn't ever worked and won't work tomorrow either."

"And, you know the path that will give us world peace and no more wars?"

"I know a path that isn't insane."

"Make love not war?"

"No. You cannot do it."

"Do what?"

I leaned in towards Pete and he leaned ever so slightly towards me.

"Make love. It is a language thing. People call coitus by different names. Making love is one of them. That's a sham. Love is. I can't make any. You can't make any. Pam can't. It would be closer if the people in the sixties had said, 'Allow love, not war."

"Are you telling me that I'm here with all of you and you are some kind of a love cult?"

"No," Pam said. "We aren't a cult. No meetings no study groups, no tithing. We are a loving family. We don't offer anyone anything except a new way to see Life and Love and to use that as their heart and soul tells them is best. We are not organized in any way as a movement, a cause, a political or religious anything. Simply put, we just love."

"Pete, when you kissed Bonny last night what did you feel?"

"I felt like she wanted me."

"When Pam kissed you what did you feel?"

"She wanted me."

"Are you up to a challenge for the rest of the weekend?"

"Yes! I think so."

"Good. There are women here and possibly more coming. Each and every one of them has something in common in their relationship with you. You can talk to any or all of them. You can touch, kiss or do whatever you agree to do for the whole weekend. Your challenge is to feel. There is something quite unusual here and you can have it. It cannot be explained very well. When it is experienced it is very clear what has been experienced. You have been chest deep in it since we left the base yesterday. You were interested in Rina's tits and Bonny's everything. You were interested in Megan's tits too. Now I challenge you to get past all their parts and feel what is available to you."

"You want me to fall in love with all of them?"

"No. If you fall in love that would be an accident. Pam told you she loves you. Was that an accident?"

"I don't think she planned it."

"Pam, did you plan to fall in love with Pete?"

"No! I choose to love Pete."

Pete's eyes went from Pam to me and back to Pam. He was in deep water and he knew it.

"I don't get it. I didn't do anything to make you love me. I didn't even make a pass at you."

"It doesn't matter. If I love you I will naturally treat you from my heart and my mind instead of just with my mind. If I love you I won't hold back in my relationship with you. I will treat you as my beloved."

"Why me?"

"Why not you? You were asked how tightly you hold onto the stuff you were taught as a child. You were taught that there were lots of different kinds of love between human beings. You were taught that you love Mom and Dad in one way, uncles and aunts in another way, friends in another way, lovers in another way, strangers you don't love. Lee taught me that when I put everyone in those boxes I make my life more complicated. I decided that what would make my life work is to love you. So, I love my life aligned with my decision to love you, and Lee, and Pam, and Megan, and Mr. Wong."

"Mr. Wong? You just met him last night."

"In my way of thinking I need a reason to NOT love him and I didn't see one. I love him because I choose to. Can you choose to love me?"

Pete sat quietly for a long time. These are difficult things to ponder for anyone. I wondered if, perhaps, we had pushed too hard, too fast.

"I think I want to go back to the base."

"OK. I'll drive you back anytime you want to go. Going back to the base means you quit on the challenge I just gave you. A challenge you said you wanted."

"You said for me to get past all their parts and feel what's available to me. I don't even know what that means."

Pam scooted closer to Pete. "Have you ever kissed Rina?"

"No."

"What would it be like to kiss her?"

"I can only imagine."

"To know, you would have had to done it already." I said.

"Yes, sir."

"All Lee is asking that you do is be here for the rest of the weekend, enjoy every one and every experience while you are here and see if you can figure out what you are being offered. Only when you know what the offer is can you authentically make a choice."

"At the end of the weekend I can go back to the base? No strings attached?"

"At the end of the weekend Pam will be a nurse on the base. Kat will be a nurse on the base. Neither of them will ever mention the weekend. If you want to talk about it or to be invited back, you'll need to bring it up. Rina and Bonny won't call you or visit you on base, unless you invite them."

"You mean they don't really like me?"

"No, I mean none of us ever pushes ourselves on anyone. If I offer you a beer and you turn me down saying, "I don't want beer from you," would I ever offer another beer to you?"

"No."

"The same is true for everything we offer. Check it out. Find out what is here for you, and then choose."

Pam smiled and asked, "By the way, would you like a beer?"

Pete thought and then answered, "Yes, I think a beer would be perfect!"

Pam got it and one for herself. I went out in the front yard. I used the hose and watered the flower beds in front of the house. It gave me time to think and gave Pete time to process.

As the sun sank toward the ocean I finished up in the front yard and went back inside. Kat and Megan were in the kitchen. They were planning dinner. I sat down on one of the tall stools by the island and both ladies kissed me. Oh, how I love their kisses. They do the same things but differently when they kiss. Kat molded herself to me front to front and used a soft pressure between her lips and mine. She used her hands to hold me to her with the pressure she desired. Megan took her turn with an unhurried grace. It wasn't a competition. She held my face in her hands as we kissed and her body touched me softly. As my arms encircled her she melded against me, giving with my pressure and willingly connecting.

Pete came in from the pool area while we were kissing. He walked over to Kat, who was looking in the pantry, and asked, "Could I have a kiss like that, please?"

She didn't speak. Kat closed the pantry doors and stepped very close to Pete. She leaned a little and her lips touched his. His arms went around her and he pulled her to him. He was in a hurry. Kat stopped the kiss and stepped back.

"What?" He asked.

"Why are you in such a hurry?"

"A hurry?"

"Have you ever struck a match?"

"Sure."

"It flares hot and bright for ten seconds and then burns out. Am I a match?"

"No."

"Then kiss me like I won't flare and burn out in a minute. Kiss me like this is an affirmation of our long lasting connection. Kiss me like this is a way for you to tell me you love how you feel when you are with me."

Pete stepped closer and their lips met. He didn't wrap her in his arms until the kiss had gone on for some time. When his arms encircled her it was with gentleness and not just so she would press her tits against his chest. Her arms encircled his waist and their bodies connected more as the kiss progressed.

It did end. Kat stepped back a couple of inches and Pete opened his eyes. I was still holding Megan. I asked, "Pete, can you tell me the difference between kissing Kat and anyone else you have ever kissed?"

'You mean before now?" I nodded. "Kissing Kat is so much more than kissing before. I remember kissing Sue and wondering what she was thinking about. I don't wonder what Kat is thinking. I believe she isn't thinking. She's kissing."

Kat nodded.

"What were you thinking about when you were kissing Kat?"

"I was thinking about how great it feels to hold her. I wondered if you were watching. I thought about how warm she is. I thought about the erection growing in my shorts and if she felt it."

"Pete, I want you to kiss me again. I want you to focus on this thought; "I am kissing Love itself. This is a spiritual experience."

They kissed again. The kiss lasted a long time. The skin near Kat's neck mottled in passion. Their breathing changed. Their arms held each other and didn't move around.

Pete looked into Kat's eyes and said, "What did you do to me?"

"I kissed you."

"That was more than any kiss I've ever had!"

"Pete that is lesson number one in being connected in Love. I recommend you stick around for the rest of the weekend and get a few more lessons."

"I don't want to go anywhere!"

"I do!"

Kat took Pete by the hand and led him back to his bedroom. I guessed it was time for a more in-depth lesson in connectedness. Megan and I made some choices and started cooking dinner.