Sage Advice

Again I sat frozen. At last, shaking my head, I answered, "I guess I'm not really sure. I suppose success and love and happiness."

"That's probably a good answer at your age. But suppose you let me give you a little of the view from my vantage point." I gave a smile and a small nod and remained quiet. She went on. "Probably the three most important things to help make you happy in life are health, time, and love, not necessarily in that order. These aren't absolutely necessary for happiness but they go a long way to helping you have it. These are things you can't totally control but you sometimes can influence them."

"Health. No one can make sure they will always have good health. You can help it along by eating right, getting exercise and so on. Get any problems treated while they are small. Try to avoid any situation likely to get you hurt in an accident. Still no one can stop all diseases or even accidents. But you can help avoid things which would have an adverse effect."

"Time. We all know our time will end someday, but no one can say for sure just when. Largely it is determined by genes, therefore your ancestors. It's a little late to do anything about that. Still, like health, you can do a lot to help your natural span along. Taking care of your health is one thing. Don't take a lot of foolish risks is another. I don't mean trying to avoid all risks. That would make life dull and probably do more to hurt happiness than anything else. Don't be afraid to cross the street, just don't do it with your eyes closed. Our time is always uncertain but we can always make the best use of what we have. Likewise don't waste the time you do have. Again I don't mean that you should never do anything trivial. Not that at all. But think what things are important to you and try to spend time on them."

"And love. Probably you have little or no control over finding love but you certainly can do a lot to make sure it stays. Love means many things. Remember the Greeks had three words for love only one of which was eros." She smiled at this and I did also. "All forms of love are important, however, eros is a very important part of love for most people and one that often gets forgotten amid the rush of everyday living. There used to be an old song entitled 'Wives Should Always be Lovers.' That is a very important idea. Of course husbands should also. Never let those feelings die." She looked slightly down and an almost dreamy look crossed her face as she said, "My husband and I never have."

I looked surprised. "You mean you still..."

She smiled. "Yes. Not every day like we used to but not too infrequently."

Then she went on. "If you can keep those three things, you will probably be happy regardless of what else there is."

"That all makes sense but how can I be sure - especially about love? I mean I think it is, but how can I know for certain?"

She smiled and slightly shook her head. "You can never be completely SURE about anything. The was a writer of fiction - back before your time or mine - named Damon Runyon. He wrote short stories about the post prohibition underclass in New York. You may have heard of the musical Guys and Dolls. That was based on his characters. Anyway there is a quote from him. 'The race is not always to the fleet, nor the battle to the strong. But that's the way to bet.'"

I gave a small laugh as she smiled. Then she continued. "Nothing in life is ever completely certain because things can change in an instant. Before you make a decision just be fairly sure you are doing the right thing - not absolutely. Remember, you never get anywhere, never accomplish anything, unless you take some chances. Just try to only take wise chances."

She glanced at her watch and said, "I had better get going or my husband will wonder what has happened to me. It's been very nice talking to you, Kate. Perhaps we'll meet again."

"It's been very nice for me also. I think you are the most wonderful other Kate I've ever run into. Tom and I are out here a lot on weekends. Do you come here often?"

"We try to get out most Saturdays if the weather is nice. I'll watch for you if we do."

She stood and picked up one of the little telescoping hiking poles. We exchanged a couple more comments and then she set off down the trail to meet her husband. I watched her go, tall and straight with a stride of a much younger woman. And as I watched a lot of the things she had said were running through my mind.

I metTom as planned and we went to the pizza place for supper. While we were eating I told him of the strange encounter and some of the things Kate had said. I also told him how it had gotten me thinking and that I was going to have to give it some more thought. Probably quite a bit more.

After we finished we went back on campus and sought out one of our small, isolated places. For the next three hours we did spend a lot of time necking but we also spent some talking about what I had been told. And how it might apply to us. How sure did we really have to be? Were we squandering our time already? We came to no conclusions but both knew that over the next few days we'd be doing a lot of individual thinking.

The nextweek turned out to be a really busy one for both of us. School occupied more of our time than usual and we had little chance to be together except at some meals. We couldn't even find time to sneak off for only a couple of hours of, shall I say, physical recreation. Nor did we have time to really discuss our feelings about what Kate had said.

As the week came to a close it looked like another wonderful weekend weatherwise. No rain predicted at all, temperatures in the seventies during the day and dropping only to around sixty at night. Tom, unfortunately, was again tied up on a project for most of Friday evening and Saturday morning. We had to settle for a short time together on Friday but planned to spend Saturday afternoon and Sunday together. Probably out walking in the woods on both days.

Saturday about eleven Tom called me and said he was going to be tied up until about four but we should still be able to get in a short walk and then we'd still have Sunday.

I had been giving some serious thought to the things Kate had said to me and now I slowly said, "Tom."

"That's me," he responded.

"Tom, it's supposed to be lovely tonight. Warm and full moon and everything."

"Yes?"

"Tom, let's eat supper somewhere and then go out to the forest and stay out all night. I've always wanted to do that. Be together and watch the sun rise."

He was quiet for a second, I think just at the surprise of the suggestion. Then he said, "If you want to, I would love that. We can take something to eat and stay out some tomorrow, too."

"Yes!" I enthusiastically agreed. "I'll get some stuff together. Where do you want to go for supper tonight?"

"I don't think I can face dorm food again. How about we just get some hamburgers at Edward's?" Edward's was a small casual restaurant at the edge of campus.

"Fine with me. I'll just meet you there at, say, four thirty. OK?"

"That sounds good . I'll see you then."

At fourthirty I was just coming up to the door when I saw Tom a half block down the street, so I stopped and waited for him. He was already carrying his day pack as was I. We expected to set out right after we finished eating.

He came up to me and pulled me against him for a quick kiss. When we pulled apart I said, "Hi. Do I know you?"

He laughed and replied, "Not nearly as well as you will in a few hours." We both laughed and went inside.

All though supper we chatted casually, teasing and kidding as usual, but I knew I had a surprise in store for Tom. Now that I think about it I believe he acted a little differently also, as if he had a surprise for me also.

When we finished we left and headed to the wooded side of campus. The sun was still up and the air was in the low seventies. Leaves were well on their way to taking on their fall colors and the sky was a clear blue with only a few scattered white clouds. The Harvest Moon, looking twice its normal size, was just rising in the east. As we walked past the dorms Tom asked, "Did you bring something for us to eat if we're going to stay until tomorrow?"

"You mean besides each other?" I had to tease. I never used to make remarks like that and still didn't with anyone besides Tom. Then I added, "Yes, I brought some granola bars for in the morning and some junk food, too. What about you? Remember to bring the blanket?"

"Blanket?" he teased right back. "I thought we'd find some other way to keep warm." Then he added also, "Yes, in fact two of them. We'll be fine as long as it doesn't rain and it's not supposed to."

We entered the campus woodlot and followed one of the paths which wound its way through until we came to the national forest boundary. It was Friday night and although still early we passed a number of couples either walking also or more often stopped off the trail somewhere and engaged in some serious kissing at the least. But as we moved on into the national forest we only passed two more and soon we saw no sign of anyone else at all.

We knew the trails here fairly well and moved more deeply into the woods until we came to a side trail we had used a number of times. Two or three hundred yards down this path and we moved up the side of a thirty foot hill to a shallow depression we had used a number of times. From that location we could not be seen unless we were standing and we would hear anyone approaching long before they were near us.

Tom pulled out one of the blankets and spread it on the ground. By now the sun had just set but there was still enough light to see what we were doing. While we had scuffed our way up the hill, rustling the fallen leaves, most of the trees at the top of this hill were evergreens and a thick blanket of pine needles covered the ground, making a quiet, springy mat beneath.

We had jackets with us but it was still warm enough that we had left them in the packs and now we stretched out together on the blanket dressed in jeans and shirts. At least for a few minutes until the shirts were opened and shortly thereafter removed. We both seemed to be aroused a bit more than usual. In my case I wasn't surprised owing to the decision I had finally made. In Tom's case he had no knowledge of that but I could feel his excitement in every move.

At one point we pulled slightly apart and when we caught our breath he said, "Kate. I've been thinking about what we discussed last week. I've made a decision." Before I could say anything he reached into his pack and pulled something out. Then he turned to me and took my hand. "Kate, I love you. Will you marry me?" He held out a ring with a single diamond catching the last of the light.

I was totally surprised! I had reached a decision of my own but I had not expected this. For just a second I was frozen and then the damn broke and I threw my arms around his neck and between kisses answered, "Yes! Yes! I love you Tom."

He managed to get in the magic words between kisses also. "I love you, Kate."

In not too much longer we slowed our actions and he was able to slip the ring on my finger. "I really thought about what you told me that other Kate had said. I thought what was really important and it was you. We can get married whenever you want. Next week or after graduation. I can wait that long for the rest if you want."

I kissed him hard. "Tom, I would like to get married tonight, but I know my family - especially my mother, will want to have some say about how. I promise not to let her have too much say, but we probably should wait until graduation."

He returned the kiss. "I can wait, Darling. I won't say I want to behave until then, but I can wait."

I smiled at him. "You won't have to wait. I've been giving her words a lot of thought, too, and I've decided I'm ready. That's part of why I wanted to spend the night out here. I don't want to wait any longer, Tom. Let's make love."

Now it was his turn to be surprised. "Are you sure?"

"Yes. Not absolutely certain, but yes, I'm sure. I realize I can never be completely certain about anything, just like she said. I can't be absolutely certain but - as she said - that's the way to bet. I love you, Tom, and I don't want to wait any more."

For thenext hour we didn't do anything we hadn't done before. The difference was that we didn't stop then. We were lying on one of the blankets but the other was still folded nearby. We were both naked and didn't seem to notice the cool air at all. No surprise there. We had made out in much cooler weather than this with no discomfort until we stopped.

I was lying on my back, Tom's head between my thighs and my hands constantly moving through his hair. As I felt myself begin to near the peak of my climb I managed to implore, "Now, Tom. I want you now." I had to repeat myself a second time and tug on his hair but he soon got the message and moved to prop himself above me. We locked into a deep French kiss and I could taste myself on him which, maybe surprisingly, only increased my arousal. I grasped his rigid organ and urgently tried to guide it where I so badly wanted it. I managed to rub it back and forth a couple of times but I was so wet and we were both so excited that almost immediately Tom pressed forwards and I gave out a long moan as I finally felt his hot flesh slide inside me.

Although I had broken my hymen years previously this was the first time I had experienced the real thing. I could feel myself stretching at the unaccustomed intrusion but this was in no way unpleasant. Quite the opposite. My hands grabbed at Tom's ass and pulled hard to bring him in as deeply as possible. As he sank to his full depth we froze for some seconds, just savoring the overwhelming pleasure. Then we began to move together in the ancient rhythm.

We didn't last very long. I'm sure Tom had little control over the release of his desire which had been held in check for so long and I, well, I was well on my way to dissolving into myriad exploding sparks and colored lights, flying into more dissociated pieces than I had ever experienced before with any of even my strongest orgasms. I think I felt that first hard spurt as Tom started his release but I can't be sure. When I again became aware of the rest of the world we were still coupled and still breathing rapidly and clinging tightly to each other.

We drew a breath and both spoke at the same time. "I love you." Two smiles and we each repeated the words and tightened our grasp as we merged into a wonderful kiss.

Several minutes probably passed before I felt Tom begin to shrink and slowly slide out. Another kiss and then we just lay clinging tightly to each other, our breath mingling, our bodies touching as much as possible. We began to feel a little of the cool night air and reached to pull the second blanket over us.

"Are you glad we did that?" I asked.

He smiled. "I certainly am. Are you?"

"No regrets at all on my part. Oh, Tom, why have we waited so long?"

"I don't know. It seems a little silly now. I guess we have your friend Kate to thank."

"Yes. I believe it was definitely her words which got us thinking."

We continued to cling together for a long time. I think we may have dozed off a little. I came awake to Tom's fingers playing with my nipples and decided that was a wonderful way to wake up. My own hand moved to tease and toy with him and soon we were again engaged in some hot kisses and caresses. A few more minutes and we were again involved in even more intimate activities. This time I pushed Tom onto his back and moved above him, lowering myself onto his rigid shaft.

We managedtwice more that night, the last time as the dawn was beginning to lighten the sky and the last stars were disappearing. It was really no surprise that after that we felt hungry and ended up digging out the granola bars without bothering to dress.

We did more than just have sex. We talked. About getting married. We both agreed that it would probably be better to wait until graduation. However, we were not going to wait until then to repeat the previous night's activities. Definitely not! Although we both lived in the dorm, Tom had a car on campus. We knew we couldn't break the dorm contract until the end of the term but were sure we would be able to find somewhere. We also decided that when the term did end we would get an apartment and move in until graduation. We were both considering grad school so we could continue to use it even over the next year.

We stayed in our little nest for another few hours, managing to make love twice more. A little after noon, however we decided it was time to get dressed. I think part of the reason was that we were both getting a little sore even if we didn't say so. We packed everything away and decided to walk on a little farther into the forest.

We were on a trail we had only visited a couple of times before. It had a deep ravine on our left. Now and then we could see a trail on the other side running parallel to ours and I thought I remembered that they crossed and came together somewhere up ahead. The day was perfect fall weather. Temperatures in the sixties, no chance of rain, a gentle breeze. When we had first awoken there had been some dark clouds, in fact quite a few, but now the sky had cleared and only a few small white clouds occasionally blocked the bright sun. The leaves were near their peak color and every now and then the breeze would bring down a shower, sending the brightly colored fragments into a kaleidoscope of incredible colors.

We had seen no one since we had left the campus area the previous night so we were totally surprised when we rounded a turn in the path and a figure appeared some fifty yards in front of us. As we neared I suddenly recognized the other hiker and gave a wave and cried out, "Kate! How nice to see you again."

I started forwards a little faster and turned to Tom and said, "It's Kate. The one I spoke with last week."

We moved up to where she had stopped. As we approached but before I could say anything she spoke. "Hello, Kate. And this must be Tom."

"Yes. I'm so happy that you'll have a chance to meet him. I've told him a lot of what you said to me last week."

Tom smiled and said, "Hi. I'm glad to meet you. What you told Kate has helped us sort out a lot of things. Thank you."

She smiled. "You are most welcome." We continued to speak for several minutes. She was again waiting for her husband who should be coming along the trail on the other side of the ravine any time. "He'd better hurry up. I'm supposed to meet him where the two trails join and we're a little late already. Then she glanced down at my hand as a beam of sunlight suddenly made its way through the trees and caught the diamond in my ring, sending a dazzling rainbow flashing.

She looked up from Tom to me and smiled, saying, "I can see something has changed." Then before I could speak she seemed to examine my face more closely. "Yes, I think several things have changed."

I'm sure my face went a little red but I managed to answer, "Yes, something definitely has." I held out my ring for her to examine. "I think what you told me got us both thinking about what is really important."

Suddenly there was a call from the other path and I looked up to see a man moving to a point just twenty yards from us on the hillside trail on the far side of the stream. He was tall, his hair a lovely silver, but he stood straight and moved with ease. He had a tall walking stick but didn't seem to use this for support but rather just as I might have carried one myself. He looked vaguely familiar but I couldn't say exactly why. I was sure I had never met him before.

He called across. "Hi. I'll bet you are the Tom and Kate my Kate told me about."