About that time I started playing golf on a Saturday morning with Tony. It's hard to recall what he was like then, just an ordinary 10 year old. Friendly and talkative, two qualities I've always appreciated in friends to balance my own shyness.
I think our parents set it up, his wanted him to man up a little, mine wanted me to find some friends. It was good fun. I was this unco-ordinated, gangly kid who was hopeless at anything with a ball, but it didn't matter. We'd just goof around the golf course for a few hours, not taking anything too seriously.
That summer, going into fifth grade, Tony's father died sudednly from a heart attack. I spent a lot of time at Tony's the next year, and we used to dress up and dance around to pop songs. I guess if we did it now it would be up on youtube. Well, one thing would often lead to another and our dance routines turned into grinding sessions, and then end up with us humping each other naked on the lounge room floor. Unlike with Wayne, there was something unsatisfying with this. I was looking to be ravished by the good looking, popular (straight) kids, and maybe he wanted someone a bit more assertive sexually. Story of my life, two bottoms.
We drifted apart. He became the effeminate, girly boy who hung around exclusively with girls throughout high school. I can't remember him suffering bullying. Who knows, I guess the insidious part of bullying is how easy it is to go unnoticed, the subtlety of its power to make life a misery. Needless to say, I kept well clear of him. Like most boys I much preferred to mix exclusively with other boys. Although my reasons were a little different from theirs...
Funny how the parents set up the play dates according to their own agendas, thought at least in my case, I tended to have fun! Seems like you did, too, especially later on. Too bad you were too much alike! That happens, I guess. Certainly has to me.
ReplyDeletePeace <3
Jay