It had been almost twenty-five years since I had seen Jimmy. We had been stationed in the same unit in the army for about six months. I had an immediate attraction to him because he was so good looking, well built but not overly and hung like a horse with low hanging balls. I knew I liked men but also knew that to make a wrong move in the army would have dire consequences. He didn't go out with girls because he had a sweetheart back home he was going to marry when he got out in six months. That was perfect for me because I wanted to spend all my free time in his presence. I had told him a partial truth, saying that I had just gotten a "Dear John" letter from a girl I deeply loved and wasn't ready for other women at this time. The actual truth was a girl I had dated some at my last base had dumped me because I wasn't passionate enough in sex. My heart just wasn't in it and I knew why. I wanted men but was too afraid to do anything about it. I was stuck with my fantasy world and Jimmy was the right person to fill it. He was perfect for me and I gave him a buddy to hang with, without women to tempt him.
After he got out he married and we corresponded for a couple of years. I finally stopped writing because it was getting more difficult to explain why I wasn't married. A few months ago, I was cruising the net looking up e-mails and thought of him. Sure enough, I found him living in the same city in Florida where he was from. I sent him an e-mail inquiry. The next day I received a reply from his 22-year-old son, Jimmy Jr., stating I had the right person. His dad was not a net person but he would give him the message as he still lived at home with his parents and younger sister. A few days later, I got a message asking me to call by phone. I did. It was good to hear his voice after all these years. We had a long conversation about everything we could think of and it eventually got around to my marital status. I figured I had nothing to lose by telling him I was "gay." He was surprised, to say the least. I told him I had always been that way but just couldn't admit it to myself until after the army. I also told him that was why I had quit writing so many years ago. He told me my being gay didn't bother them at all as he had a brother that was gay.
After he got out he married and we corresponded for a couple of years. I finally stopped writing because it was getting more difficult to explain why I wasn't married. A few months ago, I was cruising the net looking up e-mails and thought of him. Sure enough, I found him living in the same city in Florida where he was from. I sent him an e-mail inquiry. The next day I received a reply from his 22-year-old son, Jimmy Jr., stating I had the right person. His dad was not a net person but he would give him the message as he still lived at home with his parents and younger sister. A few days later, I got a message asking me to call by phone. I did. It was good to hear his voice after all these years. We had a long conversation about everything we could think of and it eventually got around to my marital status. I figured I had nothing to lose by telling him I was "gay." He was surprised, to say the least. I told him I had always been that way but just couldn't admit it to myself until after the army. I also told him that was why I had quit writing so many years ago. He told me my being gay didn't bother them at all as he had a brother that was gay.