DISCLAIMER: This is a work of fiction. If you are offended by 
sexually explicit material or are under the age of 18, stop reading 
now. This material cannot be reproduced for commercial purposes 
without the consent of the author.


John Carter
By
Lazlo Zalezak
Copyright (C) Lazlo Zalezak, 2003


Part 3: Robes of Acumen
Chapter 5

John listened to the priest as he went through the prayers for the 
funeral. His treatment of this occasion was as if it were an event of 
little importance. The priest looked bored and went through the 
actions by rote. The occasional bursts of passion appeared when he 
remembered that a woman from the press was listening.  It was 
soon John's turn to give the eulogy. He noticed the woman sit up 
straighter and he knew why she was here.

John stepped up to the podium. He looked across the handful of 
faces that stared back at him. Her family was present, a few 
neighbors, and a couple people that were friends of his. This was a 
vastly different experience than the funeral of Betsy, yet Mrs. 
South was in many ways just as important to him. His medallion 
burned, as he cleared his throat.

"When we look at the elderly, we see wrinkled faces, a fight 
against gravity that has been lost, and bodies that show the ravages 
of time. Young people, with faces unblemished and unmarked by 
cares of the world, look at the elderly and see ugliness. The person 
they see is not ugly. The ugliness is the future of woe and pain that 
the young see staring back at them."

"Let us consider for a moment the lines etched upon their faces. 
These lines reflect the life and the experience of the person. It is 
tempting to say that the deeper the line, the more experience the 
person has with the cause of that line. However, life uses different 
size chisels to carve our experiences upon our bodies."

"Some lines are deeply etched. Hard work, fears for their children's 
happiness, fights with illness, and concerns about money carve 
deep lines. It is hard to ignore them. It is tempting to say that these 
concerns represent the majority of a person's life. That is wrong. 
The chisel used to carve those lines is heavy and wielded by a 
clumsy hand."

"However, there are other lines etched with a more delicate touch. 
Laugh lines around the eye brought about by years of laughter, 
shared pleasure, and interesting conversations. We see these lines 
and say this was a jolly person. It is remarkable that such lines 
even exist because the chisel is fine and wielded by a soft hand." 

"Finally, there are lines so finely wrought that it is almost 
impossible to see them. These lines come from intimate sharing. 
The young miss these lines completely. They can't see that 
grandma or granddad used to sit at the soda shop gazing lovingly 
into each others eyes. What young person can imagine granny 
getting her first kiss under the apple tree and cherishing that 
moment her whole life? Not many."

"Mrs. South was like a mother to me. She taught me many things 
about life and love. She reminded me that all people, young and 
old have more things in common than two arms and legs. She 
taught me to read the wrinkles on the face and to see the life 
reflected on it as it was truly lived."

"She taught me about love. She loved many people and many 
loved her in return. She told me stories about the people she knew. 
Most of the stories were tame while some others were risqué. That 
is the nature of intimacy; much of it we won't talk about in public 
or in private. The elderly tend not to talk at all about it as they feel 
they would look foolish.  To hear an old person tell about when 
they were young, attractive, and desired by many sounds 
contradictory with their current appearance."

"I look around this room and see few people in attendance beyond 
family and neighbors. Does that mean she had few friends? No, 
she had a lifetime of friends. She outlived so many, that there are 
few in the room. As people get older, they tend to get isolated. The 
frailties of age make them easy targets by unscrupulous villains. 
This is such a shame. All young people should have the chance I 
had to live with someone like her and learn the lessons of life from 
one that has experienced them. Instead, they turn to others just as 
ignorant as themselves for advice."

"Mrs. South, I am proud to say, had a boyfriend even at her age. 
Their romance was unlike any I've seen in the young. They 
decided that they liked each other over coffee. There were no 
games, no little attempts to deceive, and a refreshing directness in 
their interaction. They started honestly and stayed honest. They 
knew that at their age they didn't have time to waste. I wish the 
young people in this room could have learned how to love others 
from them. I wish more of the elderly would take the risk and 
reach out to each other for love and affection."

"For those of us gathered here to say goodbye to Victoria South, let 
us remember that she was a woman of great passion and she 
carried that passion with her to the very end. She loved life and the 
people around her with an intensity that awed those who knew her 
best. Thank you, Victoria South, for sharing your life with me."

John sat down and looked around. The room was quiet and the 
priest remained to the side thinking over John's words. Many of the 
elderly in the room looked at each other with fresh eyes. Liz was 
crying as Herb held her gently. The grandsons gave him a thumbs 
up sign. He knew they understood the message he had given.

The silence in the room stretched to a point that was 
uncomfortable. The reporter slowly eased her way out of the 
church. John wondered if he would hear about this on the news 
tonight. He stood up and walked over to the priest, tapping him on 
the shoulder. The priest was shaken from his introspection. He 
went to the podium and continued the service.

John returned to his seat. He watched the people around him. He 
thought about the letter that she had left him and her gift of the 
pictures to him. He hoped that his eulogy did her justice. The 
funeral was over quickly. 

As John was leaving, the priest stopped him. "Dr. Carter, could I 
have a moment of your time?"

John nodded as he answered, "Sure. What can I do for you?"

"I just wanted to thank you for your words in there. You are a very 
charismatic speaker. You remind people that they should do their 
Christian duty to love one another. You have rejuvenated my faith 
this afternoon."

John smiled at the irony. He answered, "Thank you. If I have 
helped you, then I have done my duty."

"Are you a monk?" The robe and walking stick reminded him of a 
Dominican monk that he once knew. 

John smiled as he answered, "I am the Grand Druid."

The priest raised an eyebrow in surprise. He hedged and stated, "I 
am not that familiar with the Druids."

"Do not fear, we serve good. Our Gods and Goddesses require us 
to place ourselves between evil and those that would be harmed. 
We respect the help and comfort that churches of all kinds provide 
people."

The priest decided that he would have to learn more about this cult. 
He politely replied, "I thank you again. I won't detain you any 
more."

John left knowing that the priest had his doubts about him. He 
smiled as to what the man would think after he looked into his 
background. He expected to get a visit from him tomorrow. 

He took a few more steps and found himself beside the reporter. 
She was talking on her cell-phone to her grandmother. Her eyes 
were red and misty as though on the verge to tears. He smiled to 
himself when she saw him. She put her hand over the cell-phone 
before she asked, "Do you mind if I publish your eulogy?"

"I don't mind. I said it for people to hear, remember, and share."

She smiled, "Thank you, Dr. Carter."

John nodded and walked away as she went back to talking to her 
grandmother. He stopped when he reached his rental car. Herb 
spotted him and came over to John in a fast walk. "Thank you, 
John. That was a lovely speech. Ah, about your offer the other day. 
Liz and I will be by tonight if that is alright with you."

John smiled as he glanced up to the sky knowing that Mrs. South 
would be smiling down upon him at this moment. He answered, 
"That would be fine."

"Good. For now, we are going to the seafood restaurant across the 
street for a little something to eat. Would you join us please?"

"Sure, I would love to join you."

The meal with the Brown family was pleasant despite the 
circumstances. It was nice to know they felt comfortable in 
considering him part of the family. He was reminded of the Friday 
dinners with Betsy and Mrs. South. Those had been fun days and 
nights. His life had not become any less fun, but it was a different 
kind of fun now.

The family talked about John's eulogy. Liz had been particularly 
touched by it. The fearsome threesome had been more influenced 
by their grandmother than their parents realized. John knew that 
and respected their privacy in not talking about it in front of their 
parents. They were most enthusiastic in their appreciation for his 
eulogy stating that he had captured her spirit far better than they 
would ever be able.

John arrived at home. It was nearly seven and he expected Liz and 
Herb to show up after they had dropped their sons off at home. He 
hung the transparent cloth between the living room and dining 
room. He turned the lights on in the dining room. He sat in the dark 
living room.

He turned on the television to watch while waiting for them to 
arrive. He turned to the local channel to see what was happening in 
the area. He was shocked when he heard his eulogy being read on 
the air as a public message from the news station. They had found 
a man with a deep resonant voice that gave the message a 
stateliness that he could never achieve. He wondered how it would 
be received.

There was a knock on the door. Surprised that they would knock 
John stood up and let them into the house. He turned off the 
television. Liz asked, "What do we do now?"

John held his hands out with his palms up. "Well, you can go in the 
dining room. What you do in there, I may or may not see 
depending on whether I'm here or in my bedroom."

Herb looked nervous, "I'm not really sure that I can perform with a 
possible audience."

John put a hand on his shoulder. "There's only one person you have 
to concern yourself with, namely Liz. Do not worry about me or 
anything else. I'm sure that things will be perfect."

As the couple moved into the dining room, John turned on a radio 
to a soft music station. They looked back at John, but could not see 
if he was standing there. They stood awkwardly looking at each 
other. After a bit, Herb suggested they dance to the music. 

John watched as they slowly moved around the room dancing and 
holding each other tightly. After the second song, Herb kissed her. 
She responded hesitantly, looking once in the direction of the 
living room. With time, the kisses became more passionate and 
their touches more intimate. 

 When Herb began to remove her clothes, John left the room. He 
knew that it wasn't necessary for him to watch, only for them to 
think he might be watching. He looked up and winked, feeling that 
Mrs. South would see him. She must be happy now that her 
daughter had taken a major step.

He lay down on his bed and thought about the conversation with 
Ed the other night. Ed had suggested they had a big problem that 
couldn't be handled over the telephone. He had been reassured to 
learn that the wives were not upset or angry at them. Apparently, 
the tea party that Ed had interrupted had not been a tea party at all, 
but a delegation of women presenting a demand upon the wives. 
Ed would not tell him the nature of the demand, but after reading 
the letter from Mrs. South, he had an idea. 

His thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door. He glanced 
at the clock and realized that he had been lying there for an hour. 
He got up and opened the door. It was a very happy Herb. "Would 
you like to talk to us in the dining room over some coffee?"

John smiled as he answered, "Sure, I'll be happy to join you."

The men entered the dining room and sat at the table. Liz was 
humming in the kitchen as the coffee perked. She looked through 
the shelves searching for something on which to snack. Finding 
some pretzels and chips, she put them in two separate bowls. She 
brought them out to the dining table; setting them in easy reach of 
everyone. She disappeared from the room, returning after a minute 
with coffee cups. She sat down while the coffee maker continued 
to gurgle. 

Liz looked at John, "So how long did you stay?"

John smiled and shook his head. He answered, "I'm not saying."

"I hate to say this, but mother was right. We had the best sex of our 
lives here this evening. It reminded me of when we were dating 
and things would heat up before the end of the date. Usually, we 
would end up in the living room necking. We were terrified that 
my mother would come in and catch us with his hand on my breast 
or something."

Herb added, "Yeah. It made it kind of special wondering if we 
were being watched."

John leaned forward. "What would you have done if I had entered 
the room when you guys were really going at it?"

Liz stated, "I don't know if I would have noticed."

Herb stated, "I don't know if I would have gotten angry or invited 
you to participate."

Liz giggled, "I would have preferred the later option."

John had never heard Liz giggle. She tended to be very controlled. 
He laughed and congratulated them, "Well, I'm happy for you both. 
It appears to me that you discovered each other once again."

Liz got serious. She asked, "Would you be upset if we stripped 
now while having coffee?"

John looked at Liz in surprise. He realized that she wanted to push 
the boundaries a little more now that a major one had been 
demolished. He answered, "Would you like me to strip too?"

Liz glanced nervously at Herb who shrugged his shoulders as if to 
say that it was up to her. She took a breath and answered, "That 
would be nice."

John stood up and removed his robe. He dropped his boxers. 
Standing in front of her naked, he said, "I hope you like this 
scarred up mess."

Liz and Herb stared at his body. The scars would have been 
terrifying to look at if they hadn't known their origins. Liz said, 
"Mom said that you were hurt frequently, I didn't realize."

Herb asked, "You got all of those saving people's lives?"

"Yes. Now why don't you guys get naked?"

Liz and Herb removed their clothes with a lot more hesitation and 
embarrassment than John had when he had shed his. John watched 
as they stripped, sure that Mrs. South would appreciate what he 
was seeing. Liz was attractive woman despite her age. Her breasts 
were losing the war against gravity, she had a few varicose veins, 
and she had some unwanted fat around her waist. Her pubic hairs 
were turning gray. Herb could stand to lose a few pounds around 
the stomach, but he wasn’t as worried about his appearance as Liz 
was. His cock was average size, neither large nor small. 

John sat down at the table and munched on a pretzel. He invited 
them to sit with him as though sitting around the table naked was 
an everyday activity. For him, it was. For them, this was one of the 
most difficult things they had ever done. John broke the silence 
that had settled on the room, "I was watching television before you 
came over this evening. They read my eulogy to your mother as a 
public service message."

Liz sat back in surprise. "Really?"

John smiled. "Yes. They had stated that it was a message that we 
should appreciate the elderly in our lives."

Herb said, "It was an outstanding eulogy. It touched me when you 
talked about the lines in the face that we didn't see. The part about 
intimacy really got to me."

Liz added, "It got to me too. I thought back to how happy my 
mother was in the mornings. Then I remembered how she said that 
she always woke dad up in the morning by giving him a blowjob."

John laughed as he said, "She did more than that when you weren't 
around."

Liz blushed as she thought back to the pictures in the box that she 
had given John. Her mother had been quite a wild woman. She 
said, "I could tell that from the pictures that she left to you."

Herb asked, "So what was it like living here with her?"

"Oh, it was an adventure. You never knew what she was doing 
with Mr. Jenson. Betsy and I would come home to find her giving 
him a blowjob in the middle of the living room. Sometimes we'd 
open the pantry to find them in there doing it. They were always 
making love to each other."

Herb grimaced at the mental image of the old couple naked. He 
asked, "Wasn't that disgusting?"

John got a serious look on his face. "No. Love is never disgusting. 
They loved each other and expressed it as often as they were 
physically capable."

Liz heard the tone in his voice. "You found it very touching."

John nodded as he said, "Yes, I did. We spend the first fifteen 
years of our life being loved by our parents. Then we go forth and 
seek a mate, going from one love affair to the next. Finally, we 
find a spouse who loves us. For the next thirty to fifty years, there 
is love in our life. Then, much to our dismay, the spouse dies. We 
are alone and unloved on a daily basis. Sure, our children love us, 
but they are busy with their lives and loves. After a whole life of 
being loved, they are condemned for the rest of their life to live 
alone. Yes, I found it touching that this late in her life she found 
love and was able to express it in the most intimate way that men 
and women express their love."

Herb thought about it for a long time and gazed upon Liz as he 
tried to imagine giving up his life with her forever. Liz was 
looking at Herb as though she was seeing him for the first time. 
John recognized that this was a private moment for both of them. 
He went into the kitchen and retrieved the coffeepot. He carried it 
back into the dining room.

He poured the coffee into the cups set around the table. He carried 
the pot back into the kitchen and returned with a small container of 
milk. He sat down and looked around the table. Liz turned to John 
stating, "Tell me what you think about love."

John studied Liz for a moment. He realized at that time, she wasn’t 
sure what love was. He answered, "Love is wanting to do whatever 
you can to make someone else's life the best that it can be. That 
was one thing that your mother knew very well."

Herb asked, "So what did all of her swinging have to do with 
love?"

John replied, "have either of you looked at another person and 
thought, I would like to know what they are like in bed?"

The couple looked at each other for a moment, each afraid to admit 
the truth. Finally, Herb answered, "Sure."

"Suppose one day you came home and Liz was there with that 
person. She smiles at you and tells you that this woman is yours for 
the evening. She adds that when you are done, she wants to hear all 
of the details as you fuck her. What would you think of Liz for 
giving you a gift like that?"

Herb answered, "Shocked. Amazed. Overwhelmed. I think those 
are the words that come to mind."

"Would it lessen your love for her?"

Herb laughed, as he replied, "No way."

"What would you do to give her the same sensations of being 
overwhelmed?"

Herb got serious. "I don't know what I could do other than to return 
the favor in some way."

"Why would you bring a man that she finds attractive home for her 
to sleep with?"

Herb glanced at Liz. "I would want her to know just how much her 
gift meant to me."

John turned to Liz. "What would you be thinking as your husband 
is in the next room fucking the woman you brought home for 
him?"

Liz laughed as she answered, "I'd be thinking he had better 
appreciate this."

"And if he did?"

Liz stopped laughing as she seriously thought about it. She started 
to answer, "Well, I guess…"

Herb looked at her carefully as she worked it out for herself. She 
stated, "I would be worried that he appreciated her more than me."

"Honey, how could you possibly think that? What other woman 
would do that for her husband?"

She frowned as she answered, "I guess I'm insecure. I look in the 
mirror and the woman that looks back at me is not the same one 
that you married."

Herb laughed as he put his hands under his stomach and bounced it 
up and down. He asked, "Is this the body you married?"

She laughed. Her answer was simple, "No."

John laughed at the exchange, "I don't think your marriage is based 
on how your bodies look. Is it?"

Herb and Liz shook their heads. John asked, "Herb, do you 
remember the first time that you saw Liz after you first son was 
born?"

Herb nodded, "She was sweaty, tired, and a mess. I don't think I 
ever loved her more than at that moment."

"She wasn't wearing make-up with her hair done up perfectly like 
in the movies?"

Liz laughed as she answered, "God no. I was a complete mess."

"Yet, he loved you more at that moment than ever before."

John took a sip of his coffee. Liz put a little milk in hers and stirred 
it with a spoon. She continued to stir it as she thought about the 
conversation. She was thinking about Herb. She wondered who it 
was that he might want to sleep with at this time in his life. She 
finally stopped stirring and took a sip of the coffee. "Herb, would 
you like me to bring another woman home for you?"

"I really don't know anymore," he replied. He took a sip of his 
coffee and looked at her. He saw the look of disbelief on her face 
and added, "I quit dreaming about things like that happening years 
ago. It made me sad when I realized that it would never happen, so 
I gave up on it."

Liz looked at him with concern. "You used to dream about it. I 
never knew that."

He asked, "Didn't you ever have fantasies?"

She was about to answer of course not, but she realized that her 
answer was the same as his had been. She stated, "Yes, I did. I 
gave up on most of them, too."

John took a handful of chips and munched on them while Herb and 
Liz sat around the table. After this round of discoveries about each 
other and themselves, each found they felt alone. They knew that 
somehow in the years of their marriage, each had lost something 
precious. John was a patient man and would be willing to wait all 
night if necessary. 

Herb cleared his throat and asked, "what now?"

"You get to rediscover them. Wake them up a little at a time." John 
answered before Liz had a chance to answer. Her answer would 
have been negative in tone leading an air of hopelessness to their 
situation.

Liz looked over at John in shock. She asked, "Are you suggesting 
that we live out the few fantasies that we have?"

"Well, it is that or give up on all of your fantasies," he answered. 
"Which one do you prefer? I suggest that you don't answer that 
now. Go home, get naked with each other and discuss it there. Find 
out what your fantasies are."

"There is one rule that you both must follow. You shouldn't laugh 
at the fantasies of the other. Suppose he wants to wear a dress 
while you are in a man's suit. That's okay, because it is a fantasy. 
Acting it out could be fun. You see, you don't know until you've 
tried it. In fact, I would suggest you do that whether either one of 
you wants to or not. Get the ridiculous out of the way. Visit the 
ridiculous frequently."

Herb laughed at the image John's suggestion invoked. "I can just 
imagine me prancing around the house in a dress."

Liz laughed aloud as she said, "That would be funny."

John stood up and walked over to Herb. His medallion hung heavy 
around his neck. He reached down and fondled Herb's cock. The 
cock reacted to the sensation by becoming half-erect while the man 
sat in shock. John walked over to Liz and gently cupped her breast. 
John stepped away from both of them. "Don't rule out anything. 
Even sex with the same gender can be interesting and exciting for 
everyone involved. If she wants to see you suck a cock, seriously 
consider sucking a cock. That is love. Giving her what she would 
like. Of course, the same is true for her."

He bent down and picked up his clothes. He looked at the shocked 
couple. "Now, I have to get to bed. You can get dressed and go 
whenever you are ready. I'm sure that you have lots of stuff to talk 
about."

John headed to his bedroom. He was going to have a busy day 
tomorrow. He was planning on going to the police station, the 
university, the fire station, and the hospital. He also decided that he 
might swing by Karla's place and see how she was doing. 

It was an hour later that Herb and Liz left the house. They had 
come to three major decisions that night. The first was that they 
were not going to sell the house, but keep it as a love nest. The 
second was that they were going to talk about their fantasies and 
maybe live a few of them out. The third was that Liz was going to 
request to have a couple of pictures of her mother.

That night John dreamt of a smiling Mrs. South as she was 
surrounded by her friends. She was young again and naked as the 
day she was born. She was not embarrassed by her lack of 
clothing. She strutted as if she wanted him to know how good she 
looked. She gave him a wink and blew him a kiss to let him know 
that he had done well by her. She returned to her friends. 


