Charlie's Secret
Frankie was the first to know Charlie’s secret.
Frankie and Charlie were college students in August of 1971. Charlie called Frankie and asked him for a really big favor. Charlie needed an immediate ride into Manhattan to secretly see a doctor.
On the way in, Charlie reluctantly confessed what was going on.
Charlie admitted he was gay and may have contracted anal gonorrhea.
Frankie wasn’t that shocked, He noticed some telltale signs over the past couple of years he had known Charlie, but he never gave it any serious consideration. Charlie was a cool guy and they had become a close friends.
"I've always said you were a Liberal Fag" Frankie stoically said.
Charlie said “Chuck” luckily caught the symptoms in time. Frankie wondered who this guy “Chuck” was. Frankie asked and Charlie said, “Later.”
Frankie would never ever met Chuck or any of Charlie’s other “friends.”
Charlie continued to keep both his worlds separate.
*******
For someone like Charlie, back then it was a big deal to tell ANYONE you were gay. It had to be a secretive lifestyle in order to survive. Dark and dangerous places for anonymous trysts was the norm back then for guys like Charlie.
Charlie knew Frankie was a good friend but also knew Frankie would immediately start making Charlie the “butt” of his jokes on the ride into Manhattan.
Charlie braced himself for the onslaught.
“Maybe you can teach Beth how to give me an exquisite Blow Job?” Frankie needled Charlie on the ride in.
“Do you swallow, and if so, can you talk Beth into swallowing for me?” Frankie rattled on.
I guess you’re really Irish, What’s that you guys speak, Gay-Lick?(Gallic).
Frankie was on a roll!
“With all that anal stretching, do you shit easier now?” Frankie continued.
"Can you talk Beth into trying it up the ass from me?" Frankie pleaded.
“If Chuck’s dick tastes like someone else's shit, does that mean he’s cheating on you?” Frankie pensively questioned.
Charlie finally said, “Eat Shit and Die,” In his familiar, and now obviously prissy way when taking shit from Frankie.
For the first time Frankie recognized the slight hint of Truman Capote that has always been in Charlie’s acid tongue attitude. He was a genius at the comeback, but it always fell short of Frankie's machine gun wit.
That never did stop Frankie.
Frankie started singing the chorus from "Sweet Talking Guy" by The Chiffons.
But the chorus lyrics were slightly changed:
He's a Fist Fuckin'
(Fist Fuckin')
(Fist Fuckin')
(Fist Fuckin') guy!
Stay away from him, stay away from him, don't believe his lyin'
If you don't treat his VD you'll be dyin'
And Frankie kept ragging on Charlie. Right before they hit the Midtown Tunnel:
“Do you charge Chuck a toll, like they do here? Frankie said as he laughingly paid the 25 cent toll.
Charlie uttered an exasperated “Fuck YOU!”
Frankie responded, in a civil tone, “No Thanks, Beth wouldn’t approve!”
Silence.
Then they both broke out Laughing. Charlie realized this is just what he needed.
Frankie thought: "Wow.....Charlie really is a fucking fag!”
Charlie thought: “I knew I could count on Frankie.”
It was all sinking in. Intellectually for Frankie and, of course, anally for Charlie.
*******
Most kids with STDs couldn’t go to their family doctors. Kids couldn’t afford the treatment and the drugs for an STD. One had to give up their sexual contacts if one went to a free NYC Department of Health clinic. Anyway the policy everywhere was to track down your partners and tell your parents.
This doctor Charlie was seeing treated young people at no cost, straight or gay, who contracted any STD. He even offered free medication.
No questions asked.
Today people have no idea about the social stigma of having an STD in addition to being outed as gay back then. This doctor really was providing a gravely needed service. He was in the vanguard.
His office was on Fifth Avenue at East 76th Street. When Charlie and Frankie walked in, the DOCTOR and FRANKIE immediately recognized each other!
There was a moment of silence, the doctor tried to to speak and Frankie quickly said, “I’m just his friend.”
This was an incredible coincidence!
Frankie now remembered Dr. Stern!
*******
Frankie worked as a NYC Taxi driver part time late nights. It seems a few weeks earlier, Frankie picked up a fare at East 34th Street and Madison Avenue. In a Yiddish accent the man gave his destination and then immediately asked “Do you have a girl friend?”
This was before taxi cabs had partitions. Frankie ignored him and was just about to tell this old guy to fuck off because the man continued. “I am a doctor and want to stamp out venereal disease.” He introduced himself as Dr. Stern, saying he offers his services at no cost to young people suffering with STDs. Frankie was still a bit leery of this guy.
Arriving at the destination, the doorman greeted him as Dr. Stern, so Frankie knew he was legit. Frankie was always cautious. Gay passengers sometimes tried to pick him up. He always kindly declined. He never had a problem, except for a few drunks. If more girls tried to pick him up, he'd drive every night!
Dr. Stern examined Charlie. Charlie got his medication and everything was going to be fine. No charge. They all had a good laugh. Dr. Stern warned Charlie and Frankie to “Keep your schlemixckels CLEAN!!”
*******
Anyway, back to the evolution of Charlie’s secret:
Frankie never saw Charlie with a girl and he never talked about girls. Charlie wrote a beautiful essay about love and tastefully described non gender specific sexual acts. This essay was published in the student run Literary Magazine to rave reviews. Charlie was an excellent writer.
Frankie’s girlfriend Beth read the essay and whined ”Why can’t you write something like that about us? (She was Jewish.) Beth not knowing the essay was really about Charlie’s physical homosexual lust and love for Chuck.
Beth wondered who was this girl Charlie was writing about? "Did Frankie know?" Frankie would not betray Charlie’s confidence and said “No.” This was technically and semantically true. He did not know the girl Charlie was writing about.
*******
Charlie’s mother was a very domineering woman. Her word was the law.
Frankie and Charlie’s mutual friend Richie didn’t have a drivers license, so he didn’t have a car. Frankie owned his car and did most of the driving for the group. Charlie had a license, but used his mother’s car, a Ford Falcon.
Back then some cops routinely pulled over kids even without with long hair (adults despised long hair on boys back then) for harassment and then issued tickets. Charlie received a moving violation for having moderately short hair with a peace decal on his mother’s car rear windshield.
The decal was a white hand joined with a black hand holding a dove shaped American flag. Extremely anti-war and pro civil rights. A cop spotted the decal and decided to nail Charlie for it.
Frankie told Charlie that liberal decal made him a Cop Magnet.
"Why do you think I never get any tickets?" Frankie asked. "Put an American Flag decal on your car, your Mother will love it and you'll skate every time with the cops, if they do pull you over." Frankie added.
"It also helps that you're a veteran" Charlie shot back, "With that Reservist ID Card in your wallet."
"The cops still fuck with me, they hate taxi drivers" Frankie causually responded.
Frankie then told Charlie to enlist. He'd love sleeping in a barracks with 100 other guys!
"Lots of the ARVNS (Vietnamese soldiers) are homos….. Ever do a Dink (Asian)?" Frankie said with a mocked sincerity of inquiry.
"Or join the Navy…Lots of Semen (Seamen) there! Frankie continued.
This was during the Viet Nam war. President Nixon was egging on the Silent Majority. The TV News was filled with young people burning their draft cards during student campus riots. Charlie was always talking about going to peace rallies and read all the "hippie" literature floating around.
Charlie was a ripe target for the cops with that liberal decal.
But, Charlie made the mistake of telling his mother about receiving the ticket.
Charlie heroically told his mother he was going fight the ticket to make an anti-war statement for the Peace and Civil Rights Movements.
Bottom line: Charlie’s mother made him plead guilty and pay the fine. If not, he’d lose his car privileges and probably get kicked out of the house. In addition, he had to remove the decal.
*******
At the college radio station, Charlie got the staff voting to join John Lennon & Yoko Ono’s Radio Peace Network. By doing so, they received a station ID recording of the two rockers singing: “This is Radio Peace, This is Radio Love.”
Frankie immediately gave Charlie the nickname “The Prince of Peace.” Frankie sliced together a taped spot with a choir singing “The Prince of Peace is Coming” for the introduction to Charlie’s radio program.
Frankie also labeled Charlie “Instant Liberal”, in honor of his love for John Lennon’s song “Instant Karma.” Charlie actually had a longish head so Frankie would also call him a “Lanky Headed Liberal.”
Charlie thrived on the attention and the good natured ribbing. He would try to respond in kind, but his futile attempts were well below par. He was no competition for the Master, Frankie.
*******
One evening, the guys were going out to Manhattan for Chinese food at their favorite restaurant Kam Bo Kitchen on Hester Street in Chinatown. Frankie’s car wasn't running so Charlie picked him up in his mother’s car and they went to get their friend Richie in Jackson Heights.
Then it happened. Charlie’s car conked out on Northern Boulevard. Neither Richie or Frankie knew shit about cars. Charlie of course didn’t know anything either.
So what does Charlie do? He calls his older sister. Frankie and Richie had never met her. She was short haired wearing a tee shirt and jeans. Pat takes out a tool box and gets under the hood of Charlie’s mother’s car. She gets it running in five minutes.
Richie looked at Frankie and they both knew this tough looking butch broad was a dyke. Charlie seemed to think there was nothing out of the ordinary. The guys resumed their drive into Chinatown.
Frankie thinks Richie was afraid of Pat. He knew Charlie was.
Frankie now knew Charlie was a fag and his sister was a dyke. Maybe there was still some hope for their little brother, who knows?
*******
On their way into the city, Richie had some mescaline. Frankie took over the driving duties as Richie and Charlie eagerly took the hallucinogen. It kicked in rather quickly.
Frankie decided it would be cool if these two assholes skipped Kam Bo Kitchen. They all agreed to go to Palisades Amusement Park in New Jersey. “That would really freak these knuckleheads out!” Frankie thought.
But Richie wanted to leave as soon as they stepped into the bright lights with the rapidly moving rides. He was on the verge of freaking out. They left the park immediately upon Richie’s instance.
The guys piled into the car and Charlie suggested they go to the Waverley Theater in Greenwich Village. A double feature of 2001- A Space Odyssey and Walt Disney’s Fantasia was starting at 9 pm. The theatre ran these movies once a month for people who took hallucinogens. Charlie heard they were fantastic when viewing them on mescaline.
Once seated in the theatre, 2001-A Space Odyssey started. During the monkey scene Richie started freaking out really badly again. The guys had to leave. Richie wanted to just get in the car and drive with all windows opened.
They hit the FDR Drive and took the Triborough Bridge to the Grand Central Parkway and headed out towards Long Island at a good steady clip. Richie was chilling out. Charlie was mellow and all was good with the world.
They stopped for Pizza at some town on Long Island and then drove back to Queens. During the ride Charlie inadvertently told Richie about his situation with Chuck. Richie said “Really, I kind of figured that out a long time ago.”
*******
Frankie started to cover for Charlie’s lifestyle.
"Imagine me, a beard for a fag!" Frankie would kid Charlie. Charlie's response was to put on his foppish body language and say "Fuck You -Breeder!"
It usually worked out that before Beth, Charlie was the last one to drop off when Frankie drove the guys home.
He would say “I just want some fresh air, drop me down on Jamaica Avenue and I’ll walk back." Frankie knew he was going down there to “cruise” the park for guys. Beth had no idea. But Frankie knew the deal.
Another spot he usually hit was the Men's Bathroom at The Long Island Rail Road Station, in Jamaica. He'd want to get dropped off there sometimes for a longer walk home.
That's where Charlie had his first homosexual experience at the tender age of 15 . He found out what was going on there. Once, he was taking a dump, got up to wipe his ass and the stall door swung open. A middle aged man fell to his knees and gave Charlie his first blow job. It was over in seconds. They didn't speak and the man left Charlie in the stall, pants down and loving it.
" How Romantic" Frankie said when Charlie confided in him. They were eating lunch in White Castle at the time, Frankie added "Is that why you like extra Tarter Sauce on your Fish Fillet?" Then Frankie cut a loud fart. He smiled and asked Charlie with his standard inquiring face, if Charlie swallowed on that first encounter.
Of course Charlie again gave Frankie his extremely prissy "fuck you!"
Charlie’s mother once asked Frankie if Charlie "was involved" with someone. Frankie told her he thought Charlie was “involved” with “someone” Charlie knew at his part time job at Records Spectulactor on Jamaica Avenue. He added that he never met this person because Charlie was a very private type of guy. Again, Frankie's statement was technically and semantically true. She had no idea about Charlie, or was just in denial.
Richie and Frankie kept Charlie’s secret. As with all college friends, they all lost touch over the years.
*******
The years did pass on so quickly. In 1997 Frankie got an e mail his sister forwarded to him from her Classmates.com listing.
It was from Charlie, asking if she was related to Frankie. Frankie got in touch with Charlie right away. He was living in New Haven Connecticut on disability. Charlie worked as a Flight Attendant for United Airlines. He had contracted AIDS and didn’t have long to live.
They had a great telephone conversation about the old college days. Frankie told him they have to keep in touch and he would make it up to New Haven to visit. Charlie kindly declined the offer, saying he was way to sick to have visitors.
Frankie found out Charlie’s younger brother became a cop with the NYPD. Frankie became an NYPD police officer as well. His brother was now a detective in the Major Case Squad. Frankie was a Lieutenant in Narcotics.
Charlie's brother was married with three kids and lived on Long Island. He barely remembers Frankie and Richie from the old days in Queens.
He does remember Charlie always said his happiest days were in College with his two pals, Frankie and Richie.
Charlie died soon after being in touch with Frankie.
"Shit, I miss that fucking guy!" Frankie now occasionally reflects.
Copyright 2016
Frankie was the first to know Charlie’s secret.
Frankie and Charlie were college students in August of 1971. Charlie called Frankie and asked him for a really big favor. Charlie needed an immediate ride into Manhattan to secretly see a doctor.
On the way in, Charlie reluctantly confessed what was going on.
Charlie admitted he was gay and may have contracted anal gonorrhea.
Frankie wasn’t that shocked, He noticed some telltale signs over the past couple of years he had known Charlie, but he never gave it any serious consideration. Charlie was a cool guy and they had become a close friends.
"I've always said you were a Liberal Fag" Frankie stoically said.
Charlie said “Chuck” luckily caught the symptoms in time. Frankie wondered who this guy “Chuck” was. Frankie asked and Charlie said, “Later.”
Frankie would never ever met Chuck or any of Charlie’s other “friends.”
Charlie continued to keep both his worlds separate.
*******
For someone like Charlie, back then it was a big deal to tell ANYONE you were gay. It had to be a secretive lifestyle in order to survive. Dark and dangerous places for anonymous trysts was the norm back then for guys like Charlie.
Charlie knew Frankie was a good friend but also knew Frankie would immediately start making Charlie the “butt” of his jokes on the ride into Manhattan.
Charlie braced himself for the onslaught.
“Maybe you can teach Beth how to give me an exquisite Blow Job?” Frankie needled Charlie on the ride in.
“Do you swallow, and if so, can you talk Beth into swallowing for me?” Frankie rattled on.
I guess you’re really Irish, What’s that you guys speak, Gay-Lick?(Gallic).
Frankie was on a roll!
“With all that anal stretching, do you shit easier now?” Frankie continued.
"Can you talk Beth into trying it up the ass from me?" Frankie pleaded.
“If Chuck’s dick tastes like someone else's shit, does that mean he’s cheating on you?” Frankie pensively questioned.
Charlie finally said, “Eat Shit and Die,” In his familiar, and now obviously prissy way when taking shit from Frankie.
For the first time Frankie recognized the slight hint of Truman Capote that has always been in Charlie’s acid tongue attitude. He was a genius at the comeback, but it always fell short of Frankie's machine gun wit.
That never did stop Frankie.
Frankie started singing the chorus from "Sweet Talking Guy" by The Chiffons.
But the chorus lyrics were slightly changed:
He's a Fist Fuckin'
(Fist Fuckin')
(Fist Fuckin')
(Fist Fuckin') guy!
Stay away from him, stay away from him, don't believe his lyin'
If you don't treat his VD you'll be dyin'
And Frankie kept ragging on Charlie. Right before they hit the Midtown Tunnel:
“Do you charge Chuck a toll, like they do here? Frankie said as he laughingly paid the 25 cent toll.
Charlie uttered an exasperated “Fuck YOU!”
Frankie responded, in a civil tone, “No Thanks, Beth wouldn’t approve!”
Silence.
Then they both broke out Laughing. Charlie realized this is just what he needed.
Frankie thought: "Wow.....Charlie really is a fucking fag!”
Charlie thought: “I knew I could count on Frankie.”
It was all sinking in. Intellectually for Frankie and, of course, anally for Charlie.
*******
Most kids with STDs couldn’t go to their family doctors. Kids couldn’t afford the treatment and the drugs for an STD. One had to give up their sexual contacts if one went to a free NYC Department of Health clinic. Anyway the policy everywhere was to track down your partners and tell your parents.
This doctor Charlie was seeing treated young people at no cost, straight or gay, who contracted any STD. He even offered free medication.
No questions asked.
Today people have no idea about the social stigma of having an STD in addition to being outed as gay back then. This doctor really was providing a gravely needed service. He was in the vanguard.
His office was on Fifth Avenue at East 76th Street. When Charlie and Frankie walked in, the DOCTOR and FRANKIE immediately recognized each other!
There was a moment of silence, the doctor tried to to speak and Frankie quickly said, “I’m just his friend.”
This was an incredible coincidence!
Frankie now remembered Dr. Stern!
*******
Frankie worked as a NYC Taxi driver part time late nights. It seems a few weeks earlier, Frankie picked up a fare at East 34th Street and Madison Avenue. In a Yiddish accent the man gave his destination and then immediately asked “Do you have a girl friend?”
This was before taxi cabs had partitions. Frankie ignored him and was just about to tell this old guy to fuck off because the man continued. “I am a doctor and want to stamp out venereal disease.” He introduced himself as Dr. Stern, saying he offers his services at no cost to young people suffering with STDs. Frankie was still a bit leery of this guy.
Arriving at the destination, the doorman greeted him as Dr. Stern, so Frankie knew he was legit. Frankie was always cautious. Gay passengers sometimes tried to pick him up. He always kindly declined. He never had a problem, except for a few drunks. If more girls tried to pick him up, he'd drive every night!
Dr. Stern examined Charlie. Charlie got his medication and everything was going to be fine. No charge. They all had a good laugh. Dr. Stern warned Charlie and Frankie to “Keep your schlemixckels CLEAN!!”
*******
Anyway, back to the evolution of Charlie’s secret:
Frankie never saw Charlie with a girl and he never talked about girls. Charlie wrote a beautiful essay about love and tastefully described non gender specific sexual acts. This essay was published in the student run Literary Magazine to rave reviews. Charlie was an excellent writer.
Frankie’s girlfriend Beth read the essay and whined ”Why can’t you write something like that about us? (She was Jewish.) Beth not knowing the essay was really about Charlie’s physical homosexual lust and love for Chuck.
Beth wondered who was this girl Charlie was writing about? "Did Frankie know?" Frankie would not betray Charlie’s confidence and said “No.” This was technically and semantically true. He did not know the girl Charlie was writing about.
*******
Charlie’s mother was a very domineering woman. Her word was the law.
Frankie and Charlie’s mutual friend Richie didn’t have a drivers license, so he didn’t have a car. Frankie owned his car and did most of the driving for the group. Charlie had a license, but used his mother’s car, a Ford Falcon.
Back then some cops routinely pulled over kids even without with long hair (adults despised long hair on boys back then) for harassment and then issued tickets. Charlie received a moving violation for having moderately short hair with a peace decal on his mother’s car rear windshield.
The decal was a white hand joined with a black hand holding a dove shaped American flag. Extremely anti-war and pro civil rights. A cop spotted the decal and decided to nail Charlie for it.
Frankie told Charlie that liberal decal made him a Cop Magnet.
"Why do you think I never get any tickets?" Frankie asked. "Put an American Flag decal on your car, your Mother will love it and you'll skate every time with the cops, if they do pull you over." Frankie added.
"It also helps that you're a veteran" Charlie shot back, "With that Reservist ID Card in your wallet."
"The cops still fuck with me, they hate taxi drivers" Frankie causually responded.
Frankie then told Charlie to enlist. He'd love sleeping in a barracks with 100 other guys!
"Lots of the ARVNS (Vietnamese soldiers) are homos….. Ever do a Dink (Asian)?" Frankie said with a mocked sincerity of inquiry.
"Or join the Navy…Lots of Semen (Seamen) there! Frankie continued.
This was during the Viet Nam war. President Nixon was egging on the Silent Majority. The TV News was filled with young people burning their draft cards during student campus riots. Charlie was always talking about going to peace rallies and read all the "hippie" literature floating around.
Charlie was a ripe target for the cops with that liberal decal.
But, Charlie made the mistake of telling his mother about receiving the ticket.
Charlie heroically told his mother he was going fight the ticket to make an anti-war statement for the Peace and Civil Rights Movements.
Bottom line: Charlie’s mother made him plead guilty and pay the fine. If not, he’d lose his car privileges and probably get kicked out of the house. In addition, he had to remove the decal.
*******
At the college radio station, Charlie got the staff voting to join John Lennon & Yoko Ono’s Radio Peace Network. By doing so, they received a station ID recording of the two rockers singing: “This is Radio Peace, This is Radio Love.”
Frankie immediately gave Charlie the nickname “The Prince of Peace.” Frankie sliced together a taped spot with a choir singing “The Prince of Peace is Coming” for the introduction to Charlie’s radio program.
Frankie also labeled Charlie “Instant Liberal”, in honor of his love for John Lennon’s song “Instant Karma.” Charlie actually had a longish head so Frankie would also call him a “Lanky Headed Liberal.”
Charlie thrived on the attention and the good natured ribbing. He would try to respond in kind, but his futile attempts were well below par. He was no competition for the Master, Frankie.
*******
One evening, the guys were going out to Manhattan for Chinese food at their favorite restaurant Kam Bo Kitchen on Hester Street in Chinatown. Frankie’s car wasn't running so Charlie picked him up in his mother’s car and they went to get their friend Richie in Jackson Heights.
Then it happened. Charlie’s car conked out on Northern Boulevard. Neither Richie or Frankie knew shit about cars. Charlie of course didn’t know anything either.
So what does Charlie do? He calls his older sister. Frankie and Richie had never met her. She was short haired wearing a tee shirt and jeans. Pat takes out a tool box and gets under the hood of Charlie’s mother’s car. She gets it running in five minutes.
Richie looked at Frankie and they both knew this tough looking butch broad was a dyke. Charlie seemed to think there was nothing out of the ordinary. The guys resumed their drive into Chinatown.
Frankie thinks Richie was afraid of Pat. He knew Charlie was.
Frankie now knew Charlie was a fag and his sister was a dyke. Maybe there was still some hope for their little brother, who knows?
*******
On their way into the city, Richie had some mescaline. Frankie took over the driving duties as Richie and Charlie eagerly took the hallucinogen. It kicked in rather quickly.
Frankie decided it would be cool if these two assholes skipped Kam Bo Kitchen. They all agreed to go to Palisades Amusement Park in New Jersey. “That would really freak these knuckleheads out!” Frankie thought.
But Richie wanted to leave as soon as they stepped into the bright lights with the rapidly moving rides. He was on the verge of freaking out. They left the park immediately upon Richie’s instance.
The guys piled into the car and Charlie suggested they go to the Waverley Theater in Greenwich Village. A double feature of 2001- A Space Odyssey and Walt Disney’s Fantasia was starting at 9 pm. The theatre ran these movies once a month for people who took hallucinogens. Charlie heard they were fantastic when viewing them on mescaline.
Once seated in the theatre, 2001-A Space Odyssey started. During the monkey scene Richie started freaking out really badly again. The guys had to leave. Richie wanted to just get in the car and drive with all windows opened.
They hit the FDR Drive and took the Triborough Bridge to the Grand Central Parkway and headed out towards Long Island at a good steady clip. Richie was chilling out. Charlie was mellow and all was good with the world.
They stopped for Pizza at some town on Long Island and then drove back to Queens. During the ride Charlie inadvertently told Richie about his situation with Chuck. Richie said “Really, I kind of figured that out a long time ago.”
*******
Frankie started to cover for Charlie’s lifestyle.
"Imagine me, a beard for a fag!" Frankie would kid Charlie. Charlie's response was to put on his foppish body language and say "Fuck You -Breeder!"
It usually worked out that before Beth, Charlie was the last one to drop off when Frankie drove the guys home.
He would say “I just want some fresh air, drop me down on Jamaica Avenue and I’ll walk back." Frankie knew he was going down there to “cruise” the park for guys. Beth had no idea. But Frankie knew the deal.
Another spot he usually hit was the Men's Bathroom at The Long Island Rail Road Station, in Jamaica. He'd want to get dropped off there sometimes for a longer walk home.
That's where Charlie had his first homosexual experience at the tender age of 15 . He found out what was going on there. Once, he was taking a dump, got up to wipe his ass and the stall door swung open. A middle aged man fell to his knees and gave Charlie his first blow job. It was over in seconds. They didn't speak and the man left Charlie in the stall, pants down and loving it.
" How Romantic" Frankie said when Charlie confided in him. They were eating lunch in White Castle at the time, Frankie added "Is that why you like extra Tarter Sauce on your Fish Fillet?" Then Frankie cut a loud fart. He smiled and asked Charlie with his standard inquiring face, if Charlie swallowed on that first encounter.
Of course Charlie again gave Frankie his extremely prissy "fuck you!"
Charlie’s mother once asked Frankie if Charlie "was involved" with someone. Frankie told her he thought Charlie was “involved” with “someone” Charlie knew at his part time job at Records Spectulactor on Jamaica Avenue. He added that he never met this person because Charlie was a very private type of guy. Again, Frankie's statement was technically and semantically true. She had no idea about Charlie, or was just in denial.
Richie and Frankie kept Charlie’s secret. As with all college friends, they all lost touch over the years.
*******
The years did pass on so quickly. In 1997 Frankie got an e mail his sister forwarded to him from her Classmates.com listing.
It was from Charlie, asking if she was related to Frankie. Frankie got in touch with Charlie right away. He was living in New Haven Connecticut on disability. Charlie worked as a Flight Attendant for United Airlines. He had contracted AIDS and didn’t have long to live.
They had a great telephone conversation about the old college days. Frankie told him they have to keep in touch and he would make it up to New Haven to visit. Charlie kindly declined the offer, saying he was way to sick to have visitors.
Frankie found out Charlie’s younger brother became a cop with the NYPD. Frankie became an NYPD police officer as well. His brother was now a detective in the Major Case Squad. Frankie was a Lieutenant in Narcotics.
Charlie's brother was married with three kids and lived on Long Island. He barely remembers Frankie and Richie from the old days in Queens.
He does remember Charlie always said his happiest days were in College with his two pals, Frankie and Richie.
Charlie died soon after being in touch with Frankie.
"Shit, I miss that fucking guy!" Frankie now occasionally reflects.
Copyright 2016