Published: 18 Jun 2020

The taxi ride to Kens Karate Club Sauna was short and subdued. Lewis was much too nervous to converse, answering question offered by Peter with a simple yes, no or maybe. The taxi pulled up and Peter paid for the ride. “Ready?” he asked.

“No,”

“Can’t back out now,” Peter stressed as he paid the driver.

“Fucken poofters,” the taxi driver growled bringing Peter to slam the car door.

“Up your’s cunt!” Peter shouted as the taxi quickly departed with an exaggerated screeching of rubber on road.

“Ohh;” Lewis gasped being the first encounter he had with homophobia since arriving.

“Don’t let it worry,” Peter calmed, “you get used to it.”

“I don’t think I ever would,”

Kens entry was innocent enough, down a dark alley, past the back entrance to a spaghetti bar and its overflowing garbage bins and a single door between two buildings without signage, the door covered in homophobic suggestion then up a narrow dimly lit stairwell to approach a glass panel at the top with a small booth behind.

Peter pressed a buzzer at the panel and within a short while a young male entered the booth wearing nothing but a loin cloth while displaying a well formed chest and developed arms, his blond tipped hair appeared to have been recently permed. He collected his pen then entered something into a ledger while announcing, “member – number 142,” obviously Peter was well known to the establishment. Turning the ledger he offered Peter the pen. “Evening Peter,” he greeted in an effeminate voice as he collected the entry fee, “lockers seventeen and eighteen, in the corner.”

“Thank you Damien, is it busy tonight?”

“Usual crowd; plenty of fatties, watch out for Friar Tuck he’s back with his wandering hands.”

“Anything I would like?” Peter asked.

“Only me but you’ve already been there.” Damien gave a cheeky smile.

“Could again,” Peter promised.

“So who’s your cute friend?” Damien asked while passing two locker keys through the gap between the counter top and the glass panel. “And friend,” he noted to his ledger before Peter answered.

“Lewis he’s a bushie from up north – his first visit.”

Lewis, he entered into his ledger, “no need for family names here, you will find we aren’t that formal.”

“So then Lewis friend of Peter, enjoy.

The doorman buzzed them through allowing entry into a dimly lit lounge, displaying a television and a bar, serving toasted sandwiches, coffee and beer. Once inside there was a scattering of comfortable chairs with a number of sparingly dressed males consuming food, drinking or watching television tuned to a sports channel broadcasting that night’s rugby league game. As one they all turned to check out who was entering. One obviously knew Peter and gave a nod, Peter returned response.

“Television room,” Peter simply said.

“We don’t have television at the station but with a tall antenna you can pick it up on the tablelands.”

“What no porn channel?” Peter questioned.

“Is there?” Lewis answered most disbelieving.

“No but if I had my way there would be.”

“Has John still got his super eight movies?” Lewis asked remembering nights viewing while John had his way with him.

“He has – have you seen them?”

“One or two but they weren’t very interesting.” Lewis answered attempting to back away from the asking.

So far Lewis didn’t feel threatened and was loosing his apprehension. For a moment he remained watching the game before Peter took his arm and pulled him away from the lounge.

“Come on its only bloody rugby league, the real game is Aussie Rules.” Peter complained.

“For me Rugby Union,” Lewis corrected, “but I do like Aussie rules as well. Collingwood,” he admitted remembering the team he had chosen during his short stay in Melbourne as a boy many years previously, being during the two years break between his two internments at the hostel.

“Fuck no, Saint Kilda for me!” Peter contradicted as he dragged Lewis into a locker room where two patrons stood in discussion and both as naked as the day they were born. Lewis gaped at the sight. The two suspended their conversation, directing interest towards Lewis as if waiting for him to undress, causing him to become coy under their scrutiny.

“What next?” Lewis asked.

Peter observed Lewis’ key number and pointed to a locker, “that’s obvious, you strip and the fun commences.”

“What walk around naked?”

“If you wish but that is what the lap-lap is for, besides covering up gives an air of mystery.”

Fortunately for his shyness Lewis’ locker was in a corner allowing him to undress with his back towards the two. Leaving on his top he quickly wrapped with the loin cloth before removing it. As for Peter he appeared to be lacking any modesty and within a wink was as naked and in no hurry to cover. Lewis couldn’t help but cast his gaze upon Peter’s body and surprised himself to find his interests increasing and causing a rise under his wrap.

“Come on I’ll show you around,” Peter offered, finally covering while beckoning Lewis to follow along a dimly lit passage past a double row of closed cubical doors. Lewis threw his towel over his shoulder and followed Peter like an obedient puppy; a most nervous puppy at that.

“What goes on in there?” Lewis enquired.

Peter laughed and continued towards the light at the end of the passage. “Whatever you want to happen but if a door is closed leave it so,” he answered.

The passage opened into a large room with a shower recess to the left and a spar to the right and two doors leading to what he was to discover were a steam room and a dry sauna, then onto a flight of stairs leading down to the lower level where there were more cubicles and a heated pool surrounded by roman columns.

“Do you think you would be okay wandering on your own for a while?” Peter asked as they closed in on the pool area.

“I’m a little nervous but I’m a big boy now and can look after myself.” Lewis answered while checking the pool’s water temperature, “warm.” He commented.

“Want to go for a swim?” Peter suggested.

“What do you wear?”

“Nothing.”

“That’s novel, I haven’t swam naked since Lake Eacham with Will,”

“You are a dark horse after all,” Peter smiled.

“They were somewhat different circumstances.”

“Same outcome I should think,” Peter said.

“Nope.”

“Well enjoy yourself and I won’t be far away if you need me.”

“Thank you, I’ll stay in the pool for a while.”

With Peter disappearing into the dimness towards the upper lever and the saunas, Lewis looked about and finding himself alone removed his wrap before diving headlong into the warm water, immediately feeling its relaxing qualities. After a number of laps of the short pool he hauled onto his elbows at the pool’s end, as a young man approached, his long black shoulder length hair was parted at the middle and curling gently at its touch his shoulders.

“Hi,” he greeted nervously towards Lewis.

“Hi yourself,” Lewis smiled and cocked his head to one side, while admiring the lad’s slender form.

“It’s my first time here,” the stranger admitted lowering away from Lewis’ gaze.

“Ditto,” Lewis answered bringing a smile to the stranger’s face.

“Are you from Sydney?” the dark haired stranger asked.”

“No the Gulf Country in Queensland.”

“I’m from Wagga out the back of New South Wales.”

“I know where it is,” Lewis admitted.

“Have you been there?”

“I like reading maps,”

“Well you are one up on me I haven’t a clue where to find your Gulf Country,” his answer brought humour to Lewis.

“I’m Lewis and the gulf is Carpentaria and probably as big as this state, but I live a couple of hundred miles further south,” Lewis realised he was once again becoming the school teacher, “enough of that I’m sure you don’t want a geography lesson.”

“Hi Lewis I’m Geoff, no I find it interesting.”

“Well Geoff do you want a swim?” Lewis asked, feeling his presence may be preventing Geoff from entering the pool.

“I was thinking of doing so,” Geoff answered and anxiously approached the pool, his hand resting on the knot of his wrap without releasing its hold. He subconsciously tested the water with his toe.

“Do you want me to turn around?” Lewis asked realising Geoff’s tenseness.

“No I’ll be alright,” Geoff answered with a nervous grin. Turning he placed the wrap on a seat displaying a small but well formed pert rear end. Then with one action he turned and dove into the pool surfacing close to Lewis and mirroring his rest on the pool’s end.

“Do you have a boyfriend Lewis?” Geoff asked.

“I don’t do the boyfriend thing Geoff; I don’t understand all this gay stuff.”

“Are you straight?”

Lewis laughed and shook his head, “I’m just me but if you have to categorise, then I suppose you could say I’m gay but not active.”

“I don’t understand it all either, back in Wagga you didn’t look sideways at another male in fear of having your head kicked in and if it weren’t for a gay cousin I probably would never known anything about this life,” Geoff answered.

“How long are you in Sydney?” Lewis asked.

“I’m sort of living here now, have a job with a bank and I live in Darlinghurst and work in the city – Macquarie Street.”

“I am flying back on Wednesday,” Lewis answered.

“Where exactly do you live?” Geoff enquired.

“Have you heard of Cairns?”

Geoff admitted he had.

“Well its nowhere near there, I fly to Cairns, then catch the train up the mountains to Mareeba; my home town, then another train for about two hundred and fifty miles to a place called Forsayth and a mail truck for another seventy to a cattle station called Gilbert Downs, where I work as the property’s cowboy.”

And Lewis was correct Geoff had gleaned nothing but confusion from the explanation especially the position of cowboy but this time there wasn’t any mention of Indians.

“I think I would like your station.” Geoff admitted being from country himself and having a rudimentary understanding of stock and horses. It was the isolation that worried most, no shops, bars or saunas. Geoff admitted he could more than likely do without the bars and saunas but he did enjoy shopping and would miss the coffee shops for a Saturday morning’s milling with likeminded friends.

Somewhere between the explanation of where the gulf was situated and what a cowboy did, Peter returned to see how Lewis was coping. On seeing the two talking he nodded and once again disappeared into the dimness of the lead to the upper level. Geoff’s elbow innocently brushed Lewis’ side sending a surge of electricity through his body; Lewis flinched as he retrieved his personal space; realising he was erect and had been for sometime.

“Sorry.” Geoff apologised.

“No problems.” Lewis accepted the apology and while allowing his body to return to its previous position, he noticed Geoff was equally excited, giving him the urge to reach through the warm fluid and explore his friend’s desires. His throat dried as a thousand reasons why he should not continue formed and most of them were Will, then the words came as if under their own control.

“Do you want to go to one of those rooms?” Lewis asked in a croaked voice, half expecting a rejection and half hoping for that rejection.

“I thought you would never ask.” Geoff answered with equal anxiety.

A good minute passed before either moved and that being but a flinch from Lewis towards powering towards the pool’s end. The flinch dissipated immediately leaving him remaining neck deep in pool water.

“Well,” Lewis gave a nervous huff.

“I guess,”

“You ready?”

“I think so,”

“Come on,” Lewis flicked his head towards the row of cubicles.

“Okay,”

Heading towards the closest cubicle while forgetting Peter’s warning, Lewis opened the door and was shocked, discovering two naked over weight males writhing around in sweat, oil and sexual embrace upon a large vinyl mattress, the dim light appeared to accentuate a lubricant dispenser and tray of condoms.

“Shit sorry,” Lewis gasped feeling his face flush with unexpected embarrassment.

“Come in and join,” The top man smiled without missing a stroke. While Lewis quickly closed the door and broke into a fit of giggling as he moved on to the next cubicle. “How do you know if they are empty?” he questioned rhetorically as he wrapped his fingers around the greasy door handle.

“Wouldn’t have a clue,” Geoff answered showing equal enquiry. The door opened and the cubicle was empty except for a vinyl mattress covering the small expanse of flooring and again matching lubricant and condoms. Lewis entered and sat upon the mattress then beckoned through the dim light for Geoff to join him. They both released a nervous silly giggle.

“Did you enjoy yourself?” Peter enquired as the taxi pulled away from Kens Karate Club, extracting a smile from Lewis.

“Well it sure is different and you would never find anything like that in Mareeba,” he answered in a whisper.

“No, I meant did you enjoy yourself with Geoff?” Peter repeated.

Lewis didn’t answer in fear the taxi driver would hear, “later,” he suggested in a whisper, remembering the attitude of the driver on their arrival at Kens and not wishing to be part of a repeated attack.

“Don’t worry about me; I spend most of my free time at Kens.” The driver acknowledged with a knowing laugh.

“Shit is all of Sidney at it?” Lewis exclaimed loudly, while both the driver and Peter burst into laughter.

“Only the good looking ones,” The driver suggested.

“Do you know Geoff?” Lewis asked.

“I tried there but had no luck.”

Once home Ashley quickly extracted the night’s entertainment from Lewis, also the guilt he was now feeling for desecrating Will’s memory.

“Did you enjoy Geoff’s company?” Ashley asked at length after Peter had unashamedly related all.

“He was a pleasant enough fellow.” Lewis admitted.

“Are you going to see him again?”

“We didn’t exchange addresses besides I’m leaving in a few days and the last I need is for someone turning up at the station looking for me.”

“You know I will miss you when you leave; and so will Perter, are you sure you can’t stay a while longer?” Ashley admitted sincerely.

“No I’m expected back at the station but I will say that this trip and seeing you once again has gone somewhat towards taken me out of my doldrums.”

Peter returned from the kitchen with late night coffee, “We should take a holiday and visit Lewis on this station of his Ash,” he proposed.

“I don’t think the ringers would understand a couple of old poofs.” Ashley quickly admitted.

“Old poofs, talk for your self.” Peter declared indignantly.

“We could meet up in Cairns sometime.” Suggested Ashley with Lewis believing it would be a much more acceptable proposal and logistically more serviceable, while feeling relieved he wouldn’t have to explain his southern friends to his work mates.

“Do you still want to have a look at Katoomba tomorrow?” Ashley asked.

“I’m looking forward in doing so.”

“Are you coming?” Ashley invited Peter.

“Sorry I have to work.”

Ashley and Lewis caught the train from Central Station and became lost in conversation as they travelled westwards into the foothills of the Blue Mountains stopping at all stations, with Ashley acting as guide and historic expert as they passed through the towns of the explorers, Lawson, Wentworth falls, Blaxland. Oddly enough it was Lewis who had many of the answers and the tourist became the guide.

Arriving at Katoomba in time for lunch Ashley commenced to look for a good café while declaring he had heard from a friend who had a friend, suggesting if one was ever in Katoomba they should have a meal at the Cliff Café.

Although it was suburban all the way, winding through the mountains and following the path of the explorers from Sydney, Katoomba’s commercial heart was but one street up and another down, yet they could not find the Cliff Café, so decided to take a wander to the lookout before settling for an alternate eating house.

On reaching the lookout they found their café and where else would you find a café with the name of cliff but on a cliff, with a view that could not be bettered. To the south towered the Three Sisters’ monoliths in silent sentinel to the mountains, while to the west and dropping four thousand feet from the escarpment, the view stretched endless forever across the state of New South Wales.

“It must have been a sight for LBW.” Lewis said in an exhale of wonder.

“What has the game of cricket and leg before wicket got to do with it?” Ashley asked.

“Sorry LBW was how at school we remembered those who crossed over here in 1813, Lawson, Blaxland and Wentworth.” Lewis explained.

“Yes I remember them from my school days, besides we passed through their namesakes on the way up.”

“Do you know the story behind the Three Sisters?” Lewis asked of Ashley, who declared he did not, so Lewis being Lewis commence to tell.

“There were three beautiful girls from one tribe in love with three handsome brothers from another tribe.”

“What were the tribes called?” Ashley interjected.

“The sisters were from the Katoomba lot and the brothers from the Nepean tribe. I continue, the two tribes were at war and the witchdoctor of the sister’s tribe turned the three girls into three pillars of stone so they couldn’t run off with their boys but during the fighting. The witchdoctor was killed and no one knew how to turn the girls back to life, therefore they remain there alone and silent for eternity.”

“Did the natives use the word witchdoctor, or have you been watching too many African adventure films?”

“Witchdoctor, medicine man or magic man doesn’t really matter I guess the outcome was the same.”

“I suppose so, nice story where did you hear it?” Ashley asked.

Lewis laughed, “on a bus en route to Sydney some years back.”

“It’s similar to the story about the girl who drowned at Crystal Springs near Cairns you told Will.” Ashley disclosed.

“How did you know about that?” Lewis asked displaying surprise.

“Will told me.”

“I didn’t know you talked to Will?”

“Actually we talked quite a lot when you weren’t around and it was all good.” Ashley paused and after releasing a long sigh he continued, “Will loved you very much Lewis and couldn’t understand what you saw in him.”

“That’s funny as I always wondered what he saw in me, he had all the looks and personality.”

“That is where you and myself misjudged Will; he wasn’t interested in appearance but in character and integrity which he realised in you.”

If it weren’t for the crowd in the café Lewis may have broken down in an uncontrollable fit of sobbing, instead he lowered his head from the beauty beyond the window, took a breath and held it. It worked.

“Shit Ashley I miss him so much and don’t think I can survive living his memory, sometimes I think my heart is going to explode with the pain.”

“You will and must for Will’s sake as he lives on in your memory, love him from there.”

Lewis didn’t answer, yet what Ashley said was sound and when he returned north he would endeavour to lift himself out of his sadness.

On their return trip from Katoomba neither spoke until they were near Penrith and fast closing in on Sydney’s western suburbs, when Ashley reaffirmed Peter’s suggestion to meet in Cairns and once again Lewis agreed it to be a good idea.

“What about Peter will he come as well?” Lewis asked.

“Maybe – Peter is somewhat transient and falls in and out of love as one would change socks,” Ashley admitted.

“Do you love him?” Lewis asked from his sheltered definition of love.

“At my point in life love doesn’t enter the equation, it turns more into companionship and Peter has been more than a stalwart since Alice passed away. If he stays or moves on I know he will always be a friend, besides I don’t mind my own company, I’ve lived it long enough.”

Lewis became quiet as one who wished to ask a difficult question but couldn’t find the words. It wasn’t that the question was difficult to ask but he had spoke so much about Will that day, by doing so Ashley may be angered with his continuation on such matters. At last he spoke.

“Did you know Will’s brothers?” Lewis asked leaving Ashley to ponder a time on his answer.

“Now that’s a question.” He paused and scratched at the back of his Friar’s hair ring. “He had two, one older and one younger, and a sister. I only once saw the older brother but never the younger but his sister was often around, she married a tobacco farmer from out Biboohra way.”

“What was the brother called?”

“Jack I think but again I wouldn’t know the name of the younger one.”

“What did Jack look like?” Lewis asked with growing interest.

“Jack looked nothing like Will, some said he had a different father and there was a story Will’s mother had an affair but that was before I arrived in Mareeba. He was quite tall, dark hair and skinny with a long nose and eyes that were much too close together.” Ashley paused and laughed, “I’d say you got the better brother,” another pause, “and he had a violent temper, almost killed a cane farmer in a fist fight down Babinda way which earned him time.”

“What about the younger brother?” Lewis asked with interest.

“As I said I haven’t a clue only what Will told me, being he was okay and younger and spent most of his time away from Mareeba. Strangely enough, I don’t recollect Will giving his name.”

“That’s all he told me as well and whenever I asked further he simply laughed and said one day I’ll tell you all. I believe he was away at the time of Will’s accident.”

“What makes you interested in the brothers?” Ashley asked as the train pulled into Central station. “We get off here.” Ashley quickly guided Lewis towards the door.

“No reason only I thought I knew Will but now I realise I know little about his background or his family.”

“I heard it said his father was somewhat a financial rogue,” Ashley cautiously offered.

“Even Will admitted so but I don’t think it rubbed off onto Will.”

“No I agree there but he was somewhat of a troublesome kid in the early days.”

“Yes he admitted to that also but all I saw in him was good.” Lewis quickly assured.

“And true he did turn out okay – as did you.” Ashley concluded.

As they left the station Lewis paused and taking Ashley’s arm he spoke, “alright Ashley I think we know each other well enough for you to answer another question.”

“What would that be?”

“Why you had to leave your position at the Sydney radio station.”

“You are persistent.”

“You can’t just wet a bloke’s curiosity and back away from it.”

“Why not,”

“If you don’t tell me it will always be an itch I can never quite scratch.”

“I suppose I can tell you as enough time has passed, besides I guess there isn’t anyone who would remember the incident.

“It must have been a humdinger.” Lewis professed.

“It was at the time and most embarrassing,”

Ashley continued.

Ashley had commenced a new position of midnight to dawn programme with a newly created Sydney radio station. After being on air for less than a month and becoming accustomed to his life’s ambition he met a likeminded fellow on the train while travelling to work and not having anywhere to go or time, he took his newly found friend back to the radio station for a session of sex. It was during a broadcasting of a rather long piece of music the two became amorous and while having it off, as was the terminology, over the control console they hit the broadcast switch, ending the tune while broadcasting their entertainment to air.

Even before they had done with it the telephone rang and Ashley was dismissed, being ordered to close down the station for the night and go home. He was sacked.

“What happened next,” Lewis broke with a giggling fit.

“I tell you it wasn’t a laughing matter,” Ashley enforced.

“Of course not – sorry,”

“Not a lot, I was fired and management went about business as usual with hope no one in particular had been listening so early in the morning.”

“Did anyone,”

“Some but it was passed off as a station invasion by a protest group. Back then there wasn’t the controls of today and the station was new with little understanding on security.”

“Was he worth it?”

“Never saw him again and probably for the better.”

“Were you married at the time?”

“No fortunately Alice came much later. I was but a kid with ego and a serviceable on air voice.”

“What happened next?”

“Being somewhat embarrassed I took the first ship I could find to Europe and enjoyed a little foreign company for a year or so, then with Hitler on the march headed to England.”

“That would be a story worth writing about, I would think you have enough anecdotes to write a novel.”

“Probably enough for two I should think but if I did so I may be arrested for slander. There are a number of famous people in that closet, others are politicians, even a judge of the high court and if I opened that door, they may close it on me permanently – and no before you ask, that information is most definitely of limits, even Peter doesn’t know.”

“I never took you for -,”

“For what Lewis?” Ashley questioned.

“You know,”

“I wasn’t always bald and fat.” Ashley appeared hurt but as quickly was back to self, “you young fellows didn’t invent it you know.”

“I didn’t mean it like that,” Lewis apologised.

“They were good days, there was the war and you wouldn’t believe what went on without women around and how quickly a straight man can bend when the urge is strong.”

“What about when you returned to Sydney from Europe?” Lewis asked.

“I started up again where I left off but not long after I met Alice and I quietened down somewhat, thinking I could go straight.”

“What sent you north to Mareeba?”

“I answered an advertisement in the Sydney Sun and I thought seeing Alice had settled with a new bloke, I should make space for her, besides I longed for a warmer climate.”

“It makes my experiences appear a little tame.”

“Quality over quantity, never forget that Lewis.”

Gary’s stories are all about what life in Australia was like for a homosexual man (mostly, before we used the term, “gay”). Email Gary to let him know you are reading: Gary dot Conder at CastleRoland dot Net

33,686 views