Becoming my own man

Chapter 4:

Will I can not believe all of this. Man either it is a dream of sorts or it is nothing more than a miracle.

Sonny listen we still need to do a couple of things right now.

I am really enjoying how you look in my clothes however I do believe that you might enjoy some of your own better.

Now this is going to be the really fun part.

SHOPPING!

Whoa Will hold on a second I appreciate everything but you know that I have no money for clothes so shopping is not an option for me.

Sonny did I ask you for money and furthermore I do not think that it is as much as an option as it is that if we don't get you some clothes that mine may begin to look a bit thread bare on you now I know that my clothes are not exactly your fit or even your style so for my sake the sake of my clothes and for your own sake shut up and come with me. I also want to go talk to Libb about the apartment and I do not know about you but I need some grub like seriously now or it wont be a pretty sight. Hungry Will is not a pretty Will.

Will I hate to break it to you but hungry starving Will is as gorgeous as full tummy Will.

Oh and Will by the way yes I am gay. I know that you have been curious about that but have been too much of a gentleman to bring it up.

OK starving hungry Will where too first?

Will smiles and shakes his head and says come on you knuckle head lets go to see Libb first and kill two birds with one stone.

Both young men came into the cafe and Will held the door open for Sonny not even thinking twice about it but Sonny sure noticed it and he just was thinking about what a hoot it would be if he and Will did start to date. The more that he thought about it the better he liked the idea but it is too soon to ask him out. He will only think that I want to be with him because he is taking care of me and that is definitely not the case at all.

I will just give it some time and then we will see where it goes from there. Not to mention the fact that he is light years out of my league.

Damn whatever league he is in this man is completely different than anyone that I have ever known and I am truly looking forward to getting to know this blue eyed blond haired spitfire here.

OK gorgeous what looks good to eat to you?

A big helping of Will Horton sounds great to me.

OH SWEET BABY JESUS I AM SO GLAD HAT WILL CAN NOT READ MY MIND!

Well my friend let me see here?

I think that the number 3 special sounds good to me what about you Will?

Sonny did you even read the menu?

That number 3 special is a side salad and cottage cheese is that what you really want? I mean it kind of sounds to me like a vegetairian anerixic girly type of thing you may want to reread the menu.

I am sorry Will. I just kind of pointed to the menu and took a guess I did not even read it.

Sonny listen to me lets get one thing straight right now.

I am not doing one thing that I do not want to do and I do not feel like I have to do it. I am doing it all because you need some help and I am the one who can help you right now. If it bothers you then later on you can pay me back if not do not think twice about anything that I do for you. I am not doing this for any other reason but for the fact that you are a very special man and you deserve to have some help and it is OK to accept it sometimes. I will not hold it over your head and not to mention we both would be rather lonely if we were here and we knew no one at all. At least we have a good friend in each other.

Sonny I want you to know that I believe in you. I know that you are more than capable to do anything and I would really like to team up with you because I can really see that inside of you there is this brilliant man who is just needing the opportunity to shine.

Sonny I just want you to know that I do give a damned and I really want nothing more than you to be happy and to live your truth without apology and with out fear of what others think because you are worth it. I just want you to see what the rest of the world is waiting to see because Sonny we both have it in us to be and do anything that we want to be. I am just giving you the jumping off point where you can take over and you can really become your own man.

Will do you realize just how much that I really appreciate everything and that with out you in my corner I would still be on that park bench not knowing what to do or where to go because I was so broken by my family turning their back on me.

Will I swear to you that I am going to make you proud and you will see that you did not waste your time on me.

You could be living a completely different life in a completely different world than I am but here at this moment we are truly equals although you do have your family to fall back on if need be but I don't see that happening because you are such a different man and you want to be treated as an equal in the world and carve your own way. Please never doubt for one second that you cant do it because you can and so can I. You are the first person who ever has given me a real chance and to believe in me and that means so much to me and you have no idea how much respect that I have for you.

Will you have given me the chance of a lifetime and I am not going to screw it up or take it for granted either.

I will get to the point to where I can pull my own weight but until then I know that you have my back.

I hope that I am not speaking out of turn when I say that if I am I am very sorry.

Sonny do you think that I would be here now if I thought for one second that you could not and would not do your part?

Sonny I have news for you I have been given allot of opportunities that allot of people my age have not had and it is time for me to pay it forward and I cannot think of anyone who deserves it more than you.

Sonny I have traveled the world and I have saw the beauty that it has and I have also saw the struggles of people who really have no one or anything in their life to make a difference or to give them the support that they deserve but you do now and it is truly a pleasure for me to help you but most of all for me to see you helping yourself.

Now that we have all of the meeting of the mutual admiration society finished we need FOOD!

So this is what I have to look forward to a bottomless pit?

It is a very good thing that we have a job now or we would be in serious trouble.

OK you brat lets get some chow and then see that apartment. Then comes the really fun part that I love. .SHOPPING!

Oh and do me a favor do not worry about it being too expensive because if it makes you feel good then go for it. This is all about you.

Will how did this happen to me? You came into my life and it is as if everything wrong has been made right and it is all falling into place.

Will I will forever be indebted to you for everything that you are doing for me.

Sonny are you happy? Do you finally feel like your have the chance to be the man that you were born to be?

Will you have no idea. For the first time in my whole life I feel like I truly have the chance to be someone not just a broken homeless man who has nothing to offer in this life facing this world alone and that means so much to me.

Now lets have some of that country fried steak and a huge order of fries and some of that chocolate pie.

Sonny did you just say chocolate pie?

Oh my God you best get a whole one because if you want any you will have to get a whole one because when it comes to chocolate it is every man woman and child for themselves.

I have to admit to you that is a very huge weakness of mine.

Umm Will do you see the other thing on the menu that I see?

Sonny please do not tell me that they have a triple chocolate fudge cake too.

OK I wont tell you but if you look on the bottom right hand side you will see something that may resemble that very thing.

Will I have a feeling that we may have allot more in common than we realize. Will no joke Chocolate has always been an Achilles heel of mine.

Sonny are you looking forward to all of this?

I hope so because I can not wait to begin this journey myself.

Will you have no idea at all. I have never ever felt like I actually belong and that my life has a real purpose.

Your friendship is something that I have never had before .

No one ever took a chance on me to allow me to show them the real Sonny the one who is strong and successful but who can keep it real also.

Sonny would you make me one promise please?

As soon as you get any opportunity please promise me that you will pay it forward because unless we pay it forward we will not have room for more greatness.

I swear to you that Sonny K will not take anything for granted I see and feel what it is like to be given th chance to how people who you really are and I have only yet to begin but far from being over.

Will I want to say something I can see right now that you have a huge heart but please do not allow anyone or anything to destroy that part of you because that is so unusual in this day and age.

You definitely are one in a million and to have been blessed by you wanting to be my friend I can not even put into words how thankful I am.

Sonny I could not do that even if I wanted to.

I have been so blessed and if I can not show others by my example then my life up to this point has been worthless and I am not a worthless person.

Will I have so much that I can learn from you. I truly admire you.

I want to learn as much as you have to offer.

Sonny I want you to admire yourself as well because you have so much to offer and you have not even discovered half of it yet.

To be honest with you hell I have not even discovered it all for myself.

I am only 22 years old and there is still so much hat I have not learned about my own self.

Will are you really only 22 years old?

You have such an old soul I would have thought that you were so much older than me but you are only a year older than me.

Sonny as I have said before I have had allot more experiences in life than you may have and that has taught me allot and I would love to teach you some of the things that I have learned if you would agree to it? Just keep in mind that no mater what my knowledge is or my experience is that you also bring to life your own lessons that you have learned and do not short yourself by trying o be a cookie cutter of me. Be Sonny. Sonny is his own man and Sonny is more than capable.

Will I not only agree but I welcome the opportunity.

Hey Will you know this is about the best meal that I have had in a very long time.

I can not wait to just dig in and just really get down to it and see where this goes.

Sonny I feel the same way. I can see so many things in my head where we could take this place. Do you realize the location this cafe is in? We are right in the center of the University, the hospital and the police station as well as all of these businesses around here.

There is unlimited possibilities.

I can see an updated look and some added services that no one in the area has to offer.

Yeah I was kind of thinking on the same lines because there are so many up and coming professionals in the area and right now this place resembles a 1950s greasy spoon but with some paint and some new updated colors and prints this place can look like it is meant to be in this area and a few menu changes and some different marketing which is all n you because I have no idea about that type of thing myself I would be handing out posters and placing flayers on the phone polls.

Sonny there are allot of other options as well as that also.

I guess I better come on board if I don't you would be walking around all over the city handing out flayers and slapping them on every car in the shopping center parking lot.

Yes I know and I do not think that bumper stickers would work either. I know that you have all kinds of experience in that area.

All kidding aside we both have so much to bring to the table and Libb will really love our ideas because they will definitely bring in a different crowd than there is coming in now.

Will I was thinking about one other thing. WiFi the professionals will love it as well as the college kids.

Sonny we can come up with some great ideas and some of them will not cost very much at all to change. I also have a few other ideas and as soon as we get the green light from the lawyer we can begin to brain storm and present our ideas to Libb and get her opinion on the changes.

Hey Boys long time no see what about three hours since you were here?

Yes Libb something like that we had a serious situation with a hungry Will who said that he was not pretty when he gets hungry so we decided to kill two birds with one stone and grab a bite here and check out the apartment if that is OK with you?

Oh my Gosh I am so sorry boys I completely forgot that I had offered you the apartment and I rented it out a few minuets ago.

Oh Boys I am so sorry I swear getting old really sucks.

I hope that you are not mad at me.

Oh that is OK Libb we understand we will just keep looking.

Will said very sweetly and understandingly.

Before you do that boys I forgot to inform you that there are three other apartments up stairs all fully furnished and three bedrooms.

As you know my son Dane he and his wife lived in one.

My daughter Elly she had one and the other had been one that we used if we had out of town guest who came in so that they had a place to stay. The best part of everything is I can wright everything off as a business expense.

I have to tell you that as you can see by the different looks in the apartments my kids have very good taste and they decided to completely remodel all of the apartments with this big idea that I would rent them out to people. I am not stupid. Old yes not stupid.

I would never take a risk of anyone stealing me blind.

I know that we have not known each other for a while but I am a pretty good judge of characters and boy are you two characters.

Both boys were laughing and said Libb are you sure that you are not a little kin to us? It is as if you are family already.

Libb I think that I am in love with you.

Uh Will did you not notice that one I am a woman and two and I am like almost three times your age?

That would be kind of hard to explain how a gay man could be in love with an old woman.

Oh you come here old woman and hug this very gay man. Sonny says

OK I will hug you both but I have to warn you that I still play for the other team.

OK Libb I promise that I wont tell anyone in the union that I hugged an old woman. Sonny says

OK Sonny so you are the smart ass huh?

Well I can not speak for his ass but I can attest to the fact that he is a very smart man. Will spoke with a bit of a smirk on his face and a bit of tongue and cheek humor in his voice.

Oh God you two boys are going to kill me doing this stuff to me.

You know that us old people we are very fragile.

Sonny I am almost 80 years old and I have lived long enough to have earned the right to just say what ever I want when ever I want and then say that I forgot what I said and people actually believe me.

Hell I even believe me at times.

OK children lets go check out the apartments who knows they might work in a pinch Will says as he is giggling.

Sonny looks at Will and he says oh yeah a pinch?

Try since we are homeless and have no choice.

OK let me grab the keys and drag ourselves up the steps.

OK Sonny this one is the one that I was thinking that you may like but to me you guys can fight it out.

Libb opened the door and they entered the apartment to their surprise it was tastefully decorated with nice neutral colors warm but not sanitary stale white. The walls were a dark ivory with a dark gay trim with gray and blue furniture.

A couch that was a dark gray color and throw pillows that were a smokey blue color and two chairs that sat on either side of the room and a coffee table made of slate.

Every bedroom all had nice size closets and simple wooden bed dresser and night stands.

The master bedroom looked like it came out of a magazine and it had a bathroom that was fairly modern not one bit out dated very attractive. And a huge walk in closet.

There was a large kitchen that would be of little use to Sonny because he burns boiled water his kitchen skills are limited to heating up cold pizza in the microwave.

In the corner of the living room there was a desk that had a laptop on it a fire place above the fire place was a built in TV.

Sonny was blown away this was such a beautiful place.

Libb this place is so beautiful. Are you sure that you do not want to rent it to me? I mean this is too nice to just allow just anyone to use.

Sonny let me tell you why these are up here.

At one time my son did live up here and so did my daughter and they took other jobs and decided to get their own homes and so these apartments are just sitting here taking up space and right now you guys need them more than I do ad I am already paying all of the utilities with the cafe so it is not a burden and no more of an added exspense.

Now it is Wills turn to see his place.

It had a very similar lay out but it was quite a bit larger. It was painted in a light gray with smokey blue trim and the furniture was similar to Sonny's with the exception of the couch being a charcoal gray with over sized pillows and smokey gray throw pillows. It had a love seat a desk laptop and two chairs and eat in kitchen that was a gourmet kitchen it had a kitchen table that could seat six.

All of the bedrooms had brown walls with dove gray trim and the closets were just a little smaller but they still were a very nice size.

The master bed room had a king size dark burgundy head and foot board with dark smokey gray walls and dark burgundy trim.

The bathroom looked like a spa it was gorgeous with its gray and blue colors and the walk in shower and the huge whirlpool tub.

Libb was smiling and Will was glowing he had a smile so big that it almost touched his ears. The whole apartment looked like it was taken off of the pages of a very upscale magizine.

Sonny do you like your place?

Sonny said I would be crazy if I did not like it.

I do have one question for you Libb why did you chose these apartments for us?

Sonny I will tell you why. I just thought that you would spend allot of time over here any way because I had a feeling that you might not be a wiz in the kitchen and the colors reminded me of your eyes because you look at wills eyes as if they hung the moon and so I thought that you would like the blue much better plus I have a strong feeling that Will is going to need allot of room when he brings work home with him and that is why he has so much storage and the bedrooms are bigger. If he wanted to turn one of the rooms into a room just for the marketing supplies he could with no problem.

Sonny I do have one more if that one dose not suit your taste if you want to take a look at it before you make up your mind or if you want to look at it Will.

Sonny said this will be great but if you want to show us the other one you can.

The next apartment was bigger than Sonny's but it was almost the same colors as Wills and the but layout.

One difference was that it only had a dinning room in it and the kitchen was very big and the appliances were very modern Sonny looked at Will and asked him which one he liked best and Will said to be honest this one because of that amazing kitchen.

All of them had two bathrooms but this one was huge with a spa hot tub whirlpool bath tub and a huge walk in shower with seating in it.

The colors in this one were dark brown and light blue and Will really loved it because it reminded him of Sonny's eyes and hair.

Sonny said Libb if it is OK I would like the other one that you had shown Will if that is OK with you?

If it is OK with Will it is fine with me.

What do you say Will?

Well guys I happen to think that this one is great and I think that Sonny will be much more comfortable in that one any way.

OK that settles it Sonny here are your keys and Will here are your keys and I really hope that you enjoy your new homes.

Oh in case you are wondering yes each apartment has a washer and dryer cable and internet service it all came with the business package so it is paid for too. Plus I get a tax write off for it.

The only thing that I ask is that you do not play your music too loud or the TV too loud and disturb the customers during working hours .

Hey Libb thank you for everything. When we start getting paid we will pay you rent and we insist on it. No arguments.

OK boys that will be no problem either way is fine with me plus my employees will have no reason for being late.

Libb could I ask you to do me a favor please?

Will what is that?

Umm Libb do you mind if I get one of you triple chocolate cakes and a chocolate pie please?

Oh dear God Will you do not have to ask I do not mind at all you can have anything downstairs that you would like.

Sonny my friend we are going to have to find a gym and wok out allot now.

Yeah Will I know especially me I cant cook worth a damn.

I love to cook myself it is a kind of therapy for me. So Sonny if I bring you a shit load of food you will know that I have had a rough day.

Hey Will you can always give your old lady girl friend some of that food too you know?

Oh God Libb if I ever decide to switch teams you will be the top of my list but you will have some too.

Will I am going to hold you to that one.

And with that everyone let out a huge belly laugh.

Ohhhhh Sonny my friend we happen to have an appointment you know? The one where you finally get a new wardrobe?

High ho high ho it is to the shops we go….

Oh God you boys are a hoot.

I think that we are all going to get along very well together.

Sonny said yes I really do think that we will at that.

OK Sonny where to first you lead the way.

Sonny and Will walked around the square and looked into windows and Sonny spotted a very attractive dark blue button up shirt and he said can we go in here Will?

Hey Sonny you can go in anywhere that you want I do not mind at all.

Sonny and Will were in the shop and a sales clerk came up to them and asked them if she could help them and Sonny said no thank you right now we do not even know what we are looking for.

Will spotted a pair of black dress pants and a dark blue dress shirt and he picked them up for himself as well as a few other items.

Sonny picked out some out fits also as well as some boxers a toothbrush and tooth paste and other personal hygiene products.

The boys were back at their place and Will decided to cook for Sonny and he had gone grocery shopping and he decided on a surf and turf dinner with grilled asparagus mixed veggies and he had gone down stairs and nabbed a cake and a pie. He did not drink but he asked Sonny I he wanted some wine or beer and Sonny told him that he did not drink either so both men decided that soda would be a good bet to go with.

Sonny came to the door at exactly 7:00 PM and Will saw him dressed in a very nice looking pair of dark brown dress pants with a light brown dress shirt and Will wore his Black dress pants and dark blue shirt.

Damn that man is going to kill me he is so sexy I can not believe that he made me dinner. And oh God does it smell like heaven.

Oh my God when did he get that cologne?

I am going to have one hell of a time trying to control myself I can just see it now.

I am really glad that he can not read my mind.

I doubt that he even feels this way about me. Maybe it is not romantic but perhaps a huge appreciation factor. I do not know but he is very good looking and he does have really nice taste.

Hell I am not sure myself how I feel right now everything is so new to me it just feels like all of a sudden boom my whole life is falling into place and I do not know what I have done in my life to ever deserve any of this.

Will gives Sonny a bro-hug and says hey dude I was about to call you. You must have smelled the food from there.

Yes I do have impeccable timing when it comes to getting out of KP duty. No seriously though do you need me to help with anything?

If you promise not to chip a nail you can set the table.

Will and Sonny both laugh and Sonny says are you sure that you can trust me to do that? It is a very dangerous job you know?

Chipped nails are really bad for ones image you know?

Will says put your big boy pants on and set that table dude before we die from old age.

The diner was great Will and by the way where id you learn to cook like that?

Sonny as I told you I have traveled allot and onething that I loved to do was to cook and so I would either go to peoples homes or into restaurants and spend allot of time in them learning about different foods and how to make them .

So basically I just took the knowledge with me every where I go.

But if you ask me to cook you a Vietnamese fish eye soup I will not do that. I tried it once ab it was like sipping on snot.

Oh and I draw the line at sea weed not my cup of tea.

You o not like sushi Will?

I do not like the sea weed or kelp but almost everything else I can hang with. I am not a really picky eater.

Sonny do you have favorite foods?

Yes Chocolate and I am with you on he sea weed kelp and eye balls things that would just gross me out.

I love home made pasta I am not too picky about what kind or that sauce on it but I love pasta.

Will have you ever been to Italy?

Yeah I went a couple of times as a mater of fact.

I went there and lived there for a semester while I was in school and then I went back a year later for a couple of days.

Why did you just stay for a couple of days it seems that you must have liked it there.

Sonny I would rather not talk about that time in Italy my first time was awesome but he second time I would prefer to not talk about it.

I do not mean to be rude.

Will I am sorry I did not mean to bring up a subject that hurts you.

No Sonny it is OK really do not worry about that any way what were we taking about before I went and did a Debbie downer on you?

We were talking about your travels and how you learn to cook.

Sonny have you ever just followed your heart? I mean just jump all in?

No Will I never have to me that sounds scary and the unknowns would terrify me.

What is so scary about unknowns Sonny?

Well Will it is because we do not know with certainty the outcome.

So you would rather stay on the regular path that is safe than to go into an unknown because you are afraid of the unknown but that unknown could be the best thing hat ever happened to or perhaps save someone ls? Yet you would rather play it safe and never experience anything other than what the person before you has paved the way to experience?

Will to be honest with you this is exactly what I am doing right now facing many unknowns.

Sonny may I tell you a story about facing an unknown my friend and it making a deference in not only my life but in some other peoples lives also for the good?

Yes Will please do.

Sonny I was in the Amazon once and I was hiking in the rain forest I had been there for a couple of days and I came upon this village but outside of this village about 50 yards away there was this woman who was giving birth and I noticed that no one was with her helping her the guide that was with me had told me that when a woman who was giving birth to a child who was dead that she was taken away from the village and left for dead along with he baby.

It was the belief of the tribe that she had evil spirits around her and this is why her baby was born dead.

I saw this whole scene unfolding and I told myself that I might not be able to save the baby but the woman she did not deserve to be abandoned that someone needs to help her and so I ran to her and I assessed the situation and I realized what the problem was the cord some how had a defect in it and it had fussed together while it was in her womb and while the baby was there and so there was no pressure on it but during birth it was like a noose around the neck o the baby an so I said to myself that three things had to be done one the baby must have air. And the mother and the baby both needed to have the cord tied off so that hey would not bleed to death. The woman was terrified. I did not know the language at all but I looked straight into her eyes and I promise her that I was going to help her and help the baby. I told her that she could trust me because I only want to help and to relax and in a few minuets everything will be over and she will know the out come.

I bent own and felt the baby he was still warm and so I knew that he was not dead. I was thinking that I have two boot laces in my shoes and I wrapped them very tightly around the cord from the mother to the baby and the other one from the cord leading up to the mother.

I thought by doing that it would sop the blood flow from the mom to the cord of the baby and the cord from her son to the mom for him not bleed to death.

As soon as I did that I cut the cord from around that tiny babys thtrot and then he gasped for air and he started to cry his mother realized that her son was indeed alive and so she took him to her breast and spoke to me in her language her gratitude and the guide asked me how I knew to do that and I told him that I did not know that I was going on pure instinct. He said you do realize that you saved two lives today don't you and I said no it was not me who saved those two lives it was the mother who trusted a complete stranger to help them out of a very bad situation.

Sonny I stepped into a complete unknown and two very beautiful things occurred at that time one a woman who I could not even speak he language realized that through my spirit that she could trust me and a baby recived a chance to live when everyone else gave up on him. That little baby boy he fought for his life

Sonny he hung in there and then he knew that I was going to help him.

The guild who had a little birthing knowledge helped the woman after the birth and gave her two blankets from his bag for her and the baby he also gave her his food so that they would both have the nutrition hat hey needed.

Sonny what would have happened if I had not gone into the unknown?

Oh my God Will both of them would have died. Will are you psycic?

No Sonny that is what happens when you reach down into your soul and you listen to the soul voice with in yourself and trust it to guide you through to the other side.

Will you are a very amazing man I o ot know if I coulddo that myself. I would probablly have been to afraid .

Sonny I o not think so I can see the soul an spirit that you haveand this is exactly why I believe in you so much.

Will would you be willing to teah me how to o that?

Sonny my friend it is not anything that anyone can teach you it is something that you have to learn how to do on your own and trust me I know that you can do it. Sonny you ae the one who has to discover how to reach down into your soul and how to trust and believe in it.

God Will that has such wisdom in it and it is so powerful.

Do you really believe that I am capable of doig that?

No Sonny I know that you are everyone is but you just have to trust your ownself.