Westpoint Tales - Afterword Redux

(Here is the rewrite of the Afterword, a collaboration, i guess - Lloyd's Story, my extra words. Cheers, Lloyd.)

After Jinks returned from his misadventure up the coast, he and Toddy were inseparable. They never wanted to be apart again. They clung tightly to each other and the sex went as far as it could – all the way, every day. They were soon as familiar with each other’s bodies as they were with their own. It was all good.

Their families were understanding and they accepted the new relationship, but not completely. They were welcome to spend all their waking hours together, but both Jinks’ father and Toddy’s mother insisted that they returned home to sleep in their own beds every night. They were simply not old enough, yet, to live together full-time, though it was obvious that they would as soon as they could. Nevermind what Superboy, and others, were doing. That was their business and no-one else’s.

They accepted the situation, for now, and lived for the day when they could be together completely. Toddy made it clear to everyone that they would be living together as soon as he’d finished school.

It was suggested that Jinks should go back to school, but he was not having that! He’d been there and done that. Now it was over. He thought about going back to fishing. The Clancy brothers said that there would be a job for him on their new boat. But Toddy said no, he was not going through all that again. So he didn’t.

It was David Craddock who solved that problem for them. Now that his father was looking to retire, he was getting more and more involved in the family’s Supermarket business and he didn’t have the time that he would like to put into training and caring for his horses. Jinks was always around at the racecourse and he was known to have a talent for working with horses, he had a real affinity with them. So, David offered him some paid hours to take on his horses as well.

Jinks agreed readily. He needed a job and there was nothing that he liked more than working with horses – apart from mucking-out the stables, that is. That was a crap job, (literally!), but someone had to do it.

Seeing that Jinks was looking after and training the Craddocks’ horses, and doing it well, several other owners offered him some paid hours. He soon found that he had full-time employment and was being paid for doing what he loved – except for the shit-shovelling. He did it, but he hated it. Toddy didn’t want to get involved in all of that. It was not his world and he was simply not interested.

After a few months, a job came up at the cement works and it was offered to Toddy. His father used to work out there. He took the job, left school, left home and he and Jinks moved in together.

They rented a house in Derby Street which backed on to the racecourse and was just around the corner from Toddy’s mother's. It was unfurnished, but they scrounged what they could from their families and made-do until they could afford to buy what they needed.

Jinks’ first priority, for now, was that he needed a small truck for carting gear – nothing fancy, but he needed transport. They were both amazed at how many different things they need to make a house a home. Their first bed was the old mattress from up in the rafters in Mavis’ garage. They sat some planks on top of bricks and laid the mattress on top of them. It was nothing flash, but it was enough.

Jonathan, being nosy, saw what they were sleeping on and he and Justin presented them with a complete, queen-sized, bedroom suite, including linen and drapes for the windows. It was from the second-hand shop, but it was far better than what they had. They said that it was a house-warming gift and they wouldn’t take ‘no’ for an answer.

So, they moved in and they lived together and life was good. It was good until the day that Toddy stuffed it up. He’d made mistakes before, way too many times, he was too impulsive for his own good, but this one was a doozy! It was the biggest mistake of his life and he’d regret it forever.

Toddy had a co-worker out at the cement works, Karen Bangs She was a few years older than him, but she was a great sort, a lot of fun, and they got on very well together. She was, in a way, like the older sister that he never had. He knew that he shouldn’t be, but he was also attracted to her in other ways.

He loved his best friend, his Jinks, of course he did, how could he not? He knew that Jinks loved him totally, but he still wondered if he was really gay. He was attracted to girls, so maybe he was really bi-sexual and girls could give him what Jinks could not?

He’d had a girlfriend before, Sherry Coombs, but he was not sure if that even counted. Sherry had been through half the boys in the town and now she was in a lesbian relationship and seemed to be happy with it.

One Friday, Karen didn’t come to work. The office lady sought Toddy out and passed on a message. Karen had had some trouble and was taking the day off. Would Toddy please come to see her after he’d finished work for the day? He didn’t hesitate. He finished work for the day at lunchtime and drove back into town, to Karen’s house in Upper King street.

Karen answered his knock at the back-door wearing nothing but a skimpy, black negligee and panties. She looked great but it was obvious that she was not in a good way. She’d been crying and had a serious black-eye going on.

“Oh Toddy!” She greeted him. “Thanks for coming.”

She grabbed him, pulled him inside and hugged him tightly. She’d had a massive fight with her live-in boyfriend and he’d walked out and left her. She was glad to see the back of him. “Bloody good riddance too!”

He knew that he shouldn’t; he was there purely as a friend, but he couldn’t help it – he sprung a boner. Karen felt it against her and she smiled. She smiled even wider when her hand went down there and confirmed what she thought.

Before he knew what was happening, they were in the bedroom, naked on the bed and going for it! It was fantastic, wild animal sex and it was exactly what they both needed..

It was hours before he even thought about Jinks. He’d be home alone by then. He should have phoned him, he knew that. But he didn’t. He was a bit distracted there, Jinks would understand, he always did.

And that was his biggest mistake. There was a limit even to Jink’s understanding and by the second day, still with no phone calls, Toddy had gone way beyond it.

Jinks was at home, alone and worried. There had been no word from Toddy, no phone call, no nothing. He made a few calls himself but no-one had seen him. He sat at home, waited and worried, for two whole days. Then, on Sunday afternoon Toddy showed up, finally, and he had a girl with him!

One look at the couple getting out of the car and Jinks knew exactly where Toddy had been and what he’d been doing. He was devastated, his whole life came crashing down and he knew that his worst fears had come true. He had become one more on the list, just another notch on Toddy’s bed-post. The boy he loved had moved on and Jinks had lost everything. He’d lost more than a lover, he’d lost his best-friend as well.

Toddy walked in the door and, before he even opened his mouth, Jinks ripped into him.

“You bastard Todd. You absolute bastard! I fucking knew I should never have trusted you. You just totally can’t keep your dick in your pants, can you? You’re nothing but a fucking slut, Todd!”
Toddy was already feeling guilty. He’d woken up that morning feeling nothing but sorry for the mess that he’d got himself into. Karen had insisted on coming to help in any way she could when he went home to apologise to the boy he loved.

She felt that this mess was largely her fault as she had led him on. But she didn’t even get to say one word before the explosion went off in their faces. She just stood back and cringed as the huge row began. She’d had more than enough relationship troubles of her own lately.

Toddy reacted with anger. He was in the wrong, he knew that but he was not going to take this crap from Jinks of all people. They yelled and screamed at each other, both of them hitting out at all the sensitive spots as only life-long friends know how to.

Finally, Toddy told him that he didn’t need this. He grabbed his clothes and some personal gear and stormed out of there.

‘Fuck’im!’

Karen told Jinks what had happened and why. She told him that she was really sorry and she hoped that they could fix it. “Toddy does love you, you know.”

Then she left.

Jinks waited, hoping against hope that Toddy would come back. Could he forgive him? He already had, in his heart, but he didn’t come back. He didn’t go looking for him. The first step had to come from Toddy or they were never going to work this out.

Next day, at lunchtime, Grant came around and walked straight into the house without being asked. “Jinks, my Old Friend, what the fuck’s going on with you and my idiot big brother?”

Jinks had always liked Grant, he was as close as he’d ever had to a brother and he was a good friend. He told him what had happened and Grant, with tears in his eyes, hugged him and said, “Oh Jinks! I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. Barney’s just a fuckwit sometimes! He stayed the night at home last night, but he wouldn’t say why.

He packed his bags this morning, got in his car and left. He said that he’s leaving Westpoint and he’s never coming back. Mum’s sitting at home crying, you’re sitting here crying. He’s nothing but a prick, Jinks. Forget him. You’re better off without him.”

Forget him? Not likely. He would never forget Toddy. Never!

Jinks stayed at home and waited. Time went by and there was no word from Toddy, no-one ever heard from him. His father died, of a heart-attack, and he waited hopefully all through the funeral and the aftermath. Surely Toddy would come home for that? But he didn’t. He was gone forever, it seemed.

Jinks resigned himself to living without the love that he’d always wanted, needed, just as he had been doing for most of his life. He moved back home to live with his sister, until she married, but she wasn’t interested in the horses, they were now completely his responsibility. He threw himself into his work; the horses were now the biggest things in his life and, for a while, that helped.

He got quite a reputation as a successful horse-trainer and he did well. However, they were all the life he had. He kept to himself and avoided his friends. He knew that they were more than willing to help, but there was nothing that anyone could do. He just didn’t want to be constantly reminded of Toddy and all that he’d lost. Jinks grew into a lonely, isolated man.

Some years later, Christian Squires came around looking for an after-school job. Christian was another loner, another loser, and he was a gayboy. He’d tried everywhere, looking for work, but nobody wanted him.

Jinks felt sorry for the kid. They were related, distantly, their mothers were both Carvers. Jinks’ mother had done better than Christian’s in her choice of husbands – Trevor Squires was a free-loading drunk and he was a loser. He would never have been able to keep his job if it wasn’t for his union connections.

Anyway, he wanted to help him but working with the horses, while satisfying, did not pay a fortune. There was, however, the job of mucking-out the stables. Jinks had always hated doing that and he was more than happy for Christian to take that off his hands.

They both knew that it was not much of a job, and he couldn’t afford to pay him much, but Christian was grateful for it and he did it well. He was always regular and reliable, Jinks never had any complaints about him and it was so great not to have to worry about that mucky business anymore.

Christian had been working there for the best part of a year, Christmas and the Summer Racing Season were almost upon them, when Roman Dallas, (the star-son of the wealthy Dallas family and every young girl’s dream), came around looking for him one day.

Jinks was surprised and amazed, he never dreamt that those two would have anything in common. But, it seemed, they did. Things move fast in the teenagers’ world, like they’re all on ‘speed’ or something, and within a few days Christian and Roman were together and obviously more than just friends.

Roman started coming around to the stables and helping Christian all the time. Jinks was amazed, and envious. You had to really care about someone to help him shovel shit. Toddy had never been prepared to do that for him.

He was not at all surprised when he heard that they’d both been thrown out of home and were living, together, out at Billy’s mum’s old place up the Gorge Road. He offered to help them get on to ‘Independent Youth Benefits’, from the Children and Young Person’s Service, but they said that it was not a problem. Crispian had already arranged that for them.

The boys were both very keen on the horses and Jinks was happy to teach them what they wanted to know. Both of them were nice kids, he enjoyed their company and liked them a lot, but seeing the love that they had for each other was a very painful reminder of what he’d had and lost.

At the end of another year, Christian and Roman both finished school at the same time. They came to Jinks full of excitement about their plans. Mrs. M. was moving into town now that all her kids had ‘growed and goed’. Christian and Roman were going to stay on out at the old property and, with help from Superboy and Billy, they were going to develop it as ‘Carvers’ Ranch’, a dude-ranch, selling wilderness holidays – tramping, hunting, fishing and jet-boat rides on the river. They were even going to have their own golf course and they needed a stable of horses so that they could offer horse-trekking.

Would Jinks help them find a string of suitable horses? Of course he would, he’d be delighted to help.

When he was traveling around, checking out potential buys, he heard about a trainer’s job in England. He’d had enough of living in Westpoint, so he took it. He was not staying there, alone, any more.

George Barnes had waited 40 years for his Jeremy to return and he’d come back in a coffin. Stuff that! Besides, George hadn’t even known Jeremy all of his life like he’d known Toddy. Everything and everyone in Westpoint reminded him of Toddy. He had to go, to build a new life without him.

Sixteen years after Toddy left, Jinks left for England, the ‘Land of Hope and Glory, Mother of the Free.”

The ‘Wild Colonial Boy’ was successful in the bigger world of horses in England. He developed valuable contacts and gained a reputation as a first-rate horse-trainer. His life was good – empty, but good.

As Disney’s song says, “It’s a Small World after all”. One day, after the races concluded at Newmarket, Jinks was walking from the grandstand to the stables, across the lawn where the hospitality tents were set up, when he stopped dead, like he’d been pole-axed. It was him. HIM! Toddy!!

He stood and stared at the handsome, still blond and curly-haired, man who was packing up after entertaining clients. Toddy sensed that someone was there and looked up. They stood and stared at each other for what seemed like hours.

Finally, Toddy said, “Is it too late to ask for forgiveness?”

Jinks sighed, “Forgiveness? I waited sixteen years for you to return. Sixteen years, Man! You never did. Every day I hurt because I still love you. I left Westpoint because every place and every person reminded me of you and I couldn’t stand it anymore.”

“Jinks, I’m all alone. I’ve been alone ever since I left you. I could never get up the courage to return and ask you to take me back after what I did to you.

I’ve got no right to ask for forgiveness, but you should know that I love you too. I guess that I always will, and I’ll always be alone because there can never be anyone else for me but you.”

“Oh, Toddy! What the hell are we doing here at the far end of the world and both of us all alone? Do you think we could try again?”

“Again?” Toddy smiled. He offered his hand. “Pleased to meet you, Mr. Jenkins. I’m Barney Todd.”

Jinks took the hand with a smile. “Hey Toddy.”

“Hi, Jinks!”

They packed up what they were doing and went out for a meal together. They talked, and laughed, and talked for hours and the hurt began to heal. They met several times and then moved in together on a trial basis that soon became permanent.

They belonged together. They always had.

They pursued their careers and never thought about going back to Westpoint. Home is where the heart is.

Many years later, the king died and they were reminded of their own mortality. They weren’t kids anymore and they weren’t getting any younger. Talking about it, they both decided that they would like to be buried in Westpoint and they agreed that whoever survived the longest would take the other one back to Westpoint for burial.

Then they decided, why wait? Toddy especially wanted to go back. “Jinks, we don’t need any more money, we’ve got more than enough to live on. Let’s retire, I want to go home.”

“Home? You mean back to Westpoint?”

"Of course, home to Westpoint. Where else?”

“You can’t go back, Toddy. Time moves on, the world changes. Everything’s different now. You can never go back.”

“Don’t talk crap, my Old Mate. Of course we can go back. Let’s just get on a plane and do it.”

“Yeah, Toddy. Let’s do it. Let’s go home.”

They sold the flat, tidied up their business affairs and booked flights back to New Zealand. They landed in Wellington in the evening. It hadn’t changed – still windy.

They had to get a cab into the city to get a bed for the night, and then another one back to the airport in the morning. They were booked on an early flight down to Westpoint. Frustrating!

It was the Capital of the country, why the hell didn’t they have an airport hotel? Oh well.

It was an 18 seater passenger jet that they were to travel on – much bigger than in the old days. The plane was only half-full, so they sat apart. Both of them wanted a window seat as they didn’t want to miss anything.

The plane flew high, down the middle of the South Island, so, while they could see the sea in the distance, they couldn’t see anything of the Strange Land where Jinks was once washed up, shipwrecked.

As they approached Westpoint, they caught their first glimpse, a bird’s-eye view, of the town that they left 50 years before. The town looked the same, the racecourse and the Square were clearly visible, but they couldn’t believe the development along the beaches.

North Beach and Carver’s Beach were both big, sprawling suburbs! One huge building
Stood out on North Beach, towering above all the others. They couldn’t imagine what it was.

After landing, they went inside the small terminal building.

“Why do they call them that? Think about it.”

There they waited until the Jack-of All-Trades came back in from talking to the pilots. Toddy asked him about getting a taxi for the trip into town.

“Nope. There are no taxis in Westpoint, but, see that guy there? That’s Alex Duncan from Duncan Motors. They run a courtesy-car out here and he’s just dropped some people off. Ask him, he’ll take you into town.”

They went over to the car but, before they said a word, the driver said, “Hi, I’m Alex. Do you guys want a ride into town? I’m going there now with an empty car.”

“That would be great, thank you,” said Jinks. “It’s a bit far too walk as I recall it.”

“Be glad to be of service,” said Alex. “Bring your luggage over and we’ll get going.”

They loaded their gear into the car and headed off – in the wrong direction! They were going away from Carver’s Beach and the Highway and were going towards the river. The reason for this soon became clear when they plunged into a wide, brightly-lit, tunnel under the river and across to the North Beach

“So, where do you want to go to?” asked Alex.

“”Well, I’m not sure,” Toddy answered. “We’ll need to stay somewhere until we can find a place to live, but we haven’t booked in anywhere.”

“Is the Adelphi Hotel still in business?” said Jinks.

“Yeah, sure it is. I’ll drop you off there then?”

“So,” Jinks asked, making conversation. “Are you one of the Duncans of Duncan motors?”

“Sort of,” said Alex. “The company was started by Tony Duncan, my father’s uncle. I’m named after his brother, my grandfather. The family also owns a restaurant and gallery out at Cape Foulwind.”

The car arrived and stopped outside the grand entrance of the huge building, on North Beach, that they’d seen from the plane.

“What’s this place,” said Toddy.

“This is the New Adelphi, where you wanted to go.”

“Wow! They’ve gone upmarket!”

They walked into the lobby and approached the reception desk. Through the double-doors to the right, a team of busy-beavers was decorating a huge ball-room for some special event.

A young, dark-haired and handsome guy looked up and smiled as they approached.

“Do you have a room for us?” asked jinks. “We don’t have a reservation.”

“I am sure that we can find you something. How long will you be staying?”

“We’re not sure. Until we can find a permanent place to live.”

Toddy commented, “Looks like you’re getting ready for some sort of celebration.”

“Yes Sir. Today is the owner’s 75th birthday and there is a big party tonight.”

“Who are the owners?”

“The Reynolds brothers.”

“Superboy and the Iceman own this place!” Toddy said to Jinks.

The desk clerk overheard the comment and said, “Excuse me a moment while I check on something.” He stepped into the office adjacent to the front desk and dialed the number of the owners’ quarters. Billy answered the phone.

“Mr. Mathieson, this is David at the front desk. There are two gentlemen just checking in who I suspect might know the Reynolds brothers.”

“What are their names?”

“They signed the register as Kevin Jenkins and Barney Todd.”

“Really? Really?? Oh wow. Jinks and Toddy and they’re together! Fantastic! Is the Carl Douglas Suite available?”

“Yes Sir.”

“Put them in it and make sure that they come to the party tonight. And David, ask the decorating crew to put up another banner. “Welcome Home, Toddy and Jinks.””

David returned to the front desk with two key cards. He gave them to Jinks and Toddy and told them that they were invited to the party that evening.

Jinks said, “I don’t think we can do that. We wouldn’t want to impose.”

David replied, “You wouldn’t be imposing, you’re invited. Please do come. The owners will be very upset and upset with me if you don’t.

The cards are the keys to your rooms. The lifts are to your left. Insert one of the cards in the slot marked ‘Suites’ and that will take you to your floor. You are in the Carl Douglas Suite, which is to your right as you exit the lift. It’s the best we’ve got.”

“Thank you,” said Jinks looking at the clerk’s brass name-tag. “David is it?”

“Yes Sir, David Matthews. I was named after my grandfather. You might remember him, he was the manager of the ANZ Bank here for a long time. He had a big family, Westpoint is full of Matthews. Jordan Carter Davidson was one of his too.”

“Jordan – slash – Carter? Oh yes. Of course we remember him! Is he still around?”

“No. He and his partner moved away years ago. They’re in Aussie somewhere.”

“Oh, I see. Oh well, there must be someone around here who we used to know.”

“I think you’ll be surprised, Sir. Come to the party tonight, you’re bound to see some familiar faces there.”

“You know? I think we might just do that.”

End (again!)