I started writing Nichevo last November and shortly thereafter I acquired a roommate in the apartment where I lived at the time. As many of you know from stories past, I have a tendency to take in the stray young men of the world from time to time in order to help them on their life's way. It was certainly a benchmark in our friendship when he asked if he could come stay with me. I guess I should explain that, so I will. When I first met Str8Roomie, he and his pal BoyToy hung around the store where I was employed on the midnight shift (seems to be a lot of midnight shifts in my life. When first we met he was ,to say the least, uncomfortable in my presence. Over course of the following months he became accustomed to being around me, my twisted humor and all. The first really big benchmark was the time he first came to my apartment without a safety escort. From there he and I started having conversations that friends have and in the course of his adventures as an 18 year old, he became needful of a place to say and I as a natural matter "rescued" another young man from out on the streets. We rescued each other more likely as he has turned out to be the best of the lot of the young men I have attempted to help in some way or another. He made mistakes but was man enough to stand up to them and put things in order. I write about him to day because he set off on the next chapter in his book of life today. Over the last few months he has met and fallen in love with His Gurl with whom he is planning to wed next summer. They are expecting their first child in a few months and today left on the road to South Carolina wo stay with her parents as they start their new life together. I wish them God Speed on their journey for I will miss their companionship and friendship. I don't know if I will miss his attempts to startle the shit out of me (but I will) or if he will miss being the but of so much of my twisted humor(but he will). This morning he came over to my house to say good bye. It was so cool when he stood to shake my hand and give me the straight man hug. Here is a man who has grown a lot in the time that I have known him, he has grasped control of his life and is following his heart and dreams. I could not be more proud if he was my own son, not that I am the cause of his good fortune, but that I helped him when he needed it and he used that as a spring board to get his life together. I would dare say that he has. So Str8Roomie and His Gurl, may the blessings of life fall in your path where you have but to pick them up.
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