Eric

Somersaults

I recall an event from one of my visits at the East Coast Gathering sponsored by the Sunbathing Society. The society Rented a fairly plush resort with cabins, tent sites, a hotel, a sauna bath, and a fine swimming pool. I met a boy named Eric at the swimming pool. He was a polite intelligent 11-year-old boy, and we enjoyed each other’s company. These were the days before the hysteria about pedophiles and boys as well as men enjoyed being naked. Each day I would find him waiting for me in the same place beside the pool. Of course he might just have happened to be there when I came looking for him. Maybe he just liked to hang out there. But, no. It was more than that. As I approached the pool I could see him looking around for someone. Who else could it be except me? And when he spotted me his face lit up and he smiled. And when I joined him at the poolside he stayed there as long as I did. We had to make it look very casual. Even in those days eyes would have been raised had we followed each other around all day long – which I think we both would have liked.

We talked. It was mostly about him, course. What he did when he was home. His friends. His interest. His accomplishments. Whatever.

And periodically we would swim around together making up excuses to touch – to be closer. Also he would show me the “tricks” he would could do in the water. The main one was turning somersaults. He could do two or three without coming up for air. And I could admire him from a window in the side of the pool that I could access by going down some steps. How beautiful he was. And pleasant to be around.