(by Edward Zeusgany, copyright 2001, all rights reserved)

In the spring of 1966, Chris took a plane to Detroit to compete in the YMCA National Weightlifting Championship in the 123 lb. Class. He would have preferred to have driven, but as he was pursuing his Ph.D. in English, he could not afford the time. The airline misplaced his bags, so he arrived without his equipment; lifting belt, boots and suit. Luckily for him, they arrived on the next flight from Logan Airport. He got to his hotel only a little unnerved.

In the morning, he went to the site for the Championship, a small civic auditorium, designed to house theatrical productions. At check in, the official raised questions about his right to compete. Chris had been told that the AAU and the Y had an reciprocal agreement, that a person registered in one organization could enter events sponsored by the other. Chris had his AAU card with him.

Some of the officials insisted that YMCA registration was good for AAU competitions, but not the other way around. They don’t even know the meaning of the word reciprocal, Chris thought, managing not to say anything or shake his head in dismay. Finally, after calling the Salem Y where Chris was a member, they allowed him in.

At weigh in, Chris made weight without any difficulty, that is, he was under the limit of 123 and a half for his class. During the warm up, a graduate student from the University of Michigan was conducting a study of the jumping ability of athletes. His hypothesis was that relative to height, weightlifters would out jump basketball players. Everyone agreed to be tested, and the researcher seemed pleased with the results.

There were four other lifters in his class. Chris pressed 185 lbs. on his first attempt, but failed on his second and third lifts. Even so, he was in first place, after the press, by 10 pounds. In the snatch event, he was successful in all three of his attempts, at 135, 150, and 160 lbs. But his nearest competitor, Wayne, did 165 on his third attempt and was now only 5 pounds behind Chris.

Wayne went first in the clean and jerk. He took 210 lbs. and made it easily. Chris was successful with his first attempt at 215. Since Wayne had weighed in a quarter pound less than Chris in body weight, he only had to tie Chris in the total to be the winner. Wayne took 220 for his second attempt. That would put them in a tie if he succeeded, which he did. Chris tried 230 for his second effort. He made a good clean and slammed the weight overhead with authority. Now Wayne needed 235 for a tie in the total and a possible win, but this amount was beyond him. Chris took his third attempt with 240, but could not clean the weight. Nevertheless, he had won his first national championship with a 575 total to Wayne’s 560.

Before he got ready to go back to his hotel, Chris watched the finish of the competitions in the 132, 148 and 165 lb. classes. As he was about to leave, Wayne come up to him and asked where he was staying. Chris told him and Wayne asked if he could have a shower in his room. There were no facilities at the theatre.

The young man was glad to oblige. Part of his pleasure at the meet had been derived from watching Wayne lift. The boy was about nineteen, a few inches taller than Chris, and had black, curly, medium length hair. Wayne was handsome, but in a boyish way. This may have been due to his having a very light beard. He was friendly towards his competitors, but not gregarious.

During the contest Wayne had the chance to observe Chris also. His rival had short, straight medium brown hair and brown eyes. Wayne thought that he was in his early twenties. For his size, he had broad shoulders and a full chest that tapered to a narrow waist, above the rounded buttocks and flaring thighs characteristic of competitive weightlifters.

While Chris looked like an athlete at the meet; once he put on his street clothes, that person seemed to disappear and be replaced by the graduate student that he was in his other life. As they walked the few blocks to the hotel. They got to know each other a little. Wayne was in his second year at a community college in Indianapolis, so they talked about school.

Wayne appreciated the close attention that Chris gave to what he was saying. The young man seemed to be really interested in his thoughts and opinions. At one point, Wayne said something that Chris thought was funny. His smile was so bright and warm that Chris’s whole face was changed, and his capacity for fun was revealed.

When they arrived at Chris’s room, he turned on the TV for Wayne and went to take his own shower. While Wayne was in the bathroom, Chris dressed and then took out a novel that he needed to read. Wayne emerged, steam billowing out from behind him, dressed in a towel wrapped around his middle and another over his shoulders.

“May I stay here until the banquet?” he asked. Beside the national weightlifting championships, state championships were being held in a whole array of sports. That evening, the winners in all of these events were to receive their awards; for the weightlifters, a medal. Personalities from politics and entertainment were scheduled to appear to make the presentations. All this followed a dinner for 1,200 athletes, officials and their friends, to be held in a hall so large that one could almost get lost in it.

“I’d be glad for the company,” Chris responded. Wayne flopped down on the bed, where previously he had rested while watching TV, both pillows wedged under his head. He remained thus for a short while. Then, raising himself on one elbow, he spoke.

“Come here a minute.”

Chris looked up from his reading. Wayne was looking at him and patted the bed just beside himself. The young man put his book aside and went over, getting up on the bed to sit where Wayne had indicated.

“Let me see your hand,” Wayne said. Chris extended his right arm. Wayne took Chris’s wrist and turned the young man’s hand palm up. He ran his fingers over the thick calluses there and between the thumb and index finger.

“We all get these. Gymnasts too I suppose,” he said almost to himself. Then he placed Chris’s hand on his own waist, just above the towel that covered him. Wayne slid the palm of Chris’s hand upwards along his bare skin. The boy smiled into Chris’s face and said, “Feels nice, though.”

“I saw how you were looking at me,” he commented by way of justification and explanation.

So Chris unwrapped the youth, who lay on his bed and found that he was perfect. Sometimes handsome boys have cocks that are overlarge, out of proportion to their bodies. Many men seem to like that, but Chris, with his classic sensibilities, did not share this preference. Sometimes the penis was misshapen, warty or discolored, but Wayne was faultless.

Chris started at the naked athlete. As he did so, the teenager’s cock began to enlarge. It rose of its own accord, until it was pointing toward Wayne’s head instead of his feet. Wayne broke the spell. “Go get undressed. I can’t wait to get my hands on you.” He was rewarded with one of Chris’s rare, but potent smiles.

While Chris stripped, Wayne pulled the blankets and top sheet to the foot of the bed, clearing the deck for action. Wayne liked to do it between the legs, face to face, belly to belly. Each had a turn. Then they covered themselves with the blankets and took a nap in each other’s arms. They woke, did it again, and slept some more. After the third time, it was time to get ready for the evening. They showered, dressed and left.

The two sat together at the banquet. They were so hungry they did not mind the lukewarm chicken, flour taste of the gravy and tepid peas. The salad was good. The rolls were passable. Dessert, ice cream and cookies, was fine. There was enough for Chris, whose stomach was shrunken due to the constant diet that he had to observe to stay in the 123 lb. class. Wayne was not satisfied and this would be his last competition in that weight class.

Chris was the first to receive his medal. After his name was announced, he began the long walk to the front of the hall. The TV personality, who was handing out the medals, declaimed, “You’re looking at a national champion!” producing a cascade of applause from those assembled.

It was Wayne’s turn next, the silver medal for second place. He returned to the table beaming. They stayed for the presentation of the weightlifting awards, but paid little heed.

Chris said, “Why don’t you stay over and get your train in the morning?”

“I thought you’d never ask,” Wayne replied.

*****

They both knew that little more could come from their encounter. Chris had his doctoral studies to finish, and Wayne, on completing his AA degree, planned to enter Indiana University’s College of Education.

Chris competed in the AAU Senior National Championship in 1967 in York, Pennsylvania and won. Then, having a full time job, a dissertation to complete, and needing to double his training time, if he expected to move up to the international level, he retired from all competition.

He became a professor at Mount Holyoke College, where he taught for thirty years. After retirement, he resumed training, only to find that his joints could not take the strain. He received a total hip replacement in 1999.

Wayne became a business education teacher. He taught typing, consumer economics, business law and business organization for twelve years, before becoming active in the Indiana Teachers Association. He was elected to the office of President of the Association, after serving two terms each on the Board of Directors and the Executive Committee. He ran for Vice President of the National Education Association, but was defeated by the candidate from California.

The YMCA national championships that year were held in St. Louis. To save money, I (Chris) drove out, taking two other lifters with me, one from Lowell and the other from Atkinson, New Hampshire. The three of us shared a room. When “Wayne” came to our room to take the shower, the other two were there, so nothing could have happened.

We drove out in a day and a half. I was the only one with a real license, the kid from Atkinson only had a learner’s permit. He was an awful driver. It was quite windy near Buffalo, and we got pulled over because he was weaving. The police did not give me a ticket, but said that the learner’s permit was not valid out of state. I had to do all of the driving from that point on.

We planned to get a night’s sleep, compete in the meet, attend the awards banquet and then leave, getting back home 28 hours later. I insisted on using the bed. The lifter from Atkinson got the rollaway and that left the lifter from Lowell to share the bed with me. He was a really cute blond boy in the class below me. I was competing in 132’s as was “Wayne.”

I didn’t get much sleep. It is hard to seduce a person with someone else in the room. It took half the night, but we had a pretty good time anyway.

When I finally got back to my apartment in Salem, I slept for two days and nights, getting up only twice to go to the bathroom and eat something. I remember that for the first eight hours, I could still feel the motion of the car as though I was still driving but asleep.