This is the first blond guy who became a boyfriend. I met him at uni and he changed my life, completely. The last pic here is of us lunching in Owen Farrell's garden, in typical Adelaide fashion of the time: using Jo Caddy's hand-made pottery and at a wooden tressle table and bench chairs, shaded from the sun by the grape vines over the wooden structure.
Six or so months into our courses we left to live in Europe. I was away for a number of years. And he stayed on in the UK when I was back to complete my studies. And then he went to live in the States about 10 years later.
He appeared in Sydney a few months ago and had tons of pics to fill in the gap, pictures which he let me scan. My current partner and I met up with him a number of times and planned visits to New York. Though he was strangely reticent about giving more contact detail than his email address. Both of us were emotional as he finally left. Which was unlike him. But not me!
A week or so later I had a message off to him and got one back which, as I began to read, was incomprehensible - as though from a different person. In fact it was from his last partner - Peter had gone back to NY and committed suicide. He had just come back to Australia to say goodbye and check (in my case) how life had treated me and that his effect on it had been good.
This is a most tragic story I ever read. I wonder if you would be kind to post a recent photo of the man; such a waiste! I can't believe it.......
ReplyDeleteregards
Adrian
hey adrian, as u can see i've swapped the pic for the new much-imporved one you sent me - thanks again very much. nick
ReplyDeleteAmazing man, I'm sure, and the loss is terrible even to the uninformed like myself.
ReplyDeleteWhat worlds unspoken and rarely witnessed have gay men traversed, especially concerning the heart, since the world began. Here is a little glimpse. May the world understand more about these lives with time. If only for the benefit of the gay kids being born today.
hey sacriver
ReplyDeleteyep, it was shatteringly painful - even after so many years - i couldn't believe my reaction was so strong
guess you don't move on really from people but keep something of them with you always
you put it so well about hidden gay histories! i met a guy in his eighties when i was a kid - and he talked of dancing in tea houses in the 1920s - since then i've been interested in reading any gay social histories i can find
thanks for the comment!
nick