Chapter 3

It had been a fitful night’s sleep, not because of the storm that only lasted about an hour before it passed over us. It was because of what I observed last night. What was I going to do? They weren’t little kids anymore, and I could not just explain that it was not an appropriate thing for them to do and pass it off as a youthful curiosity.

I had just set up the butane stove and had the coffee going when Carol came over and said, “Good morning, Mom.” She looked a little sheepish when she whispered, “You scared the shit out of us last night.”

“I’m liable to do more than that today, dearie. I want you to stick around after your father and the boys go to the dig. I want you to explain what I saw last night.”

Carol sounded very concerned, as she should have been, when she asked, “You didn’t tell Dad, did you?”

“Not yet. Whether I tell your father or not will depend on what you have to say for yourself and if we can come to a reasonable understanding of how things will be from now on.”

Don Sr. came out of our tent, anxious to get breakfast over with. “Good morning, ladies. Where are the boys? We have a lot to do today after the rain last night.”

“I’m sure they will be along as soon as they smell the bacon,” I assured him.

The boys came over and gave me half-smiles as I glared at them. They lowered their eyes and dug into the eggs, home fries, and bacon, pretending nothing was amiss. Twenty minutes later, they were on their way to the dig with their father. I heated water on the camp stove and washed the dishes and frying pan.

I was still trying to think of the best way to start the conversation when Carol said. “Look, Mom, I know it looks bad, but you drag us down here every year for three months. We all have friends; Greg and Don Jr. have girlfriends, and I have a boyfriend that I miss sleeping with. Last year, when we were here, all we did was masturbate when we could get some alone time. That gets pretty old after a while when the opposite sex is nearby. Hell, you have Dad, and we know you must be getting some every now and then. Before we came up this year, we made a pact. We would take care of each other until we get back home.”

“What exactly do you mean by taking care of each other?” I asked, although I had a pretty good idea based on what I had seen last night.

“Well, that all depends on our mood. Last night they just wanted to see my tits and have me jerk them off. Then Greg would get me off, but you spoiled that.”

“Oh gosh, I’m so sorry.” I replied sarcastically, “And what exactly do you mean he was going to get you off?”

“Oral sex, Mom. We do it all the time now. I bet you didn’t know that Don Jr. is bi-curious. Greg sometimes lets him suck his cock when I ask them to do it. I love watching when Don Jr. does that.”

I sat dumbfounded as I listened to Carol casually mention that my youngest son had sex with his brother. I finally found my voice, “So this has been going on for a month. Do you plan to stop when we get home?”

“That’s right, Mom. Look, we are adults, and we’re not hurting anybody. It’s just been oral sex and masturbation.” Carol shrugged, “So what’s the harm?”

“You have oral sex with your brothers?” Masturbating them was immoral enough in my way of thinking. Sucking their cocks was something a sister really should not be doing for her brothers.

Carol again shrugged her shoulder as if indifferent, “Sure, why not? They lick me when I ask them to.”

I still could not believe all she was telling me—having oral sex with her brothers—exposing herself to them. My youngest boy is bi-sexual. “Don Jr. really has oral sex with Greg?” I blurted out as if unbelieving of what Carol had told me.

“He sure does. Greg says he is as good as me. It’s quite the sight, Mom.”

“I bet it is.” I felt overwhelmed by the information Carol had so freely given me. I was on information overload and had no idea how I would handle this. It was no secret at our house that they were all sexually active. I could understand their need for sexual gratification. Yes, they are all adults in their early twenties, and three months is a long time when you’re suddenly dragged away from your sex partner. I tried to imagine what it would be like if I was still in my twenties and did not have Don Sr. to take care of my needs back then. I had always been rather demanding in fulfilling my desire to have sex on a regular basis.

“So, are you going to tell Dad?” Carol asked.

“I’m not going to tell your father, but you need to stay in your tent. I’m going to talk to the boys after supper. Now get up to the dig. I will be along shortly.”

I should not have been surprised that Carol had been so open and frank with me. The kids had been to places and seen things that other kids would never get an opportunity to experience. We had been to countries where girls were married at the age of twelve. Public nudity was not the taboo that it was in the States. We discussed sex with the kids at a much earlier age than when my parents talked to me when I was a teenager.

I finished cleaning up from breakfast and headed up to the dig. I ran scenarios through my mind of what I would say to the boys and how and if I should tell my husband. By the end of the day, I had decided it would be best to handle it myself, and my husband did not get involved.

We had a pretty good day at the dig. We were able to unearth 37 pottery shards and partially uncovered one pot that looked like it might be complete. I spent most of the evening sorting the shards by color, texture, and shape. By the end of the evening, I had determined that we had shards from three different Inca clay pots.

It was almost 11:00 when I finished cataloging and tagging the shards. I went back to my tent. Don Sr. had just put away his Journal and was getting into his sleeping bag when he said, “Hey Liz, don’t stay up too late. Another big day tomorrow.”

“I won’t. I’m going to get some air. The tent is stuffy. I’ll be back when it cools off a bit more.”

“Okay, Liz, see you in the morning.”

I sat on my cot for a couple more minutes and thought about my morning conversation with Carol. I knew I had been procrastinating about talking to the boys. I didn’t know what to say to them. How about, hey guys, I know your big sister is the only girl within 125 Km, but I think you should stop having her suck you off. By the way, Don Jr., your brother’s dick is off-limits too.

I walked outside and could see the glow of a lantern in the boy’s and Carol’s tent. This was it. I needed to talk to the boys. I had decided that it would be best not to tell their father. He would get very upset and most likely abandon the dig, head home, and put the three of them in therapy. Abandoning the site would mean losing two-thirds of our grant and jeopardizing our chances of getting a grant and permits to dig next year.

I took a deep breath and walked toward the boy’s tent. I stopped outside the tent and thought it best to announce myself. “It’s your mom. Can I come in?”

“Come in, Mom.”

Their tent was not as big as Don Sr. and mine. There was just enough room for the two cots and a two-and-a-half-foot center aisle. They had a cooler against the back of the tent and most of their clothes and necessities tucked under their cots in plastic bins. The lantern sat on top of the cooler.

Don Jr. was lying on his sleeping bag wearing his pajama bottoms. With his legs crossed and his hands behind his head. Greg was sitting on his cot in his boxers and had just put down a paperback novel he was reading.

I was not sure how I was going to start this conversation. I looked at Don Jr. and just blurted out, “You really suck Greg’s cock?” I stood there in shock. Was that the first thing that came out of my mouth?

Both boys started to laugh at my embarrassment as I covered my mouth. I looked from Don Jr. to Greg and saw that they were not truly offended or shocked that I knew, and I started to giggle.