Watching Giovanni Grow up

Part II, to catch-up  see part I

Well, I did come back and eventually it was a weekly routine that I'd come on Fridays as a reward for Giovanni having a good week. Only a few times did his mom call and say to not come over because Giovanni had been naughty. I'd hear him in the background screaming out that it was no fair. I also started to come on many Saturdays I'd take Giovanni to car shows, movies, sporting events and whatever else I felt that he might enjoy. His mom felt that I was a positive male role model because she did not have many relatives living nearby including male relatives.

I attended all of Giovanni's events he would sing in church, be in plays and he was on a hockey team and I came to all of it. Giovanni became like a relative to me. I even took him to doctors appointments. 

In the summer I took him swimming a few times a week. The first time I saw him nude was when I took him swimming and we both changed clothes in the locker room and cleaned up in the open shower. I felt closer to him because we were nude together but it wasn't a big deal. At no time did I ever touch him or do anything weird but we had a relationship where we were not upset about each other's nudity. We used to use restrooms together and Giovanni often liked to relieve himself outside too. He'd show me how far his stream could go and I'd say that I was impressed. "If I pull this part back my pee goes far..."

I am circumcised and he is not, I had hair and he did not those were the only observations he made other than that nudity was just incidental and casual. That never really changed even has he got older. Another thing that didn't change were our excursions. The only difference might be that he liked some new things at age 11 and 12. Skateboarding became a huge thing for him, he got really into Underground Hip Hop.

His mom started dating a man when he was 11. At first he didn't like this man but grew to love him. I was not jealous because his soon to be step-dad actually afforded me more opportunities to spend with Giovanni. "Hey, I want to take Gio's mom out on Saturday can you stay with Giovanni all day?' The man that she was dating was starting his own business when they met and the business took off. It became very successful to the point where he was taking Giovanni and his mother on trips to amusement parks, buying her a new car and eventually moving her out of the small apartment. Now, he was cutting into my time with Giovanni. Giovanni's mom married this man when Giovanni was 13 years old.

At 13 Giovanni was a handsome to say the least young man. He still had the boyish attributes mixed in with the signs of adolescence deeper voice, a very light mustache that you had to be up close to see, a few muscles. He grew in other areas too. Giovanni and I were still making it a point to hang out. One day we were in the car and he was gushing over his new step father. He was telling me how much he liked him and about all the things they did. I was dying inside but I knew that I shouldn't have been because Giovanni was happy, he finally had a dad except he used to say that he wished I could be his dad. "He's my best friend that's a grown up" those words echoed in my ears. "Oh he is?" I asked incredulously "Well, 2nd best friend, my Mom is my first best".

I got it his parents are first surely I would be third. No, it was his Hockey coach and after that it was some guy from his church and I tied for 5th with a person that he had only met a few times. "Why is your Hockey Coach third?" He started listing off all the Trophy's he had and all the cool things his coach could do. The guy from church drove an expensive sports car and let him ride in it. I was crushed that 7 years of close friendship didn't rank higher.

I wanted a new young friend. He called me the next weekend and I told him that I was busy for the first time ever. I started taking my neighbors child out, a little round butterball with a big appetite. His mother spoke almost no English. He was a nice kid but I didn't connect with him the same way I did Giovanni. I got over my hurt feelings and reached out to Giovanni again.


We started hanging out once again, even going swimming quite a few times between his 8th grade and Freshman year. Once Giovanni was in High School, he really started getting into girls. He was so handsome that he was instantly popular and not really available as much but we still kept in contact on the phone. He'd tell me about his new girl friend or invite me out to see him in his basketball games. The only thing was that unlike his hockey games after his basketball games I didn't take him anywhere, he went off with his friends.


It was bittersweet to see him growing up. In 12th grade, he gave me an invite to his graduation and he said "they gave me five tickets but I only need three for my favorite people in the world." He was talking about me, his step dad and his mom. He wrote me a note that I still have:

WORD for WORD

[Thank you for always being there, you were like a father, brother and cool uncle and best friend all at the same time. I will never forget all of the places we went even when the car broke down and we were stuck in that scary place at night. We survived WOOT! Anyway, I have known you for so long that I consider you to be family. I don't have a big family just me, mom and (name omitted. You are an important part of my little family too. I'm sorry we didn't get to hang out much this past year but there was so much to do for Senior year. I'm going to come home to visit from College and I want to do like we used to except this time I'll pay for our food. I love you but not in a weird way lol. I love you like a father/brother/uncle/best friend.

Sincerely, Giovanni.

P.S. you still need to learn to roller skate better.]


Giovanni is a young man now and has cut his hair by choice but I enjoy a close relationship with him to this very day.

The End

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