The Boy and the Battleship

by Christopher Cummings

  ***

  That afternoon and evening Graham added the secondary armament to his battleship. He did this by the same method he had used for his first cruiser, by placing the guns along each side in barbettes. To do this he first glued six small balsa blocks, each 1cm long x 5mm square, evenly spaced along the sides of the superstructure. Then he cut a long piece of 3mm square balsa which he cut into lengths of 3cm. Through one end of each of these he pushed a short pin at right angles. At the same end he measured 1cm and carefully cut in for a tiny bit all around. He then used a craft knife to trim slivers of wood off the remaining 2cm, cutting back from the other end as far as the cut. Once this was done he used sandpaper to round this to look like a gun barrel. By pushing a black biro into the end he made the gun muzzle.

  The pin was then pushed down into one of the blocks of balsa. As he completed each one and stuck it on Graham felt better. My battleship is no longer helpless. She has guns and can fight off some enemies, he thought.

  Next he cut pieces of cardboard 3cm x 1.5cm and marked out a rectangle 2.5cm x 5mm on each one. This smaller rectangle was cut out by using the craft knife. This left a window. The cardboard was then bent into a curved shape and glued at both ends to the superstructure and at the bottom to the main deck. Thus the armoured barbette was made. A small semi-circle of cardboard covered the top.

  It was only after he had started that Graham bothered to look at a photo and then he noted (to his annoyance) that on the real ships the secondary armament were along the side of the hull. As he had begun placing them along the side of the superstructure and resting on the main deck he felt quite silly.

  “I shouldn’t rush into things,” he muttered. Presented with the choice of pulling them all off or of hoping no-one else noticed he opted for the latter.

  By the time all twelve barbettes had been glued in place Graham had all but forgotten this as the end result looked very good to him. Looks like the real ones, he decided as he crouched to view the rows of guns from various angles.

  Having completed the secondary armament really pleased Graham. “My battleship now has twelve 6” guns, and funnels and engines and so she can steam and fight. She has as many guns as a light cruiser so I will use her if I have to,” he told himself. But he didn’t want to unless he absolutely had to. “Better to keep her a surprise,” he muttered. So the battleship was slid out of sight under his bed.

  But it was not Battleships he fantasized about when he lay in bed—it was Cindy. He became very aroused and very hopeful. She likes me and she says she is coming over again!

  So all day on Friday Graham was excited. He was aroused so often and so long that it became painful. During the day he saw Cindy several times in the distance and each time she gave him a cheerful grin. That sign of promise kept his hopes high. His big concern was whether Alex or Kylie might be at home after school and he did not dare ask either lest they become suspicious.

  After school he hurried home, walking as quickly as he could. As he rounded the corner into his street he looked at his house in eager anticipation. But there was no bicycle leaning on the fence and he felt a sharp stab of disappointment. When he got there he looked around but there was no sign of her. For a few minutes he walked around the house in frustration.

  Then he shrugged and went to the kitchen to have afternoon tea. After eating two biscuits and drinking a glass of cordial he went to his table. “I may as well work on my battleship,” he muttered.

  The next parts of the model he planned to work on were the main armament gun turrets. Still squirming with frustration and half aroused he sat and began measuring and cutting rectangles of 6mm thick balsa. He was just slicing off the third one when he heard the front gate open. Turning in his chair, he looked down the front steps and felt his heart leap. It was Cindy.

  “Hello. I was starting to think you weren’t coming,” he said as he got up to meet her.

  Cindy grinned. “I thought it might be better if I took my bike home first. Then if Max comes by he won’t know I am here.”

  What a good idea! Graham thought. He told her so, then led her through to the kitchen for some refreshments. By then he was fully aroused and his heart was hammering with anticipation. He could hardly wait before suggesting they go down to the Ship Room again. To his relief Cindy nodded. “That’s why I’m here,” she said. She gulped down the last of the cordial and put the cup down, then followed Graham down the back stairs.

  Without any more preliminaries they began kissing. It was at once apparent to Graham that Cindy was feeling excited as well and that made him both more aroused but also slightly scared. But he wanted to kiss her and relished every second. He also badly wanted to touch her but was afraid to ask. Instead he began to slowly move his hand over her clothing, first at the back and then on her sides. The whole time they kept their bodies pressed together and he enjoyed that as well.

  After a time he leaned back and managed to slide his hand around from her left hip onto her stomach. This brought his fingers to just under her left breast and there they seemed to freeze with the paralysis of fear. A minute went by before she kissed him again and then leaned back and said, “You can if you want.”

  Graham was astounded—and scared. He knew he had to act. Do something you weakling or she will despise you, he told himself. The concept of being a man flitted in the back of his thoughts. But he knew he was afraid. The fear was as much about making it obvious he was inexperienced as about getting into trouble for doing something so naughty.

  She must have sensed this as she gave a gentle hug and said, “It’s all right. I want you to.”

  “I… I’m not quite sure…” he stammered.

  “Would you like me to show you?” she asked.

  Graham could only nod, his arousal pounding in his skull and his fingers twitching in anticipation. For him the next 10 minutes were heaven as Cindy coached him in the gentle art of giving a girl pleasure with his hands. Graham found himself trembling and thrilled in a way he had never thought possible.

  Then she moved his thoughts to a higher level of pleasure by saying, “Of course it’s even nicer when you don’t have any clothes on.”

  Graham was almost stunned speechless. “W… would you like that?” he asked.

  Cindy nodded and his hopes went up even more. But there was an anxious pause. They stepped apart, both breathing fast and perspiring slightly. Graham badly wanted to do that but now he was frightened and he had to keep wiping sweaty palms on his shorts. “Me too?” he croaked.

  “Yes please. I want to learn what boys are like,” Cindy replied. That was incredibly exciting to Graham but also very frightening. Cindy then stepped back and in a decisive gesture pulled her dress up over her head and tossed it on the floor. Seeing her in bra and panties got Graham breathing even faster. She stood and let him look for a minute, then reached behind her back and unclipped her bra. Then she got all shy and hesitated. For another minute they stood looking at each other, both panting with anxiety before she peeled it off and stood straight for him to look at.

  Oh yes! Graham thought as he studied her. To his juvenile mind she looked just perfect. He stepped forward and put his arms around her, instinctively not touching her too soon. Instead he kissed her and caressed her back. The feel of his hands on her silken smooth skin was a wonder and a delight and he shuddered with pleasure and suppressed passion. Cindy sighed and shivered with obvious pleasure.

  Cindy did the prompting. “Well, show me,” she said.

  But fear still held Graham. “Promise you won’t tell anyone or complain,” he croaked, his heart pounding and his throat dry.

  “I won’t,” Cindy replied. “I’m not like that.”

  Somewhat reassured and now driven by an intense urge, Graham fumbled at the buttons of his shirt. He was astonished to find that his fingers were trembling and he had trouble undoing them. He took the shirt off and then started to undo his shorts. As he did he kept looking around and listening in case someone came. He was
now very scared but very excited. Cindy just stood and watched as he slid down his shorts. He gulped and summoned up the courage to peel off his underpants, to stand erect before her, his heart hammering furiously. He found it the most stimulating thrill.

  Seeing Cindy’s eyes widen with interest added to his excitement and he stood defiantly aroused while she stared with rapt attention. She bent forward and studied it minutely while Graham stood in embarrassed pride. For a few minutes she touched him and experimented, causing him to squirm and pulsate. This made her giggle so she did it again. Graham sighed and shivered with the sheer pleasure of it. He felt his urges mounting and reached forward to grip her. She looked into his eyes and he could see she was panting. Her pupils were dilated and her lips slightly parted.

  “You are beautiful,” Graham croaked, aware at the back of his mind that he was skating onto very thin ice indeed. She is under age you fool! the back of his mind whispered. “Jail bait,” his dad had called them in a father-and-son talk the year before.

  But he was so gripped by lust that he lifted her up and stepped forward to kiss her again. This time they were both on fire and their bodies rubbed and pressed at each others. As they kissed and explored with their hands, Graham’s vision seemed to blur and the blood pounded in his skull.

  But when his desire urged him to go further, Cindy moaned, “No,” and stepped back. Her face looked drawn and flushed, but scared.

  “I’d like to,” Graham said, half shocked at his own daring.

  “No, not yet,” she groaned again. She pushed him away.

  Graham felt a fierce urge to do it, succeeded by a wave of shame and fear as he realized what he had been doing. With an effort of will he let her go and stepped back. “Sorry,” he muttered. “I was just losing control.”

  “I’m sorry too,” Cindy said. “It is my fault for leading you on. Thank you for being kind. I am just interested in how boy’s bodies work.”

  “Can I touch you too?” he croaked.

  Cindy nodded and murmured yes. “But hands only,” she added. They came together again and kissed and then began using their hands to pleasure each other.

  Oh this is heaven! Graham thought as Cindy helped him to reach a climax.

  Voices!

  Graham snatched his hands away and stepped back. Movement at the front steps caught his eye. He felt a wave of shock. “Alex and Maxy!” he gasped.

  Chapter 16

  WILL I?

  Graham stared at Cindy in alarm. She looked frightened and annoyed. Hastily she snatched up her bra. In the process it caught on the mast of a sailing ship, snapping some of the cotton rigging and spilling tiny plasticine crew members onto the concrete. Graham was torn between asking her to be more careful and telling her to hurry up. An instinct cautioned him against rebuking her for not being careful.

  His mouth dry with fear and his heart hammering furiously Graham tugged on his shorts and began pulling on his shirt. Anticipatory shame caused him to burn with embarrassment and his fingers fumbled with the shirt buttons. Cindy pulled on her knickers.

  Then, to Graham’s intense relief, Alex went up the front steps, followed by Max. Instantly Graham’s mind formed a plan. “Quick, follow me!” he hissed.

  But Cindy didn’t. Instead she began to put the bra on. Graham had never seen this done and despite his fear watched with fascination. By then he could hear the footsteps of the two boys passing overhead and he broke into a fever of impatience. “Hurry! Hurry!” he hissed.

  “I’m going as fast as I can!” Cindy snapped back.

  “But we need to get out of here,” Graham replied, his eyes shifting to the back stairs.

  Cindy snorted with annoyance as she dressed. “If I run out here half undressed it will tell everyone what we have been up to. At least with my clothes on we can pretend we are just playing.”

  That made sense to Graham but he moved to the door, ready to run. Cindy picked up her dress and quickly pulled it over her head and wriggled into it. As she tugged it into position, she moved to follow.

  “Where are we going?” she whispered.

  Graham didn’t wait. He pointed and went out into the carport and across to the laundry. Cindy followed. Directly opposite the back stairs was a large opening where the underneath had not been completely enclosed. Both of them went through this onto the east side lawn even as Graham glimpsed feet descending the back stairs.

  A moment of indecision held Graham. If I run left and try to go through the front gate they can see us through the palings if they go into the Ship Room. But if they go out onto the back yard they will see us if we go right, he thought. Where were the boys most likely to go? Graham decided the Ship Room and began running to his right beside the laundry and kitchen. By then all of Alex’s legs were visible and his body was coming into view.

  But almost at once Graham wondered if he had made a mistake. In the back yard 10 metres away was the guinea pig cage. That was often a popular destination, particularly for Kylie and Margaret. I hope they don’t come this way, he thought.

  He continued to run, Cindy close on his heels. They went past the guinea pig cage and in among the rows of vegetable gardens that took up much of the back yard. By then Graham was in a state of high anxiety and excitement. He knew that both of them would now be visible to anyone who came out onto the west side lawn or to the back of the laundry.

  A glance behind showed no sign of either boy so Graham kept running. After swerving through the gate to a fenced off area that had once been a fowl run, he led Cindy past the big mango tree to the back fence. There was a gate and he came to a puffing stop when he reached it.

  As he opened the gate, which led out into a grassy laneway 25m wide, Graham asked, “Where will we go now?”

  Cindy slipped past him through the gate and looked anxiously back. She shook her head. “Nowhere. I’m going home. I don’t want Maxy to see me.”

  “Aw, but… I was just starting to enjoy that,” Graham muttered.

  “So was I, but I am not in the mood now,” Cindy replied.

  Graham bit his lip and tried to think of a counter argument. Unable to do so, he said, “Can we meet again tomorrow then?”

  Cindy shook her head. “Sorry, no. Maxy and I are going away for the weekend to visit relations in Tully.”

  “What about Sunday afternoon?”

  “Doubt it. It would depend what time we get home and then I would need an excuse to sneak away,” Cindy replied.

  Graham could see the problems in trying to organize that. He said, “What about Monday then?”

  To his relief Cindy nodded and said, “Yes.” Then she set off at a fast walk along the lane.

  Graham watched her go but she did not look back or wave. By now he was sure that he was in love with her and he urgently wanted to be with her. It was only after she had turned the corner and was no longer visible that he thought of Thelma. That gave him a shock and he suddenly despised himself.

  “God I am a weakling!” he muttered. Then the heated memories if fondling Cindy and of being kissed by her swamped his mind and seemed to wash out all images of Thelma. For a few minutes he stood there, torn in his emotions and feeling doubly guilty. He knew he was being disloyal to the image of Thelma and he also knew that he was fired with desire to do physical things with Cindy that he knew were illegal and immoral.

  But they were also enormous fun! And he had to admit he even enjoyed the excitement of nearly being caught. The memories of the frantic scramble to get dressed and the dash to get away made him grin. Then he realized he needed an alibi so that he could convincingly go and meet Alex and Max.

  The guinea pigs, he thought. So he went out into the lane and pulled up several large handfuls of succulent guinea grass. With these as his excuse for being out the back he made his way inside, closing the gate behind him. As he walked through to the fowl run gate his eyes scanned the back of the house and side lawns but there was no sign of the boys. He reached the guinea pigs unseen.

  Th
ey were glad to see him and noting the eager way they came to him sniffing and nibbling at the grass made him feel guilty. I have been neglecting you little fellows, he thought. He tried to rationalize this by telling himself he was not as attached to these guinea pigs as the ones that had been killed by the savage dog a few months earlier.

  That memory made him feel awful. Not only had there been the trauma of trying to stop the dog killing the pets but it had attacked Kylie and he had used a fence paling to save her. In the process he had hit it on the head. The blow had killed the animal and that made him feel much worse as he really loved dogs. The traumatic memories now returned and he stood there trembling slightly.

  Alex’s voice pulled him out of them. “Oh, there you are Wart!” Graham looked up and saw Alex and Max at the back entrance to the laundry. Suddenly Graham felt relieved and was glad he had his props. He held the other handful of grass in for the guinea pigs. “I’m just giving them some fresh grass,” he said.

  Alex nodded. “Good. Now, we want to play so come and join us.”

  Phew! They didn’t see us! Graham thought. He said, “OK, come and help me move the cage to a fresh bit of lawn first.”

  They did that and then Graham was used to adjudicate a map battle between Alex and Max. They used the rules given them by Mr Conkey and each had an identical fleet of five battleships, five cruisers, five destroyers and five submarines. Graham thought it an oddly unbalanced fleet but was still interested. Just watching the pair play gave him a good insight into their mental processes. It confirmed his thoughts that his big brother was more brawn than brain. Alex made lots of mistakes, he thought afterwards.

  After Max had gone Graham resumed work on the turrets for his new battleship. He cut out five rectangles of balsa, each 6mm thick and measuring 6cm x 4cm. A study of a photo showed him that the turrets on the Iron Duke-class ships were not rectangles. They had curved sides which sloped slightly inwards towards the top. This shape was achieved by shaving with a craft knife and by using his small wood rasp and then sandpaper. The end products looked quite good to him.