Chulito: A Novel

by Charles Rice-González

  “I went to Andrew’s because I couldn’t be on the block. And when I saw the fellas on the corner or the auto glass assholes I wanted to take an Uzi and mow them all down.”

  “Now those are some gangsta thoughts.” Chulito smiled.

  “Oh, I’ve imagined their demise lots of ways. But I could either be controlled by their stupid remarks, and be made to feel like shit, or fight back. And honestly, as much as I hate to have to always fight back, it’s way better than being secretive. And that is my neighborhood, too, they need to make room ‘cause I’m coming through.”

  “Holla!” Chulito cheered.

  Carlos tapped the brim of Chulito’s cap. “I’m serious.”

  “No doubt.”

  “But Andrew offered a break from all the drama and from you. And just for the record, there’s nothing between me and him. But after I spoke with you I was so distraught that I knew if I were to see your light on, I would just say, ‘Forget it, let’s go at his pace. But as much as I love you, that wasn’t what I wanted. I want a guy who could be by my side, especially when shit comes down, because we gonna get a lot of shit. Especially you with those assholes on the corner. They are not gonna let us have a minute of peace, but being with you is more important. And my mom knows how I feel about you.”

  Chulito stopped and asked with surprise. “What?”

  “I haven’t exactly told her, but I think she’s hip. So our mothers will become suegras.”

  The thought of their mothers calling each other “in-laws” made Chulito chuckle. He wondered how he would tell his mother. “Can we take it one step at a time?”eir motheran>

  “I’m just playing.” Carlos hugged him just as they approached the pier.

  A voice beckoned them from behind. “Do I detect a reconciliation?” Kenny said as the couple arrived.

  “Most definitely.” Chulito winked at Kenny.

  “Good, ‘cause, Chulito, this one over here was ugly. Tears and make-up running all over the place. I couldn’t enjoy Kevin, knowing my friend here was in pain.”

  “Well, the pain has been lifted.” Carlos put his arm around Chulito.

  “Aw, how sweet. Now I can go back to hating you, Carlos,” Kenny said. “Can I borrow your flowers?”

  Carlos nodded.

  Kenny ran off to some friends yelling, “I won. I won.”

  Carlos and Chulito went over to the water. Carlos sat on the railing, then pulled Chulito over and held him.

  Chulito swung his baseball cap to the back. “I feel a little nervous.” Then, he pressed his face into Carlos’ chest.

  Carlos rubbed Chulito’s back. “Thank you for being here and being with me. I know this is a lot for you, but I also don’t want you to do something you don’t want to do.”

  “I want you, and though I feel nervous, I feel good, too.”

  Carlos leaned in and kissed Chulito’s forehead, then Chulito kissed Carlos’ chin.

  Carlos pointed to the far end of the pier where Kenny was doing a Miss America promenade, holding the flowers and blowing kisses. As Chulito observed Kenny in the distance, he saw Lee from the Chinese restaurant walking up the path. A chill shuddered through Chulito and he buried his face in Carlos’ chest.

  Lee saw Carlos and came over to them. “Hey, Carlos, how you been?”

  “Cool. How you been?”

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  “I’m glad to be away from the restaurant for a little bit. I never get to hang out. I am always in that damn kitchen, but five more weeks until I go to the University of Pennsylvania. Pre-med, baby.” Then Lee pointed to Chulito. “Is that who I think it is?”

  Carlos nodded.

  “Hey, Chulito. I heard you two were messin’ around.” At the sound of Lee’s cute accent, Chulito slowly turned around to face him. “‘Sup, Lee,” Chulito said as smoothly as he could. With Carlos still sitting on the railing, Chulito rested his back on Carlos’ chest. Carlos reached around and locked his hands around Chulito to hold him. He wondered if Carlos could feel his heart slamming against his chest.

  “I can’t believe it. I always had a feeling about you.”

  “Really?”

  “You’re just too pretty. So, are any of your friends interested in Korean boys? Like Brick? Or Davey? Davey is cute.”

  “Not that I know of, but if I find out I’ll let you know.”

  Carlos rested his chin on Chulito’s head.

  “You lucky, Carlos,” Lee said. “I don’t mean no disrespect, but Chulito is fine, fine, fine.”

  “None taken, Lee, he’s a beautiful man.”

  Chulito looked up to Carlos. “You beautiful, too.’” They kissed.

  “O.K., this is too weird,” Lee said. “And you’re making me jealous, so I’m gonna take my single Korean butt away from you two and see if I can find my own man.”

  “It’s a cute butt,” said Siobhan, one of the twins.

  Lee turned around, did a pose that showed off his ass and waved good-bye.

  “There’s a hip-hop dance this evening at the Center,” Siobhan called out to Lee, “in case you got some Thug Passion.”

  colk"><“Fuck, I gotta work,” Lee said.

  “Thug Passion?” Kenny said as he came over. “Since my thug, Kevin, has moved on I gotta go bag me another one. Are you guys gonna go?’”

  Siobhan shrugged and kissed Hamid, his latest conquest.

  “Kevin broke up with you?” Carlos asked.

  “I’m fine. He broke my back, not my heart.” Kenny smelled the flowers. “So I’ll go and see if I can find another thug.”

  “A whole evening of hip-hop?” Carlos asked. “I don’t know. I could take a couple of songs, but a whole party?”

  “What?” Chulito said. “You don’t like rap and hip-hop ‘cause you don’t understand it.”

  Carlos shook his head. “What’s to understand? It’s either about ‘keepin’ it real,’ ‘holdin’ it down,’ ‘livin’ large,’ ‘bein’ gangsta,’ ‘hangin’ with my boyz’ and ‘bangin’ the bitches.’”

  “You crazy, Carlos. Rap has some deep shit, too. Like you ever listen to Tupac or Pun?” Chulito said.

  “Pun used to beat his wife. That, I know,” Carlos said smugly.

  “O.K., besides that. They be talkin’ about life in the ghetto and the situation we live in and how to get ahead.”

  “Maybe but I can’t ignore the fucked up parts. Besides, they don’t sing about getting ahead by going to school, but by selling drugs, shootin’ the po-lice, or ‘by any means necessary.’”

  “O.K., but also about breaking free of the system.”

  “There is no freedom in rap. And as a gay man, that shit just oppresses me.”

  Chulito realized that he had to overlook a lot of what Carlos was saying in order to focus on what he felt was positive. “You like rap, Kenny, right?”

  “Yeah, but don’t drag me into your argument. You two just got back together and you gonna go right back to divorce court dilor="b.”

  Carlos laughed and hugged Chulito.

  “But you like rap, right, Kenny?” Chulito asked.

  “I like guys who like rap, but I do like some stuff. Well, like all those boys talking about their dicks.” Kenny high-fived Siobhan.

  “What?” Chulito said.

  “They’re constantly talking about dick,” Kenny said. “‘I got a thing in my pants that will make you choke,’ or how about ‘by the look on her face I could tell she ain’t never had something this long.’”

  “Damn!” Carlos said. “Those are lyrics?”

  Chulito nodded.

  “You see, I could get into that.”

  “Biggie calls himself the condom stuffer.” Siobhan said. “I’d love to see a bunch of those rappers naked. They should make a naked calendar of rappers showing their dicks.”

  “Yeah, because according to their songs, they all have big ones,” Kenny said. “With the calendar we would see who’s really ‘keepin’ it real.’”

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sp; “You all crazy,” Chulito said.

  “You don’t wonder what Tupac’s dick looked like?” Kenny asked.

  “No, I never thought about Tupac’s dick,” Chulito said.

  “I think about it,” Siobhan said. “He’s dead and I still think about it.”

  “He got shot in his balls once, didn’t he?” Carlos asked.

  They all looked at Chulito. He nodded.

  “I think Tupac was gay,” Kenny said.

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  “C’mon, Chulito,” Carlos said. “Any rappers’ dick you want to see?”

  “Right now, I got you on my mind.”

  “Oh, young love,” Kenny sang.

  “Well, I’m happy for you two, but all this young sexual energy is making me hungry for some Hamid.” Siobhan and Hamid left walking hand in hand. “I might see you at the dance.”

  Chulito felt Carlos’ erection on his chest. “What’s all that?”

  “Your mother is in Puerto Rico, right?”

  Chulito looked at his watch. “She should be having dinner with her mother in Bayamon about now.” Chulito smiled. “Oh, so you don’t want to be wastin’ no time.”

  “I guess I’m going to the dance alone.” Kenny handed Carlos the flowers. “See you around, lover boys. Have fun and be safe.”

  It was dusk by the time Chulito and Carlos arrived in Hunts Point. Carlos sat on Chulito’s bed, but the room was much darker with the old, brown shade pulled down. Chulito knelt in front of Carlos and kissed him deeply, as Carlos took off Chulito’s white baseball cap and tossed it on the dresser. One by one, they pulled off shirts, undid belt buckles, slipped off shoes until they lay naked on Chulito’s bed facing each other. Carlos pressed his face against Chulito’s neck and inhaled. The pinkish colored streetlight switched on, giving Chulito’s smooth brown skin a soft glow. Carlos licked his neck then gently sucked an earlobe. Chulito let out a soft, “Yeah, papi.” Carlos continued his journey down Chulito’s body, softly biting his nipples, kissing his stomach and running his hands down Chulito’s back. He held Chulito’s soft round ass in his hands and pressed his face against his stiff cock. He inhaled again. He looked up at Chulito who was biting his lower lip. Carlos took Chulito’s balls in his left hand and with his right hand took hold of Chulito’s cock and pulled down its skin before slipping the cock into his mouth. He savored the salt and sweat that had accumulated there. Chulito let out a soft grunt. Carlos slid Chulito’s cock in and out of his mouth, making it slick and smooth. Chulito started to grind his hips into Carlos’ face. Carlos went all the way down, feeling Chulito deep inside his throat, and then he swallowed and the contraction of his throat sent a shiver through Chulito’s body. He squeezed Chulito’s nuts gently with one hand while he squeezed one of Chulito’s nipples with the other. Chulito pushed and shoved himself into Carlos’ mouth, then with one quick action he reached down and lifted Carlos to kiss him.

  Carlos positioned himself on top of Chulito so that their cocks lay side by side sliding against each other. Chulito’s hands were like vines reaching all over Carlos’ back and ass. Their bodies began to sweat and soon they were like two slick seals gliding up and down each other. Carlos’ cock slipped between Chulito’s legs and rubbed his asshole. Chulito stiffened a little. “Relax, Chulito. We’re only doing what we both want, O.K.?”

  Chulito pushed Carlos on his back. He stroked his body and held on to Carlos’ cock. “This is the first time I ever held a dick that wasn’t my own,” Chulito said. “It feels nice.” He stroked it gently and then jerked it quickly. “You got a fat head, yo.” And then he slipped it into his mouth and after a moment said, “Damn, that tastes weird but I like it, Carlos.” He continued to suck, imitating what Carlos did to him, slowly taking it into his mouth and trying to take it down his throat. He coughed a little.

  Carlos chuckled. “Don’t get greedy.”

  Chulito looked up to Carlos and smiled. “This shit is crazy. I can’t believe you here and I got you in my mouth. And the fellas are right down the block.”

  Carlos then swung around and they both sucked gently and hungrily on each other. They traced veins and ridges with their tongues. Chulito kept wiping sweat off his face until finally he said, “I’m gonna turn on the fan.”

  As Chulito walked to the dresser, Carlos said, “Damn, I think I’m gonna remember that view for the rest of my life. You have got one fine ass hiding underneath all those baggy clothes.” Carlos sat up in bed. “It’s hot, can we take a shower?”

  “Sounds dope.”

  The two trotted into the bathroom and laughed at their erections bouncing in front of them.

  In the shower they continued to kiss. The cool water refreshed their bodies while their hands explored each other’s back, arms, shoulders and chests.

  Carlos pushed Chulito against the wall and licked his back and ran his tongue right in between Chulito’s butt cheeks. When his tongue made contact with Chulito’s hole, Chulito jumped. “Yo, what you doing?”

  “Trust me, if you don’t like it, I’ll stop.” Carlos reached around and took hold of Chulito’s cock with one hand and stroked it as he stuck his face between Chulito’s two plump ass cheeks and brushed his hole with his tongue. The strokes grew broader, and Chulito moaned. Carlos tickled the hole with the tip of his tongue then slipped it in alipp ass chee little.

  “Oh shit.” Chulito pressed his hands flat against the tile wall.

  “Relax, baby.” Carlos covered Chulito’s hole with his mouth and sucked and licked it while he jerked Chulito’s cock, sliding the foreskin back and forth.

  “Stop, I’m gonna bust.” Chulito turned around and pulled Carlos up. “Rinse your mouth before I kiss you.”

  Carlos laughed. “It’s pretty clean down there.”

  “You’re a freak.”

  “You like it?”

  Chulito nodded like a little kid saying yes to more ice cream.

  Carlos lay down on the tub, spread his legs and jerked himself as he took in Chulito’s body above.

  “Damn, you are beautiful, Carlos.”

  “Jerk that big dick for me.”

  Chulito obeyed. “You are definitely a freak.”

  After a couple of strokes Chulito stopped. “I’m gonna bust, yo. I gotta chill.”

  Carlos got up and wrapped one arm around Chulito’s shoulder. “Let’s come together. I’m getting close.”

  They grabbed the other’s cock and jerked while kissing and looking into each other’s eyes.

  Chulito panted. “I’m almost there, Carlos.”

  “Me too, keep looking into my eyes when you come.” “Bet. Oh shit, pa.” Chulito looked down.

  “Look at me. Oh fuck, I’m coming.”

  Chulito and Carlos struggled to hold the other’s gaze as the climax rose up and shot out of them. Chulito felt his knees buckling as his body shuddered with every squirt. He peeked down and saw his cum sliding down Carlos’ leg. When he looked back into Carlos’ eyes, he felt the first few strong spurts from Carlos hit him right above his navel. When their spasms subsided, they held on to each other, their cum tangling in their pubic hairs and on their legs.

  Chulito gently kissed Carlos’ neck. He felt peaceful and excited at the same time. He wanted to repeat “I love you” over and over again, instead he whispered, “That was dope, nigga.”

  Carlos pressed his face into Chulito’s neck. “What’s today’s date?”

  “I don’t know, like July 9th.”

  “So July 9, 2005 was our first time together.” Carlos kissed Chulito’s nose.

  July 9, 2005 was also their second, third and fourth time together.

  Around midnight Carlos called his mother and said that he was going to stay over at a friend’s house.

  The next morning Chulito watched Carlos sleep for a few minutes before he awoke and smiled. Carlos looked peaceful as he breathed deeply. Chulito, too, felt at peace. He didn’t have to gird himself with the bravado he wore walking the neighborhood or deal with the dangers of
Rey or the game. He could just watch Carlos sleep. Watch him breathe. Seeing Carlos’ chest rise and fall. Chulito matched his breath—inhaling and exhaling. Chulito didn’t want to wake him but couldn’t resist touching him. He moved Carlos’ hair away from his eyes and kissed his nose.

  Carlos awakened and grinned. “Hello, lover.”

  “Hi, beautiful, I could get used to seeing this face when I wake up everyday.” Chulito kissed Carlos’ eyebrows.

  “I know what you mean.” Carlos laid on top of Chulito and they hugged. Their erections were ready for the next round. “I don’t want to go into work today.”

  After two more rounds that morning, Carlos used a towel to wipe himself and slipped upstairs to shower and change.

  Chulito lay on his bed, still wet from their last encounter. He could feel their cum drying on his body as he listened to Carlos’ foo Cck">otsteps above him. Chulito got up, showered quickly and got dressed. He had to meet Kamikaze at one p.M., but he wanted to accompany Carlos on his way to work. When Carlos came down to say good-bye, he was surprised to hear Chulito was going with him.

  They stepped outside and Chulito instinctively checked the corner as they crossed Garrison Avenue. It was early and the fellas were not out yet. He saw Damian looking at them. “Hey, Chulito, wassup?”

  “Wassup?” Chulito passed him coolly and when he looked back he saw Damian staring at them. He turned away and grinned, feeling amazing about the sex he’d shared with Carlos. He’d fantasized about what it would be like to be with Carlos, but after having tasted parts of his body for the first time he wanted more. He wanted to run and leap and sing out Carlos’ name. He looked as his hands and arms and was glad that there was no outward evidence of all the sex he’d just had. It wasn’t like after having sex his skin color had changed to blue, but inside he definitely felt different.