It was summer, 1966. I was just 18 and, like the country I lived in and the world around us, I felt the anxiety of transition between an age of innocence and one of awareness. Every summer my family took a trip up to the mountains for two weeks of camping. This was car-camping with propane stoves and lanterns, mosquito repellant, huge tents made of canvas, floating on the lake on inner tubes, and transistor radios for the baseball games. Every year we'd gone to the same campground, the same campsite even, and it was so familiar that the fact that it was the last time we'd all be there together didn't occur to anyone until years later.
This year, though, my family, which included my parents Sophie and Joe and myself, were joined by my uncle Frankie and his wife Marie and two of their friends Jack and Paula. Jack and Paula were from near Albany so the trip up to the lakes was a big one for them. From what I could tell Jack and Frankie were old war buddies, and my dad had been in the African campaign. That meant there was a lot of beer and reminiscing, neither of which were particularly interesting to anyone else but them.
For me, it meant a lot of time in the company of the three women, or else wandering around on my own and trying to meet the other girls who were at the campground. That wasn't going so well, mostly because the girls there were much younger. So I spent a lot of time listening to the radio or reading books, getting ready for my first year of college in the fall.
One evening, as the men began their nightly storytelling session, the women decided they'd head down to the lake for a moonlight swim. They invited me but I declined, prefering to listen to the radio for a while. I watched them go and only a few minutes later did I realize they had left their swimsuits hanging on the line. I wondered what that meant, but even at 17 I had a pretty good idea. I got up and headed down the trail to the lake, hoping at least for a peek at what was going on.
When I got to the lake I had to be very quiet and listen for them. In the moonlight I saw three figures in the water about 50 yards away and headed in that direction, stopping just before I was in earshot and hiding myself behind a rock and under an overhanging tree branch. I peered through the darkness and was rewarded with a nice view of three dark heads bobbing in the water. I heard them talking quite clearly, and was shocked to hear my mother's voice as she described her first time skinny dipping with my father.
"Truth be known, it was the first time I'd seen him naked," my mom said.
"How about that," said Paula. "I hope you weren't disappointed!"
The women laughed at this but my mom said nothing.
Marie chimed in. "I remember the first one I saw. Bill Kowalski, in the 8th grade." She giggled, "but I don't think he'd hit puberty yet...or at least, I hope he hadn't!"
Paula looked at my mother and said something that made me really perk up. "Well, Sophie, if that son of yours is any indicator, I'm sure you *weren't* disappointed in what you saw that night. Like father like son, right?"
"What?! What are you talking about?" My mom was a little upset by this, and I was very curious to hear what came next.
"Well..." Paula paused for a second, "let's just say those swim trunks Charlie wears don't hide much."
Paula and Marie laughed, and then Marie said, "You know, Fran, she has a point!"
I was a little mortified and a lot turned on by this, but my mom wasn't amused. I knew the tone in her voice meant business when she said, "Well I hardly think that's any of your concern." She turned away and swam out to the buoy. I could hear Marie and Paula giggling and Paula said, "But I mean...it must really be something!"
Of course I knew I was well endowed, but only from seeing other boys in the locker room at school. So far I hadn't had much more than a kiss or two from an actual girl, so the realization that my size was interesting to women was a new one for me.
"You know I can hear you!" My mother yelled back at Paula and Marie. She was angry now, and swam quickly to shore. "That's enough for me. You two enjoy yourselves." Still wet from her swim, she put her clothes back on and walked back up the shore to the trail, passing just feet from me on her way back to the campsite. I sat motionless as all this happened, not sure what to do.
Paula and Marie whispered to each other until my mother was gone, and then started laughing hysterically. "I mean, is she just a prude or what? Sheesh." Marie was calmer now, and said, "Oh, well it is her son we're talking about after all. And let me tell you, I don't think it does run in the family."
"What do you mean?" Paula asked.
"Frankie is no stud, bless his heart," Marie said, and held her thumb and index finger out about an inch apart.
"Ohhh, I see," Paula smiled. "Truth be known, neither is Jack."
The women began to make their way toward the shore, and I could see that both of them had really nice bodies, especially in my 17-year-old's mind: Paula was about 5'4" and a little chubby but with ample breasts, while Marie was a raven-haired knockout by anyone's standards, and her breasts seem to float even after she got out of the water they were so big. I was transfixed and felt the beginnings of an erection. After they had dressed and walked back to the camp, I released my cock from my shorts and stroked it hard and fast until I came in a jet of thick cum. I looked down at my cock with new interest, wondering how it compared with others, trying to guage its length and girth, and decided that I would measure it when I got back home the following week.
The next morning when I awoke I put on my swim trunks in our tent and quickly checked myself in the car mirror when I got outside. The outline of my penis was evident as a long bulge descending down and to the left. I half hoped Paula and Marie would be up already so I could see if they reacted or not. I went to the picnic table and my dad was making a breakfast of sausage and eggs. Everyone was there, and right away I could sense an air of tension. My mom was still mad I guess.
"Charlie why don't you go get us some more firewood," she said. "We're running low."
"Ok mom." I walked around the table and saw Marie and Paula gazing at my crotch. I got very nervous so I just about ran up to wood bin. When I got back I put the wood down and did my best to avoid looking at Marie or Paula.
That night the men started up a game of poker, which meant even more beer and lying than the night before. I sat in on a couple of hands but got bored pretty quickly. The women all joined in then, so I decided to take a walk by the lake.
There were a couple of bonfires going on the far side, so I ventured over to have a beer with some of the guys there. After an hour or so I started back, figuring the poker game would be almost over and I could get some sleep.
As I got closer to the trail back I saw a lone figure in the water. "Charlie, is that you?!" It was Marie.
"Yeah. How's the water?" I asked.
"Great! Your parents hit the sack already and believe it or not Frankie and Jack and Paula are still battling it out at poker. I lost a long time ago -- never had a gift for bluffs."
"Oh, they're still playing," I sighed. "I was hoping they'd be asleep by now."
"Afraid not, fella. Why don't you take a swim, you'll enjoy it!" Marie said.
"Umm, nah. I don't have my suit on." I really didn't have my suit on. I was wearing some loose sweatpants and hadn't bothered to wear underwear.
"Awww, come on, this is nature! I'm only wearing what god gave me, so don't be shy. Don't worry, I won't tell your folks." Marie egged me on. She sounded like she'd had a few beers herself.
"Um, I don't know." I was getting a little nervous.
