It was Friday afternoon when Neal came home from work and after changing his clothes he came to my cage. I could not get used to those moments when his huge face came close to the bars, filling my entire field of vision. He made me feel more insignificant than an ant and I think that for Neal there was not much difference in those moments.
-Tonight a friend is coming to watch the game. I don't want him to see you. He's a nice guy, but quite nosy. He can start asking questions and go off the deep end. I'm sorry, but you'll have to stay in the bedroom.
Said and done. Neal took my cage to his bedside table, where I used to sleep, and, not content with that, covered me with a towel. I resigned myself to spending a few more hours alone in the company of the computer.
Quite some time had passed when I felt movement in the room. I assumed it was Fernando coming to get something. However, I heard a quiet voice:
-Where can he be...? -that was not Neal's voice. I felt my heart stopping. Even more so when I felt the ominous presence approaching where I was.
-And what is this? -said the same voice, to himself. The towel covering me suddenly lifted and I was confronted with the face of an unknown giant. The stranger's face turned from surprise to a smirk:
-WOW, WOW, BUT WHAT DO WE HAVE HERE! -he said in a powerful voice.
-MIKE, WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE? -Neal had just appeared in the doorway.
-I CAME TO LOOK FOR A LIGHTER, BUT LOOK WHAT I FOUND... HAHAHA... SO YOU HAVE ONE OF THESE LITTLE FAGGOTS, NEAL... YOU WERE SO QUIET ABOUT IT! HOW DID YOU GET HOLD OF IT?
-WELL... -Neal hesitated-... THE TRUTH IS THAT AN ACQUAINTANCE GIVE IT TO ME, IT HAD GIVEN IT TO HIM AND HE DIDN'T WANT IT ANYMORE. I GOT CURIOUS AND ACCEPTED IT.
In my immense terror I understood why Neal was lying. If the authorities discovered any link between us, he could be in trouble. Helping a homosexual was a very punishable offense.
-CAN I TOUCH HIM? -asked Mike.
-Of course -answered Neal after a pause.
Mike opened the cage and in a second I was surrounded by his hand. The new giant was also a bear of a guy, a little older and shorter than my godfather and certainly a lot fatter. He had a nice beer belly and looked like he didn't care about his body at all. He was also wearing a T-shirt and jeans and was quite sweaty that hot day.
-WELL, LET'S WATCH THE GAME, BUT I THINK WE CAN WATCH IT WITH OUR LITTLE FRIEND, RIGHT? THE MORE THE MERRIER...
I found myself transported to the living room, trembling with fear in the giant's huge fist. Both giants sat down on the couch and put me in the middle. The sensation of seeing myself between those huge bodies was terrifying and fascinating at the same time.
The game started and the two friends started drinking and smoking, while eating some snacks. At first they didn't pay much attention to me, however, that changed as soon as I started to notice the effect of the alcohol on them. Mike brought his face close to me and blew all the smoke from his cigarette on me, laughing loudly when he saw me choking and coughing.
-WHAT'S THE MATTER LITTLE BOY? ARE YOU SCARED OF A LITTLE SMOKE? HAHAHA... THERE CAN BE WORSE THINGS.
And taking me in his hand, he brought me closer to his huge mouth and let out a thunderous belch in my face. The smell, a mixture of tobacco, alcohol, bad breath and food enveloped me completely, almost making me vomit. He burst out laughing again and, to my desolation, I saw my godfather start laughing too.
- THE TRUTH IS THAT MY FEET ARE REALLY TIRED. WHY DON'T YOU BE A GOOD BOY AND HELP ME A LITTLE WITH THAT? -He lowered me to the floor and started to unbuckle his huge sneakers. It was the first time I had seen those colossal men from the ground, and their enormity overwhelmed me. I waited there, shaking like a leaf, while Mike took off his shoes and socks, and then placed in front of me his feet the size of buses, completely sweaty and whose smell hit me like a punch. I didn't know that feet could smell so much, something that with my size was incredibly amplified.