Milo

I sat down to write an erotic story. It involved a bored couple that decided to find naïve young adults (18years +) and seduce them for the voyeuristic pleasure of the other partner. As I set up the backstory, Milo started to write his own autobiography through me. I was so charmed by the character I went with the flow. Also I was scared that Milo would pop off the page and punch me out - you'll understand when you read the story. So there is no sex. Try one of my other stories. This story is the fictional product of my (and Milo's?) imagination. Any resemblance to people, dead or alive, is purely coincidental.

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Milo

Milo O'Connor was the eighth child of Sean and Mary O'Connor. They always thought it lucky he was born on Christmas day, even though he was premature and underweight.

They were a devout protestant family living in Belfast. Sean was purchasing officer at the shipyard. It was not unknown for crates of whiskey to be delivered to his home. Sean never let such offerings go to waste. Sean was mean when drunk, and charming when sober. Milo remembered his Da for his temper and the number of black eyes his Ma sported. Sean died from cirrhosis of the liver when Milo was just seven and his mother forty.

Milo was always small. He was bullied at school, but quickly learned that he had to fight back. He was fast and fought like a mosquito - in and out to deliver blows. Sometimes a bigger kid would grab him so he learned to bite, kick and give head butts. He was ferocious.

It was during one of his not infrequent scraps on the street when Milo was ten years old as he was coming home from school that his Minister happened to come out from a nearby house where he had been visiting a parishioner. The Minister weighed into the circle of kids and pulled Milo off his opponent and pulled him by his ear. Once home in front of his Ma the minister told Milo to go to the Church annex after school every day and join the Boys' Club. The Minister had a heavy way about him that scared Milo. The instruction came with a vague but ominous threat if Milo did not obey.

Thus Milo was introduced to boxing - that was the main activity at the club. Milo quickly learned from an aged, wizen man, Joe, the noble art of fisticuffs. Even more, Joe became a mentor and surrogate father to Milo as he grew from childhood to adulthood. Milo graduated as a youth from bantamweight through featherweight to lightweight at 18, having never topped 130 lbs. He barely reached five feet one inch tall. Milo was fast and exceptionally strong for his weight. He boxed as an amateur with an impressive win record, eventually fighting and losing to a tough opponent to represent Northern Ireland.

Joe also guided Milo's academic direction. Milo did well at school. On the basis of his father's employment at the shipyard and with recommendations from the school and his Minister, when Milo was just 18, he was accepted for a five year apprenticeship at the shipyard. He gave up competitive boxing but used the gym to work out twice or three times a week with Joe who had become a close friend.

Milo's time was occupied with work and studying. Milo studied hard and showed considerable aptitude for mathematics and engineering drawing. As the years passed through his apprenticeship his scholastic marks put him at the top of his class and his work in the machine shop was precise. He had less wastage than most of his peers.

Milo continued to live at home. He looked out for his mother and a number of his siblings. He declared he would never drink and kept to that promise.

An American company sent over a new management team when they bought out the shipyard. Because of his record and youthful energy Milo was noticed and tracked by the new team who were looking for the next generation of team leaders. He was subtly observed. It was noticed he had leadership skills. He was sent off to leadership workshops and his natural confidence and regard for others was once more noticed. Also it was noted he had a temper and could be very forceful when circumstances dictated.

A tracer from his drawing office named Colleen made a play for Milo, and he responded. He had a girlfriend. They got engaged.

Upon graduation Milo received the Gold Medal for best apprentice of his year. Milo was offered an opportunity to join head office on the east coast in the US. He took the offer on condition he could take Colleen with him. Since she could only go if they were married, they wed in a brief ceremony shortly before they left for the US.

Milo missed his family and particularly Joe, who had urged him to take the job offered. He wrote letters weekly to both of them. He and Colleen developed routines that worked. Milo had his Green Card, but Coleen did not. Coleen found a minimum wage job at a local corner store and was paid under the table.

Milo was initially placed in the drawing office. He was soon sent off to courses on Critical Path management, materials takeoff, and resource management and allocation. After six months he was placed into a skunk works team that was looking at modular construction of ships. He was bright and quickly was pushing forward ideas. Eventually he was made second in charge of a pilot project that went very well.

Milo worked long hours, made sure he worked out at the Company gym three times a week, and saw less and less of Colleen. They kept Sunday to themselves and after church always took a trip out in the country in their new Buick, or sometimes took the whole weekend, if he could afford the time, to visit New York and Philadelphia. Milo wanted children, and after several medical opinions found that Colleen was sterile and could not have children. Coleen would not consider adoption. This became a wedge between them.

They continued a somewhat empty marriage as Milo continued to be noticed at work and make corporate progress. He oversaw the conversion of the office from ink drawings on paper to computerized drawing and integrated materials lists. One day he came home on a Friday night to find a note from Colleen that pointed to a meal in the fridge and almost as an afterthought that she had left him and would be in California with a friend by the time he read this. Colleen simply disappeared from his life.

Milo went to the nearest liquor store and bought a bottle of whiskey. He opened it. When he smelled it he was physically sick and poured the whole bottle down the drain. He took off to the gym and pummeled the heavy bag until his hands bled. Milo did not stop until the Gym Manager came over to cool him down.

Milo took some time off with the sympathy of the company, and travelled across the US to California learning about the country and appreciating its size and diversity. He looked for Colleen but found no trace of her. Eventually when the wounds of her departure had healed somewhat he returned to work. He was welcomed back and continued his trajectory to the position of Chief Draftsman.

Milo settled into a predictable routine of work, work and more work. Apart from mortgage payments, an annual visit to his mother and the occasional meal out Milo spent little. He ran his autos into the ground and paid little attention to new clothes. With good annual bonuses he soon paid off his mortgage and quickly accrued significant bank savings. The American Dream worked for Milo.

For his fortieth birthday Milo treated himself to a trip to the UK and Ireland to see most of his siblings and his Mother. His first visit was to his eldest sister. She married a City banker and lived in a mansion near Oxford. She seemed embarrassed to see her smallest brother. She never visited their mother and salved her conscience by sending one hundred pounds a month.

Milo next visited his brother in jail. He was serving a twenty-year sentence when he killed a man during a robbery. Two other sisters lived together in marginal poverty in Liverpool, and were showed no interest in Milo at all. He did not see the sister who married the son of a French family where she was an au pair when she twenty. The other two brothers lived in Belfast, but Milo discovered they rarely saw their mother.

Milo's Ma uncharacteristically lacked her usual spirit when he reached her. After she drank a couple of Sherries, when Milo took her out for a slap up meal, she let slip she was lonely. The grandchildren were now teenagers and the older ones had their own lives. The others rarely visited and those in the UK or France were too far away. The neighborhood had changed. It was becoming gentrified. Only one of the old crowd was left. It was the same at church. There was new minister who attracted a much younger crowd. Most of her friends had died or moved off to those horrible retirement homes.

Milo asked if she'd like to come and live with him, if he could arrange it. She thought it would be a nice idea, and could be no worse than what was happening to her at home, although her acquiescence was tinged with regret and fear of the unknown.

On his return home Milo turned his thoughts to how he could get his mother over and comfortable. He saw am emigration lawyer and found out what had to done on that front. Bringing his mother over was possible and relatively easy, although health insurance would be costly. He quickly developed drawings to create a place in the house where his mother could retain some form of independence. In fact he had significant project creep when he not only developed a granny flat on the ground floor to mesh with the kitchen and dining room, moved the laundry to the basement, converted two of the second floor bedrooms into a spacious living room and added a third floor with a second fully equipped apartment, with kitchenette and full bathroom. He took out a new mortgage to cover the cost of the upgrades.

He brought over his Mother to live with him. She cooked and did Milo's laundry for him. He arranged for a lady to come in once a week to clean the whole house. Most of his brothers and sisters visited with their families over the years, more than when she was in Belfast. They stayed in the upstairs apartment during their visits.

Milo became more and more involved with the Episcopalian Church three blocks from his home. He introduced his mother to the minister and a cohort of older ladies who volunteered there. Ma soon had a new group of friends who included her in their events and taught her euchre. Ma settled in well and was once more happy to be around people. Ma was sufficiently active to go shopping, go swimming twice a week and make trips with the some of her new special friends.

Milo received police clearance to work with children. He worked with the Church administration to create an outreach office and Gym in the poorer part of the city. He insisted that the Gym should have a boxing ring. But the centre also offered dances and traditional Gym equipment, as well as counselors to deal with emotional and money issues. Milo became a regular visitor at the Centre. He persuaded his company, and other local enterprises to donate considerable sums for the maintenance and running of the Centre.

It took several years before the suspicion of the Centre being a white control vehicle dissipated and the mainly black kids started to frequent the facility regularly. The Centre developed a mainly black management committee that brought in the local kids. Milo used the Gym to stay in shape even as he topped his fifty seventh year.

A young female, black manager was appointed to run the place. Aretha Jenkins was a Cornell graduate who was determined to do some good for her fellow citizens - particularly the inner city black population. She had studied Institutional Management and had a good idea of how to run things. She was also a track and field star in the 400 meters. She understood the physical side of what she was getting into.

Initially she had a major row with Milo. She wanted to shut down the boxing ring. After a knock them down drag them out argument that lasted more than an hour Milo's corporate experience and sheer strength of personality with its steel hard stamina prevailed. The boxing program stayed.

After that Aretha and Milo tiptoed around each other for about a month. Two things happened: Milo had an opportunity in the monthly Management committee to fully support one of Aretha's proposals with all the vigor he had fought for the boxing and the second matter was more personal.

It was late one evening. Milo had just finished his workout when he heard a scuffle and shouting in Aretha's office. He went over to the office to see a heavy six-footer pinning Aretha against a desk and fondling her breasts. He called out to the man to stop. The man looked over disdainfully at the small, old man he saw and told him to fuck off or wait his turn. Milo felt his temper rising and he screamed at the young man to get off. The man ignored Milo.

Milo ran up to him and grabbed at his shoulders to pull him off Aretha. The man did let go and swung a big roundhouse punch at Milo who easily ducked under it. Milo thought to himself if that how you want it, and gave him a wicked punch to the kidneys as he turned himself back towards Aretha. The man staggered and put his weight on Aretha and then gathered himself, straightened up, turned and started to rush at Milo screaming now you'll get yours.

Milo was ready for him. The man felt a blinding pain as his nose broke under the onslaught of Milo's multiple punches. The man swung and missed several times. Milo then kicked for the balls and as the man doubled over Milo brought up one knee to the man's chin. The man straightened up. Milo then gave the coup de grace with a straight punch into the man's solar plexus. He went down in a heap unconscious on the floor.

Aretha asked if Milo was all right. Only a glancing blow had landed, but Milo thought he might have broken a bone in his hand. Aretha helped Milo drag the man out of the office into the waiting area. They locked the office and left the building as the safest course of action.

Unknown to Milo the janitor had witnessed the whole event. Within minutes the word was out on the street. The man was a well-known pimp and small time drug trafficker. He never recovered from the shame and mockery from his peers of being taken by a small, old man. He sensibly moved to Chicago.

After three days of increasing pain Milo went to his doctor who diagnosed broken bones in his hand. His whole lower right arm was placed in a plaster cast.

At the end of the following week at work Milo was called to the Chairman's office for an after hours meeting. As he was walking in he met up with Peter the Production Vice president, and old colleague.

"What's this all about?"

"No Idea." Then hopefully, "Another new contract?"

"That'd be good."

Facing them as they entered the large office was the core Management team. Milo was puzzled and then defensive. He spoke up." If this is about my run in with the thug." The Chairman put up his hand to stop Milo.

"Nothing like that Milo. By the way, congratulations on your bravery. That was well done."

He paused, "Before we start this meeting, it is to be held in absolute confidence. Peter and Milo you have to sign confidentiality agreement before we go any further." Milo and Peter looked at each other with questioning expressions on their faces. They were handed documents. "Read them carefully. Please." They studied them and both signed, although Milo had difficulty with the cast on his arm and hand.

The Chairman was relatively new to the company. "I am the only one around this table who was not at a meeting almost twenty seven years ago, to the day, when the rest of you met as a skunk works group to set a new direction for the company. Well today we will be closing the book on this chapter of the company's life. We are entering into a merger with a South Korean company, three times our size."

Milo who was never shy at jumping in, "We are being taken over?"

"Technically, no. Although for practical purposes you are right."

"What's that mean for us?'

"I was just coming to that. The rest of the team here, the CEO, Chief Financial officer, Senior VP Operations, Chief Administration Officer and Legal Counsel are all on contract. They all have Golden Parachutes. You, Peter and Milo, are salaried staff. We wish to look after you in an equal way." The Chairman then explained in some detail how they were to be looked after. It included a seven-figure severance package and a five-year consultancy retainer with hourly rates spelled out. "How does that sound?"

Both Milo and Peter were decisive. It worked for both of them. "We'll work up the details and get them to you within a week."

Milo chirped up. "You missed someone."

They looked puzzled. "Who?"

"Mary Legato. She's the Manager of Records and Configuration. She's key to the whole of our operation. She's saved both Peter's and my ass on many occasions. She came in as soon as the skunk works went legit. She knows more about the engineering of this company and its history then any of us." All but the Chairman knew Mary.

"Any reason she was not included in the packages?" The rest of the team looked a bit sheepish.

Milo piped up, "Because she a woman and she's only been made a manager." The rest now looked uncomfortable. There was a difficult silence.

"OK. We'll package her as well. Milo can you trust us to do that?"

"Sure. Good. Thank you. There's one more thing: the Centre down on East Street. I cannot see the Koreans wishing to support that. Eventually they will shut down the yard here and what will be left? Let's at least ensure something remains of what has kept this town together over the ages. Set up a trust for the Centre. Please. Please."

"Milo. I know of your involvement and the good work you have started with the youth down there. But this will need careful examination. We'll look at it, that's all I can say at this point."

"That's all I can ask. Thank you."

"Now for a celebratory drink." The chairman opened the drinks cupboard. "Help yourselves, then we'll have a toast." Milo poured a pop. "Here's to a new life."

The merger took another seven months to complete. Mary and the Centre were well looked after. So Milo found himself retired, and a consultant to his old company at fifty-eight. Although initially the Koreans needed him fairly constantly, the demand for his time dwindled to twice a week. This allowed him more time for the Centre, both for his own workouts and to coach the kids.

He was on good terms with Aretha, who insisted he call her Ary. She did not really like her name Milo discovered. They started to eat meals out together and Milo brought her home to meet his aging Ma from time to time. They became more and more intimate.

As they discovered about each other the more the saw some parallels. They both came from poverty. Ary's dad just took off when she was born so her mother raised her and her three siblings alone. Ary become increasingly alienated from her family as her brothers got into drugs and her sister became pregnant at sixteen. Ary was a top student in her school and did brilliantly on her exams. She won a full scholarship to Cornell. She found an excellent coach at the university athletic club who pushed her in a way she had ever been pushed. She moved from running the mile to the faster quarter and 400 meters. Ary hated losing. The one thing she did lose was closeness to her family. She found she had little in common with them as she graduated, and only a sense of familial loyalty kept her returning home for the more important holidays.

From their conversations Milo could infer that she had a string of boyfriends at Cornell, including two professors.

Ary shared her housing predicament with Milo. Where she lived was going to be torn down to make room for a new condo building. She had started looking for somewhere to rent, and was running into a situation where every apartment in a decent part of town had just been rented as soon as the renting agent saw she was a single black female. Ary was beside herself with frustration.