Thursday, February 19, 2009

Groom Jitters

No man is an island.

Although we all get married for a myriad of reasons, the simple truth is most of us are looking for a companion to walk with us till the very end. So usually when an old buddy calls up to announce his upcoming nuptials, I'm all ready to offer hearty congratulations, give some good-natured ribbing and finally begrudgingly nod in agreement to be punctual for the dinner. If not for the actual bachelor party though brawling, boozing and bragging about clits isn't exactly in my line.

Of course there's sometimes the reluctant yes to be one of the tortured groomsmen - think of the endless gauntlets thrown down by the bridesmaids.

But today I was left speechless not knowing whether to congratulate the groom in question - or to commiserate in his evident misery. My college bud Smiley Sam really left me no choice in the matter.

Lick me
Hard to think of a name when all I can recall are his nipples against my tongue.

Have to admit it made me feel like a cad for a moment when I blanked out on his name till he reminded me about a night four Decembers ago. All I could recall was that smile, those arms and the cigar. The name escaped me for a moment but the memory surely didn't. I'd first thought that Smiley had gone through his entire black book to spread the news of his matrimony but it seems as if he'd randomly stumbled across my name.

Smiley : I think I'm going to get married.
Paul : Great news! Who is he?
Smiley : It's a girl.
Paul : Is this a prank call? Am I being punk'd?
Smiley : Really. I've been seeing this girl lately.
Paul : You're going straight? Have you been to a conversion camp?
Smiley : I don't want to be alone. So I've been trying to go straight lately.

Going straight seems to be an understatement.

Just past his thirties ( and feeling lonesome out in the sticks ), Sam has been having recurring thoughts of putting down roots, settling down and starting a family. In the more traditional heterosexual manner. So out goes the endless merry-go-round of homosexual one-night-stands. And in comes the marriage of convenience with beard of choice.

Shades of the Wedding Banquet anyone?

Something not uncommon in our conservative country - since sham marriages abound judging by the number of married fellas searching for man-on-man action! Knuckling under relentless sociocultural and religious pressures, gay men here hunt for the perfect submissive bride, get summarily hitched and thereafter hide their instinctual lusts in the proverbial closet.

Only to surface in the weekends on their park outings.

Did I try to talk him out of it? A few years back I'd have immediately decried his conventional choices - coming up with a dozen fiery reasons why such an institution wouldn't work from the lack of feeling on his part to the sheer injustice on her part. After all, doesn't the poor beardbride deserve something more than a loveless marriage? Let's not even talk about pandering to our overly mainstream sociocultural norms.

But at my age - thinking of home and hearth, I can hardly find the heart to argue with Smiley Sam. After all, he's just a guy who doesn't want to walk alone till the end.

19 comments:

Spin Doctor said...

good luck to him then

Legolas said...

I wish him well. Seriously, it's getting harder and harder when you get older.

Jason said...

well.. its a tough choice to make.. especially in our kind of society that doesn't really appreciate who we really are.. if he finds solace then let him be..

MrBunnyBan said...

As long as he stays faithful.

...honestly, it's not the sort of choice I can be comfortable with.

Anonymous said...

At your age? Come on, you're not that old. ;)

I guess he does have a good reason though. So he may not be entirely in love with his bride.. but how many of us have grandparents that are still in love after all these years? After so many decades, what's left is probably just companionship and having someone there by your side. He can't be blamed for wanting that.

Janvier said...

So long as he treats her well and vice versa. Or that they both have some...understanding.

Betting he'll have at least one gay kid tho'!

Kenji said...

I kinda understand him though...

For me, I feel that a relationship doesn't last... especially marriage is not that important for us, and there's no children to tie us down (adoption don't count if you ask me!)... So in the end, I think i will find a girl too...

But yes, all the best to Sam!

EVA said...

Lovely!

.:: Ant ::. said...

Poor Sam. Do offer him your hunky shoulder for comfort ya. ^_^

+Ant+

Perky said...

It couldn't have been an easy decision for him. Anyways, all the best to him! :)

Alex said...

I disagree with his actions.

cleo weiland said...

You're right, no one wants to be alone. Hmm maybe us girls should be more wary of the men we walk down the aisle with then! I sure wouldn't want to be 'the back up plan'.

I like the way you handled the news though. I just saw pics of my ex and his new wife at their brand new home in Norway and I cried my heart out. Even though I'm in a happy relationship now. Sigh.

So are you going to the wedding? I have a strict no exes at the wedding policy. What do you think?

Anonymous said...

That reminds me of a colleague before and he's obviously gay kinda 'soft' guy. One day we were so shocked when we found out that he got married (to a girl) secretly. When we asked him about it, he said yes it's true. Then our playful sales manager (he's married with kids, almost retiring), told him in front of everyone, "Oh you got married? That would be the biggest mistake you've ever made in your entire life!". We all laughed thinking he has just teasing.. but he added "I'm not joking, I'm serious". And everybody just went silent...

suatengboy said...

Well, sumtimes siham and karipap are nice food too... Dun limit your taste...

Soul Yaoi said...

That must be a very hard decision. Wish the guy all the luck.

BTW: Thanks for the comment. The renders are not that hard. Just need the right software. =)

William said...

And all too familiar story... hope it won't be a bad ending for everyone...

deeperanddeeper said...

Can ah? Can he get it up for the girls? I've always wondered if it's THAT easy to switch! I think mine will kecut and hilang.

And oh... the pic! Delicious!

Queen B said...

i dunno why....but i'm having the same thought as ur fren :(

maybe a lot of family drama makes me feel more lonely and would love to hv a companion till the end of the road~

The Vice Buddha said...

Oooooooh!! I have been so missing reading your blog :(

I was away for a while!

Well.. I dunno paul.. can you really blame me for being bisexual?

I mean, wherever I go, gay men shun me for being a confused gay guy who wants to like girls just because he doesnt want to face the hardships of a homosexual lifestyle. My interjection is that I reallyu like women a lot. In fact, i have been equally into girls since ever. I actually wrote a post 'Mere Butterflies' (http://an-opium-affaire.blogspot.com/2008/12/mere-butterflies.html) for what i felt. Even today, I do hit on girls and score them too, not because I want to escape from the reality, but because I really find the girl hot!

I wanna write something upon this issue... the bisexual Catch! Lets see when am I able to!


Yeah, but 'conversion' is something which doesnt quite gel with my logic nicely!