The Incredible Voyage

John sat beside the hospital bed holding Jan's hand looking at her angular face and her dark blue eyes that had once been so expressive. Now they were dull and listless. Her skin, once tanned as if she spent a lot of time outdoors now had a sickly pallor.

Physically she had been arresting rather than beautiful or even pretty. She had the sort of features that were finely boned, chiselled, and stamped with both intelligence and strength. She was a woman who had once radiated unconscious sensuality and energy.

Tall and slender, John had always been proud to be seen with her when he was younger, but now she looked ravaged, and instead of appearing, as she once had, ten years younger than her forty two years she looked ten years older. Apart from his anxiety about her sickness her looks might have mattered little to John; he loved her very dearly and always had, and for him she was always beautiful.

He had been away at an overseas university on a one year scholarship when his father, Brian, had been killed in a road accident. He had flown home to attend the funeral and be with Jan. She was so distraught that he almost decided to give up the scholarship and stay with her, but she had insisted he continue his studies.

Loving her he had left feeling guilty, and now, at the end of the year, he had returned to find her like this, and he felt even guiltier. The death of Brian, her grief and her struggle to keep the business going had debilitated her, and what had at first seemed like a common cold, which she had neglected, had ended up as pneumonia, and she had been hospitalised.

Smiling at her and speaking softly he said, "When you get out of hospital we'll go away for a proper break and get you really well."

"The business..." Jan started to say, but John interrupted her.

"The business can wait, you're more important."

"The business" was furniture restoration, very much in fashion as people sentimentalised about times past and wanted to furnish their homes with old but restored furniture. Jan and Brian had established the business soon after they got married and it had prospered.

John had wanted to join in the business, but his parents had insisted he follow what seemed to be his talent for mathematics.

"There's those Chippendale...," Jan started to say weakly, but again John interrupted her.

"I'm working on those so don't worry, I can cope and I'm not taking any more orders. It can all wait until you've had a proper break and are fit again. We'll take the Incredible up the river and find ourselves some quiet spots, it's not been out since father died, has it?"

As if the effort to speak was too much for her Jan shook her head wearily.

"Has Old Harry been looking after her?"

Jan nodded.

"Then it'll be in good order. As soon as you're out of here I'll let him know we're taking her out."

Jan managed a wan smile and said in a hoarse whisper, "Bossy."

John returned her smile and said, "It makes a change, you were always bossy with me."

Jan nodded again and pressed his hand.

A nurse entered the room with that, "It's-time-time-you-left-the-patent-needs-rest" look on her face.

"Okay, I'm going," he said to the nurse, and then to Jan, "I'll see you again tomorrow."

* * * * * * * *

The doctor had said that Jan had been thoroughly run down but essentially she was physically sound and would recover well. When finally Jan came out of hospital she was certainly looking a lot better. As if to reinforce John's insistence on the Incredible trip the doctor had said, "Now take it easy for a while or you'll be back in hospital."

John telephoned Old Harry to let him know that he and Jan would to taking the Incredible out, and Old Harry said in his verbally economic way, "Been a while, but I'll 'ave 'er ready."

The Incredible was an old steam driven river craft that had been used for tourist trips. Its previous owner had retired, and Jan and Brian, with their enthusiasm for restoring old things, had bought it early in their marriage and had worked on it. It has to be admitted that they did not restore it completely to the original, having no wish to stoke a boiler furnace. At considerable expense they had installed a diesel engine and added quite a few modern conveniences.

Once John had been enthusiastic for them to take the boat out, but as he got into his teen years his enthusiasm waned. They had even thought about selling the boat but had never quite got around to it. Now, having been guarded and maintained by Old Harry in his small marina, it was ready for them.

"Ready to go," Old Harry assured them as they brought their gear and supplies on board. "'ow long you out for?"

"Couple of weeks," John replied, picking up Old Harry's word parsimony.

Old Harry had kept the boat in immaculate condition and at the first turn of the key the diesel roared into life and then settled to a steady beat as John took the boat out into mid-stream and then turned it up river, heading towards the more remote parts.

The boat was made up of an interior that had two bedrooms, lounge/dining area and kitchen combined, with the steering and controls in the front of the lounge area. Towards the stern there were the toilet, shower room and laundry that Jan and Brian had installed. There were open bow and stern decks, the latter used as a swimming and fishing deck.

Over past years they had negotiated the river many times with its shifting sandbars and its fallen tree snags and there had been favourite spots for mooring. At first they passed other boats, mainly rented houseboats, either moored at the bank or on the move, but after passing through a lock they saw hardly any other craft apart from a few small fishing boats with their hopeful anglers.

By late afternoon they reach a bend in the river with a sandbar that had deep water on the upstream end. Jan said, "Let's moor here darling it's always been one of our favourites and very quiet."

John swung the boat in to moor. Alongside the low bank John handed the wheel over to Jan who with the engine at low revs held the boat against the current while John leapt ashore to tie up. When he came back on board Jan cut the motor and silence, interrupted only by the soft rippling of the current against the boat and a distant bird call, seemed to engulf them.

John looked at Jan and already the river seemed to be working its magic. Devoid of makeup her face had lost its hospital pallor and was showing a faint flush of colour. He had made the right choice in bringing her here.

As if afraid to break the silence they went out on to the rear deck and took in the scene. A group of pelicans cruising in search of prey ignored them, and a pair of dignified swans seemed to survey them for a moment and then turned their attention elsewhere.

The sandbar began a few metres downstream from where they were moored. It was fringed with tall river gum trees interspersed with low scrub and behind the trees the sun was sinking towards the horizon.

"It's so beautiful," Jan murmured, "we must go to the sandbar tomorrow."

In the evening light the place seemed to come alive. A flock of sulphur crested cockatoos screamed and shrieked low over the river on their way to their nightly roosting place. A small group of Kangaroos hopped down to the sandbar and started to drink, and farther along the bar some emus also drank. The swans took off rising slowly from the water and disappearing downstream. Birds called as they settled for the night.

"It's...it's like a new beginning," Jan said softly.

John looked at her questioningly but Jan was gazing over the evening calm of the water.

He thought he caught her meaning. Her sickness and mourning for Brian were being soothed away by the flow of the river, perhaps carrying them away to the estuary five hundred kilometres distant -- the river that had been there long before humans first came to this land forty thousand years ago, and if not destroyed by the works of man would be there long after humans had gone from the face of the earth.

Looking at her John felt that he could see Jan beginning to look like her old self. He felt a stirring in his groin, a stirring he had experienced in her presence when at about the age of fourteen he had first became aware of Jan as a desirable woman. He had tried to suppress his feelings of desire, but had never been completely successful. Now, in this lonely place and with Brian no longer present, those feelings became even more imperative.

Jan sighed and said, "Let's eat."

* * * * * * * *

They had spent the evening drinking red wine and watching old videos on the small television set powered by the petrol generator. They sat together on the divan; Jan snuggled up against him as if seeking his protective comfort. Using no perfume her closeness and the fragrance of her femaleness further fuelled John's desire for her, and he was glad of the heavy denim of his jeans that at least partially managed to hide his erection. He had been relieved when Jan suggested it was time for bed.

John had not been with a woman for several weeks and had not masturbated for the past three days. The two bedrooms were side by side and as he masturbated John was intensely aware that Jan was separated from him by only a few centimetres of cabin wall. As his sperm shot out he tried to suppress his groans for fear Jan might hear him. It took another session before he could finally go to sleep.

He woke next morning with an erection and would have masturbated again, but the smell of frying bacon was permeating the boat, and so he got out of bed and as the aroma of his previous masturbating was obvious he took a quick shower before going to join Jan and breakfast.

She turned and smiled at him as he entered and asked, "Did you sleep well?"

He remembered his activities of the past night and flushed slightly but said, "Yes, quite well, and you?"

"Oh yes, not too badly." As if embarrassed Jan turned back to the eggs she was frying, and said over her shoulder, "Thank you for suggesting this trip, I think it will do me a lot of good. I shall have a swim today."

The one thing that John had dreaded about this trip was precisely this. They had been a very uninhibited family and when they had taken trips on the river and were sure they were well way from observers they had always swum naked. This was the reason he had lost his enthusiasm for the river trips. The sight of Jan naked had driven him nearly mad with sexual frustration. Was she going to swim naked now?

He had woken with a good appetite, but now he had to force down the bacon and eggs. He tried to find a reason to stop her swimming.

Jan had been an exceptionally strong swimmer, but he asked, "Are you sure you're fit enough to swim?"

Jan looked at him a challenging smile on her lips. "Of course I'm fit enough. I'll swim out to the middle of the river and then back to the sandbar and I'll sunbathe for a while and start to get my tan back; and, young man, I expect you to join me."

"Oh but surely it would be better if you..."

"Aha, afraid I'll beat you to the sandbar, are you," Jan chuckled.

"No...no..." John stuttered, "I'm concerned about..."

"Then don't be," Jan butted in, "We swim to the middle of the river and then to the sandbar, and I bet I'll beat you."

The ego of youth would not let John refuse this challenge, and so he said, "Right, you're on."

Breakfast over, they cleared up and John checked the engine oil and coolant level and then the moment had arrived. Jan came out on to the swimming deck naked. She lowered the short swimming ladder and for a few moments stood looking out over the river.

John gazed at her: her slim body and swell of her breasts like those of a young nubile girl, and above all her long shapely legs at the top of which he could see the shadow of pubic hair over her prominent mons and a hint of her sweet womanhood beneath.

She turned and laughing said, "Well come on, let's swim."

John lowered the engine cover and stood, but hesitated to join her. His penis was already erect and hidden only by the shorts he was wearing and he said, "You go ahead, I'll catch up."

Jan went down the swimming ladder and then struck out in a leisurely fashion for mid-stream. John took off his shorts and underpants and quickly went down the ladder and the water covered his embarrassment.

* * * * * * * *

Jan reached approximately mid-stream and then began to swim back angling towards the sandbar. John, also reaching mid-stream turned back, but started to make for the Incredible.

Jan rolled over on to her back and floated and seeing his direction called out, "No, the sandbar, come on I'll beat you there."

Reluctantly John changed direction and started to swim strongly towards the bar. If he could get there before Jan he could lay face down on the sand and hide his swollen penis. But Jan had a head start and by the time John reached the shallows she was already sitting on the sand watching him.

"Beat you," she laughed, "you shouldn't have taken so long to get into the water and then make a diversion. Come on, come and lay beside me and get some sun."

John hesitated, thinking he might just swim back to the boat, but Jan was beckoning him. Trying to will his penis to become slack he made his way up the sand towards her. His penis slackening endeavour failed; seeing Jan naked and looking so good made it impossible.

Jan gazed at him as he approached, and as he reached her she said, "Darling, you...you've got...I mean you're...you're..." It finally came out in a rush; "You've got an erection."

John's faced was flushed as he said, "Oh God I'm sorry it just happens, I can't help it."

"Why sorry darling, of course you can't help it, you're a potent young man."

She smiled at him and asked, "Is that for me?"

Her knees were drawn up and her legs slightly parted and John could see the firm cleft of her vulva. His flush deepened as he said, "I'm sorry mother, I don't want it to..."

Jan laughed softly and said, "Don't worry about it darling, I believe lots of sons get sexual feelings for their mothers so you're not depraved, it's all part of life. I'm rather flattered that you can feel that way about an old woman like me."

"You're not old," John protested, "you're..."

"No compliments darling because I won't believe them, perhaps I shouldn't have swum naked but I didn't think you'd fancy me."

"I do mum; I have for a long time."

"Have you...have you really?"

"Yes."

"Do you want to do something?"

"Do something?"

"Yes, you know, what you do when you get aroused and you haven't got a woman..., masturbate."

"I...I...you mean...?"

"Oh come on John, I'm a big girl and we all need to do that sort of thing at times...in our own way of course, so if you want to..."

"Do you need to do it sometimes?"

"Of course I do you silly boy, did you think I was a neuter?"

"No but..."

"That's the trouble with you boys, you think your mother never does anything like that, so show me what you do."

"Here?"

"Why not, there's no one to see apart from me, and I won't mind, in fact I've never seen exactly what a man does when he masturbates, so come and lay down beside me and do it."

"I...I can't...not here, with you."

"Oh for heaven's sake don't be so silly, I don't mind," Jan said, "lay down."

Still uncertain John lay beside her.

"When you do it with your hand, what exactly do you do," Jan asked.

"Well you...I...you take hold of it..."

"Show me, please, I've always wanted to see a man do it."

John was surprised she had never witnessed a man masturbating since she had been married to Brian for so many years. "You've never seen a man do...?"

"No, so show me, please darling."

He lay on his back and after a moment he took his penis in his hand and started to move it, slowly at first.

Jan watched him fascinated and as he ceased minding that she was watching him he sighed, closed his eyes and started to rub in earnest.

"You're so rough with it!" Jan exclaimed.

"That's how you have to do it," he gasped.

"Can I try darling?"

"What?"

"Let me try, I want to feel what it's like."

"You really want to...

"Yes, really."

John let go of his penis and Jan took it in her hand and started to gently stroke it.

"Harder...harder...faster..." John moaned.

Jan obeyed and John closed his eyes and groaned, "Oh mother...mum...oh...oh...oh...."

Jan felt John start to thrust up against her hand and a ribbon of sperm shot out of his urethra, and Jan, taken by surprise, had some of it splatter over her breasts and neck and after the first couple of fierce ejections it flowed over her hand.

"It's beautiful she said, I had no idea...I mean...I've felt it inside me when your father...but I've never actually seen it before. Did it feel good?

John was lying back breathing heavily and looking at her adoringly. "Oh yes mum, it was wonderful, the best ever."

"In that case perhaps I should do it for you more often," Jan said thoughtfully.

"I've never seen a woman do it," John said, "would you show me what you do?"

Jan chuckled and said, "I suppose it's only fair after watching you."

Jan lay back and parted her legs and as she started to caress one of her breasts she pushed her fingertip into her vagina. Watching John masturbate had aroused her and it felt smooth and slippery. She put it all the way in and moved her finger in and out of her tunnel with mounting pleasure. Suddenly she moved her finger beginning to circle her clitoris with it and she started to whimper press the nipple of the breast she was fondling.

"Oh John...darling...oh...oh...suck my nipple darling...suck it..."

John bent over her free nipple and sucked it as Jan's cries mounted; "Oh...oh...ha...ha...oh-ha...oh darling I'm coming...oh God-oh God-oh God...aaahwaaa..."

She was racked by spasms of pleasure fired by her fast moving finger until she too was exhausted.

* * * * * * * *

She slumped beside him, recovering from her orgasm. Watching her John's penis stiffened again. Jan's legs were still wide open and she felt John move over her, his penis poised to enter her vagina.

He hesitated as they looked into each other's eyes, his questioningly.

"Yes darling...yes...do it to me," Jan murmured.

"You won't get pregnant, will you?" he asked.

"I could," she said, "I'm still fertile, would you mind if I did?"

"Not if you don't mind."

"Then do it to me darling, I want you."

The head of his penis slid into her and slowly penetrated her welcomingly soft wetness until he had his full length in her. Jan waited until she felt his full penetration and then gripped him with her tunnel. John moaned and Jan asked, "Did you like that darling?"

"Yes...oh yes," he gasped, and she gripped him again and kept on gripping him as he moved back and forth in her. She felt another orgasm building and John was moving faster and driving into her more powerfully.

She knew he must be close to ejaculating and as she released her orgasm she cried out, "I'm coming darling...I'm coming...come with me."

John has also been holding back his orgasm, but now, with one hand under her buttocks and the other at the base of her neck, he drove into her fiercely, paused as the first ejection of his cum pulsated into her, and then began a rhythmic movement with each new expulsion of his sperm as Jan wept and writhed under him.

As he thrust the last of his sperm into her he gave vent to the depths of his feelings; "I love you...I love you..."

Jan continued to make upward thrusting movements with her hips until at last her orgasm faded and she gave herself up to the beautiful post-coital peace that comes after satisfying sex.

After a few minutes John withdrew his penis from her but instead of rolling away from her to lie on the sand he knelt between her legs, looking down at her genitals. One part of Jan said that what he seemed to be contemplating was not possible, the other part said she wanted him to do it - she wanted him to give her oral sex.