Chapter
Thirty One – Danny Boy
After the
Lerniers left, Purev sat down in the armchair next to Mr. Eccles and said, “I
want to transfer to Edison High School.
Do you think I can get my parents to agree to sign the papers?”
Mr. Eccles
asked, “Does David attend Edison?”
“No, he
goes to Hayfield Secondary School,” Purev responded.
“Then why
do you want to attend Edison?” Mr. Eccles asked, with a puzzled expression on
his face.
“Kyle goes
there and I met several of his friends.
They suggested that I look at the International Baccalaureate or IB
program at Edison. Kyle is working on
an IB diploma because he wants to study overseas. Hayfield offers the same Advanced Placement
courses as Lake Braddock. In fact,
Hayfield Secondary School is a lot like Lake Braddock Secondary School. David thinks it would be the same for me at
Hayfield as it is at Lake Braddock.
There is a Gay-Straight Alliance at both Edison and Hayfield but David
hasn’t come out to anyone except his family,” Purev said. “If I went to Hayfield, I would have to
pretend David and I weren’t boyfriends.
I’d rather go to Edison where I don’t have to worry about accidentally
outing David.”
“I’m not
sure we will get any cooperation out of your parents but we can always try,”
Mr. Eccles said. “Given the situation,
the county may allow you to transfer without their permission.”
“Can we
work on it tomorrow?” Purev asked, hopefully.
“Sure. We might be able to enlist the aid of Mr.
Dickerson,” Mr. Eccles replied.
“May I ask
you a personal question, Mr. Eccles,” Purev asked.
“Yes,” Mr.
Eccles said, looking curiously at the young man sitting across from him.
“When did
you first know you were gay?” Purev asked.
Mr. Eccles
continued to peer shrewdly at Purev and said, “I first started to pay attention
to other guys when I was in 7th grade during our physical education
classes. I think it was about half way
through that year that I decided I liked boys more than girls. Why do you ask?”
“David is
in the 8th grade and he isn’t sure he’s gay. He asked me to be his boyfriend; but he doesn’t
want to have sex until he’s 18,” Purev said.
Mr. Eccles
gave Purev a closer look. “Does that
bother you?”
“It did at
first. I always thought that being
boyfriends meant that you were having sex,” Purev said.
“I applaud
David’s determination to wait to have sex.
I think it is better to wait. I
was about your age when I had sex with a guy for the first time. After that, I had sex as often as I could
with anyone who was willing. I look
back on that time now and realize how stupid I was, having unprotected sex with
so many different partners,” Mr. Eccles said.
“If you had
practiced safe sex, would you still have had sex with so many guys?” Purev
asked.
“Maybe I
would have; but I don’t think so knowing what I know now. It’s better to wait. I went through so many changes from age 15
to 20; mentally, emotionally and physically.
Who knows where I would have ended up if I had been a little more
circumspect in my behavior,” Mr. Eccles said.
He sighed
and stared across the room at the photograph of himself with his life partner. Jerry had passed away barely nine months
earlier. In the photo, he and Jerry
were in their mid-thirties.
Purev saw
Mr. Eccles’ gaze focused on the photo.
He asked, “How did you meet Mr. Wallace?”
Mr. Eccles
turned to look at Purev. “We met on a
dude ranch in Wyoming.”
“In
Wyoming? That’s a long way from here,”
Purev said.
Mr. Eccles
chuckled. “Yes, Purev, it is a long way
from Virginia. I’m originally from a
small town in Idaho near the Wyoming border.
I was out of a job and heard that they were hiring men to take tourists
on camping trips on horseback. I drove
my pickup truck over to Jackson Hole and made the rounds of the different
ranches until one of the ranch owners hired me. Jerry was hired the same day as I was. We both had been out of work and were
desperate for cash. I was living in my
pickup truck at the time. Jerry
suggested that we share a place. When
we tried to rent an apartment, we found the only thing we could afford was a
one bedroom place. We rented it and
Jerry took the bedroom and I slept on the couch. We weren’t home much as we were kept pretty
busy all summer with fishing trips and other recreational activities.”
Mr. Eccles
paused and looked over at Purev. He
asked, “Are you sure you want to hear our story? I can get pretty long winded.”
Purev
smiled and responded, “Yes, I want to know what it was like when you first met
and when did you first know you loved Jerry.”
Mr. Eccles
smiled as he returned to his narrative.
Purev watched Mr. Eccles’ face soften as he remembered his partner and
how they had first met. “Purev, I had
never really been interested in women and had lived a very lonely life up until
that point. I had drifted from one job
to another over the years. My family
had lots of money but I wanted none of it.
I wanted to make my own way in life.
My parents were very controlling and their money came with so many
strings attached. I wanted none of
their interference in my life. My
siblings were ruled by them and they all went on to make much of themselves
such as doctors, lawyers, and bankers.
I, on the other hand, never amounted to much; at least, not until I met
Jerry.”
“When Jerry
shook my hand when we were first introduced, it seemed like an electric shock
to my system. I gazed into his bright
green eyes and I was totally swept off my feet. He had rugged good looks and a deep tan but
it was his eyes that captivated me. He
grinned at me and asked, “Cat got your tongue?” I had been mesmerized by his lopsided grin
and the dimple in his left cheek. I
finally told him that I was glad to meet him.
I let go of his hand but I will never forget that moment. When he offered to get a place with me, I
was overjoyed. It wasn’t until winter
set in, though, that things started to heat up between us,” Mr. Eccles said
pausing to see if Purev was still listening.
Seeing his young charge was waiting to hear him go on, Mr. Eccles
continued, “One night in December our heater broke down. Jerry tried to fix it but to no avail. We had a couple of blankets each but it
wasn’t enough to keep me warm. I was
practically freezing to death on the couch when Jerry came into the room and
told me to get into bed with him.” Mr.
Eccles mind went back to that night so long ago.
*** ***
Daniel had
lain on the couch trying to keep warm but not succeeding when Jerry had come
into the room and said, “Danny, get your skinny rump in here and get into bed
with me. I can hear your teeth
chattering so much it’s keeping me awake.”
Daniel
stood up and dragged his blankets with him.
“I’ll add my blankets to yours.”
“Good
idea. Now, get into bed before our
balls freeze off!”
Daniel did
as Jerry commanded and climbed in beside Jerry. Daniel avoided physical contact with Jerry as
he pulled the blankets over himself.
Jerry said, “Danny, sharing a bed means sharing your warmth. You can’t do that by being so shy. Get over here so I can get warm.”
Daniel had
moved closer when Jerry reached out and pulled him into his arms. Jerry gazed into his eyes and said, “I’ve
wanted you in my bed for some time now, Danny.
I’m glad the furnace gave me an excuse to get you here.”
Jerry
kissed Daniel with a fiery passion that surprised Daniel. When they had come up for air, Daniel said,
“Wow! I’ve only dreamed of being kissed
like that!”
“I’m happy
to make your dreams come true,” Jerry said.
“I intend make all of your dreams come true from now on.”
*** ***
The memory
of that first night tonight brought a flush to Mr. Eccles cheeks and a stirring
in his loins that he hadn’t felt for some time. If nothing else, Jerry was a wonderful
lover!
Purev’s
voice brought him back to the present.
“Mr. Eccles, are you okay?”
“Yes, I’m
fine, Purev. I was just remembering the first night Jerry
and I spent together. Jerry told me he
intended to make all of my dreams come true.
Purev, Jerry did that and more
over the 46 years we lived together. We
gradually moved on to other jobs and our financial circumstances improved. We lived in San Francisco for a many years
until Jerry decided that we needed a change of scenery. That is when we moved here.”
“Did you
ever get married?” Purev asked.
“Yes, we
went to Canada to be married a few years ago. We had hoped to celebrate our 50th
anniversary by being married here in the United States but that was not meant
to be,” Mr. Eccles said, his voice thick with tears. He reached up with a feeble hand and wiped
away the tears that had escaped and were running down his cheeks.
“I’m sorry
I’ve made you sad,” Purev said.
“It’s okay,
Purev. It’s just that I really miss
Jerry. You don’t know how hard it is to
be alone after 46 years. Jerry was and
still is my soul mate,” Mr. Eccles said, looking to see if Purev understood
what he was saying. “Do you know what I
mean by soul mate?”
“Not
really,” Purev admitted. “I’ve never
really had a boyfriend.”
Mr. Eccles
explained, “Well, Jerry and I were like two parts of one heart. We could read each other’s minds. People were amazed that we would finish each
other’s sentences. Over the years we
had rubbed away all of the rough spots between us; leaving us perfectly
matched. Sometimes we would sit
together on that couch barely touching but still very much aware of the love we
shared.”
“Did your
parents ever know about you and Jerry?” Purev asked.
Mr. Eccles
shook his head. “No, they never did
find out about us. I couldn’t bring
myself to tell them. They never would
have understood how much I loved Jerry.
I don’t believe my siblings know.
They are just as puritanical about things as my parents. In every house we bought, we would have
separate bedrooms with a connecting door between them. That way when people came to visit us, we
could go to our separate rooms and then use the connecting door between our
rooms so we could sleep together. I
always had to make sure to rumple up my bed to give the appearance that it had
been slept in.”
“Are your
siblings still living?” Purev asked.
“They must be old.”
Mr. Eccles
laughed. “My dear boy, everyone must
seem old to you. Yes, they are in their
80’s just like me. Most of them are in
nursing homes. Their children have put
them away where they don’t have to worry about them.”
Purev
asked, “What will happen to you if you have to go into a nursing home?”
“I hope I
never go to one of those places. I want
to die in my own home and I want to go suddenly; no lingering on in a
vegetative state for me. I don’t want
them to revive me if I go. I’ve seen
too many of my friends end up in a comatose state or close to one. Our scientific advances have gone too far in
preserving our bodies. They can keep us
alive forever but once the mind goes there’s no turning back,” Mr. Eccles
said. “More importantly, I don’t want
to give red a cent to those vultures that run such places. They are like vampires sucking you dry until
there is nothing left but an empty husk.
I’ve seen too many families ruined because of the financial burden
placed on them by the “friendly” services of the nursing homes and care
centers.”
Purev
asked, “What about Jerry’s family?
Where are they from?”
“Jerry’s
family never knew about us. In fact, I
only met them once. Jerry always went
alone when he visited his parents. You
have to remember that when we became lovers, being a homosexual was punishable
by imprisonment. We had to be very
careful. Neither one of us wanted to
end up in jail. As a result, we were
very much in the closet as they say these days,” Mr. Eccles said.
“I’m glad
we don’t have those laws anymore,” Purev said.
“No, but
there are many more such laws that discriminate against gays,” Mr. Eccles said.
“You mean
laws like those that prohibit gays from getting married?” Purev asked.
“Yes, among
others,” Mr. Eccles said, glancing at his watch. “We should go over to see your parents,
Purev. We need to settle the issue of
their responsibility for your welfare.
I’ve invited Scott to join us and he should be here any moment.”
The
doorbell rang and Purev went to answer the door. Purev returned with Scott and another
gentleman. Scott approached Mr.
Eccles. “Mr. Eccles, this is Alex
Porter. He is a family law lawyer that
has some experience with gay youth.”
Alex shook
Mr. Eccles hand. “It’s nice to meet
you, sir.”
Mr. Eccles
looked Alex over noting the dark brown eyes, dark brown hair, aquiline nose and
a wide, brilliant smile. He was Scott’s
height and exuded a magnetic, masculine aura that seemed to fill the room. He nodded approvingly, “I’m glad to meet
you.”
Alex said,
“Scott already told me the basics of the situation. I’ve taken the liberty of drawing up some
paperwork, just in case we need it.
Would you mind taking some time to go over the legal particulars before
we go any further?”
“Certainly,”
Mr. Eccles said. “Purev, please bring
in the card table from the hall closet for Mr. Porter.”
Purev did
as he was asked and set up the portable table in front of Mr. Eccles and then
pulled a couple of armchairs closer to it.
He took a seat next to Mr. Eccles.
As soon as
everyone was seated, Alex began, “I have drawn up a document that we can file
with the family court terminating Purev’s parents’ rights and assigning them to
you, Mr. Eccles. Am I to assume that
you are willing to be Purev’s legal guardian?”
“Yes, I
am,” Mr. Eccles said.
“You will
be required to pass several evaluations as well as a home study to determine
that you are fit to be Purev’s guardian,” Alex stated.
“I’m aware
of that,” Mr. Eccles replied. “I’m sure
everything will be found to be in order here.”
“If Purev’s
parents choose not to terminate their rights, there are several other options
available to us,” Alex said. He
outlined what they were; then he concluded, “The best outcome for everyone is
for Purev’s parents to recognize his rights as an individual and to accept him
as being gay.”
“I think we
are all in agreement with that. Are we
ready?” Mr. Eccles asked.
“Yes, we’re
ready,” Scott replied.
The
gathered their coats from the coat closet in the foyer and left the house. They walked the block and a half down the
street to Purev’s parents’ home. They
rang the doorbell.
A petite
dark-haired woman answered the door.
She opened the storm door and asked, “Yes, what do you want?” Then she saw Purev. She held out her arms and said,
“Purev!” Tears were streaming down her
face as she embraced Purev. She
released him and said, “Please come inside.”
Seeing him
standing next to his mother, it was easy to see where Purev got his exotic good
looks. His mother was a very beautiful
woman. She said, “Please come inside
and sit down.” We followed her inside
and into the front room.
“Thank you
for bringing Purev back to me,” she said.
“My husband has returned to Mongolia to be with his family. Otherwise, Purev could not be here. His father has forbidden Purev from entering
our house.”
Alex asked,
“What will happen when your husband returns?”
“He will be
very angry that I have let Purev into our home,” Mrs. Javklan replied.
“Can we
help you?” Alex asked.
Mrs.
Javklan looked at Alex and asked, “How can you help me?”
“There are
several ways. Let me explain,” Alex
said. He outlined the options he had
explained earlier to Mr. Eccles and Purev.
“It’s up to you which course of action to take with regards to Purev’s
future.”
She looked
at Purev and asked, “What should we do, son?
I don’t know what will be the best way to help you. I want the best for you. Your father and I will work things out
eventually; but for the immediate future you need a safe place to be where you
can prosper. ”
Purev
replied, “I think letting me stay with Mr. Eccles will be the best thing for
now; but I want to attend Edison High School.”
Mr. Eccles
looked uncertain. “Purev, I’m not sure
I can get you to school every day. I don’t
see well in the dark. In order to
arrive on time, we will be leaving in the dark every morning.”
“What if he
stays with us during the week?” Scott asked.
“We can take him to school in the morning and pick him up after he’s
finished with his activities. Then he
could spend his weekends with you, Mr. Eccles.”
Purev
looked at Scott, “Thank you for offering to let me stay with you; but could we
ask the Lerniers if I could stay with them during the week? They are already taking Kyle to Edison every
morning. I could still come back to
stay with Mr. Eccles on the weekends.”
Scott
laughed, “You mean you want to stay with your boyfriend.”
Mrs.
Javklan looked at Purev in surprise.
“Since when do you have a boyfriend?”
“Since this
morning,” Purev answered. “Mom, he is
the most wonderful person I know. I’m
sure you will like him.”
Mrs.
Javklan started to shake her head.
Purev, seeing his mother’s negative reaction, said, “Mom, I promise we
aren’t having sex. David’s parents are
very strict about that.”
Mrs.
Javklan’s expression of concern still did not change despite Purev’s
reassurance that nothing untoward was going on between he and David. “What are his parents like?”
Scott said,
“Mrs. Javklan, they are the most wonderful people in the world. They have a great family. They have four boys and one girl. As Purev has said, they run a pretty tight
ship. That is to say, they have rules
and expect their children to abide by them.”
Mrs.
Javklan said, “I need to meet them before I will agree to permit Purev to stay
with them. Mr. Eccles I have known for
many years. He is very respectable and
won’t lead Purev astray.” She noted
Scott’s frown of disapproval and quickly added, “I’m sure your friends are good
people. It’s just that I don’t know them.”
Mr. Eccles
said, “They are returning to my home tonight to have dinner with us. Maybe you would like to join us as
well. That way you can get to know
them.”
Mrs.
Javklan replied, “That would be good, Mr. Eccles. What time should we be at your home?”
“I told
them to come at 6 PM,” he replied.
Mrs.
Javklan looked at Alex, “I think we should let Purev live with Mr. Eccles for
now. I will sign the appropriate
documents authorizing Mr. Eccles to act on my behalf with regards to Purev’s
welfare. If we decide Purev is to stay
with someone else during the week, we can give them the appropriate documents.”
Alex nodded
his head in agreement. “That sounds
reasonable.” He pulled out several
documents from his briefcase and handed them to her. “You will need to sign these in the presence
of a notary and then give them to Mr. Eccles.”
Mrs.
Javklan asked, “Where can I find a notary?”
Alex
answered, “Most banks have a notary or the local UPS store. Sometimes there are individuals who are part
of your neighborhood association who are notaries as well.”
Scott said,
“My office assistant is a notary. You
could come by the office on Monday and we could notarize your documents for
you. You will need to bring a witness
with you or I can get my husband to serve as a witness.” Mrs. Javklan looked at Scott with raised
eyebrows. Scott smiled and said, “Yes,
I’m married to my life partner.”
Mrs.
Javklan smiled, “It seems I’m surrounded by gay men.”
Alex said,
“Not quite. I’m straight. I have a wife and three children at
home. However, I have the greatest
respect for Scott and Alonzo. They are
good people. The same goes for their
friends. Purev would do well to emulate
them. Scott is a lawyer and Alonzo is a
registered nurse.”
Mrs.
Javklan looked at Scott. “What about
your friends? What do they do for a
living?”
Scott
responded, “Rick works as a defense contractor at the Pentagon. Glenn home schools their twins, teaches
music lessons and does computer programming when our friend, Todd, needs an
extra set of hands to complete a project.”
Purev
interjected with excitement, “Mom, Todd’s married to Zachary Anderson-Ingram,
the hockey player. You know the one who
plays for the Washington Capitals.”
Mrs.
Javklan looked at Purev in disbelief.
“Are you sure?”
Scott
answered her, “Yes, Zach plays for the Capitals. He’s married to Todd and they have twin
boys.”
Mrs.
Javklan’s amazement was still evident in her expression. “Your father will be absolutely stunned to
find out his favorite hockey player is married to another man.”
Purev said,
“You mean he will be very angry and won’t watch another Capitals game because
he is so homophobic.”
“Unfortunately,
that is correct,” she agreed.
Scott said,
“Maybe he will change over time.”
Purev shook
his head and said, “I don’t think so.
Dad is pretty stubborn.”
“Purev, you
need to give your Dad a chance. He
isn’t as hard-headed as you think,” Mrs. Javklan said.
Mr. Eccles
said, “We must be going. If I’m to have
dinner ready at the appointed hour, I need to get home.”
Mrs.
Javklan rose to her feet. She walked
over to Mr. Eccles and helped him out of his armchair. She proceeded to hug him and then she said,
“Thank you for looking after my son. I
was so worried. When you left a message
on our answering machine to let me know he was staying with you, I was so
relieved. My husband wouldn’t let me
respond to your call or I would have let you know it was okay for Purev to stay
with you.”
Mr. Eccles
smiled and said, “Purev has been wonderful company. This old man needs someone young like Purev
to remind me of the joys of life. I am
very happy to be of service to him. You
should be proud of Purev. He has
handled himself very well given the circumstances. I foresee a great future for him.”
They took their
leave of the Javklans and walked back to Mr. Eccles’ home. When they reached his house, Alex said, “Scott,
I will talk to you later about any additional documentation that is needed.”
Scott shook
his hand. “Thank you so much for
helping us out.”
“No
problem, Scott. It’s the least I can do
to help. I hope things work out for
Purev,” Alex said.
They
watched him get into his car and back out of the driveway. Mr. Eccles asked, “Where is your husband?”
Scott
responded, “He’s at work. When you own
your own business, you have to put in a lot of hours to keep things running
smoothly.”
“Why don’t
you go rescue him from his labors and join us for dinner?” Mr. Eccles asked.
“Thank you
for the invitation. I will do as you
suggest. I know Alonzo should be just
about finished by now,” Scott said.
“Good bye for now.”
Mr. Eccles
watched as the handsome young man climbed into his car and drove off down the
street. He slowly shuffled his way back
into his home. Once inside, he went into
the front room and stood in front of the large portrait of Jerry. He spoke to the portrait, “Jerry, you won’t
believe what has happened today.” He
recounted the day’s events. “So you
see, Jerry, things are getting better for gays in this country.”
He stood as if listening to a reply. He turned and walked into the foyer. There he saw his image reflected in the
large mirror that hung on the wall. He
looked into his own eyes and asked, “Danny Boy, are we starting to lose it
after all these years? I know you’re
very lonely but talking to paintings on the wall is pushing it a bit too
far.” He shook his head and shuffled
into his kitchen. He was rightfully
proud of his kitchen. Any professional
chef would have been very comfortable cooking in his kitchen. He pulled out the ingredients he needed and
began his preparations for dinner. He
hadn’t been motivated to entertain anyone since Jerry died. He had been lucky to even eat a slice of
bread. He missed Jerry so much. All he wanted was to be reunited with
him. But then he thought of Purev and
blessed him for giving him a reason to continue living. If he didn’t live to see Purev graduate from
high school, at least he could make sure he was provided for and would have
sufficient funds to put him through college.
He could do that much for the young man.
*** ***
Kyle lay on
this bed looking up at the ceiling when David knocked on his door. Kyle yelled, “Come in!”
David
opened the door and walked into Kyle’s room.
“Kyle, I need your advice.”
Kyle sat up
and looked at David with concern.
“What’s going on?”
“I don’t
know what to do about Purev,” he replied.
“What do
you mean?” Kyle asked.
“I mean I’m
happy that we’re boyfriends; but I don’t know what being “boyfriends” really
means. I’ve never had a boyfriend
before and I’m not sure what to do,” David said.
Kyle said,
“I haven’t had a girlfriend or a boyfriend.
I’m just as clueless as you are, David.
Have you talked to our Dads?”
“I’ve
talked to them about having a boyfriend but I haven’t talked to them about what
to do now that I have one,” David admitted.
“Well,
let’s go talk to them,” Kyle responded.
The two boys made their way downstairs and into the family room where we
were sitting.
“Dad, David
has some questions about boyfriends,” Kyle said.
Rick looked
up from reading the newspaper and said, “Have a seat on the couch. Let’s talk.” Rick folded his newspaper and put it in the
basket next to his recliner.
They sat
down next to me on the couch. I put my
book down on the lamp table next to the couch and turned to look at the two of
them. “What’s up, David?”
David
responded, “I don’t know what to do now that I have a boyfriend.”
Rick said,
“Let me ask you a couple of questions.
What did you do with Purev before you decided to be boyfriends?”
David
thought about it for a minute and then said, “We talked a lot.”
“Okay, do
you think you should stop talking to Purev?” I asked.
“No, but
what do we do?” David asked, again.
“Do you
mean like going out on dates or something like that?” I asked.
David
nodded. “How can we go on dates when
neither of us can drive?”
“I think
you should go on group dates like I do,” Kyle said. “It’s much more fun to be around a bunch of
people.”
David
cringed. “I hate being around a lot of
people. They make me anxious.”
“I know,”
Kyle said. “But you need to learn to
tolerate being around groups of people.
It’s just how things are.”
I met
Rick’s gaze and smiled. Kyle was
repeating to David the very same things Rick and I had discussed with David on several
occasions. David seemed to be listening
to his brother. I turned back to
David. “I agree with Kyle. It would better for you if you went on group
dates or at least did things together with other people.”
“What if we
just want to be alone?” David asked.
Rick said,
“I’m sure you will have plenty of opportunities to be alone with Purev. We let him sleep in your room last night
didn’t we?”
David
nodded his head. “I guess you’re
right. Maybe I’m worrying too much.”
I nodded my
head in agreement. “The best thing for
you to do is to be yourself. Don’t try
to be someone you’re not. If hanging
out playing video games and just talking is your thing, that’s okay.”
David
smiled and said, “I think Purev likes doing the same things I do.”
Kyle laughed. “Do you mean he likes to play video games
and just talk?”
“Yes. But he likes to listen to the same music and
reads the same books. He’s into science
and exploring things,” David said.
I
interrupted him, “Before you continue enumerating Purev’s many virtues, let me
just say that I’m impressed with him and I think he will be good for you
David.”
David
looked at me in surprise. “Daddy, how
can Purev be good for me?”
“He will
help you to become more comfortable around people,” I said. I could see David processing that piece of
information. He sat gazing at me until I
asked, “Do you see how that will help you?”
David
nodded his head. “Yes, I do.”
My cell
phone rang and I pulled it out of my pocket.
I answered it.
“Hey
Scott! What’s up with you?”
Scott said,
“I’ve got a question for you and Rick.
Would you consider letting Purev live with you during the week? He wants to attend Edison but Mr. Eccles
lives too far away to get him there on time.
He would go back to Mr. Eccles place every weekend.”
I said,
“Hang on for a moment.” I looked over
at Rick and I asked, “What do you think about Purev living here with us during
the week?”
Rick smiled
at David. “I think that David would be
ecstatic! I don’t have a problem with
that as long as he agrees to abide by our family rules.”
I said,
“Scott, Rick and I are okay with Purev living here with us during the week as
long as he agrees to abide by our family’s rules.”
Scott said,
“I hoped that would be your answer.
Thanks. We will see you for
dinner at Mr. Eccles’ house.”
“Bye,” I
said and cut the connection.
David
looked at me and asked, “Is Purev going to live with us?”
“I don’t
know, David. All I know is that Scott
asked if we would be willing to have Purev here with us,” I replied.
“If Purev
does live with us, we will have to put bunk beds in your room, David,” Rick
said.
David said,
“I have a trundle bed already, Dad. Do
we really need to have a bunk bed?”
“Yes, I
don’t want you to have an excuse for you two to be sleeping together every
night,” Rick said. Rick put up his hand
to forestall David’s protest. “I know
you have a trundle bed. However, I know
that sometimes it’s a real pain to have to pull it out every night. It will be much more convenient if you have
bunk beds.”
David sighed
and said, “Okay.”
But I could
tell he wasn’t happy about it. “What
do you propose we do to help ensure you don’t slip up and end up having sex
with Purev? You don’t seem happy with
the bunk bed solution.”
David
didn’t reply. He stared at me with his
back rigid and straight. Rick looked at
me and said, “We will convert our office into a bedroom for Purev.”
David said,
“Dad, I want him to share a room with me.”
“No, David,
that is not a prudent course of action given your feelings for him. In fact, the more I think about it. I think it would be better if we ask the General
and Mrs. Campbell if they would let him stay with them. That way Purev may visit us and spend as
much time as he likes with you, David; however, he will have a place to go home
to every night. We will still have a
bedroom for Purev for overnight stays but it will be better for him and for you
if he does not live here.”
David face
showed that he was even angrier about what Rick had just proposed. David said, “Don’t you trust me, Dad?”
Rick looked
like he had been slapped. He looked
over at me and I said, “He has a point.”
“What do
you mean?” Rick asked.
“David has
said that he will honor our family rules.
We are making decisions about Purev based on the assumption that David
will not abide by those rules.
Therefore, we are sending David a message that we don’t trust him,” I
explained.
David
nodded his head and said, “I thought you trusted me.”
Rick said,
“I do trust you, David. I also want to
protect you. I feel like I am
deliberately placing you in harm’s way if you and Purev share a room. The temptation to have sex will be very
strong and as you become closer to him, the barriers that are in place today
will fall and you will be faced with choosing between losing his friendship or giving
into your desires to have sex with him.”
“Dad is
right about that part, David.
Relationships are never static.
You are either growing closer together or you are drifting apart. The closer the relationship, the more work
it takes to maintain it and keep it healthy,” I said.
David said,
“I hear what you are saying but I want to experience it for myself. I don’t want you to shield me from
potentially getting hurt. How will I
learn to trust other people if I never have the opportunity to take the risk
that they will hurt me.”
David’s
statement struck at the heart of the real issue we had about Purev. I was astonished at his perception of the
problem and that he had articulated it so well. I guess I should be used to David’s keen
intellect and his powers of observation.
I looked at Rick who was still trying to absorb what David had just
said.
“David,
it’s not that we don’t want you to have the experience of developing a close
relationship with Purev; we do want that for you; however, we also want to be
there to guide you should you need it.
I think that if we can agree that our family rules will be observed
without deviation by both you and Purev, there will be a healthy environment
for you to develop a close friendship with him. Your room is large enough to accommodate two
twin beds. I suggest that we pick up
another bed like yours for Purev. He
will need his own dresser and a desk.”
David looked at me with a growing smile on his face as he realized I was
proposing that Purev share his room. I
put up my hand and said, “Before you get your hopes up, David. I have two conditions. First, if we see that things have gone too
far, we reserve the right to separate you two.
Second, if things get out of control between you and Purev, you must
promise us that you will come to us about the situation. It will be much easier for all of us if you
and Purev will self-monitor and come forward to discuss things before they
become issues or concerns.”
David nodded
his head. “I can agree to those
terms. They make logical sense to me.”
I turned to
look at my husband. “What do you think,
Rick?”
Rick looked
at David. “Since you have agreed to our
terms, we had better order Purev’s bed.
We had to special order yours and it took a little over two weeks to get
it delivered.”
David let
out a holler and started jumping up and down.
I looked at Rick and said, “I think that’s set the record for the amount
of emotion I’ve ever seen from David.”
Rick
laughed and said, “I think you’re right.”
David
exclaimed, “I’m so excited!”
I gave
David an “I can’t believe it” look and asked, “Really? I couldn’t tell!”
David
grinned from ear to ear. “Thanks
Dad. Thanks Daddy.” He hugged us both. He even turned to his brother and gave him a
hug. “Thanks, Kyle.”
Kyle smiled
and said, “I didn’t do anything.”
“Yes, you
did. You told me to talk our Dads,”
David said. “I want to tell Purev.”
Rick said,
“Put that thought on hold, young man. I
think we need to wait until we know what the situation is with Purev’s
parents.”
David’s
expression grew sad. “I feel bad that
his parents kicked him out of their house.
Nobody should be treated that way.”
“We agree
with you David; however, sometimes things happen for a reason and we don’t know
why until a long time afterward,” I said.
“It’s like how bad I felt when Ian dumped me without even so much as a ‘good
bye’ or a ‘thank you for the good times.’
If he hadn’t done that, it’s highly probable that your Dad and I
wouldn’t be together.”
David’s
face brightened as a thought hit him.
“If Purev’s parents hadn’t kicked him out, I wouldn’t have met him.”
“That’s
true,” Kyle said.
Rick stood
up and said, “We need to get that bed ordered.”
“Shouldn’t
we wait until we know for sure that Purev is coming to stay with us,” I said.
Rick grinned.
“You’re right. See David? I’m just as impatient as you are sometimes.”
David
laughed. “I learned it from you Dad.”
Rick nodded
head and admitted, “There is some truth to that statement. I’m guilty as charged. I do tend to get impatient when things need
to be done and aren’t moving forward like they should.”
The twins
came running into the room. Cameron and
Skye were chasing them. Cameron caught
JJ causing JJ to squeal with delight. “I
caught you,” Cameron said as he picked JJ up in arms. JJ threw his arms around Cameron’s neck and
hugged him.
Skye
finally managed to corner Josh and grabbed him. Skye said, “You can’t escape from me, you
pirate!”
Josh
laughed and said, “I’m not a pirate!
I’m Peter Pan!” He spread out
his arms and legs. “See I can fly!”
Skye
grinned. “Let’s fly! Can you see Tinker Bell?”
Josh said,
“No, but I can see Daddy!” Skye “flew”
Josh across the room to me and sat him on my lap. Josh looked up and me. “I’m Peter Pan.”
I kissed
him on the top of his head and said, “Okay, Peter Pan. I think we should play a game of hide and
seek.”
Cameron
asked, “JJ, do you want to play hide and seek?”
JJ nodded
his head. “Yes. Daddy has to be “it” first. We get to hide.”
“Okay, I’ll
count to 20 and you get to hide,” I
replied.
JJ looked
up at David and Kyle, “You guys play hide and seek, too.”
Kyle
laughed, “Okay, JJ. We’ll play,
too. I’ll get Ashley to join us.”
I covered
my eyes and started to count, “One, two, three, four…Twenty.” I could still hear someone walking up the
stairs so I waited until I heard them going down the upstairs hallway before I
shouted, “Ready or not, here I come!”
I took the
stairs two at a time and then opened the door to the twins’ bedroom. I could hear them giggling as I walked into
the room. I leaned down and peered
under their beds. Sure enough, there they
were! “I found you!”
As I
reached for them, they wriggled their way out from under their beds and ran out
of the room. JJ looked over his
shoulder and said, “We’re going to beat you back to base.”
I gave them
a head start before moving into the hallway.
“I’m going to catch you!”
They
squealed with excitement and ran down the hallway to the stairs. I followed them downstairs and into the
front room. I entered the room just in
time to see them collapse on the couch.
Josh said, “You didn’t catch us, Daddy.
We’re safe.”
I laughed
and said, “You won’t make it back to base next time!”
I continued
my search and eventually found everyone.
I tagged Rick, making him “it.”
I held him in my arms and kissed him.
“You’re ‘it,’ Babe.”
Rick
laughed, “I’d better be ‘it’ for you, sweetheart.”
Kyle came
up behind me and said, “Can’t you guys get a room. There are minors around here if you hadn’t
noticed.”
Rick cuffed
Kyle up the side of the head. “Respect
your elders, boy!”
Kyle
laughed and said, “Never, that would spoil the fun.”
I released
my hold on Rick as he turned to grab Kyle.
Kyle saw the look on Rick’s face and skittered across the hall and out
of reach. He laughed and grinned. “You’re getting too old, Dad. You just don’t have the moves anymore!”
Kyle
scooted down the hall and slid down the bannister to the bottom of the
stairs. Rick continued his pursuit and
eventually cornered Kyle in the family room.
Rick said, with a big grin on his face, “It’s tickle torture time.” Rick turned to the rest of the family and
asked, “Who wants to help me tickle Kyle?”
While
Rick’s back was turned, Kyle slipped past him and out of the family room;
laughing as he went. The chase
continued! Eventually, Rick cornered
Kyle in his bedroom. Rick shouted down
the stairs, “Guys! He’s up here!”
I entered
Kyle’s room and saw Rick and Kyle on opposite sides of Kyle’s bed. Rick said, “Kyle, you’re trapped now.”
Kyle
grinned and said, “That’s what you think!”
He made an end run past Rick’s outstretched hands and right into my
arms! I held him tight as he tried to
break free.
I looked
into his eyes and said, with a grin, “I caught you fair and square, Kyle. You have to surrender!”
Kyle
laughed, “Okay, you win.” He hugged me
and then slipped around me and out the door.
Rick came
up beside me and said, accusingly, “You let him go!”
I smiled at
my husband and responded, “Yes, I did.
He admitted that I had him.”
“But I
didn’t get to perform my tickle torture on him,” Rick protested, grinning
broadly.
I put my
arms around his waist and kissed him.
“You’ll have plenty of opportunities on another day. You’ve had your fun for today. We need to be going if we’re going to dinner
at Mr. Eccles’ home.”
Rick
glanced at his watch and sighed, “I guess you’re right, Babe. I’m just disappointed I didn’t catch Kyle.”
“You have
to admit he’s faster than you are,” I said.
Rick gave me
an injured look. “That’s not true!”
“It was
today, Babe. Maybe tomorrow you can
try, again,” I said smiling up at my sweetheart. I rubbed his chest and said, “However, I
think you are already booked for a private performance tomorrow.”
Rick gave
me a lecherous grin and asked, “Is that so?”
I nodded my
head as I lifted up his t-shirt and ran my hands over his washboard abs. “I’ve filled up your dance card, honey.”
Rick closed
his eyes as I pushed his shirt up and ran my tongue over his nipples. He murmured, “I thought you said we had to
be somewhere.”
“We do but
there’s time for us to have some fun,” I said.
Rick moaned
with pleasure. He opened his eyes and
grinned, “Let’s go.”
He grabbed
my hand and pulled me out of Kyle’s room and into our own. He locked the door and pinned me against
it. He gazed deeply into my eyes and
said, “We just got a room!”
“I’m sure
Kyle appreciates that,” I said with wide grin.
*** ***
A while
later we came downstairs to find the entire family watching a DVD in the family
room. Kyle looked up and grinned. “You guys got a room!”
“How can
you tell?” I asked.
Kyle stood
up and walked over to put his arm around my shoulders and said, “Dad always
marks you right here.” He pointed to a
spot on my neck.
Rick
laughed and said, “The young man is very observant.”
I
blushed. Kyle laughed, “Daddy, you
don’t have to be embarrassed. Dad loves
you and it’s obvious to us. Besides,
you’re married to each other so it’s allowed.”
Rick said,
“Time to turn off the DVD. We need to
be going.”
We heard
the usual complaints about having to turn it off. “You can watch it later, boys,” I said.
We herded
the crowd of children out of the door and into our waiting cars. We stopped at the guard shack to let Jeff know
where we were headed and what time we’d be back.
We
caravanned to Mr. Eccles house. We
arrived a few minutes early and parked our cars in the driveway. I saw Scott and Alonzo’s car already parked
there.
I turned
around in my seat and said to the assembled children, specifically to our
twins, “Remember to be on your best behavior.”
JJ said,
“We will.”
Josh raced
to the front door and said, “I want to ring the doorbell.”
Rick said,
“Go ahead, Josh.”
He pushed
the button and we heard the chimes go off inside the house. Purev opened the door and said, “Please come
inside.”
We followed
him into the front room. “I want you to
meet my mother. Mom, this is Rick and
Glenn Lernier.”
I shook her
hand. “It’s nice to meet you, Mrs.
Javklan.” Rick did the same.
Purev
continued his introductions. “These are
their children, Kyle, David, Ashley, JJ and Josh. And these are their neighbors’ children,
Cameron and Skye. Their dad, Zach Anderson-Ingram,
plays for the Washington Capitals.”
The
children chorused, “Nice to meet you.”
Mrs.
Javklan said, “Nice to meet you Cameron and Skye. We like to watch your dad playing hockey.”
Cameron
said, “We do, too!” Skye nodded his
agreement.
“I’m sure
you do. Rick and Glenn, you have a
beautiful family,” Mrs. Javklan said.
Rick said,
“Thank you. You have a wonderful son in
Purev. He stayed with us last night and
seemed to have a good time with the children.”
Mr. Eccles
came into the room and announced that dinner was ready. We followed him into the dining room. Once we were seated, Mr. Eccles called on
Scott to say grace.
Afterward,
Mr. Eccles said, “Please enjoy.”
The meal
was absolutely superb! Even the
children commented on how good the food tasted. We talked about many subjects over dinner as
we got to know Mrs. Javklan and Mr. Eccles.
Mr. Eccles
suggested that the children might enjoy watching a Disney DVD in his private
theater. The children chose one of
their favorites and we left them in the home theater.
The adults
settled into the front room with David and Purev joining us. Mr. Eccles started the conversation. “Rick and Glenn, I believe that Scott has
informed you about some of our thoughts concerning Purev’s situation.”
We nodded
our heads in unison. Rick responded for
us, “Yes, he has.”
Mr. Eccles
outlined the rest of the facts and stated, “I believe that we’ve arrived at a
decision that will provide the best of all possible outcomes. Of course, we need your permission for Purev
to stay with you during the week. I’m
willing to pay of his room and board so as not to place an additional financial
burden on you.”
Rick said,
“We have discussed it and have agreed that Purev may stay with us during the
week. He will share a room with David if
they agree to two conditions.” He
outlined the two items. Purev readily
agreed to abide by our terms.
Mrs.
Javklan asked, “What are your family rules?”
I looked
over at David and asked, “David, would you tell Mrs. Javklan what our rules
are?”
David
recited them for her and then explained how we arrived at this set of rules for
our family.
When he
finished, Mr. Eccles said, “I’m very impressed. I’m sure your children are very happy to
know what their boundaries are.”
Rick
agreed. “It helps all of us because
there is no question about what is permissible and what is not.”
Mrs.
Javklan said, “I’m glad to know that Purev will have rules to help him to stay
out of trouble. I am very happy to know
he will be staying with such a wonderful family. I only wish I could convince my husband to
change his mind.” Her voice broke as
the tears started streaming down her cheeks.
“I love my husband very much; but this time he makes my heart
hurt.” We waited while Mrs. Javklan
regained control over her emotions.
“Purev will stay with me until we have made all of the arrangements for
him to transfer to Edison. Then he will
stay with you during the week and with Mr. Eccles on weekends.”
Scott
asked, “Do you want me to contact Alex, Mrs. Javlkan?”
“Yes,
please,” she answered.
Scott made
the call. “Alex will stop by tomorrow.”
“Thank
you,” she said. She looked at Alonzo
and asked, “Do you like being a nurse?”
Alonzo
answered, “Yes, I do. I love helping
people.”
Purev said,
“I like helping people, too.”
“Have you
thought about becoming a doctor or a nurse?” Alonzo asked.
“Yes; but I
haven’t decided what I want to do for sure.
There are so many choices,” Purev said.
“It’s good
to have choices,” Alonzo said with a smile.
“Yes, it
is,” Purev agreed. “David and I are
going to watch the movie.”
Mrs.
Javklan said, “Okay, son.”
The two
young men quickly disappeared. Mr.
Eccles looked at us and said, “Thank you for your generosity.”
Rick
smiled, “We are happy to help.”
The rest of
the evening we spent discussing the particulars of Purev’s situation and what
we needed to do. At the end of the
evening, we bid farewell to them and loaded our children into our
vehicles. The twins, both sets, fell
asleep on the way home. The teenagers
helped us bring them inside and get them into their beds. After everyone was settled, Rick and I sat
at the kitchen table with a cup of hot cocoa.
David came into the kitchen and sat down.
“Thank you
for letting Purev stay with us,” David said.
Rick said,
“You’re welcome, David. As we said
earlier, we expect you to abide by our rules.”
“Yes, Dad,”
David said. “I just wanted you to know
I love you.”
He stood up
and walked over to Rick. He gave him a
hug and then walked over to me. “I love
you, Daddy.” We hugged and David said,
“Good night.”
After he
left, I said, “I hope we are doing the right thing.”
Rick nodded
his head. “I think we are. I have a feeling that Purev won’t be with us
long.”
“What makes
you say that?” I asked.
“I don’t
know. It’s just a feeling I get,” Rick
said.
We finished
our hot cocoa. Rick said, “It’s time
for bed.”
He led me
to our room and we collapsed into our bed.
It had been a very eventful day for us.
I still wondered at Rick’s statement but eventually I slipped into a
deep sleep.
*** ***
Mr. Eccles
lay in his bed staring at the ceiling.
He felt energized and on edge.
The discussions this evening made him feel needed and wanted. He hadn’t felt so alive in months. The prospect of helping Purev had given him
a new lease on life. As he thought
about the evening, he was overcome with amazement at the two gay couples he had
come to know over the last few days: one
with a large family and the other just starting out their lives as a married
couple. If only the world had been a
little more tolerant towards gays when he had met Jerry, they could have had a
family just like Rick and Glenn. He had
noticed the little gestures and the quick glances between each of the couples
and knew of the great love they shared.
It reminded him so much of Jerry and the little everyday kindnesses
Jerry did for him. The thoughtful notes
he left around the house, the quick kiss as he went out the door to run errands
or his soft touch that communicated so much love. Tears watered his pillow as the emptiness
inside his heart seemed to expand and swallow him. How he missed Jerry!
*** ***
Author’s
note:
Wyoming Dude Ranches - http://wyomingdra.com/ranching-101/what-to-expect/
