Our Band of Brothers Chapter Six – Who Am I?
Rick drove his red Corvette down the
highway from his weekend drill, wondering if Glenn would be waiting for him
when he got home. Glenn had answered his
text messages, which was more than he had done earlier in the week. He was glad to get those, because it meant
Glenn had calmed down enough to communicate with him.
Glenn tended to get angry very quickly;
but, fortunately, he never stayed angry for long. Rick teased him about being
temperamental. However, this time had
been different. Glenn hadn’t gone
ballistic, and then calmed down, like he normally did. He had walked out on Rick, and hadn’t
returned. It worried Rick – a lot!
He didn’t want their relationship to end
this way. Glenn’s complete silence had
shaken him much more than any of his angry tirades. He had expected him to pull a major temper
tantrum (that’s what he liked to call them when teasing Glenn); but not this
total radio silence.
He was relieved to be back in
communication with his lover. Now, he
just needed to decide what he was going to do about their relationship. He really had no idea what he really wanted,
anymore. Before talking to his commanding
officer, he thought he knew; and took the first step in the process, by telling
Glenn he wanted to stay in the military, even if it meant losing him. Glenn had rightly accused him of valuing his
military career over their relationship, and it was the last conversation he
had had with him.
Rick had told himself the only thing
bothering him was the loss of his military career. But, deep down, Rick knew there was more to
it than just staying in the military.
For months, now, he had been looking at every woman who passed him,
wondering if he could still bed a different one each weekend, like he had
before meeting Glenn. Just thinking
about it made his body hard every time he saw a beautiful woman. He couldn’t help remembering how much fun
he’d had fucking one woman after another.
At first, he tried to banish such
thoughts from his mind; but, it had gotten to the point where he couldn’t
control his physical reaction to the gorgeous women who caught his attention. He felt guilty about it, especially when
Glenn was with him when it happened. Thankfully,
Glenn usually didn’t comment on his wandering eyes, but he knew Glenn wasn’t
happy about it.
Since Peyton and Jonathan had left for
Minneapolis, there seemed to be a wall between them, growing thicker every day
and putting more and more distance between them. Their relationship had deteriorated to the
point where Rick felt he needed to escape from it. He loved Glenn; but, he wasn’t sure, anymore,
if it was the kind of love that was needed for a lifetime together.
A while later, he pulled into the
parking lot of their condo, hoping to see their Land Rover in its usual parking
spot. A feeling of disappointment swept
through him, when he saw it wasn’t there.
He missed Glenn, despite his misgivings about continuing their
relationship. He parked the Corvette and
turned off the ignition. He slipped his
phone out of his pocket and sent a text to Glenn, “Where r u?”
He waited, not sure Glenn would
respond. He breathed a sigh of relief,
when Glenn’s response appeared on the screen, “In Orlando.”
Rick was surprised Glenn was in
Florida. When Glenn told him he was with
Duane and Mason, he had assumed they were in Atlanta. He tapped out, “When r u coming home?”
“Don’t know, maybe tomorrow.”
Rick stared at the words on the screen,
wondering how to interpret Glenn’s response to his question. He wasn’t sure if Glenn meant he was going to
return to their condo, or if he meant returning to Atlanta and planned to
continue to stay with Duane and Mason.
He responded with, “I love you.”
*** ***
I sat on the couch trying not to
cry. Seeing my distress, Peyton asked,
“What’s wrong, Glenn.” I responded to
his question, by handing him my phone.
He read the message and said, “I think he really does love you, Glenn.”
I asked, “Does he really? How can I be sure, Peyton? He says the words; but, doesn’t show it. How can I reconcile his desire to stay in the
Marine Corps with those three words?”
Jonathan said, “Glenn, I think you’re
being hard on him. Rick loves you. I’ve seen it in his eyes, when he looks at
you. I think you need to give him a
second chance.”
Peyton, seeing my expression harden,
said, “Glenn, I believe in second chances.
Please give my cousin the opportunity to explain himself. You said yourself you didn’t give him the
time to tell you what he was thinking, before you left him.”
I scowled, and said, “I’ll think about
it; but, it’s not just about the military, Peyton. Rick’s been ogling the girls a lot, lately;
so, I think he’s having second thoughts about being with a guy. If he wants to be with a woman, he’s welcome
to find one; but, I’m not waiting around for him to dump me.” I stood up and walked toward the door. “I’m going next door.”
Peyton sighed and looked at Jonathan,
who shrugged. “We’ll join you. I like Joey and Tyler. They’re great guys.”
I opened the door and walked over to
Joey and Tyler’s door, and tapped on the door.
It was opened by Sra. Nájera. She
smiled up at me. She hugged me, and
said, “Come inside, mi hijo. I’m missing
your Rick.”
I blinked back tears, as I replied, “I’m
missing him, too.”
She looked around me, and smiled at
Peyton and Jonathan. “Please come
inside.” She took me by the hand, and
led me to the front room.
Joey and Tyler were seated on the couch,
each holding one of the twins. Joey
smiled up at me, and said, “Please sit down next to me.” He handed me Martin.
Martin seemed to smile up at me. I said, “He likes me.”
Joey laughed, and said, “Of course, he
likes you. You’re his uncle.”
Sra. Nájera said, “I’m happy you’re
smiling, Glenn. We’ve seen too much
sadness on your face since you arrived.”
“I love children, Mamá,” I said.
“You’ll make a great father, Glenn,” she
said, smiling at me. She sat down next
to Sr. Nájera.
Sr. Nájera looked at Peyton and
Jonathan, as they sat down in the loveseat.
“I would love to get to know you better.
We’ve met many of Joey and Tyler’s friends, and we think they are the
most wonderful people in the world. I
expect you two are just as wonderful.
However, all I know is you’re Rick’s cousins.” He smiled at them. “My wife and I love taking care of Joey and
Tyler and their lovely family.”
Peyton said, “Rick and Glenn have told
us a lot of great things about you. I
wish all of us had parents like you.”
Sra. Nájera said, “You still can. We’ve already adopted all of Joey and Tyler’s
friends. We are quite willing to adopt
you two, as well. We’ve always wanted a
large family, and the boys helped us realize our fondest dreams.”
Sr. Nájera said, “When we lost our only
son, we were devastated.”
Sra. Nájera said, “I was so sad, I
didn’t want to continue to live. It was
during that time when Tyler knocked on our door, asking to rent a room.”
Sr. Nájera said, “Tyler looks so much
like our son, they could’ve been twins.
When we saw him, we thought he was a ghost.”
“I knew God had answered my prayers by
sending Tyler to take the place of the son I lost,” Sra. Nájera said, her eyes
full of tears. “Of course, we took him
in, and he has become our son.”
Sr. Nájera agreed, “Yes, Tyler has been
God’s blessing to our family. He took
away our sadness and replaced it with happiness.”
Sra. Nájera said, “When we met Tyler’s
parents, we became the best of friends.”
Louise said, “Yes, and we’re very happy
you’ve adopted our son, as your own.”
Hank said, “The Nájeras have made our transition
to our new lives in Spain very easy.
I’ve even managed to learn a little Spanish!”
Tyler laughed. “Yes, Dad you’ve learned to speak Spanish –
after a fashion!”
Sr. Nájera grinned at his friend. “Well, we’re still working on his accent.”
Hank said, “That’s too true!” Turning to Peyton, he said, “I’m sorry, we
didn’t intend to cut you off. We, too,
want to know you better.”
Peyton smiled, and said, “That’s
okay. There’s not much to tell, really.”
Jonathan said, “Peyton is being way too
modest. Glenn’s Grandpa adopted Peyton
as his son.”
Hank looked at Peyton, and asked, “Why
did he do that? Are your parents
deceased?”
“No, but they don’t approve of gays,”
Peyton said.
“That’s an understatement, if I’ve ever
heard one,” Jonathan said.
Peyton laughed. “Don’t be giving me a hard time, Babe. You’re mother’s just as anti-gay as my
parents.”
Jonathan said, “That’s true. My father is the sheriff and he helped me get
a job with the security company Mr. Scarborough hired to protect his
family. That’s how I met Peyton.”
Peyton turned his head to meet Jonathan’s
gaze. “Should I share with them how I
ended up living with the Scarboroughs?”
Jonathan said, “It’s up to you, Babe.”
Peyton
thought for a moment, unsure whether to tell them he had been in jail. He stared searchingly into his husband’s
eyes, knowing he wanted to feel comfortable around these people. He didn’t want to have to watch his every
word, afraid he would say something, leading them to question him, or make them
think he wasn’t being truthful with them.
Seeing
Peyton’s hesitation, I smiled at him, and said, “UNCLE Peyton, we love you and
it is the most important thing everyone needs to know; so, only share what
you’re comfortable sharing
Peyton
grinned at me, and said, “Just remember to respect your elders, Glenn.” Making his decision, he turned back to the
Nájeras and the Damasiewicz’. “I hope you won’t be offended by
what I have to tell you.”
Hank said, “We won’t be
offended, Peyton. We’re honored you
trust us enough to share your life with us.
Since Mr. Scarborough adopted you as his son, there is no doubt you’re
an exceptional person. From what I know
of him, he’s a very good judge of character.”
Peyton nodded his head, and
continued, “I need to start at the beginning so you will know what led up to my
adoption. When Rick first met Glenn, my
parents and his wanted them both dead.
We belonged to a church where we were taught homosexuality was an
abomination before God. Our minister
insisted parents were responsible for killing their children if they were
caught sinning to prevent them from becoming completely lost to God.”
He paused, drawing a deep
breath. “Our church twisted the Bible to
condone murder, basing their teachings on the Old Testament story where Eli was
struck dead on the temple step, because he didn’t stop his sons from sinning
before God. My parents and Rick’s felt
they would be condemned in God’s eyes, if they didn’t put an end to Rick’s
homosexual acts with Glenn.” He stopped,
again, clearing his throat. He hadn’t
expected to feel so emotional, as he recounted his story. “My dad convinced me and my girlfriend,
Angie, to work with him and Rick’s father to destroy them.”
“Obviously, you weren’t successful,”
Hank said.
“Fortunately,” Peyton said, acknowledging
the truth of Hank’s statement. “But, I
was blinded by the teachings of our church.
I was full of hatred and jealousy toward Rick. So, the four of us destroyed Rick and Glenn’s
apartment. We would have murdered them,
had they been there.”
Louise looked at him, with a shocked
expression. “How could you consider
taking another human being’s life?”
Peyton said, “It’s easy, when you’ve
been brainwashed into thinking it is God’s will to do so. They weren’t home when we broke into their
apartment, or I’m afraid I would have been in jail for life. We weren’t exactly thinking about the
consequences of our actions, when we demolished their place. We were picked up by the police and ended up
in jail. After spending time in prison,
I was released on probation. I had a
difficult time finding a job, since no one wanted to hire an ex-con. I expected my family to help me; but, they
rejected me, because I had failed them, by not carrying out God’s justice.”
Sr. Nájera asked, “What did you do?”
“I fell in with a bad crowd,” Peyton
said, ducking his head in shame.
Jonathan said, “His former cellmate,
John, managed to find him, when he got out of prison.”
Peyton looked up, and continued, “John
raped me on my first night in prison, and continued to use me every night until
I got out. He said he would protect me,
as long as I let him have sex with me. When
he found me, I told him I wanted nothing to do with him; but, he threatened to
tell my family I was gay, if I didn’t do as he said. As a result, I did some things I’m not proud
of. I don’t want to make excuses for my
behavior…but I didn’t have any money and no way to make the restitution
payments mandated by the court. So, I
did what I needed to do to get enough cash to make those payments. I was destitute and homeless, with nowhere
to go, and John offered me a place to stay, if I became his lover.” He stopped speaking, and looked up to see
their reaction to what he’d said.
Hank said, “So, what happened after you
hooked up with this guy, John?”
“I blamed Rick and Glenn for my
problems, and I thought my family would take me back, if I finished the job
they had sent me to do. So, I tracked
them to the Scarborough home. That’s
when Sheriff Smith caught me, and I ended up back in jail. But, before Sheriff Smith took me to jail,
Mr. Scarborough promised to help me get back on my feet, after I paid my debt
to society.”
“A promise he kept,” Jonathan
interjected, putting his arm around his husband’s shoulders.
Peyton put his hand on Jonathan’s
leg. “I’m getting there, Babe. I thought things were bad the first time I
was in prison. But I was wrong. Things were much worse the second time. Marty, my cell mate, was part of a prison
gang and pimped me out to the other gang members. When I refused to cooperate, he had me
beaten. Then, he got the prison guards
to repeatedly rape me. Between the
prison guards and the prison gang I was beaten if I protested, or complained
about having sex with them. I tried to
get transferred to another prison facility; but, it only made things
worse. I told Mr. Scarborough about what
was happening, and he hired lawyers to represent me. In retaliation, the guards nearly killed me.”
“That’s when the parole board agreed to
let Peyton out on probation,” Jonathan said.
“Peyton was in pretty bad shape when he came to the Scarboroughs.”
“My arms and legs were in casts and I
was black and blue all over my body,” Peyton said. “I was so depressed and ashamed of what had
happened to me. I wanted to die.”
I said, “We worked hard to bring Peyton
back from total self-destruction. Our
entire family made sure Peyton knew he was loved and wanted.”
Peyton grinned at me. “Yes, they did do that. I’m very thankful to the Scarborough family.”
Jonathan said, “And so am I. They gave me a wonderful gift in Peyton.”
Sr. Nájera said, “You’ve had quite the
life, Peyton. What are your plans for
the future?”
He replied, “I’m planning to get a law
degree. I want to help protect the
rights of the millions of inmates in our prisons. I want to prevent the same things that
happened to me from happening to others.
The Scarboroughs rescued me from certain self-destruction, by providing
me with a job, a place to be, and a loving family and support network. Most of all, they showed me they loved and
respected me. They made me feel special
and that I mattered to them.” He
stopped, his eyes full of tears, unable to continue speaking.
Jonathan hugged him, giving him a gentle
kiss on the lips. He whispered, “It’s
okay, Babe.”
Peyton rubbed his eyes with the back of
his hands, as he regained control of his emotions. “Now, I want to rescue as many people as I
can. Our justice system treats inmates
and former inmates like pieces of garbage.
They say pretty words; but, they are just that - WORDS! Most former inmates live in poverty, because
they can’t find work. No one wants to
take a chance on them. On every job
application, we’re forced to put down the fact we’ve been in jail. That fact alone eliminates us from holding
most jobs. It’s like I’m wearing a
scarlet letter around my neck, advertising the fact I’m a former inmate.”
Jonathan said, “We’ve done some research
and found there are a limited number of organizations who attempt to help
former inmates. They are underfunded and
can only do so much to remove the roadblocks to reintegration into society
after prison. We plan to work with the
one based in Minnesota.”
Peyton said, “There is such a huge need
it’s almost overwhelming. The more I
learn about the lack of services for former inmates, the more I realize just
how fortunate I was to meet Mr. Scarborough.
I wish every inmate in our prisons had such a staunch advocate on the
outside.”
Joey said, “Greg and Cory have shared
with us some of things you went through, Peyton; but, we didn’t know the extent
of what happened to you in prison.”
Tyler said, “I’m glad you’re part of our
family.”
Peyton looked at Tyler in surprise. “What do you mean?”
Tyler smiled and asked, “Well, Greg is
your adopted brother, right?”
“Yes, he is,” Peyton said.
Joey said, “And Greg is my
brother-in-law; so, that makes you part of our family.”
Tyler said, “You’re stuck with us,
Peyton.” He grinned at the two guys
sitting across from him.
Jonathan said, “Thank you for welcoming us
to your family, Tyler and Joey.”
Joey said, “You’re welcome. You know you have to pull UNCLE duty, now,
don’t you?”
Jonathan laughed. “I think we already knew that. The girls have already laid claim to my
husband as their favorite uncle.”
I protested, “I thought I was their
favorite uncle!”
Peyton smirked. “You’ve been replaced, Glenn. You just can’t compete with my charming
personality and quick wit.”
Just then, the girls in question, ran
into the room, each of them carrying their favorite stories in their arms. Rachel made a beeline for Peyton, climbing
onto his lap. She looked up at him, and
asked, “Uncle Peyton, will you read me a story.”
Sarah followed Rachel’s example and
climbed up on Jonathan’s lap. Jonathan
smiled down at her. “Let me guess, you
want to hear a story, too.”
She nodded her head. “Yes, Uncle Jonathan.”
I shook my head, and said, under my
breath, “Traitors.”
Hearing me, Peyton laughed, and said,
“Now, don’t be a bad sport about it, Glenn.
The girls still love you. Don’t
you, girls?”
Rachel nodded her head, and said, “I
love Uncle Glenn, too.”
Sarah echoed her sister’s words, “Me,
too.”
Only slightly mollified, I smiled at the
two little girls, and said, “Okay, I’ll forgive you. This time.”
*** ***
Rick showered and dressed in blue
running shorts and a tight-fitting white t-shirt. He glanced in the mirror, making sure he
looked good, before pulling on his cross trainers. He grabbed his keys from his dresser, and
headed for the door. He pulled the door
closed behind him. He took the stairs
down to the floor below their condo. He
knocked on the first door he came to and waited.
Keith opened the door and took one look
at Rick’s face, and said, “He’s still not home.”
Rick nodded his head. “He’s in Orlando with Duane and Mason.” Seeing Keith made him miss his lover even
more. Keith and Glenn looked so much
alike, they could have been twins. The
only way to tell them apart was the color of their eyes, unless you heard them
talking. Then, Keith’s southern drawl
gave him away.
Keith, seeing the tears in Rick’s eyes,
pulled him into his arms, hugging him tight.
“He’ll come back, Rick. Have
faith in him, my friend. You know he
loves you and won’t leave you.”
Rick hugged his friend back, then pulled
away. He wiped the tears from his eyes
with the back of his hand. “I know he
loves me; but, does he love me enough to let me have a career in the military?”
Keith put a hand on Rick’s chest,
stopping him from entering the condo.
“Hold it right there, Rick. Do
you mean your litmus test for Glenn to prove his love for you is to allow you
to have your military career?” Rick met
Keith’s gaze, not wanting to answer Keith’s question. “Really? Is that the standard you should use
to measure the depth of Glenn’s love for you?”
Rick looked away from Keith, unable to respond. Keith continued, “Rick, you’re better than
that.”
Rick protested, “Glenn is doing the same
thing to me, Keith, by demanding I leave the military to prove I love him.”
Keith shook his head. “Rick, you told Glenn you would marry him
after you got out of the military. If
you never intended to leave the Marine Corps, why did you tell him you’d marry
him?”
“I’m not sure I can marry him, Keith,
because I seem to be attracted to every woman I see. I get so horny for a woman, sometimes, I
can’t stand it. I don’t want to hurt
Glenn by cheating on him with a woman,” Rick said. “I don’t know if I can remain faithful to
him, Keith.”
Keith asked, “You’ve always been
attracted to women, Rick. It’s been that
way from the first day you met Glenn.
What’s changed to make it so unbearable?”
Rick asked, “Can we talk about this
inside?”
Keith stepped aside, letting Rick
enter. “I still want an answer to my
question, Rick.”
“Honestly, I’m afraid of making a
permanent commitment. As long as we’re
just living together, I can pretend I’m not really gay. I can say I’m straight, except for Glenn.”
Keith said, “I think you’re hung up on
labels, Rick. You know as well as I do
I’m not totally ‘straight’ and you know you’re not totally ‘gay.’ We’re both somewhere in the middle. I lean a little more to the one side and you
to the other. You need to let go of your
fears, and give yourself a chance to just be who you are – without the labels
tripping you up. Maybe, then, you can
come to terms with your feelings for Glenn.”
Rick said, “I’ll definitely give it some
thought.”
Keith nodded his head, approvingly. He took Rick by the arm and steered him into
the kitchen. Kerry looked up and said,
“Hello, Rick. I’m glad you’re back. Egan missed his Uncle Rick.”
He smiled, and said, “I’m sure he did.”
She said, “He made me promise to send
you in to tell him a bedtime story.”
Rick loved his little nephew. Egan had worked his way into his heart almost
from the first moment Rick had laid eyes on the little guy. “I’ll go see if he’s awake.”
Rick left the kitchen and walked down
the hallway to Egan’s room. He opened
the door, looking into the darkened room.
Egan lay in his bed, hugging his Teddy bear. Rick crossed to his bed and sat down. Egan opened his eyes and smiled up at Rick.
“I knew you would come, Uncle Rick,”
Egan said, starting to sit up.
Rick placed a gentle hand on the boy’s
chest, holding him still. “Don’t get
up. I’ll tell you a bedtime story to
help you go to sleep.”
Egan settled back against his pillow,
putting his hand over Rick’s. “I missed
you Uncle Rick and I miss Uncle Glenn.”
“I miss him, too, Egan,” Rick replied.
“When is Uncle Glenn coming home?” Egan
said.
His question hit him hard, as he
pondered how to respond. He didn’t know
the answer to Egan’s question. Finally,
he decided to just tell him the truth, and said, “I don’t know, Egan. Sometimes, people have arguments and they
hurt each other’s feelings. Uncle Glenn
left, because he’s mad at me.”
Egan frowned, and said, “But Mommy says
I have to talk things out, when I get angry, instead of throwing things, or
hitting someone. Why didn’t Uncle Glenn
talk things out, when he got mad?”
Rick laughed, and said, “Don’t you
sometimes forget to talk things out and throw things or kick something because
you’re angry?”
Egan nodded his head. “Yes.
But then Mommy always tells me to stop and think about doing something
positive when I get angry, like talking about my feelings. She says I’ll get better with practice.”
Egan sounded so wise for his years. Rick ruffled his hair. “Sometimes, big people forget the rules about
talking things out when they’re angry, just like you do. Uncle Glenn and I need more practice at doing
that.”
Egan said, “That’s what Daddy said.”
Rick raised his eyebrows in
surprise. “He said that did he?”
“Yes, Mommy said so, too,” Egan
said. “When are you and Uncle Glenn
going to talk things out?”
“I don’t know, Egan. Uncle Glenn is still angry with me and hasn’t
come home, yet,” Rick said.
Egan looked worried. “But he’s been gone for a long time, Uncle
Rick. Daddy said he might not come
back.”
“He might not; but I love Uncle Glenn
very much, Egan, and I will do what I can to convince him to come back,” Rick
said, realizing, as he said the words, he really did love him and wanted him
back in his life. The thought of Glenn
leaving him, left him feeling sick inside.
Egan smiled, and said, “Daddy said all
you have to do is kiss him, and he’ll do everything you say; just like Mommy
does when he kisses her.”
Rick laughed. “I’m sure your Daddy’s right. Now, let’s see…shall I tell you a story about
an alligator?”
Egan nodded his head, excitedly. “Yes, I love that story.”
By the time Rick finished narrating his
story, Egan was fast asleep. Rick smiled
down at the little cherub, and stood up to tiptoe out of the room, closing the
door quietly behind him. He made his way
back to the kitchen.
Keith and Kerry were sitting at the
table. Kerry was eating a peanut butter
and pickle sandwich. Rick sat down across
from them and grinned. “That’s a rather
odd sandwich.”
Kerry said, “It’s what I’m craving right
now.”
Keith said, “Kerry’s finally feeling
good enough to eat.”
Kerry agreed. “I’m glad I’m past the nausea stage. I hate not being able to keep anything down.”
Rick asked, “What did the doctor say
when you saw him on Friday?”
“The baby is doing fine,” Kerry said,
smiling. “It’s a girl.”
Rick smiled. “Congratulations!”
Keith said, “Now, we’ll have one of
each. Egan will have a baby sister to
keep him company.”
Rick said, “Speaking of Egan, he told me
I needed to talk things out with Glenn.”
Kerry laughed. “Did he now?”
“Yes, and that’s not all. He said all I had to do was give him a kiss
and Glenn will do anything I tell him to do,” Rick added.
Keith glanced over at Kerry and
laughed. “I told him that’s how I got
Kerry to do what I want her to do.”
Kerry blushed, and said, “That’s only
true half of the time.”
Keith leaned over to give her a
kiss. “It’s true most of the time,
because I’m so hot and sexy!”
Rick said, “I hope Glenn will give me a
chance to do that. He wouldn’t let me
touch him, he was so angry with me.”
Kerry said, “He’ll let you, Rick. He’s just as addicted to you, as I am to
Keith.”
“I hope you’re right, because it sure
didn’t seem to be the case when he left me,” Rick said.
“When is he coming back?” Kerry asked.
Rick shrugged his shoulders. “I don’t know. Maybe tomorrow.”
Keith met Rick’s gaze across the
table. “Don’t give up, Rick. He’ll come around, soon enough.”
Rick said, “I certainly hope so.”
Kerry asked, “Are you hungry? There’s some left over pasta in the fridge.”
Rick’s stomach growled, causing Keith
and Kerry to laugh. “I guess that’s a
yes.”
Keith got up and walked over to the
fridge and pulled out the left over pasta primavera. He placed the pasta in the microwave and
punched a couple buttons to start it. A
few minutes later, he pulled it out and handed it to Rick. “Be careful!
The dish is hot.”
Rick smiled and said, “Thanks.”
Keith handed him a fork, and returned to
his seat next to his wife. He nearly
laughed, as Rick downed the pasta.
“You’ll never change, Rick. I’ve
always been amazed at how quickly you can eat your dinner.”
Rick grinned. “I’ve never been able to eat slowly. My mother always told me to slow down and
chew my food, instead of inhaling it.”
Kerry said, “She’s right, you know. You need to slow down and enjoy your food.”
Rick continued to grin,
unrepentant. “I can always do that on
the second, or third helping; but, never on the first.”
Kerry shook her head. “You’re just like a big kid, sometimes.”
Rick laughed. “That’s because I am a big kid. I never want to grow up!”
Keith looked at his wife, and said, “Now
you know I’m not the only one, Kerry.”
Kerry shook her head again. “You two are going to be the death of me.”
Keith kissed her, and said, “But you
love us, anyway.”
“That I do,” she replied, taking his
hand in hers.
They talked of their plans for the week
and their hope things would work themselves out between Rick and Glenn. Rick left their home, feeling comforted and
able to face another long, lonely night, without Glenn. He really did love the man and missed him
terribly!
*** ***
Greg and Cory sat across from Robbie and
Adam, as they played cards. Greg asked,
“Do you think Glenn will go back to Rick?
He still seems pretty upset with him.”
Robbie’s voice was full of concern, as
he replied, “I don’t know, Greg. I’ve
never seen Glenn this way. He’s always
gotten over being angry pretty quickly.”
Cory said, “He’s at least answering
Rick’s text messages.”
“But, he asked Duane and Mason to help
him find an apartment last night,” Adam said.
Greg said, “That’s not good.”
Robbie nodded his head in
agreement. “I don’t think Glenn knows we
overheard him talking to them about it.”
“It sounds like Glenn has made up his mind
to leave Rick,” Cory said.
Adam said, “I’m afraid so.”
Robbie looked around the table and
asked, “What can we do to help them get past this?”
Greg said, “I think we need to call Rick
and get him here. If Glenn goes back to
Atlanta this way, I’m afraid they’re history.”
Cory said, “Agreed. I’m calling Rick.” He pulled his phone from his pocket and speed
dialed Rick’s number.
After two rings, Rick answered, “Hello,
Cory.”
Cory said, “Hey. I’m putting you on speaker. Robbie, Adam and Greg are here with me.”
“What’s up, guys?” he asked.
“You know what’s up, Rick,” Greg
said. “You need to fix things with Glenn
and you can’t wait until he gets back to Atlanta.”
Rick said, “What do you mean I need to
fix things before he gets back here?”
“You need to get your sorry ass down
here as soon as you can,” Greg responded.
“You fucked up big time, Rick.
We’ve tried to help you out the best we can; but, it’s not enough. You’re the only one who can change the
outcome of what you started.”
Rick sat, stunned, on the couch. He reached over to turn off the
television. He asked, “What makes you
think I can change things?”
Robbie said, “I think you need to know
Glenn asked Duane and Mason to help him find an apartment last night. We think he’s made up his mind to leave you,
Rick.”
Robbie’s words felt like a sucker punch
to his gut. He let out a strangled, unintelligible
sound. Robbie asked, “Are you okay?”
Rick didn’t respond, as the tears
coursed down his cheeks. He felt as if
his heart had been ripped out of his chest.
He thought he was ready to move on, to leave Glenn and find a woman;
but, when he was faced with the reality of losing Glenn, he was forced to
acknowledge he loved Glenn and didn’t want to lose him.
“What do you need me to do?” Rick
asked.
“Get in your car and get here as fast as
you can. If you leave first thing in the
morning, you can be here by noon tomorrow,” Robbie said.
“Won’t Glenn be heading home, tomorrow?”
Rick asked.
“No,” Adam said. “Duane and Mason want to stay a couple of
more days.”
Rick said, “I don’t know if Glenn will
see me.”
“He won’t have a choice, since you’ll be
staying with us,” Greg said.
Rick said, “That doesn’t mean he’ll talk
to me.”
Robbie said, “Well, sport, we’ll leave
that problem to you to solve.”
Cory said, “I’m sure you’ll find a way,
Rick.”
Rick said, “Okay, I’ll see you guys,
tomorrow.”
Robbie said, “Here’s where we’re
staying.” Robbie gave him the
information.
Rick said, “Thanks, guys.”
Cory ended the call, and looked around
the room. “Did we do the right thing?”
Robbie nodded his head. “Yes, we did.”
*** ***
Rick sat, staring straight ahead,
wondering what he would say to Glenn. He
knew he wouldn’t be able to sleep; so, he decided to pack up a few things and
start his journey south to Orlando. He
figured he could stop at a hotel on the way, when he got too tired to drive,
anymore. He sent Keith a text message,
letting him know he was leaving for Orlando and not to worry about him. Keith responded “Drive safely, my
friend. Go with our thoughts and prayers
for you both.”
Rick smiled, grateful for his
friend. He quickly packed his things,
and left the condo, locking the door behind him. He practically ran down the stairs to his
car. He threw his bag in the passenger’s
seat and climbed in. He started the
engine and pulled it out of its parking spot.
He passed the guard shack, turned onto the highway in front of their
complex, and headed toward the freeway.
*** ***
Author’s Note:
Many thanks to Coral!
Inmates forced to pay the cost of their
incarceration - http://www.bop.gov/policy/progstat/2011_011.pdf
Cost of Incarceration Fee for 2011 was $28,893.40 –http://www.federalregister.gov/articles/2013/03/18/2013-06139/annual-determination-of-average-cost-of-incarceration
Financial Responsibility Program -http://www.bop.gov/policy/progstat/5380_008.pdf
Florida Prisons Kill Inmates - http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2015/04/09/florida-prison-system-under-scrutiny-as-lawmakers-fight-to-keep-feds-out-and/?icid=maing-grid7%7Cmain5%7Cdl1%7Csec3_lnk4%26pLid%3D641355
Sex Offenders Killed in California
Prisons - http://wtop.com/national/2015/02/ap-exclusive-many-sex-offenders-killed-in-california-prison/
Minnesota Program Aids Ex-convicts out
of Poverty - http://www.publicnewsservice.org/2015-03-25/health-issues/minnesota-progress-out-of-prison-out-of-poverty/a45274-1
Better Futures - http://betterfuturesenterprises.com/minnesota/
Keeping Families in Touch with
Inmates - http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/04/02/frederick-hutson-pigeonly_n_6956220.html
Russ great chapter as always keep'em coming.
ReplyDeleteRuss every single one of your chapters are worth there weight in gold and worth the wait
ReplyDeleteThanks Again