A Forever Home ©2021
By David Lee
Chapter 1
It was a chilly, rainy Sunday afternoon in early October and Kain's life had hit a new low. Grandma was being placed in a nursing home under hospice care. She didn't have much longer to live. She had been his rock and his refuge -- the stabilizing force in his life. Now, he had no one. He couldn't go back to his dysfunctional family even if he had any desire to. His father was under a no-contact order because of the beating he'd given Kain a couple of years ago. The physical wounds had healed but the psychological ones might never go away completely.
With Grandma Edna gone, Kain wouldn't be allowed to stay in the tiny rent-subsidized apartment in Geneva Tower. The social worker suggested he couch-surf with a friend or go to a shelter until a more permanent solution could be found on Monday when her office was open. She told him the downtown church where meals were served on Sunday evening would have someone who could help him.
Kain was at a loss. Grandma and he had eaten at First Presbyterian a time or two toward the end of the month when their food supply was dwindling. It was a clean place with kind people and a hot meal. However, he'd never seen anyone arranging housing for someone on the street.
The church fellowship hall opened at 4:30 and Kain was among the first to enter. It was warm and dry and filled with the aroma of food. Although he was hungry, he decided to claim a spot at a table near the serving counter and wait until the line went down rather than to get in it and leave his possessions unguarded. He had some of his best clothes in a big bag along with his school-issued laptop. He couldn't afford to lose any of those meagre possessions.
When the crowd in the line thinned out, he got into it while keeping an eye on his stuff. Tonight, was one of the occasions in which leftovers were being served. As luck would have it, the lasagna ran out just as he was about to get some. However, the replacement entrée was even better -- oven baked chicken with mashed potatoes and gravy. The vegetable was green beans and there was a salad and a piece of chocolate cake for dessert. He smiled for the first time that day.
Kain ate slowly, savoring the food. He had another reason for taking nis time besides enjoying the taste. The longer he lingered, the less time there would be to face the cold night ahead. He still had to figure out how to spend it safely. Some homeless people camped between the church and the women's shelter next door. However, Kain felt he would be vulnerable in that spot. Someone had been murdered there three years ago.
He was jarred out of his musing when a guy his age came to the table just as the serving line was shutting down.
"May I join you? I think my dad will come as well. Is that okay?"
"Sure, I'd like the company. I'm Kain Kaiser," he said offering his fist to dap.
"Yeah, I know. You're in my fifth-period math class at Jefferson. I'm Gabe Bartlet. My dad is Rod. He's on the staff. I think I've seen you here before. We volunteer to help serve meals about once a month."
"I'm sorry I didn't recognize you. With our mask mandate at school, it's difficult to remember who anyone is."
"That's a fact. I wish we could get past it. I think when more people are vaccinated, we might turn the corner on this pandemic.
"Dad, this is Kain from school," Gabe said as his father joined them. "He's really smart in math. I wish I could keep up with him."
"Hello, Kain. Perhaps I should hire you to tutor Gabe. He's been struggling lately, and that's not my area of expertise."
"I wouldn't mind helping if I can. But I wouldn't feel right about charging."
"I don't mean to hurt your feelings, Son, but couldn't you use the money? You appear to be a bit down on your luck."
Kain closed his eyes tightly attempting to stem the flow of tears. He didn't want to look like a wuss. He supposed that everyone around him must be aware of his neediness. Of course, many were in the same boat.
Rod put a comforting hand on his shoulder and it warmed him all over, but it also unleased the torrent he was trying to hold back.
"I'm sorry if I touched a nerve. Do you want to talk about it? I'm a good listener. Perhaps I can help," Rod said.
Kain's tale of woe tumbled out in bits and pieces. Although it wasn't in chronological order, Rod was able to fit things into place. Kain felt better for having let it all out. Both father and son seemed kind.
"So, you don't have a place to stay tonight?" Rod stated more than asked.
Kain shook his head.
"I should rephrase that. You didn't have a place to stay but you do now. We'll take you home with us. I hope you don't mind sharing a room with Gabe. Our `guest room' is kind of junked up with computer stuff since we use it as an office."
"Being off the street will be awesome. I'd be willing to sleep on the couch or the floor or whatever. I don't want to put anyone out."
"Gabe has twin beds in his room, so no one will be put out. Is this all that you have, or is there more in your grandmother's apartment?"
"I have a lot more clothes and a bike, but this was all I could carry."
"Can we get in to retrieve it, or has it been sealed up?"
"The social worker locked it up and took the key, but I have a spare in my billfold that I didn't tell her about."
"Okay, we'll take a chance that no one will accuse us of stealing. I doubt the security camera would get a clear enough picture to identify three masked men anyway."
"The security camera has been broken for a month. It's supposed to get fixed next week. They keep promising to repair it, but it never seems to happen."
"Okay, let's take a chance that we won't get in trouble. I'm pretty sure I can reason with the social worker if it comes to that."
The man and two teens made quick work of packing up the rest of Kain's clothing. When they were about to unload his small chest of drawers, he lamented having to part with it. It had been his grandmother's when she was a girl and she'd passed it on to him. Rod suggested leaving the contents in it and putting the whole thing in the back of his vehicle.
"It won't take up much more space than the stuff inside and we can find a place for it in Gabe's room. You shouldn't have to lose everything that means something to you."
And so, they took all of his possessions, including his bike which they tied on the rack atop the family SUV. Kain even grabbed the perishables from the fridge and a box of cereal which he could share with his hosts. He would have taken more had not Rod suggesting that he didn't want it to look like they'd rifled the place.
"Have you been riding your bike to school from Geneve Tower?" Rod ask by way of making conversation on their way home.
"Yup. I do in the good weather. When it snows or sleets, I walk unless I can get a bus pass from the church. They sometimes have a few. Last year a group of older ladies from St. Jude's gave me some for Christmas. It helped a lot!"
"The distance must be four or five miles. You have to be a serious student to do that both ways every day."
"I have to graduate. I'll never have a life without an education.
"It's nice of you to let me stay with you tonight, but what will your wife say," Kain asked, trying to take the focus off of him.
"There's just the two of us," Rod answered. "Kristen was killed in a car wreck two years ago. Witnesses said the driver was either drunk or stoned because he was moving erratically before he rammed into the side of her car. He fled the scene and the police never caught him. They found the SUV he was driving and it had been stolen from a dealership. There were no fingerprints because every place where he might have touched it had been sprayed with WD-40 which obliterates them."
"That's terrible! Two years ago, is about the time my father turned to serious drugs and life became unbearable. I was feeling sorry for myself back then, but I had no idea you guys had it worse. At least, I had Grandma."
"I guess I misspoke," Rod said. "Gabe and I aren't entirely alone in the world either. He has an older sister in Minneapolis who is married and has a baby, and an older brother who graduated from college last spring and is working in Wichita, Kansas. They're far enough away that we don't see them as much as we'd like to. So, you'll be a welcome addition to our household."
"Do you think that could happen? I'll be 18 at Thanksgiving time and I'll age out of the system. Even if you get to be my guardian, you won't have state aid for long."
"I know how it works and I know Ms. Lange, your social worker. "Anna, my daughter is adopted. We originally took her as a foster child but became so attached that we felt it would be best for her, emotionally, if we made her ours and gave up the welfare checks. Perhaps I can do the same with you."
"But you'll have tuition payments when Gabe goes to college next year. I don't see any way I can do that."
"Well, there's Kirkwood as an option for the first two years. Gabe has been thinking of going that route because he hasn't settled on a major. Don't give up hope. We can talk to your counselor about scholarships."
After Rod pushed the button on his garage door opener, he guided the car into a double garage which was attached to a three-bedroom ranch. It was located north of the high school by about two blocks. The distance would feel like a walk in the park to Kain after traversing from downtown.
Gabe walked ahead of them to unlock the door leading into the kitchen. Almost immediately, he was "attacked" by a frisky Jack Russel Terrier.
"Settle down, Rusty!" he commanded.
The dog obeyed quickly but it was difficult for him to contain his energy.
"Come on, boy, I have someone who wants to meet you. You be nice and don't jump up on him!"
Kain knelt down to the dog's level and offered the back of his hand to sniff. Rusty licked it and then rested his head on Kain's thigh.
"It looks like you've passed the acid test. If Rusty likes you, you're in," Rod joked.
"But he doesn't really know me," Kain protested. "He can't tell what kind of person I am."
"I beg to differ!" Rod replied. "Many animals, especially dogs, have keen senses which can detect whether a person is good or bad. Rusty would have reacted differently if you weren't a good one. He's very smart."
"Have you had him long?"
"Nearly three years. We got him as a young puppy. I guess, technically, he's still a puppy but he's learned so much that we think of him as being older. He was a rescue from a puppy mill and was starved for affection. He was house-broken very quickly because he wanted to please us," Rod continued.
"Did you know that Iowa has a lot of substandard puppy mills?" Gabe asked.
"Nope, I always thought we were the good guys," Kain said. "You know, like helping neighbors after a storm or taking in teenagers who have no place to go."
"In some ways, we are," Rod agreed. "However, in the case of dogs, we fall short."
"It's great that you guys have given him a forever home. That's something everyone wants, I guess."
While Rod got caught up on some reading he needed to do, the boys brought in Kain's clothes to find a place for them in Gabe's room. There was space in the closet for his hanging things and there was a spot for his small dresser. In fact, it coordinated in style with the eclectic pieces which made up the furnishings.
When they had finished, Gabe asked Kain to check his math homework for accuracy.
"I think I did something wrong, and I hate to turn in assignments that won't help my GPA," Gabe exclaimed. "I'll need the grades to get into college."
"Okay, I'm pleased to be able to do something to earn my keep."
"You aren't under any obligation to "earn" your keep! We'll enjoy having your live with us."
"I do have to contribute in some way for my own sense of self-worth. I can't be a freeloader.
"Hmm... This isn't the answer I got for number 5. Please let me see how you did it."
Kain was able to show Gabe where he had gone wrong on two more of his answers. Not only did he point out the problems, but he was able to teach him the concept which would ensure getting the correct answers in the future. Gabe was thrilled to make the breakthrough and Kain was gratified with the thanks he received.
"I just want to hug you!" Gabe said.
"I could use a hug," Kain grinned.
After Gabe released him from the embrace, he got a distraught look on his face.
"I probably shouldn't have done that. You might not like it when you find out about me. Dad said I needed to make what he called a `full disclosure.'"
"It felt good to me because no one but Grandma has touched me in a good way in a long time -- other than when your dad put his arm around my shoulder at the church."
"Okay, but I have to be honest like Dad said I should," Gabe sighed. "I have to tell you that I'm gay. There. Now how do you feel about being hugged by me?"
"It didn't change the quality of the hug."
"Cool! Only you and my dad know. I'm not out at school and I'd like to keep it that way.
"So, you don't feel creeped-out by sharing a room with a queer?"
"I don't like the word `queer' because I think it's demeaning, but I do like you and I don't mind sharing. My only hesitation is that I'm keeping you from having the privacy you're used to. I mean for, um, doing stuff a lot of us do when we're by ourselves, um, you know..." Kain blushed.
"Like jerking off?"
"Whoa, you really cut to the chase!"
"There's no reason not to. We all do it. My brother, Casey, and I shared this room when he was about the age I am now and I'm sure we pretended we didn't know when the other one was doing it."
"As long as I won't be messing up your life, I'm happy to sleep in the same room," Kain smiled. By the way, if I can ask a personal question, how did you know you were gay?"
"I kinda always knew. I've always liked girls as friends, even when I was little and the other guys thought girls had cooties," Gabe joked.
"Now the same boys want to get in bed with them, and I don't.
"It's not like I've never kissed a girl. When I did it, I didn't feel anything -- no stars, no hot rush, no hardon."
"So, what did you feel when you kissed a boy," Kain asked.
"I've haven't done that yet because I've never known another guy who would be open to doing it, but when I fantasize about it, I get all those feelings I just described. Once, I watched a gay video of guys kissing and I was, um, really inspired! In fact, I ended up doing what we were talking about a few minutes ago."
"Do you still have the video and could I watch it sometime?"
"I kept the link in my secret file and I'll share with you later if I can find it. Um, I don't want anyone to think I'm trying to be a bad influence on you."
"Hey, I'll be an adult the 25th of next month. When is your birthday?"
"In early May."
"Then, I'm nearly six months older, so it's not like you'd be corrupting a little kid!"
"Okay, I'll keep that in mind, oh grownup one," Gabe teased.
The boys discussed taking their showers at night, so they didn't have to rush in the morning. Gabe insisted that Kain should go first.
Half an hour later, they were tucked into their beds and ready to sleep. Gabe drifted off quickly. Kain stayed awake a little longer. Part of that time he spent thanking God that he wasn't spending the night on the street or in a shelter with people he didn't know. He had landed on his feet again, just like he did when Grandma came to his rescue. He was either very lucky, or someone was watching over him.
During the rest of the time, he considered what Gabe had said about his experience of kissing a girl. Kain had kissed a girl his freshman year after the homecoming festivities. Their bodies had touched rather intimately during the last, slow dance. Like Gabe, Kain hadn't felt any of the fireworks he'd been told he would. He wondered....
Since he was used to rising early to make his long journey to school, Kain awoke ahead of his roommate. He looked over at Gabe's cherubic face framed in a kind of halo of golden hair. Gabe was adorable.
Kain used to wish he had blond hair but had come to accept his dark brown locks which were nearly black. They went well with is chocolate-colored eyes. He was comfortable with the way he looked. However, he had no idea how cute he was.
After brushing his teeth and applying fresh deodorant, Kain dressed quietly so as not to wake Gabe. Then he followed the aroma of cooking bacon into the kitchen. Rusty rose from his little bed in the corner and went with him.
"You look like a ray of sunshine this morning," Rod complimented him. "Perhaps you can be an influence of my younger son."
"I was hoping he could be an influence on me so I can sleep in a bit longer."
"You COULD become a later riser, since you don't have very far to walk. I know teens need their sleep. Some studies suggest that we should begin high school classes at a later hour to make sure they get adequate rest. However, I'm not so sure that they wouldn't just stay up an hour later at night.
"Speaking of influence, did Gabe make a full disclosure yet?"
"Yup."
"And you're not upset?"
"Nope."
Gabe entered the kitchen at that point, looking sexy in nothing but his boxers and his hair still messy from sleeping.
"Yup, Dad, Kain is very accepting. He even fussed at me over using the word `queer' when talking about my orientation."
"I'm happy he did! You know I don't like the word. It appears that he'll be a good influence on you."
"Yeah, I overheard you say that too. He's already taught me something in math that Mr. Wright couldn't get into my head. He's a keeper!"
"Okay boys, I need to eat quickly and get to school early so I can leave campus for a while during my prep time. Could you please put things in the dishwasher? Gabe, you'll have to move fast to get ready too."
"He can take his time because I'm dressed already and I'll take care of the kitchen," Kain insisted.
"Don't let him off too easy!" Rod laughed as he left.
Author's notes: Thanks for reading this story. If you enjoyed it, please feel free to contact me a dlee169@hotmail.com and let me know. Your emails are the only reward I receive for writing.
Thanks to David S for editing. He finds the typos and missing words! He also makes valuable suggestions.
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Thanks, David