Mentoring, Chapter 9
With the untimely passing of his father and uncle, Harrison didn't feel bereft. If anything, it was like a crushing weight had been lifted from his shoulders. He could now plan for his future the way he wanted to. He could pursue any career he was capable of. His male relatives had always made fun of the helping professions; thus, Harrison had been afraid to even inquire about them.
Now nothing stood in his way. He made an appointment to see Ms. Weaver. With a year and a half left in high school, he might be able to get into a college program. If he went to junior college first, it might be doable moneywise.
He was soon to discover that finances wouldn't be as tight as he'd first feared. When his mother, Beth, gained control of the bank accounts, she found out her husband had a lot more in savings than he'd let her know about. She wondered why he'd been salting so much money away. Perhaps he'd been planning for early retirement, though he'd never mentioned it. The fact was, he'd never included her in any fiscal discussions, so she was completely in the dark. She'd always turned her paycheck over to him, as head of the household, and he'd given her an allowance for running it. The money had been barely adequate, but she'd managed to stretch their food budget by watching for sales and using coupons.
Given the amount in their bank accounts, she speculated he might have been planning to disappear and begin a new life, perhaps with another woman. Then too, she knew of his admiration for a white supremacist group which had a compound in one of the western states. She'd overheard Barry and him wishing they could be part of it. Probably, she would never know the truth.
In addition to the money in the bank, there was a $250,000 life insurance policy through Richard's employment. Her only concern now was how to invest wisely so Harrison and she could have a financially-secure future.
"Mr. Fiala, could we talk sometime about what it takes to become a teacher," Harrison ask Aidan on Wednesday morning.
"I'd be happy to discuss it with you. Are you thinking about that as a career?"
"Yeah, kinda, or maybe physician's assistant. I'm not sure I have what it takes for either of them."
"I suspect you might. You've exhibited a lot of empathy and compassion lately. That's a start. I know you do okay in your studies."
"I can do better! Ms. Weaver says I'm at the most crucial point in my high school years to show what I'm made of. I can do it."
"Great. We can talk more after school if you like."
With students filing in for the next class, Aidan didn't have time to reflect on their brief conversation. It crossed his mind that the boy had made a lot of changes in his life of late. He'd be happy to aid him in his quest. Guiding others to reach their potential was the greatest reward of his profession. He'd never recruited others to follow his career path in education, but he wouldn't discourage anyone who did.
Harrison had a lot to consider after talking with Marsha and Aidan. He still felt protective toward Travis, and he had decided to go to some GSA meetings to see what the organization was all about. There was supposed to be a guest speaker at this one.
He felt kind of nervous about being there despite his mother's support. Arriving at the last minute, he slipped into a seat on the aisle by a pretty junior girl, Sophia, whom he didn't know.
"Is this seat taken?"
"I was saving it for my dorky brother who's late, but if he comes, he can sit on the other side of me. I'll put my backpack there," Sophia answered. "Um, are you gay, or is that something I shouldn't ask?"
"Me? No, I'm here to learn more about how to support my friend. You?"
"I'm here for my brother, Gio; or I would be if he'd show up."
Their conversation ended for the moment when Gio kind of tripped over them in getting settled next to her.
The house lights dimmed slightly, and Vin took the mike to introduce the speaker of the evening, Dr. Parker Grim, a practicing psychiatrist from the Iowa City area.
The topic of discussion dealt with ways to help straight students become more sensitive about how their everyday speech might unintentionally make their LGBT friends feel uncomfortable.
"I think we males might be guiltier of this than the girls, but we all need to think before we speak. Guys will sometimes call their friends fag' or queer' in jest. They may believe it's harmless, but really it's not. When someone calls their attention to it, they usually change their behaviors, realizing what they've been doing. That's good, but there are more subtle ways in which we hurt people.
"I have a question for you. It's a rhetorical one, so I won't ask for a show of hands, but how many of you have ever said, `Oh, that's so gay?' I've heard young ladies say it as well.
"I admit I used to do that when I was young. So, what's wrong with it? Think about it. We're using the word gay' in place of stupid,' nasty,' detestable,' or some other word that has a derogatory connotation. Would we use straight' in the same way? No! We might use it to mean right' or honest.' Like, be straight with me' or `that's damn straight.' Can you see the difference?"
As Dr. Grim continued, several kids began to realize they'd said things that were insensitive without comprehending the damage they might be doing. Harrison was one of them.
In conversations over refreshments later, he admitted it to Sophia and Gio. Both siblings genuinely liked Harrison and thought he was a hunk. Harrison found Sophia interesting, and someone he'd like to become better acquainted with. He could get lost in her dark eyes. She reminded him of old pictures his grandfather had of Sophia Loren. This girl must be Italian.
Gio was a bit crestfallen when Harrison asked for his sister's mobile number but not his.
Late November is the time of Thanksgiving remembrance in the US. This year, Aidan and Neil were invited to spend it with Aidan's parents in Arizona. It would have been fun, but they felt it would be difficult to make the hurried trip, even by plane, since the new school calendar allowed fewer days of break than in past years. So, Aidan suggested to his parents that they come to his house instead, since Don and Martha Fiala were both semi-retired and had more flexibility.
They might have waited until Christmas to get together; however, Aidan's parents were eager to meet the young man who'd swept their son off his feet. Though they'd chatted on Skype, Martha wanted to see him in person to pick up on the little nuances of their relationship. She was good at reading body-language.
The young men got all their plans in place despite their busy schedules. Two nights before Aidan's parents were to arrive, he sensed that Neil was stressed, almost to the point of a panic attack.
"Babe, what's wrong? Everything'll be perfect. You've gotta relax."
"What if they don't like me? Maybe we should have gone there instead. Then if things turned ugly, we could have hopped a plane and come home."
"They're gonna love you like I do, um, in a different way, obviously," he joked.
"I know you're trying to lighten my mood, but I'm serious. I've had bad experiences with parents. I never thought mine would turn on me, but they did!"
"I understand what your frame of reference is, but this'll be different. Try to think of my family like you do Nanna Rose. Mom's a lot like her. You know how cordial she is on Skype. I promise you they'll both be like that in person. If I'm wrong, and they aren't good to you, I'll send them packing. They can either change their tickets or stay in a motel until their return flight leaves."
"But, I wouldn't want to come between you and your family!"
"You're my partner. We're a family unit. That's how our love works. If you're worried about the piece of paper to prove it, we can go to the courthouse and get married tomorrow. I love you more than anyone else. Like the Good Book says, for this reason a man shall leave his mother and father..."
With those words, Aidan took Neil gently into his arms and held him close. They stood in the kitchen, wrapped together as one body, for several minutes, while Neil let his emotions out in big salty tears which wet Aidan's shirt through to his skin.
He steered his lover to their bedroom where he helped him undress down to his underwear and tucked him into his bed before undressing himself. When he got in, he discovered Neil had shed his briefs. A few seconds later, Neil helped Aidan out of his.
"I didn't want you to think I was trying to distract you with sex," Aidan said.
"I know. I could be easily distracted by my favorite toy, but I want to feel your skin against mine. Please hold me."
"Of course."
Neil fell asleep, knowing he was loved. Aidan stayed awake a few minutes longer, angry with the people who had wounded Neil so deeply. He wondered how anyone could treat their own child like that.
Neil awoke refreshed in the morning. The sun wouldn't rise for half an hour, but it was already shining in his heart. Aidan loved him more than anyone.
He reached over to caress his "favorite toy" and found it firm and throbbing in his hand. Aidan returned the gesture, and then kissed him deeply.
"We have time, if we eat a quick breakfast," Aidan grinned.
"Yeah, I love your microwave scrambled eggs!"
Aidan had been tempted to text his mother about Neil's insecurities but decided it might look like he was going behind his lover's back. He had to trust his parents to do the right thing without his prompting.
The minute Martha walked out of the security area at the airport, she hugged Aidan. Without missing a beat, she turned and hugged Neil with the same ardor. His eyes teared up despite his resolve to remain unemotional.
Don followed his wife's lead and hugged both men. Neil felt terrific!
They had finished a late lunch and were sitting in the living room chatting when the door bell chimed. Neil opened the door to two grinning young men. He hugged them both before ushering them in to meet Aidan's parents.
"Jared and Gabe! How are you?" Aidan asked as he greeted the pair in a similar manner. "We were hoping to see you this month, but we thought Jared was going to be in Des Moines with Grandma."
"We're splitting the break between Grandma and Gabe's folks," Jared answered. "You know how couples have to spend part of the time with both sets of in-laws."
"Is it that serious?" Neil said.
"We think so."
"Well, congratulations!"
Aidan introduced the two to his parents who also greeted them warmly. In getting caught up with their "adopted son," the men learned that neither guy had slacked off in their studies as they adjusted to college life. Both had made excellent grades in the first half of their freshman year.
"So, what're your summer plans?"
"We'll be doing the same jobs we did last summer. Gabe'll have more responsibility at the pool and I'll be a stock-boy at the store."
"Then you'll be living with us, I hope," Aidan smiled.
"Um, probably not. I'll be house-sitting," Jared replied with a grin.
"And boyfriend-sitting," Gabe added. "Dad's been making frequent trips to London for Rockwell. Now that they've been bought out, the new owners feel it would be more practical, and less expensive, to rent a cottage for my parents over there for the entire summer. They'll have an opportunity to explore on weekends, and Mom's really looking forward to going to Paris several times.
At the mention of her favorite city, Martha spoke up, offering to give Gabe's mother tips on some of their favorite spots which were off the tourist trail. Gabe knew his mom, Emily, would be thrilled to have them.
Neil and Aidan excused themselves to get refreshments for the boys, and came back from the kitchen with them, and a proposition.
"Do you know if Emily has dinner planned for tonight?"
"Yeah, she's gonna get pizza from Papa Murphy's so she doesn't have to cook. With all the stuff she's done for tomorrow, she can't face making anything else," Gabe said.
"Our prep for Thanksgiving is all done, and we're having a ham tonight and a scalloped potato casserole," Neil told him. "We got carried away and we've made enough to feed half the block. We'd love for you to stay and help us eat it. Do you think we could convince your parents to join us? Then Emily and Martha would have the chance to talk about Europe. Why don't you call them and ask?"
Gabe made the call, and then passed his cell phone to Aidan. The rest could hear only his side of the conversation.
"No, you needn't bring anything... We have this covered... Absolutely not! We'll eat about 6:30 or so but come over anytime... You're entirely welcome!"
Geoff and Emily Seyer didn't arrive empty-handed. They had two chilled bottles of rosé. Neil went to find a corkscrew while Aidan made the introductions. When everyone had a glass, Jared proposed a toast.
"Here's to the kindest men in town who made me part of their family when mine cast me aside."
Aidan's and Neil's eyes were moist as they received another hug from the boy.
"To our little bother and his beau," Aidan said.
It was good to see a smile on everyone's face as they toasted the young men.
Dinner was a grand success. Originally, Aidan figured they would be serving take-out pizza for a meal a few days later instead of leftovers from tonight. However, there was plenty for another couple of meals, maybe three. Neil had been correct in saying they could have fed half the block.
Martha and Emily got along famously. They clicked, even beyond their love of England and France. Before the evening was over, Emily and Geoff invited anyone interested to stay with them in London if they got the chance. They would be happy to entertain them and show them around.
Once their extra company had left, Martha and Don pitched in to help load the dishwasher and wash up whatever pots and pans that wouldn't fit with the rest. As they finished up, Martha put an arm around the waist of her son and his boyfriend.
"You are the perfect host couple! I've never witnessed anyone your age pull off dinner for a group of eight so smoothly. I'm proud of you!
"In addition, I'm so proud you rescued Jared. I know you'd once mentioned having a boarder, but I had no idea of the circumstances until he told me. You both deserve gold medals!"
"We were just trying to save him from what happened to me," Neil shook his head. "I know what it's like not to have a family because of who and what I am."
"You may have known it in the past, Neil," Martha said, "but you have a family now."
Then, she pulled him into a close embrace. Neil's tears flowed freely. He knew he'd never be in doubt of where he stood with this lady. Aidan had been right. She was a lot like Grandma Rose!"
Thanksgiving dinner was as perfect as the one the night before. There were different side dishes with the roasted turkey, and cranberry relish as well. The pecan pie the guys had purchased at Kathy's Pies was as good as homemade and not much more expensive, considering the price of pecans. Everyone had a tiny wedge after dinner because they were to full to have more.
The afternoon was spent with some of the football games running in the background, but everyone dosed off at one time or other. Neil was zonked out more than the rest because he'd been uptight for several days leading up to the holiday, and now that it was almost over, his body craved sleep.
No one ventured out on Black Friday. They weren't tempted by the special sales. If they had wanted anything badly enough, they could have ordered it on line and avoided the crowds.
Saturday, they were all invited over to Geoff and Emily's place for turkey soup and leftovers. Emily had purchased a game of Mexican Train Dominoes which was ideal for up to eight players. It turned out to be a fun evening in which they all got better acquainted.
On Sunday, Aidan and Neil saw the parents off at the airport, with promises to get together for part of the Christmas break. Then, they went home to rest up before going back to school on Monday.
There had been very little fallout over the new Gay/Straight Alliance at school. The board of education seemed to be pleased their high school was involved in a "progressive" activity. Most of the parents were either okay with it or didn't take much notice. However, there was one who had a predictably bad reaction.
Travis's mother had contacted the pastor of a right-wing church in the area soon after she'd lost custody, hoping he could help redeem her errant son. So, when the man saw Travis's picture on the school website alongside an article about the new club, he contacted her immediately. He felt there would be grounds for the judge to revisit the custody agreement. In light of Travis's activities, it was obvious that Kyle was allowing him to become involved in sin.
Jennifer Britton's lawyer was about as alt-right as she was, but he figured they didn't stand a chance in court. However, if she was willing to pay him a good fee for the attempt, who was he to turn down money?
So, a petition was filed at the Clarke County Courthouse in Osceola early in January.
Judge Larson who had made the original ruling was annoyed by the whole thing. There were no new facts relevant to the case. The Britton boy was old enough to choose which parent he wanted to live with, and Jennifer Britton had been charged with child endangerment for placing her son in a facility which had tortured him emotionally to the point that he attempted to take his own life. The judge supposed he would have to deal with the case again, but he considered it a nuisance which would take away time from hearing other cases that did have merit.
He set a court date for late in February.
Author's notes: Here's the list of people who emailed since last posting, Ott H, Allen, Walter S, Joe W, Jim M, Skip M, Bill T, Tim T, Bill K, Wally W, Tim W, John L, Tom A, Ray M, Mendy D, Johnathan R, and Paul R. Thanks for your encouragement.
Thanks to David and Tom who edited this chapter.
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