The Saga Continues…

The Plot Thickens!

By Nevin Jefferson

The Minister stopped at his favorite bar to offer comfort and solace to those who were lost without hope, lonely, and needed someone to talk to. He was there solely for inspiration and an open invitation for prayer to place the person’s needs and concerns into God’s hands. He wasn’t expecting a miracle to take place in his life especially at a bar where he was trying to help heal others. He went into a trance on seeing a handsome man with an aura that took form in a strong presence that commanded attention and got it. The man wore a silk shirt and slacks with a lizard belt that matched his boots. The man’s fashion sense added glamour that made him the finest man that he’d ever seen. He wanted this man and he was going to make him his no manner what it took. He had one glitch that would ruin it all, but he decided to be a man about it and face his fear with faith. This made him more determined to walk over to the man with the intentions on getting his nine digits, so he could dialthem. They connected spiritually with friendship happening instantly between them laying the foundation. He knew that they were meant to be and refused to believe otherwise. He wanted the two of them to know each other as individuals first with the rest happening on its own. The only thing that could come between them was the fact that he was HIV+ with the fear of things ending before the beginning. He had been there before and it hurt beyond belief with his not wanting this to happen after finally finding his true love. The time to tell wasn’t now, it was the time to make things happen.

He’d tell him later, something he would regret along with the fear of losing it all. “I’m in love!”

“How much have you had to drink?”

“No, it’s true!”

For the past 24 years my best friend had been breaking off relationships before they had a chance to start. The minute he sensed things taking a turn towards a higher level, he’d take off running for the hills. After being fooled by married men, men with lovers, and psychopaths from hell, he didn’t want to be bothered. He had closed the doors only to have them kicked down with the person entering into his life and refusing to leave. He was happy in his newfound peace and joy with the world being his oyster and the new man in his life being the pearl. I was happy for him and wished him all of the best because he deserved it. The new man in his life was there with him and he wanted me to talk to him. Of course, I was warned to be nice to the man and fight my brain to mouth disorder with all of my heart, mind, and soul.

“The man is a minister, so I really want you to hold your thoughts long enough to think about it before you say it.”

“A minister, oh goodie! He can place his hands over my pants and raise the dead!”

“See, there you go! I know that you just came home from church, so for once let it have some effect on you.”

I kept the conversation simple while finding the man nice, but at the same time closely guarded about himself. There was something about him that worried me and my friend confided in me later that there was something about the man that he couldn’t put his finger on. I took this as the time to step aside and let the two spend some private time together. Our weekly phone calls took a stretch until recently when I got a very disturbing message on my machine. I knew right away that something was wrong and from the tone in my friend’s voice I knew that there was an urgency to call him immediately.

“He just told me that he’s HIV+! Am I going to be safe with this man?”

“I know that you’re practicing safe sex, right?”

“Yes, but I’m still scared of getting it!”

I had to read the back of a lube bottle along with the back of a condom that stated the fact that it was for prevention purposes. This was one of my first of many efforts on getting him to calm down and cool out. Two hours later, I had him calm enough to get him assured that safe and safer sex did work. I suggested to him to get tested every 3 months to give him some sort of peace of mind to take the edge off of the fear factor. I then got him to talk truthfully and honestly with me about the situation.

“Okay, had he told you up front that he was HIV+ would you have gone out with him?”

“No!”

“That’s cool! Now that you know, it’s time to make a decision. Are you going to break it off or continue?”

“I love him, he’s a nice man! As long as you care about a person it shouldn’t manner if he’s HIV+ or not. I’m glad that he didn’t tell me because I would have broken it off. Now that I know him as a person, I’m not afraid of being with a person who’s HIV+. I was seeing the disease and not the person.”

“Very impressive!” This was also very moving and extremely touching because it’s the exact message that I’ve been trying to express to people.

“Up until now, I used to get angry with you because you always made it a point to tell people that you were HIV+. When you started mentioning it in your writing, I wanted to choke the naps out off your hair!”

“Why?!”

“When you found out that you were HIV+, you asked me if you could spend the weekend with me because you needed to get away to unwind and that you had something to tell me. After you told me, I strongly advised you to keep this information to yourself. I knew that people would use it against you to pull you down and think that they were better than you. You had it going on! The parties, events, affairs, and the things that you got into made you popular. Most popular ever! I knew that all of that would have been destroyed if people found out. You decided to become strong from it and help others while destroying yourself. I advised you that if you met someone that you really liked not to tell him. Just keep the sex safe and you’d be fine. You didn’t! They slammed dumped your ass so hard that you’re still bouncing! It was your decision and I had to stand behind you no manner what. You saw yourself as being a good example and I saw you becoming isolated and alone. People are cruel andheartless with a cluttered view of the world. When you got sick, your lover distanced himself leaving you to deal with all of the hell aches that you were going through alone. I couldn’t stand the fact of your being alone in Washington with my being in Illinois not able to do anything for you. The thought of your dying alone had me dying inside. That’s why I bought the house and a ticket for you on the same day. I was going to send your body back home to buried in our family plot next to Mama.”

“That’s your spot, you nearly took out the whole family in claiming it!”

“Mama loved you just as much as I do. The two of you make better company for each other and you wouldn’t be alone. You would be with someone who loved you even in the grave. After thinking this over again and again. I realized that I wasn’t any better than people who hated people because they’re HIV+ especially Black people. We won’t get into sissies! I was wrong for being mad at you for doing the right thing. I was wrong for telling you not to be honest. I told you this because you’re my best friend and I love you. I was just trying to protect you! Like always, you turned everything around in your favor ending up on solid ground. You refused to give up and I love that in you. It was your strength that gave me the common sense that I needed.”

“Damn, you’re deep!” He handed the phone to his lover and promptly left the house to clear his head, so he could deal with this issue. I asked the man his CD4 count, viral load, then nailed him for keeping his HIV status secret. The man is in love with my best friend and didn’t want to risk losing him. This was why he focused on the two of them growing strong together as friends and as the person that they each are. He didn’t want his HIV status to be something held against him without proving that the person should come first. He knew what he did was wrong, but he wanted my friend and he sought after him and won him over. I’m a sucker for romance and I can relate to what he’s saying. And I know my best friend well enough to know that this man wouldn’t have stood a chance in hell like ice cream parlors in hell. He did what it took to get the man that he wanted to be with and having a loving relationship with. This proves that love breaks all boundaries when one is accepting andloving themselves.

© Nevin Jefferson, All Rights Reserved