They may not mean to, but they do - 17. Seventeen

Sunday morning was quiet, Nate had an early service at one of his other parishes and Caroline accompanied him. So, Keith and Thomas organised their own breakfast, cereal, coffee and bacon butties in the garden. Thomas commented that before staying with Nate and Caroline he had usually slept late on Sunday but now he got up so that he could savour the time on his own. He smiled, “Aren’t I terrible!”. Then suddenly it was a mad panic to get dressed and ready in time for Nate and Caroline’s return.

The church was a lot less busy than the last time Keith had seen it, but it was far noisier too as many of the members of the congregation had brought children. They sat in a pew near the front with Caroline. Keith felt a bit conspicuous, aware of people looking and perhaps wondering. Whilst they were waiting for things to start, Caroline explained the service, managing to sketch in something of its history, the language used (modern English) and the fact that Morning Service wasn’t as popular as the regular Sung Eucharist. When the service started, Keith found he was still able to sit back and let it wash over him. There were hymns, most of which he didn’t recognise, and the children sang something. But the main event appeared to be Nate’s sermon. He was a surprisingly enjoyable speaker, managing to make his story engaging and bring some sort of message in gradually. Keith didn’t begin to understand the religious element, but the story-telling aspect was fun.

Afterwards, there was coffee, and Evie made a bee-line for him, announcing she recognised him. Keith had to nod in agreement and try and fit a word in. He was finally rescued by Caroline who apologised to Evie, there was someone who wanted to meet Keith.

Keith assumed that this was a ruse, but there really was someone. She was a grey-haired woman, perhaps in her early 70s, tall and rather handsome with a very brisk manner. Introduced as Isobel Bonner, it turned out that her mother had been close friends with Michael Atkinson’s mother and that Isobel knew of Atkinson’s work. Learning that there was a key piece of his in public ownership at Alison’s school seemed to be important to Isobel, and Keith agreed to put her in touch with Alison. Isobel might seem scary, but Keith was also curious about her. Rather proper, capable, and brusque, she seemed hardly the sort of person to be interested in art made from bits of plastic and Meccano. Thankfully, after that people started to move away. Keith thought he would be able to relax, but Thomas appeared with an evil smirk on his face.

“The good news is that there will only be the four of us for lunch.”

“And the bad news?”

“Before lunch, there is a drinks party. It’s a charity fund-raiser, so Nate and Caroline can hardly dip out and they’d be delighted if we joined them.”

Keith sighed, but smiled, “OK.”

“And it’ll cost us, I’m afraid. £10 for a glass of very bad sherry.”

Except that the sherry wasn’t bad at all. The party took place on the lawn of a handsome Victorian house on the edge of the next village. The irony of the location wasn’t lost on them, it was called ‘The Old Vicarage’, though it seemed to have been disposed of long ago. Keith, and to a certain extent Thomas, were novelties given their relationship to Nate. But most conversations seemed to dry up rather quickly, and involve Keith and Thomas being told, rather too frequently, how wonderful Nate was.

The two discovered that neither had much interest in small-talk for its own sake, and Thomas commented that it was a bit too much like some of the events he had to attend for work. So, they were standing to one side, trying not to look too conspicuous. Thomas was casting longing glances into the house itself, a substantial Victorian structure whose outside, at least, preserved plenty of interesting original architectural details. Thomas stared, wishing he could have a nose around. A man came up to them and introduced himself, he was tall and distinguished-looking, grey, bald with a neat, bristly moustache and a rather ruddy complexion.

“I saw old Isobel Bonner bearding you back at the church, I hope she wasn’t roping you in on one of her projects?” So, Keith found himself, again, explaining about the Michael Atkinson sculpture; at this rate, he would become an expert in the bloke.

-oOo-oOo-

After lunch, Thomas disappeared with Nate into his study to look at some papers that Nate wanted advice on. Caroline smiled, looking at their retreating forms and commented that they would likely be there some time and suggested washing up. So, Keith found himself helping Caroline with the washing up (there was certainly no dishwasher) and listening to a concert on Radio 3.

“This is OK isn’t it, the music?”

“Yeah, it’s quite pleasant. Though, I don’t usually listen to this type of music.”

“Nate’s a news person, so if he’s around the radio is on Radio 4, but if I get a chance, I get a fix of classical music. So, what do you listen to?”

Keith looked a bit rueful, “Not much really. The radio in the van is tuned to Radio 1, mainly to provide some sort of background noise when I’m driving. At home, I like the news. Radio 4 has some great talks, that kind of thing. Not much music at all really. I kind of like this stuff”, he gestured vaguely at the radio, “but don’t really understand what I’m listening to.”

“I’m not much better, I keep meaning to learn more but there never seems to be time. When I was at university I sang in the choir, but since then my career as a choral singer is more notable by its absence.”

Keith remembered the leaflet they’d picked up and wondered whether he dared. He got rather thoughtful, and conversation petered out somewhat until Caroline turned to him, “How did you end up being an electrician?”

Keith started, “Not sure really. It was something I enjoyed as a kid.”

Caroline said rather tartly, “I’m not sure that having a teenage boy dismantling things is something I’d feel comfortable with.”

Keith laughed, “There were a couple of disasters at Gran’s, but I enjoyed finding out how things worked. She persuaded an old mate of hers to let me follow him around. He was sort of retired but pottered about doing odds and ends for the folk on the estate. And I learned that way, by the time I was 14 or 15 I was doing stuff for folk and earning money. And when I left school it seemed an obvious choice, and I enjoyed it.”

“You never thought of going to college?”

“No-one suggested it, certainly no-one at school. They were concerned just to keep you off the streets, and me being interested in electrics was an obvious one. No-one ever suggested I might study further. The firm sent me to college, just day release to get me NVQ but that’s hardly what people mean when they say you went to college, is it.” He shrugged, “Perhaps, given a choice I might have done electronics or something but, who knows?”

“You don’t think of going back to college?”

“Nah, I have a decent business now, and I’d like to make it bigger. If I get enough work, take on an apprentice and encourage another kid like me.”

“Forgive my asking, but do your workmates know you are gay?”.

“Yeah, they do now.” Keith was surprised that Caroline didn’t know about the football, and its aftermath so he explained. “It's difficult for them, we don’t talk lots about it and I think they worry about getting things wrong. Except there’s no real wrong, and they are my mates. It’s harder with other folk, you don’t want to go round with a notice, but folk are liable to make assumptions. Especially those that know you’ve had a girlfriend.”

“And do you think you might ever have a girlfriend again?” Blimey, Caroline didn’t always pull her punches with her questions. It was asked most demurely but was a real sucker-punch. “Not as things stand. I want to make things with Thomas work, that’s what I worry about. I’ve never had a proper relationship, with anyone. Not like what I’d like with Thomas.” He stopped; aware he was beginning to jabber.

Caroline went quiet, perhaps aware she’d gone a bit far. “I don’t think Thomas has had what you might term a proper relationship either, so the two of you can learn together. And that’s what a good relationship is about, partnership and learning. After all, I didn’t plan to be a vicar’s wife, but Nate and I seem to have made a decent stab at it, together”, she paused. Keith was content to draw a line under things, but then she continued. “As soon as Thomas had finished Uni he disappeared off to Zimbabwe and whilst I think there were dalliances there, nothing you could call a relationship. The job and locality were hardly conducive to it.” She turned to Keith, “Has he talked to you about his Father?”

“Not to speak of?”

“He was a very saintly man, but not an ideal Father. Both Nate and Thomas had their problems with him. Nate buckled under and did what was expected of him, going into the church.” She glanced sideways at Keith, “Don’t get me wrong, Nate makes a wonderful parish priest, but I think given a choice he might have done something more academic; he has such a love of information for its own sake. Thomas was the one who rebelled, I understand there were several blow-ups with his Father whilst he was at Uni, and a gap-year trip to Zimbabwe working for a small aid charity turned into a post-graduate trip and then a full-time job. Thomas simply absented himself yet doing a job that his Father could hardly object to. We never had to confront the real problem; Thomas never brought a young man home.” She looked over her glasses at Keith, “You are the first of his friends that we’ve met.”

They didn’t stay much longer. To cope with logistics, Keith and Thomas had agreed that Thomas would stay for Sunday night and so the two drove back. In silence at first.

“Thanks, they both enjoyed meeting you. We don’t have to do it often, thank goodness.”

“It felt a bit like being on show at first, but I quite like them though Caroline’s questions can be quite direct.”

“Oh shit, was she quizzing you whilst you were washing up? Sorry, should have thought of that.”

“It's OK, just along the lines of why did you become an electrician, do you think you are likely to have another girlfriend. I coped.”

Thomas whistled, “Shit, sorry about that. She does tend to come out with them. I hope you told her to shut up.”

“No, I just said that my main concern was on our relationship.” He took his hand off the wheel to squeeze Thomas’ hand. “I’m looking forward to a nice quiet evening to ourselves tonight.” But it was not to be.

When they got back to the flat, Keith discovered the disadvantage of renting a property from friends, who lived on-site. As they parked the van, it was apparent that Bart and Greg were at home and were in the pool, at least Greg was. They could hardly walk into the flat without saying anything, and if invited to join them it would be difficult to say no. The two looked at each other in the van and smiled ruefully. It was Thomas who made the first move, with an encouraging ‘Come on’.

Keith found himself nervous. Which was stupid, Bart and Greg had met Thomas before, albeit briefly. But now they found themselves invited to join Bart and Greg in the pool, and for a cocktail. It was difficult, if not impossible to say no.

So, Keith found himself stripping off in the flat, and had just finished tossing his shirt and such in his new dirty clothes basket when he saw that Thomas was still in his knickers.

“You OK?”

“Yes, it's just. I think the last time I was naked in front of someone who wasn’t a lover was at school.”

“Wow”, he gave an embarrassed shrug, “though I suppose it was pretty much the same for me. You don’t have to. You could stay like that.”

Thomas rolled his eyes, “And be the only one wearing his pants? I don’t think so.” He pushed his pants down and folded them up on the bed with the rest of his clothes. “This isn’t going to turn into a foursome, is it?”

“You mean sex?”

“Yeah, I know we’ve talked about it before, but I can’t help wondering.”

“I bloody hope not”, the two grinned.

“At least we’re agreed on that.”

“You don’t think that’s what’s intended, do you?”, it was Keith’s turn to be unnerved, aware of his inexperience.

“Not sure, but I certainly didn’t get that vibe. Let’s cross that bridge when we come to it.”

And there was certainly no suggestion of anything but socialising. Once the ice was broken and he’d jumped in the pool, Thomas relaxed and found, like Keith before him, that he rather liked it. And Bart took their appearance as an excuse to disappear and bring out various bottles and create cocktails for everyone.

Inevitably, the topic of their visit to Thomas’ brother came up. But chatting to Bart and Greg, they certainly did not have to explain the fraught nature of Keith visiting Thomas’ family for the first time, nor the extra significance that Nate being a vicar might have in a gay relationship. Inevitably, discovering a common religious background with both having fathers in the church, Greg and Thomas ended up talking for quite some time about the horrors of growing up in vicarages and parsonages.

Which left Keith happily chatting to Bart about Michael Atkinson. Bart has hardly interested in the logistics of the restoration, but he was fascinated by the artist, his work, and the fact that a piece had ended up in a Leeds school. Then Keith mentioned meeting Isobel Bonner, which added another local layer. Bart promised to do some further research.

The result was a convivial evening. When it got cold, they used it as an excuse to break up the party as both Thomas and Keith had to be up early. This was perfectly true, though they also planned to spend some time together, alone properly for what felt like the first time that evening.