Naptown 13 - July Fireworks - 2. The Wilsons and Friends

July Fireworks

A Naptown Tale by Altimexis and David of Hope

The Wilsons and Friends

The next set of interviews was going to involve another set of three couples. Carrie Dunnington and her boyfriend Lyle Hernden; Jamie Wilson and his boyfriend, Will Smith; and, Barry Smith and his girlfriend, Evelyn Waterman.

Mr. Wilson answered the door and greeted me warmly. “Harold, right on time!”

“Mr. Wilson,” I said as he held the door open for me. “It’s good to see you’re still smiling after all these months.”

“It’s good to see you too. Please call me Bill. I’m surprised you’re taking such a continued interest in the gay teenagers of this city.” He said as we shook hands.

“Well to be honest,” I began, “it’s something the public’s interested in. People buy more papers when there’s a story about gay teens. The letters to the editor may not all be all that favorable, but the tide definitely seems to be turning slowly in favor of gay rights.”

“Hi there Harold! I’m glad to hear that,” Mrs. Wilson said smiling as she stepped forward extending her hand.

“In the past, I think parents just assumed all kids were straight. Then they thought maybe the neighbor’s kids were gay, and you better keep them away from corrupting their own kids. Eventually, they started to think, ‘God, I hope my kids aren’t gay.’ Now when we run an article like this, we get more and more requests all the time from parents asking our advice on how to encourage their kids to come out to them. It’s really heartwarming.

“So anyway, how’s your household coping with raising two gay boys?”

Bill started to giggle. “More to the point . . . what’s it like to have a family of seven people when there’s only two bathrooms! Actually, it’s shifted the balance in the house. Before Barry and Will came, there were two males and three females, now we have four males and three females. But we have a schedule and except for emergencies, it’s working. To answer your question . . . the fact that Jamie and Will are gay has little to do with the fact that they’re just two guys . . . as you said. . . . As for the girls . . . Barry’s their real hero. With the girls, I think they’re very open hearted as well as being open minded about Jamie and Will.”

“And at their age, that’s a real challenge!” Mrs. Wilson added. “I know that soon it’s going to be a bit touchy as the puberty thing kicks in, but I think with the background we’ve given them, they’ll be pretty tolerant. I don’t mean that in the gay sense, it’s just that changing a little girl into a young lady can be difficult emotionally. With Barry and Will here to help, I know it will ease the pressure. I’m surprised how well they adapted to having two sisters to deal with. There’s none of the sibling rivalry you hear about between brothers and sisters. So far, they’re best of friends and I think that will last.”

“Hi there Mr. Warren,” Barry said smiling as he entered the entryway and rested his arm on Mrs. Wilson’s shoulder. “Ma, I thought you were gonna take the girls shopping . . . or are you gonna hang around and be givin’ us more a that . . . uh, sage advice?”

“Oh now come on son, you love it!” Bill replied laughing.

“Well yeah Pa,” Barry said, “it makes me think, but I think Mr. Warren wants to talk about some other stuff.”

“. . . and you think that I’ll embarrass you if I start saying my piece,” Mrs. Wilson added laughing.

“Ma . . . you’d never embarrass me. It’s just that this is a special thing Mr. Warren wants to talk to us guys about. I don’t think it would be right for the girls to hear.”

“I know son,” Mrs. Wilson said smiling holding him tight to her waist. “If Harold wants our take on this anniversary article, we’ll have a separate talk with him and you can babysit. OK?”

“It’s a deal!” Barry said as he kissed her cheek.

“Hey girls!” Bill yelled, “Come on! We’re ready to go.”

There was an immediate squeal of two younger girls as they came scampering into the entryway. Suddenly it was getting crowded in that small area.

The Wilsons excused themselves saying that there were snacks on the dining room table, drinks in the refrigerator whenever we decided to have a break.

As Barry led me to the living room, I questioned with a smile, “Ma . . . Pa?”

“Yes sir,” he smiled from ear to ear. “It just feels right for me.” Oddly, I felt it was right too, observing the happiness in his voice.

I’d met Jamie Wilson and the Smith brothers last Halloween when their father had perpetrated a multitude of crimes right here in the Wilson home in his attempt to convert Will from gay to straight. Barry took charge of the introductions as I went from one to the other shaking hands.

This was the first time I’d met Carrie and Lyle. I had to admit that Carrie was a sexy looking, rather beautiful, yet cute girl and Lyle was without a doubt, handsome and well built for a basketball player and stood around six foot six. Looking at them, my first impression was that they were a beautiful couple and I could see that they were in love. Sometimes it’s so obvious, the way they looked into each other’s eyes and smiled, and how that confident smile continued as Barry introduced them to me.

Then Barry introduced Evelyn to me. Indeed very feminine and very polite. She started calling me Mr. Warren. Right then and there, I implored everyone just to call me Harold. That helped to break the ice.

Barry showed me to a very comfortable chair that sat across the room from a sectional sofa. As we sat down, I quickly studied the six of them and I knew they were all friends and then wondered if I had to do individual interviews. So I asked.

“I wonder how each of you would feel if we did this interview as a group, bearing in mind, that some of the questions . . . and some of the answers may be emotionally personal. That is to say that we’re not going to be sexually graphic, but it may become emotional when you express some future plans or desires. I’m going to be asking you the same questions that I’ve asked the others in these interviews. I suppose if there is something you wish to discuss privately, that could be arranged somewhere else.”

“My bedroom’s free.” Barry volunteered.

“That would be great Barry. Is everyone OK with that?” I asked. I received a chorus of ‘Yeahs’ ‘Fine by me’s’ and nodding of heads.

“OK then, would all of you agree that it’s OK to record this interview . . . my memory may not be what it should be and I want this article to be truthful and honest.”

Again, they all agreed.

“Good, then I guess my first question would be directed at why you’re here.” I began. “Maybe Paul explained that this is going to be a six-month anniversary visit to that article we ran in our New Years edition about the Reverend DeWitt’s tirade against gays. In essence, I’d like to know what’s happened in your lives since then. Now, inasmuch as this is inter-related with your GSA at school, we only have one gay couple here, so I want to start with the straight couples. Barry, I can certainly understand your interest in the GSA because of Will and what you both went through last Halloween, so I’ll ask you first Evelyn, aside from Barry, what would your interest be in the GSA?”

“Harold, in a word.... rebellion!” she replied with a smile. “That’s as honest as I can be. I live over in Lake Shores and no doubt about it, my folks are rich and they don’t mind letting everyone know it. I go to school and I mix with all sorts of kids from all sorts of backgrounds, but my parents kept trying to get me to mix with the ‘right crowd’ and shortly after the beginning of the school year, the kids were treating me like a snob. So I quit doing the designer clothes and the makeup and nail polish, and dressed like the other kids at school . . . doing my best to fit in.

“Anyway, the kids started to accept me. I saw David Reynolds at school one day when he came over to our table at lunch and said he was running for student council. Right away, one of the girls at my table said, ‘Ooooh, yooour’re that gaaay guy!’. Actually, I thought David was good lookin’ and even if he was gay, I liked him, so the next day I went over and asked if I could eat with his group of friends. I didn’t like the snobby attitude that girl had the day before.

“From there, it’s pretty well history except I was surprised to find out that David’s boyfriend was Jeremy Kimball and he lived in Lake Shores too. He wasn’t a snob and he made me feel comfortable to be there. Actually everyone did. I really get along with all these guys. Then came that Halloween incident with Barry’s father, well I felt really bad for him and Will. . . . Then when things didn’t work out with Barry and Carrie last February, I was so happy when he asked me out and we’ve kinda stuck like glue ever since. He’s really my hero.”

“Ah ain’t no hero,” Barry stated flatly. “I just did what seemed right at the time.”

“Well you really were my hero last month when we went on that double date with Carrie and Lyle. The things you said to my mommy and daddy when you picked me up were just right. They’ve quit being so phony. Anyway Harold, all my rebelling has been really good for the way things turned out.”

“That’s an amazing story Evelyn,” I said as I let my eyes wonder across the group of smiling faces. “Lyle, you’re a regular basketball jock with a hopeful future as a varsity player. I’m curious why you would be teamed up with the GSA.”

“That’s real simple . . . . Carrie!” he replied with a smiling glance towards Carrie. “We met at a St. Patrick’s Day party the coaches have for the team athletes. Carrie already belonged to the GSA, and I adore her, so it was a natural for me. Everyone that belongs to the GSA is real cool. It doesn’t seem to make a difference . . . . David and Jeremy are great athletes and the fact that they’re gay doesn’t make a difference with the way they act with other people. They’re just being themselves and they’re smart to boot. I have to admire that in a person . . . . ya know . . . . just bein’ themselves. And of course there’s Will and Jamie . . . .”

“How about you Carrie?” I asked. “What brings you to affiliate with the GSA?”

“My brother . . . .” she said with a serious look down at the carpet. Lyle reached out and held her hand. After a pause, she continued with a deep sigh. “My brother is gay and he went through a lot of torment and even abuse when he was in school. The kids at school were so terrible; he was under psychiatric care for quite a while. Finally, my folks sent him to California to live with our aunt so he could start school there with a clean slate; I guess you’d say. It just seemed natural to join the GSA when I started school here, maybe just to try and understand what it should have been like for him . . . but they didn’t have any GSA in middle school, when he needed it.”

While Carrie was telling me her story, I watched the seriousness on her face deepen. Something clicked in my mind - even her posture seemed to change. There was something, but I couldn’t put my finger on it.

“How’s your brother doing now?” I asked nonchalantly glancing around at the other kids.

“He’s doing just fine,” she said with a radiant smile and glanced at Lyle - but I noticed something else - the mood of the room changed - every face on that couch mirrored her emotion - sad to happy - except for Evelyn. Her face remained somewhat neutral - not happy or sad, but calmly neutral. I thought I even heard Barry release a deep breath. My curiosity was peaked, but it was time to get on to the questions.

I put on my best smile. “Well that certainly gives me an understanding as to why you’re all here together. That in itself is an interesting story, but not one I should be covering for this anniversary article. Just to see how this will go as a group . . . .” Jamie and Will were in the center of the sofa, so I directed my question there, “Jamie I’d like to ask you first . . . What’s changed in your relationship with Will since New Years?”

“Lots!” he exclaimed with a big smile. “My folks are in the final stages with the lawyers and courts to adopt Barry and Will as their sons and my brothers . . . not that Will and I could ever be brought closer because of that, but Barry! . . . after that Halloween episode, we’re a lot closer and well, I’m really proud of him. . . . He’s a great bro.”

“He sure is,” Will agreed. “As proud as I am of him, Barry and my new family have made me proud of myself. They’ve made me feel . . . understand I guess, that there shouldn’t be any shame associated with bein’ gay. I guess ’cause I feel better about myself, my game has improved and now I enjoy playin’ football again.”

“I reckon you guys ain’t never gonna let go of that hero stuff are ya?” Barry said with a smile.

“Noooo!” Evelyn replied with a giggle.

“I’ll second that!” Lyle said. “For me the biggest change since New Years has been Carrie. With everything she went through with her brother, it’s been an inspiration for me to care about others. I’d’ve never thought of joining the GSA until I saw what a great group of caring people they are in themselves. The gay thing . . . well it’s kinda broadened my horizons. It’s kinda like saying you’re not prejudice, like when you don’t accept a group of people and kinda ignore them, you’re showing a bit of prejudice.”

“Actually Lyle, that was one of the questions I was going to ask later on,” I said, “but since you’ve brought up the subject, maybe the other’s would like to express their thoughts on what the sympathies are between the straight and gay members.”

“I do admire and respect the gay and lesbian kids that have come together. It’s their tolerance and acceptance that makes me realize I have to be the same, not only when I’m with them, but also with other issues and people in my life.”

“Yeah,” Barry said. “It ain’t a switch you can turn off and on. Like when I learned that Will was gay, it didn’t turn off a switch, it turned one on. All of a sudden, I had a brother who needed to be honest with himself and everyone around him. It made us closer than we’d ever been before. Other than that, well . . . it did completely turn off the switch for our father.” He shrugged his shoulders as if in resignation of the fact.

“Barry, it was his choice,” Carrie added, “not yours.”

“Yeah,” Jamie said, “look at the switch it turned on for me.”

“OK, next question,” I said with a smile, “What would your advice be to gays that are in the closet?”

Jamie took a deep sigh. “That’s tough one. With Will it was tough because of his father. He’d still be in the closet if Tommy hadn’t found out about us.”

“Tommy?” I questioned.

“Yeah a friend of Barry’s. He discovered Will and me in a kinda compromising position and he was . . . very homophobic about it. That’s when Will decided to come out . . . and of course we all know how that ended up.”

“Barry? . . .” I questioned.

Once again, he shrugged his shoulders. “Up ‘til then, Tommy’d been my best friend, but after that, well . . . he hates to look at me.”

“What is it with some people?” Will asked. “I’ve found that they’re closing doors about gays and actually locking themselves in a homophobic closet of their own. On the gay side, I think it’s necessary for a gay person to stay in the closet in some cases because of all the hassle . . . abuse, but God, it couldn’t be any worse than what Barry and I went through when I came out. For Jamie and me at school it’s no big deal. . . . All our teammates are OK with us. They know we only have eyes for each other, even in the locker room.”

“I think it’s a tough decision for anyone to make,” Lyle said. “How many guys might be gay on the basketball team? . . . I have no idea . . . or their reasons why they wouldn’t want to be out, but I’d have to respect their decision. Unless you’re in their shoes, we can’t judge. If they want to remain invisible about it, that’s the way it has to be.”

“I agree,” Jamie said thoughtfully, “but I think it’s newspaper articles like this and of course, the GSA that helps them feel better about themselves and maybe . . . who knows, we may see more come outor on the other hand we may see more confrontational homophobics make another issue of it . . . kinda like what happened when David Reynolds ran for student council.”

“Yeah, but did he ever handle himself well!” Carrie added. “More than anything, that took guts. Ya gotta love him for that.”

“I think it might be a security thing too.” Evelyn said quietly. “I don’t think when a person comes out, parents would react violent like Will and Barry’s father did, but they may be told to get out of the house . . . and where would they go? Will . . . Barry . . . you were lucky, but that may not be the case with everyone and maybe the guys in the closet know it. When it comes to most families . . . parents, brothers and sisters mean a lot to us and we don’t want to risk giving them up.”

“I’d be lost without my parents.” Carrie said with a certain sadness in her voice, but said nothing else. I listened to the five seconds silence that followed in wonder. I still couldn’t put my finger on it, but my mind was twitching.

“Fair enough,” Barry began. “But let’s look at the other side. . . . Do you think your parents would be willin’ to take in two guys like Will and me knowin’ that one was gay, like the Wilsons did for us. For that matter, how many parents would? How about you Harold, just supposin’, would you and your wife do a thing like that just ‘cause a guy was kicked out of his home for bein’ gay?”

“It sure would take a lot of sweet talking, but I think it could happen at our house.” Evelyn answered first. “Mommy and Daddy haven’t met Will and Jamie, but I think if they did . . . I’ll bet I could talk them into it.”

“Barry that’s an interesting thought and before I could answer truthfully, I’d have to ask my wife. Notwithstanding, I’d have to know the kid first and know that homosexuality was the only reason the parents kicked them out. Your question was somewhat hypothetical, what’s your point?”

“It’s just that I was thinkin’ if there were more parents like the Wilson’s, it would reduce the fear of some kids comin’ out of the closet if they knew there was a safe house to go to. I know a day doesn’t go by that I give a whole lot of thanks to Ma and Pa for what they’re doin’ for us . . . and ya know it might go a long way if there was a support group for somethin’ like that.”

“It’s the same for me bro.” Will added. “We knew that all hell was gonna break loose when I came out and I’ll bet there’s a lot of guys who think it would be the same for them. . . . It’s a hard call. No kid wants to lose the security of their family.”

“I think the answer is in the GSA,” Lyle said. “I’ll bet there’s a lot of advice to be found there from the guys and gals that have already gone through it.”

“Jamie, I think you’re the only one in this room who can answer this question,” I began. “What would be your thoughts if you had it to do all over again . . . that is, coming out?”

“Actually, nothing. For sure, I was nervous when I told my folks, but they were so good and supportive, but then when I let it be known at school, well there were the usual homophobes and their smart-ass remarks. The guys on the team were good about it though. One even said that he didn’t care so long as I kept playing ball as good as I was. Then of course, Will and I had a private conversation and I found out he was gay. That was even better . . . well until the incident at Halloween. Honestly, I wouldn’t have done anything different.”

“How about the rest of your family?” I asked.

“Our sisters? . . . For the most part Mom and Dad have handled that especially after Will and Barry moved in. Whatever Mom and Dad said to them must have been good, because they’re very accepting of the fact that Will and I usually share the same bedroom and they know the meaning of a closed door. They certainly aren’t uptight or anything by the idea of Will and I being gay and of course, Will and I are careful about kissin’ and touching intimately front of them.”

“Yeah, but we are very hugging family!” Will added. “It’s been one of the nicest changes in my life.”

“I’ll second that!” Barry said smiling.

“OK!” I said with a smile, as I turned off the recorder, hoping that would lighten the mood. “How about we have a break before we go on with the rest of the interview. Deal?”

“Deal!” They all exclaimed at the same time.

As I put my pad and pen down, all the kids stood up and stretched. I didn’t think it had been such a long session. While the others took off to the dining room, Barry and Evelyn approached me as I stood up.

“Harold, ya know a lot came out of this . . .” Barry said with that trademark smile of his, “stuff we’ve never talked about before . . . it made me realize again how close we are as a family here . . . how we’d stick together when we needed to. It’s not just the six of us, but my new family as well. You’ve made me realize it again and it feels good.”

“You guys did most of the talking, but for some reason I’m thirsty.” I said as we worked ourselves closer to the table.

I was half listening to the teenagers ramble on about their activities over the summer as I ate a small piece of cake and drank a glass of Coke. I was careful when I stole the odd glance at Carrie as she stood with Evelyn talking about fashions and they sometimes both giggled and squealed about who did what to whom. It came across as simple silly teenage girl talk. The boys were mostly concerned about when they could get enough money together and get a car of their own. Yup, as they bantered back and forth, it sounded like a bunch of typical teenagers just acting their age. I realized though, that when I was interviewing them, they would reach inside themselves and talk about their inner feelings, as if they were standing up for a cause, which in part they were. They knew when to be serious and they knew when it was time to relax.

When I’d finished my snack, I headed for the bathroom down the hall. As I was approaching the bathroom, Carrie had just come out. We said ‘hi’ as we passed, but mine came out as ‘Hu . . . eye’ Maybe it was the way she twisted at the waist and looked at me over her shoulder, although she did smile, but in that instant, with that pose, the forehead, the jaw line, I wasn’t sure, but I was almost certain of my suspicions as they formed a conclusion in my head.

‘She’s a guy!’ Now it made sense - the way her legs uncrossed when she got upset, the others in the room and their mood changes - they’re in on it - then . . . holy shit. . . . Lyle Hernden must be gay, and hiding in the closet behind a transvestite! As I was closing the door behind me, a multitude of thoughts filled my head. What a scoop! What a bonus! This guy’s going to be a pro basketball player, maybe one of the greatest, and he’s gay! As I stood there taking a leak, I was exhilarated at the thought of the headline with my name under it. Then I wondered if it would destroy his hope of a future career in basketball before it had even begun - but shit! If I don’t let the story out now, someone else will for sure. This is a story the supermarket tabloids would love to get hold of, but this one is mine! While I was washing my hands, I looked in the mirror smiling at my good fortune.

I turned around to grab a towel and I got the biggest ‘oh shit’ feeling in my chest. There were four hooks with towels draped on them. They were labeled: Bill - Jamie - Will - Barry. Damn! Their images filled my head. The way these kids trusted me. The way Bill Wilson trusted me - for that matter, all the kid’s parents had trusted me. They proved it by signing the release forms.

I knew that if I exposed Lyle and Carrie, I’d never get another story from this group and I already had enough from the interviews to up the numbers once the article was written without the exposé. I thought of Barry’s remarks and comments, they weren’t threats, but yeah, they would stick together and maybe have me labeled as a sensationalist. I turned around and looked in the mirror again as I was reaching for the door. It hit me square between the eyes. What would I do if someone did a story like this on my kids?

Fuck! Nice dream asshole! I left the bathroom with a smile. Now, how to handle this? First, I had to find out the truth for sure.

After concluding the remainder of the interview with the group as a whole and as the others gathered around the dining room table, I looked at Carrie out of the corner of my eye and thought, ‘Now or never!’

“Carrie,” I smiled, “could we have a private two minute talk?” I asked as I pointed to the rear of the house.

“Sure,” she replied with confidence. We walked down the hall. Each of the bedrooms had cute, decorative labels on them. ‘Jamie’ on one, ‘Darleen & Dorothy’ on another, and then ‘Will & Barry’ on the other. The bedroom was plain, but very neat and tidy, which I thought was surprising for a teenage boy’s room. Carrie sat down on the edge of the farthest bed. I sat opposite her on the other bed.

“Carrie,” I began with a smile, “First, I don’t want you to think I’m a dirty old man coming on to you. . . . I’m happily married with kids of my own and what I’m going to say isn’t going outside the walls of this room. . . . There’s no recorder here and my note pad is in the living room. Carrie . . .” I sighed deeply from the concern of how to word my thoughts. “Carrie, I find that you’re . . . you’re a very beautiful . . . actually cute . . . feminine . . . teenage . . .” I paused carefully, while I inwardly challenged my own confidence, “. . . boy.”

I watched the shock form on her face as she put her hands over her gaping mouth. A tear formed, crested, and fell from the corner of her eye. Shit! I’d inwardly hoped that I was wrong. Now I had to pick up the pieces.

“Does Lyle know?” I whispered. She nodded as the tears, now flowed from both eyes. “Stay here,” I said quietly, “I’ll get him.”

I closed the bedroom door behind me and found Lyle still hovering over the snacks at the dining room table. Quietly, I said, “Lyle, could you come with me, we need a private chat?”

Smiling with confidence, he replied, “Sure Harold!”

I opened the bedroom door and he saw a somewhat distraught Carrie sitting on the bed. He went to her immediately and pulled her into a strong embrace.

While she rested her head on his chest, she said, “He knows. . . .”

“It’s OK Carrie,” he said quietly into her hair, “It doesn’t matter, we’ll make it through this together.”

I gestured for them to sit down on the bed and I took my place on the other bed facing them as they clung to each other. “As I told you Carrie, anything that’s said in this room goes no further. I wouldn’t dare and the reason I needed to know for sure was to make an important point for both of you. I’m just an old reporter and if I sensed it, maybe someone smarter than me could too. Now I realize why you’re doing this. You’re brother is . . .” I nodded to Carrie. She simply nodded her head in return.

“I can’t imagine what realities of abuse brought you to this situation and for that, I couldn’t be more apologetic. Lyle, you’re going for the pros one day, right?” He nodded his head. “So, I can understand your position in this as well. . . . You’re gay?” Again, he nodded his head.

“I’ll be honest. This situation put me in quite a quandary. It’s the story of a lifetime, at least for me. But I had a long hard look in the mirror and I realized . . . I just couldn’t do it. Not just because of you, but also for the other kids in there. You opened your hearts to me tonight and gave me your trust and well . . . professional idiot that I am, I can’t betray that trust. Also, I wouldn’t want anyone to do something like that to my kids.” I took a deep breath before I began again.

“Carrie, this matter for the most part is between you and your psychiatrist, but something I have to ask and you don’t have to answer . . . it’s a rhetorical question. If God had given you a choice of being a handsome, virile, well-built prince charming, or a beautiful princess, what would be your choice?

“That’s not an easy answer, Harold,” Carrie started to say. “In public, I’m definitely more comfortable as a girl. I certainlyact more like a girl than a boy and I talk like a girl and I enjoy girly things . . . and forget about sports,” she said with an ironic laugh . . . “but I’m transgendered . . . not transsexual. When it comes to my sexuality, I’m not a girl. I’m a boy . . . a gay boy. So I guess the answer to your question is that I can’t really choose one or the other. . . . I want to be a princess most of the time, but a prince in the bedroom. Does that make sense?”

“I’ve never heard it explained better before, Carrie. Yes, that makes perfect sense,” I remarked.

“Lyle, considering your wish to seek a position on the varsity team and beyond that, the pros, I can understand why you’d want to stay in the closet.”

“It’s not that, Howard . . .” Lyle jumped in, “I’m perfectly happy to be out and proud. My whole family knows, the coaches at school know and even a few close, trusted friends know, but the coaches made it clear that the NBA is still a pretty bigoted place. There will be a time when I can come out in a dignified manner, but both my coaches feel it’s important I play the hetero jock part for now . . . at least until I’m an established player.”

“To say it another way, the star of the show has to be almost pristine in character and appearance . . . and you’ve got that. If you were outed, your fans may be less generous and if there’s enough of it in the press and tabloids, it could ruin your career,” I added.

“Not to mention cause the product endorsements to dry up . . .” Lyle quipped, “and we all know that’s where the real money is. But this isn’t about money and just as Kobe Bryant weathered the storm, there will come a day when the time is right . . . when the world is ready to accept a gay basketball star . . . and his transgendered husband. And yes, you heard me right . . . when I come out, it will be so we can get married.” Lyle and Carrie grabbed each other’s hands and smiled.

“Notwithstanding all of that . . . if you’re willing to support Carrie and her desire to remain a transvestite, let me offer this. Carrie, when you related the story about your brother in there, your demeanor became less feminine. More to the point, your legs were no longer crossed at the thighs like this. . . .” I crossed my legs at the thigh to illustrate, “Instead your leg slipped off your knee and you crossed your legs at the ankles, but you didn’t keep your knees together. I know it was an emotional moment for you and that’s probably why your guard was down. Although Evelyn was sitting at the other end of the couch and she was wearing slacks, the difference was noticed by me.

“One other thing. . . . I had a feeling that the kids in there know about this. Once again, there’s no blame to be attached to that. . . . I’m trained to be an observer. Carrie, when you were telling your story, it seemed that except for Evelyn, everyone in the room was feeling your pain, not your brothers.”

Carrie let out a heavy sigh and then looked at me with a weak smile. “Barry knows. . . . We dated for a while and we fell in love and then he found out, but we’re still good friends and well. . . . He understands.”

“I’m sure that Will knows,” Lyle said, “cause he told me to come to the dance and that I might meet someone special. Well I sure did. He may have told Jamie, I don’t know, but I’d trust those three with my life and any secret I’d have to keep. They’re really my best friends.”

“You’re lucky to have such trusted friends and believe me when I say, you can add me to that list,” I said with a smile, but be aware too, some reporters are ruthless about this and they’ll hound you to death if they find out. Carrie, the story of your brother is definitely a loose end that reporters’ll follow up on if there’s even a hint of anything strange about your story.

“I’d honestly like to suggest that there are professionals who can help you with all of this . . . people who can teach you to conceal your masculinity more effectively and even cover your ‘brother’s’ tracks more effectively.

“Anyway, now it’s time for this old reporter to head home. Actually, I’m very happy for both of you and it’s good that you’ve found each other.”

They both thanked me for my advice and keeping their secret. The three of us were able to leave the bedroom with big smiles.

As I was driving home, I could only hope that I’d said the right things to those special youngsters.

Discuss the Story

⇐ Previous Chapter

Naptown Index

Next Chapter ⇒