Sky's The Limit - 23. Chapter 23

The word ‘panic’ takes on a whole new definition here. The moment I heard that horrible voice, I jumped up. Sky jumped and actually fell off the bed. Any other time, it probably would have been funny as hell. At this moment, I couldn’t even think straight. Panic mode. “OH SHIT!!!” coming from my mouth was the only thing I heard after that awful exclamation in my doorway, and that same voice screaming “MAAHHHMM!!!!” as he ran back down the hallway.

Shit, shit, shit, shit. Dammit. “GODDAMMIT!” I heard coming out of my mouth which was now totally disconnected from my brain. I ran over and slammed and locked the door. Sky and I both started grabbing for clothing.

“Jessie’s going to freak out and call Dad. Sky what the hell am I going to do?” I said almost crying. I couldn’t breathe. This must be what a panic attack feels like.

“Man, he’s going to call my Dad too. I’m sure I’m getting kicked outta here today.”

In just a few minutes there was a banging on the door. “Jonah! Open this damned door NOW!” Jessie was screaming. We were both dressed by this time and I opened the door. Jessie was standing there with fire shooting out of her eyes. She still had the cordless phone in her hand.

“I just called your father. He’s on his way and will be here in an hour or so. Skyler, get your things out of my son’s room and take them back to the guest bedroom and wait there till Jim gets here. Now please. Jonah, you will wait here in your room.” She then turned and slammed the door on her way out.

“Damn” Sky and I said together. Sky went over to Jason’s room, got his bag, and walked back through my room. He stopped to give me a hug and a quick kiss saying, “Jonah, whatever happens now, know that I love you and will always love you.” He gave me another kiss, and then he turned and walked out the door and across the courtyard.

That hour waiting for my Dad to get home was the longest hour of my life. Millions of thoughts and thousands of scenarios were going through my brain. Eventually, there was a knock on my door and my dad’s voice. “Jonah?”

“Come in.”

“Jonah, Jessie told me what Jason said he saw. Do you have anything to say?”

Uh oh. I know that tone. He is in full military mode. “Dad, I’m … I’m gay. I’ve known that for a couple of years now. I love Sky. I’ve loved him for months, since Gulf Shores, and he loves me.” I was starting to tear up. I CANNOT LET HIM SEE ME CRY! It’s a sign of weakness remember. Suck it up Jonah, you can do this. Discipline, Jonah. “Nothing you say or do to me is going to change any of that. I will still be gay and I will still be in love with Sky.”

“I see. Just when did you decide that you were a homosexual?”

“Dad, I didn’t decide anything. I just am - just like I’m left-handed and short. It’s just how I am. I’ve known since before Mom . . .”

“How many more boys or men have you been messin’ with?”

“None, Dad I’m not some kinda slut.”

“Well, here’s how it’s going to be. You will be confined to your room, meaning this room till I decide otherwise. Phone privileges are revoked. Driving privileges are revoked and you will surrender your keys to me. Your computer will be confiscated and examined, you may give me a list of school and music files that you wish to save, otherwise the hard drive is going to be wiped and formatted. You will come straight home after school. We will figure out a schedule for you to use your bathroom as Jessie wants you to have no contact with Jason. I may move you to the guest suite to resolve that issue. I haven’t decided that. We will also figure out piano practice times and karate practice times in those common areas of the house.

“I am very disappointed in you Jonah. I’m disappointed that you believe yourself to be a homosexual, but also disappointed and very angry because you abused my trust. I trusted you to behave like a human being and you used my house to perform these acts of perversion. Under my roof, dammit. It will not happen again. Sky will not be visiting this house or nor will you be visiting him. Is all of that clear?”

“Yes sir.”

“I will be back in a moment. There are few things I need to say to you and Sky.” Then he turned, walked out of my room and closed the door. Funny, the first thing that came to my mind was did he really say latrine schedule. Like I can control when my bladder and bowels need relief? Or I’m like a dog getting walked on a schedule? Shit. Then it also hit me. Sky would NEVER be back nor would I see him again EVER. NO DON”T CRY! He’s coming back. Crying is weakness; it’ll only make it worse, only make him angrier.

In a few minutes there was another knock.

“Come in.”

Sky walked in followed by Dad. “Skyler, I’ve already said everything that I need to say to Jonah. I’m sorry that I have to do this, but from now on, this house is off limits for you unless your father is with you. I will call your father and tell him you are returning today due to a family crisis. It is your responsibility to tell him the truth when you get home. I am not going to tell him. Not today anyway. I trust you to do that. Am I clear?”

“Yes sir.”

“When you tell him - you ask him to call me and tell him that I am in no way angry or upset with him. That way I know you have kept your word to me today. Is that clear?”

“Yes sir.”

“I have told Jonah this but the same applies to you. I am very disappointed in both of you. You have both abused my trust and you, Sky, my hospitality.”

“I’m very sorry, sir.”

“I am too, Sky. I think you are basically a fine young man who has made some very poor decisions. Now go gather your things and wait in the family room while I call your father.”

Sky walked out of the room. I had this very sick feeling that I would never see him again, ever. I felt as though my heart was ripped out. The minute my door closed I just collapsed on the floor curled into a ball and started crying, sobbing. I don’t know how long I lay there like that. Maybe it was an hour maybe more, I couldn’t think. I could barely breathe. My emotions were draining out of me, spilling out onto the carpeted floor with my tears. At some point, I just passed out.

I was awakened by a knock on the back door. I got up and opened it and it was Dex. He took one look at me. Walked up and put his arms around me in a hug. I needed that sooo bad. I hugged him back and started sobbing again.

“It’s okay Jonah, I know what happened.”

That hit me. “How…?” I couldn’t speak.

“Your wonderful stepbrother has quite a network. He called that friend of his, Tommy Morris. Well, he called Lisa who of course blabbed it to me and Mom and Dad. Dad was worried about ya, so he came over and brought me with him. He’s talkin’ to your Dad, who wouldn’t let me back here by the way, so I just snuck out and came around the back. What can I do to help?”

Shit, that means the whole school including my old buddy Doug ‘ll know too. “Dex, I’m so totally grounded. He’s taking my phone, my computer, my truck, everything. I even have to use the latrine, as he put it, on his schedule. There’s nothing you can do Dex.”

“Shit” Dex said.

“Wait, there is something you can do. Call Sarah for me. She said if anything like this happened she would come help me. If anyone can help, it’s Sarah. Will ya?” Maybe now I was starting to think a little clearer. Dex always has that effect on me.

“Of course I’ll call Sarah you shithead. Give me something hard to do. Let’s come up with a battle plan, or tunnel-digging escape plan or something.” He tried to get me to smile. Ordinarily, I would have. I don’t think I had the strength or the will. I simply nodded.

I grabbed my wallet and took out the card Sarah had given me those months ago. “Call this number. Give them this password and code and they’ll call her satellite phone. I think she’s in Sydney, Australia, so you’ll have to check the time difference. Give them your name and number to call back and that it’s about me. Tell her that I need her.”

“You got it buddy. I better get outta here before I get you in more trouble.”

“Thanks, Dex. I’ll owe ya big time.”

The rest of that day, I had no contact with anyone. I would alternate between crying and sleeping. Dad had come in and confiscated my cell phone, computer and the cordless house phone that was in my room. He hadn’t told me my “latrine schedule” but instructed me to knock and wait for three full minutes if there was no answer before entering the bathroom. That night he told me to gather the clothes I would need for the next week and move to the guest suite. Thank God he had forgotten to confiscate my Ipod. I could stay sane if I had music, maybe. I slipped it and the wall charger in my pocket.

When I got to the guest suite, he had also removed the phone from that room and taken the satellite box so I couldn’t watch the TV. I was in solitary. Dad put a padlock on the outside door. I was told that I would be doing my own laundry, also on a pre-determined schedule. I even ate my meals in there, if I was eating that is. They would leave a plate or tray of food and a bottle of water at the foot of the stairs. Usually, I just drank the water. I had absolutely no appetite. If I tried to eat, I got nauseous. No one came to talk to me. No one came to check on me. I was allowed one hour at the piano in the mornings and one hour alone in the rec room in the evenings to practice Karate.

I think it was the second day of my exile, or imprisonment, or whatever you want to call it, that when I left the door open to fetch my tray of food, Tammy’s cat sneaked into the room. I really never cared for cats, but we had never owned one either. At least it was some company, so I let it stay. It would come and go over the next day or two. I started talking to the cat. The cat would nuzzle around my feet or jump into my lap. It seemed to know that I was hurting. I was hurting, not in the physical sense, but I was in agony just the same. I felt like my heart was being ripped out. I could talk to the cat and pet it, and maybe it was the love the cat offered or maybe the cat was just an outlet for me to express my feelings, whatever it was it made my life at that horrible time much more bearable. Eventually I guess Tammy missed the cat and Dad came and took it away. I was miserable again. I had grown to love that cat in just a couple of days.

I thought several times about sneaking out and running, but where would I go? How far would I get on foot? I’m out in the middle of nofuckingwhere. I might could go out to the truck stop at the edge of town and hitch a ride with a trucker, but the idea of ending up as the bitch for some fat hairy trucker really didn’t appeal to me. The bus didn’t even come to this damn town. Did Dex get through to Sarah? How would I know? I guess I would go to school on Monday and find out. What about Sky? What was going on with his Dad, oh and his Mom? I bet she freaked out. All these questions kept going through my head.

I would sleep only an hour or two at a time then wake and pace around, listen to the trusty Ipod, or just sit and cry. Finally, on Sunday morning around 8:00, Dad knocked on my door.

“Come in.”

“Here’s your breakfast. Get dressed. You are going with me to church. Be ready and downstairs by 10:15,” he turned and walked out.

When I went downstairs he was waiting for me and pointed to the garage door. I went out and got into the Escalade. “Where’s Jessie and the kids?”

“They went in her car.” Oh this is rich. They don’t want to be seen riding with the town queer.

“When we got to church, we were a little early. Sunday school classes were still in session, so there were only a few people in the sanctuary where Dad instructed me to sit in the third pew from the front. I sat. He walked off somewhere. I noticed the people started looking over at me and whispering. I felt like crawling under that pew. Soon the rest of the congregation started filing in. Some ignored me completely, others would look and shake their heads. Kids that I’ve known almost all my life would look at me and chuckle or giggle. Dex and Doc finally walked in and they stopped.

“Jonah, how are you holding up?”

“Not too good, Doc. It appears I’m in solitary. I’m locked in my room and I have no contact with anyone. Except for Dad barking instructions, you’re the first person I’ve spoken to since Tuesday.”

“I’m so sorry Jonah, that’s absolutely ridiculous. He’s over-reacting. Give it time. He has to adjust to this too. I’m trying to help adjust his thinking but he’s a strong-willed man. Part of your problem is Jessie. I’ve never met a more dedicated homophobe.”

I looked over at Dex. I could read his face, it was very sad. I think it was pity. He was feeling sorry for me. Dad was walking back in and Doc looked over and just shook my hand and walked off.

Guess what the sermon was about. Yep, the sin of homosexuality. I spent the next hour hearing the pastor vomit out the fire and brimstone thing about how homosexuals would burn in hell for all eternity. Every time the word “homosexual” came out that bastard’s mouth he would look directly at me. Jessie and her kids didn’t even sit with us that day. Yep, I was officially the family pariah. I wished I could just curl up and die. That was definitely a way out. I just don’t think I have the guts to do it. And there was still my one hope, Sarah. Maybe I can catch Dex after church and get some news.

Finally, the service ended and everyone started walking out. “Dad? Permission to speak to Dex?”

“One minute and I’m timing you. Meet me at the door, I’ll be waiting.”

I ran and caught up to him. “Dex, I’ve got exactly one minute. Did you get Sarah?”

“Yah, and she’s in Australia. It’s some kind of video or movie thing and they have a full film crew there so she can’t just walk off. It would cost the production company millions or something. She’ll be in L.A. on Wednesday and then she’ll come straight here on Thursday.”

I think I actually managed to smile. “Thanks Dex. I still owe ya’. See ya in school tomorrow. Oh, call Zach and tell him I can’t pick him up. He’ll need to catch the bus I guess. Thanks, bye.”

Except for the ride home with Dad, that would be my last human contact for the day. Not a living soul spoke to me at church except Doc and Dex. Christians, yeah, right. I must have read a different gospel than the rest of them. Oh well. Now I could spend the rest of the day and night worrying about the reaction at school tomorrow. Sarah was coming, that was enough to give me some peace.