You'd Have to Ask - 17. Chapter 17

Big Day

Cole pulls his truck up to his parent’s house. It is a bungalow Cole grew up here. It hasn’t changed much. It still has the basketball net over the garage door. He notices the lawn has lines, he guesses that since his Dad retired he has more time to perfect the lawn, even in the Fall.

Cole heads up to the door, he was going to ring the bell but a quick knock and he is in.

His Dad is on the couch in the living room.

“Hi son, I didn’t see you pull up.”

“Hey Dad” Cole smiles, “Is Mom in?”

“You know better Cole, your Mom is down at the Church doing some goody good stuff.”
Jack Wheeler laughs. He likes the fact that his wife has found something worthwhile to do.

“So what brings you around Son? Need help finishing the house?”

“Nah, the house is finished. Lance and I finished the deck yesterday.”

“You don’t say.” His Dad says “Now Lance who is that again?”

“He is a Fireman Dad, I have know him for years.”

“Lance, oh yeah right.” Dad remembers who Lance is now. “Do you think you should be hanging out with those kind?”

“Wha wha” Cole stops his mouth from saying the words. He came here for a purpose getting into a fight about Lance would not help. “He’s just a friend Dad.”

“Well I was just about to make a cup of tea, do you want some?”

“Why don’t you stay there and I’ll make it.” Cole says as he heads for the kitchen.

“Well, sure go ahead if you want to.” Jack says, “So you never did answer my question.”

From the kitchen Cole says, “There is something that has been bothering me that I want to talk with you about.”

His Dad turns around in the chair and looks at Cole. “Sounds serious son. Have you finally met someone?”

Cole indicates that he’ll be there in a minute. His parents have been suggesting now that Cole has a house he should look at getting married and settling down. His brother and sister are younger and they have already found significant others.
Cole finally re-enters the living room with two cups of tea. Both men take it black; he puts them down on the coffee table in front of his Dad. Cole takes a seat on the couch.

Cole’s Dad looks at him and waits for his son to start talking. Cole doesn’t know how to start. He has had a great relationship with his Dad. His Dad has always been there for him. He helped Cole learn to play baseball and football. He practiced with him for hours. Cole’s Dad was kind of pissed off when Cole did not become something more than a Cop. The boy had the world at his feet, he always said. But he is proud that his son has made a good police officer and he sees that maybe it was the right choice. Besides it kept him in town. Everyone else goes off to the city to find his or her fame and fortune.

“No Dad, I haven’t met anyone.”

“I can’t see why not. You are a good looking guy and you have a reliable job and a home of your own.”

“Well as you know over the years I have been seeing different girls. Through one thing or another the relationships all seem to go south. I think I know why now.”

Jack Wheeler just stares at his Son in panic. Since retiring he has been exposed to enough daytime talk shows. This is starting to sound familiar.

Cole looks at his Dad and can see the panic. “Well I came here to tell him, better do it now” he says to himself, then to his Dad he says “I’m Gay.”

“What are you joking!”

“No Dad, sorry I am not. I know it’s not what you wanted to hear from me, or any of us. But its true.”

“Well this is kind of a shock, you never showed any signs of being a, a guy like that”, Jack is very upset but he does not want to push his son away.

“Well to tell you the truth Dad, I never really thought it was more than a phase, that I would grow out of.”

“But you have had girlfriends.” Jack pauses, “Lots of them. Hey aren’t you still seeing that girl at the Hair Salon?”

Cole remembers that his Dad had met Kat and him when they were headed to Bud’s one night for a beer. His Dad was at the salon waiting for Cole’s mother.

“Kat, yeah well we are just friends.” Cole says.

“You looked like more than friends to me, I said that to your mother.”

“Well the point is Dad, Kat and I are friends only.”
“So when did this happen?” Jack pauses, “Did you just wake up one day and say that, that you are….”

“No Dad it didn’t happen like that. It seems like it has been a part of me, it’s always been there. I just never accepted it until now.”

“Who else knows?” Jack tries to think of what his friends at the Legion will say.

“No one Dad, except Kat and Lance.” Cole says he is on the verge of tears. His Dad does not appear to be taking this well. Cole can see that the man’s face is getting red.

Cole becomes very emotional and turns away from his Dad. The tears start to fall from his eyes. “Why did I have to do this?” He thinks to himself. “I could have gone on like I was before.”

Jack is feeling very uncomfortable, as here is his son, a man crying.

“Son, I think I am going to need some time to think about this.” Jack says, “You aren’t going to do anything. Geez how can I say this. You aren’t going to run down the street yelling you are Gay are you?”

“Dad, I think you know me better than that.” Cole is a little offended. But then he looks his old man in the eyes, he can see that he is trying to keep control and accept what his son is saying.

“Well that’s why I came by Dad” Cole picks up his tea and has a drink, puts it down and then stands.

His Dad looks up at him. “Son I want you to stay here and talk this through, is there help you can get?”

“Dad, its not a disease, it’s not like cancer or MS, it’s how I was built. It just happens it has nothing to do with the way you and Mom brought me up nor is it hereditary, it just is!”

Jack stares at his Son. God he looks good, he is everything a man could want for a son strong, healthy and good looking. But right now he doesn’t know his son at all. He pictures is Gay Pride parades he has seen on TV and he transposes Cole into those scenes. He doesn’t want to have a son who is one of them. “What did I do wrong?” he asks himself.

“Dad, I can see this is hitting you pretty hard. I think I better go.”

“I think that may be a good idea Cole.”

Cole heads towards the door.

“Cole go to the washroom and wash your face, you aren’t leaving here looking like that!”
Cole does as his father asks. When he is finished he walks back to the living room and looks at his Dad. The man appears to be a million miles away.

“Dad, I’ll call next week sometime, OK?”

There is no response.

“See you later Dad.”

Cole leaves the house and goes to his truck. He starts the motor and sits there. He stares back at the house. Cole is at a loss for what to do. The CD player is playing ‘Insensitive” by Jann Arden. He listens to the words and sings along.

Cole thinks about what he is going to do. He wants to talk to someone but he decides he better head to the gym first.

“Yeah, take a run and lift some weights, I’ll feel like a new man.” He says as he puts the truck in gear and heads to the Rec Centre.

Cole gets to the gym and changes. He doesn’t feel like talking to people so he gets his Discman and puts it on.

An hour and a half later Cole has finished. He is dressed and back in the truck. He feels light headed as he pushed himself really hard.

Sitting in the truck he picks up the phone and calls Kat.

“Hey lady it’s Cole, you free?” He says to her as she answers the phone.

“I think I can squeeze you in Cole.” Kat says.

“Great, I’m at the gym, I’ll be over in five.”