Saving Grapes - Madeline Kirby Page 0,2

out of my depth here. It’s not something I’ve ever really thought about, or had to talk about. But my nephew… well, he’s a good kid and I don’t want anything bad to happen to him.”

“Okay. Well, to answer your question, I had friends who were gay when I was at UC Davis.” It wasn’t a lie, exactly, but he wasn’t ready to tell Chuck that some of his gay friends were also his boyfriends. “Some of them are still my friends. A person’s sexual orientation is not a factor to me when I’m choosing my friends. I don’t judge or discriminate. We’re good friends, Chuck. I’m kind of sorry you even had to ask.”

Chuck met his eyes, smiling that sad little smile again, “I’m sorry, Thom. I should have known better. I’m just so mixed-up topsy-turvy since I found out about my nephew.”

“He’s gay, I take it? You’re having a problem dealing with it?”

“Yes. No. I mean, yes, he’s gay. No, I don’t have a problem with it. I am having a problem with my sister – his mother.” Chuck rolled his eyes. “She’s never been particularly tolerant, and she’s gotten worse since she moved to small-town Alabama.”

“In case you haven’t noticed, Chuck, we’re not exactly the big city here.”

“No, but we’re not the Bible Belt, either. I’ve seen gay couples in town, and as far as I know, no one’s threatened them or tried to run them down crossing the street. Reverend Martin doesn’t get up on the pulpit Sunday mornings and tell us gays are an abomination and going to hell in a handbasket.”

Thom knew Reverend Martin, the minister at the local Unitarian church, and kept to himself the thought that a sermon like that would be more than a little hypocritical.

“So, is that the kind of thing going on there? Are people saying things, doing things, to your nephew?”

“I’m not getting a clear picture. He just graduated from Texas A&M last week and headed home after graduation. He’s staying with his mom, trying to decide whether to apply to grad school or get a job or what. From what I can tell, his mother came home unexpectedly, opened up his bedroom door, and he… um…” Chuck blushed and stammered to a halt.

“Wasn’t alone?” Thom raised one eyebrow.

“Yeah. And my sister freaked. Practically locked him up in his room and watches him like a hawk. She’s had her minister over to the house to, I don’t know, pray over him or lecture him on the evil of his ways. If she was Catholic she’d probably have him exorcised or something. If he was younger I think she’d send him to one of those camps or that therapy that’s supposed to turn you straight. You wouldn’t believe the way she’s acting. Like she’s taking it personally. Poor kid.” Chuck sighed and picked up his sandwich.

Thom would believe it, though. He had seen some of his friends go through painful times coming out to their families. His own parents had died when he was a child, and he’d never told Granddad, his only other relative. He had a feeling Granddad might have figured it out, but had never said anything.

“So you want to help him? Get him out of there?”

“Yeah. I mean, he’s 22, so technically he’s a grown man, but he’s my nephew, my family. If there’s something I can do to get him in a better place, I want to do it.”

“Makes sense. And you need my help because?”

“Can he stay here?” Chuck looked Thom in the eye, stopping just short of begging because he was too proud for that.

“Here? Why here?” Thom knew he sounded defensive, but Chuck didn’t seem to notice.

“You’ve got room, I don’t. And you could probably use help around the place since it’s just you now. Ben’s got a degree in Agricultural Engineering, and he took business classes too. He could help out – I know you’re overworked since Hank left. It could be really good for everybody and I know I could trust you not to give him shit or hurt him. He needs a fresh start. As a friend, Thom, I need you to be his friend, too. He’s a great kid, but he’s in a bad situation right now and I need to get him out of it before it screws him up.”

Thom had never seen his old friend like this. “Hell, Chuck. You know I can’t refuse.” Thom leaned over, resting his forehead on the Formica tabletop, rocking