It Started With a Coke
by: E Walk
(© 2009-2010 by the Author)
 

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Chapter 1  

The Beginning

To make a long story short, I’m the world’s biggest dork.  Here I am about to have my fifteenth birthday, and I haven’t a friend in the world.  I can hear what your thinking, ‘This kid has a self confidence issue.’  Okay, that’s true.  But I’ve never been allowed to make a decision for myself in my whole life.  Heaven forbid, if I tried.

My parents were so controlling that I have never been to a movie and if I was ever allowed to watch television, the world would have come to an end, according to my parents.  In fact, the only television in our house was in my parents' bedroom.  Heaven help me if I was even suspected of being in their bedroom.  They were so controlling that I never have been permitted to even have a say over what clothes I had, and what I was to wear.  How many fourteen/fifteen year olds have never worn jeans or a sweatshirt or tee shirt, in their lives, if it didn’t have something to do with being a Christian?

In fact, it was so bad that I even had to wear a starched white shirt  with a tie and dress pants to school.  Needless to say, everyone steered clear of me, now that I was a freshman, in the public high school.  In some of my classes, there was no one sitting in the seats that surrounded where I was sitting.  In fact, people would go out of their way to avoid me.

Sorry for getting carried away, but you certainly should be able to understand why I consider myself to be the world’s biggest dork.  I have no friends, except Coach Richmond, who is the school’s tennis coach and goes to the church where my father is known as The Reverend Morrison.  For your information, Coach Richmond is happily married and has a slew of kids.  He’s been more of a father to me than my birth father is, or will be ever be.

My mother is so domineered by my father that she reveres him as if he was the thirteenth disciple.  She does exactly what he says.  If my father says jump, she not only jumps, but does a cartwheel.

Back to me; my name is Seth Morrison.  Like I said, I’m fourteen and about to turn fifteen.  Today was the first day that I can remember that I actually had to walk home from school.  Something happened, and my mother’s car was in the garage.

When I left the school, I took off my tie.  After all, it is the first part of September and it’s hot in Alabama in September.  As I was walking along, carrying my books (yeah, I didn‘t even have a backpack because I might try to hide something), I was approached by two guys whom I had gone to the Christian academy with for the first eight years of school.  They were on their bicycles and they started to taunt me.

The first guy started it by riding around in circles.  “Hey Alan, it’s goody two shoes.  His mommy must be sick.  He never has to walk home from school.  I bet his mommy and daddy don’t know what a dork he is.  He’s never been allowed to take P. E. like the rest of us.  He probably doesn’t even have a dick like the rest of us.”

Alan started to laugh, “Yeah.  That’s probably why he brings his lunch from home everyday.  His parents have to be weird to make him eat the crap that he does for lunch.  I’d apply for free lunch before I ate the crap that he does.  Maybe we should call his doctor and tell him what’s happening.  The doctor would probably say, ‘Feed the dork some shortenin' bread.’”

The first kid started to laugh, “But Alan, shortenin' bread isn’t going to help the dork’s pecker grow.  That’s probably why he wears those baggy pants.  He’s probably trying to hide the fact that he ain’t even a man.  Come on, Tim, let’s get out of here before someone sees us talking to the dork.”

I watched as the two guys rode off on their bicycles.  I was thinking, ‘I wonder what they have in their pants that they’re so proud of.  They’d probably be embarrassed if they could see what I’m packing.  If that were to happen, I’d probably turn into a stone pillar, according to my parents, because I was so evil.’

I guess you probably gather by now that I think I might be gay, but I had never had an opportunity to even look at another guy.  If it weren’t for Coach Richmond, who was at a church picnic where I was playing tennis in my slacks and hard soled shoes, I’d probably still be a prisoner in the house, twenty-four seven.”

Coach Richmond worked on my parents and I was permitted to practice tennis with the team.  However, one or both of my parents took me to and from practice and watched me like hawks to make sure that I wasn’t doing anything that they considered to be amoral.

I finally arrived at the house, and my Mother met me at the door, “What took you so long?  You should have been here ten minutes ago.   Where’s your tie?  What did you do, stop to do something that you knew was evil?”

I answered, “I took my tie off.  It’s hot outside, in case you hadn’t noticed.”

Mother muttered, “You’re Dad is right.  You can’t be trusted to do anything that a Christian boy would do, unless your dad or I are there to watch you.  Go next door and help Mrs. Martz with her yard.”

I dropped my books on the hall table and did as I was told.  Mrs. Martz was struggling to mow her yard, “Hi, Mrs. Martz.  Let me help you.  You look as if it’s hurting when you’re mowing the yard.”

“Thanks, Seth.  I sprained my ankle and it hurts when I’m mowing.”

I had always liked Mrs. Martz.  She always smiled and waved whenever she saw me.  Of course, I never had many opportunities to talk to her without one or both of my parents being around.

I  had finished the mowing and trimming and was putting the equipment away when she appeared on the porch, “Seth, you’ve done a wonderful job.  Let me get you some money to pay you for your hard work.”

I shook my head, “Ma’am, I didn’t do it for money.  I just did to be neighborly.”

She kissed me on the cheek, “How thoughtful of you.  At least let me get you a soda to help you cool off.”

She returned with a Coca Cola.  I had never had a coke before, and after the first taste decided that it was rather good and did hit the spot.  I thanked Mrs. Martz, “Thanks for the soda.  I need to get home and do my work before dinner.”

I was taking sips of the soda and savoring it as I walked in the door.  It was like I flipped a switch because the instant my mother saw what I was holding, she rushed toward me and knocked the half full can of soda out of my hand.  “You deviant.  Don’t you realize that stuff will curse you to a life a of sin?  Go to your room until your father gets home.  He’ll take care of you and get you straightened out.”

Ordinarily, I would have cleaned up the soda, but I turned away,  took my books and went to my room as I was told to do.  I was smiling on the inside, thinking, ‘That will piss her off.  I hope the stains don’t come out of the carpet.’

When my father arrived, I could hear the parents talking, but couldn’t hear what they were saying.  Finally they called me to dinner.  Nothing was said until my father started to say the blessings.  Instead of a prayer of thanks, he began, “Our heavenly father, please help our wayward son see the wickedness in his evil ways.  Guide him in the paths of righteousness and make him like an innocent new born.  Amen.”

When he finished degrading me, he didn’t even look at me but started to eat.

My mother started to talk about people being queer, “I’m appalled by the young people today.  They think it’s okay to be queer.  We have

never had any queers in our families and we never will.  We‘ve never allowed sodas in the house because the parishioners would say we thought it was okay for people to be sexual deviants.” 

I had all the put downs I could handle.  I jumped up and yelled, “You do now.  I’ve thought for sometime that I might be gay.  I am revolted by the thought of going to bed with a female.”

I turned and started up to my room, “If I’m gay, then it must reflect on the two of you.  A stupid soda isn’t going to  make me gay.  Everyone knows that the tendency to be gay is inherited from the genes from the two people who bring you into the world.  I guess that’s why you people have such a holier than thou attitude.  You‘re trying to hide your real feelings.”

That was more than my father could handle.  He practically jumped out of his chair and pushed me against the wall, “If I thought it would do any good, I would beat you to a pulp, but you’d probably like that.  You are confined to your room until further notice.  You will not be going to school or anywhere else until you come to your senses.  When your mother and I are both gone, your bedroom door will be locked.”

I wanted to say, ‘And you’ll probably set the house on fire to make sure that I burn to death.’  Instead, I pushed my father away and said nothing and stalked up the stairs.

I was held captive for three days.  My parents never talked to me during those three days.   I never knew when they were going to just walk into the room so I couldn’t even be comfortable.  Someone would bring me a Spartan meal and I would put the dirty dishes outside my room because I sure wasn’t going to do them after the way they were treating me.

On Thursday evening about five o’clock, I was standing in my bedroom looking out my bedroom windows.  I saw my Dad’s car pull into the driveway.   He was followed by Coach Richmond.  I thought that was odd, because other than going to same church as the Richmond’s, my family had nothing to do with Coach Richmond and his family socially.  In fact, I don’t think my parents even had any friends who associated with them, outside of church people. 

I opened the door to see if I could hear what was being said.  Coach Richmond started the conversation as soon as he was greeted, “Reverend and Mrs. Morrison, I came to see if Seth is ill.  He hasn’t been to school or tennis practice for three days.”

My father didn’t hesitate, “Marv, there's nothing wrong with him physically, but he has a lot of mental problems.  He’s been confined to his room for some attitude adjustment.  He shouldn’t be permitted to move about in normal society.  He told us that he was gay because of Meg’s and my genes.  He needs psychological help.”

Coach Richmond’s voice showed now emotion, “I’d like to talk to Seth.  If you deny me the opportunity to speak with him, then I’ll call the authorities and have them come and check on Seth.”

My mother’s voice was definitely raised, “Mr. Richmond, you have no right to tell us what we should do with our son.  You should be home worrying about your own mob.  They aren’t exactly model children.”

Coach Richmond was almost whispering, “Mr. and Mrs. Morrison, I don’t think you understood what I said.  I said I wanted to the opportunity to talk to Seth, and I mean now.  I’ll not only call the social service people, but I’ll inform the Council at the church meeting tonight what happened here at the house this afternoon.  Now, am I going to have the opportunity to talk Seth or do you want to be looking for a new job in the morning?”

I heard my father mutter, “Go ahead and talk to the deviant.  No one is going to take your word against mine.  You’re just a dumb high school teacher.”

“That may well be, Reverend Morrison, but I haven’t lost touch with reality and what’s going on around us, as you and your wife obviously have done.  I’m going to talk to Seth whether you approve or not.  Go ahead and call the authorities.  They’ll have a field day with the two of you, for what you have been doing to Seth.”

I heard Coach Richmond start up the stairs so I went to sit down at my desk as if I had been studying.  I expected him to walk right in since the door was open.  Instead, there was a knock on the door, “Seth, may I come in, please?

I turned to look at him, “Coach, that’s the first time anyone has ever asked my permission to enter my room.”

“Seth, what are you saying.  That can’t be the first time someone has asked permission to enter your room.”

I nodded, “Coach, my parents not only walk into my bedroom unannounced even when the door is closed, they have even walked into the bathroom unannounced, regardless of what I might be doing.  I guess they are making sure that I’m so paranoid that I wouldn’t dare do what normal teenage boys might do.”

Coach started to say something, but my stomach grumbled, saying it was hungry.  Coach Richmond took the conversation in an entirely different direction, “Seth, you sound as if you're starving.  When was the last time you had something to eat?”

“I had a half of meatloaf sandwich for lunch when my mother put it outside my door.”

“What do you mean she put it outside your door?”

“Coach, ever since I was banished to my room, they have been bringing me my food and placing it outside my door, like I was in a dungeon in olden times.  The meals have been about as meager as the convicted criminals might have been served in medieval times, as well.  Today for breakfast, all I had was a bowl of instant oatmeal without any sugar or milk.  I couldn’t force it down even though I was starving.”

I was standing by my chair.  Coach Richmond totally surprised me, he hugged me so tight that I could hardly breathe, “Seth, I had no idea how your parents were treating you.”

I totally lost it and began to cry, “Seth, what did I do or say that is causing you to cry?”

“Coach, you don’t understand.  It’s been a long time since anyone made me feel as if they might care about me.”

That was all she wrote and I began to shed tears everywhere.  The Coach was finally able to get me settled.  He had me sit on the bed and pulled up the chair, “Seth, I want to hear what started this entire fiasco.”

I explained about the coke and the reaction of my mother had when she saw the coke, the subsequent prayer that my father said and the discussion of my being gay.  Coach Richmond was shaking his head, “Seth, I knew that your parents were ultra conservative, but I didn’t realize how un-Christian like they had become.  Go wash your face and put on some jeans and a tee shirt.  I’m going to take you home with me and try to figure out what needs to be done.”

“Coach, I don’t own a pair of jeans and the only tee shirts I own have a Christian logo on them.  The only decent clothes I have are just like what I’m wearing now.”

“Seth, surely you’re kidding.”

“No, sir, I’ve never had the opportunity to pick out my clothes and heaven forbid that I should be entrusted with any money.  I even have to pack my lunch, when I’m permitted to go to school.”

“Seth, we’re leaving.  Your parents aren’t going to be happy, but so be it.  I can’t believe that they profess to be such devout Christians and their actions toward you prove that they are anything but.  Let’s get out of here.  We’ll find you something more comfortable at the house.”  

To be continued...

Editor's Notes:  Well, everyone, I see we have been treated to another wonderful story.  Seth seems to be a wonderful boy.  I certainly can't say anything nice about his parents.  I hope that the coach can help him out and out of that horrid place.  As the coach said, Seth's parents are anything but Christians.  I can hardly wait for the next chapter of this very interesting and emotional story.

Darryl AKA The Radio Rancher 

Posted: 10/29/10