It Started With a Coke
by: E Walk
(© 2009-2011 by the Author)
 

The author retains all rights. No reproductions are allowed without the author's consent. Comments are appreciated at...

Chapter 10

Finding a Home

Tim and Susan came to pick me up at the appointed time at Dr. Wood’s house.  When we arrived at the Morrow house, Mr. and Mrs. Morrow welcomed me.  Mrs. Morrow announced, “Dinner is ready.  Seth; why don’t you sit down next to Tim while Susan helps me put the things on the table.”

After Mr. Morrow said a prayer of thanks, Mrs. Morrow started to pass the serving dishes.  Mrs. Morrow apologized, “Seth, I'm sorry, but I didn’t realize that we were going to have company, for dinner, or I would have fixed something fancy.”

I chuckled, “Mrs. Morrow, this is fancy.  Any fancier and I would think I was in a palace dining room.”

Tim started to laugh, “See, I told you, Mom.  Seth’s sense of taste is in his eyes.  He doesn’t understand that you just pulled everything out of the freezer.”

Mr. Morrow feigned disgust, “Timothy, you’d better be careful or you will be going to bed without any dinner.”

This banter was a far cry from what dinner time was like at my house.  Everyone was talking cordially, and they even included me in their conversation.  It was not anything like dinner was at home, where my parents dominated and controlled the conversation and totally ignored me. 

We were eating dessert, homemade coconut cream pie, when the doorbell rang.  I looked around and no one seemed to be making an effort to answer it.  Mr. Morrow shook his head, “I can’t understand why people think they have to interrupt dinner time to try to sell something.”

The doorbell sounded again and Mr. Morrow threw down his napkin, “Tim, go see what’s so important that they won’t go away.”

As Tim was going to answer the door, the bell sounded two more times.  Mr. Morrow was shaking his head, “This had better be important or I’ll report whoever it is to the police for disturbing the peace.”

My parents came storming into the kitchen. My father was ranting, “Seth, get your things, we’re taking you home, so you will be away from this den of iniquity.”

I made no attempt to move, “Mr. and Mrs. Morrison, you’re interrupting this family’s meal.  I’m not going anywhere until I finish my dessert and help with the dishes.”

My father was relentless, “Seth, you know better than to talk back to me.  Besides, a decadent dessert like that is what faggots eat.”

Mr. Morrow moved so fast that I don’t think anyone was expecting what happened.  My father found himself sitting on the floor with a bloody nose. 

Dad was screaming, “Morrow, you’re going to pay for this.  I’ll sue you for everything you have.”

Mr. Morrow laughed, “Morrison, you’re even nuttier than I thought you were.  You came bursting into our home and called my family faggots.  I can’t help it if your wife doesn’t know how to cook other than what the dwindling membership of your congregation brings you to eat.”

I tried to stand, “Mr. Morrow, call the police and report what happened here.  I don’t want to cause you and your family any more grief.  Mr. and Mrs. Morrison, since you’re so intent on taking me home with you, where is it that I’m going to sleep, since I can’t go up and down stairs?

My mother sniveled, “We’ve cleaned out my sewing room for you, and you can sleep on the sofa bed.”

“Fine, but what bathroom facilities am I going to be using.  There are none adjacent to the sewing room?”

Dad grimaced, “You have to make do with the toilet on the first floor, until you decide that you aren’t hurt as badly as you claim.”

I decided to rub it in, “Does that mean I can walk right through the living room when you are having one of your hallowed meetings?  Oh by the way, I will have free access to the telephone.”

My mother moaned, “You’ve been gone only a couple of days and now you’re dictating what you will or will not do.”

I decided to add more salt to the wound, “I will certainly not be wearing those dress clothes to school any more.  They make me stand out and people think I’m someone I’m not.”

Susan entered the conversation, “Mr. and Mrs. Morrison, Seth has emerged from a shell, and people have found out that he’s not the dork that you keep trying to make him be.  Seth is probably more in touch with reality than either of you.  You seem to have forgotten that pastors and their children are humans, too.”

Tim, Susan and I cleared the table and took care of the dishes.  My parents were still standing in the middle of the kitchen, watching, while Mr. and Mrs. Morrow went to the family room without inviting my parents.  As we were finishing the dishes, Tim commented, “Seth, I’ll pick you up after school and take you to your therapy session with Mrs. Carson, and then I’ll take you home.  I wouldn’t want to impose on your parents, who don’t seem to give a darn about you.”

Dad started toward Tim.  I instinctively put up my crutch, “Mr. Morrison, I wouldn't do that, or the Morrows will have cause to file two suits against you, and you would surely lose.”

When I was finally in the car with my parents. It was a little cramped.  My dad started to enunciate the guidelines that I would be living under.

I was feeling feisty enough, “People, I am not going to be the yes/no person whom you are trying to make into your imaginary sinless person who will get you to heaven.  Faith doesn’t get you to heaven by itself.  People who demonstrate that they have compassion for others and expect nothing in reward are the persons who will be greeted in heaven.”

“Mother and Dad. I have attended the last church service at your church. I’m going to decide for myself where it is that I feel I belong.  Your church doesn’t have what I’m looking for.”

When we arrived at the house, Dad climbed out of the car and slammed his car door so hard that he cracked the driver’s side window, Mother turned to me, “Now see what you’ve made your father do?”

“Whatever you say, Mrs. Morrison.”

They left me to get out of the car with my crutches and my backpack.  I finally made it into the house, after a struggle.  It seemed that it didn’t matter which way I went into the house, I was going to be faced with steps.  I went to the sewing room and Mother followed me, “Don’t mess any of my things up.”

“Where am I going to put my clothes, or am I supposed to wear the same clothes to school everyday?”

Mother turned and slapped me on the face, “You will talk respectfully to me.  You can get your own clothes.”

“Oh great!  Not only am I going to have to crawl up the steps to get some clean clothes, but I’m going to have to have to get some bed linens, since you obviously didn’t have time to make up the sofa bed.”

“I want the sofa bed made in the morning, before you leave the house.  I may have some customers come and I don’t want them to see what a slob you are.”

As I was going up the stairs very slowly, one step at a time, I was seething.  ’These people only want me home to protect their images.  They don’t give a rat’s tail about me. I’m going to get out of here as soon as I can.  They’ve never been the best parents, but they seem to have gotten even worse.’

I threw my clean clothes and some bed linens down the stairs.  My mother yelled, “Seth, get down here and clean up this mess.  Your father has a meeting with some people from church in about twenty minutes.  We don’t want them to see what a slob you are.”

I wanted to yell back but I chose not to.  I was moving the things to the sewing room, as fast as I could when the doorbell rang.  My Dad went to answer the door.  “Ladies and gentlemen, you’ll have to excuse my son’s mess.  He’ll have it cleaned up in no time.”

Coach Richmond looked at me, “Seth, I thought you were going to be staying with Doctor Wood and Alex until you moved in with Mrs. Martz.”

“Coach, my parents decided that they needed me here to maintain the appearance that they are devoted parents.  They barged into the Morrow residence unannounced, during dinner, no less, and rudely demanded that I come home, since my mother cleaned up her sewing room enough so I that could sleep on the sofa bed.”

The Coach nodded, “The Morrows called me and told me what happened.  This is something we want to talk about tonight.  Why don’t you sit down and join the discussion?”

My Father jumped up, “Seth, has informed us that he wants nothing further to do with our church.  He’s going to go to hell for associating with people like Doctor Wood and his friend Alex.  The Morrows are a bad influence on him.”

Another of the members, Mrs. Clinton looked at my parents, “You people aren’t fit to be parents.  I happen to be friends with the Morrows, Doctor Wood and Alex.  Furthermore, I know that they practice their religious beliefs and are pleasing God much more than you two are.  They don’t go around spewing garbage about how everything is a sin.  They are trying to make things better for people.”

Dad pointed, “Seth, go to the sewing room.”

Coach Richmond countered, “Mr. Morrison, I asked him to stay.  I think he deserves to be privy to what we are about to tell the two of you.”

I stood against the mantle.  Coach Richmond started the meeting, “Please bow your heads for a word of prayer.”

After the prayer, Coach Richmond got right down to business. “The first order of business is to release Mr. Morrison from his commitment to the church.”

Dad yelled, “You can’t fire me.  I’ve been approved by the district to be the spiritual leader of your church.”

Coach Richmond stood, “Mr. Morrison, we have discussed this matter with the clerk of the District and he concurs that the best scenario would be for you to simply resign, to save what little credibility you have left.  We have uncovered some things that you have not been exactly truthful about,”

“Marv, what are you talking about?  I’ve always been honest in my dealings with the church.”

“Mr. Morrison, we didn’t indicate that you did anything improper, other than try to make Seth into someone who couldn’t possibly exist.  We’re concerned about your wife’s behavior.  We want to know why there have been men seen coming and going from the parsonage when there is no one else here except her.”

My mother screamed, “Mr. Richmond, you have a filthy mind.  I’ve done nothing wrong.  Those were tradesmen who were fixing things in this dilapidated manse.”

Mr. McGregor, one of the members of the committee, laughed, “That’s odd.  I was visiting Mrs. Martz, trying to convince her to come back to the church, and we were standing on the side of her house talking one day, when a man came out of this house.  We both heard him say, “Meg, sweetie, here’s your fee for today.  Pencil me in for next Thursday.  You’re still the best romp in the hay, around.”

Mother turned ashen and collapsed onto a chair.

Coach Richmond motioned to me, “Seth, let’s get your things and I’ll take you over to Mrs. Martz’s.  She’s expecting us.”

Coach Richmond turned as we were leaving, “Mr. Morrison, I suggest that you move quickly on your letter of resignation, before it becomes necessary for us to expose you and your wife for the phonies and hypocrites that you are.”

Dad took a parting shot at the visitors, “If you don’t like the way I’m running the church, why don’t you leave?”

Coach Richmond turned around, “Why should we be the people to leave?  Our ancestors built this church, and they didn’t build it so you, with your high and mighty ideas, could destroy it”

Mrs. Martz was waiting for us.  “Welcome, Seth.  Marv, put Seth’s things in the bedroom on the back of the left side so that the Morrison’s won’t be able to spy on him.”

Coach frowned, “I don’t think the Morrisons will be around much longer.”

Mrs. Martz shook her head. “Marv, I’m betting that Mr. Morrison isn’t going to be going anywhere.  However, I think we might see the departure of Mrs. Morrison.  I’ve always thought that she was actually the force behind vitriolic language that comes from Reverend Morrison’s mouth.  There’s some things about their relationship that have bothered me, and one of them is why don’t we ever see any of the older children?”

Coach Richmond announced that he needed to go home.  “Seth, I’ll talk to you tomorrow.  Let me know if you need anything at school.  Mrs. Martz, will you be able to get him to school.”

“Of course.”

After Coach Richmond had departed, Mrs. Martz took me to what was to become my bedroom.  “Seth, I think that everything is here that you might need.  If not, let me know.  There’s lots of food in the kitchen if you get hungry.  What would you like to have for breakfast?”

“Mrs. Martz, you don’t need to go out of your way to fix me breakfast.  I can grab a piece of toast and I’ll be fine.”

“Nonsense, there are frozen waffles in the freezer and there are lots of eggs in the fridge.  There’s also bacon in the meat drawer.”

“Mrs. Martz, you’re talking about things that we didn’t have at my home.  I don’t remember ever having French toast until this morning at Doctor Wood’s house.  My Mother’s idea of breakfast was a dish of instant oatmeal.”

When I awoke on Friday morning, I sat up with a start.  I was trying to gather my wits about me.  I suddenly remembered that I was in Mrs. Martz’s house.  I had slept in just my boxer shorts.   I maneuvered my way to the bathroom and took a sponge bath, as best as I could, since I didn’t have anything to cover my cast.  When I went to put on my slacks there was another problem.  I couldn’t get them on over my cast.

I wrapped my towel around my waist and hobbled to the kitchen where Mrs. Martz was working and something smelled really good.  “Ma’am, do you have some scissors or something that I can use to make it so that I can put on my trousers?”

“Of course, I’ll be there to help in just a minute.”

My mind was going a mile a minute, ‘What am I going to do?  Mrs. Martz is going to see my penis.’

Mrs. Martz came into the room with a pair of scissors.  She looked at me and the trousers I wanted her to cut open, “Seth, it seems so silly to ruin a pair of good trousers.  Why don’t you eat your breakfast while I run to Wal-Mart and get you some sweat pants and a sweat shirts to wear until we can get some clothes for that you that will work.”

Mrs. Martz departed and when she returned she handed me a large sack of clothes, “I didn’t know what you might like.  This will give you a choice of what you want to wear.  You don’t have time to wash them.  Cut the tags off and I’ll deliver you to school.  Don’t worry about the dishes.  I’ll take care of them.  You better move it or you’re going to be late.”

Mrs. Martz had bought me a running suit with zippers on the legs so it was easy to get dressed.  I put on a button down shirt and a jacket and I was pleased with how I looked.”

When I walked into the kitchen, Mrs. Martz’s comment, “Seth you look great, except for your dorky shoe;” took the wind out of my sail.

Mrs. Martz not only dropped me off at the high school.  She backed right up to the front door and yelled, “Someone, help get this invalid out of my car before I get a ticket.”

The door was opened by a guy I didn’t know, “You heard, the lady.  Get your butt out of the car before my grandmother gets a ticket”

I climbed out as fast as I could and thought to myself, ‘This was premeditated.’ 

To be continued...

Editor's Notes:

It certainly does seem to be taking quite a while before Seth can get his "parents" to stop abusing him.  Mrs. Martz is a very nice person. Hopefully, with Seth living with her, there will be somewhat fewer problems from the two ogres.

I think that the department of child services will figure out that Seth's "parents" are evil and shouldn't be allowed to have children in their house.  At least I hope so.

I am ready for more.

Darryl AKA The Radio Rancher

Posted: 03/11/11