The Future Awaits
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Chapter 13
The boys drop me off at the flat after classes one afternoon, and take off back to school for Mike to play in a pick-up soccer game between dorm teams. I start to fix dinner, expecting them most any time. When they're late, I go ahead and eat, irritated that they hadn't told me they wouldn't be in.
I'm finishing up grading a stack of lab reports when I hear a key in the door and look at the clock, almost nine. I'm ready to let them have it, but Mike comes in on crutches, the inside seam of his jeans slit to the knee to accommodate the cast on his left leg. "What the hell?" Then I see he's pale.
Tommy closes the door and helps him to the sofa. Mike drops the crutches and falls back heavily, while Tommy explains that he broke his leg playing soccer, so he drove him to the hospital. Mike looks thoroughly chagrinned.
I heat up their dinner, but Mike eats little, complaining he hurts. I give him a couple of Tylenol and help him get to bed.
"Thanks for looking out for Mike, but isn't the cell phone in the car? You should have called me," I tell Tommy.
He shrugs. "We had the car, so there weren't nothin' you could do."
Mike moves clumsily on his crutches at first, but finally catches the rhythm of using them, so I let him go to class. At noon he comes into my office sweating, and drops into a chair under the air-conditioning vent.
"Move to the other chair. With that air blowing directly on you, you may catch a cold."
"Feels so good I don't care if I do." But he moves. "Wish you'd told me how hard being on crutches is."
"You wouldn't have believed me. You said it looked easy."
"I know now. I'd rather use your peg-leg than these damn things. How'd you do it?"
"Doesn't take long to build up some endurance. Get along okay today?"
"After I remembered I had to use them." He grimaces. "Geez my leg itches, and I can't scratch with this damn cast."
I dig in the desk drawer and find the thin metal ruler I remembered seeing. "Here, use this."
Mike shoves it down the cast and moves it up and down with a smile of contentment. "Oh, man, that feels good. Can I keep this?"
"If you don't lose it. It belongs to Joynes."
Mike finds it awkward to drive with the cast, so he lets Tommy do the driving. I'm not in the least worried, because Tommy's as cautious a driver as always, but I am surprised when they come to my office a few days later, Mike grinning, and Tommy looking bashful.
"Tommy's got a question for you, dad." Mike says.
"Okay. Let's hear it."
Tommy blushes, but doesn't say a word. Mike's grin gets broader. "He's got a date tomorrow night and wants to use the car. You don't need it, do you?"
"Aw, I don't really need to," Tommy mutters.
"With whom?"
Tommy's face turns even redder. "Girl from English class," he finally manages to say. "We're … well … she asked me to take her to a movie."
"Yeah. Stud here finally broke down and talked to her." Mike teases. "Sure took him long enough."
"Back off, Mike. Your time's coming."
"Hope so. Got my eye on a cute blond in organic chemistry."
"Better keep your eyes on the book. That's not the easiest course you have, and I don't want your grades slipping."
"But, dad … ."
"You've plenty of time at your age. Now let's go."
After we grab a bite of lunch in the dining hall, we go home. I take Tommy into my bedroom and shut the door so I can have a private talk with him. He may be two years older than Mike, but he's years younger in a lot of ways. After a few questions I find myself giving him a lecture on safe sex. By the time I've finished and given him a pack of condoms, his face is flaming.
"I ain't … we was just going to a movie and maybe get a drink after."
"That may well be, but I don't want any accidents. Some of the girls are pretty aggressive. You have any money?"
"A little."
I know it's very little, so I slip him a couple of twenties. "Take this and have a good time."
"Thanks. You care if I bring her home before we go out?"
"It's usually the other way around, but I'd like to meet her."
The next afternoon, I put on slacks and a sweater, rather than my usual jeans and T-shirt. A little after six I hear Tommy's key in the lock, then he ushers in a girl with long black hair. She's as petite as he is lanky. No raving beauty, but she has a sweet face.
"This is Andrea McDonald, dad."
She's almost as shy as Tommy, but she shakes my hand and gives me a little smile. "I'm pleased to meet you, Doctor Torrence."
"And I you. Will you have a cup of coffee or a drink?"
"No, thank you, sir."
"We gotta be goin'," Tommy says.
"Have a good time, then. I hope I'll see you again, Andrea."
"Yes, sir."
Mike comes out of his room just as they are going through the door. He raises his eyebrows, and gives Tommy a broad grin and a wink. Tommy's face is pink as he shuts the door.
"Michael."
"Yeah?"
"Tommy was embarrassed enough; you didn't have to make it worse. It was nice of him to want to introduce Andrea to me."
"Where's the fun in having a brother if I can't tease him?"
"You know how shy he is. He may be older than you, but he hasn't had the advantage of a father to tell him a lot of things he should know."
Mike breaks into laughter. "You mean about sex? His face looked like a stoplight when he came in the room after you talked to him. I thought for sure he was going to croak when I saw that pack of rubbers you gave him."
I'm about to chuckle myself, but manage to stifle it. "Tor and I have been very open with you, though we did let Martha tell you the basics, because we haven't had experience with women. But you should have learned something from telling Tommy about us. He's just learning what you've known for a while, except he's having to learn about girls and having gay dads all at the same time."
"I guess it is kinda heavy for him."
"More than you realize. I don't want to hear a word from you if he teases you about your first serious date."
"Okay. Will you get me a Pepsi?"
"What are you, a cripple or something?"
"Guess I am right now."
I get up and ruffle his hair as I pass. "Poor baby."
I make Mike take a shower after I've wrapped his cast thoroughly with plastic food wrap and taped it to keep the cast dry. When he calls, I wash his feet, then get him settled down to his homework. "Not fair," he grumbles.
"What?"
"Making me study when Tommy's out having fun. I'll sure be glad when I get rid of this damn cast."
"And I'll be glad not to wait on you, so don't get too used to it."
"That's okay. Tor'll be here Friday. He'll take care of me."
"Don't hold your breath."
Tommy comes in a little after ten.
"What you doing home so early?" Mike asks.
"Andrea's got to study for a test tomorrow."
"Get any?"
Tommy's face turns scarlet.
"That's none of your damn business, Mike," I snap. "Besides, Andrea seems like a very nice young lady."
Tommy gives me a little smile. "She is. Guess what? She's part Cherokee, too."
"I'm glad for you. Does she come from the reservation?"
He shakes his head. "Charlotte. Her dad's a banker."
"Very good. I hope you get to meet him and talk about your finance studies. He can help you far more than I in deciding what courses you should take as electives."
"That's somethin' I want to talk to you about before I sign up for fall."
"Any time. Want something to drink?"
He shakes his head. "I gotta go do a little studying."
To be continued...
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