Chapter 13
With the impending Holidays at hand, Paul is getting the Thanksgiving Day Dinner ready, and Tom was setting the table. From Halloween, the house has been transformed into a showplace, a house with style and grandeur. With all new curtains, some new King Louis Style Furniture, new rugs, and all the wood meticulously polished, the house looked as if it was new. The Walnut woodwork was given a new luster with their efforts in creating a masterpiece home. The windows all were sparkling, and shown brilliantly with the efforts of the men and the hours of painstaking cleaning done in the house since Halloween. The Dinning room was filled with the beautiful Walnut dinning room set they found at an Estate Sale a few weeks ago, in a way, Tom missed the coffin table that was there for Halloween less than a month ago. Tom started setting up the table with the antique china they bought at the Estate Sale along with the table and chairs. Tom stood back and surveyed his job on the tables appearance. The Chandelier recently re-guilded was the centerpiece of the the Dinning room and glowed of it's own beauty. The shimmering of the flicker bulbs they bought to supply light to the 15 socket light fixture was only enhanced by over 200 pieces of antique crystal. The table was all a glitter with shimmering light from the lights above as Tom stood in the Living room staring at the sight in awe. He thought of his Mom, and how she would just love to be the hostess to a dinner with a table like this. He beamed with pride that the one thing his mother taught him about etiquette was how to set a table properly, and the proper way to use all the utensils too. The only thing that was missing from the tables appearance was the food and the guests who would be arriving in an couple of hours or so. Tom went and set up the camera on the tripod to take a picture of the dinning room when he heard a crash and Paul screaming "SHIT!" Tom raced thru the Dinning Room, thru the butlers pantry, and flung open the swinging door. The sight that met his gaze was not a sight that neither lover wanted to ever see. While Paul was pulling out the Goose to glaze it, the oven rack had slipped from it's track and dropped the pan containing the bird onto the floor spilling it's contents around Paul's feet.
Paul looks up to Tom who is standing in the doorway, with tears rolling down Paul's face he asks, "Now what the fuck do we do?"
Tom looks over his lover and asks, "did you get burned?"
"I don't think so," Paul replies with tears streaming down his cheeks. "But what about the Goose?"
Tom walks over and grabs a pair of Tongs and a long carving fork to pick the Goose back up and puts it in the pan, Paul grabbing the pan to set it up on the counter Tom grabs another pair of oven pads, picks up the oven rack and puts it back on it's track in the oven, closes the door and looks at Paul. "Make up some more glaze and continue."
Paul is horrified. "WHAT!" He exclaims.
Tom leaning on the counter with a bit of a smirk on his face, "Let me quote Julia Child, "and that is why there is only one cook in the kitchen at a time!"' He said in a bad mimic of her voice.
Both men started to laugh and hugged each other. Paul grabbed a bowl and started to make another batch of the glaze as Tom started to clean up the mess on the floor.
After the mess had been cleaned up, Tom came up behind his lover and gave him a hug. "When you get that bird back in the oven, come into the Dinning room, I have something to show you."
"Ok Love," Paul replied as he turned his head and kissed Tom.
Tom went back into the living room to take the picture. Once that was done, he turned the lights off in the dinnigroom, dismantled the camera setup, put it away, fixed himself a drink, and stood by the light switch to turn it on the second after Paul entered. It wasn't long that Tom had to wait till he heard the door to the oven close and Paul spouting out, "now stay there bitch!" and the doors from the Butlers panty swung open and Paul asked, "What happened with the..." and Tom switched the lights back on in the room and Paul stood there with his mouth open in awe.
"Oh my god." Paul spoke barely audible standing there gazing at the magnificent table setting. Looking over at Tom leaning against the archway from the two rooms, Tom is wearing a pair of Black Silk Pants, a Black Silk Shirt, and a White Silk Blazer, holding a brandy snifter looking oh so delicious to his lover. "I don't honestly know what looks better, you or the table?" As he walks over to him, puts his arms around him and they kiss.
Paul breaks away, "do you think my Mother will like it?" Paul asks as he playfully pokes Tom in the ribs with his fingers.
"Stop that!" Tom retorts, as Paul turns to look again at the table standing with his back to his lover while in his lovers arms. "If I know your mother she will walk in the house, coo over the place, take one look at the table and do a fake fainting swoon, then will be a total bitch to your father for the rest of the night because SHE doesn't have anything near as nice as this."
Paul giggles, "You got that right." He sighs with his thoughts, "You know," Paul starts, "it's too bad your mother couldn't see this table, or this house, she would be so proud of you."
"You know," Tom states, "I was just thinking the same thing before the goose did a suicide jump.
"I really hope that it will be ok." Paul says his voice filled with slight giggles.
"It will be fine!" Tom hugs his lover from behind. "Say, what did your mother say about us, and coming to OUR house for Thanksgiving?"
"Oh," Paul starts breaking the embrace and walking around the table, "I didn't tell her about us, just that it was your house."
"What?!" Tom exclaims.
"Now now," as Paul is walking around the table surveying it like it was a museum piece, "I told Dad, about us, and he agreed that if Mom knew, she would never come. So... my Dad and I will break it to her hear." Paul looks over to Tom standing in the Archway, "and besides love, you know, if I would have told her, besides her not coming, all hell would have broken loose, and I don't need that now."
Tom looks over to Paul on the other side of the table while he is leaning on the back of one of the chairs with a very severe miffed look on his face, "and What do you think she will say about my Father' and his Lover'?" Tom looking over to Paul, "Saying NOTHING about Anita and Dor, and OUR baby!"
"Oh... Shit!" Paul realizing his massive mistake thinks quick and returns, "I'll take care of this right now!" Paul goes to the phone in the living room and dials his parents number. "Hello Dad, we need to talk."
Elizabeth Buller, or Liz to family and friends, was resting on the couch with her feet up on a pillow, a multitude of pillows stuffed behind her back so she could set up to read, her glasses pulled all the way down to the bottom of her nose, and her Bible in her lap. Max Buller, her husband, looked at his wife from the other room and said to himself, "this ain't gonna be no easy task." Walks over to her side, bends down and kisses her on her forehead.
"Why Max, thank you," Liz replies to the tender touch of affection, "and what do I owe the honor of this most surprising bit of tenderness?" Liz knew better for Max had never been an affectionate husband out side of the bedroom. Growing up in the Mid West, his parents never showed affection to each other, and very rarely to the children.
"Scoot over a bit Liz, we need to talk." Max takes a small part of the cushion next to her on the couch and looks into her face. A face that has only changed a small amount since they were married 39 years ago. A bit tired, gray has replace a lot of the vibrant Red Curls that she had as a young woman, but still very beautiful, and very attractive lady. "There is something that we need to discuss about today before we go to Tom's for supper."
Liz closes her Bible and looks into her husbands face. She can tell he is having trouble bringing up the subject with her, and she knows that this must be something important. "Max, spit it out, you know I don't like it when you dottle."
"Al right Liz, I'll just blurt it out," Max says as he stands up, "but first... can I get you a brandy, I think you might need it." He turns and walks over to the wet bar and pours two brandy's, one for his wife, and one for himself.
Walking back over to the couch, Liz's eyes were wide and wild with expectation. She takes the Snifter as Max sets back down beside her. "We are not just going to Tom's for supper tonight, we are going to Tom's and Paul's house they own together, there will be two other couples there, Doreen and Anita who are lovers, and..." Max takes a swig of his brandy, "we will also be meeting Tom's Biological Father their too with his Lover Bill." Max looks over to his wife, she has this strange look of almost complete stoicness to her that makes Max really fear the next statement. "Tom and Paul are Lovers, and they are adopting the illegitimate baby of Doreen's to raise as their own." Max swigs the rest of his brandy and looks at his wife, still expressionless.
Liz sets there for a few minutes just staring at her husband with the brandy glass in her hand, takes the glass to her mouth and downs the full contents in one gulp. "So... I am finally gonna be a Grandmother!"
Sitting on the couch, Ike impatiently waits for Bill to finish getting ready. Looking at his watch knowing that they are only five blocks away and they have more than enough time to get there, he really wants to spend some time with Tom and with Dor before Paul's parents get there.
"What's taking so long Bill?!" Ike screams out for an answer that doesn't come. He gets up and starts out of the Living room when Bill comes out of the lower level of the house carrying a large box.
"We can't go to supper empty handed!" Bill states as he sets down a case of their best wine that has been aging in the wine vault.
Ike walks over to the box, looks in and pulls out a bottle, "Mmmm, I guess you are right, " Ike says, "at least you did pick the best we have." As Ike puts the bottle back in the box and starts to grab it to carry it to the car.
"NOT!" Bill screams out while pushing the box back to the table. "You ain't going to carry anything this heavy!"
"Bitch!" Ike proclaims.
"And Lovin' every minute of it!" Bill states as they head to the door of the house.
Once the wine is safely tucked away in the trunk of the Lincoln, Ike looks up to Bill. "Here I was screaming at you to hurry up and I forgot something!" He leans over to Bill and gives him a kiss and walks back into the house. Once the door is closed, he turns and peeks out the side window to see if Bill is following. Rushes over to the phone and dials.
"Dr. Marshals answering service." The voice answers as the phone call is received.
"Yes, this is Isaiah Johansen and I need to leave a message for Dr. Marshall, Please ask him to call for a routine check up as soon as possible. Tell him that I think that I may be having problems with the Transplant."
"Well sir," the voice replied, "If you are having problems with your transplant, you need to go to Emergency immediately."
"Not drastic problems, but I don't want my partner to know about my feelings, I'm experiencing some very speratic twinges of pain and discomfort in my back and abdomen. Please, relay this message for me and have the dr call me back to initiate a routine checkup."
"Ok Mr. Johansen, I will relay the message."
"Thank You, and happy Thanksgiving." Ike hangs up the phone and checks his pocket for his medication, then heads out the door.
Opening the car door and getting in, Bill looks over to Ike, "What did you forget?"
Ike looks over to his lover and pats his pocket, "My medication." Faking a sheepish look so as not to arouse suspicion.
Bill looks over to Ike as he starts up the car and revs up the engine slightly, "You'd forget your balls if they weren't already hangin' between your legs!" As he puts the car in gear, backs out of the drive and heads down Stiner to Tom and Paul's house for Dinner.
Paul and Tom are busy in the kitchen dishing up the food into the serving set that matches the China service, the Goose looks heavenly as it lay amidst a bed of Green and Read Kale with cranberries haphazardly thrown around the bottom. Placing everything in the Butlers pantry the Sound of the Door bell rings thru the house.
"I'll get it." Tom says as he pushes thru the entrance of the pantry, thru the dinning room, then the parlor, and into the entry, their first guests to arrive are Ike and Bill, and as Tom is closing the door he see's Dor and Anita driving up. All in the house they are sitting there making small talk while Ike and Dor are off in the window seat talking privately.
"I think your parents are hear Paul." Ike announces from the Bay Window as they get up to walk out to join the others.
Tom and Paul enter the Foyer and open the door to great Liz and Max.
"Hello Mom," Paul greats his mother with a hug and kiss, with Tom right behind him, "Hi Mom," as he joins Paul in giving her a hug and kiss. Both men stand back a step from Liz as she holds each of their arms with a big smile.
SMACK! SMACK!! Liz brings her hands up and slaps both Tom and Paul across their faces, looks at both of them and says. "I raised you two to be honest with us for everything, did you really think that just because others say that "gay" is wrong that I would condemn you two? I love you both like I would if I had given birth to both of you instead of just one of you. Don't EVER think that I would not love you unconditionally! And besides," Liz continues, "if you decide that the two of you are gay and want to share a life together, then I think that each of you have chosen the best man you could have chosen. I love you two more than life it's self." With this little speech out of the way, and everyone still with an expression of shock on their face, Liz burst's into tears and grabs both of them and hugs them tightly.
"Al right Liz," Max interjects in this tender moment, "If you don't stop, the foods gonna get cold." A light chuckle comes out of everyone and Tom steps back and takes Liz's hand and starts with the introductions.
"Mom," Tom starts, "this is Doreen and her partner Anita."
Dor and Anita reach out their hand to shake Liz's as Liz pulls them both close for a hug. While releasing them both but still hanging on to Dor a bit Liz announces, "So this is the wonderful lady that is going to make me a Grandmother."
Dor blushes as Anita gets a cold shiver up her back from the overt friendliness of Paul's Mother. "Yes, but please, call me Dor."
"And Mom," Tom continues, "this is my father Ike Johansen and his partner Bill Torgel."
Both men reach out their hands to Liz and both receive a big hug. Max is standing back behind his wife totally perplexed at her show of emotion, hoping that there is not something backhanded behind his wife's attitude.
"Max told me all about the story of you and Tom's Mother, I only can say that I am glad that you and Tom are able to get to know each other as father and son." Liz stops, looks at Bill and says... "Torgel, Torgel....TORGEL!" William Torgel?" She exclaims, "You had a long running column in the newspaper didn't you?"
Bill blushes a bit as Ike is relishing in the attention Bill is receiving. "Yes Mrs. Buller, I am William Torgel."
"Oh Please, call me Liz!" As she takes Bills arm, "Is supper ready boys?" As she guides Bill to the Dinning room not really knowing where it is, but totally captivated that she has the arm of a local Celebrity and rambles on in conversation with Bill, "Oh you must sit by me during supper, I have a million questions for you. Bill looks back at Ike as Ike is about to burst out laughing, for the first time in a very very long time, Bill will not be able to get a word in on his own behalf, Bill is the one that is being held as a verbal prisoner by someone else instead of him being the assailant.
Paul reaches over to the light switch and turns on the Dinning room light as Liz stops talking in mid sentence and Gasps!
"Max!" Liz sternly calls her husband.
Max looks at the boys as they are desperately trying not to laugh. "Yes Love, we will talk when we get home, alright."
"Hmmmm," is all Liz can say as she stares at the table before her.
With everyone selecting a seat, Tom stands and clears his throat. "When I was growing up, my father would stand at this approximate spot and ask us all for what we were thankful for. Looking around the table, I can see the answer that is so strongly evident here today, and that is Love." As Tom looks over to Paul as Paul stands and takes his Glass.
"A Toast," Paul proclaims, "To Love."
"Amen!" Liz stands and almost shouts.
All guests stand and raise their glasses to the toast, click glasses with everyone, and then with their spouses, drink, and Dinner is served.
Paul and Tom start to bring out the bowls and the assorted dishes of food, only followed by the Goose. Tom places it at the end of the table and with a look to everyone starts his second speech. "It is customary for the head of the household to do the carving, but tonight, I'd like to break with tradition, and ask My Father to carve this Goose." As Tom looks over to Ike who has a tear streaking down his face. "Dad, will you do the honors?"
Ike while pushing away from the table, "It will be my pleasure." Ike stands and grabs his side with a twinge of pain. "Ouch," everyone turns and looks at Ike, "must have slept wrong this afternoon." Everyone bought his explanation but Tom, he looked on to his Father as Ike gave him and unconvincing smile trying to portray that everything is alright.
With Dinner over, all were sitting around the table talking, Liz still monopolizing the conversation with Bill, Bill loving every minute of the attention, the other party members sitting there enjoying some small talk.
"I have a bit of an announcement and a gift for our hosts." Anita stands and reaches into her jacket pocket and pulls out what looks like two identical Cigarette pouches and hands one to Tom, and the other to Paul. Both men are totally surprised at her genuine but rather odd gift.
"Well thank you Anita," Tom says reaching out for the metal case.
"But we don't smoke." Paul interjects.
"Oh you silly men, this not for smoking, this for looking, open up, you see." Anita says smiling from ear to ear.
"Whaaaaaa?!" Paul gasps as he opens the box.
"We," as Anita grabs Dor's hand, "thought you two would enjoy copies of the very first pictures of your child."
"Oh let me see my grand baby!" Liz squeals as she stands and looks over Paul's shoulder.
"Ouch!" Dor says as she stretches. "I think I ate too much and this little bugger is telling me to give it some room!"
Liz jumps over to Dor and extends her hand, "May I?" Dor nods yes as Liz puts her hand on Dor's stomach.
"So whats the Sex?" Ike asks excitedly.
"We don't know," Dor explains, "the little one would not show us or even let us get a glimpse, guess it is gonna be extremely modest."
"It's a Boy!" Liz proclaims, "I've never been wrong yet!" "Do you have any names picked out?" As she looks over to Tom and Paul for an answer.
Paul looks at Tom, "We have a few ideas, but will announce them when the baby is born." Both men look at each other and kiss.
The evening goes on with small talk around the table talking about the baby, and Ike and Bill, about Dor and the role she will play in the child's life, and all the spoiling that Grandma Liz will do. Max jokingly calls Liz Granny as Liz turns to look at her husband pushing her glasses down her nose and calls him Gramps. Everyone at the table breaks out into raucous laughter, Ike included but stops when the pain comes searing back and he grabs his side. Nobody noticed the episode with Ike, nobody except Tom. This time he knew something was wrong and was rightfully so, fearing the wost, the worst being that he was rejecting the Kidney after all these months.