When Souls Fly Free chpt 14
NOTE TO READERS "~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~"<---this once again represents a sudden change in time or setting J
The two boys stepped out of the shower, with drops of shower water clinging to their bodies. They took turns drying each other off and playfully flirting. Mrs. Grenier was downstairs, cooking up the aroma of southern grits and fried green tomatoes. The night went on as the Grenier family welcomed Terell to their table and enjoyed the evenings meal with the sight of Alabama night stars peering in through one of the kitchens windows. As the night progressed they finished their plates and placed them in the kitchen sink sighing with full stomachs in total satisfaction. An unspoken discomfort fell upon Mr. and Mrs. Grenier as they watched Marcus and Terell jog upstairs after their goodnight greetings. Mr. Genier looked at his wife with a sense of worry.
"I'll tell him tomorrow" Mrs. Grenier said shortly as she turned around and diverted her attention to washing dishes.
"Well alright then, but don't you beatin around the bush about it like you usually, Marcus is a grown man...just be honest with him" Mr. Grenier stated as he picked up the rest of the dishes from the table and brought them to the kitchen. "As a matter of fact, you better rest yourself and get to bed misses".
"But these dishes got to get done" Mrs. Grenier replied.
"Alabama ain't gonna fall apart if you skip one night!, honey you work yourself too hard...you should be resting especially now" Mr. Grenier stated.
"Oh alright...you win" Mrs. Grenier replied harshly plopping down a wet washcloth beside a pile of soiled dishes. Mrs. Grenier, untied her apron and hung it on the refrigerator door handle and began to head upstairs. "So what do you of Terell?" she asked her husband
"Seems like a mighty fine young man, Marcus seems to have taken a likin to him" Mr. Grenier replied.
"I can see that...just between you and me...I think he's in love" Mrs. Grenier boldly stated, waiting to see what her husbands reaction might be with smirk on her face. Mr. Grenier paused for a moment, he always accepted his son, one of the older southern men who hadn't clung to the "no faggots in my family" mind-frame. But found it hard to imagine his little boy involved with someone.
"Oh let's not go there now..." he replied lightly pinching his wife's side as they entered their bedroom to retire for the night.
The next day arrived with a cautious sense of awakening. Both Marcus and Terell woke up, got ready for the day, Marcus received a message from one of his employers asking how he'd been doing and Terell knew he had to be home to do chores around the house and have the "talk" with his mother about the letter. "Well babe, I'll catch ya later ok?" Terell said, lightly kissing Marcus on the cheek. "Ok hun" Marcus replied back. Terell disappeared downstairs and continued to head out the front door and continue with his day. Marcus was left to ponder whether or not to answer the message from his employer. "Screw it, I've done enough catering to their every call, they'll live". He thought to himself as he proceeded to slip on a grey t-shirt and blue jeans. As he organized the photos he had of him and Terell on his dresser...he heard a faint voice call him from down the hallway. "Marcus honey?" Mrs. Grenier called out. Marcus looked up from smoothing his shirt out and peered his head out of his bedroom doorway. "Yes mama?" Marcus answered back. "I need to talk to ya for a min sweetie" "Ok I'll be right there!" Marcus stepped out of his doorway and directed himself at the 1st doorway to the left, his mothers bedroom. At the moment Marcus entered, he felt the mood around him change. He saw the look on his mothers face and immediately became serious. "What is it mama?"Terell saw his mothers car in the front driveway and softly sighed to himself as he knew what was about to happen. He grasped the partially rusted and golden door handled and turned it, opening the front door. He took a few solitary steps into the kitchen, hearing the sound of the rubber soles of his shoes making contact with the linoleum floor.
"Terell, is that you?" his mother said from the living room, sitting patiently in her lounge chair.
"Yeah it's me mama" Terell replied as he stood under the entry way to the living room giving his mother a somewhat solemn look. Mrs. Jackson pointed at the couch next to her signaling Terell to sit next to her. He sat down on the 70's style brown colored couch that stuck out like a sore thumb in 2005.
"Mama, I've been doin some thinkin" Terell eeked out. " I don't want that man back in our lives...he left, without even saying goodbye..."
"Yes I know Terell..., I'm just don't want you being angry at for the rest of your life" Mrs. Jackson said, conflicting feelings were rumbling around in her head as she carefully began to compose her next thought." But, hun...maybe if you just tried to contact him, maybe you could settle somethings with him..."
"Are you kidding me?!" Terell retorted, feeling the heat rise in his neck." He just leaves us and after what...over ten years of not giving a shit you think I can just call him up and everythings ok?!?!"
"You better watch your mouth boy! I taught you better than those four letter words" Mrs. Jackson snapped back Terell calmed down a bit.
"Ok I know that...but mama, I'm not a little boy anymore"
"Whats gotten into you lately?...you know ever since you been hangin out with Marcus you been acting different...is there anything you wanna tell me?..." Mrs. Jackson inquired, avoiding the direct "are you gay" question.
"What do you mean by acting different?...what because now I actually have a friend it's weird for me to be happy or something?" Terell defiantly replied.
"Terell don't be rediculous, that's not what I mean... It's just that..." Mrs. Jackson paused for minute. "Well, Marcus seems to like you...a lot...". A twenty pound lump developed in Terells throat as he realized his mother was becoming suspicious of his relationship with Marcus. He knew he had to keep it a secret at all costs.
"Oh mama please it ain't like that" Terell replied. "Marcus and I are just friends"
" I seen the way Marcus looks at you sometimes Terell, don't look like friendship to me..." Mrs. Jackson retorted irritatingly plopping her crossword puzzle down beside her.
"Ok, how did we get to this I thought we were talking about dad?" Terell replied with a confused look on his face.
" I dunno Terell...somethin just ain't right here". Terell let out a sigh and got up from the couch and began to walk towards the staircase.
"Mama, can we just drop this please" Terell stated as he began to head for his room.
"Don't you walk away from me!" Mrs. Jackson exclaimed. But it was too late, Terell persisted upstairs and she was interrupted by the sound of the telephone ringing.
"Ugh" Mrs. Jackson sighed as she rested her forehead on one of her palms for a few seconds, then shook herself back into reality and went to answer the phone.
"Come sit down next to me" Mrs. Grenier patted the space on the mattress beside her. Marcus reluctantly sat down beside her. Mrs. Grenier reached over and grabbed Marcus's hand and held it. "Honey I'm afriad I got some not so good news..." Mrs. Grenier said in her low grovely southern accent. Marcus had a strong suspicion of what she was about to say but let his mother speak nonetheless." The hospital called back with the results, they found a tumor...but it's benign". Marcus heaved a sigh of relief. "Oh thank god" he said as he leaned over to hug his mother. "Where did they find it?" "They found it on mah gallbladder, it ain't so bad people have their gallbladders taken out like tonsils" Mrs. Grenier said as she tried to laugh and lighten up the mood. "How can you say it like that mama?" Marcus rebutted half giggling and half worried out of his mind. "When do you go back..." Marcus asked. "I'm scheduled in 3 days" Mrs. Grenier replied. She paused to notice Marcus still looking at her with that worried look on his face. She took both of her hands and placed them on the sides of his face." Hey, listen everything is gonna be alright ok?...don't you worry" she said consolingly as she gently placed a kiss on Marcus's forehead, displaying the true nature of a strong southern mother. "Besides, I'm gonna need someone to tend to mah roses while I'm away". "I suppose dad and I can take care of that" Marcus replied willingly." " Besides, YOU need to stop working yourself so hard out there...I know I've said it a million times but I don't care" "Yeah yeah yeah..." Mrs. Grenier replied rolling her eyes "Alright now, go on and wash up for lunch now" "Alright...how ya feelin?" Marcus asked. "I'm doin just fine sweetie now go on" Mrs. Grenier said not mentioning the slight pain she felt on her right side where the tumor was, she opened one of her dresser drawers and pulled out a spare bottle of painkillers she had saved since her last trip to the hospital and popped two of the pills in her mouth.Back in his room, Terell shook off the uncomfortableness of the discussion he had just had with his mother. He took a few moments to center himself and looked around his room. Thoughts of his father began to enter his mind. He was flooded with changing feelings, he felt a strange sort of forgiveness come over his heart as he bent down to his floor and peeked underneath his bed. He reached underneath and pulled out a flattened piece of paper that looked like it was once crumpled up into a ball. It was the letter his father had sent him. He had secretly kept it in his room all this time, he had never actually thrown it away. Some part of him, despite the rageful anger he felt towards him, wondered what it would be like to communicate with him. It was as if a clock turned his soul back into a child needing his father as he picked up his cordless phone. It seemed as thought 2 hours had passed with every stroke of the keypad while dialing the number. The ringing on the other end of the line was haunting to Terells ears.
"Hello" a mans voice answered on the other line. Terell stuttered.
" Is..um Marcia there?" Terell asked...apparently faking a wrong number call...the courage to ask for Marvin Jackson gone completely out the window.
"No I'm sorry you have the wrong number" the voice said before quickly hanging up.
"Oh man why am I doing this..." Terell asked himself, only to be overpowered by curiosity again. He began to dial information...
"Hello, what city and state please" a nasaly operator answered on the other line.
" Montgomery Alabama...but I don't have a name I have a number...would it be possible to find out what name the number is listed under?" Terell inquired nervously.
"Let me check with my supervisor sir........." a long pause insued "Hello?...um...yes I believe I can do that for you sir what is the number?. Terell soon gave her the number, waiting impatiently.
"Sir, it looks like that number is listed under a Marvin Jackson" the operator said. Terell was still with emotion...and speechless.
"Sir?...hello?...are you there?..."
"Yes ma'am sorry about that...um...thank you very much" Terell replied hanging up the phone. A tear began to well in his eye as he flopped onto his back on his bed and silently wept for the next few minutes, in shock of the experience of hearing his fathers voice...one which he hadn't heard in over ten years...
OK guys...hope the story is getting really good for you all!...you know what to do! hit me up at DefJamMariah85@aol.com for feedback!!*