Westpoint Tales - Entangled Tales, 108 - Justin, Billy & Jeremy

(This is the last of Entangled Tales - for now. More Westpoint Tales to follow).


Justin tried not to worry. Billy was a big boy and he was only with his cousin, wherever they were. But, dammit! He was worried and he was getting upset. Where the hell were they?

This Casey was going to get a piece of his mind. Who did she think she was – swooping in here and taking his Sunny-boy away?

By the time it got dark he was getting frantic. The Carvers hadn’t heard from them; they’d let him know if they did. So would the police and the radio news. Jonathan said, yes, of course he’d take Justin to go and get Billy, if he told him where to go, of course they’d go and get him. Justin didn’t fucking know where he was! That was the problem, wasn’t it?

Claire wanted him to come and watch a movie, but he wasn’t interested. He just wanted to sit at home and glare at his silent telephone. That was fine then.

Finally! It was late morning the following day when he heard a noisy motorbike pull up in the street below his window.

He leapt up from the bed and ran to the window, just in time to see it pull away and wheel around the corner into Brigham Street. A big, black, motorbike with a black-helmeted and black-leather clad rider.

He turned and sat on the window-sill, arms folded, and waited for Billy to appear. He was not happy.

He waited and waited until, when he was about to go and look for him, the door opened and Billy came in.

“Hello, Justin.” He walked across to the bathroom.

“Hello Justin! Over 24 hours and that’s all I get? Hello Justin!!! Where the hell have you been? Why didn’t you call? Where were you?”

“Don’t, Justin. Please, just leave it. I couldn’t call you, Casey took my cell. She smashed it.”

“She what? What would she do that for? Why didn’t you stop her? Are you a wimp or something?”

“Yeah, I’m a wimp. Justin, I’m cold, I’m tired and I’m dirty – really dirty. I just want to have a long, hot shower. Can’t we just leave it? I don’t want to talk about it, not yet.”

“Well, I do want to talk about it! Where have you been? I’ve been going out of my mind. Didn’t you think I’d be worried about you? Don’t you care? You don’t look dirty to me.”

“Well I am. I need to shower. We’ve been in Nelson. I’ll tell you later, okay?”

“No, it’s not okay! I want to know now!” He yelled.

“Well, tough! I’m not telling you!” Billy yelled back. He was tired, he was upset and Justin was not helping, Billy’s temper flared.

“Leave me alone! I need to clean myself. I had sex with Casey. That’s right – I fucked her and now I just want to wash it off, and then I’m leaving. I’ll go and stay with Ma.”

“You what? You fucking WHAT?? Fine then. Go to Ma’s. Go and dirty her shower, you’re not using mine.”

Justin sank down, sat on the end of the bed and stared at the floor.

“It’s your shower now, is it? I will then. I will shower at Ma’s. At least I know that she loves me.”

Billy looked around. He emptied out the laundry basket, took out the liner-bag and started filling it with his clothes. Justin sat and stared at the floor, he was not crying but Billy was. Dammit! He didn’t want to, but he was.

As he packed, he kept glancing at Justin, looking for some sign, but there was none.

“That’s it then, it’s over. I’m sorry, Justin, I do love you.”

“Love? Looks like you love your cousin more!”

He finished filling the bag, stood and slung it over his shoulder. He looked at Justin, looking for a sign, any sign. His eyes were filled with tears and his heart was breaking in two. He loved this boy.

“Oh, Justin! This is goodbye then.”

Justin looked up and looked at him through the square formed by his linked fingers. He was crying now as well.

“What are you doing?” A hope rose in Billy.

“Making memories.”

“Memories?”

“Memories. That’s all I’ve got now.”

“I love you, Justin.”

“Love? You don’t know what love is. Cheater!”

“I didn’t cheat, I wouldn’t do that.”

“Why did you fuck her then?”

“I didn’t want to. I was raped. She raped me, Justin.”

“What? Bloody nonsense! How could she rape you?”

“With drugs. She drugged me, stripped me, tied me down and raped me. Happy now?”

“Drugs?” Justin stood up and cried, “Oh, Billy! I’m so, so sorry, Sunny.”

Billy dropped the bag of clothes and fell into his arms. They stood and cried together.

Billy backed off, wiped his eyes and looked at him. “Do you. . ? Could you, still want me?”

“Of course I bloody want you! I love you, Billy.”

“Oh, Justin! I love you so much!”

There was a happy ending to this sorry episode. Ten months later, Connors arrived to work early in the morning and she almost tripped over a large package left at the back door to the hotel.

In the oldest cliché in the book, a blond-haired, blue-eyed baby was left on their doorstep. The note, addressed to Billy, read :

“Billy, I’m sorry, Cuz. I’m really sorry for what I did to you. I was trying to save you – to make you a man. I guess that you showed me.

This here is the result of that night. Meet your son. He’s 3 weeks old and he’s named Jeremy Carver. I can’t keep him; you can or – if you don’t want him, give him to Ma. She will raise him.

Once again, I’m sorry. I’m going away and I won’t be back. Goodbye Billy. Say hello to your Justin and tell him that I’m sorry to him too. Casey.”

Billy kept him. They raised him. The unwanted baby grew up with two fathers and a large family who loved him.

("Whose turn is it to change the baby?"

"Yours, if he's shit himself."

"That's okay, I don't mind. It's a honour and a privilege. It's an honour and a privilege."

"Keep saying it and you might believe it!"

"Shut up!")