Westpoint Tales - The Last Time, 8

“I, umm,” Jonathan shrugged. “I think we could have handled that better.”

Claudette and Lana nodded at each other.

“Yeah, they are,” Lana said.

“I think you’re right. Well, it’s going to stop. We’re not having that.”

“What’s going to stop? You’re talking in riddles, Girls. What are they?”

“Get with it, Jonathan,” Lana said. “Your sons are gay and they’re having sex together.”

“Oh, I see. But is it really any of our business?”

“Damm right it’s our business! They’re our sons and we’re not having it. It’s not right.”

“Plenty of people would say that our lifestyle’s not right either, but it’s right for us.”

“Our lifestyle has got nothing to do with it. Lana, you and I are adults. They are not, they’re just boys and they’re brothers.”

“So? They’re not little kids anymore. They’re as old as we were when we all got together. I think that we should leave them alone. If it’s not right, then it won’t last. If it’s right for them, then it’s right.”

“It is not right, and that’s all there is to it. Where do you think you’re going, Jonathan? We need you to move the bedrooms around.”

“I’ll be back soon. I’ve got some business to take care of, uptown.”

Jonathan rushed out and Claudette turned to Lana. “He’s going to see Justin. I wish that, for once in his life, he could face something himself without calling on his brother for help.”

“Superboy does the same thing. They’re two halves of one whole and they need each other to function at their best.”

“They do. They’ve always been like that.”

“They have. Maybe Marty and Andy are going to be the same.”

“That I could handle. It’s the sex business I don’t like. It’s not right, brothers doing that together. It will end in tears.”

Jonathan went straight up the street to the Adelphi. Justin wasn’t there. Nobody knew where he was. Billy came in with the Sunday Papers.

“There you are. Billy, where’s Justin?”

“Good morning to you too. He’s not here, Jonathan, he’s gone for a run.”

“He spends half his bloody life running! At the Square? I’ll go around there.”

“You can go there if you want to, but he’s not there.”

“Where then? Come on, Billy, don’t play games; I have to talk to my brother.”

“Okay, okay! He went out to the cemetery, I think. He’ll probably come back by way of the North Beach, he usually does.”

“Dammit! I’ll have to go back and get the car then. I’m not up to running as far as he does.”

“Who is? Here,” Billy held out his keys. “Take my car. It’ll be quicker.”

“I will. Thanks, Billy, you’re a mate.”

He left, by the back-door, and Billy settled down with the papers and a coffee. He looked up and grimaced when Jonathan pulled out with a squeal of tyres.

“My poor wee car! Granddad, your grandsons are terrible drivers.”

“Oh, I don’t know,” Bob replied. “You’re not too bad. Jonathan’s okay, just too fast. Anyway, have you seen Jeremy behind the wheel?”

“Yeah, and I wish I hadn’t. He’s going to be the worst of the lot of them.”

At the cemetery, there was a group of people around a grave over to one side. Jonathan drove over and got out. Justin was there, along with Claire, Lucas, Jay, Shelley and Dee.

“Hey Guys. What’s this? A class reunion or something?”

“Well, almost,” Lucas replied. “Today would’ve been Carl’s birthday.”

“Really? I didn’t know. Happy birthday, Carl, kind of.”

“Kind of, yeah. Were you wanting something, Jonathan,” Justin said.

“Yes, I want you. Can you come with me? We have to talk.”

“Sure I can. See you later, Guys.”

“Bye, Sweetcheeks. Thanks for coming out. Bye Jonathan.”

“Of course I came out! I don’t forget my friends. Later Guys.”

“What’s up, Brother?” He asked when they were in the car.

“Wait a minute.” Jonathan started the engine. “We’ll go down to the tiphead.”

“Oh? It’s important then?”

“It is – very important. Sorry to drag you away from your friends.”

“Not a problem. You come first, Jonathan. You should know that by now.”

“Yeah, I do, I guess. Thanks Brother. I still love you too.”

“So you should.”

He turned at the end of the tiphead, and parked looking back towards the town.

“We’ve been here before.”

“We have. Many times. What’s the problem, Jonathan.”

“Justin, my sons are queer. No, sorry, I mean they’re gay.”

“Queer’s okay. All of your sons? Surely not.”

“No, not all of them, I think. Marty and Andy are gay.”

“Yeah, I know. They told me.”

“You knew that? Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Because I couldn’t. It’s not my story and they didn’t say I could tell anyone.”

“So you didn’t. You still should have told me – I am their father.”

“Jonathan, I couldn’t tell you. How long do you think they’d trust me if I went around blabbing their secrets?”

“Yeah, you’re right. Did you also know that they’re having sex together?”

“No, I didn’t know that. Are you sure?”

“Fairly sure. Claudette and Lana are sure, they’re certain of it.”

“How do they know? Did the boys tell them?”

“No, they didn’t. It was woman’s intuition, or whatever you call it. Anyway, they’re sure of it.”

“And, how do they feel about it?”

“Lana didn’t say. But Claude did – she’s not happy about it and she’s going to split them up.”

“No. Bad move, Claude. How do you feel about it, Jonathan?”

“I, umm. . . well, I don’t know. I mean, it’s not the end of the world, is it? Why is it a bad move to split them up?”

“Because it is. They’re twins and they’re 15. What would’ve happened if Grandmother and Granddad tried to split us up when we were that age and sleeping together?”

“We weren’t having sex.”

“Of course we weren’t. Even so, what would have happened?”

“We probably would have told them to get knotted. I remember once, Granddad said that he forbade you to go near the Carvers. You told him that you couldn’t care less, and you went anyway.”

“I did, and just as well too! How is anyone going to keep them apart anyway? Lock them in separate rooms until they’re 40?”

“Claude’s talking about separate bedrooms. But – that’s not going to work, is it?”

“It’s not. But it might separate them from you guys, forever. Do you want that?”

“Fuck no! They’re our boys. What are we going to do, Justin? I don’t want to lose my boys.”

“Of course you don’t. You’re a good father.”

“You’re a bloody good uncle too. I don’t know if I’ve ever told you that, but you are.”

“I try to be. I love those boys just as much as you do.”

“I know you do. So, what are we going to do?”

“The usual, I guess – talk, talk and talk some more until everybody’s happy. Where are the boys now?”

“I don’t know. They blew up and stormed out and I don’t know where they’ve gone. I thought they might have come to you.”

“They didn’t. Not yet anyway. Let’s go back and see Claude and Lana.”

“Yeah. That’s a good place to start. Thanks Justin.”

“Welcome, Brother.”

There was huge activity going on at the Beachhouse. To add to the confusion, Tine and Junior had decided to swap rooms as well. “Just for a change.”

Claudette didn’t want to talk about it, there’d been too much talking already, but they made her. Finally, reluctantly, she agreed that Marty and Andy could stay as they were – for now. She didn’t want to lose her sons either.

Marty and Andy didn’t come home all day. Nobody knew where they were. They hadn’t been to the Adelphi. By dinner-time, the family were getting worried. It was totally unlike them to miss a meal, especially the Sunday Roast.

“You don’t think they’ve done something stupid, do you, Superboy?”

“No, Claude. I’m sure they wouldn’t. They’re not dumb. They’re both very bright boys. Wherever they are, they’re together. They’ll be fine.”

“They’ll be fine when I get hold of them – Little Shits! Justine, when you’ve finished there, you and Junior can go and look for them again.”

“Don’t call me that, my name is Tine. We’ve been looking all day, Claude. We don’t know where they are.”

“Well, go and look again. They must be somewhere.”

At 10 o’clock, Justin and Billy went home. They were going to bed and they weren’t going to worry, (they said). Jeremy stayed the night, sleeping on a camp-bed in Junior’s room. If there was going to be any drama, he wanted to be there to see it.

Marty and Andy didn’t come home that night. The little ones were all sent to school the next day, there was no need for them to be at home. Tine, Junior and Jeremy took the day off, as did the adults, and they all spent the day searching everywhere they could think of.

The Police were notified and Paul Jamieson and Constable Lucas Sheridan spent the entire day searching fruitlessly.

West FM broadcast constant appeals for information, but they were no help either.

Another long night dragged through to the morning.

Tuesday morning, the family were all having breakfast and sitting around in the Beachhouse kitchen. It was another school day and life had to go on. Claudette looked around when Justin came in.

“Oh. It’s you. There’s still no sign of them, Justin. We haven’t heard a word.”

“It’s okay, Claude. Roman just rang. They've got extras for breakfast, out at the Ranch, this morning – a couple of very hungry boys.”

“They’re at the Ranch? Well, Good! How the hell did they get away out there?”

“They walked, apparently. Christian found them asleep in the hay-loft, in the barn. They’re feeding them now. Billy and I are going out to get them.”

“Thanks, Superboy. Jonathan, you go with them.”

“No. I think it’s best if you don’t come, Jonathan. We’ll bring them home.”

“Why can’t I come? I am their father.”

“You are and that’s why. You’re probably the enemy right now.”

“And you’re not?”

“Of course not. I’m not their parent, just their friend. They know that I love them.”

“Well, so do I.”

“Sure you do, but you’re still the enemy. We’ll go and get them and, please, be nice when they come home. Don’t make it worse.”

“Justin, for goodness sake!” Claudette burst out. “Go and get my boys!”