The Preachas Son

Family First

Jay reached out and hugged his lil cousin …. He hated the fact that he’d stayed away for so long … but once he and Q back together … he hadn’t had much time to see family other than his brother ….. “Jamal … oh my gos .. you don’t know how happy I am to see you right now ……” Jay held on and hugged him tighter … “Well if you hug any tighter I wont be here ……”  Jamal said gasping for air …… “I’m sorry .. I’m just so glad you are okay .. My ma told me wat happened …”  “Damn your ma knoe too??? Who didn’t she tell?”
 
Jamal was mad …his mother was always talking about embarrassment, but she was the main one talking bout what happened …… “Look man .. it don’t matter … I came over as soon as I could … I’m sorry I wasn’t around sooner … but I’m just getting back in town and you knoe I’m not in the family anymore …...”  “I kno … so you upset at me too huh?”  “Upset …. No …..I just wanna make sure you are okay ….. The same thing happened to me when I was your age … although I never was bold enough to go to the parking lot …..”
 
“How u knoe bout the lot???” Jamal asked .. “Look Jamal …. I’m gay …. And have been for sometime … I thought u may be but I hoped you wouldn’t be …. But as soon as I heard my mother talking about it this morning as I picked up my step daughter … I knew I had to come over .. I’m so sorry I stayed away for so long ……” Jay hugged Jamal again ….  “Its ok .. wait did you say Step Daughter??? So you are …Married??”  “Well not really …. It’s a long story … but the important thing is that you are okay …..”  Jay replied ……
 
“I’m good … just a trying to make it ya knoe … I’m not sure wat ma gonna do …”  Jamal put his face in his hands … he hadn’t forgotten the letter or the words he had just read ….. “Well I dunno if Aunt Millie is home ..but I will talk to her .. she still talked to me after I let every knoe about me … so I’m sure she’ll come around …..”  Jay smiled ….  “so Jay that means that your roommate was …..” “More than a roommate ??? Yea he is ….  But I’ll catch up wit you later …. Now I know u are okay .. I have to go and catch cheerleading practice …..”  Jamal looked at him … “Not for me .. for my step daughter Jessi ….” Jay hugged Jamal and walked out of the room leaving Jamal to ponder about last nite and tonite’s dinner ….The rest of the day flew by without problems … mostly since his mother and dad were at church doing a retreat for singles ……. 6:00 came and Dudley was at the door … 
 
Jamal quickly gathered himself …. “Yea … So where is it that we are going?”  Jamal was still a little unsure about this …  “Don’t worry … I just wanna take you and show that life is worth living ….” Dudley smiled …. Jamal walked to the car and Dudley opened thee door …… He looked and waited …… “Get in ……” Jamal smiled and sat in the car …… no one had ever taken opened the door ……. He reached over and unlocked the door for him ….. Dudley got in and stared at him ….. “You knoe they say when u open a door for someone and they unlocked yours you’ve found a special person …..”  Jamal wasn’t used to this … The guys he’d been out with weren’t romantic …. Shyt … was this even a date??? He slumped down into the chair ……. Dudley drove onto the interstate toward Greenbrier ….. “This don’t have to be a date if you don’t want it to be ….” He spoke without looking over …. Jamal froze ….. “How …How did you know I was thinking that???” “I’m real perceptive ….. and you looking like you are scarred …. I told you …. This is about you tonite …. Not me … not your mother ….. but you …..” Dudley reached over and grabbed his hand … Jamal looked down and smiled … he never let it go …..
 
They pulled up to the Olive Garden …… Jamal loved this place ….. the food was amazing and rumor has it that it’s the place gay guys go on dates ………  They walked in and were seated ……  “So … whats your deal??? A sexy educated man like yourself trying to hurt himself … What gives????”  Jamal rolled his eyes … he didn’t want to talk about this …let alone to a stranger ….. “I really don’t think that’s any of your business Dudley …..”  “Its Will Du ….. and you right … it’s not my business …” Dudley opened up the menu and started browsing … Jamal felt like a heel …. Here was a nice guy trying to get to knoe him and he snapping off …..
 
“My ma don’t understand me or my life …” he said softly ….. “Hell ..I don’t even understand …. One day I’m like every kid on my block … chasing after girls … and then one night at an IHOP, I saw this guy …… and he took me home …. And I …. Well …. Since then … I’ve been into guys …… But being the preacher’s son … I get more criticism then anyone …… No one really loves me …. Folk just tolerate me … That’s why I was saying maybe my life isn’t worth living ……” Jamal tried not to tear up … but he thought back to when his mom first confronted him about being gay …… After CJ’s mom called her …..
 
“Jamal!!!!! Get down here ….” Jamal walked down the staircase and into a slap from his mother’s hand …. “What in God’s name did you do to CJ??? And Why u sending him love letters ……. What are you??? You one of them Heathen Gays now????  Answer me!!!!”  Jamal couldn’t speak ….. CJ told him that they was gonna be together … they had met up at the Lock-in and they kissed that night … and for a few months they played the bf roll …. Until CJ’s brother found out ….. Jamal had tried to talk to him but he couldn’t get in touch … so he wrote him a letter … and all it said was that he missed him and would wait for things to die down ….. Big mistake …. 
“I … uh … I ….” “You what???? Now you got Jackie thinking you some sort of pervert … You knoe CJ is 15 …. Have u raped him???” “No mother ….. We just … kissed …”  Jamal held his head down ….. “KISSED???? You don’t kiss men … Two nuts can’t work … You need a nut and bolt …. You need to apologize to Jackie now ….” She held the phone …. Jamal looked at it … “Apologize for what? I didn’t do anything ….” “Apologize for making a fool out of me … You know she is the pastor’s aid chairperson ….. and she talks more than anyone in the church .. I can’t have the congregation talking about this …. Apologize and tell her you were wrong ….”
“Well maybe I’m here to show that your life is just beginning …..” Dudley grabbed Jamal’s’ hand and stared into his eyes … Dudley wondered what was he doing …