Surface Tension

Chapter 1-4

His resolve to be cheerful lasted less than five minutes after his arrival at his parents’. He walked into the front room and straight into a heated family discussion. Those five minutes were spent trying to understand what the hell was going on. It seemed Craig, the eldest son of his sister, Jessica, had come out the day before. Jessica’s husband hadn’t taken the news well. In fact, he had refused to spend Christmas with his son and his wife’s family.

Andy, though out, had always shied away from talking about his sexuality with them. It was private and none of their business.

Seeing a morose Craig sitting by himself in the far corner of the large living room, Andy went over and sat next to him.

“It’ll be all right, champ.” Andy put an arm around the teenager and gave him a squeeze.

Craig leaned into his uncle’s body. With his face against Andy’s shoulder Craig mumbled, “Dad said he doesn’t have a son any more.”

Andy thought it wise to keep his opinion of Keith to himself. He’d never cared for his sister’s husband. The man was fat, stupid and ignorant. He had an annoying habit of expressing his opinions loudly and at great length. Andy had always kept his own counsel because he knew his sister would side with her husband even if she didn’t agree with him. But now Andy couldn’t sit on the sidelines, not when Craig, who was probably his favourite nephew, was hurting. Andy always strived to treat all his nieces and nephews the same, but somehow he’d always had a particularly strong connection to the black-haired youth, who, even at sixteen, was only a couple of inches shorter than Andy’s six feet five inches.

The family conference continued to rage around them. Voices became increasingly loud; everyone was just going round in circles. No one was paying attention to how the discussion was affecting the one person most closely involved.

“I knew dad wouldn’t take it well, but—” Craig sniffed.

“Try not to think about it now. You’ve got the whole of Christmas to look forward to.” Andy assumed Craig would be one of the kids who would be staying over. He hoped Keith would come to his senses during his son’s absence, though, as the bloke didn’t have any sense, this was unlikely. The best option would be if Jessica grew a backbone and stood up to her husband.

Once Craig was calm, Andy sent him into the other room with the younger kids and waded into the fray.

“Will everyone just calm down for a minute.” Apart from a few looks his way, no one stopped talking. “SHUT UP!” he raised his voice to its parade-ground volume. Quiet descended almost instantly. “What everyone seems to be forgetting,” Andy said in a quieter, more level voice, “is Craig. He is the most important thing here.”

There were a few murmurs of assent, and before the useless chatter could start up again, Andy ploughed on. “Jessica, what do you think? Will Keith come round?”

“He’s made up his mind, I swear, I don’t know what to do. I’ve tried reasoning with him, but—”

“I’m sorry, sis, but Keith’s as thick as pig s**t, and I know a lot about pig shit.”

Bill, his other brother-in-law, laughed, but was silenced by a look from his wife. A similarly sour look was sent Andy’s way by his mother.

If he weren’t so steamed up over Craig, Andy would have wilted under the gaze.

* * * *

Christmas never really recovered from that point. Though things calmed down later that evening when his sisters and all their families, save for Craig, went home. Discussions continued to rage, but were conducted by phone, so at least Andy didn’t have to listen to them.

Another bright spot was the news that Phil’s parents had decided to go abroad for Christmas.

By the 28th Andy was itching to get back home. Craig, who had barely left his uncle’s side throughout his visit, even sleeping in the same room with him, looked as though he would burst into tears once Andy announced his decision to leave.

But the fates were about to step in and halt Craig’s tears. “We’ve decided what should happen,” Andy’s mother said, just as Andy was about to go upstairs and pack his case.

“Oh?”

Andy wondered what was coming next. His family, like many others in the north of England, was matriarchal. Andy couldn’t remember the last time his father had spoken out against anything his wife had set her mind to. No, there had been one occasion. When Andy was a boy, his dad once had stayed out all night on a drinking binge with his mates, in defiance of his wife. Andy could remember his dad had been relegated to the sofa for an entire week.

“Craig will stay with you until he goes back to school.”

Andy glanced over at his nephew, who treated him to a smile, something that had rarely been seen during the holiday.

“And what about after that?” Andy wanted to know.

“Keith will have either changed his mind or found somewhere else to live.”

Bloody hell, Andy knew from the set of his mother’s jaw she was serious. Keith didn’t stand a chance, not even if Jessica wanted to back out on the arrangement. Keith’s days were well and truly numbered. Andy tried to hide his smile.

Fixing her gaze on her son, Iris Johnson said, “Your dad and me didn’t treat you any different when we found out. Our Craig deserves the same.”

Andy swallowed. Just then he was so proud of his parents. He knew they’d never made anything of his homosexuality, but he’d always believed that was because they thought it easier to ignore rather than acknowledge. Now that he knew differently he didn’t know what to say, so, as usual, he said nothing.