An Unexpected Gift

by Brandon Carlisle

  “Andy, drink this.” Sebastian handed him a glass of water and waited while Andy gulped it down. “I wet a dishtowel so you can wipe your face.” Trading the towel for the glass Sebastian sat on his other side. “Isaac, we need to calm him down.”

  Other than aspirin and nasal spray, we had little in the way of regular drugs. "I’ll be right back." We still had some of Abby’s special brownies. We kept them on a shelf in one of the kitchen cabinets. I pulled the small plate down and unwrapped it, taking out one of the brownies. Pouring a tall glass of milk, I returned to the living room.

  Sitting next to Andy I set the plate and the glass of milk on the coffee table.

  Andy looked at it and began to laugh. "Great. Now I’ll be crying and stoned."

  “It’ll help calm you down. We’ll stay with you until you get settled and then we want to put you to bed for the night.

  He shook his head. “Some fucking Halloween.”

  The irony in his voice was unmistakable. Sebastian wiped away the matted hair on his brow. “I’m going to tell you what an old person would say, and then tell you what I think. An old person would say you will look back on this and remember some of the good things that happened and feel lucky that you left when you did. Now, I’ll tell you what I think. This evening sucked. I was having fun in the beginning, but I hope those bastards had the shit beat out of them before the police got to them.”

  I looked at Sebastian and burst out laughing at his words. It was so unlike him that the shock took me off guard. He and Andy looked at me with surprise and joined in.

  Once the laughter subsided and Andy’s breathing slowed down, I decided I needed something to take the edge off. “Sebastian, I have an idea.” Andy ate his brownie as he settled down.

  “How about you and I split a brownie and call it an early night?”

  Patting Andy on the leg, letting him know there was no pressure, in a low voice he asked, “Is there anything more you want to say about tonight?” I went into the kitchen and grabbed another brownie and a glass of milk. When I stepped through the kitchen door, it was quiet.

  Andy swallowed another bite of brownie and had a sip of milk, setting the brownie and his glass down. He stared at his hands for a moment. “When the fight… when the fight started, all I could see was that night. The night those guys in the car attacked me.” Tears ran down his cheeks.

  "I could see them. They were laughing, like those guys. One kept shouting, 'Let’s clip the fairy’s wings', as he waved a bat around."

  Andy wiped his hands across his wet cheeks and looked up at me. I’ll never forget the pain and loss in his expression. “‘When we’re done with this one, we’ll go find another faggot to finish.’ That’s what they said. I knew they were going to kill me.”

  “You’re safe, Andy. No one will hurt you ever again.”

  I had been standing in the dining room, waiting, not wanting to interrupt. Stepping quietly into the room I nodded to him. I set the glass of milk on the coffee table before sitting next to Andy, rubbing his back. “Andy. You’re a part of this family. We won’t let anything happen to you. We promise.”

  “Yeah. I’m safe, but what about the rest of the guys like me? All we want is to be safe.”

  People at the center told me the store owner that chased the thugs away made a huge scene with the police about guys when they ran around causing trouble. I found out that the merchants in the area went to the Board of Supervisors demanding more patrols after the incident. Hopefully that will help prevent anything like this happening again, but I doubted it.

  Slowly, Andy stood up grabbing the rest of his brownie and glass of milk. “I think I want to go to bed now. Why don’t you guys relax and enjoy your brownie? Thanks, for everything.”

  As we watched him leave Sebastian whispered to me. “It’s strange. Sometimes he seems so mature, and yet he also is almost childlike.”

  “I think it has something to do with the people that were supposedly raising him.” I shook my head, wondering what kind of life that boy must have had. We watched him leave the room hoping tonight would not have any lasting effects.

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  Friendships and Hope

  Sebastian

  Thank God for Isaac. When Andy freaked out on Polk Street, I stood there in shock, unable to move. His quick thinking snapped me out of it, and we got Andy home as fast as we could. Once Andy went to bed, we waited a few minutes before checking on him. He was sound asleep; the brownie and milk sat on his nightstand. We left the door ajar in case he needed us and returned to the living room. Isaac pulled me into his arms, giving me a gentle smile. “I never saw you move so fast in my life. You had the taxi there by the time we reached Van Ness.”

  “If you hadn’t taken control, I don’t know what would have happened.” We sat on the sofa as I lay in his lap. “When I first saw him outside the center, after it happened, he must have been in shock. Between that and the pain, he was a lot calmer than he was tonight.”

  Stroking my hair, he kissed the top of my head. “And they never caught the bastards. Karma will get the fuckers for what they did.”

  “I’ll call Felicia in the morning and cancel his tutoring for the day.” The way Andy was feeling now I was sure he would be drained in the morning. “I think we should see if he can spend the day with Abby. If not, I plan to call in sick.

  “Sebastian.” He tilted my face up to him. “He’s pretty resilient. Let’s let him decide if he wants class tomorrow or needs company.”

  “Isaac.”

  “Honey, Andy’s sixteen and he was on his own for over nine months.”

  The way he looked at me, I knew he was right. “Am I mothering him too much?”

  “No, Sebby. You just really care.”

  “I do, don’t I?” The way I felt for Andy is how I wished my parents had cared about me. Isaac and Andy were the most important people in my life. This was my true family.

  By the time we crawled into bed I was exhausted. But that didn’t keep me from waking what seemed like every hour, listening for any sound from Andy’s room. Other than occasional snoring from Isaac, all was quiet.

  When morning came around all I could think of was why didn’t we have an espresso maker? A strong jolt of caffeine was definitely called for this morning. I finished dressing and put the coffee on when Isaac came sauntering into the room, wrapping his arms around me and squeezing tight. “Hey, how are you this morning?”

  Pasting on my best fake smile I turned to him and gave him a pat on the chest with my palm. “Fine! I see you slept well.”

  There was no surprise on his face, just concern. “Maybe you should stay home today. You look really tired.”

  “Sorry.” I rested my head on his shoulder. Me and my misdirected anger. It wasn’t his fault I slept like crap. “If Andy doesn’t want Felicia over today, I’ll stay home. Otherwise I should go to work.”

  "Hi, guys." Andy was standing at the doorway, shoulders drooping, and looking embarrassed. "Sorry about my freak out last night."

  Isaac gave an exasperated sigh. “Andy, don’t apologize for last night. It wasn’t your fault.”

  I grabbed the coffee pot and poured a mug, setting it on the table. “Come and sit down. Do you want cereal or something hot?”

  He poured in creamer and way too much sugar, and I cringed. “I’m starved. Can I have cereal and toast?” That he had an appetite this morning was a good sign.

  After popping the bread in the toaster, I pulled out the strawberry preserves and milk from the fridge and set them on the table before grabbing the box of Froot Loops off the counter. I made a mental reminder to have Andy see a dentist.

  “Did you want to take it easy today? Maybe spend time with Abby if she’s free?”

  He looked up from the table at me, then Isaac. “Guys, I’m embarrassed, but I’m fine. That brownie really helped last night. Maybe we could keep some in the house for emergencies?” He gave us a cheeky grin.

  “Sorry, kiddo.�
� Isaac placed a hand on his shoulder. “Wait until you’re eighteen then you can make such a decision on your own.”

  “Hey. It was worth a shot.” Pouring milk into his cereal he began to eat.

  *****

  It was election night, and we were glued to the TV. The night before we did one last ditch effort distributing leaflets in our neighborhood. From what we could tell the turnout was big, and that gave us hope. We needed more friendly representation in the city government. As long as we kept George Moscone and Dianne Feinstein it was a good beginning, but it was not enough.

  Exit polls were reporting and our District 5 seemed to be the most talked about because of Harvey Milk. Harvey had a slight lead as the first reporting came in. Sixteen different people were campaigning for that one seat. That the San Francisco Chronicle endorsed him was also in our favor. My biggest disappointment was that the Alice B. Toklas Memorial Democratic Club kept their endorsement of the system establishment candidate, Rick Stokes. His approach was slow and methodical and was one of those not wanting to “rock the boat” types. Times were different, and that wouldn’t work with all the anti-gay politics coming out of the woodwork, and the movement building in Southern California.

  They would not report a final tally until the morning, but from what was being reported so far it looked like we had a good chance. We ushered Andy off to bed and went to sleep ourselves. I spooned into Isaac, feeling secure with his warm furry chest against my back as I held onto his strong arms around me and said a little prayer to whoever might be listening.

  *****

  Before starting the coffee, I grabbed the Chronicle off the front porch and read the headline. I ran into the house. “He won! Harvey won!” I stood in the kitchen reading the article. Soon I felt warm breath on my neck and found Isaac looking over my shoulder. Slipping his arms around my waist he kissed my ear.

  “Sebby, I’m going to wake Andy, if you haven’t already, so he can share in the good news. Then I’ll make us pancakes for breakfast. This calls for a celebration. Why don’t you go relax in the living room and turn on the news?”

  I sat down on the sofa and switched on the TV. It was on every channel. The biggest news was about Harvey. There were interviews with happy and disgruntled voters with Harvey winning the district election. It was a sweet victory that we now had a seat on the Board of Supervisors.

  Thanksgiving for us was a simple affair with just Abby and ourselves for dinner. Christmas was another matter. Besides Abby, we invited Ryan and Leland, and Diego and Paul for Christmas dinner. We had seen little of Diego and Paul the past few months with their crazy work schedules, the election, and our now having Andy. Isaac was smart in that he suggested we order our Christmas dinner from the local market. It turned out they did everything! From the ham, side dishes, and even dessert. I ordered extra desserts, sides, and, just to have everybody covered, a spinach lasagna in case someone didn’t like ham. God forbid!

  Christmas morning we exchanged gifts. We agreed to limits and set a cap for Andy on what he could spend. Isaac and I exchanged engraved bracelets in tri-colored gold with a diamond pattern. We stocked up Andy with a ton of art supplies, clothes, and a savings account where we would put in a modest sum every month, which he could use for whatever he wanted, with the exception of drugs, alcohol, and cigarettes.

  Andy surprised us with a dreamcatcher he made with Abby’s help. It matched the colors of our bedroom and he made us promise to hang it over our bed.

  While Isaac and I began the final preparations for the afternoon gathering, Andy changed. Isaac and I dressed for the occasion in green slacks and green silk shirts with red slippers. We each had a red rose boutonniere. Andy reappeared in a red union suit, with red shorts over the top of them, a white silk scarf, his red boots, and a little Santa’s hat. He was adorable! We wanted to capture this moment, so we made him stand by our tree, which was a real eight foot one with old fashioned glass ornaments and garland.

  When Abby arrived, she had two platters with her simple brownies and chocolate chip cookies, and three small-gift wrapped boxes. “Andy! My god! You look perfect for the holiday. Give me a hug.”

  Giving her a hug and a kiss on the cheek he turned around and grabbed a brownie off one tray before Isaac took them into the kitchen. I took the boxes and placed them under the tree. Once she was settled in, we had her take a picture of the three of us by the tree. My first Christmases with Isaac were fun, but this one held something special. It felt like a real family holiday.

  After the picture was taken Abby pulled me aside. “I made my special brownies for your guests as Christmas presents to take home and enjoy later.”

  I tried to hold back a grin but failed. “Abby, I’m sure they’ll love them.” I pulled her into a hug. The woman never failed to surprise me with her thoughtfulness.

  Shortly thereafter, Ryan and Leland arrived, dressed dapperly in sports jackets and slacks. I saw Paul and Diego getting out of a taxi and was shocked at how subtle their outfits were. Black jeans, white button-down shirts with black dress jackets, and red boutonnieres.

  Our guests brought sparkling wines and for Andy, Paul brought a drink called Orelia. Paul handed the beverage to Andy and smiled. "It’s like a natural orange soda. I think you’ll like it."

  Andy grinned and gave him a hug before grabbing the bottle. “Thanks.”

  Diego held a foil covered dish in his hand and a small shopping bag he said contained munchies to snack on before dinner. I had already set out a relish tray and some chips and dip so I wasn’t sure what he could have brought. When he uncovered his dish, I was definitely curious.

  “It’s my Mom’s recipe. She calls it her taco dip. Refried beans, a layer of cream cheese blended with sour cream, a layer of guacamole, and shredded cheddar cheese. Taco chips are in the bag, along with homemade salsa. I hope you don’t mind?”

  Andy peered over my shoulder. “Oooohhhh, Diego, that looks great. Can I try it?”

  I watched Andy reach for the dish and lightly slapped his hand. “Let’s set it out for the guests. You can try it out later. Remember, you are a host today. Now scoot!” Once he left, I smiled at Diego, “Thank you. It looks wonderful. Sorry for the human vacuum. Why don’t you and Paul get something to drink?” I set the tray on the side board and surveyed the room. Everyone was settling in and Andy was circling the room sampling everything he could.

  Isaac put the sparkling wines in the fridge and brought out the chilled bottles of Chablis to start. Andy poured the Orelia into a glass with ice and gave it his approval as everybody chatted. Glancing about the room my chest filled with warmth at the scene. I never had this experience growing up, and now Isaac and I could provide this for Andy. Life was good.

  *****

  When we had finished eating dinner, we adjourned to the living room and left the dishes piled in the kitchen. Ryan offered to build a fire. It wasn’t that cold, but the idea sounded wonderful. Isaac opened several bottles of sparkling wine and we broke out the Monopoly game and cards for Gin Rummy. We brought out snacks to munch on and set them on the dining table as everyone grabbed plates and settled wherever they wanted in the living room. It ended up being very casual. Eventually, we took a break and collected the dishes so everyone could indulge in having dessert. There were pumpkin and apple pies with vanilla ice cream, black forest cake, and Abby’s regular brownies and cookies. The wine was put aside, and the coffee flowed.

  Isaac got up to close the bay windows because it had started to drizzle. I waved my hand at him. “Honey, leave them open. It’s refreshing.”

  “Yeah, honey. Leave the windows open.” Paul mimicked me and everyone laughed.

  “Yes, dear.” Isaac blew him a kiss and returned to lean against the sofa next to me.

  Diego got up from snuggling next to Paul on the floor by the fireplace and went to look at one of my silk tapestries. “This is beautiful. Do you know where it is from?”

  He was admiring a silk portrait of an Asian man in colonial ga
rb from the early nineteen hundreds. “That is one of my later pieces. It’s pure silk from around 1930. I found the portrait so fascinating, I had to have it. I bought it on a trip to Paris just after graduating from Harvard.”

  Realizing how I must have sounded, I turned to see Isaac holding back a laugh. “All right. I can’t help it if I was born rich. At least I outgrew being a snob.”

  “Yes, you did. And I am very proud of you.” Leland raised his coffee cup and everyone joined in.

  “All right. No more picking on my honey.” Isaac blew me a kiss. “He’s no longer the spoiled princess I met a few years ago.”

  “Were you a spoiled princess, Sebastian?”

  “Don’t you start, Andy, or I’ll take away your Orelia.” Now the pipsqueak had to join in.

  “Too late, Sebastian. This is the last glass.” He gave me an evil smile.

  *****

  Paul and Diego were the first to leave, as Diego had a breakfast party to work the following morning. Leland, Isaac and I enjoyed a second piece of dessert while Ryan and Andy battled it out in Monopoly. I wondered if we would have to call the game soon because it was getting late when Ryan whooped in excitement. “Yes!” Fists pumping in the air, he jumped up and was dancing in a circle while we laughed. Abby giggled in her chair. I had the distinct impression she had one of her special brownies hidden in a pocket and had been munching on it.

  “Now we’re tied. I want a rematch.”

  They were not starting another game. “Andy, you can have a rematch another time, but not tonight.”

  “You are on, my man!” Ryan stuck his tongue out at Andy before raising his arms yelling, “I am the champion!”

  It was just after midnight and Leland stood up and stretched. “Time to head home champion. You two can work out the details for a rematch later.”

  I pulled Leland into a hug. “We need to do this more often. It was a lot of fun seeing you both again.”