Evening Gentleman (8 page)

RYANN
So all gay men are strange?

DANA

Not all of them, just the ones that are hiding something.

ALEXX
Look my brother is gay. We love him just the same. Nothing changed about him just that he is open now.

DANA

Don’t you mean “out”? Or are you talking about his ass?

RYANN
I am about to stomp a mud-hole in you if you don’t be quiet.

ALEXX
I mean open. His life is open, his mind is open. Do you know how hard it is for a gay black man to make it in our society? While there are many members of the black community who have identified themselves as same gender loving, it is still not accepted by the staunchly Christian group. The prevailing view is that a gay lifestyle is not one that provides people with the right to love as they choose but a lifestyle that goes against biblical teaching. It is not about denying a group the right to love or marry like the rest of the population.

RYANN

It’s no secret that we live in a very homophobic world. For those of us that have said “why doesn’t he just come out”, it is not just that easy. We the world, our judgments, or double standards, our silly gender roles, and our ignorance cater to the down low brothers. What about the down low women?

LESLIE
What are you saying Ryann?

RYANN
I am a lesbian. I have been living with my partner for the last fourteen years. I know that no one ever knew. We kept it that way for a reason. We flew to Washington D.C. back in 2010 and got married. So now we have been married for four years.

DANA

I always thought that you looked at me funny.

RYANN
Dana, please let me be the one to tell you…you are not all that with your “BMW”.

DANA

I know that you are a lie. I am all of that and a bag of chips with some ranch dressing on the side. Plus I don’t drive a BMW – I drive an Audi.

RYANN
I am not talking about your car booboo. I am talking about your body. BMW stands for “body made wrong”.

             
Everyone burst out laughing. Dana was upset by the comment. She snatched her purse and left the house.

ALEXX
Now we can have an intelligent conversation.

LESLIE

I feel that God let me down.

BISHOP PARNELL

What do you mean?

LESLIE
I have prayed and prayed and prayed.

BISHOP PARNELL

When you start feeling sorry for yourself you give away your power.

LESLIE
What power? God ain’t listening to me. I have been everything God asked me to be. A faithful wife and in church every Sunday.

ALEXX
Do you think that you were the first woman to be betrayed by her husband?

LESLIE
I wasn’t just betrayed by Nathan. I was betrayed by God.

BISHOP PARNELL

God didn’t betray you sweetheart. As Christians we all have our cross to bear. Jesus is bearing the cross. Are you going to make Him bear it alone? Infidelity and faith both look through the perspective glass, but at contrary ends. Infidelity looks through the wrong end of the glass; and, therefore, sees those objects near which are afar off, and makes great things little,—diminishing the greatest spiritual blessings, and removing far from us threatened evils. Faith looks at the right end, and brings the blessings that are far off in time close to our eye, and multiplies God's mercies, which, in a distance, lose their greatness.

LESLIE
(snapping)

It was a man.
A M-A-N. It would be one thing if it was a woman. I can compete with another woman. Fix myself up, look cute in his eyes, make myself beautiful for him. But it’s a man he wants.

BISHOP PARNELL

Rise up Leslie. It’s not the betrayal but the lesson that you learn from this.

My Love

              I was honored that Leslie agreed to meet with me for dinner. I wanted to make it special for her. I decided that we would go to her favorite restaurant, Bottega Café.

             
We sat at the table for about fifteen minutes waiting on the other to start a conversation. I fidgeted with the utensils. I didn’t know where to begin.

LESLIE
Where have you been staying for the last four weeks?

NATHAN

In a hotel.

LESLIE

You are not staying at the house that you bought?

NATHAN
I haven’t spoken to Aiden. What about you – do you speak to him at work?

LESLIE
I have nothing to say to him.

             
I jumped right into my apology. I explained to her that I never meant to hurt her. That was just a phase that I was going through. I told her that I did develop a love for Aiden but I was in love with her.

LESLIE
Coming clean now really doesn’t mean that much.

NATHAN

There are no more secrets between us.

LESLIE
You think that you can live a double life, apologize and it’s all suppose to be okay?

NATHAN
Leslie I have changed.

LESLIE
In a month’s time. No you haven’t changed.

NATHAN

It may take some times to get over some things but I know that we can work this out. I have been tested and they didn’t find anything.

LESLIE
Same with me. You know that I should still file for divorce. It is still in my head.

NATHAN
Please don’t. I don’t want to lose you.

LESLIE
No, you don’t want to lose what we have built. I can clean you out.

NATHAN
This is what I get for being honest. I don’t want you to walk out on me.

LESLIE
Look at the times that you walked out on me.

NATHAN

Leslie I am sorry. Aiden meant nothing to me.

LESLIE
For two years he meant nothing. You bought him a house and he meant nothing.

             
I took my napkin and wiped my tears.

LESLIE
I am going to give you another chance. But there are some things that you MUST do.

NATHAN

Anything…just name it.

Insomnia

             
Aiden arrived home from work and threw his bags in a chair. He flounced down on the bed and laid back. While staring at the ceiling fan he just listened to his cell phone ring. In no way did he want to be bothered. Before he knew it he was off to sleep.

             
Thirty minutes into his nap his door bell rang. He noticed that he was still clothed while in bed. He looked at his clock and it showed 6:48. Aiden didn’t realize that he had been asleep.

             
The door bell rang again. He slowly crawled out of bed to go and answer the door. Without looking through the peephole he just opened it. There I stood with a bushel of roses and a bottle of wine. I could tell that Aiden wanted to slam the door but he just stood there. I extended the roses and the bottle to him but he stood there speechless.

NATHAN

Will you please accept my apology?

AIDEN
Why should I?

NATHAN
Because I am sorry. I love you. I didn’t mean for any of this to happen.

AIDEN
I know you didn’t. You thought that you were going to have all the fun that you wanted and never get caught.

NATHAN
May I come in?

             
Aiden finally stepped to the side and allowed me to enter. I tried to give him a kiss but he refused it. I walked into the kitchen and got two flutes from the cabinets. I opened the bottle and poured.

             
When I came from the kitchen Aiden was sitting in his favorite recliner that I gave him. I passed him a flute and I took a seat on the couch.

NATHAN
Why don’t you come sit on the couch with me?

AIDEN
Why are you here?

NATHAN
Did you and Leslie talk at work today?

AIDEN
She and I haven’t spoken since all of this went down.

NATHAN
I don’t think that you two should be upset with each other. Everyone should be mad at me.

AIDEN
Again, why are you here?

NATHAN
I have something that I want to talk to you about.

AIDEN
Go ahead.

NATHAN
Leslie and I are trying to make amends. I really want my marriage to work.

AIDEN
Great for the both of you.

NATHAN
She wants me to make you move out of this house.

             
Aiden paused. The look on his face was like none other. My heart skipped several beats awaiting his response.

AIDEN
Excuse me?

NATHAN
In order for us not to get a divorce she wants me to sell this house. She wants to make sure that I don’t come here to visit you, speak to you, or anything.

AIDEN
I can’t believe this. Are you serious?

NATHAN
Aiden, baby I am sorry.

             
I swallowed my wine so hard that you could hear it going down. I got up to pour another flute. I offered to get Aiden another one but he just sat there. Tears began to form in his eyes. In the two years that I have known him I always hated to see him cry.

             
Aiden’s cell phone began to ring. I walked over to the table where it was and looked at the screen. When I saw Demarcus’s name I answered.

NATHAN
Hello.

DEMARCUS

Um – I was calling for Aiden.

NATHAN
He is busy right now. May I ask who is calling?

DEMARCUS
This is Demarcus.

NATHAN
Demarcus let me ask you something? What is up with you and Aiden? Why are you calling him?

             
Aiden quickly jerked his phone from my grasp.

AIDEN

Demarcus call me back later.

DEMARCUS
Sure. Is everything okay?

AIDEN
Just call me back.

             
Aiden threw the phone on the table.

AIDEN
Don’t you ever answer my phone again!

NATHAN
Tell me the deal with you and him.

AIDEN
I don’t have to tell you anything.

NATHAN
If you value our love and togetherness you would.

             
Aiden turned and looked at me. He folded him arms across his chest.

AIDEN
When do you want me out of “your” house?

NATHAN
I don’t want to talk about that.

AIDEN
That’s what you came here for. To talk. To tell me to get the hell out of your house. This is the reason that I didn’t want you to buy this house for me. This is why I don’t like for anyone to do anything for me.

NATHAN
Pride.

AIDEN
It has nothing to do with pride. It’s because people like you that give and take.

             
It felt like he punched me in the chest. I wanted to cry but I could not allow him to see the hurt.

NATHAN
Are you fucking Demarcus?

AIDEN
I wish I could put you out but you know…this is your house.

             
Aiden walked over and picked up his phone. I watched as he dialed a number and placed the phone to his ear.

AIDEN
Hello Mr. Webb. This is Aiden. I am going to need a sub for the rest of this week. I have some personal things going on that I have to take care of…Okay…Thank you sir. I will keep you updated.

             
After listening to his conversation I could tell that he was talking to his principal. I watched him dial another number.

AIDEN

Demarcus. Is it okay if I stay with you a few days?