Fragments of a Broken Mind
Chapter 2
In the car on the way home Gerard was visibly excited. Frank drove so that I could sit in the back with him. I buckled Gerard in and he beamed at me, “Next time I want to sit up front so I can see more!” he announced. Frank started the car and Gerard squealed in excitement. “Here we go!” he cried, gripping my hand.
“Yes, we are going home,” I smiled at him and nodded to Frank. He pulled out of the car park and we were away. I squeezed Gerard’s hand but he was too busy watching out the window to notice. He pointed to various things of the way that caught his attention and by the time we reached the house he was all but bouncing in the seat, “here we go Gee-Gee, welcome home!” I said as I undone his seat belt.
“Home,” he repeated thoughtfully, “Mummy and Daddy are here then?”
I sighed and pondered what to say. He seemed to have forgotten the divorce our parents had gone through when he was young. We hadn’t seen Dad since and Mum didn’t come over because she didn’t like the fact I was gay. Gerard was the only family left and he always told me, ‘at least we have each other’. I wanted my Gerard back. I hesitated.
Frank opened the door, “no Gee-Gee not today. You see this is our home, not your Mummy and Daddy’s.”
“Oh, but they will visit right?”
I hesitated again as there was more chance of a snow day in hell to be honest. I looked into his hope filled eyes and bit my lip. I had rung Mum, of course I had, but she hadn’t bothered to contact us again. It broke my heart in all honesty but then again I would rather be with Frank. That was me though, Gerard had done nothing wrong and she ignored him. “I don’t know,” I stammered in the end.
He tilted his head, “you’re crying,” he mewed, “why?”
“Just… I’m happy too have you here is all,” I mumbled pulling him into a hug. Frank put an arm round me and squeezed gently, “come on, let’s get you in.”
“There is a surprise for you in there!” Frank told Gerard who squealed and ran to the door. Before we followed him Frank gathered me into his arms. “She isn’t worth your tears,” he said as he kissed me, “we don’t need her.”
“But Gee does,” I sighed, leaning into my boyfriend, “she doesn’t need to come for me but why not him? Why is he being punished because I am gay?”
“When she threw you out he came with us so she has cut him off too,” he said as he rubbed my back. “He chose you over her and that is why he is being punished,” he led me to the house and an impatient Gerard waiting by the closed door. Frank opened the door and took Gerard’s hand, “close your eyes.”
Gerard did so and I took his other hand so Frank and me could lead him inside, “open them Gee-Gee!” I whispered in his ear.
“Ray!” Gerard almost screamed as he ran at his friend, knocking him down as he threw himself at him. They lay on the floor, wound in a tight embrace, “I haven’t seen you in… like… ages!”
Ray laughed as he sat up, “It was only last week,” he protested.
“That’s what I said… ages!”
“They wouldn’t let me see you every day Gee-Gee but now you are home you will see more of me,” he promised his best friend who cheered, “now, what do you want to do?”
“Play?” Gerard asked, pointing to some toys that Ray had found.
I smiled and reached for Frank. It was strange that Gerard knew all of us but had forgotten all about our parents. Still, I was glad that he was back with us and not in that secure unit any more.
“Yes, we are going home,” I smiled at him and nodded to Frank. He pulled out of the car park and we were away. I squeezed Gerard’s hand but he was too busy watching out the window to notice. He pointed to various things of the way that caught his attention and by the time we reached the house he was all but bouncing in the seat, “here we go Gee-Gee, welcome home!” I said as I undone his seat belt.
“Home,” he repeated thoughtfully, “Mummy and Daddy are here then?”
I sighed and pondered what to say. He seemed to have forgotten the divorce our parents had gone through when he was young. We hadn’t seen Dad since and Mum didn’t come over because she didn’t like the fact I was gay. Gerard was the only family left and he always told me, ‘at least we have each other’. I wanted my Gerard back. I hesitated.
Frank opened the door, “no Gee-Gee not today. You see this is our home, not your Mummy and Daddy’s.”
“Oh, but they will visit right?”
I hesitated again as there was more chance of a snow day in hell to be honest. I looked into his hope filled eyes and bit my lip. I had rung Mum, of course I had, but she hadn’t bothered to contact us again. It broke my heart in all honesty but then again I would rather be with Frank. That was me though, Gerard had done nothing wrong and she ignored him. “I don’t know,” I stammered in the end.
He tilted his head, “you’re crying,” he mewed, “why?”
“Just… I’m happy too have you here is all,” I mumbled pulling him into a hug. Frank put an arm round me and squeezed gently, “come on, let’s get you in.”
“There is a surprise for you in there!” Frank told Gerard who squealed and ran to the door. Before we followed him Frank gathered me into his arms. “She isn’t worth your tears,” he said as he kissed me, “we don’t need her.”
“But Gee does,” I sighed, leaning into my boyfriend, “she doesn’t need to come for me but why not him? Why is he being punished because I am gay?”
“When she threw you out he came with us so she has cut him off too,” he said as he rubbed my back. “He chose you over her and that is why he is being punished,” he led me to the house and an impatient Gerard waiting by the closed door. Frank opened the door and took Gerard’s hand, “close your eyes.”
Gerard did so and I took his other hand so Frank and me could lead him inside, “open them Gee-Gee!” I whispered in his ear.
“Ray!” Gerard almost screamed as he ran at his friend, knocking him down as he threw himself at him. They lay on the floor, wound in a tight embrace, “I haven’t seen you in… like… ages!”
Ray laughed as he sat up, “It was only last week,” he protested.
“That’s what I said… ages!”
“They wouldn’t let me see you every day Gee-Gee but now you are home you will see more of me,” he promised his best friend who cheered, “now, what do you want to do?”
“Play?” Gerard asked, pointing to some toys that Ray had found.
I smiled and reached for Frank. It was strange that Gerard knew all of us but had forgotten all about our parents. Still, I was glad that he was back with us and not in that secure unit any more.