Colour Blind

I had gotten a job at the store in town. The man that ran it had known my Pa, and after I’d told him my name he’d hired me right away. “Good man, your Pa,” he’d said, scratching at his beard as he looked me up and down. “Hard worker.”

When I had arrived back home Lyle and I had celebrated. It was just us in the house now — us and the memories of Pa, and maybe for him, the memories of his dad walking down that old driveway. I’d tried to convince him to go for a job too but he’d simply given me a look — the same look my Pa always had, and told me flat out that he’d get turned down every time. Instead we just celebrated my own achievement, breaking out the whisky from the cupboard and sitting out in the grass.

Eventually we were left there looking at the stars again, like we always did, except it was his head laying lazily against my shoulder for a change. The air had been cold but huddled together we were alright, a bottle of whisky sitting by our side and warming our stomachs. “Just you an’ me,” I’d whispered, missing Pa.

He’d glanced up at me with a slight smile. “Ain’t nothing wrong with that.”



Stanley — the old man that ran the store, began to drive me home each night after work. Each night he would kill the engine and glance over at the house, before turning to give me a slight look. “Must get awful lonely living in that house by yourself,” he’d commented idly one night, eyeing the house in the distance.

“Naw,” I’d told him, unbuckling my seatbelt. “I got Lyle with me.”

He’d given me a look then — a mixture of disgust and uncertainty, before reaching up to scratch at his beard. “You mean that black boy,” he’d said in response, turning around to give me a stern look. “You shouldn’t be hanging out with his type, son.”

I could feel myself growing angry, but I’d forced myself to calm down and give him a polite smile. “In all due respect though, sir, Lyle’s my best friend. Ain’t got nothing else but him no more.”

Stanley had frowned, eyeing me from the corner of his eyes before letting out a sigh. “Watch yourself, boy,” he’d said. “People might start thinkin’ you’re queer.”

I hadn’t quite understood what he’d meant by that, but the tone of his voice was clear. And instead of speaking up as I should have, I had simply thanked him and hopped out of the car, walking over to the house as I heard him start his engine and drive back away.



One night I’d spent too much time drinking, sitting outside with the bottle resting against my legs as I looked up at the sky. I suppose I had been looking for him, looking for Pa in the night sky, and with every failure I had taken another sip of whisky.

Eventually Lyle had joined me, pulling the bottle out of my hand despite my protest. “Don’t act dumb, Armand,” he’d said sternly, glaring at me and pushing me down. “Ain’t no reason for you to be actin’ this stupid.”

After placing the bottle of whisky inside he had walked back out to sit down beside me, keeping his distance as he settled down on the grass.

“The world ain’t all that pretty,” I’d said after a while, my words slightly slurred as I glared blearily at the sky.

“’Course it is,” Lyle had said, turning to look at me with an odd look on his face. “Why d’ya say that?”

I’d given him a look. “Don’t know how you can think differently, Lyle Webber. Not with folks treatin’ you like they do.”

He had sighed, resting his head in his hands as he glanced out around us. “Don’t matter to me no more,” he’d muttered quietly.

When the silence got to be too much I’d huddled up against him, and he’d stiffened slightly before allowing me to relax against his side. “Why you being silly, Armand?” he’d said sternly, but allowing me to lean against his side anyway. “You’ve turned into a right loon.”

I hadn’t responded, simply lowering my head as I pressed my palm against his shoulder. When he’d turned to look at me I’d kissed him — short and sharp before I’d burst into tears.

Lyle had simply let out a sigh, pulling me against his side and patting my back as I cried. “Don’t you go doin’ that,” he’d said quietly. “World ain’t gonna be be pretty if you do that.”