The Cafeteria
Friday July 23rd @ 7:15 PM - Cheyenne Memorial Hospital
They were all sitting around a long table in the hospital
cafeteria.
While it was a tiring day, there were still things to talk about. Gary and Ted
were on one side of the table with Sheri and Evan across from them, at the
long ends were Betty and Virg. For a while they sat discussing Mrs. Sommers,
and how she looked and the doctor's reports. Slowly, the conversation turned
to the serious.
Evan looks to Ted and asks, "Well Ted, there some practical
matters that
will need you attention very soon. You are after all in charge of everything
at the moment. Luckily your parents leased out the farm land itself. But there
are still all the bills to pay, probably a mortgage to take care of ..." Sheri
turns to her husband and says, "Not now Evan, just let him relax."
Virg shakes her head, saying, "No, I think Evan's right.
Ted, ... and
Gary, ... have got to face a number of hard facts. You can't just put them
off. Now, that it looks as if Angie is getting better, plans have to be made."
Betty joins her mother-in-law, adding "Don't want to seem that we're all
ganging up on you but we now find all of our lives interwoven. Our children
have managed to turn some upthings inside out."
Sheri starts, "Speaking of the children, I know that we are all
trying to
be supportive of ... " She watches Ted and Gary, "Well, of their different
life styles. ... " She feels a bit embarrassed about bringing this with Ted
and Gary, but she goes on, "It's just that Algo Hermoso has not been known for
its tolerance. ... They're my, I mean our, boys, and you know. ... " Betty
takes up where Sheri had left off, "Todd, Will and Bart have to be made to
understand that as much as we would want it to be caring and accepting, that's
not likely to happen soon. If they are just a little circumspect, things
should be just fine."
Virg suggests, "Why don't we have picnic at our place Sunday
after
services. We can talk to them all at the same time." switching the subject
abruptly, "Ted have you figured out what your personal options will be like?"
For Ted, and for Gary, this is the first time when they have really been
treated as 'adults' with the ability to make decisions affecting the lives of
others.
Ted speaks slowly, mentally ticking off some of the things that
he and
Gary have been talking about, "Well, first off we've gone through the bill's
and started to figure out where some of the money is going to be coming from.
We're gonna have some problems with income, as it currently is being paid to
my father, who I really doubt is going to be very sympathetic. At the very
least, it'll take months for the courts to make up their minds."
"About my mom, just not quite sure what's gonna happen. Cuz,
if she's
gonna be in a wheelchair, I'm going" Gary tries to interject, "WE're
going",
But Ted cuts him off, "I told you. I'm not going to let you. ... As I was
saying, I'm going to have to move back here to help take care of her, I can't
expect Will and Jenny to do it alone. ... For the time being, Gary will be
coming here when he can on weekends and such to help. But" At this he stares
directly at Gary, "HE WILL be finishing school, he's only got one more year to
go, then we'll see. My mom could be fine by then."
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This has been the first real point of contention in their
lives
together. Ted knows that he has to take care of his family, and he knows that
Gary wants to be there with him, but Ted has insisted that Gary can't give up
school now. Knowing that he will have to take a break from school, he's tried
to convince Gary that he will not let them both delay their lives. Gary was
equally insistent that they had made a commitment to each other to share all
of their lives not just the good but also the painful. Ted finally said,
"Gary, I know this is fucked, but we are sharing, we're sharing our dreams
here. I might have to put mine on hold for awhile, but the only way I can feel
right about that is knowing that at least one of us is working on our
future."
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Ted turns to Sheri and Evan, then to Betty and Virg, "The
police have
said that we can use the house again, so Gary and I will be moving there
tomorrow. Then on Sunday, Will and Jenny can come to." Sheri says, "There's no
rush, Ted. Jenny has been no trouble at all, and, as for Will, ... Evan and I
feel he is our son too." Her husband nods. Ted responds, "Thank you again for
everything you all have done for us. Ted and I, and Will and Jenny, and our
Mom have never known people more caring" Ted who up to today has been trying
to hold all his emotions in check, finds his control slipping away, as tears
form in his eyes, he goes on, "and more loving, ..." He can't continue for a
few moments, he finally shakes himself. "Anyway, thank you very much."
Gary allowing Ted to take sometime to compose himself, "We
need to figure
out how to build a ramp, so ... mom", ... Just that evening when they all went
it to see Ted's mom, when he referred to her as Mrs. Sommers, she took his
hand and said, 'If you don't mind, would you call me mom.' ... "can get in
and out of house ..." Virg volunteered to check out local help for the
project, they talked for an hour more discussing the tasks, the laundry,
grocery shopping, harvesting their own gardens, upcoming school year, ....
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