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Authors: Joseph Lewis
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was gay. Ben parents were divorced, as were Ian’s. And Patrick’s and Cory’s parents were probably headed that way.
Given all that, Brett had no idea what might be in store for him.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Waukesha, Wisconsin
Even though the morning was both hot and humid, George liked being outside, because it was where he was most at home. Jeremy had a list of chores that needed to get done before the boys left for Chicago with Jeff and Danny Limbach, so George, Randy and Billy split them up. George chose the outside work- lawn cutting and trimming and pulling a few weeds. Since the Lane lawn was about the same length as the Evans lawn, he decided to cut and trim their lawn too. Randy and Billy took care of the inside- dusting, vacuuming and bathrooms with a little laundry. Jeremy, Randy and Billy had packed up the night before, and Jeremy had taken their suitcases with him so the Limbachs wouldn’t have a huge load to carry. And when it was all said and done, George didn’t have much to pack by way of belongings.
Running the lawnmower around the two yards was pretty mindless, and it gave him time to think. Despite the fact that he had actually never mowed a lawn- living in the desert of northeastern Arizona didn’t call for much lawn mowing- he caught on quickly after Billy showed him. He liked the smell of freshly cut grass. He liked the physical activity of the work. Mostly, he felt he was somehow paying back Jeremy and the Lanes for the kindness they had shown him, at least in a way that dusting and vacuuming wouldn’t do. It was solid and tangible.
It took him a little over an hour and a half to do both lawns and another half an hour to trim each yard. Weeding didn’t take him long at all, but by the time he was finished, he was dripping in sweat and had a layer of dirt and flecks of grass on his legs, chest and back that made him itchy. Still, he felt good, satisfied with what he had done.
George pulled the garden hose from the tan, plastic, portable carrier to give him some slack and turned on the water. It wasn’t terribly cold, but cool enough to refresh him and clean off the dirt, the grass and the sweat. He tilted up his face and held it over his head, shaking out his long hair.
Reasonably clean, he sat in the sun on the back step and admired his work. Jon and Bert Lane came out of their back door and walked across the adjoining yards with a brightly wrapped package and a pitcher of lemonade and some glasses.
“You look thirsty,” Bert said.
“A little,” he admitted.
He tried drinking from the garden hose, but the water smelled and tasted like rubber and was lukewarm. At least it didn’t have the sulfur smell that the well water had on his small ranch back home.
Jon pulled out two of the lawn chairs from around the small patio set and asked George to sit in one of them. Then Jon went up the back steps, opened up the door and yelled for the twins to join them.
Both Jon and Bert were older. How old, George couldn’t tell. They were old enough to have retired and to have a son who had graduated from college working in downtown Chicago, but young enough that George couldn’t tell just how old they were. He knew they weren’t nearly as old as his grandfather or grandmother. At least he didn’t think so. Yet, they were older than his mother and Jeremy.
Randy and Billy bounced out the backdoor and joined them on the patio. Billy sat in the chair next to George, and Randy sat on the Chaise Lounge. Bert poured each boy a glass of lemonade with ice, which Jon delivered to each of them like a waiter.
“George,
Given all that, Brett had no idea what might be in store for him.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Waukesha, Wisconsin
Even though the morning was both hot and humid, George liked being outside, because it was where he was most at home. Jeremy had a list of chores that needed to get done before the boys left for Chicago with Jeff and Danny Limbach, so George, Randy and Billy split them up. George chose the outside work- lawn cutting and trimming and pulling a few weeds. Since the Lane lawn was about the same length as the Evans lawn, he decided to cut and trim their lawn too. Randy and Billy took care of the inside- dusting, vacuuming and bathrooms with a little laundry. Jeremy, Randy and Billy had packed up the night before, and Jeremy had taken their suitcases with him so the Limbachs wouldn’t have a huge load to carry. And when it was all said and done, George didn’t have much to pack by way of belongings.
Running the lawnmower around the two yards was pretty mindless, and it gave him time to think. Despite the fact that he had actually never mowed a lawn- living in the desert of northeastern Arizona didn’t call for much lawn mowing- he caught on quickly after Billy showed him. He liked the smell of freshly cut grass. He liked the physical activity of the work. Mostly, he felt he was somehow paying back Jeremy and the Lanes for the kindness they had shown him, at least in a way that dusting and vacuuming wouldn’t do. It was solid and tangible.
It took him a little over an hour and a half to do both lawns and another half an hour to trim each yard. Weeding didn’t take him long at all, but by the time he was finished, he was dripping in sweat and had a layer of dirt and flecks of grass on his legs, chest and back that made him itchy. Still, he felt good, satisfied with what he had done.
George pulled the garden hose from the tan, plastic, portable carrier to give him some slack and turned on the water. It wasn’t terribly cold, but cool enough to refresh him and clean off the dirt, the grass and the sweat. He tilted up his face and held it over his head, shaking out his long hair.
Reasonably clean, he sat in the sun on the back step and admired his work. Jon and Bert Lane came out of their back door and walked across the adjoining yards with a brightly wrapped package and a pitcher of lemonade and some glasses.
“You look thirsty,” Bert said.
“A little,” he admitted.
He tried drinking from the garden hose, but the water smelled and tasted like rubber and was lukewarm. At least it didn’t have the sulfur smell that the well water had on his small ranch back home.
Jon pulled out two of the lawn chairs from around the small patio set and asked George to sit in one of them. Then Jon went up the back steps, opened up the door and yelled for the twins to join them.
Both Jon and Bert were older. How old, George couldn’t tell. They were old enough to have retired and to have a son who had graduated from college working in downtown Chicago, but young enough that George couldn’t tell just how old they were. He knew they weren’t nearly as old as his grandfather or grandmother. At least he didn’t think so. Yet, they were older than his mother and Jeremy.
Randy and Billy bounced out the backdoor and joined them on the patio. Billy sat in the chair next to George, and Randy sat on the Chaise Lounge. Bert poured each boy a glass of lemonade with ice, which Jon delivered to each of them like a waiter.
“George,
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