Date: Wed, 15 Dec 2010 17:59:42 -0500 From: wild wing <wildwing66@hotmail.com> Subject: I'M AVAILABLE - 9 My company had just purchased a brand new top of the line computer. It was a marvellous machine for its time. You could type letters and even produce documents on it. It was possible to change the font and type size to anything you wanted. You could even run off multiple copies without the need for carbon paper. I reckoned the typewriter would soon be obsolete. With the permission of my boss I stayed late a couple of nights to make the guardianship document. By Wednesday it was done. I made several copies and brought them home in a large manila envelope. Kevin had a nice supper cooked for me by the time I got home. We ate almost in silence both wrapped in our own thoughts regarding the deed that had to be faced. At last I pushed the dishes aside and handed a copy of the document to Kevin. We reviewed it thoroughly and Kevin had several questions. Most of them were quite insightful. "Well,' I remarked, "Let's not wait. We might as well get it over with." Kevin just nodded his head. We drove through a steady drizzle to the street behind the parkette. Kevin pointed to the third last building on the street. It was an old grey three story tenement building so typical of the state owned subsidized housing projects. The area was liberally plastered with gang graffiti signs. We manoeuvred around topless garbage cans to gain access to the front door. Climbing the stairs the faint aroma of stale beer, urine, and used baby diapers assaulted my nostrils. Kevin pointed to the middle apartment on the second floor. He stood behind me as I rapped loudly. A frail woman in a bright red dress opened the door. She appeared to be about fifty years of age but I suspected she was about fifteen years younger. In her hand she clutched a glass containing an unknown liquid. She smiled as she spoke to me, "Hello, I haven't seen you before. You're kinda cute. C'mon in." I entered the apartment and Kevin followed dutifully behind me. Spotting him she muttered, "Hmmph, you here too are you Kevie. Go to your room. The gentleman and I have some business to discuss." So far so good. Kevin predicted he would be sent to his room. This gave him the opportunity to pack while his mother and I discussed 'business'. Seated on a frayed red velvet loveseat she offered her hand to me. "My name is Sheila," she purred. "You offer services?" I asked bluntly. "Oh we are in a hurry are we? I was hoping you would share a drink with a lady first. " At this point her face turned instantly serious. "I give the best blow job in the west end. You can ask anyone. Just thirty bucks." "Mr. Simpson, I've really come to talk about your son Kevin." "Kevin?" she queried. "What's that boy done now? Lord knows I keep telling that boy to behave himself." "Kevin hasn't done anything wrong Mrs. Simpson. In fact he is a very polite and well behaved boy." Her eyes narrowed and she appeared to become defensive. She took a good swig from her glass. "You from the government or somethin?" "No I'm not," I responded, "I'm simply a gentleman who is interested in Kevin's welfare." "Kevin's welfare?" she sneered screwing up her face. "Why would you be interested in Kevin's welfare? For Christ's sake don't you know? He's a fuckin queer." She curled up in the chair and now gripped her drink with both hands. Her eyes narrowed still further and her entire demeanour turned spiteful. "Wait a minute," she screeched, "If you are interested in him then you must be a fuckin fagot too. One fagot is enough in this house. I don't need two of ya!" The tendons in her neck now looked like ropes and her face was becoming redder by the moment. I ignored her jibes I went on. "If you are truly interested in Kevin then you will want him to be happy. He has chosen to leave you and come and live with me." I sat back and waited for a reaction. She stared at me a full thirty seconds with eyes that poured out pure hate. She finally responded, "You're fuckin nuts. Get out of my house!" Ignoring her order i retrieved a copy of the guardianship document from my manila envelope and carefully laid it in front of her. "Kevin is your son and always will be. He has every intention of staying in touch with you. You will always know where he is. If you will....." "Lemme see the God damn papers!" she screamed as she grabbed the document from the table. I kept quiet allowing her time to read and digest the papers. I wondered in her inebriated state how much of it was sinking in. She slowly raised her eyes. Her mouth was pinched as if she had just swallowed a sour prune. "Here's what I think of your fuckin papers!" she cried. With a flourish she proceeded to pick up the document, held it right in front of my eyes and then tore it into a hundred pieces. She finished by throwing the confetti at me. She then stood up and continued her barrage. "If you're not outta here in ten seconds I'm calling the cops on ya!" It was time to retaliate. I went for the jugular. "Wonderful! Please call the police. Can you guess what Kevin and I are going to say? For starters you are a prostitute! You propositioned me. Do you think the state will allow you to keep Kevin when they hear that? You are also an alcoholic! On top of that you have failed to provide the basic necessities of life to your own son." I was doing the screaming now. "Fine call the police. I assure you that if you do you will be the one leaving here tonight in the back of the squad car. Kevin will probably be made a ward of the state and you will never see him again. He's prepared to do that rather than come back here!" I stopped and glared at her. I let it all sink in. She stood inches from my face. She began to shake. "You bastard," she spat. "By signing the guardianship document Kevin and I pledge not to report you to the authorities. You may call him whenever you wish. He promises to make the occasional visit. It's the best solution for him and for you." She stood still another minute or two and then slowly collapsed back into her seat. She stared straight ahead into space and said nothing. I extracted two more copies of the document and placed them side by side with a pen on the coffee table before her. "I know you still care for Kevin. I promise to provide the best and safest home for him. I promise you we will stay in touch." I waited again. She finally averted her eyes downwards to the first page of the nearest copy. Her eyes were frozen and I knew she wasn't reading it. I began to contemplate threatening her with the police again when she slowly picked up the pen. "Where do I sign?" she mumbled. A few moments later Kevin emerged from his room. He was carrying two garbage bags each pathetically half filled. That was the sum total of his worldly possessions. His eyes were red and I knew the evening had been a terrible strain on him. He paused in front of his mother and said, "I still love you mom." She stared at him but said nothing. The expression on her face did not change. There was a long pregnant pause. Finally Kevin slowly turned and trudged out of the apartment. I followed closely behind. As I closed the door we heard her glass smash against the inside of it. As we drove home I allowed Kevin the solitude I felt he needed. We had won the day but the deed had been so distasteful neither of us felt like winners. I knew he would seek my arms as we entered the house. We curled up on the couch his head resting on my chest. Sometime later he began to stir. He looked up at me and smiled. "Thanks for everything," he said and then paused before continuing, "You're my dad now." His simple statement completely unravelled me. Only then did I begin to realize the enormity of my actions. I was now completely responsible for this wonderful boy. The tears began to run down my cheeks. "Why are you crying?" he asked. I smiled through the tears and explained, "They are tears of happiness Kevin." We instinctively sought out each others lips and held each other once more.