Date: Mon, 29 Jan 2007 22:05:35 -0600
From: David J <boricuaholandes@hotmail.com>
Subject: All Good Things -- Chapter 9

Hello all!  Sorry that this chapter has been so long in coming.  I've been
doing school stuff and working on Chapter 14.  You guys know how I like to
stay ahead of the game a little bit.  Also, this is one of the shorter
chapters of the story.  I hope that you guys enjoy it none the less.  As
always, feel free to email me at boricuaholandes@hotmail.com if you have any
questions or comments.  There's also the yahoo group, at
ca.groups.yahoo.com/group/futurecanadiansgroup, too.  The chapters are
posted there as soon as they're sent to nifty.

I want to thank Ken all the work he's done with helping me make sure that
the story is coherent and comprehensible.  Gracias, tio...

David ;)
-----


All Good Things
Chapter 9 -- The Vacation/Part II

	The time we spent in Puerto Rico was a time that I will always remember.
We had fun.  Tony and I not only made love on the beach that first night we
were there, but every night thereafter.  We would wait until the brothers
went to bed and then sneak out to the beach for a little bit of time to
ourselves.  We alternated between me doing him and him doing me.  There was
little foreplay on those cool breezy nights; both of us stayed horny the
whole time.  Perhaps it was the mystery of doing it on the beach; perhaps it
was the thrill of knowing that we might get caught; perhaps it was knowing
that we might wake up one of our brothers and didn't want to have to listen
about them not getting any while we were in Puerto Rico.  On the last
morning we were there, we woke to find them quietly watching cartoons in the
living room.  As we climbed downstairs, the three of them were watching
cartoons in the living room.  Gui was eating cereal; Martin was reading a
magazine; Danny was sitting in the floor, in a position that suggested that
he might have just finished a round of crunches.

	"I don't want to go home, Jake," Danny said before he even saw us in the
room.

	"I understand," I said, bringing the attention of Tony's brothers to the
fact that we'd entered the room.

	"Can we buy a house down here for vacations and such?  It would be a nice
to spend Christmas around the sand."

	"It would, Dann-o."

	"I'll have to talk to talk to Mom about it," Danny said.

	"Can we come down if you do?" Gui asked.

	"Sure," Danny said.  "You guys are family, too."  Tony seemed to light up
with my brother's words.  We relaxed the rest of the morning.  The girls
were leaving that morning as well, but before us.  They stopped by the house
more so that Maria could see Gui than so that the others could see Martin
and Danny.  Gui seemed to light up as she pulled his hand out of his pocket,
wrote something with a black sharpie and kissed it before placing it back in
his pocket.  She kissed him lightly on the lips before joining the other
girls in the car that would take them to their destination.  The four of us
teased him a bit when he came back in the house.

	"I'd expect that from them," he said pointing to my brother and their
younger brother, "but not the two of you."  He grinned at the two of us
cheekily but came over to give us a hug.  "Thanks for bringing me down,
brothers."

	"No problem," Tony answered.  He wrapped the arm that wasn't wrapped around
my shoulder around his brother's and hugged him.  It was really a sweet
moment.

	The rest of the morning we spent relaxing and packing our bags for the trip
home.  By one, the car was filled with our bags and souvenirs we'd purchased
for various people.  We straightened up the house and put the sheets and
towels in the laundry room as the owner had requested.  By three, we were
back on our way to San Juan for a 6 P.M. flight back to Charlotte.  It had
been a fun week, and as Tony pulled away from the house, I thought back to
the time that I'd been able to spend with the brothers and with Tony.  I
smiled a little.

	The plane ride back was smooth and quick.  In what seemed like a very short
time, we flew from San Juan to Charlotte.  When we got there, though, we
were all very tired.  Gui took us to Nani's house, but then left shortly
thereafter to head home.  Martin and Danny joked that it was probably so
that he could talk to Maria without being disturbed by the annoyances of his
little brothers, Danny, and me.  Danny decided to hang out with Martin, but
Tony and I had different plans.  We were spending the evening and the night,
if we could actually handle it, with his parents.  I was skeptical because
of what I'd heard; but he was nervous.  He hadn't seen his mother in several
months and was more than a little excited yet nervous at the same time.  We
wound our way out of Nani's neighborhood and within just a few minutes were
pulling onto the street that Tony had grown up on.  Time seemed to move
slowly as we drove toward the end of the dead-end street.  The very last
house on the right was his parents' home.  It was the place where he had
grown up.  It was the place where I found out he'd had his first kiss.  It
was the place where he'd stood up to his parents and brothers and come out
of the closet.  We sat in the car for a moment.

	"You OK?" I asked, rubbing his arms as he raised the top on my car.

	"Yeah.  I am fine," he answered.  I hate to harp on the way he can say
something with his eyes, but his eyes spoke of nervousness and anxiety at
the first meeting of his parents since the evening he left their house.

	"Tony..."

	"OK...so I'm a little nervous.  I'm worried that something is going to
happen."

	"Don't be.  You're dad seemed sincere enough."

	"That's true, I guess."  He stopped for a second and looked out the front
window.  "How is it that you're not nervous?"

	"Babe.  To be honest, I'm scared shitless, but then again, I don't know
these people at all."

	"Yeah..."

	"And from what I understand, it's normal to feel nervous about meeting your
boyfriend's parents for the first time."

	"True," he said smiling.

	"So let's go meet the Cisneroses."

	"Cool. Jake?"

	"Yeah?"

	"I love you."

	"I love you, too, Tonito."

	We stepped out of the car and walked toward the door.  Mr. Cisneros met us
at the door, giving both of us a solid hug.  He was happy to see us.  `One
down and one to go,' I thought as he made idle chit chat.  We had yet to see
Ms. Cisneros though, but from the sound of something frying in the kitchen,
she was cooking something.  I followed Tony into the kitchen.  Despite the
fact that he hadn't been here in months, he still knew all the shortcuts
through the modest, middle class house.

	"Mom," Tony said.

	"Antonio," she said, not turning to face him.

	"How are you?"

	"I'm fine.  Thanks for asking.  You?"

	"I'm good," he said, turning to look at me.

	"Mama," Mr. Cisneros said, "Tono ha traido alguien."  (Tony has brought
someone.)

	"Oh.  Perdoname," she said, turning from the stove to see me standing
closely behind her second of three children.  It wasn't quite a cold look,
but it wasn't warm and inviting either.  It was almost as if she were trying
to tell me that she resented me for taking her son away from her.  "Soy
Magdalena Cisneros," she said, extending her arm.  (Oh.  Sorry.  ...I am
Magadalena Cisneros.)

	"Soy Jacob Henry."

	"Mucho gusto."  (Nice to meet you.)

	"El gusto es mio, senora."  (The pleasure is mine, ma'am.)

	"Si ustedes me puedan perdonar por un rato, puedo terminar con esta cena."

	"Is there anything I can help you with, ma'am?" I offered, as a good guest
should.

	"No," she said, returning to the stove.  It was going smashingly at that
point.  Tony took me on a quick tour of the house, showing me the room that
he'd spent his childhood in.

	"What the hell?" he whispered as he entered his old room.  It was
completely bare.  There were no sheets on the bed, no pictures, awards, or
trophies on the wall.  His desk was cleaned of all clutter.  It smelled as
though they'd sterilized the room when Tony left.  Tony opened his closet
door.  It was empty.  The bathroom that he shared with Gui was empty.  He
went into Gui's room, which was left the way it was when Gui had moved out
of the house.  He came back into his room and walked across the hall into
Martin's room, which was still messy and cluttered.  He gently closed the
door and walked back into his bedroom.  He looked like he was devastated.
"Do you even want to stay for dinner?"

	"If you don't want to be here, we can go."

	"Dinner is ready," Ms. Cisneros called throughout the house.

	"Let's stay for dinner, and then we can go," Tony said, taking my hand and
pulling it to his mouth.  He kissed it gently.  "Thank you."

	"For?"

	"Tonight."

	"Antonio.  Dinner!" his mother called, curtly.

	"Fun times ahead," Tony said as he kissed my hand once again.  We walked
out of his room and toward the dining room.  Mrs. Cisneros was bringing what
I grew to know were her famous empanadas.  They smelled so good, almost as
if I were eating a meal at one of my friend's houses in Cuba.  Tony and his
father sat at the heads of the table, while Ms. Cisneros and I sat across
from each other.  Tony and his dad exchanged pleasantries and compliments
for his mother's food.  Tony was horribly pissed off at his mother, but was
taught not to show such anger and resentment toward his parents in their
presence.

	"I just hope it is not too spicy for Jacob," she said.

	"Actualmente, Senora, esta cena as magnifico.  Muchas gracias para
cocinarla."  (Actually ma'am, this dinner is magnificent.  Thank you very
much for cooking it.)

	"Hablas muy bien espanol."  (You speak Spanish well.)

	"Aprendi en Cuba."  (I learned in Cuba.)

	"Eres cubano?"  (Are you Cuban?)

	"No, senora.  Soy canadiense.  Mi padre fue diplomatico."  (No ma'am.  I am
Canadian.  My father was a diplomat.)

	"Bueno..."  (Nice.)

	We continued our pleasantries until I was red in the face.  Tony and his
dad watched as she and I exchanged ourselves.  Mr. Cisneros could see his
wife's disgust; Tony could see mine.  The dinner was good, but it was
nothing spectacular.  It was a simple Cuban dish of empanadas flavored with
beef.  She also served a concoction of rice and beans which I had never
eaten before.  There was no dessert, which didn't upset me.  As we finished
dinner, she took Mr. Cisneros' plate with hers to the kitchen.  I followed
in with mine and Tony's.  She started the water and began to rinse the
leftovers from the plate.

	"I can get those," she said as she tried to take them from me.

	"My mother would be angry at me if I didn't offer to help."

	She looked at me oddly.  "Mais elle n'a pas de probleme avec ta relation
avec mon fils."  (But she doesn't have a problem with your relationship with
my son.)

	"Non.  Elle n'a pas de probleme avec que je suis gay."  (No.  She doesn't
have problem with the fact that I'm gay.)

	"You just think you are so smart, don't you?" she asked, waving a wooden
spoon in my face.

	Tony's mother or not, this lady was not going to talk to me like she was in
that moment.  "Yes ma'am.  I know I am.  I at least realize that Tony is a
great man.  If only you could see that as well."

	"He was a great man before you made him gay."

	"I didn't make him gay.  If anyone did that, it was you, because sexuality
is determined in the womb, according to a study done recently in Canada."
She was a bright shade of red.  She was angry, but then again, I was too.  I
went into her home at the invitation of her husband and in support of the
most important person in my life.

	"All you fucking Canadians think you're God's gift to the world.  You think
you know everything.  But what do you know about the Bible?  Are you
familiar with Leviticus 18:22?"

	"Yes.  I am aware of that verse."

	"Do you know that it is an abomination to sleep with another man as you
would with a woman?"

	"Did you know that there is no such word for abomination in Hebrew?"

	"I think it is time you left my house."

	"Gladly."

	I walked out of the kitchen, into the living room, where Tony and his dad
were pleasantly talking.  I almost hated to take Tony away from his father,
but there was no way in hell I was staying in that house any longer than I
had to.  I caught them in the middle of a belly laugh, and my guilt went
through the roof.  It was almost on par with my anger in that moment.

	"Tony, babe."

	"Yeah, Jake."

	"Can I talk to you for a moment?"

	"Sure," he said, taking my hand and leading me to the back deck, which was
attached to the living room.  I was so angry that I started to cry.  He
pulled me into him and hugged me, rubbing my hair in the process.  It was so
sweet.

	"I can't stay here any more."

	"Why?  What happened?"

	"I know she is your mother, but she hates me.  In a few minutes, she has
offended my relationship with you, my nationality, and my faith.  And I have
been NOTHING but nice to her."

	"I'm sorry babe.  We can go.  You go and get the car warmed up, and I will
be right there."

	"Alright."  I turned and walked down the steps into the backyard.  I walked
around the house and to the driveway, where my car sat, waiting on me to
click the button on the keychain and get in.  There was no way, though, that
I would be going back into that house as long as she was there, and she
would never be welcome in mine.  I was balling as I started the car.  I
grabbed my phone and tried to call Danny's phone, but there was no answer.
"Damnit!" I screamed in the phone as I sat there and waited on Tony.  In a
moment, Tony's dad came out of the house and walked toward the car.  I
pushed the button to lower the window that I would have to scream at him.
He walked around the front of the car, though, and got in the passenger side
of the car.

	"Jake."

	"Yes sir?"

	"I want to apologize for the way she acted."

	"It's not your fault, Mr. Cisneros.  You had no way of knowing.  Thanks for
being pleasant yourself, though."

	"When I came to see you two last week, and invited you over, I had no idea
that she was going to act like this.  I promise you that it was a total
surprise to me."

	"No worries.  I think you're a great guy, Mr. Cisneros."

	"And Magda is normally a very good, very nice woman."

	"Who doesn't like her son's boyfriend."

	"I think you are good for Tony, and that he is good for you," he said.  I
turned to look into his eyes.  It was amazing to see how much he and Tony
were alike.  His dad had beautiful blue eyes, just as Tony did.  "I am sorry
again," he said as Tony walked out of the front door, his mother close
behind him yelling something at him.  His dad waited at the car for Tony to
come around.  They exchanged a quick hug before Tony got into the car.
"Call me later, son."

	"Alright Dad.  I love you."

	"I love you too, Antonio."

	"Let's go," he said to me as his mother came closer and closer to the car.
We drove down the street in silence for a few minutes.  "She actually tried
to tell me that you were humming `It's raining men.'  Can you believe that?"

	"Considering I've only heard the song twice and don't know but two words of
it."

	"I didn't think you would do something like that."

	"Did she tell you that I caught her making comments in French?"

	"Nope."

	"Did she tell you that she was quoting the bible to me?"

	"No.  But it doesn't surprise me."

	"Tony.  I really do love you more than life, but I will never go back in
that house again."

	"I understand babe."

	We pulled up to Nani's house a few minutes later.  She wasn't expecting to
see us that evening again, since as far as she knew, we were going to be
staying the night with Tony's parents.  We recounted the story to her,
Danny, and Martin, the latter two of whom wanted to go see Tony's mother
right then.

	I went to be shortly thereafter, without Tony.  I needed a few minutes by
myself.  I wasn't able to go to sleep though until Tony was in the room.  He
was so cute as he tried to come into the room quietly so that he wouldn't
disturb me.  He quietly pulled the covers back and climbed in behind me,
snuggling up against what he thought was my sleeping body.  I didn't dream
that night, but partly because every time I would get to sleep, imagines of
that woman would come into my mind.  By the next morning, I was more tired
than I had been the night before.

	"I thought they were staying at Mom and Dad's last night?" I heard Gui in
the living room ask.

	"They were supposed to, but your mother was being your mother," Nani
answered.

	"Damn.  I was hoping that this would be different.  That things for them
would turn out differently.  Tony was telling me last night that there is
nothing but the bed and the desk in his room.  All of his drawings that he
wasn't able to get off the wall, everything was gone."

	"Oh man.  And he had some good stuff."

	"I know.  I will have to ask your father about that later."

	"Man.  Jake is such a nice guy, too.  Why did she have to treat him like
that?"

	"If I had to guess, Guillermo, it's because of her own ignorance.  I will
admit.  I don't know that much about the gay lifestyle, but he is still my
grandson.  That's what I told you and Martin.  He is still your brother."

	"Yes ma'am."

	"I almost want to just go over there and beat her ass myself."

	"Don't say that.  She may be evil on earth, but she is still your mother."

	"I know, but she didn't even give him a chance, it sounds."

	"No.  But then again, that is Magdalena."

	Tony lay there sleeping calmly, but I couldn't stay there any more.  I
pulled on some shorts and a t-shirt and went into the living room to find my
keys.  "Dude," Gui said as I came into the room with a face that was still
puffy from crying the night before.  "I'm so sorry about last night."  He
then stood up and gave me a hug.  I wrapped my arms around his chest as he
did with me and let myself be comforted in his embrace.  "You OK?"

	"Yeah, Gui.  Gracias."

	"No problem."

	Tony and I returned to Auburn later that day, but not before Mr. Cisneros
came by to see us off.  He gave us both big hugs as he had done the night
before, and sent us on our way.  As we drove back, Tony was able to make me
laugh at his antics.  He was acting silly, but it was just what I needed to
start to feel better.  By the time we were back at the apartment, I was in
good spirits once again.  Despite what we'd been through with his mother,
Tony was in an excellent mood, and I was well on my way to that as well.  As
we entered, the faint smell of familiarity brought me back to all the good
times that we'd shared in the apartment together.  A few of his frat
brothers came over that night to hang out with us, but didn't stay too late.
  They had a few beers and were off before the evening news even started.
As soon as he was sure they were out of sight, he pulled me into the bedroom
and made love to me.  God that sex was good.

	For the following week, we relaxed a bit as I slowly began getting things
ready to begin teaching.  I got two weeks worth of PowerPoint presentations
ready to show the students that would be taking my classes over the next
week.  All in all, the time that Tony and I spent alone over those couple of
weeks were almost better than the trip that we'd just been on and the
encounter with his mother.  It was a trip that I shan't soon forget for all
the memorable experiences that Tony and I had over that time.