Date: Mon, 14 Mar 2011 07:32:58 -0700 (PDT)
From: J S <football_dude74@yahoo.com>
Subject: Football Party Part 5

Again, this is my life and ask you leave these words alone other than with
your eyes.  Anyone that wishes to write is welcomed to.


The next morning I felt a pair of hands on my shoulder and looked up to see
Ryan in his shorts.

"Dad, get up to go to work," he said with sleep still in his voice.

I got up and remembered that I hadn't told him I would be waiting for the
plumber this morning.

"I called the plumber and he's coming in today, no work today," I said.

"Really?" he said.

"Yeah," I said.

"Do you think you can come to my match today?"

I looked up at him, remembering that I had said to him I would make it to
his next match.

"What time?"

"At four," he said.

"I'll be there, your school?"

"Yeah," he said and then went to the bathroom to start brushing his teeth.

Now that I was awake I couldn't go back to sleep so I got up and went to
brush my teeth as Ryan started to mess around with his hair.

"You look good kid," I said and he immediately stopped touching his hair
and smiled.

He left and then he came back to tell me he was leaving for school.  I
waved at him and when he was gone I took a shower that I needed.

When I got out I heard the doorbell ringing and I instantly ran downstairs
to get the door.  I was surprised anyone showed up that early but I was
still glad for it even if I was naked.  I had the white towel on my waist
and when I looked out the window and saw the truck in the driveway I opened
the door.

"Hello, I was called in for a toilet?"

"Right, come in," I said feeling the morning air hit my wet chest.

The plumber was in his forties I could tell and he walked in with his blue
shirt and pants.  He had short blond hair and visible lines around his
face.  I told him where the toilet was and he started to work right away on
it.  In that time I went to my room and started to dry myself properly.
When I was finished I walked back to him to see if he needed anything.

"No, I'm fine," he said and didn't stop working.

I went downstairs and got some orange juice from the fridge as I waited for
him to be done.

Half an hour later he called me to go upstairs and I did.

"Try it for yourself," he said and I pulled down the lever.  It worked and
I thanked him and paid him.  He left and I thought of the work that was now
waiting for me even though I hadn't gone into the office.

I went to my office and started getting everything together.  I got into my
work with the paper in front of me, the phone calls to the office to check
up on things, and before I knew it, it was 3:12.  I slowed what I was doing
down until I had everything put away for the rest of the day and I got in
my car to go to the school.

I parked in the large parking lot that was only opened for events and saw
it was already pretty full.  I got out and walked to the front of the
school where I saw other parents talking in the hallways or in the seats of
the bleachers in the gym.  I saw some parents I knew but didn't want to
really talk to anyone so I just waved and sat in the bleachers where I
would get a good look at Ryan.

The wrestlers from the schools were already there, stretching and in their
uniforms.  I looked for Ryan but as my eyes wandered, I saw the many good
looking, fit guys that could compete with my son.  Surely no one would ever
be better than him in my eyes.  When I saw him, I smiled and saw him
standing with three other guys, all hanging out in their singlet's.  He was
such a guy and the pride that I have for him is one that no one can ever
compete with.

When he turned around from the conversation he looked around the gym and
when he saw me he stopped and waved along with his smile.  I smiled back
and waved at him when his friends saw me.  Ryan turned back to them and I
looked around the bleachers to see who was there.

Many of the people I had seen in only wrestling matches or report card pick
up days so I didn't know many of them.  Everyone was into their
conversations and I did feel a little odd sitting there alone but once the
match started, I forgot about my own insecurities.

The smaller kids were up first and I had forgotten how intense these
matches can get.  Of course I said to myself, any sport is intense but the
way these kids played it was something else.  They wanted to win and put
their all into it.  I was excited for Ryan and when it was finally his turn
I leaned in more and saw his opponent.  The other boy was blond and the
same body type as Ryan had.  They were even of the same height.  They shook
hands and then started competing.

Ryan made the first moves and the other boy snuck his way out of them.  I
sat there with fascination as Ryan competed and managed to then take his
opponent down.  I was going to stand up and cheer when I thought of how out
of place that would be.  I continued to cheer for him through the loud gym
and when Ryan won I had to stand up.  I cheered for him and he turned to
see me.  He smiled and waved before going back to sit down with his other
teammates.

When he went again I was even more nervous now.  He didn't let anything get
past him this time and he won this one as well.  I tell you, watching him
wrestling, doing the sport he loves and giving it the dedication that he
has, you feel proud.

When everything was finished the other parents stood around to wait for
their sons and I did too, standing by the hallway.  When the wrestlers
walked out of the locker room in their sweats and duffel bags, I almost had
to look around them to see Ryan in the army of same colors.

I saw him talking with another friend and then I saw his eyes look at
another guy.  He stared at him for a second and then looked down.  I turned
to see who caught his attention and saw a dark brown hair guy with a nice
smile as he walked next to another guy with blond hair and nice features as
well.

"Hey dad," he said when he came up to me.

"Ready to go champ?" I said.

"Yeah," he said and we started to walk out of the building.

He said bye to his friends and I started driving home.

"You were really great," I said to him, pride in my voice.

"Thanks, thanks for coming," he added.

"Of course, I can't believe I've let so much time pass, I'm sorry."

"It's all right.  I'm glad you came tonight.

"You don't seem as happy as I thought you would be.  At least more than I
am."

"I am but it kind of went away."

"Why?"





"Did you see the guy coming out of the locker room when we were leaving
with the dark brown hair walking next to a blond guy?"



"Yeah, I saw them."

"Andrew was the dark haired one.  His boyfriend's the blond dude walking
with him."

"Oh," I said feeling bad for him.  "You're going to let him get the best of
you?"

"I can't help it.  I really liked him," Ryan said with what I could tell
was a lot for him to do.

"Do you think you're only going to be in love once in your life?"

"Dad, this isn't helping."

"Why not?  I'm trying to tell you that the world has so many people, the
one person for you is out there, waiting to meet you."

"You don't' get it," Ryan said.

"What don't I get?" I said to him.

"Nothing," he said looking at the window.

"Come on, tell me," I said.

"Nothing," he said again.

"Ryan, you can tell me..."

"Nothing dad!  Leave it alone!"

The way he said it to me, the anger in his voice again, made me get red in
the face from embarrassment.  I drove on, not telling him anything else.
He didn't look at me either and for once, I felt really bad at how he had
just yelled at me.

I drove on and parked in the garage.  Ryan quickly got out of the car and
went in the house.  I felt sad and so humiliated to be honest.  I sat there
in the car until I could finally get out and go in the house.  When I did,
there was no noise coming around.

I went to my room and heard something from behind Ryan's door but I didn't
want to talk to him, not the way he had acted with me.  I went to my room
and slowly got into bed.  That night I slept in my shirt and shorts and
fell asleep right away.

When I awoke the next day, I realized Ryan hadn't slept in my room.