Chapter 10

They walked through Andrew’s overgrown garden, and he told them how Jack never cared about the rest, but he would always trim one particular rosebush, and Andrew had kept trimming that rosebush to this day. He would sit there, and keep it perfect for hours, because it was something Jack asked in his very own will.

Andrew lived in a quaint home. It was a small, thatched cottage with small, barred windows, and signature black and white colours, with each beam not being entirely straight, giving the cottage a certain rickety feel. The door had a circular handle and they had to duck down to get in otherwise they’d hit their head on the wooden beams that’s lined the ceiling. There was a step down and they were able to stand up properly.

It was clearly a very old interior, that can’t have been changed since they had moved in and felt like a mix of different periods. The chairs were all natural wooden carved and matched the small round table in the corner. The kitchen had an old whistling kettle on top of a stove unit, the cabinets were all white and chipped, and the small fridge had almost yellowed in colour. The sitting area had two small, faded, red armchairs and a small wooden table in the middle, with a cute doily lying upon it. The floor was covered in cold, brick-red, square tiles, except for the sitting area which had a sun-bleached, floral rug. And the walls were spotted with floral paintings, mostly roses, all with signed by Andrew. Although the room was messy and falling apart, it had charm to it.

Andrew went to brew some tea, and James sat down in an armchair, whilst Michael grabbed a chair from the table to sit on. Andrew sat down on an armchair, and Michael went to bring the tea over. They sat down. Michael searched for a conversation starter. “You paint.” He blurted, abruptly, uncomforted by the brief silence.

“I used to go around the village and paint plants I saw, Jack often requested roses. I think he loved them so much because they were the first ever flowers that I gave to him.” He explained, with a reminiscent smile.

“That’s nice. I remember when Michael first gave me flowers, they were tulips and he discreetly took them up to my room, and I put them on my windowsill. I cried when they died.” Laughed James.

Andrew laughed and smiled, then looked at them excitedly, and exclaimed. “Well tell me your story.” So, James told him everything from his side, and Andrew nodded along. Then he heard Michael’s side, and he still nodded along. At the end he looked up and said. “You have had a tough time but love really does conquer all it seems. You complement each other well.”

“Thanks.” Spoke Michael, and he joked the fact. “First person whose said that.”

“Boy. I have been on this planet for long enough, and I have seen enough to realise that it doesn’t matter what people say to you, or what they don’t say, or what you think they say about you, as long as you’re happy. It is easier said than done, but always try to ignore it, because you don’t need people like that in your life.” He imparted his wisdom upon them. “But as you of course know too well, these people are often the majority of the people around you. But now you are starting anew. So, pick your friends wisely.”

“You’re a smart man Andrew.” James said after a pause.

Andrew laughed. “I just tell people what I’ve seen. That is not intelligence, rather observations that a fossil like me has made.”

“You’re right Andrew.” Remarked James. “But so many people are too ignorant to even see these things.”

“You flatter me.” Smiled Andrew. And they talked about their lives, and the world, and stories and experiences that Andrew had had in his life.

He told them about how Jack once went to apply for a job at a bank and got the job. He rose the ranks rapidly and gaining an executive position at a record-breaking age. Then, they visited a charity ball together, Jack had not previously come out and told people of their relationship. Later that week, Jack was called to the board of directors and was fired due to ‘redundancies’, he was the only person made redundant. There were more stories like this from both of them, but they always came out of the other side together.

Andrew had grown up in this town and met Jack at 16. They fell in love with one another, but they swore to keep it a secret, from everyone they knew. They moved to London and brought a flat together, and lived there for decades, they became successful and happy despite oppression. Then in 2006, they moved back to Andrew’s childhood home where they spent days full of quiet strolls through the countryside. Andrew told them it was a life worth living, and all this time those two boys listened in inventively, somewhat wishing something similar would happen to them.

After all the stories, it was beginning to become darker. “We best be off now.” Sighed Michael, rising.

“It’s dark. Are you sure you don’t want to stay the night?” Andrew asked. “We have an air mattress in the cupboard somewhere from when Jack’s nephew would stay.”

“It’s fine. We don’t want to trouble you anymore.” Replied Michael.

Andrew insisted. “It’s no trouble at all. It’s my pleasure, your wonderful boys.”

Michael glanced over at James, who nodded. “If it’s ok with you. That would be really nice. Thanks.”

So, Michael pumped up the air mattress with his mouth, which took him a fairly long time, and James pulled a blanket out from the cupboard. They set it down by the armchairs, and lay down on it, it was small, but they huddled together. And they fell asleep in each other’s embrace, a privilege they had gained by running away. It was something that James was thankful for.