My Folks, They're Guys

Rosebud

The first time I said those words was when Callie and I were making out in her car. I was freaking out about how she would feel about that and me, but she seemed cool with Michael and Ben being gay. I figured if she could handle them being gay maybe I would be lucky enough that she would understand about other things in my life as well. But she and I weren't meant to be together and I had to move on with my life. I did give Ben and Michael a really hard time for the next couple of years, but they did their best to make me feel loved and wanted. I was just so screwed up in my head that I ended up hurting the two people who cared more about me then anyone else ever had.

It wasn't until I hard about the bombing at Babylon that it hit me just how much I had grown to love and care about them. When I couldn't reach either of them on their cell phones or the phone at home, I feared the worst. By the time I thought to call Monty and Eli, I had talked myself into thinking both Ben and Michael had died in the blast and now I was truly alone in the world. When Monty told me that Michael had been injured badly in the blast, all I could think was I had to get home.

The three of us got lucky I guess, cause Michael made a full recovery and they let me move back home. By then all I wanted to do was prove I was worth all the crap they had to deal with to turn me into a "normal human being" as Michael once put it. So I decided to go back to school and try to go to college, even if it was only a community college and make something of myself, not only for me but for Ben and Michael, who believed in me enough to take me in and give me a real home and family.

That last few months of school were rough, if Ben and even Michael hadn't helped me I would never have graduated with my classmates, as a surprise Ben had arranged with the court and the school that I would be given my diploma in my new adopted name of James Hunter Novotny-Bruckner. That day as I looked out and saw Michael, Ben, Debbie and the others watching as I and my classmates entered a new phase in our lives I couldn't believe how lucky I was to have a real family. When my name was called for me to accept my diploma, hearing me new name spoken for the first time out loud, I could barely stand, at that second in time I felt the greatest joy shoot through me. I now had 2 dads who loved me even if I wasn't perfect.

That summer we all when to the Pocono's for a 2 week vacation, we had so much fun, hiking, fishing, boating, swimming and just being lazy. Ben wouldn't let Michael do the really tough stuff since as Ben and Debbie kept telling him, he was still recovering. But the truth was and always will be that Ben loves to pamper his Michael.

Even after all the shit I did while on the streets I didn't understand "gays" until I met Ben and Michael. What was so great about being sucked or fucked by another guy? And just why would anyone want to fall in love with another guy, was it even possible to be truly in love with another guy? Those were questions I asked myself when I was hustling and living on the streets of Liberty Avenue. Hell, I only let those guys do that shit to me for the money, it wasn't like I enjoyed it or felt anything other then shame when I was with any of them. So how could two guys be "in love?"

Then I met Ben, I thought that first time that maybe I could get him to buy me for the night so I could at least get out of the fucking cold. But he turned me down and went back inside his warm home. Then he and Michael saved me one night when one of the other hustlers thought I had stolen his "John." I could tell Michael wasn't too happy to have me in their home, but he let me stay that night. When I left Ben, gave me his cell number and some money. He told me to call if I needed help. A couple weeks later I woke to find myself in the hospital with a kidney infection and the doctors wanted to call my nearest family member, so I said Ben was my uncle and they called him. He came to see me and made this fuss about not lying to the hospital about being my uncle, but he didn't say anything to them that first day. He came again the next day and seemed very determined to tell the hospital the truth, said my little stay was costing him a couple thousand bucks and he thought I should take the time while I was in there to think about making changes in my life. And when I made a smart ass reply, like I always did when confronted with something I couldn't handle. Ben tossed his hands in the air and pretty much said he was going to make things right with the hospital staff and walked out. I left the hospital late that night because I was afraid that the social service people would be there the next morning to take me to the juvenile Center until they could find a foster home or children's home to put me in. The very next night while I was trying to make some money, who the hell should show up and run off the old fart I was reeling in for a warm bed and some money, that's right Ben and Michael. Said they needed to tell me something important, I was certain I didn't want to hear a word they had to say but I stood there and listened while Ben told me I was HIV positive.

Just fucking great, my life sucked as it was, did I have to have this added to my list of reason I should just die already. Like normal I made a smart ass remake and walked away. Figured I'd never see either of them again, but the next night there was Ben with a heavy coat and a pack of condoms, telling me to use them and make my "johns" use them too. I asked him why he cared, That's when I found out he was positive too. He talked me into going with him for a hot meal and a warm place to sleep. He tried to explain the whole HIV thing to me and why I had to stay healthy and get on me medicine for it. I didn't really want to talk about it and told him so, he backed off and we sit in silence for a while, then Michael came home and I could tell he wasn't thrilled that Ben had invited me to stay with them, but he let it go. The next few weeks the three of us had our share of intense discussions as Ben would later call them, to me they were more like arguments. They give me a key and let me live there without having to give either of them a blow job or let them screw me, so I stayed. It was nice having a warm bed and a hot meal and even having someone telling me to dress warmly, be home at a certain time, and clean my room. But I never told them that. I still did things they didn't like but they never kicked me out, until the night I screwed the cop to get his DNA for Brian. Later that night when I got home Ben and Michael were talking and I could tell Ben was ready to let me go, since he felt I would never change how I was.

So I tried to be like a normal 16 year old, school, bike riding, swim meets and then I met Callie. I really thought I had a chance with her, but once her folks found out what I had done in the pass and that I was positive that was it for us. Hell her folks didn't mind that Ben and Michael were gay just that I a former hustler and positive kid wasn't good enough to date their Callie. I tried really hard to fit in at school and make friends with the other kids, but once the whole HIV thing came out at the swim met and the parents throw such a fit about me being around their precious kids, all I wanted to do was drop out and run away. So I lied and made them think I was still going to school and had joined the debate team, when all I really did all day was hung with my former hustler friends. I decided to leave and get on with my life so I told Ben and Michael I was leaving, I won't lie, it hurt like hell to walk out that door, to leave the only two people who cared enough about me to go to court and get custody from my bitch of a mom. I went to Disney World and got a job then, heard about the bombing, so I went home.

Now here it is three years later and I will soon start my last year at community college. There have been lots of times I spoke those words "my folks... they're two guys" Now I say it with pride and if my new friend or newest date isn't cool with it, I just move on because life is too important for us to sweat the small stuff.

I love Ben and Michael as if they were my real parents, sounds dumb I know, but they have given me so much and asked for nothing in return. I call them both Dad and tease them about being two old fags who will someday be looking for hustlers like I was so they can feel young again... And they tease me that I'll be the one changing their adult diapers since I am their son and "that's what good sons do" as Ben says.

The first time I told someone from college about my folks, was when I met Dan. He was there in almost all the same class as I was and we sort of got to talking one day and it sort of grew from there. One day he was going on about how his parents were so cool and how they didn't mind that he wasn't the smartest kid in the world, when he finished he said "what about your folks? Are they very cool too?" So I just said it "My folks, their two guys." He didn't say anything for a minute, and then he said: you mean they're fags?" I told him I would prefer he not call them that, " we prefer the term gay" I said with a grin. Dan was pretty cool about them being gay once he got use to it. He"s been to the house a few hundred times and he gets along great with Ben and Michael.

There are a few other college kids who came to the house, couple of other guys and a few girls. All of them get along just fine with Michael and Ben. And they adore my Grandma Debbie. She is always feeding them. I remember the first time they all met her, they thought she was so cool. And when they found out she loved to cook, that was all it took for them to want to hang out at my house or go over to her place. College kids are always looking for a free meal, and help with their homework, so Ben is very popular with my friends. And since Michael owns a comic book store the kids think I am the luckiest kid in school. I am the luckiest kid, but not for any of the reason my friends think, but because I found two parents who love me and take care of me without judging me or using me for their own purpose or gain. My life now is full and happy and I am so glad that Ben and Michael did not give up on me when I was being such a little prick. And as for them being "gay" that is all right by me cause to me they are Dad(Michael) and Pops(Ben), and if any person I meet and tell "My Folks, they aren't like your folks. They're Gay" don't like it they can kiss my ass and get the fuck away from me and my folks.