Silent

38. Gone without a trace

October 7th, 1997

Evelyn poured tea into two porcelain cups and handed the other to her husband. She glanced at the clock on the wall to check the time.

"Michael will soon be late for school," she noted. "He doesn't usually oversleep. Would you go and see what's keeping him?"

Henry glanced at the time as well and sighed heavily, annoyed by the interruption of his reading. Reluctantly he left the table and walked towards the stairway. He stopped at the lower level. "Michael!" He shouted. "Hurry and get up! You're going to be late for school!" Figuring his shout would be enough to alert him, Henry returned to his paper.

He and his son had been close once; Michael had brought him a great pride and now... Now Henry wasn't quite sure how he should handle the situation that confused him greatly. Was it his fault that the boy had become like that? Had he lacked the proper guidance or was this just a passing folly of the youth? Nothing had ever given him any cause of alarm before. Michael had enjoyed boyish activities as any other, he had never wanted to play with dolls or dress up in skirts, have ballet as a hoppy, or other nonsense like that. Henry did not know any other gay person but a brother of his college friend, who had been a peculiar person like that, so he had very little to base his conception of gays on. Most were based on stereotypical images fed to him from an early age.

Being gay was abnormal, that's what Henry had been taught all his life, and now... his son... His sensible and intelligent son... Surely this had to be a mistake? And something that could be still fixed?

Henry lifted the cup to his lips, frowning at his thoughts. Maybe he could invite his co-worker and his family to dinner the following Saturday. The man had a girl, the same age as Michael, and maybe... Maybe if Michael just met the right girl?

It took a few minutes before Evelyn got nervous. "Why is that boy stalling?" She sighed, washing her hands, once again checking the time restlessly.

That was when the doorbell rang. "Henry, go and see what's holding him, I'll get the door."

Irritated by the perpetual interruptions, Henry got up and walked slowly upstairs. Evelyn glanced after her husband retreating, before answering the door. "Tommy," she greeted in surprise. The red-haired boy stood on the porch with an insecure look on his features, holding his backpack loosely on his shoulder.

"I came to ask if Michael would like a ride to school. My brother promised to take us. " Tommy gestured towards the driveway where the car was parked.

Evelyn smiled softly, Tommy hadn't visited them for weeks, not since Michael had revealed that... Evelyn paused at the thought. Micheal was gay, and she needed to learn and accept it, and with time, she would.

"Michael must have overslept; do you want to come inside to wait? William can come in too, if he wants?"

Tommy glanced back at the car where his brother was listening to loud music and nodding his head in its rhythm, his fingers drumming against the steering wheel. "I think he'll be fine where he is," Tommy smiled before stepping in.

"Would you like a cup of tea while you wait?" Evelyn asked. "Michael needs to eat something anyway before you go."

"Thank you," Tommy smiled and followed her into the kitchen.

Henry stood at the door to his son's room and knocked. "Michael?" He called with a stern voice. No answer, complete silence. "Damnit boy, you have to go to school no matter what!" Henry growled and opened the door, astonished when he found an empty, clean room and a bed that looked like it hadn't been slept in.