My grandmother (love is patient sequel)

12

"Morning little guy. Did you sleep well?"

"Gus, I heard some of what you were saying to auntie Haf last night."

"You did?"

He had been making breakfast but now he was stopped in his tracks.

"I know you think it's a bad idea and maybe it is but I wish I could live with you guys."

"But you live with-"

"I know. I live with my parents and they love me and everything. It just feels like you and Hafi, and the dogs of course, love me more. I feel more like I belong with you guys. I still haven't come out to them yet."

"Really?"

"Yeah. It feels like every time I get close, something will happen and then I'll be too scared."

"Please. Your dad grew up with gay parents. I doubt he's homophobic."

"Yeah but I can't biology carry on the family if I end up with someone I can't reproduce with they'll be upset."

"Ok. Firstly, you're pansexual so it's not like you'll definitely end up with a guy or someone else you wouldn't be able to naturally have a baby with. Secondly, that's very far ahead to be thinking. Thirdly, your dad was adopted himself. He can't exactly discriminate against having non-biological children."

"He won't discriminate though. He'll just be upset and disappointed and so will mum."

"I doubt that."

"Well I don't."

"Why do you think they'd be disappointed?"

"Because they'd want me to have a biological child and because dad works at school. He knows how badly I'd get beat up-"

"I thought we were just talking about coming out to your parents here?"

"But he'd worry."

"And he doesn't already?"

"He doesn't know about certain things."

"Like the people-"

"The people who beat me up. Yes."

"And the-"

"The graffiti. He's too fancy for those toilets."

Gus put down his pan that he'd been holding very suddenly.

"You mean?"

"He doesn't know about anything that happens at school."

"Doesn't he question the bruises and everything?"

"I tell him I fell over."

"But you get so many bruises. Surely he can't believe you fell over that many times."

"Good morning babe."

Hafi walked in just as Gus broke into tears. She rushed to his side and wrapped her arms around him as tight as she could.

"What the hell is happening?"

I stayed silent, perched on the kitchen counter. Gus cried into Hafi loudly for a while before pulling away and looking her straight in they eye.

"We are more like his parents than his parents."

"Gus, that's what I was trying to say last night."

"It is like it was with Elliot."

She wrapped her arms around him again as he wept into her shoulder. She tried to pull away until she was eventually looking him in the eyes.

"I know he shouldn't live with us but he can at least stay with us a bit longer."

She gestured to me to come over so I did. She pulled away from Gus and put her hands on my shoulders whilst facing him.

"Gus, look, this boy may be your nephew but I don't care. However close you want to be to him, that's how close you'll be to him. Even if he doesn't live with us and already has a father, you can still be like another father to him-"

"But we need to look after him like he's our child then."

"Yes."

"But we can't do that."

"Why not?"

I think by this point he'd almost forgotten I was in between him and Hafi.

"Because we go to work all the time."

"He goes to school a lot of the time we're at work."

With that he seemed to have no more arguments in his head and he then flung himself towards Hafi in streaks of tears. He'd completely forgotten I was in the middle and I'm happy I managed to dodge him because he almost knocked her over.

"Tommy can you go and feed the dogs please. We'll call you when breakfast is ready."

Yet again no arguments. I just did it.

It felt like it was my fault. My fault I got bullied. My fault I was pansexual. My fault Gus was upset. My fault.

That's when it happened.

In the time span of about a second, I heard a loud thud from the kitchen and then Hafi screaming.

Upon running into the kitchen, I saw Gus lying on the floor, wincing in pain with Hafi kneeling by his side.

"What happened?"

"He slipped. We have to remain calm. Tommy can you pass my phone please." She said urgently as if she were trying to convince herself that everything would be ok.

Time seemed to go so slowly whilst we were waiting for the ambulance. We'd predicted that Gus had broken at least one bone in his leg. Then, we just sat on the floor in silence for a while. We all just sat, gazing off into the distance until there was a sharp knock at the door. The dogs immediately started barking and Hafi leapt to her feet to get the door.

"Tom can you hold the dogs please."

I didn't know how I'd manage to carry both of them when they were hyped up like this so I put their leads on.

"Got them."

The ambulance staff immediately rushed inside as Hafi showed them where Gus was and explained what happened as they loaded him onto a stretcher.

"So he couldn't really see where he was going and he slipped because the floor was wet. And-"

"Miss Ligouri, we've heard what we need to for now. The priority is making him better not talking about what happened."

My fault.

"Ok. We're ready to go. Now, who's coming in the ambulance?"

"Oh. Uh. Me."

She looked at me with sad eyes.

"Tommy. This sounds scary but I need to to stay here and look after the dogs. You know where everything is and I'll have my phone so you can text me if you need anything. Ok?"

"Tommy?"

"Yeah. Ok."

"Thank you. You're so brave."

And with a kiss on the cheek, she was out the door and I heard the sirens wailing as they faded off into the distance.