Richard plodded along without a word as he led Cory through the living room and up the staircase to the second floor. Cory noticed that the living room was just as nicely decorated as the family room, very contemporary with a bronze sculpture of a horse with rider on the coffee table. It was definitely a man’s home without a feminine touch, Cory thought. As he and Richard reached the second floor, Richard paused at a bedroom doorway and turned to Cory.
“This was my daughter’s bedroom, but she has an apartment up at Michigan State in Lansing. She’s engaged to be married when she graduates in a couple of months, so she won’t be coming back here. You can sleep in here tonight.”
Cory sheepishly peered through the doorway and grinned as he saw an orderly room fashioned with the trappings of a high school girl. This is definitely a “girl’s” room, he thought. Posters of rock bands adorned the walls. The colors of the room were bright and warm and looked so inviting to Cory that he continued inside. A smile crept over his lips.
Cory was broken from his trance by Richard’s voice.
“The bathroom is right over there across the hallway. Sorry to say this, but you look awful. Would you like to clean up or take a shower before you go to bed? There’s a new toothbrush in there for guests, and you qualify as a guest. It’s in the top drawer of the cabinet.”
“Yeah, I think I need one.” Cory chuckled, but paused, not knowing what to do next.
Seeing Cory’s hesitance, Richard retrieved a towel from the linen closet and handed it to Cory.
“Go on inside and get yourself cleaned up. I’ll be back in a minute. You can throw your dirty clothes out in the hall, because I need to wash them. I don’t have anything your size for you to wear, so you’ll need these cleaned.”
Moments later, Richard retrieved the sports bag from Cory’s room and the clothes piled on the hall floor and went downstairs to the laundry room. As he started to put the wet and dirty clothes in the washer, he felt something inside of Cory’s jeans pocket. It was Cory’s wallet. He knew that this was private and should not be opened, but he also knew that he had to eventually contact someone about him. He would need some information that was probably contained in the wallet.
Reluctantly, Richard put the wallet on a shelf above the washing machine and continued to pull out Cory’s clothes from the sports bag, tossing them in the washer, added the soap, closed the washing machine door and turned the knob. The water started rushing in.
Just then he looked up as he heard the other sound of running water stop.
Cory stepped out of the bathroom wearing only a towel wrapped around him as Richard reached the top of the stairs.
Richard looked at Cory for a moment. He was slim with a swimmer’s build, had broad shoulders and a narrow waist. Cory appeared to have just come out of one his adolescent growth spurts. He looked to be about 5’-10” tall, but only about 130 lbs. His brownish strawberry blond hair was not cut too short.
Seeing the embarrassment on Cory’s face as Cory looked down at the floor, Richard retrieved a dark blue terry cloth robe from his bedroom and handed it to Cory.
“This will have to do tonight, because your clothes are still in the washer.”
Cory slowly put the robe on and pulled the terry cloth belt tight around his waist. Letting the towel fall to the floor, Cory walked toward the bedroom that would be his for tonight. As Richard walked into the room behind him, Cory stopped and looked around at the room, turning slowly. Cory’s eyes, normally a dark blue, began to take on a gray hue as he continued his turn and eventually stared back at Richard.
Richard noticed the change in color and saw the pain return, thinking it was probably the uncertainty of his life. Richard put his arm over Cory’s shoulder and led him toward the bed, saying softly but with reassurance,
“Cory. Everything will be alright. You’re going to be fine.”
Cory sat on the side of the bed, and Richard sat himself next to him. Still wearing the uncertainty, Cory looked over at Richard and mumbled,
“I don’t know why you’re doing this, why you’re being so nice to someone who you don’t even know. But all I can say is thank you.”
Richard looked away from Cory seeing a part of his own life that had been missing. He had been missing the ability to care.
“I guess there’s more to life than just moving through the days, watching life’s games go on around you as if you were in the bleachers looking down at life. It’s about being a part of this world, being on the court playing the game, making a difference instead of being just an observer.”
After a moment and while still looking at Richard, Cory mumbled, “I don’t understand.”
“It’s about taking a chance, Cory. You may not understand right now, but you will one day. One day you will.”
Cory looked at Richard silently for a moment.
“You’re taking a chance with me, aren’t you?”
“I have this feeling, Cory, about you. And yes, I am taking a chance with you. And I’m taking a chance with myself, too.”
Just then the tears welled within Cory and his arms shot out and around Richard’s neck. Cory was crying openly and couldn’t stop. They embraced for a few moments without words between them.
Cory finally lessened his grip on Richard and he slowly pulled back.
“I’m sorry, Richard. I didn’t mean to do that. I guess, I don’t know, I guess I’m really tired. I don’t know why I did that.”
Richard stared at Cory for a few moments, knowing what that emotional outburst was all about. Cory was so wrapped in his fears, his thoughts of escape and his unknown future that he couldn’t put his mind around what was actually happening to him. Someone helping him seemed so foreign to Cory.
“Get some sleep, Cory. We’ll talk more in the morning when you’re feeling better, okay?”
Cory laid back, putting his head on the pillow as Richard got up from the bed. He put a blanket over Cory, drawing it up to his shoulders. Richard stared at Cory for a moment as his own emotions were running at full throttle. He was looking at pain that he had not experienced before and wasn’t sure what to do about it. Richard knew that he needed to face his own uncaring past if he was going to help Cory.
Richard turned to leave, but turned back toward Cory as he reached the door. Cory raised his head to nod good night and Richard saw the blue eyes again. There was a slight sparkle that he hadn’t seen before. The eyes appeared to be filled with contentment.
Richard spoke softly, “Good night, Cory” and left the room closing the door behind him.
Downstairs in the laundry room, Richard retrieved Cory’s wallet from the shelf, moved into the kitchen and sat at the kitchen table. He stared at the wallet, moving it around in his hands for a few moments and then tossed it on the table as he stood again. He walked around the kitchen table several times, his eyes still fixed on the wallet.
After a minute of staring, he grabbed the wallet again, but this time he opened it. Inside he found Cory’s school ID and another ID card. There was no money or driver’s license. The other card had Cory’s name, address and telephone number, neatly typed. Richard’s mind continued to wrestle with the question of what was the right thing to do. Just then, Richard saw the basketball court in his mind again. He was seated in the bleachers, watching the action on the court below. But just then his image in the bleachers moved, stood up straight and paraded down the aisle toward the game.
Richard knew that Cory’s father had to know what had happened to him. Cory was not 18 yet and that man was still responsible for him. Richard had moved onto the court.
Richard swung around and pulled a pad of paper and a pen from the hutch behind him and wrote down Cory’s address and telephone number. As he returned the card to Cory’s wallet, he noticed another scrap of paper tucked deep in the paper money pocket. He removed and unfolded it and stared at the name written on it, “Mickey.” His resolve was now certain as he put ‘Mickey’ back inside and flung the wallet onto the table.
Richard sat back and covered his face with his hands, rubbing his eyes. He quickly glanced to the picture of his daughter for a moment and then looked toward the ceiling to where Cory was sleeping above. He knew what his daughter would do. He knew that she’d do exactly what h was about to do.
Richard moved across the room and grabbed the telephone and dialed. After a few moments of waiting, the other end of the line was picked up.
“Yeah,” was all that he heard.
“Hello. Is this Mr. Anderson?”
“Yeah, what do you want?”
Richard was taken aback by the roughness coming from the telephone.
“My name is Richard Mathews.”
“So?”
Richard knew that this was not going to go well. “Ah, I picked up your son this evening. He was hitchhiking and I...”
“So?”
“Well, I thought that you might want to know where he is.”
“Listen! I don’t know who you are and I don’t care. And I don’t give a damn where the little shit is. He can be in hell for all I care.”
Richard pulled the phone from his ear in total disbelief. He choked, not being able to speak, but slowly composed himself and continued.
“Mr. Anderson, I wanted to tell you that he’s alright. He was very tired and hungry. So I bought him a burger and I’m letting him sleep at my house tonight, and I’ll bring him back tomorrow after he’s rested.”
“Are you one of his faggot friends? Don’t you dare bring him here. I don’t want to see his faggy ass anywhere near me! Do I make myself clear?”
Richard flinched as the other end of the line went dead. He stared at the telephone for a few seconds and then slowly replaced the receiver in the cradle.
Richard hardened as his head turned again toward the ceiling, enraged. He spoke to Don Anderson as if he were there.
“You will get your wish, Mr. Anderson. I have no fucking intention of returning Cory to a piece of trash like you.”
Three
The Chance Taken
The next morning the sun was already brightening the room when Richard awoke. He looked at the clock on the stand next to his bed. “Damn it.”
He was late for work.
Richard laid back to collect his thoughts about the day when it hit him. He bolted straight up in bed remembering that he was not alone. There was someone else sleeping in the house.
He got out of bed and searched out his door for the other bedroom door across the hall. Cory’s door was still closed and he assumed Cory was still sleeping. He would let him sleep knowing he needed it.
Richard stepped into the bathroom to take his morning shower, and as he finished shaving, he decided to call his office and tell them he wouldn’t be there for a day or two. It was beneficial to own your own business. He could make his own schedule. He quickly dressed in his weekend attire: jeans, tee shirt and deck shoes.
When he arrived downstairs to get himself his first cup of coffee, he found steam rising from a hot cup of coffee, a spoon, a carton of milk and a sugar bowl already sitting on the counter. Cory had already been there.
“I didn’t know if you take cream or sugar in your coffee, so I got them both out just in case.”
Richard turned to see Cory coming around the corner from the family room wearing the terry cloth robe.
“No, I take my coffee black. Thank you for this though. It was nice of you. And by the way, how do you feel this morning? You were pretty strung out last night.”
“I feel great now. I guess I really needed the sleep. I was out like a light and didn’t wake up until I heard you get in the shower this morning.”
“I can understand that. I’m glad that you’re in a better mood this morning.”
Richard walked around the cooking island, opened the refrigerator and pulled out a carton of orange juice.
Turning back toward Cory, he asked, “Would you like some?”
“Yeah, I love OJ.”
Richard got two glasses from the cupboard and filled each of them with orange juice. After handing one of the glasses to Cory, he leaned against the counter silently watching Cory drink noisily. He lowered his head slightly. He knew he had to say this.
“I called your dad last night.”
Cory turned toward Richard staring with the coldness of an Arctic freeze. The silence was so loud, Richard’s ears hurt. Tension in the air was thick.
“I thought that he had a right to know where you were and that you were all right,” continued Richard.
“You shouldn’t have done that,” Cory glared.
“I had to.”
“Look, you were nice to me and I thought that you might care about me, but guess I was wrong. You said that I could sleep here for one night. Well that night’s up.”
Cory turned to leave, but Richard grabbed his arm to stop him. Cory turned quickly, throwing off Richard’s hand, his eyes focused on Richard.
“Cory, shut up and listen to me. I had to call your dad. I’m NOT your legal guardian, and you can’t stay here without his permission. Do you understand that?”
“Well, did he give it?” Cory sarcastically shot back.
“You don’t want to go back to him do you?”
“NO! I don’t ever want to see that bastard again.”
Richard was silent, waiting for Cory to calm down. After a moment he heard Cory sigh, and he knew that he could now explain what he had to do.
“Last night you got to me. And when you gave me a hug and I held you, I was crying inside right along with you. I made a vow that I would try to help you if I could. I figured that your dad was probably worried about you, so I had to call him and let him know that you were alright and that I would get you back to your family. Well, it didn’t go too well.”
“So you actually talked to him? How’d you get my number?”
“I found it in your wallet. I’m sorry Cory. I know your wallet is kinda private, but I had to find out where to contact your family.”
Cory’s fears returned, and he felt like his stomach had been hit with a lead pipe. Cory looked at Richard feeling his life drain away.
“I told you, Richard. I don’t ever want to go back there.”
Cory had started to trust Richard earlier, just a little. He had given in to a small amount of hope, but he now knew that he had no one to trust. No one was going help him.