FOUR
PICNICKING IN JAIL AIN’T NO PICNIC
“That’s him” Carl pointed over the picnic table at a chunky
midlife type, strolling gingerly through the grass at the Lilburn
County Correctional
Center
“And who is he?” Ferret was getting kind of bored sitting
here. It was better than the old days, when he was having to talk to Carl
through the thick glass on the jail phone, but he still couldn’t TOUCH him, and
wouldn’t be able to for at least a nickel-dime.
“Porter Peabody. Don’t you read the news at all? Jesus and
you’re a white boy, and a gay white boy at that.” Carl’s brown eyes twinkled,
and he patted Ferret’s wrist to show he was only kidding.
“What is he an um—a senator or something?” They were big,
senators. Or a movie star? Now Ferret wished he’d guessed movie star.
“Porter Peabody, my pretty illiterate, is a world-class
embezzler. He stole millions from Mortlake National.”
“Shit, recently?” Ferret said, alarmed. “I think I have
money there. It’s gone?” Ferret looked over at Peabody
“No, the money, much of it was insured by the federal
government, but Peabody
Ferret wrinkled his nose. “You’re not like—“
Carl laughed uproariously. “No, no, I just keep ol’ Porter
from getting his butt-reamed by all the other guys. We shower together, all
that.”
“I miss that, showering together.” Ferret said, looking at
his lover sadly.
“Me too, white boy. I should have thought about that before
–“But Carl put his head in his hands.
Ferret looked at Carl, and felt sad. What could he do to
cheer Carl up? Ferret grinned, thinking of what he’d LIKE to do. Only once a
month, could he visit the love of his life…here in crapola.
Carl looked up at Ferret. “How’s Deon? He giving you any
trouble?”
“No, I barely see him.” Ferret said, as he lit a Marlboro.
“He goes to school, basketball, that kind of thing, has a girlfriend. That’s
why he ain’t here today. The girlfriend.”
Actually, Deon spent most of his time sitting on Ferret’s
couch, smoking hash oil and watching “As the World Turns” He had no girlfriend,
and had refused to accompany Ferret to the prison because he blamed his father
for having ruined their lives, for being queer, and for getting locked up…but Carl
didn’t need to know all that.
Carl grinned big. He probably knew all. “Well, it’s good
that you took Deon in—“
“Shut up, Carl.” Ferret said. “We were all living together,
you hadda go away, your kid and I, we can make it. Steamworks pays shitty, but
your mother sometimes drops money and food by, we can make it.”
“Well, Deon will be graduating this year, and I think he’s got his eye set on the Marines. But
Ferret, you got to move on, man. I-the parole hearing didn’t go well, you
know.”
Ferret flicked away the cigarette and looked intently at
Carl. Fuck!
MARITAL DISCORD, OR IS IT STRIFE?
Clarissa just couldn’t understand Paul. He was never home
now. And when he was at home, he was in the living room, reading fitness
magazines. It all seemed like childish behavior.
Paul’s mother had warned Clarissa that Paul had always had a
childish streak. “When he was in the Fourth form at Andover, Paul spent all his
time with a boy—a very un-natural theatrical boy, and in the end, his
headmaster had to ask that we remove Paul from the school, and I think the
other kid, a bit of a pansy, I’m afraid, was remanded to a mental institution.”
What was Clarissa to do? Paul was good with the kids, but so
remote. And he went out late at night, and
didn’t go into where he was spending his time.
“Paul, dear…what are you doing?” She knew what he was doing.
“I’m just um, relaxing, work was difficult, Clarissa.”
“Could I help you relax?” She paused. “Make you a drink, rub
your shoulders? The children are at Mother’s, so…”
“No” quickly. “I just need some time alone, dear. Thanks so
much anyway.”
A moment later, Paul shouted that he was taking Biscuits
out…Paul had such odd dog-walking proclivities, he put Biscuits in the car and
took her to a park to walk her, because he said it was a good place for her to
meet other dogs, but sometimes they didn’t get back until midnight!
SOME ENCHANTED EVENING…
Pilsudski tried to stand in the size fourteen double wide
Mary Jane patent leather shoes. As his clubfoot was unbalancing on the heels,
it was awkward. The white socks were looking a little gray, and Suds was
doubtful that he passed as an innocent schoolgirl.
But Tunstall Park
was nice this time of night, not too many men groping each other in the bushes,
but a few cuties. Pilsudski’s friends often urged him not to do drag when he
was trying to find a fuck-buddy, but this little gingham dress, bought from
TranniTite in the big city across the river, looked positively fetching!
Suds saw two shadows moving towards him, and stiffened,
because they could be cops. One was tall…oh, it was just Ferret and Gus. Gus
looked like he had already been on his knees that night, keepin’ busy.
“Ah Suds. Don’t you look like you should be selling Girl
Scout cookies this fine evening.” Gus said this and smiled. “Or auditioning for
the new Heidi movie perhaps?”
“It ain’t a bad dress is it?” Pilsudski asked, you could
never tell whether Gus was fucking
around with you.
“More of a frock like they’d wear in the ‘Sound of Music’,
but ah well.” Gus replied. He slapped Ferret on the back. “Ferret has some
unfortunate news, his husband won’t be sprung this March, as they thought.”
Ferret shook his head, and Suds reached out and gave him a
hug. “Poor Carl. Well maybe next year, you think?”
“Nah, they gave him a two year wait until his next hearing,
goddamnit.” Ferret’s eyes were wet, and this surprised Suds a bit. Ferret’s
nickname was an amalgam of “Fairy” and “Faggot” but truth to be told, he was
quite stoic, and more than a little masculine. But Suds knew how much Ferret
cared for Carl.
“And you’re stuck with Carl’s offspring, too, right?” Gus
said, as he casually looked around at a nearby day laborer’s tight dungarees.
“I don’t care about that, s’much.” Ferret said. “But Carl’s
a-a righteous guy, and you know—he told me I should be moving on.”
“Well, you picked the right spot.” Suds said, twirling in
his gingham dress, and nearly falling over on his club foot. “Lots of guys here
tonight.” Suds tried to give a flirty wave to a handsome mustachioed type, and
the man coldly looked away. Oh well.
“Ah, but there’s someone over there cruising Augustus, if I
do say so myself.” Gus grinned hopefully. “Oh no, I think he’s looking at you,
Ferret.”
Ferret squinted through tear-stained lashes. “Oh him. That’s
the pale queen who shook my hand at the baths. Why’s he got a dog down here?”
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