The Peacock 623

 "Rob was the captain of the football team.  He also had the hots for Diane.  And also for me, it turned out.  Diane of course was not in the mood, and Rob and I, we had already fooled around a few times in his room.  He was really one arrogant, entitled piece of work, if you know what I mean.  Diane, of course, was perfectly fine with us seeing each other, but I lost interest in him pretty quick, plus, he really wanted to get into Diane's panties.  I was not going to out her, since we did have between us a strict code of honour, and Rob assumed, correctly, that Diane was for me a convenient cover.  He wouldn't shut up about it, till one day I threatened to out him.  He just replied that everyone would believe him before they believed me, because I was just a pathetic little faggot studying accounting, and he was the captain of the football team, and everyone looked up to him.

"Didn't stop me.  He had a best friend who didn't seem to know anything about the football star's secret little life.  He happened to be in my class, so one day, just before lunch, I took him aside.  I warned him that Rob was a secret fag and had already tried to hit on me a couple of times.  Jim went to Rob, and then I heard nothing further, until, that weekend, when Diane and I were just getting out of a movie.  It was Doctor Zhivago and still winter.  "We were walking to the bus stop, when this guy tried to block our path...

The Peacock 622

 "I for one", says Matthew, "As a gay man, am really intrigued by that metaphor."

"How do you mean", says Carl.

"Well, I don't know about the rest of you, but I am old enough to remember back in the day, when being gay in Canada, was not much safer than being Jewish in Nazi Germany."

"How old are you now?" asks Sarah.

"Seventy-eight."  Once he is sure he is not about to be interrupted again, continues, "It was in the early sixties when I started to explore sex with other men.  I would have been around eighteen.  I was dating a girl in college, but we had already a secret arrangement that kept us both safe.  Diane was a lesbian, a very pretty, feminine lesbian who wore make up and lovely dresses, but was only into, as they say, women.  We were actually matched up on a blind date, with a girlfriend of hers and her, um, boyfriend.  You see, they were also both gay, and Theresa was actually Diane's lover, and Tom was a guy I was fooling around with in the trails.  They wanted us to be safe, and so they shared our good fortune.  Nobody guessed  for three years.  We double dated, then the two girls would go home together and Tom and I would find a sleazy hotel, since we were both living with our parents.  it was a perfect arrangement, until along came Rob, who ruined everything..."

The Peacock 621

 Carl says, "I was wondering if out of respect for Aaron we could return to the theme, or the multiple themes, of that wonderful story he has just shared with us.  Sorry, Carol and Sheila, I don't mean to cut you off."

"Oh, that's perfectly fine", says Carol, "And really I don't mean to bore all of you about my difficult girl.

"Nor I with my grandchildren", says Sheila, "But if you really want to get a grandma to start talking, just ask her about the grandkids.

"It sounds like you're very proud of them", says Aaron

"Yes, proud is the word", says Sheila.   "But yes, your story.  I was really intrigued with the snake.  What are you telling us through the black serpent, Glen...or Aaron.  I'm sorry, I do get the two of you confused, you are both really alike in a way that I just cannot put my finger on."

"The serpent", says Glen, "The way you tell it, Aaron, is really a huge symbol for redemption."

"I concur", says Jenn.  "This very theme of the redemption of the prince of darkness.  Quite riveting actually."

The Peacock 620

 "I don't imagine, Sheila", says Carol, "That either of your granddaughters has become a vegan?"

"They're actually both vegans."

"Oh, how awfully tiresome.  My daughter happens to be a vegan.  She blames me for everything.  Such a bore!"

"I'm proud of both my girls for taking that step.  Me, I don't have the courage, or the patience with myself  Plus, I'm still way too fond of cheese.", says Sheila.

"Such a pity that they have to deprive themselves"

"Oh, I don't know.  They are both really worried about the environment and global warming.  Plus, they don't want to be part of animal suffering.  Very idealistic, both of them."

"Katrina has done it intentionally to spite me.  She has always had rather a miserable time having me for a mother, I daresay."

"Where is she now?" says Carl.

"Oh, I imagine she's still in London, at least she was when she emailed me last week.  She keeps threatening to visit me.  I don't know, it might be time..."

The Peacock 619

 "You seem quite delighted with your granddaughters", says Carl.

"I am proud of them both for not swallowing their mother's neo conservative Kool-Aid.  She was hellbent on turning them both into her obedient little clones and they both rebelled, " says Sheila, "Big time.  I blame a lot of it on corporate capitalism and globalization.  Greed and selfishness has snatched away the soul of an entire generation, I'm afraid.  But not forever.  Nothing is forever.  Except maybe eternity, that is, and who knows, maybe even forever has a shelf life."

"But you were always an activist", says Maureen

"I wouldn't use that word.  I simply have always thought with my own mind, and have tried sometimes to live the reality of what I am thinking."

"Like when you were taking in refugees from Chile", says Michael.

"For example", says Sheila.  "My younger two really resented having to share our big house with strangers that didn't speak a lot of English."

"I was proud of you", says Michael.  "Mom, I'm still proud of you."

"Well, one out of three ain't too bad, at least.  And you, at least, did seem to understand why we were doing this.  Suzanne still doesn't seem to get it, but unlike her younger brother, she at least seems to have forgiven me...."

The Peacock 617 and 218

"It's a shame you never hear more from your other son", says Sarah.

"My darling little brother has never forgiven me for being a faggot, nor for having a mother who will do whatever the hell she wants", says Michael.

"Yes", says Sheila, "My youngest is unfortunately tiresomely conservative."

"What does he do?" asks Carl.

"He works in real estate", says Sheila, "And with the price of land and housing in Greater Vancouver, let's just say that he has raked in already quite a fortune."

"You say he has kids", says Sarah.

"Three.

"How old?"

"I don't know.  I've never met them.  I only found out about them some time ago from Suzanne, who is in regular contact with him."

"How very sad", sys Carol.

"Oh, I don't know about that.  At least I have one son who isn't constantly fighting with me."

"Thanks a lot, mommy dearest", says Michael, smiling.   "I love you too."

 Jenn asks, "Do you have contact with any of your grandchildren?"

"Suzanne's two girls seem to love their granny", Sheila says.  "We used to fight like the dickens about them, my daughter and I.  I would often tell her that she is way too overprotective, like so many parents nowadays, and the way she and Ed, her first husband, the girls' father, used to hyper schedule and control the poor girls' lives, it was unpardonable.  The damage has been done, but both of them have rebelled, and big time.  Cara is majoring in philosophy, and her poor mommy is at her wit's end trying to persuade her to study something that will generate income.  She has also turned into an animal rights activist, and regularly I get from my poor besieged daughter some of the most agonized emails one could imagine.  Cara is also coming out to see us this summer and is quite looking forward to staying here in the big manor house.  Tiffany is majoring in Fine Arts, and poor Suzanne just doesn't know what to do anymore..."

The Peacock 616

 "And", Sheila adds, "None of you came out damaged, you all turned into adults I could be proud of, if that's supposed to matter."

"Are we similar?" Sarah asks Michael  "Your sister and I, I mean."

"Ask my mother."

"Yes", says Sheila.  "You are like a younger version of Suzanne."

"Is that a compliment?"

"Take it whichever way you want", says Sheila, "But it is not an insult."

"Where is she now?"

"In Toronto the last ten years, working on her second marriage, adjusting to a new career as a market analyst, and putting both her kids through university."

"Do you miss them?"

"We Skype regularly", Sheila says.  "She worries nonstop about me."

"How about your other son"

He is in Burnaby raising three kids with his wife.  I'm lucky to hear from him twice a year..."