Needless to say JC’s parents didn’t take the discovery very well that their son was gay and kicked him out before he could even say good-bye to his younger brother and sister. Not only that he was given the warning if he very tried to contact any member of his family ever again, they would have him arrested.
Not knowing what to do, JC took to the streets, but he soon discovered that Maryland’s cold winters were exactly the best on the homeless. Therefore JC began the long trek down further south with the few possessions he was allowed to keep.
At first JC wasn’t too keen on hitchhiking, as any psycho could pick him up and no one would ever hear from him again, not that any one would care. However he concurred that it would take him forever in the freezing cold to walk somewhere warmer so he sucked it up and started accepting rides from strangers.
Finally after 1 ½ weeks, JC finally arrived in Atlanta Georgia, where he stayed, working odd jobs for nine years. During those nine years, JC actually started to feeling like a normal person again, as at first he saved up to buy a used car to sleep in and later a small, run down apartment.
JC had thought that things were going well for him. He had a steady job working as a bartender, and even a boyfriend. That is until JC returned to his apartment one day that he shared with his boyfriend, Todd to find had cleaned out their apartment and left a note for JC, thanking him for all the good times.
Sighing, JC packed up the few belongs that Todd had left him and spent all his money buying a car, since Todd had taken that as well, and headed further south, down to Orlando Florida.
Upon arriving in Orlando, JC quickly found a place to park his car so that he could easily wander around the busy city and try to find a job somewhere. In a sign that things were turning up for the young twenty-five year old, the first bar he came to, a place called Kirkpatrick’s had a ‘Help Wanted’ sign in the window.
“Can I help you?” asked the short man behind the bar with dark brown hair, as JC walked inside empty, the air-conditioned room.
“I saw the sign in the window,” informed JC. “I’m looking for a job.”
“What kind of experience do you have?” inquired the short man.
“I’ve worked in various bars in Atlanta for about nine years. I only left there because I needed a change.”
“Some chick dump you?” asked the man with a smile.
“Not exactly,” replied JC, hoping that the short man wouldn’t inquire much more on the subject. Ever since he was kicked out of his parents home and had been out on his own, JC had met plenty of people who acted like he had some disease since he was gay.
“Some guy then?”
“What does this have to do with me getting a job?” asked JC annoyed.
“I like to know who I’m hiring,” shrugged the man as he extended his hand towards JC. “I’m Chris Kirkpatrick, I own the place. You can start when you like, but the sooner the better. And I don’t care if you’re gay or not, I was curious because you looked like you could use a friend.”
“I have the benefit that whenever my life starts appearing like it doesn’t suck, something happens to make me crash back down to reality,” replied JC sarcastically.
“What’s your name kid?”
“I’m not a kid!”
“Everyone’s a kid to me, trust me,” chuckled Chris. “I’m a bitter old man.”
“It’s JC,” he finally sighed. “And I’m twenty-five, thank you very much and I’ve probably seen more shit than you in my lifetime.”
“Kid, I grew up dirt poor. I’ve been working since I was fourteen since my father left when I was a baby. Since then I’ve done my best to help support my mother and four younger sisters. So don’t talk to me about going through more shit in your life.”
“I was kicked out of my parent’s home at seventeen because they discovered I was gay with only a couple of changes of clothes and threatened if I ever contacted my younger brother or sister I would be arrested!” challenged JC. “I then hitchhiked to Atlanta where I stayed for nine years until yesterday when I arrived back to my apartment and discovered that my boyfriend had taken all our things and my car, leaving me only with my clothes. I ended up spending all the money in my bank account to buy a car to drive down here.”
“You start tonight,” replied Chris. “9 o’clock. Don’t be late.”
*~*~*
At nine sharp, JC showed up and Chris showed him where everything was located. Having worked in various bars before, JC soon caught on to how Chris ran things.
Time went by quickly and soon it was only Chris and JC left as they closed up the place.
“So what do you think?” asked Chris as JC sweep the floors. “Will you be back tomorrow or are you going to find somewhere else to work?”
“I’ll be back,” informed JC quietly. Throughout the night he and Chris had gotten to know each other a little better and JC could tell that he already liked the crazy older man. JC however was complete exhausted from driving all morning and then working all-night and just wanted to get back to his car and crash for the night.
“Do you have a place to stay for the night?”
“I’ll stay in my car.”
“There’s a room above the bar that’s not being used,” informed Chris. “It isn’t much right now, but I have been planning on fixing it up and renting it out. You can stay there if you want. Free of charge if you help me renovate it.”
“Thanks, but why are you doing this for me? We barely know each other.”
“Like I said,” replied Chris giving JC a small smile. “You look like you could use a friend.”
“Thank you,” whispered JC.
“Follow me and I’ll show it to you,” smiled Chris as he grabbed his keys and led JC outside to the alleyway, where they then climbed the stairs there up to the apartment.
Chris was right when he said the apartment wasn’t much. All it pretty much was was two rooms and a bathroom, but at least one of the rooms was a small kitchen and in the other room was a cot.
“I use to stay here when I first opened the bar since I couldn’t afford it and an apartment,” informed Chris. “Now, I have my own place a few blocks away. A friend of mine, Howie, owns the building and gives me a cheaper rent or else I probably would still be staying here. I know it’s not much right now, but it’ll keep you cool in the summer and warm in the winter, plus the price is right.”
“Thanks Chris,” smiled JC. “I’m sure I’ll be happy here.”
“I’ll leave my number then and leave so you can get some sleep,” grinned Chris. “You look like you’re going to fall asleep standing up.”
“It’s been a long day,” admitted JC.
“Get some rest and I’ll see you tomorrow,” ordered Chris, before backing out of the apartment and closing the door behind him.
Collapsing on the cot, JC soon fell into a peaceful sleep.