Chapter 05
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A shrill sound rattled Jacob's drunken nerves. His limp form woke up with a start making his head ache with a nauseous feeling. It was a horrible hangover state. The shrill ringing was still echoing in the room annoying him further. He grabbed the clock and threw it across the room where it hit the wall and became silent after its dismemberment. Jacob slumped back on the bed but his drunken sleep was gone now. And the events of last night were forming blurred images in his mind. He groaned as his head gave another pang and he remembered the rod and the weeping form of Jeremy.
"Uhhh... Fuck!" he murmured as he got up to go to the washroom. With shaky steps and a slouching stance he reached it. He turned the tap on and splashed cold water on his face. The water stung his hands and face in the cold weather but helped to wake him up to a sober state.
He looked at himself in the mirror. Bloodshot eyes and a swollen face. He had a meeting today and his state was so inadequate. The meeting! What was the time? As the thought struck him he exited to enter the bedroom, looking for his cell. After a fervent search, he found the equipment lying under the covers at the end of the bed. It was 12 p.m.
"Fuck!" He swore aloud. The meeting was in 15 minutes. Everything else escaped his mind as he rushed to get ready. By 12.15 he was making his way through the city's crowded streets, no thought of Jeremy disturbing him.
Twelve hours of relentless work passed and finally Jacob was driving through the roads of the slowly sleeping city. The traffic on the road was minimal except an occasional truck or a car filled with drunk teens and loud music. The stores were shut and the pavement had none but the scavengers from the lower ranks of the crowded metropolis. The weather this year had recorded one of it's coldest temperatures with consistent snowfall and rains with hale.
However, all this and more was not his concern. After a day of no Jeremy, the thoughts of his boyfriend and the events of last night had come flooding to him. He felt uneasy. He knew this time he had gone far. He was positive that Jeremy wouldn't/couldn't leave him. But one knows when is the time for amends. After all rebellion happens when pushed beyond limits irrespective of what the constraints be.
He reached the building and made his way to the apartment. He was trying to figure out how he should act in front of him. However, to his surprise, he found the apartment vacant. There was no Jeremy waiting for him. Concern filled his heart and he hastily dialled Jeremy's number.
The call connected and he waited with apprehension to hear his voice at the other end. The call es disconnected. He stared at the cell. Perhaps, some mistake had happened. He re-dialled only to find the call disconnected sooner.
Was Jeremy disconnecting his calls? A seething rage rose in him. How dare he? Wasn't last night a lesson enough? Who was he with? He was forcing him to reenact last night.
Jacob dialled his number again. *********************************
Chapter 6
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Jeremy saw the familiar photograph flashing across the screen for the eleventh time now. Without thinking for a second he rejected it. He had had enough now and every inch of him was filled with anger at Jacob. 'Not anymore' were the words his self- respect kept chanting to him.
"Is it him?" Chris asked surreptitiously.
Jeremy merely nodded and continued looking into the distance. The park was darkened by the shadows of the night. But there was no greenery, due to the extreme cold. The trees and shrubs were barren. It was a desolate and melancholic sight.
"I'm repeating Jer," spoke Nate. "It's time to pack your bags and leave! You've had enough at the hands of that psychopath. I will not let you go back!"
"I have nowhere else to go." Jeremy replied without looking away from a naked and dried tree.
Nate stamped his foot in annoyance and frustration. Tiara kept her hand on Jeremy's face. The soft touch of a friend touched a cord in Jeremy's turbulent heart and a tear made it's way out of his eye only to be frozen by the chilling gust of wind.
"Nate is right, Jeremy. It's time to get out of this horrible bondage. Why are you not ready? What is it that's stopping you?"
Jeremy opened his mouth to reply but no words came out. He was overcome with emotions and a knot tied in his throat as he tried to push tears back. Suddenly, he felt an arm on his shoulders. He turned to find Chris putting his right arm around him and pulling him to himself. Jeremy felt warmth and comfort in being so close to Chris. The knot in his throat eased in his embrace.
"Jacob has been there for me in my most distressing time. Guys, you don't understand, 'cuz you've not been through what I had to when he, Jacob, was the only support I had. Nate, you know how you had been on a soccer tournament away from town for 6 months. And Tiara you had the internship in South. Well then Chris, my dad got to know about me. My being gay that is. I dunno how it happened but the news reached him."
Jeremy stopped for a second and took a deep breath. The rest were listening . Chris, the most alert, took his hand and pressed it lightly. He resumed the narrative.
"Nate knows how conservative dad was. He never liked those 'blasphemous faggots'. How did he feel when he heard he had begotten one of those filthy faggots? It was a nightmare. Arguments. Screams. He was furious. That day he turned me out of the house and disowned me. Mom just sat weeping in a corner with my younger brother. I still write to them, you know. Never got replies though."
"Anyway, after that I had no place to go. That town is full of orthodox conservatives and the scandal I had created was enough to stop anyone from helping me. Even my friends turned me out. I spent a week scavenging on the roads, lying with the dogs, breathing with them. And then winter turned worse. As bad as it is this year. I was sick and was freezing on the streets. I had some rags to keep some cold out. But I knew my time had ended."
Tiara sobbed and shuddered. Nate put his arm around her shoulders. She buried her face in his chest and weeped silently.
"And then Jacob found me. I was outside a bar, counting my last days, when he walked by. He saw me, took me to the hospital, and became a part of my life. I owned my life to him. He nursed me to health. He supported me when I was alone in the world. He was the one. I just can't turn my back on him. Can i? No. He owns me. I own my life to him."
"No, he doesn't own you, Jeremy." Chris spoke in a firm and steady way.
Jeremy turned to look at Chris's face inches away from his. The bright blue eyes were shining with determination as he spoke further.
