I knew from an early age I was not what they called a "Normal Child", I liked to use all the colors in my coloring box not just the ones designated for boys. My parents were loving and accepting of me at an early age, my Mom knew in my early years I was a special child, one who liked things that were not only designated for the male gender. Both my parents embraced me in my early years, and still love me like the precious gift they always knew I was making me the man I am today.
Mark on the other hand grew up in an overly strict religious home where the mother and father were ashamed, embarrassed appalled by their sons somewhat feminine ways, belting him and punishing him for being himself. The boy was always on edge, nervous to make the wrong move, terrified he may be beaten for being himself, and not understanding why. Mark and I attended the same school but Mark was one year ahead of me. It was in middle school that he was held back a year as they feared he was not quite mature enough to move on to the higher grade.
I met Mark that year we would both in the same classroom, we did not hang out but would say hi to each other in the halls, trade looks in class, we became friends when we were paired to work on the same project in science class in grade eight. Mark came over to my place and we were to get the work done in one week. Mark was a nice young man, very polite, overly aware of his surroundings, almost to the point of being paranoid. My parents made Mark feel at home in our house, he was more at ease, letting his guard down, relaxing more.
Mark was easily persuaded to do stupid things by the guys in our class in hopes of acceptance, of fitting in, feeling the need to fit in somewhere. Once Mark and I became friends I kept a close eye on him so if they tried to get him to do something stupid, even dangerous, I was there to talk him out of it by a simple shake of my head.
By the time graduation came Mark and I were best friends, if you saw me you saw Mark, we hung out and did everything together Mark was over at my house daily. We rarely went to Mark's house and if we did it was to pick up clothes, or something for school, I never went inside. Mark basically lived at my house. The few times I did go in I was stared at, asked odd questions, what religion I was, did I pray to the lord Jesus Christ. Did I have a girlfriend, and why I did not. The last time I went in the stood at the entrance and stared at me the whole time, like I was a demon. I told Mark I preferred to wait outside after that last time in his home.
Mark took a job at a local plant right after high school, I went on to university. We had planned to attend the same university, but he was introduced to Kim by his parents, that quickly changed our plans of being together in university. Mark and Kim married within the year of graduating, Mark's parents wanting him married off, with a female any female, and out of their house.
I had assumed I would be best man but Kim and Mark's parents would have no part of me being in the wedding party. She had her brother stand up for Mark they did not even want me, or my family at the wedding, Kim got her wish, we never did get an invite to their wedding.
It was a good five or more years before I ran into Mark again, I was in town visiting my Mom, and there to consult for a expansion project, when I ran into Mark at a local hardware store. Mark was hard to recognize, he was so thin, he looked gravely ill, Mark was always a tall slender guy but he was rail thin now, with a sickly pallor, his cheek bones protruding, I walked up to him, tapped him on the shoulder, he jumped like I was going to hit him.
"Hey Mark how ya been man? Great to see you." I asked telling him how happy I was to see him after so long.
Mark did what he could to hide the black eye he had, taking a step back His hands marked by hits he had taken a short time ago.
"I'm okay Tom." Mark responded quietly, acting very nervous, looking in all directions.
