Carey and Walter from Slings and Arrows
“Everything is not
a joke,” Walter said.
Which was a clue
to how tense he was about the upcoming Christmas dinner with his father and his
father’s new wife. Walter usually liked Carey’s sense of humor.
“I don’t think
everything is a joke,” Carey said, surprised.
“Of course you
do.” That was so unfair it almost seemed like Walter was trying to pick a
fight. Which really was out of character.
Carey didn’t enjoy
confrontation and he sure as hell didn’t want to fight with Walter, so he was
quiet. Walter turned away and walked to the frost-edged window of the apartment,
staring bleakly out at the night. In the raw silence, Carey could hear the
departing wail of distant train.
“Maybe you
shouldn’t go,” Walter said finally.
“Go?”
“Come. To
Christmas,” Walter said tersely. He turned to face Carey, his gold-rimmed
spectacles glinting blankly, his expression withdrawn.
It was unexpected
and painful. So painful that it took Carey a moment to say, “Look, Walt. I…know
how to act in public. I’m not going to chew with my mouth open or talk about
what we do in bed.”
Walter’s
expression went tighter, closed like a fist.
“I
don’t…understand,” Carey said at last.
“I’ve changed my
mind,” Walter said with the same cold preciseness he used to use back when he’d
been Dr. Bing’s teaching assistant rebuffing all slackers and goof-offs. “I
don’t think it would be a good idea for you to come with me. You can go to your
parents, correct? They’ll be happy to have you stay for a few days. We both
know you’ll have a better time there.”
Carey swallowed.
He was afraid the sound was audible. But Walter’s expression did not change. He
was not going to relent. He did not want Carey to go with him. It was that
simple. Simple as an arrow through the heart.
Carey said
stiffly, “In that case, maybe I should just leave tonight.” He couldn’t imagine
lying next to Walter in that perfectly appointed bedroom with all this between
them. Hurt. Anger. Bewilderment.
“I think that’s a
good idea,” Walter said.
* * * * *
Was it over?
Carey wasn’t sure.
They had been
together for a little under a year. Walter loved him. He loved Walter. There
was no question of that. There was no question that they were happy together.
But Walter could be odd. Odd and hurtful. And Carey wasn’t sure that love was
enough.
Four months ago
Walter’s father had abruptly remarried. Walter had attended the small, private
civil service without Carey. It had sort of bothered Carey, but he had
understood. There was no love lost between Walter and his father.
“I want to go if
you want me there.”
“I don’t want you
there,” Walter had said.
That was Walter at
his most bluntly honest, but Carey had forbore to take offense. The little
Walter had shared about his childhood had been alarming to someone who had
grown up in a big, noisy, affectionate clan like Carey’s. No wonder Walter had
a few, well, intimacy issues.
When Walter had
returned, he had said the wedding went smoothly and that he thought his new
stepmother would suit his father. Carey had not pressed for more information.
He was not sure he wanted to know.
But this was
Christmas. Their first Christmas together. This mattered to Carey. Not least
because they had both been invited to spend it at Walter’s family estate. And
they had accepted. Together. As a couple.
Otherwise they
could have spent it at Carey’s family -- where they would always be welcome
with or without formal invitation -- together and as a couple.
Instead they would
be celebrating Christmas apart. And Carey wasn’t completely sure if they still
were a couple or not. Was Walter ashamed of him? Did Walter really think Carey
would make inappropriate jokes or use the wrong fork or…
Or was it
something else?
Something even
worse?
Who knew with
Walter?
This time Carey
didn’t feel like being understanding or patient. It took him less than fifteen
minutes to pack his suitcase (later he discovered he’d forgotten his
toothbrush) and headed straight for the front door.
Walter was still
staring out the window at the black and starless night. He didn’t turn around
and he didn’t say anything to stop Carey.
“Have yourself a
merry little Christmas,” Carey said bitterly. He regretted that crack later,
but at least he refrained from slamming the door.
* * * * *
Christmas day
passed without a word from Walter.
Carey had told
himself he wasn’t expecting to hear from him, but the letdown was something
akin to discovering Santa had skipped your zip code. His family showed unusual
discretion and tactfully didn’t ask.
It was a nice
Christmas. It was a Christmas like all the Christmases that had come before it.
And probably all the Christmases that would come after. The thing that would
have made it different, remarkable, memorable was Walter.
“Maybe next year,”
his sister Susan said, and Carey smiled noncommittally.
He stayed over the
weekend. Walter wasn’t flying back until Monday anyway, so there was no reason
to hurry home.
On Monday Carey debated
staying over another night, but it was starting to feel like he was hiding out.
If he didn’t go home, he needed a reason, and that reason would have to be
there was something seriously wrong between him and Walter.
If he went home
now, they could pretend it had just been an ordinary, run-of-the-mill argument.
Carey wasn’t sure he was ready to face it being more than that. Once he’d
stopped being so angry, he’d started missing Walter. He still loved Walter.
Doubts about the future didn’t change that.
But sooner or
later they were going to have to face it. Whatever it was.
* * * * *
The minute Carey
unlocked the front door, he knew Walt was home.
The apartment was
silent, but the silence had a living, breathing quality. Relieved, Cary
pushed open the door and walked inside.
There was a neat
tower of expensively wrapped red and green parcels on the chrome and glass
coffee table. His own gift to Walt, a plum-colored cashmere pullover, hung over
the arm of the sofa. All other signs of Christmas had been cleared away. Walt
was in the kitchen making a grilled cheese sandwich.
He looked up at
Carey’s entrance. “How was your family?” he asked.
“Fine,” Carey
said. “How was yours?”
“Fine.” Walter was
unsmiling and serious. But that was usual for Walt.
“Did you have a
nice Christmas?” Carey asked.
“It was all right,”
Walter said politely. “How was yours?”
Carey opened his
mouth. But he couldn’t do it. Couldn’t play the game, couldn’t be a part of
this. He wasn’t built like Walter. His former relief that everything could go
back to normal vanished -- because this was not normal.
“I missed you,” he
said. “But I guess I better get used to that.”
Walter’s pale,
bony face reddened. “Carey --”
Carey waited but
Walter didn’t go on.
Carey let out a
long weary sigh. He hadn’t realized how tired he was. It was the effort of
holding back all that sadness and worry. But there was no holding it back now.
“That’s what I thought,” he said.
“What did you
think?” Walter turned off the stove and came across the kitchen to Carey, but
Carey put a hand up to stop him. Walter did stop. He looked stricken.
“Carey,” he said
in a very different voice.
“I don’t know any
way to explain it that I’m not going to sound childish or petty,” Carey said.
“But this isn’t about where we spend the holiday. Or how we celebrate, except that
holidays are for spending with the people we love.”
“Next year we’ll
spend it with your family,” Walter said quickly.
“No. I don’t think
we will because…” Carey swallowed but made himself go on. “I’m not sure we’ll
be together next year. I don’t think we will be.”
Walter put a hand
out to grip the back of one of the kitchen table chairs--as if Carey had
punched him. No, more like as if Carey had delivered some mortal blow. “Of
course we’re going to be together,” Walter said. He sounded almost frightened.
“I love you and I know you love me.”
“I do,” Carey
admitted. “But I just spent the five most unhappy days of my entire life. And I
don’t even know why.”
“Why what?”
“Why it had to be
that way. You shut me out -- and not the first time -- and there’s no debate,
no discussion. It’s just the way it is. And then when you decide to open the
door again, everything goes back to the way it was. Except now I’ll be waiting
for the next time the door slams.”
“It’s not like
that,” Walter said. “If I’m…if I’m closing doors, it’s to protect you.”
“Give me a break,
Walt,” Carey said, surprised to find himself getting angry.
“It’s true.”
Carey shook his
head and turned away. Walter caught his arm. “Wait.”
Carey stared at
Walter, seeing the jump of his adam’s apple jump, the little nerve pulsing in
his cheek. He seemed unaware his fingers were digging into Carey’s forearm. Walter
kept himself in tight check all the time. Only with Carey did he ever let his
guard down.
“I love you and I
don’t want to lose you,” Walter whispered.
It killed him to
hurt Walter. “I love you too, but we’re already losing each other if we can’t
be honest.”
“Wait. Listen to
me,” Walter said. “Just…listen.”
Walter didn’t go
on, but Carey listened anyway. And he did feel like there was some kind of plea
in Walter’s struggling silence.
“Walt,” he said
helplessly. “Talk to me.”
“I don’t want you
to see me like they do,” Walter burst out. “I don’t know why you love me, but
you do. And I don’t want you to stop. I know it’s not logical. It’s not
rational. But I don’t want you to change toward me.”
Relief washed
through Carey. This was one explanation that had not occurred. Maybe it should
have, knowing even the little he did about Walter’s childhood. He was still a
little angry, but now it was on Walter’s behalf. “I’m not going to change.”
“You don’t know
that.”
“Of course I do.”
Walter shook his
head. “Sometimes, even now, it’s a struggle for me not to see myself like they
do.”
“You have to have
some faith in me.”
Carey said
carefully, “But it’s also about not having faith in me and what I feel for you.
I don’t want a stack of expensive presents. I want you. All of you. The good
and the bad. The real you. Isn’t that how you want me?”
Walter said
instantly, “Of course.”
“Buying a bunch of
presents is like something your dad would do.”
Walter looked
startled and then dismayed. “It wasn’t like that. I just want you to feel
appreciated.”
Carey started to
smile. Relief and happiness were filling that hollow ache he’d had for the past
five days.
Watching him, Walter
smiled tentatively in response. He drew Carey toward him, and this time Carey
yielded.
He said softly,
“Okay, well as far as making me feel appreciated, I’ve got a couple of ideas…”
Wow! That was emotional. Really moving. Thank you very much, Josh.
ReplyDeleteIntense and excellent, thanks.
ReplyDeleteLovely surprise this morning, woke up to two codas and a cocktail recipe!
What a beautiful story! Intense. Thank you :) !
ReplyDeleteGoge
Definitely not one of your "la la la" Codas. I wasn't sure how you were going to pull that one out, but I always have faith in you, Josh. Beautifully-realized. Thank you, as always. :-)
ReplyDeleteI love this one! Very beautiful and intense! I can feel the increasing sadness of Carey and the resolution. In my head are playing now many images you give me, with my own imagination. Further Christmas festivities with Walter's father and Carey's family, more intense but good discussions between them. Thank you so much for this gift!
ReplyDeleteThat made me teary eyed. Carey is so good for Walt. Now I feel all mushy :)
ReplyDeleteI´m soooo happy to hear from Carey and Walter again, Slings and Arrows is probably my favourite Petit Morts story and I always found them such an unconventional and interesting pairing. This coda has been wonderfully angsty and truly moving, Walter is such a complex and even difficult yet somehow fragile and insecure character and Carey is such a sweetheart and it made my heart wrench to feel their sadness, pain and fear. And then when they finally talked it out I was filled with joy and happiness about their quiet and heartfelt happy ending!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for this wonderful coda!!
Claudia
This is the truth. It would take work to be with someone like Walter. But someone like Carey would always think the work was a small price to pay. :-)
DeleteThis was a tough one to read. It's so difficult to be apart from your loved one(s) during the Holidays — even if it's your own choice or due to other, ordinary circumstances like if you live far apart. But to spend your Christmas like these guys did... unbearable.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for making it all better. :-)
Fighting is never pleasant, but during the holidays...it's the worst.
DeleteI couldn't agree more. *tip toes away to give hubby some extra kisses just to be on the safe side...*
Delete:-)
My stomach is in knots after reading...but I believe that it WILL work out. :-/ Why do the holidays sometimes bring out our worst fears (as well as all the happy memories)?
ReplyDeleteA very good question.
DeleteScary and sweet - just like being in love. :)
ReplyDeleteThanks, Denise.
DeleteBeen there, done that, got the t-shirt. there was a reason. But it only made sense to him until he explained it. Then I felt sorry for him, then angry for him. Then I met his mother and on the way home i offered to hire the hit man for him.
ReplyDeleteAwful but true.
DeleteSo glad to see a coda for Carey and Walter - was really hoping for a coda for these two! I feel like the codas for the Petit Morts are especially a treat since the original stories are so short. Thanks for this :)
ReplyDelete:-) Yes, I agree. It's surprising how lengthy the codas to the short stories can get.
DeleteOh wow, it's like there's this pain in my heart and then oomph... such relief.
ReplyDeleteTouching story as always, Mr. Lanyon. Thank youuu. :)
Thanks for not taking the sweet and easy road with these. It was a little unsettling to read at 1:00am after a late night tango party. I suppose because as others mentioned, we've all experienced or feared similar situations — when someone makes up their mind about something and there's no room to argue it. We invest and hold so many emotions and expectations in the holidays, and any tragedies or losses that happen near or on those days are imprinted on future holidays. Brilliantly pulled off.
ReplyDeleteI need to reread the Petit Morts before this will really make sense.
ReplyDeleteHow beautiful and sad and hopeful all at the same time. I realized as I was reading the coda that I never read this story. Now i know what I'm doing tonight.
ReplyDeleteI have not yet read the Petit Morts. More for my TBR list.
ReplyDeleteThat was hard and painful and familiar. I am so glad Carey didn't just leave it, made Walter explain.
Thanks for sharing.
You made me cry! How do you feel holding that kind of power over people? *growls* Luckily it ended well, so you are forgiven. Carey and Walter are among my favorite couples from the short stories. I'm glad they are still together, even though the read might be slighlty bumpy for them.
ReplyDeleteThank you!
Well, their *road* is bumpy and maybe my *read* (or my writing ;-)
DeleteThank you!
ReplyDeleteThis was not an easy read. Thank you for showing us that the two of them can find a way to work through the difficult patches to reach the good ones.
ReplyDeleteI listened to the story just before reading the coda and i'm glad i did, made it that much more powerful. Made me cry, so moving, so beautiful, so full of hope.
ReplyDeleteThe tears, Josh, they well. No one does emotion as smoothly and understadely as you. Bravo.
ReplyDelete