THE BALLOON MAN
Brian was working quietly at his computer. None of the new boards for the big box store chain were right. Every single one was for-shit. Everything was for-shit lately.
Michael kept telling him he was just depressed but what the fuck did he know. Him and his happy little Stepford fag world. Brian wasn’t depressed, he was just...
The phone started ringing and, although tempted to totally ignore it, Brian glanced at the caller ID. Well, now there was a pleasant and unexpected surprise.
“Hi, Sonny Boy.”
“Hi, Daddy. Guess what?” Brian could imagine Gus bouncing on his toes as he asked.
“I have no idea, why don’t you tell me.”
“I couldn’t wait until Saturday to call you because I just got my story back from my teacher and she said it was the best in the whole first grade.”
“Wow, that’s great, Gus.” Brian smiled, pleased to know that his son still thought of him so highly as to call to share good news, despite the distance, and all-to-brief monthly visits they had together.
“Well, it wasn’t exactly the best. But she said that it was the most creative idea she’d ever seen. I got an A.”
“Being creative runs in the family. Of course you’d have the most creative paper ever.”
“Can I read it to you? I even made pictures to go with it.”
“On the phone? Why don’t we wait until we’re together next weekend and you can read it to me while I look at the pictures?”
“No, we, I mean I, can’t wait. It has to be now.”
“Okay, Sonny Boy, go ahead,” Brian agreed, wondering what the rush was all about.
“Yay! Oh, and Daddy...”
“Yes, Gus.”
“I had help writing it. But I wrote it all by myself, with just a little grown up help.”
“That’s okay. You’re only six. It’s normal for Moms to help their children write stories.”
“But I got help from Jus.”
“Justin? When did you talk to him?”
“Mommy & Mom wanted to have a grown-up weekend and they said that Jus was P.O.’d and feeling four lawns about someone not listening to him when he made up his own mind. So he came up to stay with me.”
“Do you mean Justin was forlorn?”
“That’s it. What does that mean?”
“Never mind, Sonny Boy,” Brian smirked, “Let’s hear the story.”
Once upon a time there was a little boy. The little boy loved to paint and draw and could create beautiful pictures.
“How much did Jus help you?”
“A bit, but Mommy said it was just the right amount. Now can I go on?”
“Yes, sorry for interrupting.”
The little boy loved colors and he was able to carry all the colors with him all the time, when a balloon man gave him a huge bunch of balloons for free. He told the boy that he wanted to help him draw and paint anything he wanted, and the balloons would always be there to show him the way.
The boy loved his balloons and he loved the man that showed him how beautiful the world was with all those wonderful colors in it.
One day the boy decided to search for more colors in other places. When he asked the balloon man what he thought, the balloon man told him it was a good idea. “It’s always good to see other things and look for more colors so you never think you missed anything.”
Brian took the phone and sat down on his sofa. He lit a cigarette and gazed out the window as he continued to listen to the story. He tried not to feel anything but amusement but it was impossible. Those horrible gnawing notions of regret began to seep in and he had to focus on Gus and just listen like a good father should.
The boy took all his balloons and started to go to new places. The first place he went had another balloon man. He offered the boy twice as many balloons, in twice as many colors. The boy was excited and decided to stay near this balloon man for a while. But it turned out that the new balloon man’s balloons kept popping and sinking to the ground. In fact, the longer the boy stayed near the new balloon man his original balloons started to pop also.
The boy knew that this was not the place for him so he moved on.
Now he only had half the beautiful balloons that he started with. He went far and wide and traveled across the whole country until he met an exciting and playful balloon man. This new balloon man offered him millions of new balloons in more colors than he could ever imagine.
The boy was so excited and thought this would help him, especially since he’d been feeling so sad since half his special, first balloons had popped.
He stayed and tried to find the millions of new and beautiful balloons but when it seemed that the exciting balloon man was ready to finally give them to him, he changed his mind and told him his plans had changed and there would be no new balloons.
The boy was so sad. He collected his few balloons and cried as he crossed the country again.
He found people who thought his balloons were beautiful and who admired the pretty pictures he made just from looking at them. One person loved the boy’s balloons so much that she convinced him to stay in this new place and keep making pictures.
But the pictures started getting boring and the balloons started to sag and lose the air inside them.
The boy soon had no colors left. He knew that the only place he’d ever been really happy was with his first balloon man, the one who only thought about what the boy needed and made sure he always had a beautiful bunch of balloons to keep his world full of color.
The boy went back to his first balloon man, hoping he was still there. When he knocked on the balloon man’s door, the balloon man was waiting for him with a brand new bunch of beautiful colored balloons and a special ring to attach them to his finger.
The boy told him the balloons only worked when he was near him. The balloons faded and popped when they were apart. The boy asked him if they could stay and live in a big house filled with balloons for the rest of their lives.
Gus paused, taking a breath.
“How does it end?” Brian choked out.
“Do you really want to know, Daddy?”
“Yes Gus, I really need to know.”
The balloon man told the boy he thought that was the best idea he’d ever heard in his life. And they lived happily ever after.
“You said Justin helped you with that story.”
“Yes, Daddy. It started out as a bedtime story and then we wrote it together.”
“That’s a beautiful story, Sonny Boy. I love you and I have to go now. I’ll talk to you on the weekend.”
“Okay, Daddy. I love you too.”
“And, Gus...”
“Yes.”
“I’m proud of you.”
“Thank you, Daddy.”
Not a moment after Brian hung up the phone the loft door began to slide open. Brian turned to find Justin standing there holding about 10 colorful helium balloons.
“Did you like the story?”
“It was beautiful. I’m glad you helped him write it.”
“So how does it really end?”
Brian walked slowly and silently to the bedroom and then returned just as slowly and silently. Justin’s breath hitched as Brian revealed a small box in his hand. He placed one of the treasured wedding bands on Justin’s ring finger and Justin did the same with the other ring in the box.
The two looked at each other and kissed passionately for the first time in two months.
All the balloons flew to the ceiling and Justin laughed.
Brian looked at him, smiled and brushed his hand through Justin’s hair. “And they lived happily ever after.”
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