Common Sons Read online

  Common Threads in the Life

  Common Sons

  Common Threads in the Life

  Two Young Men Search for the Courage to Face Their Feelings

  Ronald L. Donaghe

  Writers Club Press

  New York Lincoln Shanghai

  Common Sons

  Common Threads in the Life

  All Rights Reserved © 1989, 1995, 2000 by Ronald L. Donaghe

  No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping, or by any information storage retrieval system, without the written permission of the publisher.

  Writers Club Press an imprint of iUniverse, Inc.

  For information address:

  iUniverse

  2021 Pine Lake Road, Suite 100

  Lincoln, NE 68512

  www.iuniverse.com

  First Printing in the United States by Edward William Publishing Company (Banned Books)

  1989

  First Printing in Canada by Commonwealth Publications

  1997

  ISBN: 0-595-09708-1

  Printed in the United States of America

  This novel is a work of fiction. All characters and incidents described are strictly the creation of the author, and any resemblance to real people, living or dead, or real incidents of similar nature is purely coincidental.

  This edition of Common Sons is dedicated to all my readers over the years, who have continually surprised me by their heart-felt comments and show of support. And to those wondering about a sequel—the time has come. Read on…

  Foreword

  C. I would like to share something special with you—the words of joy and heartfelt comments that real readers have sent to me in their letters over the years about Common Sons. In a sense, the imaginary characters I created are brought to life by the readers themseN.J.-I got Common Sons from my best friend Doug who is also gay and he knows my family well and thought I might relate to it. He will sure be shocked to hear that I have actually corresponded with you. I met my partner when I was 18 and we have been together ever since.

  From a well-known film maker at Disney, who prefers to be anonymous: [Common Sons] was right up my alley, as it were. I was particularly impressed by your choice not to have the protagonists run off to the big city.

  D. B. from Hollywood, CA, February 17, 1999 [Common Sons is] Without precedent. I’m not prone to superlative, but I have to agree with all the praise expressed for this novel. I initially read it a few years ago on a flight home & nearly missed my shuttle because I couldn’t put it down. (It’s a crime this author is not more prolific or well publicized.) The characterizations are so well developed, I considered Joel & Tom good friends. I hated to say goodbye, and in fact, COULD NOT say goodbye. It was the one and only time in my life I immediately went back & re-read a book from start to finish—same sort of impact as the movie “Beautiful Thing.” With this degree of character development, I can’t help but wonder how much of it is autobiographical.

  T. C.-Tampa, Florida, April 9, 1998 One of the Best. This book has to be one of the best books I have ever had the pleasure of reading. My only wish is that the Author would write a sequel to it.

  Armand-Chaska, Minnesota, USA, February 16, 1998 You will feel pain, pride, loss and LOVE reading this!! This is a wonderful book! It very rewardingly shows a developing relationship between a pair of young adults, both guys. If you love “Coming Out” stories or perhaps thinking about either doing this for yourself or know someone who has done this, then you will be thrilled by taking the time to enjoy this book. It really is a quick read and plunges you through many emotions which definitely makes you feel like an emotional roller coaster throughout. I am sad that I have finished it! Homosexual people will appreciate this book for the loving, thrilling portrayal of the characters and it will definitely show the power of hatred and bigotry to all people, regardless of orientation. The setting has a strict religious aspect which is also fascinating, although I wished for a more confrontational aspect to the final scene between the Minister and his son, Tom. You decide…It brings a simpler, more respectful time to mind, but the love is, as always, timeless. Don’t miss it!

  W. R-Concord, CA, January 1, 1998 A wonderful heart rending story. I kept having to leave the book to go to work and other mundane things. I kept wanting to get back to it. Finally the holidays provided time. It is the most wonderful story of growing up and dealing with life and all of its complications. I laughed at times, I cried a lot. It is a wonderful engrossing story of young and enduring love. Donaghe is a writer that keeps you on the edge of your chair as you look into the lives of many people who surround these two young lovers. I am still thinking about their lives as I get on with mine, and will continue to for a long time…a poignant warming story. 2coyotes-Apache Junction, AZ, December 27, 1997

  Excellent.It warms your heart.If you are gay, you will be warmed by this novel. You will undoubtedly identify with one of these two young men, their love for each other and their interactions with their families and the local small-town society. Definitely worth your money and time.

  L. B.-Stephenville, Tx, December 18, 1997 Common Sons is a mirror into the souls of two gay teenagers. Although I don’t consider myself gay, I appreciated Ron Donaghe for giving me an insight that I would not have found elsewhere. THIS IS A MUST READ FOR EVERY HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT.

  D. H.-Pewaukee, Wisconsin, October 29, 1997 Great gay fiction. Excellent story of gay love between two teenage boys. Having spent my gay teenage years in a small town, I can certainly identify with these characters. Very well written.

  Mike-Chicago, IL-Just purchased Common Sons Saturday night. I couldn’t put it down. I found the story fascinating and sincerely hope you plan to publish again. Thank you for giving me this novel. It truly is inspiring. Thank you for letting me know about the upcoming book. I live in the Chicago Metropolitan area and purchased the book at Barnes and Noble. My roommate also read the novel and described it in the same way I did. He also had a tough time putting it down until he had finished.

  A. F.-Dallas, TX-Just wanted to let you know that I received your book, started reading, and couldn’t put it down. With being gay and from Las Cruces (originally) I could closely identify with the characters and story, and how difficult it can be growing up gay in a small town. Even now when I am visiting home I find it difficult and feel like I can’t be as open or out as I am here in Dallas. I only wish that I had been more courageous like Joel and Tom when I was in High School and College, for that matter even now. Thanks again for a wonderful book, and let me know when your new book will be available.

  T. H.-city unknown.-I have just finished Common Sons and I felt it necessary to send you a note of thanks. I cannot begin to tell you what a wonderful and inspiring book you have written. Your talent for creating such a vividly detailed story should not go unnoticed. As I read Common Sons, Joel and Tom became very real to me and I began to feel that I knew them personally. The boys’ journey to come to grips with their love and the battle they must fight has touched me in a way that I was totally unprepared for. Thank you so much for writing such a personal story of friendship and love. It is the kind of book I’ve been waiting to read for a long time. I have recommended Common Sons to friends (both gay and straight) and even a few family members. I think this a story that anyone with an open mind can appreciate and enjoy.

  D. M.-Kansas City, MO-Wanted to tell you that I really enjoyed reading your book. I purchased it at your book signing in Kansas City, MO a couple of months ago. I enjoyed following the characters and liked the optimistic ending—rare in this sort of book. I look forward to reading your new book. I note that you live in New Mexico. I get there quite
often—I find the state quite rejuvenating. I would like to move there someday when I am done with teaching.

  T. L. G.-city unknown-About five years ago, I read your novel Common Sons, and loved it. Recently, after going through some of my older books, I came across this title. I remembered that on the back of the book it was indicated that you were at work on a sequel involving the same characters. Did you ever complete this project? I hope so, since the book was of great value to myself. If you did not complete this, are you planning to?

  J. F. S.-Orlando, Florida-I am a 28 year old gay man living in the Orlando area of Florida with my Partner of almost 10 years. I read your book Common Sons a few years ago and loved it, then a few weeks ago I read it again and grew to love it even more. Like the characters in your book I also grew up in a family that was born again Christian and had to struggle with my identity for a long time…I just wanted to tell you how amazing your writing has made me feel and it has renewed in me the faith that We shall overcome :)

  M. S.-city unknown-Common Sons is one of my favorite books. Once I started reading, I couldn’t stop until it was finished. I’ve read the book several times and each time I enjoy the story and characters more.

  C. A.-city unknown-Tom & Joel are UN-Common.. I’m in Love! Just finished Common Sons and I Loved It!! It seems like this book, under the proper care, could become a great movie as well. I think that the world needs as many positive images as it can bear about coming out. Thankfully, our situations are not quite as hostile as they once were, it is still lonely out there for many young people struggling to understand this aspect of themselves.

  Contents

  Part One

  CHAPTER 1

  CHAPTER 2

  CHAPTER 4

  CHAPTER 6

  CHAPTER 7

  Part Two

  CHAPTER 9

  CHAPTER 10

  CHAPTER 11

  CHAPTER 12

  CHAPTER 13

  CHAPTER 14

  Part Three

  CHAPTER 15

  CHAPTER 16

  CHAPTER 17

  CHAPTER 18

  CHAPTER 19

  Part One

  He that is unjust, let him be unjust still:

  and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still:

  and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still:

  and he that is holy, let him be holy still…

  Revelations 22:11

  CHAPTER 1

  Saturday, May 29, 1965

  Joel woke up disturbed.

  The breeze coming through the window made him shiver and he hugged himself, not so much feeling cold, but exposed. He was nude as usual, but felt naked under the sheet. He threw it off and the smell of his own sex from the night before along with the familiar smell of cologne and sweat filled the air. The faintest unfamiliar scent teased his nostrils. The more he concentrated the fainter it got—just a ghostly whiff of someone else on his body. He sat up, looked around, and picked up his Levi’s from the end of the bed where he’d peeled them off in the dark. His shorts were curled inside a pants leg; they were cold and faintly damp with the same odor. And he knew.

  You were supposed to feel ashamed.

  He looked around his room as if something in it could help. But he lay back drained; an unpleasant tickling sensation nibbled at his legs behind his calves. He had to think, had to relax, but he couldn’t forget Jeannie Lynn’s cruel laughter and the curious faces of the others who closed in to see what she was laughing at. He felt embarrassed again, like last night. It had probably only lasted a minute, but it seemed to go on forever.

  Of course everybody was drunk and probably as confused as I was, he thought, but sure as hell somebody will remember—like Jeannie Lynn. If we hadn’t gone to that dance, just hadn’t drunk so fuckin’ much. I should’ve seen what Tom’s mood would lead to. But it was no use regretting it now. It was done.

  Somewhere across the road a bird chattered and whistled, a cacophony of musical shrieks that mocked him as he lay staring at the ceiling. He recalled with a cold shiver that something even worse had happened later, after they left the dance. something about Tom.

  Every feature of Joel’s handsome face was troubled—his pale gray eyes with a strident slash of blue, his dark reddish lips with a bruised look, even his jaw, which some would say was almost too large for his face—all reflected a rare anxiety. He stared at the ceiling, seeing nothing, entranced by the scene that played across his mind. In the pale sunlight he breathed heavily, his strong, hairless chest rising and falling in a quickening rhythm. Last night had happened as if everything that went before had been only a rehearsal. He saw that now. But it was the jittery moment of the act, really going through the long-unmentioned fantasy, that had suddenly made things go crazy. The way Tom acted disturbed him, gave it the scent of a nightmare.

  Tom just squeezed into himself. And it was that silent shock, the way Tom drew in, that bothered him the most.

  * * *

  Tom was in a reckless mood when Joel picked him up at home, and when he got into the pickup truck, Joel sensed that something was different about the way he was acting. Maybe it was his grin, which wasn’t exactly familiar, and then Tom said he wanted to go to the dance.and drink!

  He was too surprised to laugh, even though it was the last thing he expected Tom to say. “But won’t your father get mad? I thought people in your church don’t dance.”

  “They don’t drink, either,” Tom said. He closed the door and slid into the seat close to Joel. He was freshly shaved and Joel caught a whiff of him. Always the same smell. Aftershave, or cologne, or something that reminded Joel of a fresh shower. It could be a hundred degrees out and Tom could be sweating but he smelled the same. “But I want to! Don’t you think it would be fun?”

  “Believe me, it’s a brawl,” Joel warned. “Beer is rotten. And man, if your father ever found out!”

  But Tom persisted. He didn’t get angry, just talked Joel’s ear off as they drove around town in Joel’s pickup trying to make a mutual decision. “I don’t care what we do, you know…” Joel said, “but a western dance? Whyn’t we catch a movie?”

  Tom moved a little closer, grinning weirdly. “I like you, so why shouldn’t I like your friends?” They were turning west for another cruise up Main Street. Joel glanced at Tom, who was squinting at him through the sudden burst of light from the setting sun. For a second, his face was cast in stark gold against it, and his eyes took on an impish twinkle that made Joel shiver suddenly in the warm afternoon. “Besides,” Tom grinned, “you’re the best friend I’ve ever had. Your friends can’t be too bad if they’re anything like you!”

  “They’re not bad, man, just a bunch of country kids who never grew up.” He wanted to tell him that they weren’t really his friends, as if Tom’s question was an insult.

  “C’mon, Joel. Let’s do something different tonight! It’s our only summer together, and I don’t want to miss a minute of it before I go away to college!”

  “But a cowboy dance?”

  “Well, sure! What difference does it make what kind of dance? My father keeps preaching against stuff like that. Don’t you think I should see why?”

  Joel began to think Tom was joking. He’d never done anything against his religion. Then Tom moved to the middle of the seat and slowly slid his arm around Joel’s neck, staring frankly into his face. His breath was cool, clean, and smelled of peppermint.

  “But if you don’t like it, we’ll leave, okay?” Joel said. “It gets pretty damned rowdy.”

  * * *

  Dusk hung on a long time. It was Joel’s favorite time of the day; the hour before darkness fell across the desert and, as usual, it seemed full of delicious possibilities. Sitting around with all the guys watching people dance wouldn’t be any big thrill. But Tom was making him laugh. They had the windows down, and a cool breeze blew through the pickup as they drove through town. At Main and Spruce, he turned south onto Spruce Street, and then as it curved so
utheast by the Jehovah’s Witness church, he cut over onto the Columbus Highway, where it forked at Wheeler’s Mortuary. The Mimbres County Courthouse on the west side of the street cast a long shadow that fell across the road and climbed halfway up the sunny wall of the mortuary. Beyond that, small adobe houses marked the beginning of Mexican town, and there, in the narrow, shadowed street, children were playing in the long, dying afternoon.

  They came to the railroad tracks that divided the town from the Country Club and the fairgrounds on the east side. “This reminds me of going to the circus or something,” Joel said, as he slowed for the tracks. Trains hadn’t come up or down them since he could remember, and the ragged disrepair threatened to knock even the toughest vehicle out of alignment. “See all those old airplane hangars?” He pointed off to his right.

  Tom looked where Joel indicated and nodded.

  “During World War II, we had the Army Air Corps out here. Dad says that after a few years, when the county started the Fair and Livestock Show, they rebuilt some of the hangars.” From where they were, they could see the new white metal roofs turning pink against the setting sun.

  Tom nodded again and smiled, but didn’t say anything. “You’ve never been to a dance?” Joel asked.

  “No. Really. I learned the Virginia Reel or something in first grade, I think, but you don’t do that, do you?”