The End of the Rainbow (15 page)

“Don’t play with me Khalil. I know some shit has gone down between you and Tyrin. Why else would he walk into this house with a dozen roses and give us all a half-assed hello,” Spencer sipped on his drink and waited for his friend to open up to him.

“Nothing is wrong Spencer. He just felt like bringing me flowers, is that a crime?” he said with a weak smile.

“Then why is your voice cracking?”

Khalil stopped what he was doing and caught the streaming tear with the back of his hand. He looked at Spencer, who was leaning against the doorway awaiting an explanation, and walked over and gave him a hug. He needed a hug more than anything right now and he was glad that he had a friend that knew him like a book. Spencer embraced him and didn’t try to pry anything out, he simply allowed himself to be the base of support that Khalil obviously needed at this time.

The two held each other for what seemed like hours before the sound of the doorbell disturbed their moment. As they backed away from each other, Khalil still couldn’t make eye contact. He knew that any sign of sympathy or pity would push him over the cliff, and right now he had to be strong.

“It’s going to be alright. I know it will,” he said to Spencer. “Now go back into the living room and entertain Craig. Maybe you can make him a Long Island that would cause him to sleep with you,” he joked.

“I’m here for you man, whatever it is. You do know that don’t you?” he asked.

“I’ve always known that. Now go shake your shimmy.”

The eight of them sat at the dinner table and enjoyed a meal of fried chicken, crab cakes, shrimp and sausage etouffee, macaroni and cheese, fried cabbage, sautéed squash and homemade drop biscuits. The conversation was joyous and comical, thanks to the storytelling of Spencer. Khalil made sure that there was enough food for everyone to have three helpings if they wanted and Spencer kept everyone’s glass filled with the drink of their choice.

Tyrin sat at the head of the table and tried not to let his emotions be seen, but everyone, especially Craig and Spencer noticed that something was on his mind. Andre went on and on about how appreciative he was to everybody for making him feel so welcome, and Kerrion actually seemed to be warming up to him.

Lea and Koya sat across from each other comparing dating horror stories. They expressed how hard it was to find a good man, and Spencer added insult to injury when he told them that maybe they needed to stop going to dinner parties with groups of homosexuals and try a heterosexual venue.

“You outdid yourself this time K,” Craig said as he piled more chicken wings onto his plate.

“Thanks.”

“No for real fool, I ain’t playing,” he expressed again, his liquor beginning to kick in.

“I said thanks, Craig.” Khalil responded somewhat annoyed.

“And I’ve had enough of this silence. What the hell is wrong with you?” Craig asked Tyrin.

“I’m cool man, just watching you enjoy your dinner.” he replied.

“I wish I could find me a bitch, excuse me, a nice young lady that could cook like you K. I would probably marry her ass.” he said with a mouth filled with food.“Is that right?” Khalil said as he lazily picked at his macaroni with his fork.

“You damn right. I tell Tyrin all the time how lucky he is. I mean I still don’t get the gay thing, but you take good care of my boy and I appreciate that. You kind of picked up where I left off. Don’t fuck up Tyrin, I’m telling you.”

Tyrin looked up at Craig and wanted to blurt out “shut up”, because he knew that he was going into an area that unknown to him was very sensitive at this moment. He glanced at Khalil who had stopped playing with his food and was now sitting totally still. He wanted to reach out and grab him but he knew that the odds were not in his favor that he would get a positive reaction.

Khalil looked at Tyrin, and as they made eye contact he felt all of the built up emotions suddenly resurge and without a second thought he blurted out, “He already has fucked up.” The table grew silent and as everyone glanced from person to person in an effort to get an answer from whoever may have the inside scoop. Kerrion decided to dive head in and ask,”Are the two of you having problems?”

“Never mind.” Khalil said trying to reassure the table.

“What you do?” Kerrion accusingly asked Tyrin.

“Let it go Kerry,” Khalil said looking at his friend with eyes that begged him to back off.

Tyrin scanned the table and met the eyes of everyone. There were no more side conversations as they all eagerly awaited some type of confession. Craig looked at his cousin and sensed that he had gotten himself into a predicament that he couldn’t get out of and decided to intercede. “Whatever happened is none of our business,” he stated to the table. “They will work it out, they always do. So let’s just finish eating before the food gets cold. Spencer, why don’t you tighten up the drinks?”

Khalil excused himself from the table and went into the kitchen. As he held onto the sink for support he felt Tyrin come up and cautiously wrap his arms around him. His body grew stiff and the thought of this man touching him catapulted him to another level of anger. He began to squirm in attempt to unravel himself from the muscular arms holding him. The more he moved the tighter they seemed to become. It was like a Python trying to trap and crush its prey. He couldn’t figure out why Tyrin was so adamant about having conversation when there was clearly nothing to discuss except when he is moving out of the house.

“Baby wait. Stop running from me. We need to talk,” Tyrin pleaded.

“Let me go…now!”

“Not until you agree to hear my side in all of this.” he gripped tighter and what started out as a hold began to be a tussle.

“Let me fucking go. It ain’t shit to talk about!” Khalil yelled.

Kerrion got up from the table and was about to head into the kitchen but was told to sit down by the others present. They agreed that it was not their problem and would only intervene if the situation escalated.

Lea suggested that they just leave, but Spencer knew that was a bad idea. Leaving two gay men in a house alone to argue was a recipe for disaster. Instead, they sat as still as figures in a wax museum, listening to the grunting sounds coming from the kitchen.

Tyrin continued to grip his body and Khalil was unsuccessfully trying to struggle free from his overpowering arms. Realizing he was near defeat, he reached down into the sink and gripped a dirty steak knife. He maneuvered the knife into position on the flawless chocolate skin and drew downward, causing blood to rush out of the muscled forearm.

Tyrin loosed his grip and yelled out in pain from the slice. He stood in shock that Khalil would even do such an act. However, his defensive impulses caused him to thrust his fist into Khalil’s mouth, splitting it open, and knocking him to the ground.

“Oh my God, baby I’m sorry. I didn’t mean too.” As Tyrin reached down to help him, his eye was met with a punch, and body pulled to the ground by a savage Khalil.

They tussled on the ground like wrestlers in a ring and Khalil was doing everything in his power to inflict as much pain as possible. Tyrin was trying his best to restrain and only wanted to get up and get away from the blows that were painfully connecting with his body. He managed to gain his footing and get to the other side of the kitchen. Shirt ripped and arm dripping with blood, he stood there out of breath, praying it was over; but he could see in Khalil’s eyes that there was a lot of fight left in him.

The crew heard the argument kick up a notch. They stormed into the kitchen like S.W.A.T, just in time to observe Khalil rush into Tyrin like a linebacker on the gridiron. Tyrin was trying his best to avoid the face and body shots that were swiftly coming his way. He refrained from fighting back because he felt he was getting what he deserved, but the punches were getting harder to withstand. As repentant as he was, Tyrin was one punch away from going straight ballistic and fighting Khalil like he was a stranger in the street.

Khalil’s rage was being fueled by the thoughts of Tyrin penetrating another man. He was in a zone of anger that had taken him to another level of consciousness. He heard and saw nothing but a cheating partner that had no regard for his health. He was praying that each swing was taking Tyrin to a place of unmeasured physical pain. He loved this man more than he could put into words and knowing that he had been sexually pleased by someone else was grueling. He wanted to kill him but didn’t want him dead and it was those types of thoughts that caused his mind to be in a tumultuous state of confusion.

Craig jumped in between the tussle, but not before Khalil powered his fist into Tyrin’s unsuspecting jaw. The diamonds on his commitment band scraped off pieces of flesh and added another wound to his violently attacked body. Spencer rushed and pulled his hysterically crying friend to the other side of the kitchen, as everyone looked in amazement at the aftermath of what had just occurred. “Wait a damn minute! What the hell is going on? What the fuck are you two fighting about?” Craig yelled out amongst the confusion.

“Hold on! Before we get into that, we need to check where all this blood is coming from.” Lea said.

“It’s my arm. He cut me with a knife.” Tyrin said as he winced in pain from the entire event.

“Don’t touch it though. It’s tainted,” Khalil said, cupping his hand under his mouth to catch the blood that was steadily dripping out.

“What the hell you mean tainted?” Spencer asked.

“Tell em, you dirty bitch!” Khalil barked with hatred and fury.

Tyrin looked at Khalil and didn’t know how to respond. He didn’t know if he deserved to be called out like this or if he should be pissed at the fact that his lover had no remorse for what he was going through. He couldn’t think straight and as he tried to be a man about the situation his level of masculinity seemed to be at an all time low. He wanted to crawl under a bed or hide in a closet, but as the air in the room was getting thinner and thinner he knew he had to say something before he passed out. “I have HIV,” he confessed to the group, as his eyes began to water.

Everyone’s mouth dropped, and as the two scorned lovers stood in the midst of their loved ones no one knew exactly what to do next. Khalil felt his lip swelling as the pain in his mouth began to match the pain in his heart. Craig looked at his cousin and wanted to ask how this happened but he knew that in time he would find out. He wrapped his arms around his family member with unconditional love and held him tight. He didn’t care about the blood that was getting on his shirt or the fact that the blood was infected; all he cared about was his cousins’ well being and sound state of mind.

“Oh my God. Khalil are…?” Koya started to ask before being cut off.

“I don’t know. I don’t fucking know! I will find out on Thursday. On Thursday I will know if I’m dying or not. On Thursday I will know if that cheating motherfucker over there took my health away from me,” Khalil said, trying to break free to continue his assault on Tyrin.

“Cheating. Hold the hell up, what do you mean cheating?” Kerrion asked, pushing his way through the group. “You cheated on my brother?” He asked as he walked toward Tyrin. “I’m talking to you, bitch!”

“Back up Kerry. Don’t even go there alright.” Craig said as he let go of Tyrin, and stood on the frontline for his cousin.

“Oh, so you’re going to defend his ass? You probably knew didn’t you? You ain’t nothing but a fucking dog anyway, so I guess you would condone that fucked up shit,” he said while walking up on Craig.

“Yeah I knew he fucked around. What the fuck are you gonna do, with your punk ass?” He responded back to Kerry.

“Yo, hold up homie. You ain’t got to be stepping to him like that. Your boy is the one that is foul. And if you knew about some tired shit like that, then you are as fucked up as he is.” Andre said, coming to Kerrion’s defense.

“I just want to know who it was.” Khalil said, breaking the tension between the three of them. “Who was it Tyrin? Somebody you photographed? Is he famous? Was it even a he? Just tell me who?”

“I can’t.” he replied.

“Did I know him? Did I cook for him? Did I hang out with him? Have I shaken his hand? Has he been in this fucking house is all I want to know?” He continued.

“Let’s go man. Just go pack a bag and come stay at my place.” Craig said, trying to change the subject.

“He’s not going anywhere until he answers my fucking questions! I know that’s your cousin and I would be more than happy for you to take him with you, but this has to do with us and not you. Can you respect that?” Craig backed away from Tyrin and allowed Khalil to walk closer to him.

Tyrin looked at Khalil and knew he owed him at least this one thing. He thought that if he answered this one question it might help the healing. “It was an intern.”

Lea walked over with an ice filled towel to put on his puffy lip, but in his anger he smacked her hand away and questioned what Tyrin had just said, “An intern? You cheated on me with a broke ass intern?” he let out a chuckle and just shook his head at the fact that it wasn’t even an upgrade.

“Are you happy? You got your answer, so can we go now?” Craig asked Khalil.

“Which one? I knew them all. I remember every last one,” Khalil quietly said.

“Man, you ain’t got to stay around for this shit,” Craig insisted.

“It was Marquis,” he whispered.

“Who?” Khalil asked.

“Marquis.” he said in a more audible voice.

“My cousin?” Koya exclaimed from behind Khalil. “You slept with my twenty-year old cousin?”

“No Koya. He slept with your then nineteen year old cousin because the shit happened a year ago.” Craig said with no remorse.

“Get the fuck out.” Khalil calmly said, as he lowered his head in disbelief.

“You have got to be fucking kidding me. Please don’t say you slept with my little cousin. The cousin that I trusted you to be an example too. Did you infect my cousin?” she asked.

“I think it may be the other way around. My cousin was clean before he met that dirty little bastard.” Craig said to her.

“Keep out of this, Craig. This is my entire fault and I don’t need you defending me.” Tyrin said to him.