Sweet Revenge

Chapter 3

The couple came out of the magic corner tucking their clothes. Gulf did not make an effort to run away. He stood there and watched the man dismiss the guy as if he hadn't just been caught in the act. Gulf stood there and watched the guy come out of the room. It felt like slow motion as he passed by him slowly.

He watched the boy walk past him with no drip of shame on his face for someone who had been caught red handed. He didn't even try to engage Gulf in a conversation or to bribe him about keeping his secret.

Gulf watched him go and his attention was pulled back by the shameless man that walked out of the classroom.

"It's not true right? What I just saw is not true right dad?"

"I can explain. I shouldn't have done this here. This was not the right place to do that."

Gulf snorted, "w-what? This was not the right place? Is that your excuse? Getting caught is what you're regretting?"

"I'm not going to apologize for doing that, son I .."

"Son? Am I really your son?  You're cheating on my mother with a boy almost my age what's wrong with you?"

"He is not your age and I... I love him."

Gulf shook his head and walked away. How could he do this to them? He should've lied. He should have made up a lie. How could he openly say that to his face? He was only 14 years old, what did he want him to do with this news?

"Gulf, Gulf," the father tried to call out but Gulf did not look back. He walked away again from the punishment.

How was he going to face Chet? He was sure Chet had seen these two yesterday. He had seen his father kissing a male student that's why he reacted like that.

He was almost out of the school when he was being pulled to a halt,

"Gulf,"  Chet called out,

"Stop!"

"I can explain."  Chet tried to make him stop.

He did stop because he was disturbed by the tone of Chet's voice. Chet sounded as if he saw what just happened.

"Did you see what just happened just now?"

"Gulf," Chet stepped closer to comfort him but,

"Not today Chet. I just need time to sort my head."

Chet smiled a smile of encouragement, "Ok go ahead and rest. Don't worry about the punishment. We'll handle it."

Gulf walked away and when he reached home he didn't know what he was doing. He was confused. It was hard to understand what was happening.

As soon as he walked in, he saw his mother smiling at him brightly and he lost it. How could he tell her that her husband was cheating with a boy. That her husband was a homosexual. That her husband was... he broke down.

Tida was surprised seeing her son distressed. She didn't know what was happening and didn't know how to comfort him.

Gulf didn't say anything. He couldn't.

That night he heard his father return but he pretended he was sleeping when he walked in his room to talk. The following morning Gulf left early in the morning and went to sleep in the classroom. When school started Gulf was just out of it. Atid tried to talk to him but Chet let him know he needed time to himself.

Their homeroom teacher had been happy by the quietness of the trio. After a week of seeing them not making jokes or talking or causing trouble she became troubled. Gulf was always sleeping in class and other teachers were complaining to her about his unusual behavior. She called each student privately to ask them what was going on but no one said anything.

After two weeks of Gulf depressed by his father's infidelity, he was feeling tired so he didn't go to school. He was always tormented by his father's stares in the house. Him smiling at his mother as if he wasn't kissing a boy in school.

Worried, his mother went to shop for food supplies to make Gulf some porridge because he was not eating.

Gulf heard his door open and he didn't bother to see who it was.

"Son," he heard the shaky voice of his father call out.

Gulf sat up in his bed.

" I know you were affected by what happened. Your teachers are asking me what happened to you because you've been out of it. Let me explain."

"Explain that you didn't mean to get caught?" Gulf asked weakly.

"I'm not going to apologize for being gay."

"you are married to my mother and I am your son just make me understand what you are

"I have always been like this. I have always been attracted to boys."

"Why get married? Why have a son? Why lie about it? Why date a damn high schooler?" Gulf was getting angry.

"It's been a year now." The shameless man confessed.

"You were dating the boy for a year?"

"Son you won't understand because you're too young but I've tried. I've tried so hard to be a good husband and father but I just can't keep on pretending that I'm happy when I'm not."

The father, logically, was speaking sense but to the wrong person. Gulf was only a 14 year old still worried about getting good grades in high school. This truth was a burden to Gulf.

They heard a thud and they both turned to the door. Gulf came off his bed whispering a series of no-s as he approached the door. He saw his mother crouched on the floor holding her heart. Her face stained with tears.

"Maeee," Gulf shouted going to her mother who seemed to be having difficulties breathing.

"Hospital," he screamed and the father got his keys not really showing a panicked face. Gulf tried to hold his mother's left hand but it was too stiff. She was clenching her fists weirdly and her left leg was too straight. Her right hand was clenching and unclenching. Gulf got scared. He didn't know much but it was clear her mother had suffered a stroke on her left side of the body and she was trying to keep control of her right side. The father scooped the woman up and they went to his car. They drove to hospital and with each mile, Gulf who was holding his mother could feel her skin getting cold.

"Mae," he called desperately. "Mae you can't do this to me. Please hold on. We're almost there."

Her mother's mouth couldn't say any word. She attempted to smile but it looked like a smirk because the other side of her mouth was frozen. He wiped the lonely tear that escaped from her right eye.

"Mae we're almost there. Hold on please."

The mother blinked with a slight nod. It was like she was saying it's ok. That he'll be ok. And all Gulf could do was hold the cold functioning hand and embrace his mother. "I'm sorry Mae. I'm sorry I couldn't protect you."

He felt a slight force from her hand then he felt her sigh right next to his ears. A deep sigh that left chills in his body. The car came to a complete halt and the door was opening but Gulf wouldn't let go of the lady in her arms. He felt like this was the last time holding her like this. The doctors came running and everything was a blur.

An hour later the cliché scene happened and Gulf felt like he was watching a movie.

The doctor coming out with a face, him putting his hands in his white jacket with a sigh, him breaking the sad news.

All Gulf could think of was it was his father's affair that killed his mother. He couldn't cry.  He didn't cry. He looked at the man he called father and he saw that he wasn't crying too. Now how was he going to tell his grandma that her daughter had passed away. That this man took away their happiness.