LATER THAT AFTERNOON, we were all sitting on the front porch, still naked, having a cold beer. It had been an easy day, not much work to do, so there was no real need to get dressed. We were just rocking away in the old-fashioned rocking chairs, enjoying each other’s company.
“Hey, guys, mind if I do the joint interview now? This should be the last one.”
They looked at each other and shrugged their shoulders in consent. I went to get my stuff. Sitting back down, I pulled out my notebook and digital recorder.
Carter Roberts: “I’m sitting here with both Carl and Matt. This will be their joint interview.”
“It has been an interesting story that you each have told me separately, but I would like to ask a few questions of the both of you while I have you together.”
“Because of the nature of your relationship, what would you say has been the hardest thing?”
Carl Foltz: “I think the hardest thing for me is that we can’t be totally open and honest with our family back in Nebraska. It would be nice if they could accept us, but I know with every fiber of my being that there’s no way that would happen. First off, the gay thing would be difficult for them. Then add the father-son aspect and they would flip completely out.”
Matt Evans: “The hardest thing for me is that Carl, or Dad, has had to give up so much so that we could be together. Personally, I have no regrets. I get to wake up to the most wonderful man each and every day for the rest of my life. Well you can make that men now!”
Carter Roberts: “That gives me a lead in to my next question, which is: do either of you have any regrets?”
Carl Foltz: “My only regret, again, is that I can’t be close to my family, or what’s left of them, and that I won’t have any grandchildren. Other than that, I have no regrets.”
Matt Evans: “I have no regrets, none. Wait, I take that back. I really wanted to score a touchdown in college.”
Carter Roberts: “If there is one thing that you would like to come from this interview, what would it be?”
Matt Evans: “The one thing I think I would like most is for people to know that you can’t always choose who you fall in love with. Another thing is that people should pay attention to their own lives instead of worrying so much about others. Mind their own business, you might say. You don’t know how many times I’ve told people to mind their own business, or wanted to.”
Carl Foltz: “I guess I have to echo Matt there. You don’t know who you’re gonna fall in love with. People shouldn’t hate love, and that is sometimes what they do. Matt and I truly love each other and we don’t do anyone any harm. We work hard; we pay taxes just like everyone else.”
“We don’t have many friends because of the stigma associated with who we are, and often times neither of us is comfortable enough to be honest with them. Friendship is nothing if it doesn’t have honesty, and, well… that just doesn’t come easy with us, I guess.”
Matt Evans: “Dad’s right on that one. I would like to feel we are just a couple of normal guys who happen to be in love with each other. However, society has proclaimed our love to be deviant, evil even. I think if they really got to know us they’d understand that we are just like everyone else.”
Carter Roberts: “I would like to say thank you for sharing your story. I am sure that it will be eye opening for a lot of our readers.”
[Conclusion of interviews with Carl Foltz and Matt Evans]
“Well, guys, the only thing left for me to do is go home and write this story,” I proclaimed.
“Carter, Matt and I were talking,” Carl said, looking at Matt. I could tell this was going to be something big just from Carl’s tone of voice. Matt nodded to his father who then continued. “We would like for you to call this your home. We really would like for you to consider moving here. Living with us full time, that is. Neither of us knows, nor really understands your job very well, but if it is possible, we’d like for you to stay.”
Before Carl could even finish his little speech, which was obviously prepared, I had tears running down my cheeks for the second time that day. “I don’t know what to say, guys?” I was at a loss for words and a little choked up.
“Will you at least think about it, Carter?” Matt looked as if he was about to start crying as well.
“Yes, I’ll think about it. I really will. As for my job, well I can pretty much do that from anywhere. I would still have to travel, but I guess I could manage that from here. Take me a little longer perhaps, but it would be manageable,” I explained thoughtfully.
“That’s all we can ask from you,” Carl said seriously.
“I don’t know how my editor is going to feel about this, but there’s only one way to find out. When I get back, I’ll run it by him and see how it is received.” I grinned at them both. “I need to call him anyway, and let him know that I’ve gotten everything I need here. He’s already been wondering what the hell I’ve been doing here all this time. Hell, it seems like I just got here, but it’s been three weeks.”
“Why don’t you give him a call and I’ll go start on dinner. Carl here can supervise and set the table.” Matt stood up and started for the kitchen. Carl also rose, tousled my hair, and followed his son.
I called my editor, who had thought I had fallen off the face of the earth. I informed him that he was right, that this was a good interview, and that I had everything I would need to do a great article. I also told him that I could probably have it written fairly quickly. Quick enough that if he wanted, I’d more than likely have it done by the next editorial deadline. That thrilled him, making up for all the time I’d spent here.
Then I dropped the bombshell on him. I asked him if he thought I could do this job without having to be physically in the same city as the magazine. I asked if it would be possible for me to work remotely, telling him that I would still be able to travel and do, for the most part, the same job I’d been doing all along. He said he had to think on it, but he’d let me know.
I hung up with him, called the airport in Louisville, Kentucky, and booked a flight home for the next afternoon. I also let the rental car company know that I would be returning the car the next day. They had been very understanding about letting me extend it for as long as I had. Of course, my editor was going to flip out when I expensed it out. That was his problem. He couldn’t bitch too much about it after I got this article done. I had a feeling this was going to be one of those articles that was going to be noticed and really good for my career.
I was feeling great about things here, more comfortable in my own skin for the first time ever. I walked into the kitchen where Matt was giving Carl a hard time about being so useless in food preparation.
“Thank God you’re back, Carter!” Matt exclaimed, obviously frustrated. “Would you take over for him and finish making that salad. If he continues, we’ll be here till tomorrow night, and even then it might not be edible. Never in my life have I ever seen anyone not be able to make a simple salad.” Matt was ragging on Carl so bad it was almost funny.
Poor Carl had this hangdog look on his face. I said, “Don’t worry, Carl, there are a lot of things you do really well— really, really well.” I waggled my eyebrows up and down at him. That made him laugh. I was glad I could lighten his mood just then. “And, guys? I hate to tell you this but I’m leaving tomorrow.” They stopped, looked at me, and stared. You could have heard a pin drop.
Neither of them said anything. Each turned back to doing what they had been doing but the tension in the room was stifling. “Come on, guys, you knew I’d have to go sooner or later now. I’ll be coming back, I promise.”
“Yeah, we know. It’s just not going to be the same around here with you gone. Do you know when you’ll be coming back?” Matt’s voice was so solemn.
“A lot of it will depend on how fast I can get your interview written. I told my editor that I think I can get it done quickly. Hell, I think it is going to write itself. I already have it in my head how to do it. How about I say a month?” I was hoping I could keep that promise.
“Carter, you go do what you need to do. We’re grown men and I think that we can handle it,” Carl said, but not looking at me.
Dinner was quiet that evening. There was a dark cloud hanging over us that made me wish I could do anything to make them happy. In bed that night, we didn’t have sex or make love. We only held each other tightly.