The Lost Sheep

Jeff arrived home exhausted after a really long day. Luis had escorted him up to the town square and kissed him goodbye before he went his own way. Marcus had to escort Michelle home and thus could not walk home with Jeff as they used to.

Jeff unlocked the door and went in, purposing to get straight to the shower, change and lie down. He had just closed the door and started climbing up the stairs when a voice halted him.

"Jefferson Anderson."

Jeff backtracked and made his way into the living room. He entered to find the whole family there: his father, mother and sister Winnie. Daniel Anderson, his father, wore a serious face. It was impossible for Jeff to discern what was going on in that man's mind. He turned to his mother, and she looked away hurriedly as if she did not want to face him. Confused, he then turned to his sister, and she looked at him with an awkward expression that said she wasn't supposed to be there.

"What's up? You look like the Pharisees when they were at Jesus' trial, " Jeff tried to lighten up the mood but realised it was a mistake when his father squinted his eyes at him.

"Jeff. Is there anything you want to tell us?" His father sternly asked, his deep voice sending shivers down Jeff's spine. Jeff tried to remember whether he had left his bed unmade again or misplaced his Bible, but he couldn't remember of any wrong he had committed, so he shook his head.

"No, I don't think I have anything to tell you guys," he answered him.

His father breathed loudly. He fished out his phone and unlocked it. He then forwarded the phone to Jeff, who took it unwillingly and looked at what he was being shown.

The shock on his face was to die for when he looked at the phone. It was a video of him earlier in the day when he had confessed his love to Luis. He gulped in fear as the clip showed him and Luis kissing as if it was the end of the world. After the video ended, he looked up and saw his mother's teary eyes. She looked at him for a second before she turned away, blinking fast to avoid the tears from running down her cheeks. He then reverted his gaze back to his father, who stared at him with a look Jeff couldn't figure out whether it was one you'd give when mocking someone or when you're about to kill him.

"I-I-I-I can explain," he stuttered.

A period of unsettling silence followed, with Jeff throwing his eyes back and forth his parents to wait for his verdict. His father was the first one to speak.

"Mary, I want to know who's child this one belongs to. Because I am pretty sure I am not the one that fathered him," he addressed Jeff's mother. Mary looked at her husband and turned away from him, letting the tears flow freely.

"Jefferson, are you possessed?" His father asked Jeff, his stern gaze demolishing Jeff's walls of defence.

"Possessed by whom?" Jeff asked.

"Do you answer a question with a question?" His father yelled, letting out his anger.

"No, " Jeff answered hurriedly. There was no guessing what this man was capable of when angry.

"Now answer me! Are you possessed?" Daniel yelled again, causing Jeff to move back in apprehension.

"No, I am not, " he replied with haste.

"Then what is this I'm seeing here?" His voice was now soft, but threatening.

Jeff took a deep breath before answering. "I like him, dad...."

"The devil is a liar!" His mother suddenly spoke, still in tears.

"Do you know that you're the son of the church chairman?"

Jeff suddenly felt his blood boiling. "It is about the church again, isn't it?"

"What are people going to say about me? Huh?! They'll be looking at me and say, 'Look at that man, his faith in God was just a show. He is the father of a bad omen. I think we should even kick him out of the church.' Is that what you want for me?" his father shouted.

It was the mention of him as a 'bad omen' that did it for Jeff. He exploded.

"For once could you not fucking care about that goddamned church!" He began, sending horrified expressions to the other three in the room. "Every time we wake up, do this for the church! Every time we go to sleep, do that for the church! I am fed up of this church! Why don't you just go and live there! You have taken away the happiness of this family at the expense of this church of yours. Look at Winnie for goodness sake! She can't even wear trousers because you forbid it. All in the name of this God and church. You want to ruin us just cause of something that no one has never seen..."

"You shall not speak of God that way!" Daniel cut him off and stood up in resentment, ready to face Jeff. He suddenly stopped and sniffed into the air. He looked back at Jeff, his eyes staring at him murderously.

"Jefferson, is that alcohol I'm smelling on you?" His voice was soft back again.

Jeff did not see the point of lying at this point anymore.

"Yes, it is! And you can tell that church of yours that I don't care what...."

SMACK!

Jeff was on the floor. He could not believe what had just happened. His own father had slapped him! His own flesh and blood! He had hit him with such a force that had sent him to the floor. Jeff felt for his left cheek but it was numb, the shock biting through Jeff's senses. He remained on the floor, trying to comprehend what had just happened.

"Dad!" Winnie shrieked. Her father turned to her.

"Don't meddle in this if you don't want your face to be the next thing on this floor!" He growled. He then returned his attention back to Marcus, who was still on the floor.

"Now listen here, young man. This house does not support sinners of any kind. So here's what is going to happen; you are going to go to your room, pack your belongings and leave this house. I should not see your face until the day you have accepted Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Saviour. Are you hearing me?!"

Jeff slowly lifted himself up and came face to face with his father. He then allowed the tears to flow freely. That amount of physical and emotional pain his father had inflicted on him was immeasurable. He looked at his father, trying to see through his eyes something that reminded him of the loving and caring father he once had but he couldn't see it. He composed himself, and still crying, he spoke to his father in a trembling voice.

"If you have decided that God is more important than your son, it's okay, I won't judge. But I want you to hear this from my mouth: I am gay. Think of it as a sin, or whatever you want of it. Listen to me, that six-year-old boy you took to church felt he was gay, and the one in front of you is now coming out. I know that I was born gay. So if you want to blame anyone, blame yourself, because you weren't good enough of a father to return me back to the correct path! But don't come judging me. If God has a quarrel with me being gay, He'll have to sort it out with me. If he doesn't want to, you and your hypocritical religion can suck my dick for all I care!"

With that, he stormed out of the house, leaving an angry father, a crying mother and a confused sister.

He wiped the tears off his face as he stomped his way out of the compound, unsure of where to go next; but he would not go back to that house. Not now, not ever.

As far as he knew, his father was dead to him.