***
My first stop was „Woody’s”. I knew that, although, the bar would open only in the evening, Marty would be there. It was 12pm now. While driving, thoughts about yesterday came back to me. I didn’t know what would I tell or ask Michael today but I needed to see him, if I wanted to know of how of the best way how approach my brother.
Thinking over the possible questions made time pass by fastly. I was already at „Woody’s”. I had been right, Marty was already there. He opened the door, a smile on his face, when he saw who was interrupting his work.
„I was hoping, I would see you soon!” he said.
„Yeah. You were the only person I could think of, who would be possible to help me.”
„Oh,” he looked a little bit surprised,” I was hoping you came by to tell me when you would sing again.”
„That also but I don’t know yet. When the new schedule for my shifts at „Leo’s” will be known, I’ll be able to tell you,” I assured him.
„Ok, that’s a deal then, as soon as you know, just let me know!” he looked pleased.
„Alrighty! I was hoping you could tell me where I can find a friend of Brian Kinney’s. Michael is his name?” I asked.
„Michael?” Marty frowned, „he owns a comic book shop, but I think he should be at the „Liberty diner” now. Why do you ask?”
„Oh, there’s just something I need to talk with him about. Thanks, Marty!”
Marty looked sceptical and it surely looked like he wanted to know more.
I left „Woody’s” to head over to the „Liberty diner”. I knew the place, in fact, I have been there twice. They had the most delicious lemon bars, I have ever eaten! Since „Liberty diner” wasn’t far from „Woody’s”, it took me only few minutes to get there by car. It looked pretty crowded. I checked time in my cell. It was a little bit past 12pm, lunch time. I got out of my car and went inside.
A pleasant atmosphere met me here. All tables were taken, just a few seats were left free at the counter. I didn’t see Michael yet, so I decided to wait for him while having something to eat for myself. I was pretty hungry, since I hadn’t eaten a lot in the morning. That talk with Bernard had left me so angry that I wasn’t able to swallow anything. While I was pondering what to order, I was apprached by a woman, I guessed she was a waitress. She was wearing a rainbow coloured vest with lots of pin badges. Underneath she wore a yellow T-shirt with a written „I like cocks” and a picture of a cock (bird) underneath it. She had purple earrings and red hair. She definitely put a new meaning to a word „colourful”. She was smiling at me and only then I realized that I was staring! I blushed.
„Don’t worry honey, there are things here that’ll make you blush even more,” the woman finished with a loud lough. I tried to smile back. I’m not sure I was succesful.
„Sooo, what’ll it be?” she asked.
„Ummm, just burger and fries. Oh, and green tee, please!”
„Tea? Are you English or something?” she asked laughingly and went to get my order. I thought if she ever was serious. While I waited, I took in my surroundings. Everything looked ordinary. But I knew that in the evenings people started to behave more freely. Right now, it just looked like an ordinary cafe, like „Leo’s” where I was working. If one didn’t count shared kisses between the same sexes. Being here made you feel as if outer world didn’t exist. People here were like a big family. I’ve always envied gays for that. They always defended each other, even if they were complete starngers. They were united! You wouldn’t see that attitude so often between straight people. The colourful woman then came back with my burger and fries.
„There you go honey, and the tee will be right up!”
„Thanks!” I said and picked up one frie.
„Debb, could I get a refill, please?” a man’s voice shouted from one of the tables. I turned to see three guys sitting at the table by the wall. The man who was holding up the cup wore a white shirt with red stripes and a red tie. Beige pants and white shoes. He had a note pad before him on the right and in his right hand was a pencil, a plate with two donuts was before him. His hair was short, very dark blond, I would say, and he had a sweet smile on his face, when the woman with the red hair approached him. His other two companions were sitting at the opposite side of the table. One of them looked older than the other one. He had black hair with some few gray wisps in it. He looked like an accountant! He was wearing dark purple shirt with black tie, black pants and black shoes. The other guy, who had his arm around the accountant-looking guy had dark blond hair and white sweater. He was sitting at the wall so I couldn’t see the rest of him.
„So, what’s new?” the woman with the red hair asked them.
„Oh, I got a new job! I’ll get to be a wedding planner again!” the guy with the note pad said.
„Just be careful this time, Em. Don’t corrupt the groom again!” the guy with black hair said.
„Ha ha, very funny, Teddy! And I didn’t corrupt my last groom. As I remember it, he was already corrupted when I met him. He certainly new how to DO things...” Em answered. Teddy just laughed.
„So, Teddy, how are thigs with you? How’s „Kinnetik” and Brian?” red haired woman asked Teddy, with a concerned note in her voice on the last word. This picked up my interest and I forgot about my lunch instantly.  They were talking about my brother now! Of course there could be many Brians that they could know of, but only one of them owned a firm called „Kinnetik”. Teddy’s face lost it’s smile. „He didn’t show u pat work this morning. Called in sick.” There was a silence after this.
„It was March 2nd yesterday,” red haired woman said quietly.
„Justin’s birthday,” Em said, while looking at Teddy.
Justin? Who was Justin? Then I remembered something that Michael had said to me yesterday - ”You should go and talk with him. He really could use a sister now.” But had he with „now” meant the date – 2nd March? I felt that I was frowning now. I turned back to my lunch. But my thoughts were entirely elsewhere. I was going over the things that private detective had told me about my brother. He had told me, that he was an advertising executive and had his own firm „Kinnetik”. He also owned a gay club, called „Babylon”. He also told me about the bomb three years ago. He told me that my brother’s mother was still alive, but that she didn’t have any other kids, that Brian was the only one. I also knew that Brian didn’t have the best relationship with her. My brother also had a son – Gus. But his mother Lyndsey and her partner had moved to Toronto three years ago and taken Gus with them. But not once had the detective mentioned a name „Justin”. Judging from the looks between these people now, this Justin person was someone important. I was still lost in my thoughts when I heard a familiar voice.
„Hello, everyone, why the serious faces? Has someone died? I’m telling right now, I’m too busy to go to some fucking funeral!” my brother was saying as he shoved Em towards the wall and seated himself in Em’s place. „Debbie, could I get some coffee? And also something to eat.”
„Sure, Brian. But how are you feeling? Teddy said you had called in sick today!” Debbie asked.
„Oh, that. I’m afraid I’ll have to disappoint you all. It was just food poisoning!” he finished sarcastically. I just sat there and stared at him. I wasn’t ready to face him yet. I had to talk with Michael at first. Too late. My brother caught me staring at him. Ohhh, this wasn’t good...
„You! What are you doing here? Didn’t I tell you everything last night?” He asked me angrily. I didn’t know what to say. The others had now turned in my direction with questioning gazes.
„Actually, no, you didn’t, you just threw me out!” I said.
„And that doesn’t count as telling everything? I should think that threwing someone out says everything loud and clear!”
„I...”
„Hey, Ma, what’s...” Michael came in and stoped when he saw the situation. Finally, what had taken him so long? I immediately changed my attention to him.
„Hey, Michael, I was waiting for you,” I said fastly.
„Hey, Lynn, you...you were?” he asked dubiously.
„Yes, I wanted to ask you something I fogot to ask yesterday.” I hoped he would play along. He continued to look at me, then he looked at my brother, who, looked like he was planning a painful death sentence to Michael.
„I...really, was it something about the...umm, performance?”
„Ok, hoold it! What’s going on here?” Debbie asked. „Brian, why the fuck did you talk like that to this girl? And Michael, how do you know her? And what performance are you talking about?”
„Nooow, I remember! You were that girl at Woody’s yesterday! You sang that beautiful song,” Em exclaimed suddenly. The he started to sniffle. And I remembered the guy in a purple shirt who had tears in his eyes when I had passed him, while trying to catch my brother.
„Yeah, and thank you for the compliment!” I said and gave him a smile.
My brother looked at Em, like he was some kind of lunatic, then turned towards me:”Didn’t I tell you! You made Emmet weep like a babe,” when Emmet just reached for the napkin to wipe the tears from his eyes, my brother added:” It appears, you still do.”
„Ok, if somebody, won’t tell me what’s this all about, I’m gonna go crazy!” Debbie cried. My brother looked at her with a surprise on his face:”Haven’t you gone already?”
Debbie smacked him in the head.
„Oww, WHAT WAS THAT FOR?”
„Shut up, Brian. Michael, please tell me, what’s going on?” Debbie asked loudly.
„Well, we were at Woody’s yesterday, and Lynn was singing there,” Michael looked at me for help. I didn’t have a single logical explanation in my head except the truth. So I decided to stick to it as closely as possible.
„Yes, and while I was singing I noticed Michael sitting at the bar with a friend who after I had finished singing, ran out...” I risked a glance at my brother. His eyes were shooting daggers. „So later I just asked Michael if his friend was alright. But since it was late, I had to go and we didn’t get the chance to finish our conversation. Today, when I was at Woody’s talking with Marty, he told me that Michael was probaly here at this time, so I just came here to wait for him.” I finished. That was officially the lamest excuse I’ve ever had.
„Soo, you came all the way here just to finish a conversation with my son?” Debbie asked me. I could tell she hadn’t believed any word I said. I didn’t blame her.
„Yes, he wanted to know if I would sing again some evening!” Debbie just continued to look at me. Then she looked at Michael, who now I knew, was her son. „You haven’t gone straight, have you?” she asked seriously. Teddy choked on his drink.
„No, Ma! Don’t be ridicilous, of course I haven’t gone straight-” my brother interrupted him:” He couldn’t even if he wanted to, he has a household to look after!” Michael shoved his shoulder:”Shut up, Brian!”
„Like mother, like son,” my brother muttered. 
„Lynn really has a beautiful voice. It’s a good change after those artists Marty has allowed to sing at his bar all this time!” Michael said to everyone. „I agree, it was the most beautiful song I’ve heard in ages!” Em rushed in, stopping from eating his donut,”Say, Lynn, do you sing at weddings, for I’m just planning one now and-„ Oh, for fuck’s sake, I won’t listen to this! Some of us have to keep a sane head to earn day’s living. Theodore, you coming?” My brother asked.
„Yes, boss. Bye, honey!” Teddy said and kissed his companion pasionatlely on the lips. My brother just rolled his eyes, but not before I had noticed sadness in his eyes.
As my brother and Teddy left the diner everybody returned their attention to me. I realized that my eyes had gone a little bit misty but I masked it all by a fake amusement.
„Is he always like this?” I asked.
„Most of the time, with rare exceptions,” Em answered me.
„So what is really going on?” Debbie asked me. I looked at Michael, and at his nod, I looked back at his mother.
„I’m his sister,” I said quietly.
I was greeted by a complete silence except for the noise made by a fork dropping on a plate.

Chapther 5

Pittsburgh

It seemed that the silence had lasted forever. Everybody just kept on staring, never saying a word, while sounds of conversations and clatter of dishes kept on going like nothing had happened. Then Debbie said:”And I thought I was shocked three years ago, when I received that invitation!”
„It appears, our lives will never be dull.” Em added.
„I think I’ll better go now, have to be at the center, anyways,” Teddy’s companion rose and left.
I was tired of these situations. In almost two days time, I’ve been as often of loss for words as I had in my entire life. I felt uncomfortable. I mean, how could you not be?
„Maybe, I should go, too,” I said and started to rise from my seat. But was stopped by Debbie’s hand on my arm. „You won’t go anywhere until you tell me the whole story!” she said. I looked at Michael. „You can tell her, she has been like a mother to Brian all these years, she will understand,” Michael assured me.
„Well, this is all of course, very interesting, but I should better go. I need to meet the lucky couple,” Em said, already out of his seat. The he turned to me:”You know, I was serious before, when I asked if you sang in weddings. You could get a good payment, too!” Payment sounded good. It meant money, and with my current situation, I couldn’t say no.
„Yes, umm, can you give me your note pad?” I asked him, and when he gave it to me, I wrote my cell number on it. Em thanked me and said he would contact me soon. Then he left and I was left with only Debbie and Michael.
„Could we talk somewhere more private?” I asked them, looking around.
„Follow me,” Debbie said. She put a hand on my back and directed me towards a door straight ahead. Michael followed.
We came in a personnel room. It was empty, so Michael and Debbie took seats on a sofa while I took a chair in front of it. I felt like I was back in school, standing in front of my class and preparing to recite a poem by memory. I took a dreap breath and let the words flow.
„My full name is Aislinn. I’m twenty one and I’m from Chicago. My father’s name was Daniel Davis, or at least, I thought it was. I found out that I had a brother, or I should say half brother, when I was ten. In fact, my mom told me that on my birthday.” I stopped and looked at my audience. They were listening closely. So I continued. „She didn’t tell me much, just that before she had married my father, he had had a family, a wife and a son and that this son was my half brother, and that he lived in Pittsburgh. Everey year I kept on questioning her about him, about who he was, why had nobody told me about him. You see, I had always envied other kids, who had brothers or sisters. My grandest wish was to have an elder brother and when I finally had him I couldn’t see him. So after I turned eighteen I bought a car and left for Pittsburgh. But as I didn’t know anyone here, nor did I knew where my brother was or even who he was, I just hired here a private detective and went to work in New York, where I had some friends who had job for me. I needed job, for I needed to pay for investigation. I came to live to Pittsburgh one year ago, when my private detective thought he had found my brother. But it turned out to be a false alarm. Nevertheless, I stayed here, got a job at Leo’s, plus I had my mother’s money, which she had left me after she died, when I was nineteen. One month ago, this detective finally told me that he had found my brother. It took him so long, because my father had changed his name, when he married my mother. His real name was Jack Kinney. And my brother’s name was Brian Kinney. He told me, that my brother was a succesful advertising executive and that he had his own firm „Kinnetik”. It took me all this month to gather up courage to finally see him. It happened last night. At Woody’s. I saw him there with Michael. And it was as I told you before – when I finished singing, he just took off. I ran after him, but he was already gone and then I met Michael. The rest you already know.” I finished. Debbie still sat motionless and Michael had sympathy in his eyes.
„Did you went to see him yesterday?” Michael asked me quietly.
„Yes, but, it didn’t go well. He threw me out and told me that I didn’t want a brother like him! Why would he say that?” I asked them.
Debbie and Michael looked at each other. Then Debbie said:”Because that’s who Brian Kinney is. He acts like a jerk and treats people like shit but what he doesn’t realize is that by treating others like shit, he treats himself like shit even more!”
I sat quietly and listened to what Debbie was telling me. „Why is he doing that?” I asked.
„Because he thinks he doesn’t deserve anything good, he thinks he doesn’t deserve other people’s love and kindness. It started when he was a kid of fourteen and he hasn’t changed a bit since that age. Well, if not counting for...” Debbie finished uncertainly. By the look she gave Michael I knew she was doubting if she should tell me something she didn’t know I should know. Michael finished for her:”The point is, he will never show you that he cares and he will never tell you, that he loves you! If you want to get to know him, you have to know this.”
„I’ll never give up on him. He’s my brother!” I said to them. Debbie just smiled at this.
„And you shouldn’t! He could use a sister now. He needs to feel that somebody loves him again.”
Again? „That’s exactly what Michael told me yesterday!” I told them. I had to ask:”Has something happened to him recently? I saw sadness in his eyes yesterday at Woody’s and also when he threw me out. I also saw sadness today, right before he left! Is it this Justin person?”
Both mother and son looked unsure. Then Michael asked. „What do you know about Justin?”
So it was him. „I heard how you talked about March 2nd and it being Justin’s birthday after Teddy had told that Brian had called in sick today.”
Michael now looked at the wall on his left, then slowly turned back to me. „Justin is the only person whom Brian let in..” then he took a deep breath and said,” Justin is the only one to whom Brian told that he loved him. He still loves him. That’s why you see sadness in his eyes. Every time something or someone reminds him of Justin, it makes something break inside him.”
Oh my God! I wondered now what had happened to this Justin who had meant so much to my brother. Where was he now, why wasn’t he here? I asked that aloud:”Where is Justin now, why isn’t he here?”
„He went to New York three years ago to pursue his career as an artist. They were together for the next two years, but then the accident happened. As far as I know they haven’t talked since then.
Accident? „What accident?” I asked my voice now trembling.
„I don’t know the details, only Brian knows them, but long story short, a person was killed, someone very close to Justin. Brian came out without serious injury, except for a broken leg. It was pretty bad, he still has a nasty scar on his right leg.” Michael said quietly. Debbie added sadly:”I had never seen him like that before. He was like a zombie! Like a walking hollow,” she finished her eyes staring at a point on the floor. I guessed she was remembering that time, she had just told me about.
„I had. But that’s another story completely. What you need to know is, that after the accident, Brian acts just like before he met Justin, he acts like those seven years had never existed. That’s why he needs you. You’re the only one who can help him heal. You’re the family he’s always wanted but never really had!”
I felt that tears were running down my cheeks. I couldn’t imagine what my brother had gone through. His lonely childhood, break up with Justin, the only person, he has loved, the accident. After knowing this, my admiration for him only grew. My brother was a hero, only a fallen one. He needed someone to give him a hand, to help him stand up.
„He has me now and I’m not going anywhere!” I said lifting my head. Then I sat up, I now knew that Michael won’t be able to help me, like I thought he could. I needed to do it by myself.
Debbie then came to me and huged me. „Just be patient with him, don’t rush anything!”
„I will. And thank you, for everything. You don’t know how glad I am that he has you. He’s blessed with such friends.” I said with all my heart.
Michael walked me back to my car but before I got in I remembered something.
„Michael, do you know anyone who rents an appartament for a small fee?”
He frowned as he thought, then said:”No, I can’t think of anyone, why, do you need a place to stay?”
I sighed. „Yes, my insane landloard told me to leave my appartment in two days time!”
„You could stay at our place if you’d like, only we don’t have a free room, you would have to sleep on the couch.” Michael proposed.
„Oh, you really mean it? It would only be until I would find a new appartment. And I have no objections to sleeping on a couch. As long as I have a roof over my head. Have you no objections to ocassional guitar sounds and singing?”
„If you promise to sing like you did yesterday at Woody’s, then no, I wouldn’t mind having ocassional concerts for free!” He told me with a smile. It was unbelievable how childish his face became when he smiled. He looked like a ten-year-old kid who had received a birthday gift.
„Ok, then it’s settled.” I told him then gave my cell number and he gave me his address. We agreed I could move in tomorrow, I just needed to call and let him know the time.
At least one thing got resolved, I thought, when I drove home.