Throwback Thursday

My throwback feature this week is a FREE read at the NineStar Press site until 3/24/20.  You can download your copy HERE

There are two reviews available on the download page that'll give you more insight on this story.

Here's a snippet:

“You want fancy or down-to-earth good food.”
“The latter,” I said. “I’m ready to dig into a mountain of crab and shrimp with my fingers.”
“Good deal,” Gerard said. “I know the perfect place.”
His idea of perfect was the local version of a greasy spoon. We walked into the heart of Kowloon, getting farther away from the tourist traps and weaving through narrow alleys and backstreets. Gerard reached for my hand to help me circumnavigate puddles, and other undesirable droppings, and didn’t let go until we got to our destination. I probably should have untangled our meshed fingers, knowing the culture, but being with a man who cared about my well-being and wasn’t afraid to show it was a welcome change.
After I came out to my parents in my sophomore year of high school, kisses and
hugs just stopped. Maybe they figured if I was old enough to have sex with another guy, I wouldn’t need their affection. It was odd and painful, but at least they hadn’t disowned me, which was what I’d been expecting. Even now, after all these years, they continued to be reserved, preferring to shower me with cards and gifts instead of a pat on the back or a much-needed hug. I was so starved for open displays of affection, I soaked up Gerard’s attention.
Over dinner, which was as good as promised, Gerard and I exchanged information about our formative years. We never got around to our history during our short time together in Las Vegas. I was surprised when he told me he’d been born on mainland China.
“When did you get out?” I asked curiously.
“The day after I was born.”
“Wait—what?”
“I was a second child before the One Child Rule was lifted. My parents refused to abort me, and they wouldn’t give away my sister so they headed toward Kowloon. I was born in a rice paddy close to our final destination.”
“Wow. Talk about a happy ending.”
He frowned. “Not quite. We lived in poverty for the first two years. My sister contracted the flu, and my parents couldn’t afford a doctor. We were illegals then, and the possibility of being discovered and sent back to the mainland prevented them from taking her to the hospital. She died.”
“I’m sorry.”
He shrugged. “It was a long time ago. Things started to improve when my father found work as a fisherman and my mother as a domestic.”
“Are your parents still alive?”
“Yes.”
“How come I never saw you around town?”
“We moved in different circles,” Gerard said. “You went to the posh International School and I didn’t.”
“I guess you’re right. Where did you go?”
He mentioned the local school that was so far off my radar I didn’t even know where it was.