My Best Friend Mark

I knew from an early age I was not what they called a "Normal Child", I liked to use all the colors in my coloring box not just the ones designated for boys. My parents were loving and accepting of me at an early age, my Mom knew in my early years I was a special child, one who liked things that were not only designated for the male gender. Both my parents embraced me in my early years, and still love me like the precious gift they always knew I was making me the man I am today.

Mark on the other hand grew up in an overly strict religious home where the mother and father were ashamed, embarrassed appalled by their sons somewhat feminine ways, belting him and punishing him for being himself. The boy was always on edge, nervous to make the wrong move, terrified he may be beaten for being himself, and not understanding why. Mark and I attended the same school but Mark was one year ahead of me. It was in middle school that he was held back a year as they feared he was not quite mature enough to move on to the higher grade.

I met Mark that year we would both in the same classroom, we did not hang out but would say hi to each other in the halls, trade looks in class, we became friends when we were paired to work on the same project in science class in grade eight. Mark came over to my place and we were to get the work done in one week. Mark was a nice young man, very polite, overly aware of his surroundings, almost to the point of being paranoid. My parents made Mark feel at home in our house, he was more at ease, letting his guard down, relaxing more.

Mark was easily persuaded to do stupid things by the guys in our class in hopes of acceptance, of fitting in, feeling the need to fit in somewhere. Once Mark and I became friends I kept a close eye on him so if they tried to get him to do something stupid, even dangerous, I was there to talk him out of it by a simple shake of my head.

By the time graduation came Mark and I were best friends, if you saw me you saw Mark, we hung out and did everything together Mark was over at my house daily. We rarely went to Mark's house and if we did it was to pick up clothes, or something for school, I never went inside. Mark basically lived at my house. The few times I did go in I was stared at, asked odd questions, what religion I was, did I pray to the lord Jesus Christ. Did I have a girlfriend, and why I did not. The last time I went in the stood at the entrance and stared at me the whole time, like I was a demon. I told Mark I preferred to wait outside after that last time in his home.

Mark took a job at a local plant right after high school, I went on to university. We had planned to attend the same university, but he was introduced to Kim by his parents, that quickly changed our plans of being together in university. Mark and Kim married within the year of graduating, Mark's parents wanting him married off, with a female any female, and out of their house.

I had assumed I would be best man but Kim and Mark's parents would have no part of me being in the wedding party. She had her brother stand up for Mark they did not even want me, or my family at the wedding, Kim got her wish, we never did get an invite to their wedding.

It was a good five or more years before I ran into Mark again, I was in town visiting my Mom, and there to consult for a expansion project, when I ran into Mark at a local hardware store. Mark was hard to recognize, he was so thin, he looked gravely ill, Mark was always a tall slender guy but he was rail thin now, with a sickly pallor, his cheek bones protruding, I walked up to him, tapped him on the shoulder, he jumped like I was going to hit him.

"Hey Mark how ya been man? Great to see you." I asked telling him how happy I was to see him after so long.

Mark did what he could to hide the black eye he had, taking a step back His hands marked by hits he had taken a short time ago.

"I'm okay Tom." Mark responded quietly, acting very nervous, looking in all directions.

I reached out to touch his arm, Mark quickly pulled away, like an injured animal.

"How are you T." trying to ask me, getting cut off by Kim as she stomped down the aisle.

"What to hell, I told you get your dam stuff and lets go! You don't have to be talking to every jerk you meet along the way!" Kim's voice was thunderously loud overpowering everything else in the building.

"Hello Kim, how are you?" Even her name tasted bad as I said it.

"So it's Tom your chattering with when we're in such a dam hurry, I told you to go in get your dam stuff and lets get going, stop your dawdling, I'm going to miss my dam show." She said dismissing me totally like I did not exist.

"Tom! So you're back in town are you?" She turned asking with a sneer.

Not waiting for a reply she grabbed Mark by the arm forcefully dragging him out of the store, scolding him along the way, not even stopping to pay for his purchases. As I made my way to the checkout I met Mandy a girl we mutually knew from high school.

"Hello Mandy, how are you?" I asked holding my hand out to shake hers.

"Tom, Tom Matthews, oh my god it's so good to see you, how have you been? It's been so long, you're looking so good." Mandy replied shaking her head, watching Mark being dragged out of the store.

"That poor man he sure did not marry well did he? So Tom are you married? Are you seeing anyone? Lots of eligible girls in town still." Mandy implied her head cocked waiting for a reply.

"No Mandy I'm single, has she been like that to Mark the whole time?" I asked with concern for him.

"After they married Kim only got worse with poor Mark, rumor has it she beats him if he does not do what she tells him to do, or if he makes or says the wrong thing. He has had a broken arm, multiple black eyes, scars on his face and body, in and out of the E.R., the guys at work say he won't get undressed in front of them anymore, as the guys ask him too many questions." Mandy rambled on.

The one thing about Mandy was she could talk a blue streak without taking a single breath, and she was up to date on all gossip and rumors. This one however worried me the most, seems my best friend being abused by this evil witch? I would try to find out if he was for sure and see if I could do anything to help him.

Monday morning I was to meet with the owners of the plant to submit plans regarding expansion of their plant, it would be a morning of meetings, then a short lunch break then more meetings. I saw Mark a few times as we toured the plant, he seemed to be a little more relaxed at work, he was not like the terrified guy I met in the hardware store.

I stopped to talk to Mark before lunch, he was not like the Mark I knew from high school. He was distant, nervous, seemed to be worried about every move he made, always took a step back during conversations.

"Tom I wanted to ask you how come you did not come to my wedding? I really wanted you there man." Mark asked me fidgeting back and forth.

"Mark I was not invited, I thought I would be your best man, or at the very least invited, you and I were best friends for years" I told him bluntly feeling bad for saying it so harshly afterwards.

Marks facial expression went blank.

"They told me you replied you could not make it, you had more pressing plans." Mark said his face expressionless.

"Mark come on man you know me better than that I would have never missed my best friends wedding, but with me not being invited I was not about to crash your wedding man." I said reaching out to touch his shoulder. When my hand landed, you could see the expression of pain in his face.

"What's going on Mark, you have black eyes, your forearms are black and blue, your hands are covered in welts, your limping, your so thin, your eyes look like you have not slept a full night in years." I asked with worry and concern for his well being.

Mark did not reply his eyes teared up, his emotions came flooding in, he hid his face, he was full on crying at this point, I wrapped my arm around him taking him to the men's washroom, took some paper towel and wet it with cold water, pulled his hands away, I gently dabbed his eyes. Mark pulled me into a hug, I held him as he cried, someone came in I motioned for them to get out, to give us some privacy. Mark cried till he could cry no more, we stood there holding each other, if I tried to release the hug he pulled me back to him. Mark leaned in and gently kissed my neck, I pulled him in closer to me, I gently kissed his neck.

"Are you okay Mark?" I asked with concern and love for him.

"Yes Tom a little better thanks." Mark replied as he pulled me into a kiss.