The Sins of the Father

by N Fourbois

Chapter 29

Magnus's sharp response brought home to Rufus the seriousness of the situation. He just sat there for a moment stunned. Eventually he asked

"Magnus, how did it happen?"

"I had Hugo hanging from the beam in the garage and one of the knots I tied must have come loose. So one wrist became free and his body weight yanked at the other one. He yelled. I got him untied as quick as I could and his wrist was just hanging there. I tried to get hold of Dad. He was out of the office and his mobile was switched off and so unfortunately it had to be Mum. I thought she was going to freak. She almost did, but then realised she had to get Hugo to hospital. Of course, sod's law, all his clothes were in the house, Mum was home in a flash and so how do you explain a naked oiled body with all the marks of a good thrashing?"

"Mmm, I see what you mean. I know it doesn't help much, but all I can say is that because you're both eighteen, you're entirely responsible for your actions and that will have to form the basis of your defence. I think you've got to talk to Dad before Mum does. He'll take it rather more rationally."

At that moment they heard a car draw up on the drive, the garage door open and the car drive in. After that they heard Carl come in and call up the stairs. The brothers went to meet him. Carl could tell straightaway from their faces that something was wrong.

"What's wrong with you two?" he asked. Magnus managed to answer.

"Hugo's broken his wrist. He's at hospital at the moment with Mum."

"How did that happen?"

"Er… we were fooling around."

"Boys will be boys."

"It's not as easy as that, Dad. You see, we were playing this game where I tied him up and whipped him and it went wrong."

"Oh my god," exclaimed Carl as his mind flashed back to the saunas he used to have with Björn in his youth. "The sins of the father…" He trailed off, then quickly regained control. "This was you and Rufus?"

"No, Dad, just Hugo and me. We don't involve Rufus and anyway he was at school at the time."

"Why did you have to ring your mother? You know what she's like at the moment. She's under a lot of stress. Why didn't you ring me?"

"I did, but you were out of the office and your mobile was switched off."

Rufus was relieved that Magnus had taken it on the chin, in the way he thought he would, for he didn't want to have to sneak on him.

"Okay, Magnus, I think the first thing to do is go to the hospital. You stay here, Rufus, in case we drive past your mother on the way or we need someone to take messages."

A feeling of mass guilt descended on the three, even Rufus for although he hadn't been directly involved in this misfortune he felt complicit because of what had happened in the past.

Carl and Magnus arrived at the hospital and after parking the car, walked into the A&E department. Veronica looked pretty frosty faced when she saw the two and explained that Hugo was in the x-ray department. Time seemed to be going on, but finally he appeared dressed in sweats and his bath robe draped round his bare shoulders. His right hand and wrist were enclosed in a plaster cast supported by a sling. The accompanying nurse asked if Carl and Veronica were the parents and asked to see them in private with Hugo. Magnus remained seated in the waiting room.

The nurse explained that she understood he would be starting university in a few days and that as soon as he got there he was to make an appointment to see the university medical officer and give him the letter she handed to Veronica. She added that the doctor had expressed concern at the marks on his body, but when he explained how they came to be there and that he was eighteen, the medical staff felt they had no right to take any further action beyond the medical care required. During this Hugo's head was bent forward as if he were studying his feet, and his face was red. After this he was discharged into the care of his parents. The twins drove home in silence with their mother so that Magnus could make sure his brother could have as comfortable a journey as possible. Carl arrived first and found Rufus doing his homework. He told Rufus what had happened and said he would like to talk to all three boys after supper.

"Rufus, I think you'd better help me get the supper. Your mother's going to be in no fit state and Magnus will have to look after Hugo."

The twins looked pretty sheepish when they came in with their mother. Magnus grabbed a couple of plastic bags and took Hugo upstairs. His first problem was how to get Hugo showered while keeping the plaster cast dry. Then afterwards he had to help him get dressed. He solved the problem by running a bath and putting him in the bathtub with his arm dangling over the side, even though that meant he had to sit with his back to the bath taps.

"I'm not wiping your butt, bro. You can learn to do that with your left hand."

"Thanks, Mag, you're a pal."

"It's funny. I'm quite used to undressing you, but dressing you is something else."

Over supper Carl and Rufus tried to keep up the conversation, but it was near impossible. No one appeared interested in the story of how little Eddie Hurdle had been saved from a bully. As soon as the meal was over, Veronica excused herself. She had to go back to the agency to complete the job she was doing when she was unexpectedly called away. Magnus started out of a bad conscience to clear away.

"Leave that for a moment. I need to talk to you all. Yes, that includes you, Rufus." Magnus sat down again. "Your mother is pretty upset with you, Hugo and Magnus."

"You can say that again," said Hugo. "She stopped on the way home and gave us a right going over."

"It's this bondage thing we do. She's got really worked up about that."

"That's what we've got to talk about," answered Carl. "No, I'm not going to give you a bollocking. I don't believe in punishing you twice. Do you remember that talk we had in the park earlier this year? Every family has its secrets, its skeletons in the cupboard, if you like, and mine… ours is no different and I think you're now old enough to understand what I was trying to tell you because you will see how relevant it is to your own lives, all three of you. Let me just recap.

"Think back to your eighteenth birthday dinner in June. Remember? When you formally came out? It was no surprise to me. With you, Hugo and Magnus, it was no surprise to your mother. Think about it. You have always slept together since babies and when you became adolescents you didn't want to split up, even though we've got a spare room, and we went along with it. Perhaps that was a mistake. Your mother thought it was all part of being twins and that you'd grow out of it eventually. And let's face it, the house is not perfectly sound proofed." The twins blushed at that. "For your mother the shock came when you came out too, Rufus. You were her hope, her hope for a family, her hope for grandchildren. It's probably a woman thing. She had no reason to suspect you were gay and I didn't disillusion her. Perhaps I was wrong in that. I don't know. I wanted to preserve the harmony of the family and I've probably ended up by destroying it. Okay, that's water under the bridge and I don't think I've told you anything new. The next bit maybe is and it concerns me. You've heard me talk about cousin Björn."

"The one that lives with his boyfriend in Sweden?"

"Civil partner. As boys Björn and I were boyfriends, lovers if you like. We got up to the sort of things that you get up to." More blushes. "And that includes you, Rufus."

"Why have I suddenly become the centre of attention? The scapegoat, if you like."

"Okay, Rufus, calm down. We're not blaming you. I'm just trying to explain the circumstances.

"So you were gay, Dad?" said Magnus.

"Was… am… except it was considered 'a phase boys go through' with me, though not with Björn. Eventually I married your mother and so if I'm anything, I'm bi.

"Still, I'm getting sidetracked. I want to come to the important bit. In winter Björn and I used to have saunas and end up by beating each other with birch twigs and that would be sexually arousing for both of us. We were into flagellation, the equivalent of your bondage." Carl paused. The boys looked at one another. No one knows what causes homosexuality, but it strongly appears that with you it is genetic and you inherited it in my genes, along with a taste for inflicted pain."

There was a pause for thought. Eventually Rufus was the first to speak.

"Dad, is that why you said earlier today 'The sins of the father'?"

"'The sins of the father are visited on the children.' It was a quotation from the Bible originally, but probably made more famous by the great Norwegian playwright, Henrik Ibsen. You can google it if you're interested."

"Yes, Dad, you did tell us that before," said Hugo, "but this time it seems to have struck home harder."

"So we're caught up in this and can't do anything about it?" said Magnus.

"Probably not," said Carl "and that's why I can't be harsh on you. It's my fault. I passed it on to you and the only redeeming feature is that unless you do happen to turn into breeders – I think that is the term you use about heterosexuals – you won't pass it on." Hugo wanted to shout out 'I'll drink to that', but he was already in too much trouble to be cocky. "Come on, boys, let's get cleared away."

Chores done, the boys disappeared to their rooms. Rufus rang Michel, but had to leave a message. He then got on with his homework. When Michel rang back he explained he was doing overtime because Veronica had suddenly been called away on some emergency and the client needed the work done urgently. Rufus was able to fill in the other half of the story. He then turned in early for if the rugby training hadn't been gruelling enough physically, the trauma of the late afternoon and evening had drained him mentally and emotionally. He didn't even have the energy to have a wank before he fell asleep.

Thank goodness Thursday and Friday were normal days at school. At home Veronica had to juggle her professional work with getting the twins ready for university, impeded by Hugo's plastered wrist. The pain had lessened, but he had to discover new ways of dealing with things with just one hand. Magnus was a great help, but of course that slowed his own preparations down. On Saturday Rufus had an invitation along with William to go to the Cholmondeleys' house for the afternoon after the school matches. They'd had a change of plans about the ten pin bowling. Mrs Cholmondeley had got to hear of some of the difficulties Rufus was having at home and thought it would give him a break. William would be sleeping over, but Carl would collect Rufus at teatime. Michel had moved some of his weekend arrangements from Sunday to Saturday so that he could spend Saturday evening and the whole of Sunday with Rufus. With Rufus, Toby and William the saying 'Two's company, three's a crowd' for some reason did not apply and if they were at the Cholmondeleys', Oliver, when there, would often even up the numbers again, especially if they were playing bridge or some other game. It gave them a chance to discuss their plans for Sunday. When Carl came to collect Rufus it had come on to rain and was a thoroughly miserable evening. Once home Rufus changed out of his school clothes and waited for Michel to arrive.

Michel arrived about seven. Rufus got him to say good evening to the rest of the family. He was welcomed normally by Carl and Magnus, greeted sweetly by Veronica, but the family knew she was switching on her professional charm, and begrudgingly by Hugo. Rufus took Michel up to his room, where he stowed his overnight bag, and they sat down to discuss what they wanted to do. They needed to get out and finally decided they would go to the bowling alley rather than watch a film. Despite the weather they walked to the leisure centre and when they arrived, who should they meet but William and Toby who had their session after all. Rufus was pleased to introduce Michel to them which he did under the name of Mike. They made up a foursome and spent a great evening together and when Mr Cholmondeley's taxi service arrived he took all four boys home. Our boys said good night and thank you to Mr Cholmondeley and as he drove off he said to Toby and William

"Mike's a bit older than you, isn't he?"

"Only a couple of years, that's all," said Toby. "Less than between you and Mum."

"He's a professional model, you know," piped up William.

Rufus took Michel into the living room where Carl was reading the newspaper.

"Hi, Dad, like some Horlicks?" He left Michel there to chat to his father while he went off into the kitchen and made three cups. After they had drunk them, the boys said good night to Carl and went up to bed, popping into the twins' bedroom to say good night to them and Veronica. They were still packing.

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