Spirit Of The Rose

Madison Saunders loved and admired her Grandmother Agatha for many things. At eighty nine, she remained active and healthy. She worked within her own lifestyle village, helping out the less fortunate whenever she was able to. Yes, she used a cane, but it was mostly for balance.

Her posture was straight and she walked with confident strides. No bent backs or shuffling footsteps around here. Madison never tired of listening to her grandmother tell stories from her past. She was learning something new all the time...

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During the 1980s, when the AIDS disease seemed to really take hold, nobody really knew much about it, or whether or not it could even be treated. It was a very scary moment in history. Along with everything else that happened, certain assumptions were made.

Queer people, who already had enough to deal with, now had this hanging over their heads. Fear and hatred ran rampant. It's doubtful there will ever be an accurate number of just how many lives were lost. Eventually it came to light that AIDS was not only a gay disease. But the damage was done.

Agatha's brother Richard, realized that he was gay, when he was in his early twenties. He confessed to their parents, who were horrified. Agatha on the other hand, was one of the few people in his life who accepted and supported him. He left town and went travelling, always remembering to send his sister souvenirs. They wrote letters and spoke on the phone every two weeks or so, but hadn't seen each other for years.

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Friday October the 3rd was a day Agatha wouldn't forget in a hurry. Richard called her the night before and asked if they could meet up. She sensed that something wasn't quite right. When she caught sight of him after all these years, she was shocked. Her memories of her older brother, bore almost no resemblance to the frail man who now stood in front of her.

He smiled at the expression on her face. "I know. I look awful. I'd love to have my own mess of curly black hair. But it began to fall out recently, so I shaved it all off." She hugged him, upset to feel how thin he was, despite the bulky jumper. They sat down outside the Long Beach Tavern and ordered some drinks.

The two of them started with safe topics. "How is your wonderful husband? I am so happy you guys have stayed together." Agatha couldn't hide her obvious joy when thinking of Jeremiah. "Still the best decision I ever made." "The kids?" She brought out photos for him to see. "Ariel will be in first grade next year. Neil is about to turn two years old. Plus I have another coming along."

He smiled again and raised his glass. "Congratulations. You're a great mother." She clinked her glass against his. "Thanks. Hey, did you finally get the chance to finish your novel?" Richard waved his hand for another beer before responding. Agatha stuck with lemonade. "A couple of chapters to go. My editor has been waiting for the sequel to my bestseller for what seems like ages."

The conversation flowed easily. There was so much for the siblings to talk about, that you just couldn't write in a letter. While they dug into their battered fish and chips, Richard was clearly deep in thought, as if he were trying to work out how to tell Agatha something important. She feared she knew what it might be.

She took his hand to encourage him to speak. He tightened his grip ever so slightly. " I haven't mentioned this to anyone, but I feel I have kept it to myself long enough." She held her breath, then let it out slowly. Richard's voice was a little shaky as he continued talking. "I wasn't feeling well. I thought it wasn't serious. A visit to the doctor soon changed my mind. He ran the kind of tests I wouldn't wish on anybody. When I went into his office to hear the results, I knew the truth. I have AIDS."

Agatha tried to hold back her emotions. Richard was also struggling not to cry. Neither of them wished to cause a scene in public. "How long?" "A year, maybe less. I am attempting to keep as healthy as possible and fight until the very end. " She wiped off a few tears that had been falling, then placed her other hand on his shoulder. "I'll be there for you all the way." ''I love you, little sister." ''And I love you, big brother. Do you want me to let Mum and Dad know? "

He shook his head. '' I was going to visit them this Sunday. Will they even let me in the door? " "Drop by our house afterwards ,whatever happens. I want you to meet your niece and nephew." "Sure thing." When it came to saying goodbye, they held each other close for a few more precious moments. She looked at him. "You take care. " He stared back at her. ''I always do."

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Richard's death less than six months later, inspired his ex-boyfriend Mark Halliday and their mutual friends, to officially join one of several movements that were fighting the discrimination of LGBT communities, both in the local area and elsewhere. Agatha had a red rose tattooed on her left shoulder, as a tribute to her late brother. She was proud of her association with EQUALITY AND LOVE FOR EVERYONE. This group were just as dedicated as all the others, to making true progress.

People all around the world have often faced prejudice, violence and inequality, sometimes imprisonment and even death, because of their beliefs or the color of their skin. Gender preference was just something else to add to the mix.

Agatha completely agreed with the notion that nobody should feel ashamed if they like boys instead of girls, or vice versa, or even if they were into both sexes. Transgender people struggle with these same kinds of feelings. There are also those who may be questioning their sexuality. What is so wrong about all that? They're human beings, just like everyone else.

Years went by. Various groups organized demonstrations and protests, signed petitions and set up other events. A lot of them gained media attention, which then shone a spotlight on how the government and its' political parties reacted.

It took far longer than expected, for things to really start changing. Agatha recalled the day same sex marriages were made legal. She got properly drunk for the first time since her brother's passing. All of a sudden, stacks of invitations began to pile up in the mailbox. She and Jeremiah attended every single wedding and had so much fun doing it.

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Agatha's husband died of a heart attack, only a few days before she turned ninety. She told her family to go ahead with the party they had already planned. Jeremiah wouldn't want her to miss out on celebrating, just because he was no longer there. Losing the love of her life was devastating, as painful as watching Richard in his final days.

But Agatha was stronger than most people gave her credit for. She vowed to both herself and her 'boys', that she would go on living exactly as she pleased and enjoy whatever moments she had left. It could be a few months or several years. Maybe even becoming a centurion wasn't so far out of reach anymore.

THE END