chapter 39
The following week as strained and emotional for everyone, Kris, Jess and Katie had decided to stay on at his great aunts until after the funeral. Jess had hoped that for Kris’s sake his parents and siblings would at least be civil and kind towards Kris given everything that happened, but unfortunately that was not to be. It culminated in a huge row between them all that ended up with Kris running out of the cottage in tears. The day had started calmly enough, considering what had been going on for the last few years, everyone was at Helens cottage and they were finalising the funeral arrangements, everyone was at least being civil whilst the priest was with them, but when he had left all hell had broken loose. Kris father and Malachy were very unhappy that Kris was also to do a reading at the funeral, and no amount of talking to them changed their view, to them Kris bought shame and embarrassment because of who he is. As a result a huge row erupted between them all, and Kris realised once and for all that his family would never accept him, deep down he had hoped that the knowledge that he had a loving girlfriend and he was a father would help them overcome their prejudice and shame, and accept him for who he was, after all, Jess had, surely they were meant to as well, what happened to unconditional love, Kris could not help but wonder.
Kris stormed out of the cottage, not wanting his daughter to continue to witness the row between him and his parents, sure she had seen Kris and Jess bicker and banter, but had not seen the hatred and the anger in the room before, and that was something he never wanted her to witness.
Jess could no longer hold in her anger towards them, they were meant to be Kris family, but they were destroying him inside, she was fed up with standing by and saying nothing to them, and it was killing her to see Kris how he was when it was just them. Alone with Jess Kris was able to open up to her, and he let her see all the emotion and hurt he had felt at his families rejection of him, many a night Jess just held Kris, comforting him, whispering to him he was not alone. Most of the time this past week Jess kept her mouth shut, not wanting to make a difficult situation worse, but she was no longer able to do so. Jess saw Kris mum playing with Katie, and whilst most mothers would enjoy watching their child play with their grandparent, this infuriated Jess even more.
“Katie, can you play upstairs please, we have grown up things to talk about,” Jess said
“She can stay here, we are having fun aren’t we Katie” Kris mum interrupted.
“Katie sweetie do as you are told please, I will be up in a little while”
“OK mummy” Katie then kissed her mothers cheek and went upstairs
“What did you do that for, I am her grand mother, I have a right to know her, you have kept her from us for years!!” Kris mum shouted
“Rights, who the bloody hell do you think you are to talk about rights! Kris has a right to a family that can love him and accept him for who he is not be treated like you lot have treated him!!” Jess screamed at her
“That has nothing to do with this, this is about Katie not him”
“Like hell it is, If you cant accept Kris for who he is, you cannot accept her, she is half Kris, and I am not having my child around people who cant accept her father, you hate him, therefore you hate half of her!”
“I don’t hate Kris, I hate what he does, its freaky and weird” his mum replied
“No, you hate him, you hate what Kris is, and that is part of him, yes he is different, but that’s what makes him unique, he is fascinating, loving, kind, funny, intelligent, but him being bi, and the cross dressing is part of him, and I fell in love with him for who he is and not despite what he is. I accepted him for what he is unconditionally, and you his so called family should have done the same, but no you were too embarrassed, ashamed and prejudiced to get to know the real Kris, the Kris that I and Katie new, the Kris that Helen and Nana Collins new, the Kris that all his friends know and love, you should all be ashamed out yourselves.”