Becoming Ted by Matt Cain

Author:Matt Cain [Cain, Matt]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fiction, General, Family & Relationships, Life Stages, Mid-Life, Romance, Self-Help
ISBN: 9781472291899
Google: N5pLEAAAQBAJ
Publisher: Headline
Published: 2023-01-19T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 27

‘A choir?’

‘Yeah, a choir.’

Giles feigned bewilderment. ‘Sorry, you want to join a gay choir?’

‘Yeah,’ said Ted. ‘Why, do you think it’s a bad idea?’

Ted and Giles were in the car, with Ted driving and a borderline drunk Giles sprawled out on the passenger seat next to him. They’d been for dinner with their friends Lucas and Hartley, a smart gay couple who worked in marketing and graphic design and lived half an hour away from St Luke’s, on the outskirts of Manchester. Ted and Giles had met them on holiday in Santorini but, since coming back to the UK, Ted hadn’t always enjoyed their company, as Hartley would often discuss trips to the theatre to see plays he didn’t understand, and Lucas would chat to Giles about fashions he found pretentious. Their sweet spots for conversation were travel, food and dogs – Lucas and Hartley had a cockapoo called Cleo – but this time, as it was January, the chat had turned to New Year’s resolutions. Lucas and Hartley had revealed they’d each decided to take up a hobby they’d enjoyed as children but had since let slide. While Lucas had returned to playing his oboe, Hartley was rediscovering his love of cross-country running. To help revive their passions, they’d joined an orchestra and a running club – both of which were only open to gay men.

‘There are gay groups for everything these days,’ Hartley commented. ‘Football, rugby, chess. There’s even a gay knitting club. And there are loads of gay choirs!’

On hearing the word ‘choir’, Ted sat up. As a child, he’d always enjoyed singing. Singing in the school choir and annual shows, singing carols at the Rotary Club Christmas party, even just singing around the house as he got ready for school in the morning. As an adult, it was something he missed. Even in his mid-thirties, he missed the joy it had given him and the feeling of release he’d experienced as he lost himself in a song. That feeling of really letting my heart out.

But now Hartley’s comment had given him an idea. If my dream of being a drag queen is out of the question, maybe this could be a way of indulging at least one part of it . . .

He didn’t share this thought with Giles; he didn’t dare bring up the subject of drag, not since that disastrous night in Dublin. Besides, Giles was already shaking his head.

‘Well, I think it’s a terrible idea,’ he said. ‘You’ve got a voice like hell yawning.’

As often happened after a long dinner with friends, alcohol had loosened Giles’s tongue. And any attempt at diplomacy, tact – or even just softening the blow – had gone out of the window.

But Ted was surprised at the strength of his soon-to-be-husband’s disapproval. Besides, what he says isn’t true; everyone used to say I had a good voice.

The memory of this stoked an urge to stand up for himself. ‘Smiles, I don’t think that’s true.’

Giles held up a hand.

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