Attraction

Their creeds, however, were in many ways opposite. Where one found only confirmations of his faith, the other could find nothing but reasons for doubt. –Charles Brockden Brown, Wieland 

            Charles sat at the hearth, stoking the fire with the iron poker and waiting for William to come in with the chili and bread. It was Chili night and, like every Chili Night, William was humming and dancing around the kitchen like a wisp in the woods. Charles sighed, his stomach rolling around in his stomach as he waited. It had been thirty minutes since he had gotten home and he had expected dinner to be ready, however, he should have known better.

            Unlike Charles, William was like the wind and the sea. He was like a forest nymph and Charles was his shepherd. Charles liked structure. He was like a mountain or a tree. Charles was rooted while William was free. Charles liked classical music, beef, drama movies, and was a devout Christian. William liked pop music, teriyaki chicken, romance novels, and was an atheist who believed that you need to make this world and this life count for something before you are nothing.

            At first they had been enemies, arguing about religion, what constituted as good music, and how much of an idiot the other was. But then they started to agree on what the other was saying, could find respect in one another. It wasn’t until William came out of the closet to his father and got the tar kicked out of him that he and Charles really became friends. They were in their twenties when this occurred and started to live together. Charles’s church didn’t understand, though he was like his William and tried to get him to repent, it was one of the few times that Charles lost faith. That night, Charles and William went to dinner and were sitting across from a family that was celebrating the coming out of their daughter. They were proud of her being able to be herself in front of them. That was one of the few moments that William had faith.

            They were both now in their eighties, and Charles wondered how the time had flown by. His wife passed away three years ago, they had no children due to Edith being barren. But that was alright because William was like their child anyways. He kept them on their toes and kept them laughing and together. William, himself, never settled down. But whenever he broke up with someone, or had been broken up with, he would always go crying to Charles and Edith as though he were their fifteen year old daughter.

           

            William set the bowl of chili down in front of Charles and scooted into his recliner in front of Charles and the hearth. His glasses were perched on the edge of his nose as he looked down at his food with a gleeful smile. He heard Charles sigh, and looked up startled. He then snapped his fingers.

            “I forgot the bread, again! Don’t take one bite, you! I’ll tan your hide if I see you munchin`!”