all along he was being abused.
Jogging had laid all this out for me; giving me some much needed clarity. However, there was still a little knot of emotions that I couldn’t access. I stopped jogging and pulled out my mobile. I might not be his favourite person, but I phoned Quentin. He’s a professional, and he’ll listen to me.
Day 4 Narrative 5 - Quentin
I was quite surprised when my mobile rang, displaying Sebastian’s number as the incoming caller. We barely spoke at work, and when we did it was just for brief updates on his cases. He’d already filled me in today’s explosive family session with Tony and Mrs. Williams.
“Hello,” I said, answering the call.
“Quentin, it’s Sebastian. Do you have a moment?”
“Of course,” I replied.
“I’m having a minor crisis. Today has been truly awful, and I need to someone to talk to. Can we meet?”
“Sure!” I answered, perhaps a bit too enthusiastically. “Where are you?”
“I’m out jogging at the moment, but I’m just about to head home and shower.”
“I’m just leaving the office now,” I said. “I can be at your place in half an hour.”
“We don’t have to meet at my place if you don’t want. Somewhere public is fine.”
“It’s no problem. I’m happy to come over. I had no plans at all.”
“OK. See you then,” Sebastian said, and terminated the call.
When I arrived at Sebastian’s building, the concierge insisted on announcing me via the intercom. Once Sebastian had given his approval for me to go up, the concierge directed me to Sebastian’s apartment. I knocked on his door, and when he opened it he smiled and invited me in. His hair was still wet from his shower, and he was wearing jeans and a t-shirt.
“Thanks for coming” he said. He invited me to sit down and offered me a glass of chardonnay, which I gladly accepted. He poured our drinks and sat on the sofa opposite me.
“I need to talk to someone,” he said, “but since the things I need to talk about all involve my friends and family, there’s nobody else I can talk to.”
“So I’m the last resort?” I asked, trying to make a joke of it. I must have failed dismally with my attempt at humour.
“Oh no!” he said, looking horrified. “That sounded awful. I didn’t mean to imply that you weren’t a friend or are my last resort.”
“It’s OK,” I said, placating him. “You have a haunted look about you and are obviously having trouble gathering your thoughts. Hit me with it!”
Once Sebastian started, he didn’t stop for a full half hour. He told me about his friends Justin and Ruth, and the pain and grief they were suffering from the loss of their baby. He told me about his friend Kento, and how Kento - in his usual selfish manner - had turned the stalker situation around into being about him. I laughed at how he accused his Mother of being the mystery coffee brewer because of menopause. He told me about the emotional upheaval both he and Tony went through during the meeting with Tony’s mother.
His tale emphasised the qualities that have always attracted me to him: his compassion, his empathy, and his combination of vulnerability and strength.
“Wait!” I said, holding my hand up. Sebastian took the opportunity to get up and pour more wine into our glasses. “You’re telling me there’s a chance that Tony is your half brother?”
“Yes,” he replied, settling back down into the sofa and folding his legs under him, “but that’s something to resolve another day. I need to talk to Donovan and see if there’s a chance, and if so we need to arrange DNA tests.”
“It sounds like a story for the Jeremy Kyle Show,” I observed, and Sebastian chuckled.
“I’m fine with everything that’s happened today. I can cope with having a long lost half brother, although if it turns out we’re related then we should find Tony another counsellor. All I can do is be there for Ruth and Justin when they need me. I’m handling everything
Jogging had laid all this out for me; giving me some much needed clarity. However, there was still a little knot of emotions that I couldn’t access. I stopped jogging and pulled out my mobile. I might not be his favourite person, but I phoned Quentin. He’s a professional, and he’ll listen to me.
Day 4 Narrative 5 - Quentin
I was quite surprised when my mobile rang, displaying Sebastian’s number as the incoming caller. We barely spoke at work, and when we did it was just for brief updates on his cases. He’d already filled me in today’s explosive family session with Tony and Mrs. Williams.
“Hello,” I said, answering the call.
“Quentin, it’s Sebastian. Do you have a moment?”
“Of course,” I replied.
“I’m having a minor crisis. Today has been truly awful, and I need to someone to talk to. Can we meet?”
“Sure!” I answered, perhaps a bit too enthusiastically. “Where are you?”
“I’m out jogging at the moment, but I’m just about to head home and shower.”
“I’m just leaving the office now,” I said. “I can be at your place in half an hour.”
“We don’t have to meet at my place if you don’t want. Somewhere public is fine.”
“It’s no problem. I’m happy to come over. I had no plans at all.”
“OK. See you then,” Sebastian said, and terminated the call.
When I arrived at Sebastian’s building, the concierge insisted on announcing me via the intercom. Once Sebastian had given his approval for me to go up, the concierge directed me to Sebastian’s apartment. I knocked on his door, and when he opened it he smiled and invited me in. His hair was still wet from his shower, and he was wearing jeans and a t-shirt.
“Thanks for coming” he said. He invited me to sit down and offered me a glass of chardonnay, which I gladly accepted. He poured our drinks and sat on the sofa opposite me.
“I need to talk to someone,” he said, “but since the things I need to talk about all involve my friends and family, there’s nobody else I can talk to.”
“So I’m the last resort?” I asked, trying to make a joke of it. I must have failed dismally with my attempt at humour.
“Oh no!” he said, looking horrified. “That sounded awful. I didn’t mean to imply that you weren’t a friend or are my last resort.”
“It’s OK,” I said, placating him. “You have a haunted look about you and are obviously having trouble gathering your thoughts. Hit me with it!”
Once Sebastian started, he didn’t stop for a full half hour. He told me about his friends Justin and Ruth, and the pain and grief they were suffering from the loss of their baby. He told me about his friend Kento, and how Kento - in his usual selfish manner - had turned the stalker situation around into being about him. I laughed at how he accused his Mother of being the mystery coffee brewer because of menopause. He told me about the emotional upheaval both he and Tony went through during the meeting with Tony’s mother.
His tale emphasised the qualities that have always attracted me to him: his compassion, his empathy, and his combination of vulnerability and strength.
“Wait!” I said, holding my hand up. Sebastian took the opportunity to get up and pour more wine into our glasses. “You’re telling me there’s a chance that Tony is your half brother?”
“Yes,” he replied, settling back down into the sofa and folding his legs under him, “but that’s something to resolve another day. I need to talk to Donovan and see if there’s a chance, and if so we need to arrange DNA tests.”
“It sounds like a story for the Jeremy Kyle Show,” I observed, and Sebastian chuckled.
“I’m fine with everything that’s happened today. I can cope with having a long lost half brother, although if it turns out we’re related then we should find Tony another counsellor. All I can do is be there for Ruth and Justin when they need me. I’m handling everything
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