Our Bond Was Thicker Than Blood

However irrespective of how exhausting I prayed to God or what number of letters I wrote to Santa at Christmas, my father by no means appeared. Uncle Ronnie, nevertheless, all the time did. He had golden brown pores and skin, and although his marathon runner’s physique rendered him smaller than a lot of the males I used to be associated to, he was robust. He was innately variety however may learn you for filth with only a look, and, like me, he cherished to giggle.

Not solely did he attend college performs, piano recitals, basketball video games, observe meets, even church a couple of times, however he was additionally the one who would drive me to and from these occasions. Every time I copped an angle, he knew methods to put a smile on my face. He would scoop me up and take me to museums or the playground or the flea market, instructing me how to pick high quality artwork and furnishings items.

He would take me to bougie eating places in Manhattan in order that I’d be uncovered to totally different cuisines and nice eating; he’d take me to McDonald’s as a result of he knew, finally, that it was my favourite. And if these issues didn’t have me beaming, he resorted to my most hated tactic: turning into an insatiable tickle monster, stopping solely when there have been tears of laughter streaming down my face.

He was additionally the one individual that by no means questioned my effeminate nature. Others would demand that I “man up” and never be so “girly” in my demeanor or pursuits. Uncle Ronnie, nevertheless, owned a hair salon and was the one man I knew who used phrases like “fabulous” and “honey.” He by no means tried to stomp out my innate softness; as an alternative, he quietly nurtured it. He inspired it by laughing at my impressions of Cher. He protected it by giving me my first summer time job as a receptionist on the salon. He honored it by having my signed Future’s Youngster poster framed, saying that they had been to me what the Supremes had been to him.

Shortly after I graduated from school at 21, my mom and Uncle Ronnie had an enormous falling out. I gained’t share the personal particulars of their discord, however I can inform you my mom got here to me and plainly advised me what occurred. Uncle Ronnie did the identical. Each had a distinct expertise of the state of affairs, and my Uncle Ronnie specifically expressed being harm.

I had by no means identified them to disagree on something, not to mention have a battle, so I wasn’t used to being within the center. However based mostly on my understanding of parental fights from these ’90s TV reveals, the kid all the time picks a facet. Since Uncle Ronnie was my godfather and never my organic father, my alternative was clear: Blood is thicker than water. I selected my mom and stopped reaching out to my godfather.