In the British short story from 1992 we hear about Miss Massey a homeless woman who lives at the Underground station.
Tony, a gay man working there helps her from time to time. Even though he might loose his job. It is Christmas Eve so he decides to bring her home with him. Tony lives with his boyfriend Jaz.
Jaz has a lot of problems with his family. Or they have a lot of problems with him being gay. They froze him out of the family when they found out. It is very hard for him.
They do not even call him on Christmas Eve. Tony’s family are okay with it and that only makes it harder for Jaz to accept. He makes up a story about his niece being sick, and he takes of with the excuse that he has to spend some time over there. Tony and Miss Massey are left back not knowing what to do or where to go. Miss Massey gets ill that day and needs to see a doctor. Tony now knows that she has to stay with them or she’ll die.
She tells him a story about the station and Tony realises where Jaz are. He goes to him and talks Jaz into going home with him. He is ready to give him all of his love. Miss Massey is homeless. She lives at the underground station. At the end of a dirty corridor.
A place where not even the cleaners go. She has lived there for a long time. And it is definitely better than living in the streets. We do not know why she is homeless. I think it is something she has chosen herself.
She doesn’t have a family who cares and she doesn’t want one. Or so she says. She had a baby ones. But she was to young so her parents gave it away.
Maybe it hurt her so much that she is afraid to get hurt again. It is not like she is tired of living. She wants help when it is offered to her. She lets Tony take her home with him and she even lets him call a doctor when she gets ill. He is like a “son” to her. She trusts him.
She doesn’t mind if he is gay and living with his boyfriend. Tony and Jaz meet three years ago. They are a couple and it is not something they are embarrassed about. They have some problems though. Jaz family doesn’t accept it. And it is giving them a hard time.
Tony’s family are okay with the fact that Tony is gay. This makes it hard for Jaz to share his feelings with Tony. He thinks that Tony doesn’t understand his problems and that he can’t help him. Tony really wants to be there but he has to struggle to make it work. He really tries but he doesn’t know what to say or do when Jaz gets upset. There is nothing he can do because Jaz won’t let him.
In the end when Tony goes to find Jaz at the underground station. They make up. Jaz tried to be homeless for a day, not liking it. And Tony tried how it was to miss Jaz.
Tony makes a commitment. He promises that Jaz won’t fell lonely ever again. He knows if he said right, and Jaz don’t know if Tony meant it. They have a lot of problems to solve.
They don’t trust each other completely and they haven’t solved all the issues about being a gay couple yet. This might take some time for them. Issues’ concerning gay relationships is a big theme in this text. Especially the problems Jaz face with his family.Bibliography:
