The Adventures Of Bette Porter And Sissee Gardner Schmidt After Howie (Part 4, Chapter 3)

PART FOUR: MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN

Chapter 3

“You know what I’m thinking Sis?” Bette asked me, after mentioning the picture on the mantle of my parents and siblings.

“My brother……”

“Yes. That picture has been there for months but I really looked at it a long time and was struck all over again how much you and your brother resemble each other.”

“That’s what you said the day you met him.”

My family had met Bette only once and that was at Christmas time in 1985 when she flew to Wisconsin in Terry’s Lear jet to take me home. Since then they only knew her to be a friend of mine. They knew that she and I were living together since my separation from Howie but they had no idea that Bette and I were a couple. I communicated with all of them frequently via telephone and email but I never saw the need to explain my situation to any of them. I came close, several times but I thought if I was ever going to tell them, it would have to be in person and I had not seen any of them in the time that Bette and I moved in together.

They were scattered. My sister Helen was in Sacramento, my sister Toni had moved back to Phillips and my brother Chuck lived in Milwaukee with his wife and two growing sons. He taught biology in high school and led an uncomplicated, good life.

If I had to tell any of them about my circumstances I would choose to tell my oldest sister, Helen first. I think she would be okay with it because she had always been close to two gay cousins, who were her age and lived in her area. One was a guy and one was a gal, both highly educated and career oriented. She held each of them in high esteem and respected their private lives.

After telling Helen, I would tell Toni but I could not imagine telling my brother. He was nine years younger than me and even though we had once been close when he was little because I was so happy to finally have a brother, we drifted apart when I went to college.