Thicker Than Water - Chapter 1

-O-

DISCLAIMER: I am not connected to Emmerdale and its characters, which belong to ITV

-O-

Jake Lomax ran a comb through his thick, dark hair as his brown eyes studied his reflection in the mirror. An attractive lad, his youthful appearance gave him the look of a teenager and many people found it difficult to believe that he was, in fact, twenty-five years old. His good looks had given him much success in the gay haunts of Hotten, but one-night stands summed up his sex-life: none of his conquests had resulted in the formation of any permanent relationship. He would have liked for one or two of his bed partners to have become something more, but he knew that many men seeking one night stands were either in denial about their sexuality, or bisexual and in a relationship with a woman, or both.

The only one that he had formed a long-lasting relationship with was Rafal. They were not boyfriends: just friends. It had started off in the usual way, Jake and Rafal had both visited Bar West in Hotten, which was local to them both, then Rafal had invited Jake back to his flat. He was a handsome lad with short-cut, dark brown hair, big hazel eyes and he had been born and bred in Yorkshire but with parents who originated from Poland. Jake and Rafal had struck up a rapport after their original one-night stand together and became friends, with an understanding between them that they would not continue their sexual relationship, but remain platonic friends. Both were attractive lads, but they worked better as good friends: they just felt that type of connection as they had many similar interests but did not feel anything for each other romantically. They would often meet up for a friendly drink but either of them would go off with a casual pick-up: often encouraged by the other. On just one occasion they had even gone back to Rafal's place with a date for each of them and a rather raunchy night had been the result.

Jake's eyes focussed on a picture below the mirror: it had been taken in Scotland two years previously. He had been on holiday with his mother and they were pictured at Castle Urquhart by Loch Ness. Jake had joked about the Loch Ness monster and had bought a model of the monster at a local Loch Ness exhibition and, in the picture, he was holding the model: making it look as if it was swimming in the water. His mother Katrina was laughing in the picture and he felt a pang of sadness as he thought about the fact that it was the last holiday that they had shared together, before Katrina had become terminally ill with cancer and subsequently passed away. Jake had lost her just a month previously and the pain was still raw.

Jake was bright but there had been nothing outstanding about his education. His employment had mostly been bar work and waiting tables. He always wished that he could have gone on to further education but his mother, a cleaner, could not afford to send him to college or university and he needed to go out to work as soon as he was old enough to help Katrina with the household bills. They had saved all year to afford the trip to Scotland and even then they had stayed in the cheapest caravan that they could find.

Jake had never known his father. Katrina was a single parent and always stayed tight-lipped about him, saying only that his name was John and that he was a farmer. Since her death, he had come across some papers that Katrina had kept locked away and amongst them was his birth certificate. He had always been known by his mother's surname: Lomax. But for the first time in his life he knew his father's full name: John Jacob Sugden.

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Jake's thoughts centred around his unknown father as he sat on the bus to Emmerdale. He wondered if he would be able to find him and what he would look like. Jake's birth certificate listed Emmerdale as his father's location at the time that he was born and it was a bit of a long shot to go there looking for him. His father could have moved away some years previously. Jake wondered about the type of reception that he would get if he did find his father: would he be happy to see him? For all Jake knew, his mother might not have told him of his existence: so he was apprehensive as the bus approached the small village.

The main street was deserted when Jake alighted from the bus. He shrugged his shoulders, lifting the rucksack on his back further up towards his head and marched along the road confidently. There was no sign of life and he guessed that, in the middle of the morning in a small village, most of the residents would be at work. He spotted a graveyard and decided to have a quick look at some headstones. He thought that maybe he might pick up some clues there about his father.

Jake was not prepared for the inscription that he read on a tombstone: 'Jack Sugden, born 28th November 1947, died 5th February 2009'.

Jake knew that men called John were often known as Jack, so he guessed that he had found his father's final resting place, "Seems I'm too late," he muttered to himself, with a tear in his eye, as he stared at the grave, but he was pleased that there were freshly cut flowers and the grave seemed well tended. Then it occurred to him, Jack Sugden must still have family or friends in the village.

He resolved that he would buy some flowers for the grave and headed off in search of a shop. He soon found David's shop and saw that there were bunches of flowers outside in buckets. He selected a nice bunch of carnations and walked into the shop.

"Good morning Sir," David greeted him with a smile as Jake placed the flowers on the counter, "that will be four pounds please, unless there's anything else I can get you?"

Jake looked around and spotted food, "I'll have one of your filled rolls as well please," he said.

David walked over to the display, "We have tuna and mayo, cheese and pickle, chicken, or ham and tomato, which would you like?"

"Tuna and mayo, please," Jake answered.

David handed the roll to his customer and took the money, "I haven't seen you in here before, have I? Do you live around these parts, or just visiting?"

Jake thought that David seemed a friendly sort, so he felt comfortable about opening up to him, "I live in Hotten, but I came here looking for my father, but it looks like he might have passed away. I just looked in the cemetery and saw what I think is his grave."

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that," David seemed genuinely concerned, "I first came to this village looking for my father: although he's still alive and kicking. What was your dad's name?"

"John Sugden: although it looks like he was also known as Jack."

"I knew Jack Sugden, but not all that well," David replied, "his son Robert and daughter Victoria still live in the village and I know his widow Diane too, but I've never heard any of them mention another son. There's Andy, of course: he was adopted. Were you adopted too?"

Jake smiled, "No, I am John's...I mean Jack's natural son. Jake Lomax is the name," he held out his hand and David shook it.

"Nice to meet you, I'm David Metcalfe."

"Nice meeting you too, David. So, where can I find the rest of the Sugden family?"

"Well, Diane runs the B&B next to the Woolpack and Robert lives up the road at Mill Cottage, with his husband Aaron."

"His husband?" Jake looked surprised.

David took Jake's shocked expression as a sign of disapproval, "That's not a problem, is it?"

"God no!" Jake realised that David might have misinterpreted his reaction, "In fact, I'm gay too!"

"Wow!" David exclaimed, "Fancy old Jack having two gay sons: mind you, Robert is actually bisexual."

"I'm not really into labels," Jake was wondering how well the people of the village treated anyone in a same-sex relationship.

"Me neither, believe me," David said, not wishing to give Jake the wrong idea about himself, "I've always been good mates with Aaron. They are away on their honeymoon at the moment."

"Oh, so I won't get an answer at their house then?"

"Not until next week. Aaron's sister Liv shares the house, but she's away in Ireland visiting her mother. You might find Diane at the B&B and Victoria and her husband Adam live at Keepers Cottage. But Victoria can often be found in the Woolpack as she works there."

"Thanks, David, you've been very helpful."

"My pleasure," David had taken an instant liking to Jake, "I might see you again if you're going to stick around for a while. I'll shout you a pint at the pub if I see you in there."

"I'm not sure if I'll be staying," Jake replied, "but it's me that should be buying you a pint: for all your help. It seems very friendly around here though and it looks like I might have family in this village, so I might stay for a bit."

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Jake did not have to look far for his long lost family. As he was placing the flowers on Jack's grave, a voice from behind him startled him a little.

"Why are you putting flowers on my dad's grave?" Victoria asked: her own bunch firmly clutched in her hand.

Jake turned to face her, "Victoria, I assume?" he said.

Victoria eyed him suspiciously, "...and you are?"

"Jake," he smiled at Victoria and extended his hand, but she was still unsure about him and she had to swap the flowers from her right hand to her left to shake his.

"You still haven't explained why you would be placing flowers on the grave," she said.

Jake looked a little sheepish. "I'm sorry, but, if I'm right...this is my father's grave too...it looks like I'm your brother."

"What?" Victoria was dumbfounded.

"Look, I know this will all sound very odd, but I never knew my father. My mother passed away a month ago and I found my birth certificate after she was gone. She never spoke much about my dad when she was alive. But, my father was on the certificate as John Jacob Sugden, from Emmerdale village. I take it that Jack's name was really John?"

"Oh my God!" Victoria exclaimed, "Are you sure?"

Jake pulled the document from his pocket. Victoria set down the flowers and studied the piece of paper, still trying to comprehend it.

"This must be a terrible shock," Jake said, looking at the expression on Victoria's face, "you obviously never knew anything about me, until today."

"But, I don't get it," Victoria said as she gave the certificate back to Jake, "How did you know my name?"

"That was David, in the shop," Jake explained, "that's where I bought these flowers," he nodded towards the grave, "I asked about the Sugdens and he told me about Jack's children and widow who still live here. I hope you don't mind."

Victoria still looked shocked, but was slowly coming round to the idea, "No, I don't mind. I'm just gob-smacked, that's all. How did my dad meet your mum? I don't really understand."

"Neither do I," Jake answered, "like I said, my mum would never tell me anything about him, so I don't know how they met or anything about their relationship. I came here hoping to find him, but it seems that it's too late for that. I wish I'd known him, was he a nice guy?"

"Yes, he was," Victoria suddenly felt sorry for Jake. He was like a lost puppy looking for a home and she took pity on him: she had always had a soft spot for waifs and strays, "Listen, why don't you come back to my place and we can talk properly."

"I'd like that," Jake answered, "I don't want to put you to any trouble though."

"It's no trouble," Victoria smiled at her new brother, "you obviously have a lot of questions...and I've got a few of my own."