A man is watching television. Clinton is saying, "We must not tolerate discrimination based on race, religion, gender, religion, age, class, or sexual orientation...." John snaps it off. "How can someone equate being against sodomy with racism, sexism, or anti-Semitism?" His girlfriend comes into the room. "He's saying you shouldn't judge people based on what they are." "For centuries homosexuality was recognized as the most immoral thing that could exist, like incest or cannibalism. It was the ultimate taboo. It was unthinkable. That's the way it should be." John tossed the remote onto the coffee table and walked over to Christi who pauses before speaking. "Your father's not against us getting married?" "Any objections vaporized when I told him you were pregnant." "I look forward to meeting him." "I told him we'd be there by about three o'clock today." "He works at a meat packing plant or something?" "Sort of, they make hamburger." "Your car fixed yet?" "No, Billy's going to drive us down there." "This is the same Billy you went to High School with?" "He was my best friend. We carried the football team." Later Billy arrives. He's an outgoing affable figure. They exchange pleasantries. Later when they're in the car, Billy's driving, John's in the front seat, and Christi's in the back. John says, "I could tell you so many stories about when we were kids, practical jokes we played on teachers. I loved him like a brother." They reminisce about when they were kids and in High School. Later they reach the house of John's father. John and Christi go inside and meet him. John's father, wearing a suit, lets them in. "You're the girl I've heard so much about." "Dad, this is Christi, Christi, my father." "Call me Richard." "It's a pleasure to finally meet you." "So when's the big day." "You mean when the baby's due?" "I meant when are you getting married." "Some time before the baby's born." Later after dinner, they are talking. John shows Christi a photo album of when he was a kid. This inspires Christi to take out a picture of when she was a child. They pass the picture around. When Richard sees it, he becomes alarmed. "Who is this woman?" "That's my mother." "This is your mother?" John says, "Yeah, I've met her. She seems nice." Richard seems flustered. At 8:30 the next morning, the alarm of John's digital clock goes off. John hits the alarm. He and Christi are in bed together. When John comes into the living room, he calls for his father but he's not home. John tells Christi that his father must be down at the plant. Sometimes he goes down there on the weekend to catch up on his work. He tells Christi that he'll go down to see if he's there and also to pick up some free hamburger for a barbecue that afternoon. Christ agrees and John leaves. John goes to the processing plant. The place is deserted since it's Saturday. He calls to his father but he's not there. He goes to one of the machines and draws raw hamburger meat. He wraps it up in butcher paper and puts it in a white paper bag. He returns to his father's house. He calls out to Christi but she's not there. He calls for his father but he's not there either. He decides to start making lunch. He takes pieces off the glob of hamburger and flattens them into hamburger patties. He goes to the back yard and barbecues three hamburger patties. He waits for them to return but they do not. Tired of waiting, he puts one of the patties in a bun, loads on condiments, and eats it. Then he hears a knock and rushes to the front door. He's surprised and disappointed that it's Billy. "Oh, it's you. I was wondering where Christi and my father went." "John, I have to talk to you. I was thinking about what you said before." "When?" "In the car. You said you loved me and I wanted to tell you that I love you too." "Great." "I'm in love with you." "What?" "I'm gay." "What??!" John is absolutely flabbergasted. "I've always had a secret crush on you." "Is this some sort of joke?" "I've always fantasized about you. I was your friend so I could be near you." "I don't believe this." "After football, I would go and watch you when you were in the shower. I hoped you felt the same way." John suddenly punches Billy. Billy falls back against a book shelf which collapses. Billy is on the ground and whips blood from his upper lip. Then John grabs the back of his shirt and pulls him up. He drags him to the front door. "I've said badly. It took courage for me to say this." "Get out." John throws Billy out of the house. John is deeply shaken by the incident. After a while, there's a knock at the front door. John is afraid that Billy has returned but opens the door anyway. It's a middle aged woman. "You're Christi's mother." "John, I have to talk to you." She comes in. "I don't know where Christi is." "She's at my house. John, you and Christina can't get married." "What? You're the one that demanded that we get married, because you're Catholic." "This morning Christina called me and told me about meeting your father. His name is Richard Haldane and he's from Dayton, Ohio. She described what he looked like. I realized that he's the same man." "Same as what?" "I knew your father a long time ago. We went to school together. I was his girlfriend." "You're kidding me." "Christina's your half-sister." "What?" "I drove down here and took her back to my place. Then I came back here to tell you." "I don't know what you're talking about." "Your father is Christina's father." "What are you talking about? How do you know the father isn't some one else? It could be anyone." "He was the only boy I was with." "I'll have a DNA test and prove that's not true." "Go ahead." "You're just saying this so I won't marry her." "You yourself said I wanted you to get married." "I don't believe what you're saying. It's not true." "I'm sorry John." "I'm going to marry her." "You can't marry her. She's your sister." "She's pregnant with my child. We're going to have a baby." "I'm sorry. What I'm saying is true." "You probably never even met my father." "Ask him yourself." "All right, I will." John storms out of the house, gets in one of his father's cars, and drives off. John didn't know where his father was. The only place he could think of looking was the meat processing plant. He drives down there. When he gets there, he finds several police cars parked in front. Bewildered, he gets out and walks to the front door. Two uniformed police officers stop him at the front door, and tell him he can't come in. Then a middle aged man in a raincoat walks up and motions for him to come in. John walks in, and the man walks alongside him. "What's your name?" "John Haldane." "You're the son of Richard Haldane?" "Yes." "I'm Detective Colbrite. There's no easy way to tell you this, son." "What?" "I'm afraid your father's dead." "What?" "It was suicide. He left a suicide note." The detective pulls out a crumpled piece of paper from his pocket and smoothes it out. "I'm afraid it doesn't say very much." He reads from the paper. " 'I just learned something to horrible to think about. It's unthinkable. I can't face this.' " He returns the note to his pocket. "Evidently, he recently had some revelation." "How'd he die? Did he shoot himself?" "No. He certainly didn't lack imagination. Evidently, he jumped into the meat grinder. He climbed up on top of the machines, and then jumped into where all the meat was ground up." "When did it happen?" "We believe it took place at approximately eight A. M. this morning. Look, why don't you go home and get some rest. We'll call you if we need anything." John, in a daze, manages to walk out and drive back to his father's house. John stumbles inside. Christi's mother is gone. He picks up a beer bottle off the table, but it is almost empty and he drains it in a single swallow. He opens the refrigerator and takes out another beer. Before he closes it, something catches his eye. In the back of the refrigerator is a white paper bag. He slowly returns the bottle to the refrigerator and takes out the white paper bag. He goes to the counter and turns the bag upside down. A large hunk of hamburger tumbles onto the counter. He drops the bag. He stares at the large red chunk of "hamburger". His eyes widen and his mouth falls open. He steps backwards until he bumps into the refrigerator. Then his face contorts into an expression of absolute horror. Nausea sweeps over him. He runs out the front door and into the front yard. He breaks down in tears and collapses to his hands and knees. He manages to get to his feet but can only stumble a few steps before he collapses again near a large tree. He's on his knees, resting his face against the trunk. He lets out a long agonizing scream. Then he silently lifts his face towards heaven and slowly closes his eyes.