Just Hear Me by L.A. Witt

A short story based on The Father Project

41 Pages

Buy Links:     Amazon         Amazon UK

The blurb

Five years ago, Darius awoke to an empty bed. He’s never forgotten Jordan, though, and now he wants to face the man—now a priest—who broke his heart.

Jordan has tried to put his sinful past behind him and focus on his duties as a clergyman. The only problem is that even half a decade later, he’s haunted by his feelings for the man he wasn’t supposed to love.

When Darius confronts Jordan, it’s a disaster. But it might also be the beginning of the second chance both men desperately need…

This 11,000 word short story is based on The Father Project by Tooji, and written/sold with permission. All royalties from Just Hear Me fund a short film project being produced by Tooji and the author. Any surplus (or monies received after the film’s production) will be donated to an LGBT charity of the author’s choosing.

My thoughts

I saw the video this short story is based on long before I read the words. Both the video and the blurb tell you everything you need to know about this story, so I won’t go into that.

What I do want to say is that this short tale really captivated me. Both men’s despair and pain almost leap off the page to grip you by the throat. It would have been easy to portray Jordan as the villain of this piece; after all, he does desert the man who loves him dearly without saying goodbye or explaining his actions. But Jordan has demons to deal with. How do you choose between a calling and the love of your life when the two are not compatible? How do you throw away all you thought your life would be for something you know the world at large, the church you’re a member of, and your family rejects and sees as an abomination.

Darius’s anger is so understandable. Five years have passed since Jordan walked out on him and yet it might as well have been yesterday for how raw Darius’s pain still is. Of course it is exactly because of the depth of the feelings both of them have for each other that their coming together, when it does happen, is such a powerful and memorable moment.

This is a short story. We get some background and the feelings both men harbour today, five years after they’ve last seen each other, and we aren’t told anything about what will happen to them after their reunion, although a relationship appears to be on the cards. This could have been frustrating (I wouldn’t be surprised if it is for some readers) but for me it worked because in these few pages L.A. Witt managed to convince me that Darius and Jordan will find their way. I don’t really mind not knowing exactly how they’ll manage that or what form their life together will take, the fact that they are heading that way was enough for me in this tale.

This was a gripping short read about two tortured souls coming together after way too much time apart and as such I thoroughly enjoyed it.

And here’s a link to the video that inspired the story: Tooji – The Father Project