Trust by Sarah Masters
"You can show trust by believing in others when other people have abandoned them." Byron Pulsifer, Major Human Capacities
Trev knows he is taking a chance when he comes out at work. He realizes there will be some haters; but he never imagined how many; how viciously they attack him, with name-calling, crude jokes, and pranks. Trev is brokenhearted when his coworkers, some of whom he had called friends, all turn against him except one; his friend Nancy. How could Trev ever believe if someone was sincere or not?
The cruelty Trev receives wounds him down to his soul. He goes from a friendly, outgoing person, trying to live an honest life, to a growly, cynical one; wary of everybody. Trev isolates himself, won't go anywhere with anyone from the office; preferring to eat alone rather than endure more torment. He is fragile, unhappy, and lonely, fearing he will spend the rest of his life by himself. When he all but gives up, not knowing which direction to turn, a colleague named James starts a conversation with him during their lunch hour. Trev is cautious, afraid to be taken in again and ending up devastated; but there's something about James that makes him want to try. James turns out to be Trev's knight in shining armor, helping Trev maneuver around in his circumstances at work; generally feeling better about himself, regardless of what others think. What James says makes sense, but Trev isn't completely convinced until James finds a way to show him all is not lost; that there is strength in numbers, even if, as in this case, the numbers are small.
After being hurt, one is naturally wary of taking a chance on being in pain again. Trusting can be scary, but it is absolutely essential for our happiness. Sarah does a marvelous job of portraying Trev's emotions in this short, but emotion-filled story. I cried for Trev because of the unfairness of the entire situation and wanted to knock quite a few heads together for being so ignorant. Yet, if Trev had not been put in this awful situation, he would never have met James. That, in itself, would have been an even greater travesty. If you enjoy love stories with angst, relearning trust, and reassurance, then you may like this one. Thank you, Sarah, for reminding us that we need to listen to ourselves first; follow our own feelings, rather than worrying about how other people think.