Date: Wed, 29 Apr 2009 21:18:30 -0700 (PDT)
From: John Colorado <clrdjhn@yahoo.com>
Subject: Logging camp  chapter 7

Logging Camp
by John of Colorado
clrdjhn@yahoo.com

Chapter 7

If you are not of age or man/man sex bothers you, then I suggest you leave
NOW! Why are you still here, I told you to leave! The names have been
changed but the story itself is basically based upon facts. However, some
of it is fiction.

"Grandpa, Your life was certainly different. It sounds like you really
enjoyed it. I must ask, Do you have any regrets or would you have done
anything differently?'

"Jim, I am not ashamed of anything that I did in my life. I know many
people would condemn me and many preachers would say that I am going to rot
in hell. Our God is a just one and one of love. I know that I will have a
mansion in that beautiful place for all eternity. I keep his commandants
and have lived a good clean life."

"When my Dad committed suicide, I felt that it was my fault. It took Scotty
a long time to convenience me that I didn't make him do anything. What he
did was his own choosing. I shouldn't blame myself and that I should
forgive him. I finally came to terms with myself and was able to forgive
and forget. I was then able to move forward and lead a good life."

"I am just sorry that I didn't try to find my family after they moved to
Texas. I know that my mother has probably passed away but I should still
have brothers and sisters still living. I think that I would like to try to
located them. I know where they would have gone in Texas and probably could
drive to the old home place even now."

"Grandpa, I know my Mother doesn't have long to live and will be gone in
two or three months. I would like to go with you and Dad to Texas. They are
my family, too. I know you raised him but he still considers you his
father. Are you going to tell me the story about my Dad? I know we both
would certainly like to know."

"Jim, Thank you. I would welcome both of you to accompany me to Texas. Yes,
to your last question. I am almost to that point in my life. I just have a
few chapters left. I want to have all of this published and bound into a
leather back book and I want to organize all my pictures, have copies mad
and put them in an identical bound album. I would like to give a copy of
each to your Dad but he is not to know about this project until it is
finished and presented to him. I am making a copy for you also and one copy
is going to my family in Texas.

"Grandpa, do you realized what this is going to do to him?"

"Yes, I know, but he will have something to keep. If I told him, it would
soon be forgotten. And he would have nothing."

"Grandpa, let's get back to work. I can't wait to get this finished!"

" Turn on that blasted machine and let's do it."

"We had arrived back in New York and caught our train to St. Louis. All of
the bachelors were there waiting for us. One of the them was sick and told
the rest he would come home later. What a joyous reunion. We all tried to
talk at once but we decided that we could tell our stories on the way
home."

"Finally, we made it Portland and took the Grayhound Bus home to Bend. It
was good to be home but we will always remember this trip."

"Life went on. The bachelor, who did not return with us from St. Louis,
took a turn for the worse and died from complications to his illness. He
made me his sole heir and left a substantial sum of money, stocks, and
bonds."

Days passed in to weeks and weeks into months, soon we celebrated my 25th
birthday! However, there was only Scotty and one other bachelor left. Each
bachelor when he died added a little more to my `nest egg'. I slowly had
lots of money. With Scotty's help and good investments, my future looked
very bright. Two weeks later, an event happened that would change my life
forever."

"One evening, a young woman with a 1 year old son showed up and asked
Scottie for a job. Of course, Scotty and I `had gone out of
business'. Scotty had a soft heart and told her that we were looking for a
house keeper and she could have it if she wanted and she accepted."

" We put her up in one of the cabins and she could clean and cook for us. I
took over the job of baby-sitting for her while she worked. The little
boy's name was Samuel but we called him Sammy for short."

Yes, Jim that is your father and now the for the rest of the story.

"Scotty and I found out that the young woman had gotten pregnant and had
married the father. He turned out to be a loser, never working, in trouble
with law and a wife abuser. She was severely beaten on the daily
basis. Finally, she couldn't take it any more and left him. She had Sammy
after she had left her husband and never knew that he had a son. That was
when she showed up on our door with no money and no place to go."

" We did not know her name or where she came from. She wanted it to remain
that way. This way her husband would have no way of tracing her. She asked
us if anything happen to her, would we take her son and not let her husband
even know that he existed.. She wanted us to give him a good home and raise
him as our own. Without even discussing it we agreed."

"Sammy became my son and Scotties' grandson. We were walking on cloud
nine. Our bonds were growing stronger as the days went by. Sammy's mother
was delighted that we had `adopted' him. She was at peace now. She told us
everyday, how lucky she was to find us. She maintained that some mysterious
power had led her to us and we agreed. This was her home now forever."

Sammy's mother had a birth certificate for him. He had been born at home in
Idaho. She had left the father's name blank She wanted to have it to have
it changed so that I would be listed as the father. If anything happen to
her, Sammy would become my son. We had our lawyer prepare the paper work
and Sammy was listed as my son.

"She had been with us for about six months and we had told every one that
she was my wife, Kate. I had gotten Kate pregnant and Sammy was my son and
we had the paper work to prove it. Everyone was happy for us and we were
happy for ourselves." This was one lie that I didn't mind telling. Sammy
became my son. Scotty was just as proud as I was and we both took turns
spoiling him.

"One day, Kate was sweeping off the front porch and came screaming into the
house. "Take Sammy

and go hide him. His father is coming up the walk. I did not hesitate and
took Sammy out the back door and took him to the bachelor's cabin. I was
barely inside and heard three gun shots."

"Keep Sammy and don't let anyone take him!"

"I ran back to the house as fast as I could. I wasn't prepared for what I
found. Scotty and Kate lay on the floor hugging each other. There was a
bullet hole in each of their heads. I knew they dead. Not far away lay the
stranger. He had killed Scottie and Kate and then turned the gun on
himself. "

"By this time the bachelor was there. He had left Sammy at his cabin. "Call
the police!" and I passed out."

"I don't know how long I was out but when I came around, the police and
ambulance were there. The bachelor was standing there holding little Sammy
and he handed him to me. They were loading Scottie into the ambulance. By
some kind of miracle he had survived, the bullet didn't penetrate his skull
and had just glanced him, knocking him unconscious. Kate wasn't so lucky
and neither was her shooter-husband."

"Scottie spent three weeks in the hospital and finally came home. I was
glad to see him and Sammy even more-so. Scottie lived for two more weeks
and then he was gone.

"The Police ruled this as a murder and suicide. They were never able to
identify the shooter. His fingerprints were on file but he had used several
different aliases. They were not able to find any marriages or any clue to
his true identification. They could not find any thing for Kate, even in
the town where Sammy was born."

"They bought my story about finding Kate on the streets of Portland,
working as a hooker. I moved her in with me and we had Sammie. I told them
that she went to her mother's to have him. They could find absolutely no
birth records. For some reason, they bought my story and allowed me to keep
him. Jim, So that is how I became the father of your father! To this day, I
have absolutely no idea who his mother really was. I tried many times with
no luck. I guess it will always remain a mystery."

"Grandpa, as I said before, In my Dad's heart, you are his father and my
Grandfather. You are the only grandfather that I will ever have or want. I
love you, Grandpa."

"I love you to Jim!" Grandpa said through all the tears. " I will be right
back. I have something I want to show you."

He returned carrying a small brown envelope and handed it to me. "Open it
Jim. These are the only pictures I have of your Grandmother."

My hands were shaking so badly, that I could barely open the envelope. "Oh,
Grandpa, she is beautiful." I was crying so bad, that I though I was going
to faint but didn't.

"Has my dad seen these pictures?"

"No, I made a promise to Kate that I would never tell Sammy about his
mother and that included the pictures. I promised not to tell until the
time is right. Now the time is right. For some reason, which we will never
know, she wanted her past kept a secret. I have told you all that I know
about her."

"Grandpa, I think we need a break. I don't think I can take any more
emotional stress right Now."

"Good Idea! Let's go swimming." Grandpa said through his tears.

We had a good swim and then decided just to take it easy and go into Bend
and have dinner and maybe take in a movie. Grandpa asked where I would like
to eat and immediately I said `Chinese'.

"Jim, I thought that would be you reply. You really like that Jon, don't
you?"

"You bet! He is the best. I think I am in love!"

"Would you like to have him all to yourself? There are a couple of others
that I can spend the night with."

"That would be great! Are sure you are ok with that?"

"Sure thing, I have already called and told Jon that we were coming!"