Date: Thu, 9 Dec 2010 20:45:46 -0700
From: dnrock@rock.com
Subject: Photo 6

Photo
by: dnrock(dnrock@rock.com)


6:  What's it all about

It was time to head west, time to consolidate my late spring and early
summer work.  Time for Brad to reevaluate himself, both sexually and
educationally, time to prepare for the fall.  Time for me to reevaluate my
life too.  We allotted two days of travel along highways 2, crossing
western Montana, Idaho panhandle and Washington to Bellingham.  My parents
would be happy to see me and glad to meet Brad.

While on the drive Brad and I had a good chance to talk about things other
than work.  Talk is good, but action is always better and we had a hard
time keeping our hands off each other.  Brad was gaining in self confidence
and beginning to understand how others viewed him.  He was still not quite
sure how he wanted to relate to others.  He was quite sure how he wanted to
relate to me.

I explained as best I could, my experience is limited in these matters,
that he would, can and should, have many different kinds of relationship
with many different people.  He may be my boy and me his man, and we surely
will and do love each other but he also loves his brother and sister,
mother and father and Linda.  He will learn to love my parents too.  Not as
parents but as adult friends.  He will have girl and boy friends, some
relationships will be romantic some not, some sexual some not.  So do I and
so will I.  We both or perhaps just one of us may find romance with women
desirable.  One or both of us may desire a family in the future.  All that
is and will be okay, I made a big point of nothing being worthwhile being
easy.  We, I hoped, would always be friends and lovers.  What we shared
together can not be shared with others but that did not mean we could not
share our love or affection with others.

"Don't you want to know how far I got with Linda?"

"Not enough to ask, but if you choose to tell me..."

"Not enough to ask?"

"Brad, you know how we feel about each other, you also know we will both be
interested in hearing what ever one wants to tell the other.  I am
interested but would not ask, in case you do not wish to share, that way
you would not be placed in a position of having to withhold from me.  We
are too close to have secretes from each other, so if I don't ask you are
never under any obligation to tell, unless you want to."

"I think I get it.  Would you ever be jealous of some girl or other boy I
was interested in?"

"No, not jealous, unless you and I could not share our special kind of
relationship at all and then I hope only jealous enough to keep me close to
you."

"Apollo, I'm not sure I can be so magnanimous if you had another lover."

"Yes you can and yes you will Brad, just ask yourself what is more
important, my feelings or my lovers happiness?  Don't answer.  Life is a
lot like one of my pictures.  I freeze an instant in time and the next
instant something has changed and the next picture will be different even
if only just a bit.  We know that, but we take and freeze that frame never
the less.  It gives us pleasure, or it should, but we both know the next
frame will never be exactly the same, ever.  Life is just a series of
pictures, frozen in our memories and always new and renewing with every
subtle change."

Brad placed his hand on my arm and my shoulder, then my leg.

"We went all the way, I liked it too.  You were right, you said I would.  I
sure like her but I don't think I love her like I love you."

"Thanks for sharing with me and you are quite correct, you will never love
Linda or any one else quiet the same as you love me, close perhaps but not
quite the same."

"I get it, every relationship has a slightly different history, so every
one is unique."

That boy is sure a lot smarter then any other 15 year olds I know or ever
knew.  He was sure a lot smarter then I was at his age, but that was a long
time ago, 5 years even.

We headed west on highway 2 through Libby, Bonners Ferry and Sand Point,
toward Spokane.  Around Bonners Ferry we tuned into a Spokane rock station,
singing along with the songs.  As we approached Sandpoint, Idaho the
station had a live report about a kidnapped child in Spokane.  It had only
happened 30 minutes before the reporter gave the boys name as Jonas
Sanders, he is blond, blue eyed, nine years old, dressed in a light blue
shirt and matching shorts, he is hearing impaired.

The boy's mother was frantic and one witness reported seeing a dark blue
late model car speeding away.  The abduction occurred from a school
playground.  We were a bit shocked.  Later they said hearing impairment was
profoundly death from birth.  We both expressed our anger at this kind of
thing.  We joked a bit about keeping our eyes open for young Jonas as well
as for ourselves.  Brad was a bit concerned that the cult people would try
something again.  I rather hoped they would, being prepared for them this
time, Snipe would make a conspiracy case for sure.

Entering Priest River, Idaho and its close by neighbor, Newport, Wa. we
were overwhelmed by the number of dark blue, late model cars we saw.  Brad
grabbed his mini binoculars and examined every one for a little blond boy
passenger.  "Dam popular color if you ask me."  In Newport we looked for a
place to get some refreshments.  I spotted a connivence store near the
center of town.

Highway 2 takes a left turn south and highway 20 heads north.  This
intersection has a traffic light and we stopped in the left turn lane.  I
spotted a place just around the corner and what do you know, one of the
cars parked at the end of row was a dark blue Pontiac.  We thought nothing
much of it, laughing about another blue car, pulling in between the Pontiac
and a yellow Honda.  Brad was was up and out in a flash.  As I got out I
turned to close my door and looked into the blue Pontiac.  Sitting in the
back seat was a small blond boy with a light blue shirt.  "No, this can't
be," I thought.

"Brad, hold up," I called, "your not going to believe this."  He held up
and turned to face me.  I pointed at the blue car, "small blond boy in a
light blue shirt," I said.  He looked incredulous and waited for me.  I
taped on the car's window but the boy paid no attention.  I tapped again
louder but still no attention.  I rocked the car by placing my hands on the
door and roof line and pushing.  The motion could be felt if the sound
could not be heard.

The boy looked up, with fear on his face and in his eyes.  I signed to him,
"are you Jonas, are you okay?"

He signed back, this time with the beginning of a smile, "yes."

I signed, "have you been kidnapped," hoping I had the correct sign for
kidnapped and that a ten year old would be able to read it.  I used the ASL
sign taken away.

"Yes," was his reply.  I signed, "my friend and I will get you out."  He
smiled.

Two people came out of the store and man and a women about mid 30's nice
enough looking.  I figured they might be the kidnappers as they hurried
toward me.  I moved to the back of the Jeep and called to Brad come quick I
lost my contact lens.  I dropped to my knees and began looking for the
lens, right behind the Pontiac.  They could not leave, at least for a
little while, I was in the way.  Brad rushed over and leaned down, "911
now," I said and Brad moved.

He got the cell phone from the Jeep and called, standing just out of ear
shot.  We had the license number and location.  I requited the woman and
several other people to help look for the lens.  I was on my hands and
knees behind the Pontiac inspecting every square inch of tarmac complaining
how hard it is to only see out of one eye.  I had the woman, a teenage girl
and an older gentleman all helping.  I kept saying, I blinked my eyes and
it popped out right here, pointing to the area directly behind the Pontiac.

After Brad finished the call, he replaced me having two good eyes, as he
put it.  I stood up and continued to look around, Now Brad was on his hands
and knees, right behind the car.  I got my digital camera, setting the zoom
to wide angel and began taking pictures from the hip.  Pictures of the
kidnappers, the car, the license plate and of course Brad and the others
looking for my contact lens.  I looked too, but had to work hard not to
laugh, Brad and the others did look some funny.  The male kidnapper was
getting agitated.  He did not want to open the car until he was ready to go
but he wanted to get going, that was obvious.  I guess it was the woman's
idea to stop in the first place, something he complained about as she tried
to withdraw from the search.  Jonas, was trying to see the action and the
man kept telling him to sit down.  I guess he did not know the kid could
not hear, or he was some stupid.  He came up to me saying he had to go and
we should get out of his way.  I complained that I could not drive with
only one eye and we just had to keep looking.

I suggested he let the boy out of the car to have some air as it was a hot
day but he refused, finely unlocking it and opening a window.  Jonas was
belted in and the man kept very close to the door so he could not escape.
I suggested he help look to speed things up but he refused.  Finally we saw
two police cars approaching.  So did the fellow.  He urged us to get out of
his way but Brad and I refused, as the others moved off.  The woman moved
to get in the car but the cops were now pulling into the drive.  She went
to run but Brad blocked her and I took off after the man saying in a loud
voice. "loose striker going in on goal, Apollo is the only defense back, he
approaches and tackles the bastard," with my best Howard Stern imitation.

In fact, I easily out ran him and just tripped him, kind of like you might
do if you were to take a good penalty because you could not tackle the
ball, well he didn't have a ball now did he.  His face hit the tarmac hard
and his nose and forehead were cut and bruised.  The cops showed up just as
I was about to drop kick the bastard into next week.

"Okay son, I'll take it from here," he said with his gun drawn and hand
cuffs at the ready.

The boy came running up to me as soon as one of the cops freed him.  He
jumping in my arms and pressing his face into my shoulder.  I carried him
back to the cop and after holding him a bit, sat him on the hood of the
Jeep so we could talk.

"Officer, I am Apollo Bidis, this is my assistant Bradley Sumewalt and this
brave little man is Jonas."  I was signing for Jonas the entire time.

"I'm constable Frankenford, are you Jonas Sanders," he asked, looking at he
boy and extending his hand?

"Yes sir," he signed shaking the officers hand.

"Are those two people," pointing to the man and women now in hand cuffs,
the people that took you from the school in Spokane?"

"Yes sir,"

"Did they hurt you, in any way, Jonas?"

Jonas looked quite agitated as he started to sign, "He hit me several
times," pointing to his back, "he held his hand over my mouth and he kept
yelling at me but I don't know what he was saying."

"I don't think he can lip read very well officer," I said while signing for
Jonas' benefit.  Jonas nodded in agreement.

We talked a bit longer and the officer asked us to sit tight while he made
some phone calls.  Bard went into the store and got some sodas for us and
Jonas climbed back into my arms pressing his face into my shoulder again.
Jonas needed to pee.  I asked one of the officers to take him into the
store.

We all went over to the police station.  Jonas did not want to be separated
from me but he settled for Brad riding in the back of police car with
officer Frandenford and him in the front.  I think he was quite scared and
wanted his only from of communication, me, close at hand.  But when one of
the officers put his hat on Jonas' head, while buckling his seat belt the
boy realized this could be fun and not all that frightening after all.

We told our story and I made hard copies of the pictures for the cops.
They praised us for our fast thinking and using the contact lens ruse
instead of force.  It turned out the man had a firearm in the car, that was
easily accessible.  We stayed with Jonas until his parents arrived with a
couple of officers from Spokane.  Jonas would not do anything if either
Brad or I were not present.  The cops were all very friendly and sensitive
to Jonas communication difficulties.  Constable Frankenford finely asked me
how I had learn to sign so well?

"One of my best friends and playmates from age 4 is deaf.  All of us kinds
learned to sign.  He went to a special school but we all played together,
so it was learn to sign or not have fun."

Brad would meet him when we arrived in Bellingham.  Mr. and Mrs. Sanders
were very grateful and very happy to see Jonas alive, and quite well.  We
did spoil him a bit with junk food and ice-cream, I hoped he would not be
sick on the ride home.  The Spokane cops wanted us to follow them to
Spokane which we did.

In Spokane their was a news conference and we retold the story of Jonas
rescue several times.  Since my pictures were the only ones of the
incident, I managed to sell most of them for standard stringer fees, since
they were reprinted nationally I got a bit of professional publicity, which
is even more valuable than the fees.  At the press conference we were asked
all kinds of questions.  One woman reporter got up and signed her question
to me, which I translated as she did.

"You said you and Mr. Sumewalt were not afraid for your safety, were you
afraid for Jonas' safety?"

I signed back and spoke, "Yes I was concerned, he was so brave, you just
didn't let it distract you."

The Spokane police chief tried to give us a reward but we refused to take
it.  We did not help Jonas for the money, I told them, "we did what needed
to be done, because it was the right thing to do.  If you want to give
money away then make a donation to the hearing impaired on our behalf."

Agent Snipe called the Spokane Chief when he saw us on CNN.  I don't know
what he said but we were sure treated like royalty for the next two days.
Jonas' parents were very nice people and very appreciative.  Jonas was just
filled with admiration toward us.  We visited his summer day camp the next
day, so he could "show off to my friends."  Jonas had me translate his
version of the events to his class.  The first part was quite factual but
as the story unfolded... I'm not saying Jonas was not being truthful but
perhaps he exaggerated just a bit, well his perspective and description was
a bit different than mine.

He did admit to being very much afraid until I signed to him, promising to
get him free.  From that point on, "I was not afraid at all, I just knew
Apollo would get me out of that car.  I thought he had gone nuts when he
started crawling on the ground looking for something, but I did not know
what it was.  What's a contact lens?"

I explained what it was and then everyone seemed to understand.  I showed
them the pictures of Brad on his knees.  Brad told the class what I yelled
when I ran after the man and tripped him, reminding the kids not to do
things like that when they play games.  He also reminded Jonas' fellow
summer day campers to work extra hard on their communication skills so they
could become close friends with Jonas.  The class wanted to know how I
learned to sign.  I told them my friend Bob taught me when I was in
kindergarten.  He and I are still good friends and we still hang together,
so I get to keep up my signing skills.  "Jonas could teach you how to sign
just like Bob taught me."

We pulled in to my parents driveway mid afternoon and a couple of days
late.  The sky was beginning to cloud over.  I figured rain by evening.
That is part of living by the sea, lots of rain.  Being summer my parent
were home, greeting us warmly.  The greetings were even better the warm.
Dad had a big banner over the garage saying "Welcome Home Apollo and Brad,
Heroes Both", my deaf friend Robert was there waiting for us.

My mother Aphrodite and father Plato tried to make Brad feel welcome.  My
parents are second generation immigrants, and while we all have Greek
sounding names, from a cultural view we are just like anyone else in
Bellingham.  The Greek culture appears in subtle way, a few decor elements,
foods, some attitudes and lots of visible physical affection.  We often hug
and kiss each other on the cheek.  I don't think Brad expected my father to
do that, my mother yes but not dad.

While growing up, my close friends, I have two, Robert being one of them,
were always treated like family, so they would treat Brad like a son too.
The Bidis home is a modest three bedroom bi level with an attached garage.
The back of the house faces north and with the large lower story windows
that gives me a lot of studio space on the lower level.  My photographic
art is hanging in every room.  I have a good sized bedroom and the third is
mother's office.  I know they had lots of questions about Brad's and my
adventures and his future, they held off.  After a brief rest, lots of talk
with Robert and some food, Brad and I unpacked the Jeep.

My dad helped Brad with the camping equipment, showing him how to clean,
repair and store it.  Bob and I took care of the photography stuff.  Mother
did ask if Brad was to share my room, should she get a second bed for him?
Yes and No, and that was that.  She made space for him in the dresser and
closet.

Over dinner, which would be a long informal affair, we would get a chance
to aquatint and reacquaint ourselves.  Mom wanted to know all about our
travels, adventures, Linda and Veronica, and Brad's family.  Since my
parents don't sign much beyond simple words and greetings, I could give Bob
the real scoop on our lady friends and the like.  His first question was,
"is Brad my lover?"  I indicated we were.

"I didn't know you were in to boys?" Robert signed.

"I didn't either until I met him," I replied.

"Will you share, he is just to beautiful for words," Robert asked,

"I didn't know you were in to boys, Bob?"

"I'm not really but I would have been with you,"

"With me?"

"I have always loved you Apollo, I would have had you in an instant."

"Okay, I'll share Brad if he is willing but not until we share each other.
I too, have always loved you."

Robert and I talked a while about our relationship and how we could have
been such close friends for so long and never, well even experimented with
sex.  He reminded me we were both so into girls and our social group, which
we feared would not understand, it just never got going.  Later that night
I asked Brad if he wanted to learn sign language.  Reminding him the best
place to learn a new language was in bed and Bob would love to teach him.
Brad was all for that but only if I would help him learn too.  By dinner
time the rain had started but since we had a mountain of paperwork ahead of
us it did not matter.

A few days later, dad asked us to take a brake from work and accompany him
fishing.  When Plato asks you to go fishing he is more interested in the
father/son experience then catching fish.  In fact, he did not ask me
directly but approached Brad while I was in the darkroom.  Brad is not all
that keen on fishing, I suspect because he had little experience with it
but he accepted the invitation.  Plato likes to teach, his whole life
revolves around teaching.  He teaches by example. lectures of course, and
applies the Socratic method as an art form.  I think he has let his name go
to his head but then he probably figures I did too.

"The fish in this lake are not interested in our bate today," Plato was
saying as we sat on the small dock with our lines dangling in the still
blue water.

I went to the Jeep for another thermos of coffee.  Returning, flask in
hand, Brad and Plato were deep into one of dad's dialogues.

"I have not thought all that much about it sir," Brad said as I approached.

"What do you believe your parents will say when you tell them and why do
you think that?"

"I figure my mother will freak out, after what happened at the camp she
made me attend, I frankly don't care what she has to say.  Apollo figured
my dad will be more interested in my happiness and well being then where I
live."

"What Apollo thinks is not the issue here, what do you think?"

"I don't quite know what to think, dad has never said anything much on the
subject.  I know he was devastated by my mother's turning so overly
religious.  He could not make sense of it and when they split he put in for
sea duty on the first available assignment.  Dad always tells me how much
he missed us kids."

"Your father loves you and your brother and sister, I am sure but what do
you think his reaction will be toward your abandoning your siblings,
jumping ship?"

I wanted to participate but knew better and just kept my mouth shut.
Sitting down next to Brad, which placed him between dad and I, as Brad
struggled to articulate his feelings to this relative stranger.

"I think once he gets to know Apollo and sees how well we compliment each
other and how close we have become, he will not object."

"How close have you two become, Brad?"

"About as close as two men can be sir, my brother, my young Greek God, my
mentor, my partner in adventure and my male lover."

"Well son, us fathers love our children and because we love them we want
only good things for them.  I'm sure your dad will support you as best he
can.  You two are a pair of charmers and I'm sure Apollo will charm him
just as you have charmed me."  Plato said, as he gave Brad a good squeeze
around his shoulders.

He then launched into a long discussion of the philosopher Plato's
treatment of love in the dialogue Philebus relating it to the culture of
the original Plato's time.  Heavy stuff for sure.  For a geoscience guy dad
knew a lot about philosophy and ancient Greek cultural history.  He
explained to us how it worked on Crete and in the other city states.
Mostly we understood that young men of wealthy families would often take a
contemporary or slightly younger male lover.  This was a long term bond.
In other places older men would take a boy, teenager, as a lover and
apprentice.  In other places homosexual lovers were preferred in the
military as bonded couples.

"Dad, when you were my age did you have a male lover?"

"Yes Apollo, and he is still my lover, although we don't see much of each
other these days.  It is your Uncle Thomas, who is not my brother but my
second cousin, but you have always called him uncle."

"Why don't you see him much anymore, I remember how often you and he would
be together when I was younger?"

"Well we are both very busy with our work, our families and sex is no
longer as important to us as it was when were your age.  He lives in
Olympia now Brad, and that makes it more difficult for us to see each
other.  In addition his wife, Sophia is not Greek and she does not
understand some of the old culture.  She does not know and must not, do you
two understand?"

"Yes father," I said

He looked at Brad for some kind of answer.

"Yes sir," Brad responded.

"Brad please stop calling me sir.  I get about all I can stand of that in
the classroom.  How about Plato."

"Okay Plato," Brad said with a smile of relief on his baby face.

"What does mom think about all this?" I asked.

"Aphrodite understands the old Greek Way, our families have always kept
some of the traditions of Athens for those that wanted them, even through
the Turkish occupation and in spite of the Orthodox Church.  But do you two
fully understand?"

"I think we do."  I knew I had to demonstrate that understanding. "We are
free to love each other and share sex with each other.  We are free to be
homosexual lovers or we can be bisexual lovers and one or both of us can
have families like you and Uncle Thomas."

"Yes you have the essence.  It is a lot more complex than that, but you
have the essence.  Brad is still a bit to young to be making life long
commitments, he should not and you should not ask that of him."

"Plato, I only know how much I love Apollo and how much he means to me."

"I understand that Brad, been their in my own life.  You two are just
getting started, Apollo is building his career and you are beginning to
find you way in the world.  Take the advice of your oracle.  Go slow and
grow strong.  You are Odysseus but this is not a wine dark sea.  Like him
you have no map and unlike him you have no Ithaca to steer for.  The
Ancients were wrong about one thing however, our lives are not controlled
by the Faits.  We are subjects of chance, something strong in the homeric
tradition.  Another of those ancient paradoxes. It was chance that brought
you together and it will be chance that influences your tomorrow.  The most
important things in our lives are not preordained, they are the result of
what we do with those chances."

"But Apollo saved my life."

"Yes, I did but it was chance that brought your need and my knowledge
together.  I did what needed to be done, what I had been trained to do.  It
was done with no obligation or need for reciprocity as one human person to
another.  The fact that we became friends and now lovers is not a result of
my helping you when needed.  It is a result of the chance meeting of two
hormone driven, emotionally vulnerable young men, recognizing each others
needs and being able to fill those needs.  Like dad said, it is what you do
with the chances that count."

"Aphrodite, can explain the biological and developmental science behind all
this, just ask her, when you have a few hours, that is.  Understand that
your feelings and emotions are not limited or diminished in any way, in
fact they are being celebrated as we act freely on our genetic substrate.
If we were ruled by Fait and not our more or less free will acting in
response to chance then we are nothing more then actors in someone else's
play.  I don't know about you but I want to be the playwright."

"Ya, me too." Brad said while flashing a big smile of admiration toward
Plato.  Do you think my dad will be as supportive of me as you and
Mrs. Bidis are?"

"Well that is hard to say not knowing him.  If you are concerned at all I
would just be honest, but not demanding.  Just don't ask him to support
some kind of life commitment or action you should not be making or doing
anyway.  Make sure he understands the road you are taking has no fixed
destination, that your life, like his, is a work in progress.  Apollo tells
me you were getting thick with a young lady only a few days ago.  Make sure
that he knows you want his love and support and guidance to help you along
the way.  Few fathers will fail to respond positively.  They may not
understand the child's emotions but they will respect them and the child's
desire to make his or her own way in the world.  Mothers tend to want
control, it is a female thing."

Later Brad ask my parents to accompany us to San Diego for the meeting with
the CPO.  They were pleased by this, not because they thought their
presence would make all that much difference but because Brad respected
them and trusted them enough to ask.  I still had no idea what would become
of Brad in the fall.  For a highly creative mind like mine and a natural
planner, this was not normal.  I think the problem was all of my ideas and
plans were mostly self serving and I knew it.  Perhaps Brad knew it too.

Mom and dad took their own car as they would need to be back for the start
of classes in a few days.  I had one large pile of art work to deliver to
the CPO's ship mates.  Since my work was selling so well, Brad was able to
bank a fair bit of money over the summer.  The CPO phoned, e-mailed
frequently to us and often chatted over the computer.  He praised Brad
frequently, seemed to enjoy hearing about our adventures, but never spoke
about the future.  He did make one comment about trying to contact him
before his ship got our news from CNN.  Even when asked he made some excuse
for not being specific.  I think this bothered Brad but he said nothing to
me.  I know he expressed a bit concerned to mom and dad.  Plato, just
brushed off his concerns saying, impossible to do much from a ship in the
middle of the ocean.  Okay, maybe so.

Brad would call his brother and sister often but always at one of their
relatives houses.  He still refused to speak to his mother.  I know this
bothered Aphrodite, being a mother she emphasized with the women, but
knowing Brad's feelings of betrayal, which she also respected, mom just
said nothing.  His family, as mine, were very interested in our adventures,
especially when we collected our 15 minutes of fame on CNN.  What I did not
know until later, was dad's cousin, who lives in Berwyn, was keeping an eye
on the family, as were the navy's social services people.  I also did not
know that Plato was having lots of conversations with Milton Sumewalt about
Brad's future.