Date: Wed, 3 Feb 2010 23:01:38 EST
From: Bwstories8@aol.com
Subject: Castaway Hotel: Grand Reopening - book 4, chapters 21 - 22

Castaway Hotel -- Grand Reopening -- Book 4 by BW
Copyright 2009 by billwstories
Chapter 21 -- We all take a stand.

**Author's Note:** Please read the disclaimer in Chapter 00 before you read
this.

When we got to the board meeting room, several people were already seated,
including the scoutmaster and his son, whose nose was all taped up.  Seeing
them in attendance, I was glad the boys had talked me into letting them
come along too.  Those two did turn and glare at us as we entered, but I
told the boys to ignore them and not look in their direction, as I didn't
want to instigate another situation.  They agreed and we sat and talked
amongst ourselves while we waited.

It was a pretty boring meeting, as the board members went through all the
normal school business, and then the school board president looked directly
at me and spoke.  "The next item on the agenda is a request for a student
to return to classes.  Mr. Currie, I believe this is one of your sons and
we do have some concerns we would like addressed before we make our
decision.  Let me begin by telling you how sorry we are about your son's
accident and the medical problems he's suffered because of it."

"Thank you, Madam President.  I shall pass your message along to my son,
and thank you," I told her.

"You're welcome," she replied.  "Now, here are some of our concerns.
First, we are worried about the fact that the high school has two floors
and your son will have to negotiate the stairs.  We are also concerned
about his passing through the crowded corridors, seeing there's a chance he
might get knocked down and injured again."

"Well, I do believe I have a solution for this.  Pat has been working with
tutors since he was first injured and one of those tutors has found someone
who's willing to spend the school day with my son, help him get from class
to class, through lunch and to and from the restroom.  Pat has learned to
do many things for himself, so he just needs someone to help him get from
place to place or tell him where things are.  As far as the crowded
hallways, I figured he could avoid them by leaving class a few minutes
early or waiting and arriving to the next class a few minutes late,
whichever would be acceptable to that teacher."

"Well, it sounds as if you've thought this through pretty thoroughly and
have all the bases covered.  What about his normal classroom tasks?  How
will he take notes, do homework and take tests?"

"I felt we would have to discuss some of these issues with each teacher
involved," I explained.  "We were hoping most of his teachers would be
willing to let him record his homework assignments on tape and give him
oral exams.  If not, his tutor would read the questions to Pat and then
write down Pat's responses.  During classes, we are going to have Pat
record his notes on a battery-operated recorder.  He would use a different
tape for each class, to keep his notes from becoming confusing."

"Again, you seemed to have already anticipated these problems," she
observed.  "Now I believe our only remaining concern is the issue of school
liability.  How liable would we be if your son should injure himself again,
if we allowed him to return knowing about his condition?"

"I have already talked to my lawyer about this," I informed her.  "He is
willing to draw up a document releasing you from all liability as a result
of his blindness, and you would assume only the same liability you would
with any student, mainly through negligence, neglect or lack of care."

The board members took a moment to discuss things amongst themselves,
before the board president turned to me again.  "I think we have made our
decision.  Before Patrick can be reinstated, we will need you to bring us a
release form from his doctor, stating there is no medical reason that would
prevent him from returning to school with the proper assistance and you'll
need to bring us the document your lawyer draws up absolving us from any
additional liability, so the school's lawyer can study it.  If he finds it
acceptable, then your son will be allowed to return to school.  You can
work out the other details with the high school principal and his
teachers."

"Thank you, Madam President, from both my son and me," I told her.  "He
will be thrilled to hear he will be able to finish the year out with his
brothers and friends."

The board continued on with other business and we just continued to sit and
listen to what was going on.  Near the end of the meeting, one of the
members made a brief and cryptic mention about the fight and then they
quickly adjourned for a private session.  When they returned, they
announced they had approved the suspension of several students for fighting
on school property.  This was all that was officially said about the
altercation, but I could see that the scoutmaster didn't think it was
enough.

When the board president opened the floor for comments, the scoutmaster
leapt to his feet, to be the first to speak.  He immediately began ranting
about how his poor son had been treated and that he suffered a broken nose
in the scuffle, and now they would be incurring hundreds of dollars in
medical expenses, which he thought the instigators or their parents should
have to pay for.  He also suggested that those who started the fight should
receive more than a week's suspension, possibly even be expelled.  Once
he'd finished, he turned and glared at us again, before smiling in our
direction.  It seemed as if he thought he had just won the war.

I waited for him to sit down, before I attempted to stand and speak, but
someone beat me to it.  Before I had a chance to get up, someone else rose
and addressed the board.

"I agree with the previous speaker," the guy said, "but I think he has been
slightly misinformed.  The person that instigated this ruckus was his son."
The scoutmaster, who had been grinning and pleased by this guy's support,
now pivoted in his seat and scowled at the man who now had the floor.
"From what my son has told me, it was his son who started harassing my son,
setting him up for this abuse, and it was also his son who threw the first
punch.  Unfortunately for him, he didn't make it count and a group of brave
young men helped to protect my son from that bully and his friends."  By
now, we all concluded this man must be Shannon's father.  "My son is right
here, to confirm what I've said, if you want to hear it firsthand."

The board members were talking amongst themselves again and then one of
them addressed Shannon's father.  "Would you mind telling us what they were
harassing your son about?"

"I will be happy to come forward and tell you privately what it was about,
but I don't think everyone here has to hear their bigoted comments."  He
was motioned forward, but before he got there the scoutmaster's son shouted
out, "His son's a fag!"  Shannon's father stopped in his tracks and turned
toward the boy, giving him an icy stare.

The scoutmaster had quickly elbowed his son in the ribs, just after he
shouted out, realizing his outburst wouldn't benefit their case. His son
groaned from the painful shot to his side and slumped against his father.
Shannon's father just turned forward and began to speak again.

"Well, I think that should be proof enough this bully was sexually
harassing my son and I think we should honor his father's wishes and punish
the instigator more severely than anyone else.  It was his son who offered
my son a ride home, but it was merely a ruse to lure my son to the parking
lot, where his friends were waiting to do who knows what to him.  If that
other group of boys hadn't come along, I might be visiting my son in the
intensive care unit of the hospital right now.  The scoutmaster's son's
actions were intentional, premeditated and discriminatory.  I don't think
you can let his actions slip unnoticed and I hope you will take a firm
stand against what he attempted to do."  After he finished his statement,
he returned to his seat and put his arm around his son's shoulder.  Now, it
was my turn to speak.

"From what I have learned from my sons, their stories support everything
you were just told," I began.  "In attempting to keep those boys from
taunting and assaulting the last speaker's son, my sons were assaulted
themselves.  They were only defending the boy and themselves, even though
they also know they broke rules in the process and are willing to take the
suspension for fighting, even if their actions were warranted and
justified.  I don't think the district can let this slide, as this incident
clearly falls within the guidelines of the sexual harassment policy, which
this board has written and posted.  I believe that under those guidelines,
expulsion is called for, at least for the person organizing the attack."  I
sat back down and the board members started talking amongst themselves.  At
that moment the scoutmaster stood back up.

"All my son was doing was informing the boy that he would be barred from
participating in Scouting activities, as a gay lifestyle is completely
contrary to Scouting principles," he stated, trying to stop the tide of
momentum against them.

"That's a lie!" someone shouted.  Those words came from the back of the
room and were definitely from a female speaker.  We all turned in our seats
to see who had said it and soon discovered it was one of the less popular
cheerleaders, and her face was now beet- red.  "They were calling him names
and making fun of him, then they started pushing him around, asking him if
he wanted to do things with them, and that's when the Curries showed up.
They put an end to what those other guys were trying to do."

"She's right," the girl next to her said, standing up to support her.  "In
fact, I heard them planning it in our last period class, so we followed
them out to try to stop it.  When we saw how many boys were ganging up on
him, we were afraid to say anything by ourselves."  She turned and looked
at Shannon and his father.  "I'm sorry.  I probably should have gone to
tell someone else instead, but I really thought at first we could talk them
into leaving him alone."  The girls sat back down and the board members
started talking quietly as a group again.

Eventually the board president stood up and made an announcement. "We will
adjourn for another closed session, so we might decide what should be done
with those who participated in this incident.  We shall notify everyone
involved in writing what punishments they will receive from this incident."

"Excuse me, Madam President," I interrupted her, "but under the
circumstances, I would also like to strongly urge the board to discuss what
ties the school district should have with the Boy Scouts in the future.
Seeing their policies run contrary to your own guidelines about tolerating
persons of various religious, ethnic or sexual orientation, I personally
believe the organization should no longer be allowed to use school
facilities, promote their activities on school property, be allowed to wear
their uniforms to school or in any way participate as a group at any school
function.  I also suggest we discontinue letting the United Way seek
contributions from school employees or do fund raising on school grounds,
as long as they continue to support the Boy Scouts financially.  I think
all ties to this organization and their bigoted policies should be
eliminated."

I sat down and several people started to applaud, which I suspect began
with Shannon's father, and soon my boys joined in and about three-quarters
of those in attendance were standing and clapping in support of my
comments.  The scoutmaster now looked as if he were ready to explode, as
his face was bright red from the collar up, but he somehow managed to keep
himself under control.

"We won't act on any of those suggestions this evening, but we will take
them under advisement and study them in the light of current school
policies," the board president announced, "but if it should require a vote,
it will be done at one of our future meetings."

Shortly thereafter the meeting was adjourned.  Before we got up to leave,
however, Shannon and his father came forward to introduce themselves to my
boys and me.  "Hi, I'm Jake and I just wanted to thank you and your boys
for what they did for my son.  You sure have raised a fine group of young
men.  Shannon has briefly told me about your family."

"Why, thank you, and I'm glad my boys did the right thing," I agreed, "even
if it did get them suspended for a week.  I remember Shannon from soccer
season.  He was quite good."

"Your boys weren't slouches either," Jake chimed back.  "Look, there just
aren't words to express our gratitude for what you and your boys did for us
today.  I don't know how we'll ever pay you back."

"Well, I can think of one way," I suggested.  "Why don't you and your
family join us for dinner Saturday evening, so we can get to know each
other better?  That would be payment enough for us."

"We'd like that, but we will still owe you," Jake agreed.  "There's only
the two of us now, since I'm divorced from Shannon's mother and she lives
in another state."

"That's fine.  Why don't you stop by about 6 or so, then we can get
acquainted before we eat?" I added.

"Sounds great, we'll see you then," Jake agreed, looking excited about the
invitation.

"Do you know where we live?" I asked and Shannon nodded in response.

"Yeah, I know which house is yours," he said.  "I'll give my dad the
directions.  Thanks, guys.  I really appreciate your standing up for me
like that."

My boys all told him that 'it was nothing,' 'they enjoyed it' or 'anytime'
before we parted.  While we had been chatting, I had noticed the
scoutmaster and his son walking along the far wall and heading for the exit
as quickly as they could.  On the way out I saw the two girls who had
spoken in my sons' defense, so I stopped to congratulate them for the
courage it took to do such a thing.  They blushed when I did so.

"We did it because it was the right thing to do and because Shannon and
your sons have always been nice to us, even though we really aren't in the
popular group at school.  They always stopped people from picking on us
too.  If you didn't notice, I've always been a bit heavy and I get made fun
of because of that.  We just wanted to make sure they didn't take the blame
for what those other jerks did."

The boys all took this opportunity to thank them personally and I moved
away to let them chat with each other.  To occupy myself, I went up to
speak with the members of the board who were still milling around the table
at the front of the room.  I reiterated my stance about what I'd said
earlier and gave more detail about my reasons, since this conversation was
being carried out in private.  I told the various members present that I
was going to do everything in my power to lobby against the Scouts now, at
least until they moved into the twenty-first century and relinquished their
antiquated and discriminatory views.  A couple of the board members even
told me they agreed with my stance, so I felt there might be enough support
to keep the ball rolling.  I bid them all good night and then took my sons
home.  On the way, we had quite an interesting conversation.

"Man, Dad," Kevin began, "you and Shannon's dad were awesome.  Did you see
how red the scoutmaster got when you two were talking?  Especially after
you recommended throwing the Scouts out of the schools.  That was pretty
funny."

"No way," Cole added, "the best part was when the scoutmaster elbowed his
son after his stupid comment.  I think he cracked his rib, to go along with
the busted nose Frankie gave him."  All the boys were laughing and getting
into it now.

"What do you think the board is going to do next?" Dustin asked.  "Do you
think he'll get expelled or will he just be suspended like us?"

"There's no way I can speak with absolute certainty about that, but if they
follow school policies, he should definitely get expelled.  Seeing this is
the test case in support of those policies, I don't see how they can do
otherwise.  If they don't take a strong stand now, they'll never be able to
enforce it in the future and those policies will just end up as a bunch of
words on a piece of paper."

"I hope they do expel him," Brandon added, "especially after the things he
said about Danny and me.  I would have broken his nose too, if Frankie
hadn't beaten me to it."  He chuckled, and then Danny and he high-fived
each other, before high-fiving Frankie too.

By the time we arrived back home, Dion told me that I had received several
phone calls and the messages were by the phone.  He said most of them just
wanted to tell me that they supported my suggestions at tonight's board
meeting, so he and the younger boys wanted to know what went on there.  I
let the boys fill them in, while I checked to see if I should call any of
those people back, but I determined the calls could wait for another time.

I did make some phone calls however, but they were all to Pat's tutors.  I
felt I needed to ask them if they'd mind having several additions to their
workload and explain the reasons why this was necessary.  Most told me they
had already learned about the fight from other sources and suspected the
boys involved might get suspended.  No one had any problems with the
additional students, since it meant more money for them for making the same
trip and adding only a slightly longer period of time to accommodate them.

When I finally finished my phone calls, I told the boys to hit the showers,
as they would still be studying tomorrow and I didn't want the tutors to
have to put clothespins on their noses to survive.  The boys all gave me
the raspberries over that comment, to let me know that they didn't think
they ever stunk, so I happily reminded them about a few times they had
complained about each other.  They laughed, gave in, and soon were getting
ready for bed.

The high schoolers came back to say good night and thank me once more for
standing up for them and not adding my own punishment.  That's when I
advised them there are times when we have to stand up for our principles
and defend those who find themselves outnumbered or are weaker than
ourselves.  I felt what they did was a combination of all of the above and
I would always support them when they did what they thought was right.  I
went on to let them know I was proud of them too, regardless of the fact
that the school did have to punish them because of their actions.  I then
explained the school district was obligated to enforce their no-fighting
policy and I felt they'd feel just as obligated to expel the ringleader for
the same reason.  They all agreed that if that happened, it would all be
worth it.

The next day, I called the high school and asked the secretary if she would
please ask my boys' teachers to send down their assignments for the week
and if she could have someone collect their books from their lockers too.
I told her I'd pick everything up after school this evening.  She agreed to
do this for me, and then she added she was proud of my boys and sorry they
got suspended for what they had done.  I told her I understood how school
policies worked and that I've had to enforce a few I wished I didn't have
to myself.  I told her the boys wouldn't suffer irreparably from it and
none of us were making too big a deal over it.  We said our good-byes and
then I went about the business of my school.

At lunch, I called and spoke with the head of the local United Way and
urged him to reconsider his organization's continued support of the Boy
Scouts.  We talked for several minutes and he indicated he doubted any
changes would be made.  That's when I informed him I was sorry to hear that
and I'd have to publicly voice my opposition to his organization as a
whole, urging everyone I knew or had contact with to stop donating another
penny to them until they dropped the Scouts from their list or the Scouts
dropped their policies against gays.  He said he hoped it wouldn't come to
that, as we had always worked well together and I had always been very
involved in raising contributions for them. However, he agreed we would
each have to do what we thought best.  There were no harsh words and it
didn't change our relationship, we just had different perspectives and
agendas, as far as this issue was concerned.

After school I stopped by to pick up my sons' things and nearly broke my
back carrying everything from the office to the car.  Each boy had a bag
filled with his belongings, mainly textbooks and assignments, and each bag
seemed to weigh a ton.  I took them two at a time, but there were ten bags
in all, so I ended up having to make five trips to the van.  Unfortunately
all the other students had left by the time I arrived, so there was no one
there to recruit to help me.  I swear by the time I loaded the last pair of
bags into my vehicle, my arms were two inches longer than they had been
when I started.  When I got home, I made each of the boys go out and
retrieve their own bag, since each was clearly labeled.  As they were
bringing everything into the house, I relaxed, since I felt my part of the
job was done.

That evening I received several more phone calls, but this time I got a
chance to chat with each individual who called.  I also phoned the people
back from the previous evening, thanking for them their support on this
issue.  By the time I had finished my calls, I had a grassroots network
started, which was intent on keeping the school district from supporting
the Boy Scouts (and Cub Scouts) in any way.  I also had another group that
was dedicated to influencing the United Way to also change its policies
concerning supporting those groups.

The volunteers were very busy over the next few days, and by the end of the
first week nearly 60% of those contributing to the United Way through
payroll deduction, including nearly everyone who worked in my building, had
gone to the district office and demanded their deductions be ended.  I
don't know for sure how much money that meant to the United Way, but I was
certain they would feel the pinch and get the message this was serious.

In order not to harm other organizations we supported, we were going to
compensate them for any lost revenues by donating to them directly, thus
bypassing the United Way.  We would also inform them this was only
temporary remedy and these contributions might also be cut off, depending
on the United Way's final stance on this issue.  We hoped this might also
get them to pressure the United Way to act against the Scouts, in order to
protect their own share of the pot.  Only time would tell if we would be
effective at influencing the Scouts' ban on gays, but we did feel we had
made a pretty good start in that direction.



Castaway Hotel -- Grand Reopening -- Book 4 by BW
Copyright 2009 by billwstories
Chapter 22 -- Inroads To the Future.

Although my boys had hoped to get an additional day or two off from their
studies, the tutors showed up at the house the next day and began giving
instruction.  They helped the boys in the subjects they were certified in
and made certain each of my sons understood the material being covered in
their classrooms while they were out.  Even though my sons weren't overly
enthusiastic about this arrangement, they managed to pay attention and did
their required homework, which I took in to the high school the following
morning.  I felt everyone was making a legitimate effort and no one was
falling behind, so I determined I could separate myself from further
involvement with this situation.

The remainder of the week passed without incident and Saturday evening our
guests arrived at almost precisely 6 p.m.  They looked as happy to be with
us, as we were to host them, and I, for one, was looking forward to an
enjoyable evening and getting to know both of them better.  After I
introduced them to the boys they hadn't met yet, the older boys and I took
Jake and Shannon into the living room to chat for a while first.  We
figured they could get to know the younger boys better after we finished
discussing the more sensitive topics in private, so I sent my younger sons
off to play.

I wasn't sure if Jake and Shannon were ready to bare their souls in front
of everyone, so I asked them if they'd like to limit those present, but
they said they would be fine with all of us there.  Feeling more confident,
we sat down and exchanged the customary pleasantries, before Shannon's
father got down to the nitty gritty.

"I'm really glad you and your boys are okay with Shannon's being gay," he
announced.  "It's nice to know there are still a few open-minded people in
this world."

"It's not only that," Danny responded, while looking at Brandon for
support.  "Some of us are gay too.  Brandon and I both are and we're
boyfriends."

"I'm gay too," Trey added, not at all hesitant about making that fact
known.

"And I'm bi," Dustin chimed in.  "I went with a boy for quite a while, but
I'm going with a girl right now -- not that it makes any difference."

"Hey, I'm gay," Nick interjected, with a twinkle in his eye, and then he
winked at Shannon.  "In case you're interested," he added, which caused
Kevin to roll his eyes.  A couple of the other boys reached over and
punched Nick in the arm after his comment, as a way of letting him know
they thought it was inappropriate and tactless.

"And I think I'm gay too," Brent said shyly.  I think that was the first
time I had heard him admit it in front of the others.

"I'm not," Ricky said laughing, "but I'm still willing to mess around with
my brothers on occasion."

"And I'm gay too," Kevin told them.  Now they looked at Frankie, who was
the only one who hadn't spoken.

"I'm not," he said meekly, "and gays used to bother me before I came here
to live, but I know better now.  These guys have taught me that gays are
just normal guys with different tastes.  I don't judge people like I used
to, especially seeing I've got things in my past that I don't want them to
judge me on."  I just looked over at Frankie, and I think some of the
others did too, and once again considered how much he had changed and grown
since that first day Judge Shay brought him to our home and asked me to
take him in on a trial basis.  I was still thinking about it when Shannon's
father began to speak again.

"I wouldn't doubt that most people have things in their past they'd like to
hide," he told Frankie.  "I know Shannon and I both do.  You see, Shannon
came here to live with me after he started getting harassed at his old
school, after one of the boys he'd been experimenting with told some of his
friends about Shannon.  At the time, Shannon wasn't even sure he was gay,
but his mother was suspicious of him, especially since she was aware of my
background."

After hearing his comment, we all just stared at him, and I guess our
confusion was obvious in our expressions.  Noting this, Jake began to
explain.  "My wife divorced me after she discovered I was actually gay too.
I tried to hide it and pretended to be straight, but I guess our limited
sex life was her first clue.  I really wanted a son and that's the main
reason I got married in the first place, so it's needless to say I was
thrilled when Shannon was born."  He paused a moment and turned toward
Shannon, beaming like the proud father he was.

"I thought I'd successfully pulled off my deception for the first couple of
years," he eventually continued, "but it became much more difficult to keep
the ruse up.  I found it harder and harder to get myself aroused so I could
make love to her and neither of us was enjoying it.  I even ended up
messing around with a guy for a while too, and that's how my wife found
out."  He paused again, swallowed hard and reached out to touch his son's
knee before he continued.

"It happened like this.  My wife had gone out of town to visit her mother,
and took Shannon with her.  He was only three or four at the time.  Anyway,
while she was gone, I invited my friend over to our house, so we could have
some fun.  Unfortunately and unknown to me, her mother and she had a fight,
so my wife decided to come home a day early.  When she came through the
door, she caught this guy and me sitting in the living room and watching
television in just our boxers."

"But that's not enough to prove you're gay," Trey observed.  I don't think
he meant to make his comment aloud, but now that he had, Jake responded to
it.

"I know and I tried to play it down and make some stupid excuse for our
behavior, but she figured it out anyway.  She did that when she went
through the rest of the house and discovered only one bed was messed up and
unmade and all of our clothes were in our bedroom.  She kicked me out of
the house a few days later, after she went to see a lawyer and started the
divorce proceedings.  We have managed to remain friendly, although not
friends, and she did continue to let me see Shannon."

"I'm glad she did," Shannon interrupted, "because I don't know what I'd
have done if she hadn't.  You were the only one who understood what I was
going through and it was obvious she didn't want a fag of a son living with
her."

"I know and I feel really bad about that," Jake agreed, "but at least it
worked out in the end."  Shannon nodded in agreement, so Jake went back to
telling his story.

"Anyway, when Shannon started having problems and my ex began hearing the
accusations being made about him, she concluded Shannon was also gay and
didn't really want him around.  That's when she asked if I'd let him come
live with me and I jumped at the chance to get him back.  That was last
summer and Shannon and I were hoping we'd be able to make a fresh start for
him here."

"So, how did the scoutmaster and his son find out about him then?" I asked,
because I was still unable to piece together the final part of his story.

"I guess he found out from Shannon's old scoutmaster, at some kind of
meeting they both attended," Jake announced.  "It's my understanding that
when Shannon's old scoutmaster found out where this other guy was from, he
asked him if he knew Shannon.  When he said he did, the old scoutmaster
told him all about what happened at the other school.  The scoutmaster
never came to us, to ask us to confirm or deny what he'd heard.  Instead, I
learned he was working on having Shannon kicked out of Scouts, without
saying a word to us about it.  I found out from another guy I knew, but I
didn't say anything to Shannon, because I didn't want him to get all
worried about what might happen.  However, now I'm sorry I didn't give him
a warning about it.  If I had, he might not have accepted the scoutmaster's
jerk kid's offer for a ride and then got caught up in that situation."

"You can't blame yourself," I told him.  "If it hadn't happened like that,
he might have found a worse way to confront Shannon about it.  He might
have also been able to carry his plan out it in a more private setting,
where there wouldn't have been anyone around to come to Shannon's rescue.
In the long run, I think you're both fortunate it played out as it did."

"Yes, you're probably right about that," Jake admitted.  "It did end up
turning out fairly well, but only because your boys were there to come to
his aid and weren't shy about protecting him.  I don't even want to think
about what may have happened if your sons had not been around, because I'm
fairly certain Shannon would have suffered greatly at the hands of those
cowards.  I can't believe it took a whole group of them to confront one
boy."

"Isn't that the way it generally goes?" I asked.  "Quite often, those with
the biggest mouths, least brains and warped ideas are also generally
cowards and only attack when they have the numbers in their favor or some
other advantage."

"Yes, unfortunately that's true," Jake agreed.  "That's why I'm so glad
you're sons are as brave as they are."

I think his last comment both pleased and embarrassed my sons, but I know
we all agreed we were glad they had been in the vicinity when it went down.
I don't think they'll get any medals of valor or citations for bravery, but
in their hearts I know they are proud of what they accomplished.

We continued chatting until dinner was ready, and then we talked some more
while we ate.  We all got along really well and discovered we also had
quite a bit in common.  Not only were the boys and I becoming fond of
Shannon, but I found Jake's company very enjoyable too.  Although he wasn't
someone I'd have met through the normal course of my life, except if
Shannon had attended school in the district when he would have been in
Middle School, but I was glad we got this chance to know each other.  I
think we might even become friends, if given time.

After dinner, the boys took Shannon and showed him around, while Jake and I
sat down and talked some more, alone.  It was during this time that I
learned he worked for UPS and had transferred to our local branch after his
divorce.  It was about 20 miles away, but he decided to settle in our
community, because he thought it was more to his liking and offered more of
what he was looking for.

Once he'd finished telling me about himself, I started filling him in on my
own background and how the boys came to live with me.  I explained briefly
about my life before the boys arrived and the death of my wife, before
giving him a sketch of the rest of my family.  He seemed sincerely
interested and listened intently, even asking questions when he wasn't
quite sure about what I was trying to say.

Our time together seemed to fly by quickly and we soon realized it was
getting quite late.  He thanked me for the wonderful evening and then
called for Shannon, so they could head home.  We told them both that they
were welcome to come back anytime and I followed that with an invitation
for another dinner with us.  The boys also told Shannon they'd like to get
together on weekends, whenever it was possible, so they could do other
things together and get to know each other better.  I think both Jake and
Shannon were pleased by everything they'd heard.

As they were leaving, I saw each of them look back several times, with
broad smiles plastered across their faces, which made me feel we'd be
seeing more of them in the future.  After they drove off, I chased the boys
upstairs to clean up and get ready for bed, as we were still going to
attend church in the morning.  That's when it came to me that I wished I'd
thought about that sooner, so I could have invited Jake and Shannon to join
us.  I'm not sure what faith they belong to, if any, but they might have
been happy to join us and felt more secure in being part of a much larger
crowd.

Sunday we went to church and then out to brunch, but it was a very laid
back day.  Other than having a few people at church come up to me and tell
me they supported what I was doing and then going home to find a couple of
messages on the answering machine threatening us for the same reasons,
nothing else happened.  I did report those messages, just in case something
developed from it, but in the age of caller ID, people tend to be more
careful about making such traceable threats.  In fact, the police
discovered both calls had been made from pay phones, on opposite sides of
town, so they couldn't be tied back to the callers.  I was actually
surprised to discover that such people were bright enough to think of such
trivial details.

On Monday, the last day of April, we got another surprise.  Dustin and
Frankie both got their final acceptances to college on the same day.  These
were both very late in coming, since most students received their notices
at the end of their junior year or beginning of their senior year, but both
of these boys had been very late in applying, but for different reasons.
Frankie had returned to our family too late to do anything sooner, and his
change in attitude and sudden rise in his maturity level had sent him
pursuing interests that none of us would have expected from him the first
time he was here.  Believe it or not, Frankie wanted to study criminal
justice, so he could seek out a career in law enforcement.

At first, some of the boys thought Frankie was joking, when he initially
disclosed this information to them.  Some of them even scoffed and laughed
at the idea and Frankie was slightly hurt by their antics.  Although he
told them he understood why they had reacted as they did to the idea of his
being a cop, he told them he was very serious about it.  He then went on to
explain his decision and fill them in about his reasons for wanting to do
this.

"You know, I kind of have two reasons for wanting to go into law
enforcement," he explained.  "One is obvious, to get the bad guys off the
street and stop them from doing rotten things to good people, like all of
you.  I'm well aware how bad some people can be and how important it is to
get to them and remove them from society, before they have an opportunity
to do serious harm.  At different times when I was in trouble, I met guys
who were really evil and did all sorts of bad things.  They liked doing
this stuff to other people because they got something for nothing, got even
with people they didn't like or because it wasn't as hard as working at a
job.  Heck, I even met some guys who did it just because they got their
jollies acting inhuman and inflicting pain."  He hesitated after he said
that, while he silently acknowledged those were the worst types.

"Most criminals enjoy what they do, and a lot of that has to do with
getting something for nothing or because it makes them feel important and
tough.  To me, it really only shows what creeps and low-lifes they actually
are.  Some of these hardcore criminals just seem destined to remain that
way forever and there's not much that can be done to change them.  It
doesn't matter how many times they get caught, how many chances they get or
what you do to try to change their behavior -- they just never change.
They're the ones you've got to lock up, the longer the better, so you can
protect everyone else from them.

"Regardless of how many guys are like that, there are other types too,
those who can actually change and turn their lives around.  Those are the
guys who get into trouble for various reasons, maybe because of a tough
break or a bad home life, but would reform if given the chance or if
someone taught them other ways to survive.  Those are the ones I hope to
help and they're the reason I want to go into law enforcement.  I want to
be able to help them change their lives around and become better people,
like Dad did for me.  If I had someone like Dad to teach me these things
earlier, someone who really cared about me and not what they could get from
me or what I could do for them, then I might never have got into trouble in
the first place and wouldn't have a juvenile record that will always be
there for people to find out about.  I hope it doesn't stop me from doing
this, because it's something I really want to do."

"I don't think it will," I told him, "as juvenile records are supposed to
be sealed and unable to be used against you, without a special court order.
Personally, I think you'll make a very fine and caring officer, and I'm
very proud of you."

"Thanks, Dad, but I just hope I can do even half as much as you've done for
us," he replied.  "I didn't realize how special you were until I was sent
away.  That's when I met a lot of different boys, some who will always be
in trouble, but there were also a bunch of other ones who just needed
someone to pay attention to them, tell them 'no' once in a while or who
would show them it's okay to be different and convince them they could do
something positive with their lives.  I think if they'd had someone who
believed in them and was willing to work with them, they would never have
gotten into trouble in the first place and the taxpayers wouldn't have had
to pay for their trials and time at the detention center.  That's when I
came to the conclusion that I'd blown it big time and never thought I'd get
another chance like this. It also helped me to decide I wanted to do this,
so I could help other kids turn their lives around too.  I'll probably be
asking you for a lot of advice when I get into it, Dad, because I'm really
going to try to make a difference."

We all agreed his intentions were honorable and he had made a fine
decision.  Although I was probably the only one he told when he began
applying to colleges with decent criminal justice departments, I was happy
to encourage him in this undertaking.  Now, we were all thrilled he'd been
accepted into his first choice and everyone was being extremely supportive
of his goals.

Dustin, on the other hand, was a slightly different story.  Dustin was an
above average student, but only because he worked so hard for his grades.
He was much happier working with his hands, instead of hitting the books,
so he really didn't intend on continuing his education.  He just wanted to
enroll in a heating, air conditioning and refrigeration program, because he
knew he could make enough money to live quite well and would be happy doing
it too.  After some lengthy discussions, I convinced him to change his
plans slightly and get a degree in business administration as well, so he
would some day be able to start his own business doing what he enjoyed.  He
finally agreed with me and applied to a few colleges, although it was
already quite late in the game.  If accepted, he would study business
administration during the school year and take HVAC courses at a trade
school during the summer.  He knew it would be more work that way, but he
also saw the benefits of being his own boss, after he learned the basics by
working for someone else.

Now, both boys were accepted and going off to different colleges.  They
would be the first of my new brood to set off on their own and I was proud
of each of them and told them so.  However, now we had other things to iron
out, like when they were expected to begin, how we would get them there and
what things they would need to take with them.  We knew they both had
enough money in their accounts to finance this endeavor, but there were
many smaller details we still had to work on before August.

I was bursting with pride, knowing how much they had already accomplished
and imagining how much more they could still achieve.  It's really a pity
their parents can't see how far they've come and discover what wonderful
young men they've turned out to be.

The following evening I received another phone call, but this one from the
school board president.  He called to tell me that when the suspensions
were up, the scoutmaster's son and the boys who joined him in their attempt
to attack Shannon were being expelled.  They were sending out letters to
notify them and their parents, so they wouldn't be returning to school.  I
thanked him for the information and told him I was glad they had decided to
give those that provoked the incident a harsher punishment.



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