Date: Thu, 26 Aug 2010 14:37:36 EDT From: Bwstories8@aol.com Subject: The Castaway Hotel: Grand Reopening - Book 9, chapters 5 & 6 The Castaway Hotel: Grand Reopening --Book 9 - by BW Copyright 2010 by billwstories Chapter 5 -- The Vigil. When Saturday rolled around, I woke Jake and Shannon up, fixed the three of us breakfast and then drove everyone to the hospital. Jake checked in and then we went to radiology and waited until he was called for his CT scan. They did the regular scan first and then another with contrast, which meant they injected a radioactive dye into his bloodstream to make things stand out more, before running the scan again. Once Jake was finished, we went out to the waiting room and sat, while the doctor and the radiologist looked over the results. A little while later, Jake's doctor came out to speak with us. "I'm sorry, but I don't know this young man," the doctor began, since he was unsure if he should say anything in Shannon's presence. "Doctor, this is my son, Shannon," Jake stated, and then the doctor and Shannon shook hands. "Well, I have good news for you," he began. "The scan didn't reveal the cancer had spread and it looks as if it's localized on one side of your prostate. This means we can go in and remove it today, if you're up for that?" Jake nodded, although weakly, and then I asked a question. "How long will he have to stay here, after the surgery?" I wanted to know. "Since it will be almost noon before we're able to do this, I think it would be best if we keep him overnight," the doctor stated, "for observation." "So I'll be able to take him home in the morning?" I continued, before Shannon could jump in to the conversation. "As long as there are no complications," the doctor replied. Jake agreed to have the procedure done right away, after he asked Shannon and I if we concurred. The doctor had already reserved an operating room, just in case, so everything was set. All we had to do now was have Jake admitted as a patient, which meant there would be a bunch of paperwork to fill out. We all went to the admissions department, while the doctor called ahead to arrange things. Once we got there, we sat down and answered all of the questions the intake specialist asked and Jake was given a hospital I.D. bracelet. The process was tedious, although not painful, but we were all glad when it was over. Once that was completed, we had to wait about a half hour, before someone came to lead us to the surgical wing. We followed the orderly, as he led us down a maze of corridors, until he finally placed us in a small room. He gave Jake a hospital gown to put on, pointed out a locker where he could keep his personal belongings and told him he could change in the bathroom, if he wanted privacy. He then told Jake he was to wait on the gurney, but he could pull the sheet over him, until someone came to take him to the anesthesiologist. Jake did as he was instructed and Shannon and I sat and waited with him until he was wheeled away. As they started to leave, I reminded Jake that Shannon and I would stay and be here for him, once the surgery was completed. He only gave us a weak smile in reply, since the shot they gave him before administering the anesthesia was beginning to take effect, and then they disappeared. Shannon was a nervous wreck while we sat there and kept fidgeting in his chair. He couldn't get interested in the television program currently playing or in any of the magazines. He jumped every time someone entered the waiting area and it was apparent he was wound tighter than an expectant father. By the time the doctor came out later, I thought Shannon was about ready to implode. However, he saw the doctor as he approached and shouted out. "How is he?" The doctor merely grinned, before responding. I guess this wasn't the first impatient relative he'd had to deal with. "He's doing fine and the operation went extremely well," he stated. "I have no doubt we got all of the cancerous cells and he shouldn't have any further problems. Your father will get to recovery in just a few minutes and should do nicely, but I do want him to come in every six months for a follow-up exam for a while. I think it's best we monitor this closely, although I don't foresee and more problems." Shannon and I both breathed sighs of relief. "So he doesn't have any more cancer," Shannon pressed. "None that we found," the doctor responded. "When will he be able to go home?" I asked next. "Unless he suffers some sort of a setback tonight, which I doubt," the doctor answered, "he should be able to go home tomorrow, after I make my rounds." "Thank you, doctor, for everything," I told him. "By the way, did you go through his abdomen or the perineum?" "The abdomen," he replied. "I believed that would be less intrusive in this case and he'll only have a small scar." "How long before he can return to work then?" I followed. "I know Jake will want to know this information, as soon as he comes to." The doctor asked what type of work Jake did, before he answered, so I told him. "If he promises not to lift too much, I'll allow him to return to work on Monday," the doctor confirmed. "Will that be all right?" "I'm sure Jake will be satisfied," I agreed. "I think he was worried he might have to take an unpaid leave." "I doubt that will be necessary," the doctor assured us. "Is there anything else?" Neither of us seemed to have any more questions, so we thanked the doctor again and then he left. Shannon and I had to continue to wait where we were, until Jake was moved out of recovery and into a room. While we were waiting for this to happen, I turned and spoke to Shannon. "Are you okay?" I asked, seeing he still seemed to be trembling. "I think so," he responded, "it's just that I was sooooo scared. I was afraid I was going to lose him." "I know, so was I," I admitted, before reaching over and giving Shannon a hug. "I don't think that will happen now." "But will the cancer come back?" Shannon followed. "That's always a possibility," I admitted, "but the doctors are going to require your father to come in for regular checkups, every six months, to make sure that doesn't happen. They'll keep a close eye on him, and so will I, so you don't have to worry." "Thank you, Pop," Shannon replied. "I'm really glad he has you too." I continued to hold Shannon as we sat there and slowly began to feel the tension drain from his body. We continued to sit and wait and I had only just released my grip on him when he said he had to get up and go to the toilet. He hadn't been back for very long before a nurse came in and informed us they were ready to move Jake and we could come along. We followed her out into the hallway and then trailed behind as she and the orderly wheeled Jake to a room. We waited in the hallway until they got Jake situated and then we went in and sat down beside him. He was awake at this point, although still a little groggy. "How are you feeling?" Shannon asked, as soon as we were close enough for him to speak with his father. "Okay, just tired," he responded. "I can hardly keep my eyes open." "It's the anesthesia," I advised him. "Go to sleep and we'll wait until you feel better." "No, you two go home," Jake urged. "I'll probably sleep the rest of the day, so just come back in the morning." "No way!" Shannon exclaimed. "Shannon, what good are you going to do here, if I'm sleeping?" Jake asked. "I don't know," Shannon replied, "but I'm not leaving, unless they make me." "Don't be silly," Jake challenged. "Josh needs to go home and take care of the others, and you've been here long enough. Just go. I'll be all right." "Dad, I'm not leaving," Shannon insisted. "Pop can go home and take care of the others, but I'm staying here." Jake looked perturbed, but he didn't have the strength to continue to argue, so he just closed his eyes and fell asleep. "Go ahead, Pop," Shannon urged. "You can go home and take care of everyone else, but I'm staying put." "Let me run out and call them, to see how they're doing," I answered, "but I'm sure they can take care of themselves." Shannon nodded and I went to use the pay phone. The boys assured me everything was fine at home and told me to stay with Jake. I told them I'd call and order some pizzas and have them delivered and I'd also order one for Shannon and me. Since I was having two delivered at home, the pizza place agreed to deliver the third one to the hospital, as long as I promised to meet the driver in front of the lobby when he arrived. I went back to Jake's room and explained everything to Shannon and he seemed pleased I had ordered us something to eat. I told him we'd stay until visiting hours ended and then we'd go home. Reluctantly, he agreed. I was in the lobby several minutes before the delivery guy showed up, but I gave him a big thank you and a good tip for his effort. I had put the pizzas on my credit card, so I think he was happy and relieved that I remembered doing this for him. Once I took the pizza back to the room, I went to the vending machines and bought both of us something to drink. Then Shannon and I sat and ate, while watched Jake and occasionally glanced up at the television that was playing in the background. Jake slept most of the evening, as he had warned us, but that didn't seem to deter his son. Shannon never complained and continued to sit and watch over his father, until we heard the bell that announced visiting hours were ending. I drove Shannon home and the other boys greeted us as soon as they saw the Yukon pull in the driveway. They had many questions about how Jake was and how we were doing, and we answered each and every one of their queries. The boys seemed satisfied with the information and then I sent them all off to their rooms. I could see Shannon was still troubled and not himself, so I spoke to him, before he went upstairs. "Look, I know you're worried and I am too," I began, "so would you feel better if you slept with me, on your dad's side of the bed?" His face lit up, as he glanced over at me. "Yeah, Pop. I'd like that a lot," he confessed. "I was thinking about asking you if I could do that, because I didn't want to be alone tonight, but I was afraid you'd think I was just being a big wuss." "Shannon, you should know me better than that by now," I replied, "so go get ready and collect the things you need. You can meet me back here, as soon as you're ready. Okay?" "Yeah, that will work fine," he answered, before he raced up the stairs to his room. By the time he came down again, he had showered, brushed his teeth and slipped on some clean underwear. I suspect he was concerned about what I'd think if he came down nude. When I saw him standing in the doorway, I motioned for him to come on in, because I had finished getting ready myself. Shannon rushed to his father's side of the bed. "I sleep here, right?" he clarified. "Yes, sir. That's where your father sleeps," I confirmed. "What time are we going to the hospital tomorrow?" he wanted to know. "Well, I figured we could go there for a while in the morning, come back and pick everyone up for church and then go back once we bring everyone home after brunch," I suggested. "Uh, I'll just stay there and you can get the others and go to church," he countered. I merely looked at him and raised my eyebrows. "Shannon, by the morning you'll be able to see your father is doing fine," I stated, "and I think your dad will also tell you he wants you to go to church and get a bite to eat with us, before going back." "Why?" he wanted to know. "Going to church and saying prayers doesn't seem to help. We still lost Cody, didn't we?" "It doesn't mean you'll always get what you want," I advised him, "but neither does sitting there, when you can't do anything to help. I'll tell you what. I'll make a deal with you." Shannon looked at me skeptically. "We'll go early, see how your dad is doing and find out when he'll be released," I continued. "If he's doing well and will be released early, we'll just stay there and skip church. However, if he is doing well but won't be released until later, then you'll join us and we'll go back to pick him up afterward. Agreed?" "But what if he isn't doing well?" Shannon challenged. "I doubt that will be the case," I replied, "but if it is, then of course we'll stay there and won't leave him. Do we have a deal then?" Shannon thought about this for a couple more minutes, before he replied. "Do I have too?" he whined. "Look, I'm trying to meet you halfway," I explained, "instead of just telling you to do as I say. I think that's fair." Shannon thought about it some more. "Okay, as long as Dad tells me he wants me to do that too," he confirmed. Since I knew Jake would feel the same way I did, I saw no problem with meeting his demands. "It's settled then," I confirmed. Shannon and I then got into bed and I turned off my lamp. Before long I felt him scooting over closer to me. "Will you hold me?" he nearly begged. "I think I'll sleep better, if you do." "Of course," I agreed, before wrapping my arm around him and pulling him tightly against my side. Shannon seemed to breathe a sigh of relief as I did this and then I felt him relax and melt against my body. Who says a grown boy doesn't need a father's love and reassurance sometimes? I awoke fairly early the next morning and Shannon woke up shortly after I got out of bed. I guess he must have felt I was no longer cuddling with him and opened his eyes to look for me. "Pop, where are you?" he shouted. I peeked back into the room as I answered. "Shannon, I'm just in the kitchen fixing myself a quick breakfast," I told him. "Okay," he said, as he hopped out of bed and headed toward the bathroom. I couldn't help but notice his morning stiffy was leading the way. Once he relieved himself, Shannon sauntered in to the kitchen. "Would you like something to eat?" I asked. "I'll just have a bowl of cereal, but I can get it myself," he replied. "There's juice in the fridge too, so help yourself," I told him. While he was doing that, I fixed my toast and coffee and then sat down to join him. "Feeling better this morning?" I asked. "Yeah. I guess I'm not as worried about Dad as I was yesterday," he confessed. "I'm sure the hospital would have called if he got worse, so I'm doing fine." "I'm glad to hear that," I replied. "Dress for church, even if you don't end up going, and I'll go wake the others and get them started. I'm nearly ready myself." "Okay. I'll be ready in a jiffy," he agreed. After I woke the other boys, I told them to get ready for church and advised them I'd be back to pick them up after Shannon and I went to see Jake. They promised they'd be ready by the time I returned, so I kissed each of them on the forehead and went down and finished dressing. Once I was set, Shannon and I got in the Yukon and drove to the hospital. Jake was awake and eating breakfast when we entered and he looked really good. He was sitting up, alert and appeared well rested. "Good morning," I greeted him, as we entered. "You're looking well. How do you feel?" "A little sore, but not too bad," he explained. "I just want to thank both of you for being here with me yesterday." "Jake, since when do you have to thank us for wanting to be with someone we love and care about when he's in the hospital?" I asked, hypothetically. "Come on, do you think we'd let you be here all alone?" Shannon was flashing his father a dirty look. "Dad, you must still be high on the drugs or something," he teased. "So when can we spring you out of here?" "I asked that earlier and the nurses said the doctor won't make his rounds until after he takes his family to church," Jake answered. " I guess it will be some time after lunch then, if he agrees to let me go home." I saw Shannon grimace when he mentioned church. "That's interesting," I interjected. "I was telling Shannon earlier that we'd go to church and come back to get you afterward, unless you were getting released earlier." "That works for me," Jake shot back, before Shannon had a chance to insert his own two-cents into the conversation. He just groaned when he heard his father's reply. "In fact, if you see the oncologist in church, tell him to hurry over here, because I want to go home." Jake then chuckled at his own comment, while I was whispering to Shannon. "You did promise," I told him, so his father wouldn't hear. Shannon just gave me an icy glare, which told me he still wasn't happy with the compromise. We stayed with Jake a little longer and then I dragged Shannon out of there. Not physically, but he didn't hurry to keep up either. We went home and picked up the others next, before heading to our normal house of worship. The boys asked how Jake was doing as we drove there and I told them we should be bringing him home later. They were all glad to hear it and everyone's spirits seemed to be high, as we pulled in to the parking lot. The church service went fairly quickly and wasn't painful, even for Shannon. I did suggest the boys thank God for pulling Jake through his ordeal and I'm sure they complied. As soon as the service ended, we bolted out of there, grabbed a quick brunch and then dropped the others off at home, before Shannon and I returned to the hospital. The doctor was still in with Jake when we arrived. He greeted us as we entered. "I guess you're here to take him home," he added, after saying hello. "We were hoping that would be the case," I replied. "Yes, I'm releasing him," he confirmed. "He's done very well, so I see no need to keep him longer." I thought Shannon was going to run over and hug the doctor when he said this. "Great, and do we need to do anything special for him or does he have any restrictions," I pressed. The doctor then went on to tell us all we needed to know and then told me I could go down and get Jake's discharge papers, since he'd already called it in. So, without further delay, I went down and signed Jake out of the hospital and it wasn't long before we were taking him home. Jake was still a little tender and winced a bit as he climbed into the front seat. I told him he didn't have to use his seatbelt, since it would rub across his stitches, and explained I'd just drive very carefully and slow. I didn't want him to get hurt in an accident, on top of everything else. He thanked me for that, but I didn't breathe easy until after I pulled into our driveway and parked. Shannon quickly jumped out and helped his father get out of the Yukon, and then we walked on either side of Jake as we made our way to the house. Once we were inside, we waited on him hand and foot for the rest of the day, as we tried to hasten his recovery. I definitely think he knew he was loved. The Castaway Hotel: Grand Reopening --Book 9 - by BW Copyright 2010 by billwstories Chapter 6 -- A Mighty Full Plate. Surprisingly, Jake recovered quite rapidly and returned to work on Monday. His supervisor agreed to place him on light duty for a few days, even though he wasn't required to do so. I believe he agreed to this because Jake had proven his worth in the past and had previously bailed his supervisor out on several occasions. Jake had always made himself available when the company needed him, whether it was to do additional tasks, work extra hours or cover when someone else called in. Since his supervisor realized Jake was one of his best and most loyal workers, he didn't want to risk leaving a bad taste in Jake's mouth by not helping out when Jake needed it. The supervisor also understood that if he refused and made Jake go home, it would be without pay, since Jake had used up all of his time off already, and it might sour their working relationship. He reasoned that something like this might be enough to cause Jake to become a disgruntled employee or maybe even quit, so to prevent that from happening, he did Jake this small favor. Jake and I both appreciated it and Jake thanked him several times for his understanding and cooperation. Jake was a little tender that evening, after getting home from work. Although he only lifted light loads and spent most of his time processing paperwork, Jake still complained a bit about some minor pain where the incision had been made. I went and got him some pain relievers, to help ease his discomfort, and he began to feel better a short time later. The same thing happened over the next couple of nights as well, but other than that he was doing fine. That weekend, Jesse teased me to go out bike riding with Sammy, Little Ricky and him. Since Jake was still taking it easy after his operation, I asked if he minded if I did this. I explained that it seemed to mean a lot to Jesse, especially since he was forced to ride in the seat behind us on the bicycle outing on vacation. Jake didn't even allow me to finish the explanation, before he began urging me to go and have a good time. Unfortunately, Andrew wasn't able to join us, since the doctor hadn't released him for this activity yet, but it thrilled the other boys and we quickly retrieved our bikes and headed out. The three of them took me along basically the same route Jake and I had taken with them previously, which was a bit of a challenge. Even though they kept looking over their shoulders to see if I was keeping up, I held my own and we only stopped for a drink, shortly after we started back home. When we reached the house, Jake urged me to go take a nice long shower and then change, and he and the boys would have lunch ready by the time I got out. When I started to object to him doing this, he said he already had the grill fired up and the boys were doing most of the work. After reminding him that he needed to take it easy and not overdo it, he assured me he would and sent me off. I had to admit the hot shower felt wonderful and took some of the kinks out of the old muscles, and then I changed and went into the kitchen to see Jake. When I did, he told me to head out back, because the boys had almost everything out there already, so I started for the back door. As I was going through the rec room to get there, I suddenly saw several people jump out in front of me, as they shouted, "Happy Birthday!" I'll be damned! They managed to arrange a surprise party for me anyway and I never suspected a thing. Yes, it was a little over a week later, but so what. We had spent last weekend consumed with Jake's health issues and I certainly wouldn't have been able to enjoy it, if they did this then. However, now I was willing to enjoy myself, despite any misgivings I had about them doing this for me. As I looked about, I saw our extended family, as well as most of the boys that were still at home. Dion and Graham were missing, because they were outside watching over the food, but they wished me a happy birthday too, as I sat down at one of the picnic tables. I must admit, I wasn't expecting this and couldn't believe they managed to keep it a secret. Usually someone slips and says something, but not this time. I must say, it was wonderful to have everyone here, but the mention of my birthday only reminded me that my newest grandchild had most likely been born, but no one had called to tell me anything. This did dampen my spirit some, but everyone managed to keep me distracted, so I didn't have time to think about it until after the party had ended. I did remember to thank everyone before they left, but I was readily aware this was going to be a long and difficult night. Later, when we were alone, Jake wanted to know why I looked so down, so I explained what I was thinking. He tried his best to cheer me up and end my depression, but nothing he did worked. The only way I'd begin to feel better is after I learned the baby was born -- and then got to meet him or her. Since I doubted that was going to happen, I planned on burying myself in work, so I wouldn't think about it as much. School started the following week and the opening went very smoothly. It was somewhat surprising that it came off as flawlessly as it did, considering how my attention had been divided among so many other things. It is definitely a good thing that I have such a great support network and I'll make certain to reward them for their diligence and hard work as soon as I can. We do have a teachers' workday coming up in three weeks, when I planned to ask them for input on how things were going up to this point. I also had a speaker coming in to discuss some innovations I wanted to try to incorporate in the curriculum throughout the year, so I think I'll make sure we serve a very special luncheon that day. I have just the caterer in mind. Jesse had also met with the speech therapist that had evaluated him at the end of the previous school year. She was amazed at how well he was doing and how much progress he had made, so she felt he should continue to improve over the current academic year. Oh, and after I told her why Jesse had been doing so well, she made sure to catch Andrew one day and praise him for all the effort he had provided to his younger brother. Needless to say, Andrew was bursting his buttons by the time he got home that night and relayed what she'd said to Jake and me. He did ask us not to tell Jesse though, because he didn't want Jesse to think he was doing it just to get praised. Even though I told him I didn't think Jesse would look at it that way, Andrew still asked us to keep it from him, so we agreed. Wednesday, after I got home from work, I received a call from Robert. He just phoned to check in and see how things were going. I told him about Jake, but I could sense something else was on his mind. "I'm glad he's okay now," he stated, "but haven't you heard from anyone else?" I suspected he was asking if Marie had called to tell me about the baby yet. "Nope, no one else," I confirmed. "Damn, I'm sorry, Pop," he commiserated. "I just don't understand why Marie hasn't called you. I thought she might by now." "Why, did she have the baby?" I followed, since I was curious if he might know the answer to that question. "I don't know," he countered, "that's why I was hoping they might have called you. I haven't heard from her either." Well, that answered my question. "Hey, please let me know if you do," I added. "I really would like to know if I have a new grandson or granddaughter." "I will, Pop. I promise. I love you," he closed. Well, it was nice to hear from him and I appreciated his call, but I wish he'd had more information to share with me. Oh, well. I just wonder when I'll find out what Marie had, if I ever do. Yes, I'm sure I'll find out someday, but it's just that I have no idea when that will happen. On another front, I also received some news from Captain De Luca about Jesse's stepfather. He had received word that a couple of things had come up during the investigation and he wanted to share the information with me. Before he did that, however, he made me promise that I wouldn't share it with anyone else, well except for Jake. First of all, there had also been an allegation he had molested a thirteen- year old before he had met Jesse's mother. He was working as a corrections officer at the time, but was also working security, part-time, for a retail store. It seems the boy he stopped for shoplifting claimed John had fondled him, while frisking him for merchandise, which John vehemently denied. He claimed the boy had made that up, in an effort to get out of the shoplifting charge. Seeing the store had video surveillance of the boy that showed him picking up several items and stuffing them in his clothing, his claim didn't stick and he was arrested. The charge against John was dropped as unsubstantiated. Seeing they now had two reports of inappropriate sexual behavior with minors, the judge allowed them to unseal a juvenile offender file on him. The case happened a few months before John turned twenty-one and it seems he had been charged with sexually abusing two boys, ages seven and eight at the time. John did plead guilty to it when confronted, but his record was sealed, as long as he received psychiatric counseling, which was provided for by the county, and he didn't appear before the court with any other charges for a period of five years. Seeing he fulfilled those conditions, his record was unavailable for the earlier complaint, but he wasn't as fortunate this time. Captain De Luca then went on to tell me that the District Attorney was offering him a deal, if he pled guilty. Since the statute of limitations hadn't run out on the previous complaint, made by the teenager, the D.A. was willing to not pursue that matter, if he'd plead guilty to molesting Jesse. John would have to agree to serve a ten to fifteen year sentence in prison and not have any contact with anyone under the age of eighteen, but it was also pointed out to him that he could end up doing consecutive ten to fifteen year terms, if he wanted to push it and take it to trail. The D.A.'s office was hoping John's lawyer would convince him to take the deal, especially with his prior conviction and two subsequent incidents. Captain De Luca said he'd call me, as soon as he got any word, so now we'd just have to wait and hope. This would certainly be easier on Jesse, if he didn't have to testify and could just put this behind him. At school, the gay-straight alliance had its kick-off meeting, during the middle of the second week of school. The boys had made many posters publicizing this event and hung them around school, but this time the posters didn't get torn down. The club also posted messages on the website they had created for the club, plus they also had an announcement read over the P.A. system for the three days preceding the meeting. Oh, and I think I forgot to tell you something else that happed at the end of the last school year. There had been so much going on that I forgot to report who had been elected as officers for the club, so I shall correct that oversight now. The boys had a very difficult time deciding whom they wanted to run for president, and then they had to convince him to go through with it, after the fiasco with Sammy. They chose this person very carefully; because they were worried they might be setting him up as a new target. They even came to discuss their choice with Jake and me, before they reached an agreement. This is how that session went, when Nick and the others approached us. "Have you boys decided who is going to run for each office?" I asked. "I know you think one of you should run for president, since this club was your idea in the first place." "We have, but unfortunately Trey and I will be in college, so we can't do it," Nick replied. "Graham and Dion will be seniors next year, which led us to think maybe it should be one of them, but we're also worried people might give them shit, so we've thought about this a lot. Even though Dion and Trey were close and people always saw them together, we don't think it will be a problem. Trey will be at college, so we feel people will just think they hung around because they were brothers and not consider any other connection. Besides, Dion has had a few experiences with girls and word got around school about them before. It probably wouldn't have, but the girls all mentioned what a big dick he had, especially the one girl who wouldn't do it with him because of it, so we don't feel anyone will try to claim he's gay. That's why we've decided he would be the best choice to run for president." I then looked at Dion, who had a big smile on his face. I don't think it had anything to do with them wanting him to run for president, but because it had been pointed out that he was notorious for his physical assets. For that reason, I needed to see if he agreed with this proposal. "Dion, are you certain you want to do this?" I inquired. "Yes, I am," he stated, emphatically. "It's very important we get the club running and have the right activities from the start, so I'm willing to do it. Graham, Richard and Sammy have all agreed they'll help, but I'm the least likely to get crap from anyone at school. If anyone does say anything, I can just point out that I've been with my share of young ladies and they've more than spread the word around about it, if they still doubt me. I don't think the others would be able to do that, without having to prove themselves, like those guys tried to make Sammy do." "Okay, if you're positive," I concurred. "I must admit that I agree with your logic and it seems you boys have really thought this through. Do you know if anyone is going to run against you?" "Not that we've heard," he answered. "One of the lesbians that is very open about her sexuality has told us she'll run as vice-president and one of the straight girls is going to put her name in as secretary-treasurer. That's all we've heard about, but I'll let you know if that changes." I thanked them for the information and later learned that those three ran unopposed. In fact, a motion was made at their second organizational meeting and was passed unanimously, by those in attendance. Now, it was up to them to get the ball rolling. The boys informed me they had three things planned for the August/September time period, which I thought was a bit ambitious. However, after they explained it to me, I agreed it sounded good. First, they were planning to run the concession stand at the home football games, as a fund-raising project to help pay for some of the club's other activities. In our district, a group is selected to do this every year, so each interested party is asked to submit their proposal to the athletic department for consideration. They are required to list the items they plan to carry, the prices they would charge and specify the number of people who would be working at each game. Since the gay-straight alliance had signed up so many volunteers for this, and their offerings and prices seemed the most varied and reasonable, their proposal was selected as the best. Now, the concession stand was their baby for the season. Second, the club was going to sponsor a dance after the second home game. It would be held in the high school gymnasium and they would charge a small admittance fee, but then everyone would be free to dance with whomever they chose. This dance wasn't just going to be for the straight couples, as the other dances had been. The alliance was going to make it clear that if students couldn't accept that boys might be dancing with boys and girls might be dancing with other girls then they should not attend. The high school principal had also assured me, privately, that he, his vice-principal and several faculty members would be there to supervise the dance and see to it that no problems happened. I thanked him for his involvement and foresight and offered to join them for that purpose. The third thing they had planned was that they were going to make and enter a float in the homecoming parade. I told them these three activities were going to require a lot of planning and effort, but they assured me they had many other volunteers that were willing to help out, so they felt they were up to the challenge. After warning them, once again, how much energy would be needed, they convinced me this is what they wanted to do, so I gave them my blessings and support. I was hoping these activities would pass by quietly, but that was not to be. When the August school board meeting was held, my dear friend -- NOT -- was happy to complain about one of their scheduled activities. We were in the middle of new business when he asked if he could have the floor to bring up something that concerned him. Since the board president had no reason to refuse him, we all held our breath as he stood up to speak. "It has come to my attention that this gay alliance club is planning to hold a dance at the end of the month," he began. The board president and I both acknowledged this was correct. "I've also heard that it's been announced that the queers will be able to dance with other queers and if the straight kids don't like it, then they can just stay home. Is this true?" It was obvious he was directing the question to me, so I responded. "That is not the way things were stated," I began, "so please allow me to give you the facts." He merely sneered at my response. "Since the dance is sponsored by the gay-straight alliance," I continued, "it has been publicized that anyone may dance with whomever they choose. This was done to make everyone feel comfortable with enjoying the company of any partner, but it was stated in such a way so it was not an 'in your face' declaration or challenge." The board member went to speak, but I held up my hand to stop him. "Please let me continue," I urged him, and he reluctantly did. "This was also publicized to prevent problems and eliminate possible confrontations at the dance, if some students didn't agree with this idea. It was stated in a way to let everyone know this was going to be allowed and would definitely happen, so if any student felt uncomfortable being around such things, then it might be best if they skipped this particular dance. Everyone is welcome to attend and enjoy the dance, but only if they can accept the concept that everyone will have an equal right to dance with the partner of their choice." "Once again we're catering to the fags and lesbos, while punishing the straight kids for being normal," he spat out. "No one is being punished," I asserted. "All straight couples are welcome to attend, as long as they agree not to create a problem about free choice and free expression." "You're not giving the straight kids any 'free expression,' he mocked, thinking he had me. "Oh, they certainly do and they can express their disapproval by not attending," I offered. "No, we're discriminating against normal behavior and those who aren't queer," he sneered. "You know, I never heard you express concern about the discrimination that was happening to the gays, when they couldn't attend such events with their partners," I challenged. "Because friggin homos shouldn't have any rights," he screamed. "Oh, so now you're going to be the moral judge for who should and shouldn't have rights?" I pressed. "Aren't you doing the same thing?" he scoffed. "No, we're giving everyone the same rights and just letting those who disagree with uniform equality know that we won't tolerate disruptions of the peaceful expression of the same." "It's the same damn thing," he fumed, "'cept you keep wrapping it up in your highfalutin lingo, to make it sound like that's not what you're doing." "I'm sorry if you can't comprehend standard English and accept it for what it is," I taunted, "but we are following school policy and will not bow to the demands of a few, vocal bigots." At this point, he was fuming so badly that he could only stutter and not say anything coherent or recognizable. Seizing upon this opportunity, the school board president moved on to the next topic, but not before the idiot board member interrupted one more time. "When I get re-elected next month," he challenged, "you'll see from the number of votes I get that I'm not in the minority. There are many people out there that feel the same way I do." "I think you mean IF you get re-elected," I countered, "because I hear there is quite a ground swell of sentiment against your insulting tirades. In fact, this may be your final meeting as a member of the board." I saw the board president flinch and flash me a glare after I made this statement, so that was the last thing I said, before I took my seat. For the rest of the meeting, the board member merely glared at me, his face a deep crimson, his veins bulging and his contempt clearly evident. I kept my composure and ignored him, while silently praying my friends would get their candidate elected, so I didn't have to tolerate him any longer. When I returned home, Jake was waiting up for me and was feeling more than a little frisky. As soon as I got undressed and slid into bed, he made his intentions known. He quickly rolled over and planted a very passionate kiss on me and then began what I can only describe as his prelude to lovemaking. He was all over me and I was definitely aroused, but I was also a little concerned. "Jake, do you think you're really up for this already?" I asked, while thinking about the recent operation he had undergone. "I feel fine and have been waiting to do this for days," he signed. "Please, don't say no. I'm ready, willing and still able, so just enjoy." I felt he must know what he was talking about, so I gave up my objections and joined in. I don't remember Jake being this assertive and eager in quite awhile, so I wasn't sure if it was because he realized he had beaten the cancer, for now, or if he was just sexually starved. Either way, he wasn't about to be denied and I was more than happy to go along for the ride, so to speak. Over the next hour, Jake and I enjoyed each other thoroughly and were even more active than we were on the cruise. We were alone for most of that time and had renewed our commitment and gotten reacquainted, you might say, but this time our connection went even deeper. This was more than just making love. It was about wanting, needing, depending upon and loving the other person, more than anyone or anything else. My love for Jake was a romantic love, not the fatherly love I felt for my children or the love I shared with the extended family and a few dear friends. I was truly and hopelessly in love with him, even if it wasn't always apparent to the rest of the world, but I'm working on that. What a blissful night we spent, even after the lovemaking ended. I did check to make sure he wasn't in any pain or nothing bad had happened to him as a result of that session, but he seemed to be fine. In fact, we both were.