Date: Tue, 31 Aug 2010 14:04:09 EDT
From: Bwstories8@aol.com
Subject: Castaway Hotel: Grand Reopening - Book 9, chapters 9 - 10

The Castaway Hotel: Grand Reopening --Book 9 - by BW
Copyright 2010 by billwstories
Chapter 9 -- September Memories.

As September rolled around, so did the school board election.  Our district
likes to hold the election at the beginning of the school year, when the
interest in the district seems to be the greatest.  This way, we can seat
the new board by the end of the month and then they'll be in place for the
rest of the school year.

The friends I had spoken to about the one board member had had recruited
their own candidate and he came with great credentials.  They decided to
oppose the current board members re-election because they were shocked at
the way he had reacted when the gay-straight alliance had first come up for
approval.  They concluded from his actions that he wasn't the type of
person they wanted in such a crucial position.  I had only spoken to them
one additional time, after our initial conversation, when they informed me
about the guy they wanted to run against him.  They also promised they'd do
all they could to make certain the current member was ousted.  They were
emphatic in their belief that he didn't have the appropriate attitude or
background to hold such a sensitive and influential position.

Before the election, another candidate also came forward and threw his name
into the hat as well, so now we had four people running to fill the two
seats.  There were two incumbents in the mix, along with these two
newcomers.  The other person that was currently serving on the board was a
female and had held the position for three terms, or six years, already.
She was very good at asking probing questions in private and came to the
meetings well prepared.  Her only concern was what was best for the
district and the students, so I hoped she'd retain her seat.

It looked as if this was going to be a hotly contested election and the two
debates held prior to the voting were extremely interesting and highly
enlightening.  The three other candidates had done very well and made the
other incumbent, the one that had given us so much trouble, look like an
ass.  They pinned him down about facts he was unsure about and details
about school policy that he didn't know.  In the end, it appeared as if
this man had only one topic in his repertoire, and that was attacking the
gay alliance, as he called it.  I thought he had pretty much sealed his own
fate during the debate, especially when he couldn't respond intelligently
to many of the questions put to him.

I was also fairly certain that his run in with the law wouldn't help his
re-election bid either.  The story about the incident at the dance had
become the next day's lead headline on the local page.  He spent the night
in jail because of his actions and was arraigned the following day.  He was
then released on bail, but he still had big legal problems ahead of him.  I
think his continuing legal woes could sway some voters, since they might
prefer someone that would be able to concentrate on school related issues
instead of being consumed with upcoming battles in court.  They might also
be against having someone serve on the school board that couldn't control
his temper.

On the day the votes were to be cast, the turnout was quite heavy for a
school board election.  I was glad to see it, because it meant we had
generated some interest this year, although I hoped it wasn't in support of
the old board member's stance on the gay-straight alliance.  If a lot of
these people were in his corner, then the club and I would be facing a lot
of heat to disband.  I'd know before long if this was the case, but it did
concern me, at least in the short term.

The voting was held in the conference room at the district office, so I
could see the people as they came in and recognized a good number of them.
That cheered me up a little, since I knew most of those I recognized to be
levelheaded, honest folks that were willing to look at issues in a rational
manner.  Many of them even knew some of my boys were gay and never seemed
to have a problem with it, so I was hoping this would work to our
advantage.

A television reporter from the local station was conducting an exit poll in
front of the building and was doing everything she could to get a scoop on
the local newspaper.  She would ask people if they'd mind sharing how they
voted, and many of them cooperated, so by noontime she had a fairly good
idea how things were going.  I decided to watch the noon news while eating
my lunch and learned she was predicting a tight three-way race and reported
the only candidate that seemed to be out of the running was my
arch-nemesis.  I wanted to do back-flips right then, if my aging body would
have allowed it, and I couldn't wait until the votes were verified.

The school board president had been watching the same broadcast and called
me immediately, so he could share the information personally.  He seemed a
bit disappointed that I had already seen it, because he wanted to be the
one to give me the good news.  He and I were both thrilled that we might
not have to prepare for further battles with this gentleman as a member of
the board.  We might still have to deal with him as a concerned taxpayer
and parent, because he did still have one child in school.  She was a sweet
young thing and a senior this year.  I sometimes wondered how she turned
out as well as she did, considering what her father was like.

Regardless of our optimism, we wouldn't know the actual results for a
couple more days.  The rough tally should be in by later tonight or early
tomorrow, so we should have a pretty good idea by then, but it looked as if
my sparring days with this jackass might be nearing an end.

I literally floated through the rest of the day and was in such a good mood
when I got home that everyone wanted to know what was up.  After I
explained the situation to them, the high school boys also became excited
and made comments like 'that's one less ass we'll have to worry about.'  I
told him his losing the election didn't mean it would be the last we'd hear
from him, because knowing his type, he'd still be out there swinging for
the fences and trying to get things to go his way.

I believe that night I slept about as well as I had in months.  It was
almost as if this huge burden had been lifted from my shoulders and I was
able to walk upright again.  Although I knew, as I told the boys, this guy
would probably still try to cause problems with the gay-straight alliance,
I felt his arrest and the elections results may bring him crashing back to
earth.  I just hoped this is what would actually happen.

I woke up the next morning refreshed and rearing to go.  I reached my
office and my secretary greeted me with a smile, before explaining she had
placed the unofficial results of the election on my desk.  I thanked her
and then hurried in to see them, hoping they'd turned out as I'd hoped.  As
I scanned the sheet containing the numbers, my eyes grew wide.  The board
member that had been a thorn in my side hadn't been defeated -- he had been
totally destroyed.  I could hardly believe the information that was on the
paper.  He had not only received the lowest vote tally of the four people
running, but he had also received less than three percent of the total
votes.  I couldn't help but shout, "All right!"

When I looked up, my secretary was standing in the doorway, with a huge
grin on her face.  "I thought you'd be pleased to see that," she commented.
"Even a recount won't save him now."

I nodded in agreement.  She was right, even being unofficial, there was no
chance he would be back in an official capacity.  The winning candidates
had just under forty- three and thirty-seven percent of the vote,
respectively, with the other incumbent receiving the largest vote total.
Even the other loser had received just under eighteen percent of the vote,
so the pain in my ass came in a very distant fourth in a four horse race.

I immediately got on the phone and dialed the board president, so I could
share the news with him.  He seemed as happy as I was about it, although he
also cautioned me it was probably not the last we were going to see of this
guy.  I agreed with him, but pointed out it wouldn't be as bad to deal with
in the future, since he wouldn't carry any official weight, as he had in
the past.  The board president concurred and then we both went on with the
rest of our day.

By the time I got home that evening, I was nearly bouncing off the walls,
but they already knew why.  They had either heard the numbers for the
election results at school or saw them on the early news.  I did call my
friends that had recruited the new board member to congratulate them and
then I placed calls to the two people that had been elected, so I could
congratulate them personally.  Now, I could focus my attention on the next
event on our calendar, Andrew's birthday.

Andrew's birthday fell on a Sunday this year, so I had arranged to have his
party at that time.  Since Jesse was also aware that Andrew's birthday was
coming up, because Sammy had clued him in about it, he insisted he wanted
to help me get things ready.  I told him that would be fine and then gave
my 'assistant' the task of deciding what we were going to buy for Andrew
for his special day.

Jesse accepted and discharged his duty with great zest, while keeping it
totally secret from Andrew.  He asked the others if Andrew had mentioned
any things he wanted and jotted their suggestions down.  He then added some
of the things they'd mentioned to the list of ideas he had about what
Andrew might like, and then came to me with the composite list.  Jesse then
accompanied me when I went to pick everything out, because he wanted to be
certain it was exactly what Andrew wanted.  We even spent a long time in
the card aisle, as Jesse read through the numerous birthday greetings until
he found the one he thought best indicated how he felt.  I was impressed by
the lengths he had gone before choosing his card, so I made a point to
praise his efforts.

Of course, we'd be having another cookout and the extended family would be
invited, but somehow I knew the day wouldn't revolve solely around Andrew.
A great deal of attention would be focused on Jesse, as well, since he had
been involved in nearly every detail of the planning.  Not only had he
helped with the presents, Jesse had also played a very substantial role in
nearly everything that was done.  He picked out what type of cake we would
have and then explained to the decorator how he wanted it to look, before
selecting which ice cream flavors would be served.  He even chose the
decorative plates and napkins we'd use, so they'd all tie in together with
the theme he had in mind.  I had very little to do, except drive him
around.

When the big day came around, Jesse took Andrew out for a bike ride after
we got home from church, so the rest of us could get things set up.  We
were certain Andrew knew we were having a party for him, so it wouldn't
come as a surprise in that regard, but Jesse didn't want him to see what we
were doing.  I thought that was a nice touch.

While that pair was gone, the rest of us got everything ready and the
guests started to arrive.  By the time the boys returned, nearly everyone
was here, so we all came out front and wished him a 'Happy Birthday,'
before he and Jesse went inside to clean up and change.  When they came
back out to join us, everything was ready and Andrew's eyes began to
sparkle.  The plates and napkins on the table had 'Tour de France' scenes
on them and then Jesse went on to tell Andrew some of the differences he
had insisted on for the meal.

Instead of hot dogs and hamburgers, we were having cheese-brats and
hamburgers.  We were still having steak, but instead of BBQ-chicken, Jesse
had insisted we marinate the chicken in the red sweet and sour sauce that
Andrew liked so much, whenever we ate Chinese.  Instead of having our
normal potato salad, Jesse had asked us to switch to a Southern potato
salad, which used more eggs and had a totally different taste.  He also
asked us to make a salad consisting of cherry-jell-o and whipped cream,
which he knew Andrew also liked.  All in all, the menu consisted of only
items that Andrew enjoyed, but it was a nice changeup for the rest of us
too.

When it came time for us to have cake and ice cream, Jake brought the cake
out and Andrew saw it for the first time.  Not only did it have the typical
birthday greeting, it featured two boys riding bicycles, with big-bro
written under the larger figure.  Andrew just grinned and then hugged Jesse
in appreciation, when I explained nearly all of this had been Jesse's
ideas.

For ice cream, Jesse had selected black cherry, chocolate chip and Dutch
apple ice cream, but I also saw to it that we had the typical vanilla,
chocolate and strawberry, in case someone would prefer those instead.
Andrew thought it was great and couldn't figure out how Jesse knew he liked
all of those flavors, since he'd never had any of them since Jesse had been
around.  That's when Jesse told him he found out by asking the others, and
Andrew began to realize how much effort Jesse had gone to, in order to make
sure this day was special.

When it came time for Andrew to open his presents, he got several new
articles of clothing, many of which Jesse had personally picked out for
him.  His brothers also gave him some videos they knew he wanted and a few
other things, and then Jesse handed him a card, just from him.  When Andrew
opened it and began to read, I could tell he was trying very hard not to
become too emotional, but it became a real struggle for him.  I had seen
the card in advance and knew what it said, so I understood what he was
going through.  It was a semi-humorous card that went like this, and each
phrase had a picture that corresponded with it.


Some guys end up with brothers that pick on them...

Others have brothers that aren't much fun...

Some have brothers that would rather be with their friends...

While others have brothers they wish they could trade in...

I was lucky, because I have a brother who is also my best friend...

So I wanted to wish him Happy Birthday on his very special day...

And thank him for being him.


Jesse had signed it, 'To my big brother and best friend, with all my love.
Jesse'

If Andrew didn't cry when he read it, I'm certain some of the others did
when he passed it around for them to see.

Once Andrew thanked Jesse and gave him a very special hug, Jesse went
rushing inside to get Andrew's final gift and came back pushing a bike.
Andrew thought it was Jesse's bike and figured he just wanted to go out for
another ride, but then Jesse explained it was a new bike for him.  It was
exactly like the one we had picked out for Jesse's birthday, only it was a
size larger, and then Jesse went to get his bike, so Andrew could see them
standing side by side.

After Andrew thanked all of us for his gifts, I explained to him that Jesse
had done most of the work, so Andrew thanked him again.  In fact, after the
others left, not only did Andrew thank him again in the privacy of their
bedroom, but Jesse also gave him another special present, one he knew
Andrew would love.

Even though I didn't suspect either boy was truly gay, what they did that
night would have put real gay lovers to shame.  I heard from Andrew later,
as he told me about that night, and I must say I was impressed.  During one
of our many trips, Jesse had me buy one of those air fresheners that you
plug in, so he'd have it for this purpose.  I believe he chose the vanilla
scent, but he also had me pick up a special candle, which he lit and placed
on the nightstand.  That's all the light they had in the room, as they
undressed each other, slowly kissing each area as it was exposed.  Once
they were totally naked, the boys hoped into bed and cuddled.  They just
held each other for quite awhile, enjoying the soft touch and his delicate
fragrance, which was a combination of boy, soap and shampoo.

Once they had held each other for several minutes and their souls had
essentially combined as one, they slowly moved around until they were in
position to sixty-nine.  Gently and lovingly, they took a hold of the part
that made the other boy male and tenderly suckled on it, as a newborn would
nurse at the breast of its mother.  After more time elapsed, they
eventually brought each other to their own dry, yet totally satisfying,
orgasm.  Once they had both experienced this wonderful release, they
cuddled against each other again, with arms and legs draped over and about
their best friend and brother.  Gradually, they drifted off, into a
pleasant and restful slumber, while Morpheus helped them relive those
glorious moments.

When Jake and I went to bed, I explained to Jake how impressed I had been
with everything Jesse had done.  Seeing how important doing this was for
Jesse, I realized those two would be close forever.  They may not end up as
lovers, but they will always be brothers and best friends, I had no doubt
about that.  This also made me realize it was also time to talk to Jesse,
to see what his thoughts were concerning his mother.  I wanted to get a
feel as to whether he might prefer to go back and live with her or if he
wanted me to adopt him.

Over the next two days, the boys went out at least once a day for a bike
ride, and Sammy and Little Ricky often accompanied them.  Graham and Dion
weren't really into the bike riding, but would go out with them from time
to time, depending on what else was happening at the moment.  Dion and
Graham almost always went out when Jake and I got roped in to joining
Andrew and Jesse and it was nice to see all of the boys were bonding
through this activity.

At the end of the week I received another email from Frankie and this one
left me trying to figure out what he was alluding to, because it was just
as cryptic as the one before.  This is what he said.


Hey, Dad.

What's up?  I hope you guys are having a better time at home than I'm
having here.  I'm really wondering if I did the right thing by enlisting
and I sometimes have trouble seeing how this is going to help me get a job
in law enforcement.  I don't believe the things I'm learning here will have
much relevance or use once I get back and I'm not sure if my superiors are
even going to leave me in this position for much longer.  I may end up
getting transferred to an infantry unit or something, because I'm having a
hard time adjusting to what they want me to do.

Dad, I've seen some things here that are hard to describe.  I've also been
asked to do some stuff that I've had trouble forcing myself to do.  When
I'm asked to do those things, I think back to how you taught us to respect
ourselves and to respect others, and I don't feel we're making the world
better or safer by what we're doing here.  I'm sorry, Dad, but I think
living with you and my brothers has given me a different perspective than
some of the others have, and if this is the way it's also going to be when
I get home, I may have to choose a new career.

Sorry, I had to get that off my chest and now I want you to tell me what's
going on at home.  I think about you guys all the time and can't wait to
see you again.  How's Jesse doing?  Is he continuing to talk better and did
Andrew get the cast off yet?  How is everyone else?  Did they get the
gay-straight alliance started and, if so, how is it going?  How are you and
Uncle Jake doing?  I hope he's doing all right now and no one is sick or
anything.  Have you heard from our older brothers and sisters?  I hope
they've stopped being so selfish and have gotten in touch with you again.

Well, I'd better get going, but I want you to know that I love all of you,
but especially you, Dad.  I don't know how or what I'd be doing right now,
if I didn't think about what you'd do, if you were in my place.  I'll write
again soon.

Frank


As I said, Frankie's email was just as confusing as the one before.  What
was he talking about?  What did he mean when he said he's having a hard
time doing the things he's been asked to do and may get transferred to the
infantry?  What was he referring to when he was talking about me teaching
him respect for himself and others or about switching to a new career.
Damn, his email raised more questions than it answered again, but at least
I know he's well.

The next thing on our plate was the Homecoming football game.  The boys
were involved in getting a float ready for the parade and they wanted to
make sure it truly represented the gay-straight alliance.  They asked if
I'd pull it with the Yukon, and I told them I would, so they set out to put
their ideas together and design the float, with the assistance of the other
club members.

The homecoming game was going to be held on Saturday afternoon this year,
instead of Friday night.  The boys also had the concession stand to run and
worry about, as well as being included in all the other festivities.  Jake
and I volunteered to help them out with the concession stand, along with
Andrew, Jesse and a couple of the club members that weren't interested in
doing any of the other things.  The boys happily accepted our offer and
then spent their time pursuing other concerns.

When it came time to drive down and hook up their float to the Yukon, I was
quite impressed.  They had done a nice job with the float, but I hadn't
seen it until this moment.  All the work was done at the bus garage, and it
was also stored there, along with the floats from the other clubs.  Of
course, it had a rainbow above the gay-straight alliance name, but below
the rainbow it said, "Under the rainbow we are all equal."  I had never
heard it put this way before, but I thought it was very appropriate.  They
also had several other items on the float, which symbolized various aspects
of school life, but they were all tied together by the theme.

The parade wasn't going to be held until halftime, so we settled in to
watch the game first.  A few faculty members stayed at the bus garage, so
they could watch over the floats and insure no one tried to damage any of
them.  After some of the recent activities at school, we felt that would be
prudent.

Our school was actually leading by a touchdown at the half, but that was
probably to be expected, since the athletic director had picked one of our
weaker opponents for this event.  To kick off the celebration, an
announcement was made over the P.A.  system welcoming everyone, before
asking them to rise and participate in the singing of the alma mater.  Once
that was completed, the announcer asked all former athletes, cheerleaders
and graduates of our school system to rise.  This was done by calling each
group separately, such as the football players, soccer players, on down
through the various sports, until finally all the graduates were asked to
rise.  Some people had to stand numerous times, since they were members of
several different groups, but it was nice to be recognized once more by the
school system.

Once this was over, the floats were driven on to the track and pulled
around the oval that surrounded the football field.  I drove the Yukon
personally, since I didn't wan to chance one of the boys having a mishap,
and I was proud to be dragging the gay-straight alliance float behind me.
The entire event went off very well and with no problems, and then the
drivers took their floats back to the bus garage, before returning to watch
the rest of the game.

Before the game ended, an announcement was made welcoming everyone,
including former graduates, to attend the homecoming dance in the
gymnasium, which would be held a little later in the evening.  The
homecoming king and queen would be crowned at a point during the dance and
it was stated that everyone and their partners would be welcome, without
exception.  Hearing this made my boys feel fantastic, since it meant even
gay couples were welcome, and this dance wasn't even being sponsored by the
gay-straight alliance.

In the meantime, several other activities were planned for everyone to
enjoy and we took advantage of those too.  We did go home to eat after the
other activities ended and before the dance began, as did everyone else.
By the time we drove back down, there was already a fairly nice crowd and
it kept growing for another thirty minutes or more.  I actually did see
some girls dancing with each other and even a few guys dancing with other
guys, but I wasn't sure if they were actually partners or just doing it as
a joke.

Jake and I took the two little ones home with us, shortly after the king
and queen were crowned, but the other boys stayed behind.  It was a pretty
typical homecoming event, except for the fact that same sex couples were
encouraged to participate this year, as opposed to the past.  Everyone
seemed to be having a great time and I never heard any negative comments.
In fact, there were absolutely no incidents even remotely similar to what
had happened at the previous dance.



The Castaway Hotel: Grand Reopening --Book 9 - by BW
Copyright 2010 by billwstories
Chapter 10 -- One Strange Board Meeting.

Since I had my suspicions that the board member who had been arrested at
the dance and just lost his bid for re-election would show up at the next
board meeting to carry on his battle, I intended to be prepared.  I spent a
good share of the day doing research and jotting down notes containing
facts, figures and other information I thought I would need to refute his
claims and expose his self-righteous agenda.  By the time I left work, I
felt I was sufficiently prepared to tear apart any argument or
justification he might present.

By the time I got home, Jake and the boys could tell I was in one of my
heightened states and worked up for a good battle.  They had seen me this
way before, and since they knew about the board meeting and what I
suspected was going to happen, they all wanted to go with me so they could
watch the fireworks.  Even though I appreciated their support, I told them
I'd rather not have them in the line of fire and wanted to take care of
this matter on my own.  I reminded them the board meetings were always
recorded and shown on the local access cable network at various times, so
they could view it the following evening.  Since they realized I was
unlikely to budge from my stance, they didn't argue, although they made
comments such as they'd prefer 'to see the bloodshed live and as it
happens.'  I wasn't sure if they were talking about his blood or mine, but
I didn't ask.

I got to the conference room, where the board meetings were held, rather
early, since I didn't want this confrontation to take place in the parking
lot.  I wanted it to happen where it would be recorded, so I could finish
exposing him to the entire community.  I laid out my papers on the table
where I normally sat and then greeted the others as they arrived.  I saw
the old board member strut in, followed by a small entourage of a half
dozen supporters, which included his wife and the parents of the boy that
had been the ringleader of the group that had harassed Sammy.  They all
glared at me when they came in and took their seats in the peanut gallery,
since he no longer had a claim to a seat with the rest of the board.

The meeting started out with the swearing in of the new board and a quick
vote to reaffirm the board's officers.  I was mildly surprised the old
board member didn't stand up and raise a ruckus then, but I guess since
he'd been defeated so soundly, he didn't feel he should do anything and
kept his seat.  You could sense how upset he was and note the hostility in
body language and posture as he sat in his chair, but he didn't say a word.
In fact, the meeting was going quite smoothly, but I realized this was
merely the calm before the storm.  However, the uneasy truce ended when we
got to new business.  Once the board had covered the topics on the agenda,
the board president asked if there was any other new business and the old
board member stood up and spoke.

"I have some new business, I'd like to bring up," the former board member
stated.  "I wish to address the inappropriateness of the activities
scheduled by the gay alliance club."  I noticed a couple of the other board
members roll their eyes when he made his announcement.

"If I may," I interrupted, "that's the gay-STRAIGHT alliance," I corrected,
with great emphasis on the use of the word straight.

"So you claim," he countered.  "I bet you thought working to get me voted
off the board would keep me from raising hell about this club, but you can
see your efforts didn't pay off."

"First of all, I had nothing to do with you losing the election," I told
him.  "You managed to do that on your own."

"Yeah, right," he sneered.

"Unfortunately for you, others in the community noted your actions and
chose to support other candidates, which cost you your seat up here," I
countered.

"I doubt your hands were clean on this, but anyway," he said, while facing
the other board members, "I see in September they've listed a panel
discussion about, and I quote, 'the intolerance and misinformation the club
was subjected to at the end of the previous school year.'  I think that, in
itself, is misleading and bias.  For those reasons alone, it should be
disallowed as a school sponsored activity."

"And why do you think that?" the board president followed.

"The officers of the club are planning to use that meeting to advance the
gay cause and indoctrinate others to embrace their lifestyle.  They don't
really want to hear any opposing views and will try to squash them.  It
will be a one-sided discussion, since those of us that disagree with them
won't be allowed to participate and share what we think."

"If I may, Mr. President," I responded, "I'd like to respond to his
comment."  The school board president nodded, so I continued.

"First of all, this is a student gathering and all students, regardless of
their viewpoint or sexual orientation, will be able to attend and state
their opinions.  The topic has been selected because of its timeliness and
relevance to the district and the discussion is meant to enlighten the
student body about what occurred last year."

"They will present the faggot arguments, excuse me, I mean gay arguments to
try to recruit others to their side" he said, correcting his obvious
bigoted remark.  "I doubt any of the students will feel brave enough to
speak their mind, since the ones running this club are your sons and have
your support.  Therefore, I think a parents' group should be allowed to
participate and present another viewpoint."

"Since this is a student function, not even the faculty will be
participating," I responded.  "Therefore, the involvement of a parent group
would be highly inappropriate."

"Why, because we may stop others from turning queer?" he challenged.

"No, because student activities, such as this, are limited to only student
participation," I explained.

"Look here," he challenged, "I represent a group of Christian, God-fearing
parents that are opposed to allowing your sons to use the school to recruit
more deviates."

"First of all, I'll reserve judgment on your description of your followers
and you," I stated, tongue-in-cheek, "but it couldn't be too large of a
following.  I have the figures from the recent election of board members
here, and out of the four candidates and the 3.648 ballots cast, where each
person casting a ballot could vote for any two candidates, you merely
received 196 votes.  Mary was re-elected with 3,127 votes, the new member
with 2.672 votes and the other losing candidate received 1.301 votes.
Seeing those glaring figures, I don't see your backers as being an
overwhelming segment of the population.  Not only that, but I object to
your comments about my family.  My sons are not the only members of this
club and only one of them holds an office.  The alliance has quite a large
membership and the majority of the members describe themselves as straight.
There is no recruiting going on, if that even was possible, just an honest
dialogue to clear up misunderstandings."

"So you claim, but the bible says being a homo is wrong," he spat back.

"You know, it seems that every time there is a sensitive issue being
debated, those opposing it try to use the Bible to support their position,"
I countered.  "Prior to the Civil War, those in favor of slavery attempted
to use the Bible to support their claim that slavery was a God given right.
They would quote a verse from Ephesians that says, 'Slaves, obey your
earthly masters with fear and trembling, with a sincere heart, as you would
Christ,' to support this ridiculous claim.

"When women were trying to gain the right to be allowed to vote, opponents
used verses in the Bible that stated 'men are head over their wives' and
'women should submit to their husbands' to deny them this right.  They
attempted to interpret these verses from Ephesians and Romans to mean that
men were superior and should be in charge of all decision-making processes,
so women shouldn't be granted such rights.  Are you saying you agree with
these claims?" I paused.

"What I believe is that the Bible is the word of God and should be
followed, without debate," he countered, "You can take that how you like
and I'm sure you will try to twist what I've said and make it look like I
support slavery and would deprive women of any rights."

"Well, would you?" I pressed.

"That's not what I said," he responded, somewhat annoyed.

"Actually, you haven't said anything about whether you agree with those
positions, so I'm trying to clarify your stance," I replied.

"That has nothing to do with what we're talking about here," he sneered.
Rather than push the issue, I moved on.

"So you believe the Bible should be taken literally and followed, without
question?"  I asked next.

"Yes, I, well I mean we, do!" he stated, adamantly, while motioning toward
the others with him.

"Let me clarify your position then, I continued, after luring him into my
trap.  "Since you feel the Bible must be obeyed without exception, then you
must also be following the dietary restrictions about not eating pork or
consuming anything that lives in the water and doesn't have fins or scales,
which means things like shrimp, crab and lobster.  Do you adhere to these
restrictions?"  He stood very still and didn't respond to this, so I
continued on.

"You must also donate ten percent of your income to the church, because
Leviticus also states that tithing is part of the law.  Since the Greek and
Hebrew words for tithe literally mean a tenth, I assume you must give a
tenth of your income to your church.  Do you?"  Surprisingly, he chose to
answer this question.

"We donate generously to the church," he answered.

"That is not what I asked," I challenged.  "Do you tithe ten percent of
your income, as required by the Bible?"  He didn't appear as if he wanted
to answer this, but I think he felt he had to now.

"We don't make a lot of money, so we can't afford to give that much," he
said dryly.

"But tithing, or giving a tenth of what you earn, is part of Biblical law.
If you believe in a literal interpretation of the Bible, don't you HAVE to
give the church ten percent?" I could see he was getting frustrated and had
nearly reached the breaking point.

"What does any of this have to do with anything?" he snapped.  "What we're
talking about is our concern that the homosexuals are using the school to
recruit new members.  None of what you have been mentioning has anything to
do with what they're doing."

"Ah, but what we were discussing is that you think homosexuality is wrong
because it says so in the Bible and you believe the Bible should be read
literally and adhered to," I stated.  "However, it seems you are willing to
pick and choose what parts of the Bible you want to follow verbatim and
what parts you'd rather ignore," I stated, much to his dismay and
disagreement.

"That's not what we're doing and it's not the same," he claimed.

"Why, because it would be an inconvenience for you to follow those other
precepts?" I asked.

"Times have changed and much of what you mentioned no longer applies," he
stated.

"Oh, so now you are saying the Bible is a living and flexible document that
can grow and be interpreted to fit the changing times?  Or can that only
happen when it's convenient for you, and others like you, but must be
strictly followed by those you oppose or when you say so?" The former board
member was now struggling to find words to express his position, so his
wife jumped to his defense.

"You're twisting everything he is saying and trying to make my husband look
bad," she screamed.  "He's a good decent man who just wants the rest of the
world to be morally responsible and not allow sin and debauchery."  Those
sitting around her were busy nodding their heads in agreement.

"So you're telling me you also agree with his attitudes and stance on these
issues?" I asked.

"Yes, because we follow the principals laid out in the Bible," she
announced defiantly.

"And are you also a literalist, when it comes to the scripture?" I
followed.

"That is correct.  I also believe in a strict interpretation of the word of
God," she agreed.

"So that means you agree with what I said earlier to your husband, about
the arguments that were used against giving women the right to vote?" I
continued.  "You actually believe 'a man should be head over his wife' and
'women should submit to their husbands' and obey their every ultimatum?" I
paused, to give her a chance to respond.

"Maybe not everything," she hedged.  "I mean, I'm his wife, not his
servant."

"But isn't that more or less what a literal interpretation of the Biblical
passages would make you?" I went on.  She looked a bit confused.

"How about when you menstruate, or have your monthly period?  Do you follow
the guidelines in Leviticus that forbids you to touch or be touched by your
husband, share a bed with him or allow him to even come into contact with
your clothing for seven days?  Do you leave your home and stay somewhere
else for a week when this happens, thus becoming 'set apart,' as it states
in the scriptures?"  Again, she looked baffled and didn't say anything.

"You have children, so did you follow those same rules for a seven-day
period following the birth of a son or for a two-week period after giving
birth of a daughter?" I continued.  "Those are the restrictions that
Leviticus states you must follow."  This time, she merely glared at me.

"That type of thinking is old fashion and a woman's monthly cycle is not
considered a curse or that she is untouchable any longer," she replied.
"And women don't stay in the hospital for a week or more after a baby is
born, as they did during my mother's and grandmother's time."

"So then you don't strictly follow biblical teachings, because they might
be old- fashion and outdated?" I clarified.

"In some cases, yes, like with the pork and seafood," she continued.  "I
believe those restrictions were there because many diseases could be picked
up by not preparing those items correctly.  However, we now know what to do
to prevent that, so it's no longer a concern."

"Ah, so we don't always have to follow every edict in the Bible," I
rephrased, "because times have changed and we know better about such things
now."  I think she realized where I was heading with this, so she didn't
answer.  However, her husband did.

"Well, no matter what you think about us or how you distort what we do or
say, it will be you, your sons and all the rest of the queers that are
going to end up in hell, not us," he shouted, figuring he had me this time.

"So there is a commandment against being gay?" I challenged.

"Not a commandment, but it does say that in the Bible," he answered.

"Ah, so even if you forgive preachers, Congressmen, Senators and even your
neighbors for breaking the commandment of not committing adultery and
making a mockery of their wedding vows," I pressed, "then they'll go to
hell too?"

"Not if they repent and not do it again," he replied.

"So you can break commandments and repent and still go to heaven, but a gay
person can't?  Now that's interesting," I scoffed.  "And you believe that
anyone who doesn't believe in the Bible and follow it literally, both the
Old and New Testaments, without question, will go to hell?" I challenged.

"Yes, Fags, Jews, Muslims and a whole bunch of others will all end up in
hell," he spat back.

"Interesting," I mused.  "So you're telling me no Jews will be in heaven?"
I pressed.

"None of them," he responded.

"That's odd.  You mean Moses, Elijah, King David, King Solomon, Samuel,
Daniel and the others that wrote the books of the Old Testament won't be
allowed into heaven?" I reasoned.

"Ah, well... they might be.  I think they're different," he mumbled.

"Why?  They were all Jews," I pointed out.

"But they lived before Jesus was born," he stated, trying to formulate an
acceptable reason for allowing this incongruity.

"Ah, so there will be some Jews in Heaven then?" I clarified.

"I suppose, but I'm not a bible scholar or anything like that, so I don't
claim to understand everything the Bible says," he stated.

"I see, and that's probably one of the few statements you've made that I
agree with," I taunted.  "However, even though you aren't a theologian and
don't have all the answers about Biblical meaning, you still feel competent
to interpret some parts of the Bible and use it to advance your personal
agenda."

"There you go again, twisting my words around," he whined.

"I don't think I've twisted anything, but merely used your own comments to
refute your claims," I countered.  "First you say that you believe
everything in the Bible should be obeyed, then you suddenly change your
position.  Then you tell me no Jews will be allowed into heaven, and then
you make exceptions.  You claim the Bible should be interpreted literally
and strictly obeyed, yet you and your wife don't and you've admitted
exceptions to the rule, such as if a person repents for breaking a
commandment -- one of God's ten most sacred laws.  You seem to be willing
to make an exception for everything, except for being gay!"

"You just did it again," he charged, but I think he said this so he could
avoid having to respond to my last point.

"I don't agree and think we've clarified your position and cleared the air
about a lot of things," I stated.  "However, your concerns have been noted,
but my decision that only students will be allowed at the panel discussion
stands."

"I figured you'd say that, but I have another objection, about something
else.  This one is about the activities the gay club has planned for
October," he continued, even though I felt he might drop all of his
concerns by this point, seeing he was already looking foolish.  However, I
guess he's a glutton for punishment.

"It states this club is proclaiming one week in October as 'coming out
week,' so other students can announce they are queer too.  They are also
planning to hold a Matthew Shepard memorial service.  What the hell for?
He didn't have anything to do with this school and didn't even live in this
state."

"Those activities have already been approved and the gay-straight alliance
didn't declare that week in October for coming out on their own, that's a
nationally recognized event.  As far as the Matthew Shepard memorial
service is concerned, he was a young man who was brutally killed for who he
was and the students wish to honor his sacrifice and memory.  I think it's
similar in many ways to the Christian tradition of honoring those who gave
their lives because of their beliefs and who they were."

"I can't believe you are saying that gay guy is anything like the Christian
saints," he yelled back.

"I didn't," I replied.  "I was merely drawing an analogy between the
memorial service the students have planned and how Christians honor, or
have honored, those who have died for what they were -- believers in
Christ."  I don't think he understood this comment any better than any of
the rest of this discussion, and you could tell that was so after listening
to his next statement.

"So what are you going to do about these things?" he asked.

"As I stated earlier," I reiterated, "these events have already been
approved, so nothing is going to be done to change them."

"Just as we thought," he spat back, "you aren't willing to listen to anyone
who has a different view on these things."

"We've listened," I explained, "and have spent many minutes while you
ranted on about these things, but listening doesn't mean we have to agree
or act upon what you've said."

"You'd be well advised to change your ways and fear the wrath of God, or
you will surely taste his judgment," he shouted.

"It's not God I fear, because I believe my God is loving and
compassionate," I answered.  "What I fear are those who think they speak
for God!"  This really angered him, so he urged the others to stand up and
storm out of the room in protest with him, but he did have one parting
shot.

"You may have your way here," he screamed back, "but I hope you enjoy
spending eternity in hell, because we won't be seeing any of you in
heaven."  The rest of us in the room merely, snickered or raised our
eyebrows at his final statement, because no one felt he had any chance of
making it into heaven, no matter have pious and devout he thought he was.

Once that group had exited the building, we finished up the rest of the
board business and adjourned.  On the way out, the board president stopped
me, to share his thoughts.

"Josh, I thought you handled that amazingly well and kept your cool," he
stated.  "Each time that guy shows up, he goes home looking like a bigger
fool than he did before.  I thought he'd give up after losing his bid to be
re-elected, but you certainly exposed him as a hypocrite this evening."

"Hey, what can I say?" I replied.  "It's not hard having a battle of wits
with an unarmed man."  This comment caused the board president to chuckle.

"I would have to agree with you on that and couldn't have put it better
myself," he stated, with a grin.

When I returned home, everyone wanted to know what had happened, but I
merely advised them to watch it tomorrow evening for themselves.  I didn't
want to rehash everything that had happened, because it was annoying and I
was exhausted.  It had been a long day so I went to bed, with Jake
following closely behind.