Date: Fri, 15 Sep 2000 07:21:57 EDT
From: Bwstories8@aol.com
Subject: Son of a Preacher Man - chapter 4

Legal Notice:
The following story contains descriptions of graphic sexual acts.
The story is a work of fiction and has no basis in reality.

Don't read this story if:
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against violators.

I wish to extend my thank you to Ed for his editorial assistance with this
chapter.

If you have enjoyed reading this story, you will find other stories by me at
http://members.tripod.de/wolfslair, in the 'Other Stories' section.

E-mail responses to the stories, story suggestions, or other 'constructive'
comments or advice may be sent to: bwstories8@aol.com.

                  *    *     *     *     *     *     *     *

Son of a Preacher Man - by BW (Young-Friends).    Copyright 2000 by billwstories
Chapter 4 - Cast out of Eden.                     January 2000

When Ryan's parents got home, he raced out to meet them, barely letting
them get out of the car.  I just watched from the living room window,
figuring that I didn't want them to feel I was pressuring them into
accepting me.  I let Ryan do all the talking and he told me later what he
had said to them.

Ryan first told his parents about my dad's unexpected announcement and then
he told them that he didn't want to lose his best friend.  He told them
that I was inside the house and that I didn't want to leave either.  He
even mentioned to them about my offer of paying my own way.  His parents
looked down at him and said there were still a couple of weeks to talk
about this and they didn't have to decide everything tonight.  When they
came inside, they talked to me and told me that whatever was decided, they
couldn't or wouldn't do anything without my parents' consent.  They
suggested that I go home and discuss it with them before we went any
further.

Ryan and I helped them unload their car and then Ryan's dad gave me a ride
home.  Before I left the car, the two of us hugged each other and he
whispered in my ear that he would pray for us tonight.  I didn't think that
Ryan was an overtly religious person who said his prayers regularly.  I
guess everyone does, though, when the going gets rough.

I walked into the house and both of my parents turned to look at me.  I was
surprised that my father hadn't come over to Ryan's house to get me
earlier, but then I thought that he might not know precisely which house
was his.  I soon discovered that was not the reason.

"Have you controlled yourself enough to talk about this," my father began,
"because we do need to discuss this."

"Yes, I'm sorry for blowing up at you at the church, but I was just so
shocked."  Ryan had suggested that I try to take a more diplomatic tone, if
I hoped to convince them to let me stay with him.  "After all this time I
finally find a best friend and now you tell me that we're going to move and
that I'll have to leave him.  It's just not fair.  It's like I don't count.
I'm finally happy and now I've got to go back to being lonely again."

"You'll make new friends," my mom interjected.  "You're older now and
you've developed some people skills that will help you find a new
acquaintance."

"No, I won't.  The only reason I met Ryan is because we worked together and
he kept after me to be his friend.  I'm just too shy to do that on my own.
It's too hard for me to make friends, so I don't even try.  I want to stay
here and live with Ryan and his family."

"Dear, you're not even sure they'd agree to that and, besides, we want you
with us," my mother answered.

"They'll take me in, I know they will, and I'll keep working on the farm to
pay for my food and clothing.  Please, let me stay here for school and then
Ryan and I will come there next summer and check it out.  Please?  What do
you say?"

"I say absolutely not," my father barked back.  "You're our son and part of
this family.  You will come with us and that is final."

"But."

"No buts.  You will go with us and there will be no further discussion.  Do
I make myself clear?"

Clear enough that I ran to my room, slammed the door, and cried myself to
sleep.  A restful sleep it wasn't, as my dreams were filled with visions of
some god-awful town, filled with mean, vicious people.  I was so miserable
there that I was almost ready to end my own life.  I woke up the next
morning in a cold sweat and my bed sheets were drenched from an evening of
fitful slumber.  I didn't leave my room at all, not wanting to see my
parents, and about midday my mother tapped on the door. I didn't respond,
but she opened the door and came into my room.

"Are you okay, dear?" she asked timidly.

"No, I'm not, so just go away and leave me alone."

"I know you're upset, but you are too young to have a say in this matter.
Your father is a determined man and I don't think he'll discuss this
further."

"Fine.  I'm too young to decide, so I'll just run away."

"Please don't talk that way, dear.  You know you don't mean that."

"I do mean that.  I'm not leaving with you.  If I can't stay with Ryan's
family, then I'll just run away and live on my own, because I don't want to
live with you and Dad any more, either."

My mother just looked at me and started weeping.  I knew that I had gone
too far with what I said.  I walked over and put my arm around her, and I
kissed her on the cheek.  "I love you, Mom, it's just that I AM old enough
to have a say and you and Dad still treat me as if I'm a baby.  I may not
be an adult, but I'm not a little kid either.  I should be able to have
some say about my life and which direction it will go.  I'm sorry that I
hurt your feelings, but you've both hurt mine. I'm sorry...I've got to go
to the farm...I'm late already."

Having had my say, I got dressed and left the house.  When I got to the
farm, they were just coming in for the noon break.  My boss asked me what
happened and I told him that I hadn't felt well that morning, but I was
better now and ready to work.  He nodded and said to wait until they went
back out.  I saw Ryan waiting behind him and, when my boss went into the
house, Ryan ran over to me.

"What happened last night?"

"I had a fight with my parents.  My dad won't let me stay and I told my mom
that I'd just run away.  What did your parents say?"

"They said that you could stay there, as long as your parents agreed.  They
won't do it unless your parents say it's all right."

"Great.  Well, I guess I'm on my own then."

"No.  Then WE'RE on our own.  I'll run away with you."

"No.  I'm not going to ruin your life too.  You get along well with your
folks and I'm not going to be the one to come between you.  I have to do
this on my own."

"Zach, I love you and I don't want to be without you.  Whatever you do,
then I'm going to do it too."

Now I knew I was backed into a corner.  I wasn't going to estrange Ryan
from his family because mine was moving.  It looks like I'll just have to
give in to my parents and try to figure something else out later.  I didn't
want to upset Ryan before he finished his workday, so I decided I'd tell
him on the way home.  We went up to the loft and tried to take our minds
off my problem, but it just wasn't the same.  We went through the motions
of getting off, but there really wasn't any enjoyment in it.  We went back
down and finished the day and then we left before my father showed up to
give me a ride.

"Ryan, I have something to tell you, but I don't want you to be mad."  I
looked over at him and I could see a trace of fear in his eyes and
questions forming in his mind.  "I'm not going to cause problems in your
home too, and I know my dad won't give in.  I've decided to go with my
parents until I can find a way to get back to you.  It won't be permanent,
I promise, and I'll figure something out as quickly as I can.  At worst,
I'll leave and be on my own when I turn sixteen and then I'll come back to
be with you."

I hadn't dared look at Ryan after seeing his initial expression, afraid
that I wouldn't be able to find the courage to say what I had to say.  Now,
I looked at him, only to see tears streaming down his cheeks and his chest
heaving with the sobs he was trying to keep in.

"If you leave, then you won't come back.  You'll find somebody new and I
won't ever see you again.  I couldn't handle that.  I couldn't stand to be
apart from you.  If you won't stay here, then I'll come with you."

"Ryan, you know your parents won't agree to that, any more than mine would.
I WON'T find somebody new.  I don't WANT anybody new.  I'll try to get my
parents to let me come here to visit over Christmas vacation and again next
summer.  I'll get a job and buy my own plane tickets, so they can't refuse
or say there isn't enough money.  I won't give up on us, Ryan.  I just have
to go with my parents.  They aren't giving me a choice.  I'll talk to my
mom about my idea tonight and then I'll let HER talk to my dad.  She might
be able to convince him.  I'll tell you tomorrow what happens."

"Why don't you come over for a while before you go home?"

"I'd love to, but I want to go home and talk to my mom in private.  I know
my dad will still be at the church, cleaning up from yesterday, and then
she can talk to him after dinner.  This is just too important, Ryan, and I
have to go.  I'll see you tomorrow."  We hugged and then I had to pry
myself free from Ryan's grip, so I could walk home.  I planned my strategy
the whole way there.

When I got home, I discussed my plan with my mother.  I could tell that she
wasn't thrilled about it, but she said she'd talk it over with my father.
I think our little discussion in the morning, about me having some say
about what would happen to me, did the trick.  Now I just had to pray that
she could convince my father.

Dinner was very quiet.  Hardly anything was said.  When dinner concluded, I
went to my room and lay on my bed, waiting for the verdict.  A couple of
hours later, my mom knocked on my door and peeked her head into my room.

"Can we talk?"

"Sure," I said hoping that she brought good news.

"I presented your idea to your father and this is what we agreed to."  I
held my breath in anticipation of what my mother was going to tell me.
"Your father said that if you worked and bought your own ticket, you could
come back over Christmas break, from the day after Christmas until New
Year's Day."

I couldn't restrain myself.  I leapt from the bed, jumping around my room
in pure joy, and I picked my mother off the floor in a bear hug.  "What
about next summer?"

"Once again, you'll have to buy your own ticket, but if you can still work
on the farm and Mr. Johnson (my boss) or Ryan's parents will let you stay
with them, then your father will agree to it."  I hugged my mom again and
then ran downstairs to hug and thank my dad.  I apologized for my previous
outbursts and he told me that he understood.  After talking it over with my
mom, he realized that he needed to make this as easy on me as they could.
He hugged me this time, told me he loved me, and then kissed me on the
forehead.  That was the first kiss I could remember my father giving me
since I was a little boy.  It wasn't because he didn't love me, it was just
that my father had always been uncomfortable with contact with other males.
At least for the time being, his love for me overcame his fear.  I floated
up the stairs, wishing I could tell Ryan that instant, but I decided that
I'd leave for the farm early tomorrow, so I could share my good news with
him in person.

I slept well that night, making up for the poor night's sleep I endured the
previous evening, and I was at the farm half an hour earlier than normal.
Ryan showed up five or ten minutes later, waiting for my news.  I told Ryan
what my parents said and I saw him smile for the first time in two days.
It wasn't exactly what we wanted, but we knew not to push our luck.  At
least we wouldn't be totally separated.  That day our noon break was a lot
better and we literally floated through the second half of the day.

I went to Ryan's house after work, so we could see if his parents would let
me stay there when I came back to visit.  We had some private time alone in
Ryan's room while we waited for them to come home, and his father announced
that I'd be welcome there any time, as long as my parents agreed.  I called
my mom and asked her if I could spend the night, and she said yes.  I told
her that I'd be home early to change for work and that Ryan would let me
borrow something to wear tonight.  After dinner, Ryan and I raced upstairs,
goofed around for a while, and then we spent the night wrapped up in each
other's arms.  When the alarm went off the next morning, we were in the
best spirits we had been in since Sunday.

The rest of our time before I moved went quickly.  We worked on the farm
during the day and we spent time at each other's house at night and on the
weekends.  We had to be careful about what we did and where we did it, but
we stole as many passionate minutes together as possible.  On weekends at
my house, Ryan would help me pack and get ready to move.  When the day
finally arrived for us to leave, we could hardly speak to each other.  We
were both choked up, holding back our tears, and we just hugged each other,
not wanting to let go.  Finally we broke our embrace and I got into the car
beside my mom.

My dad drove the rental truck, loaded with our belongings, and Mom followed
him in the car.  The car was also filled with boxes and it was tough to see
anything, except out of the front windows.  It took us three days to get
there, so we spent two nights in motels.  The ride was kind of nice and it
was very pretty scenery.  In fact, when we finally reached Syracuse, I
thought that it looked a lot like the area where we used to live, only
there were a lot more people living there.  We went directly to the church
and met one of the deacons.  He took us across the street and gave us a
tour of the house that was provided by the church.  It was a fairly nice
house and pretty big.  My parents had a full bath in the master bedroom;
that meant the other bathroom was all mine.  I figured I'd probably be in
there a lot, since Ryan wasn't going to be around to help me take care of
my needs.

We spent the next few days unpacking and getting settled in.  Then we took
a tour of the surrounding cities, towns, and villages, getting a feel for
the area.  It didn't look bad, but I thought the people weren't really all
that friendly.  We browsed a bunch of stores, checked out a couple of
malls, and we ate at a few of the local restaurants.  I was beginning to
feel a little better about the move, although I still was torn about
leaving Ryan behind.

We'd been there a little over a week when my mom took me to the local
school to enroll me for classes.  We brought my old school records with us,
in a sealed envelope, and we filled out a few forms.  Then, one of the
secretaries gave us a tour of the building and pointed out the places that
I'd need to know.  It was a semi-modern school, unlike the depression-era
school I had attended back home, and I was giddy when I saw the computer
lab.  I hadn't been able to learn more than the basics back home, but the
secretary said there were open periods when we could use the computers and
they were also available after school.  Things kept looking better all the
time.  It would be perfect, if only Ryan was here.

Saturday morning we drove to visit my grandmother.  The trip took about an
hour and it was nice to see her again.  Dad was right, she didn't look well
at all and she was very feeble looking as she moved about the room.  Dad
told her that we'd be visiting her a lot, now that we were here, and he
told her to start making a list of the things she needed us to do, to help
out.  She thanked us and she seemed pleased that we'd be around to assist
her.  I've never spent much time with her before, because we lived so far
away, and it was sort of nice that I'd finally get to know her better.  We
got home late that night and all I could think about was that summer was
coming to an end.  Next Tuesday I would have to go to school for an
orientation with the other new kids, and then classes started on Wednesday.
I looked forward to it, with some minor trepidation, wondering if I would
be able to find any new friends at all.

I spent Sunday afternoon writing Ryan a letter.  I told him what our new
home was like, about the area, about the school, and about visiting my
grandmother.  I told him that I'd already applied to a couple of places for
a job on the weekends, but I hadn't heard anything yet.  I told him not to
worry though, as I'd kept my last three paychecks from the farm, so I had
enough money for my plane ticket for Christmas.  I'd probably even get my
mom to take me to purchase it before Halloween.  I sent him all my love,
told him how much I missed him, and I told him that I'd see him at
Christmas.  I told him that I missed seeing him, I missed the sound of his
voice, and I missed being in his arms.  No matter what else happened, Ryan
was my soul mate and nothing would ever change that fact.  All I had to do
now was to survive until Christmas vacation.

I heard the phone ring downstairs and then I heard my mother answer it.
She called up to me and told me that I had a phone call.  I couldn't
imagine who would be calling me, though I hoped it might be Ryan, because I
didn't know anyone there.  I raced down the steps to take the call.

"Hello."

"Hello.  Am I speaking to Zechariah Handy?"

This bothered me.  Hardly anyone uses my proper name.  "Yes."

"Zechariah, this is Mr. Farrell.  I manage the grocery store on Main
Street.  I was wondering if you could come in to the store tomorrow
afternoon for an interview."

"Yes.  Yes, I could.  And would you please just call me Zach?"

"Certainly.  Well then, Zach, I'll see you tomorrow afternoon.  Good
night."

"Good night, sir."  I was ecstatic.  I was jumping up and down when my mom
entered the room and she asked me what was going on.  Excitedly, I told her
that I had an interview for a job at the grocery store and she hugged me.

"Good for you, Zach.  See, we told you it wouldn't be that bad here."

"I know, but this will give me the money to see Ryan over Christmas.  I
don't remember if I thanked you enough for talking Dad into letting me go
back to visit so, if I didn't, I am now.  I love you, Mom, and thanks for
everything."

I ran back up to my room and added another postscript on my letter to Ryan.
I sealed it, put a stamp on the envelope, and put it where it would be
mailed tomorrow.  When everything was in place, I looked toward heaven to
give a word of thanks.  Then I added, "God, I didn't mean it when I said I
thought that I hated you."

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If you have enjoyed reading this story, you will find other stories by me at
http://members.tripod.de/wolfslair, in the 'Other Stories' section.
E-mails may be sent to: bwstories8@aol.com.