Date: Wed, 3 Feb 2010 23:01:38 EST From: Bwstories8@aol.com Subject: Castaway Hotel: Grand Reopening - book 4, chapters 21 - 22 Castaway Hotel -- Grand Reopening -- Book 4 by BW Copyright 2009 by billwstories Chapter 21 -- We all take a stand. **Author's Note:** Please read the disclaimer in Chapter 00 before you read this. When we got to the board meeting room, several people were already seated, including the scoutmaster and his son, whose nose was all taped up. Seeing them in attendance, I was glad the boys had talked me into letting them come along too. Those two did turn and glare at us as we entered, but I told the boys to ignore them and not look in their direction, as I didn't want to instigate another situation. They agreed and we sat and talked amongst ourselves while we waited. It was a pretty boring meeting, as the board members went through all the normal school business, and then the school board president looked directly at me and spoke. "The next item on the agenda is a request for a student to return to classes. Mr. Currie, I believe this is one of your sons and we do have some concerns we would like addressed before we make our decision. Let me begin by telling you how sorry we are about your son's accident and the medical problems he's suffered because of it." "Thank you, Madam President. I shall pass your message along to my son, and thank you," I told her. "You're welcome," she replied. "Now, here are some of our concerns. First, we are worried about the fact that the high school has two floors and your son will have to negotiate the stairs. We are also concerned about his passing through the crowded corridors, seeing there's a chance he might get knocked down and injured again." "Well, I do believe I have a solution for this. Pat has been working with tutors since he was first injured and one of those tutors has found someone who's willing to spend the school day with my son, help him get from class to class, through lunch and to and from the restroom. Pat has learned to do many things for himself, so he just needs someone to help him get from place to place or tell him where things are. As far as the crowded hallways, I figured he could avoid them by leaving class a few minutes early or waiting and arriving to the next class a few minutes late, whichever would be acceptable to that teacher." "Well, it sounds as if you've thought this through pretty thoroughly and have all the bases covered. What about his normal classroom tasks? How will he take notes, do homework and take tests?" "I felt we would have to discuss some of these issues with each teacher involved," I explained. "We were hoping most of his teachers would be willing to let him record his homework assignments on tape and give him oral exams. If not, his tutor would read the questions to Pat and then write down Pat's responses. During classes, we are going to have Pat record his notes on a battery-operated recorder. He would use a different tape for each class, to keep his notes from becoming confusing." "Again, you seemed to have already anticipated these problems," she observed. "Now I believe our only remaining concern is the issue of school liability. How liable would we be if your son should injure himself again, if we allowed him to return knowing about his condition?" "I have already talked to my lawyer about this," I informed her. "He is willing to draw up a document releasing you from all liability as a result of his blindness, and you would assume only the same liability you would with any student, mainly through negligence, neglect or lack of care." The board members took a moment to discuss things amongst themselves, before the board president turned to me again. "I think we have made our decision. Before Patrick can be reinstated, we will need you to bring us a release form from his doctor, stating there is no medical reason that would prevent him from returning to school with the proper assistance and you'll need to bring us the document your lawyer draws up absolving us from any additional liability, so the school's lawyer can study it. If he finds it acceptable, then your son will be allowed to return to school. You can work out the other details with the high school principal and his teachers." "Thank you, Madam President, from both my son and me," I told her. "He will be thrilled to hear he will be able to finish the year out with his brothers and friends." The board continued on with other business and we just continued to sit and listen to what was going on. Near the end of the meeting, one of the members made a brief and cryptic mention about the fight and then they quickly adjourned for a private session. When they returned, they announced they had approved the suspension of several students for fighting on school property. This was all that was officially said about the altercation, but I could see that the scoutmaster didn't think it was enough. When the board president opened the floor for comments, the scoutmaster leapt to his feet, to be the first to speak. He immediately began ranting about how his poor son had been treated and that he suffered a broken nose in the scuffle, and now they would be incurring hundreds of dollars in medical expenses, which he thought the instigators or their parents should have to pay for. He also suggested that those who started the fight should receive more than a week's suspension, possibly even be expelled. Once he'd finished, he turned and glared at us again, before smiling in our direction. It seemed as if he thought he had just won the war. I waited for him to sit down, before I attempted to stand and speak, but someone beat me to it. Before I had a chance to get up, someone else rose and addressed the board. "I agree with the previous speaker," the guy said, "but I think he has been slightly misinformed. The person that instigated this ruckus was his son." The scoutmaster, who had been grinning and pleased by this guy's support, now pivoted in his seat and scowled at the man who now had the floor. "From what my son has told me, it was his son who started harassing my son, setting him up for this abuse, and it was also his son who threw the first punch. Unfortunately for him, he didn't make it count and a group of brave young men helped to protect my son from that bully and his friends." By now, we all concluded this man must be Shannon's father. "My son is right here, to confirm what I've said, if you want to hear it firsthand." The board members were talking amongst themselves again and then one of them addressed Shannon's father. "Would you mind telling us what they were harassing your son about?" "I will be happy to come forward and tell you privately what it was about, but I don't think everyone here has to hear their bigoted comments." He was motioned forward, but before he got there the scoutmaster's son shouted out, "His son's a fag!" Shannon's father stopped in his tracks and turned toward the boy, giving him an icy stare. The scoutmaster had quickly elbowed his son in the ribs, just after he shouted out, realizing his outburst wouldn't benefit their case. His son groaned from the painful shot to his side and slumped against his father. Shannon's father just turned forward and began to speak again. "Well, I think that should be proof enough this bully was sexually harassing my son and I think we should honor his father's wishes and punish the instigator more severely than anyone else. It was his son who offered my son a ride home, but it was merely a ruse to lure my son to the parking lot, where his friends were waiting to do who knows what to him. If that other group of boys hadn't come along, I might be visiting my son in the intensive care unit of the hospital right now. The scoutmaster's son's actions were intentional, premeditated and discriminatory. I don't think you can let his actions slip unnoticed and I hope you will take a firm stand against what he attempted to do." After he finished his statement, he returned to his seat and put his arm around his son's shoulder. Now, it was my turn to speak. "From what I have learned from my sons, their stories support everything you were just told," I began. "In attempting to keep those boys from taunting and assaulting the last speaker's son, my sons were assaulted themselves. They were only defending the boy and themselves, even though they also know they broke rules in the process and are willing to take the suspension for fighting, even if their actions were warranted and justified. I don't think the district can let this slide, as this incident clearly falls within the guidelines of the sexual harassment policy, which this board has written and posted. I believe that under those guidelines, expulsion is called for, at least for the person organizing the attack." I sat back down and the board members started talking amongst themselves. At that moment the scoutmaster stood back up. "All my son was doing was informing the boy that he would be barred from participating in Scouting activities, as a gay lifestyle is completely contrary to Scouting principles," he stated, trying to stop the tide of momentum against them. "That's a lie!" someone shouted. Those words came from the back of the room and were definitely from a female speaker. We all turned in our seats to see who had said it and soon discovered it was one of the less popular cheerleaders, and her face was now beet- red. "They were calling him names and making fun of him, then they started pushing him around, asking him if he wanted to do things with them, and that's when the Curries showed up. They put an end to what those other guys were trying to do." "She's right," the girl next to her said, standing up to support her. "In fact, I heard them planning it in our last period class, so we followed them out to try to stop it. When we saw how many boys were ganging up on him, we were afraid to say anything by ourselves." She turned and looked at Shannon and his father. "I'm sorry. I probably should have gone to tell someone else instead, but I really thought at first we could talk them into leaving him alone." The girls sat back down and the board members started talking quietly as a group again. Eventually the board president stood up and made an announcement. "We will adjourn for another closed session, so we might decide what should be done with those who participated in this incident. We shall notify everyone involved in writing what punishments they will receive from this incident." "Excuse me, Madam President," I interrupted her, "but under the circumstances, I would also like to strongly urge the board to discuss what ties the school district should have with the Boy Scouts in the future. Seeing their policies run contrary to your own guidelines about tolerating persons of various religious, ethnic or sexual orientation, I personally believe the organization should no longer be allowed to use school facilities, promote their activities on school property, be allowed to wear their uniforms to school or in any way participate as a group at any school function. I also suggest we discontinue letting the United Way seek contributions from school employees or do fund raising on school grounds, as long as they continue to support the Boy Scouts financially. I think all ties to this organization and their bigoted policies should be eliminated." I sat down and several people started to applaud, which I suspect began with Shannon's father, and soon my boys joined in and about three-quarters of those in attendance were standing and clapping in support of my comments. The scoutmaster now looked as if he were ready to explode, as his face was bright red from the collar up, but he somehow managed to keep himself under control. "We won't act on any of those suggestions this evening, but we will take them under advisement and study them in the light of current school policies," the board president announced, "but if it should require a vote, it will be done at one of our future meetings." Shortly thereafter the meeting was adjourned. Before we got up to leave, however, Shannon and his father came forward to introduce themselves to my boys and me. "Hi, I'm Jake and I just wanted to thank you and your boys for what they did for my son. You sure have raised a fine group of young men. Shannon has briefly told me about your family." "Why, thank you, and I'm glad my boys did the right thing," I agreed, "even if it did get them suspended for a week. I remember Shannon from soccer season. He was quite good." "Your boys weren't slouches either," Jake chimed back. "Look, there just aren't words to express our gratitude for what you and your boys did for us today. I don't know how we'll ever pay you back." "Well, I can think of one way," I suggested. "Why don't you and your family join us for dinner Saturday evening, so we can get to know each other better? That would be payment enough for us." "We'd like that, but we will still owe you," Jake agreed. "There's only the two of us now, since I'm divorced from Shannon's mother and she lives in another state." "That's fine. Why don't you stop by about 6 or so, then we can get acquainted before we eat?" I added. "Sounds great, we'll see you then," Jake agreed, looking excited about the invitation. "Do you know where we live?" I asked and Shannon nodded in response. "Yeah, I know which house is yours," he said. "I'll give my dad the directions. Thanks, guys. I really appreciate your standing up for me like that." My boys all told him that 'it was nothing,' 'they enjoyed it' or 'anytime' before we parted. While we had been chatting, I had noticed the scoutmaster and his son walking along the far wall and heading for the exit as quickly as they could. On the way out I saw the two girls who had spoken in my sons' defense, so I stopped to congratulate them for the courage it took to do such a thing. They blushed when I did so. "We did it because it was the right thing to do and because Shannon and your sons have always been nice to us, even though we really aren't in the popular group at school. They always stopped people from picking on us too. If you didn't notice, I've always been a bit heavy and I get made fun of because of that. We just wanted to make sure they didn't take the blame for what those other jerks did." The boys all took this opportunity to thank them personally and I moved away to let them chat with each other. To occupy myself, I went up to speak with the members of the board who were still milling around the table at the front of the room. I reiterated my stance about what I'd said earlier and gave more detail about my reasons, since this conversation was being carried out in private. I told the various members present that I was going to do everything in my power to lobby against the Scouts now, at least until they moved into the twenty-first century and relinquished their antiquated and discriminatory views. A couple of the board members even told me they agreed with my stance, so I felt there might be enough support to keep the ball rolling. I bid them all good night and then took my sons home. On the way, we had quite an interesting conversation. "Man, Dad," Kevin began, "you and Shannon's dad were awesome. Did you see how red the scoutmaster got when you two were talking? Especially after you recommended throwing the Scouts out of the schools. That was pretty funny." "No way," Cole added, "the best part was when the scoutmaster elbowed his son after his stupid comment. I think he cracked his rib, to go along with the busted nose Frankie gave him." All the boys were laughing and getting into it now. "What do you think the board is going to do next?" Dustin asked. "Do you think he'll get expelled or will he just be suspended like us?" "There's no way I can speak with absolute certainty about that, but if they follow school policies, he should definitely get expelled. Seeing this is the test case in support of those policies, I don't see how they can do otherwise. If they don't take a strong stand now, they'll never be able to enforce it in the future and those policies will just end up as a bunch of words on a piece of paper." "I hope they do expel him," Brandon added, "especially after the things he said about Danny and me. I would have broken his nose too, if Frankie hadn't beaten me to it." He chuckled, and then Danny and he high-fived each other, before high-fiving Frankie too. By the time we arrived back home, Dion told me that I had received several phone calls and the messages were by the phone. He said most of them just wanted to tell me that they supported my suggestions at tonight's board meeting, so he and the younger boys wanted to know what went on there. I let the boys fill them in, while I checked to see if I should call any of those people back, but I determined the calls could wait for another time. I did make some phone calls however, but they were all to Pat's tutors. I felt I needed to ask them if they'd mind having several additions to their workload and explain the reasons why this was necessary. Most told me they had already learned about the fight from other sources and suspected the boys involved might get suspended. No one had any problems with the additional students, since it meant more money for them for making the same trip and adding only a slightly longer period of time to accommodate them. When I finally finished my phone calls, I told the boys to hit the showers, as they would still be studying tomorrow and I didn't want the tutors to have to put clothespins on their noses to survive. The boys all gave me the raspberries over that comment, to let me know that they didn't think they ever stunk, so I happily reminded them about a few times they had complained about each other. They laughed, gave in, and soon were getting ready for bed. The high schoolers came back to say good night and thank me once more for standing up for them and not adding my own punishment. That's when I advised them there are times when we have to stand up for our principles and defend those who find themselves outnumbered or are weaker than ourselves. I felt what they did was a combination of all of the above and I would always support them when they did what they thought was right. I went on to let them know I was proud of them too, regardless of the fact that the school did have to punish them because of their actions. I then explained the school district was obligated to enforce their no-fighting policy and I felt they'd feel just as obligated to expel the ringleader for the same reason. They all agreed that if that happened, it would all be worth it. The next day, I called the high school and asked the secretary if she would please ask my boys' teachers to send down their assignments for the week and if she could have someone collect their books from their lockers too. I told her I'd pick everything up after school this evening. She agreed to do this for me, and then she added she was proud of my boys and sorry they got suspended for what they had done. I told her I understood how school policies worked and that I've had to enforce a few I wished I didn't have to myself. I told her the boys wouldn't suffer irreparably from it and none of us were making too big a deal over it. We said our good-byes and then I went about the business of my school. At lunch, I called and spoke with the head of the local United Way and urged him to reconsider his organization's continued support of the Boy Scouts. We talked for several minutes and he indicated he doubted any changes would be made. That's when I informed him I was sorry to hear that and I'd have to publicly voice my opposition to his organization as a whole, urging everyone I knew or had contact with to stop donating another penny to them until they dropped the Scouts from their list or the Scouts dropped their policies against gays. He said he hoped it wouldn't come to that, as we had always worked well together and I had always been very involved in raising contributions for them. However, he agreed we would each have to do what we thought best. There were no harsh words and it didn't change our relationship, we just had different perspectives and agendas, as far as this issue was concerned. After school I stopped by to pick up my sons' things and nearly broke my back carrying everything from the office to the car. Each boy had a bag filled with his belongings, mainly textbooks and assignments, and each bag seemed to weigh a ton. I took them two at a time, but there were ten bags in all, so I ended up having to make five trips to the van. Unfortunately all the other students had left by the time I arrived, so there was no one there to recruit to help me. I swear by the time I loaded the last pair of bags into my vehicle, my arms were two inches longer than they had been when I started. When I got home, I made each of the boys go out and retrieve their own bag, since each was clearly labeled. As they were bringing everything into the house, I relaxed, since I felt my part of the job was done. That evening I received several more phone calls, but this time I got a chance to chat with each individual who called. I also phoned the people back from the previous evening, thanking for them their support on this issue. By the time I had finished my calls, I had a grassroots network started, which was intent on keeping the school district from supporting the Boy Scouts (and Cub Scouts) in any way. I also had another group that was dedicated to influencing the United Way to also change its policies concerning supporting those groups. The volunteers were very busy over the next few days, and by the end of the first week nearly 60% of those contributing to the United Way through payroll deduction, including nearly everyone who worked in my building, had gone to the district office and demanded their deductions be ended. I don't know for sure how much money that meant to the United Way, but I was certain they would feel the pinch and get the message this was serious. In order not to harm other organizations we supported, we were going to compensate them for any lost revenues by donating to them directly, thus bypassing the United Way. We would also inform them this was only temporary remedy and these contributions might also be cut off, depending on the United Way's final stance on this issue. We hoped this might also get them to pressure the United Way to act against the Scouts, in order to protect their own share of the pot. Only time would tell if we would be effective at influencing the Scouts' ban on gays, but we did feel we had made a pretty good start in that direction. Castaway Hotel -- Grand Reopening -- Book 4 by BW Copyright 2009 by billwstories Chapter 22 -- Inroads To the Future. Although my boys had hoped to get an additional day or two off from their studies, the tutors showed up at the house the next day and began giving instruction. They helped the boys in the subjects they were certified in and made certain each of my sons understood the material being covered in their classrooms while they were out. Even though my sons weren't overly enthusiastic about this arrangement, they managed to pay attention and did their required homework, which I took in to the high school the following morning. I felt everyone was making a legitimate effort and no one was falling behind, so I determined I could separate myself from further involvement with this situation. The remainder of the week passed without incident and Saturday evening our guests arrived at almost precisely 6 p.m. They looked as happy to be with us, as we were to host them, and I, for one, was looking forward to an enjoyable evening and getting to know both of them better. After I introduced them to the boys they hadn't met yet, the older boys and I took Jake and Shannon into the living room to chat for a while first. We figured they could get to know the younger boys better after we finished discussing the more sensitive topics in private, so I sent my younger sons off to play. I wasn't sure if Jake and Shannon were ready to bare their souls in front of everyone, so I asked them if they'd like to limit those present, but they said they would be fine with all of us there. Feeling more confident, we sat down and exchanged the customary pleasantries, before Shannon's father got down to the nitty gritty. "I'm really glad you and your boys are okay with Shannon's being gay," he announced. "It's nice to know there are still a few open-minded people in this world." "It's not only that," Danny responded, while looking at Brandon for support. "Some of us are gay too. Brandon and I both are and we're boyfriends." "I'm gay too," Trey added, not at all hesitant about making that fact known. "And I'm bi," Dustin chimed in. "I went with a boy for quite a while, but I'm going with a girl right now -- not that it makes any difference." "Hey, I'm gay," Nick interjected, with a twinkle in his eye, and then he winked at Shannon. "In case you're interested," he added, which caused Kevin to roll his eyes. A couple of the other boys reached over and punched Nick in the arm after his comment, as a way of letting him know they thought it was inappropriate and tactless. "And I think I'm gay too," Brent said shyly. I think that was the first time I had heard him admit it in front of the others. "I'm not," Ricky said laughing, "but I'm still willing to mess around with my brothers on occasion." "And I'm gay too," Kevin told them. Now they looked at Frankie, who was the only one who hadn't spoken. "I'm not," he said meekly, "and gays used to bother me before I came here to live, but I know better now. These guys have taught me that gays are just normal guys with different tastes. I don't judge people like I used to, especially seeing I've got things in my past that I don't want them to judge me on." I just looked over at Frankie, and I think some of the others did too, and once again considered how much he had changed and grown since that first day Judge Shay brought him to our home and asked me to take him in on a trial basis. I was still thinking about it when Shannon's father began to speak again. "I wouldn't doubt that most people have things in their past they'd like to hide," he told Frankie. "I know Shannon and I both do. You see, Shannon came here to live with me after he started getting harassed at his old school, after one of the boys he'd been experimenting with told some of his friends about Shannon. At the time, Shannon wasn't even sure he was gay, but his mother was suspicious of him, especially since she was aware of my background." After hearing his comment, we all just stared at him, and I guess our confusion was obvious in our expressions. Noting this, Jake began to explain. "My wife divorced me after she discovered I was actually gay too. I tried to hide it and pretended to be straight, but I guess our limited sex life was her first clue. I really wanted a son and that's the main reason I got married in the first place, so it's needless to say I was thrilled when Shannon was born." He paused a moment and turned toward Shannon, beaming like the proud father he was. "I thought I'd successfully pulled off my deception for the first couple of years," he eventually continued, "but it became much more difficult to keep the ruse up. I found it harder and harder to get myself aroused so I could make love to her and neither of us was enjoying it. I even ended up messing around with a guy for a while too, and that's how my wife found out." He paused again, swallowed hard and reached out to touch his son's knee before he continued. "It happened like this. My wife had gone out of town to visit her mother, and took Shannon with her. He was only three or four at the time. Anyway, while she was gone, I invited my friend over to our house, so we could have some fun. Unfortunately and unknown to me, her mother and she had a fight, so my wife decided to come home a day early. When she came through the door, she caught this guy and me sitting in the living room and watching television in just our boxers." "But that's not enough to prove you're gay," Trey observed. I don't think he meant to make his comment aloud, but now that he had, Jake responded to it. "I know and I tried to play it down and make some stupid excuse for our behavior, but she figured it out anyway. She did that when she went through the rest of the house and discovered only one bed was messed up and unmade and all of our clothes were in our bedroom. She kicked me out of the house a few days later, after she went to see a lawyer and started the divorce proceedings. We have managed to remain friendly, although not friends, and she did continue to let me see Shannon." "I'm glad she did," Shannon interrupted, "because I don't know what I'd have done if she hadn't. You were the only one who understood what I was going through and it was obvious she didn't want a fag of a son living with her." "I know and I feel really bad about that," Jake agreed, "but at least it worked out in the end." Shannon nodded in agreement, so Jake went back to telling his story. "Anyway, when Shannon started having problems and my ex began hearing the accusations being made about him, she concluded Shannon was also gay and didn't really want him around. That's when she asked if I'd let him come live with me and I jumped at the chance to get him back. That was last summer and Shannon and I were hoping we'd be able to make a fresh start for him here." "So, how did the scoutmaster and his son find out about him then?" I asked, because I was still unable to piece together the final part of his story. "I guess he found out from Shannon's old scoutmaster, at some kind of meeting they both attended," Jake announced. "It's my understanding that when Shannon's old scoutmaster found out where this other guy was from, he asked him if he knew Shannon. When he said he did, the old scoutmaster told him all about what happened at the other school. The scoutmaster never came to us, to ask us to confirm or deny what he'd heard. Instead, I learned he was working on having Shannon kicked out of Scouts, without saying a word to us about it. I found out from another guy I knew, but I didn't say anything to Shannon, because I didn't want him to get all worried about what might happen. However, now I'm sorry I didn't give him a warning about it. If I had, he might not have accepted the scoutmaster's jerk kid's offer for a ride and then got caught up in that situation." "You can't blame yourself," I told him. "If it hadn't happened like that, he might have found a worse way to confront Shannon about it. He might have also been able to carry his plan out it in a more private setting, where there wouldn't have been anyone around to come to Shannon's rescue. In the long run, I think you're both fortunate it played out as it did." "Yes, you're probably right about that," Jake admitted. "It did end up turning out fairly well, but only because your boys were there to come to his aid and weren't shy about protecting him. I don't even want to think about what may have happened if your sons had not been around, because I'm fairly certain Shannon would have suffered greatly at the hands of those cowards. I can't believe it took a whole group of them to confront one boy." "Isn't that the way it generally goes?" I asked. "Quite often, those with the biggest mouths, least brains and warped ideas are also generally cowards and only attack when they have the numbers in their favor or some other advantage." "Yes, unfortunately that's true," Jake agreed. "That's why I'm so glad you're sons are as brave as they are." I think his last comment both pleased and embarrassed my sons, but I know we all agreed we were glad they had been in the vicinity when it went down. I don't think they'll get any medals of valor or citations for bravery, but in their hearts I know they are proud of what they accomplished. We continued chatting until dinner was ready, and then we talked some more while we ate. We all got along really well and discovered we also had quite a bit in common. Not only were the boys and I becoming fond of Shannon, but I found Jake's company very enjoyable too. Although he wasn't someone I'd have met through the normal course of my life, except if Shannon had attended school in the district when he would have been in Middle School, but I was glad we got this chance to know each other. I think we might even become friends, if given time. After dinner, the boys took Shannon and showed him around, while Jake and I sat down and talked some more, alone. It was during this time that I learned he worked for UPS and had transferred to our local branch after his divorce. It was about 20 miles away, but he decided to settle in our community, because he thought it was more to his liking and offered more of what he was looking for. Once he'd finished telling me about himself, I started filling him in on my own background and how the boys came to live with me. I explained briefly about my life before the boys arrived and the death of my wife, before giving him a sketch of the rest of my family. He seemed sincerely interested and listened intently, even asking questions when he wasn't quite sure about what I was trying to say. Our time together seemed to fly by quickly and we soon realized it was getting quite late. He thanked me for the wonderful evening and then called for Shannon, so they could head home. We told them both that they were welcome to come back anytime and I followed that with an invitation for another dinner with us. The boys also told Shannon they'd like to get together on weekends, whenever it was possible, so they could do other things together and get to know each other better. I think both Jake and Shannon were pleased by everything they'd heard. As they were leaving, I saw each of them look back several times, with broad smiles plastered across their faces, which made me feel we'd be seeing more of them in the future. After they drove off, I chased the boys upstairs to clean up and get ready for bed, as we were still going to attend church in the morning. That's when it came to me that I wished I'd thought about that sooner, so I could have invited Jake and Shannon to join us. I'm not sure what faith they belong to, if any, but they might have been happy to join us and felt more secure in being part of a much larger crowd. Sunday we went to church and then out to brunch, but it was a very laid back day. Other than having a few people at church come up to me and tell me they supported what I was doing and then going home to find a couple of messages on the answering machine threatening us for the same reasons, nothing else happened. I did report those messages, just in case something developed from it, but in the age of caller ID, people tend to be more careful about making such traceable threats. In fact, the police discovered both calls had been made from pay phones, on opposite sides of town, so they couldn't be tied back to the callers. I was actually surprised to discover that such people were bright enough to think of such trivial details. On Monday, the last day of April, we got another surprise. Dustin and Frankie both got their final acceptances to college on the same day. These were both very late in coming, since most students received their notices at the end of their junior year or beginning of their senior year, but both of these boys had been very late in applying, but for different reasons. Frankie had returned to our family too late to do anything sooner, and his change in attitude and sudden rise in his maturity level had sent him pursuing interests that none of us would have expected from him the first time he was here. Believe it or not, Frankie wanted to study criminal justice, so he could seek out a career in law enforcement. At first, some of the boys thought Frankie was joking, when he initially disclosed this information to them. Some of them even scoffed and laughed at the idea and Frankie was slightly hurt by their antics. Although he told them he understood why they had reacted as they did to the idea of his being a cop, he told them he was very serious about it. He then went on to explain his decision and fill them in about his reasons for wanting to do this. "You know, I kind of have two reasons for wanting to go into law enforcement," he explained. "One is obvious, to get the bad guys off the street and stop them from doing rotten things to good people, like all of you. I'm well aware how bad some people can be and how important it is to get to them and remove them from society, before they have an opportunity to do serious harm. At different times when I was in trouble, I met guys who were really evil and did all sorts of bad things. They liked doing this stuff to other people because they got something for nothing, got even with people they didn't like or because it wasn't as hard as working at a job. Heck, I even met some guys who did it just because they got their jollies acting inhuman and inflicting pain." He hesitated after he said that, while he silently acknowledged those were the worst types. "Most criminals enjoy what they do, and a lot of that has to do with getting something for nothing or because it makes them feel important and tough. To me, it really only shows what creeps and low-lifes they actually are. Some of these hardcore criminals just seem destined to remain that way forever and there's not much that can be done to change them. It doesn't matter how many times they get caught, how many chances they get or what you do to try to change their behavior -- they just never change. They're the ones you've got to lock up, the longer the better, so you can protect everyone else from them. "Regardless of how many guys are like that, there are other types too, those who can actually change and turn their lives around. Those are the guys who get into trouble for various reasons, maybe because of a tough break or a bad home life, but would reform if given the chance or if someone taught them other ways to survive. Those are the ones I hope to help and they're the reason I want to go into law enforcement. I want to be able to help them change their lives around and become better people, like Dad did for me. If I had someone like Dad to teach me these things earlier, someone who really cared about me and not what they could get from me or what I could do for them, then I might never have got into trouble in the first place and wouldn't have a juvenile record that will always be there for people to find out about. I hope it doesn't stop me from doing this, because it's something I really want to do." "I don't think it will," I told him, "as juvenile records are supposed to be sealed and unable to be used against you, without a special court order. Personally, I think you'll make a very fine and caring officer, and I'm very proud of you." "Thanks, Dad, but I just hope I can do even half as much as you've done for us," he replied. "I didn't realize how special you were until I was sent away. That's when I met a lot of different boys, some who will always be in trouble, but there were also a bunch of other ones who just needed someone to pay attention to them, tell them 'no' once in a while or who would show them it's okay to be different and convince them they could do something positive with their lives. I think if they'd had someone who believed in them and was willing to work with them, they would never have gotten into trouble in the first place and the taxpayers wouldn't have had to pay for their trials and time at the detention center. That's when I came to the conclusion that I'd blown it big time and never thought I'd get another chance like this. It also helped me to decide I wanted to do this, so I could help other kids turn their lives around too. I'll probably be asking you for a lot of advice when I get into it, Dad, because I'm really going to try to make a difference." We all agreed his intentions were honorable and he had made a fine decision. Although I was probably the only one he told when he began applying to colleges with decent criminal justice departments, I was happy to encourage him in this undertaking. Now, we were all thrilled he'd been accepted into his first choice and everyone was being extremely supportive of his goals. Dustin, on the other hand, was a slightly different story. Dustin was an above average student, but only because he worked so hard for his grades. He was much happier working with his hands, instead of hitting the books, so he really didn't intend on continuing his education. He just wanted to enroll in a heating, air conditioning and refrigeration program, because he knew he could make enough money to live quite well and would be happy doing it too. After some lengthy discussions, I convinced him to change his plans slightly and get a degree in business administration as well, so he would some day be able to start his own business doing what he enjoyed. He finally agreed with me and applied to a few colleges, although it was already quite late in the game. If accepted, he would study business administration during the school year and take HVAC courses at a trade school during the summer. He knew it would be more work that way, but he also saw the benefits of being his own boss, after he learned the basics by working for someone else. Now, both boys were accepted and going off to different colleges. They would be the first of my new brood to set off on their own and I was proud of each of them and told them so. However, now we had other things to iron out, like when they were expected to begin, how we would get them there and what things they would need to take with them. We knew they both had enough money in their accounts to finance this endeavor, but there were many smaller details we still had to work on before August. I was bursting with pride, knowing how much they had already accomplished and imagining how much more they could still achieve. It's really a pity their parents can't see how far they've come and discover what wonderful young men they've turned out to be. The following evening I received another phone call, but this one from the school board president. He called to tell me that when the suspensions were up, the scoutmaster's son and the boys who joined him in their attempt to attack Shannon were being expelled. They were sending out letters to notify them and their parents, so they wouldn't be returning to school. I thanked him for the information and told him I was glad they had decided to give those that provoked the incident a harsher punishment. E-mail responses to the stories, story suggestions, or other 'constructive' comments or advice may be sent to: bwstories8@aol.com - but please put the story title in the subject line, so it doesn't get deleted as junk mail.