Date: Thu, 31 Jul 2003 20:41:19 EDT
From: Tulsadriller7@aol.com
Subject: Takes From the Ranch, Chapter 49/?

Disclaimer:  The following story is a work of fiction.  If
you are offended by descriptions of homosexual acts or
man/man relations, please exit this page.
TALES FROM THE RANCH
Copyrightc 2003 by Tulsa Driller 7.  All rights reserved.

This is a story of men who have two common interests.  You
will see that they love the land where they live and work,
but it is also the story of young men who love other men and
their coming of age in a culture of prejudice and
misunderstanding.  It is a story, which deals with difficult
and often disturbing issues but, nonetheless, issues which
must be confronted in today's world.

This is a work of fiction and in no way draws on the lives
of any specific person or persons.  Any similarity to actual
persons or events is entirely coincidental.  This work is
copyrightedc by the author and may not be reproduced in any
form without the specific written permission of the author.
It is assigned to the Nifty Archives under the terms of
their submission agreement but it may not be copied or
archived on any other site without the written permission of
the author.

PLEASE:  In a perfect world AIDS doesn't exist.  My
characters have unprotected sex.  I hope you use proper
precautions because I'd like you to be around the read the
last chapter of this story.

Tales from the Ranch
Chapter 49:  Not a Typical Saturday
     Dennis had just been gone about fifteen minutes and the
three men were cleaning up the kitchen and putting things
away when the doorbell rang.
     Dale looked at Craig with a question on his face.  He
looked at his watch.  It was 9:15.  "Who would be ringing
our doorbell at this time of the evening?"
    "I'll get it," Joey said as Craig's hands were in the
dishwater and Dale was loading the dishwasher.
     The next thing Dale and Craig heard was, "Grandma and
Grandpa!  I didn't know you were coming to visit."  Joey was
clearly excited.
     "We had to come see our favorite grandson," Frank
laughed as Doris gave him a hug and kissed him, then Frank
doing the same.
     By this time Dale and Craig were in the living room and
exchanged hugs and kisses with Frank and Doris.  Dale was
clearly surprised at the unexpected visit, not knowing that
they and Craig had talked about Joe's funeral the next
morning.
     "We didn't expect to see you again until Thanksgiving,"
Dale told them.  Joey was standing between Frank and Doris,
all with their arms around each other.  Dale and Craig had
their arms about the other, too.
   "I called Craig about Joe's funeral this morning and we
wanted to be here for you fellows," Doris told them.
     Dale immediately got tears in his eyes.  He barely knew
Joe himself and here were his lover's parents driving over
200 miles to attend the funeral of someone they had never
met.  He couldn't get over the fact that Frank and Doris had
accepted him, and now Joey, into their family.
  "Thanks, Grandpa and Grandma.  We really appreciate your
doing this for us," Joey told them, giving each of them a
squeeze.
     Craig was so proud of his parents.  They had always
been supportive of anything he and his sisters, Susan and
Becky, had
done.  This just proved, without a doubt, that they indeed
were all one family.
     More hugs were exchanged, and then the men went
downstairs to unload luggage and other things Frank and
Doris brought.
  Joey was carrying two bags Frank handed him, but couldn't
see what was in them until back in the apartment in the
     light. "What are these?" he asked.
     Doris laughed.  "Those are our costumes for the
Halloween party tomorrow night.  Your Grandpa and I haven't
worn them for several years, but we're going as Raggedy Ann
and Raggedy Andy. Besides, I have to help Craig with his
makeup so he can be a beautiful Cinderella."
  "You're going to the party, too?  Neat!" Joey exclaimed.
"That is so cool!!"
     Craig spoke up.  "I called Tom and Eddie and they
insisted that my parents come along, too."
     "And. we just happened to have the costumes," Frank
proudly said.  "I'm anxious to meet those guys."
     "They have a young fellow staying with them now.  He
told his parents that he was gay and his father beat him
pretty badly, and then kicked him out of the house.  We've
not met him, but they've invited some other young people
they hope will become his friends," Dale said.
     "That's disgusting," Frank said.  "His father should be
in jail."
   "As we understand it, the judge just barely slapped his
hands," Craig told them.
  "They should both be in jail, then," Doris said.  "I just
can't imagine anyone beating a family member."
     "It's sad.  I'm anxious to meet him and I know Tom and
Eddie will be good to him," Joey added.
     Frank and Joey took the clothes and suitcases to Joey's
bedroom.  Dale and Craig were carrying two cartons that
Doris told them to take to the kitchen.  Both boxes were
crammed full of her homemade preserves and other things she
had made and taken from her own pantry.
     She brought them a jar of her sourdough starter, along
with a jar of brandied fruit they would need to add to as it
was used. In addition were two pans of cinnamon rolls, a
large Danish ring, two kinds of cookies and several pastry
items for them to enjoy the next two days.  There wasn't
going to be time to do a lot of cooking, so she brought
plenty of prepared items along with her.
     Dale was astounded at the "loot" she brought with her.
     "Well, do I have to be my own bartender?" Frank
     announced as
he came back to the kitchen, with his arm around Joey's neck
in a headlock.
     "Poor Frank," Craig laughed.  "Of course not.  What do
you want?"
  "Scotch on the rocks will do nicely for me," Frank said.
     Craig looked at his mother.
     "Scotch and soda."
     Dale nodded his head.  "Sounds good to me."
     Joey was standing there with a grin on his face.
    "Would you like a small glass of wine?" Craig asked,
emphasizing the word, small.
  "That would be cool," Joey said.  He was proud that they
treated him almost as an adult.
  Dale helped Doris unpack the two boxes while Joey went to
the bar and brought back the ice bucket and filled it.
     "Mom, you really outdid yourself.  It really looks
good." Dale was thinking about the fact that when he was
growing up, his grandmother baked a cake on rare occasions.
If they ever had dessert, she always bought pies and
pastries at the grocery store.
   Doris was proud Dale called her "Mom" and called Frank
"Dad".
  "It's something I wanted to do.  Have you had a chance to
work in the kitchen this week?"
     "No, except for tonight.  We had a friend over for
dinner and did the usual salad, steak, baked potato bit and
fixed stewed squash with tomatoes and onions to go with it.
Craig bought a pie at the grocery and we served that with
ice cream."
     "That's sounds like a good meal.  I'm glad that you are
starting to feel comfortable in the kitchen.  I'll let all
three of you help when you come to our house for
Thanksgiving," Doris told him.
     "Thanks.  We're looking forward to it."
   They joined the others in the living room and the talk
immediately turned to the computer store.
     "Have you had any further thoughts about this?" Frank
     asked. Dale, Craig and Joey filled him in on the dinner
     with Leland
Stanton and their earlier talk with Dennis Masters that
evening. Joey excitedly told them about the success he and
Daniel had had with making a program work that they had
copied from a book, then modifying it to do other things.
     Frank and Doris were impressed.
     "Have you come to any decisions, yet?" Frank
     questioned. Dale was hesitant.  "Not really.  It almost
     sounds too
easy."
  "Yeah, I figured out that we would need a minimum of ten
employees just to open the doors of the store," Craig said.
  "That sounds reasonable," Frank told them.  "You'll need
both management and service and sales help."
     "Yeah, I know.  That's what's scary.  I'd thought we
could start with a small store and add people as we needed
them, but from what Leland told us we need a full line of
computer equipment, accessories, furniture, a service
department and knowledgeable sales help," Dale said.
     "Leland seems to think that the store will start making
money the first day the doors are open," Craig told them.
"I'm like Dale, it just seems too easy."
     "Look, I took the liberty of running a background check
on Leland Stanton this morning.  He was one of the rising
young stars of Smith-Barney in San Antonio.  He's made a lot
of money for them the last three years he's been there.
They wanted to move him to Houston and he didn't want to go.
Their management wasn't smart enough to realize that.  They
thought he would jump at the chance for promotion and were
stunned when he gave notice that he was quitting to take a
job with Commerce Bank here in Williamsport.
     "From what I was able to find out, he was hired as a
VicePresident in charge of the bank's investment department
and has whipped that department into shape in short order.
His success seems to be that he insists on being on the
board of the various start-up companies and takes a 'hands-
on' approach in getting them set up and running.
     "It's an unusual approach for a bank's investment
manager, but it seems to be working.  He's helped with the
startup of Parmlon Industries, Great Hills Industries and
Farm-All Manufacturing.  Leland also put together the
investors to buy out Central Texas Power Company and they
are looking at another acquisition right away."
     Dale and Craig were impressed.  Joey didn't understand
all of what Frank had said, but knew it was important to
what his Dad's were considering.
     "What do you think about this?" Dale asked, point
     blank. Frank laughed.  "I think that if you don't do
     this, someone
else will and you will always look at it as a missed
opportunity."
     "Yeah, but neither of us are experienced business
people.  I feel strange about signing my name on the dotted
line, then giving the money to someone else and hope they
know what they are
doing, because I sure don't," Dale said.
     "I have to agree with Dale.  I thought that when Don
and I started our architectural business, that it was
complicated, but it was just the two of us," Craig told
them.
     "Fellows, like I told you when we talked last night;
the way business is conducted in this country is a lot
different than just a few scant years ago.  The 'mom and
pop' operations seldom make a go of it because of
inexperience and I honestly don't think you could do any
better than them if you started small. However, Leland is in
a position to find the people you need to make this go and
will see to it that it does," Frank told them.
     "Yeah, but why us?  Why not almost anyone else in
Williamsport - or Austin, for that matter?" Craig queried.
     "You must have been the first to have the idea and
contacted the right person," Frank said.
     "I guess," Craig said.  "I'm excited about this, but I
have to agree with Dale, it's a big step and I don't know if
we are ready for it."
  "I think you are ready for it.  Look, would you guys like
for me to talk to Leland Stanton?  I can probably ask a lot
of questions that you can't think of.  And, I certainly have
access to a lot of legal advice in my office," Frank
affirmed.  In fact, one of the junior partners is going to
be in Austin next week to work on a litigation settlement.
I've talked to him and he would be glad to look over any
agreements you would be asked to sign."
     "Thanks for the vote of confidence.  I hate to put
     someone I
don't even know at risk, but it would suit us fine to have
you in a meeting with Leland, if we can arrange it," Dale
said, looking at Craig, who nodded his head 'yes'.
     "I've made arrangements to have Monday off, if need be,
so if we can set up a meeting with Leland, I'm available,"
Frank said.
     "Thanks, Dad," Dale and Craig said, almost in unison.
     Frank held up his empty glass.  "How about a nightcap?"
he asked.  "Doing business always tires me out," he laughed.
     * * * * *
   After getting everyone settled in their rooms, Dale and
Craig were finally in their bedroom.
    "I can't believe that Mom and Dad came down for Joe's
funeral," Dale stated.  "Did you ask them to?"
     "No, we had mentioned it when we talked to them.  Mom
called me this morning and said they were coming down for
you and Joey. I think it's great," Craig answered.
     "Yes.  Your parents continue to surprise me, that's
all.
You are so lucky to have people like that as your
parents," Dale told him, gathering him in his arms
for a kiss.
     "They are pretty special, aren't they?" Craig
agreed.
"You don't know how lucky you are.  Look at the young
                         boy
Tom and Eddie are taking care of."
     "Yes. and my parents love both you and Joey just
as much as me," Craig replied.
     "I know, and I'm lucky to get you, too," Dale
     told him. They exchanged a very passionate kiss,
     which led to them
starting to undress each other.  That always brought
on the urge to lave each other with their tongues as
new skin appeared.
     Finally they were on the bed, their tongues
     buried in each
other's throat.
 "I want you inside me," Dale whispered.  "I need to
                        feel
you."
     Craig wasn't sure how Dale wanted him, but knew
he wouldn't turn down anything offered and in this
case, Craig was going to nail him to the bed because
he was horny, too.
     * * * * *
     Tom was the first home from school and started
preparation
for their dinner.  Matt was lying beside the pool, in
the buff as he'd told Tom at noon.  He went to the
sliding door in the
kitchen.  It was open, with the screen pulled shut.
     "Hey, Matt.  I'm home," Tom announced in a
     loud voice. "Hi, Mr. Bryant," Matt said as he
     sat up, draping a second
towel around him.
     Tom stepped out onto the patio.  "Did you enjoy
the pool and the chance to soak up some sun?" he
questioned.
     "Oh, yeah.  The water was perfect and the sun
really felt good on my bruises.  The combination of
the two really took some of the soreness out," Matt
said.
     Tom looked at the bruises on Matt's torso.  He
hadn't seen them in the daylight before and they
looked even worse than he remembered from the night
before.  He grimaced.  He wished the judge could have
been forced to look at Matt's bruises.  Perhaps his
father would be in jail instead of out on a token
bail amount.
     "Why don't you grab a shower?  I've got a few
things to do in the kitchen, then we can see about a
costume for the Halloween party.  Does that sound
okay to you?"
"Sure.  What about my face?  Are you sure you want to
                         be
seen in public with me?" he questioned.
     "That's up to you, Matt.  It doesn't bother me a
bit because I know that I didn't do it.  No one here
knows who you are, although they will after the
weekend, but if you want something to cover it up, I
have some makeup that will do the trick.  It's makeup
like a woman would wear, but will hide the bruise
well.  I can tell already that it doesn't look as bad
as last night.
Maybe the sun gave you a little tan today."
   "Cool," was Matt's reply.  "I'll only be a few
                      minutes.
What should I wear?"
     "Whatever you're most comfortable in.  Levis or
shorts are okay, maybe a t-shirt," Tom said.
He was boning chicken breasts when Matt came back in
                         the
kitchen, dressed in tennis shorts and a green t-
shirt, his feet in Nikes.
 "Hey, you look comfortable.  As soon as I'm through
                        here,
I'm going to put on something similar and we can head
to the novelty shop to see what kind of costumes are
left.  I hope we can find something you like, but
since Halloween is still five days away we may get
lucky."
     "What time does Mr. Thompson usually get home
from school?" Matt questioned.
     "Well, classes are over at 3:40, but he's a
coach in the middle school.  Today they have a Junior
High football game that started at 4 o'clock.  It's
at our school, Stephen F. Austin Middle School, and
the other team is from Alamo Middle School, here in
Williamsport.  The game will be over by 6 o'clock and
he should be home shortly after that."
 "Okay," Matt agreed.  "I'm looking forward to going
                        to a
real school."
     Tom put the chicken breasts in the refrigerator
and sacked up the bones to boil for chicken stock,
then washed the chopping board thoroughly, along with
his hands.
"What did you decide about the bruise on your face?"
                         Tom
asked.
     "It's okay.  I can't see it unless I look in a
mirror.  I'm cool with it," Matt told him.
  "Give me five minutes and I'll be ready," he told
                        Matt.
     "Okay."
     Tom's TR-6 was in the garage and the top was
already down so he decided to drive it for their
errand.  Matt was standing on the driveway and had
never seen a car like it before.
     "This is so neat," he said.  "What kind of car
is it?"
 "It's a Triumph.  They were built in England.  This
                        is a
1975 and my Dad bought it new.  When I graduated from
college, he had it restored, even though it was in
excellent shape.  He gave it to me because I'd always
admired it."
     "Neat.  What are the other two vehicles in the
     garage?" "The little GMC Sonoma pickup belongs
     to Eddie.  Since we
live so close to school, we usually walk.  The red
car is my Pontiac Grand Prix.  After I moved to
Williamsport to teach, Eddie still lived in Houston.
My old Chevy wasn't very reliable to drive back and
forth and I didn't want to put a lot of miles on
this car, so I traded my Chevy.  "
     "It's pretty.  I'd hoped my parents would buy
me a car next year when I turn 16, but I guess I'd
better give up on that idea now," he said sadly.
     By that time the garage door was coming down.
     "Don't give up hope.  A lot of changes can take
place before you turn sixteen," Tom said, thinking
positively.
     "Yeah, I hope you're right.  I just didn't think
he would beat me half to death.  I mean, he's seldom
ever hit me before."
     "There's no excuse for him to have ever hit you.
     That's
child abuse, pure and simple.  However, my comments
on that subject aren't going to help you except for
you to know that I'm concerned about it," Tom said.
     "Thanks, I really think you guys are neat and
I'm glad the Juvenile Court brought me over here,"
Matt said.
     The Costumes and Novelties Shop wasn't too far
from their house, but far enough to drive, especially
since they would have packages to carry.  Tom parked
in front and they walked inside.
  A young fellow recognized Tom and said, "Hi, Mr.
                       Bryant!
What can I help you with?"
Tom recognized him as a high school student they saw
                         at
church from time to time, but he didn't know his
name.
     "Hello, how are you?" he said, hoping he didn't
have to come up with a name.
  "Hi," he said to Matt.  "I'm Steve Hall.  I don't
                        think
we've met before."
  "I'm Matt Rhodes and I'm from Austin, but will be
                       staying
with Mr. Bryant and Mr. Thompson for a while."
     "Great.  Are you going to be attending high
school here?" he asked, wondering if he'd been in a
fight.  He certainly looked like the guy who had
lost.
     "Yes," Matt said.
     "He'll be going to Davy Crockett," Tom offered.
     "Cool.  What class?" Steve asked.
     "I'll be a sophomore."
"Right on!  I'm a sophomore there, too, so maybe I'll
                         see
you on Monday?" he asked.
 "Yeah," Matt said, hoping he'd found a new friend.
     "Matt needs a costume for a Halloween party
tomorrow night. He's interested in either a 'Kermit'
or 'Miss Piggy' costume if you have either of them,"
Eddie told him.
  "Yeah, we've got both.  Come on back here," Steve
                        said,
indicating they should follow him.
     They looked at the 'Kermit' costume and neither
really liked it as it was a 'full-body' costume and
covered most of the face except for the eyes.
     The 'Miss Piggy' costume was better, but Steve
came up with an idea for them.
     "I hate to miss a sale, but you would be better
off to buy the 'pigs ears' and 'nose' from us, along
with the glasses, earrings, pearls, bracelet and wig.
We even have 'pigs shoes' which look like hooves to
fit over your own shoes.  Then go to the Salvation
Army Thrift Store and buy an old formal or fancy
dress to wear with them."
  "That's a good idea, if you want to do that," Tom
                        asked
Matt.
 "I think it would work.  Shall we get the things we
                        need
here?"  Then he remembered.  "I don't have any
money."
 "Don't worry about that, I'll take care of it," Tom
                        told
him.
     "I'll pay you back. somehow," he said,
sadly.
     "Hey, don't worry about it.  It's not going
to cost that much, anyway."
     Then to Steve, "We need the accessories you
     mentioned." "I'd suggest long gloves and a
     purse for Miss Piggy to
carry.  You remember that she was always properly
dressed," Steve laughed.
     "Do you have those?" Tom questioned.
 "Oh yes, and they aren't expensive, either," Steve
                        told
them.
     He gathered up the things they would need.  The
bill came to $35 for the items he suggested they buy.
     "Thanks for the business, Mr. Bryant.  Matt, I
hope to see you at school on Monday.  Do you know
what your class schedule is yet?"
 "No, I'm supposed to enroll on Monday morning and I
                        don't
know what classes I'll be in," Matt answered.
     "Steve, Matt will be staying at our house.  If
you don't see him during the day on Monday, you can
call our house and talk to him in the evening.  Then
maybe you can arrange to meet for lunch on Tuesday if
it works for your schedules.  Who knows, maybe you'll
have some classes together."
     "That'd be super.  Have a good time at the
Halloween party, wherever it is," Steve said.
     Tom thought quickly, but couldn't decide if he
should invite Steve to join them or not.  He didn't
know anything about him and was scared of his
reaction if he discovered that the majority of the
people attending the party were gay, or gay-friendly.
     "Thanks for your assistance, Steve.  We really
appreciate the help in putting the costume together
and the suggestion about the dress," Tom said as they
started toward the door.
     "Glad to help, Mr. Bryant.  Bye, Matt," Steve
said as they stepped out on the street.
 Steve hoped he'd see more of Matt and the thoughts
                        were
mutual.
     It was only a couple of blocks to the Salvation
Army Thrift Store.  Tom parked the car and they went
inside.  As luck would have it they drew the same
clerk who had helped Craig find a formal earlier in
the week.
     Matt told the woman that he was dressing as Miss
Piggy for a Halloween party and that they had found
all the "pig accessories" they needed at the Costumes
and Novelty Shop, but needed a fancy dress like the
Muppet character might wear.
     "You're the first customer we've had this year
who wanted a costume like that.  I may have just what
you need, if the dress will fit.  She looked Matt
over, wincing at the bruise on his face, wondering
what had happened.
     She led them back to the area where formals and
party dresses were hung.  She had estimated Matt's
size, but decided to measure him to make sure.
     Bingo!  She had the perfect dress.  It looked
like something Miss Piggy might wear.  "Elegant
tacky" was the description that came to mind.  She
proudly pulled it off the rack and held it up for
them to see.
     Tom started laughing and Matt joined in.  It was
perfect if it just fit.  The dress was an off the
shoulder, royal maroon velvet garment that would look
great with the jewelry and other gaudy accessories
they'd bought earlier.
 "Go try it on," Tom urged.  "Do you need any help?"
     "No, I think I can manage," Matt said, obviously
pleased at what they had found.
     He went to the dressing room and removed his
shorts and tshirt.  It took him a minute to realize
that he had to put the dress on over his head.  It
wasn't like his own clothes that were separate pants
and shirts.  He slipped it over his head, but his
cracked ribs and bruises kept him from being able to
reach his
back and pull the zipper up.
     Finally, he called out.  "Mr. Bryant, I need
     some help." Tom went into the dressing room and
     Matt quickly explained
that he couldn't reach the zipper because of being
so sore.
     "Let me zip you up," Tom said as he pulled the
zipper up with no problem.  He looked at Matt.
"Hey, this is going to be great.  Come on out and
look in the mirror."
  When Matt looked in the three-sided mirror, they
                        both
laughed.
    "This is perfect, it's exactly my size," Matt
                       happily
exclaimed.
     The dress had a built-in bra with wire
stiffeners, but the lady helping them recommended
some "augmentation" and told them what to buy.  Then
she suggested they also buy either a feather boa or
a length of sateen to drape around his neck.
     They were all laughing so hard that other
customers in the store were looking in their
direction.
     "We'll take it," Tom said, still laughing.
"Here, let me unzip you and I'll meet you at the
cash register.  He pulled the zipper down.
     The clerk noticed the deep bruises on Matt's
back.  He looked like he'd been in an accident.
Thankfully, she didn't think about child abuse.
     * * * * *
     Saturday dawned cool and mostly clear, with big
fluffy clouds in the sky.  There was no threat of
rain, just what looked like big balls of cotton in
the sky.  They were pretty to look at and
occasionally blotted out the sun for a short period
of time.
     Joey heard the paper bump against the door, but
     didn't get
out of bed.  Mitsy heard it, too, giving a small
growl before jumping off the bed and going to the
door.  Joey decided that he'd better wait a few
minutes until Forrest was away from the Carriage
House before letting her out for her morning needs.
He snapped his fingers and she jumped back up on the
bed beside him, rolling into position for her chest
and stomach to be rubbed.
     After about five minutes, he pulled on the
     boxers he'd worn
the day before, let Mitsy out, then made a trip to
the bathroom to use the toilet, wash his face and
brush his teeth.  His dog was just coming up the last
flight of steps when he opened the door to see if she
was outside.  He followed her to the kitchen, putting
down a bowl of food.  Joey then turned on the
coffeepot and washed out Mitsy's dish so she could
have fresh water.
 Frank heard Joey in the bathroom, so eased himself
                       out of
bed to relieve himself, wash his face and brush his
teeth after the hall door shut.  He went to the
kitchen, wearing only his boxers, too.
     "Hi Grandpa," Joey said in greeting.
"Hi, sport.  How's my favorite grandson this morning?
                          I
hope you slept as well as I did."
     "I slept really well," Joey told him.  "I'm sure
glad that you and Grandma drove down from Arlington
to see us and go to my Dad's funeral this morning.  I
know it means a lot to Dale and Craig, too."
     "Joey, we're family.  Families do things for
each other.  I know that you only had your Dad and
Dale had just a small family before he lost them, but
we're here for you fellows and that will always be so
as long as Doris and I can do it."
 Joey walked over and embraced him, kissing Frank on
                         the
right cheek.  "I know, and I love you for it."
     About that time Craig appeared in the kitchen,
followed by Dale a few minutes later.  Craig had
poured orange juice for each of them and had gotten
out coffee mugs.  Doris appeared in the kitchen about
that time, wearing her usual caftan.
     "Oh, a bunch of almost naked men," Doris teased.
  Dale immediately turned red, not being used to a
                        woman
seeing him wearing only his underwear.
 "I love it when you get embarrassed," Craig teased.
     "I'm sorry.  I'm just not used to the idea of a
lady seeing me in my boxer shorts," he said.
     "I was rather admiring the view," Doris said.
Dale colored a little more than the first time.
 "You never tell me that, anymore," Frank said, as a
comeback.
       "Hey, hey, hey," Craig said.  "Too much
                  information," as
they all laughed together.
  "Craig, I didn't notice your mustache until now.
                        It's
starting to look good," Doris told him.
     "Thanks.  It's just now starting to fill out
and look like something other than dirt on my upper
lip."
     Craig put the tray with the orange juice on the
counter, then put the coffee cups and pot next to
it.  He uncovered the pan containing the giant
cinnamon rolls and put five on individual saucers,
laying forks beside them.
 "Sorry for being casual, but this is the way we eat
breakfast here," he said.
     "Nothing to apologize for," Doris said.  "If
you remember, about the only time we ever sat down
for breakfast together was on Sunday morning, and
not every Sunday, either."
     "I know, all of us had places we had to be at
different times and it was a problem as to who was
going to take us, or if someone was going to pick us
up," Craig replied.
     "You have that right.  None of you were ever
late to anything, but griped if we had to drop you
off early so the next one could be on time," Frank
reminded him.
"But we lived through it," Doris said.  "It was just
                         six
tough years and a lot of wear and tear on our cars."
     Craig asked, "Was it really that bad?"
     "No!" Doris said.  "We encouraged all three of
you to be active in a lot of different activities and
I don't think that we ever missed getting any of you
to where you needed to be. However, it was a relief
when you and Susan were finally able to share a car
for a couple of years."
     "Yes, I remember she designated herself as 'the
senior driver', which was her excuse to drop me off
and pick me up, even if I had to go an hour early,
then wait two hours for her activity to be over,"
Craig laughed.
     "I seem to remember you pulling that stunt on
Becky a couple of times, too," Frank reminded him.
     "Yes, but I was in college about the time Becky
started driving.  There was only two years age
difference between Susan and me," Craig laughed.
     Dale and Joey were pleased to hear about Craig's
teen years with his sisters.  They were both only
children.
     "So, what's our schedule this morning?" Frank
asked.
     "Father George requested that we be in his
office at 9:30. The mass is to be at 10 a.m. and then
we go to the cemetery afterward, so we need to leave
here at 9:20 at the latest," Dale said.
     Everyone nodded their head.
     They helped themselves to more rolls and coffee
and Craig unloaded the dishwasher so they could put
their dirty dishes in it after they were rinsed.
     * * * * *
     Rev. Jimmy Bob woke up about 7 o'clock on
Saturday morning with a hangover.  He had emptied the
bottle of gin he'd purchased two days before, plus
the previous evening he'd eaten two bags of corn
curls, two containers of dip, along with 3 chocolate
bars and 4 tacos he'd gotten at a Mexican carry-out a
block in the opposite direction from the convenience
store.
     Needless to say, he wasn't functioning that
morning, along with being extremely hungry since he
hadn't had any real food after he'd been released
from jail on a fluke two days before.
     To say that his stomach was rejecting him would
be an accurate statement.  It was in full rebellion.
However, it had digested everything he had put in it,
just as a garbage disposal would have done under the
same circumstances.  He needed food and coffee to
properly wake up and there wasn't anything in the
room to satisfy his needs.
     He finally rolled out of bed about an hour
later, not feeling any better than when he woke up.
He needed to pee and waddled to the bathroom to take
care of his needs.  Afterward, he looked in the
mirror and grimaced.  He couldn't believe the
reflection that was returned to him.  He hadn't
shaved the day before and there were dark circles
under his eyes.  The reflection looked old and tired.
Sadly, he walked back to the bed, trying to decide
what to do next.  Jimmy Bob finally decided that he
needed a good, hot breakfast, but didn't know where
he was going to find it.
     As he was leaving his room, Michael Russo and
Pat Burns came out of their room, next door to where
Jimmy Bob was staying.
     "Hey fellows, is there any place to get a decent
breakfast around here?" he asked.
  "Yeah, we're going to the Village Inn about three
                       blocks
down the street.  Do you need a ride?" Michael asked.
     "Yeah, I'd appreciate it.  I don't know if I can
walk that far," Jimmy Bob said.
     "Well, that's where we're going to eat.  You are
welcome to ride with us, if you would like," Michael
said, trying to be helpful and friendly.
     "I'd like that.  Can I buy your breakfast?"
     Jimmy Bob asked. "There's no need to do that,"
     Michael said.  "You are
welcome to ride along," he said as he and Pat headed
to his old Toyota.
     "Oh, come on, I appreciate somebody helping me
out.  I'd be glad to have somebody to talk to," Jimmy
Bob said.
     As they walked to the car, Michael and Pat gave
each other a funny look.  Neither was sure they
wanted to put up with this slob, but he seemed
harmless to them.
     Pat crawled into the back seat and Michael
helped Jimmy Bob into the small passenger area in the
front.  He was a big man and didn't fold up well.
     "I'm Jimmy Bob Jones," he told them after they
were settled in the car.
     "My name's Michael Russo and he's Pat Burns,"
Michael told him, shaking hands.
     After they arrived at the Village Inn, it was
the same problem - trying to extract Jimmy Bob from
the seat, but he was able to stand and walk with
them.
     After they were seated together at a table,
Michael asked Jimmy Bob if he was visiting
Williamsport on an extended trip.
     "Naw, I'm the preacher at Victory Temple.  We
     had some
problems and I'm living at the Starlight until we can
resolve them," he told Michael and Pat.
     Neither of the young men knew what to make of
that statement.  They didn't read the paper and
although they'd seen part of the story on TV news,
they didn't make a connection as to who their
breakfast companion was.
     After the waitress poured their coffee, she took
their orders.  It seemed that Jimmy Bob had ordered
enough food for two people.  Michael thought about it
and decided that he probably weighed more than he and
Pat put together, so it wasn't an unusual order.
     "Where do you fellows work?" Jimmy Bob asked.
     "At the Bar-W Ranch," Pat said.  "They are
building some housing for us to live in, so we'll be
moving out of the Stardust in a couple of weeks."
     Jimmy Bob thought about that for a minute.
  "That place is owned by the guy that supports the
                        'fag
cathedral', isn't it?" he inquired.
 Michael and Pat just sat there, looking at him, not
                        sure
what they'd heard.
     "Yeah, it is.  That guy, Williamson his name is,
he runs this town and owns at least half of it.  He
gets his way with anything he wants and he supports
that big cathedral that has a fag priest.  He's
married to their organist, he's a fag too, and they
live in sin in the house the church owns."
     Jimmy Bob was winding up to the big revelation.
     "This Williamson guy, he just promoted another
fag to be the general manager at his ranch.  He lives
with another fag and they just recruited a young boy
to train to be a fag, too."
     Michael and Pat couldn't believe what they were
hearing. 'Who was this guy and what did he know about
anything?'  This certainly sounded like a far-fetched
story to them.  Dale wasn't gay.  There was no way he
could be.
     By the time their food arrived, both were
convinced that this Rev. Jimmy Bob Jones was crazy
and lived on another planet. He was talking about
stuff that didn't make any sense and couldn't
possibly be true.
     Jimmy Bob was hungry and was shoveling the food
in as if it was going to be his last meal.
Thankfully, he didn't want to talk anymore.
     Michael was trying to think about how they were
going to ditch him when Pat spoke up.  "We have to be
at a meeting in a few minutes.  Can you get back to
the motel with no problem?"
     "Sure.  This food is what I needed to settle my
     stomach and
get me ready to face the day," Jimmy Bob said.  "You
go on and go to your meeting, but I'm buying your
breakfast.  Both of you fellows seem like real nice
guys and I appreciate the ride over here.  I don't
think I could have walked over here myself."
"Can we at least leave the tip?" Michael questioned.
     "Naw.  I've gotten it taken care of.  Are you
guys going to be around the motel this afternoon?
I'd like a chance to visit with you."
     Michael had to think fast.  "Our meeting is
going to last until about 4 o'clock and it's over in
Burnet.  We'll probably hang out with some of our
friends over there this evening."
"No problem.  I'll watch for you to come back to the
Starlight," Jimmy Bob told them.
     "Thanks again for breakfast.  It was nice
meeting you," Pat said as they got up from the table.
     "Don't mention it.  I really enjoyed meeting you
fellows. You seem like really nice guys even if you
do work for that guy that likes fags.  Say, you're
not fags, too, are you?"
     Pat wanted the floor to open up so he could sink
through it. He felt his face turning red.  This guy
could tell what he was. He couldn't get out of there
fast enough.
     Michael remained composed and just laughed.
"No, you've got that one wrong.  Thanks again, Jimmy
Bob."  They fled the restaurant.
     "Jeeze, what was that all about?" Pat asked as
they got in the car.  "He can tell what we are!!"
     "I think he's just a crazy old man.  I mean, he
was carrying on about Marty Williamson and Dale.
That just doesn't make any sense.  They are both
straight arrows and he was babbling on and on about
the 'fag cathedral' and the minister there.  It just
doesn't add up.  Isn't he the guy that was caught
molesting little boys?  How did he get out of jail if
that was true?" he asked Pat.
     "I don't know, but I want to stay clear away
from him.  What are we going to do the rest of the
day?  I don't want to spend any more time with him.
He's creepy," Pat said.
     "Well, let's gather up our laundry and take care
of that. It's a nice day, we can figure out something
to do that we can stay outside and away from the
motel," Michael said as they
parked in front of their room.
   As they got back in the car with their laundry,
                       Michael
realized that you couldn't see the door of their room
from the one Jimmy Bob was staying in.  There were
places they could park the car on the other side of
the building and come and go as they pleased without
him being able to see them.  He told Pat what he'd
discovered and they drove around to the other side to
verify it.  Indeed, there were six parking spaces
there and they were all available.  Pat took the
opportunity to move his car, also.
     * * * * *
     Everyone was dressed and ready to go to the
church shortly before 9:15.  They decided that they
would be more comfortable in taking two vehicles, so
Joey would ride with Frank and Doris while Dale and
Craig took Craig's car.
     There were several cars in the parking lot when
they parked, but that wasn't too unusual as there
were always activities there on Saturday.  The altar
guild had to prepare for the funeral mass, as well as
the two on Sunday.  They made their way to Fr.
George's office and could hear the choir rehearsing,
but didn't think anything about it.  Each was lost in
their own thoughts as they walked down the hall that
connected the nave, the parish hall, classrooms and
parish offices to the Founders Chapel (the original
church building) on the other end of the complex.
     Fr. George greeted them and indicated they
should be seated. He opened with a prayer and then
told them about the service.
     "Paul and the choir wanted to provide music for
     the requiem
mass, so we're going to have it in Founders Chapel.
It's well suited to a service like this instead of
using the main nave or even the side chapels.
     Fr. George went over the service with them,
saying that he would need to go to the vesting
sacristy to robe, but would come back for them just
before the mass was to start.  He explained that the
procession would consist of the thurifer, the
processional cross and candles, the family and then
Fr. George and the other clergy taking part in the
requiem mass.  The family was to be seated in the
first row on the right side of the aisle. Dale was
thinking that it sounded pretty complicated for what
was to be a service for the family, but it was the
first time he'd experienced this service.
     Fr. Whyte, vested as a Deacon, came to the
office to greet the family and visit with them while
Fr. George went to put on his vestments.  He had even
more of an English accent than Fr. George and had a
wonderful sense of humor.  Fr. George came back
shortly, wearing a white alb over his cassock, with a
white stole and a beautiful white and purple cope.
He blessed the family, and then led them down the
hall to the chapel entrance.
     Dale and his family were stunned.  The chapel
seated about 200 and was almost full of parishioners
and friends who were there for the funeral.  The
choir of about 18 men and boys was in the choir
stalls at the front and the organ music was glorious.
Fr. George pressed a button to signal the organist
that they were ready to start the procession.  His
next action was to put incense pellets in the
thurible and make the sign of the cross over it as
Jason dropped the lid in place and secured it.
     The organ music ended and Fr. George rang the
bell to start the procession.  As he started chanting
the scriptures ("I am the resurrection and the
life.") he motioned for Jason and Kevin to start down
the aisle.  After they had moved about 4 rows, the
processional cross and candles followed.  Fr. George
motioned for the family to follow and then the
deacon, carrying the Book of Gospels and sub deacon
carrying the urn containing Joe's ashes. Fr. George
was last.
     The solemn high requiem mass was beautiful.  The
urn containing Joe's ashes was placed on a small
stand at the foot of the chancel steps and draped
with a white covering like a pall would be on a
casket.
     The choir sang Thomas Matthew's setting of the
"23rd Psalm" between the two lessons, and sang a
setting of Psalm 121 (written by Paul) as the
sequence before the Holy Gospel was chanted.
Fr. George gave a wonderful homily that was uplifting
                         to
everyone's spirits.
     The offertory anthem was the beautiful, "How
Lovely Are They Dwellings" by Brahms and the
communion anthem was another of Paul's original
works, Psalm 116.
     At the end of the mass, the congregation stood
as the procession moved to the chancel steps.  Fr.
George and the Deacon took turns chanting scripture
as the urn was censed.  Then the words, "Let us go
forth in the name of Christ," with the response,
"Thanks be to God!"
 The congregational hymn for the recessional was "A
                       Mighty
Fortress is Our God".  The family followed the
procession down the aisle and once they were in the
hall, Fr. George gave each of them a hug.
     "I don't know how we can ever thank you for
this," Dale told him.  "That was the most moving
experience that I've ever had. You didn't even know
our Dad and yet you did this and I think all of us
are stunned at the number of people who were here."
     "Dale, Craig, Joey, Frank and Doris.  This is
the reason the church exists.  To provide comfort and
love to those of us who need it - and we all do - all
the time."
     Fr. George had announced after the homily that
the family would receive friends in the parlor and
that the inurnment would be private.
     It was surprising to all of the family as most
of the congregation came to the parlor where there
was punch, coffee, small pastries and cookies laid
out.  A number of those from the Dignity/Integrity
group, the entire Williamson family, Morris
Johnsmore, many of the parishioners whom Dale, Craig
and Joey remembered seeing at mass, but didn't know
their names.  Dale was surprised that all of the
managers from the Bar-W were there, Mort, Sam, Lee
and their wives.  Craig's partner, Don Albrecht and
his wife were there, also.  Greg DeFazio was there.
     Dale and Joey both had tears in their eyes as
they greeted people.  They just had a hard time
comprehending the outpouring of love the people
showed by simply being there.
     The reception was over about 20 minutes later.
Fr. George indicated that they were ready to leave
for the cemetery.  Fr. Whyte drove the parish station
wagon as the crucifer, processional cross, thurifer
and thurible, Fr. George and the urn containing Joe's
ashes had to be hauled.  The drive was a short one as
the cemetery was just to the west of Williamsport.
The only people in attendance besides the family and
clergy were the Williamson family.  At first Dale was
wondering why they were there, then realized that
they considered him, along with Craig and Joey as
being part of their extended family.  This pleased
him.  So much had happened in the last two months.
     The small procession formed where they had
parked and made its way to the gravesite.  A hole had
been dug to place the small vault to hold the urn.
Dale was surprised to see that the stone with the
brass plaque had already been set in place.  The
committal at the grave was mostly prayers by the
clergy, with incense being offered as Dale and Joey
placed the urn in the vault.  Two workmen from the
cemetery lowered the sealed vault into the hole, then
everyone in attendance put a small shovel of dirt in
the grave.
     This last act was very emotional for both Dale
and Joey as it was not anything they had seen before.
However, as Dale thought about it later, it was a
natural closure to the funeral.
     When they were back at their vehicles, Fr.
     George hugged
each of them again as they expressed their thanks to
him.
Martin, Jeanine, Marty and Chris gave Dale's family
     hugs, too. "Thanks so much for coming to Dad's
     funeral," Dale told
them, holding his left arm around Joey's shoulders.
     "Fellows, all of you," Marty said, indicating
Craig and his parents, too; "You're part of our
family, not just an employee."
     "Thanks, Marty," Dale, Joey and Craig said
     almost together. As they started back to their
     condo, Dale and Craig
discussed the morning.  Although Dale was sad because
of burying his father, he was elated at the
outpouring of love he'd seen that morning from people
he barely knew.
     In the other car, Frank, Doris and Joey were
having the same discussion.  "I wonder if we'd had
Dad's funeral in Houston if very many people would
have come to it?" Joey wondered.
     "I don't know that I can offer any thoughts on
that, Joey," Frank said.
     "Well, it really makes me glad that I'm living
in Williamsport.  My two new Dad's are super and I
wouldn't have grandparents, either."
     "Things work out for the best, certainly most of
the time," Doris said, reaching up to pat Joey on the
shoulder.
     They hadn't been home five minutes when the
telephone rang. Craig answered.  It was Greg DeFazio.
     "Craig, I'm sorry for calling so late, but do
you and your family have plans for lunch?"
     "We haven't even thought about that.  I think
we'll probably go to the deli and pick up some things
after a while."
"I'm going to give you two choices.  You either come
                        here
for lunch or I'm going to arrive at your front door
with it in hand.  Your choice."
     Craig laughed.  "You don't have to do that, but
we appreciate it.  Let me ask the others."  Craig put
his hand over the mouthpiece.
     "It's Greg," Craig announced to his family.  "He
says we have two choices for lunch, either come to
the restaurant, or he's going to deliver it here."
Everyone laughed.  Joey said, "Either way we're going
                         to
eat, aren't we?"
     "It would be a lot easier for them if we went to
the restaurant," Dale said.  He looked at his watch.
"It's almost noon.  Tell him we want to change
clothes and have a drink, and ask him if one o'clock
is okay for us to show up there."
     Craig conveyed the information to Greg and he
agreed to their plans.  "We have a small room that
will be available for you.  How many, five?" Greg
asked.
     "Yeah.  We really appreciate this, Greg.  It's
really nice of you to think of us," Craig told him.
     "Well, I'm sorry to be late in offering, but I
went out of town on Thursday and didn't return until
this morning, so I didn't know about the funeral
until just barely time to get ready to go."
   "It's very generous of you.  We'll see you at 1
                      o'clock."
     * * * * *
     Jimmy Bob finished his breakfast and was still
hungry so ordered a stack of pancakes on top of the
skillet breakfast with a side of sausage and extra
toast, two glasses of juice and coffee he'd already
eaten.  Watching him eat was enough to turn the
stomach of the strongest person.  It seemed as if he
ate with both hands and it was hard to tell how much
usage the fork got.
     Several in the restaurant noticed him and their
     thoughts
concerned what a slob he appeared to be as he always
had appeared in public as a well groomed, although
obese, man.
He finally made his way to the cashier's desk and was
startled to find that the check was close to $35 for
the (at least) three meals.  He was feeling better,
so handed the waitress two twenty-dollar bills and
told her to keep the change.
     He didn't realize it was a beautiful morning,
     typical of the
Texas Hill Country in the fall.  Jimmy Bob was
already thinking about what he might be able to have
for lunch.  He remembered
that the liquor store was between the Village Inn and
the Starlight.  When he woke up this morning, he
never wanted to see another drop of gin, but
remembered the 1.75-liter bottle was empty and he
needed to replenish his supply.
     As he was making his way down the street, he
realized he was in front of a grocery store, so he
walked in.  The carts were right inside the door and
he selected one.  It certainly made it a lot easier
for him to walk with something to help steady him.
This store had a delicatessen in the back.  He could
see it from where he was standing, so headed that
direction.
     This was the best deli department of any grocery
in Williamsport.  The counter had to be at least 25
feet long and had about every tempting thing one
could want.
     Without considering being able to keep things
cool, he started in.  First was a bucket of fried
chicken, 20-pieces for $13.99.  Then, two kinds of
potato salad.  There was a pasta salad that looked
good, too, so he asked for a quart of that.  He was
like a kid in a candy store.  He'd never been to a
place like this.  His wife either bought what few
groceries they consumed at home, or he usually ate
all his meals at McDonalds.  The clerk behind the
counter thought he was buying items for a picnic to
feed a dozen people.
     After he selected another six items from the
deli, he moved to the area where the snacks could be
bought.  He got two sacks of "Corn Curls" - his
favorite - 3 cartons of Chive, French Onion and Bleu
Cheese dip.  Then, a family-size box of Cheez-its.
He hadn't had any of those for a long time.  They had
a special on potato chips, two big sacks for $4.
  By the time he got to the cash register, he had a
                        huge
amount of food; none of it could be considered to be
healthy.
     The clerk checked him out and the bill came to
almost $58. He was glad he'd thought about the box in
his closet that had some money in it.  He thought
Bret Jenkins was being miserly in only giving him
$100 to get by on.
 The sacker asked, "Sir, do you need help taking the
groceries to your car?"
     "Naw, I'm stayin' at the Starlight.  Can you
take this stuff there?"
     The checker spoke up.  "No he can't go beyond
the parking lot, but you can take the cart if you
promise to bring it back."
     "Yeah, that's okay.  I'll probably need more
     food tomorrow,
anyway," he answered.
"Well, have a happy day, sir!" she said, as a way of
dismissal.
     Walking was much easier since he had something
to support him and steady his steps.  He crossed the
street to the Liquor Mart and pushed the cart inside.
 "Sir, you can't bring that cart inside," he heard.
     "I'm not tryin' to rob you," he replied.
  The clerk felt sorry for him as he was obviously
                      having a
difficult time walking.  He was better dressed than
most of the street people, but she'd never seen one
as fat as this guy was.
     Jimmy Bob had heard about Beefeater Gin.  It was
     supposed to
be one of the premier brands, but it was over twice
the cost of what he'd bought two days ago.  'What the
hell,' he thought.
'The Good Lord had always provided for him.'
     So, he spent another $29 for the 1.75-liter
bottle and put it in his cart before pushing it back
out on the sidewalk.
     He stayed on the same side of the street until
he was opposite the Starlight Motel.  As he started
to cross the street, a couple of cars appeared, going
in opposite directions.  He waited until the traffic
cleared, then started across the street. Jimmy Bob
wasn't watching the pavement and one of the wheels of
his grocery cart caught in a crack caused by the
concrete breaking up.  In trying to free the cart, he
pushed down on the handle.  The wheel broke free and
the cart scooted across the
street as he fell forward on the pavement.
 The driver of a car coming from the south tried to
                        avoid
collision with the cart, then the driver realized
someone was lying in the street.  The driver of a
concrete truck coming from the opposite direction saw
the car skid across his lane, but didn't know the
reason why until it was too late.  You can't stop 5
tons of concrete on a dime.
     Jimmy Bob met his maker, but his maker wasn't
happy to meet Jimmy Bob.
     * * * * *
     After everyone changed into more comfortable
clothes, Craig opened the bar.  Frank and Dale had
their usual Beefeater Gin with olives while Craig and
Doris drank scotch and soda.  Poor Joey.  "You may
have a half glass of wine here and another at the
restaurant," but we probably could be charged with
child abuse for allowing that," Craig told him.
     Greg greeted them at the door and escorted them
to the small private room on one side of the dining
room.  Everyone was surprised to find that the room
was very comfortable.  Three small tables had been
pushed together to make one where five people could
eat and not be crowded.  There were two padded
benches that faced a low table where an antipasto
plate had been set out, along with crackers, plates
and forks.  At one end of a counter was a pitcher of
wine, a bottle of Beefeater Gin and another of DeWars
Scotch, along with a bottle of club soda.  The
bartender from the restaurant fixed their first round
of drinks.
     "If you don't mind, I'll be back in a few
     minutes to visit
with you," Greg said.  "I have something to take care
of in the kitchen."
     Shortly, Greg was back and dismissed the
bartender back to his post in the restaurant.
     The luncheon turned out to be a wonderful feast
of the various great recipes from the restaurant.
Everything was served family-style, from the salad to
the various entree's everyone enjoyed.  Each dish
seemed to have six servings for Greg and his guests.
Not too much to eat, but enough to tantalize the
taste buds of everyone there.  There was no shortage
of food, but enough to enjoy before moving on to the
next selection.
Frank and Doris wished they knew of a restaurant in
                        the
Dallas/Arlington/Ft. Worth area that was as good as
Tony D's. Surely there was one and maybe Greg would
know if it existed.
     It was a great luncheon.  There was enough
     alcohol to
relieve the tension from the morning, but not
enough to cause a problem later.
     Finally, at 2:30, Dale and Craig thanked Greg
for his hospitality and being a true friend.  They
left the restaurant after each gave Greg a big hug
and, again, thanking him for his hospitality.
     * * * * *
     Everyone was more than ready for a nap after
returning home. When they lay down, Craig set a timer
for two hours, explaining that it would still give
them almost an hour and a half to get ready for Tom
and Eddie's party.
     * * * * *
The EMS crew thought that Jimmy Bob Jones never knew
                        what
hit him.  The woman driving the Lexus was almost
hysterical, although she wasn't really at fault.  It
was the driver of the cement truck that had caused
the damage, although no one was issued a ticket
because the police really couldn't put all the pieces
together.  The only eyewitnesses were the two drivers
and their stories conflicted enough to cast doubts as
the accident report was written up.  Regardless, the
Lexus was considered to be totaled and the load of
concrete never made it to its destination.
     The cart from the supermarket was undamaged,
still full of deli food and liquor.
     * * * * *
     While Dale and Craig didn't make love, they
rolled together facing each other, rubbed their
groins to a roaring climax, then fell asleep in that
position, dreaming of the other.
Craig woke up first.  It was 4:30 and the timer still
                         had
about 15 minutes to go.  He needed to go pee and
started to carefully separate himself from his lover,
but they were glued together.  Dale's eyes suddenly
blinked open.
 "Sorry, didn't mean to pull your hair," Craig said,
                        then
kissed him.
 He pinched Craig on his left nipple, which made him
                        jump.
They were separated and Craig had a few pieces of
Dale's hair stuck on his chest.  Both got a case of
the giggles.
     "Is that any way to treat me?" Craig said, as if
     pouting. "Hey, it was your cum that caused it.
     Mine was all slick
and creamy.  With that he buried his tongue in
Craig's throat and tried to massage his tonsils.
They were both really hard again.
     "Come on, we'd better get through the shower and
get ready to dress for the party.  It'll probably
take you hours to get your makeup just right," Dale
teased as he held out his hand to his lover.
     Craig got out of bed and gave Dale another kiss
as he passed him to go to the bathroom.  Dale joined
him at the toilet and they relieved themselves
together.
     "I guess we'd both better shave - you
especially," Dale said, teasing Craig.  "But don't
get rid of your mustache.  It's just now starting to
look good."
     "I won't touch it," Craig said.  "It's just now
starting to look like it belongs there."
     "Good, because I have plans for it," Dale said.
    "You want me to put it where?" Craig teased,
                     remembering
Dale asking him the same question some weeks before.
 By this time they had each run the razor over their
                        faces
and were ready for their shower.  Although they would
have loved to play, they had company and thought they
should act like good hosts.
     After drying off, they put on athletic shorts
and t-shirts to go to the living room and see what
everyone was doing.
     Joey had his costume laid out on the divan that
pulled out for his bed.  He had some black biking
shorts to wear under his tights.  His slippers, vest,
cap and purse for the "fairy dust" were lying there,
too.
     "Hey Dad's, Grandma and Grandpa are cleaning up
and getting dressed in my bedroom.  Can I use your
shower and dress in your room?"
     "Sure, we are about ready to get dressed, but
we've been through the shower already," Dale told
him.  "We thought we'd come out and see what everyone
was doing before we started dressing."
     "Well, at least one of them has had their
shower, unless they shower together like you guys
do," Joey said with a leer on his face.
     "I don't even want to know," Craig said, and
     then giggled. "Go ahead and take your shower, we
     may be in the bedroom
getting dressed when you get out, but that's no
problem is it?" Dale asked.
     "No, not for me.  This is going to be so cool.
This is the first adult party I've gotten to go to.
I'm really looking forward to it.  I think it's neat
that everyone is going to be wearing a costume.  Do
you know who else is going to be there?  I mean, I
know that they invited Bret Jenkins so there would be
several of us there that are Matt's age, but will I
know anyone else?"
     Dale laughed.  "Hey Bud, slow down a little,
this isn't '20Questions'.  I don't have any idea who
will be there, but as I
understand it's a 'mixed party' which means some of
the people are gay and some aren't, but don't have
any problem with those of us who are - as long as we
behave ourselves and don't make out in the middle of
the living room floor."
     Joey and Craig laughed.  "I understand.  If you
embarrass me, I'll just pretend I don't know you."
This time, all three of them laughed.
     "Go get your shower.  There are clean towels and
washcloths behind the bathroom door," Craig told him.
     As they started to dress, Dale was unwrapping
his tights.
He hadn't thought about them before, but didn't
realize that they became somewhat transparent, even
though they were black.
     "Hey, I'm not going to wear these and display my
cock and balls.  I know my tunic comes down to mid-
thigh, but that doesn't allow me to bend over or sit
down."
     "I have some black bikini shorts.  Put them on
first, then the tights," Craig said.  "That should
allow you to go pee with a minimum amount of
trouble."
     Craig dug in his underwear drawer and tossed a
pair of black bikini shorts to Dale and kept a pair
of red ones for himself, since the color wouldn't
make any difference with his costume.
     As they were sitting on the bed to put on
their tights and pantyhose, Craig said, "I'm sure
glad I'm not a woman.  It's a major project to get
dressed, isn't it?"
     "You've got that right. and women used to wear
corsets, girdles, hose and a dozen other things
before they got to the place they were ready to put
on a dress.  No wonder they never arrived anywhere
on time."
     They both laughed.
     Shortly, Dale was completely dressed and Joey
came out of the bathroom to start.  "I borrowed some
deodorant and cologne," he said.
 "Not a problem, glad to help out," Craig told him.
Joey pulled on the bike shorts, then started putting
                         the
tights on.
     "Here, you have to roll up the legs and put them
on your feet first, then gradually work them up your
legs.  You have to smooth them out as you go, then
you shouldn't have any problems," Craig said.
     Joey did as he was told and soon had them up to
his waist. They seemed to fit perfectly.  All he had
to do was put on his slippers, vest and cap and put
the bag of "Fairy Dust" around his shoulder.
     "Well, are you ready for this?" Craig asked has
he brought the pink and white formal out of the
closet.
     Joey was having the time of his life and Dale
laughed.  "I think I already like you better as a
man."
     "Me too," Craig laughed.
     The dress was one you stepped into, and then
pulled it up to fasten the back and they both helped
Craig get it into place. Dale zipped it up and
fastened the hook at the top.  He took the long,
blond wig out of the box and put it on.  It was a
stretch wig so was easy to put on.  Craig looked in
the mirror and burst out laughing.  "This really
doesn't look too bad, does it?"
 "As I said, I like you better as a man," Dale said.
                        Joey
agreed, then helped Craig put on the plastic sandals.
The only thing left was the long gloves, jewelry and
whatever makeup Doris would help him with.
     They made their exit to the living room and
Raggedy Ann and Raggedy Andy were waiting for them.
     "You look so neat!" Joey told them
The costumes were perfect for them and they did look
                        like
big, oversized dolls.
     "Mom, I need help with the jewelry and whatever
make up you think any of us need," holding out the
case they had bought at the costume shop.
     "I'm not sure any of you need much," she said.
"A little rouge for each of you on your cheeks and
some lipstick for you."
     Craig handed her the earrings, which were the
     clip-on type.
Doris put those on him, making sure they were snug
without pinching; then fastened the necklace around
his neck.  She deftly put the rouge on each of them,
and then carefully applied the lipstick to Craig's
lips.
"Put the gloves on," she told Craig.  Frank had been
snapping pictures of the whole procedure.
     "Are you taking the camera, Grandpa?" Joey
asked.
     "Sure am.  All of you will want to remember this
     party." After Craig put the long gloves on,
     Doris fastened the
bracelet on his wrist.
     They took turns taking pictures of each other,
individually and as a group.  It was 6:25.  Time to
go to the party.  They discovered that no one had a
pocket in their costume, so told Joey he would have
to carry the keys in his pouch of "Fairy Dust" after
they arrived at the party.
     It was crowded, getting everyone in Frank's car,
but they didn't have far to go.  There were quite a
few cars parked up and down the street, but Craig
told Frank to park on the driveway since only one
other car had parked there.
     Other guests were still arriving and walking up
the street toward the house as they walked to the
front door.
     Both Tom and Eddie were greeting guests at the
door.  Tom was dressed as "Mr. Clean" although he
could have also been Yul Brenner.  It was funny to
see Tom dressed as a ballerina in a lavender tutu,
especially since he had a fair amount of hair on his
chest.
     "Come on in.  Your costumes are great," Eddie
told them as he shook hands with each as they came
through the door.
 "This is Matt," Tom told them, introducing them to
                        'Miss
Piggy'.
Each of them told Matt their name, not expecting him
                         to
remember any of them.
     "The bar is set up in the dining room, along
with snacks," he said, hurrying them along as more
guests were on the porch.
  It was a great collection of costumes and several
                        were
taking pictures, both stills and with video cameras.
     A complete list of those attending and their
costumes was: Eddie Thompson, a ballerina; Tom
Bryant, Mr. Clean; Craig Bastian, Cinderella; Dale
Richards, Prince Charming; Joey Sullivan, a male
Genie; Ray Evans, a Super Hero; Greg DeFazio,
Napoleon; Paula Hunter, a Witch; Carole Stanhope, a
Witches cat; Jerry Pennington, a Farmer; Paul
Rathborne and Fr. George Tikker, the "American Gothic
couple"; Douglas and Betty Tate, Rhett Butler and
Scarlett O'Hara; Tricia Sutton, a Policeman; Marilyn
Kolb, an Airline Stewardess; Patricia Wilson, Phyllis
Diller; Stacy Bauer, Queen Elizabeth; Joyce Morris,
Whistler's Mother; Mark Clarke, Gainsborough's "Blue
Boy"; Joseph Hervey, an Air Force Captain; RJ Barton,
a surgeon, Leland Stanton, Julia Child; Doug Waters
and JoEllen Daily, matching Bumble Bee costumes;
Matthew Rhodes, Miss Piggy; Bret Jenkins, Jr., Wizard
of Oz; Frank and Doris Bastian, Raggedy Andy and
Raggedy Ann.
The party was shortly in full swing.  They had hired
                          a
bartender who was dressed as the Phantom of the
Opera.  Two schoolteacher friends were in the
kitchen, finishing up the preparations for the
buffet later on.
     The only people Dale and Craig didn't know were
Doug Waters and JoEllen Daily, although they looked
familiar.  Craig finally told Dale that they were
high school students and attended St. James Church.
     Later in the evening everyone was told to go to
a table in the living room and vote for the three
best costumes, writing each name on a separate slip
of paper and putting them in a basket.  The winners
were Paul Rathborne and Fr. Tikker.  Paul
looked great as the dour farmer and George was funny
as the equally dour wife.  Craig won second place and
his parents received the next highest number of votes
to be the third place winners.
     Dale was hoping the couple dressed in the
bumblebee costumes would win a prize, but they
didn't.
     Joey, Bret and Matt had a great time.  This was
the first adult party for each of them.  It was fun
to be in costume and the three hit it off.  Matt had
a great sense of humor and loved to tease Joey and
Bret as much was he liked them to tease him. Matt had
been told by Tom and Eddie that they did not know if
Bret and Joey were gay, but that they had no problem
with others who were.
     Matt was also surprised at the turnout for the
party.  "Just enjoy yourself and visit with as many
people as you can.  After all, you live with us right
now and that makes you a host just like we are,"
Eddie told him.  He was very proud to be included and
everyone treated him like he belonged there.
     The buffet was great.  There was tossed salad,
roast turkey, ham and roast beef, twice-baked
potatoes, corn pudding, fruit salad and a relish
tray.  Dessert was pumpkin cake.
     Dale and Craig introduced Frank and Doris to
Leland Stanton, telling him that Frank would like a
chance to talk to them about the proposed computer
store.
     "Call me the first thing Monday morning.  I
don't know what my schedule is because my secretary
keeps track of everything, but I'll tell her to make
a place for you before noon."
     "Thanks, Leland," Dale told him.
     After dinner, they played the usual party games,
mostly Trivial Pursuit and charades.  Sheets of paper
were handed out and they sang "Pumpkin Carols" to
familiar tunes.  Some of the words were hilarious.
     Dale and Craig had a chance to talk to Fr.
George and Paul and thanked them again for the
beautiful requiem mass they'd had that morning.
     Suddenly, Fr. George remembered something.  He
cupped his hands around his mouth.  "May I have your
attention, please?"
The room was suddenly quiet.
     "I have some rather sad news this evening,
although some of you may think otherwise.  The
Reverend Jimmy Bob Jones was crossing the street this
morning in front of the Starlight Motel. They don't
know for sure exactly what happened, but they think
he was pushing a grocery cart from the store to the
motel.  Somehow it got away from him, causing a car
to swerve to avoid it.  They think he fell to the
pavement.  The car was in the path of an oncoming
cement truck, which hit the car and it, in turn, hit
him.  He was dead at the scene."  There was still
total silence in the room.  No one knew what to say
to that news.
     Finally Fr. George said, "Will you allow me to
say a prayer for the repose of his soul?"  He started
out by crossing himself and saying, "Blessed be God:
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit." ending the prayer with
those assembled saying "Amen."
     Finally, the party started breaking up about
9:45 with Fr. George and Paul leaving first.  Some
were still playing Trivial Pursuit and others were
visiting with each other.  No one seemed to be in a
big hurry to leave.  Finally about 10:15 Craig told
Dale.  "This dress is killing me.  I'm ready to go
take it off."
     "I still like you better as a man so whenever
     you can find
our child we can go," Dale teased.
     Joey, Bret and Matt were talking about various
things in a corner of the dining room, while having
another piece of cake with a soft drink.  They were
both pleased that Matt enjoyed singing and encouraged
him to audition for the choir at St. James, assuming
that he would be attending church with Eddie and Tom.
     Dale found them, telling Joey, "We're ready to
leave, bud.
Tomorrow's another big day."
     "Okay Dad, be right there," he told Dale.
     "My Dads and my grandparents are ready to leave,
so I hope to see you at church in the morning," he
said, telling Bret and Matt goodbye.
 "I gotta call my parents to come pick me up," Bret
                        said.
"Do you think I could use the telephone in the
kitchen?"
     "Sure," Matt replied.  "Right this way."
     Tom and Eddie told Dale and Craig's family
goodbye, telling them they hoped to see them in the
morning.
     * * * * *
The first thing said in the car as Frank started down
                         the
street was by Craig.  "Honestly, Mom, how on earth do
you stand to wear clothes like this?"  Everyone
laughed.
"It's just part of being a woman.  We don't know any
better."  More laughter.
     "I still like you better as a man," Dale said
again, causing more laughter.
     "What about Fr. George's announcement regarding
Rev. Jimmy Bob?" Craig asked.
     "It's sad," Dale said.  "The man could have done
a lot of good in this world if he hadn't been such an
ignorant bigot.  He sure screwed up the lives of a
lot of people, and not just young boys, either."
     "Yeah, I keep forgetting that you had your own
problems with him," Craig said, squeezing his hand.
     "Well, that bunch certainly made my grandparents
and my mother feel unworthy and it transferred to me.
Thank God, I found you and your wonderful family to
make me realize that people can actually love each
other and not be ashamed about it."
     "Yes, you've gone from being insecure and unsure
     of yourself
to being confident and full of life in a very short
time," Craig said, leaning over to plant a kiss on
his cheek.
     "Hey!! Watch it lady, I have a boyfriend at
home," Dale said as they all had a good laugh.
     This had been a good day - for all of them.
     * * * * *
     (to be continued)

     AUTHORS NOTE:  Things are moving ahead in
Williamsport.  I had a big debate about Jimmy Bob, as
to keeping him around as a thorn in everyone's side,
or removing him from the story.  I hope you agree
with the verdict.
     Thanks to Paul Daventon and Joey Tuvok for their
usual great help in proofreading this story and
helping find the obvious errors.  We all agree that
it's hard to read your own work because you know what
the words are supposed to be.
 And, thanks to everyone for reading.  I appreciate
                         any
comments or observations you have.  You may contact
me at TulsaDriller7@aol.com.  I try to answer all
emails I receive, but know I miss a few of the many
that pour in.