Written by Charles Well <charles.well@yandex.com> and Sarge AKA Aldric <pietar_the_fearless@yahoo.com> and Nick <newnick1@yahoo.com>
Please note Chuck's new email address.
(C) 2020)
The original Kids of Indian Spring (KOIS) story by Jonas Henley can be found here: https://www.nifty.org/nifty/gay/young-friends/kids-of-indian-spring/
and if you wish to read Jonas Henley's account of the 1968 Mackey Choosing Ceremony, look here: https://www.nifty.org/nifty/gay/young-friends/mackey-tails/
Also see map.pdf and Springer Families.pdf in the Sandy Jacobs folder on Nifty. There is also an extensive family tree of the Mackey family available in this folder as well.
This story is about sex between boys and is therefore a total fantasy. It was written by an adult for the entertainment of other adults. No children or animals were either involved or harmed in the writing of this story. Please leave now if you are not supposed to be here.
Writing the continuing saga of the Kids of Indian Spring has become a real community effort. My original intention was to conclude the Sandy Jacobs Story after Chapter 10. But my primary co-author and invaluable assistant, Pietar, convinced me that the many loose ends left open by the original author, Jonas Henley, needed to be resolved. As a result, he became the principal author of Chapters 11, 12, and 13. Thank you Pietar for your original ideas, brilliant writing and your continued dedication and commitment to this project. Now a third author, Nick, has volunteered to take on the role of crafting the future long-term direction of the story. You may recall that Nick was first involved in Chapter 12C. Please ensure you make Nick welcome by dropping him a line.
Comments or suggestions may be directed to any of the authors mentioned above. We welcome feedback from readers. It's the only payment we receive for many hours of hard work.
Please consider a donation to Nifty for allowing us to have this resource to share our stories. To donate go here: http://donate.nifty.org/donate.html
Jason had already been busy setting up for 30 minutes when Sandy and James arrived.
"Wow! It looks like we're having a party," exclaimed Sandy as he looked over the refreshment table Jason had set up. There was a cake with white icing and a miniature Christmas tree adorning the top. There were cookies shaped like stars and bells and a plate of brownies. Two large urns labeled cider and hot chocolate sat on the back bar surrounded by a pine garland with red holly berries.
"It was just supposed to be cookies and hot chocolate, but then my mom got involved. I guess I shouldn't complain though, it's a pretty cool spread," said Jason.
"I hate to pull you away from your kitchen duties, but I brought this back," said Sandy as he handed Jason a bag. "I think it looks pretty good."
Jason took the bag and pulled out the paddle that was to be used at the next Choosing. Neatly painted in bright red across each side it bore the name Mr. Manners in stylized lettering. "Wow," said Jason. "Fancy paint work. Did you do this?"
"No, I can't take any credit. Malcolm McEwen did it. He did that freehand too. He's really good with a paintbrush."
"I'll make sure I thank him the next time I see him," said Jason. "Have you seen this?" he asked as he passed the implement to James. James admired the work and agreed it was very good.
As they talked Paul Hardin and Hank Mackey arrived. Greetings were exchanged and the newcomers admired the fancy food table. Jason excused himself and took the paddle to his office and put it away. When he came back Bert, Hayden and Joe Mackey had joined the group. He had intended to have the refreshments after the meeting but as he looked at everyone standing around the table full of goodies he decided to start the meeting off with the snacks.
"Okay guys, dig in," he said as he gestured toward the fancy spread. "This is our Christmas meeting so let's enjoy it." To get the ball rolling he took a cookie from the table and bit into it. "Grab what you want and bring it over to the table."
As the boys filled up plates full of treats and found seats at the table Jason glanced at his notes. This was a pretty easy meeting with the main piece of business being the announcement that the newcomer boys would be accepted as Mackeys. When everyone was seated Jason called the meeting to order.
"I'm going to go ahead and start but you can keep eating. The refreshments are a Thank You for all the work you've done over the past year, so please enjoy them. I said earlier in the year that I wanted this Council to really work for the community and you guys have all done that. My thanks to each of you. I also have some announcements to share. If you guys take a look in my office you will see to shiny new lock boxes that were bought for us by the Sr. Council. They are waterproof and fireproof and will be used to store our Mackey records. One box is for the original copies and the other is for the floppy disks that Mr. Jacobs has been copying everything onto. The Sr. Council was impressed with our efforts to preserve these records so they bought us the boxes to complete the task. They did say, however, that this does not mean we can burn down the Clubhouse." Jason's little joke drew some smiles.
"I also want everyone to start thinking about the election coming up this spring. Hank, Paul, Joe and myself will be retiring as we all turn 18. Now is a good time to start looking around your neighborhood and thinking about who might make a good Council member. If you think you see a good candidate talk to them and encourage them. I'll be happy to help if you'd like. If you want you can invite them to join us at the January meeting so they can see how the Council works. Just let me know in advance that we have a guest coming so we don't have anything confidential on the agenda."
"Who do you think is gonna run for President?" Ernie asked.
"I haven't any idea," Jason replied.
"I heard Tripp Headley was thinking of running," said Paul very seriously.
"Really," asked Ernie with amazement.
"Ernie, you know he's just yanking your chain," said Bert. "Look at him," he said as Paul broke into a smile.
"Damn!" said Ernie. "Here I was believing you. I'll pay you back for that Hardin." The entire table laughed.
"Back to real business guys. I have one last thing. The Sr. Council met last week and they decided that both Rory Mackey and Stewart Hagen are Mackeys and therefore are eligible to be put on the Choosing List next year."
This announcement brought some reactions from the Council members.
"Shit! I can't believe they did that," said Hank looking disgusted.
"Good. Then we can bottom the Hagen kid," said Bert.
"If he goes through the Choosing he becomes a member of the brotherhood even if he gets bottomed. You want to make him a member?" asked Paul.
"I never thought of that," replied Bert. "I just know the kid is bad news."
"Have you ever met him?" Sandy asked.
"No, but from what I hear the family is nothing but trouble," said Bert.
"I agree," said Ernie.
"I've heard some stories too but I'm willing to meet the kid before I decide," said Paul.
Jason cut off the discussion at this point. "Before you make up your minds about whether they'll be on the List or not there is an important piece of business that needs to be looked into."
"What's that?" asked Sandy.
"Parental support. We won't be putting them on the list if the parents don't support the tradition."
"Who is going to talk to the parents?" asked Hayden.
"Mr. Vincent Mackey is going to talk with Rory's mom and James will talk to Mike Hagen."
"I will?" said James with surprise.
"Is Vincent Mackey Carter and Eddie's granddaddy?" asked Joe.
"Yes he is," answered Jason.
"He's a strong supporter of the tradition," said Joe. "That was a good choice."
"Let's go over the part about me speaking with the Hagens," suggested James.
"Hold on for just a minute. Let me finish this," said Jason. "The Council also requested we remind everyone that they will not tolerate any public hostility toward the new kids, especially at school. They are concerned that the announcement might stir things up again. Everybody got that?" he asked as he looked around the room. Everyone at the table nodded in agreement.
"The last order of business concerns James. The Sr. Council has requested I ask you if you would call on the Hagens and see if we have their support for making Stewart part of the Mackey brotherhood."
"I was hoping I'd learn more about this," said James. "Yes, of course I would. Do you know why they are asking me to do it?"
"No one on their Council wanted the job. I understand Mr. Tucker volunteered but some of the old timers were against him getting involved. Someone suggested you since you live near the boy, and the majority liked that idea. Seems you are thought of as trustworthy." The Cormacks were a highly respected family in Indian Spring. In spite of his age, the Council felt James was responsible enough to handle the task.
"Well I guess I should be honored then. Did they say when they wanted it done?" James asked.
"Mr. Mackey is calling on the California transplants next week. Maybe you should try to do it at the same time."
"Okay then, it will be done. Who do I report the results of my visit to?"
"Call me," said Jason. After a moment of silence he asked, "Does anybody have anything else?"
Hayden raised his hand and asked, "Can I take some of this cake home?"
"Yes you can," said Jason with a laugh. "All of you please, help yourselves to any of the leftovers. Thanks to all of you for an excellent year and Merry Christmas to all."
As the group rose from the table about half of them headed to the refreshments and started wrapping cookies or brownies in napkins and stuffing them in their pockets.
Jason looked across the table at Sandy and asked, "Did you make some good observations?"
"I did," Sandy answered. "It looks like we have some real work to do."
"Yes it does," added James. "I'm looking forward to meeting Mr. Hagen. I might learn something there."
"Okay guys. I'll see you both over the holidays," said Jason. "Let's go home."
Vincent Mackey pulled up the drive to the front of the house. He was impressed with the home; He had heard it referred to as a log cabin. While it was made of logs it certainly was not his idea of a cabin. Compared to most of the homes in Indian Spring it was a mansion. Vincent was a fairly successful local businessman and was well respected. As a young man he made moonshine. Local competition was very stiff and his product was not that good, so he failed rather quickly. After that he moved into the lumber business. He was successful and made a good living but he was still on the wrong side of the law. A lot of the lumber he sold was harvested from property he didn't own. However, over time, with the knowledge he gained and the contacts he made, he was eventually able to make his operations legal and became well respected in his field.
Vincent had accepted this task because he had heard a lot of stories about the beautiful woman from the west coast. He wasn't disappointed when Suzanne opened the door and greeted him. She certainly was not the typical Indian Spring housewife. She wore jeans that seemed to cling to her body perfectly. Her top was a brown wool sweater that made an excellent background for her long red hair. In Vincent's eye's she was a knockout.
He introduced himself and asked for a few minutes to discuss some community business. Suzanne invited him in and they sat in the living room.
"Let me start by officially welcoming you to the community," he began. "At our last Council meeting you and your son were formally recognized as Mackeys. That gives you the right to vote in the Council election this spring and makes your son eligible to be part of the Mackey Brotherhood in July."
"What is the Mackey Brotherhood?" Suzanne asked.
"The Mackey Brotherhood is a very special organization. Because your son's father was a member, the boy is being invited to join. There are a lot of benefits to being a member and once you join you're a Mackey for life. All other Mackeys are sworn to support you if you ever have any problems. You can vote in the Jr. and Sr. Council elections and your opinions matter. Buying or selling property in Indian Spring is easily facilitated and there are numerous business, personal and social opportunities that come your way if you're a Mackey. Our connections extend throughout the state. If you want to get the boy into a topnotch college the Brotherhood can help there too. I think you can see there are a lot of benefits to being a Mackey."
"It does sound very good," said Suzanne. "What does he have to do to become a member?"
"Well, each July 15th we gather up all the eligible 12 year- olds and have sort of an initiation ceremony. It's a very old tradition here that's been going on for well over 100 years. The ceremony is run by the Jr. Council which is made up of boys up to 18 years of age who are elected by the members. They follow set rules and it's really sort of a badge of honor for the boys who go through it."
"And what exactly is involved in this initiation ceremony."
"It changes a little each year so I can't tell you exactly. I can give you an idea though. We believe that most boys around 12 are feeling their oats and getting a little bit too big for their britches. So, we take their britches off for a couple of hours. They get lessons in respect, tradition, the importance of following rules and most of all community service. The whole thing lasts less than 6 hours and most of the boys remember it for a long time."
"You said it was run by the older boys. Is it safe?"
"We've never lost a boy yet," Vincent said with a laugh. "Oh, they might get their behinds whacked a couple of times, but that's about it. I should mention too that there is a bit of sex play. You know boys that age are full of hormones and we find it's good to let them play around and learn about that. This is strictly boys there are no girls and no adults allowed. Your husband went through it in 1975. You might want to tell your son that he'll be following in his daddy's footsteps if he gets chosen to participate."
Suzanne found the whole idea a little crazy but she didn't want to insult the gentleman and it really was up to Rory. Summer was a long way off anyway. She'd have plenty of time to ask Hal Tucker or Sam Jacobs if she wanted more information.
"So, Mrs. Mackey, can I tell the Council that you'll support our tradition and have your son participate if he's called?"
"Well, that would really be up to Rory I think. If he wants to do it then I'll let him."
"Good. We need parents support to keep our traditions and our community going. If you have any questions please give me a call," he said as he handed her a business card. They said their goodbyes and Vincent went out to his car. He sat for a moment thinking. She had not really pledged her support, but he was going to report to the council that she did. If there is any trouble he'll just say she changed her mind. If the kid made the List peer pressure would probably pull him in anyway. Feeling like he had done his work he started the car and left.
James parked his car and went into the shop. He looked around and didn't see anyone so he called out. "Hello! Anybody here?" A voice called to him from underneath the old Ford pickup he was standing next to.
"Be right with you."
"No hurry," James replied.
A muscular and rather greasy gentleman slid out from under the truck and stood up. He grabbed a rag and wiped off his hands before asking, "What can I help you with today?"
James felt nothing but good vibrations from the man standing in front of him. I'm looking for Mike Hagen," said James.
"You found him," replied the man with a smile.
"Hi Mr. Hagen. I'm James Cormack and I was wondering if you had a moment to discuss some Indian Spring community business."
"I do on one condition. You stop calling me Mr. Hagen. The name is Mike."
"Okay Mike," James said with a smile.
"Are you the James Cormack who sits on the Jr. Council?"
"Uhm, yes I am." replied James surprised at Mikes knowledge.
"Well go ahead son. What sort of community business are we talking about?"
"Well sir, I mean Mike. The Senior Council met last week and formally recognized your family as Mackey's."
Mike interrupted him with a loud laugh. "I'll bet that upset a few folks," he said.
Since he didn't want to get into any controversy James ignored that comment and continued. "That means you have voting privileges in the next Council election and your son is eligible to join the Mackey brotherhood."
"Does that mean you're putting him on the Choosing List?" asked Mike.
The question stunned James. He didn't expect Mike to know about the Choosing. Although he had grown up in Indian Spring he was never a Mackey.
"No sir. The Choosing List won't be made up until spring, but it does make him a candidate."
Mike laughed again and said, "There's probably folks talking already about bottoming Scooter. It's kind of a shame when grown men want to use a little boy to get back at his daddy. It's okay though. Scooter is a tough kid and he's already made a lot of friends here. Whatever they try and throw at us we'll deal with it."
"Does that mean you'll support Scooter becoming a member of the brotherhood?" James asked.
"Yes it does. I want my boy to be a part of things and grow up here like I did."
"But you were never a Mackey," said James.
"No, not officially. But I swam in the swimming hole with the same people that are living here now. We rode bikes together, played football, partied in the woods when we got older and I enjoyed the services of the bottoms on several occasions. I want my boy to have the same fun. I probably shouldn't have said that about the bottoms because it was against the rules, but it's the truth. How about if that stays between you and me?"
"Uhm, sure. I don't see any reason to bring that up to anyone," answered James. He was very surprised to learn how deep Mike Hagen's ties to the Mackey community were. It made him wonder about the incident that caused the bad feelings that existed today. "Well that is all I needed," said James. "It was nice to meet you. I'll let you get back to work now. I would like to meet Stewart sometime. Would it be okay if I dropped by alright sometime to chat?"
"You're welcome anytime. Will you be going to the Tucker's get together on New Years Day?"
"Yes, I will," answered James.
"I'll introduce you to Scooter then. You should know he doesn't like to be called Stewart."
"That sounds great and thanks for the tip. I'll remember that." James turned to leave and Mike stopped him.
"Before you take off, why don't you pop your hood a minute and let me look at something."
"Okay," said James with a little hesitation. "What do you want to look at?"
"That whirring noise this baby made when you pulled in here means you're low on power steering fluid. I'll top her off and see if I can see the problem."
James raised the hood on his car and Mike brought a can of fluid out of the garage. He fiddled around a bit and then poured some fluid in. He pulled a wrench from his back pocket and worked on something for a minute then he turned to James and said," That should stop the leak for a while. The nut down on the bottom of the pump was loose."
"Thank you. I'm not much of a mechanic myself. What do I owe you," asked James hoping it wasn't much as he only had a few dollars.
"No charge for neighbors," said Mike with a smile.
James took off and headed for home. He was looking forward to telling Sandy and Jason about his visit. He thought the Hagen's would make a good addition to Indian Spring.
Chase was sitting in the cafeteria with the Ethan Tucker, Scooter Hagen, Rory Mackey and Vince Mackey. This was the last day of school before the Christmas break. The main topic of discussion at the table was what everyone hoped to get for Christmas. School let out early today and the only afternoon activities were parties so everybody was enjoying the day. Rory left to take his tray over to the dishwashing room and was throwing the trash away and putting the silverware in the appropriate place when Corey and Joey Sanders came up behind him.
"Hey did you hear this boy's gonna be a Mackey now," Joey asked Corey loud enough so Rory could hear.
"Well ain't his daddy a Mackey?" asked Corey, a little confused at what his cousin was saying.
"He ain't got no daddy. He's a momma's boy," responded Joey.
Chase had been watching from across the cafeteria and sensed trouble. "Come on," he said to his gang as he got up and headed over to Rory.
Rory was now getting angry. He was used to teasing but the cousins hit a real sore spot when they brought up his dad. "What do you guys want?" he asked as he turned and faced them.
"We don't want anything," said Joey. "We were just admiring that nice behind of yours."
Corey was now catching on and decided to add to the teasing. "Well if he ain't got no daddy doesn't that make him a bastard?"
Rory didn't care if he got in trouble. He didn't have to take crap from these two punks. He had his fists ready to fly when Chase arrived with the gang and stood behind the Sanders boys.
"Is there a problem here?" Chase asked.
Joey and Corey spun around and saw they were outnumbered. It was also pretty well known that you didn't mess with Chase. Not only was his brother a big man on the Council, but he also had a lot of friends. Joey also noticed that a lot of kids in the room were looking at them. He knew it wouldn't be smart to cause a scene so he quickly retreated.
"No, no problem at all. Let's go Corey," said Joey as he headed out of the cafeteria.
"That kids a real butt head. What did he mean I'm gonna be a Mackey?" Rory asked Chase.
"I'm not sure but I'll find out. Joey is an okay guy usually. Maybe he was just showing off for his cousin." Chase had a good idea what it meant but he had to ask Sandy to be sure. So you're leaving us tomorrow," he said trying to change the subject.
"Yes, but just for a little. I'll be back on New Years Eve."
"Cool. I'll miss you. Maybe we can get together and stay up on New Years Eve."
"I'm sure my mom won't care."
"We better get to class now," suggested Chase and the boys headed off together.
Today was the first day of Christmas vacation and the first day that a real snowfall was forecast. There had been a few flurries but today they were calling for 8 to 10 inches. Carl had arrived early as planned and he and Henry were enjoying a great fuck. For a long time, Henry had wanted to get fucked while standing up. He didn't know why. It just seemed exciting to him. Carl was the kind of friend he could tell anything to, so he got up his nerve and asked him if he would try it. Carl agreed.
After the 2 boys stripped and lubed up Henry placed himself about 2 feet away from his bedroom wall and put his hands up against it. He spread his feet apart and Carl moved in between. He pressed the head of his hard cock against his friend's anus and pushed. He slid through the tight ring and started to push in until he was up against Henry's ass cheeks. He rolled his hips a little and savored the feeling of being so deep inside the warm and tight ass. Then he started taking in and out strokes. At first the thrusts were short and slow. As he continued he picked up the pace and was soon fucking with long and deep strokes. Both of the boys were grunting and moaning with pleasure.
Henry had always enjoyed sex with Carl more than any of the other boys he serviced. Carl was always special, but this session was one of the best they ever had. Both boys were lost in erotic bliss. Henry was rising up on his toes with each hard thrust and Carl firmly gripped the bottoms hips and drove deep into the slippery warmth. One thrust found the perfect angle to slid over Henry's prostate causing the boy to cry out loudly.
"Ahhhhhh! Oh man! Ohhhh!" cried Henry.
"Carl slowed a moment thinking he had hurt his friend. "You okay?" he asked.
"Yes! Don't stop," he begged.
Carl resumed driving his boner deeply in and found the spot again. This time Henry not only called out but he dropped his arms quickly letting his face and chest fall against the wall with a loud thud. His arms pointed straight down, palms up and hands shaking as he reached a powerful climax. Carl felt his orgasm approaching and drove deep into Henry's ass. He rocked his hips back and forth as he held his buddy tightly and shot several waves of sperm. It was amazing. Just then a knock came at the door.
"Henry are you okay in there?" called his 15-year-old brother Glen. The amount of noise had him concerned.
"Yeah! Fine!" answered Henry as he tried to catch his breath. Then both boys burst out laughing. Glenn heard the laughter and decided things were okay. When Henry was bottomed Glenn was afraid his little brother would have a nervous breakdown. Now he was having fun. He shook his head and went back to his room. Carl slowly withdrew and they both sat down on the floor with their backs to the wall.
"That was the best," said Carl when he got his breath.
"You're always the best," replied Henry with a smile.
"So what are we gonna do now?"
"Stevie and Cole are coming over and once I take care of them I'm free for the day. If it snows like they say it might, we're gonna have a snowball fight."
"Sounds cool. You wanna wait for them outside?"
"It's cold out there," replied Henry with a shiver.
"Oh don't be a wuss. Come on. Let's go out on the porch."
Henry gave in and after getting dressed the boys went outside to wait. They saw Cooper coming up from the creek and waved at him. He came over to talk.
"Hi Guys. Ain't it great not to be in school?" Cooper said.
"It is, and we have 10 whole days off," agreed Carl.
"What's new with you? Are you ready for some snow?" asked Henry.
"I ain't crazy about winter, but snows okay," answered Cooper.
"I think I like all the seasons. Each one has different stuff to do. You can fish all year long. Go sledding in the winter. Play baseball in the spring and swim in the summer." said Carl.
"I guess you're right," responded Cooper.
"You think Reeve will play ball this spring?" Henry asked.
"Hell, I don't know. He hasn't talked to me since the Choosing. He don't even come out of his house much," replied Cooper sadly.
"I'm sorry Cooper. I didn't know," said Henry.
"It's okay. I don't even know why he's mad at me. Maybe one of these days he'll talk to me again and we'll work it out."
Carl wanted to change the subject so he invited Cooper to come back later for a snowball fight. Cooper said he would and headed off for home. Then they resumed their wait for the Jacobs boys.
Chase was putting a second pair of socks on his feet when Stevie came into the bedroom to get his jacket.
"Two pair of socks," Stevie said as he looked at his little brother.
"I hate cold feet," answered Chase. "Where are you going?"
"I'm gonna meet Cole and we're going to visit Henry."
"Oh. I was hoping you'd be around today. Ethan's coming over and I thought you might hang out with us."
"I might later, but I gotta go out right now. We want to give Henry his 3 fucks early so he can hang out with us when the snow comes. Carl was coming over early then me and Cole are gonna do him so he can have the rest of the day off. Cool huh."
"Yeah, I guess," said Chase.
"Where are you gonna be later?" Stevie asked.
"We're going over to Ben's."
"Alright. Maybe the 4 of us will meet you there later. If it snows we can go to the field and have a snowball fight."
"Okay, that sounds good. Is Sandy in his room?"
"Yes, I think he's working on some Council stuff. I'll see you later," said Stevie as he headed out.
Chase made his way down the hall to Sandy's bedroom and knocked on the half-closed door before pushing it open. Sandy was seated at his desk looking at the doorway.
"Come on in Chase. What can I do for you?"
'I want to ask you about something I heard at school. Joey Sanders said Rory was a Mackey now. Is that true?"
"Well he's always been a Mackey but the Council decided he was eligible to join the Mackey Brotherhood if he goes through the Choosing next year."
"Does he know that?"
"I'm not sure what he knows," answered Sandy. "Somebody from the Sr. Council talked to his mom but I don't know if she told him yet. Why are you asking?"
"When Joey said he was a Mackey now he asked me what that meant. I told him I'd find out. Is it okay if I talk to him about it when he gets back from California?"
"First off, Joey Sanders has a big mouth and I'm gonna have somebody talk to him about that. Before you talk too much you should try to find out if his mom told him anything. I'll talk to him with you if you want. Remember, the Choosing is a long way off and maybe he won't get put on the list. You don't have to talk about it right now."
"I'll find out if he knows anything. I can talk to him alone. He's kind of my best friend right now."
"If you change your mind I'll be happy to help. Remember you don't want to scare him so watch what you say. If you make it sound real bad he'll move back to L.A. and you'll lose a friend."
"I won't scare him. I think it's really cool that he might be in the Choosing with me and Ethan and Koby. Hey, what about Scooter. Is he gonna be a Mackey too?"
"He is. James talked to Mr. Hagen last week and let him know. I'm sure he'll talk to Scooter."
"I think that's good news, Thanks Sandy."
"Anytime little bro. I gotta get back to planning now. See you later."
"I'm going over to Ben's but I see you tonight. Bye," said Chase as he headed downstairs.
Sandy was happy. He had a conversation with Chase and they didn't end up yelling at each other. This was progress.
What began as the Tucker family sharing their New Years Day meal with a couple of less fortunate neighbors had grown into a community event. Hal worried that it was getting to big for his home but he really enjoyed it and it was a great way to get folks together and hear what everyone hoped for in the upcoming year.
The preparation had actually started the day before. Silvie Tucker had been cooking the entire day and the house was filled with the aroma of fresh ham and sauerkraut. The boys all pitched in too. This year Hal had agreed to allow a fire pit in the backyard. It was going to be a cold day and he hoped that a small bonfire would attract the younger folks and ease the crowding inside. Kelly, Ethan, Malcolm and Ashton had worked over 2 hours to dig a pit large enough to accommodate the fire they imagined. It wasn't an easy task in the frozen ground but they got it done. Then they moved to the basement to haul up extra chairs and clear an area for indoor games.
At 10 o'clock in the morning Hal looked over all the prep work and decided they were ready. The food was hot. The beer and soda were cold and the fire was ready to light. The first to arrive was the Jacobs family. Karla Jacobs went right to the kitchen to help Silvie. Hal appointed Kelly and Sandy to go and light the bonfire and the younger ones followed them to watch. Ethan was thrilled to have Stevie's company and Brad hung out with the older boys. Ashton seemed to be the odd man out until the Brewer's arrived and he and Ben paired up. In a short time Carlton Jacobs and his family arrived followed by the Hagens. Suzanne Mackey, who had never attended the event before, came with Rory and the party was in full swing. The ladies were sipping wine in the kitchen, the men were enjoying beer around the fire and the kids all had a friend to play with.
James Cormack and his younger brother Connor arrived just after 12 noon. James claimed they could smell the cooking clear over at their place and couldn't resist it. Jason Mackey brought Hayden with him and the groups started to shift into different cliques. Ashton took the younger boys to the garage to see his new bike. He had begrudgingly moved it out of the living room at his mother's insistence to make more room. The bike was something any 10- or 11-year-old would be proud of. It was a blinding bright orange with chrome wheels and knobby tires. The boys wanted to take it for a ride but Ashton refused. It was not going out until the ice and slush was gone. For now, it was a treasure to be admired, not to get dirty. Sandy and the other Council members gathered around the fire and were discussing the next meeting. Inside the house Hal, Sam Jacobs, Jonathan Brewer and Mike Hagen were talking about the Sr. Council election and hoping to get Sam to run for a seat.
"Has anybody heard of any prospects for new Council members," Sandy asked.
"Funny you should bring that up," said James with a smile. "I think I found my replacement."
"Who?" asked Jason, Sandy and Hayden almost simultaneously.
"This fellow right here," answered James as he pointed at his brother Connor who smiled at them.
"We've been working on the newcomer issue together and not only has he been a big help, but I realized he thinks like me and he cares about the kids here. I asked him if he'd run for my spot and he said yes," said James proudly.
"That is great," responded Jason. All the others offered their support to Connor and patted him on the back.
"Anybody else hear anything?" Sandy asked.
"I hear Lance Davies is thinking of running for the Council and I think he'd be real good. He's a thinker. I'm also told Domenic Mackey is going to run. I think he'd be great too. He represents the deep boys and he would hear things they wouldn't tell us. He's also smart and fair."
"That sounds like all good news," Hayden threw in. "I think I could work with both of those guys."
"How about your replacement," James asked. "Have you heard of anyone thinking about running for President?"
"Just one so far,"
"Well come on," said Sandy. "Don't make us guess."
James enjoyed seeing the guys on the edge of their seats waiting to hear the name. "The grapevine tells me that Joshua Mackey is already getting a team ready for his campaign."
"You mean Ernie's cousin?" asked James.
"The football player?" added Sandy.
"That's the one," said Jason. "He's a lot more that a football player though. He's a smart boy with lots of deep connections. The only negative I feel about him is he's a deal maker. I hear Tim Hardin already approached him about his kinset taking charge of their own bottoms. I'm not sure I want the Council to go back to behind the scenes deals and favors."
"Do you think Paul will support him?" Sandy asked. His word carries a lot of weight back in the woods.
"I asked Paul that and he said he'd have to see who he's running against. Paul is an old traditionalist but he sees the changes going on around here and he recognizes the need to adapt. He is walking a thin line between the old hardliners and the community needs. You guys need to give him a break if he seems stubborn at times. He's doing a delicate balancing act."
"Well, speak of the devil and in he comes," laughed Hayden as he pointed at the gate where Paul Hardin and his little brother Tyler were walking into the yard. Everyone waved and Paul headed over to join the group. Stevie Jacobs spotted Tyler and ran over and gave him a hug which made Paul wince a little. Sandy was surprised to see Paul as he rarely participated in town events. Everyone exchanged greetings and before Paul could sit Kelly Tucker approached him. Kelly didn't particularly like Paul but he was a good host so he ignored his feelings and offered to show the new arrival to the food table. Paul accepted the invite and Jason took advantage of his absence to present a final idea.
"You know Sandy you should consider running for President," he began. "You have a strong following; you're a hard worker and I believe you're honest."
Sandy had fantasized about running but hearing the sitting President urge him to was something else. This was not just his ego.
James, Hayden and Connor quickly added their agreement.
"Do you really think I'm ready?" asked Sandy.
"I do," replied Jason. "Not only are you ready but I think your capable of winning it. This will not be like running against Tim. Joshua will be a serious opponent and he'll run a serious race. You'll have to work hard for every single vote."
"Would you guys support me?"
Everyone nodded that they would. "It is traditional for the sitting President to stay neutral in an election, but if your opponent attacked any of the work you did on the Council I would defend you. I'm very proud of this Council and I would not sit back for unfair criticism."
"Wow. You guys are making me seriously consider this."
"Good," said James. "I think you are the kind of person we need steering the Council right now."
"You have until March to decide so think it over carefully. Like I said before though, your opponent is already assembling a team."
"This is such a big decision that I need a little time to think it over. I think I want to do it but I've got to be sure."
"James and I are only a phone call away if you have any questions," said Jason.
Paul returned to the group balancing a plate of food in one hand and a plastic fork in the other. "So are you guys solving all the world's problems here?" he asked.
"No, just Indian Spring's," said Jason with a laugh.