Simon's Journal

Volume IV

Thirteen Summer Days
A New Beginning

Written by Danny

Chapter -- 10

Sunday

"Simon?"

"Simon?"

"Simon; come on son. Wake up."

"Huh?" I grunted and opened my eyes to see dad leaning over me.

There was a very loud, annoying, beeping sound; and it took me a moment to realize it was the phone receiver screeching about how rude it was of me to have kept it off its base for so long.

As I had been sitting at my computer in the night I had realized, while writing, that I was in a bad way, both physically, and emotionally. I was shaking, feeling ill, and filled with a hobo stew of emotions. I recognized the symptoms of withdraw and it confused me. I couldn't understand how or why I would be feeling the same withdraw symptoms when I didn't have any of Madam-M's Ambrosia drug? Panic set in and the only thing I could think to do was to reach out to the one place I knew could help me, and that was `The Ranch'.

I forced my body to obey my will as I pulled myself from my desk chair. Every step was laborsome. My feet felt like they were made of concrete, my legs were wet noodles, and my diaper was like lead hanging from my hips. Somehow I made it to the kitchen, grabbed the phone receiver off the wall and then collapsed to the floor where I stayed. I had called The Ranch.

Brother Vincent was not the one to answer the phone. However when I begged to speak to him, someone was sent to wake him. Within ten minutes he was on the phone with me. When he first said hello he sounded out of breath. I knew in an instant that he had either run or at the very least jogged from his bunk to the office. And yet, never once did he let on if he felt bothered over being woken in the middle of the night. On the contrary, he seemed to go out of his way to make me feel like he would have moved mountains to get to talk with me just then.

I sobbed into the phone, telling him everything that had happened, and I told him how I was feeling. We prayed, talked, and cried together for a long time. I guess at some point fatigue and exhaustion forced me into sleep while holding the phone to my ear.

The beeping from the phone being off the hook had awoken dad. He found me lying on the floor in the fetal position while cradling the phone receiver as though it were a teddy bear.

Lifting my head from the floor it throbbed and reminded me of my recent head injury. I groaned out a dry tongued, "My head hurts" followed by, "Where am I?"

"I'll get your medicine, but first let's get you off the kitchen floor and back into bed." dad suggested.

"I-I had to call Brother Vincent." I whimpered as my emotions reawakened too.

When I tried to stand my legs did not respond. It was as though I had no control of my limbs. Dad, realizing I couldn't get up under my own power, bent way down, slid his one good arm under my arm pit, snaked it around my back and his hand cupped me under the other pit as he assisted me up to my feet. With him stooping so low, I was able to throw my arm up over his neck for more support, as the two of us made our way through the living room and down the hallway.

I was mumbling the whole way, "I had to call Brother Vincent. I had to call him."

I am not sure what his thinking was because he didn't lead me to my room, but instead to his and mom's. Perhaps he thought I was too unbalanced to be left alone right then. It was only as we entered their room that I realized mom had been up and in the kitchen with us. She had followed us back to the bedroom too.

Dad placed me into their bed on my left side as I couldn't lie on my back due to my injured head. Mom had fetched two pain pills and a Sippy cup of water to wash them down. As soon as the pills were swallowed mom placed the cup on her nightstand, changed me, and then climbed in next to me. Dad climbed in on the other side and they both wrapped their arms around me and the three of us went back to sleep.

________________

Morning wasn't a happy time in the house of Leonard. The worst of my night was not over when Dad and mom put me into their bed. Despite the pain pills, which should have put me into a deep-deep sleep; I'd been out less than half an hour when I woke up and vomited all over my mom's hair, the bed, and the pillows. Mom and I both had to be washed. She headed for their bathroom while dad washed me in the hall bathtub. While I was sitting in the tub, dad had left me to tend to the bed which had to be stripped and remade before any of us could go back to sleep. Re-diapered and placed back into their bed, I was given more pain medication as I'd puked up the other. I was plagued with nightmares, the sweats, and chills. It was simply a really rotten night. I was for sure detoxing again and Brother Vincent had warned me when we talked that even though I didn't actually ingest any of the `Ambrosia for Boys' Vitamin concoction, my body was still reacting as though I had and it was normal.

Breakfast for me consisted of a diaper change (actually it was my fourth change since going to bed initially last night) a dose of Pepto-Bismol, two more pain pills for my throbbing noggin, hot tea, and half a piece of dry toast which I played with more than ate.

"I called Brother Vincent last night." I announced while dissecting my toast into smaller and smaller pieces.

That's when dad informed me that he had found me on the floor during the night.

"Oh... Oh yeah! I—I had forgotten." I said and put the first piece of toast into my mouth, but didn't start to chew it as I was lost in thought of the events of last night. Instead, using my tongue, I pressed it to the roof of my mouth, then moved it over and stuffed it between my lower gums and cheek; kind of like a chipmunk.

"I wonder how long he stayed on the phone after you fell asleep?" dad asked while pouring himself a cup of coffee, and before I could say something he then said, "That's going to be one whopper of a phone bill."

"Nuhuh! It's a toll free number!" I reminded him.

Playing it up, he wiped pretend sweat from his brow and made a loud, `Whew' sound.

I rolled my eyes, popped another morsel of toast into my mouth and allowed my saliva to soak into it so that I could swallow it without chewing.

Mom and dad talked with each other, involving me every so often and I almost had all my toast gone as well as my tea when mom suggested that I lie back down and try to get more sleep.

Shaking my head I stated, "But it is someday!"

I knew that I'd said `someday' instead of `Sunday' but I tried to play it off. However, the look on my parents faces told me they had noticed it too.

For some reason dad's funny bone kicked in about then, or maybe I was so loopy that I took what he said as funny.

"And yesterday was someday and you know what tomorrow will be?" he asked in this odd sounding sort of voice.

I actually chuckled amusedly and dad gave me a queer sort of expression which made me think maybe what he had said hadn't been meant as funny and that it was just me that thought it was. I was truly baffled.

"But I have to go to church!" I whined.

Dad didn't stop with the whole `someday' oops either.

With a straight face he says, "I am sure someday we'll go to church again."

I was about to complain when mom then added, "You have scarcely slept in days and don't think for a second that we didn't notice you could scarcely get yourself to the table this morning."

I wanted to inject my own `BUT', but she hardly paused as she took in more air and continued; "Now you want to go to church? What makes you think you can endure a full morning of church activities? You'd be asleep before the first hymn was finished."

She had been at the sink, making a pitcher of Ice Tea and hadn't looked my way even once.

Ignoring the points of her argument I continued to whine, beg, and plead to be allowed to go to church.

"Please I really need to go! I really, really, really need to go!"

I might also add that I was sitting on both of my hands to keep my parents from seeing how badly they were trembling. I'm sure they noticed from my other body language such as the twitches which I couldn't seem to stop from happening every so often.

I thought I was going to cry when my voice broke.

While studying the steam coming off his cup of coffee, Dad shook his head so marginally that it was almost imperceptible.

As I was about to throw a massive tantrum, the likes of which they have not seen me do since I was very little, the phone rang.

Since she was already up, Mom answered it.

"Hello?"

"Hello! How are you?"

"Oh, well, about as good as we can be."

"Does it?"

"I am."

"Yes he is too."

"To be honest we were expecting much worse."

"Uhuh, he sure is."

"A bit."

"He's tired and..."

"Well, we had been discussing that very thing when you called."

"Oh?"

"He is?"

"They are?"

"You are?"

"But I haven't prepared..."

"Oh?"

"Perhaps."

"I'll speak with Simon, uh, I mean my husband Simon, and..."

"They have?"

"Really?"

"My goodness! I—I don't know what to say to that!"

Mom had placed a hand over her heart and her eyes went glassy as though she were on the verge of tears. It just made me wonder all the more who was on the phone and what they could be saying to mom to make her react the way she was. It didn't help that she was looking right at me as she was talking on the phone.

"Thank you."

"Yes."

She then laughed. I mean one of those loud, from the diaphragm laughs that were completely out of character for my mother.

"Oh dear me! Yes he has." She said.

OH MAN! I wanted even more to know who the heck she was talking with.

Laughing and sighing at the same time she said, "Yes and thank you."

"I will pick some up first thing Monday."

"Really? That fast?"

"Absolutely."

"Uh"

"Alri..."

"Yes..."

"Alright."

"And thank you again."

She laughed again only this time it was clearly and uncomfortable laugh. At the same time she was giving dad a look that I couldn't read at all.

"Okay, we'll see what he says."

"Yes and you too."

"Okay, aha, I will."

"Yes and goodbye."

"Who was that?" I asked as soon as mom pulled the receiver from her ear.

Hanging the phone up, she spoke before turning back around, "That was Lowell's father."

"Oh Reverend Vandoan?" Dad asked, "How is he?"

She looked at me and started to say something but then stopped, turned to dad and asked, "Can I speak with you," then pointed behind her to the living room, "...for a moment in the other room?"

"Ugh!" I groaned audibly and squashed a piece of toast into the plate with my index finger as though murdering the morsel of toast would relieve my frustrations.

Dad removed himself from the table with an old man grunt; any other time I would have commented on it, but chose to let it pass untouched due to him having the injured shoulder. Perhaps I also let it go because I was much too curious to be bothered with some witty comment.

However, I couldn't keep from commenting when he let one rip just as he pushed in his chair.

"DAAAD!" I complained.

Still holding his poker face he says, "Just blowing my special boy a kiss!"

He was out of the room when his butt kiss began to violate my sinus cavity with barbaric ferocity.

"OH DAD IT SMELLS LIKE ROTTEN CABBAGE!" I cried.

Ignoring the fact that I was suffocating he followed mom to the living room like a loyal dog might follow its master. With hands encasing my napkin and my napkin covering my nose and mouth, I strained my ears to listen. Except for the following, all I heard was hushed whisperers.

"They have?" Dad said followed by, "That is nothing short of remarkable."

"Still dying in here!" I say from behind my napkin.

A minute later dad returned alone, and snapped his fingers above his head as though he had just performed some amazing magic trick. He then placed his hands together and rubbed them robustly as though he was trying to rub something off his palms.

"Whelp," he started to say, "we need to get you spit-polished and gussied up for church!"

"We're going?!" I squeaked in disbelief.

Mom sighed as she came back into the room but stopped abruptly and began to fan the air with both hands.

"Good Lord Simon!" she grumbled.

"It wasn't me!" I defended.

Right then Lil' Vera came walking into the room and announced her presents with a loud, "REOOOOOW!"

"Must'a been the cat!" Dad added.

"Oh sure, blame the putty-tat!" I said accusingly.

Dad quickly added, "Yeah she's a real stinker!"

"So are we going?!" I asked while throwing my napkin onto my plate.

"Looks that way." Mom said.

I made a squeaking sound of excitement before I asked, "So what'd Lowell's dad say that changed your mind?"

But she didn't tell me. Instead I was sent off with Dad to get washed up, and my diaper changed yet again due to having soiled myself when I had got so excited. After the diapering, Dad helped me get dressed for church. We went with a disposable diaper mostly due to the fact that Dad couldn't have managed a cloth diaper and pins with his one arm in a sling. As it was, he and I had to tag-team the diaper. He pulled the diaper snug and I made sure the tapes were secured. We actually did a good job of it too but just in case, I suggested I put on a pair of plastic pants too.

As I sat on the edge of my bed Dad pulled out a pair of yellow ones and held them up as if to ask if they were the ones I wanted to wear. I shook my head and wrinkled my nose.

"Too yellow!" I said with a measure of humor.

Next he held up the blue rubber ones. I knew those would be way too hot for a summer day so once again I shook my head no.

"Too blue!" I joked which made him toss them back into the drawer with a hook shot.

"Not to worry, we have plenty here to choose from!" dad said while folding and placing the rubber pair back into the drawer.

"How about these?" he asked while pulling out a pair of clear ones covered in pink bunnies.

"Where did those come from?" I gasped loudly, and I think I might have even gone pink myself.

I believe they used to be Lowell's but he's outgrown them.

"He's not grown that much." I objected.

"Actually he has. He's getting his mother's butt." He said, and as soon as the words were out of his mouth, he realized what he had just said.

Turning to me and with a strong, stern finger aimed right at me he said, "You are not allowed to repeat that to anyone!"

I pretended to zip my lips closed, which was not an easy thing to do as I was giggling so hard.

Chuckling to himself, Dad put those pink bunny pants back and produced a pair of solid white ones.

"How about these?" he asked, "They are plain, and white would be about as cool as anything."

I shrugged, "Yeah, I guess they will be okay."

I was pulling them on by myself while he headed for the closet to find me something other than my diaper to wear to church. I was so glad when he didn't make me put on long pants this time. I nearly died last week from being so darn hot. He pulled out a nice pair of light brown dress shorts that I had never seen before. They looked brand new. He did insist on a tie and I was so glad I was allowed to go to church that I didn't protest the tie at all. Since I was going to be wearing a tie we both agreed that a nice white button up shirt was in order.

Dad was lacing a belt into the loops of my shorts when he asked, "Dress shoes or your runners?"

"Runners." I said with a yawn.

"You sure you're up to this?" he asked, "God, the Reverend, and Lowell will understand if you stayed home today."

I shook my head, "I got to go."

"In that case I want you to promise me something." He said rather dad like.

"SURE!" I sang back while dropping my diapered butt down on the side of my bed facing Jamie's side of the room, and letting him slip my shoes on my feet for me.

"If you get to feeling ill, jittery, too tired, or like you need to leave, you won't suck it up and try to tough it out."

"Well, to be honest I already feel ill and jittery and tired too, but I know what you mean." I said with a smirk, "I promise I won't over do it."

"Oh yes you will but try to keep mindful of your body. Okay?"

Nodding I said, "Deal."

I had to take over the shoe tying as Dad couldn't manage it one handed.

He continued speaking, "You've had a very bad few days, a really bad night last night, and hardly any sleep to speak of for the past couple-few nights."

"I promise." I said.

Thinking we were done I started to stand up to retrieve my bible, but then Dad, who was still crouched down, wrapped his arm around me and gave me a one armed hug. I dropped my head onto his injured shoulder and hugged back with just one arm as well due to my other having been trapped by his hugging arm.

When he released me he said, "Thanks I sure needed that."

I smirked, "Me too."

"Can I have one of those?" Mom asked from the doorway to my room.

Dad and I both looked and saw that mom was not only dressed, but had her makeup on and hair done.

Dad wolf whistled.

"From Dad or me?" I asked her.

She smiled, "Can I have one from you both?"

"SURE!" I said and rushed over to hug her.

She leaned down and I threw my arms around her neck.

She hummed as she hugged me tight and said, "I love you sooooooo much my prrrrrreciiiiiiious boy!"

"I love you too!" I sang back while taking in the combined scent of her perfume and hairspray.

"Alright, let me get some!" dad said while playfully pushing me aside.

When they started kissing I covered my eyes until dad gave my earlobe a twist.

"OUCH!" I moaned, "That's attached!"

"How's your head? Mom asked, "Do you need medicine or a fresh bandage?"

"It was fine until someone tried to pull my ear off!" I teased while still rubbing my ear.

Thinking I was serous she asked, "Do you need some pain pills?"

"Nah, I'm good." I assured her, "Just keep Sir Stink-Butt away from my ears!"

"Keep it up and I'll blow you another kiss!" dad warned.

She still insisted on checking the bandage, which was fine, and she also commented how soft my hair was. I'm not sure why she said that.

On my way out of my room I picked up my inhaler and shoved it into my front pocket. It was completely a reflex move; with no brain-CPU time used whatsoever. I didn't even know I did it until later in the day.

Dad was showered, shaved, and dressed in a jiffy and hopefully he pooped too so that he wouldn't be tempted to blow any more butt-kisses... especially in church! And just like that, the three of us were ready to go. On the way out the door dad snatched a ball cap from off a hook behind the door and delicately placed it backwards on my head.

"I can't wear that to church!" I objected.

"Did you see how many kids had caps on last week?" mom asked.

I honestly hadn't noticed and decided that a hat was a good idea to somewhat disguise my bandaged head and offer one more level of protection and to help quell some of the inevitable, "What happen!" questions.

________________

When we pulled into the church parking lot and saw that it was nearly completely full all three of us had actually thought we were late. Mom even said so out loud.

Dad asked, "It isn't Daylight Savings weekend is it?" but then checked his phone and saw that we were actually a couple minutes early.

Something else that happened when we first pulled into the parking lot was the start of this really peculiar feeling deep within me. It was so deep and small that I hardly even noticed it just then.

Now I should have known that something was up at church when we walked in and unlike last week, the foyer was not swamped with people.

We were greeted at the door with handshakes from the door greeters. Dad was questioned about his sling and I was asked about my head which kind of surprised me as the ball cap was supposed to disguise this darn bandage. Neither greeter was really asking about dad and my injuries, it was all just politeness with no real interest. There must be some sort of unwritten law that says, when you see someone on crutches, or wear a cast, or in dad and my case, a sling and bandage, you have to ask `What happened?' or `What did you do now?' which I personally detest but get a lot of it.

Once inside, Dad was offered a cup of coffee, mom took a cup too, which surprised me, but I figured she was probably feeling more tired than normal. I was offered a hot coco, but I turned it down. I didn't think sugar was a good thing when all I had to eat was a bit of toast and tea. Plus I didn't want to drink something and have a repeat of last Sunday where I was escorted out of the service to get changed.

While getting their cups of coffee dad had a chance to asked, "The parking lot is so full, are we late?"

"Oh no!" a twenty something girl with a lip and nose ring said, "There was a call to prayer before the service. But you are right on time."

I had no idea what a `call to prayer' was and we didn't get to ask as someone else directed us toward the doors to the sanctuary.

There were a handful of people coming in with us and there were ushers manning the inner doors to show us to our seats.

We walked through the doors, with me ahead of mom and dad but Dad keeping a firm grip on my neck. The entire sanctuary was filled to bursting and the second we walked in, the place began to buzz. Heads were turning and a few fingers pointed. I instantly regretted my choice to come to church as I was sure they were murmuring and whispering about me.

I spotted a lone hand way up front and to the left stretching and waving high over someone's head. I continued to walk but rose up on my tip toes to see over the crowed. Even from that far away I recognized the owner of the hand. It was none other than my friend Cole Thornton who I had met during my stay in the hospital after I was beat up by Peter Alderman. Cole, who I believe is 13 now, was only 12 years old when I met him and when he had wrecked his bicycle and nearly had his arm ripped off. As it was, the doctors thought they'd have to remove it the rest of the way, but his parents would not let them and demanded that they fix it. The doctors did and to everyone's amazement, the last time I saw him, which was right before I ran away this last time, he had regained nearly full use of it.

If it was possible I stretched myself higher, causing my calves to groan as I waved back to him.

Dad's hand appeared on my left shoulder and his mouth next to my left ear, "Who's that?"

"Cole, Cole Thornton; from the hospital!" I whispered excitedly.

Dad then asked, "The boy with the arm?" and moved his slinged arm a bit, reminding me of someone trying to imitate a chicken.

"Yeah!" I whispered back.

"I didn't realize his family came here." Dad added.

I was going to say, "Me either," but didn't get the chance as we had arrived at the seats we were being escorted to. They were near the front and much to my joy we were seated beside Mrs. Vandoan and on the far side of her were Ian and Collin. However, Lowell was nowhere to be seen. It was as I was looking down the row to Ian and Collin that I saw him....

"BJ!?" I screeched a little too loud from out-and-out shock and boundless elation at spying my best friend.

Yes, beside Collin sat BJ, then his mother and beyond her, BJ's dad. All three dressed up in their very best clothes. BJ looked utterly miserable; like someone was making him sit on a solid block of ice while wearing no pants and underwear.

He grimaced and waved a sort of labored, pain filled, limp fingered, wave. Both of his parents motioned their greetings with waves and smiles, but it was clear they felt completely out of place in a church.

I couldn't help wonder what on earth could have got them to come to church. I know BJ and how he feels about this whole `GOD' thing. Something BIG must have happened...

"OH!"

A thought occurred to me. Maybe something hadn't happened, but is going to happen... here.... at church!

I almost squealed again with that thought and without warning, there was that weird feeling again. Like something was reaching through my chest and squeezing my heart while at the same time reaching into my skull and tickling my brain.

All of that transpired before I had even entered the pew.

Mom moved into the row first, I followed and dad got to sit next to the isle. I waved to Ian and Collin. Collin playfully blew me a kiss and winked which made me chuckle. Ian smiled and waved and acted enormously pleased to see me again. To be honest I was quite surprise that Colin and Ian greeted me to gleefully given the fact that the last time they saw me I was being dragged from their apartment by my Probation Officer.

I leaned past mom to say to Mrs. Vandoan, "Hi! Where's Lowell?"

She pointed up to a door to the right of the stage area.

Is it called a stage in church? Hmm, I must remember to ask about that. Anyway, I assumed Lowell was maybe going to sing again, but I was so very wrong.

As though they had been waiting just for us to arrive, as soon as we were settled the lights in the sanctuary dimmed everywhere except the stage. Then there was that feeling again inside of me only this time it was about doubled in intensity. It was strong enough now that there was no missing it. I didn't know what it was I was feeling, but for sure, I was feeling something.

Then the door to the right of the stage opened and out walked Lowell's dad, Reverend Vandoan. Following directly behind him was a steady procession of boys and girls that all looked to be teenagers except for two of them which looked like they might be in their twenties or early thirties at the most. Maybe the tenth or so person that came out was Lowell. Only then did I realize that everyone coming out was dressed exactly the same, black slacks or ankle length skirts or dresses and black long sleeve shirts. Lowell was the only one not wearing a black shirt; he had on a white long sleeve shirt and white slacks. The last one to come out closed the door behind him and then didn't follow the others but walked to the far side of the stage and sat down in a chair.

My curiosity was already peeked and I was quickly jumping my attention from the guy in the chair, to Lowell, to Reverend Vandoan and back again. I didn't want to miss whatever was about to happen.

Reverend Vandoan was standing at the podium; it was then that I realized the big pulpit that had been up there last week was gone and replaced by a simple podium that looked anorexic compared to the one that had been there last week.

The guy in the chair looked over to Reverend Vandoan and nodded his head. Lowell's father began to speak, using his `Preaching' voice that I'd come to know and expect from him when he was about to preach.

"Today we have a special treat for you. Our youth group has put together a very special performance for you. For all of you proud parents out there, they ask that you please not take photos during the performance as the flashes will interfere with the production. When the lights come back on, you are welcome and encouraged to take as many photos as you like.

Before they start I have a couple announcements. As you probably noticed on your way in, the big tent has been set up..."

"Tent?" I thought, and then looking to dad, "What tent? I didn't see any tent!"

Dad shrugged; apparently he hadn't seen it either.

"...and you know what that means," The Reverend continued, "it is time for our Annual Church Family Summer Picnic."

Someone in the congregation; and from the sound of them, they were all the way in the back and on the far left side too, shouted out, "How long till we eat?"

Not missing a beat the Reverend called back, "Soon enough!"

The guy then shouted back, "That's not soon enough!"

I nearly slid out of the seat. That was a joke I have used in the past except this time it seemed even funnier. Boy that was funny!

Chuckling the Reverend went on to say, "AFTER!" and boy he really put the power in that word which made everyone laugh more but he went on to talk over our laughter, "the service, please join us for the three F's."

He paused for dramatic effect but I didn't have enough time to think what the three F's might be before he told us.

"Food, Fun, and Fellowship!"

"OOOOH!" I said out loud, but didn't know it until mom hushed me.

The Reverend must have heard me up there `cause he looked right at me and smiled as he went on to say, "We'll have loads of games, fun, aaaaannnnddddd I think that's about it."

He really drew out that `and' which made me wonder if he was trying to think if he was forgetting something. The teens up on the stage with him began to make odd sounds of disapproval.

Reverend Vandoan turned slightly to look at them. It was clear he was acting right then.

"What?" he wondered loudly and animatedly?

There were more noises from the teens, but then the guy that was in the chair on the far side of the stage stood up. He was waving his arms frantically to try and get the Reverends attention.

The teens started pointing and several shouted, "Look!"

Lowell's father looked up, down, sideways, and every other way except behind him. He even picked up his bible from the podium to look under it. He was looking everywhere except toward the guy who was still waving frantically.

Finally the Reverend turned and acting as though he were shocked, clutched at his chest and staggered a step or two backwards.

The congregation laughed.

The guy who had been waving his arms so frantically began to sign in sign language but his gestures seemed larger than they should have been.

Reverend Vandoan covered his ears with both hands and shouted, "STOP YELLING!" which made the congregation roar with laughter.

Wiggling his fingers back at the guy, Reverend Vandoan said, "I don't speak fingers."

I didn't know what was going on but I was laughing hard through all this too.

The signing guy, looking frustrated, threw his hands up and then instead of sign language it looked more like he was playing charades. I got right away that he was pretending to be a baseball pitcher, throwing a ball at the Reverend who ducked. What was even funnier was that the teens that were on stage behind the Reverend ducked too.

Looking upset Lowell's dad shouted back, "Hey! You almost hit me!"

Now, I hadn't seen the girl sneaking around behind the Reverend with the big red bucket with WATER painted across it. As the Signing guy reared back and lobbed another pitch and as the Reverend Ducked, the girl threw the contents of the bucket at the Reverend. Now it wasn't actually water, it was confetti but wow it was funny. Actually, I don't think that was part of `the act' they had prepared. The reason I thought that was, because after he got hit with that confetti, it was easy to tell he wasn't acting as he nearly fell over laughing. Also, all the teens on stage too were laughing and falling on each other. I think the teens had concocted the stunt behind the scene.

Laughing he tried to say what was apparently his previously prepared line which now seemed kind of out of sorts.

"OOOOOH, there will be a dunking booth too!" and wiping confetti from himself he added, "And with that, I'll let the youth group take it away!"

He walked off the stage and surprise, surprise; he came over and joined us in our row. He entered the row from the far side, made his way past several others, Colin and Ian included and squeezed in between his wife and Ian.

Once he was settled, the stage went dark for about thirty seconds and what I heard sounded exactly like the sails of the Banachelli being unfurled. I actually had a chill run through me right then which got both of my parents' attention.

"You alright?" mom whispered to me in the dark while dad took hold of my leg and gave it a squeeze just above the knee.

Stupidly I nodded to mom, but then added a soft, "Yeah."

A spotlight lit up the right side of the stage where Lowell was standing there all in white. With that spot light on him he seemed to glow like he had a ten-thousand watt light bulb shoved up his bum.

It took me a moment to realize what I was seeing when black lights came on. That's when I realized why all the others were dressed all in black because now all we could see was their white gloved hands. I hadn't even noticed they were wearing gloves until that instant. Maybe they had put them on in the dark.

A lonely sounding Sitar began filling the sanctuary with an eerie, whiney music and then Lowell began to speak.

"Then Jesus told them this parable."

I saw out of the corner of my eye that the signing guy that had sat in the chair was lit up by the black lights too so that only his white hands could be seen signing what Lowell was saying.

"Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep..."

As Lowell spoke the hands of all the others began to move and form the shapes of what looked surprisingly like sheep moving about.

"and loses one of them."

One of the sheep then broke away from the others and bounded gleefully away from the herd.

"Does he not leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home."

I was in awe as some of the hands morphed from a herd of sheep into the shape of a man walking toward the single sheep. There was a conjoined gasp from the congregation too as the man then put the sheep over his shoulder and walked back across the stage.

"Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, `Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.'"

The man dissolved into hands that all rose up in the air with fingers spread wide and lifted up high in praise.

"I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent."

Several hands took the form of winged angels flying high above the other hands and that feeling I'd been feeling since we arrived really exploded in me. The only way I can describe it is imagine you are a fish with a hook in your mouth and the fisherman is reeling you in. Imagine how that pulling feeling would feel but instead of the hook being in your mouth, imagine it was lodged in your chest. Along with this feeling I now felt like I was going to cry and for the life of me I didn't know why.

In the blink of an eye all the hands vanished and Lowell was alone on the stage. At first I didn't know how they did it, but an instant later I reasoned that they were hiding them behind their backs.

There was a pause followed by loud applause from everyone in the audience, including me. Actually I think I was applauding harder and louder than anyone else.

When the applause died down Lowell began to speak again, "Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one."

The hands reappeared like magic and took the shape of a woman. Maybe it was my imagination, but she even seemed old too.

"Does she not light a lamp,"

Hands formed a lantern hanging from the woman's outstretched hand.

"...sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it?"

The lamp became a broom followed by a magnifying glass.

"And when she finds it,"

The woman began to dance and jump for joy.

I wish I could accurately describe this `cause it was essentially both beautiful and funny at the same time. Everyone laughed when the woman began to jump and dance.

"...she calls her friends and neighbors together and says, `Rejoice with me; I have found my lost coin.'"

I didn't notice right then but I had scooted forward in the seat and had a double death grip hold of the seat directly in front of me.

The woman, like the man before dissolved into hands that reached up as though reaching up toward heaven.

"In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents."

My heart was beating hard and fast and my breathing was labored as I tried to understand the incredible feeling within me.

Again angel shaped hands flew over the other hands. Several of the praising hands in the middle of the rejoicing hands suddenly vanished. I actually was watching this time and saw the hands slip behind the actor's backs.

Below the praising hands those hands that had vanished reemerged and formed the profile of a kneeling and praying girl.

That very last scene was like gasoline on the fire within me. I could feel both mom and dad's hands on my back. Did they know what was going on with me this whole time?

The whole stage went dark for a few seconds before all the lights came back on. The sanctuary erupted in extremely loud applause. Everyone on the stage bowed and the place went nuts with cheers and even a few whistles, along with tons of flashbulbs going off. Those up front bowed again before they turned and exited the stage through the same door they had come in through.

Reverend Vandoan left the pew and must have stepped on Colin in the process `cause though Colin didn't make a sound, or at least one I heard, his face sure seemed to register that he was in pain.

"Please, give them another hand." The Reverend said as he crested the few steps to the stage area and then turned to the departing kids as he applauded them all.

"Thank you all!" he said to them and then turning back toward the congregation as he added, "To be honest, I had a message prepared for this morning, however, if you don't mind, I will save it for next week. Instead, I feel lead by the Lord to deviate from the normal service. I do know there are those of you that panic when I don't follow the service programs; I won't name any names, Staci-Lynn!"

The congregation broke into laughter and I assumed that was some sort of inside joke with the members of the church.

Trying to force his smiling face back into a serious expression he started to say something but then a lady who was sitting on the other side of the isle and two rows up had tossed a wad of paper toward the Reverend.

The laughter was deafening and though we didn't know the inside-story, my parents and I were laughing too. Mostly because Lowell's father had begun to laugh uncontrollably. He was hanging on to that small podium and swaying back and forth while using a white hanky to catch his tears of joy.

"God bless you Staci-Lynn." Reverend Vandoan laughed and wiped at his mouth.

He then made a loud, "WOOOO!" sound followed by a clearing of his throat and a waving his hanky as though waving a white flag of surrender.

"Oh Dear Lord!" he said, "Now that was some good medicine right there I tell you what!"

He wiped his eyes and mouth again before saying, "Staci-Lynn, I dare say that with events of the past week, many of us needed that healing-laugh. Thank you my dear sister! I promise, next week I will stick to the program with religious ferocity!"

The lady who threw the wadded up program sang out with a loud, "AMEN!" which sent everyone into fits of laughter again.

Mom was beside herself with giggles. She was even holding her side `cause the laughter was giving her a stitch.

Reverend Vandoan Plucked the microphone from the microphone stand beside the anorexic pulpit, walked toward the steps, and came down to the floor. I had to scoot my diapered backside back so that I was sitting up a little taller to see him.

"As our beloved Sister, Staci-Lynn and many others of you can attest, this truly has been a week and dare I say going back even farther than just this week of spiritual, mental, and even physical warfare for many of us."

For a moment there he had made eye contact with me and that feeling from before was now like a three alarm fire in me. I was sweating, breathing hard, and having to keep both hands over my heart to keep it from bursting through my rib cage.

I didn't know what the heck was going on and though at any other time I would have been alarmed with these feelings, right then I wasn't alarmed as much as I was consumed and curious.

He started to speak in his `preaching' tone that I'd grown to know very well in recent months at The Ranch and I'm sorry to say, that for probably the first time in my life, or at least I cannot remember this ever happening to me before, but I have zero recall of what he talked about. Oh I was fully aware he was speaking and even noticed a few times when he'd made eye contact with me. Please don't think I wasn't paying attention because I was. It's just that I was so consumed right then with this overwhelming feelings that my mental recording abilities were interrupted.

I also cannot tell you when the `invitation' was started and when people started going forward for prayer. I can only tell you that at some point I had stood up and wormed my way past my dad's legs to get out of our row. Once in the isle way I walked forward as though being pulled by an unseen force. We'd only been a few rows back so it didn't take long at all for me to reach the front. I was dead even with the front row of seats when Lowell's father made eye contact with me again. This time our eyes locked and he stopped speaking into the microphone. His eyes seemed to be searching me, reading me and asking me questions that I wasn't sure of or how to answer.

He made his way past those waiting for a member of the prayer team to become free to pray with them. He handed the microphone to Elder Abernuckle as he knelt before me and took hold of both of my hands.

"Are you feeling like you are on fire?" he asked

Unable to speak I nodded.

With a slight curl to either side of his mouth he asked next, "Your heart about to bust out of your chest?"

I nodded again with more eagerness.

His head cocked to one side, he smiled wide this time and as he spoke I noticed his ears rose and fell with every other word, "I dare say... the Holy Spirit is working in you?"

It seemed as though he was again asking a question. I hesitated a moment, looking inward and was surprised what I saw. With tears filling my eyes right to the point that one more tear would make my eyelids burst like a dam I nodded vigorously.

"And you are not sure what is happening? Is that right?" he asked.

I felt as though I was hanging off the edge of a mountainside and was clutching his hands as though they were the only thing keeping me from falling to my doom. My hands seemed to be on fire and could feel them sweating within his grip.

Taking his eyes off me, he looked over my right shoulder and up the isle to my parents who, though I couldn't see them, must have somehow had a conversation with just their eyes because he then nodded once their way and then returned his attention to me.

The two of us moved over to the steps where we knelt together to talk and pray alone. He was on my right, his left arm rested on my back, his left hand on the back of my head with fingers flared out as though my head were a basketball he was palming.

It was as I knelt down that I felt and became aware of the fullness between my legs and for an instant my attention was pulled away from the moment. I had the thought that it felt rather bulky and remembered I was in a disposable diaper, which means less capacity than cloth diapers.

As we talked, and prayed, I forgot about my overly wet diaper as Reverend Vandoan confided in me that since the day Thomas Segal brought me back the entire church has been praying for me. That blew me away and though I was already crying, I began to blubber. He continued to tell me that from the moment he learned that I had been taken out of my home and sent to stay with Ian, the churches prayer team has been praying for me 24/7. Come to find out, he too already knew about what had happened with Rico and knew how traumatized I was over it.

When he told me he had known all along about me killing Rico, I became inconsolable. I absolutely fell apart. I cried, and cried, and cried.

After an immeasurable length of time my sobs became slightly less intense and I told him what happened at Mr. Peterson's. He already knew about that too and though he tried to get me to feel proud of myself for not giving in, I was unable to allow myself to feel that way. To me it didn't feel like a victory but a massive setback in my recovery.

Somehow the rest of the world ceased to be for ... Wow! I honestly have no idea how long. I was oblivious to anything happening beyond the space of our two man huddle. I also cannot tell you when it happened, but at some point our huddle of two had become three. I will swear on a stack of Bibles that I felt the presence of Jesus right there with the two of us. I know that sounds kind of made up and unbelievable but I cannot help you with that. I can only tell you that for me, it was super real!

At some point something rather remarkable began to occur behind us. You see, everyone in the church already knew what was happening between Reverend Vandoan and me. They had been praying for me and when they saw me go forward they all wanted to cheer. However what they did was quietly begin to pray over the two of us. I had been oblivious until we ended our prayer and talking that dozens and dozens of hands were on me.

I confess that I don't understand the concept of the laying on of the hands. I heard about it at The Ranch, but never had the chance to ask anyone about it. I don't know what it is supposed to do; whether somehow something is passed from the toucher to the touchee or something like that, I just don't know. However, afterward, when I realized all those people had been touching me as we prayed together ... WOW! I was filled with this overpowering feeling of... well image if you can the best hug you ever have received in your life; now magnify that by about ten-thousand-and-one.

________________

Afterward, I was standing beside Reverend Vandoan with my arm around him and gripping his far hip while resting my head against him. He too had an arm extended behind my head and tightly holding low on my left shoulder. To my left was my mother who was squatting next to me, one hand was on the small of my back, the other on my tummy. Directly behind the two of us was Dad with his hand high on my shoulders, almost around my neck in a loose, strangle hold. At some point they had come forward and were kneeling right beside me for most of the time I had been up there. I had been oblivious to their proximity but having spotted them now, I again remembered the condition of my diaper. Of course that wasn't the time or place to ask one of them to take me for a diaper change.

I again forgot about my wet diaper as Reverend Vandoan dangled the microphone before me tantalizingly, and asked, "Would you like to say anything?"

With trembling fingers and zero idea what I was going to say I reached for the microphone. Apparently all I had to do was open my mouth `cause the rest just seemed to happen without any effort whatsoever. I shared with them that Reverend Vandoan had told me about how they had all been praying for me. With a bit of direction from Reverend Vandoan I also shared about my addiction to Opium and my near relapse. I broke down again then and apologized for letting everyone down.

The Reverend took the microphone and again tried to make me see how it was a victory. However, what finally got it through my thick head was when Lowell, who until then I had no idea he'd rejoined the congregation after the Youth Group performance, came walking from the far side of the Sanctuary. He walks right up to me so that he was standing right in front of me.

You know what that dork did? He flicked my nose. Seriously! He reached up and 'PLINK'! It didn't hurt. Then again I don't think he meant for it to hurt. I believe he simply wanted to be sure he had my attention. Well he did. I might add that had we been anywhere else at that moment, he also would have probably ended with me sitting on his head and giving him a red-belly. I didn't know at the time, but later was told that several people laughed when Lowell flicked me.

Reverend Vandoan held the microphone in front of Lowell's face as his son spoke to me.

"Out of all the people here, I think I am the only one that can truly understand how you are feeling when it comes to that evil drug!" Lowell said and the way he said `evil drug' was so spiteful that the only way it could have been expressed stronger would have been if he had inserted the F-word between those two words. Then again we were in church, so maybe he was wise not to add that word. I mean, using the F-word in church? Is that like asking God to strike you down on the spot or at the very least a given a serious case of hemorrhoids?

Oddly, his voice was sweet and friendly, but his facial features were hard and stern looking. I remember thinking how much he reminded me of his father right then.

"And you can ask just about anyone here how bad it was for me when I first started dealing with my own addiction to it."

There were murmurs from the congregation but nothing discernible.

It was way, way bad! But everyone here prayed for me and helped me. I beat that addiction because so many people were helping me."

His voice suddenly went low and cold and totally unlike him. His eyes went dark with a grayness surrounding his head. Actually, in all the time I have known Lowell, I have never, not once, heard or seen him like that and I hope I never do again.

"But, I can tell you... if it had been me, even knowing how many people I would be letting down, I would have drank that shit." Lowell said and he was so worked up that he didn't even know he had just cussed and that one word seemed to hang in the air over everyone's heads as they all recoiled and gasped in shock.

I glanced out of the corner of my eye up to Reverend Vandoan who had recoiled at the use of that word but he didn't reprimand Lowell. Instead he continued to hold the microphone.

All at once whimpering and his bottom lip quivering Lowell added, "You are so much stronger than I am! You might not feel like it right now, but you won a HUGE battle yesterday."

It came out almost unintelligible. I'm sure some, maybe more then some, maybe even more than half, possibly nearly all those in attendance were left scratching their heads and wondering what on earth the boy had just said, but not me. I have spent so much time with Lowell that I've come to learn to understand him whether he is doing is speed-talking which he does when he is excited or after having sugar or caffeine and then there are times like this when he is talking low, mumbling and moaning while right on the verge of a tear fest. Yeah, I got his words!

I started to say something, but watching Lowell's pouting lip quiver was killing me. If we hadn't been in church and surrounded by all those people, I would have grabbed him and hugged him until he stopped doing it.

Thinking about what he'd said for a second or two I finally surrendered and nodded, "I-I guess you are right."

That made Lowell's eyes light up again as he stopped pouting and shot me a gleaming smile. Suddenly he threw himself on me and hugged me. When he did it he'd hit the microphone which made it scream out and nearly deafen everyone.

I didn't know that while Lowell was hugging me, Reverend Vandoan had motioned for my parents to come up.

"Simon," Reverend Vandoan said when Lowell stopped hugging me. I saw my parents standing to my left, both of them looking uncomfortable standing before the whole church body. "This is not so much a church, as a hospital for those that are spiritually and emotionally broken." Reverend Vandoan continued, "You will not find a more loving, understanding group of people than those who surround you right now."

He shared another unspoken conversation with my parents before telling me, "You're mom and dad have talked with me recently and expressed their desire to become regular members of our church family. I would hope you feel the same way."

I didn't understand right away what he was saying to me but Lowell cupped a hand over my left ear and whispered to me, "He wants to know if you want to join our church, dork for brains!"

"OH! HECK YEAH I DO!" I said excitedly which made the place break into laughter again and saved Lowell from getting thumped by his father for just calling me `dork for brains' in front of everyone.

Lowell quickly covered his ear and moaned at me, "That was my ear!" which made me laugh too.

"Does that mean everyone will keep praying for me? `Cause I really need it!" I asked which for some reason got everyone to laugh again. I don't know why that was funny but hey, like he said, Laughter is good medicine.

So just like that, the Leonard's became part of the Evangelical Brethren Church family! There was more said and something about getting onto the fun.

"We normally would have you stand up here and let everyone come shake your hand and welcome you to our family. However, I think that since we have the picnic and festivities, why don't we just have everyone find you out there?

"Sounds good to me!" Dad said while giving mom a one armed squeeze.

Mom looked relieved. She sure wasn't one for being in the limelight.

________________

"Mom? Mom!? Mooooooom!" I said trying to get her attention.

Sounding slightly irritated she asked, "What is it Simon?"

"Cole is right over there!" I pointed across the Sanctuary where Cole was standing with his back to us, "Can I go say hello to him?"

"I'll go with him!" Lowell said and I spun around to see Lowell and BJ standing behind me.

"Where did you two come from?!" I exclaimed loudly.

"Well, I don't know about BJ, but my mommy says the stork brought me one night, and daddy says he found me under a rock! However, the ninth graders tell a more interesting story!" Lowell said with an evil tone and an equally wicked grin while wiggling his eyebrows beguilingly.

Mom's hand shot right past my ear, grabbed Lowell's chin with a crab-claw like grip and said, "HEY! You best stay away from those ninth graders!"

Lowell, adopting the `innocent boy' look, said, "Yes Mrs. Leonard."

I turned my head, looked over my shoulder and up mom's arm to her face which wasn't upset or angry at all but was smiling and glowing too.

"You stole the show today!" she told Lowell and then looked past him to BJ who still looked uncomfortable.

"And don't you look handsome?" mom said to BJ.

Boy that guy can sure blush!

I made the comment, "Gee-whiz mom! Don't tell him that. His head is already too big!"

"Did you just call me a big head?" BJ joked.

Quick as a whip Lowell came back with, "Biggest head in the tri-state!"

"You're one to talk!" BJ shot back at Lowell.

Mom then pulled on Lowell's chin, which brought the rest of him forward. I was now so close to Lowell that I remember that for the briefest instant I had not only noticed but felt a bit astounded when I realized just how much taller Lowell is than I am now. I was forced to step backward or Lowell `The Giant' might squish me. Okay I am exaggerating but you get the idea.

Mom then leaned down and planted a kiss on his right cheek. I took that chance to puppy-dog kiss his left cheek which was not so much a kiss as it was a really slobbery lick.

"Oh gross!" Lowell moaned.

"Simon!" Mom said trying to sound mom-like but she couldn't pull it off; she thought it was funny too.

"You were marvelous!" she told him and wiped his cheek off for him.

When mom let go of his chin he was sporting the biggest and brightest smile I'd ever seen on him.

Quick enough mom was lost in her other conversation and though we didn't actually get her verbal permission, we three each made unconscious choices to believe we had and slipped away.

"Where are your parents?" I asked BJ.

He shrugged and almost like he didn't care said, "Dunno."

By the time we had fought our way through the crowd and across the Sanctuary to where I'd seen Cole, he was gone.

"Ah man; where'd he go?!" Lowell moaned while turning himself around and around.

"Who are you looking for pumpkin?" Some little old lady asked us.

"Cole, Cole Thornton?" I said; which was the much abbreviated version of the actual question, "Do you know who he is?"

She shook her head while looking around.

"There he is!" BJ said as he grabbed Lowell and me by the wrists. With a yank that nearly pulled us both right out of our shoes he took off up the isle toward Cole.

But we only made it about half-way up the isle before a wall of people formed and blocked us from advancing on Cole's position.

"UUUGH!" Lowell growled.

And by the time we got beyond the human wall, Cole had moved away again!

"Man!" I sighed and stomped my foot in frustration.

Unfortunately when I stomped my foot, BJ's foot had been right there.

"SIMON! That was my toes!" BJ cried out.

"Oops!" I said sheepishly.

Through clenched teeth he hissed back, "I'm going to `oops' you!"

But he didn't get to `cause right then Lowell spotted Cole who was already outside of the sanctuary.

"He's headed that way!" Lowell announced and it was his turn to nearly dislocate BJ's shoulder, who still had a firm grip of my wrist, and in turn, yanked hard on me.

Yet again Cole wasn't there when we arrived but we hadn't lost him. All three of us still had our eyes on him. He was now halfway down the hallway which I knew lead down toward the nursery. It was then that I remembered I had been in desperate need of a diaper change. With all the running around we were doing, I'm surprised I hadn't sprung a leak yet.

Now don't get me wrong here, at no time had we been running, as the church was just way too packed after the service. Since there was a church picnic after the service, no one was in a hurry to clear out and thus, though we were trying to move fast, we were not moving as fast through the labyrinth of people as I made it sound.

I also have no idea how it happened, but somewhere along the way we lost BJ. It is quite odd because BJ had been between the two of us, linked by hands and wrists but by the time we got out of the Sanctuary I had hold of Lowell's hand and BJ was nowhere around.

"Cole!" I cried out from about fifty feet away and thankfully Cole heard me.

Turning to see who had called his name Cole spotted Lowell and me advancing toward him with Lowell dragging me along behind him.

"Simon!!!!!!!" he called out and looked like he was about to run toward us but didn't even move a single step as two girls stepped in front of him.

Lowell and I stopped a couple feet from Candice and Lindy or maybe I should call them Tweedle-dum and Tweedle-dumber.

"Excuse me." Cole said while trying to step around Lindy, but she blocked him again.

"What do you want?!" Lowell said with venom.

Ignoring them, both of the girls locked eyes on me and I could tell they were filled with all sorts of malice for me. I swear I don't have a clue why those two she-devils have taken such a dislike to me. However I will say this; they picked the wrong person to go up against! Say and do what you want to me, but God help you if you say or do anything spiteful to my friends and family.

"Nice act this morning." Candice said to me with a curled lip of disgust.

I knew they were talking about my confession and all that had happened but they seemed to think it was all an act.

Cole then forced himself between the two girls so aggressively that Lindy was nearly shoved into an open door.

"OH MY GOD!" Candice said rudely.

"HEY! DON'T USE GOD'S NAME IN VAIN!" some lady said who had been standing near us.

Candice made a face at the lady when she had turned back around.

"Candice, don't stick your tongue out at that nice lady!" Lowell said real loud so that the lady could hear.

The lady turned back around and shot Candice a nasty sneer. Candice actually coward a bit until the lady had turned away again. Then she regained her aggressive posture.

Cole had re-inserted himself between Lowell and me though Lowell still had a strong grip on my hand which was now hidden behind Cole.

Candice, reaching past Cole tried to punch Lowell in the chest for what he had said but instead she hit Cole. What made that so bad was she hit Cole in the same arm that had been hurt so badly before. Had Cole not had yet another surgery recently, I am sure it wouldn't have been so bad, but he did have recent surgery and it was bad.

Only then did I know why Lowell was holding my hand so tightly. When Cole was hit, he groaned, cringed and folded in pain. I became instantly enraged and had Lowell not been gripping on my hand so tightly I would have lunged on those two witches. I probably would have ripped out their throats before they even knew I was killing `em. Lowell had tightened his viselike grip on my hand so hard that I couldn't miss the message he was sending me.

"Cole!" I exclaimed, "Are you ok?"

Without lifting up his head he shook it from side to side. I then yanked my hand free from Lowell's grip and told him, "Go find his parents." And then took half a step forward so that I was close enough to count the hairs of Candice's bushy unibrow.

"You are wrong!" I was talking softly but forcefully, "I was 100% honest this morning. However you need to know something about me; I might be a Christian now, but the old me is still in here," I thumped my chest so hard with my fist that it sounded like I'd punched a wall, "and..." I lowered my voice another decibel, "you don't know this about me, but along with what they told about me in the news, I am also a killer and congratulations..." I looked over to Lindy and back to Candice, "you two bitches best start running, `cause you're next!"

Apparently I had done a very good job of getting my point across either by words or by tone or the look in my eyes, `cause they both took off back down the hallway so fast you'd think a wild beast was chasing them... oh... I guess a wild beast was.

Glancing over my shoulder to see Lowell helping Cole away I started stalking my pray. Once past the nursery I was in unfamiliar territory, but that didn't stop me. I simply walked fast and determedly after Candice and Lindy who seemed to be running but not getting away.

It wasn't until I followed them down a set of stairs into a lower floor, which I didn't even know existed, that I lost them in the darkness.

I sang out, "Giiiiiirls? Where are you?"

Trotting deeper into the darkness I giggled menacingly, "This is no good! I'm not killing anyone!"

In the dark and some distance from me I heard, "Go left! Go left! Left! LEFT!"

"Which way's left?"

"Left is left! Oh my god how thick can you be?! Hurry up he's coming!"

I resonated after them with, "Come out, come out, wherever you are!"

Continuing down the hallway, the only light was coming from rooms that had doors open and windows in them. Had the girls not made a sound, which came from a room three doors down on my left, I probably would have not found them.

I walked in, and right before I flipped on a light switch I heard Lindy whisper, "Quick let's hide in here."

There was a clunk of a door closing right as I flipped up the switch on the wall. With only one other door in the room I knew exactly where they were hiding.

No, I didn't take that chance to kill them; I won't lie, I wanted to kill them but even though I didn't, having them believe I was going to do just that was nearly as good. Basically I put the fear of ME into them; I feel I did that quite well.

From the other side of the door I could hear the following...

"We're going to die!"

"Shut up!"

"We're going to die!"

"Yeah we are because he's going to hear you! So shut up!"

"You shut up! You are the one to hit that boy!"

"I didn't mean too!"

We were inside a music room. There was a big black piano in the room and if I had been strong enough, I would have pushed that against the closet door but there was no way I could manage that. Instead I took a metal folding chair and lodged it under the doorknob so that the door could not be opened unless someone from my side removed the chair.

No sooner had I got the chair in place than the nob jiggled from the other side. It startled me and I jumped backward. Fyer had taught me how to stand and prepare myself for a fight and that's what I had done. I sprang backward and readied myself for a battle that never came. The chair kept the handle from turning and the door from opening. It was kind of a letdown. I mean it would have felt so good to beat the crap out of those evil piles of crap!

"Oh shit! Candice the door locked!" Lindy moaned.

"Well unlock it!" Candice replied.

I had to cover my mouth to stifle my laughter.

"I can't! I—I think it locked from the other side when I closed it!"

With panic in her voice Candice said louder, "Let me try!"

I took another step backward as the handle wiggled louder and harder but still the chair kept it from turning.

"OH NO! We're locked in!" Lindy cried and then added, "And I have to pee too!"

"Would you shut up and help me!?" Candice hissed back.

Pleased with myself; I didn't make so-much-as a peep after that. I simply tiptoed out of the room, turned off the light and closed the music room door behind me while listening to the two of them moaning and calling each other several rather un-Christian-like names.

________________

Anyone that has worn diapers for any amount of time knows there is a point when a diaper simply cannot hold even on more drop. Sometimes you can make a single diaper last for half a day or longer and then there are times you are lucky to get one to last an hour. It also depends on how you are sitting, laying, standing, and moving as to how long you can get a diaper to last. Since I had been sitting for most of this diapers duty, the rear area still hadn't been fully utilized. Now that I have been up and about for a good twenty minutes, the back too had managed to get good and wet. It had bought me that much more time but was now full too. I knew it was past time to get changed and that I was going to have some very wet shorts any minute if I didn't get changed right away.

I took a step into the direction I had come only minutes before when I heard something that stopped me in my tracks. At first I thought the girls had found another way out and were coming up the hallway to my left; but as quickly as I had that thought, I dismissed it. It didn't sound anything like the two of them or like someone running. It sounded like... well, had I not been in church I am sure I would have instantly identified it as the sounds of two people having sex, but I was in church, so sex was the last thing from my mind. My brain instead interpreted the sounds to be someone earnestly struggling to evacuate their bowels.

Let me tell you; curiosity can be a real bit... um... well... a female dog (if you get my meaning). Instead of going right, I went left toward the sound. Actually, I was half a dozen steps further down the dark hallway before I even knew I was moving toward the moans and grunting.

I had gone maybe thirty feet and was nearing the end of the hallway when I realized the sounds were coming from a room another fifteen to twenty feet further down on the right. I could see a faint light coming from that room as the door hadn't been fully closed.

The closer I got the less the sounds seemed like someone was taking a dump and more like... well I knew I was in a church basement but honestly, it sounded a whole lot like a pig grunting. I reached the door from which the sounds were emanating and didn't even have to open it any more than it was to see what was happening inside.

No! There were not pigs being kept in the basement of the Evangelical Brethren Church! There were no pigs at all... well there were, but not the kind with curly tales. Actually, there was no curl in their tales whatsoever!

Like I said, I was in church, so the last thing I was expecting to find was people having sex. Of course that begs the question, why did I expect to find pigs in a church? Nevertheless, I am sure you can understand why I was so utterly taken back to see Elder Abernuckle bent over a metal folding chair. His pants were around his ankles, his shirt was bunched up around his shoulders, and he was making low grunting noises exactly like a big fat hog. I could see his gray pubes and his old man penis and balls swinging back and forth beneath him.

Why were they swinging? Because directly behind him was a completely nude younger guy, ramming his ridged tool in and out of the elders' ass with absurd vigor. And then I recognized the younger guy... it was the same guy who had been doing the sign language stuff during the service. Though he was sweaty, his hair messy and hanging down in his eyes, I was still sure it was the same guy.

Now I should have turned on my heels and got the heck out of that basement, but I didn't. Actually it didn't even occur to me to retreat. I was completely mesmerized by what I was seeing. It wasn't a sexual turn on for me in any form but I still couldn't stop watching.

I mean come on! The guy, who does the substitute preaching when Reverend Vandoan is out of town, was getting plowed by the sign language interpreter!? If that isn't a paralyzing `Oh my God' moment, then I don't know what is.

Now that I reflect back on the scene, I think part of the reason I was so transfixed was the fact that seeing the interpreter in all his sweaty glory had sparked a memory. The memory was of that time I'd slept over at Mikey and Tater Winston's house, and ended up seeing Tater completely nude. Well, I did more than see him nude. I mean we worked out nude together, we showered together, and we jacked each other off. I suppose seeing the interpreter all hot and sweaty had reminded me of Tater. Although he was nowhere near as muscular as Tater, he did have enough definition to his body that one could see why he would remind me of Tate.

I stood there for what I guess was like five minutes watching them go at it. At some point my mind had replaced the interpreter with Tater. And for all of about three seconds I had this weird electrical charge radiating within me. I probably would have stayed longer, imaging Tate like that, but just as I was starting to enjoy the electrical storm within me, Tater morphed into Runt.

Yeah that's right, Runt! I know; `eeew'!

Well, thankfully almost the same instant that my mind had changed Tate into Runt, the metal chair Elder Abernuckle was leaning over scooted across the floor a few inches and made a loud sound. It had effectively and abruptly broken my hypnotic trance. At that same instance the sign language guy looked right at me. Seriously, our eyes not only met, we locked gazes. He smiled and really started thrusting hard almost as though he was performing for me.

"Take it easy kid!" Elder Abernuckle cried out.

That smile! Oh man that smile! I don't know if it was real or if my mind had painted it there, but I swear that smile was the same one I'd seen Runt flash at me! It was his, `I am about to do bad things to you' smile.

I had a sudden and nearly blinding, fiery pain erupt from my ass. With a gulping breath and my hands cover my backside, I turned and ran down that hallway with speed like I use to have before my time on the Banachelli. I probably left smoke and flames where my shoes had touched the floor; that is if I was even touching the floor. I wasn't bothering to be quiet at all. My only thought was to get out of there as fast as possible. Even if that sign language guy hadn't seen me, they both would have known from the pounding of my shoes on the floor that they had been discovered.

________________

It didn't take long to find Lowell again; actually he had been looking for me and we found each other as I was cresting the stairs.

"You ok?" he asked when he spotted me flying up the stairs, three steps at a time.

I came to a stop, and was panting pretty hard. I nodded and looked back while trying to catch my breath. My chest was heaving and for a fraction of a moment I feared I was on the verge of an asthma attack.

Without thinking, I had thrust my hand into my pocket in search of my inhaler. When my fingers wrapped around it, it was only then that I remembered actually picking it up earlier this morning.

I took a quick hit of the inhaler then tried to speak.

"Me?"

Gasp!

"I'm just,"

Gasp!

"dandy!"

Gasp!

Lowell knew I wasn't, but he sighed anyways and then that's when I noticed something odd about him.

Maybe it was because I had just witnessed a teen boy having sex with an older guy in the basement of the church that caused me to key in on Lowell's situation like I did. I had stopped about three steps from the top and was eye level with Lowell's diapered crotch so I couldn't help but notice that the front of his short were unusually extended. It was more than what one would expect even for an overly wet diaper.

For a moment I thought maybe he knew what was going on downstairs too, but then realized how could he know?

"Do-do you have a boner?" I asked even before I knew I had the thought.

Stupidly he looked down, but then raising his head back up he was grinning ear to ear.

"What? Can't a guy be glad to see his best bud?" he joked.

"OH BOY! You are unbelievable Lowell!" I sighed, unable to keep my amusement hidden which only fed into his already ever active glands.

"What has you so worked up now?" I asked, "And don't tell me it's me."

He shrugged but then got this evil gleam in his eyes as he leaned in slightly and whispered, "Want to sneak into one of the empty Sunday school rooms for a quickie?"

With the fresh image of Elder Abernuckle and the interpreter replaying over and over on the movie screen of my mind there was exactly zero desire to do the same.

Not having to think for even a fraction of a second I barked out, "NO!" which only made him grin all the more.

"Guess I'll have to find someone else." He said and a small fire of jealousy sprang up inside of me at the thought of Lowell with someone else.

"What?" he asked.

"What, what?" I asked back.

"Now don't you go starting that again!" he laughed and attempted to give me a titty-twister. Thankfully he got mostly shirt and very little nipple.

"Ouweee!" I complained and narrowed my eyes threateningly.

He wiggled his eyebrows and beamed.

I looked back down the steps again and he must have finally picked up on something in my body language.

"Why do you keep looking back like that?" he asked.

"Huh? Uh? Oh... Um. I—I probably should not say but..." I looked back once more before saying, "You are not going to believe what I just saw down there."

"What?" he asked.

"You are not going to believe this, but Elder Abernuckle was getting screwed in the butt by that sign language interpreter guy!" I said in a strong whisper and with a hand to the side of my mouth.

There was no one around, so I have no idea why I felt the need to be so quiet or secretive.

Lowell's eyes went the size of dinner plates.

"W-What?" he gasped.

"No lie!" I said while crossing my heart.

"Wha... Di..." he grabbed the sides of his head as though trying to keep his head from exploding, "Ar... They...?"

Finally forming full words but not complete sentences he asked, "Donny was... with Abernuckle?"

"Is that his name? Donny?" I asked back.

Lowell, still holding his head, looked behind himself as though he was looking for someone or expecting someone to be coming toward us but there wasn't.

"But Donny is fourteen!" he said as though he were spitting something unpleasant tasting from his mouth

"Fourteen? Really?" I said while looking back down the steps, "He looks older than that."

"How old is Elder Abernuckle?" I asked.

"Oh he's real old! Like 50 I think!" Lowell said with emotion and then asked again, "Th-They were really doing it? You think Abernuckle made Donny do it?"

I shook my head, "Didn't look forced to me. On the contrary, Donny seemed to be the one doing all the forcing... if you get my meaning."

No longer did he seem shocked and repulsed but instead I saw that same look in his eyes as I had saw last week at his house when he was trying so hard to get inside my diaper.

"I wonder if Elder Abernuckle's wife knows that he likes younger guys?" Lowell asked while rubbing his hands menacingly.

"Oh gross! Are you seriously getting turned on by the thought of those two?"

Grinning, he nodded.

"Uh... Eeew!" I groaned, "You'd probably have sex with..." I paused for effect before adding, "...um, name a noun!"

He blasted out one long, "HAAAAA!" of mock laughter.

"Did you get a stiffy watching them?" he asked.

I scrunched my nose as though I had just got a whiff of poo, "Do you want to be covered in puke?!"

Just in case I wasn't kidding, he leaned away. At the same time he stuck out his lip as though pouting. I reached out to try to grab it like I used too but he was too fast for me and swatted my hand away.

I imitated his pouty lip. He then puckered up and made a kissing sound which I returned. I shouldn't have done that `cause it only got his hormones going again.

His eyebrows went up high on his forehead and the corners of his mouth curled with delight.

Shaking my head and slapping my forehead in defeat I then asked, "How's Cole?"

"Oh, he's fine!" he said with an unconvincing, dismissive wave.

I think he had been trying to placate me before giving me the bad news, "Candice hit him right where he had his latest surgery a few weeks or maybe a month ago. I forget how long now. Anyway she got him right on the same spot."

Nodding, I hissed, "That's what I thought she did."

My anger was reignited, but Lowell saw my blood beginning to boil and before the steam could build up to the point that it started jetting from my ears he quickly added, "Simon, he's ok! Don't get mad again! When you get mad you do stupid stuff and you don't need to go doing anymore stupid stuff!"

"I should have killed them!" I spat and clenched my fists so tightly that the cut on my left hand started to ache.

Realizing I was meaning Lindy and Candice, he asked "Where are they?" and a deaf and blind man could have picked up on the worry and fear that was oozing from every pore in his body.

Acting like Lowell I grinned this wide, wicked, toothy smile as I slowly rocked my head from side-to-side as if to say, I'm not telling you where they are, but instead said, "I didn't kill them; if that is what you're thinking."

"Did you hurt them? Simon you could get into a lot of trouble!" Lowell said with worry in his voice.

"I didn't lay a finger on either one of them." I shrugged, "I didn't have to!"

"What's that supposed to mean?" he asked.

My tummy growled right then, loud enough that even Lowell heard it. His eyebrows rose up questioningly and with wide eyes he exclaimed, "Either you need to poop real bad or you are some kind of powerful hungry!"

I chuckled amusingly, "Only had a half piece of toast for breakfast and a bit of tea. Tummy wasn't too happy. But though I don't need to poop; at least I don't think I do, I do desperately need a change. I feel like I have a swamp in my shorts and maybe a live gator!"

Lowell got a kick out of that analogy and he surprised me yet again when he didn't try to say something resembling, "more like a tiny lizard!"

We were about to go in search of our parents when...

"There you two are!" came the relived sounding voice of his mother.

"Hi Mom!" Lowell said, sounding super guilty which was dumb `cause he didn't have anything to be guilty about. I had tons of reasons, but not him.

"What are you two doing way down here? There are no Sunday school classes today because of the Church Picnic."

Lowell sometimes is sharp as a tack! He shook his head and said, "Simon was looking for the nursery to get changed and he got lost."

Picking up on his lie to cover for my recent `Witch Hunt' I quickly squirmed and pulled at the front of my shorts as though I had ants in my pants.

She bought it and gave us an understanding expression as she reached both hands out for us. Lowell and I both took hold of one of her hands but then she exclaimed, "Simon you are bleeding!"

"He is?" Lowell asked with concern.

I'm sure Lowell thought I was bleeding due to having attacked the girls, or maybe that the blood came from those two little `Witches in Training'. It was in fact my own blood. When I had balled up my fists so tightly, I'd dug my nails into my palms and managed to reopen the gash in my left hand. I'd cut myself yesterday squeezing that darn key so tightly at Mr. Petersons and now I've re-aggravated that injury.

I had to quickly explain why I had a cut on my hand and didn't have to go into all the details. I also didn't have to explain why it was bleeding now which was good `cause I didn't have a good excuse and didn't want to lie.

You know, that's kind of funny (and not in the Ha! Ha! Sort of way), a couple minutes before, I was ready to wipe those two girls off the face of the earth and yet telling a lie bothered me.

Mrs. Vandoan produced a tissue from her purse and pressed it into my hand; she then took Lowell and I to the nursery where I again got to see Muriel and for some reason this time there was no question about who was going to change who. Lowell went with Muriel; and Mrs. Vandoan, who still was holding the tissue and my hand lead me towards the other bathroom to change my diaper.

The place was packed. I mean insanely packed with little kids. It was loud and there were several adults watching and playing with the kids.

We were stepping around and over little kids playing when we came up on a young lady holding a baby that was screaming bloody murder.

"As soon as his mother dropped him off he started howling!" She said desperately to Mrs. Vandoan.

Lowell's mother released my hand but not before giving it a squeeze and talking down to me as though I was the age of most of the kids in the nursery.

"Don't move!"

I felt like I needed to say, "I wouldn't think of it!" `Cause her tone made it sound as though if I tried to move, my back side would be finding out how serious she was about the idea.

Mrs. Vandoan took the baby and try as she might she couldn't get the baby to calm down either. Ideas were suggested but all had been tried.

I was standing there with my hands over my ears when I suddenly remembered something that had happened on the Banachelli. One of the younger boys, Hector was his name, had managed to get hurt fairly badly, not life threateningly mind you, but bad enough that he was in considerable pain. There was nothing anyone could do to get him to stop screaming and crying, that is anyone but a Jamaican Nun.

Shouting over the baby and everyone else I said, "I know how to get the baby to stop!"

Both of the ladies looked at me with desperate and questioning expressions.

"Got a cell phone?" I asked.

The lady that had been holding the baby before produced a phone from her back pant pocket. I told her to dial a number and when someone answered to say, "Simon said you can make a baby stop crying."

She did just that and even though I wasn't on the phone, I could hear the unmistakable laugh of my dear friend Sister Sarafina.

Just as I had hoped she would, she instructed the lady to put the phone on speaker and turn the volume all the way up. That is when the magic began.

From the phone blossomed this sweet, angelic sounding, song. It was a beautiful and ancient Jamaican lullaby that can only be sung by someone with the right accent. It wasn't the words, but her voice that somehow magically stops tears. Two separate times I had seen and heard her do it and both times it worked.

Almost instantly the baby stopped crying. Actually every child, parent, and caregiver in the nursery stopped whatever he or she was doing and both looked and listened in our direction. It was totally astounding. For about four minutes Sister Sarafina sang to the baby through the phone and that is all it took to silence the infant and to lull it into a deep sleep.

When the song was done I leaned toward the phone and spoke softly, "Thank you." But I was careful not to say any names.

"Love you ma-boy!" Sister Sarafina said.

We heard her end the call on her side and the lady closed her flip phone.

"That was unbelievable!" Mrs. Vandoan remarked.

"That's nothing!" the lady said motioning for us to look behind us.

We both turned to see what seemed to be more than half the kids in the room out cold and those that weren't asleep were looking very heavy in the eyes.

I had to quickly cover my mouth as I had become consumed by an uncontrollable case of the giggles.

Mrs. Vandoan, still holding the sleeping baby, gasped. I mean, there wasn't much else one could do when witnessing that sort of Jamaican magic.

Glancing around at the other adults in the room, every one of them stood completely dumbfounded with mouths agape.

"Who was that?" one woman only a few feet from us whispered.

I shrugged like I didn't have an answer and quickly retired to the changing room. Thankfully I didn't have to wait very long before Mrs. Vandoan joined me.

As soon as the door was closed she asked me who the woman on the phone was and how she managed to put all the kids to sleep.

Wide eyed with pride I shared that the singer had been Sister Sarafina. She of course recognized the name instantly as both Lowell and myself have talked about her.

"Simon, I... I have never seen anything like that before." She looked to the closed door, "No one will believe it either."

I laughed, "Yeah, it is something you have to see to believe for sure!"

We talked more about the song, about Sister Sarafina and other things related to both topics. I shared with her the two previous times I had heard the song and witnessed its magic. As we talked, she had me hop up on the changing table even before I had taken down my shorts. With unmatched skill she had me completely out of my shorts and plastic pants before I even knew they were unfastened.

Shorts-less, but still in the wet diaper I was left lying on the changing table after Mrs. Vandoan excused herself for a couple minutes. When the door reopened I was surprised to see my mom come walking in with Mrs. Vandoan.

There was conversation about my hand as well as Sister Sarafina. Mom asked how I had hurt it again, but I simply got away with a single shoulder shrug. While mom removed my wet diaper and began to clean my diaper area Mrs. Vandoan tended to my hand. She applied some Neosporin ointment and then a long Band-Aid that went all the way around the back of my hand to keep my palm covered. I remember the Band-Aid clearly in my mind `cause I'd never seen one that long before.

"How's your head feel?" Mom asked while applying Desitin to my groin.

I'd been lying with my head turned to the side because it hurt to have it laying normal like.

"It hurts some." I said truthfully.

"Could you get the white bottle with the blue lid from my purse? It has his medicine in it." Mom asked of Mrs. Vandoan.

From out in the nursery we could hear the little kids awake again. They were laughing and playing loudly and I imagined that Lowell was undoubtedly getting them all worked up.

"Yes that's the one." Mom confirmed when the pill bottle came into view.

The small bathroom was filled with the baby scent of Desitin and baby-powder by the time mom was done with me. I think because Mrs. Vandoan was right there, mom had pulled out all the stops when changing me. She'd even made sure that my little back door pucker was clean by inserting a baby-wipe wrapped finger a little ways inside of me.

"Where are your shorts?" Mom asked looking around.

"Oh dear I must have taken them with me when I went for you." Mrs. Vandoan said and then added, "Not to worry, I know where I left them!"

She was back in a jiffy with my shorts in hand. I was already up from the changing table and mom had given me my pill which I managed to swallow without any water or juice to wash it down. I did my best not to show my fear, but at the mention of my shorts having gone missing, I had envisioned having to leave the nursery in just a shirt and diaper. That idea didn't fill me with warm joyful feelings as you might expect it would. I was more than a little relieved when Mrs. Vandoan returned with my shorts in hand.

Also, while Mrs. Vandoan was gone, I was questioned... no that's not right, I was sternly talked too about contacting Sister Sarafina or anyone on the ship. I noticed but did not draw attention to the fact that mom called it `the ship' and not `your ship'. I was reminded that I was not allowed to have any contact with them and though I tried to make mom understand I hadn't called, I just gave the number to the lady and she called, but mom wasn't buying that one at all.

I'm sure mom would have had more to say on the subject had Mrs. Vandoan not returned right then with my shorts in hand.

"Found them!" She announced while holding them high triumphantly.

Lowell slipped in past her.

"Simon hurry up!" he whined.

Mrs. Vandoan, for the first time in all the time I have known her switched into `ANGRY MOM MODE'! She snapped her fingers loudly right in front of Lowell's nose and barked, "GO PLAY NOW!"

Lowell surprised me when he actually took off like a flash with no objection or further whining whatsoever.

________________

Outside, the sun was dead overhead and beating down, however, something I hadn't noticed when we arrived for church was the big, big, tent Reverend Vandoan had talked about. It was set up in the grassy area behind the church at the far end of the parking lot but even though it was way back there, it was high enough that it could easily have been seen when we pulled in before church. I still am clueless as to why I hadn't noticed it. It was like the kind of tent you would see at a circus, only not that huge.

With mom holding tightly to my right hand, and Lowell's mom holding tightly to my left wrist with Lowell on her other side, we walked from the church, to the tent where we found EVERYBODY?! Pretty much every member of the church was inside the tent either standing around gabbing, standing in line for food, or sitting at one of the three tables that stretched the near entire length of the tent. Kids of all ages were running around both inside and outside the tent and there was a big crowd of older kids near the back eating watermelon.

Surprisingly, when Lowell asked if we could go have Watermelon with the others both of our mom's had zero objections.

It turned out that the watermelon eaters, or most of them anyway, were the same guys and girls that had been on stage with Lowell this morning. All of them were super excited to finally get to meet me and were telling me about how they have been praying so hard for me and all of the other kids (meaning the boys still living on the Banachelli).

One girl started to ask me about the ship but Lowell quickly changed the subject by asking, "Where'd you get the watermelon?"

"Oh here, I'll show you!" a younger girl with jet black, shoulder length hair said.

We were walked over to an enormous metal trough filled with ice and more watermelons than I have ever seen in my life. A guy wearing a funny Viking helmet with horns asked, "You two look like you need a healthy sized wedge of melon? Am I right or am I right? I'm right! Right?"

I couldn't help but giggle. The guy looked funny enough in that helmet, but to talk like some sort of goofball hopped up on caffeine, was just way too funny!

"Two please!" Lowell said holding up two fingers.

Right as Lowell was getting his piece; good old Cole Thornton walked up beside me and draped his arm around my neck.

"Finally found you again!" he said while putting a hand on my chest.

"COLE!" I exclaimed, "You okay?"

"Man; those girls need to lay off the hater-ade! So what's with those two anyway? You pee in their apple juice or something?" he asked and before any of us could say anything he addressed the man in the Viking Hat, "Hey dad! May I have a piece?"

"MISTER THORNTON!" I blasted.

I suddenly remembered him from the hospital, but hadn't recognized him with that silly hat on his head.

"I—I think so." he joked to me and then to Cole he added, "Yes, yes you may!"

Mr. Thornton reached out, took hold of Cole's ear and then pulled him close. Though he spoke low, I was able to make out what father said to son, "E'reway atway urchchay umbnay ullskay. ixnay ethay eepay alktay."

Cole tried to pull free from his dad's grip.

"Okay! I'm sorry!" Cole sniveled which finally got his ear free. He then added while rubbing his lobe, "I think you made it longer!"

His father made short conversation with us and expressed his elation that I was now a member of his "Ecclesiastical family" as he put it. I had to ask what that meant and he then informed me that they, (meaning all of Cole's family) had joined the church a couple months back.

We probably would have continued talking but more people were coming for Watermelon so the four of us made our way back to the other teens where we talked about lots of stuff that had nothing to do with me, my past, or the events of today. It was GREAT!

I will add that one thing very funny happened as we were approaching the other teens. This gaggle of twenty-something ladies had been walking toward us and away from the teens. As we past we boys heard the following...

"I know what you mean. My first kiss was with a gorilla at the Columbus Zoo."

"Did... you... guys... just... hear... that?" Lowell asked slowly as though his brain was shorting out.

Cole was laughing so hard he nearly tripped over his own feet and I almost dropped my melon.

Still a ways from the teens (I mean we had to walk through and around the crowds) I asked, "So what was it your dad said?"

"It was Pig Latin." Cole said.

"Well duh! I know that! But what did he actually say?" I asked with attitude while trying to trip him but not succeeding.

He repeated his dad's words while attempting to imitate his dad's voice, "E'reway atway urchchay umbnay ullskay. ixnay ethay eepay alktay."

"Thanks!" I said while spitting a watermelon seed at him and hitting his right ear dead center, "That really helped clear things up!"

"Uh! Sick!" Cole complained.

"He said that we are at church and I shouldn't be talking about pee."

"Oh!" I said and spit another seed at him.

"You are dead!" He shouted.

He had to shout `cause I was already a good twenty feet away, running for my life!

Thankfully when he caught up to me he was too winded to kill me. Lowell eventually caught up too but it took him longer `cause he didn't bother to run. He was too busy pigging out on melon.

________________

After a while Dad found me hanging out with the others and asked if I felt like some chicken.

"I don't know... what's a chicken feel like?" I asked.

Dad pretended to backhand me in slow motion and I pretended to react in slow motion. Everyone thought it was funny.

Although this morning I hadn't been hungry at all, for some reason I now had my appetite back and boy did I eat!

There was corn on the cob, fried chicken, grilled chicken, BBQ chicken, Tofu chicken, hotdogs, corndogs, and several different kinds of potato salad. Oh and pies as far as the eye could see. With dad's suggestion, I had regular, boring, boneless grilled chicken, which turned out to be anything but boring. It was moist, and juicy and smoky and oh man I am making myself hungry writing this!

"The BBQ sauce might be too much for you just now." He proposed.

I ended up having three grilled chicken breasts, one ear of corn, and two bottles of Sprite soda. I will add that I did not try the Tofu chicken, even though a sample bite was offered to me on a toothpick. Amazingly enough, I also did not sample any of the pies; I guess I wasn't in a pie mood. My father, on the other hand... well let's just say there has never been a pie dad could say no to.

Afterward Lowell and I were invited to play Kickball but I had to turn them down on account of my head. Also, if I attempted to run with my belly as full as it was, I'd for sure blow chunks! However, that didn't stop me from enjoying the game as a spectator and a world class heckler. It turned out Cole wasn't allowed to play yet either. We sat behind home plate and chatted through the game. I found out that he was supposed to still be wearing his sling, like my dad is currently wearing, but he hates it.

"Makes my neck all red and itchy!" he complained while rubbing the side of his neck.

"So it makes you a red neck?" I asked with a serious face.

"Dude! That was lame!" He chuckled.

I found out what Cole had been up to since I last saw him; how his physical recovery has been and why he had to have one last surgery recently.

He said he really liked living in Riverside and going to Riverside Junior High but he said he was upset when he found out I had ran away at the start of the last school year.

"You still wear diapers right?" he asked right out of nowhere. At least he had the decency to lower his voice and lean closer to me when he asked it.

I uncomfortably nodded.

"You remember when we saw each other at that gas station?" he asked.

I nodded again.

Lowering his voice even more he then asked, "Did you know I was wearing a diaper then?"

I shook my head and looked around to be sure no one was listening to our conversation.

"Hey let's go sit over there." I suggested while pointing to a big yellow bush that was probably thirty or more yards away from first base. When we got to the bush we were the only two there but after about ten minutes a bunch of teens and older kids joined us as it was one of the few shady spots. But before we got company we were able to talk without worry of anyone overhearing.

"I got a real bad infection inside of my..." he pointed nonchalantly at his crotch, "because when they put in the tube for me to pee through while they did the surgery I got a bad... uh...." he was searching for the right word.

"I forget what they called it."

"A cut?" I asked.

He shook his head and I tossed out several other words but none seemed to be the one he was looking for.

"Anyway, it got all infected but they didn't know something happened until after the surgery until I went to go pee on my own." He grabbed his crotch with both hands, "Simon it hurt so bad I thought I was going to die!"

I cringed at the thought of it.

"They put this camera inside and saw what happened. After that, for almost a whole month I had to have a tube inside of me all the time so that it could heal right."

"So it did heal ok? I mean you don't still have the tube or need diapers?" I asked.

He shook his head, "Oh no, this wasn't from my last surgery, that was just to take out two long metal rods. That happened at the surgery right before I saw you at the gas station."

"Oh ok I understand now." I said with an exaggerated nod.

"I thought you didn't have to have more surgeries when I saw you that time?" I asked.

He shrugged and shook his head. "They kept saying no more but I had to have the one where they hurt my..." he pointed to his crotch, "then one small surgery at my doctor's office where they didn't even put me to sleep. And then this last one where they took them screw rod things out."

He showed me the stitches that were still on the outer side of his elbow and some on the back of his bicep muscle.

"So no more surgeries?" I asked.

"I hope not!" he said with a shrug.

"I hope you don't too!"

"Did you have to wear diapers all the time when you had the tube?" I asked.

"Only the kind you put on like underwear. Not like we had to wear in the hospital." He said and did I detect a hint of disappointment hidden within his words?

"Did pee come out all the time with the tube?" I asked.

"No, it had this clamp thing on it and I could go whenever I wanted, but that stupid clamp leaked sometimes. It happened one day at school. I was so embarrassed." He said, and it must have been a heck of a memory `cause he turned plumb colored.

About then, three girls from the youth group, one had been the girl that had showed me and Lowell where to get the Watermelon, were headed toward us so we stopped talking about diapers and doctors and instead acted like we were talking about the game.

"Who's winning?" one of the girls asked us.

Cole laughed, "I don't even think they know."

The girls spread out a white sheet beneath the bush and as though it were an invitation, several more walked over our way. We all ended up chatting, watching the game, and laughing when Lowell did cartwheels from first base to second base after someone kicked the ball all the way out to center field. Actually I had never seen a kick ball go that far and it wasn't even a big kid that did it. It was some scrawny boy not much bigger than me.

Uh! Wait... back the train up! Did I just call myself scrawny? UGH! Simon you are a dope!

Aaaaaaannnnyway, sometime during the hilarious kick ball game and our random conversations under that big yellow bush I became so comfortable that while lying on my back with Cole's thigh beneath my neck to keep my sore head from touching the ground, sleep came over me. Actually, it was inevitable. I'd been dodging and sneaking away from the sandman so much lately, that it is no surprise that he finally caught up to me and used a dump truck to bury me in magical sleeping dust!

Actually what really did me in was a combination of a full belly, the warm summer afternoon, feeling a peace I hadn't felt in a long time and an African-American girl named Tonya who had come over holding hands with this Asian boy. She and the boy, whose name I don't know if I ever heard had settled themselves down near my feet and she soon began to sing this little song about frogs, lily pads, and a ribbit-love song. It was sweet and soft and so very pretty and she sang me to sleep in no time.

________________

"Simon honey."

I opened my eyes and saw the smiling face of mom.

"Mom?" I croaked and I heard a girl giggle.

"You fell asleep." Mom said.

"I did?" I grunted as I pushed myself up on my elbows and looked around. About half of those that had been there before I dozed off where gone but Cole was still there and Lowell was there too but he was out cold too as were three others.

Cole was rubbing the leg I had been using as a pillow.

"Sorry Simon, I didn't want to wake you, but my leg went to sleep." Cole said with a half-smile.

"You are a good pillow!" I smirked and teased as I pushed myself up to a full sitting position.

"Are you about ready to go home?" Mom asked.

"Is the picnic over?" I asked.

"Not yet, but I think you might be ready for some real sleep." She said.

I agreed and with mom's help I got to my feet. Tonya was still there, though the Asian boy was gone. I told her how much I enjoyed the song and she told me that I need to be sure to come to the youth group after next week's service because she is going to be singing with...

Darn it! She told me that Asian boys name and I cannot remember what she said it was. Oh well I will find out next Sunday!

As mom and I were walking, hand-in-hand toward the ball diamond, which by the way another kickball game was going on with just the adults, I put a hand to the side of my mouth and whispered to mom.

"Mom, I think I need another change before we go home."

"Number one or number two?" she asked with zero emotion.

"Number two." I said.

When we reached where most of the spectators were sitting, Reverend Vandoan intercepted us.

"Someone looks sleepy." He teased.

"I had a nap sneak up on me." I joked back while thumbing over my shoulder to those I had left under the bush.

He looked past me to the far bush where a half dozen or so teenagers lay either watching the game or sleeping soundly as I had been only minutes ago.

"Lowell and BJ are napping over there still." Mom told him.

"BJ and Lowell were over there?" I asked; I hadn't seen either of them when I got up.

"So that's where they got off to." Mr. Vandoan said.

Mom then said, "We're going to make one more visit to the nursery if that is ok."

"Of course!" he said to mom and then addressing me, "But hurry back, you don't want to miss it when I am up to kick!"

"Actually, I think we're going to be going after Simon has a change." Mom told him.

"Can we stay just long enough to see him strike out?" I teased.

"OOOOH!" Reverend Vandoan hooted loudly and I couldn't help but laugh. Mom laughed too.

"Just kidding!" I said to him.

"Yeah I bet!" he said back and then pretended to bop me on top of the head with a fist hammer and I pretended to get shorter which made a couple ladies near us laugh loudly.

Mom and I found the nursery a bit less populated this time, however one of the little girls who I hadn't seen earlier recognized me the instant I walked into the room.

"SIMON!" She screeched from across the nursery.

Mom and I both turned toward the shrill cry of the little girl and I recognized the girl as the one that had so sweetly offered me her baby-doll last week. And for the life of me I couldn't think of her name. Come to think of it, I may not have learned her name last week.

With no idea of her name I sang out, "SWEETIE-PIE!" and dropped to my knees with open, welcoming arms.

She ran across the nursery stopped two feet from me, stomped a foot and with a scowl said, "Not Sweetie-Pie! I Miranda!"

I smiled held out my arms and belted out the following song...

You're my Honeybunch, Sugarplum, Pumpy-umpy-umpkin

You're my Sweetie Pie

You're my Cuppycake, Gumdrop, Snoogums-Boogums

You're the Apple of my Eye

And I love you so and I want you to know

That I'll always be right here

And I love to sing sweet songs to you

Because you are so dear

She wrinkled up her nose at my stinky singing but I could see a smile hiding just beneath the surface.

And then with even more enthusiasm I sang out, "MIRANDA!"

She finally smiled and threw herself into my embrace. I gave her the biggest hug and while releasing her I asked, "Have you been taking good care of our dolly?"

Miranda was holding the baby by the leg, but when I asked about it she held it out for me to see.

"SEEEE!" she squealed so loud I think one of my fillings rattled loose.

"But where are her clothes?" I asked at seeing the naked baby-doll.

Miranda looked around her as though the baby clothes should be lying within sight.

"I nunooooo!" she sang and it was so cute I wanted to hug her again.

"You better find some clothes for our baby or she will get cold!" I said in baby talk and just like that Miranda ran off.

Mom and I went into the same changing room I had now been in twice before and thankfully, what had felt like a fairly substantial load turned out to be mostly pee and only a little bit of poo. Mom had me cleaned up and re-diapered in due course. Now, earlier I had thought mom was being more attentive due to the presence of Mrs. Vandoan, however, just as before, she was super thorough in cleaning, creaming, powdering and re-diapering me. However, since I had pooped, she paid even more attention to my bottom and again had inserted a baby-wipe covered finger into my poop-chute to be sure I was completely clean.

With my backside cleaned, freshly diapered and shorts back on, mom and I exited the changing room only to find little Miranda standing patiently waiting for us to emerge. In one hand the baby hang from clutched hair, from the other a fist full of baby-doll clothes.

"You found them!" I exclaimed in cute baby talk.

She grinned and hopped in place.

"Will you pway wiss me?" she asked in the cutest little girl sort of way. How could I say no?

I looked up to mom who was grinning ear to ear. She looked like she might bust out laughing at any second.

"What?" I chuckled.

"Just for a minute or two." She told us both as she left us and walked over to talk with Muriel and Mrs. Vandoan who had just come in with a very sleepy eyed Lowell in tow.

Miranda handed me the baby and the fist of clothes. It was clear I was to redress the baby.

Now, when I had got re-dressed back in the changing room I figured that since we were leaving soon, I hadn't bothered to tuck my shirt back into my shorts. However, what I didn't know was that while I was kneeling and bent over, it had road up a bit. Having those little kids see the tops of my diaper didn't bother me in the least, but what did bother me was that one boy saw the scars on my back and loudly asked...

"WHAT'S ON YOUR BACK!"

Thankfully, Lowell hadn't gone in to get changed yet and was nearby. He quickly redirected the boys' attention to a big red ball by rolling it right at him. The boy, giggling, raced after the ball and I was able to quickly readjust my shirt. I even tucked the back into my shorts so it couldn't ride up again.

But Miranda had seen my scarred back too and the way she was looking at me, I was sure she was going to belt out something about them as well. However, what she did next was so very sweet and completely unexpected. She laid her tiny little hand on my scarred face and said, "Simon got booboos?"

She then leaned in close and kissed my scar like a butterfly landing on a flower. Then she lifted up the front of her yellow dress to show me that from slightly higher than center of her chest and running down into her matching yellow panties was a gnarly grey scar.

"We da same." She said.

Had the red ball not rolled past us and that same little boy not ran after it, I probably would have broken down at seeing such a tiny, precious little angel with such a horrid scar. Hell, I am crying right now as I write about it.

I wanted to ask how she got it but since she had already moved past it and was back to focusing on our baby, I didn't bring it back up.

A glance over my shoulder and I could see Lowell was beside himself with quiet laughter. I knew it was because of the kiss. I narrowed my eyes on him warningly which only acted as fuel to his fire. Truthfully, it was kind of funny watching him laugh so hard while not making so much as a peep.

With the baby doll dressed and its hair somewhat combed with my fingers, I gave it back to Miranda and she smiled so big. She ran off to show the other little girls what I'd done.

"Are you ready?" Mom mouthed from across the nursery.

I got to my feet and walked toward Lowell who had turned away from me and when I thought no one was looking I gave him such a pinch to the back of his arm near the pit.

I virtually lost it when he turned his head to me and with glassy eyes gave me a look that made it seem like I had mortally wounded him.

With a nudge of my head toward the door, I told him to come on. He scrambled to his feet while rubbing the sore spot and sticking his tongue out at me.

"Need a pit-stop first." He pouted.

He never should have poked that bottom lip out `cause with cobra like speed I lashed out, grabbed his lip and pulled.

The sounds he made was akin to the sound a dolphin makes, only much, much, much higher pitched.

I didn't hang on long at all. Only long enough to get my point across.

While he was trying to reattach his lip I put my hands on my hips and pretending to be impatient as I said, "Well hurry up! Move! Move! Go get your tushy cleaned up!"

"That really hurt you know!" he said right before rushing over to where our moms and Muriel were standing.

With no delay he and his mother vanished into the same room I had just been in moments ago. I used that time to approach Muriel and ask her about Miranda's scar.

I wiggled a finger at her to get her to lean down and into her ear I whispered my question.

"Oh sweetheart. She had to have heart surgery last year but don't you worry, she is all better now." Muriel told me.

She may be alright now, but that didn't mean I didn't feel any better about such a precious angel having to go through life with such a nasty scar.

In record time Lowell and his mother were returning. I am sure that was due to Lowell rushing her. I know how he gets sometimes.

As Lowell and I were leading our moms out of the nursery he did a sort of twisted leg, back kick which caught me right in the padded area. Don't think for a minute that he got away with it either. His mother saw it and popped him on the back of the head.

"What were you told about kicking and hitting people?" his mother asked.

Lowell dropped his chin to his chest and mumbled, "Not to do it."

To add insult to injury I added, "Yeah Lowell! Behave!"

Oh man he shot me the meanest look. I was sure he'd be getting me back very soon!

But I didn't let it drop. I then added, "I'd never tell you how to raise him, but if he was my kid I would spank his bare bottom."

Mrs. Vandoan got a kick out of that. Lowell on the other hand had flames where his hair used to be and was firing death-rays from his eyes.

"You are so dead!" he mouthed.

I stuck my tongue out at him but was careful not to be seen doing so by our moms.

Talking in low tones so our mom's didn't hear he said, "You started it!"

Being the evil little brat that I am, I softly said back, "Yeah, but I didn't get caught now did I?"

"Oh man I am so going to get you back." He hissed.

I'm sure our mom's knew we were up to no good because we were walking upright and behaving ourselves ... as far as they could see from behind us.

________________

Back outside Lowell and I were walking arm in arm being a couple of goofballs while we now followed our mothers, who were on the hunt for our dads.

Now you have to remember, my father currently has only one working arm... oh the other works just fine, but there isn't much you can do when you are used to having two good arms. So you'd think we'd find him with a crowd of men watching the game, but NOOOOO! Dad was in the game and he was pitching with his one good arm.

Lowell and I watched for a bit and listened to the wives of all the men. Boy, for a bunch of church ladies, they sure can tease in a mean way.

We had arrived back at the diamond as that guy, Donny was up to kick.

"That's the one!" I whispered to Lowell.

"No duh!" he whispered back.

"Wonder where Elder Abernuckle is?" I asked while looking around.

"I don't know, but I am glad he's not here right now." Lowell said.

"What do you mean by that?" I asked.

"I mean it is just gross!" he whispered.

I snorted and laughed loud enough to draw the attention of one or two others.

"Oh now you think it is gross?" I teased.

"It took me a while... but yeah." He said softly.

Somehow, in the sun, Donny looked even older than he had both on stage and while ramming his rod into Elder Abernuckle. I was having a hard time believing he was only fourteen.

Donny sang out in playful banter as the ball rolled toward him, "You call that a pitch? A golden leg like this and you pitch it that slow..." his leg swung forward with a lot of power. Surely the ball was going to end up in orbit around the moon, "...to me--oooouwwww!"

Instead of making contact with the ball, the tip of his shoe caught home plate. It even looked painful as the momentum caused his whole body to pivot and fall onto the ball.

Laughing and pointing Lowell cried out, "He said MEOW!" which made everyone laugh so very hard!

I fell over onto Lowell and laughed out, "HE SAID MEOW!" and slapped Lowell on the bare leg.

Lowell cupped his hand around my ear and whispered, "First he was making pig sounds and now he's a cat!"

I thought I was going to die laughing.

Thankfully Donny hadn't really hurt himself, but he still drug himself back to the bench to allow his pride to recover.

Reverend Vandoan was up to kick next which really got the spectators worked up.

"Come on Daddy kick a homerun!" Lowell yelled and nearly defended me in the right year.

"Attaboy Dad! Strike him out!" I sang out to my dad!

"HEY!" Lowell growled and elbowed me.

About then I saw Cole was out there on Second base and was taking a big lead off to third base.

"Hey!" I cheered and pointed, "Cole's playing after all!"

Dad pitched the ball, Reverend Vandoan kicked and WOOOOOSH!!! Off the ball went into the bright blue sky.

"RUN COLE RUN!" I shouted and actually caused myself a bit of head pain for my effort, but I didn't let that stop me.

From somewhere on the far side of the spectators came, "WUN YOU WASKALLY WABBIT WUN!" which made everyone laugh. I'm sure there was some sort of inside joke there that I wasn't privileged too.

Cole crossed home plate as Lowell's Daddy reached First Base.

You would think the Reverend had kicked a home run the way he acted out there on first base.

With hands cupped around his mouth Lowell's Daddy cheered, "Let the Pirate King kick one!"

Oh man I thought I was going to die of embarrassment as EVERYONE looked right at me. Talk about a reputation, when an entire church body knows who out of the hundreds there, he was talking about. I made a mental note to kick Lowell's father in the shins the first chance I could get. Boy... my shin kicking list is getting long! First Tom, now Reverend Vandoan. I'm going to have to get kicking!

"Yeah Simon go for it!" Lowell encouraged.

I waved and shook my head, but there was no way I was getting out of this. Everyone cheered and though mom, who was standing maybe fifteen feet away, looked worried to have me in the game with my head injury and everything else. Dad, out on the mound, was eagerly enticing me to join and that was the last bit of convincing I needed to go play.

Even though Dad pitched the ball toward me slowly, I still missed that sucker by a mile. It was so funny I nearly fell over laughing.

"Be careful out there baby!" Mom sang out.

As the catcher was sending the ball back Lowell called out, "Pretend the ball is that Toad's head!"

Only Lowell and I knew he was referring to that Toad, Mr. Wriggle from the Banachelli.

It probably wasn't right, but with the second pitch, I couldn't help but see Mr. Wriggle's head rolling toward me instead of the ball. I nailed that red ball with every bit of strength I had in me. It went up, and directly over first base.

Reverend Vandoan had been so mesmerized by the ball sailing over him that he had forgotten to run. I was three-quarters of the way to first base and began laugh-yelling.

"RUN PREACHER MAN! RUUUUUUNNNN!!!"

He looked at me and in a split second he realized he had forgotten to run and took off for second base with me right on his heels.

"RUN! RUN! RUN!" I was laughing and shouting from exactly one stride behind him.

He touched second base, but didn't slow down as he headed for third. I touched the base and stayed right behind him

"Pretend the devil is after you and RUUUNNNN!!!" I shouted and was having trouble breathing 'cause I was laughing so hard.

Have you ever tried to run and laugh and talk at the same time? It isn't easy to do!

I kept looking back to see where the ball was. We were almost to third base when I saw that the ball was soaring from the outfield right toward us but it was way too high. I knew it; the throw was going to be too high.

"DON'T STOP NOW! KEEP THOSE OLD MAN SHOES MOVING!" I shouted at the Reverend who was slowing now.

"THIS IS AS FAST AS I GO!" he called back over his shoulder at me.

I reached out and began to push him from behind to speed him up. Though I cannot prove it, I swear he actually slowed and pressed back against my efforts just to be mean!

"FASTER!" I shouted as I saw the third baseman jump inhumanly high and catch the ball.

"IIIIIIEEEEEEEEEEEEE!" Reverend Vandoan howled.

"MUST MOVE FASTER!" I shouted and pushed harder.

Reverend Vandoan was making this combination moaning and howling sound as I forced his tired, old muscles to move faster than he'd probably moved since he was my age!

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!" he squealed as I pushed him over home plate.

He stomped hard on it with his left foot and then started to fall forward.

Apparently the third baseman had got caught up in the moment of the play because he forgot that he was playing with old and broken people. He had thrown that red ball directly toward me as if we were playing a game of Dodge ball to the death!

Now, had Reverend Vandoan not begun to fall forward once he touched home plate, and had I not, in turn begun to fall forward too, the back of my head would have been in the direct path of that red bombshell.

They say, in war, that you can actually hear the bullet right before it hits you. Well I can attest to the fact that I heard the whoosh of that red ball as it flew only inches above my head.

Reverend Vandoan hit the ground in a sort of sliding belly flop with me landing on his butt and legs and bouncing.

Not sure if I had touched home plate, even before my forward momentum had ended, on one of the bounces I spun myself, found a foothold and launched myself back at home plate, slapping it hard with my sore hand as the catcher also tried to touch me with the ball.

The crowd was loud, not just because we both scored, but also because we both had basically crashed. Thankfully neither one of us was hurt, only dirty.

OK, that isn't entirely true. In the heat of the moment I had forgot about my hand, which I seem to continually keep injuring, and had used it to hit home plate.

"You okay?" Reverend Vandoan asked me as he helped me up.

"ME?" I laughed as I saw how dusty he was.

He began to brush himself off while laughing.

"Old man shoes?!" he said accusingly and pretended to take a swing at me.

Realizing I'd said that to him as we were running I was about to say something but then someone behind me said, "If the shoe fits!" which only made everyone laugh.

Mom, dad, and Mrs. Vandoan had rushed toward us when they saw the two of us go down, thinking we'd hurt ourselves.

"I'm fine!" I said.

"Just a bit of dirt is all!" Reverend Vandoan said as he held up a hand as though to show everyone he was ok.

"Funniest thing I have ever seen!" some tall, skinny guy, about my dad's age laughed and slapped the Reverend on the back.

"Did we both score?" I asked.

"By a hair!" I heard someone else say.

About then the third baseman reached us.

"Man I am sorry! He said to me, "I nearly hit you!"

"Yeah well it's a good thing you throw like a girl!" someone said.

I looked over at who had just said that and saw Donny playfully shove the older teen boy who'd been playing third base.

"Not to worry!" I said to the Third Basemen as mom was brushing me off and making sure nothing was broken.

Looking back to the Reverend, "That's it Coach; take me out of the game `cause I'm done!"

He laughed and grabbed me by the back of the neck, "Yeah, I think I've had about as much fun as I can stand for one afternoon too."

"You sure you're not hurt?" Mom asked me again.

"Leave the boy alone dear! He's fine!" Dad told her and gave me a hard pat on the back, "Great home run son!"

It was a great play, comical and fun too, but within minutes of that grand torrent of energy I burned, my gas gage bottomed out.

The first signal that I was running on empty was the first of many yawns as I started to walk from home plate.

"Okay, I think someone needs another nap!" Lowell joked.

"Where'd you come from?" I asked him when I realized he was right beside me.

He simply smiled and nudged me with his elbow.

The two of us had walked over and sat facing the wrong way at a picnic table so that we could continue to watch the game which was back in full swing with a different pitcher.

Mom and dad were saying their goodbyes to people I didn't know while I leaned on Lowell and yawned.

"Where's the B-ster?" I asked Lowell.

"They left not too long ago." Lowell said without really paying attention to me.

I yawned again.

"Dude! Stop that!" Lowell said with a weak squeeze of my leg.

Lowell's dad came over, shook my hand and gave my neck a squeeze with his other hand as he said, "Simon, I am glad you could come today and proud of you for what you did earlier."

I smiled, "Yeah, I'm glad I came too. And sorry I pushed you down!" I laughed and another yawn escaped.

"Are you kidding? You gave me the opening for my next sermon!" He then switched to his preaching voice as he said, "When Satan knocks you down, get back up; dust yourself off and start running again!"

"DAAAADDDDY!" Lowell whined.

The Reverend seemed mystified, "What?"

"You just said Simon is Satan!" Lowell moaned loud enough for those around us to hear.

Still holding the Reverends' hand I stood up while laughing and said, "Ah, don't feel bad; people are always getting Lucifer and me confused!" which started a wave of laughter.

Lowell's dad, while laughing, leaned down, kissed my bandaged forehead and said, "Love you! Now I think you're parents are ready to go." And he pointed to where mom and dad were now standing, almost near the dunking booth.

"Oh man!" I cried out, "I missed you in the dunking booth!"

"Yeah me too!" Lowell added.

"Guess you'll have to wait until next year's picnic now won't you?" he said with a healthy chuckle.

"DAAADDDDYYY!!!!!" Lowell whined loudly.

"Who dunked you?" I asked.

"Too many!" Reverend Vandoan confirmed while running his hand through his hair and looking around.

"I recorded it!" came the voice of Lowell's mother from behind us.

Lowell and I turned and she added, "I will make sure it gets on the church website."

Sounding disarmed Lowell's father groaned out, "Oh thank you my dear!" which caused another wave of laughter from those around us.

________________

Now you'd think we'd been going to Lowell's church for years the way vast numbers of people kept stopping us on the way to our car. They wanted to say hello, chat or they wanted to personally meet yours truly. Oh they did real good at hiding it, but I could tell many were `Celebrity' groupie wanna-bes. Heck, one guy didn't even bother to hide it as he did the double handshake and nearly ripping my arm off in the process.

"It's an honor to get to meet you Simon! Wow! What you did for all those kids and everything you have been through and..."

Thankfully Colin and Ian, who I hadn't seen since the service, appeared. Colin separated my hand from the guy's tight grip and moved us away as Ian dealt with the overly excited guy.

Actually, I hadn't even notice Ian at first. I first realized he was around when he gripped the guys hand and was saying something about, "I've been looking everywhere for you" to the guy. It was probably a lie to get the guy's attention away from me long enough for Colin to help us get to the car.

"Thank you!" Mom said with a little desperation in her voice.

We reached our car and Colin opened the back door so I could get in. Basically he was pushing me in so that no one else could slow us down.

With a chuckle he said, "We could see you were getting frustrated."

Ian reappeared, "They mean well, but as we found when we first joined, they can be a little too eager to make you feel welcome."

I exclaimed, "Did you see all the bats in his cave?" meaning I'd seen up inside the dudes nose and it was full of boogers.

Ian chuckled and turned a little green.

Mom hugged Colin for helping us as I was buckling myself in and Dad was shaking Ian's hand. Ian leaned down so that I could see his face. He gave me a wink. I wiggled my finger at him and he stuck his head into the open door.

I hugged his neck and whispered to him, "Sorry for everything while I was staying with you."

"You are forgiven and I hope you don't feel bad that we ganged up on you." He said with an air of sheepishness that wasn't like him at all.

I smiled and shook my head.

"I'm glad and I want you to know that you are welcome to stay with us any time!" he said and kissed my cheek.

Colin's head appeared beyond Ian, "Except the next time we'll be keeping you on a leash!"

I tried to stick my tongue out at him but I was smiling too wide. Try it; it's not easy to do!

Ian and Colin were again talking outside the car with mom and dad, and though the door was now closed all the windows were down. I should have expected it, but I guess I was too tired 'cause when Lowell and Cole appeared, loudly, on the driver's side of the car, I nearly suffered complete heart failure.

"Oh my god! You guys nearly scared the life right out of me!" I said while trying to catch my breath and clutching at my chest.

They both laughed and Lowell said, "Forgetting something?"

"Huh?" I grunted.

He produced my Bible from behind his back.

"OOOOH YEAH!" I cheered and reached across the seat for it.

"I forgot all about leaving that on the seat inside the church." I said.

"Cole here remembered!" Lowell said as he handed the Bible to me.

We were talking for a moment while mom and dad were saying their last goodbyes to Colin and Ian when some older teen guy walked up and asked Lowell, "I don't suppose you have seen my sister around?"

"I saw them right after the service but not since." Lowell told him and then the guy was gone.

"Who was that?" I asked.

"Morgan," Lowell and Cole said at the same time.

"You'd like him. He's real cool." Cole added.

"Yeah, he's nothing like his sister, Lindy." Lowell said with a sneer.

And it was at that very instant I remembered I had imprisoned Candice and Lindy in the music room office nearly two hours ago! I have no doubt that for the girls, those two hours elongated into lifetimes by now.

"Holy Crap Zombies!" I gasped and thankfully none of the adults heard me. I'd also smacked myself in the forehead which turned out to be a really dumb move. First I used my sore hand and second the shock wave went all the way through my head and caused the back of my head to ache.

Lowell's eyes suddenly went wide in understanding.

"SIMON WHAT DID YOU DO?" He said in a forceful whisper.

Holding the back of my head and wincing, I began to chuckle. Actually it went beyond chuckling to full out laughing and I had to cover my mouth with both hands to keep from laughing too loud.

"I trapped them in some office that was in this room downstairs in the church." I confessed.

Then looking toward the church I added, "I think it was a music, or perhaps a choir room."

Cole busted out laughing and it was loud enough to draw the adult's attention.

Dad said something to them about being silly or something like that.

Cole whispered, "Atta-boy Simon!"

Lowell waved at them and said, "Bye! We... Ugh... We have to go... uh."

But he didn't finish as Cole, still laughing hysterically grabbed Lowell's arm and took off running and pulling Lowell behind him.

"What was that about?" Colin asked accusingly through the open car window.

I twirled a finger beside my head, "Don't ask me! Those two are bonkers!"

Colin eyed me hard and grunted, "Uh-huh!" and pointed a threatening finger at me. I knew what that finger meant without him or anyone having to tell me what it meant.

Wide eyed, I curled my lips in over my teeth as though I was sealing them shut.

He then winked and gave me a half smile.

With no one paying attention to me anymore I stretched my spine and neck to see out the front windshield. I spotted Lowell and Cole entering the front doors of the church and knew they were on their way to free Candice and Lindy from the prison I had placed them in.

Part of me wanted to get the heck out of there before they were freed and part of me wanted to wait and see them coming out of the church.

But dad opened the car door for mom to get in and I settled into the back seat while trying not to look guilty.

Ian's hand came through the window and he patted my chest as he said, "Get some rest!"

"I'll try!" I said while patting the back of his hand.

From behind me there was a knuckle wrapping on the rear window. I turned to see Colin pointing that same finger at me and mouthing, "B-E-H-A-V-E!

I guess my guilt was getting the best of me 'cause I nodded and mouthed back, "O-K-A-Y!"

Man I watched those doors to the very last second as we made our way out of the parking lot but no one came out of them. I felt both relieved and worried. All sorts of scenarios were playing out in my head... The girls, once free, would attack Cole and Lowell. Or, they'd be so relieved that someone found them that they would fall at Lowell and Cole's feet and kiss their shoes.

________________

"I don't think I can." I heard dad say.

I then realized my eyes were closed and opened them to find we were home and dad was unbuckling my seatbelt.

"Oh good, you are awake." He said.

"You can't what?" I asked groggily.

He chuckled, "Carry you into the house."

"No I can walk." I yawned and shook my head.

"Good!" he said and poked me in the gut.

I slid from the car and zombie walked to the back door, my feet dragging the whole way. I made my way inside, not even realizing that the back door was already open.

Without being told, I walked all the way back to my room and anything that happened in the world for the next several hours happened without my knowledge; I was completely and totally dead to the world. I don't even remember getting into bed. My very last memory was walking in my room.

When I finally did reawaken I was lying face down, positioned in the bed so that my head was where it should be and my feet were where they should be. I was completely void of clothing save for a thick cloth diaper and my favorite fire engine snap on plastic pants.

I opened my eyes and in that instant I realized why I had woke up. I'd been dreaming about yesterday... about that darn chest and in my dream I had not only found the bottles, but I had opened one and drank the stuff.

As I curled my arms under my chest to push myself up from the bed I realized my heart was racing as though I had just been running in a relay race. Thankfully when I saw that I had a new dressing wrapped around my hand the dream faded. Seeing the new bandage made me think of my head and sure enough, when I felt I could tell that someone had re-bandaged my head while I slept.

I went ahead and pushed myself up while rolling my hips at the same time so that I ended up sitting down near the foot of the bed with my legs crossed in front of me.

I could hear snoring and looked toward it to see, a tail hanging over the edge of the top bunk. Lil' Vera was up there and was so zonked out that even my movements had not awakened her.

I rubbed the sleep from my eyes with the backs of my wrists and then dropping my hands into my lap I realized I was in a cloth diaper and my fire engine plastic pants.

I laughed to myself at the thought of mom and probably dad trying to change my diaper while I was face down and asleep. Then again, for all I know, they had rolled me over long enough to get me diapered and then rolled me back onto my tummy when they were done.

With another yawn and groan from me Lil' Vera finally awoke. I only knew I'd awoken her when I heard her growl-yawning. I looked to see her back arched as she stretched and tried to come back to life. She dropped her butt and sat, perched, looking over the rail at me.

"That was a good sleep huh?" I asked with a gravelly voice.

She yawned again and made a funny, throaty, meow.

"Oh you are awake!"

My body jolted with a shock and my head shot around to see mom standing in the hallway holding a basket of clean clothes.

"Oh I am sorry honey. Did I scare you?" she asked.

"Nearly to death!" I said and cleared my throat before asking, "What time is it?"

"I think it is a little after six." She said and I confirmed it by looking at my alarm clock.

"I only slept about four hours?" I asked and rubbed at my eyes again.

"Mommy will be right back." She said and disappeared into her and dad's bedroom.

Lil' Vera leapt from the top bunk down to my bed with a heavy bounce and it must have been a heck of a jump `cause she made an audible groan when she landed. I hadn't seen the jump or the landing. I only felt it and looked over as she jumped from my bed to the floor. I noted that her tail was sticking straight up in the air as she walked.

"Well someone is in a good mood." I said to her.

Mom returned and asked if I needed changed. It was only then that I realized that for the third time today I had soiled myself. I told her I felt squishy and when she had opened the diaper we both got the whiff of watermelon.

"Wow! You must have had a lot of melon!" she commented.

I confirmed I had and she said something to the effect that too much melon can give you the squirts. Well it did! My backside was a green, stinky mess. As mom worked to get me cleaned up she informed me that while I slept I'd had three visitors.

"I did?" I asked.

"Yep. Doctor O'Neil stopped by to check on you." She said.

"Wow! He never does that!" I said.

"He was concerned about that head injury and wanted to see how you were feeling after yesterday."

"Did he do this?" I said holding out my wrapped hand.

She nodded and said, "And your head. He wasn't too happy that you were running around and getting sweaty today."

"Yeah, I shouldn't have done that." I confirmed without really thinking.

I then asked, "Who else?"

"Your probation officer and BJ both stopped by to check on you."

Completely ignoring the part about Mr. Davis I lifted up my head and asked, "BJ was here?!"

"Yes and he would like you to call him when you wake. I told him it would probably not be until tomorrow."

"WHAT?" I said almost jumping up before mom could finish her job.

She put a hand on my stomach to keep me from sitting all the way up.

"Lay still please!" she said warningly, "If you promise to lie back down afterward, you can call him when I am finished getting you diapered."

I lowered myself back down but reached up and pushed my pillow out from under my head as it was sort of paining my head a bit; nothing serious, just kind of an ache.

Mom was pinning me back into a double thick layer of cloth diapers and I asked, "Can I have the Fire Engine pants again?"

Mom smiled as she worked to get the second diaper pin closed.

"Of course you can." She said with a hint of baby talk that I hadn't noticed at the time but now that I am laying here writing about this I realize how ... uh ... baby-like I was acting. God! I got to stop hanging around Lowell so much! He's turning me into a Teenbaby too!!

Cleaned up, re-diapered and my Fire Engine plastic pants snapped on me, mom finally let me up. I quickly walked from my room and headed for the phone. On the way I passed dad who was napping in his chair, with the newspaper unfolded and laying across his lap. In the middle of the paper was Lil' Vera who'd curled herself up there after leaving my room. Actually, I am surprised she hadn't awakened dad when she jumped up on the paper.

I went straight to the phone and as I was picking it up I remembered that I hadn't called to check in, when we had got home. Maybe that was why Mr. Davis came to check on me? A chill ran through me at that thought but then I figured mom or dad probably called for me like they have before.

The phone rang several times and I was about to hang up when someone finally picked up the call at the other end.

"Hello?" came BJ's breathy voice.

"B-MAN!" I sang into the phone and then remembering that dad was sleeping in the other room I lowered my voice and looked around the corner. Thankfully I hadn't awakened him, but Lil' Vera's head was up and she didn't look happy to have been startled like that.

I mouthed, "Sorry!" to her and then returned to the kitchen.

"You're mom said you were going to sleep until tomorrow!" BJ said.

"Yeah, well I am not done sleeping!" I told him, "Mom said you came by and that I was supposed to call you when I woke up."

"Yeah!" he sang, "Did your dad tell you what my dad said?"

"HUH?" I grunted. Mom hadn't said BJ's dad had come over too.

"No, he is sleeping in the living room." I told him.

"Oh okay. So, well, if you are up for it, my dad invited you, your dad, and your mom to come with us on a canoe trip." He said his voice higher than normal due to his excitement.

"Huh?" I grunted.

"What part is confusing you?" he said back.

"Watch it!" I snarled into the phone which only made him laugh.

"Well, how many times have you used that line on me?" he asked, still giggling insatiably.

"Maybe a million, but that don't mean you get too use it on me!" I said while trying to sound hurt.

Of course he wasn't buying my act at all.

"Oh please!" he said loudly and then blew a raspberry into the phone which nearly burst my ear drum.

Thinking that there was little chance my parents would let me go on a canoe trip after everything that has happened the past few days seemed, well next to impossible.

"Did dad say anything about us going?" I asked.

I knew the answer even before BJ started to talk. He let out a loud sigh before he began to speak and I started to nod my head as if to say, "I knew it!" but then he surprised me.

"Well, your dad said he cannot take the time off from work and your mom said that she has less than zero desire to go. Actually, she said it a lot cooler than that but I cannot remember how she said it exactly. But they both thought that if you were able to get some rest that you might enjoy getting away from everything for a couple days."

"WHAT?" I said too loud and heard paper rustling from the living room followed by a loud groaning.

When I looked dad was clutching the newspaper against his tender bits while Lil' Vera flew past me and into dad's home office. Apparently I had startled her and she used Dad's crown jewels to launch herself from his lap.

Trying not to laugh I asked, "Dad are you ok?"

Talking through the pain he said, "Well that's one way to wake up fast."

"Sorry dad! I think I scared her." I said and then asked, "Did you really say I could go canoeing with the BJ?"

Dad readjusted himself while trying to un-wrinkle his paper as he said, "You missed out on your friends' party the other night and you have had to deal with a lot the past few days. Getting away from everything for a while will do you good. Nothing helps clear the head like fresh air and time with friends."

As he talked I got more and more excited; so much so that by the time he got to the end of his verbal thoughts I was so worked up that this weird, ultra-high pitched sound came out of me. It sounded something like, "Eeeeeeekooooow!"

Dad snorted and smiled as he lifted himself from his seat and dropped the paper into it.

"Yes! Go! And by all means, HAVE FUN!" Dad said.

BJ heard all of that and said so with, "So there you have it from the old geezer! Are you up for a canoe trip and a bit of camping?"

"Dad, BJ just called you an old geezer!" I sang out.

"OH MY GOODNESS! Simon you are such a jerk." BJ yelled into the phone.

"Tell him that he's going to get his butt kicked by an old geezer the next time he's over here!" Dad called out from halfway down the hallway.

BJ heard that too and was laughing again.

"I really want to go with you but I think I need to ask one more person." I said when I thought about the fact that I had to get my Probation Officer's approval too.

Sounding crestfallen BJ moaned like a sad owl, "Who?"

"My Probation Officer." I told him.

"UUUGH!" he groaned loudly like Charlie Brown.

"Tell you what; let me call Mr. Davis right now and see. I'll call you back and..." I started saying but was interrupted by dad who was coming back through the living room.

"No need! Already spoke with him and got his blessing." Dad said.

"REALLY?" I squealed again.

"Oh my!" Mom said and I hadn't even seen her following dad. She stuck a finger in her ear, "That one hurt!"

"I—I guess I am going!" I said to BJ.

I had already pulled the phone from my ear before I had said that. I wasn't about to let BJ blow my eardrum out again.

"YOOOOWWWEEEEEEEE!" BJ screeched and both mom and dad chuckled at that because they heard him too.

But then mom added, and loud enough for BJ to hear too, "Only if Simon gets his cottontail back in bed, and stays there until morning!"

I put the phone back to my ear and said, "Will you guys be picking me up?"

"Yeah Peter Cottontail!" BJ laughed loud but before I could reply he went on to say, "Right after we pick up Lowell and his dad." BJ said.

Ignoring the cottontail comment from them both I shouted so loud that I scared the life right out of mom who was standing only a couple feet away from me.

"LOWELL'S COMING TOO?"

"SIMON!" Mom gasped and clutched her heart.

Laughing again BJ sang out with, "Yeah it is going to be a total blast!"

There was a few more words spoke between BJ and myself. Mostly the when's, where's, and what to bring for tomorrow.

After I was off the phone I had a big glass of water and was going to go off to bed but dad suggested, "How about some dinner? Not too much! Just to keep you from waking up hungry later. Then you can go back to bed."

The funny thing was I didn't even make it all the way through dinner. For the first time since ... well longer than I can remember, I had fallen asleep while eating. I was told later that I took a bite of my taco and while I was chewing, my head sort of fell back against the chair and I was out of it. They told me they had awakened me and walked me back to my room, but I don't remember that at all.