Cheddars, Chapter, 36
Having been brought up Catholic, Mike found that the celebration of the Eucharist wasn't much different from what he was used to. When Parker told him that he, as a baptized believer, would be welcome to partake, Mike felt yet another connection with his housemates.
Carl Novotny caught up with Adam during fellowship hour and talked to Parker, Toby, Mike, and him. The rest of the guys had to leave for work immediately.
"We have a couple of options for you, Mike. You could find someone who would agree to be your guardian, or we could file for emancipation status. Either way, I believe you could continue to live where you are. There are advantages and disadvantages to whatever you choose, but I'll explain everything in detail before you decide."
"What exactly is emancipation?" Mike asked. "I only know it from the proclamation Lincoln made in the Civil War, and I think it's celebrated in the month of April in Washington D.C."
"It means that you would be considered an adult for most purposes. You can't vote, or legally go out drinking, but you would be free to live on your own without adult supervision.
"If someone were your guardian, they'd have to be an adult."
"These guys are adults," he pointed out.
"They are, but the court might balk at having them in charge of you since they're YOUNG adults, and close to your age. Don't ask, but the law can be a strange thing because some of it has to do with how a judge interprets it. You could live with them if you're emancipated, but they couldn't make any legal or medical decisions for you. You'd be responsible for those yourself."
"If they're willing to keep me, I'd like to do whatever I have to do to make that possible."
"I can begin the process tomorrow, but there is a catch. One of the qualifications is that you need to have a job."
"He will have employment," Adam guaranteed.
"How am I gonna find a job?" Mike shook his head. "Who's gonna hire a 16-year-old Mexican kid?"
"Baxter Motors can always use another detailer. If you don't like that job, I can probably get you one at Cheddar's as a dishwasher. But, I'm sure Baxter's will take you."
Mike's interview with Kyle Pearson on Monday after school was a positive experience. Kyle was well impressed with the clean-cut, serious boy who sat across the desk from him. Of course, he would honor the wishes of the young men who were the owners of the company in any case, but he was pleased to find that this wasn't turning into a "mercy" hire. The kid seemed eager to prove his worth. Often, the guys who took that job weren't particularly industrious or dependable. This one might well buck the trend.
Mike's whole day at City High had been a good one. Adam had driven him to school so he wouldn't have to walk in the rain. As cold and miserable as he'd been at times in the past few month, it was awesome that someone would care about his getting wet.
While at the school, Adam had replenished Mike's lunch account so there'd be no worry about having a noon meal for the rest of the year.
Ms. Anselm had seen Mike with Adam in the main office when he changed his contact information. She was impressed with how he looked, and made it a point to compliment him on his new haircut. He felt like his lot had changed dramatically over the weekend.
Coming to classes in new clothes, and with the backpack, and a used laptop that his housemates had scrounged up for him was another plus. He felt more confident, and, because of that, participated more readily in discussions. Several of his teachers noticed the change in him. It was good to see that someone was looking out for his welfare.
At lunchtime, he sat with some of the kids he used to hang around with before his self-imposed exile. They hadn't abandoned him, but he'd been avoiding them when he didn't have anything to eat, and especially after becoming aware of how his clothes smelled. The others seemed to accept him just like they had in the past. He was elated!
He made sure to take his gym things home to wash before class tomorrow.
After school on Monday, while Adam was taking Mike to Baxter Motors, Parker had an appointment with Mr. Anton Novara who was an associate of Carl Novotny. Novara specialized in immigration law, and would be better able to handle what Parker and Adam wanted to pursue.
"The fact that they haven't been deported yet is to our advantage," Anton said. "If we can act immediately, young Mike might not have to seek emancipation status, but it wouldn't hurt to pursue it, just in case. Hopefully, we can get the family back, and reestablished in Iowa City."
"I'm sure he'd love having them here either way! What can we do to make that happen?"
"First, I'll do some digging to find where they're being held. Next, I'll need to have all the evidence we can gather to show why they're assets to the community.
"I believe you mentioned that your husband is part owner of Baxter Motors. If he, as a local businessman, could write to our congressman to put pressure on immigration officials, that would go a long way toward getting them a fair hearing.
"Please get more information about Mike's grandmother. If she was, indeed, an American citizen, that would be our ace in the hole."
"Okay, I'll get on those things. My grandparents are living in Minnesota right now, and might be willing to rattle a congressman or two up there.
"Let me know how much money you need as a retainer to start this."
"I'm afraid that I can't take this case pro bono, but I will give you a very good rate. As a second-generation American, I have a stake in this too."
"We want you to make a living, but we do appreciate a break. I'm fairly certain that Manuel Rodrigues might contribute to a fund to help defray expenses. I'd even consider putting out a go-fund-me plea to help the family. What's happened to them seems unfair to us, and it could have gotten Mike killed! He's a scrappy kid to have survived it as well as he has."
"Well, the parents may have broken the law by being in the country without proper documentation, but from what you've told me they aren't criminals. If we can prove the bit about Mike's grandmother, this might not drag on forever. If you give me a check for $500, I'll be on it tomorrow morning."
When Parker shared his news with the guys at dinnertime, Mike hugged him with tears flowing freely. Parker gently reminded him that it wasn't a done deal, and that there could be months of waiting even if everything went the way they hoped. He didn't want the kid to have the rug pulled out from under him and be hurt further.
Anton Navara would be worth the retainer fee even if the worst should come to pass. By the middle of the week, he had arranged for Mike to talk on the phone with his family. It was a very emotional long-distance reunion. Mike was moved, but held up better than his parents did. He told them about how a bunch of college guys had "adopted" him, and he chose to omit any mention of being cold or hungry during the time he'd been separated from them. His cheerful account did a lot to lift their spirits and give them hope.
Since his siblings fell into the category of "dreamers" in their status as would-be citizens, it looked like they might be able to return to Iowa fairly soon if they could find a sponsor.
When contacted the following day, Manuel Rodriguez agreed to take on that role after learning of their plight. He thought they might be able to help them all stay in the country while they applied for citizenship.
It was now the end of April, and the little family in Adam's house had settled into a regular routine again. The older guys were quite pleased with their "little bro" who had fit in well. As for Mike, he was happy and thriving.
Everything was going along smoothly, until their old nemesis, Mrs. Cooper, showed up on their doorstep again; this time with a deputy sheriff.
"I've got you now!" she crowed. "Last Tuesday, the city council voted to start enforcing the rule against having more than three extra people residing in houses who aren't related to the owners of rental property. So, the time has come for your little operation to end!"
"This rule doesn't apply to us because this isn't a rental property," Adam said.
"It doesn't matter whether you say you're not charging rent; there are a bunch of people living here who aren't related! It's a house of ill repute! On top of everything else, you're harboring an illegal alien. I won't have wet-backs ruining my neighborhood!"
Though he'd love to have thrown Mrs. Cooper off the porch bodily, Adam kept his cool.
"May I see the order please, Sir?" he addressed the deputy.
He spent a few minutes reading the ordinance, while Madalyn stood by gloating.
"Ah, there are several reasons why this doesn't apply to us," Adam smiled. "Even if I were charging rent, which I am not, I'm related to all but three of the residents. Parker is my husband. Rob is my brother, and that makes his husband my brother-in-law. We're all related by marriage. Toby, Jason, and Mike aren't family in the legal sense, but they make up the three that we're allowed to have."
"Do you have proof?" the deputy asked.
"Certainly, come in and I'll get the documents."
Adam spread the papers out on the dining room table, starting with the DNA results which showed that he and Rob were half-brothers. Then he laid the marriage licenses next to it, along with a copy of Mike's birth certificate. The deputy looked them over, and nodded his head.
"These seem to be in order. Sorry to have troubled you for nothing."
"It may not be for nothing," Adam said, "With this last incident, I think I have enough evidence to file a harassment suit against the Cooper's. Thanks!"
Mrs. Cooper left, looking like she was about to burst a blood vessel.
The following day, there was a "for sale" sign in her front yard.
When Adam shared his preregistration schedule for next fall's classes with Parker, the latter broke into a huge grin.
"So, are you going to go into practice with me?"
"I'm not sure, but I think I want change my major and go into a helping profession, maybe social work or counselling. Right now, I'm hedging my bets. The hours in psychology could become a minor, or possibly my new major. If I stick with advertising, knowing how people tick is helpful in creating ads that will attract them to the products I'd be pushing. It seems kinda sneaky, but that's how it's done.
"So, I can pursue this course of study without losing credits if I change majors at the end of next year. Even if I become a counselor, I could still do the ad campaigns for the dealership in my spare time."
"You should do whatever your heart tells you, Love. We'll have enough wealth to keep us comfortable without turning a hand if we invest wisely. That gives us the freedom to help others without starving in the process.
"Has our little bro had an influence on your thinking?"
"Sure, but the tour of Lundy House in St. Paul started me thinking before I knew Mike existed. There's such a lot of need."
Stone Manor, in its restored glory seemed more like a museum than a home. The young men were hesitant to move back into it. Even though their old attic apartment had been redone, they were happy living in Adam's house. Now that the Coopers were leaving, they wouldn't feel uncomfortable about staying in that neighborhood.
It also seemed like a shame to turn Stone Manor into a place to house homeless teens for a couple of reasons. Some might be intimidated by the grandeur of it, as Mike had initially been at the prospect of living in the bedroom on second floor with the other guys in Adam's house. The other drawback was that they might take in someone who had a screw loose and would do something to damage it.
Remembering what a beautiful setting it had made for their wedding, the guys felt it could become a popular venue for smaller, but upscale weddings and celebrations. It might also serve as a bed and breakfast for special guests coming to the university to give lectures. Other possible uses included short-term housing for wealthy alumni who would love to sleep in a mansion once used by an early governor, when they were in town for homecoming or other events. There were a lot of possibilities.
With those in mind, they needed to find someone they could trust to help with bookings and with overseeing the property. Adam thought immediately of Jim and Paul. Paul was in some of his journalism classes, and was considering majoring in event-planning. Adam could offer them the new apartment over the garages rent-free in return for having them manage the property. The revenue from it could be invested in another building to shelter homeless teens. It could be a good proposition for all of them.
But, currently, that left them without a facility for housing kids who were on the street. It wasn't that they were aware of a lot of them in this small city who needed shelter. But Iowa city was the kind of place that drew gay kids from surrounding small towns where they had less chance of being accepted.
Adam put out the word to Manuel, and others he knew in the area, to keep a lookout for a place that would serve their purpose.
It was midsummer when some properties came on the market that might be worth looking into. One of them was in a great location behind the Coralville Strip, but was selling cheap because it faced on a backstreet and wasn't a prime place for a new business. It wasn't far from the mall or Cheddar's, there was a middle school nearby, and a bus made a stop on the corner on its way to West High. That would make it possible for school-aged kids to continue their education, if the guys housed them there.
The downside was that it would need quite a bit of work. It was the old motel where circumstances had forced Toby to reside until he moved in with Adam and Parker. His major complaint had been the shabby condition of the property, and the fact that it was a rather long ride on Cambus from there to the university. With remodeling and a face-lifting, it could become a pleasant place to live.
Parker put in an extremely low cash-offer just to get the negotiation process started. To his surprise, the bid was immediately accepted. It would take a few days for Adam and him to convert some of their investments into cash, but it was easily doable. By the end of July, they owned it lock, stock, and barrel, including a lot of beds and inexpensive motel furniture.
Manuel's services were requested in remodeling it into a facility that could serve their purposes. Bedrooms on one end would be converted into an office with counseling rooms leading off of it. The main entrance would be turned into a home-like place. The old lobby would become a lounge for watching TV and playing games, rather like a family room. There was a nice-sized bedroom attached where the night shift-clerks had slept when it was a motel, and of course, the kitchen and breakfast area which would be updated and become a place for the preparation and eating of meals.
Some of the motel rooms would be kept as bedrooms for single occupants, but others would be turned into suites consisting of a bedroom and a sitting room with the other bathroom area easily converted into a kitchenette since the plumbing was already in place.
The guys told Manuel that he was welcome to use the remodeling job as a training place for workers who were just entering the restoration field. That became the deciding factor for him. He had a number of young relatives and friends in mind who could benefit from on-the-job remodeling training, and who would love earning a salary in the process. He would oversee them to make sure the work was up to his standards. Obviously, the craftsmanship didn't need to be of the same quality as a historic renovation, but it would still be good.
Shortly before school started in September, the Roberto Acosta family was back in Iowa City. The mortgage company had foreclosed on their home because it had received no payments during their incarceration while they awaited deportation. Anton Novara was pursuing a settlement for them, but that could take months or years. They needed a place to stay.
In the meantime, the home-like section of the former motel was far enough along for at least part of the family to reside there. Mike's parents and three older siblings would occupy the houseparents' quarters, plus a couple of the "client" rooms for now. Mike would continue to live at Adam's house to be near his school. He didn't want to transfer to West High, though there was a city bus stop nearby. Besides, he kind of liked being emancipated and living with the older teens. It was almost like being in college! His parents seemed to understand that he had matured a lot living on his own. Still, his mother missed her baby.
Parker approached Roberto and Juanita about becoming houseparents on a full-time basis. They could be vetted easily because their backgrounds had been thoroughly checked in the process of getting them out of detention.
As Anton had suggested, the proof of Roberto's mother's citizenship had been the deciding factor in their release. Juanita's status was not as secure as her husband's, but being married to a man who was now legal, and having children who were his descendants meant that she was eligible to stay in the country and apply for full citizenship.
Roberto and she were thrilled to be able to earn their housing while trying to recoup money from their former home.
Parker and Adam needed yet another person on their staff if they wanted their rescue home to become operational before they finished their schooling. They needed a registered psychiatrist. They found that individual in the wife of Dr. Forman.
Abbie Lynch, who had kept her maiden name as her professional one, was ideal. She maintained a limited practice after retiring from being full-time on the university teaching staff. The very idea of becoming involved in the project was exciting for her regardless of what her salary turned out to be. She would be given a rent-free office at the new facility where she could do private counseling as well as working with the guys.
Stone Manor had been featured in a short TV news report several months before, but it got a terrific boost when the guys were asked if it could be a part of the "Parade of Historic Homes" in late August. The home of Samuel Kirkwood, the governor who had preceded William Stone, was slated to be on the same tour. This was too good an opportunity to pass up.
So, on Labor Day weekend, when many students were trying to cram in a month's worth of fun in three days before the fall term, Parker, Adam, Toby, Jason, Rob, and Darrin were all dressed to the nines leading tours and serving light refreshments. Toby, Parker, and Adam gave the majority of the tours because of their intimate knowledge of the deconstruction process.
Paul and Jim sat at a table near a tack-board with photos of the double wedding of Parker and Adam and Rob and Darrin. They also had a laptop with a calendar program for booking the facility if visitors were interested. They had already blocked out a Saturday in December for their own nuptials.
Manuel had been invited to run a slideshow of the work his company had done to bring it up to what it was today. Any number of people watched with rapt attention. Manuel was likely to be booked up for the next several years.
Darwin Cooper's parents disappeared before the date set for his mother's hearing on charges of making a false report and interfering with official acts. She had been allowed to post a small bond because she wasn't considered a flight risk. That didn't turn out to be the case after their house sold. Wherever they went, they didn't take Darwin along.
He was a few days shy of his 18th birthday when he found himself homeless. A social worker contacted Adam to see if the boy would be eligible to live in the new rescue facility, which wasn't completely finished at present.
The interview with Parker and Adam was agonizing for Darwin. He felt very ashamed for the things he had done to make the guys feel unwelcome in the neighborhood. It had been his mother's influence, and he'd done his best to please her. Now, she and his father had abandoned him completely. It had been a shock. Nothing had prepared him for this turn of events. He had been on a three-day campout with a couple of school friends and had returned to find the house completely empty. Now he knew why his mother had been so eager for him to spend a long weekend with his friends.
"I'm sorry for what I did to you. I can't expect you to care about what happens to me," Darwin bit his lip trying to be brave.
"Darwin, we don't think you're an evil guy at heart," Parker said. "We feel that there were bad influences which can account for what happened. You have made restitution, and we're willing to help you like we would anyone else."
"You and I didn't socialize, but we did grow up next door to each other," Adam added.
At that point, Darwin couldn't hold it together any longer. He broke into sobs as his façade crumbled. When Adam put an arm around his shoulder and gave it a squeeze, the waterworks increased.
"As our first resident, you can opt for one of the suites that's been completed, unless you'd rather have just a room. The suite would allow you to be more independent, but the Acosta's will provide meals either way, if you like. Juanita is a good cook, and the family is very inclusive.
"I'm afraid you may have to transfer to West High unless you can arrange transportation back to the old neighborhood."
"I'll go to West. It might give me a fresh start to be away from my old friends."
"I think that's a mature, and wise, decision," the social worker spoke up. "I'm pleased you have shelter, and I'll work on getting you aid. You may have to work part-time while you go to school."
"Thanks. I believe that might be best for me too."
In October, about a week and a half before homecoming at City High, Adam and Parker went on a special date. It marked the second anniversary of their life together. Of course, their destination was Cheddar's. They were seated in the area that Jason was serving that evening. For old time's sake, they ordered the chicken pot pie along with a salad and a croissant without honey butter. Of course, their drink was water with lemon.
Through the entire meal, they smiled at each other. Lots of great memories came to the surface. They were even more attracted to one another than they'd been back then.
At the end of their meal, Parker drove them to Stone Manor where they climbed two flights of stairs to Parker's original apartment. They had furnished it similarly to how it had been when they first met. The wooden table and chairs had been refinished, the small sofa was a new one about the same size as the original, and the queen bed was exactly like the one they'd purchased after they became lovers.
They showered together, being careful not to come prematurely. After drying off, they slipped between the sheets naked, as was their custom. Their two-year celebration was just beginning...
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Author's notes: Thanks to all of you who have followed this tale and responded. This week, I heard from GCD, Tom A, Paul R, Kyle F, Geoff S, Joe W, Walt Sz, Philip T, Tony C, Ott H, Chandra B, Bill T, Tony F, Jim M, Bill K, Avid R, Tom S, Randy Mcm, Jeremy R, Mendy D, Wayne, Steve C, JLF, Hotrod, John L, Jim W, Frank K, Paul F, Zero M and James S.
Thanks also to my editors, Tom and David, and to Nifty for making this free site available because of the contributions of people like you.
I'm working on a very short story that I think I'll post in a week or two. It's called, Workout Buddies, and will likely end up in the college section.
I may have to do some housecleaning of my address book. It might be best if you let me know that you want to remain on my "alert" list.
My best to you,
D