Ring in Mine

Ring in Mine 3: Nephi & Jerome Chapter 16

Thank you for the emails. I enjoy hearing from my readers. I appreciate your comments and ideas.

I have been asked about the relationship between Robert and Bobby in the first Ring in Mine story.

"Once through the canyon the roads were wet and slushy but traffic was moving. The two hour drive took four, but I was home and safe for five days. The house was empty when I arrived. Mom and dad wouldn't be home from work for hours yet and my brother, Robert, was in Germany working with the Peace Corp. what parents name their kids Robert and Bobby?"

Ring in Mine: Chapter 2: Paragraph 2

It was in Chapter 2 that Bobby talks about his brother in the Peace Corp. Bobby wonders what type of parents would name their sons Robert and Bobby.

1. Even though Robert was his biological son, Robert didn't like or trust his father.

2. Bobby is a diminutive of Robert inferring Bobby would always be less than his brother.

3. They were close. Bobby would turn to his brother for comfort growing up.

4. Robert didn't tell his brother or his parents he was eloping to Germany.

5. Robert must have known about Bobby's orientation. He mentions it to Kathy.

6. Robert love his brother enough that even though Bobby was gay. He still loved his brother.

I want to especially thank Zach for editing this story.

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Nephi & Jerome: Chapter 16

Jerry had pleasant dreams, but the same wasn't true for Jerome.

The sun shone on a grassy meadow. Jerome's extended family sat on a giant blanket sharing a picnic lunch. Jerry was chasing butterflies and picking spring flowers for his grandmothers.

Jerry had just stepped out of sight. A shot rang out. Mary slumped onto the blanket; blood flowed from her chest. Shot followed shot. With each pop another member of Jerome's family joined Mary on the now blood soaked blanket. The last shot took Nephi who toppled onto Jerome's lap. Jerome couldn't find Jerry. The shooter stepped from behind a tree. His father held a sobbing child's arm.

"I'll raise this one right." Jerome's father turned and walked away with Jerry leaving Jerome surrounded by the carnage of the shoot spree.

The sun shone on a grassy meadow. Jerome's extended family sat on a giant blanked sharing a picnic lunch. Jerry had just stepped out of sight. A shot rang out...

Jerome woke with a start. He climbed out of bed trying not to disturb his bedmate. Jerome refused to allow sleep to overtake him again. He couldn't face a replay of the dream.

A little boy found his daddy in the rocking chair watching his beautiful son.

"Grandpa Peter said you needed me." Jerry climbed onto his daddy's lap dragging his race car blanket with him.

Jerome clutched his sleepy son to his chest. The little boy's magic worked wonders on his father. Every time the dream cycle started, a tallish man in white holding the hand of a little boy, also in white, stood between Jerome's family and Jerome's father.

He knew this man from Paula's pictures. Jerry was holding his hand. Why would he dream that Paula's husband and Jerry were protecting his family?

Jerome woke the next morning alone still in the rocking chair. The door was open. Jerome could hear kitchen sounds. Mary was cooking eggs. Jerry was watching cartoons and Nephi was missing. When he saw the snow falling, he knew where Nephi was.

Mary looked at her son. "Sit down and eat breakfast. Nephi took Jared with him. According to Jerry, Grandpa Peter said you needed to sleep." After the nights events Jerome took the comment at face value. Maybe they had a guardian angel looking over them.

After he had eaten, Jerome pulled on his cold weather gear and started up the tractor. Mary understood it was a sign of trust that Jerome let Jerry stay with his Grandma Mary.

Jerome was paying attention to the path in front of him. It was important to watch for any object or small animal in his way. He finished the first block and checked both ways before crossing the street. He was about three-quarters of the way across when a horn blared and a white car barely missed the tractor. Jerome concentrated on getting out of danger. He turned to look; there was no sign of the car.

Jerome was shaken; he concentrated on the job at hand. Jerome didn't think of the near miss until he needed to cross another street. He looked both ways. Except for a white car idling in the street there was no cars insight. "Could that be the same white car?"

He had only made it partway across the street when with a blaring horn the white car pulled in front of him and stopped.

"Where's your mother, faggot? Your evil ways have turned her against me." Jerome's father climbed out of his car. The angry man reached behind him and pulled a baseball bat out of his car.

Jerome shifted the snow discharge chute forward, gunned the tractor burying the potential assailant in wet sloppy snow. He abandoned the tractor, fled to the nearest neighbor's door and let himself in.

"Jerome, how can I help you?" Jerome locked the door behind him.

"Thank you, Sister Thompson." Jerome tried to catch his breath. The homeowner looked out the window; a crazy man was hitting the tractor with his bat. Jerome took the radio out of his pocket and turned to Luke's frequency. "We've got problems. Dad's not in jail and is smashing up the tractor."

Benny was the first to answer. "I am calling Paula and then the police. Where are you?" Sister Thompson gave Benny the address.

Sister Thompson looked out the window. "Who is that?"

"That's my dad. My mom left him yesterday. He had beaten her once too often and threatened to kill Jared and me. He's supposed to be in jail."

Jerome and Jared had been invited in for cocoa in the winter and lemonade in the summer often enough during the last year for Sister Thompson to know both boys. Jerome heard a siren. Mr. Tellerson was in his car and gone before the police arrived.

Jerome moved the lawn tractor to the sidewalk and was explaining what had happened to the officer when a gunshot rang through the neighborhood. Images from his dream flashed through Jerome's mind as he ran back home. Paula stood on the porch; Marie and Grace stood behind her. A handgun lay on a small table within reach.

Jerome's father sat on the shoveled sidewalk. The baseball bat lay next to him. He was using words that surprised Jerome.

"Damn you crazy bitch, you shot me in the leg." He was holding his hand on his leg. "Jerome, come help your dad."

"I assume you were the one that broke my car windows." Jerome answered looking at the shattered windows. "I'll help you. The same way you helped me."

Jerome had learned it saved time having a large crescent wrench in his side pocket when using the big snowblower. He took the wrench and returned the favor.

"You broke my car window! I'll take that out if your hide, you damned little sodomite."

"You do that dad. Jump right up and teach me a lesson." Jerome shouted. The police car arrived as Jerome shattered the second window.

The officer pulled his gun. "Drop the wrench; put your hands behind your head."

More officers arrived. They had Jerome in handcuffs.

"I was coming to see my wife and that crazy bitch shot me." The injured man shouted. One officer was a member of the congregation lead by Mr. Tellerson. The officer took Brother Tellerson's word over the others. Paula soon joined Jerome in handcuffs.

Leonard arrived to find Paula in the back of one police car and Jerome in another. The officers weren't in the mood to listen. Leonard slipped into Marie's house to make some calls trying to get the mess straightened out. When he returned, the cars with his friends had left. The protection orders had been conveniently ignored.

Leonard phoned a friend that specialized in criminal law and gave him a heads up. The lawyer and his partner would head to the police station. Leonard could only go so far without creating a conflict of interest.

---------- As Nephi plowed the church parking lot, he thought it odd that Jerome hadn't made it to the walks yet. He left Jared clearing the walks. Nephi stopped at his John Deere sitting on the sidewalk. "What could have caused the damage?" Nephi worried. "Why would Jerome leave the valuable tractor unattended?"

"Nephi, I'm glad you're here." Sister Thompson shouted from the door. She explained what she had seen. Nephi thanked her and headed home. He found yellow police tape, flashing lights and a pool of blood on the sidewalk.

With the truck parked, there was a plethora of neighbors trying to tell Nephi what had happened. Nephi sighed in relief; only Jerome's father had been injured. He wasn't happy Paula and Jerome were at the police station.

"Daddy Nephi!" A flying three-year-old jumped into Nephi's arms. "The bad man broke Daddy's car windows. Grandma Paula shot him with a gun. The police took Daddy and Grandma for a ride in the police cars. Do you think they will take me for a ride?"

"Not today Jerry." Nephi held his boy close and took him back into Donny's house. "Jerry can you stay here and play with Donny?" Nephi wanted to keep Jerry's existence from the police for now.

Jerome found himself in a bare white room. The only notable features were the table, chairs and what Jerome assumed was a two-way mirror. He remembered Leonard's advice a year ago. "Say nothing without your lawyer!" He assumed that Paula was in a similar room.

How did this happen? Was this punishment for being gay? If God was punishing him why would He give Jerome a beautiful son?

Why was he so angry? He shouldn't have broken his dad's windows. Jerome's first thought was to use the wrench on his dad. Why couldn't the bastard just stay out of his life and his dreams?

An officer entered. "Jerome Tellerson you are in real trouble for the attempted murder of your father. I need you to answer my questions." The officer wasn't pleased with Jerome's refusal to talk without his attorney.

There was a knock on the door. "His lawyer is here." A well-dressed gentleman entered the room.

"I need to talk to my client." The officer turned to leave the room. "This is not acceptable - pointing to the mirror on the wall." Jerome told his story. The lawyer asked a myriad of questions covering the day's events and about the events a year ago.

"Before you answer a question look at me, if my hands are touching don't answer. Don't tell them anything more than they ask."

"Is it true you threatened your father with the wrench? You broke his windows threatening to do the same to your injured father?"

"I never threatened to hit my father with the wrench." The officer cut Jerome off mid-sentence.

The officers seemed to focus the questions on Jerome's orientation rather the day's events. His lawyer's hands seemed to always be touching.

"A Christian soul rescued my client when his father left him in the hills during a blizzard. They have become friends and business partners." The lawyer interjected.

"Is the blizzard incident the reason you threatened your father with the wrench?"

When they asked why he broke his father's car windows, Jerome looked at his lawyer's hands for once his fingers weren't touching. He started with his beaten mother arriving for Christmas dinner and the death threats. The lawyer produced the no-contact order signed last night. The officer interrupted Jerome's story.

"Officer you asked, if you don't want the answer, we are leaving." Jerome's lawyer announced.

Jerome explained the events with the snow blower and fleeing for his safety. "I shouldn't have broken his car windows. He caused hundreds of dollars of damage to the snow blower when he couldn't reach me. He broke most of the windows of my car sitting in my Grandmother's driveway."

"All of those are motives for the attempted murder of your father." The officer had his teeth in the attempted murder bone and he wasn't willing to let go.

"I never threatened to hit my father. Half the neighborhood was watching. Have you even asked any of them?" Jerome paid no heed to his lawyer's touching fingers.

"Your father is an upstanding member of the community. We cannot discount his statement on the word of your friends and neighbors."

The officer switched back to Jerome's orientation. "Is it true your father's disapproval of your sinful lifestyle was the motivation for the threats on your father's life?"

"Officer, this conversation is over. If you are charging him, do it now." Jerome's lawyer didn't give Jerome a chance to answer the last question. Another officer interrupted the interrogation. Raised voices filtered in from the hallway.

"Thank you for your cooperation. Someone is here to take you home." It was obvious the officer wasn't happy about sending Jerome home. Someone had interceded in his behalf.

Nephi sat in the lobby waiting for Paula and Jerome. After a round of hugs the lawyers explained there would be further investigation but breaking Jerome's car windows and the testimony of an irrefutable witness of the attack on Jerome and the snowblower, showed Mr. Tellerson's intent to harm both property and lives.

It was late when they returned home. Jerry sat on Sister Thompson's lap telling her about Donny's puppy. He jumped down and ran first to Jerome. "That was a long ride in the police car, daddy. Can I ride in a police car?"

Sister Thompson stood. "Jerry, I'll have my boy give you a ride in his police car." Jerry's attention returned to Sister Thompson.

"Daddy, I get to ride in a police car." Jerry announced proudly.

"I called my boy and gave him a piece of my mind. I told him to get this straightened out pronto." Jerome understood now who may have interceded. Sister Thompson's boy was the Chief of Police.

Jerome got Jerry ready for bed. He listened to Jerry's prayers, rocked his son during his story and then tucked the sleeping form into his bed. Nephi was waiting for his partner in the Jacuzzi tub filled with bubbles. Jerome needed special time with Nephi.

Jerome sat between Nephi's legs. Nephi was nibbling on Jerome's ears while playing with Jerome's nipples. Jerome could feel Nephi's hardness pressed against his back. Nephi had just taken hold of Jerome's tool when a desperate little boy burst into the bathroom.

Jerry didn't get his pajama pants down fast enough. "I'm sorry daddy, don't spank me."

"Come here." Without standing up Jerome pulled Jerry's damp pajamas off and lifted the little boy into the tub. Jerry's tub toys were within reach. Jerome turned and faced Nephi with Jerry on his lap. They played with Jerry's boats. They made beards with soap bubbles. They all laughed at Jerry's antics. Wrinkled but relaxed they hosed the bubbles off in the shower. Nephi took turns drying off his men. Jerome returned the favor. Not to be outdone Jerry used his towel to dry Nephi's legs. They giggled when Jerome started tickling Nephi.

The adults pulled on boxer briefs. Jerry ran to his room and returned wearing his new Spiderman boxer briefs. Jerome knelt by the side of his bed. Nephi joined him. Jerry wiggled in between them.

"Heavenly Father, Thank you for the blessings you have given us, especially for Jerry."

Jerome finished praying. He kissed his men good night, and they all climbed into bed.

The investigation haunted them for weeks. Jerome's lawyers had Mr. Tellerson's windows repaired quickly as a sign of good faith. While Jerome's father cooled his heels in jail, the boy's packed up what they and Mary wanted out of the house. They stored things at the Peter and Sons' storage garage. They delivered the rest to Marie's and Paula's.

The police interviewed Jerome and Paula again and again. The DA's office chose not to press any charges against Jerome or Paula. Jerome's father had not received the restraining orders before the attack, but that didn't get him off the hook. He finally called a friend to help him post bail.