Tales from Bentonville, Chapter 80
By David Lee
Warning:
This story contains scenes of love and sexual interaction. Much of this involves males with other males. If the reading or possessing of such material as this is illegal in your country, state, province, county, municipality, etc., please leave this site immediately and do not proceed further. If you are under the legal age to read this, please do not do so. It is not my intention to offend anyone or to get you in trouble.
The author retains all rights to this original story. Please do not publish without explicit authorization from me.
Disclaimer:
This story is completely fictional. Most of the places mentioned, and none of the characters exist in real life. Some may possess physical or personality characteristics of people I know or have known. But if you see yourself in this story, your imagination is better than mine!
"Tales from Bentonville" is a romantic story centering on the lives of high school kids. Lovers of other ages may appear, but not normally in a cross-generational sense. References to sex with under-age kids may be made for the sake of the story line. However, I feel that child molestation is a crime and should not be glorified or tolerated.
This is my fifth attempt at writing fiction. My other stories on Nifty include: "Zeke" (August 29, 2005), "Always and Forever" (March 25, 2004) under High School, "Brad and Alan's Canoe Trip" (April 23, 2004) under Camping, and "Jacob and Jacques" (May 30, 2004) under High School. Some characters from previous stories may have cameo roles in this one. However, you need not read them first.
Our only reward for contributing to Nifty is your e-mails. Please write if you like the story. Please include the name of the story in the title of your e-mail. I get a lot of spam!
Finally, thanks and hugs to Tim, Tom, and David who edit for me so that there are fewer mistakes!
dlee169@hotmail.com
Tales from Bentonville, Chapter 80
For some of the teens in Bentonville, June was moving along rapidly. Colton was working extra hours at his school maintenance job to help compensate for the time he would be gone to DC. It was a win/win situation because a lot was being accomplished and his income would not suffer as much.
Dane was nearly panicked about finding a substitute for his lifeguard job until Carrie volunteered to fill in. She had been babysitting for a family who was going on vacation the same week that Dane would be out of town. That made the timing perfect. Dane was very much relieved to have everything settled.
Colt and Dane had been spending their weekends at Camelot when possible. Greta lived there during the week when the lake was pretty quite, but chose to come into town on the weekends to be with her younger grandchildren. She was aware that the older ones would probably be sunning bare-assed if the opportunity arose and she wanted to allow them their freedom.
Dane was attempting to avoid tan lines. During the weekdays, he rotated his swimwear so that he might wear board shorts followed by boxer length trunks the next day and Speedos the following one. He also stayed under the umbrella a lot to avoid over exposure to the sun.
When they were at the lake, Dane and Colt wore nothing at all for as much of the time as possible. Naturally, that led to other activities besides tanning.
Of course, the boys usually had to share the latter part of Sunday afternoon with Greta, DJ, Ellen, and the twins. They didn't mind at all. It was fun to play with the toddlers and to watch them splash around near the shore while their parents took the boat out alone. The little tykes always got at least one boat ride, but they didn't like it as well as playing in the water.
Occasionally, Dave and Dustin took advantage Dane and Colt's open invitation to spend part of Saturday and most of Sunday at the lake. Sunday was considered a day for rest at the Manson's farm. Dustin and Dave normally had most of Saturday and all of Sunday free. Jared and Jace took care of the milking and other light chores on Sunday in return for being able to sleep in on Saturday. Dave and Dustin would take care of the early details, but leave after second breakfast unless there was a pressing need to work in the fields.
Brent and Mike had begun work on a Wednesday and were definitely ready for that first weekend to come. They slept soundly on Saturday until Dustin and Dave rousted them out in order to leave. The younger boys would return on Sunday evening and work through the following Friday. Bob Manson was so pleased with their work that he extended their time. He also made arrangements with them to return whenever there was extra work to do. Needless to say, both teens were delighted to have a chance to make more money.
After inspecting the fieldwork on Friday evening, Bob was effusive in his praise as he talked to the boys.
"My grandmother had a saying that hasn't proved to be true. She used to say: "You get one boy; you've got a boy. You get two boys; you've got half a boy. You get three boys and you've got no boy at all!"
"Yeah, Dad, but you have six boys," Jace grinned. "Anyway, what did she mean?"
"It's true that there are more than three, but if you follow the logic, the work should be figured in negative hours."
"Huh?" Jace questioned.
"Well, it's just that sometimes when you have a bunch of boys together, they find more ways of getting out of working than actually getting the job done."
"But we only did a little skinny dipping when it was really hot." Jace continued.
"I know, Son, and I encouraged you to do that - if you remember. I'm just saying that you all worked as hard as grown men and I'm really happy with what you did!"
Probably everyone stood a bit taller, but Jason seemed to grow about three inches as he basked in the rays of his father's praise.
Dane and Colton spent their spare time the third full week of June packing for the trip to Washington. Now that all was settled about their jobs, they felt comfortable about completing the task.
As they had for New York, they packed efficiently taking basic clothes that could be worn in various combinations. And, they included one dress outfit with sports jacket and tie just in case they had the need of it.
When the time to leave drew nearer, the guys found that they were truly excited about the trip. This time, they felt like seasoned travelers. They had been on a cruise, traveled in Mexico, and had a blast with Jason and Gary in New York. But still, the nation's capitol offered lots of historical places that would be cool to experience first-hand.
The boys spent part of their summer earnings on some new underwear and a digital camera that was higher resolution than their old one. They would take both just to make sure they got all of the shots they wanted, but the new one had so many more features that the old one probably wouldn't get much use.
On the Friday before the trip, Colton ran into Mr. Schultz at school who had forgotten an important box of files in his old room. (Schultz would be their teacher in US Government next school year.) Colt asked if there were any assignments that Dane and he could work on while in DC. Mr. Schultz was quite pleased to have students who wanted to get a jump on learning the material. Therefore, he provided Colt with a course syllabus so that the boys would know what to look for. Rather than to have his students do a term paper, Mr. Schultz had them do a PowerPoint presentation. Since one of options for the big project was to give an overview of Washington's famous landmarks, he let Colt sign up for it early. The guys could practically ensure earning a fourth of their semester grade before the term even started.
On an overcast Saturday afternoon, a spacious van from Rockwell pulled up in front of DJ's house to pick up the family for their flight to Washington. As soon as the twins were securely buckled into their car seats, the journey began.
Craig Adams, Grace, and their two younger children, Zach and Faith, met them as they got out of the van at the airport.
"We arrived only moments ago," Craig said as he grabbed DJ's hand. "This is our flying carpet!" he exclaimed pointing to the BBJ3 (Boeing Business Jet). "It was sent out from headquarters at Mr. Steele's insistence. He seems to think that we should all travel comfortably. I hope that we'll be able to secure the Pentagon contracts that he is counting on - in order to pay back his investment as well as his trust in us. This baby is nothing but first class!"
Dane and Colt had traveled to New York in style, but this jet was even bigger and fancier than the one the Wild Boys had chartered. All of the adults were suitably impressed too. The little kids didn't know about luxury, but the Adams' children were old enough to be excited about their first plane ride.
The trip was pleasantly uneventful. Weather was not a problem once the plane arose above the clouds that hung over Iowa.
Service on board was of the quality that first class used to be on commercial flights many years ago. The passengers were waited on hand and foot and offered a variety of entrees for dinner as well as non-stop snacks and drinks for anyone who wanted them.
Because of the restrictions on private planes since 9/11, the plane had to land in Baltimore. Fortunately, Saturday evening traffic was fairly light on the beltway as the small bus transported the families to their hotel.
The Wardman Park Marriot is the largest hotel in DC as well as one of the oldest. Its location has made it popular with seasoned travelers because many points of interest are readily accessible. It is within walking distance of the National Zoo and many fine dining establishments. The Metro station is right there making it easy to travel to museums, monuments, and government buildings. The convenience is worth much more than the cost. Many government officials and international celebrities have used this facility as their home away from home over the years. It had always been well maintained even before the massive $100,000,000 renovation in 1999.
The rooms in the suites were gracious to say the least. They had high ceilings and were sumptuously decorated with antique furnishing. DJ's family was housed in one that must have been an apartment at one time. Each of the three bedrooms had a private bath en suite. DJ and Ellen's room even had a small nursery set up with two cribs.
The Adams' had a smaller suite, but it was equally elegant. There were three bedrooms in it also, but only two were going to be used because their children didn't want to sleep alone in a strange place so they chose to share the one with twin beds.
The "message" light was flashing on the phone in DJ and Ellen's suite when they entered. It was a call from Wade and Roger to let everyone know which room they were in. DJ called and soon the men were at their door.
"Wow! So this is how the other half lives!" Roger exclaimed on entering the sitting room. "We are in economy-class. Look at that baby grand! I wonder if it's in tune."
Roger sat down to play a few notes and pronounced it to be a fine instrument. He played a couple of golden oldies that were familiar to all. The whole family tried singing along to them.
"I hate to break up "American Idol," Dane laughed. "But Colt and I want to take a few shots of the grounds and the outside of this place while it's still light."
Wade and Roger agreed that a stroll around the area was a good idea although they weren't going to take any pictures. The rest begged off because the little ones would have to have their baths, story-time, and perhaps a snack before going to bed. Greta wouldn't have minded going on the walk too, but thought that Colton needed bonding time with his father. Sometimes guys needed to be with other guys.
Mr. Steele had arranged a lot of possible tours for his employees and their families. Among them was the chance to worship at the National Cathedral. The Colt and Dane were glad that they had packed dress clothes. It wasn't that they couldn't have attended in slacks and knit shirts, but somehow they felt more comfortable looking like young urban men instead of boys from the sticks when they entered the breathtaking Gothic building.
The liturgy was more formal than what the families were used to, but they quickly adapted. In the coming years, they might not remember all that was said in the homily, but they would never forget the spiritual and aesthetic feeling of it all.
In the afternoon, they also visited the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, the biggest church in North America. They toured the Great Upper Church, the Crypt Church, and several of the chapels. The Adams' and Johnson's were awed by the beauty of this Basilica. The fact that neither family was Catholic did not diminish their appreciation of it.
Later in the day, the men jogged in Rock Creep Park for several miles. They might have gone farther, but the heat and humidity was even worse than that of Iowa in mid summer. So, they walked back to the hotel to shower and rest before going to dinner.
DJ and Wade had both brought laptops and were happy to share them with their sons. The boys wrote to their closest buddies back in Bentonville and to Gary and Jason in England to keep them abreast of the trip. They also sent a few photos of the sights they had seen to that point.
While the guys were relaxing after their afternoon exercise, Greta had an early dinner in one of the informal restaurants in the hotel. She had convinced Ellen and Grace that she would be quite pleased to baby sit while the rest went to a more upscale place to eat. Although the Adams' children were quite a bit older and were well enough behaved to dine in polite company, they would still rather spend the time playing games or listening to Greta read to them. The twins were only about 15 months old and their behavior was quite unpredictable at any time. The youngest members of the group had their meals delivered by room service and ate before the adults went out.
The rest of the family managed to get seated around 7:30 at an excellent, but moderately priced establishment. Craig said that all of them could order whatever they desired because Rockwell would pick up the tab, but DJ was certain that Mr. Steele would be impressed if they kept expenses in a moderate range. Everyone ordered something light -- not only to save money Everyone ordered something light. .
Time away from the children was very relaxing for the ladies. DJ and Craig had confidence that they would be in for a romantic evening when they got back to the hotel. It looked as if all had similar thoughts in mind. The little touches and glances exchanged between couples left little doubt.
On Monday, the families went to meet their senators. Both Mr. Harkin and Mr. Grassley were cordial, taking special interest in the men who had served in the military. Although his service had been done while he was still a resident of Illinois, DJ had grown up in Iowa. Craig's had retired from the military before moving to Iowa, but the senators were aware of his impressive career.
It's not that they ignored the rest of the group. Each senator had pictures taken of the Johnson family surrounding him in which he held the twins. And each had another made with the Adams' children holding his hands.
Mr. Steele had arranged these visits knowing that politicians loved to "press the flesh" and that exposure went both ways. Steele wanted the senators to be seen with his employees as well.
After lunch, and a short nap for the smallest ones, the ladies took all of the children to the zoo while the men went to the Natural History Museum. Once he saw the exhibits, Craig Adams wished he had brought Zach on this excursion, instead sending him to the zoo, but he figured that the boy could go to the Field Museum in Chicago sometime instead. There wouldn't be time to take in the Natural History Museum twice if they were to see everything that they wanted to.
That evening, the families all ate together in a more casual, family-friendly place. The food was really good and there were other children in the establishment so that Ellen didn't feel self-conscious with her twins there.
On Tuesday, everyone was up at a fairly early hour because this was the day that Barry Wilson would be posthumously awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor in a ceremony in the Rose Garden. DJ kept wondering why he was so visibly included in the ceremony for Barry; it just didn't seem to add up. He also wondered why his family had been invited to attend along with Barry's sister Lisa and her husband, John. He guessed maybe it had to do with trying to bolster support for the war which was waning on both sides of the political aisle.
DJ and Craig had been asked to wear their uniforms. Fortunately, both had stayed within a pound or two of their fighting weight so there was no problem with the fit. Both men looked like poster boys for recruitment ads. Again, the cynical side of DJ's brain told him that all of the pomp was for political reasons.
Promptly at 9:00, a pair of limos arrived in front of the hotel to transport everyone. It was at that point that DJ got to meet Barry's sister in person at long last. They had e-mailed and phoned each other several times in the past year, but had never met face to face.
Lisa introduced her husband to the group before climbing into the car with the other Adams family. Since they had the same last name, John and Craig began to compare what they knew of their family trees. Before they got to the White House, they had established the fact that they shared a common ancestor in Braintree, Massachusetts several generations back. They decided to address each other as "cousin".
Of course there was quite a bit of standing around and waiting before the ceremony began. Eventually, the visitors were escorted to the Rose Garden just before the President arrived. Several news cameramen were double checking their equipment because they were hoping to use the ceremony for filler on the evening broadcasts in the event that it turned into a slow news day.
Many Army dignitaries were present as well - including the Sergeant Major of the army and the Secretary of the Army. Members of the VFW were in attendance as were officials from the Illinois Nations Guard and the Iowa Congressional Delegation.
When a person from the White House Protocol Office announced: "Ladies and Gentlemen, The President of the United States," it was evident that the ceremony was about to begin.
Everyone stood to greet the leader of the country. The President asked the attendees to be seated and then he began to speak.
"We are here today to present our nation's highest honor to two men -- one living and one dead - who gave more for their county than many would be willing to give."
After reading the citation pertaining to Barry Wilson's heroic deed of throwing himself on a grenade to save the men of his unit, The President spoke from the heart.
"As the Bible says: `Greater love has no man than that he lay down his life for his friends.' That is what Private Barry Wilson did. And now I present the Congressional Medal of Honor and this flag to Barry's sister, Lisa Adams, in recognition of her brave brother's sacrifice."
The President gave his condolences to Lisa and spontaneously hugged her. Her surprise at his actions did not prevent her from hugging him back.
"Thank you, Mr. President," a tearful Lisa responded. "It is a fitting tribute to my brother who was always a good and courageous man. Perhaps the `don't ask, don't tell' policy has its place."
All military personnel were given the "at ease" command and there was applause from everyone including the news people.
A murmur floated over the crowd along with the applause. A reporter for ABC news moved to the edge of the crowd to use his cell phone. The cameramen were wondering how soon they could shut down and pack up when the President reminded them that there was more to come.
"This ceremony isn't over just yet," the President continued as he turned away from Lisa and returned to the podium. "We are also here to honor someone else whose bravery and unfailing leadership has come to our attention. Captain Dane Johnson, Sr., I know that you have already received a Purple Heart for your sacrifice to your country. But today I want to award you with the Congressional Medal of Honor as well. As I have already indicated, this medal is not given lightly. It is the highest award for valor that our nation can bestow."
All of the men and women in uniform snapped to attention again as the President read the formal citation:
"In the name of the Congress of the United States, I your President and Commander-In-Chief present to Captain Dane Johnson, Sr. ..."
The President continued to read the citation accompanying DJ's Medal, which described DJ's actions after Barry's heroic death. It reflected the fact DJ did not seem realize he was gravely injured. It described how he ignored his personal injury (his left leg being almost completely destroyed below the knee). It related how he calmly tightened a gun strap above the injury to stop the bleeding and then rallied his remaining troops to defend the base and to neutralize the enemy combatants. It went on to say that his quick action and decisiveness saved additional lives as well as the vital telecommunications farm they had been sent to protect. The citation ended by stating Captain Johnson had stayed in command until after reinforcements had arrived and the area had been cleared of the enemy. Only when it was evident that his men were safe, did he succumb to his injuries and collapsed into a coma.
After the President finished the reading, he beckoned DJ to approach. Captain DJ Johnson stepped forward as ordered. He walked proudly, his new artificial leg allowing him to move without any noticeable limp. He saluted his commander-in-chief. Then the President placed the Medal's ribbon over DJ's head and as the medal settled on to his chest everyone applauded.
Although DJ was nearly overcome with emotion internally, he did not show it outwardly as he saluted again smartly saying: "Thank you, Sir!"
After the applause finally dissipated, the President grabbed the hero's hand and shook it. Before letting go, the President, beaming with awe and pride, exclaimed:
"I have been told you have no memory of this because you were in shock. You believe that you passed out immediately after saying goodbye to Pvt. Wilson and seeing your wounds, but there are more than a dozen of your soldiers who witnessed your heroism. Thank you for your sacrifice for our country! You are the kind of soldier who makes us all proud to be Americans. Without men and women like you, there would be no 'land of the free and home of the brave!' America thanks you, Captain Johnson, and I, your President and Commander-in-Chief, personally thank you from the bottom of my heart."
When the press secretary signaled that the ceremony was over, everyone got ready to leave. DJ was still stunned with surprise. The only one who didn't seem to be overwhelmed was Greta. DJ noticed her calmness.
"Did you know about this, Mother?" he asked.
"Well, maybe just a little," she demurred. "I was told that you would be honored and that I should do my best to get all of your family here to witness it, if that's what you mean. I had no idea that you were to receive the Congressional Medal of Honor. I'm not sure I could have kept that quiet!"
After receiving informal high-fives and hugs from family, friends, and other military personnel, DJ turned to leave. It was then that one of the President's aides approached him.
"Sir, the President wants you and your family and friends to remain for lunch. The First Lady will host a picnic for the rest, but the President wants you to eat with him privately. He wants your first-hand account of how things are, or were, in this war. Please follow me."
Author's note: This chapter is dedicated to all of the men and women who serve our nation in the armed services. Whether you believe in the current war or not, please do not forget those who serve.
Thanks to Kenneth T. who is my advisor on military ceremonies and medals. He has generously given of his time to provide details of Washington DC as well. This is really his chapter. I have leaned on his contributions heavily.
THANK YOU KENNETH!
And, as always, thanks to those who have written lately. I appreciate your continued support. They include: Jim c, David S, Russell C, Paul W (Author of Sad Song for a Gay Teen), Jim We, Tim P, Alastair, James H, Sharon M, Kenneth T (of course), Carroll, Peter G, Jay Cee, Paul R, Luis, Rad, and Tom H. Tom, what would I do without you? Your proof reading and suggestions really help to improve this series. Thank you too, David!
If you like stories about mature men, please consider Tim Mead's "Cop out" which is continuing on Nifty and is posted in its complete form on www.crvboy.org. It's a love story.
Viv has completed "From Behind those Eyes" recently. If you've not read it, be sure to. It's another beautiful love story like "Cop Out" but under high school.
David