Tales from Bentonville, Chapter 81
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 Please do not publish without explicit authorization from me.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 81
The boys belatedly began to snap photos of the people and area around them. They were grumbling about their missed opportunities when a young photographer approached them.
"Hi, I'm Lacey Patterson. I am a freelance photographer who is employed part-time to take pictures at events like this. Some of these pictures may appear in the media - with the permission of your family, of course. Anyway, the copyright is mine and I may sell them if I choose. In your case, I'm going to give you copies of everything if you trust me with your e-mail addresses."
"Wow, that's awesome!" Dane exclaimed. "I'm going to try to get some at lunch and stuff, but I couldn't take any during the ceremony. And after, I was too stunned to think!"
"I'll be around through lunch as well and I will send you everything." Lacey assured him.
"Thanks! You don't know how much this means to us. My dad is so cool! Do we have your permission to use them in our school report?" Dane asked.
"Of course," she replied. "I'm giving you control over all of them, but I'd appreciate it if you give me credit when you do. I hope that your father will allow me to use them in a photography show. These are among the best things I've done. Just look as this one. With a little cropping on the right it will be stunning! Your dad is a handsome man."
The boys hastily wrote down their e-mail addys as they followed the rest of the family and the Adams' toward a more secluded part of the Whitehouse grounds where tables were set up under a dining canopy.
Young Zach Adams was as impressed as anyone in the group. He kept shaking his head and saying: "Wow!" He asked Craig more than once if this was really the White House and if it was all truly happening. Faith was too young to understand what a big deal it was, but she got excited when she saw the food.
Roger was nearly as wowed as Zach. Only his sense of propriety kept him from gushing.
"Oh my God, Wade," he whispered. "Do you realize there are at least four genuine queers here today and another one was honored with the Congressional Medal of Honor? I wonder if Pat Robertson is turning in his grave!"
"Uh, he's still alive, I think," Wade snickered.
"Well, if we phone him and let him know, it will probably kill him! And then he can spin." Roger replied.
In the Oval Office, DJ and the President ate a delicious lunch while discussing the state of the war.
"Captain Johnson, I realize that you have been home for awhile and that you can't be expected to know details about conditions today, but I want your candid opinion. Are we doing the right thing?"
"Sir, I don't feel qualified to make a judgment on that. There are many people who are far better versed than I am who could give you advice on this war."
"I know that, DJ -- uh, may I call you "DJ?"
"Of course."
"Okay. Please tell me how it looks to a soldier who has been in the trenches, so to speak.
"Well, Sir, I feel that you made decisions on the basis of the information that you had been given. However, I also believe that some of your advisors have kept you too isolated from facts that they didn't want you to know. I think that you went into this war convinced that it was the right thing to do, and it may have been. But, it's gone terribly wrong. There is chaos and death all around in what has turned into a civil war. Things were already headed that way long before your inner circle admitted it. I'm not convinced that it is possible to have a military solution at this point. That's my opinion. I know you may not agree, but you did ask for my viewpoint."
"I may not agree completely, but I appreciate your candor! Some of my aides tried to talk me out of having this conversation with you. I suspect that you may be right about them trying to keep me isolated. Sometimes the man in charge needs to hear things that he doesn't want to hear."
The two men discussed several more points about the war and the condition of foreign relations. Then, they turned to more everyday topics like what it was like to live in the Midwest and what DJ did for a living. The President offered to tell the people at the Pentagon to give DJ their full attention when he met with them. DJ smiled inwardly knowing how pleased Mr. Steele would be.
After they ended their discussion, The President and DJ strolled out on lawn to where the picnic was winding down. Everyone got lined up for more pictures before an aide came sprinting over to beckon the Chief of State back to the Oval Office. General Patraeus was calling on a secure line.
While DJ, his family, Barry's sister and her husband, and the Adams' were lunching at the White House, ABC's Good Morning America was frantically trying to locate where they were staying. When the family returned to the Wardham Park Hotel that afternoon, the concierge presented DJ and Lisa with a message from Senator Harkin's Chief of Staff. The message indicated the staff of ABC's Good Morning America wanted an interview with both of them.
If they were not interested, they could ignore the message, otherwise the concierge would put them in touch with ABC's representative. Before Lisa and DJ could really think about it, Greta told the concierge:
"YES! They will be happy to do it!"
She reminded DJ and Lisa it was not everyday one had an opportunity like this. It would be a first-rate way to tell the world about Barry.
"Dedicate this interview as a tribute to him and the thousands of other Barry's who have lived and died in the military. Do this for him and others like him -- male and female. This is a chance in a lifetime. This has the potential to make life a little easier for my grandsons. This is about them too," Greta pled realizing that she might have overstepped her bounds in replying for them.
DJ and Lisa nodded smiling. How could they not take advantage of a chance to promote better understanding of people who were different from the majority? This could be one more step toward changing the prevailing attitudes of society.
The concierge escorted DJ and Lisa to a small reception room off the hotel's main lobby and introduced the two to a program manager for the ABC-TV's Washington News Bureau who had been standing by to formally request the on-air interview.
After presenting DJ and Barry's sister his credentials, he asked if they would appear on Good Morning America the next day. They would not have to go to New York, but the two would need to be in ABC's Washington News Bureau studios by 5:45 the next morning. DJ said that they had an appointment with Senator Harkin's staff to do a tour of the capitol building later in the morning, but no other obligations until then.
The young news manager told DJ and Lisa that he would call Senator Harkin's office to have a car waiting for them after the interview so that they could meet up with the rest of their party at the appointed time. The Washington News Bureau Chief would guarantee Senator Harkin's Office that DJ and Lisa would not be kept late. The rest of their families and the Adams' would be picked up at the hotel in accordance with their original plans. It looked as if all of the logistical details had been taken care of.
"What made you single us out for this?" Lisa asked. "There must be many stories like Barry's."
"There ARE other heroes and we've covered many of their stories of sacrifice. But this one appears to be different. One of our reporters picked up on that comment you made about the "don't ask, don't tell" policy. He assumed that there something deeper here that might be important. You didn't come out and say that your brother was a gay soldier, but you said enough to imply it. This young newsman has a gay cousin who was outed and discharged from the army, so he is particularly sensitive to the plight of gay people in this country -- especially under the current administration."
"Yes, you're right about my implying that Barry was gay," Lisa admitted. "I didn't feel that I could make a big deal out of it during the ceremony, but I would very much like to tell the nation about men and women who are invaluable to the military and also happen to have a different sexual orientation."
"It's a subject close to my heart as well," DJ agreed. "My brother is gay and so are his son and mine. It took knowing Barry Wilson as a squad member and friend to make me realize that it's okay to be gay. I can't imagine how my life would be had I not met Barry. He did a lot more than save my life!"
"I have a request if you will permit it," DJ continued. "I know that Dane, my son and Colton, my nephew would be thrilled to go with us to the studio. You don't need to include them in the interview, but if they could be seen on TV, they would really go ape! They are active in the gay/straight alliance in their small high school."
"Well, I see no reason why we can't have them there also. I assume that they are the two teens I saw in your company when you came into the lobby. They're quite photogenic and would certainly draw a younger crowd to watch as well. I'm sure that there are many teenagers who can empathize with them and be inspired by their presence on the set."
Colton and Dane did go "ape-shit" when they heard that they would be accompanying DJ and Lisa. They didn't care if they were no more important than wallpaper; it was exciting to be seen on national TV. Some of their friends had seen them on the Today Show with the Wild Boys in New York, but that had been a very fleeting moment and this was even more special because DJ would be interviewed. The boys quickly e-mailed everyone they knew at home to encourage them to watch the show the next morning. Several people in Bentonville set up their video recorders to tape the whole show in case they missed any of it.
That night, neither of the boys could settle down when it was getting close to bedtime. The day's events had been exhilarating enough, but the thought of tomorrow morning made them more antsy than usual. Greta advised them to call room-service for hot cocoa and to soak in a warm tub of water while sipping it. It sounded like a good plan to the guys. That, along with the relief brought about by some serious fooling around in the bath, managed to calm them down enough to sleep by about 11:00.
Their wakeup call came at 4:45, but since they had bathed the night before and laid out the clothes they would wear, they had enough time to apply deodorant and fuss over their hair and still be down in the lobby with DJ and Lisa before the limo arrived at 5:15.
They looked refreshed and rather preppy as the waited for their ride. Several people in the lobby smiled at the fresh-faced, eager youths.
The early morning drive was a relatively short one. The boys felt like they had barely settled into the soft leather seats before the driver had stopped and was opening the doors.
The station staff treated the four like visiting royalty. Within 5 minutes after arriving, they were color and light tested, checked for reflections, and seated on a couple of comfortable love seats (DJ and Lisa on one and Johnson boys on the other) that were placed in front of a mural of the Capitol Building. Then a director briefed them on what to do and where to look as they talked to Diane Sawyer, Robin Roberts, and Chris Cuomo, their New York based interviewers.
There were three cameras being used for this interview. One was placed directly in front of the boys, but could be swiveled toward the adults at appropriate times. Another was slightly to the left of DJ pointing in a way that could pan on both Lisa and him. The third was stationed to the right of Lisa and could do a close-up of her or include DJ in the shot by going wide-angle.
They were instructed to look at the monitor attached to the camera as they are being interviewed from New York. A monitor was dedicated to each of the three interviewers. When an interviewer was talking, his or her monitor would show the interviewer live from NYC, but the other monitors would appear blank. As soon as another of the three would start to talk, their respective monitor activated and the other two would blank out.
The system was designed to make it appear as if the interviewees were talking directly to the interviewer, but they would actually be looking directly into the camera through a system of mirrors. This method tended to make people less shy and more spontaneous. Usually, they forgot that they were speaking to an audience that could be made up of millions of people.
The technicians in New York ran an audio and video check before they went live. During the check, the monitors in front of the four went active showing the New York based Head Producer for GMA who introduced herself. After she thanked them for appearing, she asked if there were any questions or if anyone needed anything before they went on the air.
When no one spoke up, she again thanked the group for graciously adapting their schedules to accommodate the interview. She also took the opportunity to congratulate DJ and Lisa in the name of ABC for yesterday's honors saying that the whole country should be grateful for the sacrifices that had been made.
A few minutes later, the count-down began.
The interview lasted only 12 minutes (with a commercial break in the middle), but went according to plan. The camera loved both DJ and Lisa. DJ with his matinee idol looks and Lisa's lush hair, mesmerizing eyes, and flawless complexion captivated the interviewers and the television audience. Lisa almost stopped the show when she said that she wondered how many other Medal of Honor winners were gay like her brother. The three interviewers grabbed this ball and ran with it. The "Gays in the military" debate was suddenly slammed back onto the table resounding like thunder.
When it was his turn, DJ told how he found out Barry was gay and how he weighed this information against Barry's dedication and performance as a soldier. If he had reacted less positively to Barry's revelation, Barry would most likely still be alive, but many others would not. Whether gay or heterosexual, Barry was a good and dedicated man.
"As you already know, the men of his unit were like his brothers. He loved them as family and they loved him in return. I listened to what they had to say about him. Did it matter to them he was gay? Hell no! So why should it matter to those who did not know him? Because of Barry a large number of mothers and fathers, wives, sisters, brothers, girl friends, and sons and daughters are thankful because their men have come home alive. Barry put 100%+ into his job and was always there to take on more when he was needed. He was the best of the best and an example every soldier should follow. He will always be Army and the Army better be damn well proud of it!"
There were a couple of minutes left and it was going to be hard to follow that speech. But Diane Sawyer, being the seasoned interviewer that she is, felt that the boys should have a turn to speak.
"May I have your input?" she asked on the monitor that faced them.
They both broke into big grins knowing that they were on. Neither showed any sign of being nervous. Ever since their cruise ship performance, they had been comfortable in front of audiences.
"Well, Barry's example made it easier for Dad to accept that I'm gay," Dane replied without hesitation."
"Me too," Colton added.
"You are both coming out on nationwide TV?" Ms. Sawyer exclaimed.
"No, Ma'am, we're out at school and we helped form a gay/straight alliance to promote better understanding for others like us. It might never have happened if Uncle DJ hadn't met Barry Wilson," Colt responded.
"We want to thank you all for taking time out of your activities to talk to us," Robin Roberts said winding up the interview. "Thank you, Ms. Adams, for sharing your thoughts about your brother and we extend our condolences to you. Thank you, Captain Johnson, for providing first-hand information about Private Wilson's service to our nation. And thank you, Dane and Colton Johnson, for letting us know about the ripple effect that Barry Wilson's life is still having."
"We'll be back with a look at mid-summer bridal fashions after these words from our sponsors..."
The monitors went dark and everyone in the Washington studio breathed a sigh of relief. In truth, the local staff had held their breath when the teens were asked to talk. Live interview were always chancy. It had been their experience that young people sometimes froze in front of a camera like a deer caught in headlights.
(CNN, the American major television and radio networks, and the BBC carried the highlights of the interview starting at noon. Most newspapers jumped on the story and by the next morning, a new national debate had started. Over the next four months DJ, Lisa, and members of the Illinois Guard would be interviewed concerning Barry and his being Gay. Thanks to Barry the tide of understanding was beginning to encroach upon the rocky shoals of hate, and hopefully this would eventually lead to gays being able to enter the military openly and unimpeded.)
Upon completing their part of the show, the four interviewees were taken by limo to the Hart Senate Office Building. Senator Harkin's Chief of Staff greeted them at the subterranean entrance and escorted them up to the senator's office where they joined the rest of their party. The Iowa Senatorial Delegation took them to the famous Senate Dining Room where they enjoyed a lovely breakfast.
From there, they took the senate subway train to the Capitol Building for a tour of the Senate side. The first leg of their visit ended in the rotunda where members of the House of Representatives from Iowa and Illinois awaited them. Politicians from both states wanted to be seen with the handsome young war hero and his friends and relatives.
They were then treated to lunch in the House Dining Room and given a lengthy and educational tour of the South side of the Capitol Building. Everyone in the family was impressed with the acoustics in the Old House Chamber. The boys spent several minutes standing on the designated spots and whispering to each other across the room, which was crowded with tourist. The boys loved being able to communicate with each from on those points, while others around them could hear virtually nothing of what they were saying. They repeated the exercise with Dane taking Zach Adams and Colt escorting Faith so that the brother and sister could experience the phenomenon as well. Since he was all of six years old, Zach would remember it always. Faith, too, would have a vague recollection.
The next day they visited the Holocaust Museum, Arlington Cemetery, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, the Iwo Jima Memorial, Lincoln's Memorial, the Viet Nam Memorial, and the Washington's Monument. The boys even dipped their feet in the Reflection Pool, but a Park Policeman caught them and kindly asked them to not do that.
That evening the families enjoyed a meal at one of the finer restaurants near DuPont Circle. Ellen had worried about how the twins would act, but needn't have because they both fell asleep in their parents' arms. The other adults took turns carrying the infants as they made their way back to their quarters.
This had been a very busy day, so the adults returned to the hotel early, but the boys visited a gay teen club near DuPont Circle. They had found it listed in the city gay guide. It was a cool experience to be able to dance with each other without anyone's disapproval. They made several acquaintances with like-minded young guys. A couple of the locals had seen part of Good Morning America and recognized the Johnson boys. It was exciting to be viewed as celebrities.
Club patrons who hadn't seen the Iowa guys on GMA were impressed with them as well. At 17, the Johnson cousins had matured into handsome, self-assured young men.
Colton had worked out enough to build a nicely sculptured body with broad shoulders and a back that tapered down to a trim waist and firm butt. His black hair was brushed forward to a kind of peak at his forehead in the contemporary "Mohawk" style. He looked like he could be the younger brother one of the men competing in the Cosmopolitan Magazine "hottest young bachelor in America" contest.
Dane was equally striking with his blond hair styled in a similar manner topping off his swimmer's physique. He didn't have quite as pronounced a V-shape as his cousin, but was obviously well-built. Like Colt, he chose shirts with an "athletic" cut if he didn't want them to look baggy at the waist.
The close-fitting polo's and jeans, that they both wore that evening, tended to accentuate their best features. Anyone giving them more than a casual glance was aware that their nipples were erect and that they certainly filled out their Levi's in the right places.
The dancing and conversation was great and it was fun to flirt and be flirted with knowing that nothing would go any further with the guys they met. Several boys gave them their e-mail addresses and their My Space locations.
When Colton and Dane eventually dragged their butts to their room, they were exhausted. After a quick shower, they fell into a deep sleep very quickly, cuddled together.
The following day, the ladies begged off of sight-seeing in the morning while the men and boys went to the National Air and Space Museum where they visit the two IMAX theatres and see the flight and space exhibits. Zach was included and it made him feel great to be one of the guys. He attached himself to Dane and Colt, much to their delight. It was especially fun for them to see the wonders of technology through his young eyes. His enthusiasm helped them forget that they hadn't had a lot of sleep the night before.
In the afternoon, the males (minus Zach) went to the Pentagon at the invitation of the Army. This was business as well pleasure. The army wanted to honor DJ's service and there was also the prospect of gaining a continuing contract for Rockwell's GPS devices.
The day was a typical Washington summer day with temperatures over 90 degrees. They took the Metro from the hotel to Gallery Place where they changed to the Yellow Line to Pentagon Station. The Yellow Metro Line travels deep under the Potomac and everyone was surprised at how cold the train got as it traveled under the river. Dane and Colt got goose bumps also, but were too macho to admit it.
An aide of the Army Chief of Staff met them at Pentagon Station. The Army's highest ranking General greeted them in his office with reserved formality. He personally escorted them to the Office of the Secretary of the Army who invited them to lunch along with members of the senior staff. It was a pleasant gathering and the luncheon was informal.
DJ had been a little nervous about having his brother's partner along on this visit. Roger could be very camp in the mood struck him. However, Wade's lover played the part of a straight man so well that he should have been awarded an Oscar. It amused the boys to see him doing it.
The boys wondered if anyone in the room had watched their spot of TV the morning before. At times, they thought that they were being scrutinized by some of the military men. But, that could have been because they were the youngest guys there. It didn't occur to them that some of the men might have found them attractive.
After the meal, the men were separated into two groups. DJ and Craig went to meet with some of the officials to demonstrate the new features of their product. Wade, Roger, and the boys were taken on an escorted tour to see some of the workings of the Pentagon that most of the public would not ordinarily see.
Most of the staff members were well impressed with the GPS device and the men who were presenting it. Neither Craig nor DJ seemed overwhelmed by the company they were in. At the same time, neither acted as if he were a hero. DJ's down-home, respectful manner was disarming even for those in the room who had been disturbed by his appearance on GMA. Before the meeting was over, they decided that DJ was a very sincere man and one whose judgment could be trusted.
When that meeting ended, a young Army 1st Lieutenant escorted Craig and DJ to an office located in the outer ring. There they met the Army's lead team for the GPS system that Rockwell was developing. This was the first time the two teams had met in person. The meeting was amicable and both sides were able to place a face on some individuals they had only visited by telephone or e-mail. DJ thought it was great to know that all the work he and his team had done in designing this system was well received by the users in the field. It was said, off the record, that the Army would take an option for even more units over the next five fiscal years. Mr. Steele would be pleased indeed.
On their tour, Wade, Roger, and the boys were surprised and happy to meet a number of other people from Iowa (civilian and military) who worked for various departments in the huge office building.
The guys took as many pictures as their guides allowed. They understood that there were some places where photography was strictly forbidden.
Before the visit was finished, they were joined by DJ and Craig. Since both men wore big grins, the others assured that their mission had been accomplished.
The final stop on the tour was the large War Room with its huge wall screens and worldwide audio and video links. If the men were impressed; the boys were mesmerized. They thought it was "AWESOME" and a definite highlight that they would never forget.
While the men were at the Pentagon, the ladies made another short visit to the zoo. Zach and Faith were eager to see the pandas again. The twins were always happy to see animals. Despite the warm temperatures, all had a good time.
Since they didn't stay too long, the kids and the moms had time for a much welcomed nap before the guys got back.
The next morning, for a change of pace, the families rented a couple of vans and drove out to see the famous Blue Ridge and beautiful valleys located west of the city. That was one of the things on Greta's "wish list" and it provided a respite from the heat and humidity of the city.
Going at their own pace turned out to be the right thing to do. They could linger over scenes that they loved and could take time to feed hungry children when the need arose. It was far less taxing on the young mothers than a bus tour.
During the remaining time in DC, the group paced their sightseeing with some recreational time for exercise and rest. It was obvious that they couldn't take in everything in one visit, but they didn't miss a lot.
The evening before they left, the families took the Metro to Union Station and walked to the Capitol Reflection Pool on West Front of the Capitol Building to watch the sun set behind Washington's Monument, Lincoln Memorial, and the commercial towers of Rosslyn, VA, located across the Potomac River. Dane and Colt took some quality photographs of the buildings silhouetted against the flaming sky. One or two of those would provide a fitting conclusion to their school report.
Wade and Roger headed for Minneapolis the day before the rest left for Iowa. Colton hugged his two dads tightly before the limo departed for the airport. Everyone remarked about what a great family vacation it had been.
The following day, the Johnson and Adams entourage went by rail to Baltimore to meet their charter flight home. They were accompanied by a Rockwell representative who wanted to make sure that they got there with no snafus. It made more sense to travel by train rather than by automobile because of the volume of weekday traffic.
Soon, they were on their way back to Cosgrove and Bentonville. It had been an exciting trip and one that none of them would forget.
Author's Notes:
A special thank again to the guys who help make these stories work. Kenneth T, I am grateful for your knowledge of DC and of the nature of military ceremonies and the news media. Tom and David, I can't thank you enough for your suggestions and proof-reading. You help me to craft a better product than I could ever do by myself.
And thanks to the loyal readers who wrote since last posting and who give me the energy and motivation to keep writing: Paul W, Jim We, Kevin K, Jim C, Raymond K, James H, Calvin E, Luiz, Carroll, Rad, and Joe. I listed you in the order in which you wrote to me. This has nothing to do with who is my favorite! I love you all.
David