Tales from the Ranch

Disclaimer: The following story is a work of fiction. If you are offended by descriptions of homosexual acts or man/man relations, please exit this page. TALES FROM THE RANCH Copyrightc 2003 by Tulsa Driller 7. All rights reserved.

This is a story of men who have two common interests. You will see that they love the land where they live and work, but it is also the story of young men who love other men and their coming of age in a culture of prejudice and misunderstanding. It is a story, which deals with difficult and often disturbing issues but, nonetheless, issues which must be confronted in today's world.

This is a work of fiction and in no way draws on the lives of any specific person or persons. Any similarity to actual persons or events is entirely coincidental. This work is copyrightedc by the author and may not be reproduced in any form without the specific written permission of the author. It is assigned to the Nifty Archives under the terms of their submission agreement but it may not be copied or archived on any other site without the written permission of the author.

PLEASE: In a perfect world AIDS doesn't exist. My characters have unprotected sex. I hope you use proper precautions because I'd like you to be around the read the last chapter of this story.

Tales from the Ranch Chapter 49: Not a Typical Saturday

Dennis had just been gone about fifteen minutes and the three men were cleaning up the kitchen and putting things away when the doorbell rang.

Dale looked at Craig with a question on his face. He looked at his watch. It was 9:15. "Who would be ringing our doorbell at this time of the evening?"

"I'll get it," Joey said as Craig's hands were in the dishwater and Dale was loading the dishwasher.

The next thing Dale and Craig heard was, "Grandma and Grandpa! I didn't know you were coming to visit." Joey was clearly excited.

"We had to come see our favorite grandson," Frank laughed as Doris gave him a hug and kissed him, then Frank doing the same.

By this time Dale and Craig were in the living room and exchanged hugs and kisses with Frank and Doris. Dale was clearly surprised at the unexpected visit, not knowing that they and Craig had talked about Joe's funeral the next morning.

"We didn't expect to see you again until Thanksgiving," Dale told them. Joey was standing between Frank and Doris, all with their arms around each other. Dale and Craig had their arms about the other, too.

"I called Craig about Joe's funeral this morning and we wanted to be here for you fellows," Doris told them.

Dale immediately got tears in his eyes. He barely knew Joe himself and here were his lover's parents driving over 200 miles to attend the funeral of someone they had never met. He couldn't get over the fact that Frank and Doris had accepted him, and now Joey, into their family.

"Thanks, Grandpa and Grandma. We really appreciate your doing this for us," Joey told them, giving each of them a squeeze.

Craig was so proud of his parents. They had always been supportive of anything he and his sisters, Susan and Becky, had done. This just proved, without a doubt, that they indeed were all one family.

More hugs were exchanged, and then the men went downstairs to unload luggage and other things Frank and Doris brought.

Joey was carrying two bags Frank handed him, but couldn't see what was in them until back in the apartment in the

light. "What are these?" he asked.

Doris laughed. "Those are our costumes for the Halloween party tomorrow night. Your Grandpa and I haven't worn them for several years, but we're going as Raggedy Ann and Raggedy Andy. Besides, I have to help Craig with his makeup so he can be a beautiful Cinderella."

"You're going to the party, too? Neat!" Joey exclaimed. "That is so cool!!"

Craig spoke up. "I called Tom and Eddie and they insisted that my parents come along, too."

"And. we just happened to have the costumes," Frank proudly said. "I'm anxious to meet those guys."

"They have a young fellow staying with them now. He told his parents that he was gay and his father beat him pretty badly, and then kicked him out of the house. We've not met him, but they've invited some other young people they hope will become his friends," Dale said.

"That's disgusting," Frank said. "His father should be in jail."

"As we understand it, the judge just barely slapped his hands," Craig told them.

"They should both be in jail, then," Doris said. "I just can't imagine anyone beating a family member."

"It's sad. I'm anxious to meet him and I know Tom and Eddie will be good to him," Joey added.

Frank and Joey took the clothes and suitcases to Joey's bedroom. Dale and Craig were carrying two cartons that Doris told them to take to the kitchen. Both boxes were crammed full of her homemade preserves and other things she had made and taken from her own pantry.

She brought them a jar of her sourdough starter, along with a jar of brandied fruit they would need to add to as it was used. In addition were two pans of cinnamon rolls, a large Danish ring, two kinds of cookies and several pastry items for them to enjoy the next two days. There wasn't going to be time to do a lot of cooking, so she brought plenty of prepared items along with her.

Dale was astounded at the "loot" she brought with her.

"Well, do I have to be my own bartender?" Frank

announced as he came back to the kitchen, with his arm around Joey's neck in a headlock.

"Poor Frank," Craig laughed. "Of course not. What do you want?"

"Scotch on the rocks will do nicely for me," Frank said.

Craig looked at his mother.

"Scotch and soda."

Dale nodded his head. "Sounds good to me."

Joey was standing there with a grin on his face.

"Would you like a small glass of wine?" Craig asked, emphasizing the word, small.

"That would be cool," Joey said. He was proud that they treated him almost as an adult.

Dale helped Doris unpack the two boxes while Joey went to the bar and brought back the ice bucket and filled it.

"Mom, you really outdid yourself. It really looks good." Dale was thinking about the fact that when he was growing up, his grandmother baked a cake on rare occasions. If they ever had dessert, she always bought pies and pastries at the grocery store.

Doris was proud Dale called her "Mom" and called Frank "Dad".

"It's something I wanted to do. Have you had a chance to work in the kitchen this week?"

"No, except for tonight. We had a friend over for dinner and did the usual salad, steak, baked potato bit and fixed stewed squash with tomatoes and onions to go with it. Craig bought a pie at the grocery and we served that with ice cream."

"That's sounds like a good meal. I'm glad that you are starting to feel comfortable in the kitchen. I'll let all three of you help when you come to our house for Thanksgiving," Doris told him.

"Thanks. We're looking forward to it."

They joined the others in the living room and the talk immediately turned to the computer store.

"Have you had any further thoughts about this?" Frank

asked. Dale, Craig and Joey filled him in on the dinner

with Leland Stanton and their earlier talk with Dennis Masters that evening. Joey excitedly told them about the success he and Daniel had had with making a program work that they had copied from a book, then modifying it to do other things.

Frank and Doris were impressed.

"Have you come to any decisions, yet?" Frank

questioned. Dale was hesitant. "Not really. It almost

sounds too easy."

"Yeah, I figured out that we would need a minimum of ten employees just to open the doors of the store," Craig said.

"That sounds reasonable," Frank told them. "You'll need both management and service and sales help."

"Yeah, I know. That's what's scary. I'd thought we could start with a small store and add people as we needed them, but from what Leland told us we need a full line of computer equipment, accessories, furniture, a service department and knowledgeable sales help," Dale said.

"Leland seems to think that the store will start making money the first day the doors are open," Craig told them. "I'm like Dale, it just seems too easy."

"Look, I took the liberty of running a background check on Leland Stanton this morning. He was one of the rising young stars of Smith-Barney in San Antonio. He's made a lot of money for them the last three years he's been there. They wanted to move him to Houston and he didn't want to go. Their management wasn't smart enough to realize that. They thought he would jump at the chance for promotion and were stunned when he gave notice that he was quitting to take a job with Commerce Bank here in Williamsport.

"From what I was able to find out, he was hired as a VicePresident in charge of the bank's investment department and has whipped that department into shape in short order. His success seems to be that he insists on being on the board of the various start-up companies and takes a 'hands- on' approach in getting them set up and running.

"It's an unusual approach for a bank's investment manager, but it seems to be working. He's helped with the startup of Parmlon Industries, Great Hills Industries and Farm-All Manufacturing. Leland also put together the investors to buy out Central Texas Power Company and they are looking at another acquisition right away."

Dale and Craig were impressed. Joey didn't understand all of what Frank had said, but knew it was important to what his Dad's were considering.

"What do you think about this?" Dale asked, point

blank. Frank laughed. "I think that if you don't do

this, someone else will and you will always look at it as a missed opportunity."

"Yeah, but neither of us are experienced business people. I feel strange about signing my name on the dotted line, then giving the money to someone else and hope they know what they are doing, because I sure don't," Dale said.

"I have to agree with Dale. I thought that when Don and I started our architectural business, that it was complicated, but it was just the two of us," Craig told them.

"Fellows, like I told you when we talked last night; the way business is conducted in this country is a lot different than just a few scant years ago. The 'mom and pop' operations seldom make a go of it because of inexperience and I honestly don't think you could do any better than them if you started small. However, Leland is in a position to find the people you need to make this go and will see to it that it does," Frank told them.

"Yeah, but why us? Why not almost anyone else in Williamsport - or Austin, for that matter?" Craig queried.

"You must have been the first to have the idea and contacted the right person," Frank said.

"I guess," Craig said. "I'm excited about this, but I have to agree with Dale, it's a big step and I don't know if we are ready for it."

"I think you are ready for it. Look, would you guys like for me to talk to Leland Stanton? I can probably ask a lot of questions that you can't think of. And, I certainly have access to a lot of legal advice in my office," Frank affirmed. In fact, one of the junior partners is going to be in Austin next week to work on a litigation settlement. I've talked to him and he would be glad to look over any agreements you would be asked to sign."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence. I hate to put

someone I don't even know at risk, but it would suit us fine to have you in a meeting with Leland, if we can arrange it," Dale said, looking at Craig, who nodded his head 'yes'.

"I've made arrangements to have Monday off, if need be, so if we can set up a meeting with Leland, I'm available," Frank said.

"Thanks, Dad," Dale and Craig said, almost in unison.

Frank held up his empty glass. "How about a nightcap?" he asked. "Doing business always tires me out," he laughed.

After getting everyone settled in their rooms, Dale and Craig were finally in their bedroom.

"I can't believe that Mom and Dad came down for Joe's funeral," Dale stated. "Did you ask them to?"

"No, we had mentioned it when we talked to them. Mom called me this morning and said they were coming down for you and Joey. I think it's great," Craig answered.

"Yes. Your parents continue to surprise me, that's all. You are so lucky to have people like that as your parents," Dale told him, gathering him in his arms for a kiss.

"They are pretty special, aren't they?" Craig agreed. "You don't know how lucky you are. Look at the young

boy Tom and Eddie are taking care of."

"Yes. and my parents love both you and Joey just as much as me," Craig replied.

"I know, and I'm lucky to get you, too," Dale

told him. They exchanged a very passionate kiss,

which led to them starting to undress each other. That always brought on the urge to lave each other with their tongues as new skin appeared.

Finally they were on the bed, their tongues

buried in each other's throat.

"I want you inside me," Dale whispered. "I need to

feel you."

Craig wasn't sure how Dale wanted him, but knew he wouldn't turn down anything offered and in this case, Craig was going to nail him to the bed because he was horny, too.

Tom was the first home from school and started preparation for their dinner. Matt was lying beside the pool, in the buff as he'd told Tom at noon. He went to the sliding door in the kitchen. It was open, with the screen pulled shut.

"Hey, Matt. I'm home," Tom announced in a

loud voice. "Hi, Mr. Bryant," Matt said as he

sat up, draping a second towel around him.

Tom stepped out onto the patio. "Did you enjoy the pool and the chance to soak up some sun?" he questioned.

"Oh, yeah. The water was perfect and the sun really felt good on my bruises. The combination of the two really took some of the soreness out," Matt said.

Tom looked at the bruises on Matt's torso. He hadn't seen them in the daylight before and they looked even worse than he remembered from the night before. He grimaced. He wished the judge could have been forced to look at Matt's bruises. Perhaps his father would be in jail instead of out on a token bail amount.

"Why don't you grab a shower? I've got a few things to do in the kitchen, then we can see about a costume for the Halloween party. Does that sound okay to you?" "Sure. What about my face? Are you sure you want to

be seen in public with me?" he questioned.

"That's up to you, Matt. It doesn't bother me a bit because I know that I didn't do it. No one here knows who you are, although they will after the weekend, but if you want something to cover it up, I have some makeup that will do the trick. It's makeup like a woman would wear, but will hide the bruise well. I can tell already that it doesn't look as bad as last night. Maybe the sun gave you a little tan today."

"Cool," was Matt's reply. "I'll only be a few

minutes. What should I wear?"

"Whatever you're most comfortable in. Levis or shorts are okay, maybe a t-shirt," Tom said. He was boning chicken breasts when Matt came back in

the kitchen, dressed in tennis shorts and a green t- shirt, his feet in Nikes.

"Hey, you look comfortable. As soon as I'm through

here, I'm going to put on something similar and we can head to the novelty shop to see what kind of costumes are left. I hope we can find something you like, but since Halloween is still five days away we may get lucky."

"What time does Mr. Thompson usually get home from school?" Matt questioned.

"Well, classes are over at 3:40, but he's a coach in the middle school. Today they have a Junior High football game that started at 4 o'clock. It's at our school, Stephen F. Austin Middle School, and the other team is from Alamo Middle School, here in Williamsport. The game will be over by 6 o'clock and he should be home shortly after that."

"Okay," Matt agreed. "I'm looking forward to going

to a real school."

Tom put the chicken breasts in the refrigerator and sacked up the bones to boil for chicken stock, then washed the chopping board thoroughly, along with his hands. "What did you decide about the bruise on your face?"

Tom asked.

"It's okay. I can't see it unless I look in a mirror. I'm cool with it," Matt told him.

"Give me five minutes and I'll be ready," he told

Matt.

"Okay."

Tom's TR-6 was in the garage and the top was already down so he decided to drive it for their errand. Matt was standing on the driveway and had never seen a car like it before.

"This is so neat," he said. "What kind of car is it?"

"It's a Triumph. They were built in England. This

is a 1975 and my Dad bought it new. When I graduated from college, he had it restored, even though it was in excellent shape. He gave it to me because I'd always admired it."

"Neat. What are the other two vehicles in the

garage?" "The little GMC Sonoma pickup belongs

to Eddie. Since we live so close to school, we usually walk. The red car is my Pontiac Grand Prix. After I moved to Williamsport to teach, Eddie still lived in Houston. My old Chevy wasn't very reliable to drive back and forth and I didn't want to put a lot of miles on this car, so I traded my Chevy. "

"It's pretty. I'd hoped my parents would buy me a car next year when I turn 16, but I guess I'd better give up on that idea now," he said sadly.

By that time the garage door was coming down.

"Don't give up hope. A lot of changes can take place before you turn sixteen," Tom said, thinking positively.

"Yeah, I hope you're right. I just didn't think he would beat me half to death. I mean, he's seldom ever hit me before."

"There's no excuse for him to have ever hit you.

That's child abuse, pure and simple. However, my comments on that subject aren't going to help you except for you to know that I'm concerned about it," Tom said.

"Thanks, I really think you guys are neat and I'm glad the Juvenile Court brought me over here," Matt said.

The Costumes and Novelties Shop wasn't too far from their house, but far enough to drive, especially since they would have packages to carry. Tom parked in front and they walked inside.

A young fellow recognized Tom and said, "Hi, Mr.

Bryant! What can I help you with?" Tom recognized him as a high school student they saw

at church from time to time, but he didn't know his name.

"Hello, how are you?" he said, hoping he didn't have to come up with a name.

"Hi," he said to Matt. "I'm Steve Hall. I don't

think we've met before."

"I'm Matt Rhodes and I'm from Austin, but will be

staying with Mr. Bryant and Mr. Thompson for a while."

"Great. Are you going to be attending high school here?" he asked, wondering if he'd been in a fight. He certainly looked like the guy who had lost.

"Yes," Matt said.

"He'll be going to Davy Crockett," Tom offered.

"Cool. What class?" Steve asked.

"I'll be a sophomore." "Right on! I'm a sophomore there, too, so maybe I'll

see you on Monday?" he asked.

"Yeah," Matt said, hoping he'd found a new friend.

"Matt needs a costume for a Halloween party tomorrow night. He's interested in either a 'Kermit' or 'Miss Piggy' costume if you have either of them," Eddie told him.

"Yeah, we've got both. Come on back here," Steve

said, indicating they should follow him.

They looked at the 'Kermit' costume and neither really liked it as it was a 'full-body' costume and covered most of the face except for the eyes.

The 'Miss Piggy' costume was better, but Steve came up with an idea for them.

"I hate to miss a sale, but you would be better off to buy the 'pigs ears' and 'nose' from us, along with the glasses, earrings, pearls, bracelet and wig. We even have 'pigs shoes' which look like hooves to fit over your own shoes. Then go to the Salvation Army Thrift Store and buy an old formal or fancy dress to wear with them."

"That's a good idea, if you want to do that," Tom

asked Matt.

"I think it would work. Shall we get the things we

need here?" Then he remembered. "I don't have any money."

"Don't worry about that, I'll take care of it," Tom

told him.

"I'll pay you back. somehow," he said, sadly.

"Hey, don't worry about it. It's not going to cost that much, anyway."

Then to Steve, "We need the accessories you

mentioned." "I'd suggest long gloves and a

purse for Miss Piggy to carry. You remember that she was always properly dressed," Steve laughed.

"Do you have those?" Tom questioned.

"Oh yes, and they aren't expensive, either," Steve

told them.

He gathered up the things they would need. The bill came to $35 for the items he suggested they buy.

"Thanks for the business, Mr. Bryant. Matt, I hope to see you at school on Monday. Do you know what your class schedule is yet?"

"No, I'm supposed to enroll on Monday morning and I

don't know what classes I'll be in," Matt answered.

"Steve, Matt will be staying at our house. If you don't see him during the day on Monday, you can call our house and talk to him in the evening. Then maybe you can arrange to meet for lunch on Tuesday if it works for your schedules. Who knows, maybe you'll have some classes together."

"That'd be super. Have a good time at the Halloween party, wherever it is," Steve said.

Tom thought quickly, but couldn't decide if he should invite Steve to join them or not. He didn't know anything about him and was scared of his reaction if he discovered that the majority of the people attending the party were gay, or gay-friendly.

"Thanks for your assistance, Steve. We really appreciate the help in putting the costume together and the suggestion about the dress," Tom said as they started toward the door.

"Glad to help, Mr. Bryant. Bye, Matt," Steve said as they stepped out on the street.

Steve hoped he'd see more of Matt and the thoughts

were mutual.

It was only a couple of blocks to the Salvation Army Thrift Store. Tom parked the car and they went inside. As luck would have it they drew the same clerk who had helped Craig find a formal earlier in the week.

Matt told the woman that he was dressing as Miss Piggy for a Halloween party and that they had found all the "pig accessories" they needed at the Costumes and Novelty Shop, but needed a fancy dress like the Muppet character might wear.

"You're the first customer we've had this year who wanted a costume like that. I may have just what you need, if the dress will fit. She looked Matt over, wincing at the bruise on his face, wondering what had happened.

She led them back to the area where formals and party dresses were hung. She had estimated Matt's size, but decided to measure him to make sure.

Bingo! She had the perfect dress. It looked like something Miss Piggy might wear. "Elegant tacky" was the description that came to mind. She proudly pulled it off the rack and held it up for them to see.

Tom started laughing and Matt joined in. It was perfect if it just fit. The dress was an off the shoulder, royal maroon velvet garment that would look great with the jewelry and other gaudy accessories they'd bought earlier.

"Go try it on," Tom urged. "Do you need any help?"

"No, I think I can manage," Matt said, obviously pleased at what they had found.

He went to the dressing room and removed his shorts and tshirt. It took him a minute to realize that he had to put the dress on over his head. It wasn't like his own clothes that were separate pants and shirts. He slipped it over his head, but his cracked ribs and bruises kept him from being able to reach his back and pull the zipper up.

Finally, he called out. "Mr. Bryant, I need

some help." Tom went into the dressing room and

Matt quickly explained that he couldn't reach the zipper because of being so sore.

"Let me zip you up," Tom said as he pulled the zipper up with no problem. He looked at Matt. "Hey, this is going to be great. Come on out and look in the mirror."

When Matt looked in the three-sided mirror, they

both laughed.

"This is perfect, it's exactly my size," Matt

happily exclaimed.

The dress had a built-in bra with wire stiffeners, but the lady helping them recommended some "augmentation" and told them what to buy. Then she suggested they also buy either a feather boa or a length of sateen to drape around his neck.

They were all laughing so hard that other customers in the store were looking in their direction.

"We'll take it," Tom said, still laughing. "Here, let me unzip you and I'll meet you at the cash register. He pulled the zipper down.

The clerk noticed the deep bruises on Matt's back. He looked like he'd been in an accident. Thankfully, she didn't think about child abuse.

Saturday dawned cool and mostly clear, with big fluffy clouds in the sky. There was no threat of rain, just what looked like big balls of cotton in the sky. They were pretty to look at and occasionally blotted out the sun for a short period of time.

Joey heard the paper bump against the door, but

didn't get out of bed. Mitsy heard it, too, giving a small growl before jumping off the bed and going to the door. Joey decided that he'd better wait a few minutes until Forrest was away from the Carriage House before letting her out for her morning needs. He snapped his fingers and she jumped back up on the bed beside him, rolling into position for her chest and stomach to be rubbed.

After about five minutes, he pulled on the

boxers he'd worn the day before, let Mitsy out, then made a trip to the bathroom to use the toilet, wash his face and brush his teeth. His dog was just coming up the last flight of steps when he opened the door to see if she was outside. He followed her to the kitchen, putting down a bowl of food. Joey then turned on the coffeepot and washed out Mitsy's dish so she could have fresh water.

Frank heard Joey in the bathroom, so eased himself

out of bed to relieve himself, wash his face and brush his teeth after the hall door shut. He went to the kitchen, wearing only his boxers, too.

"Hi Grandpa," Joey said in greeting. "Hi, sport. How's my favorite grandson this morning?

I hope you slept as well as I did."

"I slept really well," Joey told him. "I'm sure glad that you and Grandma drove down from Arlington to see us and go to my Dad's funeral this morning. I know it means a lot to Dale and Craig, too."

"Joey, we're family. Families do things for each other. I know that you only had your Dad and Dale had just a small family before he lost them, but we're here for you fellows and that will always be so as long as Doris and I can do it."

Joey walked over and embraced him, kissing Frank on

the right cheek. "I know, and I love you for it."

About that time Craig appeared in the kitchen, followed by Dale a few minutes later. Craig had poured orange juice for each of them and had gotten out coffee mugs. Doris appeared in the kitchen about that time, wearing her usual caftan.

"Oh, a bunch of almost naked men," Doris teased.

Dale immediately turned red, not being used to a

woman seeing him wearing only his underwear.

"I love it when you get embarrassed," Craig teased.

"I'm sorry. I'm just not used to the idea of a lady seeing me in my boxer shorts," he said.

"I was rather admiring the view," Doris said. Dale colored a little more than the first time.

"You never tell me that, anymore," Frank said, as a comeback.

"Hey, hey, hey," Craig said. "Too much

information," as they all laughed together.

"Craig, I didn't notice your mustache until now.

It's starting to look good," Doris told him.

"Thanks. It's just now starting to fill out and look like something other than dirt on my upper lip."

Craig put the tray with the orange juice on the counter, then put the coffee cups and pot next to it. He uncovered the pan containing the giant cinnamon rolls and put five on individual saucers, laying forks beside them.

"Sorry for being casual, but this is the way we eat breakfast here," he said.

"Nothing to apologize for," Doris said. "If you remember, about the only time we ever sat down for breakfast together was on Sunday morning, and not every Sunday, either."

"I know, all of us had places we had to be at different times and it was a problem as to who was going to take us, or if someone was going to pick us up," Craig replied.

"You have that right. None of you were ever late to anything, but griped if we had to drop you off early so the next one could be on time," Frank reminded him. "But we lived through it," Doris said. "It was just

six tough years and a lot of wear and tear on our cars."

Craig asked, "Was it really that bad?"

"No!" Doris said. "We encouraged all three of you to be active in a lot of different activities and I don't think that we ever missed getting any of you to where you needed to be. However, it was a relief when you and Susan were finally able to share a car for a couple of years."

"Yes, I remember she designated herself as 'the senior driver', which was her excuse to drop me off and pick me up, even if I had to go an hour early, then wait two hours for her activity to be over," Craig laughed.

"I seem to remember you pulling that stunt on Becky a couple of times, too," Frank reminded him.

"Yes, but I was in college about the time Becky started driving. There was only two years age difference between Susan and me," Craig laughed.

Dale and Joey were pleased to hear about Craig's teen years with his sisters. They were both only children.

"So, what's our schedule this morning?" Frank asked.

"Father George requested that we be in his office at 9:30. The mass is to be at 10 a.m. and then we go to the cemetery afterward, so we need to leave here at 9:20 at the latest," Dale said.

Everyone nodded their head.

They helped themselves to more rolls and coffee and Craig unloaded the dishwasher so they could put their dirty dishes in it after they were rinsed.

Rev. Jimmy Bob woke up about 7 o'clock on Saturday morning with a hangover. He had emptied the bottle of gin he'd purchased two days before, plus the previous evening he'd eaten two bags of corn curls, two containers of dip, along with 3 chocolate bars and 4 tacos he'd gotten at a Mexican carry-out a block in the opposite direction from the convenience store.

Needless to say, he wasn't functioning that morning, along with being extremely hungry since he hadn't had any real food after he'd been released from jail on a fluke two days before.

To say that his stomach was rejecting him would be an accurate statement. It was in full rebellion. However, it had digested everything he had put in it, just as a garbage disposal would have done under the same circumstances. He needed food and coffee to properly wake up and there wasn't anything in the room to satisfy his needs.

He finally rolled out of bed about an hour later, not feeling any better than when he woke up. He needed to pee and waddled to the bathroom to take care of his needs. Afterward, he looked in the mirror and grimaced. He couldn't believe the reflection that was returned to him. He hadn't shaved the day before and there were dark circles under his eyes. The reflection looked old and tired. Sadly, he walked back to the bed, trying to decide what to do next. Jimmy Bob finally decided that he needed a good, hot breakfast, but didn't know where he was going to find it.

As he was leaving his room, Michael Russo and Pat Burns came out of their room, next door to where Jimmy Bob was staying.

"Hey fellows, is there any place to get a decent breakfast around here?" he asked.

"Yeah, we're going to the Village Inn about three

blocks down the street. Do you need a ride?" Michael asked.

"Yeah, I'd appreciate it. I don't know if I can walk that far," Jimmy Bob said.

"Well, that's where we're going to eat. You are welcome to ride with us, if you would like," Michael said, trying to be helpful and friendly.

"I'd like that. Can I buy your breakfast?"

Jimmy Bob asked. "There's no need to do that,"

Michael said. "You are welcome to ride along," he said as he and Pat headed to his old Toyota.

"Oh, come on, I appreciate somebody helping me out. I'd be glad to have somebody to talk to," Jimmy Bob said.

As they walked to the car, Michael and Pat gave each other a funny look. Neither was sure they wanted to put up with this slob, but he seemed harmless to them.

Pat crawled into the back seat and Michael helped Jimmy Bob into the small passenger area in the front. He was a big man and didn't fold up well.

"I'm Jimmy Bob Jones," he told them after they were settled in the car.

"My name's Michael Russo and he's Pat Burns," Michael told him, shaking hands.

After they arrived at the Village Inn, it was the same problem - trying to extract Jimmy Bob from the seat, but he was able to stand and walk with them.

After they were seated together at a table, Michael asked Jimmy Bob if he was visiting Williamsport on an extended trip.

"Naw, I'm the preacher at Victory Temple. We

had some problems and I'm living at the Starlight until we can resolve them," he told Michael and Pat.

Neither of the young men knew what to make of that statement. They didn't read the paper and although they'd seen part of the story on TV news, they didn't make a connection as to who their breakfast companion was.

After the waitress poured their coffee, she took their orders. It seemed that Jimmy Bob had ordered enough food for two people. Michael thought about it and decided that he probably weighed more than he and Pat put together, so it wasn't an unusual order.

"Where do you fellows work?" Jimmy Bob asked.

"At the Bar-W Ranch," Pat said. "They are building some housing for us to live in, so we'll be moving out of the Stardust in a couple of weeks."

Jimmy Bob thought about that for a minute.

"That place is owned by the guy that supports the

'fag cathedral', isn't it?" he inquired.

Michael and Pat just sat there, looking at him, not

sure what they'd heard.

"Yeah, it is. That guy, Williamson his name is, he runs this town and owns at least half of it. He gets his way with anything he wants and he supports that big cathedral that has a fag priest. He's married to their organist, he's a fag too, and they live in sin in the house the church owns."

Jimmy Bob was winding up to the big revelation.

"This Williamson guy, he just promoted another fag to be the general manager at his ranch. He lives with another fag and they just recruited a young boy to train to be a fag, too."

Michael and Pat couldn't believe what they were hearing. 'Who was this guy and what did he know about anything?' This certainly sounded like a far-fetched story to them. Dale wasn't gay. There was no way he could be.

By the time their food arrived, both were convinced that this Rev. Jimmy Bob Jones was crazy and lived on another planet. He was talking about stuff that didn't make any sense and couldn't possibly be true.

Jimmy Bob was hungry and was shoveling the food in as if it was going to be his last meal. Thankfully, he didn't want to talk anymore.

Michael was trying to think about how they were going to ditch him when Pat spoke up. "We have to be at a meeting in a few minutes. Can you get back to the motel with no problem?"

"Sure. This food is what I needed to settle my

stomach and get me ready to face the day," Jimmy Bob said. "You go on and go to your meeting, but I'm buying your breakfast. Both of you fellows seem like real nice guys and I appreciate the ride over here. I don't think I could have walked over here myself." "Can we at least leave the tip?" Michael questioned.

"Naw. I've gotten it taken care of. Are you guys going to be around the motel this afternoon? I'd like a chance to visit with you."

Michael had to think fast. "Our meeting is going to last until about 4 o'clock and it's over in Burnet. We'll probably hang out with some of our friends over there this evening." "No problem. I'll watch for you to come back to the Starlight," Jimmy Bob told them.

"Thanks again for breakfast. It was nice meeting you," Pat said as they got up from the table.

"Don't mention it. I really enjoyed meeting you fellows. You seem like really nice guys even if you do work for that guy that likes fags. Say, you're not fags, too, are you?"

Pat wanted the floor to open up so he could sink through it. He felt his face turning red. This guy could tell what he was. He couldn't get out of there fast enough.

Michael remained composed and just laughed. "No, you've got that one wrong. Thanks again, Jimmy Bob." They fled the restaurant.

"Jeeze, what was that all about?" Pat asked as they got in the car. "He can tell what we are!!"

"I think he's just a crazy old man. I mean, he was carrying on about Marty Williamson and Dale. That just doesn't make any sense. They are both straight arrows and he was babbling on and on about the 'fag cathedral' and the minister there. It just doesn't add up. Isn't he the guy that was caught molesting little boys? How did he get out of jail if that was true?" he asked Pat.

"I don't know, but I want to stay clear away from him. What are we going to do the rest of the day? I don't want to spend any more time with him. He's creepy," Pat said.

"Well, let's gather up our laundry and take care of that. It's a nice day, we can figure out something to do that we can stay outside and away from the motel," Michael said as they parked in front of their room.

As they got back in the car with their laundry,

Michael realized that you couldn't see the door of their room from the one Jimmy Bob was staying in. There were places they could park the car on the other side of the building and come and go as they pleased without him being able to see them. He told Pat what he'd discovered and they drove around to the other side to verify it. Indeed, there were six parking spaces there and they were all available. Pat took the opportunity to move his car, also.

Everyone was dressed and ready to go to the church shortly before 9:15. They decided that they would be more comfortable in taking two vehicles, so Joey would ride with Frank and Doris while Dale and Craig took Craig's car.

There were several cars in the parking lot when they parked, but that wasn't too unusual as there were always activities there on Saturday. The altar guild had to prepare for the funeral mass, as well as the two on Sunday. They made their way to Fr. George's office and could hear the choir rehearsing, but didn't think anything about it. Each was lost in their own thoughts as they walked down the hall that connected the nave, the parish hall, classrooms and parish offices to the Founders Chapel (the original church building) on the other end of the complex.

Fr. George greeted them and indicated they should be seated. He opened with a prayer and then told them about the service.

"Paul and the choir wanted to provide music for

the requiem mass, so we're going to have it in Founders Chapel. It's well suited to a service like this instead of using the main nave or even the side chapels.

Fr. George went over the service with them, saying that he would need to go to the vesting sacristy to robe, but would come back for them just before the mass was to start. He explained that the procession would consist of the thurifer, the processional cross and candles, the family and then Fr. George and the other clergy taking part in the requiem mass. The family was to be seated in the first row on the right side of the aisle. Dale was thinking that it sounded pretty complicated for what was to be a service for the family, but it was the first time he'd experienced this service.

Fr. Whyte, vested as a Deacon, came to the office to greet the family and visit with them while Fr. George went to put on his vestments. He had even more of an English accent than Fr. George and had a wonderful sense of humor. Fr. George came back shortly, wearing a white alb over his cassock, with a white stole and a beautiful white and purple cope. He blessed the family, and then led them down the hall to the chapel entrance.

Dale and his family were stunned. The chapel seated about 200 and was almost full of parishioners and friends who were there for the funeral. The choir of about 18 men and boys was in the choir stalls at the front and the organ music was glorious. Fr. George pressed a button to signal the organist that they were ready to start the procession. His next action was to put incense pellets in the thurible and make the sign of the cross over it as Jason dropped the lid in place and secured it.

The organ music ended and Fr. George rang the bell to start the procession. As he started chanting the scriptures ("I am the resurrection and the life.") he motioned for Jason and Kevin to start down the aisle. After they had moved about 4 rows, the processional cross and candles followed. Fr. George motioned for the family to follow and then the deacon, carrying the Book of Gospels and sub deacon carrying the urn containing Joe's ashes. Fr. George was last.

The solemn high requiem mass was beautiful. The urn containing Joe's ashes was placed on a small stand at the foot of the chancel steps and draped with a white covering like a pall would be on a casket.

The choir sang Thomas Matthew's setting of the "23rd Psalm" between the two lessons, and sang a setting of Psalm 121 (written by Paul) as the sequence before the Holy Gospel was chanted. Fr. George gave a wonderful homily that was uplifting

to everyone's spirits.

The offertory anthem was the beautiful, "How Lovely Are They Dwellings" by Brahms and the communion anthem was another of Paul's original works, Psalm 116.

At the end of the mass, the congregation stood as the procession moved to the chancel steps. Fr. George and the Deacon took turns chanting scripture as the urn was censed. Then the words, "Let us go forth in the name of Christ," with the response, "Thanks be to God!"

The congregational hymn for the recessional was "A

Mighty Fortress is Our God". The family followed the procession down the aisle and once they were in the hall, Fr. George gave each of them a hug.

"I don't know how we can ever thank you for this," Dale told him. "That was the most moving experience that I've ever had. You didn't even know our Dad and yet you did this and I think all of us are stunned at the number of people who were here."

"Dale, Craig, Joey, Frank and Doris. This is the reason the church exists. To provide comfort and love to those of us who need it - and we all do - all the time."

Fr. George had announced after the homily that the family would receive friends in the parlor and that the inurnment would be private.

It was surprising to all of the family as most of the congregation came to the parlor where there was punch, coffee, small pastries and cookies laid out. A number of those from the Dignity/Integrity group, the entire Williamson family, Morris Johnsmore, many of the parishioners whom Dale, Craig and Joey remembered seeing at mass, but didn't know their names. Dale was surprised that all of the managers from the Bar-W were there, Mort, Sam, Lee and their wives. Craig's partner, Don Albrecht and his wife were there, also. Greg DeFazio was there.

Dale and Joey both had tears in their eyes as they greeted people. They just had a hard time comprehending the outpouring of love the people showed by simply being there.

The reception was over about 20 minutes later. Fr. George indicated that they were ready to leave for the cemetery. Fr. Whyte drove the parish station wagon as the crucifer, processional cross, thurifer and thurible, Fr. George and the urn containing Joe's ashes had to be hauled. The drive was a short one as the cemetery was just to the west of Williamsport. The only people in attendance besides the family and clergy were the Williamson family. At first Dale was wondering why they were there, then realized that they considered him, along with Craig and Joey as being part of their extended family. This pleased him. So much had happened in the last two months.

The small procession formed where they had parked and made its way to the gravesite. A hole had been dug to place the small vault to hold the urn. Dale was surprised to see that the stone with the brass plaque had already been set in place. The committal at the grave was mostly prayers by the clergy, with incense being offered as Dale and Joey placed the urn in the vault. Two workmen from the cemetery lowered the sealed vault into the hole, then everyone in attendance put a small shovel of dirt in the grave.

This last act was very emotional for both Dale and Joey as it was not anything they had seen before. However, as Dale thought about it later, it was a natural closure to the funeral.

When they were back at their vehicles, Fr.

George hugged each of them again as they expressed their thanks to him. Martin, Jeanine, Marty and Chris gave Dale's family

hugs, too. "Thanks so much for coming to Dad's

funeral," Dale told them, holding his left arm around Joey's shoulders.

"Fellows, all of you," Marty said, indicating Craig and his parents, too; "You're part of our family, not just an employee."

"Thanks, Marty," Dale, Joey and Craig said

almost together. As they started back to their

condo, Dale and Craig discussed the morning. Although Dale was sad because of burying his father, he was elated at the outpouring of love he'd seen that morning from people he barely knew.

In the other car, Frank, Doris and Joey were having the same discussion. "I wonder if we'd had Dad's funeral in Houston if very many people would have come to it?" Joey wondered.

"I don't know that I can offer any thoughts on that, Joey," Frank said.

"Well, it really makes me glad that I'm living in Williamsport. My two new Dad's are super and I wouldn't have grandparents, either."

"Things work out for the best, certainly most of the time," Doris said, reaching up to pat Joey on the shoulder.

They hadn't been home five minutes when the telephone rang. Craig answered. It was Greg DeFazio.

"Craig, I'm sorry for calling so late, but do you and your family have plans for lunch?"

"We haven't even thought about that. I think we'll probably go to the deli and pick up some things after a while." "I'm going to give you two choices. You either come

here for lunch or I'm going to arrive at your front door with it in hand. Your choice."

Craig laughed. "You don't have to do that, but we appreciate it. Let me ask the others." Craig put his hand over the mouthpiece.

"It's Greg," Craig announced to his family. "He says we have two choices for lunch, either come to the restaurant, or he's going to deliver it here." Everyone laughed. Joey said, "Either way we're going

to eat, aren't we?"

"It would be a lot easier for them if we went to the restaurant," Dale said. He looked at his watch. "It's almost noon. Tell him we want to change clothes and have a drink, and ask him if one o'clock is okay for us to show up there."

Craig conveyed the information to Greg and he agreed to their plans. "We have a small room that will be available for you. How many, five?" Greg asked.

"Yeah. We really appreciate this, Greg. It's really nice of you to think of us," Craig told him.

"Well, I'm sorry to be late in offering, but I went out of town on Thursday and didn't return until this morning, so I didn't know about the funeral until just barely time to get ready to go."

"It's very generous of you. We'll see you at 1

o'clock."

Jimmy Bob finished his breakfast and was still hungry so ordered a stack of pancakes on top of the skillet breakfast with a side of sausage and extra toast, two glasses of juice and coffee he'd already eaten. Watching him eat was enough to turn the stomach of the strongest person. It seemed as if he ate with both hands and it was hard to tell how much usage the fork got.

Several in the restaurant noticed him and their

thoughts concerned what a slob he appeared to be as he always had appeared in public as a well groomed, although obese, man. He finally made his way to the cashier's desk and was startled to find that the check was close to $35 for the (at least) three meals. He was feeling better, so handed the waitress two twenty-dollar bills and told her to keep the change.

He didn't realize it was a beautiful morning,

typical of the Texas Hill Country in the fall. Jimmy Bob was already thinking about what he might be able to have for lunch. He remembered that the liquor store was between the Village Inn and the Starlight. When he woke up this morning, he never wanted to see another drop of gin, but remembered the 1.75-liter bottle was empty and he needed to replenish his supply.

As he was making his way down the street, he realized he was in front of a grocery store, so he walked in. The carts were right inside the door and he selected one. It certainly made it a lot easier for him to walk with something to help steady him. This store had a delicatessen in the back. He could see it from where he was standing, so headed that direction.

This was the best deli department of any grocery in Williamsport. The counter had to be at least 25 feet long and had about every tempting thing one could want.

Without considering being able to keep things cool, he started in. First was a bucket of fried chicken, 20-pieces for $13.99. Then, two kinds of potato salad. There was a pasta salad that looked good, too, so he asked for a quart of that. He was like a kid in a candy store. He'd never been to a place like this. His wife either bought what few groceries they consumed at home, or he usually ate all his meals at McDonalds. The clerk behind the counter thought he was buying items for a picnic to feed a dozen people.

After he selected another six items from the deli, he moved to the area where the snacks could be bought. He got two sacks of "Corn Curls" - his favorite - 3 cartons of Chive, French Onion and Bleu Cheese dip. Then, a family-size box of Cheez-its. He hadn't had any of those for a long time. They had a special on potato chips, two big sacks for $4.

By the time he got to the cash register, he had a

huge amount of food; none of it could be considered to be healthy.

The clerk checked him out and the bill came to almost $58. He was glad he'd thought about the box in his closet that had some money in it. He thought Bret Jenkins was being miserly in only giving him $100 to get by on.

The sacker asked, "Sir, do you need help taking the groceries to your car?"

"Naw, I'm stayin' at the Starlight. Can you take this stuff there?"

The checker spoke up. "No he can't go beyond the parking lot, but you can take the cart if you promise to bring it back."

"Yeah, that's okay. I'll probably need more

food tomorrow, anyway," he answered. "Well, have a happy day, sir!" she said, as a way of dismissal.

Walking was much easier since he had something to support him and steady his steps. He crossed the street to the Liquor Mart and pushed the cart inside.

"Sir, you can't bring that cart inside," he heard.

"I'm not tryin' to rob you," he replied.

The clerk felt sorry for him as he was obviously

having a difficult time walking. He was better dressed than most of the street people, but she'd never seen one as fat as this guy was.

Jimmy Bob had heard about Beefeater Gin. It was

supposed to be one of the premier brands, but it was over twice the cost of what he'd bought two days ago. 'What the hell,' he thought. 'The Good Lord had always provided for him.'

So, he spent another $29 for the 1.75-liter bottle and put it in his cart before pushing it back out on the sidewalk.

He stayed on the same side of the street until he was opposite the Starlight Motel. As he started to cross the street, a couple of cars appeared, going in opposite directions. He waited until the traffic cleared, then started across the street. Jimmy Bob wasn't watching the pavement and one of the wheels of his grocery cart caught in a crack caused by the concrete breaking up. In trying to free the cart, he pushed down on the handle. The wheel broke free and the cart scooted across the street as he fell forward on the pavement.

The driver of a car coming from the south tried to

avoid collision with the cart, then the driver realized someone was lying in the street. The driver of a concrete truck coming from the opposite direction saw the car skid across his lane, but didn't know the reason why until it was too late. You can't stop 5 tons of concrete on a dime.

Jimmy Bob met his maker, but his maker wasn't happy to meet Jimmy Bob.

After everyone changed into more comfortable clothes, Craig opened the bar. Frank and Dale had their usual Beefeater Gin with olives while Craig and Doris drank scotch and soda. Poor Joey. "You may have a half glass of wine here and another at the restaurant," but we probably could be charged with child abuse for allowing that," Craig told him.

Greg greeted them at the door and escorted them to the small private room on one side of the dining room. Everyone was surprised to find that the room was very comfortable. Three small tables had been pushed together to make one where five people could eat and not be crowded. There were two padded benches that faced a low table where an antipasto plate had been set out, along with crackers, plates and forks. At one end of a counter was a pitcher of wine, a bottle of Beefeater Gin and another of DeWars Scotch, along with a bottle of club soda. The bartender from the restaurant fixed their first round of drinks.

"If you don't mind, I'll be back in a few

minutes to visit with you," Greg said. "I have something to take care of in the kitchen."

Shortly, Greg was back and dismissed the bartender back to his post in the restaurant.

The luncheon turned out to be a wonderful feast of the various great recipes from the restaurant. Everything was served family-style, from the salad to the various entree's everyone enjoyed. Each dish seemed to have six servings for Greg and his guests. Not too much to eat, but enough to tantalize the taste buds of everyone there. There was no shortage of food, but enough to enjoy before moving on to the next selection. Frank and Doris wished they knew of a restaurant in

the Dallas/Arlington/Ft. Worth area that was as good as Tony D's. Surely there was one and maybe Greg would know if it existed.

It was a great luncheon. There was enough

alcohol to relieve the tension from the morning, but not enough to cause a problem later.

Finally, at 2:30, Dale and Craig thanked Greg for his hospitality and being a true friend. They left the restaurant after each gave Greg a big hug and, again, thanking him for his hospitality.

Everyone was more than ready for a nap after returning home. When they lay down, Craig set a timer for two hours, explaining that it would still give them almost an hour and a half to get ready for Tom and Eddie's party.

• • • • • The EMS crew thought that Jimmy Bob Jones never knew

what hit him. The woman driving the Lexus was almost hysterical, although she wasn't really at fault. It was the driver of the cement truck that had caused the damage, although no one was issued a ticket because the police really couldn't put all the pieces together. The only eyewitnesses were the two drivers and their stories conflicted enough to cast doubts as the accident report was written up. Regardless, the Lexus was considered to be totaled and the load of concrete never made it to its destination.

The cart from the supermarket was undamaged, still full of deli food and liquor.

While Dale and Craig didn't make love, they rolled together facing each other, rubbed their groins to a roaring climax, then fell asleep in that position, dreaming of the other. Craig woke up first. It was 4:30 and the timer still

had about 15 minutes to go. He needed to go pee and started to carefully separate himself from his lover, but they were glued together. Dale's eyes suddenly blinked open.

"Sorry, didn't mean to pull your hair," Craig said,

then kissed him.

He pinched Craig on his left nipple, which made him

jump. They were separated and Craig had a few pieces of Dale's hair stuck on his chest. Both got a case of the giggles.

"Is that any way to treat me?" Craig said, as if

pouting. "Hey, it was your cum that caused it.

Mine was all slick and creamy. With that he buried his tongue in Craig's throat and tried to massage his tonsils. They were both really hard again.

"Come on, we'd better get through the shower and get ready to dress for the party. It'll probably take you hours to get your makeup just right," Dale teased as he held out his hand to his lover.

Craig got out of bed and gave Dale another kiss as he passed him to go to the bathroom. Dale joined him at the toilet and they relieved themselves together.

"I guess we'd both better shave - you especially," Dale said, teasing Craig. "But don't get rid of your mustache. It's just now starting to look good."

"I won't touch it," Craig said. "It's just now starting to look like it belongs there."

"Good, because I have plans for it," Dale said.

"You want me to put it where?" Craig teased,

remembering Dale asking him the same question some weeks before.

By this time they had each run the razor over their

faces and were ready for their shower. Although they would have loved to play, they had company and thought they should act like good hosts.

After drying off, they put on athletic shorts and t-shirts to go to the living room and see what everyone was doing.

Joey had his costume laid out on the divan that pulled out for his bed. He had some black biking shorts to wear under his tights. His slippers, vest, cap and purse for the "fairy dust" were lying there, too.

"Hey Dad's, Grandma and Grandpa are cleaning up and getting dressed in my bedroom. Can I use your shower and dress in your room?"

"Sure, we are about ready to get dressed, but we've been through the shower already," Dale told him. "We thought we'd come out and see what everyone was doing before we started dressing."

"Well, at least one of them has had their shower, unless they shower together like you guys do," Joey said with a leer on his face.

"I don't even want to know," Craig said, and

then giggled. "Go ahead and take your shower, we

may be in the bedroom getting dressed when you get out, but that's no problem is it?" Dale asked.

"No, not for me. This is going to be so cool. This is the first adult party I've gotten to go to. I'm really looking forward to it. I think it's neat that everyone is going to be wearing a costume. Do you know who else is going to be there? I mean, I know that they invited Bret Jenkins so there would be several of us there that are Matt's age, but will I know anyone else?"

Dale laughed. "Hey Bud, slow down a little, this isn't '20Questions'. I don't have any idea who will be there, but as I understand it's a 'mixed party' which means some of the people are gay and some aren't, but don't have any problem with those of us who are - as long as we behave ourselves and don't make out in the middle of the living room floor."

Joey and Craig laughed. "I understand. If you embarrass me, I'll just pretend I don't know you." This time, all three of them laughed.

"Go get your shower. There are clean towels and washcloths behind the bathroom door," Craig told him.

As they started to dress, Dale was unwrapping his tights. He hadn't thought about them before, but didn't realize that they became somewhat transparent, even though they were black.

"Hey, I'm not going to wear these and display my cock and balls. I know my tunic comes down to mid- thigh, but that doesn't allow me to bend over or sit down."

"I have some black bikini shorts. Put them on first, then the tights," Craig said. "That should allow you to go pee with a minimum amount of trouble."

Craig dug in his underwear drawer and tossed a pair of black bikini shorts to Dale and kept a pair of red ones for himself, since the color wouldn't make any difference with his costume.

As they were sitting on the bed to put on their tights and pantyhose, Craig said, "I'm sure glad I'm not a woman. It's a major project to get dressed, isn't it?"

"You've got that right. and women used to wear corsets, girdles, hose and a dozen other things before they got to the place they were ready to put on a dress. No wonder they never arrived anywhere on time."

They both laughed.

Shortly, Dale was completely dressed and Joey came out of the bathroom to start. "I borrowed some deodorant and cologne," he said.

"Not a problem, glad to help out," Craig told him. Joey pulled on the bike shorts, then started putting

the tights on.

"Here, you have to roll up the legs and put them on your feet first, then gradually work them up your legs. You have to smooth them out as you go, then you shouldn't have any problems," Craig said.

Joey did as he was told and soon had them up to his waist. They seemed to fit perfectly. All he had to do was put on his slippers, vest and cap and put the bag of "Fairy Dust" around his shoulder.

"Well, are you ready for this?" Craig asked has he brought the pink and white formal out of the closet.

Joey was having the time of his life and Dale laughed. "I think I already like you better as a man."

"Me too," Craig laughed.

The dress was one you stepped into, and then pulled it up to fasten the back and they both helped Craig get it into place. Dale zipped it up and fastened the hook at the top. He took the long, blond wig out of the box and put it on. It was a stretch wig so was easy to put on. Craig looked in the mirror and burst out laughing. "This really doesn't look too bad, does it?"

"As I said, I like you better as a man," Dale said.

Joey agreed, then helped Craig put on the plastic sandals. The only thing left was the long gloves, jewelry and whatever makeup Doris would help him with.

They made their exit to the living room and Raggedy Ann and Raggedy Andy were waiting for them.

"You look so neat!" Joey told them The costumes were perfect for them and they did look

like big, oversized dolls.

"Mom, I need help with the jewelry and whatever make up you think any of us need," holding out the case they had bought at the costume shop.

"I'm not sure any of you need much," she said. "A little rouge for each of you on your cheeks and some lipstick for you."

Craig handed her the earrings, which were the

clip-on type. Doris put those on him, making sure they were snug without pinching; then fastened the necklace around his neck. She deftly put the rouge on each of them, and then carefully applied the lipstick to Craig's lips. "Put the gloves on," she told Craig. Frank had been snapping pictures of the whole procedure.

"Are you taking the camera, Grandpa?" Joey asked.

"Sure am. All of you will want to remember this

party." After Craig put the long gloves on,

Doris fastened the bracelet on his wrist.

They took turns taking pictures of each other, individually and as a group. It was 6:25. Time to go to the party. They discovered that no one had a pocket in their costume, so told Joey he would have to carry the keys in his pouch of "Fairy Dust" after they arrived at the party.

It was crowded, getting everyone in Frank's car, but they didn't have far to go. There were quite a few cars parked up and down the street, but Craig told Frank to park on the driveway since only one other car had parked there.

Other guests were still arriving and walking up the street toward the house as they walked to the front door.

Both Tom and Eddie were greeting guests at the door. Tom was dressed as "Mr. Clean" although he could have also been Yul Brenner. It was funny to see Tom dressed as a ballerina in a lavender tutu, especially since he had a fair amount of hair on his chest.

"Come on in. Your costumes are great," Eddie told them as he shook hands with each as they came through the door.

"This is Matt," Tom told them, introducing them to

'Miss Piggy'. Each of them told Matt their name, not expecting him

to remember any of them.

"The bar is set up in the dining room, along with snacks," he said, hurrying them along as more guests were on the porch.

It was a great collection of costumes and several

were taking pictures, both stills and with video cameras.

A complete list of those attending and their costumes was: Eddie Thompson, a ballerina; Tom Bryant, Mr. Clean; Craig Bastian, Cinderella; Dale Richards, Prince Charming; Joey Sullivan, a male Genie; Ray Evans, a Super Hero; Greg DeFazio, Napoleon; Paula Hunter, a Witch; Carole Stanhope, a Witches cat; Jerry Pennington, a Farmer; Paul Rathborne and Fr. George Tikker, the "American Gothic couple"; Douglas and Betty Tate, Rhett Butler and Scarlett O'Hara; Tricia Sutton, a Policeman; Marilyn Kolb, an Airline Stewardess; Patricia Wilson, Phyllis Diller; Stacy Bauer, Queen Elizabeth; Joyce Morris, Whistler's Mother; Mark Clarke, Gainsborough's "Blue Boy"; Joseph Hervey, an Air Force Captain; RJ Barton, a surgeon, Leland Stanton, Julia Child; Doug Waters and JoEllen Daily, matching Bumble Bee costumes; Matthew Rhodes, Miss Piggy; Bret Jenkins, Jr., Wizard of Oz; Frank and Doris Bastian, Raggedy Andy and Raggedy Ann. The party was shortly in full swing. They had hired

a bartender who was dressed as the Phantom of the Opera. Two schoolteacher friends were in the kitchen, finishing up the preparations for the buffet later on.

The only people Dale and Craig didn't know were Doug Waters and JoEllen Daily, although they looked familiar. Craig finally told Dale that they were high school students and attended St. James Church.

Later in the evening everyone was told to go to a table in the living room and vote for the three best costumes, writing each name on a separate slip of paper and putting them in a basket. The winners were Paul Rathborne and Fr. Tikker. Paul looked great as the dour farmer and George was funny as the equally dour wife. Craig won second place and his parents received the next highest number of votes to be the third place winners.

Dale was hoping the couple dressed in the bumblebee costumes would win a prize, but they didn't.

Joey, Bret and Matt had a great time. This was the first adult party for each of them. It was fun to be in costume and the three hit it off. Matt had a great sense of humor and loved to tease Joey and Bret as much was he liked them to tease him. Matt had been told by Tom and Eddie that they did not know if Bret and Joey were gay, but that they had no problem with others who were.

Matt was also surprised at the turnout for the party. "Just enjoy yourself and visit with as many people as you can. After all, you live with us right now and that makes you a host just like we are," Eddie told him. He was very proud to be included and everyone treated him like he belonged there.

The buffet was great. There was tossed salad, roast turkey, ham and roast beef, twice-baked potatoes, corn pudding, fruit salad and a relish tray. Dessert was pumpkin cake.

Dale and Craig introduced Frank and Doris to Leland Stanton, telling him that Frank would like a chance to talk to them about the proposed computer store.

"Call me the first thing Monday morning. I don't know what my schedule is because my secretary keeps track of everything, but I'll tell her to make a place for you before noon."

"Thanks, Leland," Dale told him.

After dinner, they played the usual party games, mostly Trivial Pursuit and charades. Sheets of paper were handed out and they sang "Pumpkin Carols" to familiar tunes. Some of the words were hilarious.

Dale and Craig had a chance to talk to Fr. George and Paul and thanked them again for the beautiful requiem mass they'd had that morning.

Suddenly, Fr. George remembered something. He cupped his hands around his mouth. "May I have your attention, please?" The room was suddenly quiet.

"I have some rather sad news this evening, although some of you may think otherwise. The Reverend Jimmy Bob Jones was crossing the street this morning in front of the Starlight Motel. They don't know for sure exactly what happened, but they think he was pushing a grocery cart from the store to the motel. Somehow it got away from him, causing a car to swerve to avoid it. They think he fell to the pavement. The car was in the path of an oncoming cement truck, which hit the car and it, in turn, hit him. He was dead at the scene." There was still total silence in the room. No one knew what to say to that news.

Finally Fr. George said, "Will you allow me to say a prayer for the repose of his soul?" He started out by crossing himself and saying, "Blessed be God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit." ending the prayer with those assembled saying "Amen."

Finally, the party started breaking up about 9:45 with Fr. George and Paul leaving first. Some were still playing Trivial Pursuit and others were visiting with each other. No one seemed to be in a big hurry to leave. Finally about 10:15 Craig told Dale. "This dress is killing me. I'm ready to go take it off."

"I still like you better as a man so whenever

you can find our child we can go," Dale teased.

Joey, Bret and Matt were talking about various things in a corner of the dining room, while having another piece of cake with a soft drink. They were both pleased that Matt enjoyed singing and encouraged him to audition for the choir at St. James, assuming that he would be attending church with Eddie and Tom.

Dale found them, telling Joey, "We're ready to leave, bud. Tomorrow's another big day."

"Okay Dad, be right there," he told Dale.

"My Dads and my grandparents are ready to leave, so I hope to see you at church in the morning," he said, telling Bret and Matt goodbye.

"I gotta call my parents to come pick me up," Bret

said. "Do you think I could use the telephone in the kitchen?"

"Sure," Matt replied. "Right this way."

Tom and Eddie told Dale and Craig's family goodbye, telling them they hoped to see them in the morning.

• • • • • The first thing said in the car as Frank started down

the street was by Craig. "Honestly, Mom, how on earth do you stand to wear clothes like this?" Everyone laughed. "It's just part of being a woman. We don't know any better." More laughter.

"I still like you better as a man," Dale said again, causing more laughter.

"What about Fr. George's announcement regarding Rev. Jimmy Bob?" Craig asked.

"It's sad," Dale said. "The man could have done a lot of good in this world if he hadn't been such an ignorant bigot. He sure screwed up the lives of a lot of people, and not just young boys, either."

"Yeah, I keep forgetting that you had your own problems with him," Craig said, squeezing his hand.

"Well, that bunch certainly made my grandparents and my mother feel unworthy and it transferred to me. Thank God, I found you and your wonderful family to make me realize that people can actually love each other and not be ashamed about it."

"Yes, you've gone from being insecure and unsure

of yourself to being confident and full of life in a very short time," Craig said, leaning over to plant a kiss on his cheek.

"Hey!! Watch it lady, I have a boyfriend at home," Dale said as they all had a good laugh.

This had been a good day - for all of them.

(to be continued)

AUTHORS NOTE: Things are moving ahead in Williamsport. I had a big debate about Jimmy Bob, as to keeping him around as a thorn in everyone's side, or removing him from the story. I hope you agree with the verdict.

Thanks to Paul Daventon and Joey Tuvok for their usual great help in proofreading this story and helping find the obvious errors. We all agree that it's hard to read your own work because you know what the words are supposed to be.

And, thanks to everyone for reading. I appreciate

any comments or observations you have. You may contact me at TulsaDriller7@aol.com. I try to answer all emails I receive, but know I miss a few of the many that pour in.