Castaway Hotel VII

The next time I spoke with our lawyer, he explained that other than a few motions that might be made and some discovery issues that would have to be addressed, the boys wouldn't be needed until sometime in October. I asked him if it was typical for these types of proceedings to drag out that long and he assured me it was. He said this would be considered being on the fast track, if the trial actually started by then. He said both sides needed to prepare for the trial, which would require time for doing more investigative work, prepping witnesses and so on, but they might not even be able to get it all done by then. I'm not sure if I was upset or relieved to hear this, because I knew the toll it was taking on those involved.

Next, I asked him if he would need to prep the boys in advance and he said he would, but he'd conduct those sessions on weekends, so the boys wouldn't have to miss classes. I told him we appreciated his efforts and consideration, and then I advised him that I would contact each college in advance, to let them know what was happening. I wanted to get things squared away with each institution, so it wouldn't affect anyone's class loads or grades. He said that would be a wise precaution to take, as some colleges had a limited number of classes a student could miss or cut and still pass the course.

Now, I went back to trying to get everyone ready for the start of the college semester, as Jake and I would be driving the boys to their various campuses the following week. The other boys would be starting school the week after that, which meant I would also be going back to work. I should have returned already, but with the boys' legal woes, I requested to have others cover for me. I felt guilty, but decided I had to put the family first.

With that in mind, I felt I should sit down with Jake and discuss the idea of resigning as Superintendent. With everything going on, the boys' situation would require my full attention and I'm not sure I'd be able to concentrate on anything else. If I stayed working, I was certain I'd be taking extra time off, which I didn't think would be fair to the school district. Jake and I talked about this issue at great length and tried to look at it from all the various perspectives. When we completed our evaluation, we both agreed I'd talk to the board president the following day.

That night the house was quieter and more subdued than I ever remember it and I was worried this might set the tone for days to come. I knew everyone was concerned, but I didn't want them to spend all their energy on worrying about what might happen, so I decided to call a family meeting to discuss the case and see what we could do to relieve some of the tension and uncertainty. Once everyone was gathered in the living room, I grabbed my pen and portfolio, so I could start taking notes.

"Okay, we all know what's been going on here, so I think it's time we started to see what we can discover, to help protect those falsely charged. We know the Hubbard boy was beaten the Thursday before we left, so I want everyone to think back and try to remember what you were doing and when. I also want you to try to remember if you can vouch for any of those charged while you were getting ready for our trip. Now, I don't want you to lie or make anything up, because that would eventually come back to bite us in the butt later. Being caught in a lie would make the boys appear guilty; even when we know they're not. We have to stick to the truth and the facts as we know them, because that will be the best way to get them cleared."

Everyone began to think back, to over a month before, which wasn't an easy task, especially considering all we'd done in between. Finally, Vinnie spoke up.

"That day Kevin and I finished our packing, and then we got some things out for Mark," he told me, "things we thought he might need on vacation. He wasn't going to be back until the next day, and that would have left him very little time to pack."

"Great, and did anyone help you do that?" I asked.

"Yeah, Danny and Brandon did some of Mark's laundry," Vinnie explained, "while they were doing their own."

"And what time was that?" I pressed.

"It was before dinner," Vinnie answered, "cuz Kev and I spent most of that night alone in our room." I wasn't sure, but it almost looked as if Vinnie blushed after he said that.

"Okay, that's a start," I told them, jotting that information down on paper. "Anything else?"

"Yes, I helped my dad fix dinner that night," Shannon blurted out. "We knew you'd be busy checking on everyone else and making sure they had everything they'd needed, so Dad asked me to give him a hand."

"That's right," Jake agreed. "I'd forgotten that."

"Did anyone else help you?" I followed.

"Sammy and Andrew set the table and got everything ready," Shannon replied. Sammy and Andrew nodded in agreement.

"Okay, we're making progress here," I stated. "Who cleaned up after dinner that night?"
"It was me and Graham," Cole answered. "We cleared the table and did the dishes that night."

"Okay, anything else?" Brandon looked sheepishly at me, like he had something to say, but wasn't sure he wanted to tell me. I just looked at him and waited for him to finally open his mouth. Eventually he felt he had to tell me what was on his mind.

"Danny, Frank, and I ran to the store that night, to pick a few things up for the others," he advised me. Instantly, I saw why he had been concerned, because that put two of them out of the house on the night in question.

"What time was that and when did you get back?" I wanted to know.

"We left just after 8:00," Frankie announced. "I remember, because I finished watching my television program first and that ended at 8:00."

"Where did you go, how long were you gone and when did you get back?" I asked him.

"Well, we went to CVS first," Danny announced, "cuz we needed lube to take on the trip, and then we went to the grocery store to pick up some snacks."

"Anything else?" I wanted to know.

"Yeah," Brandon added, "we saw some friends as we came out of the grocery store and stopped to chat with them for a few minutes, but that would mean they could put us in town before it happened."

"Were you three together when you meet your friends?" I asked.

"No," Frankie responded. "They went out first, cuz I remembered something I forgot, so I went back to get it. When I came out they were all talking, so I just went over to let them know I was done.

"Great, then those friends saw you with Frankie and not Pat and Shannon?" I asked and Brandon's eyes lit up.

"Yes, they did," he said, smiling.

"And what time was that?" I followed.

"Sometime between 8:30 and 9:00," Frankie told me. "I remember that too, because I wanted to call a friend, to ask him if he knew if they'd hired anyone for one of the jobs we'd both applied for. I knew I had to call him before 9:00, since he lives with his parents and they go to bed early. They get really mad if anyone calls after they go to sleep, cuz the phone in their room wakes them up."

"Well, that's some good information," I informed them. "Anything else?"

We continued to talk things out for over an hour, and when we finished, I had several pages of notes to share with our lawyer. I think the boys felt a little better too, knowing there was some evidence they were in certain places at specific times and with other people than those they had been accused with. Maybe this would help put everyone in a slightly better mood now.

Monday, I drove over to where the board President worked, to make an appointment to see him as soon as I could. He happened to be in his reception area when I arrived. He spoke to me as I entered and wanted to know what was up. When I told him I needed to talk to him, in his role as board president, he asked if I could meet him for lunch at one, and I agreed. I said good-bye and told him I'd see him at the restaurant later.

Once I left his office, I went to see the lawyer, to share the notes I'd taken during our family meeting. He seemed quite pleased with what I had, and after leaving his office, I considered how I was going to tell the board president about my decision

When I arrived at the restaurant, the board president wasn't there yet, so I waited patiently at the bar. He arrived about five minutes later, apologized for being late and then we were seated. After we ordered, he asked me what it was that I needed to speak to him about.

"I'm sure you've read in the paper about my boys," I began, and he nodded. "Well, for the next few months I'm going to have to focus on helping them and I will probably need a considerable amount of time off from work. I actually think it would be unfair to the school district for me to do that, so I've decided to resign." I pulled an envelope from my pocket and handed it to him. It was my letter of resignation.

"Josh, please don't do this," he urged. "I talked to a couple of board members yesterday, anticipating you might be facing some conflicts, and we decided we'd do whatever it took to free you up for your family. The high school principal can fill in as acting superintendent for a while, and the assistant high school principal can take over the helm at the high school, while his boss covers for you. It will take less than half the school year, and we really don't want to lose you because of this."

"That's very kind of you," I responded, "but the start of school and budget time in the spring are the two most demanding and important times of the year, as far as the superintendent's job is concerned. I would feel grossly remiss in my duties, if I were not able to give the job my full attention during either of these times. I really think the district would be better served by accepting my resignation."

"You may believe that, Josh, but we don't. No one knows this district as well as you and no one is in tune with what's happening in the community either. I, and those I've already spoken with, all agree we'll do whatever it takes to keep you and give you the time you need to deal with your family problems. I think we proved that to you last year, when you were dealing with Cody's illness."

"I know and appreciate everything you did," I agreed, "but with all the problems that keep arising, I don't see how my continued employment would benefit the district in any way."

"Josh, we think we'd be better off with you leading the district even part-time, than with an outsider or someone less competent doing it full-time. Please, accept our offer to assist you and you can make it up to us after your boys have been cleared, if you still feel you have to."

"I'm still not comfortable with this idea, but if that's what you want, I'll talk it over with my family again," I concurred. "I'll call you back in a day or two, to let you know what we decide."

I was grateful the district appreciated the job I had done in the past, but I still wasn't convinced I should stay. I went home that night and talked it over with Jake and the boys, and they finally convinced me I should keep the job, as long as the district was willing to cover for me and let me have the time off I needed. In fact, it was the four boys who were charged with these crimes who were the most vociferous about me not resigning, so I bowed to their judgment. I called the board president at home and informed him that I would stay and he thanked me. He also promised I would have all the time off I needed, so I could be there for my family.

After we concluded our family meeting and settled my employment status, the rest of the week seemed to go better for us. In fact, before I realized, it was time to take the boys to their respective colleges. Frankie and Mark had agreed to watch over the house and take care of the others, while Jake and I took the boys off to their various institutions of higher learning.

I was taking four in my van, while Jake was taking three of them in the Suburban. Ricky, Pat, and Shannon were all freshmen this year, while Danny, Kevin, and Brandon were sophomores, and Dustin a junior. Even though Dustin hadn't originally planned on going on after getting his two-year degree, others in the HVAC business had told him he should, especially if he wanted to own his own business later. That's what convinced him. If Frank had also chosen to go on after his two-year degree, he would have been a junior as well. However, he decided his two-year degree was all he wanted, and needed, for now.

The trip went well and the older boys were looking forward to getting back to college and seeing some of their friends again. The freshmen were also excited, because they were looking forward to starting this experience and being on their own for the first time. I think out of everyone, this was going to be hardest on Jake. This would be the first time he would be apart from Shannon for any length of time since Shannon came to live with him after he and his wife had divorced. I know it seems funny hearing it's going to be harder on the parent than the child, but that's exactly how it will be in this situation.

As I dropped each boy off, I, and whoever else was with us at the time, helped him carry his things to his dorm room. This helped to speed the process up and help make it easier on him. After that, we would spend some time looking around the campus and helping him settle in, but we obviously spent more time with those who were going away to school for the first time.

I dropped two of the boys off the first day and then the remaining two boys and I got a motel room for the night. I delivered the other two to their campuses the next day and then returned home. Jake arrived long before I did and had dinner ready and waiting for me when I showed up. However, the minute I walked in the house, I could tell something was bothering him. I didn't broach the subject immediately and decided it would be best to do it later, in private.

The dinner table seemed almost empty tonight, with seven boys off to college, so now there were only ten of us left at home. As I looked around at the seven remaining boys, Mark and Jake, it seemed as if something else was wrong. Suddenly, it all clicked into place when it occurred to me that we were missing Brent and Cody too. I think that's when the old empty nest syndrome started to take hold and I began to acknowledge it wouldn't be much longer before the house would be empty again.

Well, that's not entirely true. I'm pretty sure Jake will still be here with me, but next fall Trey, Nick and Vinnie would all be leaving for college too, and possibly Cole, if he decides he wants to give it a try. The year after that Graham and Dion will be leaving, which means the only ones left will be Sammy and Andrew.

Seeing my older children have informed me they and my grandchildren wouldn't be coming around any more, I was beginning to think back to what it was like before Sally talked me into taking Ricky, and then Danny, to live with me. I remembered the loneliness and sense of uselessness I felt then, before I started to build my new family, and I wasn't sure I could deal with that again. I suppose I could take in more sons, but with my health issues and advancing age, I wasn't sure if that would be fair to boys who needed a young, energetic father to do things with and for them.

After we finished eating, and while the boys were cleaning up and doing the dishes, I asked Jake to accompany me on a walk up the road, just the two of us. He agreed immediately, not suspecting I had an ulterior motive for my request. Slowly, we started making our way up the road.

"So what's wrong?" I asked him, as soon as we were a hundred yards or so from the house.

"What do you mean?" he countered, playing dumb.

"Come on. I could see it in your face the minute I got home and I've been reading it in your body language all evening," I informed him. "Something is bothering you and I want to know what it is." He looked at me for a second, studied my face and then turned to look up the road. We kept walking for a few more steps, before he finally spoke.

"It's Shannon," he finally responded. "First of all, I'm worried about this mess he's in, and second I miss him tremendously. We've never been apart for any length of time since he came to live with me and I really want to be with him as much as I can, especially while he's dealing with these charges."

"I know, but you have to know when to let go too," I explained. "He's growing up, Jake, and soon he'll be on his own. I know the legal problems are making it more difficult to deal with this, but you're going to have to let him stand on his own two feet. I know that's not easy, and I still have to deal with it every time one of my boys move on, and now that I'm not going to see my older children and grandchildren too, I can really appreciate how you're feeling. You just have to put it out of your mind and find something else to concentrate on instead."

"Like what?" he challenged. "What do I use to replace my son?" He kind of snapped at me when he said this, but I could see from the expression on his face that he immediately regretted how he had responded.

"Don't worry about it," I tried to reassure him. "I won't take offense to anything you say. I think I, more than anyone, can appreciate what you're going through right now and I'll only tell you what I think is best. In time, you won't feel so bad, but for the time being, this can drive you to drink, if you let it keep eating at you."

"I know you're right," he admitted, "but right now my heart is in total control, even though my brain is trying to counter my emotional side. I will attempt to do what you suggest, but I'm not so sure I can. He's been my whole life since his mother walked out on us, well, that is until I hooked up with you, but I also feel responsible for finding a way to get him out of this legal mess too. The problem is, I don't have a clue about what to do and I feel so powerless to help him."

"We all feel that way," I confessed. "All we can do is try to remain calm and objective, and try to think of ways to help, like when we held the family meeting and tried to find an alibi for each of them. I think some of the information we came up with will help our lawyer plan his defensive strategy too, so that helped all the boys. We'll continue to try to think of other things as well, so don't give up hope."

"I won't, as long as you'll help me," he confided. At that point I gave Jake a hug, even though we were out where anyone could see us, but as far as I know, no one did. We finished our walk, talking all the way as we made our way back home. I think he felt a little better by the time we got there, but I knew he still had a long way to go.

That weekend I also had to take a group of boys out to help the Beckers. We had been a little remiss since we got back, with only Frankie going out to give them a hand on a regular basis, seeing the rest of us had other things on our minds. However, we had promised to do this for them, and I wouldn't let anything make us break that promise.

During the week, I asked for volunteers to go out to work that weekend and got more than I needed. From that group, I chose four boys and took them out to the farm on Friday afternoon. I didn't stay long, although I did talk to Mr. Becker for about a half hour. He thanked me for our help, told me how his wife and son were doing, before he informed me about his plans for the harvest. As we talked, I realized this was one special guy and I was glad we could help make his life a little more bearable.

After driving home, I remembered something else, something that had slipped my mind. This weekend Mark's mother would be arriving from Oregon. She had agreed to move here, so she could be closer to her son, after Mark finally convinced her. He had even made appointments for her to look at some apartments the following day. We had also arranged for her to stay with the Spences until she decided on a place to live and Mark was beside himself with excitement about her arrival. He was thrilled she had agreed to do this, so they could live near each other once again.

That morning, Mark went to the airport by himself to pick her up. He figured this would give him a chance to spend some time alone with her first. We were all planning to go out to dinner with them later that evening, after allowing her time to settle in to her room at the Spences. I was at the Spences with Jake when they arrived, so we could welcome her, but we only planned to stay a few minutes. It was nice to see her again, and she seemed very excited about this opportunity, but I think she was especially excited about being with her only son again.

"Hi, Susan," I greeted her. "You look wonderful and you seem to have a special glow about you today." She began to blush.

"Thank you, Josh, and that's nice of you to say," she replied. "I think the glow you refer to is from my being with my son again. Thank you so much for making this possible."

"Susan, I didn't do anything. It was Mark who made this happen," I confirmed. "He wanted it as much, if not more, than you did. He's missed having you around to help him too."

"Yes, I know. He's told me all about that," she confessed. "In fact, the last thing he told me, before I agreed to this move, was that he'd like to have me here, so he could help take care of me and I could be there for him. He said that way he'd have both his mother and new father near him for support and guidance." Now, it was my turn to blush and when I looked over at Mark, he was blushing too.

"Okay, okay. I admit it," Mark finally announced. "Is it so wrong for a guy to want to have both his mom and dad around to make sure he doesn't mess up too badly?"

After saying this, he walked over and gave his mother a kiss and a hug, before he strolled over and wrapped his arms around me, in an exuberant embrace. As I looked over his shoulder, everyone else in the room was glowing, as they watched Mark's spontaneous show of affection for the two people he seemed to love the most.

Jake and I took our leave after that, to give Susan time to unpack, rest and get adjusted to the new time zone. We were somewhat experienced with how hard that can be, so we wanted to make it as easy as we could for her. Before we left, we informed her we'd meet at the restaurant at 6:30, as she would be riding with Mark and the Spences. When the dinner hour arrived, Sally and the Shays also joined us, since Mark's work with the Foundation had made him a valued member of our extended family.

Throughout the evening, we tried to bring Susan up to speed on the area, by telling her about some of the places that would become a vital part of her new life here. After that, we answered her questions about things she wanted to know. Slowly, she began to feel more comfortable about the big move.

During this time, I became aware of the fact that Mark had made sure he sat between his mother and I tonight. This made me realize, that other than at his graduation, this was probably the first time since his youth that he felt he was sitting between his parents and having a real family meal. The rest of the boys understood how he was feeling and were happy to allow him to occupy the majority of my attention tonight. After all, they were used to sharing me, weren't they?

After dinner, Susan went back to stay with the Spences. Mark accompanied her and stayed for a while to make sure she was comfortable. Once he felt she was okay, and after she told him she was very tired and needed to get some rest, he came back to the house and we talked for a while.

First, he thanked me for helping to make this possible, although I denied I had done very much, and then he told me his plans for the next day. After that, he thanked me for being his new dad and gave me a big hug, which I happily returned. After we broke the embrace, I told him I enjoyed being his dad as much as he did, but he told me I'd never understand how much it meant to him. Rather than argue the point, I just told him I loved him as much as any of the others, and he flashed me another smile, before giving me another hug.

Chapter 16
Making Adjustments

The following day, Mark took his mother out to look at several places; some were apartments in apartment complexes, but there were also a couple of apartments in large, older homes. A few of these were half of a duplex and one was a small home for rent. After looking at the various options and discussing it with her son, Susan decided that she liked the small home for rent best. It had two bedrooms, a lovely bath and she felt it would best meet her needs. She'd also have a guest room, in case she ever had visitors.

Mark and his mother quickly made the arrangements and signed a lease, so now all we'd have to do was help her furnish the place appropriately. Mark and Susan were both quite excited when they arrived at our house and Mark was eager to tell us all about where she would be living. I knew the place, as friends of my late wife and mine had lived there when they were first married. They actually stayed there five or six years, before moving to a larger home. I remember it was a nice place, although small, but perfect for a single person or couple. I was happy for her, but I could see from her expression and demeanor that she was extremely excited about it too.

We had Susan over for dinner that night, to give her a chance to become acquainted with what was left of my brood and allow her to see the animals in their natural habitat. Oh, no, not au naturel, just in their natural environment, where they were most likely to act as they normally would. She seemed to enjoy her time with us and told me later she was glad Mark got to be included in our family. Even though he was older when he joined us, he had told her many times how great it was to be part of such a large and loving home. He also confessed it helped erase some of the pain and sense of longing that still lingered from having grown up with only his mother for support.

She then went on to explain she had tried her best for him, but didn't realize how much a boy needed a father and possibly even siblings to feel complete. I told her she had no reason to feel bad, as she had done a fine job with him, otherwise he wouldn't have grown into the terrific young man he was today. That was due to her love and care. Then I reminded her that many kids have regrets about their youth, but that was the nature of the beast and something to be expected. I reiterated she had nothing to be sorry about and had done her best with the cards she was dealt. I informed her Mark never had a bad word to say about the way she raised him and he loved her dearly, so she should not be second-guessing herself. She thanked me for what I said and then I took her on a tour of the nuthouse.

After we dropped Susan at the Spences later, Mark proved he was more enthused about everything than even his mother had been. He told me about the house and how it was perfect for her, and then he thanked me for suggesting he ask her to come live here. Mark was so excited about this change in circumstance, that he began to act almost like a little kid again and I was very pleased he was so happy.

I told him I'd have the Spences take his mother around to pick out some furniture for her new place on Monday. We had talked things over with her before she moved and decided it would be easier and better if she sold her old stuff before she left, rather than trying to move it across country. Now that she had a place, it was time to fill it with things suited to fit comfortably. This news made Mark even giddier and I marveled at how his and his mother's happiness paralleled each other. I guess that comes from only having one other person around most of your life, so you become more in tune with what they are feeling and what pleases them the most.

Sunday started off as usual, with all of us going to church, and Susan joined us. She sat next to Mark and his girlfriend during the service and after the sermon had concluded, we introduced her to a few members of the congregation. We felt if she made some contacts and established herself in her new home, it would help her feel part of the community faster. I thought everything went quite well and Susan and one particular lady seemed to hit it off really well, so maybe she had even found a new friend. The woman even offered to come over and help Susan clean up her new place before moving things in, an offer that Susan graciously accepted, after a few mild protestations.

We went out for brunch after that, as was our custom after church, and had another enjoyable time. Susan was getting to know some of my boys, but this also gave her a chance to get to know Mark's girlfriend better, as well. After a few tense moments, where neither of them was quite sure how to proceed, they found a common ground. This happened when they were talking about Mark and soon each started to warm up to the other. This seemed to please Mark immensely and I could tell there would be no problem between the two women or any struggles over his affection.

After we got back to the house, Cole cornered me and asked if I'd go with him someplace, although he wasn't being very open about where. All he would say was there was something he wanted to show me, and it wouldn't take very long. Knowing he seldom asked for much, I agreed. I realized it must be important to him or he wouldn't have bothered me about it. He wanted to drive, so we took the Grand Am, and soon I found myself staring at a thirty-year old Mustang GT Fastback, in need of a lot of work.
"Dad, I want to buy this and fix it up," he told me.

"Cole, if you think we need another car for the family, fine, I will consider getting one, but I don't think this is it."

"No, Dad. You don't understand. I want THIS car, so I can work on it," he emphasized.

"Do you realize how much work this is going to need?" I asked, completely amazed he would even consider this. "The body alone is going to take a tremendous amount of work, but I'm sure it's also going to need the engine repaired, as well."

"I know, Dad, but I really want to do it," he pleaded. "I'm taking classes on body work and engine repair, and I really want a chance to try something like this on my own. I'll use my own money, but I just wanted you to say you understand and that it's okay with you." He looked at me and waited anxiously for my approval.

"Do you realize it's probably going to take a lot of money to fix it up," I warned, "even with you doing all of the work?"

"Yes, but I really want to do it. Okay?" he pleaded, again.

"And where will you do this work?" I challenged.

"My automotive teacher said I could work on it as part of a project for class, so I can use the school facilities for now," he informed me. "He'll get what I need, when I need it, and I'll just pay him back as we go along. What do you think?" I thought about it for a minute or so, before I responded.

"Well, it seems like you've done your homework and know what you're getting into," I began, "so if this is what you really want to do, it's okay with me."

Cole started dancing around and I began to picture him as he was shortly after he came to live with me. Once again, he was a young boy who was eager to please and even the most insignificant gestures I made meant so much to him. He had been so deprived growing up that even the simplest things seemed like a big deal to him, such as his being overjoyed because I was going to let him buy a junk car.

About that time the owner came out of his house to see what we wanted, so I explained the situation to him and negotiated a deal. I think he tried to take advantage of us, after noticing how excited Cole was about wanting the car, but I got him down to what I thought was a fair and reasonable price. I gave him a down payment, got a receipt in return and then told him we'd be back the following afternoon with the rest of his money. I explained we'd tow the car away at that time, although he assured us we could drive it away, if we wanted to. In response, I informed him we wouldn't be licensing it until Cole had completed his repairs, so we would tow it away for now. He said he understood and everything was set.

Cole was nearly bouncing in his seat as we drove back home and bolted from the car as soon as it stopped. He then raced inside, to tell his brothers about his good fortune. I was pleased he was so excited about this, especially since it was something he could do as part of his class load. Cole's learning problems had often made school a place he'd rather not be, so maybe this would turn things around for him.

Getting him into the vocational program was designed to give him a chance to be successful, do something he was interested in and would benefit him in the future, so it was nice to see him so energized by something that was school related. We both acknowledged he would probably be one of the few, if not the only one, who wouldn't be going off to college after graduation, so if this gave him a leg up on finding his niche in life, I was more than happy to support him. I wish everything were this easy to deal with.

It was the middle of the first full week of school when I received a call from the State Police, so I figured it must have something to do with the boys and the assault case. However, as I began to speak with the person at the other end, I soon learned this was not the case and he wasn't even from our area.

"Mr. Currie, this is Captain Brain Foster of the Minnesota State Police," he began, making me wonder what any of us could have done while we were in Minnesota to get the State Police to call me at home.

"We understand you were the one who reported two very suspicious campers on a lake in northern Minnesota. Is this true?"

I hesitated momentarily, before I responded, because I was curious as to what all this was about. "Yes, I did," I confirmed. "I gave the information to a forest ranger as we were about to leave. Why, did something happen?"

"You might say that," he replied. "After talking to those men, the rangers kept them under surveillance afterward and called us in for assistance. They did this because they noticed a stash of weapons in one of their tents and determined it would be best if they had armed assistance before they did anything more, since none of them carry guns. When a few of my men went to confront the campers, we arrested them on weapons charges and fingerprinted them. When we ran the prints, we were astounded to discover it connected them to a series of unsolved crimes in three states."

"Wow, I knew they gave me a creepy feeling," I exclaimed, "and my whole family was worried they might try to follow us, but it's always interesting to learn they were actually wanted."

"More than wanted, Mr. Currie," he replied. "Law enforcement agencies in three states were conducting intensive manhunts for them. They turned out to be the interstate killers we had been looking for, for several months, and without your help we wouldn't have caught them."

"Murderers?" I gasped. This drew the attention of Jake and some of the boys, so they came over to listen in on what was going on.

"Yes. They had committed multiple homicides," he confirmed. "They would kidnap their victim, which included both young males and females, and then sexually assault them for a period of time, before they killed them and dumped their bodies. Most were dumped in rivers, ponds or lakes along lonely back roads, so the corpses weren't discovered until weeks afterward. By then, the water and decomposition erased most of the evidence, so we didn't have much to go on. We're afraid there might still be other bodies out there we haven't discovered yet."

"How were you able to tie them to the crimes then, if the water got rid of most of the evidence?" I wondered. I had to be certain they had the right men.

"There were several factors which helped us determine their guilt," he replied. "Some of these have been reported to the press, so I can also divulge them to you. We recovered a roll of nylon rope at their campsite, which precisely matched the chords used to tie up the victims. We were also able to match hairs found on undergarments of the victims to one or both of the men and we even lifted their fingerprints off of the victims' belts, purses and shoes. We were also able to get a ballistic match on bullets recovered from some of the bodies and the weapons we seized.

"The final, and probably most damning evidence," he continued, "came when we found various victims' DNA in extra sleeping bags the pair had in their possession. Those two are going away for a long time, at the very least, and you have earned the reward that was offered. Who do you want me to have them make the check out to and where do you want it sent?"

I was dumbfounded by this news and it took me a few seconds to regain my composure and respond. "Mr. Currie, are you alright," the officer asked, when I didn't answer in a reasonable amount of time.

"Oh, yes, I'm sorry," I finally told him. "It's just that I wasn't expecting anything like this."

"I understand, but several law enforcement groups and independent organizations had set up a reward for information leading to their capture and conviction," he explained, "and there's no doubt you deserve it."

"But they haven't been convicted yet," I protested.

"I'm sorry, there is more that I haven't told you," he apologized. "The murders began in Illinois and then spread through Wisconsin, before moving to Minnesota. I understand the men have consented to a plea agreement with the Minnesota State prosecutor's office and will plead guilty to the three homicides that occurred in our jurisdiction. They will serve three life sentences each, without the possibility of parole, which will run consecutively, so they'll never see freedom again. They were willing to accept the deal, if we agreed not to extradite them to Illinois, which is the only one of the three states that has the death penalty."

After discussing this with him in more detail, I directed the check be made out to The Castaway Foundation, as I felt the reward should be used to help others who had been victimized by society. This baffled the Captain for a few minutes, until I explained the situation to him, and then he told me the check would be in the mail within a week. I thanked him, but he also thanked my family and me in return.

After I hung up, I explained to the others what the call was about. The check arrived about twelve days later and I turned it over to Mark, who made sure it was deposited with our other investments.

That was pretty much the extent of the excitement until September 12th, which was when Andrew, my youngest, celebrated his thirteenth birthday. I really wanted to have a big party for him and invite all his friends, but he told me he didn't want that. I had a good idea why, but honored his wishes by having a very small party for him, with only family attending.

I figured at least part of his reasoning for not wanting a party was that he still felt his lack of physical maturity indicated he was a baby. I think he felt the idea of a large birthday party with friends invited would only reinforce that concept of himself. Therefore, to keep from aggravating the situation further, I shelved the idea of a large party and only planned a special dinner for the occasion. I invited the extended family to join us, like I do for everyone's birthday, so he wouldn't feel we were treating him differently.

Now that Mark's mother was living in the area, we included her as well, but I didn't have the opportunity to spend much time with her or our other guests. Shortly after everyone arrived, I realized I had a young man who needed my attention more. The problem started when Andrew raced off and hid in his room, to avoid his guests. I went to find him, to see if I could rectify the situation.

"Hey, little man," I said, after I opened the door to his room, "you've got people looking for you. They want to wish you a happy birthday."

"I'm no little man," he snapped back, not even looking at me. "I'm the baby of the family and that doesn't just mean the youngest."

"Hey, I thought we settled this before," I objected. "You know that's not true and you're the only one who thinks that way." I moved closer, to give him a hug, but he pulled away.

"You don't have to hug the baby to make him feel better," he told me. His biting tone put a stinging edge on his comment.

"Andrew, you know I hug all my boys, even Mark," I reminded him. "Do you think any of them are babies?"

"No, but they've got more than a baby size dick and they have hair over it too!" he spat back, defiantly.

"And you think that's what it takes to become a man?" I challenged, and then I just stared at him and awaited his response.

"It's not the only thing, but it's a start," he concurred.

"So you think someone who hasn't reached puberty can't be a man?" I wanted to know. He merely looked at me and tried to figure out if I was setting a trap for him.

"That's right," he agreed, "and I know it's true."

"And how do you know that?" I pressed.

"I just do," he blurted out, as the tears started rolling down his cheeks. After waiting a few more seconds, he continued.

"I'm tired of the other guys in my class staring at me in the locker room and making fun of my tiny dick," he confessed. "It's bad enough that I'm different because I'm not cut, like most of them are, but having a baby dick makes it worse."

Hearing this, I felt horrible. I knew how cruel kids could be and it seems they were targeting Andrew because of his lack of physical maturity. I searched my brain for a way to help him.

"Okay, what if I set up an appointment with the doctor, to make sure there's no medical reason for this?" I offered. "Would that make you feel better?"

"It might," he relented, "but I won't feel better until I get some hair down there and my dick starts to get bigger." This time he let me give him a hug when I tried.

"Well, that's the best I can do for now," I explained. "Tomorrow, I'll call and make an appointment for you, but in the meantime I want you to come down and try to have some fun. Okay?" He nodded, although barely, so I put my arm around his shoulder and walked him downstairs.

Sammy immediately sensed there was a problem and came to ask me what was wrong. I quickly explained what had just transpired and Sammy became upset that his brother's birthday was starting out so poorly. I tried to reassure him that I thought Andrew would snap out of it shortly, so we went in to eat.

The meal went well, although Andrew was still brooding about being an immature teen. He was chatting with the others, even though his conversations were not as enthusiastically conducted, as I would have hoped. No one else seemed to pick up on his mood, other than his brother and I, so no one treated him any differently. After we ate, we waited a little while before we had the cake and ice cream and then we gave Andrew his presents.

Prior to the party, I had discretely suggested that everyone should choose their gifts for Andrew carefully this year and was pleased with the results. The extended family bought him designer label clothes and items that were really big with older teens, a fact that was not missed by Andrew. He even went and tried some of them on and modeled them for us, and he looked really good in them too. The Shay's also bought him a small diamond stud earring, with my prior approval of course, which had special significance to Andrew. This was because I had been telling him I wanted to wait until he was a little older before he got any piercings, so this was another sign to him that we considered he was growing up.

Although the boys gave him some CD's during the extended family portion of the party, they had some other gifts for him to open after everyone else left. His brothers had chipped in and purchased three DVD's – one gay, one bi and one straight sex, because no one knew for sure yet what his preference was going to be. They also bought him a couple of starter dildos in progressive sizes, and a box of flavored condoms. Andrew was thrilled when he saw those items, because it confirmed his brothers didn't think of him as a little boy any more either.

When it came time to give him my gift, I had to take him outside, where he found a dirt bike, with a big red bow on it, leaning up against a tree. I had Mark go out and move it there while Andrew was modeling his clothes, so it would be in place for the big moment. Now, you might be wondering why I chose this particular gift for him, and there is a very simple explanation. Andrew had been teasing for a dirt bike for some time now, and once again I told him I'd let him know when I thought he was ready to handle that responsibility. I decided this was the ideal time to give my youngest his wings, or in this case his wheels.

When he saw it, he started racing around the dirt bike, like it was a maypole, and then he jumped on it and asked if he could start it up. I told him he could, instructed him on what he would be required to do and then guided him through a little test spin on the lawn. Once I was confident he could handle it on his own, I let him take it out in the field for a quick spin around our property. The glow that radiated from him, and the smile chiseled on his face, let me know the meaning of this gift was not lost on him.

After prying him from the seat, we went back inside until the others left, and then I let him go back out for another ride. Other than his slow physical development, I think we put an end to Andrew's fears that we still considered him a little boy.

A few days later, I took him to see the doctor, who asked Andrew all kinds of questions about himself and what he knew about his biological family. Once the doctor finished making his notes and giving Andrew a very thorough examination, he ordered a series of blood tests, which would check for thyroid, pituitary, chromosomal, and other problems. The doctor also ordered a 'bone age' x-ray, to see if his bones were developing normally.

We had to go to the hospital a couple of days later to have these tests done, and then we waited a few more days for the results to come back. I knew this was going to be a tough wait for my little man, until we learned if there were any medical reasons for his delayed start. Even though we might have healed some of his psychological wounds at the party, he wasn't over this yet. Hopefully, his physical concerns would be history, once we knew the results of these tests.

In the interim, we went out to help the Beckers harvest some of their crops and do other chores around the farm. The harvest would eventually take most of the month to complete, seeing we only worked on the weekends, but the boys were actually reveling in seeing some of the fruits of their labor (please excuse the pun). In fact, many of the meals we ate at the farm during our time there consisted of items gathered from the Beckers' garden. The boys thought it was neat that they had actually helped to grow what was now helping to fill their bottomless pits. Besides, it always seems more satisfying when the food you eat is the result of your own effort.

We did a great deal of work while we were there and came home Sunday evening tired out from the effort. We had put in a weekend's worth of hard labor, which drained us, but it was a good type of exhaustion. We all felt proud about what we were doing. The fact that we were helping the Beckers cope with the situations they were currently dealing with made it even more rewarding. It may not have eliminated the Beckers' problems, but I did feel it would help to make it easier for them to get through the days, weeks and months ahead.

While we were at the farm, the boys also brought their books and homework with them. They did their assignments after dark, when the work on the farm was done for the day, and were basically pretty good about keeping up with everything. Even though they sometimes found it hard to concentrate that late at night, due to their physical exhaustion, they didn't let it get them down. I tried very hard to be understanding about it too, but there were a couple of times when I had to get after one or more of the boys and make him do what was expected.

Chapter 17
Rocky Roads

In the interim, I took the family out to help the Beckers harvest some of their crops and do other chores around the farm. The harvest would eventually take most of the month to complete, seeing we only worked on the weekends, but the boys were actually reveling in seeing some of the fruits of their labor (please excuse the pun). In fact, many of the meals we ate at the farm during our time there consisted of items gathered from the Beckers' garden. The boys thought it was neat that they had actually helped to grow what was now helping to fill their bottomless pits. Besides, it always seems more satisfying when the food you eat is the result of your own effort.

We did a great deal of work while we were there and came home Sunday evening tired out from the effort. We had put in a weekend's worth of hard labor, which drained us, but it was a good type of exhaustion. We all felt proud about what we were doing. The fact that we were helping the Beckers cope with the situations they were currently dealing with made it even more rewarding. It may not have eliminated the Beckers' problems, but I did feel it would help to make it easier for them to get through the days, weeks and months ahead.

While we were at the farm, the boys also brought their books and homework with them. They did their assignments after dark, when the work on the farm was done for the day, and were basically pretty good about keeping up with everything. Even though they sometimes found it hard to concentrate that late at night, due to their physical exhaustion, they didn't let it get them down. I tried very hard to be understanding about it too, but there were a couple of times when I had to get after one or more of the boys and make him do what was expected.

A couple of days after we returned home from our weekend at the farm, Andrew and I got a call advising us we were to come to the doctor's office the next afternoon. The doctor wanted to discuss the results of Andrew's tests with us at that time. Andrew seemed more than a little nervous about what we might find out, but I also think he was hopeful that maybe something could be done to help him. I tried not to let him get too optimistic, since I didn't want him to sink into another depression if things weren't as positive as he wished. Therefore, it was with more than a little apprehension that I took him to see what the doctor had learned.

Even though Andrew was now convinced the family didn't consider him immature, he was still encountering the looks and teasing at school. This seemed to have undone much of the progress we made at his birthday party, so I was hoping for some positive feedback from the doctor, for my son's sake. Shortly after our arrival, we were led back to an examination room, where we waited for the doctor. He came in, greeted us and then looked at Andrew's chart.

"Well, there doesn't appear to be anything physically wrong with you," he began. "All your tests came back normal, but it appears as if you will have to wait a little longer before you begin puberty."

Andrew looked crushed by this pronouncement. "Isn't there something you can do to help me?" he pleaded.

"Not at this time," the doctor responded, "but if you haven't shown signs of beginning puberty by the time you are fifteen, then I might try giving you hormone shots to stimulate the process."

"But that's two years away!" Andrew whined, since he wanted more immediate relief. "Why can't you do that now?"

"It's because I'd prefer your body start the process naturally," he explained. "My profession doesn't normally consider a boy as having delayed puberty until he's at least fifteen or older. Besides, giving you hormones prematurely can contribute to other problems, which would be far worse than having to wait a year or two to catch up physically with your friends." Andrew looked crestfallen, since he'd hoped today he would receive the answer to his prayers.

"What kinds of problems are we talking about doctor," I asked, to clarify the situation for Andrew.

"Let's just say that even though Andrew is now thirteen, his bones are much younger in development. There is nothing wrong with that, but until his skeletal frame has reached the correct growth age for puberty to begin, we won't artificially stimulate the process."

I wasn't sure if that answered my question, or Andrew's, but I also didn't know what else I could do. "Isn't there anything we can do to help him?" I asked, in desperation.

"There is," the doctor replied. "I think it might help for you to have him see a counselor, to discuss his reaction to the situation and talk about how he's feeling. I think his problems are more emotional and social concerning this issue, rather than physical."

Even though we had tried to do some of that on our own, I considered what the doctor said and realized it might not be such a bad idea. I would discuss this possibility with Andrew later, to get his take on it, and maybe we could set something up for him in the near future, if he agreed to it.

The ride home was long and quiet. No matter how agonizing this journey was, it wasn't as bad as the situation would get before Andrew began to show signs of physical maturity. I guess I never really considered how badly a late bloomer could be scarred, both emotionally and psychologically, by developing slower than his peers, but now I was seeing those effects. I concluded something would need to be done to make others aware of this problem, so no one else would have to endure the pain that Andrew was feeling now, but hadn't yet determined how to proceed.

As the days slipped by, we continued to help the Beckers with the harvest and to prepare for the winter ahead, but things weren't going as well as we hoped for them. Mrs. Becker was slipping further inside herself, as the Alzheimer's progressed, and it was getting to the point where she hardly ever recognized us any more. Painfully, that even included her husband and son at times too.

It was very hard on both of them when she asked who they were and what they were doing there, especially for Richard, since he was now forced to cope with losing another parent. I felt bad for him, but I also felt sorry for Mr. Becker, who was not only losing his wife, but was also having to deal with all of the extra work which was now thrust upon him. Keeping an eye on her was becoming more and more difficult with each passing day, and that, combined with doing her share of the chores, was taxing his physical endurance.

In addition to these increasing problems, he also feared for his wife's safety. She would do things that were extremely dangerous, so he now began to consider putting her in a nursing home, where she would get 24-hour care and supervision. He knew it was impossible for him to watch her every second of the day and feared she'd do something that would not only harm herself, but Richard and him as well. Although he realized he needed to do something about this situation, it wasn't an easy choice. He knew if he went this route, he would also be acknowledging his wife would never get any better and that would be a bitter pill for him to swallow.

I think some of the determining factors were recent 'events' in the kitchen – one where she turned the propane on for the stove, but forgot to light it at the time, and another where she started dinner and then forgot and went to bed. Everything burned and nearly set the house on fire. It was now to the point where Mr. Becker would have to choose the lesser of two evils – either keeping her home and risking a major accident or facing the fact that his wife was no longer there and commit her to long-term care. I didn't envy him that decision.

Besides helping the Beckers, I also had a more pressing issue to deal with. The four boys accused of assault would be going to trial soon and I had been working closely with our attorney, helping prepare the boys' defense. I had been phoning those boys regularly, to keep them informed and get needed information. The last time I called was to let them know either Jake or I would pick them up the following weekend, because jury selection was scheduled to begin next Monday.

I also called Brandon's parents and gave them that information too. They said they'd schedule a flight to get here on the weekend and reserve a room for the week. I told them not to worry about the room, because the Spences had already told me they could stay with them while they were here. The O'Haras thanked me and told me to thank the Spences for them too, even though they'd see us all soon. Now, I just had to call the Spences and inform them when the O'Hara's would be arriving.

We were all nervous about the trial starting, but we were also hopeful it would mean we would soon be able to put this behind us and things could go back to normal. The boys were concerned about some information our lawyer had shared with us, that if convicted, they would be facing several years in prison for the assault. Up until then they had thought four years of college was a long time, but that would be nothing, compared to spending years locked up in a cell with some of the most violent elements of society.

This was not something they wanted to consider. Unfortunately, they had to admit it was a possibility they might be forced to deal with later. Even with my reassurances that we'd do everything in our power to prevent it from happening, they still weren't convinced they could trust the system would work. We knew this same system had failed them when they were indicted and it had also failed others in the past. However, no matter how flawed the system seemed, we had no other option.

The entire household was totally consumed by the upcoming trial and those who weren't directly involved were trying to do whatever they could to help their brothers out. They were also trying to convince me to let them attend the entire trial and not merely just show up on selected days. I was standing firm on this issue, since I was afraid the trial would go on for a long time and cause them to miss weeks of school. I felt one or two days a week would be sufficient time for them to be there and show their support, and I'd even made a schedule to rotate which of them would go.

The boys were nearly as adamant about being there the entire time and pleaded with me to give in. They also promised they'd keep up with their school work and make up anything they missed during that time, so I told them I'd keep that in mind and think about it some more.

That weekend Jake and I went to transport the boys home, with each of us picking up two of the accused. We collected whatever belongings they thought they would need for an extended stay, seeing the lawyer suggested the trial could last two or three weeks. They had to plan ahead and bring everything they would need now, since I didn't want to be wasting time making additional trips back and forth.

I also arranged for them to be able to pick up and submit their class assignments online, as I felt this might help to distract them from dwelling on the worse case scenario. If I made them do their class work, it would indicate I was convinced they'd be vindicated and return to college after the trial. Maybe, if they believed that, then they'd begin to believe the rest of it too and not fret over the possibility of incarceration.

The O'Hara's dropped by Saturday evening, after driving in from the airport. They spent some time alone with Brandon and I made sure everyone else stayed away, even Danny. He was upset about having to do that, but I told him they needed some time alone, like he sometimes did with Brandon, and this made him see things differently. I told him they'd ask him to join them when they were ready, but he'd have to wait patiently until then. It was an hour or so later when Brandon finally came out to get him and I could see the relief on his face when the two of them went in to join Brandon's parents. The O'Hara's must have handled things appropriately, because Danny was back to normal after that, and this allowed me to turn my attention to what lay ahead.

Monday morning we showed up at court a half hour before we needed to and spent some of that time talking to our lawyer. We introduced him to the O'Haras, and then he advised us about what we should expect during the selection process. Once we understood, Mr. Gouldin went in to prepare, and we waited to be called in.

I had agreed to allow all the boys to attend today, because I wanted to show total family unity during our initial appearance. I had talked with their teachers first, to let them know what was going on and to get the boys' assignments. Over time, they eventually persuaded me to allow the boys to be there every day. The various faculty members promised to make sure each boy kept up with his assignments and agreed to notify me immediately if any of them fell behind. Having these reassurances, I finally gave in.

The boys were thrilled I had changed my mind and agreed to the stipulation they keep up with their schoolwork. They thanked their teachers too, for helping to convince me. They were all very antsy and nervous about what might happen, but fully committed to stand behind our falsely accused kin.

When the time came, the accused and our lawyer took their seats at the defense table and the rest of us piled into the seats behind them. We waited patiently for the judge to enter, and when he did, we were all asked to rise. When we were once again seated, the prosecutor announced his first surprise.

"Your honor, I move for a change of venue. I feel Mr. Currie and his family are too well known and have too much influence in this community for this case to be judged solely upon its merits."

I did not recognize this prosecutor. I'd been told all the lawyers in the local D.A.'s office had recused themselves due to prior involvement with either my family or Judge Shay. Steve was not only my best friend, but he was also godfather to some of the boys and Vinnie's adoptive father. Although Vinnie wasn't accused, he was part of our family and the connection was obvious. Therefore, this prosecutor had been brought in from a nearby community to try this case.

I had heard beforehand that he had been assigned, but I'd never met him. I also heard he was very ambitious, very aggressive and would miss no opportunity to make a name for himself or keep his conviction rate in tact. While I had been contemplating this, the judge had been staring at the acting D.A. and sizing him up, before he responded.

"So you think Mr. Currie and his sons have some power to sway the jury pool?" he inquired. "Or do you believe he has other means of influencing their decision?"

"Your honor, I believe his position as Superintendent of Schools will intimidate jurors who have children in his charge," he suggested.

"So you believe Mr. Currie will seek retribution, if the case goes against his sons?" the judge countered.

"It's possible, your honor," he conceded. He looked smug, but seemed to be trying to keep from grinning or appearing too cocky just yet.

"Well, I don't agree with your analysis of the situation," the judge announced. "Besides, Mr. Currie is not on trial, his sons are. I am also confident there will be enough potential jurors who either do not have children attending school at present or those who will be able to overcome such concerns and render a fair and impartial verdict. Motion denied." The D.A. went to object to the ruling, but the judge silenced him before he could. "Let's move on, shall we?" he announced.

Crestfallen, the lawyer tried to pull his next rabbit out of his hat. "In that case, your Honor, I move that you recuse yourself from this case."

"On what grounds?" the judge asked, somewhat perturbed.

"Based on your previous association with Mr. Currie, your honor," the prosecutor announced, more timidly this time.

"First of all, I have no association with Mr. Currie, other than knowing who he is and having spoken to him when my children attended the middle school. At the time, he was the principal there. However, that was many years ago, and although I respect him professionally, I would only consider him an acquaintance, not a friend. I have also not worked with him in any professional capacity nor represented him in any way. Once again, I must reiterate he is not the one on trial, his sons are. Therefore, motion denied."

"I want my objection to both issues noted for the record," the D.A. protested. It began to appear as if he was trying to establish grounds for an appeal, should he lose.

"Granted," the judge replied, "but unless you have anything new to address this court with, let's get on with the jury selection and voir dire."

The D.A. said nothing more, so the clerk called out the numbers of six prospective jurors and they were brought into the courtroom, placed in to the jury box and took seats. Nervously, they waited to be questioned, to see if the attorneys thought they were acceptable.

The judge looked at the jury candidates and began to address them. "The process we are going to go through now is called voir dire, which is an Anglo-French term meaning 'to speak the truth.' First, I will ask you some general questions, to determine your general acceptability as potential jurors, and then each attorney may or may not ask you more specific questions, to see if they wish to challenge your placement on the jury. Do any of you have questions before we begin?" There were none, so the judge continued.

"I will ask my questions aloud, but if you wish to answer in private, just raise your hand. I will then call you forward, so you may tell me in a way the others won't hear your response. To begin with, have any of you been convicted of a crime before?" No one responded, so he continued.

The judge followed up with other questions, such as: "Are any of you under indictment for a crime at present? Is anyone in your immediate family under indictment or been convicted of a crime within the past ten years? Have you, or anyone close to you, been the victim of stalking or an assault? Do any of you have any physical dysfunction or disease that you think would prevent you from serving on a jury? I will read over a list of individuals and organizations that will be connected with this case, and if you have any ties with those individuals or organizations, please raise your hand and I shall question you further about your association."

After those questions had been gone over, the judge excused potential jurors two and five, and then the prosecutor got to question those remaining.

"Juror number one, do you think you would be able to decide this case by the letter of the law and not be swayed by personal feelings about any of the persons involved in this case?"

"I do," she responded, and then the same question was asked of jurors, three, four and six.

"Juror number four, do you have any personal biases in support of homosexuals, which might prevent you from rendering a decision based on the law?"

This question shocked us, but gave an indication that things were going to get nasty and the boys' sexual orientation would become an issue in this case. I think the O'Haras reacted more than the rest of us, but they were cool about it, once they'd had a chance to consider it was going to come out eventually.

Juror number four responded he did not have any such biases and merely felt everyone should be treated fairly. The prosecutor moved on and repeated the question to the other candidates.

Once they answered, the D.A. posed such other questions as: "Do you think professionals or their families are above committing violent crimes? Just because a person or his family is not as respected as another, do you think it immediately means they are lying or not being totally honest? Do you think there is any justification for beating a person until he is permanently disabled?"

Once the D.A.'s questioning was complete, he challenged potential juror number four 'for cause,' and that person was dismissed.

Now, our attorney stepped forward. I had seen him hastily adding a few additional questions to his list, due to the prosecutor's obvious focus, but now he was ready to begin.

"Juror number six, do you have any prejudices against gays that would prevent you from finding them innocent of a crime?" The woman answered no, so our lawyer moved on to ask the remaining candidates.

"Juror number three, do you believe that just because a person is accused and arrested for a crime it means he is guilty?" That person also responded in the negative, so our attorney moved on to the others.

He followed up by asking: "Do you think policemen, police departments and those in the legal system are infallible or above making mistakes? Do you believe that just because a victim or a witness can place a defendant near the scene of a crime, that person is automatically involved in the crime? Are you capable of listening to contradicting accounts of the same events, weigh the reliability and accuracy of those accounts and then reach a conclusion based upon the law, as it pertains to the case?"

When he had finished his portion of the voir dire, Mr. Gouldin dismissed juror number six with a peremptory challenge, so only two of the first six jurors made it through the round.

The process was repeated with another six potential jurors and this time only one of them made it through to the end. After that, the process started over again, with another six candidates. It took the rest of the day before the jury was totally seated, and the judge even allowed the court to run late, so the process could be completed before we adjourned for the day. It became obvious the judge wanted to start the trial the following day and didn't wish to start the voir dire process over again in the morning.

Once the court session ended for the day, the lawyers went back to their offices to prepare their opening remarks. The boys, Jake and I went home, but once we got there, the proverbial shit hit the fan.

"They're going to turn this into the gay and bi boys against the straight boys, aren't they?" Danny screamed, almost as soon as we were inside.

"Yes, it appears to be at least part of the strategy the D.A. has in mind," I advised him. I didn't want to alarm them, but didn't know how else to answer him. I certainly couldn't reassure him this wasn't going to happen.

"So, the prosecutor is going to try to use the jury's homophobic paranoia to convict us?" Pat asked. "Isn't that discriminatory or illegal in some way?"

"I'm afraid not," I replied, "but I think Mr. Gouldin has done his best to make certain those types of people were not chosen to sit in judgment of you. However, it appears the D.A. has learned about the previous altercation with David Hubbard and is planning to use it to establish motive. I'm positive you all remember that incident occurred because of your sexual orientation."

"Just my sexual orientation," Shannon protested, "but that was a long time ago!"

"I know, but we did go out of our way to make sure he and his friends were suspended," I mentioned. "Then, we set our sites on the Boy Scouts and got some of their funding cut off, based on their discriminatory practices against gays. I'm afraid that stance will help establish the underlying issue was sexual orientation and will weigh heavily in favor of allowing such questions to be brought up."

"Damn," Brandon began, "isn't there something we can do to prove that Hubbard started it and it's his prejudice and intolerance that created the problem in the first place?"

"I'm convinced Mr. Gouldin will do that," I advised them, "so that might go against them. I also noticed he wasn't in the courtroom today and understand the assault damaged the vertebrae in his back, leaving him a paraplegic. If that is true, I'm sure he'll also appear to be a sympathetic victim when this all comes out."

I could see the disappointment and outrage the boys were trying to contain now, but I felt I must give them an honest evaluation of what they were up against.

"Pop," Shannon pleaded, "what are we going to do to keep them from making us look like a bunch of fags who jumped a poor, innocent straight guy?"

His expression told me he was very upset about what was to come; to the point where I was almost afraid he was going to break down and cry or tear the house apart in frustration. Brandon's parents winced when he said this, but didn't say anything. However, they did go over to comfort their son.

At that moment, Jake wrapped his arms around his son too and tried to comfort him through physical contact. However, I surmised Shannon was going to need wisdom and logic to allay his concerns, more than a reassuring touch. With that in mind, I searched my memory to see if I could come up with any tidbit of information that might assuage his fears, but I kept coming up empty. Since I wished to do something to lessen their worries, I offered an alternative.

"Why don't we all think about this and even sleep on it tonight," I suggested. "Maybe we'll think of something we can discuss with Mr. Gouldin in the morning, to keep this from happening/"

No one seemed satisfied with my suggestion, but they agreed to put their energy into trying to find a way to counter the argument. It was either that or let their anxiety and depression consume them completely, over what we all knew was to come.

Dinner was very quiet. No one was very talkative, and believe it or not, they weren't hungry either. There was food left over at the end of the meal and this was something that seldom, if ever, happened in our home. After dinner the boys all disappeared to their rooms, even the ones who weren't involved in the case directly. None of them was in the mood for idle chatter and decided to avoid other forms of entertainment as well. Even the O'Haras had been overtly silent and I'm sure it was because none of us knew what we could say or do to make things better.

After Brandon's parents left to go back to the Spences, Jake and I went to bed, deeply concerned about the boys' mental well-being. We spent many hours discussing matters and trying to think of anything that might tip the scales of justice back in our favor, but without success. We were up until the wee hours of the morning doing this, so we got very little sleep. I was still awake when the alarm went off, since I was still thinking about what the new day might bring.

Chapter 18
The Trial Begins

In the morning, everyone dragged down to breakfast very tense and apprehensive about what surprises the day might hold. I tried to get them to eat a decent meal before they left, but most couldn't eat very much. The four accused boys just picked at the plates I sat in front of them, which only pointed out how badly this was affecting them. As much as it bothered me to see them like this, I could only pray this would soon be behind us and they would be able to go on with their lives.

Brandon's parents were there too and they both looked tense and extremely worried. Even though Jake and I tried hard to keep our concerns from showing, the O'Haras were both more transparent with their feelings. I hoped the boys wouldn't notice how they were reacting, because I didn't want them to be any more anxious than they already were, but I wasn't about to say anything to the O'Haras. I didn't want to stress them out any more either and, fortunately, that didn't happen. Before long, we were heading off to the courthouse.

Mr. Gouldin met us outside the courtroom and informed us the opening remarks would be given first. Then the prosecution would start calling its witnesses. He explained we should be prepared to hear a great deal of information about the past relationship between the boys and David Hubbard and warned us that much of it would be slanted to make him look better. We told him we understood and promised to keep our cool.

Once he'd briefed us, we went in and took our seats. The accused boys at the defense table with Mr. Gouldin and the rest of us sat in the gallery, behind them. A wooden railing was all that separated us, but we were still close enough to show our support.

There were others in the courtroom as well, including Mr. Hubbard, David's father, a reporter from the local newspaper and a few other curious townsfolk. Most were there to either support my boys or the victim, so the reporter appeared to be the only unbiased person there, or so we hoped.

It wasn't long before the bailiff requested everyone in the courtroom to rise, as the judge entered. Once the judge told us to be seated, he informed the prosecutor he could begin. The D.A. stepped forward and began his address to the jury.

"This is a simple case and the facts will point out the hostility between the defendants and David Hubbard. Although we don't have direct or irrefutable proof of the defendants' involvement in the assault on Mr. Hubbard, which inflicted extensive damage to his person, we shall prove these boys had motive, means and opportunity to commit the crime. Not only that, but they were also seen in the vicinity where the attack occurred, shortly before it happened. You will also hear stories about how their sexual preferences and perversions…"

"Objection, your honor," Mr. Gouldin interrupted. "The use of that term is not only inflammatory, but inaccurate."

"Objection sustained," the judge ruled. "Mr. Osgood, please be careful about the phrases you use when referring to such matters." The District attorney nodded, regained his composure and began again.

"You will hear how the defendants' sexual preferences and attractions ignited an initial encounter between these young men. I will also show how this escalated, fueled by the defendants' father's support and influence with certain elements within the community."

The boys immediately turned and looked at me, showing they were stunned that I was being dragged into this as well. Personally unfazed by the accusation, I merely motioned them to turn back around, as the D.A. continued.

"We will also show how these same young men targeted David Hubbard and his family for payback, over something they had initiated in the first place. Although the facts I present will be sufficient to convict, I hope you do not allow your decision to be tainted by the position and reputation their father carries in this community. Once you have been shown the evidence, I see no way you can avoid returning a verdict of guilty, unless you choose to ignore the law."

Other than claiming I influenced what happened, I saw no surprises in his opening. It was pretty much what I expected, especially after witnessing the way he had questioned the potential jurors yesterday. Now, I waited to see how Mr. Gouldin would try to counter his remarks. With the grace and sophistication of a southern gentleman, our lawyer made his way to the front of the jury box and began his own opening comments.

"What we have here is a case built on circumstantial evidence and outrageous and egregious suppositions. The problem is, those suppositions and the prosecutions own bias has caused the evidence to be misconstrued and misapplied in this case." Mr. Gouldin glanced over at the prosecution table after saying this, to gauge how his accusation had been received. The D.A. looked annoyed by his statement, but I refocused on our attorney, to see what he had to say next.

"The four defendants are fine young men, who are greatly respected in the community, and other than a previous run in with the complainant, have no history of antisocial or criminal behavior. The prosecution will attempt to use their sexual orientation, or suspected sexual orientation, to paint them as bad people, but they are not. Please don't let anything said in that regard sway you from judging this case solely on its merits.

"However, on the other side," Mr. Gouldin continued, "we have a young man who has made many enemies over the years. Even though he was the victim of an assault, which has now left him permanently disabled, he is not a sympathetic victim. Instead, he and his friends are using this opportunity to get even with four young gentlemen who had bested them in the past. I believe if you look at the evidence, as it is presented, you will not be able to conclude, beyond a reasonable doubt, that these four young men," he now swept his arm in the direction of my sons, "played any part in what happened, let alone were responsible for it."

Just as gracefully as he had approached, and while maintaining the same dignity that made him stand out in a crowded room of people, Mr. Gouldin made his way back to the defense table and took his seat. As he did so, the judge looked toward the prosecution table and spoke.

"Mr. Osgood, you may call your first witness," he directed.

The prosecutor nodded and rose to his feet. "The state would like to call David Hubbard to the stand."

At that moment, the courtroom doors swung open and a member of the sheriff's department pushed David up to the witness stand. He was sitting in a wheelchair and looked about as pathetic as a hound dog dressed up for Halloween. If anything would elicit sympathy for his claim, seeing him in this condition certainly might.

I prayed the jury would see through his theatrics and he'd lose this advantage, once he opened his mouth. Up to this point, however, he continued to play it quite well, as his wheelchair was placed beside the witness stand. The judge had previously consented to allow him to stay in it while he gave his testimony, so now the bailiff moved in front of him, to swear him in.

"Do you promise the testimony you are about to give is the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth in the case now before this court?"

"I do," he said, very assuredly, and then glanced at the jury, before glaring at the defense table.

"Please state you full name for the record," Mr. Osgood directed him.

"David Albert Hubbard," he responded, looking remarkably calm.

"David, for the record," the prosecutor continued, "I'd like you to tell the court, in your own words, the events of Thursday, July tenth of this year." David glared at the defense table again, before focusing on the acting D.A. and giving his testimony.

"Well, me and some of my friends went out of town to this place we like to party," he began. "We had a good time and almost everyone had left, but I was still there with one of my friends. When she took off, I realized the keys to my car must have fallen out of my pocket, so I went looking for them. While I was crawling on the ground trying to find them, someone snuck up behind me and beat me with something. The next thing I remembered, I was waking up in the hospital, with all kind of tubes running out of my body."

"And what happened to you, as a result of this attack?" the D.A. asked next.

"The doctors have told me I'll never walk again," he explained, while trying to look as pathetic as he could for the jury. "Whoever attacked me broke a couple of the vertebrae in my back, and that severed the nerve running to my legs."

After saying this, he pointed at his legs and his wheelchair, to emphasize the fact he was now permanently paralyzed from the waist down. After giving the jury time to absorb the impact of spending the rest of his life in a wheelchair, the D.A. continued.

"Did you see who did this to you?" the prosecutor followed.

"No, the cowards hit me from behind," Hubbard replied. "I never heard or saw them coming."

You could see he was visibly upset as he said this, which I think most people would read as indicating he wanted to get even with those who attacked him. Unfortunately, it could also be interpreted that he was disgusted he hadn't been injured in a fair fight, but ambushed from behind.

"Do you know the accused?" the prosecutor asked, while pointing toward the defense table.
"Yes, I do," he responded, spitting the words out like they left a bitter taste in his mouth.

"And how do you know those four individuals?" the D.A. pressed.

"Because of a fight a few years ago," Hubbard offered, with the same disdain.

"Could you elaborate on that?" the prosecutor asked.

"We, a couple of my buddies and me, were in the parking lot of the high school when the one guy, Shannon, made a pass at one of my friends," Hubbard explained. "We just tried to ignore him, but he wouldn't go away. I guess he was horny and wanted some action."

"Objection, your honor," Mr. Gouldin interrupted. "He's testifying as to the defendant's state of mind at the time."

"Sustained," the judge ruled. "The jury will disregard the witness' last statement and, Mr. Hubbard will you please confine your testimony to what actually happened?"

"Yes. I'm sorry," he said, while making an expression resembling one a little boy would make after he'd been caught with his hand in the cookie jar. This probably scored him a few more sympathy points with the jury.

"Would you please continue," Mr. Osgood urged him.

"Well, when he wouldn't go away, we started pushing him, to get him to leave us alone," he testified. "That's when those three, and some of their other brothers, attacked us and we had a big fight. One of them even busted my nose." He paused for effect.

"And what happened after that?" the lawyer pushed.

"My friends and I ended up getting suspended from school, because of them," Hubbard stated. He sounded as if he had been humiliated and harmed by the suspension, but he was never a good or cooperative student before that incident.

"So there is a lot of animosity between you and them?" the D.A. asked.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Hubbard asked, since he didn't understand his lawyer's terminology. A couple of the jurors, and some of the crowd, snickered at his ignorance.

"Let me rephrase that," the D.A. stated, "In other words, is it true you and the four defendants don't get along and actually despise each other?"

"Yes, sir," he announced, with an air of pride. "We can't stand each other." He gave a little smile after adding that comment.

After this, Mr. Osgood questioned Hubbard about other issues, including how funding had been cut off to his father's Boy Scout troop and why. He delved, depth, about how our family had lobbied the United Way unsuccessfully and then did all we could to get people to stop donating to the United Way, in order to get back at the Boy Scouts. Hubbard claimed this was all done, "because the Scouts don't let in fags."

"That's all I have for this witness, your honor." Mr. Osgood stated, after making a face in response to Hubbard's previous comment. He then turned and went back to his seat, slightly upset that his witness had cost him some of the points he had scored with his previous testimony.

"Mr. Gouldin, do you have any questions for this witness?" the judge asked our attorney.

"Yes, your honor, a few," Mr. Gouldin confirmed, as he stood up and made his way in front of the witness.

"First of all, Mr. Hubbard, I would like to express my sincere sympathy for what happened to you and the prolonged effects it will have," he offered. David gave him a slight snarl, to indicate he didn't believe the comment was sincere.

"Thinking back upon that night," our lawyer continued, "you stated you didn't see who attacked you. Is that correct?"

"Yes, I already said that," Hubbard snapped, obviously upset that he'd been asked to confirm his previous statement.

"Do you have any idea about what time this attack occurred?" Mr. Gouldin continued.

"I'm not sure," Hubbard admitted. "I guess I was unconscious for part of the time, but I think everyone started to leave around 9:00, cuz we first got there around noon, so probably between 9:00 and 10:00."

"And you say these times because?" Mr. Gouldin pressed.

"Well, like I said, everyone started to leave around 9:00," he nearly growled, "and I wasn't alone there for any longer than an hour before it happened."

"I see," Mr. Gouldin acknowledged, "and who discovered you after the attack and when did that occur?"

"My dad called one of my friends when I didn't get home on time," Hubbard answered, "and he drove back, to see if I had car trouble. That's when he found me, so he called 911 and got me help."

"So you were unconscious from the time of the attack until when?" Mr. Gouldin wanted to know.

"I guess," Hubbard agreed, "because I don't remember anything until the next morning, when I woke up in the hospital."

"Ah, I see," Mr. Gouldin acknowledged. "Now, you've also stated there were many people there with you before the attack occurred, is that correct?"

"Yes, a bunch of my friends were there too," Hubbard confirmed.

"So one or more of these people could have returned after they left?" Mr. Gouldin asked, which startled Hubbard.

"I guess so," Hubbard mumbled, unsure of whether he should be admitting this or not.

"How many of your friends would you say were there earlier?" Mr. Gouldin continued.

"I don't know. Maybe twenty or thirty," Hubbard answered. His chest seemed to swell with pride after making this statement, as if he was proud to proclaim he had that many friends.

"And it was possible there were also others that had heard about your plans and could have known you would be there too?" our attorney added.

"Yeah, maybe," Hubbard responded. "I don't know."

"So there were many people who either knew or suspected you'd be there and anyone of them could have shown up and carried out the attack upon you. Is that correct?" Mr. Gouldin stated, painting Hubbard into a proverbial corner.

"No, my friends wouldn't do that to me," Hubbard insisted, although he now looked worried.

"Really? But what about those who merely heard about your gathering?" Mr. Gouldin continued, without letting up. "Aren't there others who might have a grudge against you for some reason?"

"Not like them!" Hubbard screamed, to emphasize his accusation, while pointing at my boys.

"Ah, yes. Let's get back to what happened between you and my clients," our lawyer suggested. "You stated earlier that Shannon had come on to one of your friends in the school parking lot. Correct?"

"Yeah, I did," Hubbard repeated.

"And wasn't that the same claim you made at the school board meeting, when this incident was discussed there?" Mr. Gouldin pressed.

"Yeah," Hubbard agreed, but he was beginning to look a little uncomfortable and uncertain now.

"And didn't that prove to be a lie then?" Mr. Gouldin asked.

"No!" Hubbard stated, very loudly and defiantly.

"Excuse me, but I have copies of the board minutes and statements from several people who testified at that meeting," Mr. Gouldin announced, to the prosecutions chagrin.

"Objection, your honor," Mr. Osgood protested. "Hearsay."

"Objection sustained," the judge ruled. Mr. Gouldin contemplated how he wanted to proceed next, to get around this.

"Isn't it true that Miss Sara Parker and Miss Jodi Langley both testified in front of the school board that…"

"Objection, your honor," Mr. Osgood interrupted again. "This is still hearsay."

"Sidebar, your honor," Mr. Gouldin countered.

"Approach," the judge responded, simply.

"Your honor," Mr. Gouldin began, once both he and Mr. Osgood stood before the bench and out of earshot of everyone else. "Each of these people are available and willing to testify, if I'm forced to call them as rebuttal witnesses. However, I believe it would save us all time and not inconvenience them if the court would allow us to impeach Mr. Hubbard's testimony using statements these witnesses made to the school board and have sworn to in these affidavits," he announced, while handing the said documents to the judge.

"Let me look these over," the judge stated, as Mr. Gouldin released the forms to him. The judge scanned them quickly and then commented. "Mr. Gouldin, you are positive these witnesses are available and willing to testify to the same information?"

"Absolutely," he agreed. "I think the affidavits signed in support of their testimony before the school board proves that." The judge thought for a moment and then spoke.

"Both of you step back please." He waited for the attorneys to step away from the bench and then ruled. "Objection overruled," he announced, so our attorney moved into position to ask his next question.

"As I was saying, isn't it true that Miss Sara Parker and Miss Jodi Langley both testified in front of the school board that they overheard you making plans to attack Shannon McCarthy earlier in the day? They even went as far as to state they knew you were planning to offer him a ride home, so you could get him alone and beat him up? Isn't that correct?"

David was turning beet red now. "Well, isn't it?" Mr. Gouldin persisted.

"That's what those two said," Hubbard reluctantly admitted.

"And didn't they also say that you and your friends went directly up to Shannon McCarthy and started pushing him around and calling him names, before he even saw or spoke to you?" our lawyer continued. The veins in Hubbard's neck were beginning to stick out now.

"Yeah, but they were lying," he screamed, hostilely.
"And that you threw the first punch?" Mr. Gouldin pressed, but David didn't respond.

"And that your nose got broken after one of the boys blocked your punch and threw one of his own," our attorney went on. "Isn't that how your nose got broken, when one of the boys tried to defend himself?"

"It wasn't one of the fags who broke my nose," Hubbard spat out, defiantly. "It was one of their straight brothers. No queer could take me in a fight."

Hubbard's father groaned after he heard his son say this and lowered his head. He knew David had just lost most, if not all, of the sympathy points he had earned earlier with the jury.

"Ah, so it's not these boys who hate or are out to get you," our attorney insisted, "but you who hate and despise them, because you suspect some of them are either gay or bi-sexual?" There was no response.

"Maybe you didn't hear or understand my question?" Mr. Gouldin continued. "I will rephrase it then. Isn't it true that you are the only one who carried this grudge forward, because you suspect some of these boys are either gay or bi-sexual?" Again there was no response.

"Your Honor, will you please direct the witness to answer my question," Mr. Gouldin pleaded.

"Young man, will you please answer the defense attorney's question."

"Yeah, I don't like them," he finally admitted.

"And that would be primarily because of their suspected sexual orientation?" Mr. Gouldin persisted.

"Okay, I don't like fags and fudge packers, especially when they come on to me!" Hubbard exclaimed and Mr. Gouldin looked pleased by his response. On the other hand, Hubbard's father winced, upset by his son's seeming inability to hide his bigoted nature.

"Very colorfully put," Mr. Gouldin commented. "However, isn't it true that you've had run-ins with others and these boys and their brothers are not the only ones you've had fights or disputes with?"
"Maybe," Hubbard replied, softly.

"Would that be a 'yes' response?" Mr. Gouldin pushed.

"I guess so," Hubbard stated,

"So there are others out there who have just as big or bigger motives to get even with you for other incidents?"

"I dunno. I guess," he replied.

"Yes, I bet you do and I think that's what you, the police and the acting D.A. did here," Mr. Gouldin suggested, "guessed that my clients did the attacking."

"Objection, your honor," Mr. Osgood said, forcefully, while jumping to his feet.

"Sustained," the judge agreed.

"I have no further questions for this witness, your honor," Mr. Gouldin quickly announced, pleased that he had allowed the jury to see the victim's true nature.

David now began to move his wheelchair by himself, ineptly directing it away from where he sat next to the witness stand. Slowly, he was making his way toward the rear of the courtroom, but hadn't gone very far before his father came forward to assist him. As he pushed his son past the defense table, they both glared at the four boys and then took seats at the rear of the chamber.

"I think this would be a good point to break for lunch," the judge announced. "We'll resume in one hour." He then rapped his gavel and everyone began to get up and leave.

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