A Marine Called Jason
(Revised)
by: Peter

(© 2007-2015 by the Author)
 

The author retains all rights. No reproductions are allowed without the author's consent. Comments are appreciated at...

Chapter 86
Skinny-Dipping 

One night when we were lying in bed, Jason announced that we needed to purchase a van.

“What the hell do we need a van for?” I asked.

“To haul the boys around with their friends. Like driving for school outings and field trips.”

“School outings and field trips are during school hours, which is during work hours for us,” I reminded him.

“I can use vacation days,” he said.

“You’re really getting into this school dad thing,” I chided him.

We bought a van.

He got into it with a little too much gusto. First, when he suggested the nature outing for Kyle’s class be held at our place.  Their assignment was to gather leaves and plants and identify them.  He drove into town to pick up a van-load of kids, and as was customary, he took the boys; the girls rode in another larger van.  The outing went well, with the usual horsing around; boys teasing the girls and the girls running and screaming when being chased with captured frogs or lizards.  The van of girls left first.  As the boys were preparing to load up for the return trip to school, one of them asked if you could swim in the creek.

Kyle told him, yes, we swam in it all the time. The boys wanted to go swimming and Jason temporarily lost track of his senses and let them. No one had come prepared with swimsuits, of course, so the boys gleefully stripped down and went in naked.  He did manage to keep them corralled in one place where the water wasn’t too deep and where there was a sandbar where the non-swimmers could go wading.  He sent Kyle to the house for towels. He made his final mistake when he succumbed to the boys’ urging and stripped down himself.

He was met with consternation when he arrived back at school late with his cargo of laughing boys, well into the last class time, and it was worse when it was learned that they had gone swimming.  And even worse when it was realized that they had, of necessity, gone skinny dipping.  It took less than twenty-four hours for all hell to break loose.

There was a meeting called and Jason was “invited” to defend his actions. I made the suggestion that he might be wise to seek legal counsel but he refused. 

“Hell, I didn’t do anything wrong, and showing up with a lawyer would imply that I did.”

I went to the meeting with him, partly because I was concerned, but mostly to see how the school board and the principal handled Jason.  I smiled at the thought of it.

The president of the school board was an all too typical overweight, hair-in-a-bun, nose-in-the-air, spectacles-on-a-chain woman named Jenna Hendricks, who gave the very clear impression that she ran the school board single handedly.  I would not have crossed her without very good reason.  She introduced the subject matter and then invited the principal to speak, followed by two indignant mothers who railed against the indecent exposure of the boys to one another and worst of all, to the adult Jason Seaborne.  One of the women even implied that our household should be investigated with the thought of removing Kyle and Devon.  That pissed me off, and I quickly submitted a written request to the board to be heard.  When Mrs. Hendricks invited Jason to come to the podium and give an accounting of himself, he stood at his chair and began to speak. She interrupted him and told him he would have to speak at the podium where he could be heard.  He stood his ground. I was proud as hell.   I was just as proud to count him as my best friend.

“Can everyone hear me?” No one said they couldn’t so he ignored the woman and went on.  “You all should understand first, that I’m not here to defend myself because I haven’t done anything that needs defending.  I am here to speak my piece since everybody else is.  You all know the circumstances of this so-called incident that’s been blown way out of proportion.  It was a nature outing at our place where the kids gathered leaves and plants for a science project, and I think a few of them caught some frogs and a turtle.  The girls and the boys came in two different vehicles.  I picked up the boys and brought them out to our place. When it was over, the girls left first.  We were loading up when one of the boys asked about the creek, did we ever go swimming in it.  Kyle told him yes.  I realize I should’ve waited and invited them back at a later date for a cookout or something, but the boys got so excited with the idea of going swimming, and I gave in.  I know, it made them late for their next class, but at the time, that just didn’t seem to matter. I don’t know what they missed in that class, but it couldn’t have been all that much, to warrant this ruckus.  And if it was, well, their teachers are taking themselves way too serious.”

As he spoke, I looked around at the people watching him. I saw a lot of different reactions, from intent interest, to approval, to disdain, to envy, to what might be said to be lust.  He had dressed up a little to come to the meeting, in a nice white-and-blue-stripe, short-sleeve sport shirt that fit him well, especially across the chest, and the sleeves hugged his big arms rather tightly. His slacks fit well too, hanging low on his lean hips, and no one could help noticing how his butt stuck out, filling the material in back. You could even see his butt muscles flex when he shifted his weight from one leg to the other.

“Mr. Seaborne, did anyone wear swimsuits?” someone asked from the crowd.

“No, Ma’am, it was a nature outing, nobody was expecting to go swimming.”

“Did you go swimming with the boys?"

"Yes, I thought I should be in there with them.  I kept them corralled in the shallow part but I thought it would be safer if I was in the water with them."

"Did you wear a suit?” a man asked.

Jason looked at that side of the room, searching for the questioner. Then he turned to the table where the school board was seated.  “I would like for the gentleman to stand to ask his questions,” he said, looking squarely at Mrs. Hendricks

“Standing is a courtesy, not a requirement, Mr. Seaborne,” she told him.

Jason looked back at that side of the room.  “Well, if you’re not man enough to stand and face me, you won’t get an answer,” he said. “That’s all I’ve got to say.”

Mrs. Hendricks held my request in her hand then called on me.

“Mr. Courter, I believe you wish to speak.”

I stood up and went up to the podium. I wanted to face these people; I wanted to eyeball the woman who had pissed me off.

“This reminds me of the Salem witch hunts,” I said glancing at the board behind me.  Then I faced the crowd and looked squarely at the two women who had spoken first. “I am infuriated with the implication that anything inappropriate happened on the day in question.  I am more infuriated at the suggestion that my household should be a target for investigation. And I am putting you on notice that if I hear one more such reference, I will have the perpetrator in court till hell freezes over. Let me make it clear that I have the resources and I have the inclination to do that.” I stood silent for a brief moment to let it soak in then went back to my chair.  As I sat down another man stood up.

“I would like a chance to speak, Madam President.”

Mrs. Hendricks looked at the clock then nodded, with a distinct frown.

“My name is Scott Hendricks and my son--and Jenna Hendricks’ grandson--was one of the boys on that nature outing who went skinny dipping.  He had a blast. He was so excited when he came home from school, he couldn’t stop talking about it.  I’ve never seen him so excited over a day in school. I would like to ask how many people in this room have ever been skinny dipping.”  He paused but no hands went up.  He laughed.  "Come on, don't you all sit there and lie to me.  You know damn well you have and I know damn well you have cause I've been skinny dipping with some of you.  Including some of the ladies, I might add. Now are you going to come clean or do I have to start naming names?" 

I didn’t think anybody believed he would actually name names but it broke the ice.  A few hands went up, all men at first, then more hands, till more than half the hands were up, including a few women. 

“All I can say is the rest of you are lying or you don’t know what you’re missing.  Now I wonder how many of you know Jason Seaborne and Brad Courter; if you know that they were both Navy SEALs and both of them were Marine snipers.  That they both served several tours of duty in Vietnam, that the two boys they are raising--their adopted sons--were plucked out of an orphanage over there, that these two men extended their time in Vietnam at least twice, waiting on the paperwork so they could bring the boys back home with them.  Frankly, people, for the first time in my life, I am ashamed of this community. I am ashamed to be here talking about this.  I’m ashamed of those who thought it right and necessary to even have this meeting. I stand with Jason and Brad, and I most certainly stand with Jason.  And for the record, Mrs. Halperin, I would like to know exactly what the boys missed at the beginning of that class.” He remained standing, waiting for answer.  Mrs. Halperin conferred with two of the board members then told him it was spelling.  “My son gets straight A’s in spelling, so he didn’t miss a damn thing.”  Then he sat down.

I was proud of Hendricks too.  He got it all right except that I wasn’t a Navy SEAL. But what did that matter in this situation?

Without further adieu, Mrs. Hendricks said it was late and adjourned the meeting

Jason and I were quickly surrounded by well wishers, mostly men, who were talking and laughing about going skinny dipping when they were boys. Several of them were fathers of the boys who Jason had let swim in our creek.

“What’re you looking at?” I asked Jason, noticing that he kept looking away at the door.

“I just identified the nutless prick who didn’t have the balls to stand and face me,” Jason said. “He just slipped out the door.”

“Aw, that was Franklin Prine,” Scott Hendricks said.  “I don’t think he’s ever been naked in front of another human being in his life. Probably still undresses in the closet.  Hell, he doesn’t even have any kids.  I don’t know what he was doing here in the first place.”

Jason followed him out.

“Uh-Oh,” I said, and several of us followed Jason out.

“Hey, Mr. Prine!” Jason called out to the man.  He turned around, but with a look that he might take off running. “I would like a word with you.”

“I really don’t have the time.”

“Yeah, you do. I just made the time for you,” Jason said as he approached him. The man was at his car and leaned back against it with one hand on the door as if he were prepared to make his escape if that was necessary.

“Whatever it is, I hope we can be civil about it,” the man said.

“I was just wondering why you’re so curious about whether I wear a swim suit to go swimming.”

“I was asking the question, I thought for obvious reasons,” Prine said.

“You should have been more obvious about yourself asking the question,” Jason said. “I like a man to face me when he’s accusing me of something.”

“I wasn’t making an accusation.”

“You were either making an accusation--that I was corrupting a bunch of young boys--or you were way too interested in knowing if I go swimming naked.”

“Please, this conversation is getting out of hand.”

“It got out of hand back in that classroom when you opened your mouth, hiding behind a couple of women,” Jason said.

“I was not hiding. Now I’m leaving.” He started open his car door but Jason pushed it shut.

“You leave when I say so,” Jason said in a quiet tone. “My buddy told those women he would have their asses in court till hell freezes over.  I’m not so much for hiring lawyers to settle my differences.  I tend to take care of things myself, and I’m putting you on notice, buddy, if you ever make another crack like that you will need a doctor, not a lawyer.”

“Are you threatening me?” the man asked with disbelief.

“Yes.” With that he reached around Prine and opened his door for him.  “Don’t forget to fasten your seatbelt.”

None of us said anything when Jason walked back to where a few of us were standing.

“So, you are Jenna Hendricks' son,” he said to Scott Hendricks.

“Yeah I don’t think I’m going to be invited over for Sunday dinner any time soon, but she’ll get over it. But it needed to be said.  This was intended as a lynch mob, and I wasn’t going to stand by and let it happen, especially over something so silly.”

“Well, I appreciate your speaking up,” Jason said.

“You’re welcome. But there is a price,” Scott said.

“What?”

“I get to bring my son and come out and go skinny dipping in your creek.”

“Any time.  Bring Prine with you,” Jason drawled.

I noticed Jason kept glancing around to the parking lot where most of the others had pulled out.  Scott Hendricks had noticed too. He clasped his hand on Jason's shoulder.

"Listen, if you're interested, I could just about guarantee success," he said under his breath, nodding in the direction where Jason had been looking.

"Oh, really," Jason said.

"I'm not the only one who’s seen how she eyes you at school functions."

"I've sorta noticed that too," he said with a smile.  "What's her name?"

"Do you want the formal version?....Mrs. Jackson. Or the friendly version?.....Stella to those who know her."

"Is she still married?"

"Widowed," Scott said.

"Shame, she's so young to be a widow.  How well do you have to know her to call her Stella?"

"I think that depends on the guy.  She’ll tell you when it’s okay."

"Well, I guess I'll start out with Mrs. Jackson and maybe it'll get around to Stella real quick," Jason said.  He looked at me. "Okay if Scott gives you a ride home?"

I laughed, shaking my head and walked off with Scott Hendricks.

To be continued...  

Posted: 04/10/15 rp