Companions All
by: Will B
(Copyright 2007 by the Author)
Advisor: E Walk

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

Chapter 2

May 9, 1973

Pete and Joe were in their bathroom, shaving. Pete was 5’9 and Joe as 6’1. Both were in their 30s but had kept their studly bodies. Joe reached over and patted Pete’s butt.

“You want some of me, buddy,” Pete asked.

“Only all of you, dude,” Joe replied.

Pete turned and kissed Joe on the lips. “Ummm, I can’t wait! Let’s not stay for the coffee hour after choir rehearsal.”

“Good idea,’ Joe said, “we’ll come right home, and I’ll see if I can rustle up something hot for you.”

“Heh heh heh, you lust-loaded lover! But moving on, what does Adele have us scheduled for today?” Pete asked.

“I think she has us interviewing prospective foster parents,” Joe said.

Meanwhile, at Matt and Gary’s house, Matt was kissing the fine hairs on the back of Gary’s legs.

“Don’t move any higher, or we won’t get to work on time this morning,” Gary sighed. “You know Hot Lips Halloran on ‘Mash’ doesn’t have anything on your lips, Matt.”

“Oh, I bet you just say that to all the horny studs,” Matt rejoined.

“OK, I would say it to anyone who measured up to you,” was Gary’s smart-ass reply. This got him a swat on the butt followed by a kiss on his ear.

Matt got up and started to dress, and Gary decided he’s better get a move on too.

“What are we doing for choir rehearsal this evening, hon?” Gary asked.

“I think the hymns and anthem for Sunday, and we’re supposed to try a new piece, Hubert Parry’s ‘I Was Glad When They Said Unto Me,’ Matt told him.

“That’s one gorgeous piece. It’s one of the British coronation anthems, and I heard it in the movie with Laurence Olivier and Marilyn Monroe. You know—‘The Prince and The Showgirl,’ I think it was.

“You may be right, Mr. Music Encyclopedia. Now, how about a kiss, before we go down to meet the new day?”

While Matt and Gary and Pete and Joe were getting ready for work, Al and Steve were likewise engaged.

“Aahhhhh!   Aaaaggghhhh!  Ooooooohhhhh!  That was great Steve. Thank you,” panted Al. “But I guess we better finish dressing and get ready to go out and conquer the world—again.”

“Trouble is that damn world doesn’t stay conquered! It’s back again the next day wanting to be conquered again—and again—and again!” Steve said in a fake whiney voice.

“Listen, love, we’ll come right home after choir rehearsal, and maybe I’ll strip you, and slaver all over your body, and poke my you know what in your you know what,”  Al smirked.

“Ummmm, sounds like fun. We’d better make the most of it, too, because tomorrow we’re going with the others to the cabin, and with Jack and Tom there for Friday night and Saturday night, we’ll have to keep our hands and everything else to ourselves,” moaned Steve.

“How are we driving?” Al asked.

“Matt and Gary are taking Jack and Tom, and Pete and Joe are riding with us. Listen, Al, let’s meet for supper before choir. How about if we go to that restaurant we went to ten years ago when I invited you to come up to my cabin for a week?”

(Readers may want to reread “Looking Ahead” on Tickiestories or Jamies’ Jottings to remind themselves of how Al and Steve found each other.)

At the DSS.

The four friends got to work on time, and met Adele in her office.

“Good morning, boys (since she was older than them she could get away with this). This morning, Pete and Joe, I want you to interview some prospective foster parents, and Matt and Gary, I have a runaway boy I want you to talk to. The poor boy just sits and shivers and doesn’t say much. I can’t get him to talk to me, but maybe you’ll have better luck.”

Pete went into the interview room and met Mr. and Mrs. Heckman, a couple in their mid or late 40s. After the introductions, Pete reviewed the paper work, and then said,  “Well, Mr. and Mrs. Heckman, please tell me why you would like to be foster parents.”

Mrs. Heckman replied first, “Our two children are in college and will be graduating shortly. We would like to take one or two children of elementary school age, so we can show our love for children in a practical way. We, my husband and I, like to see young people growing up, maturing, and becoming responsible adults.”

Mr. Heckman added, “Now that our children are almost gone, I would like to have a younger child to take fishing, or play games with, or take to the ball games.”

Mrs. Heckman added, “We have been blessed with two wonderful children, life has been good to us, and we want to share what we have with other children. Somehow, just writing a check to the Children’s Home, or some other Center, doesn’t seem to be enough.”

Pete asked, “Would you consider a child who had a physical or emotional problem?”

The Heckmans looked at each other and said, almost in unison, “We would certainly think about it carefully, and, if I may so, prayerfully.”

Pete smiled and said, “Based in what you have said in your application, and the conversation we have just had, I am certainly going to recommend that you be licensed as foster parents. I wish we had more applicants with such a positive attitude as yours. We will certainly be in touch.”

Pete and the Heckmans shook hands and the couple left. Pete added a note to their file that said, “Application approved.”

Meanwhile, Joe was interviewing another couple. Like the Heckmans, Mr. and Mrs. Baker were also in their mid or late 40s. Joe reviewed the papers in their files, and then said, “ Tell me, Mr. and Mrs. Baker, why do you want to be foster parents.

Mr. Baker was the first to answer, “There are too many young people growing up without any sense of discipline. We want to train at least one or two children to grow up to be good, reliable citizens, who know what’s right and what’s wrong. Children need discipline and control their lives.”

Joe thought to himself, “Uh. Oh.”  Then he said, Mr. Baker would you be able to take your child or children, if you had any, to ball games, and other recreational activities?”

“Oh, no, sir,” was the quick response. We want the child or children to excel in school, so they can get into a good college, so they will end up with good paying jobs. There will be no times for games or such foolishness in our home.”

“How would you ensure that the child followed your rules?” Joe asked.

“Punishment would be the result of failure to follow the rules. A good strap was good enough for my father to use, and it’s good enough for me?”

Joe thought he had heard enough, but he asked the last question, “Mr. and Mrs. Baker, would you be willing to take a child with a physical or emotional problem?”

“Oh, of course we would see that the young person got over his foolishness,” said Mr. Baker.

“Would there be any extra money for taking a cripple?” Mrs. Baker asked. “Money is always important, don’t you think?”

“Thank you for coming, Mr. and Mrs.  Baker. If we have a child that would benefit from your care, we will be in touch.”

After the Bakers left, Joe wrote on their file “Rejected, Absolutely!”  “I’ll have to tell Adele about this couple. They are almost beyond belief,” Joe said to himself. “Money is always important indeed. How about love and compassion? Huh!”

At this moment, Adele Pritchett was talking to Matt and Gary and another social worker, Alicia Cross.

“We have two runaway children downstairs, a brother and sister. I would like the three of you to talk to them and find out what you can. Ordinarily we would have Alicia talk to the girl, but she refuses to leave her brother. She just sits there, holding his hand and looking terrified. So, for the first part of the interview I think it would be best if the three of you talk to them,” Adele said.

Matt, Gary, and Alicia went into a room that was decorated in cheerful colors, with some toys and books on “occasional” tables. Seated at a conference table were an 11-year-old boy and an 8-year-old girl. They were holding hands and looking scared and defiant at the same time, as if to say, “Nobody is going to separate us!”

The three social workers sat down at the table and Alicia began. “Hello, I’m Alicia Cross and this is Matt Fishbein and Gary Dixon. What are your names?”

The boy answered, “I’m Timmy. This is my sister Tammy. You ain’t gonna do anything to us, are ya? You won’t make us go back, will ya?”

Gary smiled and said, “No Timmy. We aren’t going to punish you, but we need to know some things so we can help you.”

Matt asked, “Timmy, can you tell us why you ran away from home?”

“It’s because . . . (he hesitated as if afraid to say more, but he gathered his strength) . . . because my stepfather tried to do bad things to my sister.”

Tammy began to cry, and Alicia went around the table and pulled her into her arms and just held her.

Now that Timmy had started to talk, it was as if a dam had burst. “He told me that if I told anybody, he would kill my sister. And his brother wanted to do bad things to me--things I didn’t like.”

Gary said, “We will see that you do not have to go back, and we will do our best to see that they are punished. Now, there are several things we have to do. We have to take you to a judge and he will ask you to tell him what you just told us, and he may ask you some other questions, but . . .:”

“A judge!” Tammy exclaimed. “He won’t put us in jail will he?”

“No, Tammy, he won’t do that, but he may make you what’s called a “ward of the court.” That means the court and not your stepfather will decide where you live,” Alice told her.

“Listen, Mr. Gary,” Timmy stated flatly, “if we ever have to go back to my stepfather, I will take. .  my sister . . . and . . . we . . . . will . . . jump . . . off . . . . a bridge!”

He was so calm and matter of fact about this that all three adults knew that he was serious.

“Matt and Gary, why don’t you go up and talk to Adele while I stay here and talk to Timmy and Tammy?” Alicia said.

Matt and Gary went up to Adele’s office where she was just listening to Pete and Joe’s reports of their interviews. The three listened while Matt and Gary told Adele about the two runaway children.

“This is what we are going to do,” Adele said. “I am going to call Judge Jones and ask for an emergency hearing. Matt and Gary, you and Alicia take the children to the hearing. I am going to call the Heckmans and see if Pete and Joe and I can make a quick visit to their house to see if it meets the specifications for a foster home, and if it does, I will tell them about the two runaway children, and see if they would be willing to take them on such short notice.”

That is what happened. Matt, Gary, and Alicia took Timmy and Tammy to Judge Jones. A kindly man in his 60s, he listened to the social workers, and then he asked the children why they had run away from home.

When Timmy started to talk about the “bad things” his stepfather and step-uncle had tried to do to him and his sister, the Judge stopped him. Judge Jones was an astute man, and he could imagine only too well what those bad things probably were.

Alicia stood up. “Your Honor, we ask the Court to declare Timmy Green and Tammy Green wards of the court, and that the Division of Social Services find a suitable foster home for them.”

“Do you think you have such a suitable home?” Judge Jones asked.

“Yes, Your Honor, we think we do,” Alicia replied.

Judge Jones rapped his gavel, smiled and said, “So ordered!” Then he called Timmy and Tammy to the bench. “Timmy I understand you and your sister love each other very much.”

“Yes, Sir, we do.”

“Would you be willing to go with the social workers to a new home?”

“Will we be together?”

“Yes, Timmy, you will.”

“Will we ever have to go back to that house?”

“Do you have any clothes or toys you would like to have?”

Tammy spoke up, “I do want my Lizbeth doll. My mommy gave it to me before she . . . before she went to heaven.”

The judge thought for a minute and then said, “Miss Cross, Mr. Fishbein, and Mr. Dixon, I am going to issue a bench warrant for the arrest of the children’s stepfather and step-uncle, and then I’m going to ask the sheriff to detail a couple of deputies to accompany you to the children’s home. Get what they want and need, and my order will also empower you to take any legal documents that may affect the children’s well-being.”

He went on, “Timmy and Tammy, you will never have to face your stepfather or uncle again. However, if it comes to a trial, we may want you to be video-taped, telling Miss Cross or Mr. Fishbein or Mr. Dixon exactly what these men tried to do to you. The video-tape will be played in court, but you will not have to see these men again.  Do you understand?’

“Yes, Sir. Thank you,” Timmy and Tammy said.

The next two hours were busy. The children were taken to their old home and collected the few belongings they wanted, and the sheriff’s deputies arrested the two men who had been at the house, drinking, and talking about what they would like to do “to those little brats, if ever . . .”

Finally, about 4:00 that afternoon, they met Adele and Pete and Joe at the Heckman’s house.

Mr. and Mrs. Heckman (Dave and Mary to their friends) were talking to Adele and Pete and Joe when the others arrived.

Matt said, “Timmy and Tammy, these are the Heckmans. They are kind of lonely because their children are no longer at home, and they would be very happy if you would stay with them for a while. They won’t be so lonely then.”

“You won’t separate my sister and me, will ya?” said Timmy.

“No, Timmy, we have a bedroom with two single beds in it that you and your sister can share,” Mary Heckman said, and then added, “Tammy, I have something I would like you to see, and maybe you can help me make a decision.”

Mary Heckman took Tammy into a bedroom, where there was the most beautiful doll house the 8-year-old girl had ever seen!

“Tammy, this doll’s house belonged to my daughter, but she has grown up and is too old to play with it. I was thinking I might like to redecorate one of the rooms—say a bedroom. What is your favorite color?”

Tammy replied, “Pink. Pink is my favorite. Uh, Ma’am, is this going to be my bedroom?”

“No, dear. You are going to share a room with your brother, but I was thinking tomorrow I might take you to buy some new clothes, and then we could go to the toy store, and pick out some pink furniture for a bedroom. Would you like that?”

“Oh, yes, ma’am. That would be neat. . . . (Pause) I don’t suppose we could bring the doll’s house into my bedroom. It’s so beautiful.”

“Oh, I don’t know. Tammy. I think we would have to ask Timmy. He might not like a girl’s doll house in his bedroom.”

“Ooohhhh, I see,” Tammy said, looking just a little sad. “But, I can come in here and play with it, can’t I?”

“Of course you can, but now I think we should join the others downstairs.”

In the meantime Dave Heckman had asked Timmy if he would like to see what he had in the basement. Gary and Matt and Pete and Joe were welcome to come too. Adele and Alicia were welcome to come too, but they decided to wait until Tammy and Mary Heckman came back downstairs.

In the basement, Dave opened a door, and Timmy went into a room filled with model trains.  “These were my son’s, but he is away at college, and I think he would be happy to know that someone was running them. Would you like to run them for a while.”

“Oh, gee, Mr. Heckman, could I? I ain’t never had anything like this,” Timmy exclaimed.

Pete, Joe, Matt, and Gary were also looking in awe at the model train layout. They saw not only the rolling stock, but the miniature buildings and scenery also. Ohhh boy! They wouldn’t mind having a chance to operate those trains, either.

Dave Heckman looked at them as if he were reading their minds, and said, :”Maybe another time, if Timmy is willing.”

He put his hand on Timmy’s shoulder. “You know, young man, I was thinking I would take the day off tomorrow, and you and I could go shopping . . . “

Timmy looked disgusted, “Shopping, yuch.”

“ . . . for some new rolling stock, and maybe a new engine. Oh, and may be some new clothes?”

Timmy’s eye lit up and he grinned, “Oh! wow! Sure! Mr. Heckman, that would be neat.”

“What are these rolled up papers, sir,” Matt asked.

Dave unrolled them and Timmy and the men saw several large posters of locomotives of all types.

“I don’t suppose . . .,” Timmy started to say.

“What’s that son?” Mr. Heckman asked.

“I don’t suppose I could have a couple of these posters in my room, to hang on the walls?”

“Well, that would be OK with me, but we had better see what Tammy thinks. After all, she may not like trains—and you didn’t want to be separated from your sister.”

“Oh, yeah. That’s right. Well, maybe she’ll agree.”

The men went back upstairs, with Timmy holding Dave Heckman’s hand,to rejoin the women.

Tammy opened fire first,” Timmy would you mind if I had a doll’s house in my room? it’s so beautiful.”

“No way! Doll’s houses are for girls. I want some train posters in our room, and maybe some model trains on track.”

“Trains are stupid!”  Tammy shot back.

“Aren’t!”

“Are too!”

“Aren’t,” said Timmy, and without thinking he turned to Mr. Heckman, and said, “Dad, she’s being stubborn. Trains aren’t stupid.”

Tammy turned to Mrs. Heckman and appealed to the highest court in the land (well, in that household, anyhow), and said, “Mom, he’s being selfish!”

Suddenly Timmy and Tammy stopped quarreling. “Did we say something wrong?”

Dave and Mary had tears in their eyes. “No,” Dave said, “It was just hearing you call us Mom and Dad. It’s perfectly . . . (Here he turned away to blow his nose).”

“It’s fine,” Mary said.  She knelt down and gathered both children into her arms for a hug. Dave also knelt down and out his arms around the other three.

Adele, Alicia, Matt, Gary, Pete and Joe just looked at each other. If these two young people were squabbling like any brother and sister and were turning to their foster parents for support, they were going to be just fine. Their grins changed to just a hint of tears welling up, but they were tears of joy.

To be continued.

Feedback always welcome:     

Author's note:

Our younger readers, who didn’t grow up in the golden age of model railroads, should know that one never, NEVER, talks about “playing with trains. One runs, or operates, the trains.

Advisor’s comments: 

I am so glad that there are people in this world like the Heckmans.  I never envisioned this story turning into a tear jerking story.  I guess Will B. is getting mellow. Gottcha’  E

Author’s response. If this story brings tears to the eyes, then I have done what I set out to do, which is tell the story of gay people not engaging in gay sex (almost non-stop), or even the gay life (going to gay clubs, associating only with gays), but the story of gay people living in the real world, interacting with all types of people, having moments of joy, and moments of sadness. (OK, end of soapbox).  As for getting mellow, guess what fellow author, older brother, and dear friend, told me that if the Heckmans wouldn’t take Timmy and Tammy, he would. Humph! Mellow indeed. “Gotcha” right back at you, my friend.

Posted: 10/05/07