What If? Chapter 4
With Randy completely moved into his house, Josh had a new sense of security. He figured it was too early to talk about marriage since they'd known each other only a few months, but with Randy sharing his bed, he felt as if theirs was going to be a long-term relationship. Already, it had outlasted his marriage.
However, while Josh was enjoying a time of hope and tranquility, other forces were intent on wreaking havoc.
"Child endangerment is a serious charge, Mrs. Blackwell," Judge Fenton frowned. "Do you have any proof that your grandchild is being neglected or abused?"
"Well, it's obvious, isn't it? His father is living a life of sin with another man, and the baby's being exposed to homosexuality!"
"Hmm, do you have evidence that something improper is being done in the presence of the child? How old is he, anyway?"
"I'm not sure; he can't be more than a year old, or possibly less, I suppose. What does that have to do with anything?"
"I suspect more than one set of parents has made love while their baby slept in a crib in the same room, and you don't seem to know for a fact that this is what your son is doing."
"This is outrageous! Are you taking his side? There must be laws against such behavior! Leviticus condemns men lying with other men!"
"Our laws aren't based on the Old Testament."
"We are a Christian nation, and the Bible trumps human laws."
"You are welcome to your beliefs, but I cannot issue an order for a child to be removed from his parent on the basis of ancient Jewish writings."
"Very well, side with the devil, if you must. You haven't heard the last of me! Just wait until the next election and you'll be voted out just like those evil judges who made same-sex marriage legal in this state even before the wicked Supreme Court ruling!"
"Good day, Madam! I have other, important, business to attend to." the judge said as he rose to dismiss her.
A few days later, Josh hurried from the kitchen to answer the doorbell in the late afternoon, hoping that the noise hadn't awakened Randy. Danny, who was nearly asleep in his sling, nestled against Josh's bare chest, didn't seem to be disturbed by it.
There was a well-dressed lady on the porch wearing an official-looking nametag and carrying a briefcase.
"Are you selling something?" he asked through the screen which separated them. "I don't normally buy from door to door salespersons."
"No, I'm not selling anything. If you're Joshua Blackwell, then I'm here to check on the welfare of your baby."
"I am he, and this is my son, Danny. Is there some kind of childhood disease going around that he hasn't been inoculated against? His shots are up to date."
"No, I'm Cara Oglethorpe from the Department of Human Services and this is a visit to make sure everything is okay in his environment. May I come in?"
"Of course, I have nothing to hide." Josh responded, leading her into the living room.
"So, Ms. Oglethorpe, I still don't understand why you're here; could you explain in more detail? I have full guardianship since my ex signed him away."
"This is basically a friendly visit, so please call me, Cara. As I said, I work for DHS, and I'll get to the full story in a minute. But first, have we met somewhere before?"
"Ah, Paul Oglethorpe, beginning physics, personable kid, and an excellent student! Could he perhaps be your son? Did we meet at open house last fall?"
"Yes, that's it! I'm impressed with your memory."
"Students like your son are hard to forget. You really do have a gem there."
"After hearing his glowing accounts about your class, I have a good idea of what kind of person you are and probably wouldn't have needed to come here at all, but Judge Fenton felt a visit would be in everyone's best interest."
"How so?"
"Let me give you a bit of background, if you have the time to spare."
"I have the time, but I need to finish putting together the casserole I'm making for dinner, and get it in the oven. Would you be okay with continuing our conversation in the kitchen?"
"Certainly."
"May I offer iced tea or water?" he asked leading the way.
"Iced tea, if it isn't sweetened."
"It isn't," he grinned, as he got it from the fridge. "Randy and I don't like sweet tea either."
"Oh, and who is Randi, a girlfriend, perhaps?"
"No, HE is my housemate. We're two single dads who have a lot in common and we've decided to live together. His mother babysits both of our sons when I'm at school, so it will be a very convenient arrangement, come fall. She can come here, and neither baby will have to be taken anywhere."
"Okay, I see where part of the accusation came from."
"Accusation?"
"Yes, let me tell the story in chronological order. Last week, a woman came to our office in a rather agitated state and demanded that we take custody of your son for his protection. We told her that we don't go around taking children from their parents without a court order, and it would need to be backed up by concrete evidence of neglect or abuse.
She went into a rant, punctuated with lots of biblical references all the way from Sodom and Gomorrah to St. Paul, and seemed completely mystified that she hadn't managed to change our minds. She left in a huff, saying she was going over our heads."
"May I ask who she is?"
"I'm sorry, but the information is privileged under the whistle-blower law."
"That's okay. I'm pretty sure it could only by my estranged mother. I cut all ties with her over a year ago, and I'm not sure how she even knows about Danny."
"Hmm... the lady in question didn't even seem to know the name of her grandchild, if that gives you a clue."
"Does my presumed orientation have any bearing on my fitness to be a father?"
"None whatsoever as far as we're concerned! The state is only concerned about how children are treated. Your son appears to be healthy and happy."
"He'll be happier when I change the diaper he's in the process of filling. If you'll excuse me, I'll take care of it after I put this in the oven. Or, on second thought, why don't you come with me so you can see for yourself that there are no marks on his body."
"Okay; I wasn't going to do a thorough examination, but if he's going to be undressed anyway, it might not hurt to have my word on record that he's in fine condition, in case something should come up in the future."
Josh led the way into the nursery where he quickly and efficiently cleaned Danny up, while allowing sufficient time for Cara to check Danny's entire body. He was careful to hold a tissue over the boy's penis to deflect the stream of pee which erupted when the cool air stimulated it.
Cara laughed, recalling how her boys sometimes did the same thing as babies, when they were being changed.
"I'm sure Paul would be mortified that I'd told it to his teacher."
"Don't worry, I'm as silent as a priest when it comes to secrets."
Their conversation aroused Joey, who was near the end of his nap anyway. Josh put Danny back in his sling, changed Joey's diaper, and placed him in his sling on his other hip.
"I'm absolutely awe-struck by your ability to deal with two babies at once. You should get a father-of-the-year award."
"Not as much as Randy. He's a nurse, so he can multi-task even more efficiently than I can."
They went to sit in the living room while Cara finished bringing Josh up to date. Danny and Joey were fully awake by this time, so he put the boys down to crawl on the floor as he listened.
"After Judge Fenton sent the woman packing, the one whom I cannot confirm or deny as your mother, he requested that I do this visit in order to cover our butts as well as yours. Now, I can refute any attempt to claim Danny's not in a safe and nourishing environment!"
"Thanks so much! It's a relief to know our happy home won't be destroyed by a vindictive religious nut!"
As Cara was placing her notebook in her briefcase, Randy emerged from the bedroom, bare-chested, with his hair fashionably messy, and wearing a pair of camo cargo shorts. He looked good enough to eat, and Josh would have told him so, and possibly demonstrated, had they not had company.
The boys hurried toward him on a dead crawl, saying "pa-pa-pa" and he scooped them up, one in each arm, while Josh made the introductions. If Cara had been impressed before, she was doubly so now.
Evelyn came back July 2nd from her stay in California. Originally she'd planned to be gone for more than a month, but returned earlier for several reasons. For one thing, she missed her grandsons. Then too, Randy's older brother, Warren got into an argument with her over LGBT rights. He had only recently found out that Randy was in a relationship with another man when Randy had emailed him. He was quite upset, ranting at their mother, accusing her of contributing to Randy's "messed-up" thinking by being too permissive with him as a teen. Evelyn had suggested to Warren that his over-the-top response could be an indication of his own sexual insecurity. Their confrontation had been the final straw. She managed to change her flight schedule and leave the following day.
For their Independence Day celebration, the men had Evelyn over for a low-key affair in the afternoon. They grilled in the backyard, and lit a few sparklers around dusk for the little ones to see. The boys were quite taken with them, and had to be watched carefully so they wouldn't try to touch them. Their daddies stopped lighting them after half the package had been used because they were worried about them staring too long at the brightness. The boys fussed for more, but to no avail.
The sparklers were soon forgotten as the night sky became illuminated in several directions with the beautiful fireworks display put on by the city, and several illegal backyard shows around the neighborhood. The boys enjoyed the colors, but shuddered at the explosive sounds.
After the babies had gone to sleep for the night, Evelyn visited with Randy and Josh a bit longer.
"Now that I'm back, why don't you boys plan to have some dates when you have time off together? You might like to take in a movie, go bowling, go to a club, or go canoeing. It would give you more opportunity to have fun without being responsible for the boys."
"Actually, we'd probably enjoy a short trip somewhere if you're going to be around to watch them," Randy said. "We really don't have anyone else we'd trust them with."
"I'm sure you have vacation time built up after all the extra hours you've put in. Think about taking a long weekend, or possibly more. You know I'd love to be with the boys, and I think they'd be fine with me for several days."
"Thanks for the offer, Mom," Josh grinned. "I know Danny loves you a lot, and I know he'd be okay as long as Joey's with him. Those two are becoming inseparable."
The next day, both men were home enjoying a few minutes together in the afternoon when they were interrupted by the doorbell, followed immediately by a loud banging on the front door.
OPEN UP; THIS IS THE POLICE!
Josh looked through the security peephole, and saw a man in uniform with a woman by his side. Though she was wearing huge sunglasses which obscured a lot of her face, she looked vaguely familiar. Something didn't feel right.
"I think you have the wrong house; no one here is wanted by the law," he called through the locked door.
"I have a court order to take custody of a baby belonging to a Joshua Blackwell who lives at this address. If you don't open up, you'll be arrested for interfering with an official act!" the man insisted.
"I'll stall them while you call the police so we can see if this is for real," Josh whispered to Randy.
"Okay, I'll put the boys in my car and head for the station if they manage to get in."
"What's the hold up? If you don't let us in, I'll break the door down!"
Josh thought it unlikely the man would get through the steel door with the deadbolt lock, but he moved well to one side in case the guy tried to shoot the lock, like he'd seen in the movies.
"Hurry up, I have my orders!"
"I have papers too; they prove I have sole custody of my son. You have no right to be doing this!"
"I have a court order, and I intend to serve it. If you have papers, you'll have to show them to the judge to get him back."
"And in the meantime, you'll have possession of my son. No, I'm not handing him over!"
"I'll give you five minutes to come to your senses, and then I'm going to break a window and come in!"
Josh didn't know what to do. He'd never heard of the police breaking into a house unless it was a last resort, like after trying to negotiate with a hostage taker. This had all the earmarks of a kidnapping, but was he jumping to conclusions? How could he defend himself without a weapon? He had taken a karate course several years ago, but certainly wasn't a whiz at it.
Looking around the room, he spied his souvenir baseball bat on the top shelf of the bookcase. He'd won it as a door-prize his sophomore year in college. It was signed my several big-name players and might be worth money someday in pristine condition. He hesitated only a split second. His son's wellbeing was worth a hundred-thousand bats!
The easiest window to gain access to the house was the one looking out onto the front porch, so Josh assumed it would be the one to guard. He stood to one side as he saw the shadow of a person against the curtains.
He waited for the sound of breaking glass, but heard lots of shouting instead. He chanced pulling the curtains back for a quick look, and saw the man in blue being handcuffed by two officers. Then he opened the door.
"Are you Mr. Fischer?" one of them asked.
"No, I'm Josh Blackwell."
"Is your child still safe?"
"Yes, sir! Now that you're here, I think he is for sure."
"This supposed policeman was let go from the department two years ago for incompetence and involvement in questionable activities. He seemed to think he was above the law. We're not sure who his accomplice is, but we should know before long."
The woman's sunglasses had fallen off in a scuffle with an officer, and were now lying crumpled in the grass.
"Um, her name is Myrna Pfeiffer. She's my mother's best friend."
"You'll vouch for her then?"
"Hell no! I suspect she's part of a kidnapping scheme, and I'd bet the farm my mother's behind it!"
A second later, a white Ford Taurus drove quickly by. Martha Blackwell was at the wheel.
Randy opened the garage door when he knew it was safe to do so. The scene in the back seat of his car was comical because two little boys were rocking to and fro in their seats trying to get the vehicle to move. They were used to doing that when their swings stopped. Evidently, they thought they could get the car to move too. The sight of them made Josh laugh, draining away a lot of the anxiety he'd been feeling for the past several minutes.
"We'll take these two downtown and book them. One of us will stay here to take your statements so you won't have to haul your little ones around," Officer Jakes said.
"It's okay, either way," Randy answered. "Now that they're in the car, they're eager to go somewhere anyway."
So, it was decided the men would go to the station as soon as they grabbed diaper bags and emergency bottles.
Faced with the prospect of prison time on charges of attempted kidnapping, Myrna Pfeiffer spilled her guts. She was so overwrought that she didn't wait for a lawyer. What she said implicated Josh's mother as the one who had formed the plan.
As an ex-cop, her co-conspirator, Harley Thompson, knew enough to keep his mouth shut until he had counsel to represent him. The Miranda law was etched in his mind because he'd violated it on several occasions, and had seen convictions overturned because of his rash behavior.
Both were to be kept in jail overnight since they couldn't get a court hearing because the system was clogged up until the next morning.
However, the police did get a warrant issued for Martha's arrest. Some things take priority!
"Hi Mom," Randy said into his mobile phone. "Would it be okay if Josh and I picked up a couple of rotisserie chickens and a few sides from the deli at Target and come eat with you? ... Cool! We have news to share, and I know Josh could use a hug from you."
Josh was so distraught by the treachery of his own mother, that he was in no condition to drive. He was thankful to simply go along for the ride, and have no responsibilities more pressing than entertaining the boys as they picked up the food and headed to Evelyn's place.
Once in her house, he spent a few minutes in her embrace, tears flowing in a steady stream.
Randy quickly filled his mother in on the events, while putting their dinner on the table. Evelyn had already set it with plates and flatware.
As they discussed the foiled kidnapping, Evelyn again offered to watch the little ones while their fathers went somewhere to relax after their harrowing experience.
"Time away could help you forget about today," she ventured.
"I'm not sure I can be separated from Danny anytime soon. After what happened, I'll be sleeping with one eye open."
"They'd both be safe with me. I have an ADT alarm system, and I'd keep my eyes open. If it made you feel better, I could have Ruth Jacobs stay over with me to be an extra pair of eyes to watch for trouble."
"I'll probably be able to relax eventually. Could you please tell me how your alarm system works? I think I'll install one at our house. I suppose it's like latching the barn door after the horse has bolted, but it might relieve my stress. I doubt my mother will make another attempt at taking Danny after being arrested. I wonder if there's a way to publicize her activities to make doubly sure she can't."
"In any case, I'd rest better if you and the boys stayed with me tonight," Evelyn offered. "No one is likely to know you'd be here, and I'd get my money's worth out of the ADT system."
Randy and Josh discussed how to deal with the situation for the time being. They decided Josh should take Evelyn's invitation to stay at her condo overnight while Randy was at work. They would be safe there, and Josh was likely to sleep better than he would have in his own house.
The guys went back to get a few additional supplies for their sons, while the boys stayed with Evelyn. Before long, Randy left for work feeling better that his partner and their little ones were in Evelyn's care.
Sometime in the night, the babies awoke, probably because of something unfamiliar in their environment. Josh got up immediately to talk softly to them. His presence, and the sound of his voice, gave them the security they needed to go back to sleep. After that, he too zonked out for a longer time than usual. Evelyn was up early with her grandsons, so he didn't need to be. The next thing he knew, Randy had slipped into bed beside him and was cuddled against his back. He roused briefly before falling asleep once more.
Author's notes: Thanks to the following for emailing about the last chapter: Dave B, Wayne, Tony C, TSL, Vern, Nick S, Matt R, Bill T, Douglas and Lawrence, Charles G, Jim M, Walt Sz, Steve C, Rich L, Thomas M, John L, Jack W, GCD, Dick W, Bill K, Gordon M, Tom A, Max P, Mendy D, Don Mac, Randy McM, Frank K, JLF, Al B, Jim W, Avid R, Jeremy R, Joe W, and Paul R. Responses continue to be positive.
Please keep the victims of Harvey and Irma in your thoughts and prayers. Don't forget those in the forest fires in the West either. There is so much going on that's not good. The only positive thing is that people are pulling together, instead of fighting over our political differences.
Thanks to my editors, and to Nifty who help make these stories possible.
http://donate.nifty.org/donate.html
Nifty Stories Archive Donation http://donate.nifty.org/donate.html Donation information for the Nifty Stories Archive
Here's a link to a feel-good video that Walt S, who passed away this summer, sent me years ago. I submit it in remembrance of him.
flickspire - Change For A Dollar http://www.flickspire.com/m/Share_This/changeforadollar?lsid=161f9da9b7692b6854ca64548e80ab61
Is he asking for Change, or is he asking for CHANGE? Follow a man as he affects multiple peoples' lives with just one dollar, proving that it doesn't take much to be ...