:
Mr. Mike the principal at the local high school felt he needed to take things into his own hands to try and get Mike and Mark back together. He takes Mike to see his sister who tells the story of what has happen to their family because of homophobes. Mike sat and listened to Marie explain to him that our baby brothers were hit in the head with a baseball bat as they crossed Patterson Park heading towards our grandparent's house. When the 12 and 14 year old kids were asked by the police why they did it they responded; because they knew that Luke, Matthew and Todd where all gay, and that it was a sin against God. Once Marie had told him everything including how it broke up her marriage, and how badly it had hurt me, he seemed to begin to understand the effect his words could have on others, especially Mark. At one point in the conversation I overheard her ask Mike, "Why are you treating Mark like one of our brothers?"
As Mike started to answer her question, I could hear him break down in tears. My sister is pretty good when it comes to counseling teenagers, and I was laying my money on her getting Mike and Mark back together again. While they where talking I called Marty and invited both he and Mark to dinner as well as to stay over night. Both Marty and Mark agreed to come telling me that they would be there within a couple of hours.
: <Marie's POV>:
When Mr. Mike became principal at New Town High, I (Marie) contacted the county to accept my services as a child psychologist without his knowledge. I did not want people to feel I was getting the job because we were related. Only after a few days on the job it was brought to my attention about the stress between the football members; especially between Mike and Mark. I contacted Marty to see if there was a way to meet with the two of them together to discuss what was causing all this friction. But, unfortunately before I got to speak to them my brother had to step in and suspend Mike for comments that where very homophobic towards Mark. I watched with keen interest as the team played their hearts out every Friday or Saturday to end the season with a 9-1 record and once again be eligible to participate in the state playoffs. The team was able to win the quarter and semi-finals with Mike once more back on the team. New Town ran into a much bigger team though in a hard fought championship game, and fell 14-13 in overtime. It was great to see both Mike and Mark where named to the All-State Team, but there was that visible distance between when ever they were in the same area. I still wanted to get a chance to speak to the boys, and that is in part why Mr. Mike brought Mike to visit me at my home for me to talk with him.
<Personal note: This section about the deaths of these three fine young men is true and happened to our relatives, and therefore due to this recent tragedy we do not feel we can go into anymore detail. What I have stated here is short because on Thanksgiving Day, Mike and I lost our baby brother Todd. He is now with his brothers and no longer suffering, but it has hurt my big brother very deeply, so Craig and I decided the best thing to do was to take him on an extended vacation.
Mike enjoys writing this story and as soon as he feels like he can either dictate or type himself he will be submitting another chapter. Hopefully he will be up to this around Christmas or soon after the New Year.
This story is fictional with the exception of the part about the three wonderful young men that were mentioned in chapters II-4 and II-5.>
TBC
Here is wishing all that read the story a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year ***** HAPPY HOLIDAYS !!!!!!!!!!!!!