The following is a work of Gay Fiction. If the subject matter is offensive to you or you are too young, please exit now. This story is the property of the author and may not be reproduced without permission. JETjt@aol.com
EMPIRE
Chapter Thirty-four
Saturday Morning, Tony Tegano and Jake Marley's Youth Ranch, Dallas
"Mornin' guys!" Matt said cheerfully as he stepped into the cabin that had been reserved for the young men from Las Vegas. "Breakfast will be in the owners' cabin in 30 minutes."
"Ohhh, do we have to get up?" Ronnie asked sleepily.
"I'm so tired," Douglas mumbled.
"Come on guys," Carl who was used to getting up early encouraged. "Time to rise and shine. Let's hit the showers."
Matt smiled at Carl who had turned from the insecure youth that Tyler had brought back from Utah into an energetic leader in their household.
"Try not to be late," Matt said as he stepped out the door and headed back toward Tony and Jake's getaway retreat.
Opening the large front door, Matt smelled the unmistakable aroma of brewed coffee as he entered and turned toward the large country kitchen located near the front of the rustic, yet modern cabin. Inside the kitchen a man and a woman who had been introduced to Matt before he left for the kid's cabin were working diligently preparing breakfast.
"The boys up yet?" Ron asked as Matt rejoined the three older men at the kitchen table.
"They are now," Matt assured his mate. "Carl is whipping `em into shape. Have you guys got the plans all figured out yet?"
"Pretty much so," Tony answered. "After breakfast we'll take the boys over to meet Dan Unger. He's our permanent Senior Counselor and he'll be in charge of their activities. I'm sure he'll give them the grand tour, then they can decide what that want to do for the morning. The helicopter will be here at 9:30 to take the four of us to San Marcos to look at the ranch property there. We should be back by 12 or thereabouts. This afternoon, some of the boys who will be here for our celebration will start coming in. It will only be the ones who are not local. The local ones will come tomorrow when all the activities are planned."
"How many are coming?" Matt asked.
"There will be about 50 coming today, and about 250 tomorrow."
"Wow!" I didn't realize that the camp could handle that many," Ron exclaimed.
"It can't really," Jake responded. "It's designed to handle about 150 campers at a time. The other ones are either `alumni' or prospects for next year. We hope to have another two cabins completed by then, where we can handle another 30 or so."
"If we can help with that let us know," Ron offered.
"You can be sure we will," Tony promised. "We'll probably have about 200 more qualified applicants than we can handle."
"Are most of your applicants from the Houston area?" Matt asked.
"More than half," Tony reported. "That's why we're so interested in the other land you are going to show us. If we could get at least one more camp built and get it operational by next summer, we could accept all those who qualify."
"Let's hope that the land is what you want," Ron said. "If one or both sites are good, we can start with the planning immediately. There are only a couple of buildings that are large and that present a construction challenge. The cabins should be fast and easy. Of course we have a lot of other minor structures and activity areas to develop too."
"If we have the basics," Tony replied, "the campers can develop a lot of the trails and minor facilities during their camping experience."
"We could provide two or three skilled construction guys that would be equipped with the tools and knowledge to help in that effort too," Ron suggested.
Both Tony and Jake were delighted with the offer. They had just finished expressing their enthusiasm for the idea when the younger group arrived.
"Morning guys," Ron said, followed by greetings and responses by both the younger guys and older men.
"When do we eat?" Ronnie began, then stammered when he got `the evil eye' from Ron. "er...uh...I hope we're not late."
Tony laughed as he watched Ronnie's embarrassment.
"It's just that he's being all boy," Tony explained acceptingly. "We're used to it here. Boys, I'd like you to meet Bill and Francine. They are our caretaker and cook."
"Hi boys," Francine said turning from her stove. "Go on into the dining room. There are some donuts, rolls and drinks in there on the buffet. Help yourself. We'll be there in a moment with the rest of the breakfast fixin's."
After greeting the pair and thanking them, the boys disappeared into the dining room.
"I hope I didn't overreact. It's just that we're trying to encourage the boys to display good manners," Ron replied.
"I understand," Tony responded. "We try to do that too, on a pretty casual scale, during the camping experience. Many of the boys come from families that have no experience in social graces. We try to get them at least on a level where they won't be ridiculed by their peers and adults on the outside'. For some it's a real challenge, while for others it's no problem at all. It's all part of our success' program.
"How does it work?" Matt asked with interest.
"We have three areas of development: Athletic, Academic, and Personal." Tony explained. "We have professional teachers, professional counselors, coaches, and other specialists that we either hire or bring in on a temporary basis to handle the tutoring or teaching duties. We try to improve the skills that each of the campers are weakest in. That can be a challenge though; because kids enjoy doing things they do best, not the things where they are skills-deficient. We try to make learning fun, and mix up the activities too so that it's not a summer experience that's a burden, but rather one that develops a sense of accomplishment. We assign a youth counselor, typically a college age guy or girl, to each cabin. There are 15 kids to a cabin, but the counselor only spends part of the day with his or her group. Unlike most camps that have huge group activities, our camp has many small group activities. For instance, it's easier to give the kids a feeling of accomplishment if they're participating, say athletically, with kids of similar abilities. We can help them best that way too. By the time you add in all our support staff to our counseling staff, our staffing ratio is about one staffer for each two campers."
"Man, that must be expensive to maintain," Matt observed.
"Sure it is," Jake replied. "But there is nothing that encourages a kid more than personal attention. Many of the kids are from broken or one-parent homes. Some have no parents and are living with Grandparents or other relatives. We try to give them the attention they are often missing at home. Our kids are surrounded here with kids like themselves, kids who want to make something of their lives. That peer support is a very important ingredient to their success."
"Breakfast is served," Francine said as she and Bill stepped through the doorway leading to the dining room carrying large containers filled with scrambled eggs, toast, pancakes, bacon and sausage.
"I guess we'd better help ourselves," Tony said. "Francine and Bill will make sure we don't run out of food."
The four adults followed the two servers into the adjacent room, returning minutes later with plates filled with the tasty breakfast offerings. After seating themselves again, the conversation continued.
"Do you have gay kids?" Ron asked their hosts before he took a bite of toast.
"Yes," Jake answered. "One of our most intense efforts, beginning before the kids even arrive, through our pre-camping literature, is to emphasize that we are more than non-discriminatory, we are anti-discriminatory. We accept kids of all colors, nationalities, creeds, religions, abilities, and sexual persuasions. Each camper learns quickly that a put down' of another camper because he or she is different', is grounds for being sent home.
We're rather intolerant in that regard and insist that our staffers both preach and personally practice that creed. What are your goals at the Thornton Center?"
"I'm afraid our program is a little less intense than yours," Matt answered. "Most of our kids are street kids, kids without a home, or at least without a home where they are accepted. Although we do many of the things you do, our facility is a haven. It's a place where a gay kid is accepted, and nurtured though a difficult period in their lives.
"I wish we had a similar facility in Houston," Tony said.
"I know we haven't gotten down to business yet," Ron responded, "but your offer for us to buy Tegano Constructors and all the property is more than generous. According to your wishes, a good bit of the proceeds will go into the Turner Trusts. I'd like to suggest that we set aside money from our regular charities, and fund a center like the Thornton Center for Houston."
"That would be great!" Tony said looking at his partner Jake with a huge grin. "I know that some people thought I was making a huge mistake with the deal I offered you, but I'm now convinced that they are the ones who are wrong. Everything you've offered to enhance both our community and our personal interests proves to me that you are the man I thought you to be. I'm sure that the rewards of your efforts and our own are going to make a real difference in a lot of lives."
"Thanks, Tony, and you as well Jake." Ron responded. "I know that a good bit of net worth from our transaction will end up technically in Matt's and my personal pockets, yet I can assure you that it won't stay there. We have a responsibility to our interests, both business and Trust-wise, to stay personally affluent to insure that those operations stay viable under any circumstance. We, like you, have more personal money right now than we can ever spend so we don't need it for ourselves. A rumor has begun in business circles in Las Vegas, that we're building an empire. In a sense it's true. Yet in our empire, if you want to call it that, others are the objective. Our empire is used to help the homeless, the disadvantaged, and the different. Like yours, our empire's purpose is to raise the hopes and dreams of those who have little chance otherwise, many of whom have given up hope and stopped dreaming. I can pledge to you, that we are partners in that effort. Our resources are your resources. You're efforts will be supported by us, in deed as well as in name."
"You've shown that already," Ron. "And we appreciate it too."
"Hey, we're finished," Ronnie said as he stuck his head through the doorway.
"Good," Tony said. "I'll be there in just a moment.
"I'll join you," Ron offered.
Tony stood along with Ron and they went into the dining room where empty plates sat in front of the boys, littered with utensils. The buffet sideboard looked like a disaster zone.
"Yikes! What happened in here?" Ron asked.
Carl replied as spokesman. "We were hungry."
"The greatest compliment to a cook is a cleaned plated," Tony observed.
"Then Francine should be delighted," Ron concluded with a laugh. "Boys, Tony is going to take you to meet someone who will show you around and be your host for the morning. Matt and I are going with Jake and Tony to look at some property. We'll be back around lunch."
"Come on then gentlemen," Tony said with a beckoning wave. "I want you to meet Dan Unger."
An hour and a half later, in a helicopter just North of San Marcos.
"I'm very pleased that you signed our agreement," Ron said in a loud voice, talking to Tony and Jake over the roar of the chopper's engines and rotor blades. "Now if this property is as good as it looks on paper, we can get on with your plans to expand your camp charity."
"I love this part of Texas," Tony replied in an equally loud voice. "Weather-wise it's much nicer than either Houston or Dallas. We call it `the hill country'."
"It looks beautiful from the air," Matt commented, looking out the window.
"We're getting close now," the pilot announced over the small P.A. speaker located in the `executive cabin'. "The freeway is below us and the site is only a mile west of it."
Faces of the passengers turned to the windows looking out over the rolling countryside.
"It's directly ahead," the pilot commented. "I'll turn the chopper to the side so you can see it."
The helicopter's tail dipped, then again leveled as forward motion stopped, then swung around giving the passengers a bird's eye view of the property. A concrete road intersected their previous path, which the pilot described as the eastern boundary of the property. A rusting double gate separated the road from the site. A small double-tracked drive led over a small ridge and into a large meadow. On the northern edge of the meadow was a small lake of about 15 acres fed by a stream coming down from the hills behind the meadow. Native pecan and oak trees indigenous to the hill country covered the hills to the west and another smaller lake was nestled into a small valley whose western face was cragged with a rock escarpment.
"It's beautiful," Jake said loudly with a huge smile on his face.
"Perfect! Let's land," Tony suggested.
Tony picked a microphone from a bulkhead hook.
"Circle the property along the property lines," he ordered the pilot, "then land near the stream going into the lake on the north."
The craft dipped forward and began to move northward. After a few moments, it turned westward, following a barbed wire fence line. Ten minutes later it had completed its slow circle and had returned to its place of beginning before veering again to the west and settling down on the grassy terrain near the creek.
The doors of the aircraft opened once the engines had been turned off, however the large rotor blade still circled menacingly above. The four passengers ducked, whether from fear or caution, as they passed outside the whirring tips. Regaining their upright posture, the men looked around at the small lake with its stream, the meadow to the South, and then up toward the wooded hills beyond.
"This is beautiful!" Tony exclaimed. "This meadow is perfect for our buildings and should make construction simpler than having to fell trees like we did in Houston. It may seem a bit barren now, but landscaping with lots of trees will take care of that. It seems obvious to me that this is or was a cattle ranch and some of this meadow was cleared of trees to allow for more pastureland. After we build, we'll plant many new ones, but where we want them. The hills and the small lake back in the woods give plenty of room too for nature hikes and adventures."
"The proximity to the highway is nice as well," Jake added. "The property is far enough away not to be disturbed by vehicle noise, but close enough for easy access. I think we couldn't have picked a better spot. Ron, how big is this piece?"
"It's around 200 acres," Ron replied looking at the data sheet that Jeff had faxed.
"That's almost twice as big as our site near Houston," Jake observed.
"Let's take a hike," Tony suggested.
For the next hour the four men climbed the wooded land above the meadow, finally reaching the small lake up in the hills to the west.
"I love this place," Tony concluded as he looked out over the water at the granite cliffs that defined the western edge of the lake. "Let's take it."
"I agree Babe," Jake seconded his partner.
"I'll let Jeff know to transfer the deed from Tegano Constructors to your trust or whomever you designated. You can give me the information when we get back to Houston. I'll transfer the $5 million we're donating to that location as soon as our purchase of "Tegano" is concluded." Ron replied as he smiled at Matt. "Now we just need to look at the piece of land near Dallas."
"Thanks Ron," Tony said. "I'm anxious to get going on this one. Now though we'd better get back to Houston. By the time we spend an hour hiking back to the chopper and then flying back to Houston, it will be one o'clock."
Ron extracted a cellular phone from his pocket and seeing that there was a signal, dialed a number he'd put in earlier in the day.
"Terry," he said into the mouthpiece, "would you pick us up in the small clearing north of the lake in the hills?"
Ron listened to the response before speaking again into the microphone. "Thanks."
The helicopter will land in that clearing," he said pointing, "in five minutes. We'll just have time to hike over there."
"I'm glad," Matt replied. "Climbing through these woods and through the tall grass in the meadows is tiring."
"When we get back," Tony suggested, "make sure you take a shower and check each other for ticks. The cattle that grazed here make the meadows especially lousy with them. The repellant I gave you will keep most of them off, but they like to climb up your legs and get in your bush."
"Hmm," Ron grinned, "That's one duty I'll enjoy."
"Heh, heh," Matt responded with a wink.
The flight back to the camp north of Houston was uneventful, but satisfying because of their success. After landing and showering, Ron, Matt, Tony and Jake met the boys in the dining room where Bill and Francine had laid out a nice buffet lunch for them all. After loading their plates, the older guys questioned the youths about their morning.
"It was great! Nathan said. "We met the Senior Counselor, Dan Unger, and he showed us around. He's really nice. We got canoes and spent the morning on the lake. This afternoon we're going hiking."
"Try to get back before 4:30," Tony advised. "We're having a barbeque for the 50 or so young people who will be arriving today. We'll eat at 6."
"We'll be back for sure by then, sir," Carl promised before he stuffed a large sandwich into his mouth, taking a huge bite.
7 PM, on the grounds of the camp
Douglas wandered around the grounds after the large barbecue dinner. Most of the early campers who had arrived in the afternoon had stayed in the large multipurpose building that was used as a gym, dining hall, and assembly building even equipped with a stage, participating in the evening's activities there. The building, in addition to support facilities for those uses, also contained a library, a huge game room, a small theater seating 100, and a weight room. A few of the campers not remaining in the building had returned to their cabins, some meeting with friends from the summer before. Ronnie, Nathan and Carl had stayed there to partake of the activities after completing their dinners (or suppers as Tony and Jake referred to the evening meal.). Douglas however was restless and was annoyed by the crowd and the noise, opting instead to take a walk alone on the grounds where he could think.
As he wandered on the borderline of the woods surrounding the camp, he saw a shadowy figure in the dim light. On getting closer he saw in the dim light what appeared to be a youth hunched over, sitting on a log that was parallel to the pathway.
"Hi," Douglas said as he approached. "What are you doing out here?"
"Hi," the boy responded with a broken voice. "Probably the same as you. I wanted to get away from all the other guys."
"My name is Douglas, but you can call me Doug," the youth said extending his hand.
"I'm Dez," came the response along with the accepted handshake.
"You look kinda sad," Douglas observed. "Is there anything I can do to help?"
"There's not anything anybody can do," Dez replied. "I was so looking forward to coming here this summer. Now it's all gone," he said dejectedly.
"How's come?"
"My mom and I live near Dallas. My dad never married my mom and left her before I was born. She's been raising me by herself but hasn't had much schooling so her jobs have been scarce and when she's had one it didn't pay much. She wanted me to come to this camp because she knew it would be my chance to get out of our way of life as it is. I signed up last summer and was invited to come here this weekend. When I checked in they said that I was to call my mother at home. I called her and she was very happy. Her boss had just given her a big raise. She explained that even though she'd be working some long hours the increased pay would allow us to live better."
"That sounds great!" Doug said with enthusiasm. Looking at the youth who was around his age, and seeing a tear roll down his cheek, he asked, "Why are you sad then? What's wrong?"
Dez paused, then sniffed before answering. "She said that it would take quite a while for things to get better for us because she owes a bunch of money that we need to pay back. She said we wouldn't qualify to get food stamps or welfare anymore either, so the extra she made wouldn't go so far. The worst part is that I won't get to come here. I wanted to and when I saw the place I thought my dreams had come true."
"Why can't you come here? I don't understand."
"She said that she'll be making too much money to qualify," Dez replied, barely choking out his reply on constricted vocal chords. He covered his eyes with his hands and then bent over as he sobbed.
Douglas slid over beside his new acquaintance and put his arm around his shoulder.
"I wish I could help," he commiserated. "That's a real bummer."
Dez sat up, turned toward Douglas and blubbered, "Thanks. I think we could have become friends."
"We are friends Dez."
"No, I mean that we could have gone to camp together. At least I would have known someone."
"Uh, I'm not a camper."
"Then what are you doing here?"
"I'm just visiting," Douglas admitted. "My dad knows the guy that runs this place. He invited us. I guess you'll just have to stay with your friends in Dallas. It won't be so bad."
"I don't have any friends."
"How can you not have any friends? I mean, a few months ago I had no friends either. I do now though. You're good looking and a nice guy. You should have lots of friends."
"I don't. I stay away from other guys. When I was littler, I used to play with the kids on the streets, but I don't do that any more. They stay away from me as well, now."
"I guess I don't understand," Doug replied.
"I guess it's better that way. At least you don't hate me."
"Hate you? I couldn't hate you. My dad and his partner would kill me if they thought I hated anyone."
"That's because they don't know about me and it's better that you don't either. At least I could remember you as my only friend."
"Look Dez, you don't have to tell me anything that you don't want to. It doesn't keep me from liking you. If you want to tell me, I'll still be your friend. I mean I'd be real upset with you if you stole stuff or beat up little kids or shit like that, but I'd still give you a chance. My own life has been bad until lately, so I can't talk, and I sure as hell won't judge you."
"I'm afraid," the youth said in tears.
"I was afraid for a long, long time, but I'm not afraid anymore," Doug said taking his new friend in his arms. "I'll protect you. I'm here for you."
"You'll hate me," Dez sobbed.
"Trust me, I won't hate you," reassured Douglas. "Bad shit happens to us sometimes but those things pass. What we're born into we can't always change."
"I know that. It's why people hate me. I'm different."
"I'm different too," Douglas revealed. "If you knew they way I was before, you'd have pulled away from me. I was crippled and almost helpless. That has changed. Some things no one can change though. What I was inside then, is the same as what I am inside now. I'm happier now because I have accepted myself, though you still might not like me. I used to worry about that, but I now have people who love me too, so it doesn't matter anymore."
"If you tell me about you," Dez offered, "I'll tell you about me."
"That's sounds fair," Douglas agreed. "Okay, I'll tell you. Hmmm. Let's see," he began slowly as he thought of the words to say. "I was born a cripple. My body was twisted and deformed. Worse than that, I had no family and was raised in an orphanage. No one liked me and I was alone. When I was about 12 I realized that I was different in another way too. I knew what it was called, and I was afraid to let anyone know. Then I found a friend who loved me. We got separated though, and I lost him forever. I knew then that I liked boys, I am gay."
"You too?" Dez gasped before he realized what he'd said.
"Yeah, me too. I had a bad early life. I ran away and got taken in by my two dads. I'm fine now though. My dad and his partner taught me what it is to be loved."
"I don't understand? Your dad?"
"He's not really my dad. I just think of him that way. I really have three dads: my natural dad, who was just a sperm donor, and my new dads, Ron and his partner Matt."
"Your new dad is gay too?" Dez asked unbelieving.
"Yeah, and his partner, my third dad Matt is too," Douglas giggled.
Dez joined in the giggle when he realized the silliness of the reply.
"Do you want me to go on?" Douglas asked.
"No, not unless you want to. I know now what I need to know."
"That you don't like me?"
"No," Dez smiled, "I know that you're like me. Ya see, I'm gay too."
A big grin covered Doug's face. "Now that wasn't too tough, was it?"
"No, thanks to you, but I guess it just makes it all the harder."
"Makes what harder?" Douglas giggled again.
"Not that goofball," Dez said laughing, "not that it isn't already... Uh... did I say that?"
"Yeah, you did," Douglas laughed. "Me too!"
"You said that too?" Dez giggled.
"No, silly. I said I was hard too."
"Oh! Now I see."
"I hope not. I'll blush so much that it will be lighter than daytime around me."
"Jeez you're goofy," Dez concluded. "I guess that's another reason for liking you."
"I like you too Bud," Douglas admitted. "I like you a lot."
"I like you a lot too Doug. It just all seems so hopeless now. I mean tomorrow we'll be gone and I'll never see you again."
"Don't be too sure. I know two guys that make miracles happen. I know, believe me. They've been a miracle to me. I literally crawled into their lives, and they made me strong. They taught me to accept myself. Once I did that I was able to reach out for friendship. I have a good friend now, a guy named Eddy, who one day could be my lover for life. It could never have happened without the miracle. Something that good could happen to you."
"You have a lover?" Dez said in amazement.
"Yes. But it's about a lot more than sex. We became friends first. Even now, that's the most important part of our relationship. We truly like each other. We want to be around each other as much as we can. Not just for sex, though those things we do are great, but because we think as one person. Two individuals, yet united in our thoughts and hearts."
"I wish I could find somebody like that," Dez said. "I was hoping it might be you."
"Believe me, I find you attractive too. Not just because you're good looking, but because of your heart. I wish I could offer you more, but I'm afraid that friendship will have to do."
"I respect you for that Douglas. I'm sad that it can't be more, but at least I know I'll have a good friend who I can talk to."
Douglas coughed. "I must be catching a cold," he said. "My throat is all scratchy. I guess we should go in. It's getting late."
"Doug, thank you for talking to me. It hasn't solved my problem, but you don't know how much your caring means to me. Could I ask you for a favor before we go in?"
"Sure, If I can I'll do it," Douglas replied.
"Could I have a hug, and maybe even a kiss?"
"Yes Dez. You can."