All About Love Part VII

Councilwoman Jean Grigway waited patiently for the Mayor to complete his call. He was on the phone with the governor. A governor who was not happy that a member of his party was involved in such a scandal. Runaways, conduct unbecoming a Mayor, etc, etc, etc. Only when Mayor Osgood convinced the Governor that he had everything completely under his control did the Governor back off. He did remind him, however, that it was an election year and the party would abandon him if they thought for one nano second things were slipping through his fingers. Mayor Osgood hung up the phone completely disgusted. Politics! 
“Jean,” he said with a brightness he didn’t feel. “The world is gone crazy! So, what brings you here?”

“The world,” she replied drily. “Really Timothy! I’m here to make sure that the world doesn’t take my favorite Mayor out of office. I have an idea that will help us enormously. The only thing we have to do is convince the rest of the town council to come around to our way of thinking.”
“Well Jesus woman! Spill it!”

“I’m going to over look the fact that you just referd to me as ‘woman’ as if you were Jesus Christ only because I think you’re a damn good Mayor. Okay! Here it is; the town bylaws are old. Very old! One of them dates back to founders day…that’s what…almost 125 years ago? Anyhow, this law states that the Mayor has no jurisdiction over the keepers of the law. In this case the sheriff.”
“Hell Jean! Even my seven year old Zach knows that! What’s your point?”

“My point is the other side of that outdated law also states that the town council has jurisdiction over the town law keepers. If need be, in a time of crisis or emergency, the council has the power to turn all authority over the sheriffs department to the sitting mayor. That would be you!”
For a few moments the mayor sat in stunned silence. Then he spoke very carefully.
“Jean we would need the entire council to do that…wouldn’t we?”
“Nope!” She returned triumphantly. “Just two-thirds. And guess what? I think we can do it.”

“But doesn’t that law also state that we would have to prove that the person sitting behind the sheriffs desk is no longer capable of performing his duties?”
“Hello! He’s a wife beater…he threw his own son out of his house because he’s gay…he can’t account for one of his deputies and, he’s done everything from fixing parking tickets to roughing up J-walkers, to taking kick-backs AND he’s yet to prove a single allegation that he made about you or this Parson kid in his press conference. Plus, I don’t think he can prove it with his son and his wife out of the house. Timothy think…Sheriff Alan Hamilton is a loose cannon who is going to explode anytime now and quite possibly take us all with him when he does. We have almost everything we need for our press conference but it must be taken further. We have to get rid of him for good and as head of the town council I say now is the time to act!”

She watched him carefully as he absorbed all of this. His brows were knitted together in serious thought. But, she knew she had him. They had been political allies for well over twenty years now and she could read her dear friend like a book.

“Okay,” he said finally. “All of the kids involved have been moved safely out of the sheriffs way until we’re ready for the press conference and that includes his son. I guess the only thing left to do is to call an emergency meeting of the council…or better yet…we get them in this office one…at….a….time.”

“She grinned from ear to ear. “Yep! Wheel ‘em in one by one..rack ‘em up and knock ‘em out before they know what hit them. Now there’s the Mayor that I’ve come to know and love! I knew you still had some fight left in you…you old dog!”
“You’re not so bad yourself Jean,” he laughed. “Buy a lady a drink?”
“Sure…when you meet one buy her one! Until then will I do?”
“Come on sweetie!”

She hooked her arm through his and the two of them left his office. They hadn’t laughed like this in years! But, that was only because they hadn’t had a good political fight in years and they were more than ready! 

****

The ride to the cabin was uneventful. Billy and Todd sat in the back of Jacks F-250 and Robbie sat up front beside him. They had made only one stop at a little strip mall an hour outside of town. Todd and Billy ran into a clothing store and came out with a weeks worth of clothes. The money was courtesy of Todds mom. 
“After all,” she had stated. “My husband would only spend it on alcohol and hookers. It’s better that the kids use it than he does.”

Jack and Robbie had run into a grocery store and bought enough food and drink to last the four of them for a week. They stopped a little ways down from the strip mall and had pizza for dinner then they hit the road again. 

When Jack asked what they were going to do for beer, Robbie had informed him that his mom kept the cabin well stocked. They would have everything they needed to make their stay as comfortable as possible.

Most of the ride was an awkward silence until Jack turned the radio up. An old song from the seventies came on and Robbie was shocked to hear Todd and Billy singing along from the back seat.

“Chiquitita you and I know how the heartaches come
and they go and the scars they’re leaving. You’ll be dancing once
again and the pain will end you will have no time for grieving. 
Chiquitita you and I cry but the sun is still in the
sky and shining above you. Let me here you sing once more
like you did before sing a new song Chiquitita. 

Try once more like you did before sing a new song Chiquitita.”
Robbie turned around in his seat with his mouth hanging open.
“What’s wrong Robbie?” Todd laughed. “Are you surprised to hear me singing the quintessential gay mans song?”
“ABBA? Quintessential?” Robbie asked with amazement “My God Todd you are totally freaking me out left and right! You’re full of surprises!”
“Stick around Robbie,” Billy laughed. “The best is probably yet to come.” He beamed with pride, leaned over and placed a kiss on Todds cheek. 
“Besides,” Todd added. “ABBA rules! I’d rather listen to them any day of the week than most of the crap you hear on the radio.”

“Jack,” Robbie whined with exaggeration. “They’re scaring me!”
“Quit scaring Robbie,” Jack admonished with a laugh. 
Then he glanced quickly at Robbie and turned his eyes back to the road. “Um…you seem to have come around concerning our passengers Robbie…what gives?”

Robbie looked at Jack with surprise. “Gonna put me on the spot?”
“Just did.”
“Okay then. I learned something from Todd today before we left. Something very important.”
“Are you going to share it with Billy and I are or you and Todd gonna keep it to yourselves?”
“Oh I don’t know…Todd should I let them in on it?”
“I kinda liked the idea of the two of us sharing a secret,” Todd said slyly.
“Okay!” Billy said firmly. “Now we really want to know and somebody better start talking!”
“Okay, okay,” Robbie laughed. “Todd told me the secret of life.” He paused for effect. “He said it’s all about love.” 

Jack and Billy sat silent. Todd and Robbie sat and watched them quietly and waited.
“It’s all about love,” Jack said softly.
“You said that Todd?” Billy asked.
“Yeah…I did.”
“I like it!” Jack proclaimed.
“Todd you are truly amazing sometimes,” Billy said.
“You know what guys?” Robbie asked. “From now on that can be our motto.”

They all nodded in agreement and settled back as they drew closer to the dirt road that would take them to the cabin. Each lost in their own thoughts. Their thoughts were centered on each other. They had all come a long way but, they knew in their hearts they had many more miles to go before they could sleep.

****

They had reached the cabin without incident. By the time they had arrived it was pitch black out. There were no street lights to be found anywhere and to everyone, except Robbie, this seemed strange and eerie. But, he was used to it. This was, what his mother called, God’s country. As the truck rolled slowly and silently down the long, dirt driveway, the only thing they could hear was the occasional overhanging branch as it rubbed up against the passing truck. If it weren’t for the powerful headlights of the vehicle they probably would have driven into a tree. Suddenly the cabin loomed up ahead in front of them. It was nestled in a sea of pine trees. Trees that withstood the test of time as they were enormous. Jack pulled up and parked the truck a few feet from the door to aluminate the way.

“Wow,” Billy breathed. “This is something else!”
“Wait until morning,” Robbie said. “This place is great.”

He grabbed his back pack and a couple of grocery bags and got out of the truck. The rest followed his lead and then followed him to the door. He unlocked it with his key, reached inside and turned on the light. It was absolutely wonderful! It was one large room with a large stone fireplace on one wall and cozy, comfy overstuffed furniture opposite. Directly ahead of them were three doors. The one in the middle was the bathroom with a sink, toilet and shower stall…no tub. The doors on either side were bedrooms. Each one had a queen sized bed, one nightstand and one lamp on the nightstand. The cabin also boasted modern conviences like a small refrigerator, an electric stove, a small television set and one large kitchen sink. Above the sink were just two cabinets. One for dishes and one for dry goods. There was no phone. Above their heads, in the middle of this large and spacious living area, was an enormous skylight. There were no other windows except on the door that they had just entered. The reason was the place also had central heat and air. The unit, itself, was behind the cabin.

“Welcome to our home away from home,” Robbie said cheefuly as he put his burden down. “We should put the food in the refrigerator and the dry goods in the cabinets so we can relaxe a bit before we hit the hay.”
The others silently agreed and they put the food away quickly. 

“It doesn’t matter which room we take because they’re both the same,” Robbie said.