A Ram in The Bush

Part 1

“As your mayor it is my sworn duty to preserve the high moral standards that you, the good citizens of Pittsburgh elected me to do. I’ve said it before, and I say again that your school board, and this office does not, and WILL not support the unnatural coupling of our youth in a public display.”

Justin, and Brian watched the news conference of mayor James Stockwell as he once again denounced plans for Pittsburgh’s first gay prom.

“The tradition of prom has historically been reserved for the celebration of our children as a right of passage into young adulthood.” Stockwell went on to say. “We will not have it desecrated by turning it into a heathen ball overseen by pornographers, and pedophiles……”

“Turn it off.” Brian turned away from the set.

Justin pointed the remote at the screen, and changed channels only to find that the mayor’s interview was being aired on all of the local stations. Indeed some kind of coverage about Pittsburgh’s first gay prom was airing on stations all across the country. Justin clicked off the television, and laid the remote down on the end table. “So what are you going to do now?” he asked.

“Considering I have parents sending me dirty e-mails because they didn’t know that the prom was being sponsored by a pedophile. The prom is this Friday, and the caterers have cancelled, the security firm I hired have bailed out on me, and the Hilton has decided not to let us use its ballroom, there’s nothing I can do except refund everyone’s money. It’s over.” Brian concluded.

“No, it’s not over!” Justin objected.

“Excuse me?”

“What about the kids?”

“Didn’t you just hear me?”

“I heard you mention everyone except the kids.” Justin pointed out. “None of THEM have asked for their money back. You’ve read their thank you e-mails. They’re all excited about what they’re going to wear, and who they’re going to bring to the prom. You know how much this means to them. What about Cody Vale?”

“What the fuck am I suppose to do Justin?” Brian stood up from the sofa, and began to pace back, and forth. “What do you want from me?”

“I want you to finish what you started.”

“How? With what? We have no place, no security, no caterer, and no time to find something else! Oh, and did I mention that I don’t even have a job to pay for any of this now, and that I also have city hall breathing down my back?”

“So?”

“So?” Brian stopped, and looked at Justin in disbelief. “What fucking planet are you on? You’ve been reading too many of Michael’s comic books. I’m not a super hero Justin, I’m just an ordinary man!”

“You don’t have to be a super hero to do extraordinary things.” Justin said. “All throughout the history of the world God has used ordinary men to do extraordinary things. Noah, King David, Moses, Martin Luther King, Malcolm X they were all ordinary men.”

“Baby, I’m no Moses, or Malcolm X, I’m just a fag from Pittsburgh. God doesn’t give a shit about fags from Pittsburgh.”

“Yes he does!”

Brian rolled his eyes, and headed toward the kitchen. “Jesus Christ he’s been listening to Reverend Tom again.” he mumbled.

“Yes I have!” Justin followed. “And Reverend Tom told me that good will ALWAYS triumph over evil.”

“Not where I come from.” Brian reached for the bottle of Southern Comfort in the cabinet underneath the sink, and poured himself a double shot.

“Whenever one door closes, another door will open…” Justin continued.

“Baby please..” Brian downed the brown liquid, and poured himself another.

“For righteous men of courage there will always be a ram in the bush!”

“What did you say?” Brian turned and looked at Justin.

“I said that for righteous men of courage there will always be a ram in the bush.” Justin repeated himself.

Brian slowly sat his glass down on the counter, and listened as the young man retold the same parable of Abraham and Isaac that Debbie had told him around that same time last year………

“God needed to test Abraham, so he told him to take his only son Isaac into the mountains to offer him up as a sacrifice. Abraham didn’t want to do it, but he was going to anyway, because Abraham was a righteous man, and that’s what God had ordered him to do. Abraham laid his son on the alter, and was about to kill him when God stopped him. Because Abraham was willing to give up everything he had passed God’s test, and God blessed him. But now Abraham still needed a blood offering for the sacrifice. That’s when God told Abraham to look over into a nearby bush. There was a ram stuck there that he could use for the sacrifice instead of Isaac.”

Justin walked over to where the haunting biblical story had frozen Brian in his tracks. The young man circled his arms around his lover’s waist, and looked up into his eyes. “I know you Brian.” Justin whispered. “I know your courage, and your convictions. You’re a righteous man, and for righteous men there will ALWAYS be a ram waiting in the bush, someone to be there for you when you need them. Don’t give up this fight. It’s not over yet. There’s still time for a miracle.”

Brian traced his finger across Justin’s forehead, and moved away the wisp of golden hair that always fell out of place. Justin smiled as Brian’s eyes followed the contours of his baby’s face, finally coming to rest in the pools of blue that Brian had come to know as home. “I’ve always heard about miracles, but I never believed in them until I met you.” Brian uttered. “You’ve blessed me so, so much more than I ever dared to dream. Thank you baby.”

Tony secured the ties on his white terry robe before padding down the long staircase to his study in his Chicago estate. He poured himself a nightcap from the lead crystal decanter before taking a seat in the Coach leather chair behind his desk. Tony turned on his computer, and was beginning to scan through his e-mail when Mary, his longtime housekeeper walked in.

“I’m going to bed for the night. What about you?” she asked.

“I’ll be turning in myself in an hour or so.” Tony said.

“You don’t look well. You look tired.” Mary pointed out. “You need to take some time off to rest.”

“I know.” Tony yawned, and continued to read. “Where would you like to go?”

“The Bahamas is nice this time of the year.” Mary smiled.

“No thanks. I don’t think I want to spend my vacation in the AIDS capital of the world.”

“You won’t have any problem if you keep your dick in your pants.” Mary teased.

“That’s easy for you to say.” Tony smiled, and continued to read his mail.

“So how is our princess today?” she asked.

“He’s ok.” Tony’s smile widened.

“I take it that you two saw a lot of each other while you were in Pittsburgh?”

“You’re prying again.”

“Uh huh. That’s what I figured.” Mary walked over to Tony, and gave her boss a kiss on the top of his head. “Tell Justin I say hello.” she smiled.

“Will do.” Tony said.

“Oh, by the way!” Mary paused at the study door. “If you decide to fix yourself a midnight snack make sure you clean up after yourself. I left my kitchen clean, and I expect to wake up to a clean kitchen. And that includes any crumbs that might fall on the counter…”

“Goodnight mama.” Tony grinned.

“Don’t mama me! I know my kitchen better be the way I left it…….” Mary continued to fuss as she exited.

Tony finished his nightcap, and the last of his messages. The exhausted millionaire was about to turn off his computer when a new delivery popped up onto his screen. Tony opened the final e-mail, and read. “I need your help Tony. Please call. Brian.”

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NEXT WEEK: A Ram In The Bush, part 2

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