A Matter of Perspective - 24. Chapter 24

Chapter 24

Frank wrote back. “I think you’re right about your dad. Max is no dummy. He knows where the food is. Woof and love ya.

My parents headed to church on Sunday without me so I took the time to write Frank.

Will Waters Sun, Aug 31, 10:44 AM

To: frankf4321S@gotmail.com

Well...it's weird being home when everyone else is at church. Only time I've ever done it is when I've like got the flu or something. Weird. Did tell dad that since it seems asshole is staying that I'm not going back there. He said fine; I told u that u don't have to and that he may not go much either but mom had to because she’s kind of like a paid volunteer.. He also said we might start going to church more with gram n gramps at their church, which is fine with me. I've been there before and it's pretty cool. Presbyterian. Anyway THANKS again SO much fer talking yesterday. It was really really nice. And I promise I won't bug ya to talk all the time, but sometimes!! I got a lot to do today to get ready for school to start, which is fine cause it's a crappy rainy day. Cleaning out and restocking my backpack and washing all my new school clothes etc. Yes I do my own laundry. I actually prefer it, especially doing my own sheets! Ha!! Well..u know how it is right? There are those wild dreams once in a while that ya just can't control. I find that doesn't happen as much as it used to since jerking off became my favorite hobby (ha!), but it still does happen now n then. Oh well...

Tomorrow supposed to maybe hang with gary at his patents place for a labor day cookout. Probably will go since we've got nothin planned and I'm glad for the invite.

I'll let ya know bout church later after I hear bout it.

Love ya Frank! Will n Max. Woof!! Xo

*****

frankf4321s Sun, Aug 31, 11:28 AM

To: willw521k@willmail.com

Will

Sounds like you're relaxed and in the acceptance mode. Your dad obviously cares a lot about what happened. I bet you can't wait to hear what actually went on. I'm pleased your dad wasn't asked to apologize.

I enjoyed our talk and hope I didn't make you feel like talking to you is something I don't want to do. It's just that I've been around long enough to know there always needs to be some kinds of limits for the good of both of us. I like that you understand. I understand the need to talk, otherwise I wouldn't have decided to do it. I guess sometimes you have to throw caution to the wind.

I've been to a few Presbyterian services and felt comfortable. They may also be a little more liberal. But in a small town, who knows.

My mom made me wash my own clothes because she said she was tired of picking up all my clothes, and it was time I did my own. She also made me iron them. You used to have to iron everything when I was a kid.

Believe it or not I can play Chopin and Tchaikovsky on the piano, I listen to show tunes from musicals, listen to classical music, watch So You Think You Can Dance, and listen to Country and Western music. Yes, I'm a contradiction. I was a damn good football player besides. God has blessed me.

Anyway, when I was jogging, I was listening to Country and Western music when a song by Dierks Bentley came on called The Heaven I'm Headed To I thought of your soul and mine. Here are the lyrics

The Heaven I'm Headed To

I hear people talk of Heaven
And how it's only for the precious few
But in the Book that I've been readin'
Sounds to me like there's a lotta room

So I bet some folks are gonna be surprised
About who makes it to the other side

'Cause in the Heaven I'm headed to
There's a place for preachers, thieves and prostitutes
Saints and soldiers, beggars, kings and renegades
For any soul that ever found amazing grace
Ain't no tellin' who on earth He might include
In the Heaven I'm headed to

It's not my place to say
Just who does or doesn't get to go
I'm only one among the many
Stumblin' down that narrow road

There's so many things in this life to love
And I believe there's hope for each of us

Ain't no tellin' who on earth He might include
In the Heaven I'm headed to.

And the only thing I know
We all get the chance to go, yeah

Saints and soldiers, beggars, kings and renegades
Any soul that ever found amazing grace

Ain't no tellin' who on earth He might include
In the Heaven I'm headed to
The Heaven I'm headed to
The Heaven I'm headed to.

Love Ya and so does God.

Frank

*****

Will Waters willw521K@willmail.com Sun, Aug 31, 12:11 PM

To: frankf4321S@gotmail.com

Well...got the lowdown on church. Back to that inna few minutes.

The words to that song are beautiful. I'm gonna listen to it online and learn to play it. I'm actually pretty good on my guitar and I sing too. I sing to Max all the time. He seems to like it.

Church...dad n mom wouldn't tell me all of what was said, but I gather from what they told me it was rather generic. And short. Guess it was something like this: I come before u a humbled man who has sinned before God and this congregation. I have made a serious error in actions and judgment and ask as any man has a right to for your forgiveness for my actions. That's it I guess (?) Or at least that's all they're telling me. Whatever. I'm sure God and the church has or will forgive him, but I never will. I don't have to. Prick. Dad says his black eye is totally gone, mine is too, has been, but the bruise in my heart will take much longer to heal. So if I do ever forgive him it'll only be when I'm damn good n ready. And that won't be for a long while. Sorry. Mom's keeping her job, that's fine, and I guess she will continue to go to services there occasionally too, but she said we're gonna be regulars with gram n gramps at first Presbyterian. That'll make them happier anyways. Me too.

Having fun n getting kinda excited playing around with my new school stuff. The year holds a lot of promise. That's a feeling I haven't had in a long time. Two years. Promise. Hmm.....

I love ya Frank. We both do. Woof! Ha! Xo

I was kind of anxious just hanging around the house on a rainy day so wrote Frank again a short time later.

Hey its me! (N Max too) woof. Just a lazy rainy day. Few more thoughts... After ur note I asked pops if anyone asked him to apologize to asshole and he said no and he also said he wouldn't apologize to asshole if Obama himself asked him too! Ha! God I love him! My hero! Makes me really sad that him n I have kinda missed out on two years worth of closeness and love and communication, but that was then and this is now. He also said we're not talking about asshole and that church and what happened anymore. He said "that's a wrap on that ". I'm with him, done deal.

I listened to that song on my phone. I love it and I'm definitely gonna learn it. Doesn't sound hard and I'm not bad. Hope to play for ya when I see ya next year.

We're going to dinner in at my grandparents house. Grams is never happier then when she cooks Sunday dinner or holiday meals. And my stomach is never happier either! Ha!

Here's a shocker! Dad told me today he might actually consider helping me get a cheap used car soon! Ha! If that don't beat shit eh? I told him no (surprising huh?), and here's why. I said I walk to school, it's only one third of a mile, I don't have a job to drive to, I'm not dating anyone (I left that gender ambiguous) and everyone else I hang with, Jennifer and gary and Jason, have their own cars already so I can ride with them to hang out. I told him that freshman at almost all colleges can't have cars on campus their first year and have to live in the dorms too. I told him to hang onto that $ so I can have some spending $ in college so I don't have to work while I'm trying to get good grades. I don't know where this sudden bout of maturity and unselfishness came from with me, but the look on his face made it worthwhile.

I gotta walk Max n feed him before we go to my grandparents shortly so I gotta run.

Love ya Frank. Will n Max. Woof! Xxoo

*****

frankf4321s Sun, Aug 31, 6:35 PM

To: willw521k@willmail.com

I just got home. Sounds like everything is going well. Your dad probably also feels like he missed out on a lot the last couple years too. Sad isn't it? Sometimes we all do crazy things we regret later. Knots!!!

I like your maturity about the car. You probably don't need it unless your parents don't want to drive you here or there or your friends don't. Offer to pay for gas when you friends take you places. My best friend in high school really got pissed because he had the only car and none of us offered to chip in for gas. He was right.

Glad to hear you liked the song and it will be easy for you to learn. I'd love to hear you sing it. I’m headed to take a nap when I finish this email. (Yeah, I take a lot of naps. Old age.) It's been a long day. I had breakfast with my lawyer friend, and she's still upset that I might consider going to your graduation. She said she didn't see anything wrong with me visiting you when you got to college, but she said everyone will find it strange that this new guy shows up to your graduation. She's probably right unless your parents somehow know about me way ahead of time. But they may be suspicious that you've been in contact with me and you suddenly had this about face. But like you said, let's take one thing at a time. I prayed on it as I was driving home, and who knows what the future holds. Maybe I'll win a Nobel Prize for literature and then I'll be a celebrity. Ha Ha.

We haven't had any rain in a while so it seems funny to hear you talking about rain. I'm in high desert country, but we have a lot of water around. I took some pictures of two of the streams I cross on my way home. They're about a quarter a mile apart. Hard to believe. One is considered premier fishing and is regulated by Trout Unlimited. You have to throw anything back under a certain size and you can only use artificial lures. I've fly fished it and have always caught undersized ones, but they were still of a good size.

I see it's after 6:30 and figure you're probably at your grandparents. It would be nice if you could easily say Frank says hello. lol Kind of like saying Max says, "Woof."

God loves you and so do I.

Frank

*****

Will Waters Sun, Aug 31, 9:17 PM

To: frankf4321S@gotmail.com

Well that's it,,,the effective end of summer I guess. We just got home. Had a great night!! We ate a great dinner, we all played cards and monopoly for like 3 hours, ate ice cream, talked about our trip, discussed school and what classes I'm taking. It was...just great. A nice end to a very unexpected summer.

Tomorrow is basically a school night so tonite was really the last night that had that feel of summer. I'm really sad now to see it end because it ended so very much different than it started. It almost seems like it was really two completely different summers. Very very weird Frank. Maybe it's because I'm still young but my head is spinning in amazement at how quickly life can change. From depression and seemingly endless depression to light, hope and even joy, all in the matter of just a very few weeks. A few very short, meaningful, life changing weeks. What a fucking ride! Ha! This is really gotta be made into a book or a movie or something someday. We'll see. Don't have an ending yet though do we? That may be years away still though, who knows...

Some last minute prep for school tomorrow, a little yard work, a little (or lot) of catch-up work in my journal, dinner and then school rules, lights out time at 10:30 and it's a wrap. Summer....wow! Wonder if fall is gonna be this exciting?...

Love ya Frank!!!!!! Will n Max! Woof woof! Ha! Xo

*****

frankf4321s Sun, Aug 31, 9:17 PM

To: willw521k@willmail.com

Will

Glad to hear you had a great night. You show your creative mind in the way you talked about the summer ending and it being like two summers. In a way it was, and life did change in just a few weeks. Who'd have thought?

Should we call this a miracle? I don't think it fits the definition, but it's like you had leprosy in the eyes of many people and now you're healed? When it fact it's not you who changed, but their attitudes when they saw you differently, as a chameleon that changes it's color to blend in. But hey, God put me in your life, and together we performed a miracle of sorts.

Your head should be spinning in amazement as you said. When I think of what you said about the picture of the boy sitting in the rain when I first sent it to you and how, in just a few days after we examined that picture, you changed your perspective and your outlook on life began to change. Then of course there was the chameleon. God does work in mysterious ways. Even some good came out of you getting slapped. Who'd have thought? I'd have loved to have seen the pastor's face. I remember you writing me after your dad hit him. You said. "My dad really loves me. He really loves me." It's so easy to forget those moments when so much is happening in your life.

It is quite a ride. Hey, think of how Ollie's life changed when he quit dressing all emo. Same kind of thing in a way. He was still the same kid, but everyone looked at him differently.

I'm glad to hear you're keeping a journal. I'm not sure where you're keeping it, but I sure hope it's somewhere where no one can get hold of it. Not that anything bad has transpired, but like I said, and like you know, it's all in the eye of the beholder. It’s a matter of perspective. It will make a good reference later on.

I know this is all happening to you now, and we don't know the ending, but what has happened so far would have readers salivating for the next chapter. In fact I got an email while I was writing this from a reader. Let me share part of it with you.

“Another interesting read. (Andy and Matt) still haven't learned any lessons, but I did like the bit of aggressive shock they received. I know you don't want to give anything away, but could you tell me if something karma wise, is coming their way soon? That wouldn't be cheating ;-) not really. Don't need details, just a little assurance. I like this.”

Andy and Matt have gotten themselves into some deep shit and that’s why he’s asking about Karma. I guess the reader realizes what we do has consequences. You obviously know that. I told him once before he was going to have to wait. Hell, I don't usually know what's going to happen. In your story, we will know.

The writer went on. “Randy, knowing that they’re teen prostitutes, could make trouble for them.. Especially if he learns for sure it's them and they're not willing to cut him in. I hate to come off as some old crabby spinster, being only 26, I just want them to get a heavy dose of reality. Poor Thomas and Gina, hopefully they both get someone that'll make them happy. Even if its not love, seeing as how they are only in high school, they deserve some sort of relationship.”

I love it here where he says he doesn't want to come off like some old crabby spinster, being only 26. lol You've got to love it when people are hanging on your story like this. His reasons of course are completely different than yours.

He continued. “If I go on too long in these messages it's your fault..lol...for drawing me in so much. I like this too. My fault? Ha ha…Looking forward to more and also hearing back from you.”

I'm not sure I can tell him anything because I really don't always know what's going to happen week to week.

Just thought I'd share this with you. This guy writes every once in a while.

Right now I'm watching the last episode of this season's Game of Thrones. There is a lot of hate and killing. I'm only watching it because I've heard people talk about it, and as you know, I like to know a little bit about everything. I'm going to tell you more about that later. A Renaissance Man I am I am.

Hope you sleep well Brave Prince and count your blessings and continue to live one day at a time.

God bless. Love you. This is what I tell my children every time we talk or write. So consider yourself one of my children. Maybe I should say one of my sons.

Frank

*****

Will Waters

To: frankf4321S@gotmail.com

Ok! Here we go! Another summer in the bag! Another school year upon us! I'm excited as hell! Sorry I didn't get ahold of ya sooner, it's actually been a pretty busy day. Have to have the lights out soon. School rules is lights out at 10:30 on school nights at my house. Oh well...I'm actually pretty tired. It's gonna be quite a year Frank! I owe a big hug n kiss fer making it all possible, different and better.

I'll let ya know how it all goes tomorrow soon as I get home. No cell phones at school or they confiscate them (yuck!), so you'll have to wait til I get home. I'm excited!!! :-)

Love ya Frank!!! Will n Max! Woof!!!

*****

frankf4321s Mon, Sep 1, 10:26 PM

To: willw521k@willmail.com

I figured you were having a busy day. Don't feel obligated to write me every day. Do it when you need to. If it's every day that's fine. If not, I'll know things are going well. (Although I'll have to admit my curiosity will be killing me.) Have a great day tomorrow experiencing a whole new world.

God loves you and so do I Brave Prince. Have a great day.

Frank