After George brought over that medicine for Jus, I felt like shit because I hadn't noticed what he was going through. We could have gotten him those prescriptions two weeks earlier and spared him a lot of pain and suffering. Thank God Kyle finally figured out what was going on. Just like with Jeff, it was a matter of an hour or two before he was feeling better. I promised myself I would get better at noticing in the future when one of the boys needed that kind of intervention. Our boys should be able to depend on us for that kind of help, but I definitely dropped the ball that time. I think Rick and I were basically good parents to the guys, but we missed stuff that we shouldn't have missed. Ironically, it always seemed to be Justin that we slipped up on, and, even more ironically, it seemed that Kyle always picked up on what he needed. I was still embarrassed that we let his clothes get into such bad shape that spring, and we would have done it again, as far as school clothes were concerned, if Kyle hadn't said something about it. We loaded up the cars Sunday morning to drive to Birmingham for the trial. "How do you feel, Jus," I asked, after we had taken off. "I feel very good, after the workout with Craig and Cherie and the happy pills I took," he said. "Good, Bubba," I said. "Kyle, thank you for thinking of that medicine." "No problem," Kyle said. "I'm just sorry I didn't figure it out earlier." "Me, too," Justin said. "Are you mad at me," Kyle asked. "Mad at you? Why the hell would I be mad at you," Jus asked. "'Cause I didn't call Grandma quicker, that's why," Kyle said. "At least you called her. Nobody else did, including me. I should have picked up on it, too, you know?" "Yeah, but you were a sick little puppy," Kyle said. "Kyle, don't make me have to get him to stop this car so I can get out and whip your ass," Jus said. "Yeah? You and who else?" Got You Last was revving up, and, God, it felt good. It had been a long time. "Me and Brian, that's who. Us against you and Tim," he said. "You're out of practice, Bubba. You ain't going anywhere with that shit, and you know it," Kyle said. "I know. It's pretty lame, isn't it?" "It's very lame, Justin. But, then again, you're sick. You can't help yourself. You're not thinking straight, not that you ever would," Kyle said. "Oh, I think you got me last on that one, Bubba," Jus said. "That was cheap, though. I can always get you on that," Kyle said. "I'm quitting for now, Kyle. I just feel too good toward you right now to carry on like that," Jus said. "I know. We might be getting a little bit old for Got You Last, too. Don't you think?" "Never, Kyle. Never." The drive to Birmingham took us about seven hours, and we alternated at the wheel. Everybody could drive, even Brian with his learner's permit, and taking turns made it easy on all of us. We stayed at a nice hotel of one of the brands that we had, and we had a nice dinner Sunday night in a very good restaurant about a block from where we were staying. "Are you all set for tomorrow, Jus," Cherie asked. "Yes, ma'am," Jus said, "thanks to you and Craig." "Try to stay relaxed tomorrow," she said. "I will. I'm supposed to take a double helping of that one medicine tomorrow morning, so I should be in good shape," he said. * * * "All rise," the bailiff said. We all stood up. "Court is now is session. The Honorable Julia Dukes presiding." Justin was wearing his navy blue suit, a white dress shirt, and a beautiful red and blue tie. His hair was combed in a conventional style, and he really looked good. Handsome, even. He had smoked four cigarettes already that morning, which were three more than he ever had that early in the day. He was nervous, of course, but not so nervous that he wasn't in control. They called him to the stand. "State your name and place of residence," the bailiff said, after he was sworn in. "Justin Davis, 12345 North Lagoon Drive, Emerald Beach, Florida." "Mr. Davis, may I call you Justin," the prosecutor asked. "Yes, sir." "Justin, how old are you?" "Eighteen," Jus said. "How old were you when you first met Buel Jackson?" "Nine, I think. As best I remember," Jus said. "And how did you meet him?" "He was my mother's boyfriend." "And did you live with Mr. Jackson?" "Yes, sir." "In his trailer?" "Yes, sir," Jus said. Through a series of similar questions, the prosecutor established the facts of Justin's connection with Jackson. "Tell us what happened on the night of June 10th of last year, as best you remember it, Justin," the prosecutor said. "I was at home when Buel came home. It was about six o'clock at night. He was covered with blood when he came in. It was all over him and his clothes. He told me to get a pan of warm water and some soap and a wash rag to clean him up. He took his clothes off and dropped them on the floor. Then he laid down on the bed, and I washed off the blood, as best I could." "What happened next?" "He told me to go out to the car and get some fresh clothes for both of us. He also told me to throw away his bloody clothes," Jus said. "How were you dressed at the time, son?" "I wasn't. I was naked," he said. "Did Buel Jackson tell you anything while you were washing him? Anything that is relevant to this case?" "Yes, sir. He said that the guy he had gone to meet had gotten in his face but he wasn't going to be getting into anybody else's face ever again. He said the other man needed killing," Jus said. "How did you interpret what he said?" "Objection," the defense lawyer said. "That calls for speculation on the witness' part." "Overruled. Mr. Davis was in a unique position to know what Mr. Jackson meant by his words. I'll allow the question," the judge said. "Answer the question, son," the prosecutor said. "I thought he meant he had killed the man, and it was his blood I was washing off him," Jus said. "What happened next, Justin?" "We got in the car and drove to Florida. We checked into a motel, and Buel left. That was the last I saw of him until this morning." "No further questions, Your Honor," the prosecutor said. "Let's take a fifteen-minute recess," the judge said. * * * "Damn, you did good, Bubba," Kyle said. We had all gone outside so the smokers could smoke. "You did very well, Jus," Cherie said. "How do you feel?" "I feel good. I don't really feel nervous anymore," Jus said. "The prosecutor loved your ass, Jus," Craig said. "He didn't ask me anything about slavery or sex or any of that," Jus said. "No, but it's coming, baby. Hang in there, you hear. You are not on trial. Jackson is. You did nothing wrong. All you did was survive," Cherie said. "I've been thinking about that, Cherie, and you're right. That is what I did. I just did what I had to do to hang in there," he said. Rick had bought cokes for those who wanted them. We finished our drinks and went back in. * * * "Mr. Davis, what, precisely, was the nature of your relationship with Mr. Jackson," the defense attorney asked. "I'm not sure what you want," Jus said. "What was the nature of your relationship?" "Objection. The question is vague, and the witness obviously doesn't understand it any better than I do, Your Honor." "Sustained." "Okay. Let's see . . . Mr. Davis, did you like Mr. Jackson?" "No, ma'am." "Did Mr. Jackson support you?" "Yes, ma'am, but I worked, too," Jus said. "What was the nature of the work you did?" "I was an escort," Jus said. "An escort? Explain, please." "Objection." "Overruled." "Answer the question, Mr. Davis," the lawyer said. "People would pay money to spend time with me," Jus said. "Were these people men or women," she asked. "Men." "What did you do with these men who paid money to spend time with you?" "It varied," Jus said. "Did you have sex with any of these men," she asked. "Yes." "Every time?" "Objection, Your Honor. The question is vague." "Sustained." "Alright. Did you have an orgasm every time you escorted a man?" "No, ma'am." "Did the men have an orgasm every time?" "I don't remember every time," Jus said. "Okay. Did the men usually have an orgasm when you escorted them?" "Some did." "Did you do it willingly?" "Objection, Your Honor. This line of questioning is irrelevant to the case at hand. It in no way addresses the issue of whether Buel Jackson murdered Officer Holmes," the prosecutor said. "Yes!" Cherie whispered. "Sustained. Ms. Baker, unless you can show direct relevance, I'll have to ask you to change your line of questioning." "I have no further questions, Your Honor," Ms. Baker said. Frustration was written all over her face. "Thank you, Mr. Davis. You are dismissed," the judge said. We were out of that court room in thirty seconds. "Oh, my God," Cherie said. "Justin, you were fabulous!" Brian kissed Jus, and the two of them were laughing. It was obvious they were very relieved. "Let's go get some lunch," Kyle said. * * * "I did some hunting around on the Internet to see what all is here," Kyle said. "I've got a list of things to do, if anybody is interested." "Yeah? Like what," Rick asked. "The Birmingham Civil Rights Institute. It's a museum all about the civil rights movement in the 1950's and the 1960's. The Web site said that if parents don't take their children to see it, the parents are guilty of child abuse," Kyle said. Everybody laughed. "I saw that site, too, and it said gay boys were required by law to visit it," Jus said. "I've actually heard of that place," Cherie said. "I'd like to see it. I've heard it's wonderfully comprehensive." "Then there's the McWane Center. It's mostly for little kids, but it's a science museum. They have an IMax Theater with a movie about dinosaurs that's not to be missed. That would only take about an hour or so," Kyle said. "Do you all remember the dinosaurs at the Natural History Museum in New York," Tim asked. "They were incredible, and we learned so much, didn't we, Brian?" "I learned more in three hours in that place than I learn in three weeks in school, that's for sure," Brian said. "You know where this is going, don't you," Rick asked me. I started laughing because I knew exactly what was going on. "I don't suppose you guys would be willing to stay over and go home on Wednesday, would you," I asked. "I don't know, Kevin," Kyle said. "You know how I hate to miss school." Rick and I burst out laughing. "If we're staying, I wouldn't mind going to the International Motorsports Hall of Fame, and I'd love to see the Mercedes-Benz factory and museum. It's the only one outside of Germany," Kyle said. "Can we do all of that today and tomorrow," I asked. "Hell, yeah, Kevin. See, this place has got good museums, the kind boys like to go to," Kyle said. "Are you suggesting New Orleans doesn't have good museums," Craig asked. "You tell me," Kyle said. We all laughed. "We just haven't been to the guy-friendly ones in New Orleans, yet," Craig said. "But we will. I guarantee." He said that last word with a Cajun accent. "Did y'all bring enough clothes for an extra day," I asked. "Don't worry about that," Kyle said. "We can get two days out of most things. If not, we can buy souvenir tee shirts and wear them. Besides, whenever I go anywhere, I always pack enough underwear and socks for an extra day." "I've started doing that, too, ever since you told me that, Kyle," Tim said. Justin and Brian said they did, too. "You set this up, didn't you, you little stinker," I said to Kyle. "Who? Me?" "Yes, you. What else is on your list," I asked. "How about the Alabama Wildlife Rehabilitation Center? They have a self-guided walking tour where you can see animals in their natural habitats that they can't release into the wild. It sounds sort of like a zoo, but different. More wild," he said. "That sounds pretty cool," Brian said. "I'm pretty sure we could learn a lot there." "Yeah, we could. Oh, and for Justin, there's the Karl C. Harrison Museum of George Washington. He's taking American history in college, Cherie, and we're trying to help him out however we can," Kyle said. "That trip to Boston this summer did me a world of good. Now I need to get myself up to Philadelphia and Washington, DC. That's the only way to get anything out of a history class. Go to the places where it all happened," Justin said. "You guys are such bullshit artists," Craig said. "I know, but we're cute, ain't we," Jus said. Craig laughed hard. "Let's don't forget about the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame. This state has given birth to some amazing athletes, and they're all right there, waiting for us. We could probably hit that this afternoon. It's right downtown here," Kyle said. "What I'm hearing is there's enough stuff to keep us here until the weekend," I said. "Kevin, I have to think you're right," Kyle said. "I think it would be a pure crime to come this far, for such a terrible reason, and not take advantage of being here." "Kyle, are you aware that you're talking like you're from Alabama," Rick asked. Kyle was completely taken aback for a second, but he recovered. "I know Rick, but the truth is, I am from Alabama. I know my birth certificate says I was born in Florida, and I know my parents think I've lived in Florida all my life. But you've discovered my secret, Rick. I'm really an Alabamian." Everybody laughed. "I don't know that we'd have you," Jus said. "What? Does Alabama have some kind of Immigration and Naturalization Service or something? Do you have to take a test to become a citizen of Alabama? Huh? Tell me!" Kyle said. Again, more laughter. "That's right, and it's me. So far, you ain't passing," Justin said. "Y'all finish your coffee so we can go," Rick said.
I was damn sure glad I did my homework on the Internet before we went on that trip. The way I figured it, if Justin did real good at the trial, which he did, he would need a reward. If he did real bad, he would need something to cheer him up and get his mind off of it. It was a win-win for having some fun. Our first stop was the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute. The building was beautiful, and I got some pretty good shots of it. I wasn't allowed to take any pictures inside, which was a real shame because it was magnificent. We started off with a little movie about the Civil Rights Movement in general, and it damn sure touched my heart. I didn't cry, but I came very close. Tim and Brian and Cherie all did cry, though. The place was organized into different galleries, and it was practical stuff, not just paintings and photographs. For instance, they had two drinking fountains side by side, one marked "White Only" the other marked "Colored." The "White Only" one was a nice fountain that made cold water. The "Colored" one was just this old sink looking thing with no cold water. I mean, how could anybody ever think that was fair? There were two school rooms, one from a white school and one from a black school. The white school room had nice furniture, a nice board, nice lights. The black one had piece-of-shit desks and old beat-up stuff. "This is making me sad," Brian said. "I know, but this is the way it was, Bri," Rick said. "We can't ever let this happen again." "This wouldn't ever happen again," Tim said. "Don't tell black people that, Tim. After the Civil War, African Americans had full civil rights in this country, and gradually they got taken away from them. If we're not vigilant, it could happen again," Cherie said. "That's why places like this are so important. This place and Holocaust museums. They have to keep reminding us that it could happen again." "This is pretty intense," Justin said. "Are you okay, Bubba," I asked him. He had been through two hellacious weeks, and I didn't want him getting emotionally overloaded. "This is making me sick, Kyle. Look at those dogs going after those little kids. This shit is wrong, man," he said. "Yeah, it's wrong. That's why they have it here," I said. "I know." The photographs in that place were spectacular. It was like a wet dream for me, not that I've ever had one of those. It was like they got the best photographers in the world and said, "shoot 'em up." You could tell by what was in the picture that some of those people taking those photos were in danger, too. They got their shots, though. We spent two hours in that place, and I figured I could come back for that much time, at least, every day for a week. "I'm drained," Cherie said, when we stepped outside. "Me, too," Kevin said. "Let's get a cup of coffee or something." "A drink, more like it," Jus said. Justin pulled out his pack of smokes and lit up. "Gimme one," I said. I inhaled too deep the first time, and I coughed. "Pussy," Jus said. "Fuck you," I said, and we both laughed. Then I felt a little guilty for laughing after seeing all of that. We went to a Starbucks and loaded up on caffeine. "Kyle, that was an incredible experience," Kevin said. "Thank you for directing us to it." "Yeah, it was. These two fools cried their eyes out," I said, pointing to Tim and Brian. "Don't tell me you didn't cry. I know you too good for you to get away with that bullshit, Bubba," Jus said. "Yeah, I cried a couple of times," I said. "You did, too, though." "Lately, I cry whenever I hear the toilet flush," Jus said. We all laughed hard. "Yeah, but that's behind you now, Bubba. Forever," I said. "I hope so," he said. * * * Our next stop was the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame. God Almighty!!! What a place! First off, the building was magnificent. It was right next door to the convention center downtown, and the exterior was some kind of white marble or something like that. It was just beautiful. I got me a good many pictures of that, to be sure. Inside, it was like the Who's Who of sports. All the people had some connection to Alabama, like they came from there or played there or something. The list of the ones I recognized by name was long. Bear Bryant, Hank Aaron, Joe Louis, Kenny Stabler, Shug Jordan, Joe Namath, Bart Starr, Jesse Owens, Satchel Paige, and Willie Mayes. I challenge anybody to put together a bunch better than that. The damn first three were football, baseball, and boxing! And Jesse Fucking Owens? Willie Mayes! As down as the Civil Rights place had made me, that place made me that high. "Justin, can you believe these people," I asked. "Of course. In Alabama, if you can't play sports, we put you to death." I laughed hard at him, and so did Cherie, who was standing right next to us. "Man, this is a major thing, right here, you know," I said. "I don't know who too many of these guys are, but I recognize a few names," he said. "You need to read some sports history," I said. "I have a book with biographies of sports greats. A lot of 'em are right here, Bubba. I'm telling you, man, this place is unbelievable." I sometimes get a little hyperactive. They've gotten on to me for that all my life. I'm really sorry I get on people's nerves, but I can't help it. I think I got pretty hyper in that place. I was very excited seeing all that stuff about those great athletes. I wasn't that good an athlete myself, but I sure knew and respected greatness when I saw it. "Let's go. The odor of testosterone is about to knock me out," Cherie said. Kevin, Rick, and Craig laughed. We had been there two hours, and I wanted to stay longer. This was the kind of museum I liked. "Let's go, guys," Kevin said. "That place was totally awesome," I said. "The number of world-class athletes from this state is amazing." "I know, Kyle. I had no idea Jesse Owens was born in Alabama. I thought he came from Ohio, but he was born in Danville, Alabama," Rick said. "I know. Go figure," I said. "They have their induction ceremony every February, and we've got to go to that one year. All the old inductees come home for it," Rick said. "Did you join," I asked. "Yes, sir," Rick said. "Did you?" "Yes, sir," I said. And he and I laughed. "Does Florida have a Sports Hall of Fame like that?" "I don't know, but we'll be finding that out as soon as we get to a computer," Rick said. * * * We did one more thing that afternoon, and that was the dinosaur movie at the IMax. "Damn. Is that the screen," Justin asked, after we were seated. "Yeah. It's going to cover the whole thing. Have you never seen an IMax," I said. "No. I've never seen anything that you weren't with me to see." "Hold on to your hat, boy, 'cause you're going to see something you ain't never seen before," I said. It was a dinosaur movie about T-Rex. I had seen a few IMax movies before, including a couple in 3-D, but that one about the dinosaurs might have been the best one ever. It was totally spectacular. * * * "So, do you guys agree with me that the museums here are a hell of a lot better than the ones in New Orleans and New York and Boston," I asked. "No question about it, Kyle," Jus said. "I've been to museums all over the world, and I'd put the ones here in Birmingham up against any I've ever been to," I said. "Kyle, the ones we went to were good, but they're not really world-class museums, except maybe the Civil Rights Institute. That's probably a word-class museum," Cherie said. "I liked that one a lot, Cherie, but I thought that sports museum was about the best one I've ever been to," I said. "And I think the International Motorsports one is going to be real good, too." "Kyle! Shut up and listen to me! You've been to the British Museum, the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, the Louvre, the Prado, the Vatican, and you think the ones here are better? What's wrong with you," Kevin said. I knew he was teasing me, and I grinned my ass off. "I guess I got too many friends in low places," I said. "Kevin, I know those ones you said are fine museums, just like those ones in New Orleans and New York and Boston. But that stuff they have in them doesn't interest me all that much, you know?" He ruffled my hair and pulled away a greasy hand. "I know, buddy," he said. "I'm just busting your balls." "Did you know that a museum in Phoenix bought one of my pictures," I asked him. "Are you shitting me, Kyle? "No, I'm not. It was one of Brian, too," I said. "Jesus, Kyle! You're hung in a museum," he asked. "I'm hung everywhere I go, Kevin. You know that," I said. He laughed. "Kyle, a picture you took is in a fucking museum," he asked like he couldn't believe it. "Yeah. I reckon. I don't know where it is at this moment," I said. "I made a good bit on that one." "I think we've been taking your photography for granted, Kyle," he said. "Oh, yeah? So what are you going to change," I asked. "Nothing," he said. "That's what I thought," I said. He seemed to think that because a museum bought one of my pictures it was a big deal. I didn't think it was all that much. It was a picture of Brian playing with Trixie. It was a black and white, and it was cute. It was like the two of them were talking. After the IMax, we went back to our hotel. Craig and Cherie had decided to stay with us until we left to go home, and I was glad. We had never been anywhere with them before, and they were fun to be around. I bought a copy of the local paper in the lobby of the hotel, and we were looking through it when we went up to our room. I wanted to see what the entertainment section had in it. "Hey, check it out," I said. "Garth Brooks, in concert, a week from Saturday." "Damn, I wish we could go to that," Jus said. "That would be so awesome." "I know," I said. "We need to get out more, you know? This going to school bullshit is for the birds. It takes up all your damn time." "And work does, too," Jus said. "You guys are joking, right," Brian asked. "You have to go to school, and you have to work. That's just the way it is." "I know. I don't like it, though," I said. Tim put his arms around me. "You just want to have fun, don't you," he said, all cute and all. "Fun isn't all I like. You know that. I like pain and suffering just as much as the next guy," I said. They all laughed. "Gimme a kiss," Tim said, so I did. "Ain't that cute," Justin said. "You want one, too, Justin," I said. All four of us were being pretty playful. "Not from you," Jus said. Then he kissed Brian. "We're supposed to be getting ready to go eat," I said. "I know what I'd like to eat, but it ain't on the menu," Jus said. "What," Brian asked. "You, that's what," he said, and Brian sort of giggled. There was a knock on the door, and it was Craig and Cherie. "Are you guys ready," Craig asked. We had on our good clothes that we had worn to court that morning, and we needed to change into something more comfortable. "It'll take just another minute," I said. "We'll meet y'all in the lobby." We changed and joined them for dinner. * * * The next day we went to the International Motorsports Hall of Fame and Museum in Talladega, which wasn't too far from Birmingham. It was awesome. Besides race cars, they had some race boats, and I think that was as good as the cars. They had some wrecked cars, too, and you just knew nobody walked away from them. We went on a van tour of the Talladega Superspeedway, too. That is the fastest and best race track in the world. They have seats for something like 142,000 people, which would be like every person who lives in Emerald Beach, almost. There weren't any races that day, though. If we had been there the weekend before, we could have seen Dale Earnhardt, Jr., race. I was going to have to make it back there for some races, I decided. We decided to skip the George Washington museum and to go, instead, to the American Village. That was pretty incredible. They had built replicas of Mount Vernon, which is the place where George Washington lived, the courthouse in colonial Williamsburg, the Oval Office of the President, and a bunch of other stuff. They had people in costumes doing things like they used to do them way back in history. And of course they talked to you and told you stuff about what they were doing. "This is much more educational than reading some book about this stuff," I said. "I know," Justin said. "I like doing this a lot better. All these kids here must be with their school." "They're on a fieldtrip," Brian said. "They're probably studying American history in school, and they brought them here so they could see what they've been studying about." "I wish we went on fieldtrips," I said. "Kyle, your whole damn life's a fieldtrip, Bubba," Rick said. "Very funny," I said, but he was right, sort of. After the American Village, we went to the Alabama Wildlife Rehabilitation Center. It was beautiful, but it wasn't as good as I thought it was going to be. We only spent about an hour there because it was closing time. * * * On Wednesday morning we went to the Mercedes-Benz factory for a tour. That place was incredible. I didn't know anything about the M-Class, which is what they make at that place. It's an SUV, and they make 80,000 of them a year. The assembly line was really cool, and a lot of the work was done by robots. The Mercedes Museum was awesome, too. They had all the old cars that the company made over many years. I wished they would let you get inside them so you can really check them out. While we were there, we found out about the Mercedes Marathon that takes place in February. Rick said he already knew about it, but I didn't. "Are you thinking about running it," Kevin asked. "I might," Rick said. "There's a relay event for teams of five people. Any chance you guys might be interested?" "I might be," I said. "What do you say, big boy? You want to run?" "Depends on who's chasing me," Justin said. That made us laugh. "I'll do it," Tim said. "What about you, Bri? Are you interested," I asked. "If you guys do it, I'll do it," Bri said. "Cool. Now we just need one more, Kevin," I said. "Don't look at me, Kyle. My knee can't take the punishment," he said. "Maybe Jeff or Alex or Denny will do it with you all." "Do you know how far we'll have to run, Rick," I asked. "Typically, the relays are a total of 26.2 miles, but, obviously, each man runs only a portion of that. I think it's 6.2 miles for two runners, 3.1 miles for two runners, and 7.6 miles for the last runner. I might have my decimals wrong, but that's about what it is," Rick said. "This could be fun, guys," I said. "Do we get to wear those little titty things like you wear, Rick," Justin asked to tease Rick. "They're called NipGuards, and you only get to wear them after your nipples start to bleed," he said. "Jesus God!! Your nipples bleed!? Is that why you wear them," Justin asked, horrified. "Man, that's sending chills down my spine, just thinking about it. Why do they bleed?" "They rub against your shirt and get irritated. You sweat a good bit, and a tee shirt gets to be like sandpaper against the little points of your nipples," Rick said. "And you do this because it's fun," Jus asked in disbelief. Rick laughed. "It's not that bad, Justin," he said. "You used to have those little rings in yours. I don't know how you could stand that." "They don't hurt, Rick," Tim said. "Do you guys often stand around talking about your nipples," Cherie asked. We all laughed. * * * The Mercedes-Benz place was the last thing we did before we left to go home. What had started out as a real bad chore had ended up being a fun little vacation. I was glad it was over, though. |