The Big Show Part 1

Chapter 187

The Big Show

Part 1

I quickly went back inside the room and reopened the door pretending I didn’t overhear Grandma and Stringum talking. Grandma asked if we had settled in alright and I nodded that we did, but the girls wanted to do their hair and makeup before going down to the lobby. I rolled my eyes stating it was a waste of time because they were all going to get their hair done anyway for the wedding.

Grandma laughed at mine and Eli’s misunderstanding the ways of women as he yelled for us to hold the elevator. Once the door closed grandma asked what we were going to do to kill time. I told Grandma that I wanted to take Eli to see temple square and asked if she would like to come along. She rolled her eyes and said; “if you don’t mind having to wait on old women that can’t move as fast as you two?”

I laughed. “Grandma if you haven’t realized I am the one sitting a wheelchair, it is you that will be waiting on me.”

She smiled and leaned down and kissed me on the head, and said. “In that case, we both can slow each other down.”

The door opened and we were met by our adoring fans, Landan greeted us as the hotel security held everyone back, he quietly took grandmas arm, only to turn around hearing everyone gasp as Eli kissed me for the first time in public. The cameras went crazy taking pictures of our kiss as I put my arms around him deepening the kiss in a sitting position. Grandma rolled her eyes as we caught up with her. She whispered if that was necessary, I said. “Quite, necessary, what did you expect grandma for us only to kiss inside our rooms or in the house where no one can see us?”

Grandma frowned, said. “In a way yes, because it’s just not normal to see same-sex kissing like that.”

Eli said. “If it bothers you we won’t do it in front of you.”

Grandma said. “Oh, it bothers me,” raising one eyebrow that said it as much then hearing her state. “But is what is. You can not be married and not kiss. So God helps me I going overlook it because you have every right to kiss anywhere you like, it is a free country and even if I don’t like it. I can not forbid you showing each other affection.”

Landan helped her into the waiting bus and reminded our driver to make sure we make to reception hall by 4 at the latest it was little after 11 now and the girls would be at the salon from 1 to 3. Tony yelled honking his horn telling us to hold up. He quickly pulled along beside me as the driver and Landan were helping me inside and said he was coming with us, stating there was no way in hell was he going to sit in a hair salon for two hours.

Dad and my brothers joined us with the rest of my “boy” friends that were boys as all the girls and their mothers were all getting their hair done for the wedding. Grandma wasn’t about to sit in a salon with a bunch of twittering hens she called them; she had already been to the salon before arriving at my Heber home. Letting my aunt Lavern do it, who had refused to come to this fiasco.

She didn’t approve of my new lifestyle among other things, the only thing she did approve of was me not living with my parents more so my father. She would have preferred that I stop involving my grandmother into my problems, period; and would have rather that I had chosen to stay with the Downing’s. Not chosen to come home to say goodbye, but left when the getting was good. Not even Coach Brady was willing to sit in a woman’s salon for two hours getting a headache from the fumes and the endless chatting.

I had told her several times how I had kicked myself long and hard for that decision and she said; “apparently not hard enough because you wouldn’t be here now causing your grandmother to worry like she is now.” 

That was last time we talked when she dropped my grandmother off when I was recovering at the Vincent’s from the poisoning. Again like I have said I am not closes with any of my relation or relatives. They see me as nothing but garbage or embarrassment. Not that I care really, I see them as people that did nothing but hide behind their closed doors as my parents beat me and my brother refuses to help us or stop them. So it really doesn’t surprise me that they knew nothing about my life.

Dad took grandmas arm as we walked the grounds and inside the buildings of the visitor center letting Eli and Tony take it all in. I had been here many times, I liked the pioneer history that brought the church to SLC and branched out from here.

Eli and Tony were like a kid in a candy store; letting Grandma and Dad explain things in little more detail than the tour guide and keeping an eye on the time. We stopped at a little diner not far from the temple. Tony and Eli stating we needed to come back here with the girls, perhaps on our way back to Heber after visiting my mother and my friends. It was nice to be myself again, but every place we went our adoring friends caught up with us. Having to stop and give them a sound bite answering questions. Like is it true you are marrying this boy that is with you? Are you stating you are gay?

I smiled and answered each of their questions, said. “First off I am not gay and neither Eli who will soon be my husband. Let me set the record straight. I am marrying Eli’s sister Rhoda, Eli is marrying Jackie her best friends happens to be my bride to be Rhoda, who is also marrying each other. I am marrying Eli because it is a family tradition that not only must we marry woman we must also must marry a guy and the same with his sister. It does not mean we are gay. It means we love each other enough to do so as we enter the bonds of marriage.”

"It is not as uncommon as you think it is. This town, this grand City of Salt Lake was built by Mormons, in the late 1840s during the time people the LDS church married more than one person. They did so not only to help family’s that did not have both parents but because God commands them to do it. Those days are gone, but some still believe and live it like Eli’s family that and my great, great grandparents. It is there wishes we are honoring. I will be a father to Eli’s children when Jackie and he have children, Eli will be a father to my children as well.

“We will share a house and we share a bed as a married couple, and we will share the same responsibilities as you do with your husband and wives. So does that make us gay because we have chosen to marry each other or we kiss as a couple? I would look up the term gay if I was you. Then ask yourself this question. What harm is there in kissing, I assure you, there are lot worst things a person can be doing and kissing isn’t one of them.”

I pulled Eli down and we kissed proving my point letting the bulbs flash when I released him I said. “We’d kiss our wives but they are busy getting their hair done for tonight.”  Getting the laughs I wanted. Turned around on a dime and said “Before you ask, just because I have no use of my legs, doesn’t mean my penis doesn’t work. I believe Rhoda can tell you that considering she is pregnant with my child. Print that in your papers.”

Dad helped Grandma onto the bus that Marriott hotel had loaned us to use, that had a wheelchair left on it. The camera’s flashed as each of us rode the lift and then drove off. Noticing that the news people were following us everywhere, like flies on spoiled fruit.

The moment we were all inside the building where the wedding was being held. The news people and the crowds were stopped behind the barriers. The girls greeted us as they pointed the clock on the wall indicating we were 15 minutes late. Dad said I had to talk to my adoring fans. Stringum said. “O’ and what did he have to say to make you 15 minutes late?”

Dad quickly explained that someone tried to accuse me and Eli of being gay. Stringum said. “I can understand that, but I also know they are not gay, and neither do the girls they are marrying.”

Dad said. “He also told them that Rhoda was pregnant with his child.”

Stringum waved it way said. “Good. That should really give them something chews on; did Eli happen to mention that Jackie was with child also?”

Eli shook his head and said “I wasn’t the one that needed to prove himself. It was my friend here because he wanted to show that his penis does work.”

Stringum said. “Please tell me you least kissed him? We have been over this Eli you must get used to kissing each other in public.” Eli nodded that he did. Stringum gave a heavy sigh, “more than once I hope?” He held up two fingers, Stringum said. “Not, good, but will work on that. You boys need to if we are going to sell this.” Grandma cringed when she heard him say that.

Eli said. “It’s little more difficult with him in a chair; then it is standing up.”

Stringum nodded then said. “I have been working on that problem with my engineers, there is a company in Canada that has developed a standing wheelchair, but it is bulky and doesn’t have much mobility as the one he is sitting in. So we gone back to the drawing board and found another solution, which is a collapsible pair of crutches in which we could fit inside a backpack, we have already exposed the fact that Nate Carrion and his brother need leg braces to walk short distances.

“So the idea was to make it so they could use these getting around a room like a classroom chair or blackboard. In fact, I had intended him to use them tonight and Tony. During the ceremony; perhaps you boys could practice that while the girls see to the final details of their wedding. And use the big fancy one for the reception.”

Eli and I nodded and he sent Landan to get them. The rest of our friends had deserted us to go sightseeing. Instead of being cooped inside watching paint dry, nobody was allowed in the chapel or the reception hall other than the people that had to be there. Even though we seemed to be alone we didn’t take the chance of me and Tony walking around the building. Instead, my butt was planted in my wheelchair as we practiced getting up and down as a severally handicapped person.

Tony didn’t need to remind me how important it was that I played this role. I knew how important it was; all I had to do was look at my adoptive family and my mother and my brother Aaron to know that if I screwed this up. We could all be dead, including Eli and the girls.

Tony and Stringum were arguing with Jeff about something. To everyone else, it looked like they were either arguing with each other or arguing with themselves. Tony had asked me if Jeff ever bothers me enough to drive me crazy because the guy just talks your ear off and complains all the time when asked to do something. Or if they ask him the impossible questions that only lead to more questions he refuses to answer.

I’ll I said was. “Yes, but I did warn you that he will only help you so far, wanting you to do most of the work not all of it.” making them even more frustrated and I for one was enjoying it because now they were seeing it from my perspective.

Landan soon came back with my dreaded braces and that made the work even harder. I had thought I was doing a pretty good job until they were strapped onto my legs. The only fun part I had was zipping up and down the aisle to my mark where I would be standing; which was marked with green masking tape.

Dad too was just as nervous as Jody was, because it was his turn to walk Jody down the aisle like he had done with her sister Kerry even though Jody and Dave were married last night for real, this was going to be the real deal and it meant that Jody too was all grown up and leaving the nest for good even though she moved out to go to college. I would catch Dad crying every so often and Jody holding him telling him she loves him and will never truly leave him. Dad would say “I know it’s just not the same.”

I had been told that Eli’s Dad was coming tonight so he could see his son and his daughter walk down the aisle. It was supposed to be a big secret and I was told not to say anything. I knew they both missed their father, but the only way they could see each other is in secret. Tony and Stringum were still trying to get the government to work out some sort of deal, considering he was willing to give intel on the satanic church which they really wanted.

Yet the problem was he was criminal that did bad things and sectioned other people to do them as well. Yet he wouldn’t be the first criminal in witness protection so he can testify at each of their trials. In some ways, he was great big crime boss turning stateside evidence. Not person that they really wanted on their streets or to be someone’s neighbor

So it was kept hush, hush to protect him and us because without a doubt the satanic church will be here tonight witnessing that our marriage is done civilly, so when we do it again in the satanic church in Heber.

They had no choice, but accept them as the real thing; which is common among churches that people sometimes have two weddings because their friends and families are of different faiths. Jody and Dave too will be married again, but it will be a temple marriage. I won’t be allowed inside and neither will most of my friends or my brothers; because it’s only for the grown-ups so they say. Mom and Dad will and the people like them because they have temple recommends.

Yes, nudists, have temple recommends… For now Stringum and Tony will have to pay their dues as to speak before they can get one and go. Today isn’t about that, today it is nothing more then a big show for the world to see and recognize what you can do if you have enough money to pull it off.