The City of Lovely Brothers (38 page)

Even Amanda drove her shay in to be there and brought a big plate of cookies with her. The bakery donated five pies, three apple and two mincemeat. People were intrigued and excited because it was the first public meeting to take place in Caladelphia, as Calvin was not the consultative type and had always gone ahead and done as he saw fit and told people about it later. They wondered if they would be asked to vote on something.

Calvin Jr. did not attend. Perhaps he had not seen Darcie's notices or bothered to read them. He probably would not have been interested enough to go if he had.

Darcie called the meeting to order. "What's this all about, Darcie?" a few people called out from their seats.

"Well, it's about this idea I had. We're most of us ranchers, and we do ranch work, but this place where we're 48living, it's more like a town what with all the houses and the stores and the streets, and there's a sizable number o'

people that live here that ain't ranchers, too. Which got me thinking. If it looks like a town, why not make it one?"

"Whattaya mean, make it one?" someone called out.

"I'm proposing we all get together and incorporate as a city, the city of Caladelphia."

A sudden hum of private conversations filled the room. "Anyone got any questions?" Darcie asked.

A dozen hands shot up.

"Ray? I think your hand went up first."

"What's the difference—"

"Stand up when you're saying something, will ya, Ray? So folks can hear ya good and know who's saying it."

Ray got to his feet. Just the fact that he was standing made the others stop talking amongst themselves to listen.

"I was asking what's the difference if we're a city or a ranch? I mean, would we just be doing this for looks?"

"Well, for one, the ranch wouldn't be mine and Calvin's private property no more. It'd belong to everybody living on it in a way. You wouldn't be owners, but you'd have a say."

"Who'd make the decisions, then?"

"A City Council, I guess. We'd hafta elect one.

We'd need a couple o' city officials, too. At least a mayor. Frank?"

"Who's gonna be mayor?"

"Depends on who we elect, don't it? But we don't get around to all that till we're officially a city. Sadie?"

"Do we gotta call it Caladelphia?"

"You can give it any name you like, but it seems to me Caladelphia's a place people've heard of, and they know where it is. Henry?"

"What's in it for us besides having a say in the decision making? I ain't sure I want that kinda

responsibility."

"That brings me to the other part o' my idea. Right now you're all paying me and Calvin rent. Your houses and the buildings where you got your businesses ain't your own.

If we become a city, I'm ready to sell 'em to you. I mean that Caladelphia'll become a real city, and not some rich person's private estate. You ain't serfs."

"What's serfs?" someone yelled out of order.

More private discussions followed, this time louder and more animated.

Clay raised his hand. "Me and the missus, we own our house already, so it's all the same to us. But the other folks here, Aunt Darcie, where they gonna get the money to buy you out?"

"My guess is that if they pay in installments, the 48store owners and such can buy their place o' business in three or four months, six tops. As for your homes, from the moment we ain't a ranch no more, me and Calvin are willing to consider some o' your rent as going to the purchase of your house. That way you could have 'em all paid up in a year or two. Maybe two and a half, depending on how big it is and if it got indoor plumbing and stuff like that. Anders?"

"Then we wouldn't hafta pay nothing after we own it?"

"Well, there'd be property taxes, but we can set 'em real low. I'd hafta ask you to pay your own taxes, too, right from the outset. Otherwise it'd take alot longer before you're owners. And the taxes wouldn't be going to me and Calvin. They'd go into the city coffers and be used for upkeep and making improvements. Like this schoolhouse could use some fixing up, for example."

"Then incorporating would cost me and Jared more," Clay objected.

"Me and Calvin 'd hafta pay them taxes too. And your kids go to the school, and you and Jared get for free all the advantages this place got to offer that the other folks here gotta pay for. Frank again."

"S'posing that we vote to do all this… My guess is we can't do it unless a majority votes we do." "That's right, Frank. But it don't hafta be the majority of people that live here, just the majority of them that showed up for this meeting."

"Okay, let's s'pose most of us are for it. How do we go about doing this incorporation thing?"

"Well, I looked into it, and from what I understand, first we gotta decide on a name, and we'll need what they call a charter and some kinda bylaws that say how many elected officials we're gonna have, and other stuff like that.

Then we bring in a surveyor to map out the city limits. He can map out the plots for your houses and stores and such at the same time. And then a lawyer to draw up the papers.

Then we send 'em to Helena, maybe with a representative to speak for us if they got questions at the legislature or courthouse or wherever, and then it's done. Ben?"

"That sounds like alot. Who's gonna do all that?"

"Can't be just one person. It gotta be a committee."

"They gonna get paid for it?" a voice called out.

"They can get paid if you think o' how to come up with the money to pay 'em. I was thinking more that people might wanna volunteer. Jason?"

"Since they're gonna be speaking for all of us, I say we oughtta vote for 'em. They can always turn us down if they don't wanna do it."

"Electing a committee comes after deciding to 48incorporate. Any more questions?"

There was a lot more people wanted to ask about

and even more opinions they wanted to get off their chests.

The first part of the meeting went on for nearly two hours before they stopped raising their hands. It was surprisingly orderly for a town meeting, thanks to Darcie's prestige and her take-charge manner.

"If there ain't no more questions, there're three things we could do now. We could vote on incorporating right now; or we could table it and all go home to think it over, and then come back for another meeting and vote on it; or we could take a half-an-hour-or-so break to talk about it amongst ourselves while we dig into them refreshments, and then have a vote."

Her third suggestion won by acclamation.

* * * *

It was nearly eleven o'clock when people went back to their seats and said they were ready to vote. "First someone gotta call the question," Darcie said.

Amanda called it.

"Now, if this passes, it gotta be by a majority.

Abstentions don't count as for. So I think we oughtn't even to allow 'em. You can vote for or against or to table it till 48another meeting. Anyone against a show o' hands?"

No one objected. The motion to incorporate passed almost unanimously.

"Now about that committee," Darcie said. "We oughtta chose who's gonna be on it tonight, or we'll hafta call another meeting. Any nominations or volunteers?

Frank, does that hand mean you're volunteering?"

"I was just gonna say that you should be on it, Darcie."

"I'm willing if people want me."

"Instead o' that worthless son o' yours," someone called out.

Darcie summoned up all her dignity and answered,

"I'm sure Calvin Jr. would have some good ideas to offer if he's elected. Now, I ain't gonna be a one-person committee, am I? How many d'ya all think we should have? Half a dozen?"

They decided on five. Along with Darcie, they

elected the veterinarian, the miller, the butcher's son-in-law, and one of the nurses at the infirmary.

If Darcie was anything, she was efficient, and, with the notable exception of her son, she could get anyone to do the work he was supposed to and get it done on time.

Before Wednesday, a surveyor came to Caladelphia and spent three days taking the necessary measurements. Just 48over a week later, he had completed his drawings. In six weeks, they had a plan for community governance, a charter and a set of bylaws. They showed what they had come up with to a lawyer, none other than Troilus Pardoner himself, who declared it satisfactory and just about watertight, but improperly worded. For a fee, he would take care of making the document sound legal and official.

The veterinarian, as the most highly educated man in the community, agreed to bring their petition to incorporate to Helena in person. Before he left, they held an election for mayor and city councilmen, which they had decided would be made up of five people. All the members of the
ad hoc
incorporation committee were elected to the council except the miller, who was elected mayor, and Darcie, who said that her receiving money from the people who were buying their houses and stores would constitute a conflict of interest. No one could figure out why it should, but she withdrew from the Council anyway. The Caladelphians elected Clay in her place, since they felt a Caldwell should be on it. The remaining seat was to be left vacant until the veterinarian got back from Helena.

Caladelphia Ranch became Caladelphia City in

mid-January 1927. Five months later, the new postmaster was elected to fill the vacant seat on the City Council. 488

In the fall of 1928, Jake stayed two days at

Caliban's and Nick's apartment in Davenport. He had decided to continue his studies at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore and specialize in orthopedic medicine. He had not told Caliban and Nick he was coming in order to surprise them. He knew that Caliban no longer worked, and he would find him at home.

Caliban's infirmity had limited the number of things he and Nick could do when they made love, but it did not affect their enjoyment or how often they did it. Nick could not raise Caliban's legs to fuck him on his back, and Caliban no longer had the mobility to fuck Nick lying behind him on their left sides. Nick could push his ass back into him and squirm, which felt good for both but did not bring either of them to climax. Nor could Caliban support himself on his knees to fuck Nick on his back. It worked when he lay on top of him, and that became their position of choice, but Caliban found that tiring too, and he did not have the strength to thrust hard. For deep and insistent penetration, Nick had to straddle and ride him. They also bought a battery-operated vibrator for Caliban to use on him. Nick fucking Caliban on their sides or lying on top of 48him posed no problem. Except for fucking Caliban on his back, they could do pretty much anything when Caliban took the passive role.

It also limited what they could do for oral sex, for Caliban could not kneel between his lover's legs and lean forward to suck him, and once he got into a position, it was difficult for him to shift his body into another. When Caliban sucked Nick, they generally sixty-nined, and Nick had to sit on his face for Caliban to rim him and suck his balls when they were in bed.

But these limitations also brought new discoveries.

If Nick put a pillow under Caliban's hips to raise him before getting on top of him, he could fuck him as deep as when they were young, and almost as hard and long if he kept his strokes even. They used their ingenuity and experimented with other places to have sex besides the bed.

If Nick moved the sofa and flopped Caliban over the back of it, he could fuck him almost indefinitely. The kitchen table worked well, too. Caliban could lie on it on his stomach without putting his weight on his feet while Nick fucked him, and if he put all his weight on his left leg, he could fuck Nick that way as well, but no more than ten minutes. It provided a bit of variety, but was not as good as the bed.

The main advantage of the table was for oral. Caliban would sit in a chair and Nick would lie on his back with his legs spread wide above his head, which made it possible for Caliban to give his crotch a thorough working over from navel to tail bone and also stick it to him for a few minutes. They did this frequently, for Nick loved Caliban to go down on him and it allowed him to be totally passive, and since he usually assumed the active role, his vulnerability in that exposed position made them seem more equal partners. Caliban felt no need to be in control.

He did not even notice he was when Nick lay on the table, open to whatever his lover felt like doing, but Nick loved the feeling of helplessness. He even had Caliban tie his ankles in place, saying it was easier on his back than holding them apart with his hands.

* * * *

Nick was at work when Jake arrived. Caliban

needed to brace himself on one of his crutches to get into a standing position, so it took him a couple of minutes to get to the door although he was sitting in the front room when he heard Jake's knock. He opened it, recognized his nephew, and his jaw dropped open. They had not seen each other in five years. Jake did not have to be a doctor to see at a glance that Caliban's hip was a lot worse. When Caliban had got over his surprise and Jake

had told him his plans, Caliban asked, "And Ann and the kids?"

"I'll send for them when I've found a house and settled into it with furniture. Until then they'll stay with Ann's parents in Omaha. We've sold the house and my practice in Lincoln."

"How long can you stay?"

"Two nights, and then I have a late night train."

"We only have one bedroom."

"I can sleep on the sofa. You have an extra pillow and blankets?"

"Of course. How long was the trip from Omaha?

You must be tired. Or maybe you'd like a bath?"

"I'd love one. Why don't you come and sit next to me while I'm having it so we can chat?" It made Caliban feel good inside to know that his favorite nephew had no qualms about the uncle he knew to be homosexual seeing him naked. Of course Jake didn't hold it against him, but most men are afraid of being ogled by men who might be sexually attracted to them.

Jake put his suitcase on the sofa and took out a change of clothes. Then he undressed and put everything he had been wearing in a laundry bag. Caliban averted his eyes so as not to stare at him. "You don't have to turn away," Jake said. "You and Nick have seen me take a bath before."