Redwood Nine Ch. 12

The entire group of over twenty young people gave their attention and respect to Jake, as he looked at them, not with hatred or disgust, but a disappointment that riled him, that children had lost respect for their parents and elders.

"I was coming back across the eastern part of France, after running messages to the front lines on my motorcycle. I had to go through some areas that either we had, or the German's had taken back. This one time, the German's had taken it back and I rode past a sentry on a motorcycle. He'd been stationed there to watch for troop movements and now I was the rabbit, to his hound. I rode my ass off, but he stayed with me the whole time. I heard him shooting off a few rounds with his machine gun at me."

The faces on everyone showed they were rapt with suspense, as he relayed the event.

"I was on an open stretch, I had it wide open, going as fast as my bike would go and trust me, I wasn't even sure if the thing would hold together, or I'd lose control and crash, ending any worry of being shot. I remembered the curve coming up, up ahead and I knew I had to slow down to take it, or I'd wipe out for sure, but then he would catch up and have an easy shot at me."

The tension was thick in the air, as everyone listened, including Marlene.

"I started to slow and waited for the bullets to start tearing into me, when I heard his bike make an odd sound and then crashed. The bike was wrecked completely, hitting the steep hillside and smashing into the trees, while he became part of a tree, or at least most of him. Going that fast, tends to put an awful strain on the body to hold itself together. I stopped and went back, wondering what the hell had happened, when I heard your dad's voice from up in the trees. He was a sniper for a unit mine had hooked up with, when we advanced together. He'd been up in that tree almost two days, when I came along. He spent two more, before he was relieved of that assignment. You know how many men your dad saved, doing that? Hundreds. I heard stories of him shooting out other snipers the Krauts had stationed along the routes. Dead Eye Dick, was what he was called back then. Their snipers took out hundreds of our boys, your dad stopped them, not as a unit, but all by himself. He had to go in alone and get set up, without getting seen, or caught. He did what was was asked of him, nothing more. All he had to go on, was his ability to shoot a moving deer through a scope and travel quietly through the woods. He survived because he wanted to. He had your mother to come back to. He'd write to her as much as he could. Sometimes he'd be sending four or five letters at once, because he was unable to get them to me, or another courier."

Star was listening with a new found interest of his father and who he was. Jake could tell he was, because he saw the sense of disappointment in Star's face, knowing he had never honoured his father properly, or gave him a chance to be someone to him.

"I remember sitting around at camp, when he was between missions, he'd be the first one having fun and pulling pranks and cracking jokes with the guys. Everyone liked your dad, but more so, they respected him and thought of him in the highest of regards. They all owed their life to him, because he risked his, to protect theirs. We all hated the war as much, or even more than you all do and wished we could be back home with loved ones and live a happy life, but we were called upon and we did what was needed doing and came back. I know it's different now, this Vietnam war is the biggest mistake the government has ever made and it doesn't look like they're ready to admit they're wrong yet, either. These boys have been there and done their time and came back. Now society looks down on them, because the threat to our way of life isn't there anymore, so it's doesn't matter to society the same."

The hippies could see the reality of what they fought against, being presented in a new way to them. One from a perspective of being there and having just cause for hating war and its atrocities. Heads nodded in agreement with his words and he saw he had gotten through to them, presented an understanding of what it means to give it all up and put your life aside, for the sake of others. Star voiced his groups feelings, to the man who had put another truth to the way things were, especially for him.

"JT said you were a good man, Jake and now I truly believe him. I see the love you have for your brothers and JT has told me how you have taken care of him and the club. Marlene, we are in your debt for allowing us to camp here. We will make sure not to disturb you in any way and be gone, as soon as the bus is fixed. And Jake, thank you for telling me about my dad, I should be a better son to him."

Two sets of headlights caught their attention, as they approached out of the darkness. The first to pull in was Wally, followed by Clay. They drove up and parked close to everyone and got out. Once again, introductions were made to Jake and Marlene, then they bid everyone a good evening and to keep the noise down low, then walked hand in hand into the office and shut off the lights inside. The guys knew they would be occupied with other things, instead of them, once the sheets were laid upon.

The girls were all over Ann-Marie, asking about the make over. She happily announced her new name given to her and the girls immediately wanted to have a new name of their own. The guys weren't as interested in that part of things, but more about the new way to get in touch with themselves. Moon was quite happy to talk about the wonder drug, LSD with them and all it's magical powers.

Phoenix brought out a portable radio and turned it on, then adjusted the tuner to pick up a station. The Mamas and Papas were just finishing singing California Dreaming, then it went straight into the Byrds and their song, Turn, Turn, Turn. The words were sung out, but their meaning was clear and felt by them all, as they listened. Each verse JT heard, brought back a vision of recent history he had just lived through and could see the words were making them all take stock of their lives at that moment and who they were.

Visions of Martin Luther King jr. and Robert F. Kennedy being assassinated, riots and protests taking place across the country about the Vietnam war and racism against the American blacks, who only wanted a chance to have more than the pittance given to them to live off of. Poverty was showing it's ugly side everywhere, as more struggled to understand where the prosperity was supposed to be and rioting won out. They had circled the moon and knew it was only a matter of time, before they would walk upon it, but lives and families were struggling to keep the status quo, let alone save and look forward to a brighter tomorrow. The song ended and left everyone speechless for a moment, as they gathered their thoughts back from where they went in their minds. Change was coming, that they knew, what it was and what it would do to the way things were, was something they had to wait for and find out what they would become and what would be.

JT could feel the peace inside himself and could see it on the faces of everyone in the circle. What he was experiencing was something his soul needed to know, something it needed to grow on. He began having feelings about the club, ones that nagged at him to rethink his choices. He liked riding, but the threat of violence at their door, was weighing on him. Money was their only goal, the objective being their clubhouse and the club itself. Now he was looking at Moon and his people and what they were searching for, giving up on material possessions, in search of true happiness and the way they were going about achieving it.

Suzy was now saying she wanted to be called by her new name, Stardust, the other girls wanting to use their new names as well. Wally was sitting beside Ann-Marie, but his body language was saying he wasn't with her. She was sitting beside Golden, becoming more like her new friend and would now only answer to anyone, if she was called Azure. Wally had a reluctance to accept it all, but he wasn't against it either and Tom sensed that in him. He tapped his shoulder and told him to join him and went for a walk down the road into the darkness. vanishing from sight of the others, the bottle of bourbon passed between them.

Moon was sitting beside JT and nudged him, as he saw Wally walk away with Tom.

"Wally is still finding it hard to accept who Annie has become. He still hangs on to the old way of believing how things should be and can't accept the changes she's made to herself. He can't find his own happiness in another's happiness. We have learned to find happiness in ourselves, by making those we love feel good, make them feel the love you have for them. Words are easy to say, JT. It's what we do, that truly shows how we feel for one another."

JT sat in inner turmoil, seeing both directions he was being given to choose from. Both had elements of who he was, what he wanted to be. Both offered the same brotherhood and love of freedom. The big difference that weighed on him, was his love for his brothers and which way would bring about the better end results for them. Guns were sought to protect themselves against the ones who wanted to take away their livelihood and do them harm, which made sense to them all, but JT knew in his heart, that one day would come, when those guns would be drawn and they would have to decide in the blink of an eye, to end another man's life, or face losing their own.

Suzy saw he was drifting off to a place he didn't like and brushed his hair back from his face and pulled him to her.

"Hey you, don't be glum. Kiss me and show me some loving. I want to be one with you tonight, Baby."

JT saw the sparkle of Suzy's eyes in the moonlight, as she looked at him, waiting for his lips to press against hers. One thing he did know he was sure of, was being with her and sharing their time together. She never presented herself as a problem to him, the prior events with Annie and Marlene chocked down to experimenting in choices in life. Since then, she had been more devoted to him and showed no more signs of wandering to the other side, showing him how to please her in the new ways instead. JT saw the intimate love Suzy held in her eyes for him and felt it hit him inside. It didn't take much of a decision to decide to excuse themselves and the pair went into their unit. The lights went on for only a few minutes and went off again, telling most, that the pair were engaged in some serious loving.

That move sparked a notion in others to follow suit and amorous advances were accepted happily. Couples began peeling off and heading into tents and rooms. Wally stood up and began walking away from Golden and Azure, who were standing together, saying goodnight to Moon and Spirit. Moon motioned with his head towards the lone figure, fading away into the shadows of the night again. He smiled at them, then ducked into the tent with Spirit, giggles and moans coming back out. Phoenix invited Tom and Clay to join him and Rainbow in his tent, where they had the chance to lie with Poppy and Flower for the night and let them explain free love in a way they understood.

Golden looked at Azure and knew Wally was feeling the way he was, because of their connection. She took Azure's hand and they went after Wally, catching up to him, then each of them took one of his hands and walked him into his unit, before he could say anything. The door closed and both of them pushed Wally onto the bed. He sat in shock of their boldness, looking at both of the long haired beauties, as they started to undress.

The light from the moon, shone bright enough through the crack in the curtains, to highlight their bodies, Golden's hair shimmering, while Azure's white hair and skin seemed to glow. He saw them climb on the bed with him, one to either side and lips began kissing him, then fingers were undoing buttons and zippers. Wally finally lay naked and exposed, as warm flesh was pressed against him, the wetness of lust wrapping around his manhood and bringing it to life. All that had passed before in his thoughts, was being wiped away by the two women, as they shared the love they felt within them, with him. He gave up any resistance to the lifestyle he disagreed with before and let himself be taken away to new heights of pleasure, that his companions were eager to instill in him. As he lay with his eyes closed and felt the sensuous gifts being given to him, the darkness his eyes saw, began to see a pink haze light it up, becoming the colour of love.