Consequences Sandy Ch 04

[It's a good bet that this story will not make sense if you haven't read chapters 1, 2 and 3. This is a story about a polyamorus family. They may not live is a world that looks much like the world you live in. It's Ok. They live in a fictional world. The laws of Nebraska, Washington or Germany do not necessarily apply.]

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"I'm not his mother!"

"When Martha brings her kids to the house you become Momma Jenn. I become Daddy Nick. John becomes Daddy John. Every one of those changes changes all our relationships with all the other adult-to-adult relationships in the family. Being my wife changes your relationship to Sandy, Karen, Donna, and Janice."

"I'm wondering if Martha has thought about all of this." Jenn said.

"I'm sure she's thought about some of it, but perhaps not all. I haven't wrapped my thinking around being a Daddy. I know that. I have no experience being a Dad or having a child see me as a parental figure. Having a Dad doesn't qualify me for the job of being one anymore than having had my appendix out qualifies me to be a surgeon. We are all into new territory and we need to lean on each other to learn how to be who we now are."

"John was introducing me to thinking about being his wife, his lover, his sister and..."

"I don't think so." Sandy said. "John was letting all of us know that as far as he's concerned he accepts that he is loved, accepted and it's not just because Bill got hurt. He was letting you know that his interest in you goes beyond being your housemate, brother and fellow worker at the BC. He sees you as a lover and wife, too."

"I don't think he's had a single thought about a week from now he's going to be Daddy John." I said.

"Even if he hasn't thought about all that, he certainly has prompted me to think about all of it." Jenn said.

"And probably Bill's call to Martha got her thinking, too." Sandy said.

Our rooms were across the hall from each other. Martha and Jennifer in 244 Jeremiah in 246 and Sandy and me in 245. We had dinner together in the hotel dining room. I noticed we were all more than a little somber and serious as we started the meal. When the salads were gone and the main meals served Martha said, "We're acting like the church leaders have some power over us. I know I haven't done anything wrong. Each of us knows we just want to be free to love each other. The old men who will presume to judge us live in a world we have already rejected. We will attend their hearing simply to declare that we haven't done anything wrong. We haven't even done anything illegal."

"So, maybe we should talk about what being something other than normal looks like, starting right after the hearings." Jenn said.

Jeremiah asked, "Will you live with the family and accept that you are wife to Nick, Bill and John?"

As Martha answered, "Yes" Jennifer nodded her agreement.

Jeremiah asked, "Will you teach Matthew and Ruth to call them Daddy Nick, Daddy John and Daddy Bill?"

"Yes." Martha said, "And Momma Karen, Momma Sandy, Momma Donna, Momma Janice and Momma Jenn! What lucky children to have so many people loving them!"

Jeremiah looked at me and asked, "Is there going to be a wedding, bringing Martha and Jennifer into the marriage?"

"There can be. Why?"

"I'd like to be invited. I think Martha's mom would like what you are doing. It may not be the way we were raised but it seems more in line with how I read scripture than how the church does things. If I were a few year younger I might want to think about joining in a family like yours, too."

Sandy touched his arm and said, "In case you don't know it, you're already in. Your Grandpa to the kids and Dad to Martha. With your permission, I'd be honored to call you Daddy as well."

"What about your real Daddy?" Jeremiah asked.

"He died some years ago. I lived for a while with Pete, Nick's Dad, and I felt like he was my second Dad. He died last year. I think maybe I should warn you... if you accept you probably will become Daddy to Jennifer, Janice, Karen and Donna too."

"I accept."

The somber tone of the evening had lightened and we went for a walk together after finishing dinner.

Early the next morning we met together and walked the three blocks to the Church for Martha's hearing.

When we arrived James, Albert and three other men were sitting outside the room where the hearings would be held. Only one empty chair was left in the area. None of the seated men got up and offered Martha, Jennifer or Sandy a chair. I went back to the reception area and picked up a chair, bringing it back to the waiting area. When I put it down for Sandy or Jennifer none of the other men got up. Jeremiah went to the reception area and got another chair. He and I stood. Our ladies had chairs.

The letters had specified the starting time as ten o'clock. The door to the room opened at quarter after ten and we were invited inside. The room reminded me of a courtroom. There were three tables. One table for the five men already seated at that table and two smaller tables facing the five judges. The two smaller tables had a single chair at each table. Behind the two smaller tables were eight folding chairs.

James sat at one of the smaller tables. Albert and three other men sat behind him on folding chairs. Martha saw what James had done and she sat in the other single chair at the other smaller table. Jennifer, Sandy and I sat with Jeremiah on the folding chairs behind Martha.

When everyone was seated the judge in the middle of the five said, "This hearing is called to determine if the allegations of adultery charged against Martha Simmons, wife of Pastor James Simmons are valid. This is not a court of law it is a simple hearing held to reach the truth about the allegations. James, do you have your witnesses all here and ready to proceed?" He nodded and said, "Yes, we are here are prepared."

The judge looked at Martha and asked, "Mrs. Simmons, do you have all your witnesses here and ready to proceed?"

Martha said, "We are here Sir, however we did not receive a response to our request for the definitions of adultery and abandonment that we requested. May we have those before this hearing goes any farther?"

"Yes. Adultery, for this hearing, is the act of a married woman having engaged in sexual activity with a man or men with whom she is not married. Abandonment is not the subject of this hearing and therefore that definition is not needed."

Martha nodded. The judge sitting at the end of the table closest to James asked, "James, you are the husband of Martha Simmons and you are the one alleging that she has committed adultery. Correct?"

James nodded and said, "Yes."

"What proof do you offer for this allegation?" The judge asked.

"The testimony of these witnesses, Sir." He said, turning and pointing at the four men seated behind him.

The first witness called was Albert, Jennifer's husband. He sat in the chair between the smaller tables, facing the judges. He was asked questions by the judges and answered their questions about how he knew that Martha committed adultery.

In his testimony Martha interrupted, saying, "Objection."

Before she could voice what her objection was the center judge said, "This is not a court. You may ask questions of this witness after he gives his testimony. Please do not interrupt again."

She stayed quiet. When he was finished testifying the judge pointed at Martha and asked, "Do you have any questions for this witness?"

"Yes. At the beginning of this hearing the judge said that adultery was a sexual act between a married woman and a man or men she is not marred to. Making it more pointed the allegation is that the sex act is between me and some man other than James Simmons. My first question for you is this, what man or men do you know, for a fact, that I have shared sexual activity with?"

Albert looked at her, then at James and answered, "You said..."

Martha held up her hand and said, "The answer to my question would be a name or names of a man or men that you know I have shared sexual activities with. Have you seen me engaging in sexual activities with any man?"

"I haven't actually seen you engaged in sex."

"Have you used any of your five senses to see, feel, taste, smell or hear me having sex with anyone?"

"No, but you said you wanted to!"

"So, you have no direct knowledge of my infidelity. Thank you. No more questions. This witness has presented no evidence I did anything."

The judge looked at James and asked, "Can any of your witnesses testify to seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting or feeling Mrs. Simmons having sex with someone?"

"No, but..."

The judge held up his hand and said, "Then you don't have a witness." He turned slightly to Martha and said, "You may call your first witness."

Martha stood and said, "I brought a DVD of a dinner where James and his friends came to dinner at the home of Sandy and Nick." She pointed at us. "The discussion that evening was about love and shows why I am not living with James at this time. The conversation is the basis for why I left the dinner and had John Barnes take me home."

The lead judge said, "We have all seen the DVD and watched the dinner. There is no need for us to see it again. Proceed."

Martha was still standing, holding the DVD case in her hand. She put it on the table and said, "After I received the letter from you about this hearing I had friends volunteer to be here for me. If you watched the DVD you saw and heard the testimony of Nick and Sandy as well as seeing that Jennifer was abandoned by her husband. I am grateful for their emotional support, but I do not intend to call on them to testify."

She turned slightly and looked at us, mouthed the words "Thank you" then turned back to the judges.

"The other person sitting behind me is my father, Jeremiah Wilkerson. His support and belief in who I am is powerful and he wouldn't be here if he believed for a moment that I was guilty of adultery. Thank you, Daddy for your love and support."

The judge asked, "If you are not calling any of these people as witnesses, what are you doing in you defense?"

"I'm standing before you to tell you that the man who made the accusation of my infidelity has shown no evidence that the accusation is true. I stand here to declare before you and before God that only one man has ever had sexual relations with me. I willingly gave him my virginity on our wedding night and gave him two children in the years that followed our wedding. I have not committed adultery. My request of you, as leaders of the church is that at the end of this hearing you grant me a divorce from James. I love him but cannot remain his wife. He no longer believes that love is the key to being a Christian. He said so on the DVD and by his actions afterwards."

She sat down.

The five judges conferred and after a short conference the lead judge announced, "We do not need to meet somewhere else to give you our judgment. You need not wait six months for our opinion. Martha Simmons, there has been, is no evidence presented here to show that you have done anything that would have us label you an adulteress. In line with your request, we cannot grant you a legal divorce. That is not something we can do. However, we can give you a divorce in the eyes of the church. That we grant as of today." He stood and said, "We are concluded."

Jennifer stood and said, "Since my hearing is scheduled for day after tomorrow and the same evidence or lack of evidence will be presented, can we conclude my matter as well?"

The head judge looked at James and Albert and asked, "Given how you presented your case today, have you any evidence to show that Mrs. Parker is guilty?"

James and Albert looked at each other and Albert said, "No new evidence, Sir. But, I believe she wants to have sex with Nick!" His voice was raised and he was clearly frustrated.

The judge sat down and asked, "Albert, do you love Jennifer?"

"I did! But when she said she wanted to love Nick and live in a family like theirs I knew she wanted to have sex with him! I can't love her and share her!"

The judge looked at Jennifer and motioned her to sit down. He looked back at Albert and said, "I want you to listen carefully to me, all of you. There are many interpretations of what the Bible says. Churches have divided over the question of which baptism is the correct baptism. Can a man love more than one woman? Can a woman love more than one man? The answer is yes. Can they live together and have the relationships serve each of them? I say the answer is yes, if they are willing to work at it and work at it all the time. The church does not teach polyamorus relationships and doesn't perform group marriages. We grant Jennifer Parker's request for a divorce effective today. Legally, you still need to go through the courts. We do not need to meet two days hence. We are concluded." He turned and left the room. The other four judges followed him.

Martha and Jennifer hugged and the rest of us gathered around them and joined in the hugs. James, Albert and their supporters gathered their things and were about to leave the room when Martha said, "James! May I have a minute?"

He stopped, turned and faced her. She walked to him and said, "I don't think you understand why we are divorced. It's not that I don't love you, I do. I'm no longer married to you because Matthew and Ruth need to grow up knowing about love and about loving. Given your actions and statements you are not the best teacher for them. I can't see you being able to teach your son about how to show a woman love, care, honor or affection. You aren't able to show Ruth how a man of honor behaves toward a woman he loves, me. I know this because I've watched you and I've seen examples of men who can do all the things I needed you to do. I believe you could be a powerful influence, a powerful teacher of love, if you were focused on that instead of being focused on being right."

Jennifer moved to be close to Albert as Martha spoke to James. She softly said, "I have loved you for a year longer than we were married. I still love you. I cannot live with you or be with you and any time you want to know why look back and remember that you called me a whore, when you knew I hadn't done anything wrong. You charged me with adultery when you knew I hadn't done anything with anyone but you. I love you, but I cannot even say I like you. Please, don't call, don't write, don't email me. We are done. The most loving thing you could possibly do for me would be to move away." She leaned forward and kissed his cheek and quickly moved away from him.

Albert said, "I'm so glad we didn't have children! I'm glad my children wouldn't have you for a mother! I still believe you wanted to have sex with Nick, John and probably Bill too when you said the things you did at dinner."

Sandy took my arm and helped Jennifer take my other arm. Martha took her Dad's arm and we quietly left the building. Martha and Jennifer were crying. Sandy was close to crying and I was holding tears back, attempting to be strong for the women I love.

Outside, we walked to the hotel and I heard Jeremiah say, "The need to be right can be stronger than a man's good sense, sometimes. Someday maybe both those men will realize what they lost today."

Back at the hotel Jennifer went to her room for a while and said she "just needed a little while to grieve." Martha called her kids at the ranch and talked to them, then she came and spoke with Sandy, Jeremiah and me.

"I'm a little unsteady right now." She said. "The hearing went better than I thought it would. Are Matthew and Ruth welcome in the family? Really?"

I said, "I've done a lot of thinking about them and the family. I've never been a Dad. Neither have John or Bill. You, Matthew and Ruth are family. Of course you're welcome. By the time we're back their bedrooms will be finished and ready for them to move in. There will be beds, furniture and toys in those rooms. Are you ready to have them have Momma Sandy, Momma Karen, Momma Janice, Momma Donna, Daddy John, Daddy Bill and Daddy Nick?"

Her face brightened and she said, "For all the reasons we spoke of at dinner and since, YES! I'm ready for our children to be raised in that much love!"

I asked, "Have you talked to them about their new family? About having multiple Dads and moms?"

"I told them that when I came back from Lincoln we would be moving back to town, that they would be going back to their schools and that we would be living in a big house with lots of other people. I didn't say you all would be their Dads and Moms."

"Are we?" I asked.

"I hadn't thought that far, I guess. Yes, all the adults in the family are parents. I need to stop thinking of Matthew and Ruth as my kids and think of them as our kids. James always thought of me as their Mom, but when I left them with him he thought he was babysitting. Are you going to babysit them?"

Sandy said, "I was a good babysitter when I was in high school. But I was clear I was watching someone else's kids to keep them safe. Matthew and Ruth are becoming part of our family. I'll be taking care of our kids. I'll be their mom, too!"

I looked at Jeremiah and said, "That means instead of you having a daughter you have many daughters and three sons you didn't have six months ago. Can all of us call you Dad?"

"You really want me that deeply involved that I'm Dad to the whole family?" He asked.

Sandy, Martha and I nodded.

He was quiet for a while and then said, "Ok. I'm in." Martha and Sandy hugged him. Jeremiah said he had some things to take care of and agreed to meet with us at one o'clock for lunch. He left us.

After the door closed, leaving Sandy, Martha and me alone in our room Sandy looked at Martha and asked, "Are you ready to let us express our love for you with physical affection and even sex?"

"Us?" Martha asked. The question surprised her enough that she took a step back.

"Us. I love Nick, Bill and John. I also love my sisters and you're one of my sisters. We've hugged. Am I limited to hugs because neither of us has boy plumbing or can we kiss and comfort each other, too?"

"Wow! We've talked a lot about love since the dinner at Pete's house, but somehow I never went that far in my thinking. I guess my training was pretty strong about the rules for being a girl. A normal girl." She paused.

Sandy and I stayed quiet. Martha spoke again, "I'm not a lesbian."

Sandy said, "Lesbians limit the expression of love to other women. Gay men limit it to other men. Heterosexuals limit the expression to people with different plumbing fixtures. I haven't seen Nick, John and Bill express their love physically and all that means is that I haven't seen it. I have expressed my love and affection with my sisters and our husbands. When you are ready, I am ready to share my love with you, too. I'm sure Nick is ready to give you the fullest expression of his love, physically, emotionally and spiritually. He won't push or force you. None of us will."

"So... what happens next?" Martha asked.

I answered, "I think we go get Jennifer and meet Dad for lunch." I took both women by their hands and we went across the hall to Jennifer's room. I knocked.

Martha said, "I have a key."

"We'll wait for her to answer." Sandy said. The door opened and a freshly washed face belonging to Jenn smiled at us. She said, "We can pick up the kitchen stuff any time we want!"

While we had lunch we decided to pick it all up early in the morning and head home. Jeremiah volunteered to go home, pack up the kids and bring them to the Gingerbread House. Martha wanted to go with him. A phone call home let the rest of the family know what was happening and the results of the hearings.

After dinner Martha called the kids and told them to get ready to move back to town. She wanted them packed and ready when she and Grandpa got to the ranch the next day. They would sleep at the ranch, then Grandpa and Martha would take them back to town. She promised us that she would talk to the kids about the family, about their new parents and their new home.