Epilogue II

Then the three went off with King to have lunch, leaving Bobbie and Prince alone with Callaway. "So how is my favorite teenybopper?" John Callaway asked Bobbie with a grin.

"Jack Callaway, you stop that this instant! I'm ... I'm a matron," Bobbie said with her nose in the air while desperately trying to suppress both her smile and her giggles. "I am about to have a baby — any day now."

"Golly, what happened to the old-style pregnancies? You know — when the expectant mother looked like a small house?" he asked innocently.

Quickly unbuttoning her chambray shirt, Bobbie ripped out the shirttails and spread it open wide. "Just you look, Jack Callaway!" she exclaimed. "See how swollen my tits are? And ... and ... and it's getting really hard to button my Levi's, too!"

"Golly!" he exclaimed with his eyes wide. "You must be about ready to deliver if you have a problem buttoning your jeans ... But, Barbara Bradley Conroy, I would consider it a personal favor if you would kindly button your damned shirt! How do you suppose it makes me feel to look at possibly the most beautiful pair of tits God ever put on a woman when Kelly isn't even here to ... to help me."

She grinned but buttoned two of the buttons. Then she looked at him closely and shook her head. "I see another change in you, Jack: no glasses." Then she looked closer and said, "It hasn't stopped yet, has it? You now look more like about ... oh, twenty-two or twenty-three."

Callaway pretended to frown and then just grinned and shook his head, "You may be right. You wouldn't believe what Kelly and I have done three times in the last two weeks..."

"Pulled an all-nighter?" Bobbie inquired blandly. "Yes, I'd believe it. Particularly since Kelly called me after each one, just before she fell asleep," she added with a big grin.

Over the intervening five years, Kelly Callaway had become one of Bobbie's best friends. She had come to love the beautiful girl and utterly adored having first Kirsty, and then Jamie in her school. She knew that Jack's driver's license said he was fifty-nine years old, but for him the calendar had been running slowly backwards ever since the day Andy and Ken had saved his life with their prayers. His reaction to her response was just to grin.

"And what about the annual courthouse softball game?" Bobbie asked innocently. "Have the clerks and bailiffs — or for that matter, your fellow judges — figured it out yet?" She grinned and continued, "Just imagine! A fifty-nine-year-old judge pitching? And firing the ball so damned fast the other folks couldn't even see it?"

Callaway just grinned and pointed out that Eddie Feighner was still pitching softball in his sixties.

Bobbie just politely stuck out her tongue and continued, "But Kelly in center field ... She was utterly spectacular! Could you believe the way she ran down that fly ball and caught it as she dove while running straight away from the plate?"

"Bobbie," Callaway said with a warm smile, "that was one of the best nights of my life! When we went home after the picnic, I just climbed in the shower with her and washed the dirt off her magnificent body. Then I carried her to bed and asked if she knew any more tricks."

"And?" Bobbie asked.

"She sure did!" he said with a grin. "That night when Kirsty came in asking about dinner, her mother just gasped between orgasms that she and Jamie would have to fend for themselves."

He shook his head, remembering. "Do you know what that girl did then? She came over, got on the bed, and just put her hand lightly on Kelly's loins while I'm fucking her and she is in continuous orgasm. Our little teacher said, 'Golly, Mom, I never knew a woman's pelvis could move in so many different directions at the same time.'

"Then she just got off the bed and left the room, carefully closing the door behind her." He just shook his head and said, "God, I adore that woman!"

Then he said, "Speaking of baseball, should Kelly and I plan on another trip to Williamsport this summer? Are you planning on defending your championship? And by the way, that was really a dirty trick you pulled on those poor kids from Taiwan last summer!"

As a part of their physical education, Bobbie's original class had organized a Little League baseball team the previous year. Being the children they were, they went all the way and won the Little League World Series, demolishing a very good team from Taiwan in the final game. The team was a record-breaker for the Little League in a great many ways. First of all, few championship teams — teams that made it to the finals in Williamsport, Pennsylvania — had any girls on them at all. Those teams that did have girls seldom let them play when the chips were down. However, the Clifford & Jamison Tigers — that was their team name — had only twelve players, eight of whom were girls. The pitchers — there were only two — were Andy and Ken.

Ken was a power pitcher, while everyone teased Andy about being the junk girl. She had an incredible variety of pitches ranging from curves and sliders, to a knuckle ball and even including a sneaky fast ball she threw from time to time. But with her variety of pitches she had incredible control. She could put any pitch she threw within an inch of where she wanted it as it crossed the plate. Ken had a very hot and moving fast-ball coupled with a fast curve, a slider, and a devastating change-up. He, too, could put any of his pitches exactly where he wanted it.

Betsy Clifford was the catcher. In addition to everything else, she had her mother's exuberance and indefatigable sense of humor. Regardless of the game situation, she could be relied upon to come up with a joke or wisecrack to relieve any tension. Kirsty Callaway played shortstop teaming with Karen Chan at second base to form a spectacular double-play combination. Laura Benson played third and Cindy Cartwright played first. Mike Morris was normally in left field while Chuck Conrad played right. (For the last few years, Charley had been using the nickname, Chuck, to differentiate himself from his father.) Finally, Casey Jackson, the fastest person on the team, covered center field.

The remaining players who could — and did — play any position at all, including pitcher — were Susan Carlson and the newest member of the class, Sean Cavanaugh, the son of Kevin and Kelly Cavanaugh, who had been sent by his parents in Chicago to live with Bill and Kathy Cartwright in order for him to be able to go to Bobbie's school.

The game against the Taiwan team was really won before the first pitch when the two teams met each other. First, the Taiwanese were astounded when they were greeted by all of the Tigers speaking perfect Chinese. Then, when Karen Chan met the team's star pitcher who was scheduled to pitch the game against them, she wrapped her arms around his neck, burned his lips with a kiss, and told him how handsome he was, all in his own native dialect. The combination of her exquisite oriental beauty coupled with the power of her kiss left the poor boy in a daze.

Furthermore, before the game began, the two teams were lined up along the baselines with the Americans lined up between home plate and first base with Prince, serving as the team mascot, sitting up proudly at the end, while the Taiwan team lined up on the third-base line. To the visitors' astonishment, all of the Tigers joined in singing the Taiwan national anthem in Chinese and stood at attention as the flag of Taiwan was raised on a flagpole beyond the centerfield fence. Then they remained at attention and fervently sang The Star Spangled Banner as the American flag was raised on its own somewhat higher flagpole.

Nevertheless, the game had been very hard-fought. In spite of Andy's pitching skill, the Formosans had excellent batting eyes and very quick reflexes. They were able to adjust to her pitches and succeeded in hitting her. But they were not a match for the reflexes or speed of the Tigers. The last straw was when the Taiwan power hitter really tagged one of Andy's pitches and drove it to deep center field. However, Casey was off at the crack of the bat and positioned herself at the fence. Then with an incredible vertical jump with her glove extended as high as she could reach, she caught the ball in the webbing of her glove just before it went over the fence for what would have been a three-run home run.

For the young men from Taiwan, their incredible experience was not yet over. At the conclusion of the game, each Tiger sincerely congratulated each member of the Taiwan team on brilliant play and outstanding sportsmanship. At the Little League banquet that night with all of the parents present, James Chan, Karen's grandfather, was sitting with an executive of the Taiwan Little League. After the speeches — with Karen, speaking on behalf of the Tigers, congratulating their opponents — the Formosan introduced James Chan as the owner of the company in Taiwan that sponsored the team and employed the parents of almost all of its players.

Chan rose from his seat and in his native Chinese congratulated the boys on representing their country and their families so well. He said that bonuses would be paid to all of the factory workers to congratulate them. Then he said with a smile, "As the owner of the company sponsoring your team, I was extraordinarily proud. Unfortunately, I was unable to cheer for your team today. You see, my granddaughter, Karen, plays second base for the Tigers, so ... But since I'm sure your families are very important to each of you, I'm equally certain that you understand!"

The boy who had pitched for the Taiwan team turned bright red when he heard Mr. Chan's words. Only then did he realize that the girl with whom he had fallen madly in love was the company owner's granddaughter! Then he wanted to hide under the table when he looked at Karen and found her looking at him. Seeing that he was looking at her, Karen smiled very warmly, licked her lips and winked. Then she formed her lips into another kiss.

Answering Callaway's question, Bobbie shrugged and nodded. "I guess we'll be expected to defend our championship," she replied. "And this year, with the kids a year older..." She just shook her head and said, "Jack, do you know what they have their hearts set on doing?" she asked rhetorically. "They want to play the whole season without giving up a run, if possible, and at the very least, not losing a game!"

With a warm smile she added, "I don't know what we would do without Kirsty, by the way. She is utterly incredible at shortstop! The range that girl has! And her ability to fire the ball to first from anywhere, regardless of her own position. Jack, you and Kelly must be very proud!"

Callaway grinned and nodded, then said, "Speaking of Kirsty, what exactly happened over that long weekend she spent with you and Casey? She has flat refused to tell us and whenever Kelly or I ask, she just looks embarrassed. What did you do?"

Although Bobbie tried to dodge, as an experienced trial lawyer and jurist, Callaway wouldn't allow her to deflect his question. Finally she pleaded, "Jack, please promise you won't say a word? Not a single one? Without your promise to tell no one except Kelly — and then only after getting a similar promise from her — I can't say a word. Honest! I promised the girls."

When he promised, she said with a wry grin, "That was the weekend the three of us got our doctorates in education. It was funny, really. We spent the weekend studying that garbage and then took the writtens on Monday and orals on Tuesday. It was really funny — particularly your daughter. In her orals she would give a book-perfect answer to any question and then proceed to explain why the question and answer were both utter garbage."

Bobbie went on to explain that, since they were now teaching so many students, including the Black Doves, she had decided that they should have teaching credentials — such as they were.

"You know, Jack," Bobbie concluded, "I think you will particularly appreciate the final crack that Casey Jackson made while we were on our way home. I'm sure you remember Roberta Kramer from the courtroom? Well, anyway, Casey said, 'Bobbie, now I know what happened to Kramer. She actually took all that garbage seriously and it fried her brain! Sort of like freaking out on LSD, or something!' At any rate, your daughter now has a D.Ed., but please don't ever let on you know. She's really ashamed of it, actually."

"What's going on at the school now?" he asked after chuckling at Bobbie's story. "What are your older kids doing?"

"Well, let's see..." Bobbie replied. "You know about Kirsty, of course, and Casey Jackson. They are both the most incredibly dedicated and effective teachers I have ever seen. Incidentally, Kirsty is getting her Ph.D. in history — all European and American, all periods. Casey is doing the same thing in English."

Then she grinned and said, "Perhaps the funniest thing is Chuck Conrad and Karen Chan! He really fixed her little red wagon!"

She told the story of the two young people — one of the last of the couples to pair off in the original class. Both were now licensed architects and professional engineers. Chuck had degrees in civil and structural engineering, while Karen had advanced degrees in structural engineering and art.

"Although Chuck had fallen in love with her — and she with him — she would never admit it. All she ever did was tell him that he was too big for her and the wrong race. But then, when he would be working at his big drawing board, she would strip, lie across his work and tell him to stroke her bottom ... or her clit ... or where her tits were just starting to form. After he did what she asked — and he always did — she would melt him with a kiss and then say that she couldn't possibly love him.

"Professionally, the two became an unbelievable combination. They designed the PHA Project, the most successful and largest project ever done in Southern California and rivaling New York's World Trade Center and London's Canary Wharf projects in scale. The multi-building center was a smashing success from the very beginning.

"First, the whole center had an airiness and lightness of appearance that belied its incredible structural strength — it was designed to withstand a Richter force eight earthquake. But it was when the first tenants moved in that its real beauty emerged. Karen had done an unbelievable job of creating vistas of all kinds that repeatedly confront a person walking through. Each was unique and each was breathtaking in its beauty.

"Incidentally," Bobbie said, "it has become a major investment for Ken and Andy, too. They're cleaning up!"

To further his relationship with Karen Chan, it was the Little League World Series that provided Chuck Conrad with his inspiration. Karen and Cindy Cartwright had spent hours with the other kids teaching them Chinese and Taiwanese, and then working on their pronunciation and speech patterns.

Of course, being the children they were, they also learned how to write Chinese in the ideograph symbols using the tiny Chinese brush. When the children returned from Williamsport, Chuck had gone to Los Angeles's Chinatown where, he knew, James Chan, Karen's grandfather, had his office. Mr. Chan was the most powerful Chinese in Los Angeles and possibly in the entire state of California. The people surrounding him were very protective so it was only when Chuck addressed them in perfect Mandarin that they notified Mr. Chan.

Never had they encountered a Westerner who could speak more than a few words in their language, and those few were usually spoken badly. Chuck was different.

When he was ushered into Mr. Chan's presence, Chuck greeted him with the most profound Chinese formality. The most-conservative Mr. Chan was impressed. He was even more impressed when he learned that Chuck was the son of one of the name partners in Clifford & Jamison, his daughter-in-law's law firm.

Although he was only twelve years old, Chuck was starting to grow rapidly and it was apparent that he would be a very big man. Like his father, he had black hair and brilliant blue eyes, and was already very handsome.

Standing up as straight as he could, he told Mr. Chan that he was desperately in love with his granddaughter and wanted to marry her. But he made no secret of Karen's opinion, nor of the myriad ways she would sexually tease him. In response to Mr. Chan's questions, Chuck told of the design of the PHA Project, and how well he and Karen worked together.

Finally he concluded, "Sir, I adore your granddaughter and wish to marry her as soon as I can. I know that in China young women are known to marry at the age of twelve. Although I do not want to marry her just yet, I do want to marry her as soon as possible. Based on our success in working together, I am confident that I will be able to support her in the style to which she has been accustomed and, at the same time, can, in working with her, design and build structures that will reflect honor on the Chan family. But, sir, I need your help."

Then he explained what he wished Mr. Chan to do.

The older man could scarcely control his laughter as he listened to Chuck's plan. Finally he agreed and said, "Charles Conrad, Jr., in you my granddaughter may have met her match! Moreover, young man, you have a truly Oriental deviousness which I most admire. I will do what you ask and make all necessary arrangements."

They agreed on the following Sunday afternoon. On the selected day, Celeste Chan told her daughter that it was a special Chinese holiday — Karen never thought to ask which one — and it was imperative for Karen to dress herself in her finest Chinese robes. They were celebrating with her grandfather. Celeste, her husband, John, and Karen all had priceless antique brocaded-silk robes reserved for only the most special occasions.

It was apparent to Karen that the day was truly special when her grandfather's chauffeur appeared with his enormous Rolls-Royce limousine to drive them downtown. When they arrived, Karen greeted her grandfather with all of the appropriate ceremony as did her mother and father.

Then they went into a small room where they all knelt on the floor. James Chan was on one side of a very low square table with his son and daughter-in-law to his right and Karen to his left. Then James clapped his hands once, sharply, and an attendant ushered Chuck into the room. He was also dressed in magnificent antique Chinese robes that the elder Chan had loaned him. Dropping to his knees, he bowed until his forehead touched the floor. Rising to kneel upright and speaking perfect Mandarin he said that he had come to ask Mr. Chan for his granddaughter's hand in marriage.

While the visitor was being shown into the room, Karen had her eyes downcast towards the table top as she had been taught to do. But when she heard Chuck's voice, she jerked up and looked at him in shock. In spite of her grandfather's sharp words, she continued to stare at Chuck.

Then her grandfather said, "Mr. Conrad, already you see the great problem we have with my granddaughter — the reason why I have been most reluctant to inflict her on any young man. You see, sir, as much as it distresses me to admit it, she is terribly willful and disobedient. Only the strongest man can handle her and obtain the obedience that any husband has a reasonable right to expect. Can you do anything with her?"

"Yes, sir," Chuck replied. "I believe I can."

Then rising to his feet he used his strength to lift Karen up and carried her back to where he had been kneeling. Then, following the careful instructions he had been given, he slowly stripped off all of her clothing. All the while Karen was crying and her arms were flailing wildly but futilely in the air. Her parents continued to kneel and watch impassively until she was finally stripped naked.