Chapter 7

Max and I talked about what to do. I offered, "You know all of the wives are going to have to know about this. Bob is the worst of the bunch, but all the men are equally as guilty. If Mary and I require support for the baby, none of them have enough money to give to us without the wives asking what it is needed for. Rena almost surely knows. We are all in the same boat here with too many kids to support and too little income to pay for them."

"I agree. Mary definitely wants to keep the baby and it needs to be resolved before she starts to show. So something has to be done now."

"I'm sure the three other wives besides Rena suspect their husbands are involved in something after being questioned by the police today. Would you open up your house to a meeting of all involved, wives as well as the husbands? Bob I'm sure won't be there, for the police will have him charged with something, but Rena should be."

"Yes, of course, but what can you hope to gain?"

"I guess to get it all out in the open. It may bring on one--maybe two divorces, but that would almost be sure to happen anyway. It may save a couple from divorcing too. Even Mary and I are still on rocky ground."

"What could you say?"

"I guess how I feel about what happened to Mary. I would share what Mary did, for although I can see where she was raped, she isn't blameless. The other women aren't either, for they should know their husbands after the many years they have lived with them."

"This will tear them all apart. You have no chance of keeping it from leaking out. Some of the men will be dumped for sure. The wife will want the tape for evidence to divorce her husband and the court will make you give it up."

"I guess that is a chance I will have to take."

I explained to Mary what I had in mind, requesting that she contact the four women. I said I would see to getting the men there for Saturday, which was three days away. I ran into Rena. She said that Mary had refused to press any charges against Bob, and all he was being charged with was drunk and disorderly.

"He was still in jail for lack of $1000 personal recognizance bail. She just didn't have it. I contacted the three other men, Bing, Joey and George, demanding $200 from each. Under protest they said they would come up with it. Rena had to get a loan from her mother for her $200 and I took about the last cash I had from my checking account to make the full $1000 needed.

Speaking to Rena after I had collected the money, I said, "You bail Bob out Saturday morning before noon. There is a meeting at Max's house for lunch as you well know. Bob needs to be there." I handed her the money.

"You aren't going to hurt him are you?"

"No, not physically, but I think he will feel the pain before I'm done. Besides some of that money is mine and I need it back someday. If I hurt him there wouldn't be much chance I would ever see it again, would there?"

"Okay, for some reason I trust you. We will be at Max's house. Let me ask you why Joey, Bing and George are going to be there too?"

"Ask Bob. He could tell you but he won't." Rena gave up with the questions. I returned home and waited for Mary to get out of work. I wanted to explain that she had a major role in this as well. Big argument from her, but she was reminded that things were different between us now and could become even more-so if she didn't comply.