The barbecue was over. Darkness was taking over Edna’s patio. The last of the mosquito bombs had been set off, the business was completed, and most of the guests had gone home. Edna, Emily, Gordon, Donald, Brenda, Christina, Brenda, Connor, sr., and Jacob Scullworth, the city manager, were sitting on chaises and chairs around the pool. Anna Fredricks was laying on her back on an air raft in the pool. Gary Matthews was cleaning the roasting apparatus and putting it away. Christina and Brenda were naked. Connor and Edna had been naked while swimming but had dressed after drying off, perhaps in part to make the guests more comfortable.
They were discussing the recently concluded barbecue. Connor had concluded that the event was a failure, that not enough of the people who really needed to be brought into the discussion had been there and that those who had still seemed confused and noncommittal.
“Well, we had two dozen people in our civic and business community here and five or six spouses or significant others,” Gordon noted.
“Yeah, but they weren’t from the places that we really need to get worked into things the most,” Brenda noted. “And I don’t think that they have the spirit themselves, not that it is a requirement, but it would have been a good sign. When we started the swimming the only one who went without a suit was Karen Cahill. Having a friendly person at the water park is nice, but we needed more.”
“Mary Clark went in too.” Donald noted. “That kind of surprised me. But I am not sure how much of a role the library can have in this.”
“And she had way too much wine first,” Christina noted. “She really couldn’t swim well and Karen had to get her out.”
“And she resisted a bit too,” Donald noted. “Somebody filming that could have made a bit of lesbian porn from that.”
“There wasn’t anything pornographic about it,” Edna said. “Just drunk and not even comedic. But it almost looked like Mary was enjoying it a bit. I’ve always wondered if there wasn’t a closet she’s afraid to come out of. But we need to be talking business tonight. Tell me, Jacob, did you hear anything which makes you think we are able to handle things as a city any better or worse than you would have thought this afternoon?”
“Well, no. Not really,” Jacob answered. “It pretty much reinforced what we’ve been thinking. I wish the mayor had stuck around because I kind of would like to hear what she thinks, but I’m sure she’ll tell me tomorrow.”
Edna knew why the mayor had left but did not feel like mentioning it there.
“Well, Cassie just has a bit of jet lag and she knows that we have you to do all the work, anyway.”
Several of them wondered how the mayor could have jet lag when she had only been as far as New Mexico, but none of them said anything. They all knew that the history between Edna and Cassandra contained matters they did not understand,
“Alicia Bowman was worried. I could tell that,” Gordon noted. “She doesn’t think our children and youth can be made ready for it and wonders whether older women are going to be put out of the workplace for younger, naked cuties. I’m sure she’s safe as long as she works for us that she is all right, but that concern will hit a lot more people and the only thing I know that will alleviate some of those fears would be good history which will take time to come about.”
“Uncle Simon is concerned about some of this and I think he has legitimate concerns. I talked with him this afternoon. He reminded me that freedom is not absolute,” Christina added.
”Well, that’s right,” Brenda noted. “But we didn’t set this up.”
Donald had been sitting in a straight-backed patio chair, smoking his pipe, and primarily listening. But he decided then to speak up.
“We aren’t writing the rules,” he stressed. “Brenda was just watching them all down at the legislature where they write rules and they weren’t in a writing mood. Everything we are doing now is trying to see how we can make our area the best it can be under the rules or lack of rules they are giving us. We do have a lot of opportunity to build up the region and we may as well do what we can.”
They all continued to talk but didn’t seem to be reaching any consensus that had not already been reached. As darkness deepened and the mosquito bombs started to wear off, the discussion tapered off as people headed home.
Edna was back into Adams. Christina started to follow her but then saw Gary coming from behind her and, detecting the look on Edna’s face, decided to go on home to Jackson.
Christina Cedar woke about two in the morning. She felt lonely, so she picked up her phone and called Justin and asked him to come over.
Mary Clark woke up at about two in the morning. She remembered being pulled naked out of the water by Karen Cahill and wondered if she could ever show her face in town. She went to the bathroom and, after relieving herself of some of the wine, noticed the Halcion in the medicine compartment. She had not taken any of it for at least two years and for a second she wondered if there were enough pills remaining to kill her, but never opened the bottle to find out. She called the library’s voice mail and left a message that she was not feeling well and might not be in. She returned to bed uncertain of what future she could have in Conway Corners, whether she could ever look Alicia Bowman in the face when she brought her kids in, or ever get some coffee at Java Juba Lee again. After a few minutes of uncomfortable tossing she sdid fall asleep again.
Welcome
I have been intrigued with how society handles the freedoms and opportunities it has and how various rights and responsibilities can sometimes conflict with others’ rights and responsibilities.
I came up with the idea of a place like Conway Corners and the choices it is facing, perhaps because I have also spent more of my life naked than most women my age. The situation that Conway Corners is in seems bizarre, yet it is not so implausible as to seem totally impossible.
The state's Supreme Court has just given everybody a new right, one few had asked for or ever expected to be granted, the right to go about undressed, and now society is transitioning to becoming clothing optional. This story examines how people adjust to that right, how it might be used and abused, and how people who have been seeking other rights or who would prefer to reduce existing freedoms adjust to the changes. It also looks at the ways that families and people interact with each other.
The story does involve a fair amount of nudity, but if you are looking for pornography you are in the wrong place. (However, with a little searching, you can probably find a porn site if you try hard enough [or even if you don't]). There are no lingering descriptions of the naked bodies or body parts and the specifics of any undressing are not lingered on. The most explicit reference to a sexual activity (in the initial story, at least) is one in which a couple wakes up in bed and a used condom is thrown into a waste basket.
The large, initial story (Conway Corners approaches N-Day) covers a lot of ground and introduces many people and situations. It is intended to provide a “universe” in which other stories, short or long, can be added. Reader suggestions or input for more stories will be accepted and I have established a moderated Google Group (Conway Corners -- discussions of choices and consequences) for this. Feedback is welcomed.
The chapters are posted in reverse format. I guess blogs work that way. However, links to individual chapters are on the left and you may find them helpful in navigating the story.
Enjoy this story and maybe let it make you think.
Leelee
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
Do not post anything from here on any other site. You may feel free to link to this site from your free, non-porn site, but it would be nice to learn if you do.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment