Conversations with Jack and Diane
Freedom Rings
The small office was headquarters central for the Hilo
Chapter of Freedom Online. A worldwide organization dedicated
to the preservation of free speech on the world wide web.
Diane, the stalwart volunteer, sat at her desk, busy on the
telephone. No doubt drumming up support for the worthy
endeavor, her blue eyes sparkling as she sang the praises of the
cause.
She lifted her cerulean gaze as she noticed Jack walk
through the front door. He was early as usual. Their lunch date
wasn’t for another hour yet.
She admired the sinewy smoothness with which he moved,
his strong frame gliding with effortless sensuality.
“Aloha kakaiaka,” he greeted, his glowing smile washing
currents of warmth over Diane.
“Good morning to you to,” she charmed, her lips parting
into a gracious smile, her hand cupped over the receiver. “Give
me a minute love,” she winked. “I’m doing a little recruiting.”
Jack chuckled as he sat in the sidechair next to Diane’s
clumsy metal desk. He smiled as he listened to her forge yet
another candidate into a stalwart follower of the faith.
He looked around the dingy little room. Desks crammed
everywhere, all abandoned at the moment except for Diane’s and
one other, which was occupied by a tall talkative fella with red
hair and freckles. Jack smiled as he noticed the same sparkle in
the young man’s eyes as he saw in Diane’s beautiful gaze.
“All done,” she gasped as she sat the reciever down, her
lips stretching into a most lucious smile. “You look good this
morning,” she winked. “I love watching you walk...”
“You do huh,” Jack chuckled. “You should see me skip,”
he offered, returning the wink.
Diane smiled at his feeble attempt at humor and pushed on.
“Thanks for meeting me,” she thanked. “Although you are early as
usual.”
“My pleasure love. And by the way. I’m not early. I
wanted to get down here as soon as possible so I could volunteer
my services to this most esteemed cause.” He gestured
expansively with his arms. “How could I stay away from all of this
splendor.”
“Oh shut up Jack,” Diane huffed, blinking her eyes heavily,
fighting to stiffle a smile. “I’d appreciate it if you wouldn’t mock
my beliefs.”
“Well I believe in free speech as well,” he countered.
“However,” he added. “I am not for freedom of idiocy.”
“Oh?” Diane quipped. “And what part of free speech do
you consider idiocy?”
“The part that allows some jerk to post offensive crap on
my computer screen,” he assured her.
“Such as?” Diane queried.
“Stuffs...” Jack pouted, folding his arms across his chest as
he silently chastised himself for igniting Diane’s ire. Now she’d
surely press him for a response until the whole conversation
deteriorated into one of their patented arguments, which Diane
termed “discussions”.
“What stuffs?” she pryed, her voice rising to the challenge.
“I don’t want to argue with you love,” Jack offered
haplessly.
“We aren’t arguing,” Diane offered.
“I know, I know!” he interrupted. “We are having a
discussion,” he whined sarcastically.
“Indeed,” Diane smiled, her face calm and ready for battle.
“So do go on and explain to me what you meant by ‘stuffs’.”
“Do you really wanna get into this now?” he asked. “Here
in this place?”
“No better place than, Freedom Central, for a discussion on
the issue of narrow minded thought!” she emphasized.
“Oh, so now I am narrow minded huh?” Jack scowled,
disguising a grin.
“It’s not my fault you resemble that remark,” she huffed,
her hackles rising up ready for debate.
“Spoiling for a fight aren’t you?” Jack chuckled, squirming
in his seat.
“I love to fight with handsome men,” Diane assured him.
Jack looked toward the red haired, freckled guy. “The only
handsome man here is on the phone,” he pointed.
“Hehehe,” Diane laughed. “Yeah right,” she agreed. “So I
guess you’ll just have to do,” she nodded. “Rather a poor
substitute, but beggars can’t be choosers.”
“Indeed,” Jack chuckled. “And you’re just begging for it
aren’t you?” He winked wickedly.
“Oh don’t you dare go there Jackieboy. Don’t you try and
change the subject on me young man!” She smiled coyly. “Now,
back to the topic at hand.”
“And what was the topic again?” Jack scratched his head.
“I forget...”
“Stuff!” Diane reinterated. “The stuff’s about free speech
that you consider idiocy.”
“Oh that...” Jack smiled tauntingly.
“Yeah that,” Diane echoed. “Now out with it buster.”
“I’ve seen some pretty weird stuff on the internet Di. I
don’t think your puritanical little ears could take it if I told ya
about it.” He smiled smugly.
“Screw you Jack!” she quipped. “And the only puritan in
this office at the moment happens to be you.”
“Hahaha, right” Jack sputtered. “Now back to the part
about screwing Jack,” he laughed. “Speaking of puritan
pleasures.” He arched his brows teasingly.
“Fuck you Jack, “ Diane retorted.
“Exactly!”he replied. “Right here, or in the back room?”
“Oh stop it Jack, please. I’m trying to have a serious
discussion with you.” She leaned back in her chair, pouting as she
folded her arms across her chest, slowly flipping her long golden
hair over her shoulder with a smooth toss of her head, blue eyes
blinking heavily as she frowned.
Jack stared at her for a moment. “You’re a gorgeous
woman Diane,” he offered softly, his expression suddenly smooth
and sincere.
Diane leaned forward slowly, her hands coming together on
the desk, fingers intertwining. “Thank you love,” she smiled.
“Now please tell me what you consider idiocy about free speech. I
would really like to hear your views on the subject.”
Jack could no longer resist her genuine need to know.
“I believe in free speech,” he began.
“Good,” Diane smiled, sitting back again in a more
comfortable position. “Please go on Jack.”
“Hmmm...” Jack groaned. “I guess I’ll have to, huh?”
Diane nodded her head, silky blond strands falling forward
over her shoulders again.
“Ok than,” Jack exhaled. “But remember. You asked for
it.”
“Yes I did,” Diane agreed.
“Ok,” Jack shrugged “Here’s a little offering of what I
came across one night...” He paused for a moment, contemplating
his next words. He decided to go for it. “I saw a woman being
“ridden” by a horse,” he offered. “And not the other way around,
if you catch my drift. There they were,” he exclaimed. “In living
color for all to see. Even your little Becca if she had a mind to.”
He shook his head. “And that isn’t even the worst of it. I came
upon a site singing the praises of gang rape. Another advocating
the selling of children into slavery. And yet another extolling the
virtues of child pornography.” He leaned toward Diane. “Hoorah
for free speech,” he sneered smugly. “Go ahead and make a case
for that kind of filth if you can.” He leaned back, the smugness
increasing.
“I shall,” Diane replied.
“Oh come on Di!” he spat. “There is no way to champion
anyone’s right to post or advocate such vileness. Freedom is one
thing. But that is way beyond the acceptable.”
Diane smiled as the fly wound himself tighter into the web.
“You are so symptomatic of the classic hypocritical
garbage that so many people spew,” she enlightened him.
“Freedom is not something that can be parceled out,” she
instructed, her blue eyes glowing as she preached.
“Oh is that so...” Jack taunted. “Well why don’t you
educate poor little dumb Jack.”
“I intend to,” Diane assured him.
“Go for it babe,” he urged, winking at his best friend.
“Shut up and I will,” she smiled. Jack nodded and sat
quietly. “Good boy,” Diane chuckled. “Now just listen for a
moment.”
She leaned forward again, her flawless countenance taking
on a most serious, yet beautiful expression.
“How can I make you understand what I mean,” she
pondered. Jack shrugged. “Ummmm,” she struggled, her eyes
suddenly opening wide with an idea.
“I got it!” she announced. “It’s like love,” she explained.
“Love?” Jack frowned. “Free speech is like love? Is that
what you’re saying?”
“Indeed,” Diane assured him.
“Splain please,” Jack urged, his brow furrowed in
concentration.
“You love me, don’t you Jack?” she asked.
He frowned even deeper. He had no idea where she was
going with this. But what the hell, he’d answer anyway.
“Yes,” he replied. “I love you Diane.”
“Even with all the complications which that love could
create, you still do right?”
“Yes,” he nodded.
“And that love that you have for me,” she posed. “Could
you parcel it. Could you restrict that love to only certain levels of
caring? Or would it have to be expressed within yourself
completely in order for it to be true. In order for it to be real.”
“But thats just it Diane,” Jack offered. “My love for you I
cannot express completely, except within myself. And it kills me.
But the filth on the internet is there, expressed to all that would
happen upon it. Me thinks you have proven my point for me.”
“Ahhh...” Diane shook her head. “You just don’t get it, do
you Jack.”
“Get what?” he frowned.
“You said it yourself,” she pointed out. “The lack of
expression of your love for me kills you. Metaphorically speaking
of course. But still, in a very real sense we are both less than we
would like to be because that love cannot thrive. It is repressed
and parceled.” She took a deep breath, victory only a few feet
away. “And something forever repressed cannot survive. In time
the rot of repression will bring down the entire entity. Freedom of
speech has to be complete and untethered if it’s to survive.
Incidious as some expression might be, it is our duty to give it
voice. For to silence one is to silence all in time.”
Jack thought for a moment. “So you think that because we
repress a level of our love for each other, that in time even our
friendship will crumble?”
“You are changing the subject again Jack,” Diane assured
him.
“Answer the question,” he demanded.
“I think there may be a chance of that, yes,” Diane replied,
her cerulean eyes drifting down to the desktop.
It was Jack’s turn to take a deep breath. “I hope not,” he
uttered softly, his words drifting into silence.
“Me to...” Diane echoed, each sitting back in quiet
reflection as they tried to reconcile scattering emotions.
The End
Unpublished Works © 1998 GJB
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