Date: Mon, 10 Apr 2006 17:10:07 -0400
From: Scribe 1971 <scribe1971@hotmail.com>
Subject: Substitute Dad - Chapter 11

Substitute Dad
By Scribe 1971

Author's Note:

Welcome back constant readers.  Chapter 11 is here.  It took me a little
longer than I expected to get this one out.  I had such a busy week it
wasn't even funny.  Big things are on the way for Josh and Tommy so stay
tuned.  I am aiming for 1 chapter per week.  If I can, I will get them out
sooner, but that is my goal.

"Scribe's Play List" for chapter 11:

"All These Things That I've Done" by The Killers
"Depend On Me" by Bryan Adams
"Superman" by Five For Fighting

I hope you enjoy this chapter.  On a sad note, there is a dedication for
this chapter.   Back in february, 3 boys with dual Canadian-Venezuelan
citizenship were kidnapped near Caracus on their way home from school.  The
kidnappers demanded $4.5 million from their parents.  Their parents, who
were not rich, simply didn't have the money.  Despite the pleas from the
public and the best efforts of the police, the kidnapping ended tragically
last week.  The sub-human barbarians who kidnapped those beautiful boys - 17
year old John, 13 year old Kevin and 12 year old Jason - brutally shot them
all to death execution style and dumped their bodies.  How anyone could put
a gun to the head of an innocent child and pull the trigger is beyond me.
Venezuelan police have arrested 5 people in this case and I hope they
receive the punishment that they deserve for that they did to those poor
boys.  This chapter is dedicated to the memory of the Faddoul brothers.  May
they rest in peace and may their family somehow find relief from their
unimaginable grief.

Chapter 11 -- You're a Teenager Now!

It had been more than a month since my surgery and I was feeling one hundred
percent better.  I had been back to see Doctor Andrews and she was thrilled
with my progress.  My own doctor, who had been filled in on the details of
my condition, prescribed Imitrex for my migraines and had me start keeping a
headache log to help us pin down the causes.  My stitches had been taken
out, my hair was growing back and I hadn't had a migraine since that night.
I was glad; I didn't want to take those Imitrex pills if I could avoid it.
Life was good and it seemed to be getting better.

On New Years Day I spoke to Susan about my plans for a summer trip for Josh
and I and it didn't take much convincing to get her to agree to let him go.
In fact, Susan had been wondering what she was going to do with Josh over
the summer.  She had thought about sending him to camp but she knew she'd
never be able to get him to go if I wasn't going to be there.

Josh had been attending Camp Tonawonka since he was 8 years old so she was
used to not having him around during the summer months.  I was actually
amazed at how easily Susan agreed to let him hit the road with me for 2
months with very few conditions.  In fact, the only conditions that Susan
put on it was that I purchase a cell phone so that she could reach us if
need be and that we check in on a regular basis.  My assumption was that
over the past 4 months that I had been renting her basement she had seen
that I was a responsible adult and that I truly cared for her son.

Much to my surprise, Susan even offered to give me the money she would
normally spend on sending him to camp to cover part of the cost of the trip.
  I tried hard to decline the money but she would have none of it.  We
finally agreed that she would give the money to Josh for use as spending
money on the trip.  It would also give him the ability to buy souvenirs and
to treat us both to a meal or an attraction every now and then.  I knew he
would get a real kick out of doing that.  Rather than handing Josh $1,800 in
cash to carry around with him, we decided that it would be best to put it in
a bank account for and get him a debit card.  That way he could withdraw
cash from ATMs whenever he needed it and he could also pay for purchases
with the debit card itself.  I was thrilled with that arrangement because I
felt that it was important for Josh to have some of his own money during
that trip.  It would make him feel more grown up.

Susan and I also agreed that we would wait to tell Josh about the trip.  I
would obtain all the maps, brochures and travel info that we would need and
Susan would open the bank account and get his debit card for him.  We would
tell him on his birthday which was coming up on February 5th.  It would be
part of his birthday present.

It was the Friday before Josh's birthday when I received a call which caught
me off guard.  I had almost forgotten about speaking to Captain Andrews of
the Canadian Forces National Investigative Service.

"Tom, it's Larry Andrews from the NIS, we spoke about a month ago at the
Queensway hospital."  Larry said as I picked up the phone.

"Right, I had nearly forgotten about that," I said in a surprised voice.

"How are you feeling?"  He asked.  His concern sounded genuine.

"Much better thanks to your sister," I replied.  My gratitude was obvious.

"Well, I'd like you to come down and meet with myself and a colleague from
the Justice Department.  We have reviewed your case and we have some matters
to discuss with you."

"Sure, when and where do you want to meet?"  I asked.  My curiosity had been
piqued.

"How about 1:00PM today down at Justice at First Canadian Place?"

"That's ok with me.  I'm supposed to be in class, but I can afford to miss
one day." I really could too.  I was already challenging for four other
courses that semester and I probably could have challenged for the one that
I would miss that afternoon too.  "I'll just have to see if Andrew is
available."

"I understand Tom.  Tell you what, I'll pencil you in for 1:00 PM and you
confirm with your brother.  If he can't make it, let me know and we'll
reschedule.  If I don't hear from you, I'll assume that you'll be there.  I
can't get into details over the phone, but I promise you that it will be
worth your while to attend."

To say I was curious at that point was the understatement of the century.  I
thanked him, hung up and called Andrew right away.

"Hey bro, how do you feel about playing hooky with me today?  It'll be just
like old times."  Andy and I had occasionally ducked out of school when we
were younger and just hung out together.  To this day our mom still didn't
know that.  We had a blast.  It was just us guys doing `brother' things.
Andy and I had always been close.  We were only 3 years apart and we shared
a lot of common interests and a common sense of humour.

"Ok, I'll bite.  What do you have in mind?" Andy asked in a bemused tone.

I told him all about the phone call from Captain Andrews and he seemed
extremely interested.  "What do you think bro?"

"I'll tell you what I think, I think they want to make you an offer," and
replied excitedly.

"Let's do it!" I was getting quite excited.  I figured I might get ten or
twenty thousand bucks for my trouble.  "How about you drive down here and
we'll grab a bite and take my Jeep downtown?"

"Sounds like a plan, bud," he replied.  Andy sounded just about as excited
as I was.  He was going to make a fantastic lawyer and representing me in
this matter gave him one of his earliest opportunities to strut his stuff.
I had heard and told my share of lawyer jokes and in many cases those jokes
are based on more than just a grain of truth.  Andy would be different.  He
was certain whether he wanted to specialize in criminal law or civil law,
but whatever he did, he would be good at it.  He was a very warm and caring
person and there would never be lawyer jokes told about him.

I spent the next hour or catching up on homework on my laptop and fretting
over what the meeting would bring.  I was prepared to accept just about any
offer they would make.  I was glad that I was going to have Andy there to
keep me sane.  Andy was still a few years away from becoming a lawyer, but
he was sharp as a whip and wasn't about to let anyone take his `little
brother' to the cleaners.

Andy arrived at about 11:15 and we made quick stop at the local Fish and
Chip shop for lunch before heading downtown.  We were both dressed in suits
and Andy really looked lawyerly.  We both took great care not to spill
tartar sauce on our ties or jackets.  After lunch we headed downtown and
arrived with a good 15 minutes to spare.

We rode the elevator to the 67th floor of First Canadian Place where the
Toronto offices of the federal Justice Department were located.  The view
from that floor was breathtaking.  In fact, First Canadian Place was the
second tallest building in Toronto.  Only the CN tower was higher.  I made a
mental note to take Josh up the CN tower one of these days.  The view from
the observation deck would blow his mind.  We presented ourselves at
reception and were quickly shown into a conference room.  A few moments
later, we were joined by Captain Andrews and a well dressed woman who looked
to be about 40.

We shook hands and introduced ourselves.  Captain Andrews introduced the
woman as a lawyer with the justice department named Deborah Wells.  Andy
introduced himself as my legal agent.

"Well Mr. Davis, we don't want to take much of your time so we will get
right down to the point," Deborah said in a very official sounding voice.
"Captain Andrews and I have reviewed your file, consulted with a number of
experts and with our superiors in the DND and Justice.  We have come to the
conclusion that there was a serous breach of standard operating procedures
and a clear cut case of negligence in your case.  We have determined that
you are entitled to redress."

I looked and Andy and I could tell that he was working just as hard as I was
to keep a straight face.

Deborah continued.  "The position of the federal government is that it would
be best if this incident didn't end up before the courts or in the press so
we are prepared to offer you a settlement which I believe will be more than
acceptable to you."

"Am I correct in assuming that you will require a non-disclosure agreement
and a full release in order for this deal to go through?"  Andy asked.

"That's correct.   Mr. Davis will be asked to sign an agreement releasing
the federal government from liability in this case and agreeing not to
disclose the terms of the agreement."

"Fair enough, what are you offering?"

"For starters, Mr. Davis, we have taken into account the education that you
have received in the time since your discharge from the forces.  Based on
that and your exemplary service record, had you remained in the forces, he
would have been eligible for the officer training program and would have
achieved the rank of Second Lieutenant by now.  We are willing to grant you
the rank of Second Lieutenant -- retired and grant you a full military
pension based on that rank upon reaching the age of 55.  That will provide
you with money to help you deal with the long term effects of your injuries,
in particular those to your leg."

I could hardly believe what I was hearing.  A military pension was nothing
to sneeze at and I always wanted to be an officer.  I was just about to say
something when Andy nudged me under the table.

"What about his immediate needs and compensation for the pain and suffering
that he has gone through.  I like what I'm hearing for the future, but you
need to do something for him right now too."  Andy said in his most
judicious tone.

"We realize that.  That's what we are prepared to offer a one-time lump sum
payment of $250,000 as direct compensation.  If that is agreeable to you,
you will leave today with a cheque in hand."

At that moment, you could have knocked me over with a feather.  I was
completely and utterly thunderstruck.  That was more money that I had even
dared to imagine being offered.  I was ready to accept.

"That sounds like a compelling offer, Ms. Wells.  Could I have a few moments
to speak to Tom in private?"  Andy said.  Because I knew and loved Andy, I
could detect the excitement in his voice even though neither Deborah nor
Larry could.

"Certainly," Deborah said as she rose from her seat and directed Larry to
follow her.

"Jesus Christ Andy!  $250 freaking grand!"  I exclaimed as soon as we were
alone in the room.

"It's a lot of money but you could get more if you pressed them," Andy
replied.  He was still in lawyer mode.  I loved him, but I had to disagree
with him here.

"Andy, it's a lot more than I expected and it will give me all the money
that I will need for some time to come.  I want to accept it.  I don't want
to get into a long court battle against the government."

Andy studied my face for a few seconds and he knew I wasn't going to budge.
"Alright bro lets wait a few minutes and then I'll go tell them to come back
in," Andy replied.  We chit-chatted for a few minutes and then Andy went to
retrieve the others.

It took all of 10 minutes to complete the paperwork and soon Andy and I were
on our way back to my Jeep and I had a certified cheque in the amount of
$250,000.00 in my hand.  I was virtually floating along.  I had never even
dreamed of that much money before.  I knew that I was going to have to
manage it.  If I invested it well and I continued to work part-time as I
finished school, I would be in excellent financial shape when I graduated.
I was still on cloud nine when I dropped Andy off at his car which was
parked at my house.

"Thanks bro," I said warmly as I firmly hugged my brother.  "You really
looked out for me through this whole thing and I appreciate it."

Andy returned my hug, "What are big brothers for?"

"I don't say this often enough Andy, but I love you.  You have always been
there for me."

"I know, I love you Tom.  Spend that money wisely!"  Andy laughed as he
released me and walked to his car.

I watched Andy drive off and then I climbed back into the Jeep to drive to
the bank.  I had a feeling that the teller was going to be in for a real
surprise!  When I walked into the bank, I decided it was best to go to the
reception desk and tell them about the size of the deposit that I wanted to
make.  During the drive over, I had also decided what I was going to do with
some of that money so I asked to speak to a financial advisor.

A moment after speaking to the receptionist, Arthur Garner, the branch
manager came out and greeted me warmly before showing me into his office
"Well Mr. Davis, it seems that you've had quite a windfall," Arthur said
with a smile.

I took a moment to tell him as much as I was allowed to tell him while still
complying with the agreement that I had signed.  "Here's what I want to do
with the money.  I would like to put $100,000 into mutual funds.  I would
like a mix of high return and high security funds to give myself a good
balance.  I would like to put $50,000 into a series of 10 $5,000 cashable
GICs with the best interest rate available and I would like to max out my
allowable RRSP contributions for as far back as I can go.  I would also like
to open a Registered Education Savings Plan in the name of Joshua Michael
Chambers in the amount of $50,000 and I would like to simply deposit the
rest of the money into my chequing account."

"It sounds like you have a solid plan, Mr. Davis.  I'd be happy to help you
set that up.  We certainly appreciate your business."

By the time I left, all those investments were setup, I had Josh's future
education needs secured and I had my visa account upgraded to a `Gold' card.
  I was very pleased with myself.  I made a detour to the mall to get Josh a
birthday card and gift.  He was going to be 13 the very next day and it was
going to be the best birthday he ever had.  He had no idea what was in store
for him.  I debated waiting until the next day to tell him about the
settlement and about his education fund, but I decided I'd tell him about
that right away.  I knew I couldn't keep a secret like that from him if I
tried.

For his birthday celebration, I was planning on taking him flying in the
afternoon and then Susan and I were going to take him and his friend Mark to
the Mandarin for dinner.  During dinner, we also planned on telling him
about the summer trip.  We were also going to give him some additional
smaller gifts.  Mark was going to stay over for the night afterwards.

I picked out the perfect card for Josh and I went out and purchased his
gift.  The card featured a picture of a sailing ship and the words `Happy
13th Birthday, Son' on the cover and the inside read `As you sail through
life's oceans, may all your dreams come true' As far as his gift went, I
bought him a new Canon BubbleJet printer.  When I gave Josh my old computer,
I had kept my printer so he needed one.  When I got home, Josh was already
there.

"Dad!" He shouted excitedly as he launched himself at me the second I walked
in the door.  He wrapped his arms around me in a massive hug and kissed me
on the forehead.  It was my usual Josh greeting and I loved it.

"Hey bud!" I replied as I hugged him back and lifted him into the air.  He
was becoming a teenager and he was growing fast.  He was definitely heavier
that he had been a few months ago and none of it was from fat.  Josh was as
lean and trim as ever.  He had grown a little taller and he had started to
fill out.  He was already beginning to develop nice muscle tone on his arms
and legs.  "I love you kiddo," I said warmly as I kissed the tip of his
nose.

"I love you too," Josh smiled.  "You're in a good mood today," he said.

"I'm always in a good mood when I get a hug from my favorite person in the
world," I replied with a grin.

"Ok, spill it, there's something else," Josh said as he virtually x-rayed my
mind with those striking gray eyes of his.

"I can't keep anything from you, can I?"  I asked with a smirk.

"Nope.  We're too close for secrets," he said as he rested his head on my
shoulder.

I carried Josh down into my apartment and sat him down on the sofa.  I'm
sure he would have protested loudly had anyone else tried to carry him
anywhere.  At the rate that he was growing, I would probably lose the
ability to carry him before he lost the desire to be carried by me.  I sat
down next to him and he snuggled up in his usual position.

Josh was just about as dumbfounded as I had been when I told him about the
money.  He couldn't believe it.  I finally showed him the bank-book and the
investment certificates to prove to him that I wasn't pulling his leg.  He
also thought that my being granted the rank of 2LT was just the coolest
thing.  Again, I took note of his maturity.  Many kids would have asked for
something upon learning of such a windfall.  Josh didn't ask for a single
thing.  He was simply happy for me.

"You really deserve this," Josh said firmly.  "I'm glad that things are
going well for you for a change."

"Things have been going well for me since you came back into my life,
Joshy."  I hugged him firmly before I continued.  "There's something else,"

"What is it?" Josh asked, his eyes were wide and I could see that he had no
idea as to what to expect.

"Well kiddo, I did something with a substantial chunk of that money. Do you
know how expensive a university education is?"

"It costs thousands doesn't it?"

"It sure does.  Until now, I've had to rely on student loans, grants,
bursaries and whatever I could earn working in the summer.  I was also
planning on working part-time from home for some extra money.  I'm still
going to work part-time, and I've invested the money wisely so it will keep
me out of debt and financially secure."

"That's good thinking," Josh replied.

"I'm not done yet.  You're a very smart young man, Josh and I want you to be
able to go to the university of your choice. I don't want you to worry about
how to pay for it.  Do you know what an RESP is?"

"No, is it like an RRSP?"

"It's very similar but it's for saving for an education.  It's an investment
fund that earns a lot of interest and the government even contributes
towards it.  A lot of parents start them for their kids as soon as they're
born.  I opened an RESP account for you today, Josh.  I started it with
$50,000."

Josh sat there stunned for a moment.  His mouth was moving but no sound was
coming out.  It took him a moment to comprehend what I had just told him.
"You gave me $50,000 to pay for my education?"  Josh asked with awe in his
voice.

"Yes I did, son.  Not only that, by the time you're ready to go to
university, it'll probably be worth twice that amount."  I barely got that
out before I suddenly found it hard to breathe.  Josh had wrapped his arms
around me and pulled me into an extremely tight hug.

"You didn't have to do that, dad.  That money was for you," Josh said
softly.  His eyes were moist as he looked at me.

"I know Josh, but I wanted to do that.  It's only money.  It's nothing
special.  Money can't buy me happiness, but making you happy and knowing
that your financial future is secure does make me happy.  I love you Josh
and nothing makes me happier than seeing you smile, being hugged by you,
being with you."  Josh buried his head in my chest.

"I love you too dad.  You do so much for me.  I can never repay you for all
that you've done," Josh said softly.

I reached down and dried his eyes.  "You don't have to repay me Josh.  Like
I said, it's only money.   What you give me is worth more than all the money
in the world.  It's priceless and could never be replaced by anyone or
anything.  You give me your love.  You give me your trust.  What could be
worth more than that?  Remember when we talked about unconditional love?
This is it, Josh.  I don't mean the money; I mean the reason why I gave you
the money.  I setup that RESP for you not because I thought I would get paid
back, but because I love you so damned much.  I did what any dad would want
to do for his son."

Josh continued his death-grip hug and he cuddled his cheek against my neck.
"Dad, you're the greatest.  I don't know what I would ever do without you."

"You'll never have to find that out.  I promise you Josh that we're bound
together forever.  That will never change no matter what happens, no matter
where we go or what we do."

We sat there on the sofa in each other's arms for several moments.  I could
feel his heart beating against my own and I just sat there and relished the
sensation.  I had come to believe that the world was a place of balance.
Sure I had gone through a lot.  I'd had some shitty luck, but the good
things in my life more than balanced that out.  I had a mother and 2
brothers who loved me.  I had 2 nephews who adored me and who thought that I
was just the greatest.  Most of all, I had Josh.  My son.  He was the light
of my life and I knew that without him, I was incomplete.

That night, over dinner, I filled Susan in on the events of the day.  She
sat there with her mouth hanging open in an `O' of surprise when I told her
about the settlement and she nearly fell out of her chair when I told her
about the RESP that I'd started for Josh.

"Tom, you didn't have to do that," Susan said.

"I know, but I wanted to.  Josh saved my life that night that I went to the
hospital and you know how much I love him.  I wanted to do something big for
him and this was the biggest thing I could think of."

"Tom, you already do something even bigger for him.  You give him a dad.
You're there for him.  You listen to him.  You love him."

"He was there for me too when it really counted," I said firmly.

"Thank-you, Tom.  That is the most generous thing I've ever heard of.
You'll be happy to know that I had my lawyer go ahead and amend my will to
list you as his legal guardian should anything happen to me."

"Thank-you Susan, that means a lot to me," I said.  It really did.  I kind
of looked at Susan as being another mother.  I already had a great mother
whom I loved dearly, but Susan had become a substitute of sorts.  She knew
how much her son and I cared for each other and she was glad to see the
positive impact that the relationship had on him.

The rest of that night was pretty quiet.  Susan went out with Bob while Josh
and I curled up together on my couch and watched TV.  There was a horror
movie marathon on which featured all of the "Friday the 13th" films.  Josh
and I decided to watch the entire series one after the other.  The movies
were kind of cheesy, but we had a great time watching them.  I think we got
about half-way through the series before I heard Josh start to snore softly.
  I lay there and continued to watch the movie with Josh snoozing in my arms
and before too long, I was getting drowsy.

I carefully untangled myself from Josh and went into my bedroom.  I turned
down the sheets and got ready for bed.  I took a moment to brush my teeth
before heading back to the living room to retrieve Josh.  I gently lifted
him up and carried him into the bedroom.  He never even stirred as I placed
him on the bed, undressed him and tucked him in.  I gently kissed his
forehead and then climbed in after him and pulled him close.

It must have been about 3 hours later when I awoke.  It was still the middle
of the night and I couldn't feel Josh next to me.  That in itself was odd.
Whenever we slept together, we invariably cuddled up together all night long
and formed a tangle of arms and legs.  I was lying on my side and I was
about to roll over and look for any sign of Josh when I noticed that the bed
was moving slightly.

It only too me a second to figure out what was going on.  The light slapping
sound was the only clue that I needed.  I grinned to myself and remained as
I was facing the door.  I didn't want to disturb Josh and his solitary
activity.  He had probably been at it for a while because it didn't take him
long to finish.  I heard him grunt and groan a couple of times and then the
motion stopped.  I had to bite my tongue so as not to chuckle.  I heard him
fiddling around and then I heard the snap of the waste band of his underwear
as he pulled them back up.

A second later I felt him snuggle tightly up with his chest and belly
against my back.  He wrapped his arms around me, kissed me lightly on the
shoulder and then nuzzled his face into the back of my neck.  Finally, I
couldn't hold it in any longer.  "That sounded like a good one," I giggled.

It was dark and he was behind me so I couldn't see him blush, but I swear
that I felt his face heat up against the back of my neck.  A second later he
giggled too.  "It was a gusher.  I think I shot 5 or 6 times and it landed
on my stomach.  I hadn't done it since yesterday," Josh replied proudly.
Despite his blush, he wasn't the least be embarrassed talking to me about
things like that.  Had anyone else `caught him' he would have been
mortified.

"I hope you didn't make a mess on the sheets," I said with a chuckle.

"No, but there is a big wad of cummy tissue paper on the floor!"  Josh said
with a laugh.

"You were prepared, good thinking."

Josh laughed.  "I love you, dad," Josh said sleepily.

"I love you too, kiddo," I replied as I crossed my arms over my chest and
grasped his hands, intertwining our fingers.  It only took a few moments for
us both to drift back off to sleep.

I awoke first the next morning.  Despite my overflowing bladder, I took a
moment to lay there and watch Josh sleep.  I never got tired of watching him
sleep and I loved the sound of his soft snoring and watching his chest rise
and fall was almost hypnotic.  After a few moments he too began to stir.

"Morning Josh," I said warmly as he stretched his arms and rubbed the sleep
from his eyes.  "Happy birthday son, you're now an official teenager!"

I was rewarded by a colossal Josh grin and a very tight bear hug from Josh.
"Thanks dad," he yawned and stretched his arms again.

I couldn't resist.  His exposed arm pits presented tempting targets and I
seized the opportunity to tickle him mercilessly.  He giggled and struggled
with feigned outrage and began to administer his own tickle torture to my
ribs.  Within seconds we were wrestling like a couple of maniacs.

As fun as the wrestling was, it didn't last long before we were both
sprinting for the bathroom to relieve our aching bladders.  We both retired
to our separate bedrooms to hit the shower and dress for the day.  I decided
it would be a great time to take Josh to the Y and get us both memberships.
He was finally old enough to be allowed into all of the facilities.

I went up to his room and knocked on the door.  "Josh?"

"Come in," Josh called from inside.

He was just dressing after his shower as I walked in.  "Hey bud, you still
want to learn how to defend yourself?"

"Yeah," Josh crowed as he beamed me one of his famous grins.

"Alright then, let's go to the Y," I said with a smile.  "Grab your duffle
bag and get packed."

"What do I need to pack?"

"Well, you'll need gym shorts, a t-shirt, running shoes, clean underwear,
clean socks and a towel.  We can bring our bathing suits if we want to have
a swim in the pool," I said.

"Cool," Josh gushed as he flew around his room and threw the required items
into a small gym bag.

I left him and went downstairs to get myself packed and ready to go.  A
moment later, I met a very excited Josh in the front hallway.  Susan was
still asleep so Josh left her a note telling her where we were and we both
headed out to my Jeep.  The YMCA was only a short drive away and I could see
Josh's excitement building the closer we got.

"I've been looking forward to this for a long time but I didn't want to
bother you with it until your head was getting better," Josh said.

"I've been looking forward to it too Josh, it's just as well that we waited.
  Now that you're 13, you can use all the facilities and you don't have to
use the little kid's change room."

"Cool," Josh exclaimed.

"We'll do this several times a week and develop a routine.  We'll start with
some warm ups like running or walking some laps around the track and
stretching, then we'll do some cardio work like stationary bikes and rowing
machines.  After that, we'll do some self-defense training on the mats.
Finally, we'll do a little weight training and then some cool down laps.  We
can hit the pool afterwards if you want."

"Sound great.  You be careful running laps.  I don't want you to hurt your
leg," Josh said seriously.

"I know kiddo; I'll mostly walk the laps and leave the running to you."

"Sure, make me do all the work!"  Josh laughed.

I drove into the fairly crowded YMCA parking lot and found a spot at the far
end.  "I guess we start our warm ups here!" I said with a chuckle.

We made our way into the modern building and I noticed that there was no
line up at the membership counter.  The only person was a boy who looked to
be about Josh's age.

"Mark!" Josh yelled as soon as he noticed the boy.

The kid turned around with a surprised look on his face and smiled as soon
as he saw Josh.  "Hey Josh," he said happily.  "I didn't know you worked
out."

"I didn't until today.  This is my dad, Tommy," Josh said proudly.  "He's
the guy that I told you all about."

"You're the pilot, right?" Mark asked as he offered his hand.

"I sure am!  Josh is also going to be a pilot one of these days," I said as
I shook his hand.  He seemed like a real nice kid.  He was a little shorter
than Josh and he had blond hair which was a little shaggy and he had very
clear blue eyes.  He was very polite and very well spoken.

"Did you really let him fly the plane?" Mark asked with wonder in his voice.

"You better believe it.  He did real well too!"

"See, I told you!" Josh chided his friend.

"You're lucky to have such a cool guy for a dad," Mark said with a touch of
sadness.  "My dad never really has much time for me.  He didn't even pay up
my membership here so they won't let me in."  Mark looked down at his
sneakers.

I only had to think about it for a second.  "Tell you what Mark; any friend
of Josh's is a friend of mine.  I was about to buy annual memberships for
Josh and I so why don't I pay for your's too?"

Josh hugged me briefly and whispered "I love you dad."

"Really?" Mark asked.

"Of course.  Exercise is good for guys your age and like I said, a friend of
Josh's is a friend of mine.  You'll learn quickly that I look after my
friends."

"Josh said you were the greatest.  Thanks," he said solemnly.  He then
surprised me and gave me a quick hug.

I ruffled his hair and smiled at him.  "No problem, Mark."

It only took a few minutes for me to slap down my Visa card and pay for all
3 memberships.  Mark was a month older than Josh so he also qualified for a
full membership.  I paid his renewal along with the NSF cheque fee that
resulted from his father's bounced cheque.  Josh and I had to have our `mug
shots' taken and we received brand new cards.

With all the formalities taken care of and my Visa card smarting from the
charges, we checked in and were assigned lockers right next to each other
and we made out way into the change room.

"Mark, I don't know if Josh told you that I used to be in the army reserves
and I learned quite a lot of self-defense moves.  Josh has asked me to teach
him how to defend himself.  That's the main reason that we're here.  We're
going to develop a whole exercise routine which includes the self-defense
training.  Would you like to join us?"

"Josh told me what you did to his uncle.  I'd love to learn how to do that
too," Mark grinned.

Before I could say a word Josh chimed in.  "Mark, it's only to be used to
defend yourself, never to attack anyone."

I was so proud of my boy at that moment.  "Josh's right, Mark.  There are
plenty of potential threats out there and I'm teaching you guys this stuff
to keep you safe, never to start a fight."

"I understand," Mark replied seriously.

"Your parents won't mind if you learn this stuff will they?" I asked.

"Nah.  My mom died last year and my father doesn't care what I do.  I might
end up using what you teach me against him one of these days."

Josh and I glanced at each other and I flashed him a bit of a "don't say
anything" look with my eyes.  I made a mental note of that quip about using
self-defense skills against his father and I filed it away.  I knew I would
have to look into this a little more closely later.  "Sorry to hear about
your mom, Mark.  If you ever need anyone to talk to, Josh and I are here for
you."

Mark smiled wanly at me and I was rewarded with a firm squeeze on the
shoulder from Josh.

We reached our lockers and we began to get changed.  I was just pulling on
my shorts when I noticed Josh giving me a look.  He was subtly gesturing
towards Mark.  I glanced at the boy out of the corner of my eye.

Mark was down to his briefs and was bent over pulling up his shorts.  I
could clearly see faded bruises on his back.  They were narrow bands that
resembled belt marks.  I felt my blood begin to boil.  What kind of monster
could beat such a sweet child as that boy?  The bruises looked old and I
hoped that such a beating wasn't a regular occurrence.  I knew that Mark
would be joining us for dinner that evening and that he would be staying
over for the night with Josh.  I made a mental note to speak to Josh about
his situation and I resolved to talk to Mark.  If he was being mistreated, I
was going to do something about it.

Mark went off to use the bathroom as Josh and I finished dressing.

"Did you see those marks, dad?" Josh asked in a worried tone.

"Yeah son, I did," I replied.  "We'll talk about this later and we'll talk
to Mark.  If someone is hurting him, we're going to put a stop to it."

"I love you dad," Josh said as he pulled me into a warm embrace.  "Thanks
for paying for Mark's membership."

"I love you to kiddo," I said with a warm smile.  "Mark's a nice kid and he
shouldn't have to go without or put up with being abused."

Mark returned to us just as Josh and I released each other.

"You guys get along so well.  It's like you were made for each other.  I
wish I got along like that with my dad," Mark said with a touch of sadness.

"How do you get along with your dad, Mark?" I asked gently.

He looked at his sneakers and hesitated a bit before answering.  "We mostly
ignore each other.  I don't like the things he likes and he drinks a lot.  I
get along great with my older brother, but he went off to school in Alberta
last year and I don't see him very often."

"Sorry to hear about that," I said gently as I placed an arm on his
shoulder.  "Listen Mark, I mean this.  If you ever need to talk, you can
talk to me.  Josh will tell you that I'm a good listener and I'm a good
problem solver.  If you have ANY problem, you can come to me ok?  I know you
don't know me well, but you know Josh.  You can trust me," I said carefully.

Mark studied me for a moment and locked his eyes onto mine.  I could see
that he was studying me and that he knew that I was serious.  Finally he
smiled.  "Thanks Tommy," he said and then he looked at Josh, "You're the
luckiest guy I know, Josh."

"I know, I wouldn't trade him for anyone," he replied with a laugh.

I could tell that there was more that Mark wanted to tell me, but he was
hesitant.  I thought it would just take time.  I hoped that he would have
the courage to tell me if his dad was hurting him.  If and when he came to
me and told me that his father was beating him, I wasn't able or willing to
guarantee the man's safety if I got to him before the police did.

With that, we all headed out of the change room and into the gym.  We
decided to run a few laps to get warmed up.  Josh and Mark took off like a
couple of rockets and did 2 laps before I even finished my first one.  I
decided to try a slow jog for a lap or two and then walk a couple more.  I
didn't want to aggravate my bad leg.  As Josh and Mark flew past me for the
third time, Josh slowed and began to jog with me.

"I'm proud of you," he said as he looked at me with a serious look on his
face.

"You are?  What for?" I asked.

"The way you handled Mark.  His father doesn't treat him very well and he
never has much money.  You did what you did and said what you said without
embarrassing him or making him feel bad.  You treated him just like you
treat me.  You treated him like a grownup."

"Mark seems like a real nice kid and I'm happy to help him," I said.

"I know; you help people all the time.  I'm proud of you for doing that.
Something seems different about you since I first met you.  You're still the
same smart, fun-loving guy but you seem more...grown up."

"I think you're right.  I think going through what I went through was part
of it and I think you were part of it too."

"Me?" Josh exclaimed.

"Yeah.  When you asked me to be your dad, it kind of gave me the motivation
to grow up a little myself and fill that role for you."  I was never an
immature person, but when I became Josh's substitute dad, I had made a
conscious and probably a sub-conscious effort to be a responsible adult role
model for him.  The real trick was striking the right balance between friend
and parent.  I quickly found that it was best not to worry about such things
and to allow nature to take its course.  I knew that I loved the boy and
that would be the guiding factor in our relationship.

"Dad, since Mark was coming over tonight anyway, could he come home with us
and go flying with us this afternoon?" Josh asked as he flashed me those big
doe eyes that he knew I could never refuse.

"Of course, son.  I'd be happy to take him with us.  After we finish working
out, we'll have him call his dad and get it cleared with him.  We'll swing
by his place and he can get whatever he needs to spend the night,"

"Thanks dad," Josh said with a smile as patted me on the shoulder and then
took off running the rest of the current lap at "Josh speed."

I just smiled and watched him go.  All I could think about was how much I
loved him.  When I finally completed my lap, I found Josh and Mark waiting
for me at the entrance to the training room.  Josh must have told Mark what
was in store for him that afternoon because they both had mile wide grins.
I was really going to enjoy that afternoon's flight.