Date: Tue, 8 Oct 2002 12:29:21 +1300
From: Arthur <rochopa@xtra.co.nz>
Subject: The vision part 13    adult/youth

					THE VISION

					Part Thirteen
					By Arthur


I'M A BELIEVER:


We found a nice little cafe for lunch and as we settled down I began to
tell Benny the story of our family and how I was able to put it all
togetherand get the varification of our relationship to each other.

"It's like this Benny, when I first heard your name I thought of it as a
coincident, but when you told me where you were born and that your father
as far as you knew was a carpenter then I started to make enquiries, you
see my younger brother was a change of life baby, you know what that
means?"

"No."

"It means that he was born when my mother was a lot older than normal for
her to have children, so that I was over twenty years old when he was born
and I had moved overseas so I never actually got to meet him, although, I
knew about him from letters home, ok?"

"Yes I see so far."

"Well not long after returning home from a long time overseas I went to see
my parents and to at last meet my brother but when I got there they told me
he had had an accident at work only three months before I got there and
that his wife had taken off to another town, but they did not know where
she had gone to, also they didn't know she was pregnant with you, so when
they both died a couple of years ago, as far as I knew I was the only one
left."

"So you didn't know about me then?"

"No, son, as I said, but if I had, I would've done everything in my power
to find you and her, I'm truly sorry, if I'd known I could have saved you
so much pain and suffering, I know how you felt all alone because that's
how I felt when all the family had gone and I was the only one left, you
see that's mostly why I was down on that beach that night."

"Yes I see now, loneliness is hard isn't it?"

"Yes it is, but now we have each other, and in a couple of hours it's going
to be forever, so my nephew, you feel happier now?"

"Oh yes, uncle dad."

The relief and joy in his voice and the giggle were enough for me,this is
what the worlds about, not the money or the power but to hear a boy laugh
and giggle with such a feeling of belonging, now we could both face the
future together, no longer the last of a lineage that went a long way back
and just maybe Benny's belief in being gay was just adolecent curiosity,
there may be a chance for the family line to continue.

"So you had enough to eat?"

"Yes, that was plenty, what we going to do till 3.30?"

"I thought we might go shopping for something special, just to mark this
day for both of us."

"But I don't need anything more, what will we shop for?"

"It's something I've been going to do for a long time but never got round
to it, now I think the time is right."

"Ok, where too?"

"The jewelers."

"Why the jewelers?"

"Patience my nephew, patience, all will be revealed."

As we walked toward a jewelers shop I envisioned in my mind exactly what I
wanted and was hoping that they would be able to complete it for us today,
it would be a symbol of our family coming together again.

I had spent three hours the previous night researching our family history
on the net and had all the details and drawings needed for the jeweler to
copy so that the design was authentic but also blended our two blood lines.

At the jewelers I asked to see some signet ring blanks and after a few
fittings found two that fit us to perfection in 18 carat red gold, then
began to explian to the jeweler what I wanted to be done and if it were
possible to have them set by later this afternoon.

"Yes sir, we can do that, the engraver is not busy today and the setting of
the stones will not take to long so they should be ready..ahh.. shall we
say, 4.30, would that be satisfactory?"

"Yes that would be fine, thank you very much, we'll see you at 4.30."

"Thank you sir, they'll be ready."

Benny was hopping from one foot to the other in anticipation, and then
looked up to me with a questioning look.

"Why rings, uncle dad?"

"Ha ha, son I think you better pick one name, it's getting confusing for
me."

"Ok, I like dad, so it's going to be dad."

"OK, dad it is."

"So why rings?"

"Well you saw how the top of the ring was shaped like a sheild?"

"Yes."

"Ok the design I gave him was our family crest."

"Whats a crest?"

"It's from a long time ago, you know like the knights had on their sheilds
in olden times?"

"Yes, so how did we get one?"

Well a long time ago, during the time of queen Elizabeth the 1st one of our
ancestors was a captain of one of the ships under Sir Francis Drake, you
know he was don't you?"

"Yes, kicked the butt of the spanish armarda."

"That's right, well when they had finished the battle as gesture of thanks
the queen knighted all the captains and that's how we got a crest and coat
of arms, plus some land in cornwall, which is where we originally came
from."

"But why the stones?"

"That's easy, your birth stone is ruby, mine is saphire so they get set in
the top right hand corner as a lucky charm for us and then the crest is
engraved into the center of the ring and the koru around the outside to
show that we are also of maori heritage as well, it combines both or our
blood lines."

"But dad, you look whiter than I do, why?"

"That's because I'm only one eighth maori blood and your mother was also
part maori, so you have more than I do, see it's easy, besides you look a
lot hotter than I do, he he he."

"Oh, dad, thats not true, I'm all skinny and only a kid."

"Really, hmm.. next time take a good look in the mirror kiddo."

"Oh stop it, you make me blush all the time,....you really think I'm hot?"

"Hot as chili my son."

As the time was getting on to 3.30 we made our way back toward Max's office
building, joking and laughing as we went and also collecting a lot of
strange looks from passers by but to hell with them was how I felt, this
has to be the greatest day in my life, a new beginning for us both, let
them think what they like, Benny and I had each other and they could all go
to the devil as far as I was concerned.

Max met us in the reception area, but instead of going over to his cubicle
he took us down the passage to a private office where after closing the
door he motioned us to take a chair each as he sat down behind the desk.

"How's your memory for past events, John?"

"Could be pretty bad, depending on what you're going to tell me."

"Well first the answer is, yes, next you are going to owe me big time for
this and I dont mean only the loss of memory."

"Ok, so out with it."

"Everything is a go, but, and this is a big but, I had to pull so many
strings right up to the minister, that if any of this gets out my ass is
grass, you know what I mean?"

"Hmmm, had to go that high eh?"

"To get it done today I had too, yes, even through normal channels it would
have taken 2-3 months, so you owe me big, my ring is still hanging out
after the minister was finished with me."

"Ok, so what happens now?"

"As you are the only surviving relative of Bently you are his legal
guardian, you two just have to sign all this lot and you walk out of here
free and clear."

Max pushed a pile of papers toward us and we began to sign where he
indicated, when all was done Max got to his feet extending his hand to
Benny.

"Well Bently, he's all your's, hope you have better luck with him than I
do."

"You mean??"

"Yes Bently you are now legally tied to that old reprobate."

Benny let go of his hand with a whoop to scare the devil with and rushed
into my arms before I could get up out of the chair.

"It's happened, at last it's happened, dad I'm so happy."

"Well, didn't take you long to con him, did it John, by the way how is the
memory?"

"Memory..hmmmm...let me see, Funy can't seem to remeber anything before
walking in this door, funy that, the way your mind goes blank at times."

"Yeah right, John, but I think a day or two out on your boat with some
friends might help go a long way to fix my aching ass after the kicking it
got today,..hmmm?"

"Yeah I think that can be arranged, and thanks Max, for everything, I'm
sorry I was such an ass hole this morning."

"It's ok John, by the look of him it was worht it."

"It was Max, it certainly was."

"What you think captain, you want to invite Max and his friend out for a
trip on the weekend?"

"Yes, oh yes, I think that's a good idea, cabin boy."

"Ha ha, at last someone to put you in your place, see you on the weekend
then."

"Ahh.. Max, really thanks, from both of us."

"It's ok, just remember you're going to pay for this for some time bud."

"Yeah well I'm used to suffering, but if you get to heavy then I set Benny
on you."

"Ok, get out of here you two, some of us have to work for a living."

So saying we left the office, my arm around Benny's shoulder, his arm
around my waist and made our way down to the street, once there, headed for
the jewelers to pick up our rings and start our life anew.


To Be Continued: