Date: Mon, 27 Jul 2009 12:06:17 EDT
From: Bwstories8@aol.com
Subject: Castaway Hotel: Grand Reopening - chapters 39 - 40

Castaway Hotel -- Grand Reopening by BW	
Copyright 2009 by billwstories
Chapter 39 -- A Christmas to Remember.                                 

**Author's Note:** Please read the disclaimer in Chapter 00 before you read
this.

Christmas was upon us, almost before we knew it.  I was surprised to learn
that both of my daughters and my oldest son would be joining us this time.
Both my older son and daughter had worked out an arrangement with their
in-laws to spend Christmas with them over a prolonged New Year's weekend,
when they would celebrate both holidays together.  They did this because my
grandsons kept teasing them about coming back, so they could spend more
time with their uncles.

My younger son wouldn't be able to join us, since he still had to work.
Working in retail management, he only had Christmas day off and he worked
Christmas Eve until 6:00 p.m.  Not only that, but he also had to work the
day after Christmas, and because it was such a big 'return' and clearance
day, he couldn't get the time off.  Since that was the case, it would make
it too short a time to return, so he informed me he had taken some time off
after the New Year, so he could come home and celebrate the holidays with
us then.  Originally, he wasn't planning to come home for Christmas at all,
but after meeting and spending time with his new brothers at Thanksgiving,
he knew he wanted to return again, the first chance he could.

Before enjoying our Christmas Eve dinner, I sent all of the boys off with
my oldest son, loaning him my van to take them for some last minute
shopping, or so they were told.  Really, it was so they wouldn't be around
when a few 'special' deliveries were being made.  I had ordered some items
that I didn't want to arrive until the last minute, and even paid extra to
have them delivered on Christmas Eve, so the snooping boys wouldn't
discover them beforehand.

Once that group returned, we ate and followed that by watching my favorite
version of 'A Christmas Carol.'  After that, I read them the poem, 'Twas
the Night Before Christmas,' with Cole and one of my grandsons pressed
tightly against me on one side and Graham and the other grandson snuggle up
against my other side.  Reading this had become a family tradition, when my
older children were younger, and I put as much gusto into it as I could
muster.  Once we finished with all of that, I sent everyone, except the
other grown-ups, off to bed.

We assigned the bedrooms much the same way we had at Thanksgiving, so
everyone knew where they were going.  After tucking in all the boys and
kissing them good night, I returned to the downstairs, knowing I still had
things to accomplish before I could also go to sleep.

My daughters and daughter-in-law stayed up a little longer to help make
sure everything was ready for the following day's meals, while my older
son, son-in-law and I spent the next few hours putting together a few
presents that needed to be assembled, mainly for my grandsons.  What a pain
that was.  I should have remembered how much trouble doing things like that
could be, if I'd only thought back to when my children were also little.

After we finally got to bed, it seemed as if my head had just hit the
pillow, when my grandsons, Graham and Cole came bursting in to my bedroom,
trying to rouse me from my slumber.  All I could hear were screams that
Santa had been there and the living room was crammed with presents.
Obviously, they had already snuck downstairs to check things out.

Reluctantly, I got out of bed and made a quick trip to the toilet, while
the little ones awoke the others, and then I slipped on my robe and
slippers and prepared to join them.  When I entered the upstairs hallway,
everyone was there, waiting for me to lead the way down.

The younger boys were so excited that they nearly knocked me over, causing
me to nearly tumble down the steps.  After warning them to slow down a bit
and take it easy, we proceeded.  Once we reached the foyer, I looked into
the living room and then turned back to them with a shocked expression on
my face.  "I think we've been robbed!" I announced.  "All the presents are
gone."

The little ones darted past me, to see for themselves, as this greatly
troubled them.  As they entered the living room, they quickly discovered I
had only been pulling their legs.  "No they're not, Papa," little Nicky
informed me.  "They're all still there."

"Oh, okay," I announced, breathing a loud sigh of relief.  "I guess I'd
better get some new glasses then."  Cole and Graham both chastised me for
making their nephews worry, but I think they had really appreciated the
sense of excitement it added to the morning.

After we all were seated, with the boys taking up what free space they
could find, my older son and I started passing out the gifts, one to every
person.  We waited until each of us had opened that gift, before we gave
them another, so they would have time to appreciate it, before ripping open
the next package.

I was really proud of my older children as well, because they had included
gifts for the boys.  Despite my repeated admonitions that they weren't
required to buy any gifts for us, they pooled their money and brought a
couple of nice presents for each of the boys, including Jay and Brandon.  I
let the boys open those gifts first, but we set aside Jay and Brandon's, so
they could open them when they arrived.

Now it was time for them to receive my gifts.  I had asked the boys to make
out their Christmas lists before we had even reached Thanksgiving, to give
me time to do my shopping.  The holidays are a particularly busy time for
me, with all the school functions, parties, etc., so I wanted to make sure
I had time to look around for the things they wanted.  That's why I was
surprised when they presented me with a single, joint list upon which the
only request written was -- 'the only thing we want for Christmas is to be
your sons.'

This moved me greatly, but didn't do much to help me to decide what to get
them for the holiday.  Therefore, I decided it might be best to buy things
that all of them would benefit from, and then I threw in another special
gift for each of them.

After handing out my gifts to my grandchildren, I handed the boys a single
card, addressed to all of them.  I gave it to Danny to read to them all,
because it contained clues to locate their gifts.  It went like this.
"Your first two gifts you'll discover, in a room that's meant for all - the
one you should see quite clearly, while the other will require balls."

After Danny read this, they all looked at me oddly, because they couldn't
make sense of it.  "Aren't all the rooms meant for all of us?" Ricky asked.

"Think about it," I challenged him.  "Is there one room that indicates that
it's for all my children, as well as me?"  They all began to think about my
clue.

"He means the family room," Dustin concluded, before they all went racing
in that direction.  It was only a few seconds later before we all could
hear shouts of delight, and a few minutes after that they came charging
back to thank me.

"Well, what did you get?" my older son asked.  Although he had been out
with the boys when these items had been delivered, I was sure his wife had
filled him in about the gifts.

"The gift we can see clearly is a large screen TV!" Kevin announced,
excitedly.

"And the one that needs balls is a pool table," Cole added, while Ricky
came over and whispered in my ear.

"We talked about this before we came back in here.  We thought you were
being nasty, when you said it needed balls," he told me.  "I think all of
us thought you meant our balls, and that it was a gift meant just for boys,
but we couldn't understand why you'd say that in front of your daughters."
He giggled after telling me this.

Obviously, that possibility had never dawned on me as I was writing that
clue, or I might have been inclined to word it differently.  However, I
couldn't let that pass without comment.  "That will teach you about jumping
to conclusions," I informed him though, before playfully punching him in
the tummy.

My son wanted to know where I found a slate top pool table, and I informed
him it was one I had refurbished, after chancing upon a liquidation sale at
a local pool hall.  The place was going out of business and they were
selling everything quite cheap, and I couldn't resist a quality, antique
table.  I felt it was something everyone could enjoy, so I made sure I
didn't miss the opportunity of purchasing it.

The pool hall owner also suggested a great place to get it sanded,
refinished and recovered, and they did an excellent job.  My son agreed,
but now my attention was being required again, as it was now time to give
the boys my next gift.  Reaching into my bag of surprised, I handed them
another card, with one more clue on it.  This time I gave it to Dustin and
he read it to the others.

"The room was meant to make things whole, but now it will serve another
role.  In it you will find a brand new tool and if you use it wisely, you
soon will rule."

"Dang it, not another puzzle we have to figure out," Ricky whined, but only
jokingly.

"Come on, we don't have a room that makes things whole," Kevin grumbled.
"That would be like a hospital or nurse's office."

"Only if you're thinking about people," my younger daughter informed him,
having figured out the riddle on her own.  "But what happens when you're
playing sports and someone rips your shirt or pants?"

"The sewing room," several of them screamed together, as they went racing
up the stairs to the small room located near the guest room, which my wife
had used as her sewing room.  I had now turned it into a small office space
for the boys.  We soon heard another shout of joy, followed by the sound of
footsteps rumbling back down the stairs.

"It's a 'puter," Graham announced, having trouble with the word, due to his
excitement.

"The new tool is a computer," Danny clarified.

"Yeah, that's what's going to make us rule," Cole added.

"So we can't use your computer any more?" Ricky wanted to know.

"You will still be able to use it, when I'm not working on it," I
explained, "but because there are so many of you now, I thought we needed a
second one, to make sure each of you would be able to have time on it,
whenever you needed it to help with schoolwork or to chat with your
friends."

"Awesome," was Ricky's response.

"Wow, this has been a really great Christmas," Dustin announced, to let us
know he really appreciated everything.

"Hey, you're not done yet," I explained.  "Back to the living room for your
final present."

Somewhat bewildered that there was still more, the boys did as I asked, and
I presented them each with a small box.  I watched their faces and held my
breath as they opened them.  I hadn't even told my older children what was
contained within.  I watched each boy closely as he reached inside, pulled
out the paper contained within and then unfolded and read it.  This time
instead of cheers, I saw tears.

"Well, what is it?" my daughter-in-law asked them, puzzled by their
response.

"It's a certificate," Dustin told them, slightly choked up.

"For what," my older daughter pressed.

"It says," Danny began, "This certificate entitles the above named
individual the right to be adopted by Joshua Currie.  Adoption will become
official, as soon as the lawyers can work out the details, if you agree to
said contract."  Now the older members of the family understood that the
tears they saw had been tears of joy, not sadness, but my grandsons hadn't
yet figured that out.

"Why's Uncle Gwam crying, Mommy," little Nicky asked his mother.

"They're all crying," Jordan announced.  "What's wrong?"  He looked up and
saw all of us were now in tears, except for Nicky and him.

"It's because they're so happy," Nicky's mother explained.  "Your Papa is
going to adopt them and make them his sons, and your uncles, forever."

"Goody," Nicky announced, finally gaining a little understanding about what
was happening.

I had forewarned my older children that I was planning to adopt the boys,
so we could discuss it, if they had any problems with it, but I didn't tell
them this was how I planned to announce it.  I was pleased that they all
agreed it would be a good idea, stating that it was good for all of us, not
just the boys.  After receiving their blessing, I thanked them and told
them that their approval was the only gift I needed from them.  I would
later let the boys know that too.  By the end of the hour or so we had been
opening our gifts, I don't think I'd ever been so emotionally drained.

When Jay and Brandon came over later, accompanied by their parents, we all
exchanged gift with them, as well.  I didn't expect either set of parents
to buy things for my boys, but they said it was the least they could do,
after everything we'd done for their sons.  They came in, had a Christmas
drink or two with us, and the boys informed them about everything they had
received.

Sally also dropped by while everyone was there and came in to join us as
well.  This was truly an extended family celebration this year.  She had
also purchased the boys gifts, and they surprised her by handing her one in
return.  They had told me before Christmas that they wanted to get her
something really nice, because of all she did to find them a good home and
how she always thought of them on their birthdays, so I happily supplied
the cash.  They picked out a lovely gold chain for her and two pairs of
earrings to go with it.  In the long run, she had more than earned that
small repayment.

About ten that evening, the O'Haras, Curtises and Sally began to filter out
and head to their homes.  Jay and Brandon talked their parents into letting
them spend the night, so they could play with my grandchildren the next
day.  I think their parents were surprised by how well they interacted with
the two little ones.  Once everyone else had gone, the rest of us all
started to unwind.

The eight boys told us all how thrilled they were and what a great day it
was, because none of them had ever received so many presents before.  It
all added up, when they counted what I gave them and what they got from
each other, besides what my older children, Aunt Sally and Jay and
Brandon's families had given them.  I warned them this Christmas was
special, but future Christmas might not be quite as elaborate.  They
informed me it didn't matter, because they got what they wanted most.  They
were going to be my sons.

My grandsons thought it was special Christmas too and delighted in the fact
they had so many uncles fawning over them.  The nephews never lacked for
attention or for someone to play with, so they were more than satisfied.

The rest of our time together was very nice, but not always relaxing.  The
boys continually tried to involve all of us in everything they did, as they
thought we needed to be entertained as much as they did.  I think my older
children found that quite cute and appreciated their consideration, which
only made all of us feel even closer to each other.

It was a very tearful parting, when it came time for my older children and
grandchildren to leave.  Nicky and Jordan once again pressed their parents
when they could come back again, so we quickly agreed that that they'd all
come home for Easter.  We also agreed to meet for a week's joint vacation
that summer, at the end of July or early August, and I'd confirm
arrangements with them by spring break.  That way, they would know what to
plan for and exactly when.  Many hugs and kisses were exchanged, as tears
were shed, before they departed.  Even knowing we'd all be together again
for Easter and a few months after that, for vacation, it didn't help fill
the void created by being separated again.



Castaway Hotel -- Grand Reopening by BW	
Copyright 2009 by billwstories
Chapter 40 -- A Nearly Perfect Ending.                                 

We tried to make the New Year special, but less draining than Christmas had
been.  We invited the O'Haras, Curtises and Aunt Sally to join us, as we
were planning to go out to dinner, and they all accepted.  I placed a
reservation at my favorite restaurant and I was assured we'd have a very
nice table.

Before we went out that evening, the boys were told that from now on they
could call the O'Haras Uncle Pat and Aunt Brenda and the Curtises Uncle
Howie and Aunt Audrey.  I wasn't certain if it was because their sons
called me Pop or if they were beginning to feel that close to my family,
but I suspect it was a combination of the two.  I wasn't sure if Brandon
and Jay had somehow initiated this in the first place, but Pat and Howie
were the ones who did the honors and informed my brood.  I think the
announcement pleased all of the boys, especially Brandon, Danny and Jay,
and brought us all just that must closer.

It was quite a lovely meal and we topped it off with a toast.  The O'Haras
and Curtises agreed to allow their boys to have a small amount of wine to
make this toast with, as I had informed them privately that I planned to do
that with my own sons.  With the boys wallowing in their smugness of being
allowed this adult treat, we now held our glasses high, as I offered the
toast.

"May the New Year bring as much love and happiness into the lives of every
member of this extended family, as this past year has so nicely done for
me," I offered, while looking around our rather large table.  "I can't feel
more blessed than sharing the holidays with all of you and I thank God for
bringing us all together."

I heard various comments of affirmation, such as 'hear, hear' from some of
the other adults, and then we clinked our glass together lightly, to seal
our commitment.

As midnight neared, we donned our party hats and counted down the final
minutes to the big event.  When zero-hour arrived, we tossed streamers and
confetti about the room, while blowing merrily on our party horns or
cranking our noisemakers.  Once those activities began to die down, we went
around the table exchanging hugs and/or kisses, while wishing each other a
very Happy New Year.  We left a short time after that, returning to our
homes -- hyper, yet exhausted.

My younger son came home the following weekend and we had a great time with
him as well.  The boys happily regaled him with the details of everything
he had missed over Christmas and New Year's, but I think Robert mostly
enjoyed not having to share the boys with his siblings or nephews this time
around.  They were constantly together and did many things, both with and
without me, and I enjoyed seeing them all growing closer.  Robert had
remained a kid at heart and this merely gave him an excuse to manifest his
hidden desires.  The boys ate it up, big time, and they were all greatly
saddened when he had to leave us again.

There was sort of a lull between Robert's visit and our next important
event, but that time was filled with going to basketball games and
wrestling matches, to watch the various boys as they competed on their
teams.  As those seasons drew to a close, with varying degrees of success,
Graham's birthday was quickly upon us.  He turned twelve on March 10th and
I made sure we held a special party for him, just like we had for his
brother.  Graham also invited a couple of kids from school that he'd made
friends with, as well as having the extended family there.  I don't think
I've ever seen a more joyful kid than Graham was that day, especially after
we rolled out his new bicycle, which was very similar to Cole's.

"Thank you, Daddy!" Graham squealed in delight, after seeing his present.
"This is the bestest birthday I've ever had."  That, and watching his
smiling face and noticing the excitement in his every move as he rode his
bike for the first time, was more than enough thanks for me.

It seemed like we had just finished that event, when we had to start
getting ready for Easter.  We hurriedly began making arrangements for
everyone to return home again, and then Danny and Ricky reminded me about a
promise I had made to them back in the fall, which I had yet to come
through on.  That was to rebuild the old tree house in the woods.  After
acknowledging that I was sorry and explaining that we'd been extremely
busy, I promised to make up for the delay.  All of the boys went out with
me to help measure and add their suggestions to how they thought it should
be done, before going with me to pick up the supplies and lug them back to
the woods.  To my amazement, they were all a great help, but I soon
discovered there was an ulterior motive behind this.  They wanted it ready
when their nephews came here for the holiday.

In addition to helping me with the tree house, the boys also cleaned their
rooms, in preparation for their older siblings using them while they were
here.  I went out and stocked up for the big dinner, as well as making sure
we had plenty of eggs to color and Easter treats to go around.  The boys
were really excited as the big day approached and I began to wonder if they
were going to be able to hold out until the others got here.

The various family members began arriving late Thursday night, as they
either had Friday off or had taken it off, so we'd have the extra time
together.  After getting the adults situated in the various bedrooms, the
boys told them they hoped it would be all right if Nicky and Jordan camped
out with them in the family room while they were there.  The boys explained
they'd sleep in sleep bags on the floor, because they thought the younger
ones would really enjoy it.

I could see the sparkle in my older children's eyes, as they recalled the
many times they had done similar things with their friends.  Accordingly,
they enthusiastically gave the boys permission to carry out their plans.
Nicky and Jordan were ecstatic when they learned what was going to happen,
but that was only the first of the many treats and surprises that awaited
them.

On Friday, the boys took their nephews out to the tree house, where they
spent much of their day.  My two grandsons made many trips from the tree
house to the ground, either climbing the rope ladder I had installed or by
riding up on the pulley-lift I had installed to take supplies up with.  No
matter which way they chose, they were thrilled to make the trip.

Over the course of that day, their imaginations were in high gear, as they
pretended to be Peter Pan and the lost boys or a crewing of despicable
pirates, as well as using the tree house as the guard tower of an old west
fort or the tower keep of a castle.  I even took sandwiches out to them at
lunchtime, along with liquid refreshments, so they could continue their
fun.  As the hour started to grow late, the boys asked if they could sleep
out there too, but their parents felt it was still too chilly to allow them
to do that.  After explaining this fact to them, we told them they could
camp out in the family room again, and we'd use card tables and blankets to
make little tents for them.  They were a little disappointed, but curious
as to what this new suggestion would be like, so no one gave us a major
hassle about it.

On Saturday, I let the older boys teach the little ones how to color Easter
eggs.  Needless to say, Cole and Graham had as much fun doing this as their
nephews, but it was fun watching them try to make each egg uniquely theirs.
I allowed Dustin and Danny to have the honor of boiling three-dozen eggs,
because some of them would also be used for the dinner.

They decorated some of the eggs in solid colors and others in a combination
of hues.  There were eggs with stickers attached to them and other eggs
with designs or names etched on them with a wax crayon, before the color
was applied.  No matter how they designed them, all the boys were having
fun.

"Look, Unka Gwam's egg has stripes of color on it," Nicky announced, after
seeing how Graham was carefully only dunking a portion of his egg into each
of the various bowls of color.

"Uncle Ricky put our names on these eggs," Jordan told Nicky, showing him
the two eggs, one each with their name printed on it.

This activity continued for a couple of hours, until all of the eggs were
done.

Sometime late Saturday night or early Sunday morning, the Easter Bunny came
and hid Easter baskets and the Easter eggs.  Unfortunately, he used the
entire downstairs to do this, so these items were scattered throughout the
various rooms on the ground floor.

Just like Christmas, the boys were up bright and early, and I was the only
one awake before they were.  I guess I was as excited to watch them go into
action, as they were to begin.  I chuckled to myself as I watched their
impatience, as they waited for their parents and other adults to throw on
their robes and slippers, so we could all go downstairs.

After we reached the front foyer, the boys were informed that each basket
had a name on it and they were only allowed to find their own.  They could
find all the eggs they wanted, but they were to leave any of the other
baskets they discovered where they were, so the proper owner could locate
it in due time.  I also told Nicky that his basket also had a bunny sticker
on it, to help him recognize it, while Jordan's had a sticker of a bright
yellow chick.

"How do you know that Papa?" Jordan asked me, putting me on the spot.  "I
thought the Easter Bunny hid them."

Thinking quickly, I came up with a response.  "He did, but remember, I was
up early, so I went around to check out where they were.  I wanted to make
sure they weren't someplace where you boys couldn't reach them or near
something you might get hurt on.  That's when I saw what they looked like."

That seemed to suffice, but I decided that in the future I'm going to have
to be a little smarter around this pair.

The four youngest ones particularly enjoyed this activity and got very
excited when they found their basket of goodies.  However, no matter how
much fun that was, they got an even bigger kick out of trying to find all
of the eggs they'd decorated.  In fact, they enjoyed it so much that the
older boys re-hid all of the eggs several more times, so they could look
for them again and again.

A little later, I made sure everyone got cleaned up and dressed in their
Sunday best, so we could attend church together.  After all, that's what
this holiday is all about -- isn't it?  I was so pleased and proud of all
of them as we entered the sanctuary and took up nearly two pews, and my
older children were thrilled by the number of people who came over to say
hello to them and tell them how nice it was to see them again.  There were
also several discussions about how our family had grown, including one
humorous comment, made by a good friend of mine, when he stated, "You're
the only person I know who had more children without a wife, than with
one."

After services ended, we went back home and had a very lovely ham dinner.
I had prepared nearly everything we ate, with some help from my daughters
and daughter-in- law along the way, and no one left the table hungry.
After that, we allowed the boys to continue to hide the Easter eggs over
and over, so Nicky, Jordan and Graham could find them again, as they didn't
seem to tire of that activity.

My older children didn't leave until Monday, as they had taken another day
off to travel.  Although we were all sad to see them go, we knew that we'd
see them again this summer -- this time for a whole week.  I think that
helped to make this parting a little more palatable for all of us.

Shortly after Easter, we celebrated two more birthdays, on consecutive
weekends.  The first was for Dustin, who turned sixteen on April 27th and
then Danny became fifteen on May 6th.  Even though the boys suggested I
could throw one party for both of them, I thought it best to give them
their own celebration.  I wanted it to be as special for them, as the other
parties were for their brothers.  In the long run, I think they were happy
that I had done this and they didn't have to share their special day with
each other.

Throughout the spring, most of the boys played baseball, except for Danny
and Ricky, who had decided to play lacrosse instead.  They figured they
could play enough baseball in the summer league, so they would take this
opportunity to enjoy something different.  Although none of their teams did
spectacularly well, they all had winning seasons and the boys had enjoyed
what they had done.

No matter how much they did or how much they enjoyed it, everything was
just a warm up for what was yet to come.  During the months between
Christmas and now, I had my lawyer working with Sally and the Department of
Social Services to clear the legal obstacles, so I could officially adopt
all of the boys.  My attorney told me that we had overcome the last hurdle
in mid-May and a court date had been set for mid-June, after school was
out.  I hoped I could last that long, as the anticipation seemed to be
harder on me, than on the boys.

When that date came, I had all of the boys put on a dress-shirt, tie and a
sport coat, and then I piled them into the van and drove to the courthouse.
The judge met with each of the boys, individually, before we went into
court.  The lawyer told me it was to talk with them and get their reactions
about the pending matter, before he issued his formal ruling.  Each of the
boys spent ten to twenty minutes alone with the judge and his court
stenographer, and then he met with me.  After what seemed like a lengthy
delay, our case was finally announced.

I led the boys in and we sat in the very front row, right behind our
lawyer's table.  We all stood as the judge came back into the courtroom and
were seated before he began to address everyone present.

"This case is to address the petition of one Joshua M. Currie," he began.
"He is requesting to be allowed the legal right to adopt six young men who
are now in his care, under the supervision of the Department of Social
Services.  I have spoken, personally, to each of the individuals involved
in this matter, and after asking numerous questions and getting their
individual views on the issue, I have reached my final decision.

"I have found that each of the boys involved in this matter love
Mr. Currie, respect him as a father and wish this adoption to become legal
and permanent.  They realize that their natural parents, if they are still
alive, will no longer have any place in their lives, nor have any say in
how they live or are raised, from this point forward.  They have informed
me they are fine with this and wish for the process to continue.

"I have also spoken with Mrs. Swarthout, whose department has overseen and
monitored the placement of these young gentlemen, and she and I agree that
Mr. Currie has provided a warm and loving home for these boys.  He has
nurtured their development and given them the stability that had been
lacking in their lives, up until the time they came to live with him.

"Additionally, I have met with Mr. Currie, who has repeated his desire to
adopt these boys, with the whole-hearted support of his grown, natural
children.  He has expressed his love and deep concern for each and every
one of these young men and I find him to be a sensitive, responsible and
stable influence in their lives.  Therefore, I am issuing the following
decree and would like each of the boys to approach the bench, as their name
is called.

"From this day forward, the following individuals will be legally
recognized as the sons of Mr. Joshua M. Currie and will receive appropriate
adoption papers and a new birth certificate, indicating said changes.

"Master Dustin Mathew Currie, age 16; Master Daniel Edward Currie, age 15;
Master Kevin Michael Currie, age 14; Master Richard Allen Currie, age 13;
Master Cole David Currie, age 13 and Master Graham Thomas Currie, age 12.
Will you all please step forward?"

Each boy went up to the front of the courtroom and received his copy of the
proclamation and other paperwork.  As each of them returned to his seat,
they were beaming and studying their official documents.

"Mr. Currie, I would like to make some final comments before you leave.  I
have found this to be a remarkable case and one that has been my pleasure
to preside over.  As a family court judge, I often see only the results of
broken homes, which bring much sorrow and anguish into the lives of the
children involved.  In my long stay on this bench, I have never witnessed a
more rewarding or gratifying situation.

"After talking with your new sons, I have no doubt as to the love you all
feel for one another.  You are filling a gigantic role in their lives and
assuming the awesome responsibilities that go along with it.  I have
determined you are capable of handling these demands and meetings the needs
of your new family.  On behalf of the citizens of this state, and more
specifically the residents of this jurisdiction, I would like to thank you
for the time, money and energy you have already invested in these young men
and I firmly believe you will continue to provide whatever is necessary for
them in the future.  Had it not been for you, I might be dealing with one
or more of these boys in a more serious family matter or hearing about them
being involved in a criminal proceeding in the years to come, but I am no
longer worried about such occurrences.  I am certain each of these young
men will follow your example and become fine, upstanding members of our
community.

"To you boys, I would merely suggest that you say a very special prayer
this evening, thanking God for creating Mr. Currie and introducing him into
your lives.  I pray that you will listen to him, heed his advice and live
lives that will honor the sacrifice he's making and the great gift he is
giving to you.  Some day you may have families of your own and I hope each
of you are as loving and devoted to your families, as Mr. Currie has been,
and will be, to you.  If you emulate his fine example, the world will
benefit, ten-fold, from his efforts.

"I now pronounce this adoption legal and entered into the official
proceedings of this court.  May God bless and follow you all."

There were more than enough hugs, tears and kisses to go around.  Sally
made the rounds and hugged and congratulated each boy, before turning
toward me.

"Joshua Currie, you've certainly made my job a great deal easier over the
past year or more.  I want to congratulate you and the boys, and I
selfishly hope this doesn't end your involvement with my agency."

"The boys wouldn't let me, no matter what," I replied.  "They made me
promise, before we came here, that I'd still take in any boy who needed our
help and would be willing to do as much for any addition to our family, as
I had done for them.  They threatened to not let me adopt them, unless I
made that promise."

"Good for them," she chuckled.  "I see they've already adopted your caring
and loving nature.  It can only get better from here on out."

"Thanks, Sally, and don't be a stranger," I told her, sincerely.  "The boys
think of you as family too and know that without you, they'd never have
come to live with me.  Thanks for all of your help. Thank you for the boys
and thank you for helping me to get my life back, rather than just merely
exist."

Once we broke free, I took the boys out for lunch, so we could officially
celebrate the creation of the 'new' Currie family.  After hearing our
story, the restaurant even threw in desserts, on the house.  In fact, the
manager made an announcement, so everyone there would also share in our
excitement, and we got a standing ovation from the other diners, in return.
The boys were beginning to enjoy their new role as celebrities de jour.

When we left the restaurant, we went home to begin our new life together.
Once we got there, I announced my next surprise to the boys.  "I have one
more thing I want each of you to know.  Since you boys came to live with
me, the state has been sending me monthly checks to pay for your room and
board, clothing, entertainment and so forth.  I never really wanted, nor
needed the money, but Sally… Aunt Sally told me it was standard
procedure and I should take the money and use it to cover expenses.  I did
take the checks and cash them, but I deposited the money into a special
account.  I have never touched that money, until recently.  When the
holidays rolled around, I took the money from the bank and split it six
ways, so I could open a mutual fund account in each one of your names.
This account will be used to pay for you to go to college, or if you decide
that's not for you, we can talk about alternative uses for the money later,
such as seed money to start your own business.  I will not allow you to use
this money frivolously, though.  You must have a valid use for it, in order
to convince me to let you withdraw it.  You will need my signature, because
my name is on that account, until you reach legal age.

"I have also been informed that there may be more money coming along in the
future, and I will handle it in the same fashion.  I will accumulate it,
split it between each of you and add it to your accounts.  This will help
to make sure you have a future, independent of my last will and testament,
but you are also included in that now, as well.  Your older brothers and
sisters are aware of this and have given their unanimous support to my
including your names, along with theirs and my grandchildren.  Therefore,
you will all split my estate, when I eventually leave this earth.  I love
you all dearly and only want what's best for you."

The older boys understood the implications of what I had just told them and
immediately thanked, hugged and kissed me again.  Once they had finished,
they tried to explain things so the younger boys would also understand what
I was doing for them.  Before long, I was getting my thanks from them, as
well.  I gave each of them the copy of the statement of their accounts, so
they had some official record of what I had just explained to them.  They
carefully placed these with the other official documents they had received
earlier and we locked them up together, in the fireproof chest that I keep
all my important papers in.

It had been a very emotional and draining day, so for the rest of the
evening we just kicked back, watched some television, enjoyed each other's
company and began our new life together on a very peaceful note.

THE END

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