Date: Tue, 13 Oct 2009 22:52:57 EDT
From: Bwstories8@aol.com
Subject: Castaway Hotel: Grand Reopening - Book 2, chapters 37 - 38

Castaway Hotel -- Grand Reopening -- Book 2 by BW		
Copyright 2009 by billwstories
Chapter 37 -- A Nippon Experience.                       

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

Besides Carlos' recent arrival, I had to focus on another matter that was
quickly becoming more urgent.  In just a couple more weeks it would be
spring vacation, which meant I would be leaving on my trip to Japan, with
Sammy and Andrew.  Therefore, it was time to start thinking about what to
pack and how I was going to handle this entire situation.  Not only that,
but I would have to sit down with Sammy and Andrew to prepare them for this
visit as well.  I not only had to reassure both boys about how much I loved
them, but also make certain they were ready for what might happen, once we
were in Japan.

Fortunately, I had ordered all the boys' passports back in January, in
preparation for our summer vacation, which meant Sammy and Andrew would
have theirs in plenty of time.  The boys didn't know anything about this,
however, as I had arranged to have a friend take their passport photos
without the boys learning what they were really for.  Instead, I told them
I wanted their pictures for my personal records, just in case we needed
identification photos of them later.  I worked this in conjunction with the
sheriff's departments child safety program, which they ran at my school, so
not only did I have those photos, but I also had all the boys'
fingerprinted and kept those cards in my fireproof safe.

Although this program had been held for the younger grades, I brought my
high school boys over and had them participate too, so I could have those
records, just in case they were ever needed.  After explaining my reasons
and quelling their objections, they cooperated with my requests.  Once all
of this was completed, I attached each boy's photo to the appropriate
fingerprint card, for security reasons.  Of course, I had my friend print
multiple copies of each of their photos, so I had plenty for each purpose.

As the time to leave grew near, I could see Sammy and Andrew beginning to
get more and more wrapped up in their emotions.  Although they were excited
about traveling to Japan and seeing where their father had lived, they were
also concerned about their grandparents might try to keep them there.  My
attorney had assured me this wouldn't happen, after he research Japanese
laws about custodial claims, but I've heard of worse horror stories
happening in foreign countries.  Once you're on foreign soil, you must
abide by the laws of that country and I was still concerned there might be
other laws our lawyer might have missed, concerning orphaned children of a
Japanese national.  After expressing my concerns, my attorney explained
he'd also had a Japanese firm check his findings, before assuring me I had
nothing to worry about.  I prayed he was right.

On the final Friday of classes before spring break, I brought the boys
home, and Sammy, Andrew and I went back over our preparations for our trip.
We would leave the following morning and Steve was going to drive us to the
Pittsburgh Airport.  Now we went over our list of things we were taking
with us, as I wanted to make certain we would have everything we needed.  I
didn't want to forget anything important, since I wasn't sure if we could
find replacement items for such things, once we arrived.

Sally had agreed to stay with the other boys again, until Scott arrived
later that day, so I had no worries there.  During the evening I said my
good-byes to the rest of the boys, as the three of us would be leaving the
house before they got up the next day.  Each one wished us luck and told us
to have a good time, but I could tell from their reserved actions and
unusual demeanor that they were worried about Sammy and Andrew's future
with us, too.  It was obvious they were trying not to alarm the other pair
about their concerns, but they were just as worried as I was that the
grandparents would want the boys to stay and live with them in Japan.

Saturday morning, I awoke both boys before daybreak and got them dressed in
their traveling attire, before we dragged our luggage down to the foyer.
Steve arrived a short time later, so we loaded everything and were on our
way to Pittsburgh by 6:30.  The two boys sat in the back, rigid and nervous
looking, while I sat in the front, next to Steve.

During the lengthy ride, we talked about many things, none of which had to
do with this trip, and slowly I saw the boys begin to relax.  We arrived at
the airport shortly after 10:00, but our flight wasn't scheduled to leave
until 11:30.  I took the boys up to the airline counter, checked us in,
tagged our luggage and then we grabbed a quick bite to eat with Steve.

While we were eating, I looked in my carry-on case, to make sure I had
packed both boys' personal CD players, the CDs they had selected to take
with them, a few of the hand-held games they wanted to play while we
traveled and a selection of new batteries, to last throughout the trip.  It
would be a long flight, the boys' first plane trip, and we weren't sure
we'd be able to find replacements for the batteries while we were in Japan,
so we came prepared.

When our flight was called, I led the boys to the plane and we took our
seats.  We would fly to Chicago's O'Hare Airport first and have over an
hour layover there, before making our connecting flight to Tokyo.  We were
scheduled to arrive in Chicago at 12:03 and leave again at 1:20.

Both boys wanted to sit next to me, so I let Sammy have the window seat, I
sat next to him, and Andrew sat on my right.  I figured that once the
seat-belt sign was turned off, Andrew would be in my lap for most of the
trip anyway, so it didn't really make a difference where he sat.  However,
if he were on my lap, both boys would be able to look out the window.  Due
to their inexperience with this type of travel, each of them got very
nervous just before takeoff and clung tightly to my arms.

It was a smooth lift-off, but my little ones seemed to hold their breath
until we were safely in the air.  I didn't realize it before we left, but
this flight was basically an up-and- down shuttle.  Almost as soon as we
reached our optimum level, we started our descent.  Both boys listened to
their music or played with one of the games we'd brought along, so it
wasn't too bad.  The flight passed quickly and before long the announcement
was made to prepare for landing.  I made sure each of them was buckled into
his seat, as the plane began its descent.

I watched the boys closely, as we began our approach for landing.  Their
eyes were wide and their knuckles white, as they gripped the armrest or my
arm.  Sammy was looking out the window, so his reaction was more severe
than his brother's.  He kept tugging at my shirtsleeve and pointing
outside.

"Dad, look!" he urged, somewhat excited.  I think he felt that we were
going to crash, but he didn't say it aloud, as he didn't want to frighten
his brother.

"Yes, we are landing, but what you're seeing is quite normal," I assured
him.  "It just gives you a weird feeling, because the plane is traveling so
fast and you're not used to traveling at such speeds.  There's nothing to
be concerned about though."

I think I saw him exhale after my comment, as that seemed to allay his
fears a little.  By the time the plane's wheels touched down on the runway,
I thought both boys were going to draw blood from my arm.  Their tiny
fingers were digging through my shirt and into my skin and I was more than
thankful their nails had been trimmed.  As we taxied up to unload, the
color and smiles slowly returned to their faces.

We made our way into the terminal and used the restroom, before grabbing
drinks and some ice cream from the snack bar.  When we finished our snack,
we made our way to our next departure gate.  By the time we arrived there,
the other passengers were already boarding.  We sat in the same order we
had on our first flight, since the boys seemed satisfied with that
arrangement.  As I said before, our departure time was 1:20 and we would
arrive in Tokyo 4:05 p.m. their time.

The boys weren't quite as nervous about this take-off, but they weren't
totally relaxed either.  Once we were in the air, however, they were fine.
Except for some minor bouts with turbulence, the flight was quite smooth.
As I anticipated, Andrew spent most of his time sitting on my lap and just
being affectionate.  During the early leg of the flight, I would point at
different things through the small window and the boys would look out to
see what I was showing them.  Finally, I left them on their own.

During much of the flight, they sat quietly listening to their music,
playing an electronic game or watching the movie that was being shown,
although Andrew did most of this while sitting with me.  They also took a
nap or two during the multi-hour flight.  They both thought it was really
neat when we ate on the plane, but were too excited to consume very much of
the meal.

Some of the other passengers on the plane looked at us funny when the boys
would call me 'Dad', but seemed to be less critical after watching Andrew
contentedly curled up on my lap the whole time.  One nice lady stopped by,
sat down in Andrew's seat and chatted with us for a while.

"Your sons are adorable," she told me, as she waited to gauge my reaction
to her comment, "and so well behaved.  I haven't heard hardly a peep out of
them during this whole flight."

"Thank you for saying so," I replied.  "I'm very proud of both of them."

"And they have such a cute mixture of features," she added, and I knew what
she was hinting at.

"Yes, they're both half Japanese," I informed her, but didn't elaborate
beyond that.  "I'm taking them to visit their grandparents, who still live
in Japan."  She nodded her understanding and left it at that, not pressing
for more information.

She did hang around and played around with the boys, while also chatting
with them, before going back to her seat.  Before she left, she gave both
of the boys a stick of gum, to help their ears decompress on such a long
flight.  I was very proud of them when they thanked her for her kindness,
without my prodding.

Andrew was sleeping on my lap when the announcement came on for passengers
to return to their seats and prepare for landing.  I had to wake him up and
buckle him in his seat, but he wanted to hold my hand the whole time.  As
with the second take-off, the boys weren't as nervous about this landing as
the first one.  They gave a little cheer when they felt the wheels hit the
runway and some of the other passengers gave them a grin, a thumbs-up sign
or flashed them an okay sign in return.  The boys were a little shy about
being noticed so much, even though they inadvertently brought it upon
themselves, but they played along with the other passengers.

The plane was soon parked and we disembarked.  From there, we made our way
along multiple corridors, as we worked our way toward the baggage claim
area.  When we got to a point where they allowed non-passengers, I saw a
man holding a sign with our name on it.  He turned out to be the
interpreter I had hired through my travel agent.  He helped us retrieve our
luggage and showed us to our car.  The chauffeur drove us to our hotel and
we went in to register.  I had reserved two rooms, one for the boys and me
and the other for the interpreter.  I wanted him close by at all times, in
case I had a communication problem.

Once we were settled in, we had the interpreter call the boys' grandparents
and let them know we had arrived safely.  We made an appointment to visit
them at ten the next morning and then we made ourselves comfortable.  I
knew we'd all be feeling the effects of jet lag, since it had begun to show
on us already.  I felt tonight might be difficult for the boys, as we were
all adjusting to the time differences, so I planned absolutely no
activities.  Mr. & Mrs. Yamada knew about this and had agreed, so I ordered
dinner through room service and we never left the room.

There wasn't really much to do, since nearly everything was in Japanese, so
I was glad I threw a couple of magazines and a book in my suitcase when I
packed.  The boys had their music and the electronic games, so I didn't
worry about them.  I was reading one of the magazines, when Sammy came over
and asked to sit with me.  I obliged him, because he hadn't had as much
time alone with me on the trip.  Even though Andrew had seemed to be fused
to my lap during the flight, Sammy was still willing to share me, when
Andrew asked to join us.  I thought that was sweet.

Before it got too late, I bathed the boys and got them ready for bed.  They
wanted to run around naked for a while and I saw no harm in it, so I let
them.  I gave them another half hour or so before I talked them into bed.
I went at the same time, not having had the advantage of napping on the
plane like they had.  We all slept soundly until the alarm went off.

Even though it seemed to come too quickly, we got ready and met with the
boys' grandparents at their house.  While we were there, I tried to stay in
the background and give them time alone.  I had only come on this trip to
keep the boys safe and to make certain I was there if they needed me.
Otherwise, this was to be the time when the two generations got to know
each other even better.  I did not interfere as the two groups spoke to
each other through the interpreter.  The boys knew only a very few words in
Japanese and therefore couldn't really speak the language.

>From what I could understand, the grandparents were trying to tell the
boys about their heritage and a little bit about their father's life as a
boy.  They talked about what their father was like from birth until he left
for the States to go to college.  They tried to explain the reason for the
estrangement between them, but the boys simply could not understand how
parents could disown their own son and act as if he were dead.  The
grandmother tried to explain the Japanese traditions of respecting one's
elders and honoring the wishes of the parents, but the participants in this
discussion were from vastly different worlds and could not appreciate what
the other was trying to say on this topic.  They continued their discussion
until well past noon, when I suggested we take a break and go out for some
food.  Finally, I got everyone to agree.

The grandfather suggested a restaurant not too far away, which served food
in the Tempura style.  This meant the food we ate had been deep fried,
after being dipped in a batter.  The grandfather placed the order for us,
as none of the rest of us, except his wife, were sure what the items on the
menu were.  It was good tasting, although I never really knew exactly what
it was I was eating.  The boys seemed to enjoy it too and we soon settled
the bill and left.

After leaving the restaurant, the grandmother suggested we take a Sumida
River Cruise, so the boys could see what some of Tokyo looked like.  From
the boat we saw the Sumo arena, the Tokyo-to City Museum, the Tsukiji Fish
Market, the Rainbow Bridge (that spanned Tokyo Bay) and we also passed
under more than a dozen other bridges along the way.  I think we all found
the ride was relaxing, as well as quite lovely.

The cruise had taken around forty minutes to complete and we went from
there to the Fukugawa Edo Museum.  This museum contained a recreation of a
nineteenth century Japanese neighborhood, done to extremely accurate
detail.  The museum also provided a sound and visual mix that added an
authentic look and feel to this neighborhood.  If this didn't give the boys
some indication about their father's heritage, then nothing would.  I was
very impressed by the whole visit.

As we were leaving, Andrew asked a question through the interpreter.
"Grandfather, was that how it was like here when you were little?"

Once the interpret explained to the grandparents what Andrew had said, I
thought I saw his grandmother stifle a chuckle, as the grandfather's eyes
nearly bulged from their sockets.  "Oh, no, little one," his grandfather
told him through the interpreter, "that was even before the time of my
grandfather."  He now seemed to also have a twinkle in his eyes, after he
said that.

Once we finished this segment of our time together, we parted company for
the day and made arrangements to meet at the same time tomorrow.  The boys,
the interpreter and myself went back to the hotel to freshen up, before
deciding where to go for dinner.  After discussing this with the
interpreter, we decided on a Teppanyaki style Japanese restaurant, or a
Japanese steakhouse.  Although this wasn't exactly what I was used to, it
was still very good and we enjoyed ourselves immensely.

While dining, the interpreter also advised me of a Japanese tradition, as
we were both drinking beer with our meal.  He explained that while
socializing, you never refill your own drink and you never let your
companion's glass become completely empty.  It sounded intriguing, so I
agreed to abide by this tradition.  Now, besides having to watch how much I
was imbibing, I had to watch the interpreter's glass, to make sure I kept
him supplied with beer.  We all managed to have a good time, without over
indulging.

Once we'd finished eating and were back in the room, both Sammy and Andrew
became very affectionate.  First, they both wanted to sit on my lap, and
then they started kissing and hugging me.  It was then that they gave me a
hint as to what this was all about.

"We're glad you would never disown us or pretend we were dead," Sammy
announced, after we'd been together for a while.  "How could our
grandparents do that to our father?"

"Boys, I'm not sure I can answer that question," I told them, "because our
cultures have different ways of looking at things.  Over here, in Japan, at
least when your father was young, children who disobeyed their parents
wishes might be treated that way.  That's because the Japanese place a very
high value on honoring their elders."

"We could understand it if they were mad at him and maybe didn't speak to
him for a while," Sammy continued, "but how could they pretend he was dead
and never have anything more to do with him?"

"That's why they didn't know about me and Sammy," Andrew added.  "That's
why I don't want to live here.  They might get mad at us too."

Although I tried to explain it again, as best I could, the boys still
couldn't understand why their grandparents told their friends and relatives
that their son had died and never spoke of him again.  No matter how hard I
tried to explain their grandparents' reasons to them, it was just beyond
their grasp.  However, both boys kept continually thanking me for not being
like that.

Once again, I gave them their bath and let them enjoy their time naked.
They entertained each other for a while after that, competing on their
games or discussing their music, but eventually they let me know they were
ready to go to sleep.  I agreed and joined them, so soon we were all
cuddled together on the bed.  They seemed to want to be in contact with me
and I always loved being with them, so we were all content.

At one point during the evening, I got up to use the toilet and Andrew must
have woken up and discovered I was gone.  He got scared and began to cry.
When I came back out, I heard him sobbing and asked him what was wrong.

"I just got scared when I couldn't find you, Daddy" he told me.

"I just went to the toilet, but I'm back now," I explained, "so everything
is okay."  Although my words had done some of the job, Andrew wasn't
completely comforted unless he was touching me and knew for certain I was
there.  After I kissed him good night again, he drifted back to sleep.



Castaway Hotel -- Grand Reopening -- Book 2 by BW		
Copyright 2009 by billwstories
Chapter 38 -- What Will Our Future Hold?                       

The next morning we met with the boys' grandparents again, but this time
they suggested we go to Ueno Park.  We spent the first part of the day at
the zoo there, but seeing we'd been to other zoos, the boys weren't all
that thrilled by the experience.  The highlights of our visit there were
the two giant pandas and the king penguins they had on display and both
boys thoroughly enjoyed the show the animals put on for them.

When it was time for lunch, the grandmother suggested we try a Nake
restaurant this time.  This establishment featured an old-style cooking
technique in which the stew they prepared was served in the pot it was made
in.  After the food was dished out, the rest of them began eating with
chopsticks, but I couldn't quite master the technique with this fare, so I
was forced to use a fork.  I was grateful that everyone was polite enough
not to comment about this

The food was quite good and I had two helpings, while the boys each
devoured a large serving of their own.  This seemed to impress their
grandparents, in that they realized their son had at least prepared the
boys for eating various Japanese foods, along with some of their customs.
I think they may have started to regret their actions against him and the
years they had missed of knowing about and enjoying their two grandsons.

That afternoon, we went to the Tokyo National Museum.  There we saw a
collection of period clothing, samurai gear, swords, woodblock prints,
Buddhist sculptures, martial arts implements, ceramics, scrolls, and
paintings.  Needless to say, it was the samurai gear, swords, and martial
arts implements that captured the attention of the little ones and we spent
an inordinately long time studying these displays.

"Grandfather, will you tell us about these things?" Andrew asked, through
the interpreter.  His grandfather was happy to oblige and spent quite a bit
of time telling him about the history of the samurai warrior and powerful
Shoguns.  I think he was intrigued by the boys' interest and how they
patiently listening to what he had to tell them, even asking more questions
about it as they went along.

Once we finished our visit there, we parted ways again, with the
grandparents going back to their home, as our little group returned to our
hotel.

When I asked the boys where they wanted to go to dinner tonight, they
immediately informed me they were up for some food like they were used to
at home, meaning western style food.  After discussing this with the
interpreter, he reluctantly agreed to join us and we located a nice Italian
restaurant (Sabatini Pizzeria Romano) where we indulged ourselves with
pizza.  I had wine with the interpreter, as we ate, which seemed to improve
his dining experience for the day.

The pizza was actually very good, and as the boys gobbled down their
slices, I realized how Americanized they had become since coming to live
with me.  I was beginning to feel this type of cuisine was now more to
their liking, than the Japanese fare they'd had at home, before they joined
us, and what we shared with their grandparents.  Although they'd enjoyed
those other meals, they hadn't shown quite the same enthusiasm for their
food as this particular stop.  I couldn't help but smile, as I wiped their
sauce covered faces with my napkin, once they were finished.

Our evening was very much like the previous two.  First, the boys had their
bath, stayed naked and played their hand-held games, before going to bed.
We didn't have any deep discussion this evening, but they still didn't let
me out of their sight.  I was beginning to get the feeling they thought I
just might leave them there and disappear.  I realized they knew better
than this, but something was nagging at the back of their minds.  They
hadn't said anything to me, but they did a lot of whispering when I was out
of hearing range.

We spent much of our next day with the Yamadas seeing more of the historic
Japan.  We went to the Ekoin Temple first, which was built in 1657 and is
reputed to be the place where retiring sumo wrestlers bury their topknots.
It was originally built as a memorial to those who lost their lives in the
great fire, but on the grounds there is also a memorial to lost pets, a
tower that is said to serve as the final resting place for the unidentified
dead, assorted criminals and those who have lost their lives in various
disasters.  Its nickname, the Shrine of the Rat Boy, is based on a revered
Robin Hood-like Japanese figure from the 19th century, who fought against
injustice and the abuse of power.

"Grandfather, why is such a hero called Rat Boy?" Andrew wanted to know.
"Aren't rats dirty and bad creatures?  It seems a bad name to give to
someone who did good."

"Maybe in the world you now live, little one," he grandfather replied, "but
in Japan, rats hold a more honored position.  In our twelve-year calendar
cycle, the year of the rat is a good sign.  Those born under it are the
type who revel, or celebrate, life.  Therefore, being called Rat Boy is not
a bad thing.  Rat Boy merely stole things from those who abused their power
and gave it back to those who had been wronged."

Although he still couldn't grasp the subtlety of what his grandfather was
telling him, he seemed to accept the fact that such a name was not a
terrible thing or disrespectful.  He also gained a little more insight in
how many differences there were in the way the two cultures viewed various
things.

After leaving there, we walked around the outside of the Kokyo, or Imperial
Palace.  It is the residence of the Emperor of Japan.  Although bombs
destroyed the original structure during World War II, it was rebuilt in the
same style in 1968.  Outsiders are only allowed inside the inner palace two
days a year, the Emperor's birthday and the first day of the New Year, so
we just strolled about the palace grounds and toured the East Garden.  It
gave us a little feel for what it might be like to be part of the Japanese
Royal Family.

As we were coming back around to the point where we began our little walk,
the boys spotted the place they wanted to eat.  It was called the Boat
House Café and advertised they served burgers there.  Ironically, it sat
right on the edge of the Imperial Moat.  I don't think this was what the
grandparents had in mind for today's dining establishment, but they let the
boys have their way, much to the interpreter's dismay.  The boys and I ate,
while the other three just nibbled.

After lunch, we went to see the Sensoji Temple.  This is Tokyo's oldest
temple and was built in 628 A.D.  It was rebuilt in 1958 after being
destroyed in World War II.  Legend says that a gold statue of the goddess
Kannon was fished out of a nearby river and the temple was built to house
it.  You could even get your fortune told there.

After checking out the Temple, we sat in a park so the boys and their
grandparents could talk some more.  While they were carrying on their
conversation, I checked out some of the nearby shops, so they wouldn't
think I was eavesdropping in on their private discussion.  When I came
walking back toward them, about a half hour later, Andrew spotted me first
and he came running up to me and leapt into my arms.  Sammy wasn't far
behind him.

"Daddy, Daddy.  Where did you go?" Andrew cried, as he wrapped his arms
about my neck and kissed my face.  While he was doing this, I bent over and
picked up Sammy too, who greeted me in the same fashion.  Now I was
carrying both boys, held tightly to my chest, as we approached their
grandparents.

I think the Yamadas were shocked that both boys kissed me on the cheek and
hugged my neck.  Like I told you, the boys didn't like for me to get out of
their sight, but I forgot that fact, while trying to honor their privacy.
Somehow, I had slipped away before they noticed, which caused them grave
concern.  Like I said before, I think they had an inkling of fear that I
would leave them behind with their blood relatives.  I'm sure next time
they will make certain I don't wander so far away from them.

Before going our own way again for the evening, the grandparents asked us
to meet them at 6:30 tomorrow morning.  They informed us it was so they
could do something special for the boys.  We agreed and I announced to the
boys that they would have to go to bed earlier tonight, since we would be
getting up much earlier too.  After they agreed, I informed the interpreter
we were going to eat at Victoria Station that evening and he could go off
on his own, if he wasn't interested in joining us.  He quickly accepted my
offer, so the boys and I went to have steak and the salad bar at this new
place.  Sammy and Andrew enjoyed the meal and our time alone together
almost as much as I did.

I gave the boys their baths and we all went to bed shortly thereafter.  We
would have to get up somewhere around 5:00 to get ready and have time to
eat something, before we were scheduled to meet their grandparents again.
I knew we'd be cutting it close, because service in the hotel restaurant,
where we always ate breakfast, was a little on the slow side, but we
continued to frequent the place, because I so enjoyed their coffee.

Before we went to sleep, the boys had something they wanted to discuss.
"Daddy, why did you leave us earlier today?" Andrew asked, still looking
hurt that I had abandoned them, if even for a short time.

"It was because I wanted your grandparents to be able to talk to you boys
alone, without thinking I was listening to everything that was being said."

"But we don't mind if you listen," Sammy told me, as if I didn't already
know that.

"That may be true," I agreed, "but I want your grandparents to know that
you are being honest with them about the things you say and aren't merely
telling them those things because I can hear what's going on."

"What difference would that make?" Sammy replied, still confused.

"I hope by doing that, they will realize whatever you're telling them is
your idea or what you want, not what I've instructed you to tell them.  If
I'm not there so I can monitor what is said, then they are more likely to
believe your telling them what you want, not what I want.  Besides, it gave
me time to check out some of the other shops too."

"Daddy, just promise you won't leave us again," Andrew almost pleaded.  I
didn't realize how insecure he was about my leaving him like that, so I
offered a compromise.

"Next time I'll stay where you can still see me," I offered, "but far
enough away so your grandparents won't think I'm listening to every word
that is said.

After finding that acceptable, we went about our nightly duties and hopped
into bed.  Although it wasn't easy falling asleep so early, we did manage
to drift off to sleep, with a boy tucked against me on either side.

The next morning Mr. & Mrs. Yamada announced they were taking the boys to
Tokyo Disneyland.  I believe this was their concession to how westernized
their grandsons had become.  The boys were flying high now, as they had
never been to Disney World, Disneyland or any other major amusement park in
their young lives.  After informing me they had always dreamed about
something like this happening, they admitted they never thought it would
ever come true.  Therefore, they now found it hard to contain their
excitement.

We entered the park and did the whole enchilada.  We made our way thru
Critter Country (which was filled with animals from the southern portion of
the U.S.), Fantasyland, Westernland, Toontown, Adventureland, the World
Bazaar and Tomorrowland.  The boys were ecstatic as they took me on most of
the rides with them, while also taking some time to watch some of the shows
and try the various eateries in between.

Even though their grandparents had brought them here, they had a difficult
time keeping up with the boys and truly didn't understand some of the
grandsons' excitement or the choices they made about what they wanted to
do.  However, they were very good about giving them leeway and said little
about such things, as they let the boys have a good time.

The Yamadas wanted to leave at dinnertime, but the boys weren't ready to
leave yet.  Therefore, I suggested the chauffeur could take them home and
then return to get us, while the interpreter and I stayed with the boys and
allowed them to continue their fun.  I think everyone was satisfied with
this suggestion, with the possible exception of the interpreter.

We ate in the park and then made our rounds back to some of the boys'
favorite sites.  I couldn't have pried them away from there, even if I
wanted to, since they were having so much fun.  By the time the park
closed, both boys were so tired that I decided to just put them to bed when
we got back to our hotel room.  I would let them sleep now and give them
their baths in the morning.

Sammy and Andrew thanked me several times for the wonderful day and I
reminded them it had been their grandparents idea to take them there, not
mine.  I suggested they should thank them in the morning, when we met up
again.  They agreed, but thanked me anyway, this time for letting them stay
until the park closed.  They reiterated they would have had to leave much
earlier and not have enjoyed those last things we did together, if it had
been up to their grandparents.  I couldn't argue with their logic, so I
just kissed them good night and slid into bed with them.

The next day was to be our last one actually seeing Tokyo.  The following
morning we would catch our flight and be on our way back home.  After
meeting up with the Yamadas again, the boys thanked their grandparents for
the previous day and emphasized how much they had enjoyed themselves.
Their grandparents seemed very pleased by that acknowledgment.

For the rest of Thursday, we had a very laid back day planned, especially
after considering the previous day.  Our chauffeur first drove us around
the city, as the interpreter explained about many of the places we saw, but
the chauffeur stopped the limo at the Yamada's request, when they insisted
we take a brief walking tour with them.  This allowed us to see a little
bit more of the modern aspects of this ancient city and I think all three
of us appreciated this updated view.

For lunch we had Rabatayaki, which is a traditional style of meats and
vegetables prepared on a grill.  It seemed the Yamadas were making sure we
got to sample as much variation as we could.  The food was quite tasty and
another new experience.

We did some more walking after lunch and kept going right up until dinner.
It being our last night with them, Mr. & Mrs. Yamada wanted us all to dine
together.  We went to the restaurant they chose, and they ordered a
collection of dishes for us to share.  This way we could sample several
different things and then double up on the items we liked the best.  We had
Kamameshi (a rice casserole dish with meats and vegetables), Tonkatsu (a
pork cutlet coated in batter and deep fried) and Yakitori (chicken grilled
on skewers, although the Yamadas explained you could specify which parts of
the chicken you wanted to be used).  It was very enjoyable and I liked all
of the dishes.  Sammy seemed to like the Kamameshi best, while Andrew
favored the Yakitori.  Therefore, I had another portion of the Tonkatsu.
It worked out well and everyone was satisfied.

Tonight, there was a very emotional farewell when we dropped the
grandparents off at their home, but the older couple was far more emotional
than the boys.  The boys did thank them for the good time, but when we
returned to the hotel, Sammy and Andrew seemed quite relieved this visit
was finally over.  They didn't talk much after we got back to our room, but
they were never more than an arm's length away from me throughout the
entire evening.  Tonight they horsed around in the bath, like they would
often do at home, and had a splash fight that nearly drowned me.  I was
giving them hell (in a fun way), smacking their bare butts and tickling
them until they cried 'uncle.'  By the time we went to bed, we did so in a
very good mood.

We had to be at the airport before 10:30 the next morning, since our flight
left at 11:25.  Due to the time differences, we were scheduled to arrive at
Chicago two and a half hours before we left Tokyo, at 9:00 a.m.  Aren't
time zones and the rotation of the earth fascinating things?  We would
catch our connecting flight at 10:31 in Chicago and land in Pittsburgh at
12:48 p.m.  Steve was supposed to be there to meet us.

This time, the boys were able to relax and enjoy this flight much more than
the one coming over.  They took turns on my lap, but sometimes I had both
of them at once.  The flight attendant complimented us on how nice it was
to see a father and his children enjoying each other's company so much.
Sammy and Andrew just smiled and replied nearly in unison, "We love our
daddy."

The movie was entertaining and made the flight go by much more quickly.  We
were only a few minutes late landing in Chicago, but it wasn't that far
off.  We immediately hit the watering holes, one to empty and the other to
refill.  The boys were thrilled to be back in the States.

After that, we hustled to our next departure gate, got on the plane and
were soon in the air again.  The return trip between Chicago and Pittsburgh
was quite rough, due to bad weather.  The boys were a little frightened
during this leg of the journey and I might add that I was a wee bit nervous
too.  Thank God we had all used the restroom before we left Chicago or we
might have had an accident or two before arriving in Pittsburgh.

We all sighed deeply when we landed that final time and then raced off to
collect our luggage and look for Steve.  We never found him, though, as
Sally and the rest of my boys had made this trip instead.  After the
dealership had called, Sally had picked up our new van for me and then
loaded up my gang, because the boys wanted to come out to retrieve us.  I
can honestly say I was thrilled to see them all again, as were Sammy and
Andrew, and the other boys were equally as happy to see us.  They helped us
carry our luggage and Sally offered to drive back, so I could rest.

The boys told me about their vacation with Robert, and Sally assured me
they had been well behaved while I was gone.  She had stopped by to check
up on them several times while Robert was with them and said everything had
gone well.  She emphasized they were all perfect gentlemen the whole time,
Robert had enjoyed his stay with them and the house was still in one piece.
Baffled, I asked her if we were talking about the same group -- gentlemen?
Hearing my innuendo, I soon received a round of raspberries from the
offended parties.  This initiated some verbal sparring between us, for the
duration of the ride home, until Carlos announced the boys should be
showing me more respect.  Of course, I agreed with him, but the boys all
playfully ganged up on Carlos and told him to stop sucking up.  That is,
everyone except for Sammy and Andrew, who agreed with Carlos.  After some
more minor ribbing, Carlos started laughing and the boys started joking
amongst themselves.

While they were preoccupied with each other, I leaned over and asked Sally
what she had found out about Carlos' situation, but she didn't think this
was the place to discuss it.  She informed me she'd fill me in once we got
back, but it was obvious there must be some things that Sally didn't want
the others to know about.  I knew she wouldn't respond like this without
good cause, so I dropped my interrogation and moved on to other topics.

Sally wanted to know about the trip and how things went, so I told her my
version of the story, while Sammy and Andrew filled their brothers in about
their adventures in Nippon.  This took up much of the drive back, and I
think Sammy, Andrew and I all enjoyed a wonderful euphoria when the van
pulled into the driveway, signaling we were finally back home.


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