Date: Mon, 15 Feb 2010 18:05:01 EST
From: Bwstories8@aol.com
Subject: Castaway Hotel: Grand Reopening - Book 4, chapters 27 - 28

Castaway Hotel -- Grand Reopening -- Book 4 by BW
Copyright 2009 by billwstories
Chapter 27 -- Rays of Sunshine.

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

Doctor Bailey had elected to perform Pat's operation early in the day, and
then keep him overnight in the hospital, as a precaution.  It was also
because he wanted to be able to examine him the following day and make his
determination if the transplant had been successful.  He had told me in
private that, although the acid had damaged both the cornea and some of the
outer surface of the eye, he thought he could work around those areas,
especially when it came to stitching the new cornea into place.  He didn't
think the damaged areas would hinder Pat's vision in any other way or have
any other negative impact on his regaining his sight.

It was suggested that Pat would be given a general anesthesia, because the
doctor was afraid he might be uncomfortable with his eye being worked on
and might move or jerk, causing other damage or complications.  I concurred
this was a wise precaution and Pat indicated he'd rather not be awake at
the time anyway.  Seeing we were all in agreement, a general anesthesia was
used.

The surgery didn't take a great deal of time, as operations go, and the
doctor came out to explain everything to me, once he had finished.  He gave
me a very detailed description of what had happened during the procedure
and immediately assured me everything went according to plan.  I was then
allowed to sit beside Pat as he lay in the recovery area, and I held his
hand to let him know I was there for him.  The doctor also told me he would
examine Pat again tomorrow morning, to determine how successful the
operation had been, but was quick to add that he felt confident the
transplant would take and Pat's situation would improve.  I thanked him for
all of his help and then asked him what types of problems we might have to
be concerned about.  The doctor responded in his typical, business-like
manner.

"In addition to the slim chance this operation won't do what we expect it
should, there is a 5 to 30% chance of rejection.  In addition to that, we
will still have to watch for any signs of infection, as well as bleeding,
swelling, detachment of the cornea or the rare possibility of glaucoma.  If
any of these things do occur, we always have the option of attempting
another transplant or doing other forms of corrective surgery, after we
evaluate what additional effects these procedures might have.  I just
mention this so you are aware there are further possibilities for us to
pursue, just in case there are any problems.  I don't foresee such things
happening, but it's better to be informed than to go blindly forward."

"How long before we know if we have to worry about any of those conditions
popping up?"

"I should have a pretty good idea by the time I finish my examination of
Pat tomorrow, although the glaucoma could show up at a later time," the
doctor explained.  "In addition to tomorrow's examination, I will require
other follow up visits, so I can monitor his progress.  There will be
another visit at a much later date, when I take his stitches out, but that
won't happen for several months."

"I understand and we'll be there whenever you need to see him.  Are there
any special things I'll need to get for him or do during that time?"

"For the first few days, he might be in some pain, so you'll need to give
him something to ease his discomfort," he told me.  "For the most part,
over-the-counter pain medications will do the trick, such as acetaminophen
or ibuprofen, but just give it to him when he asks for it and only enough
to keep him comfortable.  I will also be giving you drops to apply to his
eyeball, but you must emphasize to him the importance that he refrain from
rubbing his eye or putting any pressure against it, because that could
cause damage at this point in time.  I also suggest he wear safety glasses
or protective goggles for a week or two, to keep any foreign objects from
accidentally striking the eye and to help remind him to keep his hands from
going there.  That's about the extent of what you'll be required to do for
him."

All of this sounded quite reasonable and less than I expected to have to
do.  It was also far less than what I was willing to do for him, to make it
as easy on him as possible and ensure this venture is successful.  Now, I
just had to sit tight and wait for Pat to regain consciousness.

It was about an hour or so after he had been first brought into recovery
before he started showing signs of coming to and eventually opened his
eyes.  I didn't notice this happening at first, as I was thumbing through a
magazine at the time, but I heard a hoarse voice say something like, "Dad,
I think I can see you."  Immediately, tears came to my eyes and I placed my
hand on his arm.

"You can really see me?" I asked, making sure I had heard him correctly.

"Not clearly, but enough to tell it was you and not someone else," he
whispered, hoarsely.

"That's wonderful, but I didn't think it would happen this quickly," I
confessed.

We talked for a while longer, until the doctor happened to come in to check
on his patient.  We immediately told him the news and he was very
encouraged by it.  "This is truly a good sign," he told Pat, "and I expect
your vision will continue to improve slightly over the next few days.  I'll
be giving you an examination tomorrow, to see how well you are doing, but
things are looking very hopeful at this point.  I want you to rest for the
remainder of the day, and not put any undue strain on that eye."

We both thanked him, especially Pat, who told him several times how
grateful he was.  Pat also mentioned that Dr. Bailey must be one fine
doctor to accomplish something his other doctors thought was impossible,
which caused his doctor to smile broadly and thank him for his compliment.

"I hope you realize," the physician began, "that none of this would have
happened, nor would we have even met, if you hadn't acted so selflessly and
focused on doing what you could to help others."

"I was just trying to open a window for the kids at the school," Pat
responded, "and I guess God looked favorably on what I was attempting to do
for others with handicaps and sent you to open this window for me."

Pat then went on to explain how he now had a better appreciation of his
faith and that is what sustained him through this difficult period, since
he'd lost his sight.  After thinking about what he had said, he modified
his statement slightly, by saying it was his faith AND his family that got
him through the rough times, before going on to tell the doctor everything
we had done for him, including how his brothers tried to experience what he
was going through by being blind for a day.  I think that small gesture had
left an indelible impression on Pat and made him realize how much his
brothers cared about him.

The doctor told Pat how impressed he was with everything Pat had just
explained to him and then told Pat that he hoped he appreciated everything
his brothers had done on his behalf.  He also advised Pat he was very wise
for his years and was smart to value both his faith and family, because
those were the things he could always rely on.  Dr. Bailey then explained
that he also relied on his faith, but he also dealt with science and the
rapid advancements being made, which some people felt were contradictory
for a religious person.  Pat's physician then went on to explain how he
felt God guided those who were responsible for these advancements, which he
interpreted to mean science and faith were not mutually exclusive of each
other.  His last comments gave us both something more to think about later.

Before the doctor left, he ordered Pat to be moved to a suitable room for
the night, so it wasn't long before we were taken to a private room where
Pat would stay until discharged the next day.  The hospital staff had also
placed one of those large, reclining chairs in the room for me, and left
extra blankets and a pillow, so I would also be comfortable.  It was more
than I hoped for, as I anticipated I'd probably end up sleeping in one of
the uncomfortable metal chairs visitors used, with my head resting on the
foot of Pat's bed.

We hadn't been in the room very long before an orderly showed up with a
meal for Pat.  This reminded both of us that we hadn't eaten since the
previous evening, so Pat readily acknowledged he was famished and began to
eat his meal eagerly, although he did make a comment about having eaten
better food before.

Although Pat had been advised in advance about the lasting effects of the
anesthetic, which might cause him some queasiness in his stomach and make
it difficult to keep his meals down, Pat was far too hungry to care about
any of that right now.  He just gobbled up everything in sight.  While he
was ravenously attacking his meal, I thought it would be a good time to go
down to the cafeteria and get something for myself, so I advised Pat of my
intentions.  I told him I'd bring it back to the room, so he wouldn't have
to be alone, and he stopped eating just long enough to respond.

After apologizing for not thinking about my needs, Pat told me it wasn't
necessary for me to come back to the room to eat, if I didn't want to.  He
thought I might enjoy the change of scenery and stay down there or possibly
even go out for a walk or something afterward, because he knew it wasn't
easy being cooped like this for such a long time.  I explained I was fine
and none of that mattered to me at the moment.  The only thing I was
concerned about was his welfare and those other issues could be dealt with
at a later time.  In fact, I explained I'd feel much better being here with
him, than chatting with someone I didn't know or walking around with no
place to go.  Therefore, I would be bringing my food back with me so I
could spend more time with him.

Pat just smiled and replied that's what he thought I would say, so I went
down to the cafeteria, got my food and returned to his room, so I could
chat with him while I ate.  I think he really appreciated the gesture, even
though he never actually said anything more about what I had done.

The nurse came in a few times over the course of the evening, both to check
on Pat and give him various shots, including his pain medications.  After
these injections, Pat would fall asleep shortly thereafter, as these meds
were obviously being delivered by the sandman dressed in a nurse's outfit.
I used these opportunities to catch a few winks myself, so I could be up
with him when he awoke.  We both got our sleep that night in 2 to 3 hour
blocks.

Pat was really starving the next morning by the time his breakfast tray
arrived.  I went out again to get my own meal and then brought it back to
his room to eat, so I could be with him.  While I was eating, Pat asked me
to turn on the television, which I had just paid for to entertain him
during the remainder of his stay.  This seemed really important to him and
he admitted that watching the tube was one of the things he had missed the
most during the time he couldn't see.  Even though he never spent very much
time in front of the television at home, oddly enough it was one of the
things he'd felt deprived of.  Therefore, I picked up the remote and handed
it to him, so he could flip through the channels and find something he
wanted to watch.  He was almost giddy as he enjoyed this simple pleasure.

Later that afternoon, an orderly came in with a wheelchair and announced
Pat had an appointment to keep.  He then took him down several corridors,
until he reached a small room filled with various apparatus that Doctor
Bailey would use to examine him.  I had walked down behind them, so I could
keep abreast of what was going on.

When the doctor arrived, he came in and turned off the lights, before
flipping on the small flashlight he would use to perform some simple tests
and examine his work.  When that had been completed, he asked Pat to do a
collection of simple activities and then used another piece of equipment to
determine how much vision my son had regained.  He smiled at us when he
finished his examination, so we knew the news was going to be good.

"He's doing fantastic and things are progressing as well as I could
possibly expect," he told us.  "I can only hope your situation will
continue to improve even more over time."

After we thanked him again, he handed me a card with the date of Pat's next
appointment written on it.  Then he gave Pat a temporary pair of safety
goggles to wear, before he sent us back to Pat's room to collect our
things.  While we were doing that, he took care of discharging Pat.

After getting everything ready, I left Pat and carried our belonging and
extra articles out to the car, before pulling it up in front of the main
entrance.  Once I had put the car in park and turned off the ignition, I
went up to the room to get Pat.  We had to wait there a few more minutes
before an orderly showed up with another wheelchair, but this time it was
so we could go home.  Pat looked like royalty being attended to by his
entourage, as we made our way to the exit, and we were both extremely
excited about the transformation that had taken place over the past 24
hours.

Pat was very quiet on the ride home, since he was busy checking out all the
sights we passed along the way.  His short stay in the world of total
darkness had given him a new appreciation for the simple things around him,
and now it seemed as though he didn't want to miss any of it, even the
seemingly trivial items.  Pat happily examined the rolling hills, as well
as the beautiful greens and browns of the grasses and trees, and often
acted as if this was the first time he had seen any of these things.  He
also studied all of the people and buildings we passed, astutely absorbing
every detail before him, as if he needed to remember them for later use.
He was enjoying every aspect of this trip, but nothing affected him more
than when we approached our home or when all of his brothers raced out to
greet him.

The boys were all quite shocked to discover his head wasn't bandaged and he
could actually see them, figuring even if the operation was successful, it
would take at least a few days before he would be able to see anything
again.  It was a very emotional reunion and I don't think there was a dry
eye in the house.

After going inside, Pat filled them in about everything that had happened,
and then spent the rest of the day talking, playing games, watching
television and making up for lost time.  Mark was also shocked to see Pat's
situation when he came home, but was quick to remark that if anyone
deserved such a miracle, Pat surely did for the unselfish way he dealt with
his condition.  Mark told him how impressed he had been with the way Pat
had concentrated on helping others, rather than wallowing in self-pity over
his own situation, and Pat thanked him for his kind words.

That evening, I had Pat sleep in the living room on the sofa bed, as I
didn't want him to chance falling on the stairs and reversing the progress
that had just been made.  I then explained I would sleep on the floor next
to him, since I didn't want to accidentally bump his head or eyes during
the night.  At first Pat objected to my doing so, but after we discussed my
reasons, he finally agreed to this precaution.  I told him we'd do it for a
few days, until we were sure everything was healing properly, and then he
could return to his own room, if he wished.  He seemed satisfied with that
response, so we went to sleep.

Sunday morning we went to church and the place was soon buzzing with the
news of Pat's operation.  The pastor even mentioned it in his announcements
and praised God for helping one of his children.  Pat was suddenly thrust
into the position of 'celebrity de jour,' but since he had received so much
attention already, he was uncomfortable in this role.

After services, the minister told him he was happy his window had opened,
and Pat was happy to inform him it was only because we'd decided to try to
open windows for others, since that's how we met the doctor who performed
this minor miracle.  Our pastor then responded that God often hears the
prayers to help others, before recognizing those beseeching Him on their
own behalf.  He then went on to explain to Pat that by trying to help
others who were also less fortunate, he had done Gods work, and it was
someone else's prayers that had also been heard and answered, when God
helped him.  I don't think any of us would disagree with anything our
pastor had just said.

After going home and changing into something more comfortable and less
formal, we went to the Curtis residence for Jay's birthday party.  We had
been invited to his home and the boys were eager to help him celebrate
turning sixteen, since they all felt close to him.  After all, he was like
another brother to each one of my sons and was with us nearly as much as he
was with his own family, or so it seemed.

Other than our family, the only other people invited to this party were
Jay's relatives, and we finally got to meet Jay's maternal grandparents.
They live in California and were seldom able to travel like this, as they
lived on a fixed income.  However, they decided a sixteenth birthday party
was a special occasion, so they dipped in to their limited resources and
booked a flight.  They were a lovely couple and it immediately became
obvious which side of the family Jay had received his red hair and fair
complexion from.

I spoke with both of his grandparents for quite a while and it was like we
had known each other for years.  Maybe it was a result of all the stories
we had heard about each other from Jay over the years, since he did talk to
them on the phone nearly every Sunday, when his mother called to check in
with them.  During that time, he'd had plenty of chances to tell him about
the times we had spent together and the things he had done with us.

This party was more subdued than one of our parties, since Jay wasn't
allowed to break away to entertain himself or the others by playing games
outdoors.  Instead, Jay was expected to spend all of his time making rounds
from table to table, chatting with all of the adults and other guests.
There was a certain amount of food provided, but not enough to be
considered a meal.  They had finger sandwiches, chips and dip, a vegetable
tray and dip, cocktail wieners and cookie trays.  My boys were very
conscious about not overdoing it and watched how much they took, so by the
end of the party they were teasing me to take them out to eat, as they were
now starving.  Before that happened, however, they did have a cake and ice
cream, which seemed to tide them over for a little while longer, as we
watched Jay open his presents.

We gave him several gifts from the family and Ricky presented him with a
separate present, just from himself.  Being polite hosts, Jay's parents
informed us we didn't have to do so much for their son, and it certainly
wasn't necessary on top of everything else we did for Jay.  They told us we
had already done more for him than they could ever repay us for and they
were pleased Jay had such good friends and people he could count on at any
time, for nearly anything.  I told him we did those things because of what
Jay meant to us, and there was no reason for them to think of it as any
more than that.  Jay's mother hugged me and kissed me on my cheek, and his
father shook my hand and told me they hoped someday they could do something
for us.  It was their way of letting me know they felt indebted to us, even
though they knew I wasn't expecting reciprocation.

After the party, we made our rounds and said our good-byes, and once we'd
left, the boys made me take them over to McDonald's for something to tide
them over, since it was now about halfway between lunch and dinnertime.
The staff inside reacted about the same way they would have if a bus had
just pulled into their lot, with its riders scurrying inside to eat.  I
must admit we probably were an imposing sight coming in together, with all
of my hungry boys wanting to eat and demanding their food NOW.  The staff
did an impressive job taking care of us and helping the boys sate their
hunger pangs, so we were soon heading home to rest and unwind.

Monday turned out to be a scorcher and one of the hottest days we'd had in
quite some time.  The boys were all moping around the house, too hot to
want to do much of anything, as the air conditioning system was also on the
fritz.  If that wasn't bad enough, I also hadn't had time to open up the
above ground pool, so going for a swim was not an alternative way to cool
off either.  I did suggest to them that they might want to open it
themselves and I'd tell them what they needed to do, so they could take a
dip later.  Their response was that it was too hot today to do that now,
but they'd do it early tomorrow, before the temperature skyrocketed again.

Unfortunately, the boys were only able to run around the house in shorts,
since we hadn't been allowing any nudity with the Spences and Mark staying
with us, as well as the numerous other guests who'd been coming in and out.
However, I was willing to allow them limited nakedness during the day, as
long as they kept upstairs and out of sight of the Spences, at least until
the air conditioning problem was corrected.  However, even though the
Spences would be moving into their own place soon, the boys still wouldn't
be able to resume their nudist practices, since Mark would be staying with
us until August I wasn't sure how he would react to them being constantly
nude. Therefore, I told my sons I expected them to wear either shorts or
their underwear after their evening showers and on the weekends, at least
for as long as Mark was with us.

In the end, it was Frankie who actually came up with the solution to their
temporary problem.  He told the boys he'd be happy to go out and take care
of opening up the pool, if someone was willing to assist him.  He also
suggested they might feel better if they hosed each other down outside,
while he got everything ready.  Hearing his offer, the other boys felt
guilty about not volunteering to do the work themselves, so they all went
out to help get the pool ready, while the youngest ones gleefully hosed
them down as they did so.  Once the pool was operational, everyone began to
feel better, and being hosed down while they worked not only cooled them
off, but also helped to keep them going for the remainder of the day.

The next morning we all got up fairly early, because we had promised John
and Margaret to help them move the rest of their belongings down to their
new home.  They had signed the papers the previous afternoon and received
the keys to the place, so they were anxious to move in and give me back my
bedroom.  I think they were also ready to get to a cooler location, since
our A/C was still on the fritz, but I couldn't blame them.

They apologized for inconveniencing me for so long, but I insisted they
hadn't.  I told them I had slept fine and their company more than made up
for anything else.  They thanked me again, and this time for also finding
the house for them too, while explaining they never thought they'd be lucky
enough to find a place right next door.  They were excited about being able
to see the boys whenever they wanted.

"You might come to regret having such noisy and rambunctious neighbors," I
joked with them.

However, Margaret immediately quipped back, "With our hearing and vision,
we'll probably never even notice."



Castaway Hotel -- Grand Reopening -- Book 4 by BW
Copyright 2009 by billwstories
Chapter 28 -- Many Missions to Complete.

The rest of the week remained hot and the boys continued to use the pool to
make themselves more comfortable.  They were thankful they had this one
small luxury for their benefit and I ended up thinking it might have been
one of the wisest investments I had made.

I finally received a call informing me an HVAC specialist would be out to
take a look at our central air conditioning unit the next day.  I was
amazed at how busy all the local firms were and how booked up they had
been, but I could understand.  It was only recently that it had become hot
enough to require its use and people were just becoming aware of any
problems they might have.  In our case, we needed it to keep the house
bearable, especially for those who had bedrooms on the second floor and in
the attic.

When the man came to fix our A/C, Dustin stayed by his side the entire
time, while letting the guy know he was also interested in pursuing a
career in that field.  I think the technician was impressed by Dustin's
eagerness and sincerity, so he treated him almost like an apprentice and
explained everything he was doing and why it needed to be done.  Dustin
enjoyed himself thoroughly and the repairman didn't seem to mind having an
assistant, but the best part was that we got our air conditioning back.
Now, we were ready for whatever conditions this summer might bring.

On Wednesday afternoon, Shannon showed up at the house quite unexpectedly,
so I became curious to discover which boy he was here to see.  I was
surprised when he announced he wanted to talk to me, but quickly informed
him I'd be happy to chat with him, without missing a beat. The two of us
went outside and moved to the front porch for privacy, while I wondered
what he had on his mind.  "What's up, Shannon?" I asked, trying to get this
conversation started.

"Well, I really came here to let you know how much fun my dad and I had at
your house when we came for the parties, especially my dad," Shannon
explained.  "He told me he felt really comfortable here and had a lot of
fun playing football too."

"I'm glad both of you enjoyed yourselves and you're welcome to visit us and
spend as much time here as you wish," I replied.  I felt he hoped by
telling me this it would get them invited over more frequently, so I felt I
needed to put him at ease.  "You certainly don't need an invitation to come
see us and your father and you are always welcome here anytime.  I mean,
you're part of the family now.  Right?"  Shannon looked at me quizzically,
so I felt I should explain.  "Well, I am your Uncle Josh and your dad is
Uncle Jake to my boys, correct?"

Shannon smiled, when he realized what I meant.  "Yeah, Uncle Josh, we are
all family."  Nothing more was said for a minute, but then Shannon
continued.  "You know, Uncle Josh, my dad doesn't have a lot of friends
around here and none of his friends know he's really gay, except for you.
I was hoping that maybe sometime you would ask him to go to a ballgame or
out for a drink or something.  He doesn't do much, except with me, and I'm
pretty sure he'd like that."

Suddenly, my mind was flooded with many other questions, although I wasn't
sure I wanted to ask them directly.  Was he asking me to invite his father
out on a date?  Did he think the two of us might hook up after spending
some time together?  I'm not saying Jake doesn't appeal to me, because he
is handsome and pleasant to talk to.  He also seems to have a pretty decent
body, at least from what I saw of it when he took his shirt off while
playing football the other day, but Jake is only in his mid-thirties and I
am in my early fifties, and overweight at that.  I wasn't so sure he would
be pleased by his son's matchmaking attempts.

"Shannon, maybe we could all go to a game or something sometime," I
suggested, as an alternative.  "I do have a few connections at Penn State,
so maybe I can rustle up some tickets to a Nittany Lions football game next
fall."

"That would be great," Shannon beamed, "but maybe you guys could go out by
yourselves sometime too.  I think my dad needs some time doing guy things
that don't involve hanging out with a bunch of kids or just me.  Maybe you
could set up a poker game or something?  Better yet, maybe you two could go
to Pittsburgh or Philadelphia for the weekend and check out the sights.  I
could stay here while you were gone and help take care of the younger
boys."  Even after listening to these new proposals, I still wasn't sure if
Shannon was trying to fix me up with his dad or attempting to find a way to
spend the weekend with one of my boys, without any adult supervision?

"Well, I'd have to talk to your dad about this first, before I would agree
to do anything like that," I warned him.  "He might not even be
interested."

"Oh, he will be! I know he will!" Shannon gushed, excitedly.  "You just ask
him and I'm sure he'll say yes."  His enthusiasm for this was evident, but
I was still unsure whom he was doing this plotting for, his dad or himself.
I guess I'll just have to keep my eyes open form now on and look for clues.
I hadn't really noticed him spending any extra time with any particular boy
or eyeing any of them when no one was looking, so maybe it really was his
father he was trying to fix up.  Only time would give me the answer to this
riddle.

Shannon stayed for a while longer and did things with the boys, but he
seemed to float from group to group during his stay.  Over the course of
the afternoon, he spent time with Danny and Brandon, Nick, Brent and Trey
and Dion, but he never seemed to give any obvious signs that he was
stalking any of them.  He did thank me when he left and seemed in a very
chipper mood, but I still had no better idea about what he was up to, than
I did when he first brought the topic up.

I didn't have a lot of time to dwell on it over the next couple of days, as
there were other things I needed to focus on too.  For instance, on
Thursday I would have to take Pat back for his first follow-up examination
and there were still plenty of things I needed to get ready before we could
make this trip.  I wasn't sure if we'd be staying overnight again, but felt
it was best to be prepared, so I packed a few things for each of us and
loaded the suitcase into the Grand Am.

When Thursday came, Pat and I took off early and alone.  I didn't allow any
of the others to join us on this trip, in case there was any bad news.
This way, I could concentrate solely on Pat and be there for him totally.

Pat and I used the travel time to talk about many different things,
including his feelings about regaining some of his vision.  As we switched
from topic to topic, I thought back upon all the time we had spent together
since his accident first happened and realized how it had strengthened the
ties between us.  I also concluded these additional trips to see his doctor
were merely the icing on the cake and we'd always remain close because of
all we'd been through together.  I often wished I could spend this much
time alone with each of the boys, but with the numbers involved I knew it
would be extremely difficult, if not impossible.  I'd just have to do the
best I could and try to make sure no one got slighted.

After a lengthy drive, we finally arrived at the office.  By the time
Dr. Bailey joined us in the examination room, we had about exhausted topics
to discuss, so we concentrated on what the doctor was about to do and
thinking about what he might tell us.  Dr. Bailey seemed very happy to see
us again and we talked briefly before he began his exam.  He asked Pat many
questions about different topics, including whether he had experienced any
pain or discomfort since the operation, or if there had been any problems
he'd noticed other than discomfort.  However, he seemed most interested in
learning how Pat's vision had been after he went home.

Pat told him there had been no problems of any kind and he had experienced
only very slight discomfort following the operation.  Then Pat told his
benefactor that he felt his vision was getting better every day and
couldn't wait to wake every morning, so he could learn how much more
improvement there had been since the previous day.  The doctor seemed
pleased to hear this and told Pat so, before he began examining Pat's eyes
thoroughly.

First he inspected the eye using his small flashlight, so he could check
the stitches and scrutinize the surface to see if there were any signs of a
problem.  Once he had finished that, he tested the irises response to light
and then studied the extent of Pat's visual acumen, by using a machine with
changeable lenses.  When he finished up, he told us the news.

"Everything seems to be fine," he began.  "There doesn't seem to be any
lasting problems from the operation and his vision is remarkably good for
this early in the process.  It doesn't look like we'll have to change our
approach or do anything more to help you.  I will want to see you again in
another couple of weeks, just to be on the safe side, but until then you
are fine to go with just the limitations and care you have already been
following."

We were both glad to hear his news and thanked the doctor enthusiastically,
before going out to make Pat's next appointment with the receptionist.  As
we were leaving the office, Pat did tell me that before we went in he was
kind of worried that his recovery had all gone too well and something bad
was going to pop up, but was now relieved it was just his imagination
running wild with him.

I tried to make him feel better by explaining it's normal to think that
way, especially when it concerns something you value.  "Pat, it's easy to
convince yourself things are progressing too much in your favor and believe
the other shoe is about to drop," I informed him.  "There aren't many
people who are truly convinced a roll of good luck will last forever.
However, forever can mean different things to different people, and that
meaning can vary at different times.  Your eyesight probably WILL fail you
again some day, but not until you reached old age."

"Like you?" he challenged, sporting a huge grin.

"Yes, like me," I whimpered, playfully.  "I think you've noticed I can't
read much without my reading glasses and that happens to nearly everyone
when they reach mid- life."

After that, I also told him I believed if this was the window that God had
opened for him, then he wouldn't have to worry about it lasting more than
just a short period of time.  He seemed to feel much better after our
little discussion and we drove home listening to the CD player and
observing the scenery.

It was getting late by the time we arrived home, so we didn't do very much
before we went to bed.  We were exhausted from the trip and drained by the
tension we each felt prior to the examination.  Pat stayed with me on the
sofa bed that evening, I think mainly as a walk down memory lane and a look
back at the nights he had lain there and worried he would never see again.
It was a very relaxing slumber and we both awoke quite refreshed.

The next morning, after breakfast, I asked the boys to help me start
getting the house ready for Richard's birthday party, as I wanted to make
this a very special day for him.  I also ordered the cake, picked up his
present (which I had arranged for earlier), made sure we had everything
else we would need and then worked with the boys decorating the family
room.  After we finished making the place look festive, I went out to the
kitchen and began preparing some of the food in advance.  By the time the
evening rolled around, almost everything was ready and we felt good about
what we were going to do.

The Beckers showed up bright and early Saturday morning, as was their
custom, bearing all kinds of goodies for our breakfast again.  Right away
Mrs. Becker set to work preparing bacon, ham, home fries, eggs and toast.
She was only willing to accept a limited amount of help from me, and that
was only to help her locate the items she needed to cook with.  Richard was
her key assistant this time around and he happily helped her prepare the
meal.  In fact, I was amazed watching him and thought he was doing a very
good job of it.  He seemed especially pleased to be helping to do something
special for us and eagerly told us to all sit down at the table, while he
and his father served us.  It was a wonderful meal, with plenty to eat, as
well as having great company and good conversation.  We all enjoyed it
immensely.

After breakfast, the boys dragged Richard off to show him the family room,
so he could see how it was decorated.  He beamed brightly when he saw it,
so much so that he almost outshone the early morning sun on this nearly
cloudless day.  He was so excited and overjoyed that he ran out to get his
parents, so they could also see what we'd done for him.  He was so excited
about our preparation that I was worried he might wet his pants before he
calmed down, but fortunately for him, that didn't happen.  After everyone
had seen and commented on our creative accomplishments, we all relaxed and
talked some more, this time letting Richard tell us what the last couple of
weeks had been like for him.

Richard was eager to do this and relayed every detail of what he had done
on the farm, while using what seemed to be one humongous, unbroken sentence
to do so.  He only hesitated when he needed to take another breath before
continuing, and it was extremely obvious he enjoyed his new life and new
family.  He even invited us all out to visit them, so he could show us
around.  When I told him he should check this out with his parents first,
he told me he already had and they agreed we were welcome to come to the
farm too.  After discussing various dates to do this, we finally settled on
going out there two weeks from today.

Around noon our other guests began to show up and the older boys and I
started cooking the meat on the grill.  By now, Mark, Sally, Steve, Mary
and the Spences had joined the party, and Richard was busy telling them
about his new life on the farm.  He was very animated in relaying his story
and just as excited about everything as he had been when he told us, just a
short time before.  While some of my boys manned the grill, I sat and
watched Richard's angelic expressions, as he went on and on about the
things he had done during the past couple of weeks.  I was enjoying all his
youthful exuberance, which just seemed to ooze from every pore, as he kept
his audience spellbound.  He was the consummate entertainer, even acting
out some of the events in a slapstick fashion, and he soon had the room in
stitches.  Richard seemed to relish this newfound attention from adults,
which made him ham it up even more, and it was almost as if this
opportunity was erasing at least part the years of neglect he had been
forced to endure when he was younger.

When the meat was finished cooking on the grill, the boys summoned everyone
out to eat and we spent the next hour chowing down.  After that, we decided
to let Richard open his presents, as we didn't want him running around or
begging to go swimming so soon after eating.

I think he was temporary awestruck by the number of presents there were for
him to open, but once he got over the initial shock, he proceeded to rip
off the wrapping paper with sheer delight.  He received some lovely gifts,
including clothing, electronic games and a few other age appropriate gifts,
but there were still a couple of special presents we hadn't let him open
yet.  The first of these was something special from Ricky.

Ricky had purchased this gift with his own money, because he wanted it to
be just from him, and he even picked out his own card and wrapped the
present without any assistance.  Although I knew what he had bought, the
rest of what happened next came as a complete surprise.  First Richard
opened the card and read it out loud, so the rest of us knew what it said.
His voice cracked a little as he spoke the words.  "To Little Ricky from
your very special friend and big brother, Ricky."  He didn't even open the
present right away, but instead looked up at Ricky and spoke.  "My name's
not Ricky, it's Richard, but my mother used to call me Richie."

"Well, my real name is Richard too, but everyone has called me Ricky for as
long as I can remember.  I just thought it would be very special if I
called you Little Ricky, so we would have something more in common.  No one
else will have to call you that, if you don't want, but I was hoping you
wouldn't mind if I did."

Richard thought about it for a minute and then a grin began to spread
across his face, almost splitting the bottom third away from the upper
portion.  "I like that idea a lot and I want everybody to start calling me
that, but I'll call you Big Ricky."  Ricky agreed and Little Ricky came
over and gave him a big hug, then kissed his idol on the cheek.  It was
quite a touching scene.

Once that was over, Little Ricky went back and opened his present, a new
pair of athletic shoes -- the very kind every kid seemed to be wearing
nowadays.  His mouth dropped open and he looked up at Ricky again.  "How
did you know that I wanted these?" he demanded.

"Remember when you stayed here and we went out shopping?" Ricky asked him.
"I saw you looking at them in the store window and knew that you really
wanted them."

"I do, and I love them, but they cost too much money," Little Ricky
protested.

"Nothing's too good or too expensive for my little bro," Ricky responded.
After tearing up a bit after hearing that response, Little Ricky went over
and hugged Ricky again.  I waited patiently for him to decide when he had
thanked Ricky enough, so I could give him his final gift, this one from our
entire family.

Once he broke his energetic embrace of his idol, I reached across and
handed him a single, large envelope.  He thanked me, opened it and pulled
out the contents, to examine what was inside.  He looked at me somewhat
confused, so I thought I'd better explain what it was he had received.
"Ricky, those are roundtrip airlines tickets to Orlando, Florida, passes to
Disney World and the Epcot Center, and your hotel reservation confirmation
for a week, for you and your parents.  Happy Birthday from the Curries."

Ricky looked at his new mom and dad, and then at all of us, before leaping
into the air.  For the next several minutes, he continued to jump around,
while whooping and hollering about going to Disney World -- a whirling
dervish of excitement, if I'd ever seen one.  During his celebration, the
Beckers looked at me and began to speak, but I anticipated their reaction
and held up my hand to stop them.

"I know what your objections are, but I've already anticipated them," I
informed them.  "First, you're going to object about the expense, but it's
what we wanted to do and we won't take no for an answer.  Secondly, this
has been planned for the first full week after the Fourth of July and I've
already made arrangements, with the help of your neighbors, to have the
farm looked after during your absence.  I am paying all the expenses for
that and everything has been completely taken care of."

They now looked at each other, nodded back and forth, and it was then that
I knew they had given in and accepted my offer.  A minute or two later,
Mr. Becker stood up and spoke.  "You and your family have done so much for
us that we will always be indebted to you.  From the bottom of my heart,
and for my whole family, I wish to thank you once more."  He came over to
me, shook my hand and then wrapped me up in a bear hug to end all bear
hugs.  I was very touched by this, although he nearly crushed and
suffocated me at the same time.  After he finally released me, I caught my
breath and told them my entire family wanted them all to have a wonderful
time.

Once things settled down from that surprise, we lit the candles on Ricky's
cake, sang 'Happy Birthday' to him and let him make his wish and blow the
candles out, before we passed out the cake and ice cream.  In between the
time we had the cake and the boys were allowed to go swimming and play in
the pool, I noticed Ricky and Little Ricky had disappeared.  I guessed they
had some things to talk over about this new relationship of theirs, as hero
and devotee.  I don't think anyone else noticed they were gone and they
were both smiling and joking with each other when they returned later.  I
guess they had established their roles and were both happy with this new
bond.

A short time later, one of the other boys suggested it was time to take a
dip, so all of the boys raced inside to don their swimsuits, before
charging out toward the pool.  This included Richard, I mean Little Ricky,
since we had suggested he bring his attire with him when they came.
Happily, he followed the others, eager to have fun and cool off.  I was
somewhat surprised to see that Mark was also joining them.

While the boys were splashing about and making a great deal of noise, the
rest of us decided to go inside to talk, since no one was ready to jump
into the pool with a bunch of hyperactive young men.  The Beckers now told
us their version of the past couple of weeks and explained how much they've
enjoyed their new son and how he had caused them to look at everything
through young eyes again.  They informed us how much they had already grown
to love each other and felt not only comfortable together, but also
euphoric from this new relationship.  They told us how Little Ricky was
adapting to the life on the farm, how he helped with the various chores and
how he brought so much joy into their lives.

They did express one regret, but that was that Little Ricky had no one his
age to hang around with.  The neighboring farms were also owned by older
couples, who either never had children or whose children had grown up and
moved out on their own, so there was no one close by for him to connect
with.  They mentioned again how they wished they were in a position to
adopt a second child, someone Little Ricky could have for company, and then
they said it might be possible they could do that next year.

I think that comment caused an immediate reaction by nearly everyone else
in the room, and each of their minds was suddenly thrust into gear.  We all
wanted to come up with a suggestion the Beckers could accept, so they could
adopt that second child and not look at it as if they were receiving a
handout.  As I scanned the faces of the others sitting with us, I could see
the far-off stares, meaning they were lost in their own thoughts at that
point and not really paying attention to anything else.  I made a mental
note to pull Sally aside later or call her tomorrow, to see if we could put
our heads together and come up with a plan to help the Beckers do just
that, without making them think we were forcing the issue.  We all realized
they were a very proud couple, unwilling to accept things they couldn't
provide for themselves, with a few exceptions, so tact was going to be the
key in being successful with this venture.

After the boys finished in the pool and played a couple of games in the
yard, I told everyone to clean up and I'd take them out to dinner.  It had
been a while since we had eaten Little Ricky's birthday luncheon and I was
fairly certain everyone was getting hungry again.  After some mild protests
from the other adults that I didn't need to do this, I finally talked them
into meeting us at the restaurant in an hour.  I called ahead to reserve
our 'special room', since that's how we began to think of it, and
everything was set.

When we got to the restaurant, Mr. Spence stood outside and held the door
open for all of us to enter, coming in last and then disappearing for a few
minutes.  He told us later that he had needed to use the little boy's room
and joked that we'd learn more about those types of needs, as we grew
older.  Now that we were all together, we sat down to a lovely dinner, with
wonderful company and great conversation.

As I looked around the table, I noticed Little Ricky was sitting beside his
mother, but he had somehow also made sure his idol was sitting on his other
side.  This was truly a cute case of hero worship.  Eventually I asked for
the check, only to be told it had already been taken care of.  When I asked
by whom, I got no response, so I went looking for the manager to find out
what was up.  He seemed rather embarrassed that I hadn't known about this
in advance and then informed me that an older gentleman had already put the
check on his credit card, including the tip.  At that moment, I realized
that Mr. Spence hadn't disappeared to go to the little boy's room, as he
told us, but he had sneaked off to locate the manager and take care of the
tab.  I'd have to have a little chat with him about this later.

When we got back home, the boys moved the table and chairs out of the
dining room, brought down a boom box from upstairs and started playing some
CD's, specifically the ones I had used to entertain them on Valentine's
Day.  Before long, they had the adults dancing on our makeshift dance
floor, after pulling the more reluctant ones into the action.  In short
order, the Spences, the Beckers, the Shays, and Sally and I were swaying to
the music, our minds wandering back to memories of when we'd first heard
each of these wonderful songs.

We were all really enjoying this thoughtful gesture, when we noticed some
of the boys taking the floor with us.  At first it was just Danny and
Brandon, but then Trey and Dion joined in, before Kevin and Brent joined
in, seemingly unconcerned that anyone would object or utter a disparaging
remark about their doing so.  About that same time, I also noticed Ricky
and Little Ricky attempting to dance as a couple, and then became aware
that Graham and Cole were also seeing what it was like to dance with each
other.

Now that those boys had joined us, Sammy and Andrew quickly followed them
out, after deciding they didn't want to be left out of the fun either.  I
kind of smiled as the older boys tried to teach their younger siblings how
to dance and was impressed by their patience.  I think the other adults
thought this was cute too, but I could also tell the straight boys were a
bit jealous that their girlfriends weren't here for them to dance with.  It
was then that I almost burst out laughing, because Frankie grabbed Nick by
the hand and led him out to the floor, having chosen him as his partner.
As they began to dance, their actions motivated the final pair, and Dustin
and Pat released their inhibitions and joined the fun too.  As we all
swayed to the beat, I wondered what any passersby would have thought, if
they had looked in our windows, only to notice all the young men who were
dancing with each other.

After moving our bodies around the room to numerous songs, our guests began
to announce it was time for them to leave.  Slowly they got their things
and headed for the door, but not before I cornered Mr. Spence.  He just
laughed and told me I was just upset because the old fox had outfoxed him.
He laughed at the fact that he had pulled it off so easily and was giddy he
had won this little game.

When I finally conceded my protestations were doing no good, I dropped the
issue and just told myself that next time I'd have to be more observant
about what he was up to. It wasn't long after that before the Spences, the
Shays, and Sally all said their final good- byes and left for their homes.
The rest of us followed them out to their cars and waved as they drove off,
but the Spences were already about halfway to their place as the last of
the others finally pulled away.  I stayed out and watched them walk the
rest of the way, just to make sure they got there safely, before I joined
the boys inside.

The Beckers were the only ones who were staying with us tonight, so I gave
them my bedroom for the evening and reminded them where everything was.
Even though they had tried to decline the use of my room again, I explained
I would sleep on the sofa bed, as I was quite used to it and it was more
than comfortable.  They finally acceded to this arrangement, but it came as
no shock to any of us when Little Ricky announced to his parents he was
going to sleep with Big Ricky tonight.  We each told him that would be
fine.

The night passed by quickly and I awoke the next morning to the aroma of
breakfast being prepared.  Without even going out to check who was
responsible, it was easy to speculate that Mrs. Becker was already up and
at it again.  I got dressed and walked out of the family room, but was
surprised to discover most of my boys were already in the dining room
eating.  They soon told me the smells had awakened them and made them
hungry; so they gave in to their bellies and came down to eat.

After a wonderful meal, we thanked Mrs. Becker and her helpers, and then we
all got ready to go to church.  It was a nice service and went very
quickly, as the pastor seemed to be taking it easy on us this Sunday.  As
we left the church, the Beckers announced they thought it best to start
home from there, as they were sure there was still much they would have to
do before dark.  Before they left, though, they thanked us again for the
special weekend and Little Ricky's birthday party.  As they were preparing
to get into in their truck, they stopped and gave us one final thank you
for all of the gifts their son had received, especially the trip to Disney
World which each of them would enjoy.

As his parents were opening the doors to their vehicle, Little Ricky asked
me to bend down.  I thought he wanted to whisper something in my ear, but
when I bent over he gave me a very special hug and kiss, as his way of
saying thank you.  I knew then that I was sure going to miss this little
bugger, although I did suspect we'd be seeing both him and his new parents
from time to time.  I didn't know how the little guy did it so easily, but
he had wormed his way into many hearts around here, including mine.

We all waved at the Beckers as they drove off and I thought I saw a tear
making its way down my Ricky's cheek as their truck moved out of sight.
This touched me deeply and not only indicated how close Ricky felt to
Little Ricky, but it also made me wonder what they might have been up to
when they sneaked off by themselves and slept together.  I wasn't really
worried about what they might have done, because I knew Ricky would never
do anything with a younger boy unless the boy had initiated it or
thoroughly agreed to what they were going to do, but I was just curious as
to how deep their new ties went.  Maybe I'd get the nerve up to ask him one
of these days, but until then I'd just let sleeping dogs lie.


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