Date: Sun, 12 Sep 2010 03:43:29 EDT
From: Bwstories8@aol.com
Subject: Castaway Hotel: Grand Reopening - Book 9, chapters 19 - 20

The Castaway Hotel: Grand Reopening --Book 9 - by BW         
Copyright 2010 by billwstories
Chapter 19 -- Easter Blessings.    

The boys surprised me, as some of them began showing up late Thursday
night, but all of them were home before noon on Friday.  They had no
classes scheduled on Friday or the following Monday, so we would have a
nice long weekend together.  It would also provide me a chance to catch
them up on everything that had been going on, but more importantly, they
would be here for Jake's and my commitment ceremony.  I guess, in a way, it
was like having your family attend your wedding.

I'm not positive, but I think the boys may have been even more excited
about it than Jake and I.  Maybe it's because we have been together for
three years now and the boys felt it was time we moved on and made this
arrangement official or appear more permanent.  Whatever their reasons,
they kept asking what they could do to help.

We did take time to attend Good Friday services at the church that evening,
and on our way out afterward, the pastor stopped me for a chat.  "Are you
all ready for tomorrow?" he asked, since he had agreed to help us with the
ceremony.

"You bet we are," I acknowledged, "and we're both very grateful that you're
willing to do this for us."

"I am," the minister confirmed, "although I do believe a small portion of
the congregation isn't quite as thrilled about it.  I've had a couple of
complaints about allowing the church to be used for such an occasion, but
it's been nothing serious.  Both parties said they didn't have a problem
with what you were doing; it's just that they felt by performing the
ceremony here, it made it appear as if the church was sanctioning it.  I
explained the larger church was not, but I was, so they quit trying to
persuade me otherwise."

"I'm sorry you've had to take some flack over this," I apologized, "but we
do appreciate all you've done and are planning to do."

"Sometimes one has to take a little heat to do what he believes is right
and to get people moving in the right direction," our minister responded.
"Look at what our Lord had to endure, just to get us to this point.  The
minor problems I've had to deal with are nothing compared to what he faced
and I'm happy to do my part in promoting his command that we love one
another."

"Thank you and I know the Lord will bestow his blessings upon you," I
added, as we parted company.

The rest of the night was filled with activity, as we got ready for the big
day.  Jake and I had decided to invite everyone to the house afterward, so
we could continue the celebration and have something to eat.  When we
started to prepare some of the food for this, the boys stopped us and said
it was all being taken care of.  I wasn't sure if this meant that they were
doing it, if they'd hired someone else to do it or if something else was
going on, but we reluctantly gave in.  Seeing we had nothing else to do,
Jake and I went to work on what we were planning to say to each other.

I'm not sure if Jake got much sleep that night, but I know I certainly
didn't.  I was too excited and wound up to doze off.  Oh, I did nod off
from time to time, but I always woke up a little while later, because my
thoughts were consumed with our upcoming nuptials, so to speak.

The next morning, Jake fixed everyone a huge breakfast, before we began
getting ready.  The boys got dressed up in suits and ties, and even found a
suit one of them had outgrown that fit Jesse.  I must admit everyone of
them looked very handsome all spiffed up.

Once we arrived at the church, Jake and I were told we had to wait in
separate rooms -- something about you're not supposed to see the bride
beforehand or some such nonsense -- so we did what the boys wanted.  Before
long, Danny came in and placed a red carnation in my lapel, kissed me and
wished me good luck.  A short time later, he returned and led me out to a
position in front of the altar.  I stood there, with Danny by my side, and
glanced around, to see who else was there.

My boys filled the majority of the front pews, and then I noticed most of
our extended family sitting behind them.  I saw Steve and Mary, Sally, the
Spences and Arlene, Susan, Mark and Duck, as well as a few of my friends
from work.  This included my secretary and the high school principal.
However, I had another unexpected surprise when I noticed Robert, Michael,
Andrea, Marie, Adriano and my grandchildren there as well, before I
discovered Jesse's mother was in attendance too.  I guess the boys had
decided to invite them, since they didn't know if I had or not.  The fact
was, I wasn't sure how any of them would react or if they'd attend, so I
didn't say anything about this.  I'm glad the boys are smarter about things
like this than I am.

Anyway, as I turned back, I saw Jake approaching from the opposite side,
accompanied by Shannon.  He also had a red carnation in his lapel, and soon
he was standing beside me, with Danny and Shannon on either side.  Once we
were in position, the pastor spoke.

"Dear Friends," he began.  "We are gathered here today so these two
wonderful and loving people can cement their relationship and commit to
loving and caring for each other, until the bonds of death separate them.
Although this isn't an official wedding ceremony, I have agreed to join
with them in making this commitment and will treat it as seriously, and as
sacredly, as I would the traditional service.

"During a formal wedding, I usually begin by asking who is giving away the
bride, but in this case I will ask who stands with these men?"  He paused,
and Shannon spoke first.

"I, Shannon McCarthy, present my father, Jacob McCarthy, to be joined with
his true love," he stated, in his clear tenor voice.

"And I, Daniel Currie, am here to join my father, Joshua Currie, with his
longtime friend and true love," he offered, in his rich baritone voice.

"Does anyone here object to this joining?  Speak now or forever remain
silent," the pastor offered, although I wished he had not.  I was afraid my
friend, the former board member, or someone else was going to rush in or
jump up and spoil the moment, but that didn't happen.  Therefore, the
minister continued.

"Since we have no formal sayings to bind these two together, they have
agreed to share their own words of commitment," the pastor explained.
"Mr. McCarthy has asked to go first."

I looked over at Jake and could see he was as nervous as I was.  He looked
up at me, swallowed hard, licked his lips and then opened his mouth.

"Although our first meeting was under less than favorable circumstances and
it took our sons to bring us together," Jake began, "it proved to be the
best day of my life.  Since that day, I have come to know, respect and love
you in every imaginable way and cannot imagine a time when we are no longer
together.  You have been there for me in good times and in bad.  You have
nursed me through illness and brought great joy to my life when I was well.
You have shown me what true love really is, not just by loving me, but by
demonstrating your love for your family and teaching me those bonds are
deep-rooted and unbreakable.

"Over the past three years we have been together, we have shared some
extreme highs and been there for each other through some devastating lows,
but our love for each other has never faltered.  I will love you as long as
I live and that love will never fade.  I want you to be my partner for
life, if you will accept."

I was deeply touched by his words and was suddenly afraid my own statement
would fall short of the emotion and meaning he had put into his.  However,
it was all I had, so I took a deep breath and began speaking.

"Jake, although I had known love before, I believed I would never find it
again.  My wife and I had a wonderful marriage and raised four marvelous
children, but when she died, I accepted the fact that my fate would be to
live alone, without a companion, until I too joined her in the great
beyond.  However, that all changed one glorious day, when I was introduced
to you.

"You moved in to my home and helped me through a near-death experience,
after a very tragic and traumatic event in my life.  Although you didn't
have to, you gave of yourself and asked for nothing in return, and I could
feel the tenderness and love in everything you did to get me well.  You
saved my life then and I have come to depend on your caring touch and deep
concern, more than you will ever know.

"On the first day we met, I immediately recognized there was something
special about you, but after the first time we were alone, I knew we were
destined to be together.  Every day we have grown closer and relied more
and more on each other for support and guidance, but especially for love.
You have filled my deepest needs and erased the loneliness that had
engulfed me before you arrived.  Even though sometimes I forget to let you
know how very special you are and how much I need you, I do want to be your
partner for life and hope you will accept my offer to do the same.  I
promise to love you until the end of our days and will never let the fires
of romance and devotion fade or be extinguished.  I, Joshua Currie, take
thee, Jacob McCarthy, to be my partner for the rest of my life."

The minister paused a few seconds after I finished and then looked up and
spoke.  "After hearing your unprompted and touching words of love for each
other, I see no reason why you shouldn't now consider yourselves life's
partners in the eyes of God.  You have my blessing and best wishes for a
long and loving relationship."

As we stood there holding hands and looking into each other's eyes, we
began to notice the others were clapping.  We hadn't expected any sort of
acknowledgment, at least until we greeted them outside in a very short
reception line, but they were clapping.  As I looked around the church, I
noticed that my biological family was clapping just as enthusiastically as
everyone else, and it was then that I began to cry.  I couldn't believe it.
They were finally accepting Jake and I as a couple… as their parents.  I
was profoundly touched.

As soon as we were outside, everyone greeted and congratulated us, but some
did more than that.  "Is it Mr. and Mr. Currie or Mr. and Mr. McCarthy
now?" Steve teased.

"I'm surprised neither of you wore white," Sally jested.

"In my day, this would have been looked down upon," Mrs. Spence began, "but
I think it was one of the most beautiful ceremonies I've ever attended."
We both thanked her for her comment.

Michael, Marie and Robert said we'd talk about this later, once we were
alone and had less pressure to move on to other things.  Since they were
all smiling, I didn't feel it would be anything bad, so I told them I
looked forward to it.

Once we had chatted briefly with all of our guests, I started to gather up
the boys and direct them over to the Yukon, but Graham stopped me, "Dad, I
need to speak with you, please," he told me.  I nodded and stepped away
from the others with him.

"What's up, sport?" I asked, since I was unsure what this might be about.

"I've got a message for you," he stated, but I was still puzzled.  "Your
wife, Brent and Cody are all standing at the top of the steps, by the
church door, and they are all smiling and giving you the thumbs up sign
again.  I think all three of them are happy you and Jake finally did this."
I was slightly stunned.

"Really?" I asked, not totally convinced.  "Even my wife."

"I think especially her," Graham responded.  "And I think she was also
saying she was glad her children came to support you too.  I mean, she
pointed at each of them, and then at you and then smiled and gave another
thumbs up."

"Wow.  I guess that clears up one question I had," I told him, before
thanking him for the information.

I then walked Graham over to the Yukon, since Jake already had the others
seated inside.  Jake was in the passenger's seat, so I got in to drive, and
Dustin followed behind us in the Suburban, with everyone else.  The others
that had attended were going to meet us at the house for food and drinks,
so I wanted to hurry and not keep them waiting.  As I drove, everyone
behind us kept honking.  I then noticed there was something covering half
of the back window, but I wasn't sure what it was.  I was extremely curious
to find out, so once we arrived home, I hoped out and raced to the rear of
the vehicle to see what it was.

It was a sign that obviously one the boys had specially made, and I began
laughing hysterically when I saw it.  When I calmed down enough to do so, I
called Jake back to see it too, since I knew he'd enjoy it as much as I
had.  He quickly came back to see what I wanted and I pointed to the sign.
He took a look at it and then burst out laughing too.  It read:

'Just married and it's about time!  We figured since we have 22 children
and 4 grandchildren we should do the honorable thing.'

"All right, whose idea was this?" I asked, while trying to suppress the
humor I was feeling inside.  "Ricky, it was you, wasn't it?"

"Hey, why do I always get blamed for all the jokes?" he asked, looking
hurt.  "NO!  This time it wasn't me," he added with a grin, "but it was a
great idea."

"Andrew?" I asked next, seeing he was my other prankster.

"Nope.  I didn't do it daddy," he replied.

"Then who did?" I wanted to know, and suddenly everyone was pointing at
Michael.

"Ratted out by my own family," he quipped.  "Hey, after all the grief I
caused you, just consider it my way of making up for it.  I had a friend of
mine make it for me.  He owns a sign shop."

"Yes, I had noticed it was very professionally done and wondered how any of
the boys could have pulled it off," I agreed.  "Thank you.  It was a nice
touch and one we both appreciate."

"Absolutely," Jake added, and then we each gave Michael a hug, before we
turned toward the house.  That's when I noticed the second little surprise.
There was another sign, but you could tell this sign had been made by
amateurs. It read: 'Congratulations, Dad and Pop!'

"Yes, we made this one," Danny admitted, when he saw me looking at it, "but
I think I should also explain.  It's not just us congratulating one of you,
because some of us call you Dad and others call you Pop.  All that has
changed now."  I merely stared at him, confused about his meaning.

"From now on, you're Dad to all of us, including Trey, Nick, Vinnie,
Richard and Brandon," he explained, while pointing at me, after he rattled
off the names of the boys that call me Pop.  "You, on the other hand," he
said turning toward Jake, "are now Pop.  We felt this would eliminate some
of the confusion and make it clear whom we were talking to or about from
now on."

"Danny, I don't want to create a problem for you," I started to point out,
"but some of the boys call me Pop for a reason."

"Yes, because we didn't want our own father's memory to be diminished or
forgotten," Trey spoke up, "or because they still have their fathers, like
Nick and Brandon.  The thing is, we've all agreed our Dads would or will
understand and approve of us calling you Dad too, so that's no longer an
issue.  You're Dad and he's Pop, so just get used to it."  He sounded so
commanding and forceful in his last statement, especially considering it
was my timid Trey that had said it, I merely snapped to attention.

"Yes, Sir," I announced.  "We will follow your orders to the letter."  Then
I relaxed and grinned at him, so he raced forward and hugged me.

"You can be really silly sometimes," Trey stated, "but that's just another
reason we all love you so much."  When we broke the embrace, I started
herding everyone inside when I heard another timid voice pipe up.

"Can Andrew and me still call you Daddy?" Jesse wanted to know.  As much as
I wanted to correct him and say, 'MAY Andrew and I…' I bit my tongue.

"You most certainly may," I said, while scooping him up in my arm.  Then I
bent down and did the same with Andrew.

"I would feel badly if you didn't," I continued, and then kissed each of
them on his forehead.

Once we got inside, I received my next surprise.  All the food was set out
and there were people there to serve us.  "What's all this?" I wondered.

"Seeing you do so much for all of us," Sally piped up, "we all chipped in
and did this for the two of you."

"And Sally means all of us," Steve added, "including all of your children
and grandchildren."  Hearing this, I turned to face Marie and Michael.

"Nicky and Jordan donated their allowance to help pay for it too," Marie
explained, "and Michael and I threw a little something in to cover Megan
and Kylie's share, as well as our own."  I was totally floored.

"What can I say, but thank you to everyone for this wonderful treat," I
stated, once I returned to my senses.  "I love you all so very much."

With that said, I tried to get everyone moving into line to eat.  I wanted
to get them taken care of first, but they insisted that Jake and I go
first, so we did.  It was wonderful meal and it was so nice being
surrounded by so many people who cared about us.  It gave Jake and I a
truly warm feeling and a deep sense of being loved.

We had a wonderful time and after several hours of partying, things began
to wind down.  After nearly all of our extended family and friends had
left, all that remained was the immediate family and Duck, and he might as
well be considerate immediate family now, along with Mark.  Seeing things
had calmed down, my biological children asked if they could speak with Jake
and I in the family room.  We agreed and excused ourselves for a short
time, after asking the older boys to keep an eye on the grandchildren for a
few minutes.  We went in, shut the door and made ourselves comfortable, and
then Michael began to speak.

"I'm going to do this, because I was the biggest ass about it," he stated.
"I know I was shocked and upset in the beginning and I apologize for that
and for getting everyone else worked up about it too.  However, after
hearing the commitments you made to each other today and witnessing,
firsthand, how you truly feel about each other, I've realized what an
egregious error I'd made.  This isn't some middle-aged fling or a romp with
experimentation, but it's also not a childish whim or desperate response to
fulfill your carnal desires.  I can finally say that I now see you two
really do love one another.  I won't say that I understand that part, but I
will recognize it for what it is, so we all want to give you our
blessings."

"Yes, and I want to apologize for my actions too," Andrea added.  "I didn't
realize how badly we'd acted or what a poor example we were setting, until
our son and his cousin found a way to point it out to us.  I think Jake hit
the nail on the head during the ceremony when he said you've demonstrated
your love for the family and taught him those bonds are deep-rooted and
unbreakable.  I guess we'd forgotten that and we're very sorry for our huge
blunder."

"And I'm sorry too, Dad," Adrian concurred.  "Fortunately, Nicky is smarter
than his old man and taught me the error of my ways," he added, and then
each of them approached Jake and I, so they could either give us a kiss
and/or a hug.  Yes, even Michael and Adrian hugged us, rather than shake
our hands.  I think that meant as much to us as their words.

"Oh, and we were in on the 'Dad and Pop' discussion too and have decided we
will keep to that same protocol," Michael added.  "Dad, even though Robert
and I have always called you Pop, from now on we'll call you Dad and Pop
will be reserved for Jake.  Is that alright with both of you?"

"Is it all right?" I asked, rhetorically and tongue-in-cheek.  "It's
supercalifragilisticexpialidocous."  I was drawing upon one of their
childhood memories by using a song we used to sing to each other when we
were very pleased about something.  They all laughed.

"Damn, I'd nearly forgotten about that," Robert said, with the others
nodding in agreement.  Jake looked confused, so I took a moment to fill him
in about our little family joke.

"Oh, and Dad," Marie added, once I'd finished.  "I know you're probably
feeling bad because Elizabeth and Tim aren't here with us too, but you
shouldn't, because they really wanted to come.  Unfortunately, Elizabeth is
still recovering from an ectopic pregnancy and is confined to bed rest for
a while and Tim felt he should stay with her.  She asked me to give you her
best and tell you she supports this one hundred percent and Tim agreed.
She also said she'll call you and come to visit, as soon as she's able."
Suddenly, it seemed as if everything was perfect.  Damn, how could it
possibly get any better?

We all enjoyed the rest of the evening together, but once the grandchildren
were in bed, I called everyone together again.

"What's up, Dad," Robert wondered.

"This time I have some other news I wish to share with you," I told them.
"It's something you all should know."  They looked at me skeptically.

"It's probably going to embarrass one of you, but he told me it was okay to
share this with you, since it was his dumb mistake that created the
situation in the first place.  Those were his words, not mine."  Now, they
looked even more confused.

"At the end of this school year, I am going to retire," I announced, and
received a mixture of responses in return.  Some of the faces looked
please, while other's still had that confused stare about them, so I
continued.

"I'm doing this so I can raise a very special baby, which will also be one
of my grandchildren."  Now, everyone but the guilty party and his lover
looked confused, so I went on to explain.

"As silly as this might sound, one of the boys got a girl pregnant just
before Christmas.  She will be giving birth in September, but has agreed to
sign over custody of the baby to him.  In return, I will pay her medical
bills and give her a little extra for her trouble."

The others continued to sit, dumbfounded, as they looked around the room to
see if they could spot the guilty party.  That is, everyone except for the
few of us who knew about it.  Suddenly, Ricky spoke up.

"Did Frankie get some girl pregnant?" he asked.

"No Ricky, it wasn't Frankie," I replied.

"Then who was it?" Dustin followed, since he thought all the straight boys
had been accounted for.  I looked over at Dion and he nodded his head, so I
continued.

"It was Dion," I stated.

"You mean Dion really knocked up some girl?" Danny asked, amazed.

"That's a colorful way of putting it," I agreed, "but that's basically what
happened.  Dion got his singing partner pregnant, after getting carried
away at an after concert party."

"Wow, Mr. Big Dong went and did it," Ricky blurted out, which caused Dion
to blush and Marie and Andrea to giggle.

"Guess they were more than singing partners," Pat teased, and got a glare
from Trey in return.

"Dion, didn't Dad teach you about condoms?" Michael asked next.

"He did, but I got excited and wasn't thinking," Dion confessed.

"Using the little head instead of the big one," Michael added, with a
chuckle.

"And all this time we thought you were gay," Adrian acknowledged.

"Bi," Dion corrected, although I'm not sure Adrian wanted to know that.
"Trey and I want to raise the baby, but Dad is going to take care of him or
her, until we get done with college."

I think that filled in the rest of the gaps, but I was expecting there
might be a few negative comments in the mix.  Therefore, I looked around
expectantly, waiting for it to happen, until Michael spoke up.

"That's a really nice thing for you to do for them, Pop.  Damn, I mean
Dad," he corrected.  "Sorry, but it's going to take some time for me to
break that habit," he confessed.

"It's okay and neither Jake nor I will mind being called by the other's
name for a while," I assured him.  He thanked me and then our little
meeting began to break up.  I guess we had managed to leap another hurdle,
but this time we didn't have to even break a sweat.

I did notice that Graham held back and asked Little Ricky to stay with him.
I wasn't sure what was up, but I figured they needed some privacy to chat
too.

"What colleges are you going to apply to?" Graham asked, and Little Ricky
told him.

"Do you have any priorities for which one you'd rather attend?" Graham
continued, and Little Ricky answered that question too.

"Since I'm going to be going to college in the fall, I'd kind of like it if
you went to the same college I do," Graham urged.

"Are you sure?" Little Ricky asked, puzzled.

"Yes, I just told you so, didn't I?" Graham replied.

"But I'm confused," Little Ricky stated.  "In the past, it seemed like
every time we got close and things were going well, you'd pull away from
me.  Why the change?"

"I guess because my conscience is clear now," Graham answered.

"Uh, what's that supposed to mean," Little Ricky pressed.

"You knew Cody and I were boyfriends before, didn't you?" Graham asked, and
Little Ricky nodded.

"Well, when he died I didn't know if I could ever love another guy like
that again," Graham admitted.  "Up until then, I really thought I was
straight, but he changed how I looked at myself.  After being with him, I
knew I was bi, but I still thought I'd end up with a girl.  Anyway, when
you and I began to get close, I felt bad -- almost like I was cheating on
Cody or something.  I don't know if I can explain it better than that, but
that's why I never pushed for anything more with you."

"So what's different now?" Little Ricky wondered.

"Well, at the church Mrs. Currie, Brent and Cody appeared and let me know
they were happy Dad and Pop finally did this," Graham began.

"Did you tell Dad?" Little Ricky blurted out.

"Yes, I did," Graham responded, "but there's more.  Cody also let me know
he was okay with you and me.  He also let me know he thought you were
cute."

"How could he do that?" Little Ricky questioned.

"Well, he pointed at you and then me and gave me the okay sign," Graham
explained, "but he also pointed at you and raised his eyebrows and winked.
It was something he always did when he saw a boy he thought was cute."
Little Ricky blushed.

"So because he's okay with this, you are okay with it too now?" he pressed.

"Yes, I've come to grips with the fact that he's gone and I really want to
see if anything happens with us," Graham replied.  "I figured that's more
likely if we're in the same place."

"But we're both bi, so what if we decide we like girls better/" Little
Ricky wondered.

"If that happens, it's fine," Graham stated, "but at least this way, I'll
have given it a try, so I'll know for sure."

"Okay, I'll do it then," Little Ricky agreed.  "I was kind of leaning
toward going there anyway, but this just makes me positive."  Having said
that, Little Ricky not only hugged Graham, but he gave him a very
affectionate kiss too.  Graham responded favorably to it and I noticed they
remained very close from that moment on.

The next day we returned to church and celebrated Easter as a family.  Once
the service concluded, we returned home for our big Easter dinner.  As I
sat at the head of the table, I realized I had sooooo many blessings to
rejoice about this year that I wasn't sure where to begin.

We had a wonderful meal, accompanied by splendid conversations, so it was
truly and enjoyable and rewarding experience.  I think we were all sad when
it came to an end, but it had been a truly wonderful weekend.  It also
ended magnificently, when everyone promised they would return for Christmas
this year.



The Castaway Hotel: Grand Reopening --Book 9 - by BW         
Copyright 2010 by billwstories
Chapter 20 -- Sum', Sum', Summertime.    

April seemed to fly by, but before it ended the gay-straight alliance held
their election of officers for the following year.  Neither Sammy nor
Little Ricky were interested in running for president, but fortunately one
of the straight girls volunteered to do it instead.  However, they had
trouble finding a candidate willing to run for vice-president, so Little
Ricky agreed to do it.  He didn't want Sammy to be put in such a visible
position, especially after what had happened the previous year.  Little
Ricky felt he'd be better able to fend off any negative criticism or
attacks, so he volunteered for the duty instead.

Once they found others to run for the final two spots, the slate of
officers was elected unanimously at the final meeting, which took place at
the end of the month.  Both Little Ricky and Sammy would be very active and
help out wherever they were needed, but it's just that they didn't want
anyone in our family to be out in the forefront and heading the club this
time around.

We were now also rapidly approaching the end of the academic year for both
groups of boys.  My college sons would finish up first and then the high
school group, which meant we had more celebrating to do this year.

Dustin will be graduating with a B.S. in Business and then the following
week, Dion and Graham will graduate from high school.  I'm pleased to see
the boys doing so well, yet I'm saddened by the thought that they're all
growing up and will be moving on soon.  Yes, I will still have a few at
home, plus I'll be raising my newest grandchild, but all of that would end
in a few more years as well.

I was also involved with helping the district select a new superintendent,
but as of yet, I have not seen anyone that had better credentials than the
high school principal.  By early May, I spoke with the members of the
school board and convinced them to promote the high school principal to the
superintendent's position and then start a search for a new high school
principal.  After agreeing, we sent out the postings, but hoped this search
would go better and more quickly, since it is a less demanding position to
fill.

I also received a phone call from Nick, because he wanted to make a special
request.  "Pop, I mean Dad, would you do me a huge favor?" he asked.

"It depends on what it is," I confirmed, since I was unwilling to commit
myself before I knew exactly what he wanted.

"Would you allow my host brothers from Brazil to come visit in June?" he
asked.  "It will be their winter recess and they'll have a little over a
month off, so will you let them come there for three or four weeks?  Their
parents will pay for their plane tickets and my mom and dad are going to
get me a ticket to come there to be with all of you.  Pleeeeeze?" he
begged.

"I don't see a problem with it, since our vacation isn't scheduled until
July," I replied, at which time Nick nearly broke my eardrum with his
screams of thank you.  Those were then followed by more screams, but this
time they were just pure joy.

"Thank you.  Thank you.  Thank you," he said.  "This means so much to me
and I really want to see them again."

"I'm surprised you aren't having them come to Oklahoma instead," I
mentioned.

"They want to meet all of you, since I told them so much about everyone,"
he informed me.  "Besides, they've already met my parents, when they came
to Brazil, but my mom and dad said they will come to Pennsylvania for a
long weekend, so they can see them again, if that's all right?" he asked,
belatedly.

"Of course it is," I confirmed, "but it sounds as if you had this all
planned out before you called," I teased.

"Well, I kind of did," Nick admitted, "because I knew you probably wouldn't
tell me no.  That's why I love you so much.  You're so good to me -- to all
of us -- and all of us love you for it."  I guess that was a compliment and
not just his way of telling me I was a patsy and everyone had me wrapped
around his little finger.

"Okay, just give me the dates and their flight information, so I can start
making plans," I told him.  "By the way, did they catch anything while you
were down there?"

"Nope, they didn't.  Aren't they lucky?" he joked.  "I guess I must have
picked up most of that stuff on my trips.  Damn, I can be so thick
sometimes."

"If you're waiting for me to disagree -- DON'T," I replied.  "Just don't be
foolish enough to repeat those mistakes."

"I won't and thanks again, P… Dad," he corrected, before hanging up.

Oh, well.  It looks as if I need to prepare for more houseguests.  That
means preparing the boys, as well as the house, because I intend to
emphasize the rule, "NO SEX WITHOUT A CONDOM," just in case.

When Dustin's big day arrived, I drove Jake and the boys from home to
attend, but the other college boys couldn't be there to join us.  They were
either still involved in finals or packing up and getting ready to move
back home, so they wouldn't be able to attend.  I felt bad that we all
wouldn't be there, but Dustin said it was all right and he understood.

When we got to his campus, we picked Dustin up and drove over to the field
house, where the commencement would take place.  Jesse and Andrew were all
over him, from the minute he first strode into view and it was obvious
these two had formed as strong a bond with him, as they had with Frankie.

Once Dustin left to join the other graduates, we went and found seats.  We
weren't very close to the front this time, so one of us would have to walk
forward to snap any pictures, but we would do what was needed to remember
Dustin's special day.  I was so proud of him when I took my seat.  He was
getting his 4-year degree, even though he never originally intended to.
When I realized it was almost time for him to receive his degree, I moved
up until I was almost kneeling in front of the raised platform that was
serving as a stage.  I snapped a picture of him approaching the podium, one
of him being handed his degree by the president of the college and another
as he walked away and waved to his brothers.  I thought they were great
shots.

Once the ceremony had concluded, we met up with him again outside, where I
took more pictures of him with all of the boys, one of just him with Andrew
and Jesse, one with him Dion and Sammy, another with him, Graham and Little
Ricky, and then one with Jake.  Jake then took one with Dustin and me, and
then Dion offered to take one of Dustin, Jake and me, and then we asked one
of Dustin's friends to take a couple of shots of all of us together.

Once we finished the photo op, we took him out to a restaurant to
celebrate, and then I asked him when he wanted his graduation party.  He
told me he'd just have it at the same time the high school boys were having
theirs, but I didn't feel that was right.  After attempting to convince him
he should have his own party, I asked him if he was sure he wouldn't change
his mind, since he'd more than earned it.  He answered by telling me that
most of his college friends wouldn't be able to come to it, because none of
them lived very close to us.  Besides, the people he wanted to see would be
at the other party too, so this would be easier for everyone.  I told him
if he was sure, then that's what we'd do, and he said it was.

We didn't bring him home, because he had one of the SUV's and would be
picking up some of his brothers.  He was going to be taking his time, since
most of them didn't get out until near the end of the upcoming week.  He
would stay in his dorm room for as long as he was allowed and then stay
with the next brother he was to pick up.  He said he was fine with that and
we told him to drive safely and we'd see him soon, before we left.

By the time the rest of us reached the house, the boys were hungry again,
so rather than having to fix a meal, Jake and I took them out to eat again.
We were just too tired to think about preparing anything at this point.
That night we just crashed after we ate, because it had been a long day and
there was still much to do to get ready for the following weekend.  We
would attend church tomorrow and then do our own thing afterward, since
most of the boys had to study for finals and such.  The upcoming week was
going to be hectic.

The week seemed to shoot by us in a flash, so before we knew it, the boys
had attended the last of their classes and finished taking their exams.  By
Friday, they were ready for their final performance -- walking across the
stage and getting their diplomas.  At the same time, the last of the
college boys had arrived home and we were all together again, except for
Frankie and Nick.  It was a joyous time for me, since the house was full of
boys and laughter again.

Saturday, we all drove to the high school for the big event.  This would be
the last time I would be able to present any of my sons their diplomas, and
next year Sammy and Little Ricky would be given their diplomas by their
current high school principal.  I felt bad about that, but there were
other, more pressing factors coming into play.  Sammy and Little Ricky each
assured me it was all right, as long as I would still be there to see them
when they graduated.

Neither of the current graduates had received any big honors this year,
except Dion for his singing, but each had been accepted to attend college.
Dion was going to pursue music at the University of Pittsburgh and Graham
was going to major in education, concentrating on children with learning
disabilities.  Graham did this so he could help others overcome the same
types of problems Cole and he had faced.  I guess your background does help
to mold your interests and who you turn out to be.

I was still very proud to present them with their diplomas and got a huge
grin of appreciation from each one.  When I had finish giving out the last
of the diplomas, the ceremony ended and we left for home.  I let the
graduates stick around for a while longer, so they could say their final
good-byes.  The rest of us had to get back home, so we could get ready for
the party.  I had it catered again, so Jake and I could enjoy ourselves and
not spend all of our time working.  I also made sure we had two cakes, one
specifically for Dustin and one for the high school boys.

As we always did for these gatherings, we had a large crowd and all the
boys seemed to be enjoying themselves.  I did allow them the luxury of a
beer or two each, if they wanted, but the only others to get any alcohol
were those of legal age and only to the point that they didn't become
inebriated.  We also made certain someone else was going to drive them
home.

There was plenty of food, snacks, drinks, music, good conversation and
general fun for all.  A few minor pranks were also pulled, such as when
Trey addressed his congratulatory card to 'Daddy Dion' and the boys gave
Dion a gag gift of a package of newborn diapers and a box of condoms.
Graham didn't go unscathed either.  One of Graham's cards told him he had
been given a lifetime position on the 'psychic hotline' and was given a gag
gift of a faux crystal ball.

Dustin wasn't immune to the pranks either, since his brothers gave him a
Chinese adding machine -- an abacus -- to keep track of his earnings.  They
also gave him his first job in HVAC, when one of them asked him to fix a
portable heater.  Dustin took it well, fixed the small device quickly and
then proceeded to write out and hand its owner a bill.

Everyone took the ribbing well and even gave back a few digs of their own,
but it was all in fun and I know they each enjoyed the attention.  The high
school graduates did take off for a short time, to attend a few of their
classmates' parties, but Dion drove and I made certain he wasn't impaired
before I gave him the keys.  I also warned him to stay that way, if he
didn't want me to pull his license when he returned.

The party didn't wind down until around one in the morning, but the caterer
had cleaned up and cleared out long before then.  We took what we needed to
put away in the house afterward, but left most of the cleanup for the next
day.  We would all pitch in after we got home from church and brunch,
before moving on to other things.

Sunday wasn't as laid back and low-key as I'd hoped, because we had
birthdays to celebrate.  Pat had agreed to the idea of having a combined
party with Danny, since Danny had been busy with writing papers, completing
projects and studying for finals when his birthday rolled around.
Therefore, we were having everyone back again today for a cookout to
celebrate these two special events.  Jake and I would also put out the
leftovers from the graduation party, since we were sure the boys would
devour those as well, and we still had some beer and soda left we would
utilize as well.

It was our standard cookout party, but I think everyone was less rowdy
today, since we'd been having so much going on.  During the festivities, I
pulled Pat aside and explained that since he was turning twenty-one, I was
going to do the same thing for him that I had done for Dustin and Danny.  I
had my lawyer set it up so Pat now had complete control over the account
I'd set up for him.  It was now his to do with as he wished, but I also
told him I knew he'd be responsible enough to not spend it foolishly.

During the party, I could tell Dion was more than a little bit antsy.  I
suspected it had something to do with the fact that he was planning to take
Shelly for her doctor's appointment the following day and this time she
would be having a sonogram.  He was hoping everything was okay with the
baby and there were no problems, but he was still very nervous and jittery.
Damn, expectant father's worry about every little thing, don't they?

Dion did manage to make it through the rest of the day, and by the time he
arrived home Monday afternoon, after the appointment, I could tell he was
feeling much better.  As he strode into the family room, where Jake and I
were spending a little time with the others, he was sporting a huge grin.

"It's going to be a boy!" Dion announced, with great deal of pride.  The
others looked at him a bit skeptically.

"They can tell that already?  It's only what, four months old?" Brandon
asked, unconvinced.

"Yep," Dion answered simply.

"Then the kid must have a huge schlong, just like his father," Ricky
teased, "or the doctor was looking at the umbilical cord, instead of the
penis."

"No, the doctor pointed that out to us too and I have the negative here, if
you'd like to see it," Dion added, while holding up the aforementioned
item.  The boys quickly ran over to check it out.

"Shit, I think the baby is going to have a BIGGER dick than his father,"
Pat observed.

"Look at the size of that thing," Kevin observed, "and he's not even fully
developed yet."

"Damn, Dion," Cole tossed in, "I hope you got paid a stud fee for creating
something as enormous as that."  Dion merely grinned, from ear to ear, in
response.

All I could think of is, 'I'm going to be embarrassed changing this kid's
diaper, if he's hung better than I am!'

The commotion died down after that, but Dion strutted around for a couple
of days, as he showed off the negatives from the ultrasound to anyone that
would take time to look at it.  The boys weren't joking when they talked
about the baby.  If that was actually the kid's penis, it was enormous,
compared to the rest of him.

During that same time period, I'd also received a few more emails from
Frankie.  However, it was the last one the nearly floored me.


Hey, Dad,

What's going on there?  I hope things are going well and everyone is fine.
I sure do miss you, but it's going to be a while longer before I see you
all again.  I know I promised I'd be home for Christmas this year, but it's
not going to happen.  I'm staying at Guantanamo for another year.

Remember how I told you about the new guy from the C.I.A. and how we were
really getting along?  Well, it's been fantastic since he's been here.
He's an older guy, almost your age, but he really knows what he's doing and
gets what he wants from the prisoners by treating them respectfully.  I
can't even begin to tell you how much I've learned from him, so when they
asked if anyone was interested in extending his tour of duty, I agreed.

I'll be here until the end of next July, but then I'll be getting a
two-month furlough so I can spend it at home, before going to my new
assignment.  I'm not sure where that will be, but I'm supposed to get out
the following March, unless I re-up, so it will only be for another
six-month tour, wherever they send me.

Hope that news didn't shock you too badly, but this is working out so great
that I don't want to risk getting posted somewhere where things are as bad
as they were here for awhile.  This guy is truly fantastic and what I'm
learning from him will help me when I get out.  I'm sure I'll be able to
get a job in law enforcement now, so this is going to work out much better
than I first thought.

I hope you're not upset and I miss and love you all.  I'll try to call
soon.

Love, Frank


After I read what he had to say, I wrote back and assured him I was not
upset.  I kept my response to him light and positive, and also told him I
was glad that things had taken a positive turn and he seemed more upbeat.
I told him we would miss him during the holidays, but I looked forward to
seeing him the following summer.  I also filled him in about what was going
on at home, including Dion's situation and that I was retiring.  I hoped my
email wouldn't shock him now.

June was rapidly approaching, so I began to prepare for the boys from
Brazil.  I have to chuckle when I think of them in those terms, because it
reminds me of the old Gregory Peck movie with the same name.  That film was
about his character being involved with cloning new Hitlers.  What an awful
thought that is.  Anyway, Nick's former host brothers would be joining us
soon and flying in to New York.  I planned on doing the whole NYC scene
after we picked them up and then take we'd them to Philly or D.C. one other
weekend, just to show them around a bit.  I was looking forward to seeing
and meeting them, so this wasn't something I was dreading at all.

I had begun planning for these trips as soon as Nick called and confirmed
the dates and times.  I also ordered tickets and such for some special
activities I had planned, because I didn't want to get there and miss out.
One of these events was quite new and unique, but something I was fairly
positive all of the boys would enjoy.

Since everyone wanted to go on this trip, I charted a bus to take us to NYC
for the weekend.  We left extremely early on Saturday morning, meaning
2:00, but the boys were able to sleep throughout most of the trip.  Jake
and I caught a little more shuteye too, since we hadn't slept that long the
night before either.  We would be going to the airport first, so we could
pick up Nick, Wil and Marcos, and then I'd have the driver take us around
to some the sights I was planning on hitting.

We arrived at the airport well ahead of Nick's scheduled 6:45 a.m. arrival
time, but his host brothers wouldn't be landing until just before 7:30.  We
made our way as close to Nick's arrival gate and we could get, and then
waited for him to show up.  He appeared about forty minutes later.

The minute he spotted us, Nick came racing in our direction, but what he
did next surprised me.  Instead of bolting straight for Shannon, as we all
expected he would do, he came running up to Jake and me.  He hugged each of
us and then stepped back a short distance, before he spoke.

"Congratulations, Dad and Pop," he announced with a huge grin.  "I wish I
could have been there for the ceremony, but I'm so glad you finally did
this.  I think it's really great and I know everyone else thinks so too."

We thanked him for this very enthusiastic display of support and then he
sought out Shannon, so he could give him a very warm greeting too.  After
allowing them a few minutes together, I guided everyone to our next
location, which was a spot near the gate Nick's host brothers would be
arriving at.  Once we got there, we found a place to sit down and then I
asked Nick to fill us in about his year at college and his time with his
parents, once school ended.  He happily did so, and by the time he had
finished, it was nearly time for his host brothers' plane to land.

Nick constantly scanned the throng of people bustling about, as he searched
for the faces of his two host brothers.  It took almost thirty minutes
before he spotted them, but once he did, he jumped up and raced off to
greet them.  When he came back, he had two good-looking young men walking
beside him.  They were both about the same height as Nick, approximately
five feet- ten inches tall, but their complexion gave them a nice tanned
look, although it was currently winter in Brazil.  I'd say their coloring
was very close to Dion's, so I might best compare it to a cup of coffee
with extra cream.

They were both sporting the most beautiful smiles as they walked over to
greet us, so I could absolutely see why Nick had been so smitten by them.
They each began to extend his hand as they drew closer to me, so I
reciprocated and shook one at a time, as I greeted them.

"Welcome to the United States and we look forward to your stay with our
family," I began.  "I'll let Nick take care of the introductions, however,
since he may need to translate some of it into Portuguese."

"No, my brother and I both speak American, we think very well," Wil
responded, but his Brazilian accent was very apparent in the way he
pronounced certain words.  "We can do everything in your language."  I
smiled.

"Although we live in America, we speak English," I corrected him, which
caused Wil to look a bit confused.

"But English is so different than American, is it not?" he asked.  "We've
also met people from Great Britain, but they speak much differently than
Nick or other Americans we've met."

"That may be true," I agreed, "but the people of both countries speak
English.  Think of it this way, there may be subtle differences between the
way you speak Portuguese in Brazil and how it is spoken in Portugal, just
as French is spoken a little differently in Quebec, Canada than in France."

"Ah, yes, I think I see now," Wil confirmed.  "I am aware of such
differences and can see what you are telling me.  Thank you, very much, for
pointing that out to us."

Once Nick had finished introducing everyone, I asked the boys if they had
eaten.  Since they hadn't, we loaded their things onto the bus and I
directed the driver to take us some place where we could have breakfast.
He said he'd be glad to, seeing he was hungry as well, so we took off, in
search of a location to chow down.

"Where are all the other people?" Marcos asked, while glancing around the
bus.

"Oh, this is not a regular bus, one that other passengers constantly get on
and off of," I explained.  "I have hired this bus and driver for the
weekend, because our family is too large to fit in most other vehicles
comfortably."

"I see," he said, "but doesn't that cost you a lot of money?"

"It isn't cheap, but it's not that much more expensive than driving two
vehicles here, with all the tolls and parking fees," I explained.
"Besides, the driver knows how to get around better than we would, and it
saves us the headache of driving in city traffic."

That explanation seemed to suffice, so we began talking about other things,
until the driver pulled in to one of those chain restaurants that
specialize in breakfast.  We had a nice time and Nick, Wil and Marcos sat
with Jake and myself as we ate.  Our guests were amazed about a lot of
things, starting with what we ate for breakfast.  They were also surprised
at the difference in the coffee and juices, but they seemed to enjoy their
meal.  While we ate, we also got to know them better, but the rest of the
family will have plenty of time to get acquainted with them on the bus.

Once we finished up there, I asked the driver to take us on a driving tour
of the city, so we could point out some things to our visitors.  He readily
agreed, so we settled in to explain the various sites.  Wil and Marcos were
amazed by all of the skyscrapers.  They said that even though they lived
near a large city and had visited others, most were just large and spread
out, but most of the buildings were less than half the size as here.  Wil
pointed at some of the older structures that weren't as tall and said they
were closer to the size of the buildings in the cities they'd visited.

During our tour, we pointed out the Empire State Building, the site of the
World Trade Center, the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island.  These were
also some of the places I was planning to take them to visit later, so they
could see them up close and personal.  I knew my family had visited these
locations before, with the exception of Jesse, so that was why I wasn't
certain how many would want to see the sights again and who might wish to
do something else.  In the end, they all wanted to join us and I wanted our
visitors to see the most famous sights while they were here.  After all,
these locations are all American landmarks and tourist attractions, so it
would be a shame not to let our visitors make at least a quick stop at each
of these places.

First, I had the driver drop us off at the Empire State Building.  Since
these boys hadn't seen buildings this tall before, I wanted to make sure
they got up to the observation deck, so they could look around.  They were
absolutely amazed when they first glanced outside, and possibly a bit
overwhelmed.  I saw Marcos, the younger one, kind of jump back a bit after
first gazing out, but eventually he calmed down and looked about, as I
pointed out some of the various other locations.

I then did the same with Jesse, although Dustin and Andrew had pointed many
of these things out to him already.  While I was doing this, Nick and some
of the others entertained our guests and mentioned other things to them.
After we'd spent a little time here and the boys had plenty of opportunity
to look around, we rode the elevators back to the ground level and boarded
the bus again.

I decided to take them to the see the Statue of Liberty next, since we had
enough time to squeeze it in before doing something else I had planned.
Everyone went with us again, which did surprise me somewhat, since I
thought the older boys might want to try doing something on their own.  I
was fine with their decision though and we set off.

As we rode across the harbor on the tourist boat, Nick was busy explaining
different things about what they were seeing and only stopped if he needed
to ask me a question.  He would do this whenever he wasn't quite sure about
something and I was happy to fill in the blanks for him.  I also noticed
the three of them would occasionally slip into Portuguese, but I think this
was so they could insert private comments into their dialogue or make
observations about other tourists in the immediate vicinity.  Either way, I
saw no harm in it, so I didn't say anything to them about it.

Once all of them had a chance to see the view from the crown, we climbed
back down and made our way to the bus again.  We did take time to stop for
a quick bite to eat afterward, since it was already past noon, but there
was still enough time to squeeze this in before doing what I had planned
next.

By the time we finished our meal, it was approaching the time for the next
surprise I had lined up, so I directed the bus driver as to where we were
going next.  I was taking everyone to see a Broadway show.  It was a
musical that was fairly new, but I'd heard great things about it.  This
particular show didn't move to Broadway until June 2003, so it had only
been running for about a year, which is still quite new in theatrical
terms.  From what I had read and been told about it, this was supposedly a
raucous sexual parody, with gay overtones, and it was done using both
actors and puppets.  Since the theme was sexual, I felt the boys would like
it, even if puppets were involved.  I was taking everyone to see the
matinee performance of 'Avenue Q.'