Date: Sun, 28 Mar 2010 03:54:30 EDT From: Bwstories8@aol.com Subject: Castaway Hotel: Grand Reopening - Book 5, chapters 5 - 6 Castaway Hotel -- Grand Reopening -- Book 5 by BW Copyright 2009 by billwstories Chapter 5 -- A Different World. **Author's Note:** Please read the disclaimer in Chapter 00 before you read this. The next morning, we all got ready and attended church on campus. It was a non- denominational service and the minister mentioned it was nice to see so many parents in attendance, supporting their children. He also told us it was obvious, at least to him, that we had instilled life long values into our offspring, since this was basically the same group of faces he'd seen each Sunday morning since the academic year began. It was a nice acknowledgment, before he moved on to his sermon. Once the service concluded, we spoke briefly to the pastor, before I took everyone out for breakfast. During that time, we had another nice conversation with Dustin and he eagerly filled us in on some of the things he'd seen and done during the first few weeks he'd been here. He told his brothers about some of the social gatherings he'd been to, what his professors and classes were like, but then he turned in my direction and assured me he would make the most of this opportunity and not become a huge party animal. Dustin quickly added that it didn't mean he was going to sequester himself completely, as he still planned to attend his share of those activities, but he would try to keep his fun times restricted to Friday and Saturday nights. He told me he had already met a few guys who seemed to party 24/7 and wondered how they survived, but then assured me once more he wasn't going to do that. I told him I had never worried about him losing control in that fashion, because I knew he had a good head on his shoulders, but I also confirmed I didn't expect him to miss out entirely on the good times either. He smiled at my comment and told me not to worry, he wouldn't, but he then stated he was glad I trusted his judgment and he'd make sure to live up to my expectations. Dustin then confessed that he felt I had given him a solid foundation on which to make these types of decisions and he would continue to build on it, as time went on. Then he thanked me for all I had taught him and done for him, as well as for his brothers. After I accepted his compliment, I told him I had no doubts he would do well, and then the conversation moved on and he began chatting with Jake. Dustin asked Jake how he liked living at our place and how he and I were getting along. He also wanted to know how Shannon liked being there with so many others and if he had hooked up with anyone yet. Jake answered all of his questions and didn't seem offended that he was being probed for such personal information. In fact, he seemed quite pleased that Dustin was interested about how Shannon and he were doing and thanked him for his concern, once he'd finished his responses. After we left the restaurant, Dustin showed us a few more places of interest, which included a lovely park that was located about three-quarters of a mile from his campus. It had well-kept open areas, as well as some hilly spots that were covered with trees and featured some jogging/hiking trails. There were also several small, covered pavilions located about and each one was equipped with tables and a cast-iron charcoal grill, so visitors wouldn't have to bring their own grills to prepare their food on, when they came for an outing. Additional picnic tables were scattered about the open areas as well, for those who preferred to enjoy their meal while relaxing under the rays of the sun. In addition to those things, there was also a very well kept pond, where we saw a few parents and their young children feeding bread to the ducks that were swimming about or wandering along the shore. I think we were all quite impressed with the place and I suggested we could spend some time there and have our own cookout, the next time we came for a visit. Dustin agreed and I could tell he was excited about the prospect. As it moved toward late afternoon, we decided it was time to end our visit. After taking him back to his dorm, Dustin gave all of us big hugs, but his embrace with Kevin lasted considerably longer than with any of the rest of us. Dustin also made sure to let Kevin know he thought about him often and wondered how he was doing. He added that he was glad Kevin came along on this visit and Dustin was happy to see that he was doing well and moving on with his life, after dealing with losing Brent. Dustin assured Kevin that he'd always be there for him, if he should ever need anything, and I think this touched Kevin deeply. Kevin may have lost Dustin as a lover, but in the process had discovered he had acquired a very loving brother and a great friend. After saying our farewells, we got back in the Suburban and headed home. Danny, Brandon and Kevin talked excitedly about what a great time they'd had and how they couldn't wait to go away to college now. They said that after high school, college would seem so much different, because there weren't as many restrictions and they'd be nearly totally in charge of their lives and could do what they wanted, within reason. However, after listening to them discuss this for a while, I could tell that while they exclaimed how excited they were, they were also a bit apprehensive about being away from the rest of us and not having the family to lean on or fall back on when the going got rough. But hey, isn't that what growing up and becoming independent is all about anyway? As Jake pulled into our driveway, a wave of young men came shooting out of the house. They seemed excited to see us and even had a special dinner prepared for our return. As we sat down to enjoy the feast that Ricky and Pat had planned in our honor, everyone began asking questions as to whether Dustin liked college, how he was doing and how our trip went. We answered them as best we could and then thanked our two chefs for preparing such a wonderful and delicious meal. Both boys seemed pleased by our acknowledgment and I was confident they would be willing to do this again, if the chance arose. After questioning them about how things went at home while we were gone, the younger boys told us everything went well and none of their older brothers got too bossy while we were gone. It seems that everyone got along, no major damage was done to the house and none of them were any the worse for wear. Therefore, I quickly confirmed I'd be willing to trust them on their own again in the future, since they had proven they were mature enough to accept the responsibility and capable of taking care of themselves and each other. That announcement seemed to make them all glow and got me a cheer in reply. Once we finished our meal, we spent the rest of the evening relaxing and taking it easy. I actually went to bed unusually early, because the trip had been quite exhausting for me. Even though I had followed my doctor's orders while I was away, it still took more out of me than I had expected, so I said goodnight to everyone and headed off to my room. I was somewhat surprised when Jake entered a few minutes later, announcing he had also decided to turn in early. I was lying in bed reading when he entered, and he sat down on the side of the bed and talked to me first. After explaining to me that the driving had really tired him out as well, he moved on to more personal matters. "You know, I've really enjoyed sleeping beside you every night, but I was hoping maybe we could do a little more than that, now that you're getting better," he more than hinted. "It's you're choice and I don't want to push you or anything, and it doesn't have to be tonight. I just wanted to give you something to think about," he added, and then hesitated briefly, before adding his final comment. "You see, I'm pretty sure I've fallen in love with you." I wasn't quite prepared for him to be so blunt, and I certainly wasn't expecting him to say anything quite like that. In fact, I was still surprised a guy as young as Jake would be interested in an older fellow like me, especially considering my health problems and the fact that he couldn't be sure about how much longer I might be around. Finally, I got my wits back together and was able to respond. "Jake, I've grown to care about you a great deal too, and I might also be falling in love with you as well, but I'm just not sure I'm quite there yet. I'm also worried this might be just a passing phase for you, because I happen to be available and within reach at the moment, so I'm concerned you might change your mind if something better comes along. I can't stop factoring in that I'm more than fifteen years older than you, have this large family I'm responsible for and you've now learned my health status is kind of shaky. It's not that I'm not flattered or pleased about the possibility, but I am also wise enough to recognize you could do much better than settling for me." "I really doubt that and it's not only due to the fact that I'm a single parent," he replied. "I've fallen in love with you because of who you are and what's inside of you. Your age and health don't really make that much of a difference to me. Sure I'd prefer you to be around and us to be together for a long time, but I'd be willing to take the chance that may not happen and just be happy for whatever time we might get to share as partners. I love your boys and you seem to love Shannon, so I think this is a really great fit, if you want it too?" I was really quite impressed by what he had said, so I took a few moments to think about my answer before I gave it to him. I was moved that he had bared his soul to me like this, so I didn't want to fire back a quick response that might give him the wrong impression. I had to admit I've enjoyed Jake's company a great deal and I value his friendship and help, but I'd never really seriously considered a romantic involvement and, therefore, hadn't put a great deal of thought into this. I mean, I've never considered the idea that Jake might be interested in me on a romantic level, so I didn't want to waste my time chasing a fantasy. I also wanted to be careful not to close the door on this possibility, but I didn't want to lead him on either or cause him to believe I had already thought this through. So, considering all of these factors, I finally responded. "Jake, I really appreciate what you've just told me and I value you more than you'll ever know, but I haven't been thinking about a long-term relationship, with you or anyone else. I've have always shoved the idea of finding someone for myself to the back of my mind, at least until the boys were grown and on their own. I've always felt I owed them at least that much, since I had committed myself to seeing to their welfare first and foremost, so I've pushed my own needs into abeyance. I'd love to throw caution to the wind and just say let's go for it, but I'm not sure that would be fair to any of us." Jake looked a little disappointed after hearing my response, but seemed to bounce back quite quickly. "That's okay," he assured me. "My being here doesn't have to lead to a relationship, unless you want it to, but I wouldn't mind enjoying some physical contact with you in the meantime, if you'd be willing to do that much. It doesn't have to include any commitments or even any love, unless that's what you want or feel, but I wouldn't mind seeing if there were any embers smoldering somewhere deep inside of us that might eventually ignite. What would you say to that?" I had to admit he had a valid point and one I was more willing to go along with. Even though we hadn't been entirely celibate since we first starting hanging around each other, up to this point it hadn't been anything more than helping out a friend. Maybe Jake was right. It was possible that if we let down our guard we might enjoy each other more completely, and I just might discover the fire in my gut that Jake was alluding to. I really didn't need to consider this for very long, since deep down I knew I had always been attracted to Jake, it was just that I had to be sure this is what we both really wanted -- not merely that it happened to be convenient. "Jake, I'd be more than happy to explore those possibilities with you, but are you sure you're really ready to become a permanent part of this nut house?" I teased. "Are you kidding?" he responded, while trying to stifle a laugh. "That's all Shannon and I have talked about since we've been here. We both feel at home here, like we really belong, and neither one of us wants to think this might ever come to an end." "Well, you're more than welcome to stay and be a member of this loony bin," I agreed, "even if you aren't sharing my bed." "But that's the best part," Jake shot back, giving me a wink after he said it. "Look, I've had a crush on you since our kids started trying to hook us up. Besides Shannon being born, being with you and your family has been the best thing to happen in my sorry life. I've been praying you'd accept my offer, once I got up the courage to ask, but I've kept putting it off, because I was scared you wouldn't want me. I'm just a UPS truck driver and not educated like you, and I'm sorry if I sound desperate, but you've been all I've been able to think about for months." Hearing this pronouncement really floored me. How could I have missed the fact that Jake had felt more than just friendship for me during that time? Sure, there had been times I flirted with similar thoughts about him, except I didn't dare think he'd consider being with someone my age or with a guy who had as much baggage as I carried. I mean, what kind of guy would be interested in having a partner with this many kids still at home, let alone someone who'd suffered from the kinds of health problems I'd just been through? "Jake, all I'm going to say for right now is that I think I feel the same way about you too," I confessed, "and I'm willing to give it a try, if you are." "You really mean that?" he asked, as if he really didn't believe what he just heard. "Of course I mean it," I told him, pulling him toward me and giving him a powerful hug. Once we finished our embrace, I let my lips seek his out and gave him a very passionate kiss. Once our kiss ended, I pulled back slightly and spoke to him again. "Do you think we should tell the boys?" I wondered. "I'm not sure," he responded, honestly. "What do you think?" "I think it might be best if we waited," I suggested, "at least until we're certain if this is going to work out. I wouldn't want to get their hopes up, only to have them crash and burn if we decided this isn't what either of us wants or is happy with." "Okay, I can live with that," he concurred. "Okay, then why don't you get out of those dirty clothes and crawl in here beside me," I suggested, which caused Jake to grin, before he did exactly what I'd requested. Jake did get a little frisky once he was lying beside me, but he also took it kind of easy, since he didn't want to aggravate my medical condition. We both got each other off, before we fell asleep cuddled up against one another, and when I awoke in the morning, I was fairly certain my life had changed forever -- but for the better. At breakfast, I got the feeling the boys suspected something was up between Jake and myself, but no one said anything directly about it. Instead, they just kept looking up and grinning at both of us, while turning toward each other and giggling afterward. That made me wonder if they'd overheard what we had done the previous evening, but I thought it highly unlikely. We didn't have intercourse and we weren't that loud, so what was this about? Then it dawned on me. Since we'd turned the air conditioning off in the house, I had opened the bedroom window to get some fresh air when I went to bed last night and I suspected the window in the rec room had also been open. I'd be willing to bet someone must have heard the conversation Jake and I had in bed the previous evening, as I had overheard the details about what had happened right after Frankie's birthday party. If this was in fact what had happened, it was obvious the person or persons who had eavesdropped on our conversation had obviously relayed that information to the others. I guess Jake and I didn't need to worry about telling the boys what was going on, since they already seemed to know what we'd decided. It seemed far too quiet and lonely around that big old house once Jake headed off to work and the boys went to school, so I tried to find something to occupy my mind. After going through the mail that had arrived while we were away and reading the back issues of the newspaper, I decided to turn on the television and watch CNN. I've always liked keeping up with what was going on in the world and CNN was on top of most events, so I watched it for a hour or two before I got tired and went in to take a nap. When I woke a little later, I fixed myself a small lunch and then went back to the family room and watched the history channel for a short time, before switching back to CNN. In fact, that's what I was doing when the boys came home from school. "Real exciting, Dad," Ricky teased, when he saw what I'd been up to. "Well, I DO have to stay calm," I told him. "You know, doctor's orders and all." "Calm, but you don't want to end up bored to death either," he quipped back. "Oh, come on," I replied, "the news isn't that boring. It's good to see what's happening in the world and how it might affect us," I explained. "Okay, you keep track of what's going on and then let us know how it's going to affect our dates this weekend," Ricky joked back. He thought he was being quite humorous, but little did he realize how much of an impact upcoming events might have on his young and carefree existence. While we were joking around, Danny and Brandon went in to begin dinner for us. When I went in to help, they told me to go sit down and relax and they'd take care of everything. They mentioned they'd been fixing most of the meals while I was in the hospital anyway, but it was also good experience for them for when they left to go to college and later, when they came back to take over for me so I could retire and just enjoy life. When I told them I was already enjoying life, they explained they meant enjoying being with them and their brothers, without having to worry about the minutia involved with keeping the household running. I thanked them for their concern and then went up to the second floor, to see what the younger boys were up to. After spending some time talking with them and learning how their day went at school, I heard Jake's car pull into the driveway, so I went downstairs to greet him. He gave me a kiss when he entered, which caused some giggling in the background, and then he went in to shower and slip into something more comfortable before dinner. By the time he'd finished, Danny announced dinner was ready, so we all went in to sit down. Jake had been given one of the seats next to mine, at the head of the table, and it appeared this would now be his permanent spot. After enjoying the food and learning about everyone's day, the boys went off to do their homework, while Jake and I went in to watch some television. Both of us decided to turn in early again that night, but this time it was I who followed him into our room. I knew he was exhausted, because he'd confided in me earlier that he'd had a long and strenuous day. He said it had been busier than usual for this time of year and he'd had to lug around quite a few heavier than normal packages. While we were in the family room, I'd noticed he was starting to nod off while we were watching our final program, so I suggested we head to bed and he jumped at the suggestion. Although we didn't do anything sexual that evening, it was enjoyable just being able to 'spoon' against each other. The next morning, after sending everyone off to work or school, I got on the Internet and opened my email account. I was weeding out the junk mail and reading the more relevant messages, most of which either wished me a speedy recovery or were a belated sympathy wish from those who had belatedly learned about Brent's fate, when the phone rang. I was surprised to hear Jake's voice on the other end, since he rarely called during the day. It turned out he was phoning me from a truck stop, after he'd heard reports about the lunacy that was going on that morning. "Josh, have you been watching the news?" he asked, with a certain amount of anxiety in his voice. I wasn't sure what was up, but I knew something was wrong, and my thoughts went to the boys at college and school. "No, I haven't been watching T.V. or listening to the radio," I admitted. "Has there been another school shooting or something? Was it at the high school or one of the colleges that Dustin or Frankie go to?" "No, it's nothing like that," Jake assured me, "but I think you'd better turn on the television and see what's happening for yourself. It's totally shocking and something you won't believe unless you see it with your own eyes." I carried the phone with me, while I went to turn on the television. When the picture came on, I could see smoke pouring out of one of the World Trade Towers and I put the phone back to my ear and asked Jake what was going on. "I can see a fire on the upper level of one of the Twin Towers. What happened? Another bomb?" "Worse than that," he suggested. "Someone crashed a plane into it. It was a large commercial jet and there are reports that suggest that another plane crashed into the Pentagon." "Who in the world would do something like this?" I wanted to know. "Terrorists," he explained. "Officials aren't sure what group yet, but speculation is that it's probably a middle-eastern group, maybe Iraq had something to do with it. I just wanted to let you know. I remember hearing my grandfather telling about the day Pearl Harbor was bombed and how his family sat numb in front of the radio, in total shock, for hours. I think I'm beginning to appreciate how they felt and what it was like for them that day." I thanked Jake for letting me know what was going on, before hanging up the phone and settling in to watch the continuing news coverage. The scenes being displayed were riveting and I couldn't seem to pull myself away from looking at them. First, the reporters would show scenes of fire rising from the World Trade Center and then the station would switch to shots of the devastation at the Pentagon. There were also reports that it was believed the White House or Capital Building might also be targeted and no one was certain if this was over or just beginning. Finally, I broke away from what they were showing, so I could call the superintendent and various school principals, so they would also be aware of what was happening. I felt they might decide it best to prepare their students about what was taking place and give them a heads up before some of the parents started showing up to pull their children from classes. I also didn't want them to think what they were being told was a prank either, if they heard it from someone else first. I was fairly certain they wouldn't question what I told them, so I phoned each of them individually. As I spoke to them, I discovered some of my colleagues were already aware of what was taking place, while others had no idea, but each of them thanked me for calling to bring them up to date. Once I had finished those conversations, I went back to concentrating what was happening. Just as I focused on the screen again, I watched in horror as another plane smashed into the second tower! Castaway Hotel -- Grand Reopening -- Book 5 by BW Copyright 2009 by billwstories Chapter 6 -- From the Brink of Madness. Suddenly I felt ill. What kind of madness was this? Could what I'd just seen really be happening? I collapsed against the sofa and continued to stare at the television screen, wondering what sort of sick mind could plan such brutal and senseless acts. How many people died when that plane was flown into the tower, and worse yet, how many people had died in the other Tower or at the Pentagon? Suddenly, it dawned on me. I actually knew a couple of people who worked at the World Trade Center and I suddenly feared for their safety. At that moment, I didn't know what to do next. I was stunned, shocked and completely unable to move. I was sickened by what I saw, yet felt compelled to keep watching it. Was this sick, or was my morbid fascination merely the result of being unable to comprehend what had just taken place? No matter what the cause, I stayed riveted to the T.V. and wondered what was going to happen next. As I contemplated the horrific events of the past hour or so, I couldn't help thinking about what the final moments must have been like for the people on those planes. Did they know they were going to die or did they believe they were just being kidnapped and would be held for ransom? That's when I began to wonder what I would have done or thought about just before it happened, if I'd been on one of those planes. Once I had pondered those thoughts for a few minutes, I began to wonder if the people in any of the buildings saw the planes coming at them, and if they had, I could just imagine their panic as they instinctively tried to get out of harm's way. The reporters had been telling about these intentional acts of terror, when it was announced that another plane had crashed into a field in Pennsylvania, just outside of Shanksville, in Somerset County. That's less than 80 miles from us, as the crow flies, but far too close for my comfort. None of the various news agencies had much information about this crash, so we didn't know at the time if it was related or merely a coincidence. Regardless of the reason for why it happened, it was a fourth plane down this morning. Could this get any more horrific? I continued to listen to the announcer and watched the scenes happening before my eyes, when I realized there were people jumping to their death from windows and the rooftops of the towers. Oh God! What kind of desperation would lead a person to do that? Had it come down to a choice between burning to death or leaping to your doom? I couldn't imagine what it must be like to be placed in such a position. Had the world finally gone insane? I certainly hoped not, but who knew what might possibly happen next. Would there be more acts like this or had the terror finally ended? Would we seek to understand and heal, or would those in power seek to retaliate and add to the death and destruction? My thoughts now drifted to how I was going to deal with the boys concerns about these events, because I was certain they'd either know what happened by the time they got home or would see it on the news, when the networks replayed the horrors of the day. This was too big an event to keep word of it from spreading like wildfire through the halls of the schools, so I also wondered how much they'd already know, how much of the truth had been distorted by rumors and what their reactions were going to be when they returned home. Hell, some of the students even carried their cell phones to classes, so I was fairly certain their friends or family would have called and told them what had happened. After that, the rumors and speculation would have begun and God only knows how badly the truth would have been distorted after that. For the next hour, I wrestled with how I was going to answer their questions, because none of their queries would be easy to respond to or have simple answers. The boys were certainly going to want to know WHY this happened or WHO was responsible? Then they would want to know if even more events like this were going to happen or if even worse things would follow? How could I possibly reassure them the world was still a safe and sane place to live? I was still pondering all of these considerations when my attention was drawn away again, when the first tower collapsed. My God! How could that happen? Weren't we told that these towers had been specifically designed to prevent something like that from happening? Weren't there people still trapped inside? This was becoming a total nightmare. What was the death toll up to now? Just when I thought it couldn't get any worse, the second tower collapsed and then several of the smaller buildings around where the Twin Towers had once stood began to cave in, as a result of the shock waves caused by the two towers coming down. For the next few minutes, I listened to the stunned witnesses and watched the video replays over and over again, but it still seemed too surreal to be believed. Both towers were now gone, as well as many of the surrounding structures. Not only that, but a part of the Pentagon had been blown away and another plane had crashed into a rural field. This was more than any rational person could deal with! It was impossible that all of these events were separate accidents and happened today purely by coincidence. This must have been planned, and by a fairly large and financially lucrative group too. Many reporters and government officials were speculating about which groups might have been able to pull off such a well-executed series of events when the name Osama Bin Laden was first uttered. I'd never heard of him and couldn't understand his cause, so all I could do was wonder how anyone could believe such indescribable acts of horror would serve any purpose. Was this meant to help them attain some goal or gain them something they desired? Or was this meant purely as an act of horror, to shock America and possibly bring it to its knees? I spent the rest of the day watching what was going on across the country and listening to the reports. After listening to reporters speaking with a few of the relatives of those on board the plane that crashed into the field in Pennsylvania, it was now being speculated that this was the direct result of some of the passengers attempting to keep their flight from being used to carry out another devastating crash, such as into the White House or Capitol building. Yes, this was definitely beginning to look like some sort of well planned and well orchestrated perversion, but all it did was raise many questions in my mind, beginning with what this world was coming to? How could anyone justify killing innocent bystanders for any reason? If some religious group had carried this out, as was the current speculation, how could they think their God would approve of these mass murders? I know history is full of dreadful deeds done in the name of God and in the service of their religion, but in this day and age it just didn't seem possible. Hadn't civilization progressed beyond such indescribable abominations? By the time the boys got home, they had all heard about what had been going on. Some had even seen a few of the events on television in some of their classrooms, as the channels kept running the tapes of the day's events over and over again. The boys were all talking excitedly about what had taken place and tried desperately to make some sense out of it, just like the rest of us. Unfortunately, they were doing no better at this task than anyone else, so this whole series of events remained an enigma. Jake arrived home shortly after the boys did, so we decided to talk about everything that had happened over dinner. As it worked out, I was glad we did. The boys were full of questions and offered many observations of their own, some of which I had failed to make myself. The older ones seemed to be focused upon looking for an explanation of the reasons for these attacks, but they also began to wonder if there would be a war and if some of them might eventually be called on to fight in it. I found this a chilling thought, not so much because I didn't want them to defend their country, but because I had just lost one son and wasn't sure I could cope with losing another. However, I quickly forced those thoughts aside and chose to concentrate on what some of my other sons had to offer. The boys in the middle, age-wise, were more concerned with the physical damage that happened, such as the collapse of the buildings and crashing of the planes, and consumed with the overall destruction and death count. The younger ones, however, seemed consumed with how the children of those who died would be feeling tonight, after having lost one or both of their parents. They were also thinking about the time, not that long ago, that we had been on the observation deck of one of those Towers and wondered how many others had been there this morning, when all this went down. The boys also couldn't help but dwell upon the idea of something like that happening when we had been there. This was indeed a very frightening thought for them, and one I tried to guide their conversation away from quickly, by explaining that it was very early to have visitors on the observation deck, but since it was a school day as well, I doubted there would have been any children there either. The boys and I continued to discuss all of these issues thoroughly, although we couldn't bring any sense of closure about why this had happened. I also wasn't able to adequately respond to a great many of the questions and issues they raised, but we did spend many more minutes at the table discussing the multitude of topics that were troubling them. That evening my college boys called home as well, as they sought comfort by knowing the members of their own family were safe from harm. I talked to each of them for quite a long time, while trying to address their concerns. Once we had finished our conversations, they followed up by speaking directly with some of their brothers, to make sure they were also doing all right. Once they'd finished chatting with their brothers, I spoke to them again, briefly, before we ended the call. Their final concern seemed to be if I thought they should come home or stay at school. I didn't hesitate before I advised them to stay at school and continue on, as best they could. I also told them not to hesitate to call if they had any other problems, but for now, I didn't see any reason for them to return home and delay their studies. Besides, I felt each college would offer programs and support groups to help them work through any repercussions they felt from having experienced or witnessed this tragedy. Both Dustin and Frankie eventually agreed to do as I suggested, but each wanted to know what else they might be able to do to help out in some way. I suggested a few possibilities, like taking collections up for the families of the victims and rescue workers who had suffered so greatly, or even getting their friends and classmates to donate blood for the surviving firefighters and others who had been injured that day. They both said they would work with their roommates to see if they could get some of these ideas off the ground with the campus community, and then we said good-bye. I think they both felt better afterward and I was a little relieved to have heard from them as well. When bedtime rolled around, all of the boys said a special prayer for the victims and their families, and then they asked God to make sure those who had planned this would eventually be brought to justice. We all needed to believe these cowards would someday answer to God for their actions, even if men were unable to bring them to trial and make them pay for what they had done. This did bring a little reassurance to the boys, although it didn't lessen the horror of what had happened. That night many of the boys slept very tightly against one of the others, since they didn't want to be alone. Human security blankets do bring a certain amount of relief to frightened individuals and there was plenty of proof of that in our home during that evening. I would venture a guess that not everyone slept well that night, as I did hear more walking around upstairs during the evening than was typical, but they still came down to breakfast acting fairly normal the next day. Over the next twenty to forty minutes, I turned down several requests to be allowed to stay home for the day, so they could continue to watch what was happening on the television. However, I felt it would be best if we tried to keep things as normal as possible, so everyone went to school as usual. Once the boys left, I spent much of my day tuned in to what was going on, by watching the rescue efforts, listening to the speculation about what person or group had arranged this and listening to the President and Mayor give their reassurances that those responsible would be caught and made to pay for what they had done. Those in power also attempted to reassure us the country would rise up from this abomination and become even stronger because of it, and I think we all wanted to believe what they said. Not only that, but we also wanted to think it would happen just as they promised and quickly. The problem was, we all secretly knew the reality of carrying out these guarantees would take a great deal of time, huge amounts of money, large amounts of energy, both natural and human, and possibly cost the lives of numerous service men in the process, to insure those promises come true. My next thought was that there was no longer a period of childhood that could even vaguely be referred to as the age of innocence, since any child old enough to walk had surely seen images of the atrocities our country had just endured. I really wanted to donate blood too, but I couldn't, due to my recent health problems. Jake told me before he left that he was going to go to the Red Cross center to donate, and Danny, Kevin and Brandon all announced they were planning on making their first donation after school. I was proud each of them would do something so unselfish, but unfortunately I had to inform each of them they wouldn't qualify as blood donors. When they asked why, I told them that anyone who'd had sex with another male at any point since 1980 was ineligible, as this was one of the precautions the Red Cross was taking in order to limit the spread of the H.I.V. virus. All of them were disappointed, but understood the Red Cross' intentions, so we moved on to other ways they might help, such as taking up collections, which could then be passed on to the groups established to help the victims or their survivors. As the rest of the week passed and we drew closer to the weekend and Andrew's party, I had to make a decision. Some of the family had urged me to cancel his party and put it off until things calmed down, but I wasn't so certain it would be the right move. First of all, I didn't think any of this would calm down right away, but even if it should, I wanted to keep things as normal for the family as possible. Besides, it would be grossly unfair to Andrew to have to wait, since he had been eagerly looking forward to this time. I decided to talk it over with him and we agreed to go ahead with our plans, although Andrew suggested it might be appropriate for us take a moment during the party to remember those who had died or been hurt during those horrific events. I thought that was a good idea, so we would incorporate it in our plans. When the weekend arrived, true to my word, Andrew got to spend Friday night alone with Graham to explore his other interests. I was actually quite pleased that he had chosen Graham to be his first, for several reasons. First, I thought it would be best if his first sexual encounter wasn't with his biological brother, who had just become involved in sex himself. Second, I was afraid if he had chosen Nick, Nick might try to go too fast for him or push him into things before he was actually ready. Third, I knew Graham wasn't really into anal sex yet, so I didn't feel I had to worry about that happening either. Besides Graham was also small for his age, uncircumcised like Andrew, low-key, and easy-going. It was a perfect match for a first-time experience. Even though Andrew had requested this, it didn't prevent him from being extremely shy and not understanding how he should react, once they were alone. Seeing Andrew's confusion, Graham took charge and handled him very gently. He began by slowly undressing Andrew, while making sure to stimulate each of the special, sensitive areas of Andrew's body as he did so. Once this had been accomplished, he then led Andrew over to the bed and placed him on top of the covers, while Andrew merely lay there, in sort of a daze. With Andrew in position, Graham quickly removed all his own clothing too, while trying to give Andrew a special little show as he did so. Once he was naked, Graham crawled on the bed beside his young partner and began by kissing Andrew on the forehead, before working his way down his nose, until he reached his lips. At that point, Graham began to run his tongue over and around the younger boy's mouth, but Andrew remained motionless, since he was unsure as to how he was to respond. Andrew let his older partner do whatever he wanted, so when Graham's tongue snaked out of his mouth, Andrew instinctively parted his own lips and accepted Graham's probing muscle. While Graham was working his magic with his mouth, his hand was reaching down to fondle Andrew's tiny testicles and penis, and it only took a few seconds before his little boy's sex organ was standing tall and proud. Graham thought that was more than sufficient indication to verify that Andrew was old enough to enjoy this activity, and indeed he was. All of this action was causing Andrew to begin to moan, and then finally react to all of the pleasurable sensations that were now starting to sweep over his immature body. As Graham fingers began to probe and manipulate Andrews little nail, Andrew began to thrust his pelvis into Graham's hand, in an effort to increase his pleasure. Although Graham believed this meant Andrew was beginning to enjoy himself and get into the mood, Graham slowly pulled his mouth away from Andrew's lips, so he could find out for sure. "How does it feel? Do you like it?" Graham asked him. Andrew didn't respond right away and it took a few seconds for him to collect his senses, so he could reply. "Oh, yeah," he gasped. "It feels really good. Don't stop." "I won't," Graham told him, "I just wanted to make sure you were still okay with this." "Oh, yeah, I'm really okay with this," Andrew assured him. That was all the encouragement Graham needed, so he went back to kissing the smaller boy, while he used two of his fingers and his thumb to pump his partner's small tool. Slowly, he slid the foreskin back and forth over Andrew's sensitive head, but he was wise enough not to expose it completely, as he wasn't sure if Andrew was capable of doing that yet. If he tried to force the issue before Andrew's foreskin was ready to be skinned all the way back, he could damaged the tissue and cause Andrew some pain, and Graham certainly didn't want to do that. Graham was also uncertain if that area might also be too sensitive to take any extra stimulation, without it becoming painful, and above all else, Graham wanted this to be pleasurable for his little brother. Andrew was already becoming lost in the incredible pleasure literally shooting around his body. It was almost as if little jolts of electricity where shooting through the various regions of his body and causing his entire being to tingle. Not only that, but his head was flooded with the multitude of signals reaching his brain, which caused his eyes to experience bursts of light and color, as a result of this sensory overload. Overwhelmed by these new sensations, Andrew closed his eyes tightly, in hopes that this might allow him to focus on one set of feelings over another, but to no avail. He was still unable to block out all the competing sensations and bask solely in the wonderful new feelings radiating from his loins. Even though Andrew's body never seemed to stiffen or signal a climax, his small frame did shudder briefly, before he went totally limp and slowly slipped into a normal breathing pattern again. Graham felt that this meant Andrew had just enjoyed his first dry orgasm and Graham couldn't wait to see what he thought of it. While he waited for Andrew to recover from this experience, Graham continued to massage Andrew's tiny sac and testicles, until Andrew reached down and stopped him from doing so. Andrew quickly let Graham know he had reached a point of over-stimulation and the attention was becoming slightly painful. Graham was smart enough to realize that too much of a good thing wasn't always good, so he released Andrew's sex organs and then waited for him to indicate he was ready to continue. After a short rest, Graham finally asked Andrew if he wanted to try doing any of those things to him, and Andrew eagerly jumped at the chance to touch the older boy's privates. Graham gave Andrew instructions about what he could do and how to do it, and Andrew proved to be a very capable student. The younger boy did everything he was told, while exhibiting an abundance of enthusiasm, and when the time came, he eagerly wrapped his small hand around Graham's stiff cock and pumped away on it. Although he was having a great time jacking his older brother off, he was totally shocked when Graham ejaculated, since he had no idea that was going to happen. After asking questions about what the white stuff was, why it came out of Graham's penis and when he'd be able to shoot cum too, Andrew's first lesson was over. Eventually, Graham cleaned himself up and then cuddled up next to Andrew, and that's exactly how I discovered them, when I went to check on them later. They were asleep, but their faces still seemed to be glowing, so I knew Andrew's first experience had been a positive one. 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