Date: Tue, 22 Jun 2010 19:53:58 EDT From: Bwstories8@aol.com Subject: Castaway Hotel: Grand Reopening - Book 7, chapters 33 - 34 The Castaway Hotel: Grand Reopening --Book 7 - by BW Copyright 2009 by billwstories Chapter 33 -- Hope Amid the Grief. **Author's Note:** Please read the disclaimer in Chapter 00 before you read this. Ricky was thrilled that Little Ricky wanted to spend the night with him, but all the boys were happy to give Little Ricky some special attention and treated him with kid gloves. No matter how wild and rowdy the boys can sometimes get with each other, they are always the first ones there when one of them needs help or support. How could I not love the lot of them when they do things like this? Even Peter went out of his way to accommodate Little Ricky, by letting him spend all his time with Ricky. He also offered Little Ricky his sincerest condolences. Little Ricky thanked him and I knew they would also eventually become close. Nothing sexual went on between Ricky and Little Ricky that evening. All Ricky did was hold and comfort Little Ricky the entire night, to let Little Ricky know he was loved and accepted here. I did go in to check on our newest member several times, to make sure he was coping okay. He seemed to be doing just fine, snuggled up against his idol, and this eased my concerns tremendously. Seeing him like this just reassured me things would work out fine for him, now that he'd be staying with us. The next day we had some details to take care of, beginning with Jake and I calling into work and taking a few days off. The boys were still sleeping or just beginning to stir to life, as Jake and I sat around discussing how we might handle the situation with the farm. "I think Little Ricky wants to keep it," I told Jake, "so I don't think selling it would be an option." "Josh, how could he possibly manage to run the farm alone?" Jake wondered. "It took all Albert and he had, even with our help, to keep it going." "I'm not sure, but I will consider all viable options," I replied. "Like finding someone else to run it for you?" Jake asked, thinking that might be the best way to go. "Yes, we could get someone else to operate it for Little Ricky," I agreed. "Maybe one of the neighbors would be willing, but I'm not sure if they'd have the time to assume that much responsibility." We both sat there contemplating how we might get this to work. "You said Little Ricky just wants to keep the farm, right?" Jake wondered. "By the way, is it okay for me to call him that too?" "Yes. Little Ricky said it would be better if you and I called him that, but not the boys," I confirmed. "As far as the farm goes, he says it has too many memories to let it go to someone else and he still wants to go out and work there once in a while. He enjoyed his life on the farm, no matter how hard it seemed." "I have an idea then," Jake offered, while appearing as if he was almost hesitant to volunteer his suggestion, "but I'm not sure what you or Little Ricky might think of it." "Well, go ahead an spill it," I told him. "I think we're both open to nearly any suggestion that would allow the farm to operate and stay in the family." "Okay, then. Here it goes," Jake said, as he took a deep breath. "What if you have the Castaway Foundation buy the farm and then hire a couple to operate it. They could run a home for children who need a safe place and would enjoy living and working on the farm. That way, Little Ricky can still go out and work there when he wants to and it wouldn't be turned over to strangers, since we'd still indirectly control its operation. It would also help other needy children and put them in a safe environment, like it did for Little Ricky." I thought about his suggestions for a few seconds, before I responded. "Jake, I think that's an absolutely brilliant idea," I explained. "A group farm-home that would meet all the requirements we'd set and provide a multitude of benefits. I think that is positively inspired. I'll talk it over with Little Ricky, but I think you've just found the answer to his problem." Jake seemed pleased that I was so upbeat and accepting of his proposal, but I was truly impressed by the simple genius of his suggestion. I wasn't merely being nice or stroking his ego, and I sincerely meant what I told him. This put us both in a better mood and now I could talk this suggestion over with Little Ricky, before the calling hours began. Little Ricky was equally impressed with the suggestion and told me to go ahead and do it. I informed him I'd have the farm appraised and the Foundation would purchase it at a fair price and then I'd put the money in a trust for him, like I had done for all the other boys. He asked if he could help hire the couple that would run the farm and I told him he could. Suddenly, he wasn't worried about losing everything and was beginning to feel a little better about the tragedy that had befallen him. However, I was afraid the harsh realities of his father's death would come crashing down upon him again, when we attended the calling hours in another hour. We all got dressed and were ready to go to the funeral home, but we weren't all going together. I was taking Little Ricky with me, and we were going to stop and pick up Arlene on the way. I wanted them to have a few minutes alone with Albert, before everyone else began to show up. Jake and Frankie would drive the rest of the family down in a half hour or so, when they would join up with us. Arlene wanted to know where we were going, so I told her we were going to see Albert. This seemed to confuse her and was the first indication this wasn't going to be one of her better days. "Where is he?" she demanded. "Arlene, don't you remember what I told you about Albert yesterday?" I asked, hoping this might trigger a recollection. Arlene looked befuddled and didn't respond, so I broke the news to her again. "Arlene, Albert had a heart attack and passed away yesterday," I stated, succinctly and as mildly as I could, "so we're going to the funeral parlor to see him." She still didn't respond or acknowledge my comments, and I noticed Little Ricky rolling his eyes. He was well aware that none of this was getting through to her, but even though she didn't comprehend the situation, she still went with us. I think she was merely looking forward to getting out of the house and going for a ride. When we arrived at the funeral home, Little Ricky and I stood on opposite sides and guided her inside. Eventually, we worked our way in, until we were standing in front of the casket. "What's Albert doing sleeping in the middle of the day?" she asked, to no one in particular. "Albert, get up," she told his corpse, thinking he was merely taking a nap. "Arlene, he's not going to get up," I told her. "He's not with us any longer. That's just his body." "Nonsense," she told me. "Albert, get up and get in your work clothes. I'm sure you have chores that still need to be done." I looked over at Little Ricky to see how he was handling this and realized her outburst was tearing him up inside. He had a pained expression on his face and was nearly ready to break down and start crying again, so I moved over and stepped between Arlene and him. As I did, I put my arm around Little Ricky's shoulders and pulled him against my body. I was also holding firmly onto Arlene's arm as I did this, so she wouldn't move forward and try to force Albert out of the casket. "Are you okay?" I asked. He nodded, but I didn't believe his response. "I knew this was going to be hard enough, even if your mother understood what was going on," I confessed, "but I can see how difficult this is making it for you. As soon as the others arrive, I'll have someone else watch your mother, so I can stay with you. Please, Little Ricky, just let it out of your system now, while we're alone. It will make it a little easier on you later." I guess my words did the trick and Little Ricky began to let himself express the grief he had been holding inside. He sobbed into my chest, which caused Arlene to look at him. "What's wrong with Richard?" she asked. "He's just sad because his father died," I whispered to her softly. "Poor dear," she stated. "When did that happen and how? Did I know his father?" I knew I didn't have time to go into this with her, because Little Ricky was the one who needed my assistance at the moment. "Yes, you met him," I explained, "but I guess you have forgotten." That seemed to suffice and she left the subject alone again. Ricky continued to cry and let his pain go. Once his tears began to subside, he walked closer to the casket, so he could reach out and touched his father's hands. He stood maintaining contact with Albert, while he gazed at his father's face. He was silently saying good-bye. After a few minutes of doing this, he bent forward and kissed his father on the cheek. When he began to pull away, I heard him whisper, "I love you, Dad, and I'll miss you." He then turned toward me and buried his face into my chest again. He was weeping and his body was trembling. No, this was not weeping -- it was gut-wrenching sobs. I just held him and encouraged him to let it all out. Arlene stood quietly as this happened. It was almost as if she wasn't there or even aware of anything going on around her. We had been standing like this for a few minutes when Jake entered. He asked if he could do anything to help or if he should allow the others to enter yet. "Yes, you may let the others in," I answered, "but after that, I'd appreciate it if you would look after Arlene, so I can spend some time with Little Ricky." Jake nodded and then went to tell the others they could come in. Then he came back and took charge of Arlene, while I took Little Ricky to a small sitting room, which was located in another section of the funeral home. As we went in, I sat in a chair and pulled Little Ricky onto my lap. He leaned his body against mine and settled in. "Do you want to talk about it?" I asked, and he shook his head. "Sometimes it helps to get things out in the open," I advised him. "Talking about it can help to ease some of the pain." He studied my face for a few seconds, before he responded. "I know he's gone and there's nothing I can do to change that," he admitted, "but I still feel sad. I'll probably never get over missing him, but I know the hurt will start to go away a little at a time. I'm okay, Pop, especially knowing you're here for me now and I have lots of brothers who love me too. They proved that yesterday, especially Ricky. He was so nice to me last night and that helped a lot." "I'm glad to hear that, my boy, and you're right -- we do love you. I know I'll never replace your dad, but I'll do the best I can to help you from this point on. I am as proud of you as he was and you mean as much to me as any of the others, but we'll both have to adjust and make things work the best way we can." I could see more tears streaming down his cheeks, so I reached up and wiped them away. This brought a little grin to his face. "Those aren't tears for my father this time," he explained. "Those tears are because you made me happy again. I love you, Pop." After saying this, Little Ricky kissed me on the cheek and nuzzled his head against my neck, with his arms wrapped around my neck and shoulders. I'm not sure how long we sat like this, but when he was ready, he let me know. "I think I'd like to go back in and spend some more time with dad, if you don't mind," he announced. "Not at all, my boy." I assured him. "In fact, I was about to suggest that." Little Ricky got off my lap and pulled me to my feet. He walked beside me as we reentered the area where the casket was on display. Many people had arrived while we were gone and the room was now quite full. Jake was still standing with Arlene, but John and Margaret Spence were with her too. They were valiantly attempting to explain the situation to her and trying to make her understand. Several of Albert and Arlene's neighbors greeted us as we entered and offered their condolences to Little Ricky. In their own way, each of them told him what a great man his father was. Little Ricky thanked them and explained that his father admired and respected them too. Many of the neighbors offered to help with the farm, if Little Ricky felt he needed a hand to keep it going. He thanked them for their offers and then explained he'd let them know what was happening. He informed them it was still too early for him to be sure what he was going to do, but thanked them profusely for their kind offers. Nearly to a person, they each said they understood and they'd do what was needed to keep the farm going until he made his final decision. One of the farmers even went as far as to offer him a different outlook. "Richard, it's going to be hard for you to keep that farm going," he began. "I know, because I'm about ready to give up on my own. It's just not enough to sustain my family any longer. I'd offer to buy your farm and put it with my own, because then maybe I could keep afloat, but both our farms are just too small to be self-sustaining any longer. The thing is, I don't have the money or the credit to be able to do that, so I guess I shouldn't even think about it." As we listened to what he had to say, it gave me another idea. "Would you be willing to sell your farm?" I asked. "Yes, that's what I was planning to do anyways," he responded. "Well, in that case, I might have a proposal which might help both of you," I told him. "Richard and I have talked about having the Foundation my family runs buy his farm. I was going to turn it into a group home for needy children and hire a couple to supervise the operation. The children would help out on the farm, along with Richard and my family, which would provide the necessary labor to keep it going. Would you allow the Foundation to buy your farm too?" His face seemed to brighten. "Yes, I see no reason why I would refuse, if the price is right," he told me, honestly, but I also knew he wasn't the type to take advantage of the situation. "That's great, but I have another proposal for you too," I offered. Now, he looked confused. However, I was pleased to note that he continued to listen. "I'd need Richard's approval before this could be finalized," I commented, and immediately noted the puzzled look on Little Ricky's face. "I'd like you to think about this, so you don't need to answer now," I advised him. "I'm hoping you, your wife and family might be willing to stay on and run the combined farm for us and take care of the children we accept to live there?" This got the husband and wife looking at each other, as they thought about my proposal. "And Richard, would that meet with your approval too?" I asked, to include him. Little Ricky didn't hesitate and gave me an emphatic 'yes,' and this caused the farmer to turned back toward me. "Well, I'll have to talk this over with the boss first," he said, looking over at his wife again. She didn't have an opportunity to respond, because Arlene had approached and was talking to her. In fact, Arlene actually seemed to be recognizing her neighbors at the moment. "My wife sure does love kids," the farmer admitted, seeing she was preoccupied. "We raised six of our own, but I'd need to find out what she thinks about this before I commit to anything. Actually, I think she'll love the idea, because we could stay on the farm and she would have more children to pamper." He grinned at us and then went over to chat with Arlene, before talking this over with his wife. "This is going to work out awesome," Little Ricky told me, after his neighbor walked away. He was having difficulty hiding his excitement. "They are great people and the two farms together would end the problem we had with making the farm big enough to survive." "I'm glad you approve, but now we just have to wait to see what they decide," I advised him. Little Ricky shook his head and we went back to speaking with the others. The rest of the calling hour went quickly and I noticed the farmer and his wife talking excitedly on several occasions. Finally, he approached me, just as we were getting ready to leave. "We'd like to know more details about this proposal and find out what your Foundation is willing to pay for our farm," he stated. "You probably could say we're interested in what you suggested, if we like the details you present to us." "I'm glad to hear that," I told him, "and we will get in touch with you, once we are past the grieving stage." He seemed to be fine with that, so we parted company. Little Ricky now had another reason to be hopeful the farm would be saved and he could still be a part of what happened there. He was quite antsy for the rest of that session and was clinging eagerly to me, as we got ready to leave. We went home in between calling hours, but Arlene went with the Spences. They said they'd see how she was doing before the evening calling hours, and if she was able to comprehend what was happening, they'd bring her back. Otherwise, they'd keep her home and try again tomorrow. Little Ricky and I both thanked them for their help and then they left, but not before Little Ricky gave his mother a big hug and kiss. We had a bite to eat before we came back for the evening calling hours, which went very much the same as the earlier session, but with different people stopping by. Everyone offered their sympathy and talked to Little Ricky about his father. They also asked about his mother, so he explained she wasn't there this time, because she wasn't feeling well. That seemed to suffice and no one asked for more details. This was probably because they were all well aware of the problems Arlene was having. When the evening session was over, we went home and Little Ricky told me that Ricky had asked if he wanted to stay with him again. I checked to see if that's what he wanted to do and he said it was, so I let him go off with my blond prankster/angel, knowing Ricky wouldn't be pulling any stunts tonight. I also told Little Ricky he knew where to find me, if he needed anything. He thanked me and said he did, and then I sent them off, hoping he'd have another good night. After they left, I brought Jake up to speed about the neighbor and his wife. Jake seemed excited things were coming together so quickly. I told him nothing was definite yet, but it was encouraging, and he said he understood. At least now we had more hope we could pull this off. I think each of us had doubted how much success we'd have making this happen when he first brought it up. The Castaway Hotel: Grand Reopening --Book 7 - by BW Copyright 2009 by billwstories Chapter 34 -- Saying Good-bye to a Father and Friend. It was a long night for me. Not only was I busy checking in on Little Ricky and worrying about how he and Arlene were holding up, but I was also excited about the possibility of opening a group home on the Becker's farm. I couldn't get over how appropriate it would be to honor Albert by using his homestead to care for other children who needed help, the same way he had done for Richard. I also had an idea and wanted to run it by Little Ricky first thing in the morning. I'm going to tell him I think we should call the place the 'Albert and Arlene Becker Farm-Home for Children.' Even though I still had this wonderful plan whirling around in my mind, I finally fell asleep, but the idea stayed with me the whole time. When I awoke the next morning, I couldn't wait until I saw Little Ricky, so I could mention my suggestion to him. Little Ricky and Ricky slept in late that morning, but when they came downstairs, I fixed their breakfast and then sat with them while they ate. After giving him a chance to wake up completely and fill his stomach at least partially, I decided to broach the subject. "Little Ricky, what do you think about calling the farm the 'Albert and Arlene Becker Farm-Home for Children?'" He thought about this briefly before he answered me, but I knew his response before he spoke. It was evident when a grin started to spread across his face. "I think that would be perfect," he told me. "It would honor both my mom AND dad, so I hope she'll be able to understand that. I'll tell her about it next time she's acting normal again." "Yes, I hope she understands it too," I added, knowing that Arlene's approval would mean as much to Little Ricky as naming the farm in his parents honor. "I just hope it doesn't bother her that we're using her name too, since she's still alive." Ricky thought about that for minute, so he'd have an answer for her if that question came up. After he had some time to contemplate it further, we went on to discuss other things. That's when I brought up arranging for him to have his own bedroom. He would need one, since he was now going to be living with us. "I think it's time we talk about getting you settled in," I told him. "We do have one open room, since Kevin moved in with Vinnie. In fact, it was Ricky's bedroom when he first moved in with me." "Really? Neat," Little Ricky beamed. "Is it close to Ricky's room now?" I could see the look of anticipation of his face. "Yes. Actually, it's just across the hall from Ricky's room." He continued to smile. "The one in the corner?" he wondered. "The one with the old cars on the wallpaper?" "Yep, that'd be the one," I replied, with my best farmer's drawl "Ricky showed me that room and told me it was his once," Little Ricky admitted. "He also told me it would probably be the room you'd give me, unless you moved people around." "He did, did he?" I made a face. "Must be that little brat thinks he's running the place now," I teased, while trying to sound angry. "Oh, no, he wasn't telling me that's where I WOULD be, just that you MIGHT give me that room," he responded. He looked worried he'd gotten his idol on my 'shit list,' so I decided it would be best to let him off the hook. I began to chuckle. "I know and I was just pulling your leg," I confessed. "You didn't get your older bro into trouble, so you can relax." I could actually see his body slump in relief. "Dang, you had me scared that I got you mad at Ricky," he told me. "I know and that's what I wanted you to think," I explained, "but then I realized I was being cruel, so I stopped teasing you." He looked at me funny and then punched me in the arm, playfully. "That was mean of you," he admonished me. "I always thought you were nice." "You mean the boys haven't told you about my mean streak?" I asked, while flashing him my best non-believing look. Little Ricky studied me for a few seconds and then began to scold me. "You're teasing me again, aren't you?" he asked, rhetorically, with his hands on his hips. "You'd better cut it out or I won't like you any more." I feigned a pout, which caused him to giggle. "Oh, I could never stop liking you, Pop," he explained, in an effort to reassure me. "You're stuck with me now. I'm like a cheap pair of sunglasses, so you'll never be able to get rid of me." He gave me a wicked grin and I admired his analogy. "If you say so, and it's a good thing too," I shot back, "because I'd never want to get rid of you anyway." After spending some more time with my newest son, I took him back to the farmhouse. I did this so he could pick up more of his belongings and select a few more things for his mother, so they could both settle in to their new homes. We dropped his mother's things off at the Spences and stayed for a while, so Ricky could spend some time with her. Unfortunately, it wasn't one of her better days and she didn't even recognize him. This pained Little Ricky considerably, but he still spent quite a bit of time with her. We discussed this situation on the way home. "I hope you don't let it get to you," I began, as a way to keep him from personalizing the pain. "She still loves you when she's herself." "I know it's not because she doesn't love me any more or anything like that," he confirmed. "It's just her sickness that makes her forget, but it still kinda hurts." "I can understand how you feel and I'm glad you realize it's her illness that's causing the problems, and not anything you've done." He nodded in agreement, so I reached over and squeezed his leg again. I did this to let him know everything was all right, at least as much as we could control. After dinner, we went to the final calling hours. The funeral service would be held the following day, after lunch. Things went pretty much as they had before, but the Spences didn't bring Arlene this time, because she was continuing to have another bad day. Little Ricky spent more time with my other boys today, although he did go up to say another moving good-bye to his father before we went home. When we got back, Little Ricky seemed to need my attention. I could tell this because he would either sit right beside me or on my lap throughout the rest of the evening, so I tried my best to comfort him and give him all my love. When I felt it was time for him to go to bed, he balked at leaving, so I asked him what was wrong. "I'm just missing my father really badly tonight," he advised me. "Would you stay with me a little longer?" He now looked at me expectantly and hoped I would say yes. "Sure, how long would you like?" I asked, in return. "All night, if it's all right with you?" he suggested, meekly. He was holding his breath again, which let me know he was afraid I was going to say no. "I really need you right now," he explained, "so I know I'm not all alone. I know it sounds kinda childish, but I need you to hold me and I'm afraid to have you let go. I have a feeling if you do, you're gonna be gone too." "I won't leave you, but I do understand how you're feeling," I replied, as soothingly as possible. "Let me go clear things with Jake, so he knows what's going on, and then it's just you and me, all night long." "You mean that?" Little Ricky asked. He looked pleased, yet confused. I wondered if he thought I might be teasing him again. "Yes, I mean it," I confirmed. "I'm just going to let Jake know what's going on. It will only take a few minutes. Okay?" "Yes," he said eagerly, "just don't be gone too long." "I won't," I assured him. I walked out, found Jake and explained the situation to him. "He really needs me," I continued, "even more than Ted did when he was here." "I understand," Jake said, reassuringly. "Besides, I wanted to spend a little more time with Shannon too, before he went back to college. I'll spend the night with him and you can stay with Little Ricky in our room." "Thanks for being so wonderful, Jake. I really do love you," I told him, before adding, "I hope you know that." When he nodded, I gave him a hug and a very passionate kiss to show him how much he meant to me. "Hey, let's not start that," he protested, jokingly, "or I might not want to leave." I hugged him again. As Jake was grabbing a few things from our room, I went back to tell Little Ricky. "Okay, everything's all set," I announced, which caused him to jump up and start dancing around, joyfully. "Are you going to stay in my new room with me?" he asked. "No," I shot back, rather quickly. This caused him to flash me a worried look. "That room has bunk beds," I pointed out, "so I don't think it will do. You can sleep in my room with me." "But what about Pop Jake?" I hadn't ever heard him refer to Jake that way before, but it kind of pleased me to know he was accepting Jake the same way he'd accepted me. "He's going to spend the night with his son, Shannon." I advised him. "He wanted to spend more time alone with him too, before Shannon went back to college." "Really? I didn't force him out?" Little Ricky asked, while looking somewhat relieved that he hadn't caused a problem. "No, he would have probably done this anyway," I confirmed. "If not today, then maybe tomorrow. All you did is make him pick tonight, instead of some other day." I saw him relax. "I don't want to piss him off or cause problems for you and him," he admitted. Little Ricky studied me for a few seconds, as he attempted to be certain I was being honest with him. Once he was sure I was, he posed his next question. "Do you want to stay in here with me longer or would you rather go to bed?" he asked. "That's up to you, my boy," I replied. "Which would you rather do?" He thought about this for a second. "Can we find a movie to watch on TV?" he wondered. "I'll sit on your lap and watch it with you, if that's okay with you?" Now, he made a funny face, halfway between a questioning look and a grin. "That sounds fine to me," I told him, so he searched for a movie, while I went to get us some refreshments. When I returned, I got comfy in my chair and then he came over and sat across my lap and made himself comfortable too. "This is nice," he purred, as we began to concentrate on the movie. He actually fell asleep before the movie ended, but I watched the rest of it while holding him. I was enjoying the fact he felt so at ease with me and felt bad when the movie was over, because it meant I had to wake him up. There was no way I could lift him and get out of my recliner at the same time. Groggily, he followed me to the bedroom, but I sent him off to the bathroom first, to brush his teeth and pee. Soon, he came stumbling back, though still half asleep. I knew I would never replace Albert as his father, but at least I could lessen his loss a tiny bit. "Do you mind if I sleep in my undies," he asked, when he returned, "or do you want me to go get a pair of pajamas?" "Whichever you prefer," I answered. "Then I'll just sleep in my undies, so I don't have to run upstairs," he announced. "That's fine," I told him, and he quickly stripped down and crawled into bed. I went to brush my teeth and urinate next, and then I came back in and crawled in beside him. I thought he was asleep, but as soon as I got in position, he rolled over against me, threw his arm across my chest, and whispered a very weak, "Night, Pop. I love you." "Sweet dreams, my boy, and I love you too," I whispered back. Then I turned slightly, so I could kiss him on the forehead. He was soon breathing gently and evenly, which let me know he was in a deep slumber. I nestled against him and quickly dosed off myself. When I awoke the next morning, I realized the funeral was at hand and we had much to do to get ready. I talked to Little Ricky when he awoke, to make sure he was mentally and emotionally prepared for what was to come. You see, there is a harsh and drastic realization of the finality of death, when you see the coffin, just before it is lowered into the ground. It is then that you begin to comprehend you're never going to see that person's earthly form again. I wanted to make sure this didn't come as a big surprise to Little Ricky, at the last minute. It might devastate him. I thought it best to discuss this with him first. "I hope you understand they'll be putting your father's body in the ground today," I informed him. "I know you've always realized that was coming, but sometimes the meaning of it doesn't sink in until you actually see it happen." "I know," he admitted, somewhat reluctantly. "I've been thinking about that off and on. I wish I could think of something special to do, maybe like put something in with him, so he always has it." "That's not a bad idea," I said, encouragingly. "Do you have any idea what you might choose?" "I was thinking of a picture," he told me, "but I really wanted to do something a lot more special than that." He looked upset that he couldn't think of anything he felt was appropriate. "Why don't you write a letter to him on my computer," I suggested. "Then you can keep a copy for yourself and put another copy, and maybe even a picture, in with him." "Yeah, that would work fine," he beamed. "I think I'm going to do that." I led him to my computer and he spent the next thirty minutes composing his masterpiece. He rewrote several sections of it until he was satisfied he had gotten down exactly what he wanted to say. I didn't bother to try to see what he wrote or ask him if I could look it over. It was a private correspondence between him and his father. Although I was very curious, I did not push the issue and figured maybe some day he'd find the desire or need to share it with me, but I doubted that time would be now. Therefore, I gave him his space and respected his privacy. I had him put his father's copy in an envelope, along with the picture he wanted Albert to have too, and I told him he could place it in the casket when he said his final good-bye or wait until everyone had left. However, he had to do it before the casket was sealed. He said he preferred to do it when no one else was around, which I told him would be fine. I said I would arrange it with the minister and funeral director, once the ceremony was concluded at the funeral home and before the casket was sealed and moved to the church. There was a short viewing before the service at the funeral home, but then the casket would be moved to the church. Arlene was there with the Spences, but I heard her keep asking questions about where they were and why they were there. That meant she had no idea what was going on again. Once the viewing was over, a short service was conducted. Once that ended, everyone began to leave and move to the church. I stayed behind with Little Ricky and walked him up to the casket to say his final farewell. He pulled the envelope from his pocket and carefully slipped it under his father's hands. Once it was in place, Little Ricky stroked his dad's cheek, as the tears streamed down his face. I stood behind him, with my hands on his shoulders, just to let him know I was there for support. After a few hesitant seconds, he bent forward and gave his father a peck on the lips, said, "I love you, Dad. Bye." I let him decide when he was ready to leave and then we turned to go. We waited outside, as the combination of neighbors and friends who had been asked to be pallbearers took up their role and carried the casket outside. Soon, it was loaded into the hearse and we were on our way to the church. The service there was quite nice. Dion had volunteered to sing the hymns again, but this time the adult choir backed him up. It was still beautiful and well received. The minister also did a very nice job with the eulogy and used many of the things we had told him about Albert. It was very moving and quite personalized, so many of those attending found it very appropriate and well done. Once this service was concluded, the casket was moved to the hearse again, for its final journey to the cemetery. It was a long drive, because the cemetery was near the farm, so it took us a while to get there at the speed the funeral procession was allowed to travel. Little Ricky rode between Jake and I, which kind of upset my Ricky. He wanted to sit beside his new brother, but had to accept Little Ricky's decision to sit between us. Ricky rode across from us in the limo, just so he could be close. When we arrived at the cemetery, we walked over to the open grave, as the casket was put into its proper place on the frame. Then, we stood and listened as the minister gave the graveside service. When it ended, I took Little Ricky back to the car and sat with him. I normally like to stay and watch the grave closed up, but I thought it would be way too much for Little Ricky to handle. Instead, we drove off before it was done. I'd bring him back to his father's grave on the weekend, so he could check everything out, but for now we were heading home. We still had to continue helping Little Ricky put his new life together. E-mail responses to the stories, story suggestions, or other 'constructive' comments or advice may be sent to: bwstories8@aol.com - but please put the story title in the subject line, so it doesn't get deleted as junk mail.