Date: Sat, 24 Jul 2010 09:27:54 EDT
From: Bwstories8@aol.com
Subject: Castaway Hotel: Grand Reopening - Book 8, chapters 21 - 22

The Castaway Hotel: Grand Reopening --Book 8 - by BW
Copyright 2009 by billwstories
Chapter 21 -- Fitting In.

After I sent everyone to their rooms, I went into the guest room to see how
Jesse was doing.  He and Andrew were sitting naked on the bed, listening to
some CD's.

"Is everything okay in here?" I asked and received an immediate nod in
reply from Jesse.

"Do you think you want to stay here and live with us?" I followed up, which
caused his face to light up and a big smile to spread across his lips.
This time, he nodded even harder.

I saw Andrew looking at me, expectantly, as he wondered if I was going to
tell Jesse what he wanted to hear.

"Well, I guess you'd better start considering this your home and us your
family then," I informed Jesse.

This caused Andrew to leap to his feet, stand on the bed, and walk toward
the edge of the mattress.  He reached out and pulled me toward the bed, so
he could wrap his arms around my neck.  He also gave me a huge hug and a
kiss on the cheek.

"Thank you, daddy.  I love you so much!" he exclaimed.

While Andrew had been doing this, Jesse must have taken the opportunity to
stand up on the bed too, and now I felt another pair of arms wrapping
around me and another rather wet smooch being applied to my other cheek.
This touched me deeply.

"Before you two go to sleep, I think there's another matter we need to
clear up," I announced and both of them looked at me puzzled.

"Jesse was confused by the difference in your penises, so I thought we
should explain it to him," I continued.  Andrew looked at me and smiled.

"You see, Jesse, when you were born, your penis looked much the same as
Andrew's," I explained.  "However, you parents decided to have the excess
skin removed, so it looks like it does now."  Jesse looked puzzled, so I
turned toward Andrew.

"Would you please pull back your foreskin, to show Jesse what I mean?" I
followed.

Andrew quickly did as I requested and Jesse's eyes opened as wide as
saucers we he saw the transformation.  Suddenly, he was using his hands to
motion Andrew that he wanted to see it again.  After Andrew did this a few
more times, Jesse's face broke into a smile and then he stood up and hugged
me again, before he bent down and hugged Andrew.  I guess his curiosity had
been sated and he had enjoyed the lesson.

At this point, I informed both boys it was time to sleep.  I asked them if
they wanted to put on a pair of briefs, pajamas or sleep as they were.
Andrew looked at Jesse and he motioned he was okay sleeping as they were,
so I gave them both a hug, tucked them into bed and gave them each a kiss
on the forehead, before I left their room.  On my way out I thought, 'This
is going to be quite a pair.'

The rest of the night was quiet, since many of the boys and Jake were on
the way back to their campuses.  This gave me time to reflect upon the past
few days.  A lot had happened and it didn't revolve around Jesse showing up
either.  The first of these instances came about when Nick's test results
came back, followed by Shannon and Jake's reactions to finding out what
they were.

Duck had come to visit over the holiday and appeared to fit in quite well.
We tried to make him feel as if he was part of the clan and he warmed up
very rapidly to being included.  He got along well with not only Mark, but
enjoyed being with the other boys as well, plus he was a big hit with the
extended family.  All in all, I'd say it was a very positive visit.

During this same period of time, Andrew finally got caught pulling one of
his little stunts and received his comeuppance for it.  Although the boys
weren't really upset with him, they made their point and I'm sure Andrew
will cool it, at least for a while.

This was followed by all the work the high school boys had done so far, so
they could start a gay-straight alliance at school.  From what I
understood, they're going to start circulating petitions, because they want
to get as many signatures as they could before they made their proposal to
the principal the following week.  They will set an appointment with his
secretary tomorrow, so they'll be ready to pitch their idea, just as soon
as they reach their target number of signatures.

Now, getting back to Jesse, we had made a lot of progress in just the two
days he's been here, but there was still soooo much more work ahead of us.
He may seem happy and it appears as though he's bonded with Andrew, but I'm
sure there is still a great deal of unresolved issues bubbling below the
surface.  Actually, I'm wondering when any of those will start to surface
and come into play.

This poor kid has been through a lot.  He saw his father murdered, was
emotionally abused by his stepfather, abandoned by his mother and left with
a group of strangers.  Although I do think his mother did a fairly good job
in preparing him about coming to live with us, I'm not sure exactly what
she told him or how she did it.  However, I do attribute his rapid
adjustment into our home with what she had done before she left him here,
so I do owe her for that.  Maybe someday I'll be able to thank her in
person and discover what she said or did to get him ready for such an
abrupt departure.

After tiring myself out mentally, I decided to go to bed fairly early that
evening.  I was also physically drained, because it had been a long
weekend, with a great deal of activity.  Since Jake was gone too, there was
nothing else to do, so I slept soundly until I felt Jake getting into bed
beside me, sometime later that evening.

"Oh, you're home," I mumbled, acknowledging his return.

"Yes, it wasn't that bad," he told me, although he sounded beat.

"Well, get to sleep," I advised him, "and you can tell me all about it
sometime tomorrow."  He cuddled up against me and soon we both dozed off.

The next morning I got everyone up and ready for school.  Jake left early,
as he had a big run to make, and I had to take Jesse over to the elementary
school, so I could enroll him.  As I thought about it, this would be my
first son in the elementary school since Andrew had spent a brief time
there.  Most of the other boys had at least been in the middle school, my
old school, when they came to live with me, so this was a rarity.

After dropping Andrew off, I took Jesse with me to the elementary school.
As we got out of the van, he ran over to where I was and worked his hand in
to mine.  I guess he felt a little intimidated at this point, so I smiled
and tried to reassure him.  He seemed to relax a bit after that, but he was
still quite tense as I led him to the main office.  The secretary greeted
me at once.

"Good morning, Mr. Currie.  We didn't expect you to visit today," she
stated, looking a little bewildered.

"Oh, this is for personal business, not official," I replied, which only
added to her confusion.  Therefore, I felt I'd better explain.

"I've picked up a new son over the vacation and I need to enroll him.  This
is Jesse," I told her, while positioning Jesse so she could see him.

"Well, hello, Jesse," she greeted him, "and welcome to our school.  What
grade are you in?"

"He's in fourth grade," I quickly told her, "but there's a little problem.
Jesse doesn't speak.  Hopefully, he will soon, but a traumatic event from
his past has left him speechless."  I knew this was a little cryptic and
evasive, but I didn't think she needed to hear all of his history now and I
didn't want to cause Jesse any embarrassment by going into detail.

"I understand," she said, soothingly, although I knew she really didn't.
It was nice of her to say that, however, and I realized she was doing it
more for Jesse's benefit, than anything else.  Therefore, I would give her
that much credit.

"Is your boss in his office?" I followed, in an attempt to discover if the
principal was there or somewhere else.

"No, Mr. Currie.  He's out walking around the school, greeting the children
and making sure everything is running smoothly," she advised me.

"That's what I suspected," I countered.  "Would you mind if I sat here with
Jesse and waited for him?  There are some things I would like to apprise
him about, concerning this placement."  I intentionally made this vague,
hoping she got the message, but it would go over Jesse's head.

"That will be fine," she answered.  "He shouldn't be gone for much longer."

Her assessment was right on the money and a few minutes later the principal
walked through the door.  A concerned look spread across his face when he
noticed me sitting there and I'm sure he was worried he had forgotten a
meeting or something was wrong.

"Calm down, Dave," I said, in a friendly tone, in an effort to let him know
there was no problem.  "I just have a new son, whom I need to enroll here."
He appeared to start breathing again.

"Josh, congratulations.  Another son, huh?"  He chuckled.

"Oh, yes," I agreed, "but there are some things I need to discuss with you,
concerning his placement," I continued.  Dave raised his eyebrows slightly,
before responding.

"Why don't you step into my office and we can continue this there."  I
nodded in response.

"Jesse, would you mind sitting here and waiting for me?" I asked him.  I
got a frightened, open-eyed glare in return.

"You'll be fine waiting here with Mrs. Smith and she will keep you company.
All right?"  Jesse looked at her and she nodded her head that everything
would be okay, so he looked back at me and nodded his agreement.  I thanked
him and then followed the principal into his office.

"Dave, this is not going to be your typical placement," I warned him, once
we were both seated.  I handed him the folder with Jesse's school records
in it and then continued.  "As you'll see in there, he is an above average
student and not a behavioral problem, but he doesn't talk.  He witnessed
his father being murdered, before he turned five, and he hasn't spoken
since.  He should be able to handle the fourth grade curriculum, but he'll
need an understanding teacher and class that will be able to accept him for
who he is and be able to adapt to his condition."

"I know just the classroom," Dave assured me.  "I think you're well aware
of Mrs.  Robinson's credentials and she has an outstanding class this year.
I think your newest son will do well in there."

"Thank you, Dave, and his name is Jesse," I added.  "I'm arranging for him
to have a complete physical, as well as eye and dental exams, but I'd also
like for you to set up some testing for him with the district's
psychologist.  I want to see what the psychologist has to say about Jesse,
so I'll have a little better understanding about what I'll have to deal
with."

"Understood, Josh, and I'll make sure that gets done," Dave assured me.

I thanked him and went back out to talk to Jesse.  I informed him the
principal would take him to his new classroom and introduce him to his
teacher.  Jesse looked concerned, but I told him he'd do fine and I'd pick
him up at the end of the day.  He seemed to like that idea and I told him
to wait in the office, until I came to get him.  He nodded his
understanding and then I watched as his principal led him down the hallway,
to meet his new teacher and classmates.

When I reached my office, I checked in with my secretary, to see what was
on my schedule for the day, and then got to work.  Later, I gave her the
names and phone numbers for the pediatrician, optometrist and dentist we
used and asked her to set up appointments for Jesse with them, at their
earliest possible convenience.  Of course, she wanted to know who this boy
was, so I filled her in about his sudden appearance and problems.  She knew
all of my boys and was very good to them, so I thought I owed her that
much, and then she did as I requested.  Later in the day, she handed me a
slip of paper with the appointments listed on it and I thanked her for her
help.

I went out to run some errands during my lunch hour and used that time to
meet up with the gentleman I knew who owned the local car dealership.  I
explained to him about my predicament and the types of vehicles I was
looking to purchase for my boys.  Buying new vehicles would be too
expensive, so I explained that I wanted used vehicles, which he quickly
informed me were now referred to as 'pre-owned.'  I also advised him the
vehicles had to be in good shape and have low mileage.  He said he would do
some searching around and keep his eyes open for such vehicles.  Once he
found something I might be interested in, he'd call and let me know.  I
thanked him and went back to my office.

After school, I went around to pick up the boys.  Generally there is just
Andrew from the middle school, unless Sammy walks over to ride home with
us, because he doesn't like to be the fifth person squeezed into the
4Runner.  This time, however, I decided to pick Jesse up first.  I didn't
want him to have to wait around for me and I was curious to learn how he
made out.  He was sitting in the office, waiting for me, as I had asked him
to do.  He smiled when he saw me enter.

"Did you have a good day?" I asked.  I received a positive response in
return, even though it lacked enthusiasm.

"Do you like your teacher?" I followed up.  This time I received a little
stronger affirmative reply.

"Did you make any friends?" I continued.  I hoped this would help me
discover how he made out with his classmates.  This time he gave me a
non-committal shrug of the shoulders, in response.  I wasn't quite sure how
to interpret this, so I decided to delve into it more deeply.

"Did you have problems with anyone?" I followed.  Jesse immediately shook
his head, to make sure I understood that didn't happen.  I then began to
think that maybe it was too soon for anything to happen or possibly his
classmates were still a little uncertain about how to approach him.  After
all, it was only his first day with them.  I'd give them the rest of the
week, before I checked in with his teacher, to see if she had picked up on
anything.

We drove from there to the middle school and Jesse got very excited when he
saw Andrew again.  It was obvious these two were going to be tight, so I
hoped Barry's joining us on our vacation didn't create problems between
them.  Damn, thinking of the vacation, I'll have to call and make sure I've
enough reservations to include Jesse.

Once we got home, I sent the boys off to do their homework, while I started
dinner.  I hoped this would be a nice quiet evening and give all of us a
chance to rest and unwind.  Things hadn't been very calm for us lately, so
I think we all needed to relax a bit.

Over the next week, I found out quite a bit more about Jesse's transition
in to the local school district.  Even though it went without incident, I
wouldn't say it went smoothly.  Although he was able to handle the work and
adored his teacher, his new classmates didn't readily accept him into their
midst.  His inability to communicate with them kept some of his peers from
approaching him; while others thought him odd or were concerned they might
catch his condition.  Whatever the reason, Jesse felt isolated and lonely
at school and couldn't wait to get home each afternoon, so he could spend
time with Andrew.  I was glad he had that safety valve to comfort him.

The two were inseparable.  From the minute they arrived home and until they
went to bed, they were together.  It was almost as if Andrew had a little
shadow.  Oh, there were some subtle differences between them, but nothing
drastic.  For example, once they finished taking their showers, Andrew
would strut naked from the bathroom to their room, but Jesse would wrap a
towel around his waist, before he made that same journey.  I guess his
first time with us, when he had emerged naked after exiting the upstairs
bathroom, was an anomaly.  He had just been caught up in the moment from
seeing Andrew naked and followed his lead.  However, since that time he has
been much more modest.

The appointment for Jesse to receive a physical was scheduled at the end of
the week, but the only time available was during the school day.  Jesse
indicated he wanted Andrew to go with us when he went and Andrew let me
know that he wanted to be there too.  However, I informed them it wouldn't
be possible, seeing it would mean Andrew would have to miss classes to do
so.

Andrew had already mentioned he had a test that day and I felt the test
should take priority.  I didn't want him to miss it or have to make it up
later, for something so trivial.  I didn't feel Jesse NEEDED Andrew there,
just that he WANTED to have Andrew with him.  Neither boy was happy about
my decision, so they both argued with me, each in his own way.

They continued to try to get me to change my mind, and when I wouldn't,
Jesse let me know how displeased he was by stomping out of the room.
Seeing this, I was determined to show him that acting like a brat wouldn't
get him his own way.  It also made me determined not to give in to him now,
no matter what else was said or done.

Surprisingly, I don't think the fact that I wasn't going to allow Andrew to
go with us sunk in with Jesse, at least until I picked him up from school
that day.  When he saw I was the only one in the vehicle, he got the
longest face I'd ever seen and began to pout.  I really felt he expected me
to relent at the last second, so he would find Andrew in the van, ready to
go with us.  Instead, he got his first lesson in reality.

We made our way to the doctor's office, but I didn't say much to him along
the way.  I left it up to Jesse to let me know how much he still wanted to
do with me.  After parking the van, he walked beside me into the waiting
room, stood at my side as I announced our arrival, but then he went over to
check out the toys, while I took a seat.  When his name was called, I
stayed put, while he walked toward the nurse.  When he reached the door
leading to the hallway for the examination rooms, he stopped and turned
toward me.  When he noticed I hadn't moved, he came back and grabbed my
shirtsleeve and tugged on it, to let me know he wanted me to come too.

"Are you sure you want me to come with you?" I asked, and he nodded his
head.  As I stood up to follow him, his lips slowly moved out of the pout
and curled into a smile.

The nurse weighed and measured him first, before telling Jesse to strip
down to his underwear, while we waited for the pediatrician to show up.
Jesse seemed a little reluctant to disrobe, and this baffled me, since he
didn't have this much trouble at home.  He paraded about so nonchalantly
that first afternoon with Andrew, and since then he hadn't been embarrassed
to be seen in just a towel or his underwear.  This wasn't much different
than what he did at home, so why was he hesitating now?

I began to wonder if Andrew had done or said something to make him this
uncomfortable or if Jesse was just using this as payback for my not letting
Andrew come with us today.  Whichever the case, he eventually gave in and
stripped down to his underwear.

The doctor wasn't our normal doctor, but one of his new associates.  He was
a thirty-something oriental male, but he had a warm and friendly demeanor,
so I took an instant liking to him.  After explaining why we were here and
telling him about Jesse's lack of speech, he gave him a very thorough
physical.  He started off by examining Jesse's eyes, ears, nose and throat,
and paid very careful attention to his throat, but Jesse began to stiffen
up when the doctor went to remove his briefs.  Even though the doctor had
tried to reassure him it was only to complete the examination, Jesse wasn't
buying it.  The doctor glanced at me, as if he expected an explanation for
this reaction, but all I could do was shrug my shoulders, because I didn't
understand it either.

"Jesse, please let the doctor look at the rest of you," I urged him.  "The
doctor really needs to check you there too," I added.

Instead of nodding in agreement, Jesse motioned for me to come to him,
which caused the doctor to look at me again.

"How long did you say he's been with you?" the doctor asked me.

"Just under a week," I explained.

"I think he needs your support to do this," the doctor added.  "Why don't
you pull your chair up behind him and let him lean against you, while I
examined him.  Maybe he'd feel more comfortable that way."  Jesse nodded
his head in agreement, and seeing his reaction, I pulled my chair around
and placed my hands on Jesse's shoulder, while the doctor finished up.

Once the pediatrician had completed the examination process, he told Jessie
he could get dressed, while we stepped out into the hall.  Jesse didn't
want me to leave, but after I convinced him I'd only be on the other side
of the door, he let me go.



The Castaway Hotel: Grand Reopening --Book 8 - by BW
Copyright 2009 by billwstories
Chapter 22 -- The Old and the New.

Once we were alone, the doctor advised me Jesse seemed to be fine, other
than being slightly malnourished.  He added that he also wanted to order
some blood work and schedule an MRI, to check out Jesse's vocal chords,
just to make certain there wasn't any physical basis for his lack of
speech.  I concurred that would be a wise precaution and agreed to take
Jesse whenever he needed to complete those tests.  The doctor told me he'd
have his receptionist set the appointments for us and then let me know when
they were scheduled, before we left today.  I thought this meant we were
done, but then the doctor began to speak again.

"Mr. Currie, I have a feeling this boy has been molested," he told me.  I
wasn't completely shocked.

"Why do you say that?" I asked, in order to discover the basis for his
comment.

"It was the way he stiffened and pulled away from me when I went to remove
his underwear," he admitted.  "Sure, some children are modest, but I don't
get that kind of reaction unless they've been undressed and touched before,
against their will.  Do you know anything about his background?"

"Only a little.  I know that his stepfather verbally and emotionally abused
him," I informed him.  "I've had my own suspicions that part of the reason
for the abuse was because Jesse wouldn't give in to some other demands his
stepfather made on him."  The doctor gave me a curious look.

"Do you think you could find anything to support or prove those
allegations?" the pediatrician wanted to know.

"No, I only have my suspicions, along with yours now, but no hard proof," I
acknowledged.  "If Jesse could talk, maybe I could question him about it,
but in his fragile state, I think it would be better to leave this alone
for now."

"I think I'd agree with that assessment," the doctor confirmed.

Before he left, I thanked him for his concern and help, before he moved on
to see his next patient.  After watching the doctor walk away, I reentered
the examination room, to see how Jessie was doing.  He was all dressed, so
I took him to the reception desk to check out.  After paying our
co-payment, the receptionist handed me a card with our appointment dates
listed on it, both for the blood work and MRI.  I thanked her and we headed
back to school, to finish the rest of the day.

Later that afternoon, after we picked Andrew up from school, Andrew wanted
to know every detail about what had happened.  He even insisted on hearing
everything the doctor had told us, just as if he was the parent.  After
filling him in with as much detail as I thought he should know, I sent him
and Jesse off to do their homework.  Both boys seemed happy now, although I
could tell there was still some animosity toward me.  I assumed this was
due to the fact I had stuck to my guns about not letting Andrew go with us,
but I think they'll both be a little less demanding in the future.

The weekend was pretty uneventful.  I left the boys to their own devices
for most of the time, but I did find a chance to chat some more with Jesse.
I didn't want to confront him about the possible molestation, but I did
want to find out more about his life before he came to live with us.  I
also asked Andrew to leave us alone while I did this, as I felt there might
be some information Jesse wouldn't want to share in front of his idol.
Once we were alone, I handed Jesse a small notebook and told him he could
jot his answers down in that, because these would be more than just yes or
no questions.  He seemed confused about what I was up to, but willingly
nodded his understanding.

"Jesse, what can you tell me about your mother and where you lived?" I
began.  Jesse immediately started writing in the notebook and then handed
it to me when he finished.

'I love my mom.  We live in an apartmint,' it read.

"What about your stepfather?" I continued.  Jesse took the notebook back
from me and started to write again.

'I not like him.  He mean and nasty.'

"Why do you say that?" I asked next.

"He mean to me.  He bad.'  I wasn't going to push him any further on this,
because I felt if he wanted to tell me about it, he would have done so
then.

"What about your father?" I wanted to know.  "What can you tell me about
him?"

'Don't know him.  He not live with us.  I use to go with him sumtime.  He
ded now.'  I guess that explains a few things too.

"Where did your mother meet your stepfather?" I followed up.

'Not know,' was his simple response.

"Okay, I guess that's enough for now," I told him, as I closed the
notebook.  "Why don't you go out and find Andrew, so you can go off and
play together."  He flashed me a huge grin and then disappeared.  However,
I had discovered a little more information about his past.

The following Monday I took Jesse for his dental cleaning and exam.  He was
extremely nervous as we went in and I knew the reason for it.  Sunday night
I'd tried to prepare him for this, but he let me know he'd heard horror
stories from other children about dental exams, so he wasn't thrilled about
this visit.  Once we got there, I could tell he really didn't want to go
in, so I reached out, took his hand and held it tightly.  I used it to
guide him into the office.

Once inside, I announced our arrival and then we took a seat.  As we waited
patiently to be called, I suggested to Jesse that he could play with the
toys or read a book, but he didn't budge.  When we had gone to his
appointment at the doctor's office, Jesse had gone off and played, but this
time he sat in the chair next to mine and leaned against me, as if he
thought I would keep him safe.  It was nice to see he was beginning to
trust me, even if it was only out of necessity right now.

When Jesse's name was called to go back to one of the dental rooms, Jesse
snaked his hand into mine.  His eyes were pleading with me, which
definitely indicated he wanted me to go with him.  Of course, this touched
me, so I asked if I could join him.  I was told I could, so he walked,
hand-in-hand, with me to the examination room.  Jesse also let me know he
wanted me to continue to hold his left hand, even after he was seated in
the dental chair and had the bib placed around his neck.  Jesse squeezed my
hand quite forcefully and his grip got even tighter when the hygienist
asked him to open his mouth.  It also happened every time she used one of
the various instruments to loosen and remove the plaque from one of his
teeth.

Just when I thought Jesse might be starting to relax, the hygienist picked
up the drill, equipped with the special fitting to apply the fluoride
coating to his teeth.  When Jesse heard the whirring sound and the
hygienist made a sudden movement toward his mouth, he almost leaped out of
the chair.  If I hadn't been holding his hand, he might have tried to run
for it.  I believe he did this because he thought something painful was
about to happen next.  After I reassured him that nothing of that nature
was going to happen, he began to relax, but only slightly, and leaned back
in the chair.  Although he still wasn't totally relaxed, Jesse did let the
hygienist continue.

Once she had finished cleaning his teeth, the dentist came in to conduct
his part of the examination.  As he checked Jesse's teeth, he called off
the problems that he noted, so the hygienist could jot them down on the
chart.  Once he had completed this process, I was informed that Jesse had
several cavities that would need to be taken care of.  The dentist told me
it appeared as if Jesse had no previous dental care, his diet had been
lacking and he obviously had not been taught proper brushing techniques.  I
assured him we'd work on that and then we set up appointments to take care
of his cavities.

Before we left the room, the hygienist gave Jesse a new toothbrush and
quickly demonstrated how he should use it, on a model.  Jesse promised he
would do that from now on, so she kissed him on the cheek before he left.
That was the first time I saw Jesse blush.

That afternoon, after we got home from school, the high school boys told me
they had met with their principal about the gay-straight alliance and
thought things went well.  They asked if I wanted to see copies of what
they gave him, but I explained it would be best if they didn't show me
those items yet.  This way I would be able to listen to the principal's
recommendation without getting bored or jumping ahead of him.  They were
disappointed that I didn't want to see it yet, but said they understood, so
we left it at that.

The next day was April 10th, and I woke up feeling very depressed.  It
wasn't a surprise and I knew why I felt this way.  I'd been dreading this
day for a while, because it was Nicky's ninth birthday.  I had been missing
my grandchildren more and more every week, and although Jordan's birthday
had been hard for me to endure, because this was the second grandchild's
birthday I'd missed, it was even worse.

Prior to my older children delivering their ultimatum, I had never failed
to at least talk to my grandchildren on their birthdays.  However, since
that time, there had been no contact with them - at all!  I couldn't
explain the pain I felt, since I'd been cut completely out of their lives,
but until my older children change their stance about my lifestyle and
sexual preference, I'll have to live with it.

Actually, my older children are probably counting on the fact that I won't
be able to endure being separated from them and my grandchildren.  I'll bet
they think I'll give Jake up, rather than face that possibility for any
length of time.  The thing is, I have to be happy too, and that won't be
with my older children dictating whom I can be with or having them trying
to change anything else about me that they disagree with.

On the other end of the spectrum, April 27th, would be Dustin's
twenty-first birthday and I really wanted to make a big deal over it.
However, that wasn't to be.  Seeing he was away at college, we wouldn't be
able to celebrate his birthday as a family on that day, but I would call
him to see what he would like to do.  No matter what he tells me, I will
call and speak with him the weekend before his birthday, and again on
Tuesday evening, so I can at least wish him a very happy birthday.

Since this was a 'milestone' birthday for Dustin (you don't become 'totally
legal' every year), I wanted to have a big party for him after he came home
for the summer.  I would invite the entire family to attend and we would
turn it into a big celebration.  I just wish I could do similar things for
my grandchildren, or at least attend the parties that WERE held for them.

Later that week, I took Jesse for his eye exam.  Once again, he was a
little nervous about doing something he'd never done before, but since
nothing bad had happened to him on his other appointments, he trusted me
again.  I had been surprised to learn that Jesse had never had his eyes
checked, except for possibly reading the eye chart during his school
physical, so this would be a novelty for him.

Jesse seemed immediately intrigued when the optometrist positioned the
machine with the lenses in front of his eyes.  He looked at me, to see my
reaction first, and then he looked into the eyepieces.  Watching his
reaction, I think he might have thought he'd possibly see a movie or
something through them.  The optometrist did have to change how he normally
did things, due to Jesse's inability to speak, so he informed Jesse that he
would have to hold up one or two fingers, to indicate whether the first or
second image looked clearer to him.  After a short trial period, when he
gave Jesse the opportunity to practice what was expected of him, the
examination began in earnest.

I could tell that Jesse was trying very hard to do what was asked of him.
I wasn't sure if he was doing this because he thought he had to or if he
was trying to please the optometrist or even me.  Whatever the case, he did
an admirable job and everything went quite smoothly, even after the
optometrist added the drops to his eyes.  Once the process was completed,
Jesse and I were told that his eyes were fine and he would not need
glasses.  Jesse seemed relieved to hear this news and was in a very good
mood as we made our way home.  Once we were in the van, he continually
looked over at me and smiled, although I wasn't sure what he was thinking
at the time.  When we reached home, he raced off to find his sidekick,
Andrew.

Later that evening, I was sitting in my chair in the living room, watching
television, when my two little imps entered the room.  They walked straight
up to me and wiggled their way onto my lap, one on each side.  I wasn't
sure what they were up to, but I was fairly certain Andrew was
orchestrating what was going on.

"Jesse thinks you're really nice, daddy," Andrew announced, out of nowhere.
I looked him in the face, and then turned to face Jesse, while wondering
where this was heading.

"Even after I wouldn't let you go with us to his appointments?" I wondered
aloud, which caused Andrew to giggle and Jesse to turn red.

"You probably know he was mad at you at first," he informed me.

"Yes, I think the stomping around and the dirty looks gave that away," I
responded, which caused Andrew to giggle again and Jesse to turn a darker
shade of red.

"Well, he was really mad at you then," Andrew admitted, "but now he says
you're a really nice guy.  Much nicer than his stepfather."

I was wondering if I should follow up on that, but I didn't think this was
the right time, so I let it slide.  If he was beginning to feel comfortable
with me, I didn't want to risk losing that advantage by dredging up what
could be some very painful memories.  No, I decided to gain his confidence
and love first, and then we'd try to heal the emotional and psychological
scars sometime down the road.  Those issues didn't seem to be as urgent
now, seeing he no longer had any contact with his stepfather.

"Well, I'm glad Jesse feels that way," I finally responded, "because I love
having him as a member of our family."  That's all it took to cause Jesse
to spin in my lap, throw his arms around my neck and begin to hug me.  This
showed me he loved being part of our family too.  Before I had time to
respond, Andrew was wrapped around both of us and I heard him whisper into
my ear.

"Thank you, daddy.  I... we love you so much."  How could it get any better
than this?

Later in the week, I had a meeting with the high school principal.  It was
our regularly scheduled meeting, which we held once every other week, so he
could inform me about whatever was happening at his school.  I guess that's
why I never gave it any special importance, because it was just our typical
meeting, until he mentioned he had received a petition to start a
gay-straight alliance.  He advised me that after going over the relevant
information, he was passing along his recommendation.

"I think you probably knew about this in advance," he added, coyly, "but
I've been impressed with the effort your sons have put into it and the work
they've done.  They've gathered enough support and have developed a viable
plan, so I am recommending it be approved."

"I am glad you're pleased with their effort," I told him, "but I have had
nothing to do with it.  I've asked them not to tell or show me anything, so
I could judge this solely on its merits and your recommendation, rather
than be persuaded by my sympathies as a father."

"So, you haven't seen their proposal?" he asked, incredulously.

"No, nothing," I confirmed.

"Then let me show it to you," he offered.  "I'm sure you will be as
impressed by it as I was."  He reached into a manila folder he was carrying
and then handed a batch of papers across to me.  I took them and began to
look everything over.


Proposal for Forming a Gay-Straight Alliance Club.

Mission statement: This club is being formed to increase awareness about
sexuality issues in the high school and provide a social, emotional and
educational support group for the gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and
questioning students.  Another goal is to bring a greater understanding
between those groups and the straight population.  This group will also act
as an educational liaison for providing materials and leading discussions
to increase the awareness on issues concerning the various populations.

Vision statement: We envision a community that accepts, affirms and
supports all people, without regards to their race, religion,
socio-economic grouping, political affiliation, sexual preference or gender
identity.

Proposed list of activities:
*Presentations from professionals explaining the nature of sexual preferences.
*Presentations from law enforcement professionals about sexually oriented hate
crimes and how to prevent them.
*Discussions about the extension of marriage rights.
*Discussion concerning AIDS -- prevention, awareness and impact on the world's
population, not just the gay community.
*Arrange for confidential and free AIDS testing for any interested students.
*Hold social events where students may come and participate, without having to
pretend to be other than who they are or be afraid for their personal
safety while in attendance.
*Discuss current events relating to issues of sexual identity, sexual
orientation, sexual health or sexually related crimes.


Behind this page were five pages of student signatures, in support of
starting such a club.  He was right, it was a remarkable presentation and I
was even more impressed that my boys had been the ones to do the work.

"It looks fine to me," I advised him, "so if it has your support, then it
also has mine.  I will present it to the school board at their next
meeting, for their formal approval.  By the way, I'll let you inform the
boys that this will be presented to the school board.  I haven't helped
them with it so far, so I don't think I should be the one to give them this
news either."  The principal just grinned and nodded.  He understood what I
meant, and since we had covered everything else, he left.  I was happy he
believed the gay-straight alliance had merit and was willing to support its
formation.

When I arrived home, later that evening, the high school boys were all
excited because the principal had informed them their proposal would be
presented at the next school board meeting for approval.

"Thanks, Pop," Nick told me.  "We knew you'd come through for us," he
added.

"Hey, I had very little to do with this," I advised him.  "If your
principal hadn't recommended it on its own merits, I wouldn't be presenting
it to the school board.  You boys did the work and made the presentation,
and I must admit I was very impressed when I saw it.  You did an excellent
job."  Nick blushed, and it was one of the few times I'd ever seen him do
that.

"Thanks, Pop," Nick finally mumbled.  "That means a lot to me."

We went on to discuss the proposal and he explained to me in detail about
how he and the others had developed their plan.  After doing some research
on the Internet and looking at sites of other gay-alliance groups, they
combined ideas and came up with their own unique proposal.  They did the
same with the proposed activities, by modifying or adding to various events
they saw suggested on those other sites.  No matter how they came up with
their information, they had done their homework and will be the ones to
reap the rewards, once the gay-straight alliance is formally approved.

That Sunday, I called Dustin, just as I had planned.

"Hello."

"Hi, Dustin.  It's Dad."

"Hi, Dad.  What's up?"

"I was calling about your birthday," I told him.  "I was wondering if you'd
like me to come up and take you out to dinner that night?" I explained.

"Gee, Dad, that would be awfully nice of you, but it's too far for you to
drive in one night, just to take me out to dinner.  Maybe we could do it on
the weekend instead."

"Yes, we could do that," I told him.  "That way I could even bring your
brothers along, if you can stand to have them around."  Dustin laughed.

"Oh, I think I can handle that," he added.

"Okay, what do you say we come up next Saturday, go out to dinner together
Saturday night and then we'll go to church and brunch Sunday morning,
before I drive the rest of us back."

"That sounds nice, Dad, but won't it cost too much for you to all stay up
here overnight?"

"Nah, it won't be that bad," I advised him.  "There aren't many boys home
any more, so there will only be a handful coming with Jake and me.  I'm
sure they'll enjoy it and we probably can get away with only three rooms
now."  I heard Dustin laugh again.

"Yeah, that's not bad," he added, "for a team or a scout troop."

"Well, if you and the other college boys were with us, I'd have to add
double that number," I teased back, indicating that eight of the others
wouldn't be there this time."

"Okay, that sounds good, I'll see you Saturday then," he agreed.

"Great.  By the way, how's the Suburban?  Put any dents in it yet?" I
teased.

"Oh, come on, Dad.  You know I'm a better driver than that," he whined.

"I know, but I just have to be sure.  You know, it's a father's job to
worry about his boys... and his vehicles," I added.

"I know and you do a good job of it," he joked back.  "But don't worry,
it's in the same shape as when you gave it to me."

"I was sure it would be, but it didn't hurt to ask," I kidded again.
"Dustin, I'll see you next Saturday, so prepare whomever you have to about
your brothers being with me."  He laughed again.

"Good idea, and I will.  Dad, thanks for doing this.  I'm so glad I got to
come live with you," he said.

"Me too," I countered.  "You've always been a great son and you've always
been a pleasure to be around.  See you this weekend then.  Bye and I love
you."

"Bye, Dad, and I love you too," Dustin stated, before we ended the call.