Date: Sat, 10 Jul 2010 03:59:09 EDT
From: Bwstories8@aol.com
Subject: Castaway Hotel: Grand Reopening - Book 8, chapters 7 - 8

The Castaway Hotel: Grand Reopening --Book 8 - by BW
Copyright 2009 by billwstories
Chapter 7 -- Many Changes.

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

When the time came for me to meet with my attorney, I drove to his office
and waited to be called in.  After exchanging greetings, he got right to
the point.

"Josh, what is it you want me to do for you?" he asked.

"I need to make changes to my will," I advised him.

"What kind of changes?" he followed, skeptically.

"I want to eliminate all but one of my biological children from it and then
replace them with my grandchildren.  I also want my grandchildren's shares
to be set up in trusts, which they will be able to withdraw from for their
educational expenses, when they are old enough to go to college.  I also
want the trusts set up in a way so they won't be able to take the money out
for any other reason until they reach the age of twenty-five."

"I can do that, but what prompted this decision," my lawyer followed, with
his eyebrows raised.

"It's a long story, but let it suffice to say that my biological children
don't really need the money," I answered, cryptically.  "The only one of
them I'm leaving anything to is Robert.  I know he can use the money and
won't squander it, but he also doesn't have any children to give his share
to."

"Is there any other reason you're just leaving him in your will?" my
attorney pressed.

"Well, I trust him and that's why I also want you to make him executor of
the will and the administrator for all of the trust accounts.  That way, my
grandchildren's parents won't be able to get their grubby fingers on even
one penny of my money."

"It sounds as if this is more involved here than just that the others don't
need the money," my lawyer offered.  "This is a pretty drastic step and
your disinherited children might contest the will, once you're gone."

"I figured they might, but I'm not making this decision lightly.  I won't
give you the details behind my reasons for doing this, because as I said it
is a lengthy story, but I feel it's imperative I do it.  Just make sure
this document is drawn up in such a way that they can't get it thrown out
or overturned."

"It's your will, so I'll change it however you request, as long as you are
aware of what these changes mean and the impact they'll have on your
heirs," he advised me.  "From what I can tell, you understand the
implications perfectly, so I will do as you request.  I will also do my
best to make sure it will stand up under scrutiny and won't be invalidated.
I'll have my secretary call you once I have the new document drawn up, so
you can come in and sign it."

I thanked him and then left his office, feeling satisfied about what I had
done.  It wasn't that I hated my biological children, but I had finally
decided not to coddle them or give in to their demands.  If they don't feel
I'm good enough to associate with while I'm alive and they are horrified by
my life choices, then I'll be damned if they'll benefit from my death.
Instead, I'll leave their share of my money to my grandchildren, but make
it so their parents will have no way to control what is done with it.  I
just prayed that making Robert executor wouldn't cause the others to turn
on him next.

I don't know if this will bother any of them, once they discover what I've
done, but I hope it does.  It may not matter to them at all, but if it
finally hits them, then possibly they'll understand how I felt when they
turned on me like they did.

Since I had settled on how I was going to resolve that issue, I focused on
the next major event in our lives.  In two more weeks Frankie would be
leaving for Missouri, to begin his basic training.  He was excited, yet
nervous about this move, but he was convinced it was what he wanted and
needed to do.

During the interim between when he'd signed up and until he began his
enlistment, Frankie had been frantically working-out, to make sure he was
in the best shape he could be in to start his training.  He'd talked to
others who had been in the military and heard the horror stories they had
to tell about how the overweight and out of shape trainees were treated, so
he was determined not fall into this category.  Actually, he was probably
in the best condition I'd ever seen him in and Frankie has never been in
bad physical shape, no matter whose definition you were to use.

I took some time to discuss other issues with him too; because I knew there
probably wouldn't be a great deal of contact with him during his training
period.  Therefore, I wanted to get his reaction about whether he wanted
me, or any of us, to come to his graduation ceremonies at the end of his
training cycle.  After thinking about it briefly, he answered.

"I don't want you to go to all that trouble and expense, so you don't have
to come," he advised me.

"It's no trouble and I didn't ask you if we could afford to go," I
corrected him, "I just want to know if you WANTED us there.  I'd love to
come see your graduation ceremony, but I wasn't sure if having a bunch of
us there might embarrass you or anything."  His face began to brighten.

"Heck, that could never happen," he said, grinning.  "I love all of you
guys and could care less if anyone else might have a problem with it.  You
could bring everyone, if you want, but it might cost a lot and I'm not sure
if all of the guys will be home from college by then."

"Well, I'll promise you this," I told him.  "I'll be there no matter what
else happens, and possibly I'll bring some of the others.  If I do, I
promise I will also try to keep them under control.  I'll do everything in
my power to prevent them from running out on the parade grounds to march
with you," I added with a laugh, "and keep them from sitting in the stands
and verbally harassing you."

"Oh, don't do that," Frankie joked back.  "I'd like to see how the Army
M.P.'s would handle that.  Besides, it might be fun to visit my brothers at
an Army prison camp.  Heck, I might even try to get assigned as one of
their guards, so I could torture them a little."  I was glad to see him in
such a good mood, because I wasn't sure if he was getting nervous about his
big career move.

"You might have an idea there, and it might give me a little peace at home,
but do you think the Army is ready for your brothers yet?"  Frankie laughed
again.

"You may be right about that," he quipped.  "They deal with some real
bad-asses, but I'm not sure even the Army is ready for the Currie assault
force.  Besides, I'm not sure any of the generals are ready to have their
beds short-sheeted or find oatmeal in their boots."  He had a point and we
both had a good chuckle over the thought of such things happening.

"Okay, maybe I'll come alone then, but I WILL be there," I informed him.

"You know, I'm still not sure WHY you do all of this for us, but I for one
am sure glad you do," he told me, and I could feel the sincerity in his
words.  "Thanks, Dad.  I'm really happy to be your son and part of this
family."

Frankie gave me a hug, as his way of showing his gratitude, and I thought
to myself, 'who needs my biological children when I have boys who
appreciate me for who I am and not WHAT I am.'

After he went back to concentrating on his preparations to leave, I went to
my computer to see if anything new required my attention.  When I did, I
discovered I'd received another email from Nick.  I was somewhat surprised
by this, since it was nearly time for him to come home, but I suspected he
wanted to fill me in about his most recent trip before he got back.
Eagerly, I opened his email, to see what he had to say.


Pop,

Man, I'm going to hate to leave here, but I'm really looking forward to
getting back there too.  I hope Shannon is as excited about me coming home.
Anyway, I just got back from my trip to the Foz do Iguacu or Iguacu Falls.
They're on the border between Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay.  I think I
told you my host brothers, Will and Marcos, were going to go with me,
because they'd never been there before either.  Mom and Dad left me enough
money, when they were down here for Christmas, so I could take them too.
It was fantastic and we all had a great time.

Man, you won't believe it, but the Cataratas do Iguacu is actually a series
of 275 falls that extend for almost two miles.  It's huge.  The water from
the Iguacu River cascades over a gorge and creates permanent rainbows
around the falls.  The best view is from the Brazilian side and it's really
neat.  We even took a boat ride and rode in a helicopter to see the falls
better, but I was disappointed, because the helicopter ride didn't last
very long.  It was over in about ten minutes.  That sucked and was a rip
off.  Well, it was a great view, just way too short.

Anyway, I learned two-thirds of the falls were on the Argentine side, so we
went there to see them better.  That was really neat too, because there are
walkways you can follow that go right under the falls.  We got wet from the
spray, but it was a blast.

We all shared a room together on the trip, so, of course we fooled around
some, but we were all careful.  I'm going to really miss them, because
they've been a lot of fun.  Do you think maybe we can bring them to stay
with us sometime?  Pleeeeeze.  It would mean a lot to all of us and I'm
sure the others would really like them too.

Well, I've got to get going.  We're ready to head back to their place now
and I'll spend one more week there, before I catch my flight home.  Can't
wait to see you and show you all my pictures and stuff.  I've got loads.

Love you all, Nick


It always amazes me how upbeat he is about things and that he's made the
most of this experience.  I'm thrilled he decided to do this and it's been
such a positive experience for him, but I'm still worried about whether he
truly heeded my advice and was careful about having sexual encounters.  I
will make sure he is disease free and in good health when he returns.  In
fact, the various doctor appointments are already set.

Getting back to matters closer to home, I took some time during the week to
run our prospective house parents out to see the two farms and give them an
opportunity to check things out.  I also answered all of their questions
concerning the positions we had offered them.  I explained what would be
required and what they could expect in return.  Once we finished, they told
me they would think the situation over and talk about it with each other,
before they let us know what they had decided.  They both seemed very
excited about the possibility, so I had a feeling they were going to
eventually accept the posts.

The next day, Sally called me at work to let me know the couple had just
called and announced they would be happy to supervise the other house.
They were both looking forward to being able to raise more children and the
husband was thrilled he'd still be working on a farm.  Sally also informed
me the husband was giving his notice to the owner of the farm he was
currently working on, in order give him plenty of time to find a
replacement.  They also mentioned they were already starting to pack up
their belongings and would be ready to move into the other house, as soon
as renovations were completed.  I thought to myself, 'this is coming
together quite nicely.'

Sally was also excited about the current situation.  By expanding the
operation to include two sets of parents and two homes, it would help her
clear up some of her current backlog of cases.  Good foster parents were
hard to find and that meant she didn't have enough suitable homes to place
all the needy children in.  Once the renovations to the second house are
completed, she will be able to move some of her current clients there,
which will free up other spots.  We were nearly doubling the number of
children we could take care of at the farm-homes and once Sally was able to
assign children there, it will relieve some of the pressure she'd been
facing at work.

Sally informed me she was going to select some of her older, more reliable
cases for the initial placements, but she wouldn't take children who were
happy where they were or those who would be upset by such a change.  She
would only select children whom she felt would be able to help out with the
chores, benefit from the change of situation and enjoy country living.  She
had some definite ideas about whom she thought would like to work with
animals and learn some new skills, so she would approach those individuals
first.  This, in turn, would open up spots for the children who were
currently living in the institutional group homes, while awaiting
placement.

We were both optimistic, because the construction work on the two farms was
moving along very nicely.  The Becker home had been totally revamped and
had a couple of additions included to it, so it was now set up to
accommodate a dozen or more young men.  The five upstairs bedrooms were
made suitable for the current needs of teenagers and furnished for two to
four boys each, depending on the size of the room.  There were also three
bathrooms on that level, to better handle the number of people that would
be using the facilities.

The largest bedroom had been specifically designed to be used by four boys
and had been built on as part of one of the new additions.  It also had its
own bathroom, so the four other bedrooms would share the remaining two
bathrooms.  Seeing those bedrooms were only set up for two boys each, it
meant there would be a maximum of four people assigned to each of these
facilities.

As far as sleeping accommodations, the boys would be provided with either a
single or double bed.  The largest bedroom had been designed for four of
the younger boys, who would share two sets of bunk beds.  The lower bunk
would be a double bed and the top bunk a single.  The older or larger boys
would be assigned the bottom bunks and the other two would sleep in the
uppers.

A master bedroom and full bath had been added to the lower level of this
addition, for the house-parents.  We felt it would give them a little more
privacy, even though we had also added one other bedroom on the ground
level.  The young lady living with them was currently using that bedroom,
but in the future it could be used for children having adjustment or
behavioral problems.  This would allow the house- parents to keep a closer
eye on them, without constantly having to run up and down the stairs.

Some of the walls in the rooms on the lower level of the Beckers' farmhouse
had been torn down; so two smaller rooms could be combined into a larger
area.  For example, the dining room and the den were next to each other, so
the wall between them was completely removed to make a larger dining area.
This area was now furnished with a huge table and sixteen chairs, so there
was enough room so everyone could eat together.

I also saw to it that a family room was added on to the rear of the house,
to provide a large area where the children could watch television, play
games or do homework.  We even had a large-screen television set up in that
room, so there would be no problems with such a large group being able to
view it.  We also placed a smaller television in the old living room, for
the house-parents to use or to give an alternative outlet for those not
interested in what was being watched in the family room.

The barn was also redone and updated.  It was expanded to include more
milking stalls and the equipment was modernized.  A new milk house was also
added, with a much larger storage tank and easier access.  This was to
accommodate the dairy co- op's tanker-trucks, when they picked the milk up
every couple of days.

Some of the smaller buildings, which were once used to house the hogs and
chickens, had been converted into storage areas or made over to accommodate
the horses that were to be kept there.  In addition to all of this, we had
each of the fences checked and then repaired or reinforced, to make certain
they would be able to contain the animals that would be grazing there.

Similar work was also begun on the other farm, to bring it up to the same
standard, except there would be no milking stalls or milk house at this
location.  The cattle kept there would be raised only as a source of meat,
so no milking would be done.

A large chicken coop was also added at the old Becker farm.  It was a
two-level structure, built against the hillside, so it didn't take up land
that would be better for other purposes.  One side of the hill had been dug
away, to make a ninety-degree angle to the base.  After building a stone
retaining wall in front of it, to hold back the exposed dirt, the building
was constructed so its back wall was aligned tightly against the stones.

The first floor had ramps leading out to a fenced in yard on one side of
the building, where the chickens could exercise and eat.  The chicken feed
would be placed in shallow troughs there, instead of being scattered about
on the ground.  The lower level would be for multiple laying hens and nests
were built against the walls, along three and a half sides of the building.
Hopefully, these chickens will provide enough eggs to take care of both
locations.

The upper level is to be used for the chickens being raised for eating
purposes.  That area had ramps going out the back, into a fenced in area on
top of the bank, against which the chicken coop had been constructed. This
area had it's own feeding troughs, and this way the laying hens and other
chickens would not intermix.

The four older tractors that had previously been used on the two farms were
put up for sale.  They were purchased by some of the neighboring farmers
and then the Foundation purchased three newer, larger tractors and one
slightly smaller tractor.  Two of the larger tractors would be kept at the
old Becker farm, while the other large tractor and the smaller one would be
used at the other location.  Everything was falling into place nicely and
both farms would be up and running at one hundred percent efficiency in no
time.

The couple we were hiring to supervise the second home was also helping to
decide what renovations would be made and determine how many children would
be housed there.  That house was already larger than the Becker's old home,
prior to the renovations.  That was because the former owners had raised
five children of their own, so we would only have to include one addition,
rather than the two we had built on to the Becker place.

I would also see to it that we provided the same type of facilities we had
included at the other house, with possibly a few minor adjustments to
accommodate the young ladies.  I would make certain the house-parents had a
first-floor master bedroom, which would be provided for in the addition, so
more children could use the bedrooms on the second floor.  I would also
make certain this addition included a family room, with a large screen
television, so there wouldn't be any possibility of the girls claiming we
had done more for the boys than for them.

Although I preach that life isn't fair, I will try to be as fair as
possible here, so none of these kids feel cheated.



The Castaway Hotel: Grand Reopening --Book 8 - by BW
Copyright 2009 by billwstories
Chapter 8 -- Stormy Times.

Not everything was going as well or as smoothly as the farm renovations and
March brought with it one final winter storm.  This turned out to be a very
bad ice storm and, unfortunately, it created some very hazardous conditions
around the area.  Everything came to a standstill.  Not only were the
schools closed, but businesses were shut down too, until the situation
improved.

The ice coated the ground and roads, which made driving, and even walking,
very treacherous.  It also weighed heavily on the telephone and power
lines, as well as on the trees.  Not only did the weight of the ice bring
down many wires and cause numerous branches to snap off, but it also caused
a few of the trees to completely topple over.  Throughout the day, you
could actually hear the limbs cracking and breaking off, in the woods
behind our house.  Even as bad as that was, we were in for one more
unpleasant surprise.

It all started while we were eating dinner, which we had to prepare on our
outdoor grill after the power went off.  You see, when the storm started
and I saw what was happening, I had the boys grab all the camping gear from
storage and Jake and I brought the grill inside.  I suspected the
electricity might eventually go out, so I wanted to be prepared.  When it
happened, we were ready and the items we had rounded up came in very handy.

First, I set the lanterns out to give us some light and then we wheeled our
gas grill into the kitchen, so we could use it to cook on.  I then had the
boys take the sleeping bags and place them in the rec room, so we could
sleep around the kerosene heater, in case the power didn't come back on
right away.  I was glad we had all of these items to use in such an
emergency and hoped others in the community were faring as well.

Anyway, as we were sitting and eating our meal, we heard a very loud noise,
which almost sounded as if an enormous weapon had been fired.  Immediately
after that, we heard a tremendous crash and felt the house shake and
shudder.  Everyone jumped up from the table, but I spoke very loudly and
told them to stay where they were, until we knew for certain what had
happened.  It would also give me time to investigate and figure out what
our options were.

After making sure the boys were doing as they were told, I suggested to
Jake that we should look around and determine what had happened.  We told
the boys that once we were able to discover the cause of the commotion,
we'd come back and let them know what had occurred.  Even though I felt
something terrible had befallen us, I was not prepared for what we found.

The large, old maple tree, which used to stand next to the driveway and off
to the side of the house, had succumbed to the weight of the ice and
toppled over.  The noise we first heard must have been the sound of its
trunk snapping, after the ice caused it to bend precariously to one side.
Eventually, it reached a point where it could no longer support the
additional weight, so it gave way and came crashing down.

As our later investigations revealed, the tree was diseased and much of the
center of the trunk had either rotted or been eaten away by whatever malady
or vermin had affected it.  This made it vulnerable to any number of
phenomena and was what ultimately allowed this catastrophe to happen.  The
worse part was not THAT it fell, but WHERE it fell.

When the tree toppled over, it landed on the roof of the family room and
smashed it in.  It totally demolished that area, but it wasn't all.  The
branches had also broken through the outer wall of Little Ricky's bedroom
and one of the second-floor bathrooms.  Not only that, but it had also
poked holes through the walls of Vinnie and Kevin's first-floor bedroom and
damaged their adjoining bathroom.

Besides those two floors being damaged, some of the roof of the main house
had also been smashed in when some of the larger branches struck it.  This
left a large, gaping hole above two of the attic bedrooms as well.
Needless to say, our home was a mess and we were all greatly rattled.

After Jake and I felt it was safe enough, we took the boys on a tour, so
they could see what had happened for themselves.  We were all very grateful
we had been on the other side of the house eating at the time, so no one
had been in any of those rooms when this happened.  Quite frankly, if any
of us had been in one of those areas when this occurred, we might have been
seriously injured or even killed.  The house can be rebuilt, but I can't
replace my boys.  That's why, after looking at the damage, we took a minute
to thank God for keeping us safe during this disaster.

After we finished our prayer, we took out whatever we felt we needed to
save or protect from each room and then I pulled the doors to the affected
area shut.  We then stuffed towels and blankets against the cracks under
the doors, to seal them off from the rest of the house.  We were totally
cut off from the outside world, because not only were the regular phone
lines down, but the cell phones also weren't working.  I suspected the cell
towers were covered in ice, so the signals weren't getting through.

When the ice finally melts and our phone service is restored, I will call
my insurance agent to report the damage and see if it's covered.  Then,
I'll arrange for various contractors to make the repairs and, hopefully,
this will take place within the next few days.  I'm not sure how long this
cold snap is going to last, but I pray it ends soon, so we can get
everything fixed up.

Of course, a state of emergency was declared, so for the time being we'll
just have to settle in and wait the storm out.  Although Jake and I have
experienced hardships like this before, this was definitely something new
for the boys.  They hardly knew what to do, since all of their usual forms
of entertainment, such as watching television, using computers, playing
electronic games and such, were all out of the question now.

Other than a few battery operated devices they had, they were totally lost
for something to do.  Realizing this, I sent some of them around to dig out
the old board games we had stashed in various closets and I dug up several
decks of cards, including an Uno deck.  Once we had all of these items in
the dining room, Jake and I quickly organized some low-tech activities to
entertain and occupy our troops.

At first, the boys claimed these types of activities were lame and boring,
but they soon got caught up in the competitiveness of the games and forgot
about their simplicity.  The Uno game became an immediate favorite, since
the boys loved being able to dump on each other with the 'Draw Four' and
'Skip' cards.  Soon we were referring to the game as 'You Asshole,' because
that's what various boys would call the person who used one of those cards
against him.  This was mostly just good- natured kidding, but not entirely,
as certain boys began to feel the boys on either side of them were
unmercifully singling them out.  We did manage to keep tempers under
control, by constantly reminding them it was just a game, and overall we
had a good time playing.

After that, the boys wanted Jake and I to teach them how to play poker and
Black Jack, which some of them referred to as Twenty-One.  Even though they
had some basic knowledge of these games, they wanted us to help them
increase their understanding and skills in this area, so we played a few
practice hands.  We explained the various types of winning combinations and
let the boys know which ones beat what other hands.  Shortly after we had
done that, the boys wanted to start gambling.

Since none of them currently had much money in their possession, they
decided to play strip poker instead.  It wasn't to see the others' bodies,
as that was a common occurrence around our house, but mostly to get someone
else naked in the 'cooler' room.  They thought it would be fun to watch him
shiver and see the goose bumps form on his flesh.  Somehow, these
masochists thought doing this to their brothers would transform them into
Smurfs (that's a blue-skinned cartoon character for the uninformed) and be
quite hilarious.  The only thing was, they didn't take into account that it
could also happen to them.  Jake and I saw no harm in this, so we let them
proceed.

Although Jake and I had planned to just sit back and watch the boys play,
they weren't about to let that happen.  I think our warped sons were eager
to watch us suffer, more than they wanted to see their brothers in pain.
What they didn't count on was that Jake and I had played a lot of poker in
our time and not only could calculate HOW to play the various hands, but we
were also quite good at bluffing.  Needless to say, we weren't the ones who
ended up bare-assed and shivering when the game concluded.

When we decided it was time to go to sleep, I had the boys go to the rooms
that weren't damaged and grab a bunch of quilts and blankets.  Then, I had
various pairs zip their sleeping bags together, to utilize their combined
body heat as well.  For the couples this was an easy decision, but we
matched up the others too.

Everyone knew that Trey and Dion would be together, but we had an odd
number of boys at home now, with Nick still being away.  The boys solved
that problem on their own, when Sammy and Andrew decided to team up with
Graham.  They felt the three of them could fit into the double-sleeping
bags more easily than any of the others, so that took care of the odd man.
Vinnie and Cole paired up too, which left Peter and Little Ricky together.
I was surprised when Frankie and Mark decided to team up as well, even
though I wondered if those two might choose to try to go it alone.  Of
course, Jake and I shared our sleeping bags too, so everyone was set.

After crawling into their improvised bedding, Jake and I placed some extra
blankets and quilts over them, to help keep them warm.  I think everyone
was quite comfortable that evening and got a decent night's sleep.  It was
tough getting out to go use the toilet during the night or getting up the
next morning.  Once you left the comfort of the sleeping bags, the house
seemed quite cold.  Although it wasn't easy and we all regretted having to
brave the severe weather, we survived.  After eating a quick and hasty
breakfast, mostly cold cereals, we settled in for another long day stranded
at home.

Today, Jake and I suggested we play some of the board games we had dug out
the previous day, to help pass the time.  We played Monopoly, Sorry,
Rack-O, Life and Clue.  Most of these games were leftovers from when my
biological children were young, but that didn't seem to matter.  Again, we
had a great deal of fun, but as the day wore on, the temperatures began to
rise and soon the ice began to melt.

By late afternoon we could hear the plows and other emergency vehicles
going by or see various crews driving up to begin work on restoring power
or reconnect the phone service.  By nightfall, the electricity was back on,
so Jake and I went down and restarted the furnace.  That evening we had a
normal meal, but the boys still chose to sleep together in the family room
again, although Jake and I opted for our own bed.

The schools were still closed the following day, as not all areas had their
power restored as quickly as we had.  Some of the more rural roads still
had shady sections that were ice covered and others that were blocked by
fallen trees or limbs.  We used this time to our advantage though, and I
contacted my insurance agent and reported the damage.  I also asked him to
send an adjuster out to take the appropriate photos, so we could settle
this claim as quickly as possible.  I also called a tree removal company
and several contractors, to get estimates on repairing the damaged areas,
which included totally rebuilding the family room addition.

To my surprise, the adjuster came out that very afternoon.  I later
discovered my agent had pushed him into greater haste, because of all the
various policies I had with him.  He even managed to get results back to me
a few hours later.  Due to his quick work, I scheduled to have the tree cut
up the next day and planned on donating most of the wood to the farm-homes.
Both places had wood stoves as a secondary heat source and would benefit
from our misfortune.  After they found out what I was going to do, the boys
offered to help cut the wood up into usable sizes and split it, which took
care of another problem.  I'd then rent a small truck to load it in, so we
could take it out to them personally.  It would be a good experience and
great exercise for all.

The contractors gave me their estimates fairly quickly too, since they
really wanted the work, but Jake and I took a little time to decide whom we
would give each job to.  Once we doled out the contracts and signed the
appropriate paperwork, various groups began to work on the house before the
end of the week.  First we started with the clean up and removal of the
debris and damaged furnishings.  These items were tossed into a large trash
container, which had been delivered and left in our driveway.

I also worked with an architect to redesign various sections of the house
and we added a secondary exit from the back of the attic and second floors,
in case of another emergency.  We also added some improvements to the
damaged sections, which included building another bedroom on the first
floor, off the family room.  This was done so there'd be a bedroom that
could be used by guests, but also in the event we took in another disabled
person, who might have trouble getting to the bedrooms on the upper floors.
Both damaged bathrooms also were improved, by adding a larger shower stall
in each of them.  We felt that was appropriate, since the boys were getting
bigger and never seemed to shower alone any more.

In the interim, we shifted the boys and their belongings around, so the
construction could take place.  We moved the boys from the damaged rooms
into the rooms now sitting empty, because their occupants were away at
college.  This worked out well, since the work should be done before any of
the others returned home for any length of time.

This event also made me alter some of our other plans, as well.  Since
Frankie would be leaving soon, I had planned to have a big going away party
for him the following weekend.  Now, his party would provide us with an
opportunity to show our guests the damage done during the storm.  It would
also allow us to inform them of the changes we opted for during the
rebuilding and give us a chance to catch everyone up on what had been
taking place on the farms.

On Saturday, all of our friends and family attended and seemed to enjoy
themselves, but no one more than Frankie.  He was thrilled that everyone
came to say good-bye to him and wish him luck, because he continued to
think of himself as an outsider and the least deserving member of the
family.  I had tried many times to dispel this notion, because he had
proven himself over and over again since those rough early days.  The
problem was, no matter how much we tried to convince him that he was a
valued family member, a concept he seemed to accept for short periods of
time, he still acted surprised, yet pleased, by such simple acceptance.  I
hoped this would change when he returned home, after his enlistment was up.

I had a special cake made for him, which read, 'Best wishes and good luck,
Private Currie.'  Frankie thought that was funny, but I told him he better
get used to answering to the terms 'private' or 'trainee,' because that's
about all he'd hear during basic training, except during his off hours.
Even though he kind of understood it beforehand, thinking about it now had
more of an impact, so it appeared he was beginning to realize how much his
life was going to change over the next few weeks.

"Are you having second-thoughts or regretting your decision?" I asked him.

"No, not at all," he responded, quickly.  "It won't be easy, but I'm sure
it will be more than worth it, especially if it helps me get a job later."

"I'm glad you still feel that way," I told him, "and I'm sure you'll do
your best.  I'm willing to bet the son I've grown to know and love so much
would do no less."  He smiled at me, after my words sank in.  I had added
that because I felt he could probably use a little boost before leaving.

"Thanks, Dad.  That means a lot to me, especially coming from you.  I'll do
my best, so I don't disappoint you," he added.

"There's no way you will ever disappoint me," I told him, "as long as you
don't change from the person you are now."  He smiled again.

"That's a really nice thing for you to say," he responded, touched by the
sentiment, "and I promise I won't do that."

"Somehow, I knew you wouldn't," I added.

Throughout the party, Frankie stopped to chat with various people and
accept their good wishes and words of encouragement.  His brothers,
however, seemed to have something special planned for him -- something to
bring him back to earth.  Before long, they were marching around the house
dressed in various camouflage outfits, with one clearly labeled 'Private
Flunky.'  We all caught on to the fact this person was supposed to
represent Frankie, and while Drill Sergeant Dion shouted out commands,
Private Flunky seemed to manage to mess every one of them up.

Frankie really got a kick out of this and I think he was impressed that his
brothers had gone to such an elaborate effort on his behalf, even if it was
just to make fun of him.  Our guests also thought the boys' routine was
quite amusing and laughed heartily at their antics.  They also made sure to
compliment them when it was over.

Even though I feigned distress over their compliments and jokingly tried to
keep our friends from encouraging the boys into doing future demonstrations
of this sort, I was still impressed by what the boys had done.  What would
any of us do without the good-natured ribbing the boys were so prone to
resort to, especially when they thought someone needed a little lesson in
humility?

The rest of the month of March was spent fixing up the house, finishing the
changes on the farms and seeing Frankie off to active duty.  There were
just the two of us on that trip, since I wanted to spend some time alone
with him.  I actually shed a few tears that day, when I dropped him off at
the airport to catch his flight to Missouri, and Frankie noticed that fact.

"Dad, I'm only going away for a little while, not for good," he playfully
joked.  "You won't be able to get rid of me this easily."  Hearing him say
this, I immediately gave him a hug.

"And I wouldn't want to," I assured him.

"I'll keep in touch, so don't worry about that," he added.

"That's good," I advised him.  "I don't know what the service allows you to
do any more, but they used to encourage you to write home, using 'old
fashion' paper, envelopes and stamps."  I teased.  "Do you think you can
figure out how to do that?"

He grinned.  "Oh, I think I'll be able to figure it out somehow, even if I
have to ask my Drill Sergeant or an 'older' trainee to help me out."  He
winked, to emphasize his point.

"Okay.  I'll check the mail every day, and will write back, just as soon as
I get each letter.  If they let you have access to computers, then I'll do
the same with your emails, and I'll post your messages for everyone to
read, if you don't mind."

"If there's anything personal that I don't want shared, I'll put that in a
separate letter and mark it accordingly.  Okay?'

"Yes, I think that will work just fine.  Let me know if you need anything
too," I advised him.  "You did remember to bring the traveler's checks,
didn't you?"

"Yes, I did.  I am smarter than that," he added, with a twinkle in his
eye."

"I know, but this way you'll have money and I won't have to worry about it
getting stolen.  Here's a little something else for you," I told him, as I
handed him a gift I pulled from behind my back.  He unwrapped it
immediately, to discover a stationery kit, complete with carrying case.  It
contained a very nice set of paper, matching envelopes, two pens and I had
also included four books of self-adhesive stamps.

"Guess you thought of everything," he joked.

"I tried, but there's one more thing."  I took the carrying case from him
and pointed out an interior pocket, originally designed to keep his
incoming mail in.  "Keep your traveler's checks in here, along with the
letters you receive.  If anyone breaks into your footlocker and goes
through your belongings, I doubt they would go through that and discover
them there."

"Great idea, Dad, and thanks."  Frankie hugged me again, before he left to
go to his departure gate.

I waved when he stopped to look back, just before he disappeared from
sight.  I also sat in the parking lot and watched several planes depart.  I
was pretty sure Frankie had been on one of them, so I finally felt I could
leave.

As I made my way home, it became a very long and lonely trip.  No matter
how many times I say good-bye to another one of my boys, whether it's to go
off to college or on another life-changing experience, it never gets any
easier.  Realizing that, it made me begin to wonder if maybe I was getting
a little too old to continue doing this for much longer.


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