Date: Sat, 5 Nov 2011 14:49:33 -0400 (EDT)
From: Bwstories8@aol.com
Subject: The Castaway Hotel: Next Generation, Chapter 01

The Castaway Hotel: Next Generation - by BW
Copyright 2011 by billwstories
Chapter 1 -- Coming Home.

I wish to extend my thank you to Emoe57 for his editorial
assistance, and a special thanks to Brenden for his
suggestions to the storyline.

                   *    *     *     *     *     *     *     *

It is difficult for me to believe that it has been more than
four years since the boys held their commitment
ceremonies.  Even though so much has changed over the
intervening months, it seems as if it were only yesterday
when they pledged their everlasting love for their
partners.  I imagine you're wondering what types of
changes I'm referring to, so I'll be happy to explain.  The
problem is, where do I begin?  There is just so much to tell
and a great deal of what has taken place to the various
boys overlaps and intertwines.  For much of that time, the
family was scattered about, in different locations, due to
where the boys chose to go to college or were able to find
work.  However, the fact that not all of us are still living
together doesn't seem to matter.  We've still remained
close.

I'd like to give you a more detailed account of how that
happened, but I'm not sure I'll be able to put this into any
sort of chronological sequence that will make sense and
not be extremely confusing.  Therefore, I'll just tell you a
little about each of the boys, beginning with those who
currently live at home.

I'll start with my grandson, Joshie, since he is also the
one that I've been the most involved with and who has
brought so much joy into my life.  Even though Joshie's
conception was unplanned and the result of a holiday
party escapade, I am thrilled to have him in my life.
However, it didn't always appear that this was going to be
the case.

It all began when his father, Dion, accidentally
impregnated his high school vocal partner, while
celebrating their success at the Holiday Concert.  Dion is
actually bi, even though he has chosen to be paired up
with his gay partner.  On their way home, Dion and the
girl stop for a private celebration, which led to Joshie's
conception.

After getting over the initial shock of learning about the
pregnancy, we were told the mother was planning to give
the baby up for adoption.  Although she had her reasons
for wanting to do this, she and Dion didn't see eye to eye
on the matter.  To begin with, the mother felt she couldn't
afford to delay or give up her plans to go to college, and
since her parents had their own share of problems and
didn't think they could help her with the child, she felt
giving the baby up for adoption would be her best option.

After hearing this, Dion and I sat down to discuss how he
wanted to handle the situation.  From the start, Dion
emphatically stated that he would prefer to keep the baby,
but admitted that he couldn't do this alone.  Since he was
scheduled to begin college in the fall, he asked if I'd be
willing to help.  Since Dion seemed so determined to do
this, and I didn't want him to delay his college plans, I
agreed to give him a hand.  I took early retirement from
work and became a nanny instead.

Dion came home for a few days when the mother went
into labor and the baby's birth was a joyous event, at least
as far as our family was concerned.  Shortly after Dion
learned he had a son, he announced he was going to name
the baby after the two individuals he claimed were the
most important people in his life -- his partner, Trey
(whose proper name is Alexander), and me.  I was deeply
honored by this, but even more so when Dion decided to
give me top billing.  He was naming the baby Joshua
Alexander Currie, but told me we'd call him Joshie, to
avoid confusion.

Once Joshie was released from the hospital, we brought
him home and I helped Dion learn the things he would
need to do in order to take care of an infant.  Although he
was extremely nervous at first, he settled down and did a
remarkable job taking care of his son.  When Dion left to
return to college, I suddenly assumed total responsibility
for my namesake.

I must admit, I am thrilled that Dion took responsibility
for his actions and wanted to raise his child.  In the long
run, I think his decision has worked out well for everyone
involved.  First of all, not only does he love and dote on
his son, but Dion has also made certain that Joshie spends
time with his mother and maternal grandparents, so he
will know that side of the family too.  Second, having to
help take care of Joshie has injected a new sense of
purpose into my life and spending so much time with him
has brought me many, many hours of happiness.  Finally,
now that Dion and Trey have their degrees, they are able
to spend time with Joshie and will, hopefully, get as much
pleasure from being with him as I have.

Although Joshie is bi-racial, he has the same toffee
colored skin as his father, to go along with his huge brown
eyes and black curly hair.  He also has an infectious laugh
and the most heart-warming smile of anyone I've ever
known.  He also has an engaging personality and quickly
warms up to nearly everyone he meets, although there
have been a few people that Joshie truly hasn't cared for.
Among them was a bully, whom we occasionally ran into
at the park.

The boy was about a year older than Joshie, and although
the boy never singled Joshie out, he did pick on other
children whom Joshie was friendly with.  When the bully
did something to one of the others in Joshie's presence,
Joshie would intervene and stand up to the bully.  At first,
this shocked the boy, but gradually it just turned into a
source of irritation for him.  Since Joshie is tall for his
age, and slightly taller than the bully, the other boy
always backs off when Joshie is around, but it has
accounted for some lingering resentments between the
pair.

Another person that Joshie never warmed up to was an
older woman who goes to our church.  She is disgustingly
sweet and treats Joshie as if he were younger than he
actually is.  This has proven to be her fatal error in
judgment, at least where Joshie is concerned.  I've
discovered, that if anything, Joshie acts much older than
his actual years and enjoys being treated accordingly.
This means he responds best if you take a little extra time
to explain the things he doesn't understand.  It is also to
your advantage if you reason with him, whenever you want
to win him over or are attempting to convince him to do
something.  He seems to bristle when he is told he has to
do something, without understanding the reason why.

Since Joshie reacts favorably when I treat him in a more
adult manner, which I now do without hesitation or
without even thinking about it first.  His mature attitude
probably also accounts for the reason I refer to him as my
'little man.'  It explains exactly how I think of him, so I,
therefore, also tend to treat him in the same manner.
Joshie's grown up demeanor may have come about as a
result of living in a house with so many adults, but I don't
see it as a bad trait.

Although it hardly seems possible, Joshie will be turning
five in the fall.  To my mild chagrin, this means his
fathers will be enrolling him in kindergarten and Joshie
will be attending school during the day.  Although I know
he is more than ready for this, I am saddened by the
thought that I'll be losing my constant companion.  My
biggest concern is that I haven't been totally away from
Joshie for any extended period of time since he was born.
This is why I'm definitely not looking forward to losing our
special time together.

I've become so accustomed to having Joshie follow me
around the house and value those instances when I get to
teach him how to perform a new task.  I'll even miss
allowing him to assist me, when he offers to help me with
my chores.  He does this quite frequently, since he is so
eager to please, and I always find a way to accommodate
and make him feel as if he's doing something important.
However, no matter how much I'll regret the loss of the
time I'll be able to work with him, most of all I'll miss the
countless hours I spend trying to keep him entertained.

During our days alone, I've spent a great many hours
playing board games with Joshie, such as 'Chutes and
Ladders' and 'Candy Land,' but we do things outdoors too.
When the weather is nice, I enjoy pitching the Wiffle ball
to him, so he can hit it with his special bat.  We've also
spent countless hours shooting hoops and tossing his half-
size basketball at the portable backboard, which I have
adjusted to its lowest possible height.  We've also taken
numerous walks together and frequently make our way to
the park, so Joshie can play on the playground equipment
with the other children who are there.

When it is warm out, I also spend time with Joshie in the
pool, but on the days that aren't so pleasant, we do crafts
and other activities indoors, such as baking cookies and
cupcakes together.  I have also read a great many books to
Joshie.  I have him follow along, as I glide my finger under
the words, so I can point each one out as I read it.  By
doing this, Joshie is now able to recognize many of the
words and can even read some simple stories by himself.

During the winter months, we've built snowmen and
igloos, but we've also engaged in more than a few snowball
fights, which Joshie usually wins.  I've also taken him
sledding and discovered that Joshie has a 'need for speed'
and a penchant for taking risks.  I always discuss the
potential consequences of his actions with him first,
before allowing him to try something.  However, it's
become clear that he isn't deterred by minor risks to his
safety or the possibility of experiencing his share of
bumps and bruises.  I think I'm going to miss his
adventurous spirit and be totally lost when he's no longer
around during the day.  I guess it's time to start looking
for something else to help me occupy my time.

Although I will surely miss spending so much time with
Joshie, I will adapt.  I've already had to make some minor
adjustments, such as when his two daddies graduated from
college and moved back home.  Dion and Trey are
partners, and Trey is a year older than Dion.  They grew
up in the same household together and even graduated at
the same time.  This was due to the fact that Trey had
opted to spend an additional year at school to work on his
Master's degree in education.  This allowed the two of
them to remain together, while Dion finished the
requirements for his baccalaureate in music.  When they
returned home, just over a year ago, each one was eager to
spend as much time with Joshie as he could.

At first, this minor change didn't seem to affect me too
badly and I tended to look at it as a little vacation.  I was
thrilled to see how eagerly his daddies took charge of
caring for Joshie, and they did an admirable job too.
However, after just a couple of weeks of having them back,
I began to feel as if there was a huge void in my life.  I no
longer felt complete or fulfilled, so I soothed my despair
by telling myself that his daddies would be starting their
jobs in a few weeks.  You see, Trey and Dion had been
hired as teachers, by the local school district.  Trey will be
teaching English at the High School, while Dion will be the
vocal music instructor at the Middle School, where I used
to be principal.  Dion will also give vocal lessons at the
high school, in cooperation with his former music teacher
and mentor.  Throughout the summer, I kept telling
myself I could handle this change, at least temporarily,
and I did.

Once Trey and Dion began teaching, it left me alone with
Joshie during the day again and then they would spend
time with him in the evenings, after they got home from
work.  Dion assumed most of the responsibility for
Joshie's care, since Trey had other work to complete in
the evenings.  Trey often had papers to correct or was
attempting to sneak in a few precious moments to
concentrate on completing his first novel.  Since Dion
teaches vocal music, he doesn't bring his work home with
him, which gives him more time to spend with his son.

Dion is also refusing to take on any other obligations,
which might cut into his time with his son.  This means
he has turned down numerous offers to perform, either as
a featured soloist or as part of a staged production.  He
has made one exception to this rule though and takes an
active role in our church's choir.  He has even sung a few
solos with them, which he was eager to do because Joshie
would be there to listen to him perform.  However, Dion
has refused all of the other offers he's received, such as
singing at weddings or receptions, as well as other, more
prestigious invitations.

While still in college, Dion had performed several times
with the Pittsburgh Symphony.  Since graduating, he's
been offered the chance to take the stage with them again,
but he no longer seems interested in doing this.  Since
he's returned home, Dion has refused requests from the
Philadelphia Symphony as well.  He has even turned down
roles with various opera companies that operate
throughout Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey and
Washington D.C.

Dion has taken this stance because he doesn't want to be
away from Joshie for any extended period of time, and
many of these opportunities would require him to be gone
for a weekend or even longer.  Although I understand his
reasoning and even applaud it, to a certain extent, I
sincerely hope he will eventually take advantage of some
of these marvelous opportunities, once Joshie gets a little
older.  I'd hate to see Dion miss out on these fantastic
possibilities to showcase his talent, especially since he
thoroughly enjoys singing and has such a remarkable
voice, and then come to regret his choices later.

Although it wasn't easy, we all managed to get through the
school year, but things changed again once summer
arrived.  Suddenly, my time with Joshie was drastically
curtailed, because his fathers were home for the summer.
This arrangement will change yet again, when school
starts at the end of August, but this new change will only
complicate matters for me.  The reason for this is that
Joshie will be attending class during the day and then
spending time with his fathers in the evening.  This will
mean I will only have an opportunity to spend time with
my namesake when I can finagle an opportunity to be with
him on the weekend.  I guess I might have to enroll in a
rehab, so I can learn to deal with my Joshie withdrawal.

Danny and Brandon have also returned home, after
earning their degrees.  As you might remember, this pair
has always stated that they intended to move back with
me after they finished school.  Not only have Danny and
Brandon offered to take charge of the old homestead and
handle all of the repairs, maintenance and other mundane
chores, but they have also expressed their desire to take
in even more boys.  They are determined to continue to
operate the Castaway Hotel, so they can provide even
more young men with a safe and loving environment.

Of course I believe they'll be able to do this, because
Danny and Brandon are no longer boys and have become
very accomplished young men.  Yet, they will always be
my boys, no matter how old they get.  They even finished
up their degrees a year earlier than anticipated, because
they were willing to give up part of their summer
vacations, so they could take additional courses and
graduate ahead of the rest of their classmates.

Danny is now a board certified pediatrician, but since he
wished to return to the local area, he is not currently
working in his chosen field.  Since our small community
isn't large enough to support another such professional
and Joshie's pediatrician is by far the oldest and not
nearly ready to retire yet, Danny didn't want to create any
strife by opening his own office.  Therefore, he had to
choose between residing in a nearby community or accept
a slightly different option locally.  Since he didn't want to
commute a long distance or move away from the area,
Danny decided to take a position working as a doctor in
the emergency room at the local hospital.  He only plans
to do this until he can open his own pediatric practice or
take over one of the current pediatricians, but he doesn't
seem to be depressed about not doing exactly what he had
planned.  On the contrary, he seems to be using this
opportunity to broaden his skills and become an even
better doctor.

Brandon, on the other hand, found it a little easier to
secure a position in his chosen field.  The local dentist,
whom Brandon has been going to for most of his life, was
quick to offer him a position in his office.  The dentist had
indicated he would let Brandon work with his younger
patients, once he had their parents' permission, but
Brandon would also be taking care of a few of his older
patients as well.  Brandon's new boss was in a position to
make this offer, because his practice has continued to
grow and he's been extremely busy.  In fact, he has
become much busier than he wants to be.  The older
dentist explained to Brandon that he has been working far
more hours than he prefers, because he hates to make his
patients find another practice to go to, but he would like
to be able to cut back a bit.  Therefore, this arrangement
is working out fine for each and gives them what they
want.

Since Danny and Brandon were able to secure jobs so
quickly, they almost immediately began hinting at the
prospect of taking in a new boy.  As we talked this over, I
explained this wasn't something they needed to do right
away.  I suggested it might be best if they took time to get
established first and begin to feel comfortable in their
jobs, before taking on any additional responsibilities.
After several intense debates on this subject, they finally
relented, but I think they only agreed to do this in
deference to me.  Although I wish they were actually
convinced this is best for everyone, I am satisfied that
they have agreed to get their own lives in order first,
before they try to deal with a troubled young man.

Some of my other sons are currently residing out of the
area, in locations where they have been able to secure
employment.  We still manage to see them occasionally,
some more frequently than others, but Jake and I are
willing to settle for whatever time we can get with them.
In fact, a few of the boys will be joining us shortly for our
annual Fourth of July cookout.  The actual holiday falls on
Sunday this year, but since Monday is the official holiday,
they will have that day off from work as well.  Therefore,
those that don't live too far away are planning to come
home, so they can celebrate the long weekend with us.
Many of the extended family will also be joining us on
Sunday, so it should be a good time and everyone will be
able to catch up on what the others have been up too.

As the time grew closer to the holiday weekend, I had to
encourage the boys who were home to help me get
everything ready for the arrival of those who will merely
be returning for a few days.  I want everything to be taken
care of in advance, so those who will be joining us can
settle in quickly and, thus, allow us to enjoy as much time
together as we can.

Since Jesse has just finished his sophomore year of high
school, he still lives at home and is one of the boys I am
currently trying to motivate to help out.  Little Ricky and
Andrew are also part of this group, since they returned
home from college just over a month ago and will be here
for the remainder of the summer.

"Come on guys, let's get moving," I urged them.  "Your
brothers are going to be showing up shortly and I want
everything to be done before they get here.  I want them
to enjoy their time with us for the holiday and there's still
a lot we still need to get done, before we are ready for
their visit."

"Why can't they just make their own stupid beds and do
this stuff for themselves?" Andrew whined.  "They used to
do it when they lived here, so why can't they do it now
too?"

"Yeah, they're not cripples," Jesse added.

I could tell it wasn't going to be easy to convince them to
help, because Andrew and Jesse were trying to double-
team me to get out of doing these jobs.  I should have seen
it coming.  Andrew and Jesse are not only brothers, but
they are also best friends and tend to spend a great deal of
time together whenever Andrew is able to come home.
They also tend to IM and text each other regularly, so they
probably have plans that are being disrupted, because I'm
asking for their assistance.  Although I'm glad to see the
age difference and physical distance separating them
hasn't dimmed the closeness they still feel for each other,
I wasn't about to let their little ploy succeed.

"I know that's what they USED to do," I answered, adding
the emphasis, "but I think it would be nice if we had
things ready for them when they got here."

"But why do we have to do all the work?" Little Ricky
chimed in.  "Don't you want us to enjoy the holiday too?"

Oh, great!  Now I have the third party adding his two
cents.  I think it's time to give this a more a personal
touch.

"You'll have plenty of time for that, but I always try to do
this for each of you.  Even though you're just away at
college, I make sure your rooms are ready when you come
home for the holidays and vacations.  I'll be doing the
same thing for Jesse, once he goes away to college too, so
I just have one question for you.  Are you telling me that
you don't enjoy finding your bed made for you when you
come home, after making the long drive back from
campus?"

Little Ricky and Andrew looked slightly embarrassed after
hearing my response, but I could tell Jesse got the point
too.  Suddenly, their eyes were no longer focused on me,
as I awaited their reply.

"Yes, we do appreciate that our beds are made for us when
we get here, because we're usually kind of tired and don't
feel like doing it ourselves when we first get back,"
Andrew concurred.  "Since you do that for us, I guess we
should be willing to help you do the same for the others."

That comment ended Andrew and Little Ricky's
complaints about having to help with this chore, but Jesse
wasn't as easily convinced.

"So I guess this means we're stuck being their slaves and
doing all of the work for them while they're here!" he
exclaimed, sarcastically.  "It sure doesn't sound like we'll
be having much fun."

"You aren't a slave, but a good host and caring brother
who is doing his best to make the others feel comfortable
when they first arrive," I corrected.  "Once they've had a
chance to catch their breath and get a good night's sleep,
then they can fend for themselves, like they've always
done.  Then, you'll be able to have just as much fun as
they do.  Besides, we only have to prepare a few more
rooms, so it isn't really a lot of extra work."

Jesse didn't seem totally convinced by my explanation,
but he did stop objecting and agreed to do what I'd asked.

"What do you want me to do, Papa?" Joshie wanted to
know, as he stared at me and waited for my answer.

"Since I've already stacked the blankets on the dressers,
why don't you get the sheets and pillow cases out of the
linen closet and put the appropriate combinations on each
mattress.  That way Jesse, Andrew, Little Ricky and I can
make the beds without running back and forth," I
suggested.  This seemed to be a good enough for Joshie, so
he raced off to do his part.

Even though the other three still weren't thrilled about
having to perform this task, they did help me finish
preparing the remaining rooms.  Once this had been
accomplished, I asked them to follow me to the kitchen,
so they could help me get dinner started.  When they
began to object, I merely told them they didn't have to do
this, if they weren't planning to eat with us.  Once they
understood what I was implying, they ended their protest
and I began handing out assignments.

"Joshie, would you and Jesse please set the table, while
the rest of us get the food ready?" I asked.

"Okay, Papa," Joshie agreed.  "Come on Jesse," he added,
as he grabbed the older boy's hand and dragged Jesse off
with him.

"How many places do we need to set?" Jesse asked, as
they made their way toward the cabinets where we kept
the dishes.  I quickly began counting up who would be
joining us.

"There have been eleven of us as of late, with four more
coming home for the weekend.  Duck and his girlfriend
should also be arriving, plus Dustin and Cole will also be
coming with their girlfriends.  I believe that adds up to
twenty-one people, all together."

"Little Ricky and Andrew, will you help us set up the
banquet table then?" Jessie whined.  "It looks like we're
going to need it too."

Little Ricky and Andrew quickly agreed to help and the
four of them had it set up in no time.

Danny, Brandon, Dion and Trey all arrived home before
any of the others got here, so they helped with the final
dinner preparations too.

"Dad, you know it's going to be nice to have everyone here
again," Danny stated.  "The old house just doesn't seem
the same when it is so empty."

"I agree.  It is much more enjoyable when the others are
here with us," I concurred, "but unfortunately not all of
them are going to be able to join us this time.  We'll just
have to make the most of the long weekend with those
who do show up.  At least for a while, this place should
seem like it used to."

Danny nodded his agreement and then we went back to
work.