Date: Wed, 25 Jan 2012 00:15:34 -0500 (EST)
From: Bwstories8@aol.com
Subject: Castaway Hotel: Next Generation, chapter 38

The Castaway Hotel: Next Generation - by BW
Copyright 2011 by billwstories
Chapter 38 -- Summertime Festivities.

The weekend after we celebrated Elliot's birthday at the
restaurant, Danny and Brandon had a cookout in his
honor, which amounted to Elliot's second birthday party.
However, this time the extended family was going to be
there too, along with Hayden.  Danny and Brandon had
also asked Hayden to invite a few of the others Elliot had
become friendly with.  They told Hayden to advise them
presents were NOT required, although they felt Hayden
was planning on bringing something for Elliot.

The cookout was well attended and we got to meet some
of Elliot's other friends.  Three of them were members of
the tennis team whom he'd become close to, and there
were also two members of the swim team that Elliot had
hit it off with.  It was nice to see that he had made other
friends too.

The party went off nicely, and after we had the cake and
ice cream, Hayden presented Elliot with a gift.  After a
brief discussion that he shouldn't have done this, Elliot
unwrapped the package.  Inside, he found two separate
gifts.  First, there were two cans of tennis balls and the
second was a new Speedo, in the school colors and with
the school logo on it.  I guess Hayden was telling him he
had no excuse not to join the swim team in the fall.

I believe Elliot really enjoyed the cookout and then he
took his friends inside for a brief time, so they could
challenge each other on the Wii, air hockey or table
tennis.  I think his new friends had a good time too.

As we got closer to the Fourth of July, Jake and I began
planning and preparing for our big celebration at home.  It
was party time again and a large percentage of the family
was going to be here.  Fortunately, the boys were
cooperative when I asked them to help get the bedrooms
ready and it didn't take us long to finish up.

Now that the rooms were ready, I began to look forward to
celebrating with everyone again.  Since the Fourth was on
a Monday this year, it meant the family would begin
arriving on Friday.  Those who were currently employed
had opted to take an extra day off from work on Tuesday,
so they could return home without having to rush or miss
out on the fireworks.  This also meant we'd get to enjoy
the entire holiday with them.

Mark and his girlfriend were coming in from New York this
year, which made Susan very happy.  Mark was bringing
Jay with them and they were also stopping to pick up
Ricky in Philadelphia, so they'll have a full car.

What this also meant was that Sammy and Graham had to
drive themselves this time, since Ricky was the one who
normally carpooled with them.  Although they've also
done this with Frankie, he would be working over the
holiday and unable to attend as well.  Pat was coming too,
but he would be driving in from the west, so that wouldn't
help them either.  Besides, Pat was bringing Duck and his
new bride with him.

Each of these groups left to come here right after they
finished work on Friday and arrived at different times
throughout the evening.  We greeted them as they came in
and then quickly got them settled into a room, so they
wouldn't have to do that later.  Once they had their
belongings in the room they'd be staying in, they came
back to the family room to visit with us for a while.

Most of them went to bed fairly early that evening, since
they were all tired from working that day, followed by the
long ride, and we could understand how they felt.  We bid
them sweet dreams and sent them off to bed, although we
stayed up a little longer.

Most of our guests also slept in Saturday morning, with
some of them staying in bed longer than others.  We
weren't sure if they'd been sleeping the whole time or just
enjoying some quiet moments with their partners, but
none of us cared.  We were just happy they were with us
for the holiday.

Just before noon on Saturday, Ted and his boyfriend
pulled in.  After I gave Ted an affectionate hug and a warm
greeting, I welcomed him to our home again.  Once we
broke our hold on each other, he quickly introduced me to
his partner.

"Pop, this is my boyfriend, Gavin Finch," Ted stated.
"Well, we're actually more than boyfriends, but we're not
married or anything."

"Gavin, I want you to meet my Pop, Mr. Josh Currie," he
told his partner.

After we exchanged hellos, I gave Gavin a hug and
welcomed him not only to our home, but also into our
family.  I think he was surprised by this, but I explained
that Ted was just another of my sons, even if he lived far
away and we didn't get to see him as often as we'd like.
He thanked me for the wonderful greeting and then paid
attention, as Ted took him around to meet the others.

Ted introduced Gavin to Jake next, and then the boys who
had also come out to greet him.  Ted looked great and
Gavin was cute, so the attraction between them was
obvious.  I also noticed that Gavin was a little shorter than
Ted and had a slender build.  That's when I realized he was
built like Sammy.  Since Sammy was Ted's first crush and
infatuation when he came to visit us, I wondered if this
had anything to do with Ted's choice of his current
partner.  I couldn't help but wonder if his decision had
been influenced on either a conscious or unconscious
level.

Throughout most of Saturday, we just sat and chatted, as
everyone caught the others up on what they'd been up to.
Dion and Trey got to tell anyone who didn't already know
about their upcoming addition, while Danny, Brandon and
Kevin filled everyone in on the progress toward starting
their own businesses.

Jake, Danny and Brandon offered to fix dinner Saturday
night and urged me to stay in with our guests.  They said
most of them came to see me anyway, although I
countered that they'd come to see all of us.  No matter
how persuasively I argued this point, they were still
insistent that I stay out there.  Therefore, I acceded to
their request.

After we finished eating, the boys began playing games
and were challenging each other to various competitions.
It didn't matter if it was on the Wii, air hockey, table
tennis, cards or one of the board games.  The rest of the
evening was filled with shouts of 'I won,' 'you lose,'
'gotcha' or other similar exclamations.  Fortunately, it was
all good-natured and no one took it the wrong way.

After being involved in several of these challenges, Ted
asked if Gavin and he could chat with Jake and me in the
family room for a while.  He really wanted us to move into
the other room -- just the four of us, but I told him we
needed to do something else first.  Somewhat confused,
Ted agreed to hold off for a bit and I called everyone
together.  Once they were all present, I went out to the rec
room quickly and then came into the dining room carrying
a cake with a '2' and '5' candles lit on top.  Then, we
started singing Happy Birthday to Ted.

"You remembered?" Ted asked, possibly rhetorically, but I
answered him anyways.

"I certainly did," I agreed.  "I know your birthday was
yesterday, but since you didn't arrive until today, I wish
you a belated happy birthday."

"Thanks, Pop!" Ted exclaimed.  "I really wasn't expecting
anything like this."

"Wow, this place is wild!" Gavin announced.  "Ted told me
I'd enjoy my time here, but I wasn't so sure.  You guys
really are as neat as he said you were."

"Thank you for that compliment," I responded, "but most
of it is due to the boys."

"Only because you raised them to be that way," Ted
corrected me, and I elected not to argue the point.

Once we all had a piece of his cake and some ice cream, I
signaled Jake and we went out on the front porch with Ted
and Gavin.  I know they'd asked to speak with us in the
family room, but since it was such a lovely evening and
the boys were playing on the Wii in there, I thought this
would be better.  We let Ted and Gavin sit on the porch
swing, while Jake and I sat on two of the lawn chairs.

"You know, I still wish I could have grown up here, even
though I'm getting along much better with my parents
now," he began.  "Heck, my dad even treats Gavin like a
son too.  In fact, Gavin is getting treated better than I did
when I was growing up."

"Well, your parents have come a long way since then and I
hope you have forgiven them and don't bring this up," I
remarked.  "I wouldn't want anything so silly to jeopardize
your current favorable relationship with your parents."

"No, it's all cool now," Ted admitted.  "I do still kind of
wish that it could have happened earlier, but I guess it's
better late than never."

"I would agree with that," I responded, with Jake doing
the same.

Ted and Gavin then went on to tell us about how they'd
met, fell in love and broke the news to both of their
families.  Then, they filled us in about how they had found
their jobs, what type of work they do and about their
apartment.  It really was an informative and interesting
conversation.  We stayed out on the porch with them for
quite some time, before they told us they were getting
tired.  Since we understood how they were feeling, we
went inside and let them head off to the room they were
using.

Most of us turned in fairly early that night, since I'd
gotten them all settled into a room shortly after they'd
arrived.  I warned everyone that I'd be going around and
pounding on doors in the morning, since I expected them
all to go to church with us.  They all answered, "We
know," so I didn't have to argue with them.

Sunday morning I got everyone up, and while they were
getting ready, I called the restaurant where we usually had
brunch.  I then asked if they could reserve one of their
three dining areas for our group and told them we'd
probably fill the room up.  Hearing this, they agreed, but
probably because we ate there on a regular basis -- nearly
every Sunday.

We also ended up filling a large section of the church,
because we met most of our extended family there as well.
They wanted to see everyone again and were going out to
brunch with us afterward, so they could chat with the boys
and their mates.

The service moved right along and I didn't notice anyone
falling asleep during the sermon.  Ted did comment when
Dion sang a solo with the choir, and Gavin and he were
both impressed with Dion's voice.  I think it was the first
time Ted had heard Dion sing, because when he first came
to visit us, Dion hadn't yet developed the beautiful voice
he has now.

The pastor greeted us warmly on the way out and said it
was nice to see the visitors once again.  The family then
told him they had enjoyed the service and most thanked
him for his continued support of each of our couples.  He
merely smiled and said he believed 'it was what Jesus
would have done.'

When we arrived at the restaurant, we certainly had
enough bodies to fill up the room they had reserved for us.
Once we were seated, we squeezed together even more
tightly, so we could free up a couple of tables for their
other patrons.  They thanked us for doing this and then
served us quite quickly, considering the large number in
our group.

Once we were done, we all went back to the house, so the
extended family could chat with those who had returned.
Around that same time, Sally pulled me aside.

"Where's Richard?" she asked.  "I was hoping to see him
today, because I have some good news for him."

"He went back for the summer session at college, so he
could finish the requirements for his degree," I explained.
"He felt he'd rather do that over the summer, than go
back for the fall semester."

"When will he be coming home?" she asked next.

"He'll be home for good in August," I told her.

"Fantastic!  That will work out perfectly," she replied.

"Work out perfectly for what?" I wondered.

"For me to hire him," Sally announced.  "One of the girls
who works for me is pregnant and is going on maternity
leave in September.  I'll be able to hire Richard to fill the
job temporarily, so he can gain some hands-on experience.
Rumor has it that she might not be returning and will stay
home with her baby for the first few years, so it may turn
into a permanent position.  Will you tell Richard that for
me?"

"I'll be happy to and I'm certain Little Ricky will be
thrilled to hear this," I agreed.  "One thing he's always
told me is that he wants to work for you."

I think this made Sally blush, but I'd told her the truth.

The rest of the day went perfectly, with Ted filling the
extended family in about his good news.  I saw each of
them going up to welcome him and say how nice it was to
see him again.  In fact, Steve and Mary spent quite a bit of
time chatting with Ted and Gavin, since they were the
ones who had inquired about him the previous year.  I was
glad they had a chance to spend some quality time
together.

I was just getting up to make a quick run into the house
when Graham approached me.

"It's happening again," he told me.  "I'm seeing someone
standing near Elliot, but this times it's a woman.  I can
only assume it's his mother, but I can't be sure.  Elliot
doesn't have any photos in his room with a woman in
them.  It usually happens when he's standing by or playing
his piano."

"Unfortunately, his mother died when he was born," I
agreed.  "That would explain the lack of pictures and link
her to the piano too.  She was the pianist in the family
before Elliot learned to play."

"Do you think I should tell him?" Graham asked.

"Does it look like she's giving him a positive sign?" I
questioned.

"Yes, she is," Graham confirmed.

"Well, he took the other message okay, so we might as
well tell him about this one too," I suggested.  "Let me
just get Danny and Brandon first and explain this to them.
I think they should be there when Elliot hears what you
have to tell him."

I went off to find Danny and Brandon, so I could advise
them that Graham has had another vision.  Then I asked
them to find Elliot and meet us back in the house.  This
time we went in the family room and shut the door.

"What's up?  Did you see my dad again?" Elliot asked, as
soon as he saw who was in the room with him.

"No, this time I'm seeing a woman," Graham told him.  "I
assume it's your mother, although I'm not sure."

"I've got to go," Elliot said, as he bolted out the door.

Elliot was looking pale as he moved toward the door, but
Brandon blocked his way.

"What's wrong?  Why don't you want to hear this?" he
asked.

"It's nothing.  I just have to go," Elliot responded, as he
tried to get past his father.

"Elliot, hang on a second," Graham told him.  "Your dad
just returned and now he's holding this woman's hand.
They're both smiling and each one is holding out a rose to
you."

"Just stop!  Please.  I don't want to hear this," Elliot
insisted.  "Just let me go to my room."

After saying this, he pushed past Brandon and got the
door open far enough to slip out.  Then I heard his
footsteps, as he stormed up the stairs.

"What's wrong with him?" Graham asked.

"I don't know, but I'm going to find out," Danny answered.

He left the family room too and was heading up the stairs.
Danny went directly to Elliot's room, but the door was
locked.  Danny knocked on it, but received no response.

"Elliot, please let me in.  We need to talk," Danny told
him.

"I don't want to talk about it," Elliot responded.

"Elliot, please open the door.  I really think we need to
discuss this," Danny insisted.

"No!" was all he said in return.

Danny knew Elliot wasn't about to change his mind, so he
headed back downstairs.  Instead of going back to the
family room, he remained in the foyer, as he tried to come
up with a way to approach Elliot.  That's when he noticed
movement on the stairs.  When he turned to look, Elliot
was coming down in his gym shorts and running shoes.

"Elliot, we need to talk," he told him.

"There's nothing to talk about!  I'm going for a run," Elliot
replied.

"No!  You're not going anywhere until we hash this out,"
Danny countered.  "You're clearly upset and I don't think
you should be going out just now."

Since Danny was between the door and him, Elliot saw no
way he was getting past his father.  Therefore, he turned
around and went back upstairs, with Danny in hot pursuit.
Elliot tried to lock the door again, but Danny prevented
him from closing it before he could accomplish that task.
Frustrated, Elliot threw himself onto the bed and lay face
down.

 "What's up, sport?" Danny asked.  "Why are you acting
this way?  This isn't like you."

"Just leave me alone.  Please," Elliot whined.

"Son, you know by now that you can tell Brandon and me
anything," Danny told him.  "Just tell me what's wrong.
I'm sure you'll feel better once you get it off your chest."

"I can't.  I just want to go," Elliot announced, as he
attempted to get up and move past Danny again.

This time, Danny wrapped him in a powerful hug and held
him against his chest.  In part, this was meant to keep
him from making a break for the door, but it was also
meant to give him comfort.

"Look, you're not going anywhere until you calm down,"
Danny stated, gently.  "I'm not letting you out of my sight
until I know what's going on here."

Danny waited patiently for him to say something, but he
never did.  Finally, Danny felt he had to push the issue.

"Look, I don't know what's wrong," he began, "but both of
your parents seem to be supporting you.  Graham's had
this ability for a long time now and he's certain the roses
are a very good sign."

Elliot turned and looked at Danny, as he tried to gauge if
he was telling the truth.  After a few moments, he finally
responded.

"I can't believe that," Elliot stated.  "I'm sure she hates
me, because I'm a bad son.  I don't miss her like I do my
dad.  Sometimes I go weeks, even months, without
thinking of her."

"I'm sure she understands that you don't feel as strongly
about her, because you never really had a chance to know
your mother and your dad isn't here to tell you about
her," Danny told him.  "She's just pleased to see that
you're happy and healthy.  She knows you love her and
she loves you too, even if those feeling aren't as strong as
they are for your father.  She knows how you feel about
her.  She's your mother.  The person who gave you life."

"Yeah, and it cost her hers," Elliot replied, sarcastically.

"That doesn't matter," Danny told him.  "I've met dozens
of pregnant women through my work and I don't think any
of them would act any differently than yours did.  It's
what moms do for their babies.  It appears she's obviously
proud of you too or she wouldn't have appeared to
Graham, so he could relay her message.  No one has ever
come back to tell Graham they were upset with their loved
on.  They only do it to show their support and allow that
person to go on with his own life."

Elliot looked up and studied Danny's face.

"Do you really think that's what she's doing?" he asked.

"I do or she wouldn't have shown up carrying a rose,"
Danny answered.  "Maybe that's why your father showed
up when we were downstairs, so you'd know who she was
and understand that they are together again and will
always be with you."

Elliot spent the next few minutes mulling over his father's
words.  Eventually, he must have agreed that this was
what his parents were trying to tell him, so he got up and
hugged his father.  He returned to the family room with
Danny a few minutes later, but this time he was ready to
listen to what Graham had to tell him.

Graham didn't reveal much more to him, except that both
Elliot's parents were there and they seemed to be showing
their support for their son.  Finally, Elliot accepted this
for what it was and lost his concerns that his mother was
upset with him, because he didn't have the same deep
feelings for her, as he did for his father.  I think this little
encounter made him feel significantly better and helped
him cope with some of the demons that had been lingering
within his soul.

Now that this crisis had been handled, we went back
outside and rejoined the others.  No one asked where we'd
gone or what we'd been doing, so we didn't bring it up
either, but Danny, Brandon and I did keep an eye on Elliot
over the next hour.

Most of the extended family opted to leave before dinner,
even though we told them they were welcome to stay.
They then stated that they'd be attending the cookout the
following day and providing them with one meal, along
with today's brunch, was more than enough.  We still
argued with them that one more meal wouldn't break us,
but they left anyways.

Once the rest of us finished eating, everyone agreed we
should go to the movies.  Since this was fine with me, it's
what we did.  Elliot even asked if he could call Hayden and
invite him to go with us, and his fathers told him that
would be fine.

I didn't think the selection was that great, but we ended
up splitting up into four different theaters.  Joshie wanted
to see 'Mr. Popper's Penguins' with Jim Carey, because he
thought the penguins were cute.  Therefore, Dion and Trey
ended up taking him to see that movie.  The rest of us
split up between three different theaters and saw 'Larry
Crowne' with Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts, 'The Green
Lantern' or 'Transformers: Dark of the Moon.'

Jake went with me to see 'The Green Lantern,' and to my
mild surprise, so did Ted and Gavin.  We had chosen this
movie, because I think I'd read every Green Lantern comic
book as a kid and both Jake and I had watched the TV
series with the same name.  Now, we wanted to see how
this film compared to the other two.  Neither of us were
blown away by it, but we didn't hate it either, so I'd say
that, overall, we enjoyed it.

Of course, Jesse, Elliot and Hayden went to see the
Transformer movie, along with Elliot's fathers.  However, I
understood they didn't sit very close to each other, since
Danny and Brandon had agreed to let the boys have their
space.  A few of the others also went to see that movie as
well.

Most of the girls dragged their boyfriends off to see 'Larry
Crowne,' but I wasn't sure if they had chosen that
particular movie because of Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts
or if they thought the storyline sounded good.
Unfortunately, I could tell their boyfriends weren't as
excited about seeing it as the girls were.

Although Hayden had wanted to spend the night, his
parents wouldn't let him, so Danny and Brandon dropped
him off on the way home.  I know Elliot was disappointed
too, because this meant Hayden wouldn't be with us
tomorrow either, but I could understand why his family
wanted him to be with them for the holiday.

After we got back to the house, everyone went off to do
his own thing, whether it was in the privacy of one of the
bedrooms or with some of the others in one of the family
areas.  Whichever they chose, they seemed satisfied with
their choices.