Date: Mon, 23 Jul 2001 07:52:31 EDT
From: Bwstories8@aol.com
Subject: The Castaway Hotel - Book 4 chapter 17
Legal Notice:
The following story contains descriptions of graphic sexual acts.
The story is a work of fiction and has no basis in reality.
Don't read this story if:
**You're not 18 or over,
**If it is illegal to read this type of material where you live,
**Or if you don't want to read about gay/bi people in love or having sex.
The author retains copyright to this story. Placing this story on a
website or reproducing this story for distribution without the author's
permission is a violation of that copyright. Legal action will be taken
against violators.
I wish to extend my thank you to Ed for his editorial assistance with this
chapter.
If you have enjoyed reading this story, you will find other stories by me at
http://members.tripod.de/wolfslair, in the 'Other Stories' section.
E-mail responses to the stories, story suggestions, or other 'constructive'
comments or advice may be sent to: bwstories8@aol.com.
* * * * * * * *
Although the boys in these stories have unprotected sex, I strongly urge
all of you out there to be smart and protect yourselves from various
sexually transmitted diseases by using condoms when having intercourse.
* * * * * * * *
The Castaway Hotel -Book 4 - by BW (Young-Friends).
Copyright 2000 by billwstories
Chapter 17 - A bite of the Big Apple. May 2001
During that next week, I went out with Jake a couple more times, to the
driving range and putting green again. The boys seemed excited every time
we went someplace, though I wasn't sure why, and they always asked me a ton
of questions when I got home. I guess I was a bit naive as to their
purpose, but I still thought it had more to do with Shannon than with me.
I still was oblivious to their scheme and was gradually falling into their
trap. They were also excited that the McCarthys were going with us again
this coming weekend, but once again I believed it was because Shannon would
be joining them, not because of anything concerning me.
On Wednesday, we received a postcard from Little Ricky, and he sounded very
excited about his trip. I had made arrangements to have certain items
waiting for them in their room when they arrived and they had obviously
included some surprises of their own. He was acknowledging that by letting
us know about his plane ride and what they were planning to do first, now
that they were there. I could tell that he was as excited as I expected he
would be, and I knew he was going to have a great time. I couldn't wait
until we picked them back up next Sunday, so I could hear all the stories
about what he had seen and done.
Wednesday evening, Jake and Shannon stayed overnight again, so we could
leave early the next morning. We got up early again, ate a big breakfast,
and we were on the road shortly after the sun came up. About three hours
later we made our first stop, to get something to drink, use the restrooms,
and to stretch and walk a bit before we continued on. After we resumed our
journey, we drove until we got near the city and then we stopped for lunch,
as it was nearly lunchtime by then. The boys wanted to eat at Burger King,
so that's where we stopped, and it wasn't all that long before we were on
our way again. When we did reach the city, we went straight to the hotel,
so we could park our vehicles in their garage, and we took our luggage up
to our rooms after we checked in. We would use the hotel as our base of
operation and do everything from that point, only using the vehicles when
absolutely necessary. I had selected this particular hotel because it was
pretty centrally located for everything we were planning to do and we could
get around easily from this location.
Our first stop was to the Empire State Building, which had held the title
of the tallest building in the world for many years, from 1931 until 1972.
It had 102 floors, which rose 1224 feet from street level, and took the
title away from the neighboring Chrysler Building, which had only held the
title of tallest building in the world for a few months. We took the
elevator to the observation deck on the 86th floor, which was 1050 feet up.
There was a glass-enclosed observation area for inclement days, but there
were also outdoor promenades located on all four sides of the building,
which could be used when the weather was nice. Of course there was a fence
around the entire area, to prevent suicides and such, and there were
high-powered binoculars for public use, which were coin operated. From
that location, you could see four other states (New Jersey, Connecticut,
Pennsylvania, and Massachusetts), plus all the wondrous sites in the
immediate area.
The building opened in 1931, taking just over a year to complete, at a cost
just under $41 million. The price of the actual cost of constructing the
building had been cut in half with the onset of the depression, but it did
provided much needed jobs during that trying time. It became an instant
focal point for the city and was featured in one of the most thrilling
scenes in the original movie version of 'King Kong'. It was also the scene
of some tragedies too, such as at the end of World War II, in 1945, when an
Army Air Corps B-25 twin-engine bomber, flying in a dense fog, crashed into
the 79th floor of the building. Additionally, it was also the place that
visitors to the area wished to tour, including some very famous people
throughout the years. Over those early years it hosted royalty (Queen
Elizabeth, Prince Charles, & the King of Siam), heads-of-state (President
Herbert Hoover, Fidel Castro, & Nikita Krushchev), religious leaders, and
celebrities. Before we left the 86th floor, we stopped at the souvenir
stand located there and each of the boys picked up a little keepsake to
remind them of their visit.
>From there, I took them over to the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center,
so they could compare the two and see the building that had replaced the
Empire State Building as the tallest in the world, at least for a while.
The twin towers were 110 stories high, or approx. 1350 feet above the city.
They have a closed observation deck on the top floor, but they also have a
rooftop promenade. The outdoor promenade is only open under perfect
conditions and, even though it was a fairly nice day when we were there,
the conditions were not favorable to open that area to the public. The
boys were a bit disappointed, but they would get over it. There was
nothing architecturally striking about the towers, as there was with the
Empire State Building, and they were basically two large rectangular
structures that rose high above the city's skyline. The view from the top
floor was inspiring, though the boys said they didn't notice that much of a
difference between the two, but it was good to be able to compare the two
structures in such a manner.
It was now approaching late afternoon, so we made our way back to the hotel
to wash up and change for dinner and another little surprise I had lined up
for the boys. I tried not to let them know in advance what we'd be doing,
preferring to have most of it come as a surprise to them. They gave me
plenty of suggestions when they knew our destination, and I would try to
incorporate as many of those as possible into our plans, but I would also
add a few of my own. I know the boys didn't always agree with that
approach, but they had come to trust my judgment and they didn't usually
give me a tough time over our itinerary. Although they weren't totally
thrilled by some of the things we did, they knew that I would probably
arrange something else that they would be more interested in for later, and
that's what I was trying to do now. We would start off the evening by
having dinner at the Hard Rock cafe, and then I would take them to see
a Broadway musical.
As we approached the Hard Rock cafe, the boys noticed the rear end of
an old Cadillac sticking out from the building, not from an accident, but
designed with it there to give the place a distinctive air. The Caddy was
probably a '59 or '60 judging by the fins, and it was sticking out of the
building quite a few feet from street level. The boys were excited about
going there and tried to see everything they could once we were inside.
They were busy exploring the place visually while we waited to be seated,
then as we waited to order, and still again while we waited for our food,
noticing many different items and commenting on them. It was a fascinating
place and there were many stories to be told behind those four walls, many
just from the collectibles that were on display. The menu was more varied
than I had first anticipated and our meals were quite good. Although the
food was more than satisfactory, it was the atmosphere and the music that
the boys seemed to enjoy the most. The boys spent most of their time
commenting on the songs and pointing out things they noticed that had
something to do with people they knew about and asking questions about
items they didn't understand or recognize. The boys were frequently
talking excitedly in small groups, with these groups constantly changing
participants as someone new joined and others moved on to another group,
but they were all full of enthusiasm and very talkative. By the time we
finished our meal and had dessert, the boys wanted to go to the memorabilia
shop, so they could buy things to remember this visit by. They had each
brought some of their own money, so they went to pick out exactly what they
wanted, but most of them came back with Hard Rock Cafe tee shirts and
baseball caps, among other things. We put them all in a tote bag that one
of the older boys had purchased and we left to go to our next stop. Now I
told them where we were headed.
I don't think many of the boys were familiar with the musical I had
selected, but I felt that it might offer the most relevance to their own
lives and that they would probably enjoy this one more than some of the
others that were now running. What I was taking them to see was the
musical 'Rent'. The boys peppered me with questions about it, after we
took our seats in the theater, but I tried to give them as little
information as they'd allow me to, wishing for them to interpret what they
were about to see in their own way. I merely told them that it was about a
group of young people and how they dealt with some of the choices they had
to make in life and the things that happened to them because of these
choices. Once the theater darkened and the curtains opened, the boys
became wrapped up in the story, watching how it explored such issues as
homosexuality, drug abuse, AIDS, and homelessness. The title of the
production came about because of what a couple of the characters were asked
to do in order to cover the rent for their apartment. The whole production
was very well done and the songs were terrific. The older boys understood
the meaning behind some of the topics broached, while the younger ones just
enjoyed it at face value. I thought it was fairly well received by
everyone.
When we got back to our hotel rooms, some of the boys wanted to come to my
room and discuss what we had seen. As the discussion began, I could tell
that Mark was a bit uncomfortable and that something was bothering him, so
finally I confronted him. "Mark, I can see something is troubling you. Do
you want to talk about it?"
Mark looked startled that I had pointed him out specifically, and in front
of the other boys too, but after a few minutes of clearing his throat and
stammering, he finally addressed his concerns. "Look, I know some of your
boys are gay and all, and that doesn't really bother me, but aren't you
scared they'll get AIDS and die?"
Suddenly I understood. The mention of some of the characters being HIV
positive and having to deal with the realities of the disease had
transferred itself over to my sons. I understood his concern, and was
actually pleased that he cared enough about the boys to worry like this,
but Danny answered him before I could. "Mark, most of us don't mess around
all that much and Dad has made sure that we know what the disease is, how
it's spread, and ways for us prevent getting it. We are concerned about
it, but we can't change who we are, so we'll just be careful and protect
ourselves."
"I just don't know how I'd feel if one of you got that. I mean, you'd get
all sick and then die. I haven't had any brothers before and I haven't
known you guys all that long, but you're like my brothers and I don't know
if I could handle losing any of you." I could see all the moisture
building up in his eyes and his voice was becoming choked as he spoke those
words. The other boys could see that he was more concerned about them and
not judging their orientation or how they might get such a disease, and we
were all deeply moved by this. I think Danny and Brandon were the first to
react, walking over to Mark and putting their arms around him, trying to
reassure him that they would take no unnecessary risks and would do all
they could to keep from being exposed. As this was going on, some of the
other boys also made their way over to Mark and placed a hand on his
shoulder, rubbed his back, or merely touched his arm, simple gestures to
show him that they understood his concern and thanked him for it. We did
discuss that topic further, pointing out all the relevant issues such a
topic would evoke, and I think we all felt a little better once everything
was out in the open.
After that, we discussed the drug issue and homelessness, which reminded
Nick of the family from Arizona. After we had told Mark a little about
them, Nick asked if there wasn't more we could do when it came to families
with children who were homeless, and I told him we could study that issue
more when we got home. All of the boys agreed that would be a worthwhile
effort and thought the charity might be able to help some of those people
out. As they continued to explore this topic, Jake and I kind of withdrew
from being active participants in the discussion, opting to sit back and
listen to what the boys had to say and only respond when we were asked
questions directly. I had originally just hoped that the boys would just
enjoy the show and that they might gain some insights from it, but I never
expected this level of impact or such a profound concern about the multiple
topics the performance had addressed. After we had exhausted ourselves by
delving into the various issues, I hustled everyone off to bed, reminding
them that we had another busy day ahead of us tomorrow. I learned later
that Mark had spent the night in with Danny and Brandon and they had all
actually slept in the same bed. After continuing their discussion in their
room, they just fell asleep like that when they were finished. Although
the bonds between these boys weren't sexual or romantic, they still ran
deep, and it was obvious how close they had become since that first chance
meeting. It was clear that they were now good friends, but their concern
for each other went much deeper than just that. It was an initial physical
attraction that had grown into something deeper and more personal, and the
boys had bonded in a way that most people would never understand.
Friday morning we got up, went to breakfast, and then we moved to our first
stop of the day. It was another historic building, but strikingly
different from the two we visited yesterday. We began our tour of the
United Nations building by going into the General Assembly Hall, which was
one of the main features of the building. It is the largest room there,
with seating capacity for over 1800 people, which could easily handle the
delegations from all 188 member nations. That room is the only one with
the U.N. emblem on its wall, which is a map of world (as seen from the
north pole), flanked by two olive wreaths, symbols of peace. Standing in
that room you might begin to feel totally insignificant, not only because
of its enormous size, but also because once you realized the scope of the
issues that were dealt with there, your concerns seemed trivial in
comparison. It was really quite a humbling experience. The boys did want
to see if they could sit in the chairs and pretend to be delegates from
various places, but for multiple reasons, including our time constraints,
doing that was not possible.
We went on to the Security Council Chamber next, which housed the real
power of the U.N. This group comprises both permanent and rotating
members, and this group can veto any decrees, proclamations, or other
measures which come from the General Assembly. The room that houses the
Security Council meetings was a gift from Norway, and the central feature
is a mural painted by a Norwegian artist, Per Krough. It shows a phoenix
rising from its ashes, a mythological symbol signifying that the world
would be rebuilt after the devastation of World War II.
I didn't think the boys would be interested in seeing the other chambers,
so I took them to see the other items that they might find interesting.
The first was the Chagall stained glass window, which was located on the
eastern side of the public lobby. It was designed by the French artist,
Marc Chagall, and presented to the U.N. in 1964. It contains several
symbols of peace within its design, and its predominantly blue hue gives a
tranquil feeling to the lobby area. Some of the boys commented about how
everything we had seen seemed to refer to world peace, so I took the
opportunity to describe what these people faced at the end of the Second
World War. I began by trying to let them know the extent of the
destructiveness that engulfed the world during and after the war, how many
lives had been lost, and how the survivors needed to view the future with
hope, not despair. All of the things that were incorporated when this was
built, including the things we hadn't yet seen, and this group was intended
to prevent another major war like that from ever happening again..
Next, we saw the Norman Rockwell Mosaic, presented by the U.S. in 1985, and
it was based on a painting called 'The Golden Rule'. In it, Rockwell
depicts people of various nationalities, ethnic backgrounds, and religious
persuasions, and incorporates the 'do unto others' theme, in an attempt to
show them that we are all part of a larger, global family. Maybe someday
this dream will be realized and we'll all stop hating one another for our
differences, no matter whether those differences are physical, political,
or religious. When that day comes, maybe we'll finally realize the concept
of world peace.
After that we viewed the Chinese Ivory Carving, which depicts the
Chengtu-Kunming railway. This gift was received from China in 1974, and
shows a train, complete with tiny passengers inside. The railway opened to
traffic in 1970 and is an important asset of China. This beautiful piece
of artwork was carved from eight elephant tusks and has so many tiny and
delicate details that you could spend many hours studying it. Even after
taking that much time with it, you probably still wouldn't notice
everything that was included in it. It was quite impressive and very
beautiful.
>From there, we moved on to see the Japanese Peace Bell, which was
presented to the U.N. in 1954. The bell was cast from coins collected by
children from 60 different nations, and is housed in a small Shinto- shrine
type structure, made of Cypress wood. The bell is symbolically rung twice
a year, on the first day of spring and at the opening of the General
Assembly, which takes place in September. The hope is that the ringing of
the bell will promote peace and ensure that the destruction and bloodshed
wrought by war will not take place again.
Now we headed out to the garden to see a very famous sculpture that was
displayed there. This piece was named 'Let us beat swords into plowshares'
and it depicts a blacksmith using his hammer to pound a sword into a
plowshare. This idea is based on a biblical reference and once again
symbolizes the desire to put an end to war. It is ironic, because of its
biblical theme, that this was a gift from the former Soviet Union in 1959.
Adding to this irony was the fact that it was in the General Assembly Hall
where the Premier of the Soviet Union, Nikita Khrushchev, pounded his shoe
on the podium and told the non-communist nations that 'we will bury you'.
This seemed to indicate that they were not giving up on their aggressive
spread of communism, as they wanted to eventually envelop the whole world
under that philosophy. History has proved that his boast was unjustified
and that they failed in their mission.
As we were leaving the U.N., I wanted the boys to see one more thing, so I
took them for a stroll along Fifth Avenue, so they could see the row of
delegate member flags. The flags were displayed in alphabetical order,
beginning with the Afghanistan flag and ending with the flag of Zimbabwe.
The boys were able to recognize a few of the flags displayed there, but
many were unfamiliar to them. It was an impressive show, however, as it
signified how so many diverse groups were willing to work toward the goal
of peace, joining together in this global organization.
It was now approaching late morning and I decided that we should eat and
then be on our way to our next stop. I tried not to let them know in
advance what we'd be doing, preferring to have most of it come as a
surprise. I know the boys didn't always agree with that, but they had come
to trust my judgment and didn't usually give me a tough time. Although
they weren't totally thrilled by most of the U.N. tour, they knew that I
would probably arrange something else that they would be more interested in
later, and that's what I was trying to do. We stopped to enjoy a very
early lunch, and Jake and Mark sat on either side of me, so we could easily
discuss what we had seen this morning. Jake and I recalled stories told to
us by our grandparents and parents, about the depression and World War II,
and we thought about how those experiences helped to mold how they
approached life and how that generation had helped to change the world in
the process. Mark was more interested in this discussion than I would have
imagined, but he told me that his grandparents had told him many of those
kinds of stories when he was growing up and they had always interested him.
He told us that he was very impressed with the things we had seen and done
today, mainly because it helped him to better appreciate some of those
things his grandparents had told him. Soon Danny and Brandon had joined in
the discussion, as they were seated next to Mark, and then Shannon and Nick
joined in, as they were seated next to Jake. I was quite impressed with
how the boys were willing to discuss what the world had been like during
the 1920's and up through the 50's, and they were very astute at drawing
parallels between what happened then and some of the things that were
happening in the world during the past decade or so. I complimented them
on their insights, as did Jake, and I found it hard to dismiss the younger
generation, as so many others were inclined to do. Too many times people
want to hold up the extreme fringe of that group, those few individuals who
go to extremes in what they do, including getting into trouble, and then
they try to label the whole group by the actions of those few. This was
not only unfair to that group, but it was also highly inaccurate, and I
hoped others would realize that there are more fine young people in our
midst than those obvious few, and that they would stop selling the whole
generation short and quit making generalizations about them at the same
time.
After lunch we made our way over to Battery Park, on the tip of Manhattan,
to a circular fortress called Castle Clinton. This edifice was built in
1811, to defend again British attacks, but now it was a ticket and
information center for the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island ferry rides.
I purchased the tickets, then we loaded on the ferry, and soon we were on
our way to Liberty Island. The ferry had three decks and, because it was
such a lovely day, we made our way to the top deck, so we could enjoy the
view. Soon we were disembarking and making our way toward the base of the
statue. The island was originally known as Bedloe's Island, but the name
was changed after the Statue was erected there. Lady Liberty was a gift
from the people of France in 1886 and was designed by Master Sculptor
Frederic-Auguste Bartholdi. The iron skeleton that supports the outer skin
was designed by Alexandre-Gustave Eiffel, who also designed the Eiffel
Tower in Paris. That intricate metal frame may be seen if you climb the
stairs to the crown, which many visitors were inclined to do. The statue
was begun as a centennial gift, in recognition of the 100th anniversary of
the signing of the Declaration of Independence, and the book that Lady
Liberty is holding in her arm is simply inscribed with the date 1776,
written in Roman numerals. The statue was originally titled, 'Liberty
Enlightening the World', referring to the torch she held aloft in her right
hand, to guide and welcome immigrants to these shores.
The gift did cause some problems when it first arrived, as funds were
needed in order to prepare the area and erect a pedestal on which it would
stand. The government turned to the public for help and the poet Emma
Lazarus wrote a poem, she called 'The New Colossus', to help the
fund-raising efforts. The last few lines of that poem are now on a plaque
that adorns the base, and they read as follows:
Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to
breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore,
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed, to me:
I lift my lamp beside the golden door.
For millions of immigrants who approached the United States by sea, this
was the first vision they had of their new homeland, and this memory was
forever burned into their minds. From here, we made our way to see the
displays that showed the various designs that had been suggested for the
base. There were also pictures of the Statue, taken at various times,
showing how the area had changed and evolved over the years. At this point
I urged the boys to get moving, as we had a tight schedule to keep for the
remainder of the day. I decided that we would take the elevator to the
top, rather than wait in line to take the circular stairway up the
interior, as I was worried that some of the smaller boys would have
difficulty on the small triangular stairs or that they would get tired out
before they reached the top. When we got off the elevator, we went and
looked out the openings in Liberty's crown, enjoying a spectacular and
breathtaking view. The boys wanted to know if they could go up to the
torch, but I had to explain to them that this was no longer opened to the
public, because of various risks involved. They seemed slightly
disappointed by this news, but they accepted my explanation and enjoyed
what we did have. After looking around and seeing what we could from this
vantage point, we made our way back down to the ground level, only to stare
up at it once more. Before we left, we took numerous pictures, with
varying combinations of boys and adults huddled together, with the statue
looming up behind us, in the distance. Once we had taken those pictures,
we loaded back on the ferry and traveled over to Ellis Island.
Ellis Island was once a privately held island and it was named in honor of
one of its previous owners. The Immigration Service began to use the
island on January 1, 1892, to screen those wishing to be admitted into the
country. In 1898 and again in 1905, two other islands were built by using
the earth and rock taken from the subway tunnels being cut from under the
city and from the earth removed from the excavation of Grand Central
Station. The various buildings were constructed or improved (including
dormitories, hospital, kitchens, baggage station, electrical plant,
restaurant, laundry, and bath house) and the various personnel were hired
to run the facility. All of this was done for a cost of approximately
$1,500,000. By 1947, 20 million people had entered the country through
this location, but it was closed in 1954, with the immigration activities
being moved into Manhattan. The site was reopened on September 10, 1990,
as a unit of the Department of the Interior's National Park service, and it
is now a very popular tourist site. As we roamed through the location, we
let our minds run wild and we pretended that we had just landed here,
seeking to become citizens of the United States.
The main building is a large French Renaissance-style structure that
replaced an earlier wooden structure after it was destroyed by fire. Upon
arrival, the men, women, and children were placed in long lines where they
waited between metal railings to have their papers checked and then receive
a medical examination. Approximately 5,000 - 8,000 people could be
processed like this each day, and the facility was open 5 to 7 days a week,
depending upon the number of arrivals wishing to enter the U.S. Those
found to be afflicted by certain diseases were refused admittance and sent
back to the country from which they came, so as not to spread these
diseases to the general population. The screening process was made more
difficult because of the numerous languages spoken by the new arrivals, and
the many dialects that each of those languages might include. Sometimes
even the interpreters who spoke that language couldn't communicate with the
new arrivals, because of those thick regional dialects, and many of them
were forced to endure many additional examinations and caused lengthy
delays because of this. Some were even sent back because of
misunderstandings created by these language barriers, so it was not an easy
or perfect system. Many of the new arrivals often had vital information
changed or incorrectly recorded, because of these communication problems or
due to clerical errors, including the spelling of their names or even birth
dates. These errors would become part of their new identity and would be
what they would have to go by from that point on, making it more difficult
for relatives to locate them or for future generations to trace their
roots.
We tried to imagine how a group of tired and frightened people, landing
here after so many days at sea, would have to go through this scary and
confusing process. Not only were they greeted by people who didn't speak
the same language as they did, but they were also examined and interrogated
by these strangers, and sometimes cheated or abused by those who were
supposed to be helping them. I think we all gained a better understanding
of what it might have been like and how much courage it took for people to
leave their homelands and go through this process, just for the chance of
having a better life.
Even though the buildings had fallen into severe disrepair after it was
abandoned in 1954, many have since been restored to nearly their original
condition. There are also numerous pictures from that time, showing some
of the people who entered through this location and the process they
endured to do that. We tried to take in as many of these items as we
could, greatly moved by the looks of hope, sadness, and confusion that were
etched on their faces. We were really enjoying all of this, but eventually
it was time to head back for our final activity of the day. Once again
this was to be a surprise for the boys and something I thought would be a
bit different and interesting for them, as I had arranged for us to take a
dinner cruise up the East River. Once we arrived at that location and
boarded the vessel, we selected a group of tables located near each other,
so we wouldn't get separated. Once we got underway, the boys went off to
get drinks, before they went to get their food, which was being served
buffet-style. I stayed on deck and protected our cluster of tables from
outside invaders, like a watchdog protecting a home, until some of the boys
returned with their meals. At that point I left them in charge and I went
off to get my food. Soon we all were eating and chatting, as the ship
gently rocked back and forth as we made our way up the river. There was
also a small band onboard, playing music so people could dance after they
finished eating, but we just sat and listened to them while we enjoyed the
scenery along the way.
We passed by many interesting sites, as we made our way up the river,
including seeing the shore lines of some of the boroughs, including
Manhattan. Along the way we could recognize the U.N. Building, the Empire
State Building, the Chrysler Building, the Twin Towers of the World Trade
Center, and we could even see Castle Clinton. The biggest thrill of all
came when the ship made its way toward the Statue of Liberty, turning
slowly around in front of it, to make the return trip. At that point we
all got up and walked over to the railing and held our breath, as we beheld
this awesome and inspiring sight. Now we could truly appreciate what those
immigrants had seen and felt when they arrived at these shores, when they
got their first glimpse of that magnificent lady standing in the harbor.
This experience helped start another discussion, about what those people
must have thought and felt at that point. I think the younger boys were
just as interested in this as the rest of us, asking many questions and
wanting to know what the children would have done all that time on the ship
and while waiting to be processed on Ellis Island. I explained, as best I
could, about the types of things the children might have had with them or
done during those periods, and the boys seemed satisfied with what little I
could offer. Jake and Mark also added some of their own ideas, things that
they had heard older relatives mention or things they had learned in
history classes. I was thankful for their support and input, and they were
a big help explaining things satisfactorily to the boys. We continued to
enjoy the ride, noticing things we had missed earlier, as we made our way
back, but soon our trip was ended and we were on our way back to the hotel.
We all cleaned up and went to bed fairly early, at least earlier than we
were accustomed to, but I did tell them that tomorrow would not be as
hectic as today had been, as I had arranged for a more laid-back schedule
of activities. The boys wanted to know what we were going to do, but I
told them I was going to keep that a surprise, so they began to pester me,
trying to get me to slip or give them hints about what we were going to be
doing. The only one I had told about these plans was Jake, but I knew he
would help to keep the secret and these activities would be well received
by everyone, once they discovered what we'd be doing.
We kind of hung out in our rooms the next morning, just relaxing, and the
boys watched a little Saturday morning television, then we got dressed and
went out to brunch. After we finished eating, we made our way to another
Broadway theater, this time to see something geared more for the younger
boys, the matinee performance of The Lion King. Even though I had heard
some details about this musical, I was impressed at how they designed the
costumes, so the actors could be seen even though we were able to recognize
the animal character they were portraying. They either wore masks that sat
above their heads, or they used large puppet-like figures that they
controlled during the performance. The songs included the Elton John and
Tim Rice songs from the movie version, but there were some new ones written
just for the musical. Although I'd arranged this for the younger boys,
everyone enjoyed the musical, as it could be enjoyed on various levels by
each age group. Everything was outstanding, including the actors,
costumes, props, music, and the story, and it was well worth coming to see.
When it was over, we made our way back to the hotel, where I announced that
we would be going out for an early dinner and then heading to Yankee
Stadium, to see the Bronx Bombers in action. This drew a good response
from everyone, especially the boys who were Yankee fans, but I got the
biggest response from Mark. He was all excited by this opportunity and he
came over and spoke to me about it.
"Was this planned all along, or did you do this because of what we talked
about after we went to see the Phillies play?"
"Well, I had thought about doing this originally, just so the boys could
see the legendary Yankee Stadium, but I knew we'd have to make sure that we
did it after our little talk. I knew that this would mean a lot to you and
I wanted this to be special for you and something you'd always have to
remember. We're going early, so we'll have time to walk around and look at
everything there, but just think of it as your dad taking you and your
brothers to the game."
"I knew you did this because of me. Thank you, it means a lot to me. I've
enjoyed everything we've done on both trips, but going to the ballgame like
this just fulfills all those dreams I used to have, about going to the game
with my dad. Now I kind of have a real dad and he's doing things for me
just like I thought he would." Mark took that opportunity to give me a big
hug, and I hugged him back, then we all took it easy for a while, before we
went out to dinner. Once we got to the restaurant, the boys were already
thinking ahead to the game, just going through the motions of filling their
stomachs. It didn't take all that long for us to finish up there and the
boys were anxious to be on their way. We were soon on the train, heading
out to the stadium, looking forward to seeing all the history that it had
to offer.
The train ride was an experience in itself, first getting everyone on the
same train without leaving anyone behind, and then trying to find a place
where we could all stay together. I was grateful that some of the boys
were grown and together we looked like a formidable group, as there were
some shady looking characters about who seemed to be eyeing us. Some on us
got to sit, while others were forced to stand, as we all kind of swayed
together, as the train rocked slightly from side to side, and we listened
to the rhythmic thumping of the wheels hitting the sections where the
different rails were joined. Jake and I kept our eyes open for our stop,
warning the boys in advance, so no one missed getting off the train at that
point. >From there it was a quick walk to the stadium, and the sight of it
seemed to inspire us all to walk a little faster. When we reached the main
entrance, I went and collected the tickets I had ordered and we made our
way through the gates.
After entering the stadium, I told the boys a little about the stadium,
material I had gleaned off the internet before we left. I told them that
the Yankees had first played their games at the old Polo Grounds, along
with the Polo Grounds owners, the NY Giants, from 1918 until 1922. That
arrangement worked for a while, but it ran into some problems after the
Yankees acquired Babe Ruth from the Boston Red Sox. After they changed the
Babe from a pitcher to a slugger, the team started to outdraw the Giants in
attendance, and this caused hard feelings between the two clubs. The
Giants asked the Yankees to leave after the 1920 season, knowing that it
would take some time, and the team had to look for a new home. In 1921,
the Yankee owner purchased more than ten acres across the Harlem River from
the Polo Grounds, in the west Bronx, and construction was begun on the
ballpark in May of 1922. The Stadium officially opened on April 18, 1923,
with over 74,000 people in attendance for that first game. It was often
referred to as 'The House That Ruth Built', referring to the fact that it
was Babe Ruth's hitting that drew in the crowds and that the right field
fence, in particular, was built to accentuate his skills. It was not only
the first three-level ball field, but it was also the first large enough to
be called a stadium. In that opening game, the Bambino hit three home runs
and the Yankees went on to win by a score of 4 to 1.
Yankee Stadium has changed over the years, having undergone several
renovations, the last being done between 1973 and 1976. The original right
field corner was 295 feet from home plate (now at 314 feet), while left
field was originally 301 feet out (now at 318 feet), but the power alley in
left went out to 395 feet, giving left-handed hitters a definite advantage.
Center field used to be the most imposing feature, jutting out 500 feet
from home plate, and the original three monuments and flagpole used to
stand on the playing surface. The monuments were located at just over 460
feet out, with over 30 feet of space beyond them, and often proved a hazard
to the centerfielders of both teams. Eventually the center field fence was
moved in to 461 feet, and today it is only 408 feet to dead center field,
which is still a good distance by today's standards. It is behind the
center field fence where Monument Park is now located, and we headed there
to see those pieces of history.
The original three monuments were dedicated in honor of three of those
early Yankees, those who had helped establish the dominance and tradition
of this organization. The first monument had been dedicated to Miller
Huggins, the Yankee manager during those glory days, and then monuments
were added for Babe Ruth, which was placed on his right, and for Lou
Gehrig, which was added on the left. Since that time other plaques have
been added to the wall, first for Joe DiMaggio and then Mickey Mantle, but
now there are also plaques for Ed Barrow, Jacob Ruppert (the owner when the
stadium was built), Casey Stengel, Joe McCarthy, Thurman Munson, Billy
Martin, Whitey Ford, Lefty Gomez, Roger Maris, Allie Reynolds, Elston
Howard, Phil Rizzuto, Bill Dickey, Yogi Berra, Reggie Jackson, Don
Mattingly, and, oddly enough, Popes Paul VI and John Paul II. The Popes
were honored with plaques, not because of their interest in baseball, but
because both of them had celebrated a mass in Yankee stadium, while touring
the United States.
Before we made our way back to our seats, we also learned that the Yankees
had won 25 World Championships, thus far, and that Yankee Stadium has also
hosted numerous other activities. In addition to the Popes' masses, other
religious gatherings have been held there, including several Jehovah's
Winesses' Conventions. It has also been the setting for college and
professional football games, with Army and the New York Football Giants
having played there for a number of years. These games included the first
sudden-death overtime game, which took place in the 1958 NFL championship
contest, which was won by the Baltimore Colts. That game has been widely
referred to 'the greatest game ever played' and helped to establish
professional football as a major sport in this country. Yankee Stadium was
also the scene for several professional boxing title fights, including the
Joe Louis-Max Schmeling fight, in June of 1938, and the Mohammad Ali-Ken
Norton bout, in September 1976.
The boys were still talking about all we had seen, but they decided to take
some time to run down near the field, so they could get autographs again.
We had stopped to purchase programs and get a drink on the way back from
Monument Park, and now they clung to them with their hot little hands,
looking for players to sign them. Jake and I went to our seats, preferring
to sit and chat while the boys did their thing. We enjoyed each other's
company and we appreciated watching the teams take batting and infield
practice. Mark was the first to return and join us, again clutching his
program as if it were the Publisher's Clearing House winner's check. He
sat down beside me and showed me the autographs he had been able to
collect, but he was most pleased at having garnered Derek Jeter's
signature. After showing Jake and me his prized possessions, he decided to
thank me again.
"Pop, I don't know if you realize how much all of this means to me, and I
don't even know if I can describe that to you. You've done so much for me
in just a short time, and you've really taken the place of the dad I never
knew. You've replaced many of my insecurities and regrets and given me
confidence and memories I shall always cherish. I've decided that when I
get out of college I'm going to look for a job on the east- coast, and I'll
move my mom out here too, so we can all be together. I want to be close to
you and your family, so I don't have to go through all of that stuff again.
It's like I finally have a dad and brothers, and I love the way that feels.
Of course, I also have a girlfriend here too, so that kind of adds to my
wanting to live around here, but I know Mom will love it and she'll like
all of you too."
"Mark, I don't know what to say. I feel honored that you think that way
about us and we'd love to have you around, but do you think your mother
would truly be happy moving all the way across country?"
"I really do. We don't have a lot to hold us there, and we've basically
only had each other. I was going to mention the idea to her when I went
back home before going back to college, to start getting her used to the
idea, so I'll know for sure then. I do think that she'll do it, though, so
we'll still be close. I don't think she wants us to be that far apart, so
I'm pretty sure she'll go if I decide to."
"That's fine. I can understand her not wanting to be separated from her
child. I've gone through that before and I know I'm going to be going
through it again. I am really flattered by the way you feel about all of
us, and I'll try my best to always be there for you."
"I know you will, that's why it's so special. You done all these little
things for me already and I've really enjoyed these past two weekends with
all of you. Even if you didn't do anything else for me, the memories I
have now would help keep me going."
"Believe me, this won't be all we do for you and I look forward to having
you around for many years to come." Mark started to say something else,
but at the moment the rest of the troops returned and took their seats
around us. He just looked at me and smiled and said 'thank you' once more,
then we waited for the game to begin. Once again, the three of us sat
through the game and tried to outguess the coaches, but this time Danny and
Brandon joined in the strategy talk as well. We all had a good time and it
was a heck of a game, eventually going eleven innings before someone won
the game. Unfortunately, it wasn't the Yankees. It was fairly late by the
time we got back and we were all pretty tired, so we turned right in.
Basically this was our last full day in the Big Apple, but we had done
quite a bit and I think we all really enjoyed ourselves over the few days
we had been there.
Sunday morning I woke the boys up, had them shower and get dressed, then we
went out to breakfast. After we ate, we checked out of the hotel, and
loaded our luggage into the two vehicles. We left the city and headed
toward the Philadelphia airport, where we were going to pick up the
Beckers, as they were returned from their Disney World vacation. I
couldn't wait to see how they had all enjoyed it, especially Little Ricky.
We did make one stop along the way, to attend church and then grab a quick
lunch, and then we were off again. The Beckers' plane landed late that
afternoon, and they were beaming when they entered the terminal and headed
toward us.
* * * * * * * *
If you have enjoyed reading this story, you will find other stories by me at
http://members.tripod.de/wolfslair, in the 'Other Stories' section.
E-mails may be sent to: bwstories8@aol.com.