Date: Mon, 16 Apr 2001 10:42:52 EDT
From: Bwstories8@aol.com
Subject: The Castaway Hotel-Book 4 Chapter 3
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 3 - Success, changes, and secrets kept or disclosed. February 2001
Later that day we met with Sally, telling her Brent's story. She told us
that she had a very good friend who worked in Baltimore, and she held the
same job that Sally held here. She would contact her and explain the
situation to her, and then they would decide what course of action to take.
Brent seemed relieved that she hadn't suggested that he would have to go
back or be placed somewhere else, for that had been a real fear up until
now. When we got back home, he went off with some of the other boys, as
they offered to show him around the area. He seemed to like that idea and
I still had things to do to get ready for our New Year's Eve celebration,
later that evening.
Sally called me about an hour later, asking me if we could talk privately.
I shut the door to my room and told her I could.
"Josh, are you sure you can take in another boy?"
"I'm not sure. I've been thinking a great deal about that. I was thinking
maybe the foundation might have some leads on other options."
"No, Josh. We haven't had that many contacts yet. Maybe we will after
those articles hit the newsstand, but right now all we have are the regular
foster homes and the four-county group home."
"I know Brent is counting on staying with us, but we are pretty full.
Still, I won't let him go somewhere else, unless it is a better situation
for him. I really like the kid, but I don't have a spare bed any more,
especially with Mark here for a couple of weeks and then he'll be back in
the summer. I really don't know what to do, but I won't let that kid
down."
"Easy, Josh. I'm on your side and I understand. I didn't mean to put you
on the spot, but I have to know what I'm supposed to tell my friend about
him. Do I need to have her try to find a place for him, do you want me to
look around for something, or is he going to be staying there?"
"He'll stay with us, for now, while you and your counterpart look around
for something else. If that's not acceptable, how soon do you need a
definite answer? I've got to think about this and see what I can do."
"Look, we probably wouldn't be able to start anything until the third, so
that will give you a couple of days to make up your mind. Why don't you
call me on the second and let me know what you decide."
"You're still going to be there tonight, though? Aren't you?"
"Yes, I'll be joining you all tonight, but let's not talk shop. I'm
looking to having some fun tonight. You can call me about this matter on
the second and let me know what you've decided."
"Deal, and bring your dancing shoes with you. I expect a turn or two
around the dance floor." Sally giggled like a schoolgirl and we said our
good-byes. I really did like Sally, just not in a sexual way, but I
wouldn't mind dancing with her later. After all, some of the boys had
invited dates and I'm sure they, Steve and Mary, and others would be on the
dance floor. Why not let my hair down a little, so to speak.
When the boys came back in, I started having them get cleaned up, as it
would take them a while to get everyone through the showers. Brent was
surprised that I was taking everyone out to celebrate, as he just assumed
we'd entertain ourselves at home. He was excited, having never celebrated
New Year's like this before. The boys were going to lend him the clothes
that he needed for tonight, and they went to go get ready. Of course, I
suspected who would make the first move on him, and I wwas right. Nick
asked him if he wanted to shower with him and Kevin, using the large shower
in the upstairs bathroom. I think this initially shocked Brent, until he
was told that the boys often took showers together to save time, so he
accepted. I don't think Kevin knew anything about the offer until he found
Brent in the bathroom with them, getting undressed. He told me later that
Brent wasn't self-conscious at all, and he said he had a cute circumcised
dick.
Our reservations at the restaurant were for 6:00, and we didn't want to be
late. We would go from there to the hotel ballroom for the remainder of
the night. Mr. Spence and Mr. Lawrence wouldn't let me pay for the evening
alone, so we finally agreed to split both bills three ways. The restaurant
wasn't worried about losing money with us tying up a whole room, as they
knew that I always made sure that I covered the bill and tipped generously
whenever they catered to us this way, and they knew that we wouldn't tie up
the room any longer than necessary. That kept everyone happy, so this
became our favorite spot to entertain.
The food was great, the conversation pleasant, and all the relatives got to
finally meet some of the girlfriends. Even Danny and Brandon had brought
their dates, but they looked far from ecstatic. This led Brent to start
asking me questions about various boys, but I told him that we'd discuss
those types of things later, in the privacy of our home. He let it drop,
and went about hanging with Kevin, Nick, Trey, Dion, Cole, and Graham.
Carlos shifted back and forth, between that group and Pat and his date. I
knew he still felt closest to Pat out of all the boys, but he didn't want
to become a third wheel and upset Pat either. Therefore, he'd visit with
them for as long as he dared, then he'd go back and find the other group
for a while. Sammy and Andrew stayed close to their grandparents, not
leaving them alone for very long. Cole and Graham often left the other
boys, to spend time with the Spences or some of the others, but Brent and
the other four soon became inseparable.
I danced with Sally, Mary, Margaret Spence, Julie Lawrence, Carlos' mother,
my daughters and daughter-in-law, and I had each one of them ask Mark to
dance too. I even danced with Sammy and Andrew's grandmother and Sally
danced with their grandfather. They weren't used to this type of dancing,
so we selected a slow song and then just kind of rocked back and forth with
them. They seemed to enjoy it and they danced with each other after that.
The boys danced some with their dates, but the couples spent a lot of time
huddled together at the table, talking and carrying on like typical teens.
Just after I finished one of my dances, I saw that Trey and Dion were not
with the rest of their group. I let it pass for several minutes but, when
they didn't return, I thought I'd better check on them. When I inquired as
to their whereabouts, the other three weren't sure where they had gone. I
looked around the room and didn't see them, but I needed to head to the
men's room anyway, so I figured I'd run into them there. When I didn't see
them taking care of other needs, I became a little concerned. This was a
holiday and there were a lot of people about, so I was slightly worried
about what types of things might happen to them. After all, we'd had one
such incident with Andrew already. I started to look around the room,
walking along the perimeter and looking at everyone and everywhere at the
same time. The band had just started playing another slow tune, as I was
walking along the side I started on, when I saw a curtain covering an
archway. I wasn't sure what it obscured, so I decided to peek behind it.
That's when I found them. Trey and Dion were dancing in this little room,
using the curtain to block others from seeing what they were doing.
Neither of them saw me, as they were dancing with their eyes closed, so I
ducked my head back out and straightened the curtain. I thought it best to
let them enjoy their time alone. I thought about other conversations, when
Trey had complained about not being able to dance with Dion in public, so I
guess they had finally found their own way to do what they wanted to do. I
was happy for them.
I went back and joined the others, and I was soon being asked by Sally to
take another whirl around the floor. I guess it never crossed my mind
before, but Sally's career took up most of her life and she never had time
for a husband or family, but she still needed some companionship from time
to time and a chance to let loose and have some fun. I danced the next
several dances with her and the boys couldn't help making comments about
our 'old-fashion' dancing style. We waltzed and diid the jitter-bug, and I
must admit that we moved well together, and the boys did tell us later that
we were pretty good at it. We thanked them and told them they did all
right out there too.
As midnight neared, we all grouped together around our tables, ready to
whoop it up and wish each other a Happy New Year. We joined in the big
countdown, walked around making our greetings, using our noisemakers, and
exchanging kisses and/or hugs. Even Sammy and Andrew's grandparents got
into this, and they would bow, then hug the person, and then kiss them on
the cheeks. I guess they were combining several traditions at once. We
stayed around for another hour or so, before we decided to head home.
Having taken various vehicles, we didn't have to wait for each other. I
took the boys who had to drop the dates off at their own houses, and then
we'd wait for that boy to say his good-byes. Some were very quick about
it, while others took quite a bit longer. I'm glad that I had driven that
group back, so the others wouldn't have to wait around throughout this
procedure. By the time we arrived home, most of the boys were already
asleep on the floor of the living room, but Brent was sitting upon the
sofa-bed, waiting for my arrival. As I walked into that room, he came over
and hugged me and thanked me for the great time. He said his parents had
never taken him out for New Year's before. He said that if his parents did
go out, they left him at home with a sitter or shipped him off to a
friend's house. He told me that this was the greatest New Year's he'd ever
had, and that he hoped the rest of the year would be as wonderful. Even
though I don't think he did it intentionally, I think I was getting backed
into a corner about letting him stay with us. How could I not keep him
now?
I went out and used the toilet and brushed my teeth, and he was still
waiting for me when I came back. He asked me if he could sleep with me, or
if he should sleep on the floor with the boys, and I told him that he could
choose whichever he wanted to do, it was entirely up to him. He quickly
threw back the covers and hopped into bed, waiting for me to get in before
he pulled them back up. He sidled up against me, as I settled in, and soon
he was sleeping and drooling onto my chest. It was cute, but slightly
uncomfortable with that small pool of moisture collecting over my heart. I
wasn't about to move him though, as he was enjoying a little fatherly
attention, so I just folded back a portion of the sheet and wiped off the
mess. He was still cuddled up against me like that when I awoke later.
Later New Year's Day, some of the guests began to leave. The Lawrences
were the first to leave, and they took Carlos and his mother back home on
their way. The Spences left next, and they offered to give Sammy and
Andrew's grandparents a ride to catch their flight. Mr. Spence had again
rented a car and driver to take them home, and the airport wouldn't be that
far out of the way for them. The other couple agreed and soon they were on
their way. The two sets of grandparents had become close during their
stay, and it was only logical that they spend this last hour or so
together. My daughter left next, but the other two couples stayed on, as
the husbands wanted to watch the football games. My oldest son and
son-in-law were big sports fans, so they had taken the next day off from
work, so they could enjoy the late game. So some of the other boys and I
went in to join them.
The boys with girlfriends spent some of their time on the phone, discussing
the previous evening and talking about upcoming events, including returning
to school. Frankie now had a girlfriend too, and he was a totally
different young man than he had been when he had first joined us. In fact,
he went out of his way to do things with the other boys, especially Trey
and the younger ones, and he loved his role as 'uncle' to my grandchildren.
He even rocked and fed the baby, giving my daughter-in-law a chance to
relax. Trey and Dion were off on their own, and I never told them I saw
them dancing the night before. They were like two love-struck puppy dogs,
following each other around constantly, and everyone just instinctively let
them be alone. The other boys entertained themselves, playing games or
using the computers, and the day went by all too quickly.
That night I had my bedroom back for the first time since the holidays had
begun. The football game had ended and everyone had turned in, so I
decided that I too would go to bed. When I opened the door to my room,
there was Brent sitting naked on my bed. It appeared that he had just
taken a quick shower and he hadn't gotten dressed yet. I apologized and
started to back out of the room, but he told me to not be silly and come on
in. He said that he didn't mind if I saw him without his clothes on. He
told me that now that I was going to be his father, he didn't mind it at
all. I made another mental note of his referring to me as his father, and
realized that I would have to find another situation for him soon or accept
the fact that I had a new boarder. He didn't seem to be modest at all,
taking his time drying himself off and giving me a good show as he did so.
After he put on his underwear, he crawled under the covers, taking up more
than temporary residency in my bed.
We talked for a while before we went to sleep, and I found out a great deal
more about him. Brent's surname was Alexander and he told me that his
parents had never been very affectionate to him. They were always more
concerned with their careers, their friends, and their social status than
they were with him, that's why they didn't have any other children. We
discussed about his being gay and he told me he realized he was attracted
to boys in 5th grade. His class went on a weeklong nature campout and the
boys had to take showers in a large shower room with each other. He told
me he just got so excited seeing all those other naked boys and he was hard
most of the time. He said it was okay, because some of the other boys did
too, but he said that hadn't happened when he had done the old 'show and
tell' thing with girls from his neighborhood. After that, all he could
think about was naked boys. One of the other boys from that campout took a
chance and approached him a couple of weeks later, asking Brent to sleep
over at his house. After he arrived, they went up to play in the boy's
bedroom and they started talking about the campout. They both said they
saw the other one get hard in the shower, and his friend asked him if he
wanted to see if it would happen again. Brent agreed, so they both
stripped quickly, soon parading around in the clothing God gave them. As
soon as they looked at each other's naked bodies, they were sporting
miniature wood, and then they got the giggles. After a while, they got up
the courage to touch each other's penis and play with it again, then they
got nervous that they'd get caught, so they got dressed again. They played
like ordinary friends until bedtime and then they stripped down to their
underwear and got into the friend's bed together. After they were sure his
mother wasn't coming back, they removed the rest of their clothing and they
began to play around with each other some more. They kept it up on and off
all night, doing it one more time the next morning.
Over the next couple of years, these two got together as much as possible.
Often they would invite different boys to join them, to see if they could
get them to participate in these little games with them. Sometimes they'd
be successful and sometimes they weren't. If they were, they'd all strip,
fondle each other, and maybe do some mutual masturbation. That was all
that Brent had ever done, not yet having tried oral or anal sex. He had
just discovered Nifty a couple of weeks before he got caught and he got a
password to a gay photo site from an older cyber-friend. That's when his
dad found out about him and the proverbial shit hit the fan. We pretty
much knew the story from that point on, but he did tell me how happy he was
that we happened to stop and pick him up and he knew that he was going to
love living here, because he already did. Oh, damn. There it was again.
I knew now that I couldn't let this poor kid go. He'd just survived one
traumatic situation, so how could I make him think he wasn't wanted here.
He told me so many times how much he liked living here and having me for a
dad, and I just couldn't break his heart again. I met with some of the
older boys, trying to figure out how we were going to handle adding one
more, when Frankie came up with an excellent suggestion. He said we could
add some bedrooms in the attic, as that was just wasted space right now. I
wondered why I had never thought of that. I went straight to the phone and
paged my contractor and then I called Sally and told her Brent would be
staying. She was a little concerned about this, until I told her what we
were going to do, then she laughed and joked about hotel renovations. As
we continued to talk, the beep of call waiting sounded, so I bid her
good-bye and answered the call from the contractor. He said he'd be there
tomorrow, as things happened to be a little slow for him after Christmas.
This would be perfect.
The contractor arrived the next morning and we discussed what I was looking
to do. He checked out the area, measured what he needed to measure, and
then he left. He told me he would work something up and bring the proposal
back to me the next day. True to his word, he came back with diagrams and
prices the next day. He said we'd have to add a permanent stairway to the
attic, and then we would leave the drop down ladder for emergency use. He
would put three small bedrooms and a full bath in the attic, plus he'd
include a storage area for the things we kept up there. Each bedroom would
have one window and he'd put a skylight in the bathroom. I okayed the
plans and he said he'd order or pick up what he needed that afternoon,
starting work the next day, if that was agreeable. I told him it was and
things were underway.
I met with all of the boys later that day and explained what would be going
on. Brent was all excited, because he thought we were doing all of this
just for him, which in a way we were. But it would also help out at other
times. Frankie and Pat each said they'd like one of those bedrooms, and I
told them that would be fine. I gave Brent the choice of Frankie or Pat's
old rooms, or the third new bedroom. He said he'd take the other new
bedroom, so things were all set on that front. It would take a couple of
weeks to complete everything, so everyone will stay where they were for
now.
During that same week, Danny and Brandon broke up with their girlfriends.
They both told me that they were doing this for several reasons. First,
they didn't enjoy going out with them. Second, they thought they were
being unfair to the girls by deceiving them. And last, they had to be who
they were and they didn't care any more who knew. They figured they only
had a year and a half at that school and then they'd be going off to
college, where no one would know them. Since they were planning to attend
the same college, they couldn't see any reason why they couldn't enjoy
themselves now. They wouldn't go announcing any of this to the school, but
they would no longer put up a front just to deflect criticism or abuse.
Somehow Mark had overheard our conversation and he now realized, for the
first time, that those two boys were gay. I guess he had never thought
about it or considered that before. None of us knew that he was aware of
this fact, at least not until Mark stopped to talk to them one night. He
went to their bedroom and knocked on the door.
"Hi, guys. May I come in and talk with you?" They told him 'sure' and
then looked at each other, wondering what was up. He shut the door and
went over and sat on the bed next to them. "I overheard you guys talking
to Pop today. I wasn't eavesdropping or anything, but I did hear what you
told him. I didn't know you guys were gay."
Danny and Brandon looked at each other, the shock registering on their
faces, and then they looked at Mark. "Does that bother you?" Danny asked
him.
"Heck, no," Mark told them. "I like you guys because of who you are, not
because of who you like. Even though I'm not gay, it doesn't mean I can't
have gay friends."
You could hear a collective sigh from the two boys as he said this, and
then Brandon spoke to Mark. "I'm glad you feel that way. We didn't want
to lose you as a friend."
"Don't worry, you won't. Heck, if it weren't for the two of you, I'd never
have been invited to join you on that trip and Pop would never have offered
me the summer job and done all this other stuff for me. I owe you both
big-time and nothing could ever make me feel any differently about you."
"Thanks. That means a lot to both of us," Danny told him. "You're a
really cool guy and we both like having you as a friend. I'm glad you're
not homophobic."
Mark chuckled. "Nope, no way. I don't mind if you love another guy, it
just leaves more girls for me to choose from." They had a quick chuckle
over that. "You guys didn't happen to have a crush on me that first time,
did you? Is that why you were so nice?" Mark was still grinning, but the
boys weren't sure how to respond to this.
"Well, you are really good looking," Brandon answered, "and we might have
been hoping you were gay too, but we wouldn't have tried anything if you
weren't."
"I didn't mean that in a negative way. I was just wondering. In fact, I
guess I might even be flattered that you were interested." Mark let out a
healthy guffaw after that. "Whatever the reason that you started talking
to me and invited me to go with you, I'm still thankful and glad that you
did. Don't worry, I won't tell anyone your secret and I won't treat you
any differently."
"Thanks, Mark," Danny responded, "I'm glad we did too. I'm also glad you
know about us, because that makes it a whole lot easier. We wanted to tell
you before, but we didn't know how you'd react."
"That's okay. I understand where you're coming from. So, are you two
boyfriends?"
"Yeah, we have been for a very long time."
"Hey, that's great. You two do look good together and you do seem to like
each other a lot."
"We love each other," Brandon corrected him, "and we plan to be together
always."
"Good for you," Mark told them. "I hope you're always as happy or happier
than you are now." The boys smiled at him and everything was cool. "Are
any of your brothers gay too?"
"Yeah," Danny responded. "Some are gay, some might be bi, and some are
straight. But none of us really cares who is which way."
"That's cool. I kind of thought that Trey and Dion might be gay. They
tend to stare at each other a lot and they get these strange expressions on
their face when they do. I actually think they're cute together, but they
better be more careful around other people, if they don't want someone else
to figure that out. If I noticed it, then it must be pretty obvious. I
don't usually pick up on things like that, because I don't care one way or
the other, but I'm sure there are those who do."
"Yeah, and we do tend to worry about guys who think like that. Not because
we're scared, but they tend to be cowards and attack in packs, like wolves.
You hardly ever see one of those guys go at it alone. They generally need
three or more to attack one gay guy. Must be they're afraid we might kick
their asses." He chuckled nervously after he said that, but everyone
understood his point.
"I guess I never thought about that before," Mark told him, "but you're
right. Every case I've heard of, the attackers either outnumbered their
victims or had weapons. And they claimed the fags are wimps." he stopped
after saying that, knowing he had misspoken and possibly used a term he
shouldn't have.
"That's okay, Mark," Danny assured him. "We even use that term, just not
too often. I just wish there were more open-minded people like you in this
world, and then we wouldn't have to worry about what we said and how we
said it." They agreed on this point and then sat around and chatted about
other things until it was time to go to bed. They parted happy and feeling
better that things were out in the open, and they all had learned a little
more about each other.
By the second week after New Year's, Sally and her friend had talked
Brent's parents into giving up custody. They cut a deal with them,
reducing the child abandonment and neglect charges to something less
severe, and they would be sentenced to do community service instead of jail
time. At first they were going to fight it but, when they realized they
were going to lose anyway, they took the less severe option. Baltimore
D.S.S. transferred the case to Sally's jurisdiction and she placed Brent,
legally, with us. He was jumping all around when she told him the news,
and then he hugged us both, telling us he didn't doubt that we'd be able to
do this for him. Then he asked me if that meant I had adopted him. I told
him that took some time, but I was now his legal guardian.
Mark spent much of those two weeks working with his mentor, learning the
intricacies of the accounts, how the investments were chosen, and how the
money was split up. A certain percentage was kept in a money-market
account, so checks could be cut as needed, but the rest was split up and
invested somewhat conservatively. Part was invested in bonds, preferred
stocks, and utilities, to generate income and be fairly negotiable, while
the rest was invested in various stocks, looking for medium to long-term
growth. Mark was listed on all accounts as a legal financial
representative of the charity, and he was given a couple of accounts to
handle personally. The only stipulation was that he couldn't make any
changes in the account without getting approval from his mentor first. He
could just type an email, stating what he proposed, with a detail
explanation or justification for what he wanted to do. His boss would then
accept, modify, or reject the proposal. If he rejected it, he would state
his reasons and possibly give an alternative suggestion, so Mark could
learn from it. Mark liked this arrangement and he dove into his work
eagerly. He could continue serving in this capacity while away at school,
as I supplied him with a high-powered computer and fax/scanner/printer, and
I picked up the cost of having his own phone line installed in his room.
He would also get a monthly stipend for his efforts. When he left, he was
excited about being able to get experience like this and even more excited
about coming back for the summer.
The contractor finished the job of upgrading the attic just before Mark was
scheduled to leave, so he gave everyone the grand tour of the new area.
There were three bedrooms, each of which would be comfortable with a single
bed, dresser, desk, and they each had an ample closet. The bathroom had a
fairly large shower stall, which could easily accommodate two boys at once,
a toilet, sink, and cabinets. There was a separate door into the storage
area and the whole thing had turned out fantastic. I told the boys we'd
have the furniture delivered the next day, as we had ordered it when the
contractor started his job, and they could sleep in their new rooms the
next night. They were happy with that and they started planning how they'd
arrange everything.
That night, Brent slept with me for the final time. I thought he'd be all
excited, but he was actually a little sad. When I asked him what was
wrong, he looked down before he answered. "I don't want you to think I'm
being selfish or anything, but I really like sleeping with you. My dad
never even told me he loved me and he would never have let me sleep with
him or hugged me like you do. I guess I don't want that to end."
"It doesn't have to," I tried to reassure him. "You can join me anytime
you're feeling lonely or need some special attention. The other boys do
that from time to time too."
"But I don't want you to think that I don't appreciate what you've done.
You went and had all those bedrooms added because of me and they're nice
and all, but I'll be all alone again."
"No you won't. Believe me, one thing that will never happen in this house
is that you will be all alone...even if you want to be."
He smiled at that comment and came over and hugged me, so I kissed him on
the forehead and hugged him back. He pulled back and looked at me, then
spoke again. "It's just that when I'm with you, I know that you love me.
I can feel it when you hold me, or when you kiss me on the top of my head.
Nobody's done that to me since my mother, but that was only when I was
little. Even she hasn't done it for a few years. I just feel so special
at night when you hold me that way."
"Well, that doesn't have to end. Like I told you, you can come to me
anytime and I can hold you and be affectionate other times too, like when
we're watching TV or a video or when we're just sitting around relaxing.
You can come to me whenever you want and I'll make sure you know how much
you're loved."
Brent blushed a little this time, maybe because he thought he had been
begging for attention, but I assured him that I felt the same way about
him. He smiled again and we got into bed. He snuggled up against me one
more time, I kissed him on the top of his head and said good night, and he
just turned his head on my chest, so he could see my face, and he
whispered, 'Night, Dad'. Then he situated himself in his favorite
position, with his head just above my heart, and fell asleep.
The rest of the month of January went by quickly, including the two snow
days during which we all enjoyed an extra day off from school. During that
month, Kevin and Frankie took their written test for their permit, but
their driving lessons wouldn't begin until I took the others for their road
test, and that wouldn't be scheduled until late March or early April,
depending on the weather. Kevin and Frankie had both studied really hard
for this and they passed it on their first try. They were both pretty
proud when they came home and announced that fact to their brothers,
knowing that they were on their way to getting their licenses.
Those practicing for their road test were getting better all the time. I
would even take them out to practice on snowy and icy conditions in the
various parking lots, so they could learn how to handle the car in bad
weather. I taught them about braking on slippery roads, how to handle it
when your car started to fishtail, and I advised them on the little secrets
for starting up on slippery surfaces. They got a real good lesson one day,
totally by accident. We were driving along in the van when I rounded a
curve in the road and hit an icy patch on the road. It was a part of the
road covered by shadows, keeping one remaining treacherous spot on an
otherwise dry roadway. The back of the van started sliding one way and
then the other, and I kept turning the steering wheel into the slide.
Eventually I got the vehicle back under control and the kids started
breathing again. After we all regained our composure, we talked about what
had happened, how I had done the things I had been trying to teach them,
and how it had corrected the problem. I think that was a lesson they
wouldn't soon forget.
As February began, three of the boys approached me with a problem. It was
Danny, Dion, and Nick. It seemed like a strange combination, but I sat
down with them and listened to what they had to say. It seemed that Danny,
being the oldest, had been selected to be spokesman for the trio. "Dad, we
have something we'd like to do, but we don't know how to pull it off," he
told me.
"Well, why don't you tell me what it is you want to do, and I'll see if I
can come up with some options for you."
"It's about Valentine's Day, Dad," Dion interrupted. "We want to plan a
special date with our boyfriends, but we don't know how to do it or where
to go."
"Well what kind of ideas did you have? Was there something specific you
wanted to do on this date?" The boys looked at each other.
"Well," Danny began, "we thought a nice romantic dinner would be nice."
"With dancing," Dion added.
"Then we'd give them cards and candy, or something like that," Nick added.
I was really surprised that Nick had become a romantic and got involved in
something like this.
"Okay. I think I've got a good idea about what you want. Could you give
me a couple of days to think about it?"
"Yeah, but don't take too long," Danny reminded me. "Valentine's Day is
only a couple of weeks away and we haven't got very much time to pull this
off."
"I know, and I promise not to take any longer than necessary. It's just
that I tend to come up with better ideas when I've been able to sleep on
it."
"Okay, fair enough," Nick told me. "Just let us know if you think of
anything."
I assured them I would and they left, satisfied that I'd figure something
out for them. I thought about it the rest of the night, only coming up
with a few vague ideas. I went to bed and was nearly asleep when
everything came together in my mind. I got up and wrote down several
notes, so I wouldn't forget them by morning, and I'd discuss them with the
boys the following evening. I can't be positive, but I think they'll like
what I came up with.
* * * * * * * *
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.