Date: Tue, 8 May 2001 00:49:28 EDT
From: Bwstories8@aol.com
Subject: The Castaway Hotel-book 4   chapter 6

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.

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 6 - Learning to cope.                                       March 2001

Pat began handling the situation quite well.  He was really trying to do
things for himself, though he did sometimes need assistance.  The first few
nights he woke me every time he needed to use the toilet and I would lead
him over, line him up with the bowl or help him find the seat, and then I'd
lead him back.  After that, he counted the number of steps between the two
rooms and he'd use his hands to feel his way there.  About the only thing I
was really doing for him was putting the salve on his face and bandaging
his head.  He was doing his best, just in case he did have permanent
damage, but we all tried not to dwell on that possibility.  Finally it came
time for the first of his two doctors' appointments, and I drove him to see
the doctor I talked to at the emergency room.

When we got to the office, we did the same thing we had been doing to get
around.  Pat put his hand on my arm and followed my lead and I told him
about anything coming up which might give him difficulty.  We did get more
than a few stares as we walked along and I was glad that Pat couldn't
actually see that.  We sat in the waiting room for about fifteen minutes
and I tried to keep Pat engaged in conversation, so he didn't have a chance
to think about the things he could do just then.  Finally one of the nurses
came out and paged us, led us back to one of the examination rooms, and I
helped Pat sit on the examination table, while I took a seat on a chair.
It was about ten more minutes before the doctor finally arrived.

The doctor came in and said hello, then he asked Pat how he'd been doing
and feeling.  Pat told him that he'd been doing fine and that he hadn't had
a lot of pain or discomfort.  The doctor then asked me how he was handling
everything and I told him that Pat had been a real trooper and he had
handled everything very well.  The doctor congratulated him for not letting
this get him down, and then he began to cut off this latest set of
bandages.  He examined his face completely, looking at all the areas
affected by the chemicals and then he turned to speak with both of us.

"The skin tissue is coming along nicely, but there will be some scarring on
the face, especially around the eyes.  We may be able to correct some of
that with plastic surgery later, but that will be up to the two of you.
I'm not qualified to tell you about his eyes, but you should be getting
that information from his ophthalmologist.  Do either of you have any
questions you'd like to ask?"

I let Pat go first and he asked the doctor to point out on his face how
much area he was talking about.  He couldn't really tell from my caring for
him, because I spread the cream on surrounding areas too.  The doctors used
his finger to trace around the areas and Pat was somewhat relieved when he
discovered it was a smaller are than he suspected, because of my
treatments.  Then he asked the doctor how they would fix the damaged skin
and how long it would take.  The doctor answered him very honestly, gave
him the information, and even anticipated future questions and answered
them too.  I could tell that Pat was absorbing all of this information and
that he was playing the process over in his mind, deciding whether he might
want to go through what was described in the future.

Most of what I was planning to ask had already been asked and answered, so
I merely pursued a few details concerning the proposed treatment, like how
much recovery time would be needed for Pat after the procedure, possible
side-effects, and how soon we had to decide whether or not to do this.
Once we had all of our answers, the doctor bandaged Pat once more and we
headed home.

We were both fairly quiet on the way back, as we were both thinking about
the information we had been given and considering the ramifications of
following this course of treatment.  I know Pat was considering it from the
point of view of how he would look and would he still be attractive to the
girls, but I was looking at it from the perspective of whether it would
improve his quality of life in his future, in both work and social
environments, and whether it would change his perception about himself and
how he might approach the rest of his life.  Before I knew it, we were
pulling back into our driveway, having made the trip back home.  Once we
got inside, I decided that it might be the appropriate time for a
discussion about this.

"Pat, I know you've been thinking about this.  Have you made a decision
yet?"

"I think I'd like to have it done, Dad, especially if I still have my
eyesight.  I don't want people looking at me and thinking of me as some
kind of freak or monster."

"I can understand that, but the doctor says there will still be some
scarring."

"I know, but as long as we can keep it to as little as possible.  I know
it's not going to be easy either way, but I think I can handle it better if
it's not too bad.  I just wonder how the girls will react to me now."

"Pat, those who would let something that small effect their judgment of you
probably aren't worth the effort anyway.  Those who are worth it will be
able to look past those small imperfections and see the great guy
underneath.  I don't think you'll have to worry about that."

"Are you sure?  I'm almost afraid to go to school, because I don't want
them to see me like this."

"Well, you won't be going for a while anyway.  We'll arrange for tutors to
come to the house until you are ready to cope again."

"Can you get tutors who I don't know?  I don't want anyone who knows me to
see me yet."

"Well, I think you're being overly sensitive but, yes, I can arrange that,
if that's what you truly want."

"I do, Dad, and I'll love you even more if you can do that for me."

"Oh, a bribe, huh.  Well, that isn't necessary, and I'll do that for you
anyway.  I'll set it up to begin sometime next week, depending on how soon
I can find people who are qualified."

That afternoon, the other boys wanted to know what Pat found out, so I let
him field all the questions.  His brothers urged him to have that plastic
surgery done, after reassuring him that it wasn't all that bad as it was.
We had the appointment with the ophthalmologist tomorrow, so we'd find out
more about his eyes then.  The boys were all very good telling him about
everyone who had asked about him and they had even gone to his classes and
got his assignments for him.  Completely on their own, the boys had decided
to split up the classes to help him with, each taking their best subject,
and reading the texts to him and trying to explain the lessons that he
missed.  The hardest subject to do this with was the math, as it's hard to
visualize formulas and problems you can't see.

It was after dinner when the doorbell rang and surprised us, as we weren't
expecting any visitors.  After thinking about it briefly, we assumed that
it might be one of Pat's friends, teachers, or someone else from the
school.  Nick happened to be nearest the door and answered it.  I heard him
talking to someone, but I couldn't make out whom it was or what the person
was saying before Nick invited him in.  Nick came walking over towards us,
with another young man following close behind.  They walked into living
room and up to where Pat was seated, and Nick announced the visitor was for
him.  That's when I learned that our guest was the boy who was responsible
for the accident in the chemistry lab.

"Man, I'm really sorry for what happened," the boy told Pat.  "It was all
my fault, cuz I wasn't paying attention to what I was doing.  I was in too
big a hurry.  I'm really sorry man, and I hope you're gonna be all right."

"I'm not sure about that yet," Pat told him, "but I know it was an accident
and you didn't do it on purpose.  I just wish that you had realized before
hand that there are just some places you can't rush or let your mind
wander."  The boy seemed hurt by Pat's comment, but he didn't argue.  I
think he knew Pat's analysis was correct.  Pat must have realized how harsh
that sounded too, because he softened his tone a little when he continued.
"Of course, maybe I shouldn't have taken my safety glasses off before I put
everything else away.  If I still had them on, I don't think anything would
have happened to me."

"Maybe, but I'm really sorry dude.  I know it doesn't mean much now, but I
am.  I've felt simply awful about this since it happened, especially when I
found out that it had burned your face and eyes like that."

"The doctor said that I will have some scars on my face, even with plastic
surgery, but we won't know about my eyes until tomorrow."

"I hope you get good news then.  I really feel terrible man, and I hope you
can forgive me."

"I know you didn't mean it and I don't hate you.  I guess I can forgive you
on one condition and that is like my dad always says, as long as you
learned from this mistake."  I kind of grinned from the other room, while I
heard some sniggering from some of the other boys.  I understood that the
boy took that comment in stride and shook his head in agreement.  "I did
dude, cuz I don't want to feel this bad again.  Can I do anything to help
or to make up for this?"

"Well, maybe you can help me with future labs and explain what I can't
see."

"I will, but I hope you will be able to see again and we can just be lab
partners or something.  I am really sorry about this."

"I know and you don't have to keep saying that.  You're forgiven.  Who
knows, it could have been me who did it to someone else instead of you.
I'll be fine, my dad will take care of that."  The last comment really hit
me hard.  I appreciated Pat's confidence in me, but I hoped he realized
that there is only so much I can do.  I think he'd be better off putting
his faith in God, but I'll assist as much as I can.  I just pray that I
don't disappoint him taking care of the things in my control.

The boys were all very good with Pat, especially Dustin, his former rival
in love.  I think he had some tinges of guilt over that altercation and he
tried to make up for it now.  He offered to help Pat to his room and told
him that he'd assist him during the night too, but Pat said he wasn't ready
for two flights of stairs yet.  He told Dustin he'd spend another night or
two with me, but he thanked Dustin for the offer and told him that he might
take him up on it soon.  Dustin merely grinned and told him that would be
fine, anytime he was ready.

It was now Friday, and Pat had his appointment with the eye doctor.  We
went through a similar waiting period at this office, though I brought some
magazines with me, so I could read some articles to Pat and explain what
they were about.  The time passed better today than at the other office.
When the doctor finally took us in and examined Pat, we held our breath
while the doctor made his observations, asking Pat questions as he went.
We he finished, he asked me if I would join him in the other room.

"Dad, please," Pat pleaded, "I want to know what he's going to say.  I'll
be okay and I can handle it."

"Okay, I agree with you.  You're old enough and mature enough for this, so
that's what we'll do."  The doctor looked at me as if I had three heads,
shrugged his shoulders, and then stood there.  I decide I would have to
react first.  "Doctor, I've always told my boys that I'll treat them as
adults as long as they acted like adults.  Pat has and he deserves to be
privy to what you're going to tell me."

"Hey, if you two agree, who am I to argue.  All right, this is what I've
discovered.  He has received damaged to both corneas, but the damage is
much worse to the right eye.  I doubt that he'll ever have any vision in
that eye again and there is too much damage to do anything for him.  The
left eye offers some hope.  I do believe he'll have limited vision in that
eye, being able to see shadows and vague shapes, though he will still be
legally blind in that eye too."  I saw Pat tense up and I watched as he
tried to maintain his composure.  "I'm sorry that I don't have better news
for you, but there has just been too much damage and I can't give you more
hope than that."

Now I saw Pat slowly exhale, but only out of necessity, and I could see the
disappointment etched on his face.  After a couple of minutes, he regained
his composure and then tried to find out exactly what he would be facing.
He began to question the doctor about his chances with both eyes, examining
the details about how much eyesight he might still have in that one eye,
and I just sat and listened.  Pat was very thorough, even asking the doctor
about the smallest detail about his options and just how much he'd be able
to see and do, and I saw that the doctor was even quite impressed with how
he handled himself.  For the most part I let the two of them discuss
everything with each other and I just sat back and listened.  When Pat had
asked all he could think of at that time, he just sat back and seemed to be
considering the information he had just received.  Just before we left, the
doctor spoke to me.

"I wasn't sure I agreed with you when you first wanted to include Patrick
on this discussion, but I now realize that you do know your son very well.
I would never have expected a boy his age to be able to deal with his
emotions and the ramifications of what I told him and still be able to
think clearly and ask some very pertinent questions.  I think you both
should be complimented, him for his maturity and you for doing such a fine
job raising him."

"Thank you, doctor, but I can't take all the credit.  Pat has only been
with me for a few years and he came to me with a certain amount of
maturity.  He proved that to me early, dealing with some problems within
the family when he first arrived.  Besides, I know that he'll recover
better being involved and having some control over what is going to happen
to him."

"Well, regardless of who guided him, he is a remarkable young man and I
will do everything within my power to help him adjust.  You both take care
and I'll see you again in another week.  Just have the receptionist set up
an appointment for you as you leave."

We thanked him, made the appointment, and started home.  In the van, Pat
didn't speak at first.  He just seemed to be mentally reviewing what he had
been told.  Eventually I spoke to him.  "Anything I can help with?" I
asked, hoping to get him to open up a little.

"Nobody can help me, I know that now.  I'm going to be blind and no one can
help."  He began to cry and I reached over and placed my hand on his leg,
trying to comfort him.  "Why did this have to happen to me, Dad?  I wasn't
dong anything wrong and I didn't cause this.  Why do I have to be the one
who's blind now?"

"I don't have an answer for that.  It was just an unfortunate accident.  It
could have happened to anyone."

"Then why didn't it?  Why did it have to happen to me?  Am I a bad person?
Is that why this happened to me?"

"No, Pat, you're not a bad person.  You were just in the wrong place at the
wrong time.  I don't know what else I can tell you."

"I don't know if I can do this.  I guess I never considered how much I
relied on my eyes until I didn't have them any more."

"It is very easy to take something like that for granted, but you can do
fine without them.  You've already proved that to an extent, as you've done
things for yourself since the accident, without too many problems."

"But I didn't know that I was always going to be blind then.  Dad, I don't
know how do blind people do it and I'm not sure if I can."

"Well, I guess it probably is easier for those who have been blind since
birth or since a very young age, as they might not be able to fully
understand or appreciate what they are missing, but those who lose their
eyesight later in life can end up doing just as well.  They can still lead
productive and fulfilling lives."

"I know, but they must be special people.  It would take a very strong
person to cope with that, or losing their speech, or hearing, or losing a
limb, or becoming paralyzed.  Having to cope with any of those problems
would be hard to adjust to and I'm not sure I can do that.  All I can think
about now is how most of the things I do now wouldn't be the same if I
couldn't see.  Either I wouldn't be able to do them or I couldn't do them
as I would want to."

"I can understand that and I can see how you'd be concerned.  Do you
remember learning about Helen Keller in school?  She was blind AND deaf,
but she graduated from college and went on to do great things.  You can
too, it's just that you have to believe in yourself first.  You'll never
know what you can accomplish until you try, but I think you're the type of
guy who can overcome any obstacle, no matter how great it is."

"I'm not sure about that.  I don't think I could have done what she did,
Dad.  I mean, I understand what you're trying to tell me, but I can't
imagine being happy without being able to see.  I wouldn't be able to watch
television or go to the movies.  I wouldn't be able to play sports or to
see what my girlfriend looks like.  And what kind of girl would want to go
out with a blind guy anyway?"

"Ones that aren't overly concerned with appearance or what others think."

"Yeah, the ugly ones, fat ones, and those who don't want to make themselves
look nice."

"And you wouldn't be interested in them?" I interrupted, knowing where he
was going with this.  "You'd let that bother you, even if they were willing
to overlook your scars and being blind?"

"I don't want someone who doesn't look good."

"What difference would that make, if you couldn't see them?"

"Well, other people would still be able to see them."

"And it wouldn't make a difference if they were nice, kind, considerate,
friendly, or if they liked or loved you?"

"Dad, I think I know what you're getting at, but I wouldn't want my friends
or brothers making fun of me because of what she looked like or whatever."

"Would these people make fun of you because you're blind?"

"That's a dumb question.  You know they wouldn't."

"Then why would they make fun of whatever girl you would want to be with?"

"It's not the same thing, Dad."

"Yes, it is, Pat.  They wouldn't make fun or you and they wouldn't make fun
of anyone you loved or chose to be with.  If they did, then they are the
ones not worth worrying about."  Pat started to open his mouth, but he
didn't say anything.  He closed his mouth again and then sat there for a
minute or so, thinking about something.  We he finally spoke, it was in a
very soft voice.

"Okay, maybe you're right about that, but I always saw myself having a cute
wife and cute kids.  How's that going to happen now?"

"It may or it may not, but I don't think it will hinge totally on whether
or not you are blind.  I do think you may have to reconsider or modify some
of your goals, but I don't think you'll have to make any drastic changes to
your life.  With the advances that are being made in technology every year,
someone could come up with a cure for your situation or come up with a
technology to help you become more productive.  It is even easier now than
when Helen Keller did it.  Look at what Stephen Hawkings has done, even
with his handicap.  He has come up with theories to challenge even the most
intelligent of people."

"Is he that scientist in the wheelchair?"

"Yes, the British physicist who has come up with possibilities about how
the universe expands, theories about black holes, and he even wrote a book,
'A Brief History of Time'.  He suffers from ALS (amyotrophic lateral
sclerosis), Lou Gehrig's Disease, but he didn't stop trying and coming up
with amazing discoveries.  He's in a wheelchair and can hardly do anything
for himself, without help or the aid of technology, but he never gave up
hope or stopped trying to do what he was capable of doing.  Without his
efforts, it may have been decades before we could have come up with the
theories or explanations he has set forth and advances in his field of
science would have been drastically slowed."

"Okay, I see your point, but why did this have to happen to me?  I'm not a
great thinker like he is and I'm only average in school."

"Look, Pat, I'm not sure if I can explain why bad things happen to good
people, but they do.  I've always heard that the Lord moves and operates in
mysterious ways, but there must be some reason why you were chosen in this
case.  Maybe you are the only one who could do something that needs to be
done, but only if you were like this.  I don't know."

"Like what?  What can I do?"

"I don't have the answer for that, but there must be something.  Some day
we might be able to look back and decide what that was but, for now, you'll
just have to try to do whatever you can to not let this effect you
negatively."

"I'll try, but it will be hard."

"I'm sure it will be, but I also know you can do it if anyone can."

"You really think so?"

"I have all the confidence in the world in you.  You're not going to let
this ruin your life.  It may change it, but you won't let it ruin it for
you."

"I hope you're right, and I'll do my best."

"That's all any of us could ask."  Pat went deep into thought after that,
and I was dying to know what he was thinking about.  As hard as it was, I
didn't bother him and left him to his thoughts until he decided to share
them with me.  A short time later he spoke again.

Dad, I think I have an idea.  Maybe we can help some handicapped kids with
the charity.  Maybe we could help them get the things they need to adjust
to their handicap or make it easier for their families to deal with them.
And if they don't have families, maybe we could help them get adopted.
What do you think about that, Dad?"

"I think that's a wonderful suggestion and I'll mention that to Sally next
time we speak.  We'd been considering hard to place children, but I think
that helping handicapped children is a stroke of pure genius.  See, already
you're proving how valuable you can still be."  Pat merely blushed and
didn't respond, but I knew he had taken our conversation seriously.  Even
though he had been tempted to wallow in self-pity, he had taken my advice
to heart and already tried to act on it.  It was then that I knew he would
do just fine.

That night Pat shared his idea with his brothers and they all thought it
was great.  Now the boys decided that they wanted to try to see what it was
like being blind as well.  They agreed to help each other try it, splitting
into pairs, with one taking a towel and covering their eyes for the rest of
the day and go until late afternoon the next day, and then they'd switch
places.  The other person was to make sure the 'blind' boy didn't get hurt
in the process and help them with whatever they would need along the way.
I was glad to see that they were willing to experience the hardships of
what it would be like to be blind and that they wanted to try to learn what
others have to go through and put up with when they are blind.  Although it
was a limited experience and would only give them a taste of what it was
really like, it would still let them appreciate it better than they could
without experiencing this for themselves.

I must admit that it was a rather interesting day, as the boys tried to do
for their partners what we had all done for Pat.  They helped them play
games, read stories, magazine articles, and the comics to them, but they
boys thought that most of those activities lacked the same attraction and
enjoyment they did when they could also see what was going on.  Then came
the meals.  Lunch and dinner were new lessons in patience and adjustment,
and there were more than a few accidents along the way.  Pat felt honored
that his brothers were doing all of this just to see what he was going
through, so they could understand it better and help him through it.  He
was right.  I was pretty impressed by that too.

By Saturday afternoon the 'blind' boys were more than ready to regain their
sight and switch roles.  That did not happen before they discussed what it
was like not being able to see, and they shared their thoughts and feelings
with the others who had gone through it at the same time.  One particular
disturbing time for them was when they awakened during the night or in the
early morning, forgetting about their temporary condition.  Some went
through more than a little distress during those times, believing something
was really wrong before they remembered their experiment.

The next group took their turn at being 'blind' and I was pleased to see
that those who had already gone through this weren't taking the lightly and
were trying to give their partners the benefit of what they had learned.
They would let them grope with something for a while before they'd give
them some advice, not wishing to interfere with their chance to learn from
this.  They would let the 'blind' partner almost become frustrated over
their inability to do something, before they'd actually give them help, and
then only enough to keep them from giving up.  They certainly didn't want
to make this easy for them or let them off without a true appreciation for
what it was like.  At meals we had a few more accidents, tipping, dropping,
and spilling things, but nothing too serious.  As the evening rolled
around, the boys led their partners to clean up, but they would not do it
for them, making them do everything for themselves.  Even the limited
sexual encounters were strictly a hands-on experience this time around.

Sunday morning things seemed to be fairly normal, though the boys decided
to end their experiment before we went to church.  They didn't think they
wanted to draw any more attention to Pat than would already be the case.
They continued their research throughout breakfast and while getting ready
for church, but they uncovered their eyes once we were in the suburban.  I
think everyone now had a better appreciation for what Pat was going through
and could better understand his fears and apprehensions.  Pat did take a
second to thank them all for going to all that trouble to understand what
was happening to him, as he felt good that they were willing to do that -
mainly for him.  They told Pat that this would help them to decide on how
they could best help him, yet try to keep him as independent as possible.
It was a very proud time for me, watching my boys learn lesson in humility,
empathy, and cooperation.

We arrived at the church, attending as usual, even though this time was
slightly different.  Pat stayed close to me, seeing this was one of his
rare appearances in public since the accident and he was afraid of the
reaction he would get from others.  Although he couldn't see them, there
were some stares, but most was just normal curiosity about his condition.
Many people came over to him and told him how sorry they were to hear about
his accident and that they were praying that things would work out for him.
Pat thanked them, realizing they were sincere in their comments, and we
went in and sat down for the service.  After the usual hymns to begin the
service, some announcements were made and then the sermon began.

"Today's sermon will be based on a inspirational piece written by Mary
Stevenson in 1936" the pastor began.  "I have chosen to use this as the
starting point today for many reasons, most of which revolve around people
blaming God for all the ills of the world, especially tragedy and illness,
and for thinking that God is just a figment of man's imagination, a way to
explain unexplainable events.  Well, I'm here to tell you that Jesus is our
rock and our foundation.  He is there for us when we need him most, and,
even though we don't understand why things have happened, he does have a
plan for us.  I am often comforted by the thought once told to me by my
mother, 'that when God closes a door, he usually opens a window'.  This has
always reassured me and helped me to realize that no matter what happens or
how bad it seems at the time, God often provides us with another path,
often equally as good as the one we were on.  I hope this also proves
comforting to you and that you will listen carefully to the words that I am
about to read to you.  This is simple piece is entitled, 'Footprints in the
Sand'.

"One night a man had a dream.  He dreamed he was walking along the beach
with the Lord.  Across the sky flashed scenes from his life.  For each
scene he notice two sets of footprints in the sand: one belonging to him,
and the other to the Lord.  When the last scene of his life flashed before
him, he looked back at the footprints in the sand.  He noticed that many
times along the path of his life there was only one set of footprints.  He
also noticed that it happened at the very lowest and saddest times in his
life.  This really bothered him and he questioned the Lord about it: 'Lord,
you said that once I decided to follow you, you'd walk with me all they
way.  But I have noticed that during the most troublesome times in my life,
there is only one set of footprints.  I don't understand why, when I needed
you most, you would leave me.'  The Lord replied: 'My son, my precious
child, I love you and I would never leave you.  During your times of trial
and suffering, when you see only one set of footprints, it was then that I
carried you."

The pastor paused here, letting the congregation absorb the meaning of
those words.  After the appropriate amount of time had passed, he began
again.  "If you will trust in him and lean on him in your times of need, he
will support you and even carry you when you are too weak to go on.  When a
door has been shut in your life, he will help you open a window and give
you other options.  If you are willing to look for those possibilities, you
will find the he will be there for you each and every time you need him and
he will always be there to help you go on."

After a few more hymns and some closing comments, the service was over and
we began to leave.  On the way out we said our good-byes and complimented
the minister on his sermon.  Before we left, he stopped to talk to Pat,
telling him that he hoped that he too found the strength to deal with his
problems and to call on the Lord for guidance during this difficult time.

"Do you really think he'll open a window for me?" Pat asked him.

"Yes, my son, I do.  You'll just have to be observant, so you will notice
it when it does open."

We thanked him again and began to head for the Suburban when Sally found
us.  She talked to all of us, told Pat she was sorry to hear about his
accident, and then we told her about Pat's suggestion that we help
physically handicapped children.  We gave her a quick rundown of what Pat's
intended and Sally thought that was a wonderful idea.  She said she would
explore it further, looking into institutions that dealt with such children
on a larger scale.  We both thanked her and then we headed home.

Some of the boys and I began to start our Sunday dinner when Pat asked to
speak to me.  I agreed and he asked to go into my room, so we could talk in
private.  We went in, sat on the bed, and Pat began to ask his questions.

"Do you think the minister was right when he said that God opens a window
when he closes a door?"

"Yes, I do, Pat.  When he closed a door to me after my wife died, I often
wondered if I'd ever feel needed or find happiness again.  That's when he
opened the window, making it possible for me to become a foster parent,
thus bringing all you boys into my life.  I believe he did a similar thing
later, when our family continued to grow and this began to put a strain on
our finances.  It was then that he guided Mr. Goldman into including us in
his will and leaving his life's savings to us.  Yes, Pat, God does open
windows when it seems he has shut a door."

"What do you think that will mean for me?  What kind of window do you think
he'll open for me?"

"I have no way of knowing that, but I'm sure something will come up.  It
may just be a way to cope with your condition, new options to choose from,
maybe a new insight into your life, or maybe a way to help others in
similar conditions.  Maybe that's why you came up with the idea of having
the charity help physically handicapped children cope with their condition
or find new homes.  I doubt that would have come to you without this having
happened to you, so maybe that was one of the windows that opened.  There
may be other things too, but only time will tell and I'll pray that he
makes the signs obvious enough that you don't miss them."

"Thanks, Dad, and I hope both you and the minister are right then."  As I
got up to leave, Pat asked to stay there and think for a while longer, so I
let him lie on the bed while I went to fix the meal.  I knew he would have
to solve many of these things for himself, and I could only guide him when
he wished me to, but his greatest struggles would still lie ahead.

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