Date: Wed, 22 May 2002 19:46:42 EDT
From: Bwstories8@aol.com
Subject: The Castaway Hotel - Book 5  chapter 8

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 and to Ataan for his suggestions about the storyline.

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.

                  *    *     *     *     *     *     *     *

Author's note: This chapter is dedicated to a special young man who got
involved with something he wasn't ready to handle.  Justin, if using what
happened to you can help to save one young life, then somehow your loss
might be vindicated and give some purpose to this tragedy.  If you're
messing around with AEA or thinking about it, please read this chapter
carefully, maybe it will give you something more to consider.

                   *    *     *     *     *     *     *     *

The Castaway Hotel-Book 5-by BW (Young-Friends).  Copyright 2002 by billwstories
Chapter 8 - Coping with our losses.               February 2002

The boys had already gone back to school after the holidays, although the
college boys had a couple more weeks at home.  Before the time approached
to take Dustin and Frankie back to their respective campuses, the addition
was completed and Vinnie was able to move into his new room.  He was very
pleased with everything that had been done, including his direct access to
the Jacuzzi, and immediately he began to invite groups of two or three of
the others to join him for a little time in water.  They all seemed to have
a good time with this, and it gave them additional time to bond with their
newest brother, so all and all it was turning out to be a great thing.
Unfortunately, the fact that Vinnie now had his own room was both a source
of pride and annoyance for him, but I figured that wouldn't last for long,
as Kevin would probably be spending most of his time in Vinnie's room from
that point on.

The next weekend also happened to be Carlos' birthday, and I told his
mother that we'd drive out to help him celebrate turning 16.  Even though
Carlos and his mother didn't live with us, we still considered them part of
our family, but they had become close to others where they live, so they
weren't as dependent on us as they once were.  Carlos seemed excited to see
us, running around excitedly to greet each one, and then he took a bunch of
the boys on a tour of his neighborhood.  While they did that, the rest of
us stayed and talked to his mother, catching up on everything that had
happened since our last visit.  We talked briefly about Brent's death and
my heart attack, but then she filled us in about some of the new people in
their lives.  It seems that she even has a gentleman friend she is seeing
on a fairly regular basis.  After this discussion, I had the boys go out to
the van and carry in the belated Christmas presents from our family, just
some things we thought they might appreciate. I had the boys stack Carlos'
Christmas and birthday presents off to the side, so they'd be all in one
place when he returned.

His mother told us that it wasn't going to be a very big or fancy party,
but she had allowed Carlos to also invite a few of his friends from the
school and the neighborhood.  I told her that was nice and I was looking
forward to meeting some of these other people, and she seemed pleased by my
response.  Although I think she knew us well enough to realize this
wouldn't bother us, she was still relieved to know that for sure.  I'm sure
that she had other instances, either with her own family or had seen it
happen with others, when family who had traveled from out of town were
somewhat annoyed that they weren't the center of attention during their
visit.  I went on to reassure her that this was Carlos' day, and that we
were just there to support him and share in his joy.  She gave me a hug
after that and we waited for the boys to return.

A short while after Carlos and the others returned, his friends also began
to arrive.  It was kind of neat when he introduced us as 'his other family'
and then referred to me as his dad.  I think that was important to him, to
have that father-figure in his life, but it also gave me a warm glow to
know he felt that way about me.  It wasn't in response to what he said, but
I suggested that I wanted to take everyone out to dinner.  At first Carlos'
mother balked at the idea, because she didn't want me spending that kind of
money, but I also wasn't about to take no for an answer.  After several
minutes of reasoning with her, she finally gave in and we took them and
their other guests out to eat.  These other kids weren't used to
frequenting an establishment as nice as the one we picked out, and possibly
they were a bit underdressed for the occasion, but the employees were
extremely understanding and treated us all very well.  We had a great time,
and I enjoyed watching those kids eat so well, and it was a major treat for
them.  Carlos reveled in his role as host and the center of attention,
taking full advantage of this opportunity.

After the meal was over, we went back to their house and had cake and ice
cream for dessert.  After that, we let Carlos open his gifts, which also
impressed his friends, as he got some items that they might have liked to
have themselves, but couldn't afford.  When he was finished opening his
gifts, I talked them into letting me take everyone to the movies, as one
more special treat.  Again I received some protestations from Carlos'
mother, but she knew she was fighting a losing battle.  Once she gave in,
we looked in the newspaper and selected a movie geared toward the kids.  It
was a bit juvenile at times, but still kind of funny, and there was enough
there for all to enjoy.  When the movie let out, we took Carlos' friends to
their own homes, and then we took him and his mom back to their place.  We
said good-bye, exchanged hugs, handshakes, and many thank yous before it
was done, and then we drove back to our own home.  All in all, it was a
very good day.

When the following weekend arrived, it was time to take Frankie and Dustin
back to college.  I let Jake take Dustin, as I had planned to take Frankie,
so we could spend time talkinng to Tom about his recent hi-jinks. Frankie
and I arrived shortly after noon on Sunday, but Tom hadn't arrived as of
yet.  I helped Frankie take his things to his room, and then we wandered
around the campus for a while, before we went back to his dorm room.  We
were surprised to discover that Tom still wasn't there.  We waited in his
room a little longer, thinking he would walk through the door any moment,
but he still didn't surface.  By this time we were getting quite hungry, so
we decided to go out to eat, figuring he'd be there after we got back from
dinner.  When we returned to Frankie's room, he still wasn't there, but
soon there was a knock at the door.  Frankie opened it, only to be greeted
by the Dean of Students.

"Mr. Currie?" he asked, making sure he had the right room.

"Well, my dad is Mr. Currie," Frankie told him, "but I'm a Currie too."
The man didn't seem to see any humor in that comment.

"I'm sorry that I have to be the one to inform you about this sad news, but
your roommate will not be returning to school."

"Why?  What happened?" Frankie asked him, quite shocked by this disclosure.
The gentleman looked at me before he responded.

"It seems he passed away from some sort of accident over the holidays," he
ttold us, quite dryly.  It wasalmost as if he was telling us Tom was sick
with a cold, or something minor like that.  I jumped up at this point and
walked over to Frankie, who was beginning to react somewhat negatively to
this news and the method it had been presented to us.  After I calmed him
down, I questioned the man further.

"Can you tell me what happened to him and when?" I inquired.  The man's
eyes dropped downward, and he looked at the floor momentarily, before his
head lifted up again. This time he looked at my face, though avoiding my
eyes, and then he shared what information he had.

"We were first led to believe that it was a suicide, but then we were
informed it was an accidental hanging," he reported, again quite
matter-of-factly.  "I'm under the impression that it happened either on New
Year's Eve or early New Year's Day.  I'm sorry that I had to be the one to
inform you of this, and I'd like to offer my sincerest condolences."

Needless to say, I was still quite stunned by this news, but I had to have
more information.  "Excuse me, but do you know if they've had the services
for him yet?"

"I believe they have," he responded.  "I was led to understand that the
viewing and services were held a few days later."

"Why didn't they call us at home and tell us this information, so we could
have attended the funeral?" I asked, somewhat perturbed.  "My son was quite
close to this boy and he had been to our home over Thanksgiving break."

"I'm afraid that we were only notified about all of this a few days ago
ourselves.  In fact, it basically started off with them just telling us
that the young man wouldn't be returning to classes.  We only learned of
his death when the secretary questioned the reason he was dropping out.  I
believe it was a friend or neighbor who phoned us, and they weren't all
that forthcoming with details, unless we pursued the issue."

"That seems to fit with what I know about the family," I added, dryly,
"because Tom informed us that he didn't think they were too concerned about
him.  He indicated that he longed for their love and attention, but they
were too wrapped up in their own lives to care.  I think that's why Tom got
involved in such a dangerous activity."

"You knew about this unusual proclivity?" he asked, astonished.

"We knew a little about it, as Frankie had discovered him unconscious in
his dorm bed one day.  Frankie talked to him about the seriousness of
continuing this activity, and that's why I came here with Frankie today.
We were planning to talk to Tom about this together, to convince him that
it wasn't something he should be messing around with."

"But why didn't you inform the administration about any of this?"

"Primarily because all of this came to our attention just before the
Christmas break, and we thought that Frankie's discussion with him would be
enough until they returned for classes.  There was another student who got
him involved in this in the first place, or so we understand."

"Do you know this student's name?"

I looked at Frankie, nodding at him to let him know he should divulge this
information.  Frankie was still a little reticent, so I made my next
comments aloud.  "Frankie, tell the Dean this other boy's name, before
anything like this happens to him.  This is dangerous stuff they're messing
with, and it's bad enough we lost Tom before we could convince him of this,
so let's not make the same mistake twice."

Frankie did as I asked, telling the Dean the boy's identity, and then I
made my next request to the administrator.  "Would you mind if I take
Frankie with me for a few of days, to help him get through this?  I'm sure
he won't be able to focus on his studies right away."

"Under the circumstances, that might be best.  I'll clear everything with
his professors, but he'll have to make up all missed work once he has
returned."

"And do you think you might be able to share Tom's home address with us," I
asked the Dean, "as we'd like to visit his parents and offer our sympathy."

"That would be highly irregular, but under the circumstances I don't see
the harm.  Just remember that the school never gave you this information,
and that Tom must have given the address to your son before any of this
happened."

I assured him we would protect the school and not divulge our source, and I
went with him to his office, to get the information while Frankie gathered
up the few things he might need.  I also called home from the Dean's
office, to tell the boys that I'd be away for a couple of extra days, and
then I got Frankie and we left to visit Tom's home.  We arrived late that
night, too late to call on them, so we took a room at a local motel.  We
would go to see Tom's parents the following day, and I would try not to
prejudge them or make assumptions about how they would act before then.

We didn't get up very early that morning, as neither of us had slept very
well, probably because we were both feeling a little guilty that we had not
acted sooner or more forcefully, thus preventing what had followed.  After
having a late breakfast, I asked for directions to the street where Tom's
family lived, and we drove directly there.  His mother answered the door,
looking somewhat confused about who we were and why we were there, so we
explained the connection.  Almost immediately she invited us inside, but
she was quick to explain that Tom's father had gone to work and was not
around.  She was very gracious, although you could tell she had been
grieving, so she obviously cared more than any of us had suspected.  She
said that she knew who we were, as Tom had mentioned us to her before, and
she thanked us for letting him visit our home at Thanksgiving.  We told her
that we had been fond of Tom and were saddened to learn of his death, and
she seemed to open up more at that point.

"I realize now that my husband and I were never very good parents to him,"
she sobbed.  "We had become so involved in our own lives and careers that
he must have thought that we forgot about him.  We made excuses for this,
by telling ourselves that he was old enough to not need us any more, but
that was more for our own peace of mind, rather than being the truth.  It
seems like he did need us, and we let him down.  I haven't been able to go
back to work since, thinking I might have been able to prevent this from
happening, if I'd only given him a little bit of my time."

"You can't beat yourself up over this.  Even if you talked to him on a
regular basis, you might not have been able to keep him from doing such
things.  Tom was a great kid, so you must have had some positive influence
on him while he was growing up."

"Maybe when he was younger, but I'm afraid not since he reached his teens.
Looking back now, I think he had to pretty much take care of himself, from
that age on."

"I wish we could have been here for his funeral," I told her.  "I think all
my boys would have wanted to come and say good-bye."

"We were too upset to think straight after it happened, and we were busy
blaming ourselves for his death.  I'm sure there were many people we forgot
to notify."

"Well, there's nothing we can do to change that now.  Just accept our
heart-felt sympathy and our offer to be there for you, should you need
anything in the future."

"You're so very kind to offer, and I'm glad that Tom had you in his life,
if only for a short time."

 "Well, my son and I have been talking, and there's something we'd like to
do in Tom's memory.  Maybe we can use his accident to alert others of the
dangers of this activity, and keep them from making the same tragic
mistake."

"Then you know how he died?"  She looked puzzled now.

"Not exactly, but we have our suspicions.  It's something that seems to be
gaining popularity at schools and college campuses right now."

"Really?  I'd never even heard about it before."

She went on to explain that she and her husband had gone out on New Year's
Eve, leaving Tom home alone.  They had understood he was going to go out
with some friends, and possibly stay over with one of them, so they were
surprised to see his light on in his room when they arrived home around
3:00 a.m.  His father went to his room, thinking he had merely forgotten to
turn off the light when he left, but he found the door blocked.  He tried
to push the door open, but something seemed to be lodged behind it, but he
finally got it open far enough to squeeze through the crack in the door.
When he did, he found Tom's naked, discolored body, a rope tied around the
doorknob and then around his neck.  She began to sob at this point, and
Frankie and I both tried to calm her down and comfort her.  When she
regained he composure again, she continued.

She told us that they thought he had hanged himself at first, until the
medical examiner discovered Tom had ejaculated shortly before he died and
then put the pieces of the puzzle together.  They were shocked to learn
that such an unusual gratification technique even existed, and they were
even more surprised that Tom had been practicing it.  I then told her of
our idea to honor Tom, which Frankie and I had discussed as we drove here
and as we sat in our room the previous night.  We wanted to form a
foundation of sorts, to warn young people about the dangers of AEA.  I told
her we wanted to name the foundation in Tom's memory, and that we'd do all
we could to make sure no other young person died like he did.  She thanked
us, gave us her blessing, and then she invited us to return for dinner, so
we could meet her husband and explain this all to him.  We accepted her
gracious offer, especially since it seemed very important to her, but we
excused ourselves for now, so we could run some errands.  One of these was
to call home, so we could tell the family we were going to arrive home even
later than we had first said, and to assure them that everything was fine.

We arrived back at their home around six and were greeted as we walked up
the sidewalk.  They escorted us into their home, where we conducted the
usual introductions and pleasantries, and then they thanked us for taking
the time to come back to their home again.  From here they led us to their
dining room, where we sat down to eat.  Tom's mother must have hustled to
prepare such a wonderful meal on such short notice, and we all enjoyed her
efforts.  After the meal was completed, we moved to their living room,
where we sat down to talk.  They told us more about Tom, especially stories
from when he was younger, and then Tom's father questioned us about the
foundation and what we hoped to accomplish.  After explaining our ideas to
him, they both gave us their blessing to use their son's name, and then
gave us a copy of his 'Memorial' and showed us his obituary clippings.
After talking a bit longer, we offered our condolences once more, explained
that we had to leave and return home, and then we parted with assurances
that we would get together again soon.  This was not just some expression I
tossed about lightly, and it was a promise I intended to make sure we kept.

On the ride home, Frankie and I discussed the foundation even more,
offering suggestions about how we would fund it, what strategy we would use
to educate teens about the dangers of AEA, and how far we were prepared to
go to ensure its success.  By the time we arrived home, we were satisfied
that we had covered all the bases, and I jotted down some notes from this
session, so I wouldn't forget what we had agreed upon.  The boys greeted us
when we came in, asking Frankie if he was all right, and then they added
their own personal touches to let him know how much they cared.

The thing was, this wasn't the only thing vying for my attention.  A few
days later I received a phone call from a Boston attorney, telling me that
Vinnie's parents' estate had been settled and that everything was now his.
We discussed the particulars of what this meant and what should happen
next, and I told him I'd discuss this with Vinnie later that night.  Then I
promised to get back to him the following day, as he felt there would be
some time constraints on how soon certain things needed to be done.  Once
that was settled, I waited for Vinnie to arrive home.  I decided not to
rush this, as I wanted to have the time to discuss this thoroughly, so I
waited until after we finished dinner.  As he was leaving the table, I told
him there was something we needed to talk about, and we went to my room, so
we could discuss this in private.

"Vinnie," I began, once we were alone, "I got a call today from the lawyer
in Boston, and he told me that your parents' estate had been settled and
everything is now yours.  Do you have any idea what you're going to want to
do with the house and everything in it?"

"Yes, I've been thinking about that, and I know what I want to do.  I want
to sell the house and all the furniture, and then give the money to you, to
use for the family."

"Vinnie, that money is yours.  We have enough money for the family."

"No, I want to do this.  I want to help pay for things around here."

"I appreciate the offer, but it's not necessary.  Let's put the money in an
account for you, and then you can decide about what you want to do with it
later."

"Please?  I want to do something for the family.  You've all been so good
to me and you've given me so much.  Can't I do this for you?"

"Let's just think about it some more, before we make any definite
decisions.  Okay?"  Reluctantly he agreed, but he wasn't done yet.

"But I want to give my parents' Toyota 4-Runner to you, to use as another
family car.  It will be my Christmas present to the entire family.  Okay?"

"All right, we'll use the car, but the money will go into an account for
you, for now.  What about the possessions in the house?  Are you going to
want to keep any of those things as reminders?"

"Maybe a few, but I'd have to go there to see what I might want to keep."

"That sounds fair.  How about you and I go there this weekend, to check
things out and meet with the lawyer?  Does that sound good to you?"

"Yeah, it sounds fine," but he hesitated briefly, before he finished, "as
long as Kevin can go with us."  He then smiled at me, giving me his most
pathetic expression, figuring that would probably help to make me give in
to him.  "Please?  I want him to see where I lived and everything."

"Okay, as long as Kevin wants to go."  He now beamed with pride, knowing he
had won that round, but I had kind of assumed that request even before he
had made it.  I had decided in advance that he would probably want to
include Kevin, and that it would be fine with me.

I called the lawyer back the next day, explained to him what we had
planned, and he told us he'd have a car at the airport, to pick us up and
bring us to his office.  At that time he would have Vinnie and me sign the
paperwork giving him power-of-attorney to handle the mundane transactions
on Vinnie's behalf, so we wouldn't have to mail items back and forth or we
wouldn't have to fly back for such small matters.  He also informed us he
learned that Vinnie would be receiving some monies from the 9/11 survivors
fund, and it might also be a substantial sum.  This would be based on the
fact that he was a disabled boy who had lost both of his parents due to the
events of that horrific day.  We discussed what he would need, when that
happened, and then I told him I'd provide him with an account number, into
which he could transfer those funds in Vinnie's name. He said that would be
all he needed and he would make sure it would be accomplished in a timely
fashion.

After going over all of this with the lawyer, I made our reservation.  I
notified the boys that they would be taking Friday off from school, so we
could leave early that morning.  After our business was completed, we would
drive back in the 4-Runner, filling it with whatever things Vinnie wanted
to bring back with him.  If there were more items than we could fit in it,
we'd rent a trailer to tow behind it and carry the excess items in there.
Vinnie seemed quite excited about all of this, yet I could also sense he
was also a little sad.  I think he knew that this trip would probably
officially close one part of his life, leaving everything he knew and held
dear behind, and taking away any faint hope that he might have harbored
that he could ever go back to that life again.

Jake drove us to the airport to catch our flight, and then he returned home
after seeing us off.  Vinnie was a bit uneasy on the plane, knowing it was
on a similar flight that his parents had died, but security measures had
been improved since then, making us feel a little safer.  We arrived in
Boston just after noon, and a driver stood waiting for us, displaying our
surname on a white card.  He led us to a limo and drove us to the lawyer's
office, where we signed the necessary paperwork and exchanged the needed
information.  Once we had finished there, I planned to take the boys out to
eat, before we asked the driver take us to Vinnie's former home.  The
lawyer told us the limo was at our disposal while we were in the area, as
his company used that service quite frequently and all the arrangements had
been made.  He also gave us a key to the house, so we could get inside to
retrieve whatever Vinnie wanted to take with him, and he told us to just
leave that key on the kitchen counter and lock the doors behind us, as he
had several duplicate keys for future use.  He also gave me the keys to the
vehicle, knowing we were planning on driving that back home, and he had the
paperwork transferred over before we even arrived.

Lunch was a bit strange, not the meal, but the mood at that time.  The
establishment was quite nice, and the food was very good, but Vinnie was
very quiet, and even Kevin couldn't seem to draw him out of his shell.  We
could only imagine what was going through his mind, as he would soon be
asked to enter his boyhood home and go through it, deciding which memories
he wished to keep and hold on to.  Eventually we let him be, knowing that
our probing was doing no good.  The rest of the meal was consumed in almost
total silence, and then we left.

The ride to Peabody seemed quite long, but it was very interesting.  I was
intriggued with the different areas we passed through on the way, going
through some poorer areas before getting to this nice suburban setting.  I
took the key out of my pocket and used it to enter the home, but we waited
for Vinnie to go inside before we followed.  We gave him some time alone,
letting him deal with things at his own pace and in his own way, and then
Vinnie gave us the official tour.  He explained many things to us, as we
made our way from one end of the home to the other, pointing out to us
whatever he thought was important.  Along the way we also started
collecting items that Vinnie wanted to take back with him, stacking them in
the living room so we could pack them up later.  Most of the things he had
selected were pictures or other personal items from his youth.  He also
took the lamp from his bedroom, as he had used it most of his life, and he
wanted to use it in his new room as well.  After we had gone completely
through the house, we made one final trek back through it, to make sure he
hadn't missed anything of importance.  Then we took all the items Vinnie
had chosen, packed them carefully into some boxes we found there, and then
we loaded those boxes into the 4-Runner.  Once Vinnie decided that he had
everything he wanted and he was ready to leave, I locked the doors to the
house and we made our way towards home.

As we drove away, I glanced in the rearview mirror to check on the boys and
see how Vinnie was holding up.  The boys had asked if I'd mind if they sat
together in the back, which was no big deal, but I could see a tear rolling
down Vinnie's cheek as we left his old home.  He had gone through much
during this short visit, having to deal with all the memories, both the
good and the bad.  The visit had reminded him of the fun times he had with
his parents in that home, but it also reminded him that they were now gone
forever.  He knew he had to deal with whatever ties he felt to that place,
if he wanted to feel comfortable living with us, though I reminded him that
he should never forget the great times he had there, as those memories
would always make him feel that his parents were still close by.  It's not
easy going through situations like these, even when you're older and more
mature, so I knew how hard this must be on Vinnie right now, especially
since much of it is still fresh in his mind.  No matter what obstacles he
faced, he just keeps proving to me that he's a very tough kid.  It probably
has something to do with all he's had to endure just to survive, but he was
far stronger than most kids his age.  If ever they gave Gold Medals for
courage, Vinnie would definitely deserve one.

The trip back home seemed long and solemn, even though Vinnie started to
liven up a little, the closer we got to our destination.  We spent Friday
night at a motel, with Kevin and Vinnie sharing one bed, but we were
determined to get back sometime Saturday, so we'd have Sunday to rest up
before the boys had to go back to school.  We did make frequent stops along
the way, so Vinnie could stretch and we could all use the toilets, and our
meal breaks were quite long too, considering there were only the three of
us.  We pulled into the driveway well after dark, yet we still had a bunch
of the boys come out to greet us.  Well, I'm not sure if they came out to
greet us or to check out the 4-Runner, but it was nice either way.

The boys helped Vinnie carry his things back to his room, so he could
arrange them as he wished, or put them away if that is what he desired.  He
seemed pleased to have these mementos with him, and he asked me if I would
put some picture hooks in the wall, so he could hang some of these now.  I
was happy to do that for him and did it almost immediately, as I knew what
it was like to have to wait, especially when something means that much to
you.  When he had finished placing things where he wanted, his new room had
a homey feel and he had many reminders of the good times from his past.  I
was pleased that this had all worked out so well.

On Sunday, Frankie and I sat down to discuss the foundation, knowing that
we'd have to walk a fine line between enlightening people and giving them
ideas they might not otherwise have.  Our hope was to keep people from
getting involved in this dangerous practice, without giving others ideas
about doing something they might not have otherwise known about.  Now we
had to figure out how to walk this tightrope, providing valuable
information without causing more harm.  This wasn't going to be easy.

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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.