- Harry AnderS -
Dutch psychotherapist and alternative writer

'Born to be a King 1'
Book 1 - My little Gypsy Prince
- by Harry AnderS -

An inspirational fantasy

http://www.harryanders.com
harry@harryanders.com

    A retired psychotherapist meets a severely burnt little Gypsy boy, and takes him into his house.
The boy turns out to be the Heir to the Throne.
This emotional rollercoaster hints at past lives, spirit helpers, karma, the Power of Love, and contains several practical psychological concepts.
The story is written by a retired Dutch psychotherapist, living in The Netherlands, and specialized in supporting troubled children. Many more stories will follow!

Chapter 21 ended with:

    Jason couldn’t talk any more, but he nodded vigorously.
He cried his heart out, with his arms around my shoulders and his face pushed into my chest.
Nicky put his arms around his brother on one side; and little Harry put his arms around him on the other side.
    Little Harry bent over, and whispered into Jason's ear:

    "Let it go, Jason, and don't bottle it up. In a few minutes, you will feel better..."

    John and Davey stormed to the kitchen to get a new packet of tissues.
They bumped into each other in the doorway, and looked rather sheepish.
Davey went back to the couch and sat down; rubbing a big lump on his head.
John got the packet of tissues, and handed it to me before rubbing his own lump...

    After some time, Jason dried his eyes and looked around bashfully:

    "I am such a worthl... Err... Oops, sorry... I am such a wonderful boy, with love in my heart!"

    All of us started to laugh, and Nicky offered his big brother a wet kiss:

    "I love you, my wonderful brother with your loving heart!"

    "I love you too, my little nickering dragon!"

    Finally, we knew from where Nicky got THAT...

Chapter 22. Two detached soul mates reunited, and a new house member.

    Jason went to the kitchen to wash his face; and the others went upstairs to peel off their wet swimming trunks.
I told them to dress neatly, to make a good first impression...
I phoned the orphanage, and told Mister John Dragon that I wanted to meet fifteen-year-old Carl.
He answered that my lawyer had already talked to him, and he expected us within an hour.
He promised to tell Carl to prepare for somebody who wanted to meet him, but nothing more...

    Little Harry got my keys, and proudly opened our golden van.
Jason rode shotgun, and the others arranged their seats around a folded table in the middle.
They buckled up, and we drove off while John told Jason to push the red knob to the left on the stereo.
Immediately, a booming song reverberated through our van, and the boys started to sing along it as usual.
Only Jason remained silent; and obviously started to feel more and more nervous...

    "Don't panic, Jason! Everything will turn out for the best, and all of us will try to help you."

    "I know... but Carl hasn't seen me for two years. Will he still recognize me, or perhaps he has found another friend..."

    "Well, within a few minutes we will know! What are you planning to do, after you've spotted each other?"

    "I don't know... what will Carl do when he sees me? Maybe, he screams and runs away... Please, could YOU meet him first, and ask him whether he still remembers me?"

    "Maybe, that is a good idea. I will meet him first and tell him about you. In the meantime, you will wait in our van. Okay?"

    Jason looked relieved, and nodded.

    We rounded a corner; and a huge monumental building showed up, surrounded by a heavy iron fence.
We stopped at the gate, and a bored gatekeeper stared at our car:

    "Where are you going, sir?"

    "I'm having an appointment with Mister John Dragon."

    The man took his cell phone, spoke a few words, and pointed to a parking lot:

    "You may park your car over there, sir; and Mister Dragon will meet you at the main entrance."

    "It feels like a prison here, Dad," John shivered,
    "No wonder that Jason couldn't find Carl..."

    I parked our van, and the boys promised to be good and not demolish our car in my absence.

    I went to the main entrance, where a huge and closed monumental wooden door blocked my way.
Maybe, they were still living in the stone ages, because they even had an old-fashioned pull bell, looking very out of date...
I pulled the bell knob, and a couple of loud clangs reverberated through the corridors.
At least, the bell worked...

    After what felt like another century, the door opened majestically.
A sulky man, being around my age or maybe slightly older, showed up.
He looked at me as if I had arrived from another planet, and slowly shook his head...
    After he had studied me from top to toe, he beckoned me in:

    "You are that foster parent with an interest in our fifteen-year-old Carl? Follow me..."

    He shuffled to an open door, and beckoned me to enter an uninvitingly dark room.
He left the room without saying another word, and carefully closed the door.
I needed a few moments to adjust my eyes to the darkness...
On which planet was I, and where had I landed?

    Then, I saw Carl, standing next to the only window in the room.
 He had the same height as Jason, but looked much thinner and bony.
He had short cut golden brown hair; and showed dark eyes in a pale face, making them stare at you.
He played with his fingers and silently stared through me without any recognition...

    "Hello, Carl. It's a pleasure to meet you. You don't know me yet, but everybody else is calling me 'Big Harry'."

    I extended my hand; but he just stared at it...
Well, that didn't bring us further.
How should I go on from here?

    "Shall we sit down? I think I can tell you something that will make you happy..."

    He went to a nearby chair, and sat down with mechanical movements.
I took a chair in front of him, and now I could see his eyes a bit better.
He had very dark eyes, nearly black, but they were empty.
I had seen those same eyes in patients who had been locked up in madhouses for several years...
This boy had given up all hope, and was just waiting for the remainder of eternity...

    "Today, I've met another wonderful boy. He told me a lot about you. His name is Jason..."

    For a moment, his eyes lit up; and now I saw such a lot of pain and horror in them...
He looked like a trapped animal, desperately longing to escape, but knowing he would be slaughtered...

    "Jason still loves you. He told me everything about your tree house...

    Suddenly, his whole face lit up, like the sun shining through the thunderclouds.
For a split second, he let his mask down, and I saw tears welling in his eyes.
Now I was absolutely sure: Carl still loved Jason!
    I put my hand onto his knee, and slowly patted it:

    "Do you want to meet Jason?"

    He veered upright, and his dark eyes pierced into mine... Did I tell him the truth?
Slowly, he lowered his head and looked at his feet:

    "I don't know... I think Jason doesn't want me any more. It's such a long time ago... of course, he has found another friend..."

    "Jason is desperate, just like you. He is a very lonely boy, and doesn't have any friends at all. He has just been waiting for you..."

    Again, Carl's face lit up, and his clouded sun started to shine.
His dark eyes started to live, radiating a hint of hope.
Then, he shook his head and looked down at his feet again:

    "They will never let me go..."

    "Do you want to see Jason now? He is waiting outside."

    "They won't let me. They just hate fags..."

    "Please, trust me and follow me. Okay?"

    I rose from my chair and extended my hand:

    "Come on; let's go to your friend."

    Carl let me drag him towards the door; like a glum and frightened little boy.
Fortunately, Mister John Dragon hadn't locked the doors...
We went to the entrance, and I opened the massive door with some difficulty.
In a rebellious mood, I decided to leave it wide open...
This building could definitely use some fresh air!

    We squinted in the sudden sunlight, and waited until we could see a bit more:

    "Look, Carl; Jason is inside that van over there, waiting for you..."

    Carl grabbed my hand like a frightened small boy, and started to tremble all over.
What had they DONE to this poor child?

    Suddenly, the door of our van opened, and a whirlwind stormed at us with a loud Indian shout:

    "CARLLLLL..."

    Jason threw himself at his friend with another cry.
He hugged him, kissed him, patted him, and kissed him again; crying and laughing at the same time.
He nearly squashed him, then held him at arm's length, looked at him, and again kissed him, now sobbing loudly...

    Slowly, Carl's clouds vanished, and his sun started to shine more and more.
His eyes lit up; and, hesitantly, they began to radiate.
    A smile started to fill his face from ear to ear, and a hoarse whisper escaped his throat:

    "Jase... Are you really here?"

    Both of them started to cry, heartbreaking, seeking solace in each other's arms...

    The other boys surrounded us, and Nicky leaned into me...

    "It's really Carl..." he whispered, getting tears in his eyes.

    Together, we marveled at the beautiful sight of two detached friends who found each other after a long and painful separation...

    Suddenly, our friend, Mister John Dragon, turned up out of nowhere.
He looked at the still hugging and crying boys with disdain:

    "Are you taking him to your house? You have to sign the papers first!"

    "Just show me what you want me to sign..."

    He turned around without saying another word, and I followed him into the building.
We went to his office, where he had already filled in the necessary paperwork.
    He looked at me as if I was sort of a child molester:

    "Do you want to adopt him as well?"

    "Yes, that's my intention. Just tell me what I have to do."

    "Sign these papers, and your lawyer will do the rest."

    I signed all the papers without reading them, and left the building without uttering another word.
I inhaled, welcomed the fresh air deeply into my lungs, and put my arms around my flock:

    "Come on, boys, let's go HOME."

    John and Davey rushed back to our van, and rearranged the seats.
They put three seats up front, and two seats together in the back:

    "Jason and Carl, come on! You two can take the rear seats."

    Carl stared at our golden van, and shook his head:

    "Are you taking me to another home?"

    "Yes, Carl, I am taking you to OUR home. From now on, you are living with us."

    "They will never let me go. I have to wait until I am eighteen years old..."

    "I've already signed the papers, so don't worry. From now on, you and Jason will be together."

    "They won't let me. They didn’t even let me write a letter to Jason. They read it, and tore it apart. They are just hating fags too much..."

    "From now on, everything will be different. Come on, let's leave from here. This place looks too much like a prison."

    Jason took Carl's hand and dragged him towards our van.
Carl followed him like a forlorn puppy; moving on autopilot.
Obviously, things were happening too fast...
Jason helped him buckle up, and took the other rear seat.
John, Davey, and Nicky took the three front seats, and little Harry rode shotgun.

    Little Harry scanned the stereo, until he found some nice background music.
He set the volume a bit lower, and asked with a frown:

    "Is Carl going to live with us? Where will he sleep? We have only three bedrooms..."

    "Well... I don't know... You are a clever boy; so maybe you can come up with a solution?"

    "Let me think... You could buy a bigger house... Yeah, that is it! Let's look for a bigger house on the Internet!"

    "You don't think I'm sort of a millionaire, do you?"

    "Nah, you can buy everything with your credit card..."

    "Are you sure? When I am paying with my credit card, where do you think the money comes from?"

    Little Harry opened his mouth, hesitated, and shut up again.
He looked into space, showing a deep frown on his forehead...
I could feel his brain making overtime...
    After some heavy thinking, he nodded:

    "Sorry, Dad. I had never thought about that before, because I'm only eight years old... Of course, that is your own money, from the bank!"

    I ruffled his hair, feeling proud of my little deep thinker.
He looked up at me with love, trust, and adoration in his beautiful blue eyes.
    Suddenly, he grinned, showing a naughty face:

    "But, we DON'T have enough bedrooms, and that means YOU have to come up with a solution! Now I'm hungry. Where do we stop for something to eat?"

    Immediately, my other boys veered up at hearing the Magic Word...
I chuckled, and stopped at a fast-food restaurant along the road.
My four boys hurried inside, at a slower pace followed by Jason, a hesitant Carl, and me.
I took Carl's hand, and Jason grinned and took his other hand.
Together, we followed our bottomless-pit foursome, who of course had already found an empty table and impatiently beckoned us to hurry up...

    "Sorry, sir, but I don’t have any money..." Carl admitted in a low voice.

    "Well, I do! I even have a credit card, and today you are allowed to order anything you want. Okay?"

    Carl nodded, and followed Jason to our table.
Hesitantly, he sat down; looking around as if this was the first time in years that he entered a road restaurant.
It probably was...
    I asked him:

    "What do you want to eat, Carl? Or, shall we let Jason order for you?"

    Carl looked relieved, and followed Jason to the service bar.
My other boys were already waiting for their turn, joking and having fun.
Soon, they showed up, carrying overflowing trays of the most delicious junk food and drink.

    In no time, all the trays were emptied, and all the boys were stuffed.
They let me pay for everything with my inexhaustible credit card...
I took revenge, by ordering another cup of coffee; while they impatiently waited outside, teasing each other and kicking small pebbles.
They cheered when I finally showed up, and hurried to our van to resume our journey.

    After another couple of minutes, I parked our van in our driveway, and we were home.
Thomas and Chrissy raced towards us, and enthusiastically greeted us.
They had returned from their vacation; and were sun tanned and happy to see us.
    Thomas looked through the tinted side panes of our new golden van, and remarked:

    "Wow! This is a really neat car! It's certainly big enough to have all of us inside..."

    I laughed at the hidden invitation, ruffled his hair, and entered my house.
The friends were happy to see each other, and crowded onto our coach to exchange their tales.
Carl sat on an easy chair next to Jason; and half-listened to their stories, still looking a bit timid.
I sat down at my desk; and started to think, stirred into action by the remarks of my little soul mate...

    Since today, a whole bunch of children more or less depended on me...
Where was that heading?
Little Harry was my adopted son and had his own room in my house. Oops, sorry, in our house...
John was in my custody until his mother returned and claimed him back.
Davey had his own home, but he called me 'Dad' and enjoyed every moment of being with me.
Nicky still had his own home, but his father had already asked me to adopt him.
Jason entered my life, opened up to me, and where would that end?
Carl suddenly showed up; and I had already proposed to adopt him...

    How should I set up the sleeping arrangements for the night?
Both little Harry and John had their own rooms upstairs.
Davey and Nicky had their own homes, but they loved to sleep here...
Where would Jason and Carl sleep tonight?
Could I separate them? That would be cruel...
Could I ask little Harry and John to share a room again? In that case, Carl and Jason could have John's room...
Maybe, I HAD to buy a bigger house...

    "Dad, my mask is itching. Will you help me take it off, please?"

    I peeled little Harry's mask off, gawked at by a suddenly pale looking Carl...

    "You are stripping the skin from Harry's face, just like that?"

    We told Carl everything about little Harry's ordeal; and he listened open-mouthed...
He gasped, and looked at little Harry with tears in his eyes:

    "Once, I thought I myself had a difficult life..."

    Thomas and Chrissy heard a few words about our new swimming pool...
A second later, they raced home to put on their swimming trunks, while my boys hurried upstairs to jump into theirs.
Nicky raced home, and returned carrying trunks for Jason, Carl, and himself.
They put them on in the kitchen, piling their clothes onto the kitchen table.
Soon, all of them disappeared into our backyard, to have lots of fun with cannonballing and dunking each other.
Now, I was glad I had bought such a big pool!

    I went to my computer, to work on my book 'Born to be a King'.
Half an hour later, a dripping wet John entered the living room:

    "Dad, can I use the water hose? The pool is half emptied..."

    "Of course, you may use the hose; but don't spill too much water."

    "Okay, Dad; thanks a lot."

    He hugged me by pressing his body against mine, and offered me a quick kiss.
He hurried back to the pool, leaving me soaking wet...
I LOVE that boy, but I will GET him!

    Carl appeared in the doorway, still looking timid:

    "Sir, may I use your toilet, please?"

    "What will happen if I say 'no'?"

    He stared at me, looking puzzled...

    "You're not used to a grownup teasing you, I think?"

    He shook his head, still looking puzzled.
Involuntary, his hands went to his groin, and he started to fidget...
He WAS not used to being teased!

    "Now hurry up, before you're wetting your already wet pants and my carpet!"

    Gratefully, he rushed to the toilet, and I heard him sigh with relief.
I went to the hallway, and waited for him.
    After he returned, I pulled him into my arms:

    "Carl; from now on, you are one of us! This is YOUR home, and you will never have to ask permission to use the toilet!"

    His eyes filled with tears, and he clamped onto me as a frightened child:

    "I don't know... I'm afraid this is only a beautiful dream. After I wake up, I will be sadder than ever..."

    I held him close until his sobs subsided and he released his death grip.
We went to the kitchen, where I got a tissue and dried his eyes.
    I turned him around to face the open backdoor, and slapped his wet bum:

    "Since today, you are one of MY boys, and I don't let you go. Trust me! Now go back to the rest of your family, and have fun!"

    At six o'clock, Davey went home; promising to return the next day.
Jason and Nicky went home; promising the same.
Thomas and Chrissy went home; still giggling and having lots of fun.
Little Harry, John, and Carl helped me in the kitchen.
Together, we prepared a healthy meal, after all that unhealthy junk stuff...

    Of course, little Harry took over within ten seconds!
He took a chair, climbed onto the kitchen table, and looked critically at everything we did:

    "No, Dad, don't slice those potatoes too thin, make fat slices.
    "Carl, don't smash that lettuce too much, be more careful.
    "John, now put the butter into the pan, but not too much, and add a little bit of salt. In the meantime, I will get some herbs from my garden."

    He went into the backyard, and returned with a handful of herbs.
He washed them carefully, and sliced them into small pieces:

    "John, will you get me the olive oil, from the left cabinet above the sideboard? And, bring the pepper with you. Oh, and I forgot the curry."

    He climbed onto another chair, and put everything into the pan.
It sputtered and steamed, while a wonderful aroma filled the kitchen...

    "Dad, will you hand me the sliced potatoes now?"

    After ten minutes, the steamed potatoes were ready.
Little Harry draped them carefully around the readied lettuce on the plates.
Carl added the frittered onions, some mayonnaise, and a bit of grated cheese; showing a proud face.

    Our little friend was really an excellent cook!
The simple and healthy meal tasted more than delicious.
Soon, all of us were stuffed to the brim; and complimented our proudly beaming little cookie...

    "Thank you! Dad, do you remember that Chinese food we had in that beautiful palace? Do you know where we can buy that stringy greenish snot?"

    Carl stared at him, showing a totally confused face:

    "You were eating 'stringy greenish snot'?"

    All of us roared with laughter.
John nearly fell off his chair, and snickered:

    "I think they milked it from a green dragon with the flu."

    "Yuck!" Carl muttered from the bottom of his heart,
    "I will never eat Chinese food for the rest of my life!"

    We washed the dishes, tidied the kitchen, and went to the living room.
Little Harry crawled onto my lap, John melted into my left side, and Carl cuddled against my right arm.
    I draped it around him, and he heaved a deep sigh of content:

    "I hope this beautiful dream will never end..."

    "I hope you will join us for a long time!"

    My fifth boy... or was it my sixth, counting Jason as being number five?

    Little Harry turned around on my lap, to face me:

    "Dad, I've been thinking a bit more about where everybody can sleep...
    "I am only a little boy, and so is Nicky. We don't need much room for ourselves. Maybe, you and I can share your bedroom. That way, Carl can have my old room and invite Jason; and John can keep his own room and invite Davey. That is, until we can find a bigger house on the Internet..."

    He put his arms around my neck, and snuggled closer.
I LOVE my little Gypsy boy with his immensely big heart!
I kissed his head, and told him I loved him dearly.
    He hopped off my lap, and poked Carl in the ribs:

    "Come on, let's go upstairs and set your new room for the night."

    "But... I don't have any clothes... All my clothes are still in my locker... Maybe, I will have to go back..."

    I pushed him forward to little Harry:

    "Tomorrow, we will go shopping, and I will buy you everything you need. Okay?"

    He nodded, and started to sob again:

    "Am I REALLY going to live with you now?"

    "Yes, Carl. From now on, you are living here; and you don't have to worry about anything."

    Little Harry took Carl's hand, and tried to drag him upstairs:

     "Dad, can we have our showers now? I want to play in the warmed water."

    I nodded, and followed them upstairs to get some dry towels.
John and little Harry undressed immediately, while Carl looked at them hesitantly...
    Little Harry got a bit impatient, and teased him:

    "Can you undress on your own, or do we have to help you?"

    Carl started to undress, still staring with big eyes at the already naked little Harry:

    "I didn't realize you were THAT burnt! It's all over your body... even the skin around your pee-pee is burnt away..."

    "Don't sweat it. I'm already used to it; and, by the way, BIG boys call it a 'pecker' or a 'dick'. Its first name is 'Moby'... Come on, let's hit the shower!"

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Thank you for reading the next chapter of this story 'Born to be a King 1 - My little Gypsy Prince.
This is the FIRST book of the adult series. Many more books will follow, just be patient...
Enjoy the reading, and help us make our world a better place. We need you!

Please, have a look at my children's series, about the same little Gypsy boy growing up in a secluded place in the Rumanian mountains; this time seen from his own point of view.
The children's story is on Nifty in 'young-friends', and it's callled: 'Born as a Prince'...
Just click this link to go to Nifty, or go to my homepage to read the latest versions.

I would LOVE to receive your comments or appreciations...
Please, send me an email now and then, to let me know the story has some impact on you.

I wish you lots of Love in your Life, and Profound Peace in your Heart.
Harry AnderS, Dutch psychotherapist and alternative writer.

harry@harryanders.com
http://www.harryanders.com