Date: Tue, 23 Aug 2005 15:38:25 +0200 From: Harry Anders Subject: Little Harry-12 Chapter 12. The 'face doctors', and a new friend shows up. I parked our car in the driveway, and we went immediately to my bedroom without showering first, totally exhausted. Little Harry clung to me as a frightened small child, and I never saw John that protective and helpful. Sleep came fast for all three of us, with little Harry on my stomach and John snuggled up to both of us as close as possible. In the morning the bright sun, shining through a crack in the curtains, woke us up. Little Harry yawned and octopushied himself to my chest, while John tried to disappear into my side with his arm protectively draped around little Harry and me. He sighed. "I 'm glad Harry is back home dad, and I sure hope I never have to go through anything like that again." Little Harry shuddered and tilted his head. "Yeah, I was rather stupid... But before that barn trapped me, we had lots of fun. And I won of course, for this time you couldn't tag me!" John threw the blankets away and mercilessly started to tickle little Harry, who squealed and tried to get away. "Dad, that mean John is picking on me, and he's the bigger one so you have to protect me. Rape!" He jumped off the bed and headed for the stairs, with a grinning John on his heels. Suddenly the doorbell rang. Little Harry froze and looked around with panic showing all over his face. "Nooooo....." he moaned and he dived past John, back onto the bed and under the blankets, where I could feel him tremble. John cursed, balled his fists, and stumbled to the window, ready to attack all police officers in the world. "It's Davey..." He hurried downstairs to open the front door, while I tried to calm down little Harry who started to sob. After a moment Davey entered our bedroom, looked at little Harry and me, and threw himself at us with a howl of relief. "You are back home, thank heaven! I was soo afraid something bad had happened to you..." Now I had to calm down two sobbing boys, while John climbed next to us and tried to cover himself with the blankets, grumbling, "We didn't get enough sleep tonight! Let's get a few hours extra." "Dad, can I get in bed with you for another hour or so?" Davey asked, not even waiting for an answer. He shucked his clothes and threw them somewhere into the room. Slowly we drifted off, trying to get some more sleep, until the boys became too restless. We showered, dressed, and went downstairs, still yawning. The boys prepared breakfast, while I set the table and brewed some coffee. After the meal little Harry started to tell us everything about his big adventure in the zoo, where he climbed a fence and curiously peeked at some bags of food in a small barn. Suddenly the door closed and he was trapped, until in the middle of the night a night guard eventually heard him pounding the door and rescued him. "Curiosity killed the cat..." Davey sniggered, helping himself to another toast with scrambled eggs. "Dad, please will you help me with my mask? It's stuck in my pocket, and I can't get it out..." Little Harry looked at me with an unhappy face and both hands in a back pocket of his trousers. "My face started to itch yesterday in the barn, so I folded my mask together and put it into my pocket." I tried to get the mask out without damaging it, but that was impossible. He first had to take his trousers off. I immersed them in a bucket of warm water, to dissolve the glue. After a while the mask let go, fortunately undamaged. Carefully, little Harry glued the mask to his face with a little help. "Thanks dad, I was afraid I had damaged it too much. What time are we going to the face doctors?" "Face doctors? Oh... I see. Well, we will be on our way in about an hour, so there's no need to be in a hurry." Davey went home, with our greetings to his mom and quite a story to tell. We prepared ourselves for our journey to the clinic. We packed everything we needed, and went on our way with both boys seated in the back of the car. I searched the radio and again we all sang along with the music. Suddenly there was our song! "You are soooo beauuuutifuuuullll..." Now we all sang from our heart, as loud as possible, clapping our hands and stamping our feet. The deafening sound was raising the roof. After a while the boys in the back seat slowly went silent. Suspiciously I looked over my shoulder. Both boys had stretched out over the full width of the car and were deep asleep, their arms around each other and softly snoring. Apparently they still needed more sleep! I smiled understandingly and switched the radio off. Another two hours of driving ahead... The boys woke up from the noise of heavy traffic and the starting and stopping of the car at the traffic lights. Twice we had to ask for directions to the clinic, and suddenly there it was at the border of a big park. We parked the car in a small parking lot and entered the building, welcomed by the scent of antiseptics. Little Harry shivered and clamped my hand. Obviously he remembered his past operations... We had to wait for a moment, until a tall man in his fifties with an open face and a pleasant voice greeted us. "You are Harry Romany, I suppose? And you are his father and his brother? Please follow me to my office." We entered a cozy-looking consulting room and took a seat. After some small talk, the 'face doctor' started to question little Harry about the information he got from the hospital where little Harry had his operations, and about a couple of old photographs they sent him. He asked a lot of questions, and again I was surprised by the maturity and the intelligence of little Harry who carefully answered all questions without any hesitation. "Thank you my friend, you really helped me with your clear answers. Now I would like to have a closer look at your scars. Do you want your father and your brother to be present in the room while I am examining you, as you will have to take all your clothes off for a while?" Of course little Harry wanted us to accompany him, even when he had to be totally nude for a while. "We see each other naked all the time, and we often have our showers together, so that's no big deal." I helped him to take his mask off, while the surgeon looked very surprised. He took a closer look at the mask. "That's a nice mask you have! I think this could be a good idea for some of our other patients here. Who made it for you?" We gave him Peter's address, and he was delighted. Little Harry undressed without any hesitancy, and the surgeon examined him thoroughly everywhere. After a while he looked up and nodded. "I think we can do quite a lot to make you more presentable, and even more important, to restore your face. How do you want your nose and your lips to be done, and do you want to be circumcised or shall we restore the burnt skin around your penis?" "I am not Jewish, so I want to be exactly like dad and John, with a foreskin. And don't forget to put a hole in it, please?" "A hole in it? I don't understand... could you explain what you mean?" "Well, I have to pee now and then you know, and that will be rather difficult without a hole in the end..." The surgeon laughed, and promised little Harry to create a nice opening in the end of his foreskin. The 'face doctor' went to a computer with a big monitor screen. For the next hour little Harry and he looked at a lot of possible noses and lips, all shaped differently. They discussed several options, and we were allowed to ask hundreds of questions concerning the pending operations and little Harry's healing afterwards. After a while a nurse entered the room and offered little Harry a bright blue gown. She took us with her to make several X-rays and a CT-scan of little Harry's body, she drew some blood from a vessel in his arm, and he had to pee in a cup for the laboratory which would perform a couple of tests. Little Harry underwent everything like a professional; obviously he had a lot of experience with the preparation from his past operations. The nurse brought us back to the consulting room where the face doctor was waiting for us. "Are we done? Can... may I dress now?" "Could you wait for another while? I would like to discuss another thing first," the doctor answered. Little Harry nestled himself on my lap, still clad in his blue gown. The surgeon told us what he intended to do. He would peel a thin layer of skin from the inside of little Harry's thighs, where nobody would see the marks in the future. The skin would heal within a few days, it would be like scratching the surface. He would cultivate the peeled skin for a couple of weeks to increase its quantity. During the operation he would strip all of little Harry's scars and wild flesh, smooth everything with the stripped pieces of muscle, and apply the cultivated skin to all burnt places. He would rebuild little Harry's nose from a piece of bone taken from a lower rib, and reconstruct his lips with the stripped skin. After the operation little Harry would be kept asleep for about a week, to allow his body to heal before he woke up. Little Harry had to be in the clinic for about three weeks. Of course each operation implied some risks, but the doctor was convinced everything would work out for the best. Little Harry jumped off my lap and enthusiastically embraced the doctor. "When can we start? I want to have a normal face before we have to go to school!" "I would like to peel some skin from the inside of your thighs now. The nurse will put you asleep with the help of a small mask, so you will not feel anything. After the peeling we will put some spray onto the scratches, and you have to keep the inside of your thighs dry for about two days. Is that okay with you?" "Yes, of course!" little Harry exclaimed, beaming and making a little round dance. The doctor called a nurse and instructed her to prepare for the peeling. We followed him to the operating room, where little Harry climbed onto a stretcher with a little help. The nurse offered him a small mask with a tube attached. She adjusted a handle on a nitrous oxide container. "You know what you have to do now?" Little Harry nodded and covered his nose and mouth with the mask. Without any fear he started to inhale and exhale. For a moment his body tensed, and he was deep asleep. The nurse took over and attached another mask to his face, while we left the operating room. Another nurse accompanied us to a small cafeteria, where I ordered a cup of coffee and John took a glass of cola. We waited in silence, feeling wonderful and totally in harmony. Now and then we smiled at each other, and we both felt our love radiate between us, and towards our little gypsy prince who soon would get his new face. After a couple of minutes the nurse called us back to the consulting room, where a groggy little Harry was lying on a gurney. He showed us a couple of red stripes along the inside of his thighs, covered with something dry and silky. He yawned and asked for a glass of water, which he eagerly gulped down. Still drowsy, he got off the gurney and wavered towards me, where he tried to climb onto my lap. I helped him up, and with a broad smile he settled himself down. "I am hungry," he yawned, while he nearly fell asleep on my lap. The doctor smiled and ruffled his hair. "Within ten minutes he will be his joyful self again. You have a wonderful son. I think he will achieve big things in his life!" We made an appointment to be back after two weeks for little Harry's operation. Little Harry dressed himself with some help from John and me, still yawning and a bit drowsy, and we went back to the small cafeteria to have dinner. After a few minutes little Harry started to laugh and joke again. He gulped down a lot of delicious junk food, of course accompanied by John, as befits growing boys. Suddenly little Harry looked down and felt between his thighs, trying to remove his trousers from the wounds. "It's starting to itch a little bit, and it feels like it wants to stick to my trousers..." We took him with us to the bathroom to have a look, but the red stripes seemed to be okay. There was no visible blood and nothing was sticky. "I think it's just a feeling, try not to think about it for a while. When we are home you can have a look again." Little Harry led the way to the car, proudly carrying the keys. We drove off, switched the radio on, and again we all sang along with the music. After a while both boys went silent and wrapped up into each others arms. They slept in the backseat until we were home and the sudden silence woke them up. Yawning, they left the car. Little Harry opened the front door with my key. He went straight to the kitchen and gulped a lot of water, while John visited the toilet. Little Harry then hurried to the same toilet. "Hurry up, I am nearly wetting my pants!" "That's your own fault, after drinking so much water. Perhaps you could ask dad for some pampers?" Little Harry started to jump up and down, squeezing his boyhood. "You are mean!" John chuckled and left the toilet. Little Harry nearly ran him down in his hurry to bless the ceramic god. You could hear him sigh with relief. After a while John decided to phone his mother, and he went to the living room. Little Harry decided to inspect the surrounding neighborhood on his own. I helped him put his mask on, and off he went, with a proud smile on his face. He certainly had changed a lot since I first met him! I went to the kitchen to prepare dinner and tidy up a bit. That would give John some space to talk with his mother. I made a list of things that needed a refill, and rearranged the fridge. I went upstairs, cleaned the bathroom, changed the sheets on the bed, and vacuumed the bedrooms, the hallway, and the stairs. The doorbell rang, so I hurried downstairs and opened the front door. Little Harry looked up at me with a big smile on his face. He was accompanied by a firmly built boy of about his own age, with nearly white hair and bright greenish eyes in an open face, expectantly looking up at me. "Hey dad! This is my friend Nicky, and we want to play games on our computer because he hasn't got one himself." "Welcome into our humble house, friend Nicky! Do you want a drink?" I ruffled his hair, and he instantly leaned into me, beaming. We went to the kitchen, and little Harry opened the fridge. "Coke, water with bubbles, milk, orange juice, or hot chocolate milk?" Nicky chose hot chocolate milk, so little Harry brewed two cups, both with two helpings of chocolate powder. After a while they went to the living room, sipping their hot chocolate milk and walking shoulder to shoulder. John had retreated to the couch and looked at something on TV, so little Harry and Nicky both sat down behind the computer, wriggling themselves into one chair. They started to play a racing game, and Harry explained everything to Nicky. Nicky nodded and seemed to pick up things fast. A moment later they were deep into the game, and suddenly Nicky roared with laughter when a car broke down and collapsed into a fire. "That's the little brother of the bastard who kicked Harry off his skateboard!" an angry John whispered into my ear. "What is he doing here? I don't like those kinds of people. His father is just as big a bastard as his son!" "Well John, are you a bastard because your father Eric was one? Or is Davey a bastard because his father is a bad person?" John suddenly blushed. Bashfully, he looked at the two friends, sitting together in one chair. "Sorry dad, I see what you mean. You are right, that boy seems to be nice, and of course he can't help his father is such a... err... different. I have to learn to think first before I open my big mouth..." He got tears in his eyes and leaned into me. I threw my arms around him and cuddled him for a while. "How is your mother doing, and your brother and sister?" "She was glad to hear from me, and she missed me a lot. Sometimes I miss her too... I told her everything about the zoo and the clinic, and she is glad little Harry is getting his new face so soon. Eric tried to get Mark and Marrie into his custody, but she convinced him to stop his efforts, or she would sue him for abandoning us. Now at least he leaves her alone. She invites us to visit her in the course of next week." "Whooahhh..... GOTCHA!" Nicky suddenly shouted in front of the computer. He threw his arms high into the air in triumph. We started to laugh, and little Harry poked Nicky in the ribs. Two seconds later they were wrestling on the carpet, trying to pin each other and tickling each other everywhere. After a while little Harry won. "Say uncle!" "Aunt..." "Not aunt. Uncle!" "Nephew..." "Uncle, or I will ask my dad and my big brother for help!" "Grandpa..." "Dad, John, Nicky won't say uncle..." "I think you already said that for him! At least three times..." Harry looked perplexed, and at that moment Nicky threw his hips into the air and kicked Harry off his stomach. They started to wrestle again, until Nicky suddenly collapsed. "I peed my pants..." "Ah poor baby, did you forget your pampers?" little Harry teased him, roaring with laughter. Hesitantly Nicky got up, blushing, with a dark and dripping spot in the front of his blue jeans. "Take him to the shower to wash himself, and perhaps you could lend him one of your own trousers to wear?" Little Harry took Nicky upstairs, and we heard them both enter the shower, again laughing and tickling each other. "Dad, are you in for a game on the computer whilst those two are upstairs?" Of course I was in for a game, and the next moment we were wrestling for the best place in front of the computer. Unfortunately we didn't fit together into one chair... John beamed and again I felt a little boy myself. John slaughtered me! Every time I thought I was winning, he suddenly pushed my car to the sideline and passed me, leaving me with a wrecked car. "I think I am too old for those games..." "Poor old man! Do you need a pillow to sit more comfortably?" I poked him in the ribs and two seconds later we both were wrestling on the carpet, trying to pin each other and tickling each other everywhere. Of course I won, and in triumph I pinned John to the floor. "Say uncle!" "Aunt..." "Not aunt. Uncle!" "Nephew..." "Uncle, or I will ask the other boys to help me!" "Look out, for I will pee my pants too. On purpose!" "Poor little baby, did you forget your pampers?" We were laughing so much we nearly wet our pants. We hurried to the toilet and both relieved ourselves, trying to cross our streams without splashing too much. Without saying a word we both went to the stairs and listened... "What are they doing up there? They are too silent..." John whispered. Slowly we ascended the stairs, and cautiously we opened the door to the shower. Nicky and little Harry both laid stretched out under the splashing water, eyes closed, lazily playing with their stiffies, both with a blissful smile on their faces. It was a beautiful sight, and I winked at John to be silent. He nodded. After a while little Harry lazily opened his eyes and looked around. When he saw us a big smile crossed his face. "Hi dad and John. How long were you spying on us?" Nicky opened his eyes, colored a deep red, and bolted upright with a sudden fear in his eyes. "Please, don't hit me! I did nothing bad! I was just playing a game..." He looked around like a trapped animal, his greenish eyes scanning from left to right, trying to escape the inevitable. "Shush shush, don't be upset. You did nothing wrong, and you are not in trouble. Come on, let's dry you, and perhaps you can use some of Harry's clothes." Fearfully, he neared me, still trembling and ready to escape. I opened my arms, and with a lot of hesitancy he let himself melt into me. He sighed and shuddered, until his fears subsided. He looked at me, trying to read my eyes, still softly sobbing. "I was afraid you would be angry at me, and hit me..." "I will NEVER do that! I will never hit a child without a very good reason. And why do you think I would be angry at you?" "For being a fag..." I didn't know what to answer... I took a towel and dried him, while John tried to dry a squirming little Harry. "Look out for the scars between my legs! I forgot to keep them dry." "Stand still for a moment! You behave like an eel in a bucket of snot." Suddenly we started to laugh, and the tension vanished. Little Harry went to his room, and returned with Snoopy underpants and blue jeans for Nicky. The boys dressed in silence, and little Harry fished his mask somewhere from behind the soap. "Sorry dad, I will clean it up in the kitchen..." We went downstairs and sat down on the couch in the living room. Little Harry positioned himself onto my lap, John melted into me on my right side, and Nicky hesitantly took a place next to me on my left side. I put my arm around him, and immediately he let himself melt into me with a content sigh. "What did you mean by what you said in the shower? What is a fag?" Nicky tensed up and I could feel him holding his breath. After a moment he relaxed and tried to melt further into me. "That's what my dad called Jason when he caught him with his friend, playing with each others weenies. He nearly beat him to death and called him a fag and a homo. Jason had to visit the hospital with two broken ribs, but he told them he fell down the stairs. When he was back, dad told him he would never tolerate a fag in his house, and next time he would castrate him, cut his balls off. After that Jason changed. Now he is really mean to everybody and he is always in a bad mood..." Suddenly John stirred and shivered, holding his breath for a long time. I could feel his distress. Nicky started to sob again. Little Harry hopped from my lap so I could take Nicky into my arms. I sent him my love, and he cozily cuddled next to me with his head under my left arm. I love my little gypsy boy with his big heart! Nicky really started to cry now and let go a lot of anger, fear and frustration. I slowly cradled him until his sobs lessened, while John got a couple of tissues from the kitchen. I wiped his eyes dry, and he looked very relieved. He threw his little arms around my neck. "I wish you were my dad... But now I have to go home." He went to the kitchen to splash his face with cold water, while little Harry put his wet clothes into a plastic bag. "Tomorrow I will bring your clothes back, and thank you for everything!" Nicky offered me a very wet kiss, and off he went, accompanied by little Harry who decided to walk him home without even thinking about his mask. "Dad..." John lifted himself onto my lap, with a red face and tears in his eyes, "I'm so ashamed of myself... I never thought Jason would be in so much trouble. I'm so sorry..." "That's ok son. I think you had a lot to learn today! Never judge a person from the outside." John nodded, and we cuddled for a long time, until little Harry returned, carrying a plastic bag with his own clothes. "Nicky changed his clothes while we were there, so I could take mine back home. And Jason just looked at me with a sad face, without saying a word. His father wasn't home yet, and they don't have a mother in the house, just like us." He cuddled next to John, and we all drifted off until our stomachs began to rumble. We went to the kitchen and prepared a nice meal with the help of little Harry's herbs and advice. Again the food tasted delicious. We cleared everything away and took our drinks with us to the living room. Little Harry suddenly tilted his head and seemed to listen to something or somebody. "There's Davey, and I think he's not alone..." Ten seconds later the doorbell rang, and John went to the door. He returned with Davey, accompanied by Mary, Davey's mother. How did little Harry know? Every time again I was amazed about his weird capabilities. Perhaps he had a clairvoyant ability? We greeted each other, and John and little Harry went to the kitchen to fetch more drinks. Davey climbed onto my lap without any hesitancy, and I threw my arms around him without thinking. Mary looked at us with tears in her eyes. "I am so glad Davey found you! He really needs a father in his life who cares about him. After he met you he completely changed. Now I can feel he is a happy boy, for the first time in his life. Thank you, thank you so much for helping him!" She got a handkerchief from her purse and wiped her eyes. "At first I had doubts about your being so close with him, but now I know I can absolutely trust you, and you are doing the right thing. He is all yours, you can do with him as you like, I will agree with everything. You can take him with you to those gypsies in Romania if you wish, I will sign everything you need. Next week we will go downtown to get him his own passport. I accept you as his new father, without any restrictions, and I am very grateful." She looked at us with love in her eyes, and again used her handkerchief. Little Harry and John returned with coffee and cola. They sat down on the couch, on both sides of me and Davey. "Your place is gone this time..." Davey sniggered while he poked little Harry in the ribs, "and I could get used to it." "Nah, I can sit on dad's lap for the rest of my life..." Again the doorbell rang, and John went to the door. He returned, followed by a beaming Nicky. "I am allowed to be here until eight o'clock. And my father wishes to have a talk with you, some time." "Tell your father he is always welcome for a talk!" Nicky and little Harry went to the computer to continue their racing game, again wriggling into the same chair. "Please not too loud this time! And no tickling or wetting pants..." They looked at me with disdain, and then ignored me completely. "I dare you to a game of checkers," John said to Davey. Davey nodded, John got the board and the box, and they settled down at the table. Mary left her chair and sat down next to me on the couch. "You know, yesterday was the first time ever Davey let a MAN look at his scars. Even in the hospital only a nurse was allowed to wash him, he was afraid of every man. So you earned a very special place in his heart, and he completely trusts you. He even asked you to put some oil onto the stitches?" I nodded, a little bit bashfully. "I think you are the best thing that ever happened to him. Now he has a chance to grow up in a normal caring and loving environment. He asked me to talk to you, about accompanying you and Harry to the clinic next time. He really wants to be with you as much as possible. He even asked me to marry you, so he could be with you all the time..." She looked at the floor for a long time. I didn't know what to answer. After a while I asked her: "Perhaps you could go with us next time? Davey would be delighted." "Oh no, I will never invade into your life. I like you a lot, but I am not in love with you. At this moment I feel happy without a man in my life, and who knows what the future will bring? I am glad you want to look after my son, and I believe you will always remain Davey's second dad, even when I would marry again. He will always be your special son..." We talked some more as time went by. At eight o'clock Nicky went home, again with a very wet kiss and a big hug. "Can I come back tomorrow please? I like it here." "You may come back every time you wish, but only when your parents agree." "It's just my father, for my mom died when I was a baby. And my father already agrees. Do you want to walk me home Harry? My father is home now, so you can meet him..." Of course little Harry went with him, again without even thinking about his mask. They both frolicked out of the door, shoulder to shoulder and bumping into each other. It looked like little Harry had found himself a new friend. Fifteen minutes later the doorbell rang and John went to the front door. He returned with little Harry and a beaming Nicky, followed by a really BIG man with an even bigger mustache, ducking his head to pass through the doorway. "Hi Mary and Davey, nice to see you again! Hello sir, my name is Jason, but everybody calls me BJ, that's short for Big Jason. Please may I have a talk with you, in private?" Mary rose from her chair and beckoned Davey to follow her. "Hello BJ, and I think it's time for us to go home. Thanks Harry, for your hospitality and for listening to me." "Mom, am I allowed to spend the night with Harry and John?" Davey asked her with puppy dog eyes. Mary looked at me. "I don't have a problem with that, but only if you agree..." "Ok, this time you are welcome, but don't make it a habit." Davey beamed at me and threw his arms around his mother's waist. "Thanks mom, you are the best mom in the whole world!" We shook hands and Mary went home, after inviting us to join them for dinner tomorrow. Little Harry and Nicky went to the computer and again wriggled into the same chair. John and Davey resumed their game of checkers. I beckoned Nicky's father to the kitchen. "Coffee, tea, or hot chocolate milk?" I brewed a pot of fresh coffee, and we sat down at the kitchen table, BJ with some difficulty and wincing a bit. Obviously he was in pain. "First I want to apologize. A few days ago my eldest son, Jason, told me his story of being attacked by four big children who lived in your house. They ran him over with their skateboards, some huge boy beat him up with his board, another big boy kicked him in the nuts, and a girl like a panther punched him and gave him a bloody nose. They disappeared and left him on the streets without even looking back. His nose still bled, his balls ached, and his clothes were ruined. "Of course I was pissed, so I went to the police. They promised me to start an investigation about you as a single male, collecting so many children in your house. Gossip told me you were arrested, together with two small boys living in your house. That's when I started to think. They arrested two small boys, and not three big boys and a girl like a panther? I asked a couple of neighbors about you and your household. The 'huge boy' turned out to be our neighborhood boy John, and the 'girl like a panther' was his little sister Marrie. The other 'big boy' turned out to be twelve year old Thomas who's now on vacation, and Jason was 'run over' by that small gypsy boy with his burnt face, Harry. "I assure you I was severely shocked, and I had a good talk with Jason. Again I went to the police, who told me that fortunately everything turned out for the best. You had full custody over both boys, and you were beyond any doubt a good nurturer. I also discovered that our habitual street blabber had a hand in it, and I assure you she will never again spread any gossip about you or about your children! From now on the whole neighborhood will stand up for you, and they will help you wherever they can. "Yesterday I had some small talk with Mary and her son Davey. They both really adore you! You do have a healthy influence on little Davey, after he was abused by that beast for so many years. For the first time in his life he feels loved and happy, unlike my own son Jason..." BJ stopped, and wiped a tear away. I poured us two fresh cups of coffee, and we drank our coffee in silence. After a while BJ went on. "Today my youngest son, Nicky, was totally in awe. He made a new friend around his own age; and they went to his friend's house, where he met the nicest person on earth, that's you. He started to wrestle with his new friend, and they tickled each other. Suddenly he wet his pants, for he happens to have a weak bladder. But you didn't make a tantrum, you just sent them both upstairs to the shower. In the shower Nicky was severely shocked, for his new friend suddenly peeled his face off... But his friend just laughed, and told him everything about the fire and his operations. They both rested lazily on the floor of the shower, until all of a sudden you and John appeared in the doorway. Nicky was afraid you would punish him for being lazy, but you reassured him and carefully dried him. He could even borrow some clothes from your youngest son. "Nicky started to cry, but you just held him in your arms and comforted him. And now you are his hero! He thinks the world of you! He couldn't stop telling us about everything you said and did, and how you put your arm around him on the couch, and how you really listened to him and comforted him... "I'm afraid I never was a good father to my boys. My wife died when Jason was eight years old and Nicky was a small baby. I started to drink and was a real bully, always bad-tempered and cursing about everything. Two years ago I caught Jason and a friend in his room, both naked and playing with each other. I'm sorry, but I went completely berserk and kicked Jason, breaking two ribs. He went to the hospital and told them he fell down the stairs. After that incident he changed and became a bully. Now he is always angry and a total jerk, and I am afraid that's my fault... I tried to speak with him a couple of times, but he just won't listen; and I'm too impatient and always start to yell after a while. I think he is afraid of me... "Last month I was always tired, with pain everywhere in my body, so I went to the doctor. He examined everything, and told me I have cancer in the last stage. I will probably die within a few months, or perhaps even earlier. I have no family and no friends, and everyone is always afraid of me... "Please will you take Nicky into your house when I am gone, and raise him? He adores you, and I know you will be a much better father to him than I ever could be. I severely regret everything I did, but I'm afraid it's too late now..." BJ started to sob, and I offered him a tissue. I didn't dare to put my arm around him... What if he really was homophobic? After a while BJ blew his nose and dried his eyes. "I'm such a crybaby... I'm going home now, and I hope you will think it over. Can Nicky stay the night with you?" "Of course Nicky can stay, and I will seriously think about your question. I expect you will have to sign a lot of papers, to grant me full custody. What are you going to do about Jason?" "Jason is nearly seventeen now, and he always wanted to be on his own, so I think he is going to rent a room somewhere. But I didn't know where Nicky should go, and I didn't want to put him into an orphanage. I hope you will look after him, but I'm not going to press you. See you later." BJ went home without saying another word, leaving me alone with my thoughts. The first thought that crossed my mind was: I will have to buy a bigger car! The second thought was: where will everybody sleep tonight? Well, let the boys decide for themselves, but I'm afraid my waterbed isn't big enough to accommodate me plus four growing boys... I returned to the living room, where little Harry and Nicky still raced all types of cars, while John and Davey were watching some crazy film on TV. "Where's my dad?" Nicky asked me, looking around, "Did he go home without me?" "Would you like to spend the night here, and go back tomorrow?" "YEEEEEAAAAAAHHHHHH..." Nicky jumped off his chair and nearly suffocated me, by throwing his arms around my neck and giving me a couple of big wet kisses. "I want to sleep with Harry in his room tonight!" OK, that was settled. After a while we went upstairs, showered and went to bed. Nicky slept together with little Harry in the same bed, giggling and pushing each other, until I threatened to put them apart. John and Davey slept together in John's bed. Lonely me slept alone in my big waterbed. After a while little Harry entered my bedroom, yawning and scratching his thighs. "It's itching now, where they scraped the skin..." I put a few drops of oil on the inside of his thighs, and carried him back to a sleeping and slightly snoring Nicky. Gratefully he snuggled up to Nicky, closed his eyes and was gone. Ten minutes later Davey entered my bedroom, yawning. "The scars around my behind are itching. Please can you put some oil on the stitches?" I took the massage oil and anointed his scars. He kissed me, and we cuddled until he started to drift off. I carried him back to bed, next to a sleeping and slightly snoring John. He snuggled up to John, closed his eyes and was gone. After a while I fell asleep, feeling abandoned, hugging my pillow. In the middle of the night I woke up to the sounds of soft voices. "Come on, it's really okay. I do it all the time." "But he's YOUR dad..." "Shush... don't wake him up. Just do it!" I felt a small body enter the bed and melt into me, with a small arm draped around my waist. On the other side another small body entered the bed and cautiously draped himself along my side, barely touching me. I sniggered and threw my arms around both bodies. "Shit, he's awake..." "No shitting in bed, please; the toilet is downstairs." "You're crazy." Little Harry and Nicky both started to laugh and now completely melted into me, their arms draped around my waist. "Night dad!" sounded into my left ear, with a tender kiss. "Night pop!" sounded into my right ear, with a very wet kiss. So now I was a grandpa... I smiled and felt rich, marveling in the love of my boys. Harry AnderS, alternative writer. Thank you for reading my stories and thanks to Nifty for hosting them. The rewritten story is available on http://www.harryanders.com Please join our own forum on http://forum.harryanders.com Please send your remarks to harry@harryanders.com Help me to improve this story and visit my homepage. I could use more proofreaders... so please have a look at my homepage.