Date: Sat, 27 Aug 2005 14:43:17 +0200 From: Harry Anders Subject: Little Harry-13 First I want to ask you something... I would like to use a picture for the cover of my book; but I don't know where that picture comes from. Perhaps one of my readers recognizes it or has the original? Please have a look at http://www.harryanders.com/harryold.gif Do you happen to have the original picture, or the original name; or who made this picture? If so, please will you send it to me as soon as possible? Many thanks in advance! Chapter 13. Our golden van, a swimming pool, and a lost boy. In the morning I woke up, looking into two deep blue eyes on the left, and two bright greenish eyes on the right. Both boys had crawled onto my stomach, giggling and fighting for the best place. My morning erection poked painfully into the small gap between them. "Sorry boys, but I'm afraid I have to use the toilet first!" "I can feel that pop. You have a morning woody, just like me. Only yours is a lot bigger." "Are you jealous?" "Just wait, in a couple of years mine will be just as big as Jason's, and he's bigger than you. And my dad's is HUGE." There went my self esteem... We hurried downstairs, where we tried to cross our streams without splashing too much. Of course that went awfully wrong, but we had fun! We dried the floor with a mop, and went upstairs with both boys giggling behind me and poking me in my bare bum. This time it did nothing to me, I just laughed without any shame. I had certainly changed a lot in the last few days! I felt like a young boy myself, carefree and totally at ease. Society? What society... We returned to my bedroom, where we saw two moving lumps below the blankets, both softly giggling. "Attack of the creepy aliens!" little Harry shouted and jumped onto the first lump. "Attack of the nickering dragons!" Nicky shouted and attacked the second lump. Soon they all were in a heavy fight, with eight arms, eight legs, blankets, pillows, and bed sheets, all in one big knot. Now and then a grinning head showed up above the lump and disappeared again, until they were exhausted and decided to give it a break. "Let's hit the shower and go downstairs, because I am HUNGRY!" Four boys went to the shower, while I tried to make the trashed bed a bit more presentable. After a while we dressed and went downstairs to have breakfast. The sun was already shining from a cloudless sky, and the day promised to be very hot. "Dad, a few days ago I saw a small inflatable swimming pool, to be used in a back yard. Will you please buy us one?" I was immediately surrounded by four boys with puppy-dog eyes, expectantly looking up at me. "Yes dad? They don't cost much money, and you can use them all the time when it's too hot outside..." "Well... perhaps we could go downtown and buy one, but I'm afraid our car is too small to transport all of us plus a swimming pool." They looked disappointed, until little Harry saw through my little joke and poked me in the ribs. "You're crazy! You behind the steering wheel, John in the front seat, me, Nicky, and Davey in the back seat, and the swimming pool on the roof. Come on, let's go downtown!" "Well... with all those new passengers, perhaps we should first buy a bigger car?" "Really? You mean that? A bigger car for us? Come on, let's look for a bigger car on the Internet!" They ran to the computer in the living room, leaving me with the platters and the silverware. I washed the dishes, tidied everything, brewed a cup of coffee, and went to the living room where my four boys crowded around the computer. "Dad, look! We have found a really nice one!" I went to the computer, and they appeared to be really canny boys! They found a site with used cars, and now pointed to a big van with two movable front seats and five removable back seats, four of which could be placed into a square, while the fifth seat could be folded down as a small table. "Wow, that's a really nice vehicle! But how about the money?" "Nah, you already told us you are rich! You even have a credit card, so you could buy everything." I sniggered, but didn't dare to disappoint them. Besides, I really did have some money to spend... "Okay, let's have a look at our new van." John fished the keys out of my pocket and we all rushed to our old car. After twenty minutes of driving and a little searching we entered a big sales yard, filled with all types of used cars. "There she is!" John pointed to a big van in the background, with a beautiful metallic golden color, shining in the sun. "WOW!" Davey exclaimed, with sparkling eyes and totally in awe. Little Harry and Nicky were unusually silent, evidently very impressed. We parked our old car and went to our new conveyance. "May I help you sirs?" a smiling man approached us. "We want to have a look at that big van over there, and maybe we could have a test drive?" The man opened the doors of the van and let the boys discover all possibilities of the removable chairs on their own. Nicky discovered how you could turn the front seats around, so you had a real conference room, with six seats around a table in the middle. The boys were more and more enthusiastic, until I tempered their excitement by asking about the price minus the value of my old car. The man named his price, and it turned out to be exactly what I had in mind. "You are lucky sir, this van was nearly sold yesterday. In the last moment they decided to buy a smaller one..." The boys rearranged the seats and fastened their seatbelts, the vendor took the front seat and showed me how to operate the various knobs and handles. He handed me the keys, I started our golden van, and we drove off for a test drive. I felt like a king and the boys were ecstatic. They jumped up and down in their seats and craned their neck to look everywhere. "We even have lockers in the backs of all the chairs dad!" "Look, you can switch the front ceiling lights independent from the back lights!" "When you put the back of your seat completely down, you could even sleep on it!" My mind took over and showed me a couple of doubts. Why was this car for sale? Was she reliable or had she hidden defects? Suddenly I heard the voice of Jack, somewhere in my head: "This car is a present from spirit to you. You will need her in the future." I thanked Jack in my mind, and thought I heard him say, "Welcome". Or did I make that up myself? We went back to the yard and sealed our purchase. I paid them with my credit card, and we moved our possessions from our old car to our new van. The vendor handed over the papers and the keys, and we drove off in a festive mood. John climbed onto the front seat and started to try out the built in digital stereo radio. Suddenly our song reverberated through the car with a deep boom bass: "You are soooo beauuuutifuuuullll..." We all sang along with the song as loud as possible, and already felt at home in our new van. The boys played with the various positions of all chairs, and in the end they had put them all together and into sleeping positions. "Look dad, when we travel to the gypsies in Romania we can sleep in our own van! There's room enough for everybody." As a good parent I told them to sit in the seats and put their seat belts on, and postpone the playing until we weren't on the road. But they didn't really listen, and who cares? They were just too enthusiastic, so I let it go this time and drove a little bit more carefully. We then went to a toyshop and asked for a swimming pool. The vendor showed us all types of inflatable pools, and of course the boys went immediately to the largest pool there was, six by twelve feet (2x4 meters), provided with an electric air pump and a huge water filter. "This one is big enough for all of us dad, even when Thomas and Chrissie are back from their vacation." I looked at four pairs of puppy-dog eyes, smiled, and nodded. The sound was raising the roof and the windows rumbled when they started to cheer and dance around, hugging me nearly to death. I paid with my inexhaustible credit card and we tied the big package to the roof of our new golden van. In a cheerful mood, we went home, again singing along with the music. I parked our new van in the driveway, and John and Davey went straight to the back yard to decide where we should put our new swimming pool. After a moment they hurried back. "Dad, can we tidy up that place next to Harry's herbs and the backdoor? It's an ideal place in the shadow of those big trees, and nobody can see us from the streets." We went with them to have a look. Little Harry agreed, on condition they would keep the pool at least three feet away from his white cobblestones. We lifted the big package from the roof of our car and dragged it to the back yard, where we unpacked the pool, the air pump, and the big filter. After a lot of dragging and tossing, the pool was finally in place. Little Harry and Nicky went into the house to look for an electric cord, while John and Davey went into the garage to attach a long water hose. Half an hour later, the empty pool was sufficiently inflated, and John turned the water tap on. At first nothing happened. Davey reached for the water hose, looked into the opening, shook the hose a few times, and suddenly the hose started to spout. We all roared with laughter, while a wet and dripping Davey coughed and spewed the inhaled water from his lungs. His revenge was sweet. Before we knew what happened he pointed the hose at all of us. We yelled and jumped out of the way, leaving Davey roaring with laughter! We went into the house and the boys hurried up the stairs to look for swimming trunks. In no time they returned to the back yard, where I heard them splashing, laughing, and yelling. They were sure having a lot of fun! I went to the kitchen to prepare enough food for myself and four hungry growing boys. After a while I went to the back yard with a tray filled with a huge pile of sandwiches and drinks, enough to feed a small army. Grinning, I looked at my six children, playing, having a lot of fun with the hose, and bouncing up and down in the halfway-filled pool. SIX children? What the hell... I counted again. John, Davey, a girl, Harry, another girl, and Nicky. Wow, my household was growing fast! I laughed and beckoned them over. John was the first one who detected me with a food tray. "Come on, there's something to EAT!" Within a second I was surrounded by six dripping wet children, looking like they were starved. "Hello sir, are we allowed to use your pool? The boys said it wasn't a problem..." "Did you pay at the entrance?" The eldest girl, of about twelve years old, looked a bit forlorn and stared at her feet. The youngest girl, obviously her sister, suddenly laughed at the joke and winked at me. "Those nice boys paid for us, of course..." "In your dreams!" little Harry laughed and dived to the tray for a sandwich and a drink. In no time all sandwiches and drinks were gone. They resumed their games in the pool, leaving me with the empty tray. Still hungry, I returned to the kitchen and made myself an extra large sandwich, filled with a lot of everything. I regaled myself in revenge, like a child... The afternoon passed by, filled with laughter and childish yelling from the back yard, where everyone seemed to be having the time of their lives. I filled my time by cleaning the house and working on my paperwork. I also started to write a new book about all our adventures. I decided to call my new book 'Little Harry'; after my little gypsy prince who suddenly entered my life. Time flew, and soon the sun already descended the sky. I went back to the back yard, to have a look at my nine playing children. NINE playing children? What the hell... I counted again. A new girl and two small neighborhood boys had joined our group in my absence. They were frolicking and splashing each other as if they were totally at home in our pool, which was now filled to the brim. "Boys, girls, sorry but it's time to go home! We have to dress and prepare for dinner..." Reluctantly our visitors left the pool and went home with their clothes in hand, still dripping. "Can, err... may we come back tomorrow, please? It's fun here!" "We will see, but for today you had enough fun. We are invited to dinner somewhere else." The neighborhood children went home, and my boys went upstairs to dress for dinner. Nicky threw his arms around my neck, nearly suffocating me, and offered me a big wet kiss. "I have to go home now, but thank you very much for this marvelous day! Can I... may I come back tomorrow, please?" "Of course, you may come back every time you wish! Greetings to your father and to Jason." He went home, skipping all the way. We prepared to join Davey's mother, who awaited us with dinner tonight. "Today was really fun dad! Thank you for everything, for our new car, and for our new swimming pool," John beamed. "Yes dad, never in my life have I had so much fun! You are a really neat dad, and I am glad I could join you today," Davey beamed. Little Harry just beamed. He held my hand all the way, radiating love and pushing into me with every movement. Mary opened the door when she saw us coming, and her eyes filled with joy. She directed us to the living room. Soon the boys told her everything about all events of the day, our new golden van with seven movable and turnable chairs, the new inflatable swimming pool with a huge water filter, and their newly found girl friends who joined them in the swimming pool. Davey climbed onto her lap and threw his arms around her neck. "I missed you mom! I really had fun today, but I wish you could have joined us." "Don't bother son, I enjoyed myself today while cooking a very special meal for you all." We went to the table and sat down. Mary returned from the kitchen with a bowl of steaming consommé. Little Harry tasted, frowned, tasted again... "What did you put into it? I can taste oregano, onions, celery, parsley, and something else I don't recognize..." "Well... I have to disappoint you. This is just a can of soup from the supermarket!" We all started to laugh, and our little cook colored a deep red. After the soup, we were served a marvelous meal, with grilled salmon, baked potatoes, all sorts of vegetables, and a delicious sauce; followed by a big ice sorbet with a mixture of fruits. Soon we were all stuffed to the brim. "Mom, never in your life did you cook such a delicious meal! You really are the best!" "I have to agree with your son, Mary! This is one of the best meals I've ever tasted!" John and little Harry just nodded and licked their fingers. Mary beamed and wiped her eyes with a handkerchief. "This is the first time in many years that I really enjoyed cooking. Thank you for your compliments, I am glad you liked the meal." The boys settled down in front of the television, while Mary and I sat down on the couch with a cup of coffee. "I am so grateful you took Davey with you today... I can see in his eyes how much he enjoyed this day with you and your boys." "I am glad he joined us today. He's a nice boy with a good heart, and we all like him very much." Davey looked up at us and colored a deep red with tears in his eyes. "I like you very much too, all of you! And I can't tell you how much I love you as my new dad! I hope I will never lose you..." He climbed onto my lap and tried to melt into me. "Now it's as if I own my REAL dad, for the first time in my life..." After a while John and little Harry joined us to claim their share, and we all cuddled each other for a long time. "Mom, please, may John and Harry spend the night with us? I never had a sleepover before..." Of course I agreed, so the boys went upstairs to arrange their things for the night. Again I thanked Mary for the wonderful meal; and I went home, this time by myself. The night was dark, with no moon, but thousands of stars twinkling in the sky. I looked at the Milky Way for a long time, where I recognized the Polestar and a reddish planet I suspected to be Mars. Now and then one of the stars blinked, and a few times I saw a falling star move along the horizon. Suddenly I felt myself small and vulnerable; and I shivered. Who was I, and why was I here on this planet? What was the meaning of all this, and what would the future bring? After a while I went inside, showered, and went to bed, all alone and feeling lonely. Sleep took over after a while and I had a peaceful night. I woke up once to go to the toilet; I missed my boys, so I hugged my pillow while drifting off again. I woke up to a couple of sounds, yawned, and looked into three smiling faces hovering above me. "I'm going to sleep with dad!" Davey declared as he started to undress, quickly followed by John and little Harry. Davey got to me first and clambered onto my stomach, pushed his head under my chin and clamped his arms around my body. Little Harry tried to push Davey away, but in vain. John plopped down on my right side and melted into me. After a while little Harry gave up and melted into my left side. I felt blessed with my boys, draped my arms around all of them, and dozed off with a wonderful feeling. In the morning Davey explained what happened during the night. "The air mattress had a leak and went flat, so Harry climbed into my bed, and after a while John tried to follow him. But my bed was too small for all three of us, and after a while we decided to go to your house and have some more sleep in your big waterbed." "Yes dad, I am still stiff from that hard floor! At first Harry climbed onto my stomach and tried to sleep there, but I couldn't sleep with him as a blanket so I threw him off me. After that we went to Davey's bed, but it was too small for all three of us. After a lot of pushing and me falling out of bed two times, we decided to join you in your bed." Little Harry just grinned and tried to push his head under my left armpit. After a moment he suddenly tilted his head, listened, and jumped out of bed, nearly tripping over the blankets. "There's Nicky..." Ten seconds later the bell rang. How the hell does he know that, each and every time? The front door opened and the high pitched voice of Nicky sounded, laughing and joking about little Harry still being naked. They stormed the stairs and little Harry jumped onto the bed, disappearing under the blankets next to me. "Come on Nick, join us! We were just cuddling with dad..." Nicky hesitated for a moment, but then decided to join the fun. He threw his clothes somewhere into the room. "Attack of the nickering dragon!" he shouted and followed little Harry, also disappearing under the blankets. They threw their small arms around each other, and I threw my left arm around both boys. "Pop, I am allowed to be with you for the whole day, but only if you agree..." "Of course I agree! I already told you that you always will be welcome here." "I like you a lot! And every time I'm here, I wish you were my real dad..." Suddenly I felt something in my heart. Nicky, Mickey, wasn't that the name of my eldest son, once when I was a gypsy leader? Could it be... We cuddled until it was time to feed my growing boys. We showered and went downstairs, the boys already clad in their swimming trunks, because the day promised to be very hot again. Little Harry cooked scrambled eggs with some of his famous herbs, and Nicky nearly swallowed his fingers while licking them clean. "Those eggs tasted really delicious! I never tasted anything like that! Harry really is an excellent cook!" Harry beamed, and took another toast with scrambled eggs 'ala freaky alien'. I brewed myself a cup of coffee and squeezed a couple of oranges to make fresh orange juice. After the meal they went through the backdoor and were gone, yelling and splashing each other with cold water. I cleaned the dishes and retreated to the computer, to work on my new book 'Little Harry'. A story line appeared; me sitting on the porch of my new home, and a few children approaching me with their story about a little burnt gypsy boy... "Dad, we want to build a tree house in those three birches in the corner of the back yard. Do you have boards, a hammer, a saw, and a couple of nails? We already made a design." John and Davey expectantly looked up at me, while little Harry and Nicky started to push each other in the background. "That sounds good, but I don't have used boards; and probably we will have to buy a few tools and some equipment." Nicky stepped forward. "We do have a whole lot of used lumber in our back yard, from Jason's old tree house. Shall we ask him to give it to us?" They went upstairs to put some clothes on, and disappeared through the front door, to look for Jason. I went back to my computer. Ten minutes later my four boys entered the house, accompanied by another, taller boy. He resembled Nicky, with the same greenish eyes, but with slightly darker hair. He looked rather timid and smiled bashfully. Nicky beamed at me. "We can use Jason's equipment pop, but only if we allow him to help us with building the tree house." "Hi Jason, I'm big Harry, to distinguish me from little Harry over there. Please come in, and will you have a drink with us?" He merely nodded, and we went to the kitchen. John dived into the fridge and asked everybody what they wanted to drink. Jason looked at me, "Can I have a cup of coffee, just like you?" "Of course, you're a boy after my own heart. Do you want milk and sugar?" "I like it black, with two lumps of sugar please." "Just like me. I don't want to spoil the taste by adding milk." After we enjoyed our drinks in silence, Nicky neared me and threw his arms around my neck. "Pop, we can use all the wood from Jason's old tree house, but could we transport it on the roof of our new van?" "I think that could be possible. How much wood is there?" "My friend and I collected quite a lot of lumber. We planned to build a very big tree house, until my dad..." Jason suddenly broke off, and bashfully looked down at his feet. "I know, Jason, yesterday your dad told me everything. I know you had a very difficult time." "He told you everything?..." "Everything. Can we drive into the back yard, or do we have to carry the wood?" "I think we can drive quite nearby. Do you have a couple of ropes?" We went to our new golden van and the boys collected a few ropes from the garage. They arranged the seats, and this time they even fastened their seatbelts! We drove off to BJ's house, with Nicky proudly pointing the way, two streets away from our house. I turned the van around and we entered the driveway backwards, driving into the back of the yard. The next two hours we were busy, sorting the lumber, piling all sorts of boards and stakes onto the roof, and fastening them with the ropes. We drove home, unloaded everything into our back yard, and went back to fetch more wood. When everything was loaded, Jason went to the garage and returned with a couple of boxes; filled with all sorts of nails, screws, and plugs. He also had an electric saw with a long cord, a couple of hammers, pincers, punches, and screwdrivers. We loaded everything into our van and drove home; this time with Jason in the front seat, looking both relieved and very sad. Did I really see tears in his eyes? We unloaded our van for the last time, and now I was dead tired. My inexhaustible boys went upstairs and returned in their swimming trunks to have a cool dive in the swimming pool, while Jason and I slumped down on the couch and looked at each other. "Do you want another cup of coffee?" "May I have a cola this time, please?" "Help yourself. The fridge is in the kitchen." Jason went to the kitchen and returned with a cola. Suddenly he looked at me. "Why are you so nice to me?" "Maybe I am a nice person?" "Do you REALLY know what happened? Did dad tell you everything?" "Jason, what happened to your friend?" "... They took him with them, and I never saw him again. I think his parents murdered him." Jason shivered, lowered his head, and started to sob. Suddenly I felt such compassion, I turned around and pulled him into my arms, without thinking. For a moment he stiffened, but then he let himself go and he leaned into me, softly sobbing. "Sorry, but I can't help it. I love him. I didn't want to be a homo. We just found each other and we immediately liked each other a lot. We started to do everything together. We even promised each other to stay together for the rest of our lives. But we always had to be careful. We had to hide our feelings, for his dad and my dad both are homo haters. We hoped to build a tree house, where we could be together for a while without fear. We worked hard to collect all that wood and nails and the rest. One day my dad wasn't home, and we went to my bedroom... Suddenly dad came home and saw us, both naked. He kicked Carl out of the door, yelling and screaming. Then he punched and kicked me. I had to go to the hospital with two broken ribs and a couple of bruises. I told them I fell off the stairs, but they didn't believe me. I just couldn't tell them the truth, that I loved a boy... When I returned from the hospital, my father started to yell again. He called me a fag and a worthless homo. He promised to cut my balls off if he ever saw me with another boy. I tried to find out where Carl lived, but I never found him. They just sold their house and disappeared into nowhere..." I just held him, for a long time, until at last his sobs lessened and he tried to pull himself together. "I am such a baby, just a worthless fag." "You are a wonderful boy with a lot of love in your heart." "Huh...?" "Jason, do you still love Carl?" He started to sob again and nodded, unable to speak. "Shall I try to find out where Carl is living now?" Suddenly he looked up, and I saw such a hope in his eyes... "Would you really do that?" "I can't promise anything, but I will give it a try. Do you have his name, old address and telephone number?" After a while Jason went to the kitchen to put his head under the cold water. I phoned our lawyer, who promised me to trace down fifteen-year-old Carl. He would contact me as soon as he knew any details. "Looks like you are opening a shelter for lost boys?" he grinned. "You could say that. In a few days I will contact you again, about the possibility of adopting another boy, but that can wait." From the doorway little Harry and Nicky approached me; both with puzzled looks on their faces. "Who are you going to adopt?" "I can't tell you yet. But I think you will hear soon enough." "Ah dad, you never had secrets for us..." Suddenly Nicky looked at me, wide-eyed. "Am I going to live with YOU when my dad dies?" I took him in my arms and he melted into me, suddenly sobbing. "I was afraid they would put me in an orphanage..." I carried him to the couch where we sat down, Nicky sobbing on my lap, and little Harry leaning into me. Jason returned from the kitchen and looked shocked. "Is my father going to die? When?" "Yes Jason, your father has only a few months left. Yesterday he told me he has cancer. But Nicky, how did YOU know?" "I heard him talk to Davey's mother the other day. He told her he has lethal cancer and will die within a few months..." We were silent for a long time, until Nicky dried his eyes with a tissue from the table. Suddenly Jason turned around and faced his little brother. "Sorry Nick, for being such an asshole. I didn't really mean it... I realize now that I was probably jealous of you. Our dad always only looked after you, and I didn't exist any more. In his eyes I was only a worthless fag, after he... I was so terribly alone..." Jason started to cry and hid his face in his hands. Nicky hopped off my lap and tenderly hugged his big brother. "It's ok Jase, I missed you too. After what happened... you never played with me any more, and I didn't exist to you too. When Carl joined us, we all three had a lot of fun, remember? But after Carl went away, you suddenly changed into somebody else..." Little Harry and I silently left the room, leaving the two brothers alone. We went to the back yard, where John and Davey splashed and frolicked, accompanied by two girls and two boys from yesterday. John constructed a slide from a few boards, and now they all had a lot of fun. Clever boy, always up to something new! "Attack of the creepy gypsy!" little Harry shouted, cannonballing into the water and emptying half the pool. Davey turned the water on, squirting a forceful stream at the yelling girls, who tried to escape by swimming under water, until they had to emerge by lack of air. "Rape! Please mister, tell that boy to leave us alone!" But their eyes beamed, and they clearly enjoyed the water attack. Suddenly they got John, and mercilessly dunked him. "Leave us alone, or we will drown your boyfriend!" Davey grinned. "My boyfriend? In your dreams! You are just jealous!" Little Harry attacked the girls, thus rescuing a spluttering John; who afterwards gratefully dunked him. I laughed, went to the kitchen and brewed myself a cup of coffee. In the living room Jason and Nicky were talking and now and then sobbing, so I decided to leave them alone for another while. I took the coffee with me and returned to the back yard, grinning about the ageless and immemorial spectacle of boys and girls trying to impress each other. Suddenly Nicky appeared from the backdoor, shouting at me: "Pop, the telephone is ringing!" I went inside and Nicky handed me the receiver. "It's your lawyer." My lawyer told me with pride in his voice that he had found the lost boy. Unfortunately there was a sad story as well. Two years ago, their car suddenly slipped off the highway at high speed and collapsed into the banks. Both parents died instantly, but the boy was catapulted and that rescued his life. After a couple of weeks he left the hospital, without any known relatives, so the authorities put him into an orphanage. He was put up for adoption, but so far nobody would take him, because they all wanted younger children to nurture. The orphanage was very strict, and he was not allowed to phone or write anybody until he was at least eighteen years old. My lawyer already told them everything about me and my boys, and they promised him to grant me permission to take the boy with me for a couple of hours. They even hinted at the possibility of adopting him after a while... Suddenly I heard Jack in my head, laughing. "I told you! You needed a bigger car... Perhaps you need a bigger house too." Or did I make that up myself? I asked the neighborhood children not to make too big a mess around the swimming pool, and to go home in time. I took my boys with me to the living room. We sat down on the couch (I will have to buy a bigger couch in the future...) and I told them what they needed to know about Jason and his friend, Carl. I told them that two years ago Jason's friend suddenly disappeared into nowhere. My lawyer discovered that Carl's parents died in a car accident, and the authorities put Carl into an orphanage, where he wasn't allowed to phone or to write anybody. He was put up for adoption, but so far nobody took him. The orphanage was less than half an hour's driving from our house. Suddenly I had a lap full of Jason, crying his heart out. "You... found... him...; ... are... we... goh...hing... to... see... him... today?" "Yes Jason, we are going to see Carl today. That is, if you really want to see him?" Jason couldn't speak any more and nodded forcefully, nearly suffocating me. Nicky threw his arms around Jason on one side, while little Harry threw his arms around him on the other side. "Let it go, don't bottle it up. In a few minutes you will feel better..." John and Davey both bumped into each other, trying to get a tissue at the same time. They looked rather sheepishly, while John brought the tissues with him and handed them to Jason. After a while Jason dried his eyes, and bashfully looked around. "I am such a worthl... Oh no, sorry, I am such a big boy, with love in my heart!" We started to laugh, and Nicky offered him a very wet kiss. "I love you, my big brother with your lovely heart!" "I love you too, my little nickering dragon!" Now we knew from where Nicky got THAT... 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. ... and perhaps you will look after that picture?