Date: Wed, 22 Jul 2009 13:36:21 EDT From: Bwstories8@aol.com Subject: Castaway Hotel: Grand Reopening, chapters 33 - 34 Castaway Hotel -- Grand Reopening by BW Copyright 2009 by billwstories Chapter 33 -- Problems to deal with. **Author's Note:** Please read the disclaimer in Chapter 00 before you read this. Sunday, the boys played soccer amongst themselves for most of the day. Kevin seemed fine and did everything he normally would have, but I was still very concerned about his condition. I wish it were already Monday, so I could make the appointment. In order not to spook him, I was careful not to let him see how worried I was. There was no need to alarm him further, but I thought it would be prudent if I monitored his activities throughout the afternoon and evening. I was on pins and needles the entire day and slept very little that night, even with Kevin bunking in with me again. As I watched him sleep like a baby, I was only able to take several short catnaps before dawn approached. I tried to make it appear as if it was just another normal day, but I watched the clock the entire time and couldn't believe how slowly it seemed to be moving. After dropping the boys off at the high school, Ricky and I went on to the middle school, where I raced to my office and waited to be able to make my call. I would be willing to bet I was probably the first person to phone my doctor's office that morning, possibly even catching the staff before they were comfortably settled in, but they did connect me to the doctor almost immediately. After hearing what I had to say, he told me to bring Kevin in at 2:30. I called the high school and asked the secretary if she would kindly inform Kevin about his appointment and I also asked her to also let him know that I would pick him up in front of the school at 2:00, sharp. Then, I informed my secretary and the assistant principal that I would be leaving early today, so they could cover for me. I left a few minutes before two, to drive to the high school, which is just a short distance down the street from my school. I was pleased to discover Kevin was outside waiting for me, as planned. Other than the usual hellos, nothing else was said during the ride. We checked in at the desk and then sat down, waiting to be summoned. When Kevin's name was called, he reached his arm out to me. "You're coming with me, aren't you, Dad?" he asked, showing how nervous he was. "Of course, if you want me to," I assured him. He took my hand and I followed him into the examination room. After weighing and measuring him, the nurse advised him to strip to his underwear and sit on the examination table. She added the doctor would be in shortly, just before she closed the door. Once we were alone, Kevin slipped out of his clothes, but then moved over and sat on my lap. I didn't discourage this, since it would only take him a second to hop up on the table when the doctor arrived, so we waited. After a few minutes of nervous anticipation, the doctor entered. We exchanged greetings and then he asked Kevin if he wanted me to stay, while he examined him. "Yes, I want Dad here with me," he responded, somewhat forcefully. The doctor merely nodded and gave me a wink, knowing I didn't have this son when I came in for my last appointment. The doctor asked Kevin to remove his briefs and lie on the examination table, which Kevin did, without hesitation. The doctor took his time examining his scrotum, feeling around the sensitive area, but then he made a strange face. "There is a definite lump there," he informed us. "I'm going to order an ultrasound and some blood tests, which are to be done at the hospital, first thing tomorrow morning. It's the only way I can determine if this is testicular cancer or just a cyst." "What's the difference?" Kevin wanted to know. "A cyst is non-threatening, in most cases, and is caused by a build up in fluids around the testicle," the doctor explained. "Sometimes they have to be removed, but other times they may be left to run their course. Some will disappear on their own, over time." "But what if it's cancer?" Kevin continued. "Testicular cancer is most frequently found in males between the ages of 15 to 35, although it is not confined to that group," he informed him. "You are just probably at the right age to be at the beginning edge of that critical period. If we discover you do have testicular cancer, then we'll have to react fairly quickly" "And do what?" Kevin wanted to know, while the doctor looked over at me, for a clue as to what he should do next. I merely nodded my approval for him to answer Kevin's question. "If it is cancer," the doctor began, "the testicle will most likely have to removed, but don't be alarmed. If it should come to that, one testicle will be more than enough to supply you with what you need to make you a father." "Aren't there any other choices, doc?" Kevin asked, searching for other possibilities. "No, I'm afraid there aren't," the doctor told him, solemnly. "Anti-cancer drugs are usually ineffective in this situation, because they aren't sufficiently absorbed by the testicles. An orchiectomy, or the surgical removal of the testicle, is generally the best option and often the only way to deal with the problem. Tomorrow you will have an ultrasound and blood tests to help me make the determination about which problem you suffer from and which course of action would be best to follow. The ultrasound will let me see the growth and examine its size, shape and density. I'll also have your blood checked for certain markers, in particular beta HCG and alphafetoprotein. These markers will indicate whether the growth is cancerous or not. Once we have this information, I'll be able to give you a more intelligent answer about where we go from there." We thanked the doctor and he left the examination room. Kevin dressed quickly, but I could read the concern still registering on his face. Rather than return to school, I took him directly home. I thought it might be best if he wasn't forced back into a setting where he had to cope with others, while dealing with the implications of everything he had just heard. He was very quiet during the ride home and went directly into the house, heading for the family room. "Do you want to talk about it?" I asked him, once we were inside. He nodded his head, so I went in and sat down in my recliner, before motioning him to come sit on my lap. He had hardly gotten comfortable before he burst into tears. My heart ached, as I considered what this must be like for him, so I hugged him tightly, as I waited for him to calm down again. "I'm scared, Dad," he told me. "What if they have to cut off my balls… or something more?" I pulled him against me, stroked his hair and kissed his forehead. "Shhh, baby. You'll be fine," I tried to soothe him. "Even if it is cancer, they'll only remove the one testicle. Many people live normal, healthy lives with only one. You've discovered this early enough so they most likely won't have to do more, if that's what you're worried about, and I'll be with you the whole time. I love you, Kevin. I'm here for you and I won't let you down." I kissed him several more times, on the forehead and also on the cheek, and held him as tightly as I could. After a few minutes like this, he began to calm down. Slowly, he raised his head and looked at me. "I love you, Dad, and thank you," he added. "All the others told me I could count on you, and they were right. I'm still a little scared, but not as scared as I'd be if I didn't have you to help me." I kissed him, again, and hugged him some more. No further words were needed. Later, we went back to the school, in order to pick up the other boys. They wanted to know how Kevin was, so I explained to them about tomorrow's tests. They were extremely supportive of their brother, offering to go with him, if he wanted them to. In fact, I thought they went out of their way to be extraordinarily nice to him that evening. To top it off, Dustin never left his side. As the hour grew late, Kevin asked me if he could sleep with me again tonight, and I agreed. This seemed to bother Dustin greatly, so I took him aside, to speak with him alone. I explained that, for tonight, Kevin needed his father, not his lover or his friend. After hearing me out, Dustin began to understand what Kevin was going through and fought to control the 'green monster' that had been growing inside of him. Although he wasn't romantically involved with Kevin, he had still been a little jealous about not being the one Kevin sought out at this time. Now, he began to let go of some of those feelings. For the rest of the evening, Kevin clung to me, acting as if he thought I'd disappear, if he relaxed his grip for even one second. I didn't actually sleep much again that night and only dozed off occasionally, getting a few minutes of shut-eye at a time. I spent most of my time holding on to Kevin, stroking his hair and kissing his forehead whenever his body tensed and jerked, as he fought with visions no person his age should have to face. The next morning, I discovered that Kevin hadn't slept well either, as he recalled the litany of little things I had done to try to ease his troubled mind. After thanking me for everything, he gave me a hug and I sent him off to get ready for his big day. The previous evening, I had made arrangements for a friend to give the other boys a ride to school, as Kevin and I had to leave early for the hospital. Kevin thought about having his brothers go with him, but decided their presence would make him even more nervous than he already was. Therefore, we left them behind and made the trip alone. The staff on duty let me stay with Kevin throughout his tests and informed me my doctor would call us with the results, once they were in. Reluctantly, I took Kevin back to school, kissed him good-bye and told him I'd let him know if I heard anything from the doctor. Although my mind was still in a haze, I went back to work, but I'm not sure I was of much use to anyone. Fortunately, my secretary and the assistant principal understood my preoccupation and took over most of my duties. The teachers were also very supportive and went out of their way to make sure there weren't any major problems throughout that day. I appreciated everyone's effort, and just before the final school bell rang, I got the call I had been anticipating and dreading. "Josh, things are looking up," my doctor began. "It appears this is only a cyst, but I want to see him again in another month, so I can re-examine him and rerun the tests, as a precautionary measure." I thanked him for the good news, but decided to wait and tell Kevin until after he'd finished his soccer practice. Before I took him back to school, we had made a quick stop to purchase a jockstrap with a cup for him and Kevin promised to wear it from now on, whenever he played sports. Knowing this, I concluded the distraction of working out with the others would be good for him and I didn't want to interrupt his practice, just to tell him he was fine. As the time neared for me to go get the boys, I left my school and made the short drive to the high school. I only had to wait a short time for them to appear, but after they were all in the car, I spoke to Kevin. "Kevin, the doctor called me a little while ago and told me that it looks like it's just a cyst. He wants to see you again, in a month, just to make sure though." A huge smile flashed across Kevin's face, as the weight of a thousand burdens had been lifted from his chest. He waited until we got home, however, before he started hugging everyone and jumping around. Things definitely improved from that point on. I did manage to impress upon him how important it was that he had discovered the lump so early. If it had turned out to be cancerous, the early detection would have made a major difference in how severe the problem might have become. I informed all of the boys that they should examine themselves regularly, in case they had a similar situation. They all said they would, but hoped I would examine them as well, for fear they might miss something on their own. After agreeing to do this for them on a quarterly or semi-annual basis, things started to return to normal. After experiencing the past few days dragging by, time suddenly seemed to jump into warp speed. We were now three weeks into the school year and the boys' soccer teams had already completed the early portion of their schedule. Besides the scrimmages, the older group had won all three of the games their team had played, while the younger boys' team was 1-1. Ricky and Jay had improved a great deal and even surprised themselves, thanks to the patient help from their brothers. Ricky had been moved to midfield, because of his boundless energy and improved skills, while Jay remained at striker. We were now coming up to the Labor Day weekend and I thought it would be best to make plans with the boys for the holiday. "We've got a three day weekend coming up," I reminded them, "and I'm not sure what you boys are used to doing, but I've got some ideas, if you're interested." "Sure, Dad," Danny said, to start things off. "What do you have in mind?" "Well, I have a couple of ideas to be precise. First, I thought we could have a cookout or two that weekend. I can barbecue steaks on Saturday, chicken on Sunday and then we can do hamburgers, hot dogs and sausage links on Monday. What do you think?" "That sounds good to me," Ricky answered, while rubbing his belly. "What's the other idea?" Dustin wanted to know. "I thought we should throw a birthday party," I answered, which caused everyone to start looking around. "Who is this party going to be for?" Danny inquired. "None of us have a birthday coming up in September." "No, but we did miss one," I informed them. "Kevin had his birthday just before he moved in with us, and I don't think he ever got a chance to celebrate or enjoy his special day." Kevin nodded his head, knowing he happened to still be in police custody on his birthday. It was a few days after his dad knocked the crap out of him. "I thought we should acknowledge his birthday, even if it is a little late," I continued. "We can throw a party for him over the weekend, as long as he doesn't mind that our timing is a little off." Kevin looked at me and grinned. "Thanks, Dad. I can live with you all being a little off," he advised us. However, none of us were sure if he was referring to his birthday, or if he thought we were all a bubble shy of level. "It's settled then," I enthusiastically announced. "Kevin, do you have anyone you'd like to invite?" "Could I invite some of the guys from the soccer team?" he responded. "Most definitely," I agreed. "Brandon and Jay will most likely be here anyways, and I'll invite Mrs. Swarthout to join us too. In addition to that, you may invite whomever else you wish, as long as you let me know how many to expect. I have to make sure I have enough for them to eat. Do you want to have the party on Sunday or Monday?" "I think Monday would be better," Kevin answered. "Monday it is, then. Let's say around noon." He quickly agreed. "Wait, I just had another idea," I advised them. "What do you think of inviting Jay and Brandon's parents over for our Sunday cookout? That way we could have an extended family celebration and Jay and Brandon can spend the night here, so they're with us for Kevin's party too. I think their parents might be a little more inclined to let them spend so much time with us, if we include them in on some of our activities too. We can even ask their parents if they want to join us on Monday too. What do you think?" "I think that's a great idea, Dad," Danny offered. "Brandon says his parents sometimes complain about how much time he spends here with us. It might make it easier if they were here with us too." "It sounds like a plan then, but we'll make one minor change," I added. "We'll have the chicken on Saturday and save the steaks for Sunday, if the O'Haras and Curtises agree to join us. I'll go call and invite them now." I went and phoned both families and they were each surprised and appreciative of our offer. The O'Haras said they had no plans for that day and would be happy to join us, while the Curtises said they would change their Sunday plans to Saturday, so they could also come. I also invited them for the birthday party, but they said they thought that was more for the younger crowd and declined that part of the invitation. I told them they could at least join us for the cookout portion of the celebration and they said they'd think it over and we finished our conversations. I thought this was going to work out well, with all three families getting to know each other better, and it should also make them more comfortable about allowing their sons to spend so much time with us. All of the boys got involved and started helping to plan the activities for both Sunday and Monday. The birthday party did take up most of their attention, however, because they wanted to make sure there was enough to do, without it seeming like a little kid's party. I had no problems with that and let them make most of the suggestions. As an afterthought, I also called 'Aunt Sally' and invited her to join us on Sunday too, figuring she might like a day around some adults, besides the party with all of the young men. "Josh, I'd be thrilled to come both days, as long as you and the boys don't mind," she advised me. It's so very thoughtful of all of you that you're making me feel like part of your family." "Well, you are," I responded, without hesitation. "Without you, this family wouldn't exist and the boys certainly want their Aunt Sally here, so they can show their appreciation for what you've done for all of us." Sally didn't say anything right away in response and I assumed she might have been a little choked up at the moment. However, when she did speak again, it was only to thank me and tell me she'd love to spend a part of each day with us. I was pleased by the way this was all working out. Castaway Hotel -- Grand Reopening by BW Copyright 2009 by billwstories Chapter 33 -- Inhumane Treatment. The rest of the week went by quickly for all of us. Friday afternoon my secretary told me I had a call and that Sally Swarthout was on line one. I immediately answered it. "Hi, Sally. I hope you're not about to tell me you can't come for either Sunday or Monday's celebrations," I began. "No, Josh, I will be there both days, but that's not why I called," she announced, getting to the point quickly. "I have another problem that I hope you can help me with." Although I thought I knew what she was about to spring on me, I was in too good of a mood to refuse her anything. "I'll see what I can do," I agreed. "What's your problem?" "Josh, I have a pair of brothers who need a home. I was hoping they could be the two newest guests at the Castaway Hotel," she urged. "The police found them in their apartment this afternoon, after the school alerted the authorities that the boys had missed several days of school and couldn't be reached by other means. The police went to the home and discovered the boys had been abandoned and hadn't eaten for a few days. They're in my reception area right now, and I was hoping you might be able to take them in, as soon as your school day ended. The youngest is eleven and a half and the older one will be thirteen, in a little over a month." I thought for a minute and then answered. "Sure, Sally. When would you like to do this?" "As soon as it's convenient for you," she told me. "I've got some running around to do this afternoon, such as picking the boys up and all, so it would probably be best if you dropped them off at my office, say between 2:30 and 3:00. That way I can introduce them to the boys a few at a time, and they can even watch them play soccer for a while too." "That sounds fine, Josh," she concurred. "Thank you, again, and I'll see you then." I'm not sure we were quite ready to add more to our brood, but as the boys had said before, 'if someone needs our help, then we'll help them.' So that was precisely what we were going to do. Sally arrived with the new boys around 2:45 and my heart ached the minute I saw them. You could tell at first glance they had not been eating well for longer than just a few days. They were adorable, but so thin and frail that it made them appear a bit pathetic. They were not much more than a collection of skin and bones. "Mr. Currie this is Cole (indicating the older one) and this is Graham Van Cott." "Nice to meet you Cole and Graham," I said, while reaching out to shake their hands. Hesitantly, they offered them to me and I was careful not to crush their bony fingers. "We'll be leaving here shortly to pick up my other sons, I informed them, hoping that might help to break the ice. "You'll meet them then and I think you'll get along well." They didn't respond and merely looked at me. "Boys, make yourself at home in my office," I suggested, "while I walk Mrs. Swarthout to her car." They each nodded and then sat in one of the chairs in my office. As I walked Sally out, she told me their story. "It seems the boys' father abandoned them when Cole was three or four and they haven't seen or heard from him since," she began. "Their mother's boyfriend has been living with them for the past several months, but he and the boys' mother left them alone for a while, while they went out drinking the past Tuesday night. The thing was, they never returned. The boys stayed in the apartment by themselves, and ate whatever crumbs they could find, but the place was totally devoid of food. "When I went to get them, it was apparent their mother and her boyfriend had been spending whatever money they had on themselves and on having a good time, and weren't providing for the boys. I gave the boys a sandwich when they first came in, but their stomachs were having some trouble coping with something that heavy. I know this will not be easy for you to cope with, seeing they are in such poor condition, but I can't think of any place better for them right now. Even though they're a bit younger and a little easier to find a home for, I think they'll thrive best at your place. Thanks again, Josh. You don't know how much this means to me." "I think I do, Sally, and we'll be fine," I assured her. "I'm sure the other boys will be more than willing to help these two fit in and we'll try to include them on our weekend festivities." After thanking her for all the information she had provided me, I transferred their meager belongings to the van and went back to check on my two newest boarders. After speaking with them briefly, I led them out to the van, strapped them into the front seat together and went to pick up my soccer team. The four boys had puzzled expressions on their faces, when they noticed the two newcomers in the front seat. However, they merely climbed into the back of the van. "Hi, Dad," Kevin greeted me. "Who are your new friends?" "Not new friends, boys, they're your new brothers. The older one is Cole and the younger one is Graham. We'll do the formal introductions when we get to the house." The boys all said a quick hello and welcomed them to our family, before we headed to our home. Once we got there, I had to unbuckle my new sons, since they either didn't know how to do it themselves or didn't have the strength to manage on their own. Once we were out of the van, I guided them into the house and to the living room, so we could all sit down and get acquainted. Cole sat next to me, so I quickly reached out and pulled Graham onto my lap. They both collapsed against me and seemed to melt into my body. I took my time and introduced them to each of their new brothers, but I could tell from their demeanor that they probably wouldn't remember anyone's name. Cole and Graham were apparently very weak and not totally with it. "How about a snack to tide you over, while I fix dinner?" I suggested. The other boys jumped at the idea, while Cole and Graham sat silently beside me. After gently placing Graham on the sofa, beside his brother, I went out and cut some apples into wedges and placed them on a tray with some grapes and a jar of peanut butter, which they could dip their apples into, if they so desired. The other boys liked to do that and I hoped Cole and Graham might to, as the protein in the peanut butter would be good for them. After leaving the snack tray behind for them to enjoy, I went out and began getting diner ready for everyone. However, I also prepared some soup and grilled cheese sandwiches for Cole and Graham. After hearing what Sally had to say, I figured their stomachs might not be able to handle the regular meal I was fixing for the rest of us and felt the soup would be best, but the grilled cheese was also there, if they needed something a little more substantial. I explained the reason for the separate meals to all of the boys, since I didn't want any of them thinking Cole and Graham weren't allowed to partake of what the rest of us were sharing. As they began to eat, I found myself having to help them at times. They sometimes seemed like children half their age. After dinner, I took them to the television room and we all sat down to watch a program on the tube. I pulled both boys onto my lap, trying to make them feel welcomed and comfortable, and held them against me for about an hour. Looking around the room, I could tell the other boys were visibly shaken by the younger ones' physical condition, as they continually glanced over at them, to see how they were doing. After a while, the older boys decided to ask their new brothers to choose what we were going to watch next. It was then that I saw Cole and Graham surrender their first smiles, as they made their selection. After we watched a couple of different shows, I took Cole and Graham up to the bathroom to clean them up. As I began to remove their clothing, it was obvious they hadn't been cleaned up properly for quite some time either. It appeared they had settled for just sponging off their faces and arms, but I had no idea how long that had been going on. I was debating between giving them a bath or shower, but either way, I didn't feel they were strong enough to cleanse themselves adequately. Eventually I decided to give them a bath, because I was afraid one might slip and fall, while I was washing the other. In order to get things going, I sat Cole on the toilet seat and Graham on the edge of the tub as I filled it, but I held on to him tightly while I drew the water. When the water level was sufficient, I placed Graham and then Cole into the warm water. As I began to soap them up, I suddenly realized I had forgotten something important, so I called down and asked Ricky to come up and join us. "What do you want, Dad?" he asked, as he walked through the bathroom door. "Ricky, seeing you're the smallest, I need you to get me two pair of your underpants and two tee-shirts, once each for Cole and Graham. We'll have to run their clothes through the washer tomorrow. It's too late to do that now." Ricky did as I asked, without complaint, and quickly retrieved the garments, while I bathed the boys. He brought them in and set the items on the edge of the sink, while I finished up. Needless to say, the water was disgusting looking when I finished, but it helped me to discover the boys were more handsome than I had first thought. Now that we had removed most of the dirt, I could begin to see they were both quite adorable, even in this emaciated state. If it weren't for their skeletal build, I would have thought they were as cute as two frisky puppies, freshly cleaned and adorned with a red bow. However, they weren't completely clean yet, so I drained the tub, rinsed it out and refilled it with fresh water, to finish the job. Once I felt they were as clean as I was going to be able to get them, I took another good look at them and will describe them for you. Cole is about 5' tall, while Graham is closer to 4' 9", and it would be possible to count every rib on each of their frail bodies, if I were so inclined. Cole's hair had most likely been very blond when he was younger, but it was darkening, now, as he got older. His hair was cut short and parted on the left, while Graham had dark brown hair, quite thick and bushy, and it was parted on the right. Both boys had brown eyes -- a deep piercing kind of brown. However, my biggest surprised came when I got to inspect their boyhood. Cole had a very well formed 4.5" cut penis with a nice ring of blondish pubic hairs at its base, although there were a couple of bald patches mixed in. Graham's organ, on the other hand, was about 3.5" long, uncut, but he also had a couple of dark pubes resting above his prick. What surprised me the most was not that he was reaching puberty, but that one of the brothers was circumcised and the other was not! It would be a few more weeks before I learned the reason for this. Cole told me later that his father had been in the military when they were both born. Cole had been delivered at the army hospital at Ft. Dix, New Jersey, but Graham had been born while they lived in Germany. Graham happened to arrive three weeks early, while their dad was on leave and the family was out sightseeing. When his mother went into labor, she developed problems and they weren't able to get back to the base in time. That's why Graham was born in a German hospital. Seeing circumcision is not as routine a procedure there, as it is in the States, Graham went uncircumcised and his parents opted not to have it done later. Thus, one was and one wasn't cut. After their bath, I dressed both of the boys as best I could. Ricky's underwear fit Cole fairly well, but it was very loose on Graham's small frame, so he ended up having to hold his briefs in place. I then took both boys into my room and placed them on my bed. They would sleep in with me tonight, since there was a temporary shortage of empty beds left to accommodate them. I'll make sure to go out and pick up more tomorrow. In the mean time, my king-size bed would be more than adequate to accommodate us all. Besides, that way I would also be able to monitor them, in case they have any adverse reaction to being in a strange place tonight. In fact, I may just have them stay with me for a while longer, until they more fully recover. I'll make sure they have their own rooms and beds, once they're stronger. After tucking them in, I left for a while, to go down and spend some time with the others. I felt this would give us some private time, where we could discuss our latest arrivals. I was certain the boys had plenty of questions they were dying to ask and they did. After answering their queries as best I could, they seemed shocked that adults could have been so heartless, but were better prepared to accept Cole and Graham's circumstances. I thanked them for their understanding and praised them about how they had been with the boys earlier, before I left them again, to go back and spend time with our newest additions. I stripped down to my underwear and snuggled in with my two little waifs. I chose to lie between them, so I could hold them both as close to me as I could tonight. I wanted each of them to understand they were now in a place where they were loved, wanted and would be cared for. Saturday morning, I asked Cole and Graham what kind of cereal they wanted for breakfast. They looked at each other and then shrugged their shoulders at me. "Come on, what's your favorite kind. If we don't already have it here, I'll go out and get some for you," I urged, hoping this would get me an answer. "But we don't know," Cole answered, looking a little scared and confused. "You don't know what?" I asked in return, somewhat befuddled by his reply. "We don't know what kind of cereal we like, because… because we've never had cereal before," he now admitted, while looking a little sheepish about divulging this fact. "You've never had any cereal at all?" I pressed, thinking maybe he had misunderstood my question. "Not that I remember," he responded. "Then what did you eat for breakfast?" "If we had anything at all, it was usually just some toast with butter on it," Cole informed me. "And that's all you ever ate in the morning?" I countered. "Well, one time we did have some cold spaghetti I found in the fridge and another time we shared a piece of pizza that was still in the box on the table when we got up," he added. The other boys overheard our conversation and I could read the reactions on their faces. I judged their response to be a mixture of sadness, shock and even anger, after learning how deprived these two had been. Without any coaxing from me, they began pulling out all of the different cereal boxes from our pantry and tried to explain what each tasted like, which isn't an easy task. When they found they weren't being successful, they pulled out two bowls, filled them with milk and then dumped in a small sample of one of the cereals, so the two boys could try it for themselves. One by one, the boys patiently went through the various types, so by the time Cole and Graham finished tasting a cross sampling of the various boxes, they were already full. However, the process was not without its benefits. Along the way, the two boys had discovered a couple of different cereals they were particularly fond of and had even asked for a second small helping of each. Next time, they would be prepared to make their choice, without hesitation. As the other boys began to eat as well, they began pouring themselves glasses of orange juice to go along with their meal. That was when we also discovered Cole and Graham had never tasted orange juice either. As I was pouring each of them a small glass, I wondered what the other boys thought about this news, on top of everything else they had heard. I know I was beginning to feel that I'd like to go out and locate their mother, so I could wring her selfish neck. E-mail responses to the stories, story suggestions, or other 'constructive' comments or advice may be sent to: bwstories8@aol.com - but please put the story title in the subject line, so it doesn't get deleted as junk mail.