Date: Mon, 27 Jul 2009 12:06:17 EDT From: Bwstories8@aol.com Subject: Castaway Hotel: Grand Reopening - chapters 37 - 38 Castaway Hotel -- Grand Reopening by BW Copyright 2009 by billwstories Chapter 37 -- A Bump In the Road of Life. **Author's Note:** Please read the disclaimer in Chapter 00 before you read this. Although the boys' transition from their previous lives to living as part of our new family had been basically without incident, it didn't mean there weren't any problems. This became quite evident the week after Labor Day, when we suffered our first, major school incident. It occurred when Danny was walking down the hall at the high school, while speaking with Brandon. They were so engrossed in their conversation that they didn't even notice when they strolled past one of Brandon's old nemeses. He just happened to be walking in the opposite direction, as they made their way to their next class. However, the boy didn't miss seeing them and immediately stopped and turned toward them. "Hey, I see our little fag's got a new boyfriend," the young man announced, loudly enough for everyone else in the hallway to hear. He wanted to make sure he drew their attention to the pair. The boys tried to ignore him and keep walking, but the kid persisted. "Why don't you give your lover boy a big sloppy kiss, so everyone can see how fucking fairies make out." That immediately drew a response from Danny, who couldn't ignore such a blatant insult. "Why don't you go to hell," Danny shot back, extremely agitated. He was especially bothered by the boy's smug arrogance, which seemed to grow after he noticed he was gaining an audience to listen to his bigoted ranting. "Oooooh, did I hit a sore spot," he teased, hoping his comment would cause Danny to back down and prove that all gays were wussies. "Look, asshole, we're not bothering you, so fuck off and get lost," Danny shot back, while taking up a defiant stance in front of him. He hoped this kid would see he meant business and just walk away, like most bullies do when they don't have a supporting cast behind them. "Well, a faggot with balls, how unusual," he smirked, "because your boyfriend never seemed to have a pair." "And what makes you think either of us is gay?" Danny challenged him. "Do you have a proof or any witnesses to back up your big mouth?" "I don't need any proof or I certainly don't need anyone else to convince me about what I can see," the boy barked back. "Everyone around here knows he's gay, just from watching how he talks, moves and acts." "And everyone knows you're a fucking asshole," Danny shot back, "and the proof of that is how you've been carrying on for the last few fucking minutes. Now, go crawl back under that rock you came out from under, before I lose my temper." "Is that the best you can come up with?" the young man challenged, in an effort to mock Danny. "No, and you'll find out what I'm capable of, if you continue your shit," Danny warned him. "I suggested you get out of here, before you regret your big mouth and small brain." "Oh, I'm scared. I think you're all talk," the boy taunted. "You may be brave with words, but I still think you're all talk and no action." "Then you're even dumber than you look," Danny retorted, hoping this insults would be enough. "I'm warning you to shut up and keep moving, before I do something you'll regret." "Oh, and what are you limp-wristed gay boys going to do to stop me?" the boy challenged, but obviously without quite the same amount of bluster he had displayed previously. "Something that you may not be ready for," Danny warned, just before he smashed his right fist squarely into the middle of the kid's face, knocking him on his ass. As the bully lay sprawled out on the cold tiled floor, Danny moved forward quickly, straddled his chest and grabbed him by his shirt, so he could drag the loudmouth's upper body toward him. "If I ever hear you say anything like that again, I won't stop beating your sorry ass until you aren't able to get back up, even with help." At that moment, a teacher came out of his room, to see what all the noise and commotion was about. He got there just in time to see Danny holding the shirt of the boy who was bleeding profusely from his nose and mouth. The teacher immediately took hold of both boys and announced he was escorting them to the principal's office. A crowd of students followed them there, and once in the principal's office, Danny stated his case, while the other boy was taken to the nurse's office to be tended to. While he was away, the principal also questioned several of the students who had witnessed the incident and then followed the boys to his office, as they were interested to see what was going to happen next. Most of them were eager to support Danny's account of the story, especially Brandon, but the principal still wasn't about to condone the physical assault on another student. That's why I received a phone call, a few minutes later. It was brief and too the point. I was told my son had been in a fight and had hurt another young man, but I wasn't given any other details. Even though I felt this was totally out of character for Danny, I knew I had to go there to discover the rest of the story. I hurriedly arranged for coverage, confidently relying upon my secretary and the assistant principal to pick up the slack while I was out. I drove directly to the high school, parked in a 'visitor's' parking space and walked as quickly as I could to the principal's office. When I got there, everyone was still seated around the principal's desk, including the other boy. He had gauze stuffed up his nose and his shirt was still covered in blood, but he wasn't quite what I expected. He was taller than Danny and weighed considerably more, although much of it was flab, rather than muscle. Looking at the young man, I began to wonder if I had underestimated Danny's physical attributes and his potential to harm someone else, if he so desired. After listening to the principal, and then to the teacher who had brought both boys to the office, the other boy was given a chance to speak. He told me, in very nasal tones, that Danny had sucker punched him, for no reason. Hearing his altered speech, which was caused by the gauze pads protruding from his nose, almost made me chuckle. He sounded as if he were the main speaking part in a 'cold' commercial, where the poor ailing victim asked the pharmacist where the cold medicine was located, but the severity of the charges prevented me from bursting out in laughter. Once the other boy had finished, Danny was given a chance to tell me his side of the story. He told me precisely what happened, directly contradicting what that other young man had said. I was impressed that he never hesitated in accepting responsibility for his part in the fight, if you could call it that, and also willingly accepted his detentions, without a word of protest. After Danny finished, the principal advised me that several other students, who had witnessed what had happened, had supported Danny's account of what had taken place. He said, other than the detentions, no further action would be taken against Danny. The other boy would serve the same amount of detention time, but they were waiting for one of his parents to arrive, since they had to also be called at work. I thanked him for his handling of the situation and then had Danny get his things, so he could go home with me. It was close enough to the end of the school day that I thought it would be best for him not to be the center of attention for what time was left. As we walked to the car, I thought about how I was going to approach this with him when we got home, since neither of us said a word to the other after we left the principal's office. Although he had been provoked, I would make it clear to him that it still wasn't acceptable behavior to fight during school hours and on school grounds, no matter the reason. I think Danny was fearful about how I was going to respond once we were alone, because I saw him keep glancing at me, out of the corner of his eye, as we finished walking to the car and drove home. I went there, because I wanted some time alone with him, before we picked up the rest of the boys. As we sat down in the living room, we began our discussion. "Danny, I can understand how you might lose your cool in such a situation, but that's still not an acceptable excuse for your behavior. I think you need to work on developing better self-restraint, so you can avoid similar situations in the future. Most of all, I sincerely hope you never display that kind of violence at home." I think this comment totally shocked and hurt Danny. He looked up at me, through his sad, dark puppy-dog eyes, and spoke. "Dad, I'd never do anything like that, but this guys really pissed me off. He just wouldn't quit, even though I gave him several chances to shut up and walk away. Please, Dad, you can't blame me for this. I had to stand up to him or it would have gotten worse. If you don't stand up to guys like that, they and their buddies will just make your life a living hell. He's been doing that to Brandon forever." "I understand, Danny, and I certainly don't blame you or love you any less now," I assured him. "I may be a little disappointed in your actions, but at the same time I'm proud of the way you stood up for your friend. I guess it's one of those times when I can't feel just one way or the other about what happened, but you can't continue to fight on school grounds." "I know," he admitted, "but I'll bet he won't bother either of us again. And I bet the rest of those guys will think twice before they make a comment about us being gay." I agreed and gave him a hug. I also doubted there would be any further incidences of this nature, now that everyone knew Danny also packed a hell of a wallop. "Danny, I just ask that if there is a next time, will you trying using your head to outwit whoever is bothering you, before resorting to your fists." A small grin broke out across his face. "Sure, Dad, and thanks. I was so worried you might want me to leave after this, especially after you wouldn't speak to me on the way home. I was sure you were going to tell me to pack my things once we got here, while you called Aunt Sally." "Never, Tiger. I will always love you and be there for you, even if you sometimes disappoint me with your actions. If you truly love somebody, you will love him no matter what, even if at times you don't like what he may do. Do you understand that?" "I think so," he answered, but his smile told me he was relieved that his worst fears weren't going to come to pass. Once we finished our little discussion, we drove back down to pick the rest of our brood up. The little ones were cheerful, but confused as to why I had left and why I had Danny with me already. I told them that something had come up, but that was the only reason I gave them. However, when we reached the high school to pick up the older boys, everything became quite evident. "Way to go, Danny," Kevin yelled, as he jumped in the van. "I bet he won't ever say things like that to you again." "You were there?" Danny asked, surprised. "Heck, no, but everyone in school's been talking about it, ever since it happened," Kevin told him. "Yeah, I think you changed a lot of people's minds about their gay stereotypes," Dustin added, "because all afternoon everyone kept talking about how you certainly didn't hit like a fag. Oops, sorry about the fag part, but that's what they were saying." "It's okay," Danny assured him. "I know how they talk about us." "Not any more you don't," Dustin corrected him. "You're kind of a hero now, for standing up to that fat ass like that. I think everyone was quite impressed. I think Brandon's problems would have ended long ago, if he could have done that for himself, but I don't think either of you have to worry any more. I think people will be looking at both of you in a whole new light." Although Danny was pleased about the newfound respect, I think he was also a little chagrined to think that it took something that drastic to get the other students to realize that gays weren't really that different from them. Yes, some could be a little swishy or effeminate, but so could some straight guys, but they were now beginning to appreciate, that other than whom they chose to love, they were all basically the same. After a conversation filled dinner, when the older boys filled the younger boys in about what had happened earlier, I tried to get them all to settle back down. I didn't want them spending the entire evening rehashing the details of the big fight. Ricky, however, keep things going, as he would pretend to shadowbox with Danny, and then fall down, like he had been knocked out. It got a lot of laughs and kept the others wound up for a while longer. Later that evening, things had just begun to quiet down, when Brandon's father drove over to our house, with his son in tow. I greeted them at the door and invited them both inside. Mr. O'Hara was quick to get to the point and explained he had heard about what had happened at the school, earlier in the day. "I don't know if you realize this or not," he told me, "but that young man has been harassing my son for nearly a year now. He goes to our church and was in the same scout troop as Brandon, and that's why I think Brandon stopped going to either place. I've done everything I could think of to try and stop it, but nothing has worked. I spoke to his parents, but their attitude was that boys will be boys and it was their problem to work out, not ours." Mr. O'Hara was looking very exasperated, but I knew he wasn't finished yet. "When it also began happening when Brandon went to the high school this year, I brought it to the attention of school officials, but they only told me they'd keep an eye on the situation, but couldn't do anything unless the boy attacked Brandon physically. I guess they didn't feel verbal assaults were enough. When that didn't work, and since Brandon couldn't stop going to school, I filed a complaint with the police. Their response was to tell me to have Brandon call them the next time it happened and they'd talk to the boy then. I've been so frustrated and Brandon has remained the brunt of his taunts." I assured him I understood how he felt and couldn't understand the school's handling of the situation, since the district did have a strongly worded harassment policy spelled out in the student and administration's handbooks. It was put in a few years before, to deal with racial and religious slurs that were becoming quite frequent. I was sure it applied to sexual harassment as well. He asked me to look into it for him, as he turned to Danny. "I want to thank you for what you did for Brandon today," he told him while reaching out to shake Danny's hand. "Today you accomplished what I haven't been able to do over many months. You shut the bastard up." His choice of words made both boys look at each other and grin. "I could never have hoped for or selected a better friend for my son. You, and your family, are truly the best thing that has happened for Brandon in a very long time. You will always be considered a friend and welcomed in our home." Danny blushed at the praise, but he appreciated Brandon's father's kind words. I think Danny understood that now Brandon and he would never have to worry about Brandon's parents trying to come between them in the future. At that point, I invited Pat to have coffee with me in the dining room, so we could talk some more. He agreed, so while we were talking and sipping our java, Brandon and Danny snuck away for some private time alone. Brandon wanted to make sure he had an opportunity to show Danny his personal gratitude for defending his honor. And people say Chivalry is dead. After the boys came back to join us, Brandon's father announced it was time for them to go back home. Once they had departed, I had time to reflect on all that had been said. I now knew our families had become inseparable, bound together by the love these two young men felt for each other. Although both families had been close prior to this, mainly because Brandon's parents appreciated everything we did for their son and how much Brandon enjoyed himself when he was in our company, I think today's events help to forever cement that bond. Over time, I knew our strong relationship would prove advantageous for all of us. The next morning, as they were having breakfast, the boys wondered what might happen when they returned to school. They weren't particularly worried about any sort of retaliation, but more curious about how everyone else was going to react to them throughout the day. It wasn't very long before they discovered that fate was smiling kindly in their direction. As it turned out, the kid who had started the trouble didn't show up for school that day. In fact, he never set foot in that high school again. A few days after the incident, the young man's parents transferred their son to another nearby school district. For most of that day, Danny was hailed a conquering hero, for his handling of the situation. Just to make sure it didn't go to his head, I brought him back to earth by warning him about the consequences he would suffer, should another such action ever occur. Looking at my expression and listening to my harsh tone, he knew I meant business, but that didn't completely prevent him from enjoying the attention of his peers. Castaway Hotel -- Grand Reopening by BW Copyright 2009 by billwstories Chapter 38 -- Autumn Memories. Things quieted down substantially when thoughts of the incident were replaced by more pressing and current issues. But as Danny's fifteen-minutes of fame fell by the wayside, his athletic prowess became highlighted, along with that of his brothers and the other members of the soccer team. The school suddenly sat up and took notice, as their season neared its end, as the JV team was on a tear and finished 11-1. An assembly was held to applaud their accomplishments, which meant Danny, Brandon, Dustin and Kevin all got to be acknowledged for their contributions to the team's success. Jay and Ricky's modified team didn't do quite as well, but they still ended up at 7-3 and were proud of what they had accomplished. All of the boys were not only satisfied with how their teams had done, but also with their personal efforts and progress throughout the season. However, their attempt to hone their skills didn't stop there, as they continued to kick the ball around at home and played pick-up games on the weekends, so they would be ready to advance to the next level. Somewhere during that time something else happened, but this breakthrough occurred with our latest arrivals. One night, while we were enjoying some quiet time together, Cole made a comment. "All the other boys call you Dad," Cole said, while studying my reaction. "Do you think it would be all right if me and Graham did that too?" he wanted to know. I could tell he wasn't sure what my reaction was going to be, so I winked at him, before I answered. "I would like that very much," I agreed, "but you will both have to continue to call me Mr. Currie at school," I added. "All of the other boys have to do that too." "I know," he stated simply. "You're both my sons now too," I continued, looking at both of these young men in the eye, "just like the others, and they'll also be your brothers. It doesn't matter if we have different last names for the time being, we're still one big happy family. We all love each other and will look out for each other, and that will never change. You'll just have to get used to having four more brothers." That must have been exactly what they hoped to hear, because both boys wrapped their arms around me, Cole around my waist and Graham around one of my legs, and I think they were even crying. Tears of joy, I hoped. It was another sign that they appreciated being here with us. The next big date on our calendar before Halloween, that is, just happened to be Cole's birthday. He was going to turn fourteen on October 22nd. One evening after dinner, I sat him down and asked what he wanted for his birthday and what kind of party he would like. After thinking about this for a few minutes, he rattled off a litany of ideas for gifts, but he was a little slower about addressing the question of what he wanted to do at his party and whom he wished to invite. "This is hard," he admitted, after a while. "I'm not sure what to do. I've never had a party and the only ones I've been to, except for Kevin's, are the ones they hold in class, when it's your birthday." Once more, my heart broke, as I listened to another story of neglect from his past. After I got past my emotional reaction to this information, I gave him some ideas for what he might like to do for his birthday celebration, trying to help him narrow it down and make this a special event for him. I also suggested that we should hold his party on Saturday the 24th, which would give him the whole day to enjoy this special event. Once he agreed, we then went on to discuss if there was anyone special he wanted to invite. "You know I want all seven of my brothers to come," he informed me, which meant he was including Jay and Brandon in on the count. I nodded my head to assure him that I knew they were to be included too. "I also want Aunt Sally and you there, but do you think I could ask two of my friends from school to come too? I mean, we hang around together all day through our classes and breaks, but we never get to do anything together besides that. I think it would be fun to have them come to the house and meet everyone." I told him that would be fine, so we spent the next few minutes ironing out the remaining details. Watching Cole's behavior leading up to his birthday was worth a thousand times what this party was going to cost me. I had never seen him so happy or excited since he came to live with us. He began strutting around home and school, as if he were someone important. It was almost like watching a monarch during the days preceding his coronation. Cole was instantly the king of his world. Besides continually asking me how many more days were left until his party, Cole took great pleasure in preparing his invitations and he gave each of us one. However, he was especially careful about how he worded the ones for his two friends from school. He wrote the information neatly, but made sure to add to theirs that 'no gifts are needed.' He felt he had to include that information, so the boys wouldn't stay away, if they or their family felt they couldn't afford to buy him a present. He just wanted them to come and was ecstatic when they told him they would be happy to attend. When that Saturday finally rolled around, I followed the agenda Cole had helped me lay out. We started by taking everyone to tour the local cider mill, as part of the party plans. Only Jay, Brandon, Kevin and Dustin had ever been there before, which came as a major surprise to me. I thought nearly every elementary teacher took their classes to the cider mill around Halloween, to see the process and sample the treats, but most of my boys had no idea how to even get cider from apples. Therefore, I was immensely pleased to see them all enjoying this visit and having a good time. After we had seen everything, I bought several gallons of cider to take home and a candy apple for each boy, Sally and myself, before we drove back to the house. Once we unloaded, the boys stayed outdoors, so they could play a game of kickball, while Sally offered to assist me inside. As I got the grill ready to cook up some hot dogs and hamburgers, Sally helped put the finishing touches on the other items and then assisted me in carrying everything out to our two picnic tables. After calling the boys to eat, Sally and I stepped out of the way, as the stampede came charging in our direction. Watching them approach reminded me of a swarm of locust landing to devour some poor farmer's crops, as the boys began eating everything in sight. I nearly lost a finger or two in the deal, as I handed out the meat. To my great delight, this eating frenzy also included Cole and Graham, who had been steadily building a healthy appetite and putting on a few, well-needed pounds. After everyone finished the meal, we sang 'Happy Birthday' to Cole. He seemed pleased, yet embarrassed, from all of this attention and I wondered if anyone had ever sung to him on his birthday before. Once that concluded, he went around and took orders of the flavor(s) of ice cream everyone wanted, while Sally cut the cake and I scooped out the various requests. After everyone was given an ample share of the treats, Cole finally sat down to enjoy his own choices. Once everyone was done, I told Cole it was time to open his presents. The first gift he grabbed to open happened to be from the boys and me. We had purchased a CD player for him, similar to the one Kevin got for his birthday, because Cole had commented several times how much he liked it. We also bought him a few CD's of his own, which he could keep in his room. He opened his gifts from the others next. As expected, Sally gave her typically wonderful gift, which Cole showed to everyone, with as much gusto as he could manage. After thanking her several times, he also gave her a kiss on the cheek. I think that meant as much to Sally, as her gift had meant to Cole. His friends had also brought him presents, which Cole thanked them for, but even though he didn't know it, he wasn't done yet. Once he had opened his other gifts, I had Dustin bring out his last present. Cole's eyes lit up the minute he saw it and I thought he was going to do back flips and hand springs as he ran toward his new bike. Instead, he raced around and hugged each one of us, as his way of saying thank you. He was one happy and excited kid, and we were all very pleased for him. However, I also took a moment to think ahead, birthday-wise that is, and considered Graham's birthday. I realized it would be the next one we'd celebrate, but that wouldn't happen until the following March. I hoped he could hold out until then and not become jealous about Cole temporarily having more than he did. I would discuss that with him later, when I could get him alone. Cole enjoyed his special day and it helped to cement his friendship with his two young friends. These were the first people he had shown any interest in, outside of our family circle, and that, in itself, was a huge deal. This was because Cole was very shy at school -- a situation brought about by a combination of factors. The first, of course, was his past, but the second was due to the fact that he also had some learning disabilities, which sometimes became a focal point for ridicule. From time to time, Cole would admit to me that some of the other kids teased him about being dumb or derided him about not being able to read or do math as well as they did, so it was nice to see his two friends who were willing to look beyond his limitations. Of course, I knew who these boys were before they came here, since they also attended my school, but I must admit I don't remember ever meeting their parents or knowing very much about them, other than the fact that they weren't troublemakers in the classroom. I wasn't sure where they lived or much about their background, but they seemed quite nice, were very good to Cole and got along well with the others while they were here, especially with Graham. All in all, they fit in well and I thought the party was a huge success. Since that event was now behind us, the next big occasion was Halloween. Only Graham, Cole, Ricky and Jay decided they wanted to go trick-or-treating this year, as the others felt they were too old for such things. I let each of the boys decide what type of costume they wanted and then helped to provide it for them, by either purchasing it or helping them to make their own. That evening, we ate early and then the boys donned their 'ghoulish' attire, so I could take them, door to door, around the neighborhood. It didn't come as a surprise when Graham and Cole said they could only remembered doing this a couple of times, but only when they were really little. They said they didn't know why their mother stopped taking them out, but they thanked me for allowing them to go trick-or-treating tonight. They also made sure to let me know they never had as nice of a costume as they were wearing tonight and it made them feel really good. Hearing this pleased me immensely, but the other information they'd just shared merely gave me one more reason to despise their mother. The other boys didn't merely sit around home that evening, because they had made plans to go out with some of their other friends to mess around. They still wanted to have some fun, but just didn't think it was cool to go from house to house begging for candy any longer. They felt they were too old and sophisticated for such things. I didn't have a problem with this and told them they could have a good time, but warned them not to get into mischief. Over the past few years, I'd heard about some older kids stealing the younger children's candy, spray painting houses or doing other damage, so I made sure to point this out and warn them about getting involved in such things. I reminded them there were tricks that were amusing, but others were not, such as vandalizing someone else's property. They said I didn't have to worry, because the worse they might do is toilet paper some trees or spray each other with shaving cream, so I told them to have a good time. Once Halloween was behind us, the next few weeks seemed to fly by. The boys moved on to their next sport's season, with Danny, Brandon, Kevin, Jay and Ricky all trying out for their respective basketball teams. Dustin and Cole followed their own hearts and decided to wrestle instead. Graham would also try his hand at basketball, but the fifth and sixth grade season was much shorter, so that would allow him to wrestle too, after we got back from Christmas break. The elementary program intentionally split the winter season into two halves, so the children could participate in both sports. Not only did we sail through the early weeks of basketball and wrestling season, but Thanksgiving was also upon us before we knew it. This is always a very special time for me, since my older children come home either for Thanksgiving or for Christmas. Most of them now live too far away to come home for both, so they generally alternate the holidays with their in-laws and me, at least the ones who are married. The single ones might come home both times, although sometimes the expense or hassle discouraged this from occurring. This would also provide the first opportunity for the boys to finally get to meet the rest of the family. This year, my older daughter and both of my sons would be joining us, along with my two grandsons. My younger daughter and son-in-law would be spending time with his family this year, so the boys wouldn't get to meet them until Christmas. It was quite exciting as they arrived, with two of them coming in Wednesday evening, while the third showed up early Thursday morning. After the introductions were made, everyone sat down and got to know each other better, breaking off into small groups and filtering around from one to another. I spent much of the time fixing our special dinner, with rotating sets of helping hands filtering in to assist me on a nearly constant basis. I was pleased with the amount of support everyone was giving me. Dinner went well and everyone was getting along fantastically. Brandon and Jay also came over, after eating dinner with their families, and spent the rest of the evening with us. They had managed to talk their parents into letting them come over to meet the rest of my family, after their family celebrations started to die down. They were even planning to spend the night and share a room with one of my boys. My older children eagerly welcomed their new brothers with open arms, and the boys seemed thrilled by their reaction. Not only that, but they took great pleasure in taking the time needed to get to know each other better and learn the details of their life. The boys also took great enjoyment in spoiling their nephews and we all got a kick out of watching them roughhouse and play games with each other. I was very proud of all of them. Later in the evening, my elder son pulled me aside, so we could speak privately. "Pop, what you're doing is really wonderful," he began. Hearing him call me 'Pop' again, like Jay and Brandon do, also gave me a special feeling. He had done this since he was little, although I was never sure why, as had my other son. The girls, however, had always called me 'Dad.' "I suspect you know that we, my sisters, Robert and me, all talked about this after you first told us about taking the boys in to live with you," he continued. "I must admit, we were all kind of relieved when you broke the news, but it was only because we'd all been worried about you living alone. All of us had thought we noticed signs that you were becoming depressed, as time passed after mom's death, so we were pleased to hear the excitement return to your voice, as you began telling us about Danny and Ricky." I knew he was right and I had lost much of my zest for life during that time, but I think I might have blushed a bit as he continued. "You've always been good with children, and we think that's how you came to select being a teacher in the first place, and then a principal. We've also always been proud of you, even when we attended your school. It was kind of neat to have the other kids recognize that you were our father." I think I blushed some more. "The more you told us, the happier you sounded, but we called or IM'd each other after you told us about taking in Dustin and Kevin, and then Cole and Graham. We were afraid you might be going overboard, taking in so many boys in such a short period of time." I was getting concerned now, waiting for the other shoe to drop. I thought I detected a negative tone in his last statement. "However, after meeting the boys and hearing the stories of abuse they'd been through before coming here," Michael continued, "we are positive you're doing the right thing. In fact, I think we're all beginning to enjoy having more little brothers, and I know both my son and Elizabeth's sure like having younger uncles. They're both pretty tired right now, after playing so hard with their new uncles all day long." I thanked him for his support, and told him I'd thank the others as well, just as soon as I got the chance, but he had more to tell me. "We also looked toward the future a bit," he informed me. "We discussed that we each have our own careers right now and are all doing quite well, financially. We also know the credit for much of this is due to your guidance when we were younger. Therefore, we've also decided that we want you to use your money on the newest members of our family and not worry about us. There's no need for you to continue buying us things for our birthdays or Christmas, but we won't mind if you want to do a little something for your grandchildren, because we know how much you like to spoil them. The rest of us will be happy with phone calls from time to time, an occasional card and the possibility of spending more time with you and the boys." That last part really touched me. I thanked him again, impressed by how much thought he and his siblings had put into this. It was nice to see that the nurturing my wife and I invested in them as they were growing up was now paying dividends. They were obviously able to think of others, and not just about themselves. Now that worry was behind me, juggling the sleeping arrangements for the four-day holiday was my next big challenge. Jay and Ricky suggested they could sleep with me, so my younger son could use Ricky's room. Danny and Brandon offered to sleep on the sofa/bed in the family room, so my older son and daughter-in-law could use his room. That left my older daughter and son-in-law in the guest bedroom, while my two grandsons, ages three and five, teased their parents until they agreed to let them sleep with Cole and Graham, in the jungle room. These four had become very close over the short period of time they had been together. Even though I had stopped bathing Cole and Graham by this time, they asked me if I would do it again, while my grandsons were here, so they could each bathe with one of their nephews. After talking it over with the boys parents, they all agreed that would be fine and I think I got as much pleasure from that time with them as they did. I loved watching them interact and playing in the tub and I think this was probably better for Cole and Graham, than the littlest pair. They had never had an opportunity such as this before, since they were still kind of weak and unable to derive any pleasure from my bathing them, after they first came to live with me. Now, however, they were able to focus upon just being kids and using my grandsons as a pretext to also play with the toys in the tub. I marveled at their innocence, as they uninhibitedly frolicked like boys much younger than their years. The holiday seemed to pass by too quickly. Jay and Brandon went home on Friday, but came back to spend Saturday night with us too. Rather than be constantly fixing meals, we would go out to eat, parading into places like some social group on an outing. It was remarkable seeing how others observed us, once we entered each facility. The boys and my grandsons continued to grow closer, as they spent more time together. The boys were very good about finding activities the younger ones could also participate in, including pulling out old, well-worn versions of 'Chutes and Ladders' and 'Candy Land' games my older children had played with when they were little. Throughout the weekend, they also gave their nephews, 'horsey' and 'piggy-back' rides and took them out to play in the leaves and enjoy the nippy, late-fall weather. When it came time for my older children to return to their own homes and lives, there were quite a few tears shed, as we exchanged our sad good-byes. My grandsons were especially hard hit by having to leave and asked their parents when they could come back again. They told the boys 'soon,' even though the little ones pressed them for a more specific time, but that was the best response they got. After giving hugs and kisses all around, everyone departed and the house went back to being its old, quiet self, but as you might remember, it was never really all that quiet. 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