Date: Mon, 15 Feb 2010 18:05:01 EST From: Bwstories8@aol.com Subject: Castaway Hotel: Grand Reopening - Book 4, chapters 27 - 28 Castaway Hotel -- Grand Reopening -- Book 4 by BW Copyright 2009 by billwstories Chapter 27 -- Rays of Sunshine. **Author's Note:** Please read the disclaimer in Chapter 00 before you read this. Doctor Bailey had elected to perform Pat's operation early in the day, and then keep him overnight in the hospital, as a precaution. It was also because he wanted to be able to examine him the following day and make his determination if the transplant had been successful. He had told me in private that, although the acid had damaged both the cornea and some of the outer surface of the eye, he thought he could work around those areas, especially when it came to stitching the new cornea into place. He didn't think the damaged areas would hinder Pat's vision in any other way or have any other negative impact on his regaining his sight. It was suggested that Pat would be given a general anesthesia, because the doctor was afraid he might be uncomfortable with his eye being worked on and might move or jerk, causing other damage or complications. I concurred this was a wise precaution and Pat indicated he'd rather not be awake at the time anyway. Seeing we were all in agreement, a general anesthesia was used. The surgery didn't take a great deal of time, as operations go, and the doctor came out to explain everything to me, once he had finished. He gave me a very detailed description of what had happened during the procedure and immediately assured me everything went according to plan. I was then allowed to sit beside Pat as he lay in the recovery area, and I held his hand to let him know I was there for him. The doctor also told me he would examine Pat again tomorrow morning, to determine how successful the operation had been, but was quick to add that he felt confident the transplant would take and Pat's situation would improve. I thanked him for all of his help and then asked him what types of problems we might have to be concerned about. The doctor responded in his typical, business-like manner. "In addition to the slim chance this operation won't do what we expect it should, there is a 5 to 30% chance of rejection. In addition to that, we will still have to watch for any signs of infection, as well as bleeding, swelling, detachment of the cornea or the rare possibility of glaucoma. If any of these things do occur, we always have the option of attempting another transplant or doing other forms of corrective surgery, after we evaluate what additional effects these procedures might have. I just mention this so you are aware there are further possibilities for us to pursue, just in case there are any problems. I don't foresee such things happening, but it's better to be informed than to go blindly forward." "How long before we know if we have to worry about any of those conditions popping up?" "I should have a pretty good idea by the time I finish my examination of Pat tomorrow, although the glaucoma could show up at a later time," the doctor explained. "In addition to tomorrow's examination, I will require other follow up visits, so I can monitor his progress. There will be another visit at a much later date, when I take his stitches out, but that won't happen for several months." "I understand and we'll be there whenever you need to see him. Are there any special things I'll need to get for him or do during that time?" "For the first few days, he might be in some pain, so you'll need to give him something to ease his discomfort," he told me. "For the most part, over-the-counter pain medications will do the trick, such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen, but just give it to him when he asks for it and only enough to keep him comfortable. I will also be giving you drops to apply to his eyeball, but you must emphasize to him the importance that he refrain from rubbing his eye or putting any pressure against it, because that could cause damage at this point in time. I also suggest he wear safety glasses or protective goggles for a week or two, to keep any foreign objects from accidentally striking the eye and to help remind him to keep his hands from going there. That's about the extent of what you'll be required to do for him." All of this sounded quite reasonable and less than I expected to have to do. It was also far less than what I was willing to do for him, to make it as easy on him as possible and ensure this venture is successful. Now, I just had to sit tight and wait for Pat to regain consciousness. It was about an hour or so after he had been first brought into recovery before he started showing signs of coming to and eventually opened his eyes. I didn't notice this happening at first, as I was thumbing through a magazine at the time, but I heard a hoarse voice say something like, "Dad, I think I can see you." Immediately, tears came to my eyes and I placed my hand on his arm. "You can really see me?" I asked, making sure I had heard him correctly. "Not clearly, but enough to tell it was you and not someone else," he whispered, hoarsely. "That's wonderful, but I didn't think it would happen this quickly," I confessed. We talked for a while longer, until the doctor happened to come in to check on his patient. We immediately told him the news and he was very encouraged by it. "This is truly a good sign," he told Pat, "and I expect your vision will continue to improve slightly over the next few days. I'll be giving you an examination tomorrow, to see how well you are doing, but things are looking very hopeful at this point. I want you to rest for the remainder of the day, and not put any undue strain on that eye." We both thanked him, especially Pat, who told him several times how grateful he was. Pat also mentioned that Dr. Bailey must be one fine doctor to accomplish something his other doctors thought was impossible, which caused his doctor to smile broadly and thank him for his compliment. "I hope you realize," the physician began, "that none of this would have happened, nor would we have even met, if you hadn't acted so selflessly and focused on doing what you could to help others." "I was just trying to open a window for the kids at the school," Pat responded, "and I guess God looked favorably on what I was attempting to do for others with handicaps and sent you to open this window for me." Pat then went on to explain how he now had a better appreciation of his faith and that is what sustained him through this difficult period, since he'd lost his sight. After thinking about what he had said, he modified his statement slightly, by saying it was his faith AND his family that got him through the rough times, before going on to tell the doctor everything we had done for him, including how his brothers tried to experience what he was going through by being blind for a day. I think that small gesture had left an indelible impression on Pat and made him realize how much his brothers cared about him. The doctor told Pat how impressed he was with everything Pat had just explained to him and then told Pat that he hoped he appreciated everything his brothers had done on his behalf. He also advised Pat he was very wise for his years and was smart to value both his faith and family, because those were the things he could always rely on. Dr. Bailey then explained that he also relied on his faith, but he also dealt with science and the rapid advancements being made, which some people felt were contradictory for a religious person. Pat's physician then went on to explain how he felt God guided those who were responsible for these advancements, which he interpreted to mean science and faith were not mutually exclusive of each other. His last comments gave us both something more to think about later. Before the doctor left, he ordered Pat to be moved to a suitable room for the night, so it wasn't long before we were taken to a private room where Pat would stay until discharged the next day. The hospital staff had also placed one of those large, reclining chairs in the room for me, and left extra blankets and a pillow, so I would also be comfortable. It was more than I hoped for, as I anticipated I'd probably end up sleeping in one of the uncomfortable metal chairs visitors used, with my head resting on the foot of Pat's bed. We hadn't been in the room very long before an orderly showed up with a meal for Pat. This reminded both of us that we hadn't eaten since the previous evening, so Pat readily acknowledged he was famished and began to eat his meal eagerly, although he did make a comment about having eaten better food before. Although Pat had been advised in advance about the lasting effects of the anesthetic, which might cause him some queasiness in his stomach and make it difficult to keep his meals down, Pat was far too hungry to care about any of that right now. He just gobbled up everything in sight. While he was ravenously attacking his meal, I thought it would be a good time to go down to the cafeteria and get something for myself, so I advised Pat of my intentions. I told him I'd bring it back to the room, so he wouldn't have to be alone, and he stopped eating just long enough to respond. After apologizing for not thinking about my needs, Pat told me it wasn't necessary for me to come back to the room to eat, if I didn't want to. He thought I might enjoy the change of scenery and stay down there or possibly even go out for a walk or something afterward, because he knew it wasn't easy being cooped like this for such a long time. I explained I was fine and none of that mattered to me at the moment. The only thing I was concerned about was his welfare and those other issues could be dealt with at a later time. In fact, I explained I'd feel much better being here with him, than chatting with someone I didn't know or walking around with no place to go. Therefore, I would be bringing my food back with me so I could spend more time with him. Pat just smiled and replied that's what he thought I would say, so I went down to the cafeteria, got my food and returned to his room, so I could chat with him while I ate. I think he really appreciated the gesture, even though he never actually said anything more about what I had done. The nurse came in a few times over the course of the evening, both to check on Pat and give him various shots, including his pain medications. After these injections, Pat would fall asleep shortly thereafter, as these meds were obviously being delivered by the sandman dressed in a nurse's outfit. I used these opportunities to catch a few winks myself, so I could be up with him when he awoke. We both got our sleep that night in 2 to 3 hour blocks. Pat was really starving the next morning by the time his breakfast tray arrived. I went out again to get my own meal and then brought it back to his room to eat, so I could be with him. While I was eating, Pat asked me to turn on the television, which I had just paid for to entertain him during the remainder of his stay. This seemed really important to him and he admitted that watching the tube was one of the things he had missed the most during the time he couldn't see. Even though he never spent very much time in front of the television at home, oddly enough it was one of the things he'd felt deprived of. Therefore, I picked up the remote and handed it to him, so he could flip through the channels and find something he wanted to watch. He was almost giddy as he enjoyed this simple pleasure. Later that afternoon, an orderly came in with a wheelchair and announced Pat had an appointment to keep. He then took him down several corridors, until he reached a small room filled with various apparatus that Doctor Bailey would use to examine him. I had walked down behind them, so I could keep abreast of what was going on. When the doctor arrived, he came in and turned off the lights, before flipping on the small flashlight he would use to perform some simple tests and examine his work. When that had been completed, he asked Pat to do a collection of simple activities and then used another piece of equipment to determine how much vision my son had regained. He smiled at us when he finished his examination, so we knew the news was going to be good. "He's doing fantastic and things are progressing as well as I could possibly expect," he told us. "I can only hope your situation will continue to improve even more over time." After we thanked him again, he handed me a card with the date of Pat's next appointment written on it. Then he gave Pat a temporary pair of safety goggles to wear, before he sent us back to Pat's room to collect our things. While we were doing that, he took care of discharging Pat. After getting everything ready, I left Pat and carried our belonging and extra articles out to the car, before pulling it up in front of the main entrance. Once I had put the car in park and turned off the ignition, I went up to the room to get Pat. We had to wait there a few more minutes before an orderly showed up with another wheelchair, but this time it was so we could go home. Pat looked like royalty being attended to by his entourage, as we made our way to the exit, and we were both extremely excited about the transformation that had taken place over the past 24 hours. Pat was very quiet on the ride home, since he was busy checking out all the sights we passed along the way. His short stay in the world of total darkness had given him a new appreciation for the simple things around him, and now it seemed as though he didn't want to miss any of it, even the seemingly trivial items. Pat happily examined the rolling hills, as well as the beautiful greens and browns of the grasses and trees, and often acted as if this was the first time he had seen any of these things. He also studied all of the people and buildings we passed, astutely absorbing every detail before him, as if he needed to remember them for later use. He was enjoying every aspect of this trip, but nothing affected him more than when we approached our home or when all of his brothers raced out to greet him. The boys were all quite shocked to discover his head wasn't bandaged and he could actually see them, figuring even if the operation was successful, it would take at least a few days before he would be able to see anything again. It was a very emotional reunion and I don't think there was a dry eye in the house. After going inside, Pat filled them in about everything that had happened, and then spent the rest of the day talking, playing games, watching television and making up for lost time. Mark was also shocked to see Pat's situation when he came home, but was quick to remark that if anyone deserved such a miracle, Pat surely did for the unselfish way he dealt with his condition. Mark told him how impressed he had been with the way Pat had concentrated on helping others, rather than wallowing in self-pity over his own situation, and Pat thanked him for his kind words. That evening, I had Pat sleep in the living room on the sofa bed, as I didn't want him to chance falling on the stairs and reversing the progress that had just been made. I then explained I would sleep on the floor next to him, since I didn't want to accidentally bump his head or eyes during the night. At first Pat objected to my doing so, but after we discussed my reasons, he finally agreed to this precaution. I told him we'd do it for a few days, until we were sure everything was healing properly, and then he could return to his own room, if he wished. He seemed satisfied with that response, so we went to sleep. Sunday morning we went to church and the place was soon buzzing with the news of Pat's operation. The pastor even mentioned it in his announcements and praised God for helping one of his children. Pat was suddenly thrust into the position of 'celebrity de jour,' but since he had received so much attention already, he was uncomfortable in this role. After services, the minister told him he was happy his window had opened, and Pat was happy to inform him it was only because we'd decided to try to open windows for others, since that's how we met the doctor who performed this minor miracle. Our pastor then responded that God often hears the prayers to help others, before recognizing those beseeching Him on their own behalf. He then went on to explain to Pat that by trying to help others who were also less fortunate, he had done Gods work, and it was someone else's prayers that had also been heard and answered, when God helped him. I don't think any of us would disagree with anything our pastor had just said. After going home and changing into something more comfortable and less formal, we went to the Curtis residence for Jay's birthday party. We had been invited to his home and the boys were eager to help him celebrate turning sixteen, since they all felt close to him. After all, he was like another brother to each one of my sons and was with us nearly as much as he was with his own family, or so it seemed. Other than our family, the only other people invited to this party were Jay's relatives, and we finally got to meet Jay's maternal grandparents. They live in California and were seldom able to travel like this, as they lived on a fixed income. However, they decided a sixteenth birthday party was a special occasion, so they dipped in to their limited resources and booked a flight. They were a lovely couple and it immediately became obvious which side of the family Jay had received his red hair and fair complexion from. I spoke with both of his grandparents for quite a while and it was like we had known each other for years. Maybe it was a result of all the stories we had heard about each other from Jay over the years, since he did talk to them on the phone nearly every Sunday, when his mother called to check in with them. During that time, he'd had plenty of chances to tell him about the times we had spent together and the things he had done with us. This party was more subdued than one of our parties, since Jay wasn't allowed to break away to entertain himself or the others by playing games outdoors. Instead, Jay was expected to spend all of his time making rounds from table to table, chatting with all of the adults and other guests. There was a certain amount of food provided, but not enough to be considered a meal. They had finger sandwiches, chips and dip, a vegetable tray and dip, cocktail wieners and cookie trays. My boys were very conscious about not overdoing it and watched how much they took, so by the end of the party they were teasing me to take them out to eat, as they were now starving. Before that happened, however, they did have a cake and ice cream, which seemed to tide them over for a little while longer, as we watched Jay open his presents. We gave him several gifts from the family and Ricky presented him with a separate present, just from himself. Being polite hosts, Jay's parents informed us we didn't have to do so much for their son, and it certainly wasn't necessary on top of everything else we did for Jay. They told us we had already done more for him than they could ever repay us for and they were pleased Jay had such good friends and people he could count on at any time, for nearly anything. I told him we did those things because of what Jay meant to us, and there was no reason for them to think of it as any more than that. Jay's mother hugged me and kissed me on my cheek, and his father shook my hand and told me they hoped someday they could do something for us. It was their way of letting me know they felt indebted to us, even though they knew I wasn't expecting reciprocation. After the party, we made our rounds and said our good-byes, and once we'd left, the boys made me take them over to McDonald's for something to tide them over, since it was now about halfway between lunch and dinnertime. The staff inside reacted about the same way they would have if a bus had just pulled into their lot, with its riders scurrying inside to eat. I must admit we probably were an imposing sight coming in together, with all of my hungry boys wanting to eat and demanding their food NOW. The staff did an impressive job taking care of us and helping the boys sate their hunger pangs, so we were soon heading home to rest and unwind. Monday turned out to be a scorcher and one of the hottest days we'd had in quite some time. The boys were all moping around the house, too hot to want to do much of anything, as the air conditioning system was also on the fritz. If that wasn't bad enough, I also hadn't had time to open up the above ground pool, so going for a swim was not an alternative way to cool off either. I did suggest to them that they might want to open it themselves and I'd tell them what they needed to do, so they could take a dip later. Their response was that it was too hot today to do that now, but they'd do it early tomorrow, before the temperature skyrocketed again. Unfortunately, the boys were only able to run around the house in shorts, since we hadn't been allowing any nudity with the Spences and Mark staying with us, as well as the numerous other guests who'd been coming in and out. However, I was willing to allow them limited nakedness during the day, as long as they kept upstairs and out of sight of the Spences, at least until the air conditioning problem was corrected. However, even though the Spences would be moving into their own place soon, the boys still wouldn't be able to resume their nudist practices, since Mark would be staying with us until August I wasn't sure how he would react to them being constantly nude. Therefore, I told my sons I expected them to wear either shorts or their underwear after their evening showers and on the weekends, at least for as long as Mark was with us. In the end, it was Frankie who actually came up with the solution to their temporary problem. He told the boys he'd be happy to go out and take care of opening up the pool, if someone was willing to assist him. He also suggested they might feel better if they hosed each other down outside, while he got everything ready. Hearing his offer, the other boys felt guilty about not volunteering to do the work themselves, so they all went out to help get the pool ready, while the youngest ones gleefully hosed them down as they did so. Once the pool was operational, everyone began to feel better, and being hosed down while they worked not only cooled them off, but also helped to keep them going for the remainder of the day. The next morning we all got up fairly early, because we had promised John and Margaret to help them move the rest of their belongings down to their new home. They had signed the papers the previous afternoon and received the keys to the place, so they were anxious to move in and give me back my bedroom. I think they were also ready to get to a cooler location, since our A/C was still on the fritz, but I couldn't blame them. They apologized for inconveniencing me for so long, but I insisted they hadn't. I told them I had slept fine and their company more than made up for anything else. They thanked me again, and this time for also finding the house for them too, while explaining they never thought they'd be lucky enough to find a place right next door. They were excited about being able to see the boys whenever they wanted. "You might come to regret having such noisy and rambunctious neighbors," I joked with them. However, Margaret immediately quipped back, "With our hearing and vision, we'll probably never even notice." Castaway Hotel -- Grand Reopening -- Book 4 by BW Copyright 2009 by billwstories Chapter 28 -- Many Missions to Complete. The rest of the week remained hot and the boys continued to use the pool to make themselves more comfortable. They were thankful they had this one small luxury for their benefit and I ended up thinking it might have been one of the wisest investments I had made. I finally received a call informing me an HVAC specialist would be out to take a look at our central air conditioning unit the next day. I was amazed at how busy all the local firms were and how booked up they had been, but I could understand. It was only recently that it had become hot enough to require its use and people were just becoming aware of any problems they might have. In our case, we needed it to keep the house bearable, especially for those who had bedrooms on the second floor and in the attic. When the man came to fix our A/C, Dustin stayed by his side the entire time, while letting the guy know he was also interested in pursuing a career in that field. I think the technician was impressed by Dustin's eagerness and sincerity, so he treated him almost like an apprentice and explained everything he was doing and why it needed to be done. Dustin enjoyed himself thoroughly and the repairman didn't seem to mind having an assistant, but the best part was that we got our air conditioning back. Now, we were ready for whatever conditions this summer might bring. On Wednesday afternoon, Shannon showed up at the house quite unexpectedly, so I became curious to discover which boy he was here to see. I was surprised when he announced he wanted to talk to me, but quickly informed him I'd be happy to chat with him, without missing a beat. The two of us went outside and moved to the front porch for privacy, while I wondered what he had on his mind. "What's up, Shannon?" I asked, trying to get this conversation started. "Well, I really came here to let you know how much fun my dad and I had at your house when we came for the parties, especially my dad," Shannon explained. "He told me he felt really comfortable here and had a lot of fun playing football too." "I'm glad both of you enjoyed yourselves and you're welcome to visit us and spend as much time here as you wish," I replied. I felt he hoped by telling me this it would get them invited over more frequently, so I felt I needed to put him at ease. "You certainly don't need an invitation to come see us and your father and you are always welcome here anytime. I mean, you're part of the family now. Right?" Shannon looked at me quizzically, so I felt I should explain. "Well, I am your Uncle Josh and your dad is Uncle Jake to my boys, correct?" Shannon smiled, when he realized what I meant. "Yeah, Uncle Josh, we are all family." Nothing more was said for a minute, but then Shannon continued. "You know, Uncle Josh, my dad doesn't have a lot of friends around here and none of his friends know he's really gay, except for you. I was hoping that maybe sometime you would ask him to go to a ballgame or out for a drink or something. He doesn't do much, except with me, and I'm pretty sure he'd like that." Suddenly, my mind was flooded with many other questions, although I wasn't sure I wanted to ask them directly. Was he asking me to invite his father out on a date? Did he think the two of us might hook up after spending some time together? I'm not saying Jake doesn't appeal to me, because he is handsome and pleasant to talk to. He also seems to have a pretty decent body, at least from what I saw of it when he took his shirt off while playing football the other day, but Jake is only in his mid-thirties and I am in my early fifties, and overweight at that. I wasn't so sure he would be pleased by his son's matchmaking attempts. "Shannon, maybe we could all go to a game or something sometime," I suggested, as an alternative. "I do have a few connections at Penn State, so maybe I can rustle up some tickets to a Nittany Lions football game next fall." "That would be great," Shannon beamed, "but maybe you guys could go out by yourselves sometime too. I think my dad needs some time doing guy things that don't involve hanging out with a bunch of kids or just me. Maybe you could set up a poker game or something? Better yet, maybe you two could go to Pittsburgh or Philadelphia for the weekend and check out the sights. I could stay here while you were gone and help take care of the younger boys." Even after listening to these new proposals, I still wasn't sure if Shannon was trying to fix me up with his dad or attempting to find a way to spend the weekend with one of my boys, without any adult supervision? "Well, I'd have to talk to your dad about this first, before I would agree to do anything like that," I warned him. "He might not even be interested." "Oh, he will be! I know he will!" Shannon gushed, excitedly. "You just ask him and I'm sure he'll say yes." His enthusiasm for this was evident, but I was still unsure whom he was doing this plotting for, his dad or himself. I guess I'll just have to keep my eyes open form now on and look for clues. I hadn't really noticed him spending any extra time with any particular boy or eyeing any of them when no one was looking, so maybe it really was his father he was trying to fix up. Only time would give me the answer to this riddle. Shannon stayed for a while longer and did things with the boys, but he seemed to float from group to group during his stay. Over the course of the afternoon, he spent time with Danny and Brandon, Nick, Brent and Trey and Dion, but he never seemed to give any obvious signs that he was stalking any of them. He did thank me when he left and seemed in a very chipper mood, but I still had no better idea about what he was up to, than I did when he first brought the topic up. I didn't have a lot of time to dwell on it over the next couple of days, as there were other things I needed to focus on too. For instance, on Thursday I would have to take Pat back for his first follow-up examination and there were still plenty of things I needed to get ready before we could make this trip. I wasn't sure if we'd be staying overnight again, but felt it was best to be prepared, so I packed a few things for each of us and loaded the suitcase into the Grand Am. When Thursday came, Pat and I took off early and alone. I didn't allow any of the others to join us on this trip, in case there was any bad news. This way, I could concentrate solely on Pat and be there for him totally. Pat and I used the travel time to talk about many different things, including his feelings about regaining some of his vision. As we switched from topic to topic, I thought back upon all the time we had spent together since his accident first happened and realized how it had strengthened the ties between us. I also concluded these additional trips to see his doctor were merely the icing on the cake and we'd always remain close because of all we'd been through together. I often wished I could spend this much time alone with each of the boys, but with the numbers involved I knew it would be extremely difficult, if not impossible. I'd just have to do the best I could and try to make sure no one got slighted. After a lengthy drive, we finally arrived at the office. By the time Dr. Bailey joined us in the examination room, we had about exhausted topics to discuss, so we concentrated on what the doctor was about to do and thinking about what he might tell us. Dr. Bailey seemed very happy to see us again and we talked briefly before he began his exam. He asked Pat many questions about different topics, including whether he had experienced any pain or discomfort since the operation, or if there had been any problems he'd noticed other than discomfort. However, he seemed most interested in learning how Pat's vision had been after he went home. Pat told him there had been no problems of any kind and he had experienced only very slight discomfort following the operation. Then Pat told his benefactor that he felt his vision was getting better every day and couldn't wait to wake every morning, so he could learn how much more improvement there had been since the previous day. The doctor seemed pleased to hear this and told Pat so, before he began examining Pat's eyes thoroughly. First he inspected the eye using his small flashlight, so he could check the stitches and scrutinize the surface to see if there were any signs of a problem. Once he had finished that, he tested the irises response to light and then studied the extent of Pat's visual acumen, by using a machine with changeable lenses. When he finished up, he told us the news. "Everything seems to be fine," he began. "There doesn't seem to be any lasting problems from the operation and his vision is remarkably good for this early in the process. It doesn't look like we'll have to change our approach or do anything more to help you. I will want to see you again in another couple of weeks, just to be on the safe side, but until then you are fine to go with just the limitations and care you have already been following." We were both glad to hear his news and thanked the doctor enthusiastically, before going out to make Pat's next appointment with the receptionist. As we were leaving the office, Pat did tell me that before we went in he was kind of worried that his recovery had all gone too well and something bad was going to pop up, but was now relieved it was just his imagination running wild with him. I tried to make him feel better by explaining it's normal to think that way, especially when it concerns something you value. "Pat, it's easy to convince yourself things are progressing too much in your favor and believe the other shoe is about to drop," I informed him. "There aren't many people who are truly convinced a roll of good luck will last forever. However, forever can mean different things to different people, and that meaning can vary at different times. Your eyesight probably WILL fail you again some day, but not until you reached old age." "Like you?" he challenged, sporting a huge grin. "Yes, like me," I whimpered, playfully. "I think you've noticed I can't read much without my reading glasses and that happens to nearly everyone when they reach mid- life." After that, I also told him I believed if this was the window that God had opened for him, then he wouldn't have to worry about it lasting more than just a short period of time. He seemed to feel much better after our little discussion and we drove home listening to the CD player and observing the scenery. It was getting late by the time we arrived home, so we didn't do very much before we went to bed. We were exhausted from the trip and drained by the tension we each felt prior to the examination. Pat stayed with me on the sofa bed that evening, I think mainly as a walk down memory lane and a look back at the nights he had lain there and worried he would never see again. It was a very relaxing slumber and we both awoke quite refreshed. The next morning, after breakfast, I asked the boys to help me start getting the house ready for Richard's birthday party, as I wanted to make this a very special day for him. I also ordered the cake, picked up his present (which I had arranged for earlier), made sure we had everything else we would need and then worked with the boys decorating the family room. After we finished making the place look festive, I went out to the kitchen and began preparing some of the food in advance. By the time the evening rolled around, almost everything was ready and we felt good about what we were going to do. The Beckers showed up bright and early Saturday morning, as was their custom, bearing all kinds of goodies for our breakfast again. Right away Mrs. Becker set to work preparing bacon, ham, home fries, eggs and toast. She was only willing to accept a limited amount of help from me, and that was only to help her locate the items she needed to cook with. Richard was her key assistant this time around and he happily helped her prepare the meal. In fact, I was amazed watching him and thought he was doing a very good job of it. He seemed especially pleased to be helping to do something special for us and eagerly told us to all sit down at the table, while he and his father served us. It was a wonderful meal, with plenty to eat, as well as having great company and good conversation. We all enjoyed it immensely. After breakfast, the boys dragged Richard off to show him the family room, so he could see how it was decorated. He beamed brightly when he saw it, so much so that he almost outshone the early morning sun on this nearly cloudless day. He was so excited and overjoyed that he ran out to get his parents, so they could also see what we'd done for him. He was so excited about our preparation that I was worried he might wet his pants before he calmed down, but fortunately for him, that didn't happen. After everyone had seen and commented on our creative accomplishments, we all relaxed and talked some more, this time letting Richard tell us what the last couple of weeks had been like for him. Richard was eager to do this and relayed every detail of what he had done on the farm, while using what seemed to be one humongous, unbroken sentence to do so. He only hesitated when he needed to take another breath before continuing, and it was extremely obvious he enjoyed his new life and new family. He even invited us all out to visit them, so he could show us around. When I told him he should check this out with his parents first, he told me he already had and they agreed we were welcome to come to the farm too. After discussing various dates to do this, we finally settled on going out there two weeks from today. Around noon our other guests began to show up and the older boys and I started cooking the meat on the grill. By now, Mark, Sally, Steve, Mary and the Spences had joined the party, and Richard was busy telling them about his new life on the farm. He was very animated in relaying his story and just as excited about everything as he had been when he told us, just a short time before. While some of my boys manned the grill, I sat and watched Richard's angelic expressions, as he went on and on about the things he had done during the past couple of weeks. I was enjoying all his youthful exuberance, which just seemed to ooze from every pore, as he kept his audience spellbound. He was the consummate entertainer, even acting out some of the events in a slapstick fashion, and he soon had the room in stitches. Richard seemed to relish this newfound attention from adults, which made him ham it up even more, and it was almost as if this opportunity was erasing at least part the years of neglect he had been forced to endure when he was younger. When the meat was finished cooking on the grill, the boys summoned everyone out to eat and we spent the next hour chowing down. After that, we decided to let Richard open his presents, as we didn't want him running around or begging to go swimming so soon after eating. I think he was temporary awestruck by the number of presents there were for him to open, but once he got over the initial shock, he proceeded to rip off the wrapping paper with sheer delight. He received some lovely gifts, including clothing, electronic games and a few other age appropriate gifts, but there were still a couple of special presents we hadn't let him open yet. The first of these was something special from Ricky. Ricky had purchased this gift with his own money, because he wanted it to be just from him, and he even picked out his own card and wrapped the present without any assistance. Although I knew what he had bought, the rest of what happened next came as a complete surprise. First Richard opened the card and read it out loud, so the rest of us knew what it said. His voice cracked a little as he spoke the words. "To Little Ricky from your very special friend and big brother, Ricky." He didn't even open the present right away, but instead looked up at Ricky and spoke. "My name's not Ricky, it's Richard, but my mother used to call me Richie." "Well, my real name is Richard too, but everyone has called me Ricky for as long as I can remember. I just thought it would be very special if I called you Little Ricky, so we would have something more in common. No one else will have to call you that, if you don't want, but I was hoping you wouldn't mind if I did." Richard thought about it for a minute and then a grin began to spread across his face, almost splitting the bottom third away from the upper portion. "I like that idea a lot and I want everybody to start calling me that, but I'll call you Big Ricky." Ricky agreed and Little Ricky came over and gave him a big hug, then kissed his idol on the cheek. It was quite a touching scene. Once that was over, Little Ricky went back and opened his present, a new pair of athletic shoes -- the very kind every kid seemed to be wearing nowadays. His mouth dropped open and he looked up at Ricky again. "How did you know that I wanted these?" he demanded. "Remember when you stayed here and we went out shopping?" Ricky asked him. "I saw you looking at them in the store window and knew that you really wanted them." "I do, and I love them, but they cost too much money," Little Ricky protested. "Nothing's too good or too expensive for my little bro," Ricky responded. After tearing up a bit after hearing that response, Little Ricky went over and hugged Ricky again. I waited patiently for him to decide when he had thanked Ricky enough, so I could give him his final gift, this one from our entire family. Once he broke his energetic embrace of his idol, I reached across and handed him a single, large envelope. He thanked me, opened it and pulled out the contents, to examine what was inside. He looked at me somewhat confused, so I thought I'd better explain what it was he had received. "Ricky, those are roundtrip airlines tickets to Orlando, Florida, passes to Disney World and the Epcot Center, and your hotel reservation confirmation for a week, for you and your parents. Happy Birthday from the Curries." Ricky looked at his new mom and dad, and then at all of us, before leaping into the air. For the next several minutes, he continued to jump around, while whooping and hollering about going to Disney World -- a whirling dervish of excitement, if I'd ever seen one. During his celebration, the Beckers looked at me and began to speak, but I anticipated their reaction and held up my hand to stop them. "I know what your objections are, but I've already anticipated them," I informed them. "First, you're going to object about the expense, but it's what we wanted to do and we won't take no for an answer. Secondly, this has been planned for the first full week after the Fourth of July and I've already made arrangements, with the help of your neighbors, to have the farm looked after during your absence. I am paying all the expenses for that and everything has been completely taken care of." They now looked at each other, nodded back and forth, and it was then that I knew they had given in and accepted my offer. A minute or two later, Mr. Becker stood up and spoke. "You and your family have done so much for us that we will always be indebted to you. From the bottom of my heart, and for my whole family, I wish to thank you once more." He came over to me, shook my hand and then wrapped me up in a bear hug to end all bear hugs. I was very touched by this, although he nearly crushed and suffocated me at the same time. After he finally released me, I caught my breath and told them my entire family wanted them all to have a wonderful time. Once things settled down from that surprise, we lit the candles on Ricky's cake, sang 'Happy Birthday' to him and let him make his wish and blow the candles out, before we passed out the cake and ice cream. In between the time we had the cake and the boys were allowed to go swimming and play in the pool, I noticed Ricky and Little Ricky had disappeared. I guessed they had some things to talk over about this new relationship of theirs, as hero and devotee. I don't think anyone else noticed they were gone and they were both smiling and joking with each other when they returned later. I guess they had established their roles and were both happy with this new bond. A short time later, one of the other boys suggested it was time to take a dip, so all of the boys raced inside to don their swimsuits, before charging out toward the pool. This included Richard, I mean Little Ricky, since we had suggested he bring his attire with him when they came. Happily, he followed the others, eager to have fun and cool off. I was somewhat surprised to see that Mark was also joining them. While the boys were splashing about and making a great deal of noise, the rest of us decided to go inside to talk, since no one was ready to jump into the pool with a bunch of hyperactive young men. The Beckers now told us their version of the past couple of weeks and explained how much they've enjoyed their new son and how he had caused them to look at everything through young eyes again. They informed us how much they had already grown to love each other and felt not only comfortable together, but also euphoric from this new relationship. They told us how Little Ricky was adapting to the life on the farm, how he helped with the various chores and how he brought so much joy into their lives. They did express one regret, but that was that Little Ricky had no one his age to hang around with. The neighboring farms were also owned by older couples, who either never had children or whose children had grown up and moved out on their own, so there was no one close by for him to connect with. They mentioned again how they wished they were in a position to adopt a second child, someone Little Ricky could have for company, and then they said it might be possible they could do that next year. I think that comment caused an immediate reaction by nearly everyone else in the room, and each of their minds was suddenly thrust into gear. We all wanted to come up with a suggestion the Beckers could accept, so they could adopt that second child and not look at it as if they were receiving a handout. As I scanned the faces of the others sitting with us, I could see the far-off stares, meaning they were lost in their own thoughts at that point and not really paying attention to anything else. I made a mental note to pull Sally aside later or call her tomorrow, to see if we could put our heads together and come up with a plan to help the Beckers do just that, without making them think we were forcing the issue. We all realized they were a very proud couple, unwilling to accept things they couldn't provide for themselves, with a few exceptions, so tact was going to be the key in being successful with this venture. After the boys finished in the pool and played a couple of games in the yard, I told everyone to clean up and I'd take them out to dinner. It had been a while since we had eaten Little Ricky's birthday luncheon and I was fairly certain everyone was getting hungry again. After some mild protests from the other adults that I didn't need to do this, I finally talked them into meeting us at the restaurant in an hour. I called ahead to reserve our 'special room', since that's how we began to think of it, and everything was set. When we got to the restaurant, Mr. Spence stood outside and held the door open for all of us to enter, coming in last and then disappearing for a few minutes. He told us later that he had needed to use the little boy's room and joked that we'd learn more about those types of needs, as we grew older. Now that we were all together, we sat down to a lovely dinner, with wonderful company and great conversation. As I looked around the table, I noticed Little Ricky was sitting beside his mother, but he had somehow also made sure his idol was sitting on his other side. This was truly a cute case of hero worship. Eventually I asked for the check, only to be told it had already been taken care of. When I asked by whom, I got no response, so I went looking for the manager to find out what was up. He seemed rather embarrassed that I hadn't known about this in advance and then informed me that an older gentleman had already put the check on his credit card, including the tip. At that moment, I realized that Mr. Spence hadn't disappeared to go to the little boy's room, as he told us, but he had sneaked off to locate the manager and take care of the tab. I'd have to have a little chat with him about this later. When we got back home, the boys moved the table and chairs out of the dining room, brought down a boom box from upstairs and started playing some CD's, specifically the ones I had used to entertain them on Valentine's Day. Before long, they had the adults dancing on our makeshift dance floor, after pulling the more reluctant ones into the action. In short order, the Spences, the Beckers, the Shays, and Sally and I were swaying to the music, our minds wandering back to memories of when we'd first heard each of these wonderful songs. We were all really enjoying this thoughtful gesture, when we noticed some of the boys taking the floor with us. At first it was just Danny and Brandon, but then Trey and Dion joined in, before Kevin and Brent joined in, seemingly unconcerned that anyone would object or utter a disparaging remark about their doing so. About that same time, I also noticed Ricky and Little Ricky attempting to dance as a couple, and then became aware that Graham and Cole were also seeing what it was like to dance with each other. Now that those boys had joined us, Sammy and Andrew quickly followed them out, after deciding they didn't want to be left out of the fun either. I kind of smiled as the older boys tried to teach their younger siblings how to dance and was impressed by their patience. I think the other adults thought this was cute too, but I could also tell the straight boys were a bit jealous that their girlfriends weren't here for them to dance with. It was then that I almost burst out laughing, because Frankie grabbed Nick by the hand and led him out to the floor, having chosen him as his partner. As they began to dance, their actions motivated the final pair, and Dustin and Pat released their inhibitions and joined the fun too. As we all swayed to the beat, I wondered what any passersby would have thought, if they had looked in our windows, only to notice all the young men who were dancing with each other. After moving our bodies around the room to numerous songs, our guests began to announce it was time for them to leave. Slowly they got their things and headed for the door, but not before I cornered Mr. Spence. He just laughed and told me I was just upset because the old fox had outfoxed him. He laughed at the fact that he had pulled it off so easily and was giddy he had won this little game. When I finally conceded my protestations were doing no good, I dropped the issue and just told myself that next time I'd have to be more observant about what he was up to. It wasn't long after that before the Spences, the Shays, and Sally all said their final good- byes and left for their homes. The rest of us followed them out to their cars and waved as they drove off, but the Spences were already about halfway to their place as the last of the others finally pulled away. I stayed out and watched them walk the rest of the way, just to make sure they got there safely, before I joined the boys inside. The Beckers were the only ones who were staying with us tonight, so I gave them my bedroom for the evening and reminded them where everything was. Even though they had tried to decline the use of my room again, I explained I would sleep on the sofa bed, as I was quite used to it and it was more than comfortable. They finally acceded to this arrangement, but it came as no shock to any of us when Little Ricky announced to his parents he was going to sleep with Big Ricky tonight. We each told him that would be fine. The night passed by quickly and I awoke the next morning to the aroma of breakfast being prepared. Without even going out to check who was responsible, it was easy to speculate that Mrs. Becker was already up and at it again. I got dressed and walked out of the family room, but was surprised to discover most of my boys were already in the dining room eating. They soon told me the smells had awakened them and made them hungry; so they gave in to their bellies and came down to eat. After a wonderful meal, we thanked Mrs. Becker and her helpers, and then we all got ready to go to church. It was a nice service and went very quickly, as the pastor seemed to be taking it easy on us this Sunday. As we left the church, the Beckers announced they thought it best to start home from there, as they were sure there was still much they would have to do before dark. Before they left, though, they thanked us again for the special weekend and Little Ricky's birthday party. As they were preparing to get into in their truck, they stopped and gave us one final thank you for all of the gifts their son had received, especially the trip to Disney World which each of them would enjoy. As his parents were opening the doors to their vehicle, Little Ricky asked me to bend down. I thought he wanted to whisper something in my ear, but when I bent over he gave me a very special hug and kiss, as his way of saying thank you. I knew then that I was sure going to miss this little bugger, although I did suspect we'd be seeing both him and his new parents from time to time. I didn't know how the little guy did it so easily, but he had wormed his way into many hearts around here, including mine. We all waved at the Beckers as they drove off and I thought I saw a tear making its way down my Ricky's cheek as their truck moved out of sight. This touched me deeply and not only indicated how close Ricky felt to Little Ricky, but it also made me wonder what they might have been up to when they sneaked off by themselves and slept together. I wasn't really worried about what they might have done, because I knew Ricky would never do anything with a younger boy unless the boy had initiated it or thoroughly agreed to what they were going to do, but I was just curious as to how deep their new ties went. Maybe I'd get the nerve up to ask him one of these days, but until then I'd just let sleeping dogs lie. 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.