Date: Tue, 10 Aug 2010 20:13:17 EDT
From: Bwstories8@aol.com
Subject: Cataway Hoel: Grand Reopening - Book 8, chapters 35-36 

The Castaway Hotel: Grand Reopening --Book 8 - by BW         
Copyright 2009 by billwstories
Chapter 35 -- Busting Out.      

Andrew was progressing remarkably well except, of course, for his broken
leg, which hadn't healed completely.  The doctor had already removed the
first cast and replaced it with a walking cast, so at least Andrew was now
able to get around a little better without the crutches.  It wasn't a
modern walking cast -- you know the kind with Velcro straps.  Instead, the
doctor had opted to use a more traditional fiberglass cast, due to Andrew's
age and how active he generally was.  The only problem with this was, he
couldn't get it wet or have water seep underneath it.  Therefore, when he
showered, I slipped a heavy-duty trash bag over it and used masking tape to
seal it just above the cast.  It wasn't pretty, but it was effective.  It
was also a good thing that Andrew and Jesse had been sharing the guest room
on the first floor, because Andrew would never have been able to negotiate
the stairs with the crutches and it still would have been difficult with
this cast.

Since Andrew was also worried about Jesse, he had talked Sammy and Little
Ricky into taking Jesse out for his daily bike rides.  Andrew didn't want
Jesse to lose out on these outings just because he couldn't go with him,
because Andrew knew how much Jesse loved them.  Andrew did have to convince
Jesse it was all right to go without him, so after Andrew assured Jesse,
many times, that it was alright to go with the others, Jesse finally gave
in.  However, he didn't concede until he had vehemently protested the
arrangement and stated he'd rather wait until Andrew could join him.
Andrew had me explain to Jesse that it would be several more weeks before
he could do such things again, so Jesse eventually gave in and went out
with Sammy and Little Ricky instead.  It soon became evident he enjoyed
going with this pair just as much as he had enjoyed going out with his best
bud, but it was also obvious he missed Andrew's presence.

Andrew also spent some of his time working on Jesse's speech problem.
Andrew not only was able to get him to talk more, but he was also managing
to get Jesse to enunciate his words better.  It was slow progress, but on a
day-to-day basis Jesse's vocal chords were becoming stronger and he was
able to say more and more that the others could easily understand.  His
speech wasn't perfect yet, so I would see to it that he worked with the
therapist when we returned to school in the fall.  However, Jesse was
working hard to impress his idol and I wasn't sure what either of them
would have done without the other.

Since Jesse was doing so well, I figured I'd better call the cruise line,
to see about reserving two more places.  I did have two that weren't going
to be used, since Frankie would be away and Mark couldn't get off from
work, but Barry would be taking one, and now Jesse would be filling the
other.  The problem was, I had also asked Carlos and Ted to go too, since I
figured one of them could fill the other spot, but now both had called to
let us know they had received permission to join us as well.

Carlos had asked for a month off from work and, surprisingly, the manager
agreed to it.  He said business had been slow and he was going to have to
let someone go anyway, so this would work out for him.  Carlos' mother then
gave him permission to join us, so Carlos was thrilled and looking forward
to spending time with the boys again.

On the other hand, Ted had told his Aunt Jane about my offer and she helped
convince her brother to allow Ted to go with us.  Ted and his father had
been getting along much better, and after she explained this would give Ted
an opportunity they wouldn't be able to provide him, Ted's father agreed.
So now I had two more who wanted to go with us and no place to put them, so
I called to see if I could reserve two more places.

"Mr. Currie," the customer service rep began, "it won't be a problem to add
two more to your first reservation, since that cruise was not fully booked.
However, the second cruise is already full, so unless someone cancels, I
won't be able to help you."

"Well, put us down for two more for the first cruise then," I told her,
"and can you put our names on a list, in case something opens up on the
others cruise?"

"Yes, I can do that," she stated.  "I will add a note to the system
notifying my co- workers they are to call you, should a spot open up.  Will
that be all right with you?"

"Yes, that will be fine," I agreed, although I still wondered how I was
going to work this out, if someone didn't call back.

"Is there anything else I can do for you?" she followed.

"No, that will be all, thank you," I acknowledged, before directing her to
charge the extra spots to my credit card.

I then went to speak with Jake, so I could fill him in about the situation
and see if he had any suggestions about what we might do, if something
didn't open up for the second cruise.  He was just as stymied as I was
about this, but we agreed to keep thinking about it, until we came up with
a solution.

While we were pondering our options, Captain De Luca, of the State Police,
called a few days later.  He wanted to notify me that all of Sammy's
tormentors had accepted plea agreements and been sentenced.  He said the
girl was the first to accept their offer, after he explained the combined
sentences for underage alcohol and drug possession, along with the
vandalism, physical assault, sexual assault, statutory rape and sexual
harassment charges could get her a combined sentence of fifteen-years or
more, and that was if they decided not to seek federal charges against
them.  After her lawyer explained she was facing an uphill battle, he
advised her to agree to testify against the others, in return for a reduced
sentence.  She agreed to do that in exchange for a sentence of one to three
years, followed by five years on probation.

Once the others were advised that she was cooperating and her statement had
been given to their lawyers, they accepted the futility of their own
positions.  Not only did they have her testimony against them, but the
government also had the video and audiotapes that showed what had happened
as well.  Therefore, each of them took the plea deals that were offered to
them.

The boy who was least in involved in what happened accepted prison terms of
three to five years, followed by a minimum of five years probation.  The
boy who had punched Sammy accepted a sentence of five to seven years,
followed by a minimum of five years probation.  However, the ringleader
wasn't as fortunate.  Since the drugs and alcohol had been found in his car
and everyone else pointed the finger at him for dictating what they were
going to do, he ended up taking a sentence of seven to ten years in prison,
followed by a minimum of five years probation.  Seeing he had masterminded
this whole series of events and set them into motion, it was also right
that he would now do the most time.  It appeared as if Sammy wouldn't have
to worry about them for some time to come.

One day, while I was at work, the school board president showed up
unexpectedly to speak with me.  He told me he'd heard about what had
happened to Sammy and then advised me the ringleader was a neighbor of the
school board member that had reacted so violently when the gay-straight
alliance had been proposed.  It seems that not only was the boy's family
friends with the board member and his wife, but the boy had also spent a
considerable amount of time with his neighbor, doing odd jobs for him.  It
was fairly obvious he had picked up at least some of his view from his
opinionated neighbor, although his parents may also harbor the same biases,
so now that board member would have something more to hate us for.  I
doubted he would see, or admit, his misguided views and spiteful approach
had been the catalyst for what these four young people were now going to
have to endure.  Instead, he would see it as another reason to hate gays
and what they stood for.  It was a vicious cycle that would only end
through enlightenment and understanding.

I thanked the school board president for his concern and for the
information he had provided.  I then explained some of the other things
that the young man and his friends had done, which the school board
president had no idea they had been responsible for.  He explained we'd
probably be facing more problems from that board member in future meetings
and I told him I'd weather anything the guy had to throw my way.  I also
told him I doubted that particular board member would be with us much
longer, once he came up for reelection in the fall.  I had already spoken
to a few of my friends at the graduation party and they were eager to
campaign against him.  They even had an idea about a candidate they could
put up to oppose him.  The board president then told me he hoped I was
correct in my assumption and their candidate would win, so we'd be rid of
our bigoted friend.  Shortly thereafter, we ended our conversation and he
left.

Before I went home for the day, I also received a call from the cruise
line.  "Mr.  Currie," the rep began, "we've just had a couple cancel their
reservation with us for the second cruise you are taking.  Are you still
interested in reserving two more spots?"

"I certainly am," I replied, before telling him to add the charges to my
credit card.  I was amazed this had worked out so well and now we were set
so everyone would be able to accompany us on both cruises.

Jake was also relieved, when I shared the news with him, so we set about
finalizing our plans and talking to the boys about room arrangements.
Although we didn't tell them where we'd be going or what we'd be doing, we
did explain we'd be staying in two-person rooms for more than half of the
vacation and wanted to divide up accordingly.  As always, we'd let them
decide who would be with whom, although there wasn't much discussion when
it came to the couples.  Brandon and Danny would be paired up, as well as
Trey and Dion, Vinnie and Kevin, and Nick and Shannon.  Of course, Jake and
I would be together as well, but that was not something anyone else was
concerned about.

Sammy immediately asked if he could be with Ted, so Graham and Little Ricky
agreed to team up.  Ricky and Peter also quickly agreed to be together and
Cole said he'd bunk in with Carlos.  That left two of the straight boys,
Dustin and Pat, to share a room.

It was also understood that Andrew had planned to share a room with Barry,
but now with Jesse in the picture, I wasn't sure what was going to happen.
Of course, all three boys could share a bed together, but that would mean
Andrew and Barry couldn't fool around during the cruise.  I'm sure both of
them were looking forward to doing that too, so I would have to speak with
Andrew and see how he wanted to handle the situation.  However, this was
when I realized my miscalculation.  I hadn't had space for both Frankie and
Mark, just Frankie.  I had merely asked Mark if he wanted to take Frankie's
spot, once we realized Frankie wouldn't be able to go with us.  In my
haste, I had thought I had planned for both of them to go, so now I had no
place to put Jesse, so I had to figure out what to do about him.

Somewhat panicked, I called the cruise line back.  "Hello.  This is Josh
Currie and I have a problem with the cruises I've scheduled," I began, once
I was speaking with a customer service rep.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Currie," the rep stated.  "How may I help you?"

"Well, I've got an extra boy for these cruises, but he's only ten," I
stated.  "I was wondering if he could just share a room with two of the
younger boys, without it being a problem."

"Please allow me a second to look at your reservations," she requested.
There was a brief delay before she spoke again.  "Oh, yes. I see you have
two reservations for a group of twenty-two people."

"Yes, I'm taking my family on vacation," I agreed.

"Oh, my," she exclaimed.  "You certainly have a large family.  I take it
you're siblings are joining you with their children or your children are
older and have spouses and children of their own?"

"No, it's just my immediate family and a couple of very close friends," I
replied, and then I heard her gasp.

"Well, you certainly have a lot of children," she agreed, but then
continued.  "Since the additional family member is so young, there won't be
a problem with him sharing a room with some of the others, and because
you've already booked two cruises for such a large party, I'll wave any
additional charges for you." she added.  "I will just make a note of it
with your reservations, so you shouldn't have any problems when you board
the ships."

After thanking her profusely, I jotted down her name and placed it in my
wallet.  I wanted it in case I did run into problems later.  That way, if
anyone hassled us, I could tell them exactly who had agreed to allow this
and when the agreement had been made.

Now that the major portions of the vacation had been taken care of, I
concentrated on some of the minor details.  I wanted to make certain we had
no problems, once we set out.  If that happened, it would surely put a
damper on everyone's good mood and lessen the level of enjoyment.

When the big day arrived, I went to pick up Ted and Carlos first.  Ted's
Aunt Jane had offered to drive her nephew to Philadelphia, so I wouldn't
have to travel the entire distance to get him.  This way, I could pick up
Ted and Carlos in one trip, and then we would meet up with Barry before we
flew out of the Philadelphia airport.  We'd be going out of there to Miami,
where we'd begin our vacation.

Of course, we had to use two vehicles to do this, so we took the Yukon and
the Suburban on this trip.  We drove directly to Carlos' home, where we
chatted briefly with his mother first.

"Hi, Papi," Carlos greeted me, using the Spanish word for father.  It was a
sweet gesture on his part and I appreciated the fact that he still felt
close to me, even though we didn't see each other as often.  It wasn't
because we didn't want to spend time together, it was just with the
distance separating us, as well as Carlos' job, it was difficult to get
together.

"Thank you for taking me with you," he continued.

"Carlos, you're part of our family," I replied, "so you're always welcome
to join us, no matter what we're doing."  Carlos beamed when I told him
that.

"Meester Currie," he mother said, "you are too good to my son."

"I hope I'm good to both of you," I teased, which caused her face to drop
slightly.

"I didn't mean you weren't," she apologized, "but you are so very good to
my Carlos and we both thank you for that."

"It's my pleasure," I conceded, "but now it's time for me to do something
else for you.  Get ready and we'll take you out to lunch, before we leave."

"Oh, I cannot go," she sputtered.  "I must be at work in twenty meenutes,
but thank you for asking me."

"I'm sorry you can't join us," I stated, "but I do understand.  We'll do
something when we return then."

"Oh, you don't need to do that," she protested.

"I know I don't need to, but I want to," I countered.  "So you'll have to
promise you'll join us when we get back."

"Eef I'm not working," she agreed.

Once our conversation ended, we loaded Carlos' belongings into one of the
vehicles and headed out to met Ted and Jane.

I had given Jane directions to a restaurant my family and I had eaten at
before.  It was a nice place and this way we could all have lunch together,
before the boys, Jake and I caught our flight.  I wanted to avoid being
surrounded by starving young men as we traveled to Florida, because they
tend to be very grumpy and irritable when they're hungry.  We arrived
several minutes before Jane and Ted did, but Ted was grinning from
ear-to-ear when he got out of his aunt's vehicle.

"Hi, Pop.  It sure is good to see all of you again," he greeted us.  "Do
you want me to throw my stuff in your SUV before we eat?"

"That would be fine," I replied, as I unlocked the Yukon and had him throw
his luggage in the rear.  Then we all walked into the establishment and
were led to a table.  Yes, I had called ahead for a reservation, so we
didn't have to wait.

Jane was in just as good a mood as Ted and I made sure she was seated on
one side of me, with Jake on the other, as we ate.  Ted and Carlos were
intermixed in with my boys, as they caught up with what had been happening
since they had last seen each other.

"Teddy is so excited about going on vacation with you," she told me, as
soon as we were seated.  "I can't thank you enough for including him."

"Jane, it's our pleasure and I'm sure we will benefit from his presence as
much as Ted will," I explained.  "So, how have things been going with his
parents?"

"Oh, much better, since I read my brother the riot act," she said with a
smile.  "He's finally learned to accept that Teddy did not choose to be gay
and that's made it easier for him to deal with it.  Teddy calls me at least
once a week and tells me all he's been doing with his father lately.
Teddy's even agreed to go to sporting events with his dad and works with
him doing odd jobs around the house, just so they can be close.  My brother
enjoys doing those things with his son now and feels like an ass that he
didn't take the opportunity to do it sooner."

"I'm very glad to hear that and hope our invitation didn't create any
problems between then," I added.

"My brother and his wife were a little concerned at first, about letting
Teddy go so far away without any family members accompanying him," Jane
informed me.  "However, after I vouched for you and told him it would give
Teddy a chance to do things he wouldn't get to do otherwise, my brother and
his wife finally gave in.  In fact, I think they plan to go away for at
least a week of the time Teddy is away, so they can spend some time alone
with each other."  She giggled like a schoolgirl after saying this, which
told me she was thinking of the romantic encounter this would lead to.

We continued to talk to Jane as we ate and she also chatted with many of
the boys.  She had gotten to know them quite well when she stayed at our
place for Valentine's weekend and the boys were also quite pleased to see
her again.  She even teased Sammy about what he planned to do with Ted,
since they were going to be sharing a room, and both boys turned a nice
crimson color after she posed her query.  I think this was more than enough
of a response for her, so she tee-heed quite softly, as she realized what
their reaction meant.

Once we finished eating, we all gave her a hug and kissed her on the cheek,
before she said her final good-bye to Ted.  I'll give him credit, in that
he didn't stop his Aunt Jane from continuing to treat him like a little
boy, but he was mildly embarrassed by her antics.  She pinched his cheek,
gave him a peck on the lips and hugged him tightly, before admonishing him
to behave and be safe.  We then watched her drive off, before we squeezed
back into our vehicles and headed to the airport.

We arrived there well ahead of Barry's scheduled arrival time, but his
plane was also a few minutes late.  I had to carry Andrew piggyback most of
the time, since we had to walk great distances and this was difficult for
him to do, even with the walking cast.  The added weight of the cast seemed
to tire him out; even with just the little bit of walking we had done
earlier.  Of course, Andrew didn't seem to mind me carrying him and enjoyed
the fact he was getting a free ride, so to speak.  However, Jesse stayed
close by our side and held on to my pant's pocket, so we wouldn't get
separated.

Once we noted Barry's plane had landed, we waited anxiously for him to
emerge from his arrival gate.  Barry bolted for us, as soon as he spotted
Andrew.  He did know about Andrew's injury, since we'd warned him about it
shortly after it happened, so he was a little tentative as he neared
Andrew.  He slowed down before he reached him and then moved forward slowly
from that point on.  Once they were close enough, he gently wrapped his
armed around Andrew and gave him a big squeeze.

Once Barry broke this embrace, he came over to me and hugged me about the
waist, before thanking me for talking his father into letting him come with
us.  Once he'd done that, Andrew introduced him to Jesse, who was only
slightly dismayed that he'd have to share Andrew's attention during the
vacation.  I had explained to him before we left that the three of them
would be sharing a room and asked him to please allow Andrew to spend some
time with Barry too.  I emphasized, as strongly as I could, that Barry's
desire to spend time with Andrew was the same as Jesse's own desire to be
with Andrew.  Jesse finally realized what I was getting at, so I was hoping
there wouldn't be any problems, once the three of them were alone.

I had also taken Andrew aside and asked him not to ignore Jesse, just
because Barry was with us too, and he promised he wouldn't do that.  We
also talked about having Jesse stay with some of the others once in a
while, so he and Barry could have some time alone.  I think things were
pretty well settled on that front, so I hoped we could convince Jesse to do
this.

We boarded our flight about forty minutes later and were officially on our
way.  We touched down in Miami in late afternoon and it was a beautiful
day.  We took the airport shuttle to our hotel, and once everyone got
settled, I asked each of them to come to my room, so I could explain a few
things.  After they were all gathered, I told them we were going to stay in
Miami for a few days and then go on a cruise -- well two cruises, to the
Caribbean.  We'd also have a brief layover in Miami in between and they all
thought this sounded like fun, so we were off to a good start.

It was now late Saturday afternoon and we'd be staying here until our
cruise left on Wednesday.  We wouldn't have to board until 4:00 that
afternoon, but it was actually leaving from Fort Lauderdale, which wasn't
that far away.  We'd be taking a bus to get there, but I felt the boys
would enjoy spending some time enjoying the hotel pool and relaxing on the
beaches; before we started off on our first cruise.

The boys would be four to a room at the hotel, which would take away from
some of their privacy, but they were fairly used to this.  Therefore, they
teamed up with another pair they felt comfortable with, so it wasn't as big
a deal.  This lead to a problem of sorts, because twenty-two doesn't divide
by four evenly.  It meant one pair would have a single room to themselves,
so I planned on putting Jake and I in that room.  This meant Andrew, Jesse
and Barry would have to share a room with Dustin and Pat.  I knew it
wouldn't be a problem for Dustin, Andrew and Jesse, but I wasn't so sure
how Barry and Pat were going to react.  I didn't foresee Pat having a
problem with it, although he might not want to spend so much time with the
younger boys, but I wasn't so sure about Barry.  Therefore, I pulled the
five of them aside, to discuss the situation with them.

"Fellas, after the others teamed up for rooms, it left you five together.
Is this going to be a problem?" I asked.  They looked at each other
briefly, but I could see the questioning look on Barry's face, so I thought
I'd ask him directly.

"Barry, this will only be for the few days we're here in Miami," I
explained, "but on the cruise it will just be the three of you.  If this is
a problem, you can share a room with Jake and me instead, and I'll give
Dustin and Pat the single room."  Barry thought about this briefly, before
he replied.

"It's not a problem," he stated, "it's just that I wasn't expecting it.  It
will be all right and I have no problem with doing this.  Andrew told me
how much he enjoyed spending time with Dustin, when you went to visit him
at college, so it will be okay."

Pleased by his response, I posed the same question to the others.  No one
had a problem with it, including Pat.  He had his own take on the
situation.

"Dad, I might have been a little concerned about it at first," he admitted,
"but now I think it might be fun to get to know my little brothers better.
I haven't spent a lot of time with them in the past, but Dustin told me he
enjoyed being with them, like Barry said.  Since Dustin enjoyed it so much,
I think I'd like to try it too."

Pleased with everyone's response, I agreed to the arrangement, but I still
planned to check on them regularly, to make certain there weren't any
problems.  Now, we could all begin to relax and unwind.



The Castaway Hotel: Grand Reopening --Book 8 - by BW         
Copyright 2009 by billwstories
Chapter 36 -- A Few Surprises.      

We spent the rest of Saturday getting settled in and didn't do much, except
investigate our immediate surroundings.  We discovered what was close by
and talked about things we might want to do the next day, before we turned
in for the evening.

Although I was a little worried about Andrew, it turned out that Barry and
Jesse were eager to assist him.  Unbeknownst to me, they had even
volunteered to help him take a shower.  They covered his cast with one of
the heavy-duty trash bags I'd brought along, taped it securely in place and
then took turns holding on to him, while the other helped Andrew wash.

As it turned out, that's what they were doing this when I went to see if I
could do anything for Andrew.  I knocked on their door and Pat answered.
When I inquired where the boys were, he told me they were in the bathroom,
so I went over and knocked on that door.  They asked who it was, and after
I told them, they told me to come in.  As I entered, I saw the three of
them were in the shower and two boys had Andrew's situation well under
control, so I just told them I came by to see how they were doing.  They
didn't want me to leave right away, so I chatted with them briefly, before
I returned to my room.

Sunday morning, I got everyone up, so we could go to church.  I was
slightly concerned about Carlos and Barry, since they belonged to a
different denomination than we did, but they said they didn't have any
problems with going with us.  Other than the fact that I noticed them
crossing themselves at various times, they felt the service wasn't that
different from what they were used to attending with their parents.  They
said except for kneeling and crossing themselves, the biggest difference
was that there weren't as many people involved in the service and those who
were didn't all dress up in robes.

After church, Jake and I took everyone out for brunch, before we went back
to the hotel and changed into our swimsuits, so we could spend some time at
the beach.  Of course, I coated or had the other boys cover each other in a
thick coating of sunscreen, since I didn't want any of them to burn.  Barry
was a particular concern, since he was so fair skinned, so I applied his
sunscreen personally, before I did the same to Jesse.  After that, I kept
an eye on them, to make sure they weren't turning a crispy red.

We lay out in the sun and played in the surf for a couple of hours, but I
didn't allow Andrew to go into the ocean.  First of all, he didn't want to
put the trash bag over his cast to keep it dry, because he said it would
get too hot and he thought it would make him look weird.  Although we
tried, we could not think of another way to protect his cast, so that
pretty much determined he had to stay out of the water.  Besides that, even
if Andrew had agreed to use the trash bag, I was concerned the cast would
make him unsteady in the surf and he'd fall over whenever a wave hit him.
I was worried he wouldn't be able to right himself quickly enough if that
happened, which meant there was a possibility he could drown.  Of course, I
could have made sure others were with him, so they could help him out if
that happened, but it was just something else we'd have to be ready for.

Now that it had been determined he couldn't go in the ocean, I made Andrew
stay on the beach with me.  I opted to remain out of the water too, since
Andrew had to, even though Jake offered to take turns sitting with him.
Although that would have worked, I felt it would be best if I was willing
to endure the same restriction as Andrew, so he wouldn't feel as if he were
the only one suffering.  Even though Andrew told me I didn't have to do
this, I think he appreciated that I did.

We stayed at the beach for quite a while and only decided to end it when
the boys began to let me know they were getting hungry.  At that point, we
returned to our rooms, so we could clean up and change, before we went in
search of a suitable location.

When we returned, Jesse wanted me to come back to their room with them.  It
seemed important to him, although I wasn't sure why, but I joined the boys
and went to their room.  It turned out that he just wanted me to sit with
him for a while, which I did.  He sat on my lap and let me know how happy
he was, and once he was satisfied, I began chatting with the others as
well.  I asked Dustin and Pat how this arrangement was working out for them
and they seemed fine with it.  As we talked, the three younger boys began
to strip off their swimsuits and dry their bodies right in front of us.
Obviously, this wasn't a problem for them, so I continued chatting with the
others.  Both Dustin and Pat assured me the situation was fine, so I
thanked them for doing this and allowing Jake and I some time alone.  They
just grinned and confirmed it was no problem, before I went to clean up as
well.

After dinner, we walked around one of the local malls, since the boys
thought it would be good to check out what it was like.  They wanted to
compare it to our hometown mall and others we'd been to, to see how it
stacked up.  They also mentioned it would be a good place to check out the
young people in the area, since the mall is also the place where most of
the younger crowd seems to hang out.

Rather than carrying Andrew around the whole time, I went to the security
office and signed out a wheelchair for him to use.  Then Barry and Jesse
took turns pushing him in it.  I was going to do it, but they both insisted
they wanted to do it instead, so after I got them to promise they wouldn't
fool around, horseplay or do any racing with it, I agreed.  Andrew seemed
pleased they wanted to do this for him and was eager to enjoy his free
ride, so we set out.

As we walked around, I kept an eye on my group, just to make certain there
weren't any problems.  As I observed them, I noticed most of the boys were
spending a greater share of their time checking out others passing by,
rather than looking at the merchandise the mall had to offer.

After we grew tired of wandering around, the boys indicated they wouldn't
mind going to a movie.  Since there was a cinema complex in the mall, we
checked out what was playing and ended up splitting into three groups.
Andrew, Jess and Barry wanted to see the same movie Jake and I were
planning to go to, so I agreed.  I wasn't certain if they actually wanted
to see this particular movie or if they just wanted to be with us.  Either
way, they followed behind us, as the family split up and took off for the
various theaters.  I left Andrew's wheelchair at the ticket office, since
they agreed to watch it for us, and then carried him inside.  He probably
could have walked, but I was worried about him navigating the stairs
inside, since the theater had stadium seating.

After placing Andrew in his seat, Barry took a seat on one side of him and
Jesse on the other.  Then Barry surprised me by indicating he wanted me to
take the seat next to him.  I did as he requested and Barry used this time
to thank me again for including him on this trip.  He said he really liked
being with Andrew and he and Jesse were also becoming close, but he also
made sure to let me know he liked the rest of our family too.  Hearing him
say that he and Jesse were getting along helped to relieve me of another of
my concerns.

In response, I told Barry I was glad his parents had allowed him to join us
and hoped he could spend more time with our family in the future.  This
seemed to please him, since he nodded and smiled after I said this, and
then we settled in to watch the upcoming attractions.

About half way through the movie, there was a fairly scary scene.  Other
than jumping slightly, I didn't think much about it, until I felt Jesse
wiggling his way onto my lap.  I guess the scene had scared him more than
the others, so he sought the comfort and protection I could offer him.  I
eagerly pulled him into place, wrapped my arms around him and then we
watched the rest of the flick in that fashion.

When the movie ended, we went to the lobby and I put Andrew back in his
wheelchair, while we waited for the others to meet up with us.  All the
movies got out within fifteen or twenty minutes of each other, so we didn't
have long to wait.  Once we were all together again, we started off for the
hotel, but first we stopped for drinks and a small snack.  I hoped by doing
so it would hold the boys over until morning.

When we reached the hotel, the three boys asked Jake and I if we'd spend
some time with them, before they went to bed.  Although I was uncertain as
to why they had made this request, especially since we had all been
together during the movie, Jake and I agreed to accompany them.  We sat and
chatted for a while, but then they let us know they wanted to roughhouse a
bit, before they went to sleep.  Over the next several minutes, Jake and I
ended up wrestling with the boys, and tickling them intermittently.

At one point during this, Andrew and Jesse found a way to pull Dustin and
Pat into the activity as well.  Dustin was eager to horseplay with his
younger brothers, but Pat was slightly more reserved.  That was until the
three boys and Dustin all attacked him and gave him little choice.  After
they had been actively involved for a few minutes, the five of them turned
on Jake and I.  We frolicked about for another few minutes, before everyone
started to get tired and ready to quit.  Almost as soon as we stopped, the
three youngest stripped down to their underwear and climbed in to bed.
They wanted Jake and I to tuck them in, so we wrapped the bedding around
them and kissed them goodnight on their foreheads.  We also bid Dustin and
Pat sweet dreams before we left and all of them seemed very content and
ready for sleep.

It was really nice that Jake and I got to spend some time alone after that,
although I was fairly certain we wouldn't be the only ones being intimate
tonight.  Although there were two couples in most of the other rooms, I
doubted that would deter them.  Once the lights were out and they were in
their separate beds, I was sure many of them would lose their inhibitions
and do what they desired.  I'm pretty sure it happened in nearly everyone
room, except for the one shared by Dustin, Pat and the three youngest.
Although I suspected Andrew and Barry might have done something minor, I
was fairly certain nothing more than that happened.  This was because they
knew Jesse couldn't be involved, but I also suspected they weren't keen
about the older boys knowing what they were up to.  I was fairly confident
they would wait until the cruise before doing anything more than some
discrete touching.

The next morning, the weather wasn't as nice as it had been the day before,
so after we ate breakfast, we went back to our rooms for a short time,
before going down to check out the hotel's pool.  It was quite a large and
a more than adequate facility, so the boys quickly made themselves at home
and took over the place.  They did all kinds of things in the pool, which
included playing an assortment of water games and doing some racing, but
they also spent time out of the water.  They would sit in small groups at
the collection of tables and chatted about various topics.  They would
constantly move from one group to another and most of them even spent time
with Jake and me too.  I believe this was because they didn't want us to
feel left out, but regardless of their reasons for doing it, Jake and I
enjoyed our time with them and appreciated their concern for us, as well.
\ I was remaining out of the water again, so I could stay with Andrew, but
it seems he was feeling guilty about me doing so this time.  He began to
urge me to swim as well and said he'd be fine.  When I hesitated, Andrew
suggested Barry or Jesse could stay with him while I swam, but was adamant
that he didn't want me to miss out, just because he was hurt.  I told him
that was sweet, but unnecessary, however it did not end his mild protest.
Since I didn't want him to feel guilt about being the cause for my staying
out of the pool, I did take a dip with Jake, while Barry and Jesse stayed
with Andrew.  They promised they wouldn't leave until I returned, so I felt
free to indulge myself.

After a few hours of being at the pool, we went back to our rooms, where we
dried off and changed.  We wouldn't be going out for lunch for another
hour, so the boys spent some of this time trying to get more detailed
information out of Jake and myself, about where we were going or what we
were going to do on the cruises.  We weren't about to tell them what they
wanted to know, which they sort of expected, so they switched gears.

Suddenly, they wanted to know what cruise lines we were going on, so I
figured they thought they could go online somewhere and research what
cruises they offered.  Being on to them, I gave them the name of a
different cruise line, one that I knew didn't go anywhere near where we
would be.  I know it sounds cruel and sneaky, but I realized they wouldn't
quit until I gave them something, so I slipped them a red herring.  Damn,
if that isn't an odd saying, but I do happen to know where it came from.
I'm not sure if you're interested in finding out, but if you are, I will
tell you briefly.

The English were notoriously big on foxhunts and trained dogs to be able to
sniff out the fox.  As part of testing the dogs to see if it could stay on
the scent of a fox, the trainer would drag a dead herring across the fox's
trail.  Since a herring turns red after it's dead, hence the phrase about
following a red herring, meaning the dogs were misled and following the
wrong trail.

After lunch, we noticed the weather had cleared up and it was actually
quite a warm afternoon.  Seeing it was nice out now, many of the boys
wanted to lie on the beach and spend time in the ocean again.  However,
after we were all down on the beach, the boys suddenly remembered Andrew
wasn't able to do as much as they were and began to question what they
could do to make the situation better for him.  That was until Dustin
scooped Andrew up in his arms, carried him out into the ocean and dunked
him in the water.

Oh, don't worry!  Dustin did this and still kept Andrew's cast above the
waterline.  Yes, the cast did get slightly damp from the spray, but nothing
serious, and Andrew was pleased to cool off in this fashion.  He was
especially grateful that Dustin had done this for him and it was just
another of those thoughtful things the boys often do for each other.
Dustin's considerate act also left a particularly deep impression on Jesse
and Barry, so Dustin became an instant hero of sorts.  I hate to admit it,
but he had done something that hadn't even crossed my mind, since I'd also
wrestled with how to improve Andrew's situation.  I have to give Dustin
credit, because he had come up with a solution that not only pleased
Andrew, but also drew the two of them even closer.

I was somewhat surprised Sammy wasn't hovering over Andrew as if he were an
overprotective mother, but I guess he'd finally accepted the fact that
Andrew was growing up and could take care of himself or select whom he
wanted to help him.  Besides, Sammy was also a little distracted.  He was
so focused on Ted that nothing else seemed to faze him.  This fact didn't
bother either Andrew or I, as we were glad to see Sammy getting on with his
own life and putting past events behind him too.

On our way back from dinner, some of the older boys informed me they wanted
to spend some time checking out the nightlife and clubs in the area.  At
first, I was a little concerned about their safety, but after realizing
quite a few of them wanted to do this and they were going to stick
together, I granted permission for those eighteen and older to go.
Hurriedly, Ricky, Danny, Brandon, Dustin, Kevin, Vinnie, Shannon, Nick,
Pat, Cole and Carlos huddled up and discussed what they were going to do.
They agreed to check out the establishments within walking distance of the
hotel, but before they left I warned them we'd be getting up fairly early
the next morning, so they shouldn't stay out late.  They said they
understood and quickly disappeared from sight.

Trey was also old enough to join them, but he didn't want to go without
Dion.  Since Dion didn't make the age cutoff, Trey stayed back with the
rest of us.  As those of us that remained together made our way through the
hotel lobby, I spotted something I thought might prove interesting to do.
After asking the remaining boys to stay put for a few minutes, Jake and I
walked over to the concierge and asked a few questions.  Satisfied with his
responses, I told the boys to follow me and led them off to a small lounge.
After being seated and ordering appropriate drinks, we settled in and
waited for the show to begin.

I had no idea about what to expect or if the boys would even find this
interesting, but I felt it was better than going back to our rooms and
watching television for the rest of the evening.  As it turned out, it was
fortuitous that I had noticed the poster announcing this event.  The hotel
had hired a couple of acts to entertain their guests for the week and I had
spoken to the concierge to get some information about these performers, to
see if they were appropriate for the boys to attend.  I also wanted to make
sure it was all right to take the boys there, since drinks were also being
served, and I was told that it was a family setting and my sons would be
welcome.

The first act was a magician, who was quite good, but his tricks weren't
anything out of the ordinary.  He did a couple of card tricks, made some
things disappear, including his assistant, and pulled a few objects out of
thin air.  Just when the boys were beginning to get bored, the magician
called a volunteer up to the stage.  Although it wasn't one of us, we had a
good time watching as the magician picked the guy's pockets, without the
volunteer realizing what was taking place.  That was definitely the best
part of his act and gave us all a few laughs, especially when the guy went
to return to his seat.  Before he left the stage, the magician handed him
his watch, wallet and belt, which left the guy wondering how the magician
had ended up with those items in the first place.

The second act was a pair of quick-change artists and we were totally
amazed by what we saw.  After walking out and introducing themselves, the
man picked up a five-foot rod, which was attached to a long piece of cloth.
As he hurriedly walked around the woman, the cloth formed a barrier we
couldn't see past.  When he stopped and the cloth fell to the floor, we
could see the woman had changed from the white dress we had first seen her
in and was now wearing a completely different outfit, which was red.  It
had only taken a few seconds for this to happen, so we couldn't figure out
how she had accomplished it, since we saw no other items anywhere about.

As we continued to watch the woman, the man picked up the rod and began
walking with it again, but this time he did it so it blocked us from seeing
him.  When he stopped and the cloth fell to the floor again, we discovered
he had changed his tux from the black one he had started in and was now in
one that was white.  While we were trying to figure out how he had done
that, he had the lady step into a hoop, which was attached to a long, cloth
bag.  After he lifted it up, until it was over her head, he let it drop and
we could see her again, but now she was wearing a short yellow outfit.
They followed this by igniting several devices that released all kinds of
confetti and streamers, which blocked our view of the woman.  When things
settled down again, she was now wearing a blue outfit.

To say the least, we were amazed and had no idea how they had accomplished
any of this, but there was more.  The woman then pushed a rather large tube
onto the stage, which was large enough for the man to crawl through.  We
watched as he entered from one end, and when he emerged from the other, he
was now wearing a red tux, and not the white one he had entered in.  He
only had enough time to crawl through the tube and wasn't in there long
enough to change, so we were baffled by how he'd done it.

If that weren't enough, the man picked up the rod with the long piece of
cloth attached to it that he had used when the show first started and
circled around the lady again.  When he stopped and the cloth lowered, she
was now dressed in green.  We were all still watching her intently, when a
whole bunch of balloons began to fall from the ceiling, and by the time
they all hit the floor and we could see her again, she was once again
dressed in the white outfit she had started the evening in.

To say the least, the boys, Jake and I were all very impressed and clapped
loudly when they bowed, signifying their act had concluded.  It had been a
very entertaining affair and the boys were all glad we had stopped in to
see it.

>From there, we went back to our rooms and I had to make sure the youngest
were all settled in for the evening, since there roommates were out on the
town.  It worked out, since Jesse, Andrew and Barry wanted Jake and I to
come to their room and say goodnight to them, before they went to sleep.
We quickly agreed to do this and kissed each of them on their foreheads and
tucked them in, before we went back to our room.

The following day, Tuesday, I had a couple of things planned.  After
getting the boys up early and making sure they were fed, we set off for our
first destination.  I was taking them to Gator Park, in the Everglades, for
an airboat ride.  One good thing about having such a large family is that
we qualify for group rates when we go to many of these places.  Even though
it's not much of a savings, every little bit helps.

As we started out on the airboat, I was immediately grateful it had turned
out to be such a lovely day.  For the next 45-minutes, we rode over the
swampy terrain, filled with sawgrass that grew quite tall.  It was quite
refreshing as the wind blew our hair and cooled us off, so the ride proved
to be very enjoyable.  I was also quite surprised that the boat didn't
scare away the animals, since we were able to spot a couple of gators in
the water and a few more sunning themselves.  We also saw a few birds
wading about, so it must be they didn't know there were alligators lurking
nearby.

After the ride ended, we watched the wildlife show the park offered, during
which a man wrestled an alligator.  The gator was quite large, so seeing
him do this made a profound impression on the younger crowd.  Seeing this
guy struggle with the gator kind of reminded me of when we horsed around
with the boys, but this guy only had one alligator to deal with.

Once the guy finished with the gator, we were told those of us that wanted
to would be able to hold a baby alligator.  A few of the boys were brave
enough to take this opportunity, but most were satisfied just seeing the
gators from a distance.  However, the three youngest were among those that
wished to hold the baby gators, but I didn't think that was a good idea.
The gators were young, but weren't really tiny.  They were a couple of feet
in length, and still fairly powerful for their size, so I talked Andrew,
Jess and Barry into settling to touch one, while one of the older boys held
it.  To my amazement, Pat was the one who offered to do this for him, so I
guess he was beginning to feel close to these three as well.

As we were leaving, we passed the Gator Park restaurant.  Even though I
hadn't planned to eat there, that changed when some of the boys noticed the
featured items on their menu.  These included fried gator tail platters, so
the boys were curious to see what gator tasted like.  After ganging up on
me and begging for me to change my plans, I gave in and we dined there
instead.  There were enough other things on the menu for those who weren't
as adventurous, such as burgers and sandwiches, so I felt everyone could
find something they liked.

Actually, I had everyone order something other than the gator tail, and
then I ordered a couple of platters for them to share, along with some
frog's legs and catfish.  This way, everyone could sample those items and
still have something to fill them up, if they didn't like the other items.
I know this is going to sound cliché, but we all agreed the gator tail and
frog's legs tasted like chicken, and the catfish wasn't as mild as many of
them were hoping.

After we finished there, I took the boys to Jungle Island.  This is an
animal park that contains many different species, so I thought they might
enjoy a stop there.  We started out by checking out the birds first, which
included Macaws, parrots, ostriches and African penguins, along with
several other species.  From there, we went to see the mammals, which
feature a Liger, which is the offspring of a lion and a tiger.  They also
had a rare white tiger, along with kangaroos, llamas and others from that
genus.

>From there, we went to see the reptiles, which didn't interest the boys as
much, since we'd seen many of these in the natural settings.  Besides
alligators, they also had a crocodile, and we discussed the differences
between them.  We also saw a rather large python, a Gila monster and a
chameleon, along with a few others.  However, I saved what I thought was
the best for last.

Our final stop was to see the primates, which are probably the most
intriguing, since they are the closest to being human.  They are often
comical in their antics and the boys enjoyed the time they spent watching
orangutans, baboons, lemurs, gibbons, spider monkeys, capuchins, and the
most entertaining of all, the chimpanzees.  We really had quite a good time
there, but I think Andrew, Barry and Jesse most of all.  In fact, I think
this was the first time Jesse had seen animals like this up close, so he
spent quite a bit of his time trying to get my attention, so he could point
to the interesting things he was viewing.  It was an absolute pleasure to
see him so excited and having such a great time.

After going back to the hotel, so we could clean up and change, I took
everyone to the Mai Kai, for dinner.  This place features a Polynesian
dinner show, but the place was intriguing from the moment we entered and
crossed over the wooden plank bridge.  This led into an authentically
recreated Polynesian village, complete with tiki torches and a thatched
roof.  There were numerous rooms, with each one representing a different
region, and we took up an entire room, which overlooked a waterfall.  When
we were presented with the menus, we discovered they served both Cantonese
and American style food, which included seafood and steaks.  Therefore
there was more than enough for everyone to find something they wanted and
we definitely enjoyed the meal.

While we ate, we were entertained by their nightly 45-minute long
presentation, the Islanders Revue.  This is performed by native Polynesian
dances, dressed in very colorful costumes, and they are very good.  The
maidens and warriors, as they are referred to, use dance to recreate what
various aspects of life is like in the islands.  They do this by performing
the wedding dance, which is very alluring and seductive, and the Samoan
Fire and Knife dance, which is extremely energetic and requires great
precision, so the performers don't injure themselves or each other.  All in
all, it was a very well done and entertaining and the boys were very
impressed by what they saw.

Once the show ended, we returned to our rooms and chilled out for the rest
of the night.  I wanted them to get rested up, since we'd be leaving on the
cruise the following afternoon.