Date: Mon, 25 Jun 2001 00:03:16 EDT
From: Bwstories8@aol.com
Subject: The Castaway Hotel-book 4   chapter 13

Legal Notice:
The following story contains descriptions of graphic sexual acts.
The story is a work of fiction and has no basis in reality.

Don't read this story if:
**You're not 18 or over,
**If it is illegal to read this type of material where you live,
**Or if you don't want to read about gay/bi people in love or having sex.

The author retains copyright to this story.  Placing this story on a
website or reproducing this story for distribution without the author's
permission is a violation of that copyright.  Legal action will be taken
against violators.

I wish to extend my thank you to Ed for his editorial assistance with this
chapter.

If you have enjoyed reading this story, you will find other stories by me at
http://members.tripod.de/wolfslair, in the 'Other Stories' section.

E-mail responses to the stories, story suggestions, or other 'constructive'
comments or advice may be sent to: bwstories8@aol.com.

               *    *     *     *     *     *     *     *

Although the boys in these stories have unprotected sex, I strongly urge
all of you out there to be smart and protect yourselves from various
sexually transmitted diseases by using condoms when having intercourse.

               *    *     *     *     *     *     *     *

The Castaway Hotel-Book 4-by BW (Young-Friends).  Copyright 2000 by billwstories
Chapter 13 - Many mission to complete.            April 2001

Doctor Bailey had elected to perform Pat's operation early in the day, and
then keep him overnight in the hospital.  This was because he wanted to
examine him the following day and make his determination if the transplant
was successful.  He had told me privately that, although the acid had
damaged both the cornea and some of the outer surface of the eye, he
thought that he could work around those areas, especially when 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.  Pat was to be given a general anesthesia, because the
doctor was afraid that he might be uncomfortable with his eye being worked
on and might move or jerk, causing other damage or complications.  I
concurred that this was a wise precaution, and Pat indicated that he'd
rather not be awake at that time anyway.  Seeing we were all in agreement,
the general anesthesia was used.

The surgery didn't take all that long, as operations go, and the doctor was
explaining to me everything that had happened during the procedure,
indicating that it 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 that he would examine
Pat tomorrow, to determine how successful the operation had been, but he
reassured me that he felt fairly confident that everything would now
improve for Pat.  I thanked him for all his help and then asked him what
types of things we still had to be concerned about.  The doctor responded
in his typical, business-like manner.

"In addition to the slim chance that this operation won't do all that we
hoped it would, there is a 5 to 30% chance of rejection.  In addition to
that, we have to watch for signs of infection, bleeding, swelling,
detachment of the cornea, or the possibility that glaucoma might affect
that eye.  If any of these things do occur, we always have the option to do
another transplant, providing on when the problems occur and after we
evaluate what additional effects these might have.  I just mention this, so
you know that there are further possibilities for us to pursue, just in
case there are additional problems.  I don't foresee anything like that
happening, but it's just 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
him tomorrow, although the glaucoma could show up at a later time.  In
addition to tomorrow's examination, I will require follow up visits after
that, to monitor his progress.  There will also 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 that I'll need to get for him or do for him during that
time?"

"For the first few days, he might be in some pain, so you'll need to give
him something for it.  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 eye, 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 that he wear safety glasses or protective goggles, to keep any
foreign objects from accidentally striking the eye and to help remind him
to keep his hands from going there.  That is about the extent of what
you'll be required to do for him."

All that sounded quite reasonable and less than I expected to have to do.
It was also far less than what I'd be willing to do for him, to make this
as easy on him as possible and to try to ensure that this venture is
successful.  Now I just have 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 came to and 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 the tears came to my eyes and I placed my hand on his arm.

"You can really see me?" I asked, making sure of what I'd heard.

"Not clearly, but enough to tell that it was you and not someone else."

"That's wonderful and I didn't think it would happen that quickly."

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
it 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 and what a fine doctor he is.  The doctor laughed and
thanked him for the compliments, before he told him that none of this would
probably have happened, nor would we have even met, if Pat hadn't been the
first to act selflessly and think of doing what he could to help others.
Pat made a comment about being able to open a window for the kids at the
school, and then God looked favorably on what he did and opened this window
for him as well.  He 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 that statement slightly, by saying that it was his
faith AND his family that got him through the rough times, and then he went
on to tell the doctor all that we had done for him, including how his
brothers tried to experience what he was going through.  I think that small
gesture had impressed Pat too, letting him know at that time that his
brothers truly did care about him.

The doctor told him how impressed he was with all of that and told Pat that
he'd better appreciate all that he had.  He advised Pat that he was very
wise for his years and that he should value both his faith and family,
because those are the things he could always rely on.  Dr. Bailey explained
to him that he too relied on his faith, but he also dealt with science and
the rapid advancements that were being made, which some people felt were
contradictory for a religious person.  He then told Pat that he felt God
was guiding those who were responsible for these advancements, thus meaning
that 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,
and we were taken to a private room where Pat would stay until discharged
the next day.  They had also placed one of those large, reclining chairs in
the room for me, and left extra blankets and a pillow.  It was more than I
hoped for, as I anticipated that I'd probably end up sleeping sitting in a
chair, 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.  Pat acknowledged that he was famished and began to eat
his meal eagerly, though he did comment that he had eaten better food.  He
had been advised beforehand that the lasting effects of the anesthetic
might cause him some queasiness in his stomach and that he might possibly
encounter some problems keeping his meal down, but 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 told him that I was
going to go down to the cafeteria and get something for myself.  I told him
I'd bring it back to the room, so he wouldn't have to be alone, and he
stopped eating for just a minute to respond.  He told me that it wasn't
necessary for me to do that, in case I wanted to stay down there or maybe
go for a walk, because he knew it wasn't easy being cooped up for that
long.  I explained to him that I was fine and none of that mattered to me,
it was only his well being that I was concerned with now.  In fact, I
explained that 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, so I would
bring my food back with me.  That's just what I did, and I sat and talked
with him while I ate.  I think he really appreciated that, though he never
actually said anything about my having done it.

The nurse came in a few times over the course of the evening to check on
him and give him various shots, including his pain medications, and Pat
fell asleep shortly after each visit from the sandman dressed in a nurse's
outfit.  I used these opportunities to catch a few winks myself, wanting to
be up with him when he was awake.  We both got our sleep that night in 2 to
3 hour blocks, and Pat was really starving the next morning by the time his
breakfast tray arrived.  I went out again to get my own meal, and once
again I brought it back to his room so I could be with him.  While I was
eating, Pat asked me to turn on the television, which I had just paid to
have connected for they rest of his stay.  He really wanted to do this, and
he told me that watching the tube was one of the things that he had really
missed while he was blind.  Even though he never spent all that much time
in front of the television, I guess it was still one of the things he
missed the most.  I picked up the remote and handed it to him, so he could
flip through the channels and find something that he wanted to watch.  He
was almost giddy from this simple pleasure.

Later that afternoon an orderly came with a wheelchair, announcing that 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.  When the doctor arrived, he came in and turned
off the lights, before he flipped on a small flashlight that he used to
perform some simple tests and examine his work.  After that he asked Pat to
do a collection of simple activities, and then he used an eye chart 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.  I can only hope that they will continue to improve even
more over time."

Again we thanked him and he gave us a slip 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 the room to collect our things,
while he took care of discharging Pat.  After getting everything ready, I
left Pat and went out to pull the car up in front of the main entrance, and
then I went back up to the room to get Pat.  We had to wait there a few
minutes more before someone showed up with another wheelchair, this time to
take him down to the car.  Pat looked like royalty being attended to by his
entourage, as we made our way to the exit, excited about the transformation
that had taken place over the past 24 hours.

He was very quiet on the ride home, busy checking out all the sights that
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.  He examined the rolling hills and the beautiful green and
browns colors of the grasses and trees, acting as if this was the first
time he had seen any of these things.  He also studied all the people and
the buildings that we passed, 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 his brothers came out to greet him.  They were quite shocked to
discover his head wasn't bandaged and that he could actually see them,
figuring even if the operation were successful, it would take some time
before he would be able to see again.  It was a very emotional reunion.
After going inside, Pat filled them in on everything that had happened, and
then he spent the rest of the day talking, playing games, watching
television, and making up for lost time with them.

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', and he wasn't all that
comfortable in the role.  After services we all went home and changed, as
we had been invited to Jay's birthday party.  It was being held at his home
and the boys were eager to help him celebrate his sixteenth birthday.
After all, he was like another brother to all of them and he was with us as
much as he was with his own family, or so it seemed.  Other than my 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,
but they had decided a sixteenth birthday party was a special occasion.
They were a lovely couple and after meeting them it was obvious which side
of the family that Jay had received his red hair and fair complexion from.
We talked for quite a while and it was like we had known each other for
years, but maybe that was a result of all the stories we had heard about
each other from Jay.  He did talk to them on the phone every Sunday, when
his mother called to check in with them, so he had plenty of chances to
tell him about the things he had done with us.

This party was more subdued than one of our parties and the boys weren't
allowed to break away to entertain themselves 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.  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
watching 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 that we didn't have to do so much, and that it wasn't necessary
on top of everything else we did for Jay.  They told us that we had done
more for him than they could ever repay us for already and they were just
glad that Jay had such good friends and people he could count on at any
time, for nearly anything.  I told him that 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 that someday they could do
something for us.  It was their way of letting me know that 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, then the boys
made me take them over to McDonald's.  Being a Sunday and the time period
about halfway between lunch and dinner, the staff inside reacted about the
same as they would have if a bus had just pulled into their lot, with its
riders scurrying inside to eat.  I must admit that we probably were an
imposing sight coming in together, all those hungry boys wanting to eat and
wanting their food NOW.  The staff did an impressive job taking care of us,
helping the boys sate their hunger pangs, and we were soon heading back
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.  I also hadn't had time to open up the above ground pool, so that
going for a swim was not an alternative way to cool off either, though I
did tell the boys they could open it themselves and I'd tell them what they
would need to do.  They responded that it was too hot today to do that now,
but they'd do it early tomorrow, before it got too hot again.  They were
all just running around in shorts, as we had not been allowing any nudity.
We had even limited their nakedness to a very brief period after showers in
the evening and only upstairs, as we were concerned that it might create
some other problems at the time.  There seemed to be two sticking points
about this right now.  First, Mark was staying with us for the summer and
none of us were sure how he'd react to a bunch of boys running around the
house naked all summer.  The second point was a bit stickier.  To be
honest, the boys didn't think Frankie would be comfortable with all of them
being nude constantly and they were somewhat concerned that he might be
tempted to try something again, though they did think he wasn't like that
any more.  They just thought it best not to tempt fate and place Frankie in
a situation in which he might be tempted to revert to his former self.  We
had discussed this somewhat beforehand, individually, and even though I
assured them that I didn't consider those things happening a possibility,
there were still some others who weren't so certain.  Therefore, the boys
had honored an unwritten rule that nudity would be kept to a minimum for
the time being, although they were even unhappier about having to follow it
on a day like today.  It was actually Frankie who came up with the
solution.  First he told the boys he'd go out and take care of opening up
the pool and then he asked them why they didn't all just strip down
completely, and maybe use the hose in the fenced in area out back to spray
each other down.

At first there was no reaction from any of them.  I think they were
somewhat shocked that Frankie had made such a suggestion, so they weren't
sure if he was serious or if this was a joke.  No one made any immediate
move to do anything, and now Frankie looked confused too.  Here he thought
that he had given them a solution to their predicament and an idea the rest
of them would like, but no one responded in any way.  After a minute or so,
I think he pieced the puzzle together and then he looked up at the others
and spoke.  "Look, guys, you really don't have to worry about me any more.
I won't try anything with any of you, like I did with Trey."

The boys didn't know how to respond to this, and no one said a word until
Trey answered him.  "I don't think anybody thought that.  It's mostly
because Mark's here now and, well, we thought the nudity thing might still
bother you a bit."

"Well, Mark's at work, so you don't have to worry about him right now.  I
know I made some mean comments the first time I was here, about you guys
running around without clothes on, but it don't bother me any more.  Back
then, I used to think only fags would want to do that...oops, sorry...I
didn't mean it to come out like that or sound that way."  Frankie was
turning red now.  It was Danny who bailed him out of this mess.

"That's okay.  We understand.  I think we've all said things that we wished
we hadn't later.  Don't worry about it, we won't hold that against you."
Danny smiled at him and several of the other boys offered their agreement
with Danny's comments, and Frankie looked visibly relieved.

"Thanks, guys.  All I meant was I used to think that only guys who liked
other guys would like to run around nude in a group like that.  Now I know
that's not the case.  In fact, I've come to notice that you're all pretty
good looking, even though I'm not into boys myself.  I wouldn't mind if you
guys went around nude, as long as you don't do it when other people are
here...well, except for Jay.  I don't want anything to start at school over
this."

"The boys thanked Frankie, peeled off their shorts and ran out back to use
the hose to cool down with.  After about twenty minutes or so of this
activity, a group of the older boys went over to the pool and asked Frankie
what they could do to help.  At first Frankie told them he was fine and
they didn't need to help, but after they continued to badger him and he
realized they wanted to do this for him, he gave in and told each boy what
he could do, following my directions precisely.  The next time I looked out
back, Frankie had shed his shorts too, and they were all busy with what
needed to be done.  About an hour later they came in and asked me if I
would come out and double check their work, which I did, then I told them
what still needed to be done.  They quickly did those few other tasks but
they still wouldn't be able to use the pool until late the following day,
after the chemicals had time to do their job.  In between, they would just
have to continue to use the hose.  Now they were out there spraying each
other with two different hoses, one connected to the faucet at the
east-front corner of the house, and the other connected to the west-rear
corner.  They were like a bunch of elementary school children frolicking at
playtime, and it was good to see all the boys interacting that way.

As I sat back and thought about what had taken place this afternoon, I
realized that several things had actually happened.  First, Frankie had let
down his guard, gave up some of his long-held beliefs, and then he went a
step further, making a gesture to reconcile with the other boys.  The boys,
on the other hand, had let Frankie know they acknowledged he had changed,
that they held no grudges, and that they accepted him on his terms, which
he had chosen for himself - to be one of the boys, with no inhibitions.  I
sat and wondered why the boys were willing to be so forgiving and accepting
of each other, knowing that many were, on occasion, pretty unforgiving when
it came to others outside of the family.  After thinking of this for a
while, I believe I may have come upon the reason.  From what I can tell,
it's because family is so important to them now.  None of them had very
stable family lives before they joined me, and it seems that a strong
family unit had become essential to them now, especially that we all remain
close and support each other.  They had also come to realize that we all
make mistakes and that sometimes we need to be forgiven for those mistakes,
and it's easier to forgive people you love than those you don't care about.
I think that they all remember that there were times when they had wanted
forgiveness for something, or they needed a friend or relative to accept
them for who they were, so this made it easier for them to do the same for
someone else now.  I think they also felt that is exactly what had happened
when they joined our family, that they had been forgiven for anything they
had done in their past and were accepted for who they were, not whom
someone else wanted them to be.  In their own minds I think they equated
their new happiness with this acceptance and they felt they could do no
less for the others than they had wanted for themselves.  Now I had to stop
and wonder if other families were more open and accepting of their
children, willing to forgive those minor transgressions committed from time
to time, if this wouldn't carry over into their other relationships.  That
kind of change might cause that first ripple, which would spread out,
encompassing more and more, until maybe all of society had adapted to be
more accepting and understanding.  Maybe this was an idea that should be
considered further.

The rest of the week remained hot and the boys used the pool to make
themselves more comfortable, thankful that we had this one small luxury for
their benefit.  I also made sure the central air conditioning unit was
repaired, keeping us cool in the house, so now we were ready for whatever
conditions this summer might bring.  That Wednesday afternoon, Shannon
showed up at the house unexpectedly, and I was curious as to which boy he
was here to see.  I was surprised when he said he wanted to talk to me, but
I told him that I would be happy to chat with him. The two of us went
outside, moving 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.  He told me he
felt really comfortable here and he had a lot of fun playing football too."

"I'm glad that both of you enjoyed yourselves and you're welcome to visit
us and spend as much time here as you wish.  You certainly don't need an
invitation to come see us.  You and your father are always welcome, I mean,
you're part of the family now, right?"  Shannon looked at me quizzically.
"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."

Now my mind was coming up with many other questions, though I'm not sure I
wanted to ask them directly.  Was he asking me to invite his father out on
a date?  Was he thinking that maybe the two of us would hook up?  I'm not
saying that Jake wasn't attractive, because he did have a pretty good body
from what I had seen when he took his shirt off while playing football the
other day, but Jake was only in his mid-thirties and I was in my early
fifties, and overweight at that.  I wasn't so sure that he would agree with
his son's matchmaking attempts.  "Shannon, maybe we could all go to a game
or something sometime.  I do have a few connections at Penn State and maybe
I could get us some tickets to a Nittany Lions game next fall."

"That would be great," Shannon beamed, "but maybe you guys could go out by
yourselves sometimes too.  I think my dad needs some time doing guy things
that don't involve hanging out with a bunch of kids.  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 do all kinds of things.  I
could stay here while you were gone and help take care of the younger
boys."  Now I wasn't sure if he was trying to fix me up with his dad or
trying to find a way to spend the weekend with one of my boys?

"Well, I'd have to talk to your dad about this, before I would agree to do
anything.  He might not even be interested."

"Oh, he will be, I know he will.  You just ask him and I'm sure he'll say
yes."  His enthusiasm for this was evident, but I was still unsure for 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 my boys or eyeing any of them when
no one was looking, so maybe it was really his father he was trying to fix
up.  Only time would tell the answer to that one.

I didn't have a lot of time to dwell on this much over the next couple of
days, as there were other things to be taken care of too.  For instance, on
Thursday I had to take Pat back for his first follow-up examination and
there were still things I needed to get ready for this trip.  When Thursday
came, only Pat and I went again, and we used this time to talk about many
different things.  With all the time we had spent together since his
accident first happened, we had become very close and this was just the
icing on the cake.  I often wish I could spend this much time alone with
each of the boys, but with the numbers involved I knew that would not be
possible.  I'll just have to do the best I can, trying to make sure no one
gets slighted.

After the 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 would 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 had any pain or discomfort since the operation, if
there had been any problems that he'd noticed, and how his vision had been
since he went home.  Pat told him there had been no problem of any kind and
that he had experienced no more than a slight discomfort from the
operation.  Then he told his benefactor that he thought his vision got
better every morning when he woke up, making each day better than the one
before.  The doctor seemed pleased to hear that information and told Pat
so, then he began the physical examination.  First he looked at the eye,
using his small flashlight to check the stitches and exterior of the eye,
then he checked Pat's vision, using a machine with changeable lenses.  When
he finished up, he told us the news.

"Everything seems to be fine.  There don't seem to be any 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 been following."

We were both glad to hear this news and we thanked the doctor, before going
out to make our 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 that something bad would pop
up, but he was relieved that it was just his imagination running wild with
him.  I reassured him by telling him that many people tend to do similar
things when they're in a position such as his, afraid that if something is
going well that something bad will happen.  We all tend to think that good
things can't last forever.

However, forever can mean different things to different people at different
times.  I explained that his eyesight would probably fail him again some
day, but not until he reached old age.  I also told him that I believed
that if this was the window that God had opened for him, then he didn't
have to worry about it lasting more than just a short period of time.  He
seemed to feel better about it after our little discussion.

It was getting late by the time we arrived back home, so we didn't do very
much before we went to bed, exhausted from the trip and the tensions
preceding the examination.  The next morning I had the boys help me start
getting the house ready for Richard's birthday party, wanting 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 that we had everything else
that we would need, and then I worked with the boys decorating the family
room.  After we finished the decorating, I went out and began to prepare
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 accepted a little help from me, but only to find the items she needed,
and Richard was her key assistant this time around.  In fact, I thought he
was doing a very good job at it.  He seemed especially pleased to be
helping to do something for us, and he made us all sit down while he and
his father served us.  It was a wonderful meal, with plenty to eat, great
company, and good conversation.  We all enjoyed it immensely.

After breakfast, we took Richard in and showed him the family room and how
it was decorated.  He beamed so brightly when he saw it, that he almost
outshone the early morning sun on this nearly cloudless day.  He was so
overjoyed that he ran out to get his parents, so he could show them what we
had done too.  He was so excited about our preparation that I was really
worried that he might even wet his pants before he calmed down, but
fortunately for him, that didn't happen.  After everyone had seen and
commented on our accomplishments, we all sat down and talked some more,
this time letting Richard tell us what the last couple of weeks had been
like for him.  He was eager to do this and told us every detail of
everything he had done on the farm, using what seemed like one humongous,
unbroken sentence to do so, only hesitating to take another breath.  He
obviously enjoyed his new life and new family, and he proudly 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 that he already
had done that and they had agreed that we were all welcome.  After
discussing dates, we agreed to visit them 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, Sally, Steve, Mary, and the
Spences had joined the party, and Richard was now 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 and
this made him ham it up even more, as if this would erase 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 right away after eating.  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 left
to be opened.  The next gift was something special from Ricky, as he
purchased this present with his own money and it was just from him.  He
even chose 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 that
you wouldn't mind if I did."

Richard thought about it for a minute and then a grin started to spread
across his face, almost splitting the bottom third off 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.  Then he went back and opened his present, a new
pair of sneakers.  His mouth dropped open and he looked up at Ricky again.
"How did you know that I wanted these?"

"Remember when you stayed here and we went out shopping.  I saw you looking
at them in the store window and I knew then that you really wanted them."

"I do, and I love them, but they cost too much money."

"Nothing's too good or too expensive for my little bro," Ricky responded.
Little Ricky went over and hugged Ricky again, and I waited patiently for
him to decide when he had thanked Ricky enough, so I could give him his
last present.  When he finally broke the embrace, I handed him my gift.  It
was all in a single, large envelope.  He thanked me and opened it, pulling
out the contents to examine them.  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, 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, then at us, and then he began to jump
around, whooping and hollering about going to Disney World.  He was a
whirling dervish of excitement, if I'd ever seen one.  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.
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 fully taken care of."

They all looked at each other now, nodded back and forth, and it was then
that I knew they had given in.  A minute or two later, Mr. Becker stood up
and spoke.  "You and your family have done so much for us, and 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, though he nearly crushed me and suffocated me at the same
time.  After he finally released me, I caught my breath and told them that
I wanted them all to have a wonderful time.

After that we went out and lit the candles on Ricky's cake, let him blow
them out, and then we all had cake and ice cream.  In between the time that
we had the cake and the boys were allowed to go swimming and play their
games, I noticed that Ricky and Little Ricky disappeared for a while.  I
guess that they had some things to talk over about this new relationship of
theirs, as hero and devotee.  I don't think anyone noticed they were gone,
except for me, 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 that it was now time to go swimming, and all the boys went to don
their swimsuits before charging out of the house.  The adults decided to
stay inside to talk, however, not wishing to get in the pool with a bunch
of hyperactive young men.  The Beckers now told us their version of the
past couple of weeks, telling us how much they've enjoyed their new son and
how he had caused them to look at everything through young eyes again.
They explained how much they truly loved each other and how they all felt
so comfortable with this new relationship.  They told us how Little Ricky
was adapting to the life on the farm, how he helped with everything, and
how he had brought so much joy into their lives.  They did express regret
that Little Ricky had no one his age to hang around with, as the
neighboring farms were both owned by older couples and there were no
children on those farms either.  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 maybe they could do that next year.

I think that comment caused an immediate reaction by nearly everyone else
in the room, and minds were 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 charity.  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 some
plan to help the Beckers do just that, without making them think we were
forcing this issue.  They were a very proud couple, unwilling to accept
things that they couldn't provide for themselves, and tact was the key to
being successful in 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 and I was sure everyone was getting hungry
again.  After some mild protests from the other adults that I didn't need
to do this, we agreed to meet at the restaurant in an hour.  I called ahead
to reserve our 'special room', well 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 joked later that he had
disappeared to the little boy's room, informing us that we'd learn more
about those types of needs as we grew older.  After that, we sat down to a
lovely dinner, great conversation, and wonderful company.  As I looked
around the table, I noticed that Little Ricky sat beside his mother, but he
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
answer, so I went looking for the manager to find out what was up.  He
seemed rather embarrassed as he informed me that an older gentleman had
already put the check on his credit card, including the tip, and it was
then that I realized that Mr. Spence hadn't disappeared to go to the little
boy's room, as he told us, but he had seen the manager to 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, got a boom box, and started playing some CD's, the ones that I
had used with them on Valentine's Day.  Soon they had the adults out
dancing on our makeshift dance floor, pulling them one by one into the
action.  It wasn't long before 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 these songs.  We were all really enjoying this
thoughtful gesture, when we noticed some of the boys taking the floor with
us.  First it was Danny and Brandon, then Trey and Dion, and finally Kevin
and Brent joining in, seemingly not worried that anyone would utter a
disparaging remark about their doing so.  About that time I also noticed
Ricky and Little Ricky attempting to dance as a couple, and then I became
aware that Graham and Cole were also coming out together.  After those boys
had joined us on the floor, they were soon followed out by Sammy and
Andrew, who had decided that they weren't going to be left out either.  I
kind of smiled as the older boys tried to teach their younger siblings how
to dance, and I was impressed by their patience.  I think the adults
thought this cute, but I could tell that 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, choosing him as his partner.  As they
began to dance, their actions motivated the final pair, and Dustin and Pat
came out to cut the rug too.  I guess they all decided that they weren't
going to be left out of the fun and no one would give them any grief for
dancing with a brother, so this was better than just sitting around moping.
It was then that I wondered what 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 that 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 that I was just upset because I had been outfoxed
by an old fox.  He laughed at the fact that he had pulled that off so
easily, and he was still enjoying the little game he had won earlier.  When
I saw that my protestations were doing no good, I dropped the issue and
just told myself that next time I'd have to be more observant of 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 away, and then
we came back into the house.  I gave the Beckers my bedroom for the evening
and showed them where everything was, even though they tried to decline the
use of my room.  After I explained to them that I would sleep on the guest
bed upstairs, they finally acceded to this arrangement.  After that was
settled, it came as no shock to any of us when Little Ricky announced to
his parents that he was going to sleep with Big Ricky tonight.  We all told
him that would be fine and I followed them up the stairs, making my way to
the twin bed in the small bedroom.

The night passed by quickly and I awoke the next morning to the aroma of
breakfast being prepared downstairs.  Without even going down to check, I
knew that Mrs. Becker was already up and at it again.  I got dressed and
walked downstairs, surprised to find most of my boys 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 for
church.  It was a nice service and it went very quickly, as the pastor
seemed to take it easy on us this Sunday.  As we left the church, the
Beckers announced that they wanteed to be on their way back on home, as
they were sure that there was still much they would have to do.  Before
they left, they thanked us for the special weekend, the birthday party, and
especially the presents.  After that, Little Ricky came up to me, asked me
to bend down, and then gave me a special hug and kiss, as his way of saying
thank you.  I knew then that I was sure going to miss this little bugger,
though I did suspect we'd be seeing him and his new parents from time to
time.  I don'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 them as they drove off and I thought I saw a tear making
its way down my Ricky's cheek as their car moved out of sight.  This
touched me, showing how close Ricky felt to him, but it also made me wonder
what they might have been up to when they sneaked off by themselves.  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 had 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.

              *    *     *     *     *     *     *     *

If you have enjoyed reading this story, you will find other stories by me at
http://members.tripod.de/wolfslair, in the 'Other Stories' section.
E-mails may be sent to: bwstories8@aol.com.