Date: Sat, 3 May 2014 16:23:04 +1200
From: Rob Hannagan <roberthannagan32@gmail.com>
Subject: Washed Up (Gay / Young friends) chapter 32

Washed Up.

Disclaimer:

Warning: this story contains sexual content, contact between young boys,
and other themes that may offend.  If the subject matter offends you, is
not to your tastes, or if you are under legal age for your area, then find
something else to read. In the following story all names and events are
completely fictional.  Although I may mention a specific location, place,
or person any resemblance to said people, location, or places is completely
unintentional.

Chapter 32:

I am amazed, and so are Callum and Pierre, at how much the community banded
together to look after me, and to a certain extent the others as well. They
were helping mum without her even knowing, despite the fact they knew she
didn't want their help. They did it because they knew she couldn't handle
me on her own, but also because they are caring warm-hearted people who
knew I must have been through hell, so wanted to make sure I stayed safe. I
feel like the community deserves a medal or some sort of accolade for the
good they have done, and are continuing to do. It turns out they are
looking after the new family as well, although in this instance the kids
are less volatile than I was. The real difference is the person who is
after this family is out of jail, so there is a real chance they could be
found. They are willing to help the protection agency any way they can
without stepping on their toes. The biggest thing is that only those who
are permanent residents are in on it, because the ones who come here for
holidays can't really be trusted. They feel that those who only come into
town temporarily stand more chance of spilling the beans back in the city,
or wherever it is they spend most of their time living.

They have done everything they can to safeguard the secret the town holds,
but know there is always a chance that it could get let out of the
bag. They hope that if that happens, they are ready, because they want to
ensure the town is a safe place for vulnerable victims. They are actually
proud in knowing the town has a safe house in it, especially now they have
united around it and are trying to give the people who stay in it a safer
and happier life. The three of us kids are extremely impressed with what
they have told us, and in a big way also feel indebted to them. I know they
are doing it out of kindness, but still feel the need to repay some of
their thoughtfulness. They won't take anything, no accolades, no gifts, no
nothing. It is frustrating, because I like to be able to repay the kindness
I have received from others, but all they want from us is to enjoy the rest
of our childhood and enjoy life. I don't think any of us are going to have
problems fulfilling their wishes, but we feel we owe them more than that. I
mean they did ensure we were as safe as possible no matter what we did.

************

The noise created from everyone talking suddenly ceases when mum taps a
spoon on her wine glass. I hadn't noticed the wine glasses until then, but
I suppose it doesn't help that none of us kids got one, instead we got just
a normal glass for fizzy drink or juice or something. Once the hall has
fallen silent, mum begins. She starts by thanking everyone for turning up
to what is a very special event in her life. She is in admiration at the
support the community have shown her, especially since we no longer live
here. I agree, because I am as amazed as she is. Before she starts her
speech, she introduces her husband, my new dad, along with Manuel to
everyone. She knew that most people here wouldn't have any clue who they
were, which is the reason for having to introduce them. She also figures
that she had better give them a bit of background, along with an
abbreviated version of how we met them. She does well to shorten a long
story, but still explain how we came to meet well. She leaves out all the
obvious nasty bits, so as to not scare her guests, but manages to portray
just how important they became right from the get go.

As soon as she has finished with the introductions and the story, she cuts
right to the chase and lets everyone know why they are here. Firstly she
apologises to everyone for the way she treated them whilst we were living
here, but that is as far as she gets. One of the ladies who was invited
must have been the designated town speaker, because she cuts mum off and
tells her the town's thoughts on things. She says that there is no way the
town will accept her apology, because she never did anything wrong. She
goes on to tell mum how the town had found out about us and proceeded to
help any way they could, with or without mum's permission. The town doesn't
want any thanks or anything for what they did she tells mum, and all they
want is to see us have a happy and enjoyable life from here on in. They
feel that if we can manage that then they will be happy, and they will get
more satisfaction from that and knowing they helped to look after us, than
they would from any of us giving them anything to say thanks.

The lady also tells mum that this event is a great way for her to show her
appreciation, and not because of all the food and entertainment she is
putting on. No, it shows the community exactly what they want to see, and
that is mum happy and married to the man of her dreams. They are also
delighted to see Callum so happy and full of life again, but more ecstatic
at seeing me alive, and not sad and depressed to the point that I finally
did something stupid. She says how pleased she is that mum did the right
thing for me and went to France to get Pierre again, because the whole town
knew he was perfect for me and that I will be forever happy so long as he
is in my life. The hall erupts in a thunderous applause after she says
that, proving to us that she is speaking on behalf of the whole community,
and not just herself.

The only ones not clapping are Pierre, Callum, Sarah, mum and me, because
we are all too gobsmacked by what has been said to clap. I know, Pierre,
Callum and I have already heard this from the townsfolk at the table, but
it didn't fully register that the whole town felt that way, until
now. Sarah on the other hand can't believe any of it, because she knows
that there should have been no way the town knew our situation, but knowing
that they did she is happy since it meant Callum and me were never in any
danger from anyone, even ourselves. Mum cannot fathom how they managed to
do so much for us, especially without any of us knowing. She is glad they
did, because knowing Callum and I were safe all the time does comfort her
somewhat. She worried like mad every time I ran away, but knowing I was
being looked over the whole time I was away from home makes mum feel more
comfortable with it. In ways she just wished she had known about it when it
was happening, so that she didn't stress and worry so much, but she also
knows that she would have told them to leave us alone because she didn't
need any help, so is glad they didn't tell her.

Despite what she had just been told, mum thanks the town for all they have
done for us, and promises them we are all happy and so long as we stay
together she doesn't see anything changing. In her speech she explains the
importance of everyone we met in France, and she reinforces the importance
Pierre is to me, while also telling them how vital Manuel has been for
Callum. She doesn't elaborate too much about how close those two are,
because no-one in their right mind would see them as any more than great
friends. Not due to their current age, because I think everyone knows they
will be nothing more than that, although with how close they are it would
be hard to distinguish them from a romantic couple. Bastian and Xavier also
get some great accolades from mum while she explains their roles in helping
to keep us happy. I am thoroughly impressed with her, because despite how
short a time we have known Xavier, she still gives him big praises.

I suppose he is Pierre's best friend after all, so keeping him happy is
vital to my happiness. Not only that, but I think mum is right in saying we
have a close bond to everyone we met in France, and especially the boys. In
the short time we have known Bastian, Manuel and Xavier, it still feels
like we have known them forever. Not in a bad way, but it feels almost like
we have been there for each other during every high and low in each other's
lives. I mean, when you consider that I didn't want a friend in the world
before Pierre entered my life, to come to this is amazing, and it happened
with ease. I am astonished when I think about it myself, because for so
long you had to earn my trust in order to having any chance at all at
getting to know me. No-one ever seemed to make it past the trust test, let
alone get any further, but these people somehow earned my trust easy as
pie, and now I hold a special place in my heart for each and every one of
them. I know I'm in a great place, surrounded by lots of awesome people, so
I know as long as they're around I will be happy for the rest of my life.

Once mum has finished giving her little speech, dad decides to say a little
one of his own. He mainly reiterates what mum said, but also gives the town
a little insight about what his and Manuel's lives have been like. The
people in attendance listen intently, as they try to get to know the man
mum married. He doesn't say a lot, but he tells them enough for them to
gauge that he is good for mum. They also start to understand why we came to
like him so quickly, as he has this charm about him which also endears the
audience. They are lapping him up almost as much as we did, and still
do. The good thing is because of that the town give them their deepest
blessing, as they really do hope they live a long and happy life
together. I can tell the townsfolk are genuine, because they don't start to
nit-pick as soon as the speeches are over. No, they continue to sing their
praises about them, and not just because we are seated at the table. I have
seen it plenty of times when someone isn't happy with what someone else is
doing, so they pretend to be happy for them, but as soon as their backs are
turned they stab them in the backs. No-one here seems to be having
secretive conversations, like is common when people are talking behind
someone's back, so I think it is safe to assume that everyone is happy for
mum and dad.

"Once again, thank you all for coming. Now with no further ado, let's get
this evening started," mum says, and the moment she says it enough
waitresses for one to a table come out of a side door carrying plates, and
start to head towards the table they have been assigned to. They place the
plate of food neatly in the centre of each table, before announcing that
the entrée is foie gras and bread, then they go around each person and
take their order for the main. The choice is between beer battered snapper
with chips and a side of fresh salad, or a lamb rack with the same
sides. They are both classic New Zealand dishes, which is probably half the
reason mum decided on them. The other reason I'm guessing is that they are
child friendly, so she knew that us kids would have no problems with it.

I elect to go with the lamb rack, despite my love for fish. I want some
tender New Zealand lamb, because it has been so long since I have had
some. I can't remember the last time I had it, it has been so long. I've
had fish lots of times, but due to mum's inability to cook she never made
it. Sarah had wanted to while she was cooking for us, but never got around
to it for various reasons, so now is my chance to remember what it tastes
like. My vague memory from the last time I had it, at about nine years old,
it tastes divine, but as I said it is only a fuzzy recollection. Pierre
trusts my judgement, so decides to have the same as me. I think a lot of
his decision is based on how quickly I made up my mind. I must have sounded
confident enough with my answer that he decided it must be the best option
available. Callum goes with the fish, like I knew he would as he loves it
so much that it will always be his first option. The others complete a
fifty-fifty split for the table.

With the orders taken, the waitress returns through the same door she
entered from. Once all the waitresses have disappeared some low soft music
starts playing, adding a nice ambience to the occasion. With the mood set,
we start to enjoy the entrée, which is amazing, just as good as any foie
gras we had in France, even though it is locally made. The bread, again is
as good as anything we had overseas, has been sliced, nicely toasted, and
served still warm. The entrée goes down a treat, so before anyone
realises it is gone, and we are left waiting for our main. While we wait we
converse amongst ourselves. Well, more to the point the adults start asking
us questions about what our plans are for school, or even when we are going
to be going back to school. This is where we start to realise how long it
has been since we last stepped foot in a school, let alone be able to
answer any of their questions, because we don't know the answers. It
doesn't take us long to divert the conversation towards things we know
about, and have some control over.

The waitress helps to bail us out when she returns with the main course,
and places the appropriate dish in front of the right person. As soon as
the plate has been put down, we dig in and enjoy the meal before it gets
cold. The lamb is tender and succulent, like I expected it to be, and
brings back fond memories of the few times when I did get it. It tastes
much better than how I remember it though, but that may be because it has
been professionally cooked this time. I can't remember who it was that
cooked it for me last time, but have a funny feeling it may have been dad,
on one of his good days. Either way, I am glad I made the decision to get
it, because as good as the fish looks, this looks better.

Pierre must agree, because he is fully focussed on enjoying his lamb, so
hasn't even taken a curious glance at one of the fish dishes. There is no
need, because he has the best thing in front of him. It doesn't take long
before all the plates are scraped clean, and the waitresses have returned
to clear them. What happens next is something I didn't expect, as I had
assumed the wedding cake would come out now, but instead one of the
waitresses brings out a small package wrapped in brown paper, and hands it
to the town's spokesperson. After receiving the parcel she gets out of her
seat and walks over to the head table and says a quiet word to mum and
dad. They give her a surprised and concerned look at hearing what she has
to say, then they seem to be giving her a bit of advice. After listening to
what mum and dad have to say, she simply nods, and then turns around to
face everyone.

"I trust you enjoyed the fantastic dinner Margret and Jean put on for
you. Josh, could you please come up here?" the lady asks, making me wonder
even more about what on earth is going on. I get out of my seat and head
over to where she is standing. I don't want to because it means leaving
Pierre, but I feel that I had better do what I've been asked. I can't think
of any way to get out of it, and this isn't the place or time to create a
scene, so I do the only thing I can and that is to be a good boy.

"Josh, we feel you deserve something in recognition of your heroic act in
saving Pierre. We realise that you probably don't feel comfortable with
getting any recognition for it, but you deserve some credit for the good
deed you have done. Yes, we are aware of how much he means to you, and we
are happy for the two of you. It is something the townspeople feel is the
right thing to do, because if it hadn't have been for your circumstances at
the time you probably would have received an official honour. This is a
special honour we have made to represent outstanding things that happen in
this town, and only this town. You will be the first person to receive it,
but we hope to be able to give other people the honour in the future for
doing great things for the town," she says, before unwrapping the item and
proudly displaying it for all to see.

The item is not what I expected; not at all. It isn't a medal of any
description, like what is usually given to people for acts of bravery. No,
it is something far more special than that, and something I simply could
not turn down. The item is a special Maori carving, and by the looks of it,
it is a one of a kind sculpture. The carving is beautiful and done the
traditional way. Well, that is my guess anyway, because I wouldn't expect
them to buy some cheap and tacky imitation thing as there would be no
honour in that. The carving isn't big, but big enough. It is about the same
length as from my wrist to my elbow, which as a twelve year old isn't
particularly long. She also hands me a certificate, stating what the honour
was for, but also giving me more details about the sculpture. It is as I
expected, professionally carved by a traditional Maori carver, and has also
been properly blessed by a tribal elder. They have done everything the
traditional way to bestow as much mana into the carving as possible, which
is the greatest honour to me. As the saying goes, `it is the thought that
counts', certainly applies in this case. I don't agree that I deserve such
a thing, but because of the thought, time and effort which has gone into
rewarding me for saving Pierre, there is no way I can refuse it.

It makes me feel giddy and lightheaded, knowing the community feels so
strongly that I deserve some recognition for saving Pierre. I also feel a
surge of pride, similar to the fleeting one I felt when I saw the article
in the paper. It is a completely natural feeling I suppose, especially
since in some ways I put my own life at risk to save him. I know that at
the time I didn't value my life, and even so I didn't feel particularly in
danger the whole time, but the townspeople know how big a deal it should
have been. The whole turn of events has left me all out at sea, because I
hadn't expected anything like this, so am in no way prepared. I'm on the
verge of crying in happiness, but I know I should say something. Thank the
townspeople at least, but I don't know if my emotions will enable me
to. Between this, getting married - even if it was only pretend, and seeing
mum marry the best man for her, has made this by far the greatest day of my
life, and the happiness I'm feeling is on the verge of boiling over and
taking control of me.

"Thank you... I really don't know what else to say, as I didn't expect
this... so thank you," I say as strongly as I can, before the emotions
overwhelm me and tears start trickling from my eyes. I don't want to cry in
front of everyone, because I feel I'm supposed to be brave like this trophy
suggests, but I can't help it. The whole day has been far too emotional, in
a good way, but it is taking its toll now. I feel on top of the world, yet
can't prevent myself from breaking down and bawling my eyes out in front of
everyone. Strangely, I feel loads better from doing it, almost like I have
found closure. The old chapter is behind me for once and for all now, and I
have started a new one. One I know I will never want to end, and will do
everything possible to ensure it never does.

All of a sudden I get the most magical feelings surge through me, and
without looking I know it has to be Pierre generating them in me. I can
feel his tender loving hug, as well as the pride he is feeling. He is so
proud of the way I graciously accepted the reward, as he wasn't sure
initially if I would. He feels I deserve it, like everyone else does,
because he knows if I hadn't been under witness protection at the time then
there would have been a bigger deal made of my rescue. We both know I would
not have taken too kindly to that, but in ways this is more genuine
anyway. It isn't recognition from someone I have never dealt with, who
never saw what happened in the first place. No, this is from a community
who were looking out for me, and saw the dramatic rescue first hand. Well
at least some of them must have, but I wasn't aware of anyone on the beach
at any stage during the event. I suppose though, my mind was totally
focused on saving Pierre to pay any attention to who else was around. I
give my darling husband a quick kiss to thank him for showing his support
in this, before wiping my eyes clear from the tears, shaking the town's
spokesperson's hand and returning to my seat. Everyone claps, showing me
their appreciation for the way I accepted their gift, which makes me feel
even happier. Straight after kissing Pierre I suddenly had a fleeting bad
thought that I may have overstepped the mark, but it turns out no-one cared
in a bad way at least.

"Pierre, Josh, I think you should tell me what happened. Everyone else here
seems to know, and yet I only know the basics. I want to know what happened
because I'm your friend, and feel I should know what you went through..."
Xavier says, after having come over to our table the moment we sat back
down.

"Ok Xavier, we do feel bad for not having told you, but we haven't had the
chance. We will tell you now, while we wait for the wedding cake to come
out. If we don't finish then we will continue afterwards, ok?" I say,
knowing we might not have enough time to tell him properly before the next
event of the day happens. Pierre and I do feel genuinely bad and
embarrassed for not yet having told him about that day, especially since it
turned out to be the most important day in both our lives. It has to be
told to him now, there is no doubt about that, so we tell Xavier to find
himself a seat so we can tell him properly.

"I'm so proud of you sweetie. I thought you would reject the award, but you
have done us all proud. I'll give you fifteen minutes to tell Xavier what
you need to, before we continue with the rest of the night's festivities,"
mum whispers, giving me a huge hug, while Xavier has gone to get his
chair. She gives me a bit of a fright when she embraces me, because I
hadn't seen her coming. After getting over my initial fright I hug her
back, and then give her a little kiss to say thanks. She releases me when
she sees Xavier returning with his chair, but before she goes she ruffles
my hair while telling us to take our time and explain to him about what
happened properly, and then she is gone.

As soon as Xavier has pulled up his chair and sat down, Pierre starts to
tell the story. Neither Pierre nor I have had any conversation about how we
are going to do this, we just instinctively know the best way. Pierre has
to tell his side of the story before I can add my bit, so that is how we
naturally go about it. The interesting thing is that I don't think we are
just telling it to Xavier, as the adults at our table are listening just as
intently as he is. Pierre recalls as much as he can, up until he was too
weak to remember, or even take in anything. That is the point when I take
over, and the transition is seamless, almost like we had rehearsed it. We
hadn't of course; it is all instinctive, but we have such a strong
connection that it seems like we can read each other's mind at times. We
can't, but hey, no-one else knows that, except for Callum, as I'm sure he
can read my mind at times.

The story has everyone entranced, sitting on the edge of their seats. I
don't know why because everyone knows the outcome, but I suppose it sounds
so surreal that they are expecting a different outcome. Pierre's part of
the story is what draws the most interest because no-one else other than
Callum and I have heard it, so it is as new to the adults as it is to
Xavier. They saw my rescue of Pierre, but have never heard how he got into
that position in the first place. The only thing they have heard is a vague
story about a shipwreck, so hearing the full story has them
entranced. Xavier can't believe a word of what is being said. Not because
he doesn't believe the story is true, but because he doesn't want to accept
his best friend has been through so much. This on top of the horrific car
crash which took Pierre's mother. Xavier is struggling to believe he is
seeing the person who has been through all that, and he's perfectly fine
and happy. He knows the reasons for him coming out perfectly fine, but it
is something he is finding hard to believe. I mean one person doing so much
to help, yet at the same time not doing a lot, it is hard to understand. He
hasn't been with Bastian long enough to know how much one person can help
so much; as time goes along and his relationship blooms, he will find out,
although like Pierre and I, may still struggle to understand how it works.

I continue on, as I decide to tell him about the first boat trip to the
hole in the rock, and why I thought it was important at the time. They
listen intrigued by my cunning plan to get Pierre to see the site his dad
washed up on, before Pierre takes over. He tells them the importance the
captain played in helping him heal, as well as explain what both trips out
there meant to him. He knew he had to explain to Xavier why he didn't get
as emotional on the second trip, because we knew that was a part he still
didn't understand. He had been in a too emotional state that day to really
listen to what Pierre had to say to him, so we used this opportunity to
emphasise the point. We also considered telling him about our encounter at
the cemetery in Avignon, but decided it was too personal to share with the
townspeople who were also listening. Pierre wants to tell Xavier about it,
but at a better time, so figures the best time to tell him that story would
be during our trip south.

Xavier gives us a look of admiration once we have finished telling him the
story. He is proud about the way we have overcome the horrific events that
have plagued our lives, but what is important to him, is he knows with
Bastian's help he can get over his issues. He is impressed with the courage
I showed, and Pierre's never-say-die attitude, despite all he had been
through. Seeing his father getting taken away the way he had must have been
hard on him, which makes it even more impressive that he showed the fight
to stay alive that he did. Pierre himself doesn't know what his drive was,
because he pretty much knew his dad was a goner, but something inside him
told him it was important to live, and that was enough of a reason for
him. We are all grateful that he got out of it alright, but I have a
feeling I know what he is talking about, because for the life of me I still
can't work out how I managed to look in his exact direction just at the
right time. On top of that was my drive to save him, because he was a long
way out so most people wouldn't have even bothered to go and check out what
the mysterious floating object was. I did, and instinctively knew there was
an element of urgency about it, because I never dawdled or hesitated about
going to check it out. It is something that neither of us is ever likely to
fully understand, but it provides more emphasis to our belief that we were
supposed to meet that way, and if I had to do it all again then I would
without a second thought.

Xavier gives us a hug, while saying thanks for finally taking the time to
tell him what happened, before he gathers his chair and returns to his
table. The adults voice their views about what happened, but they never
realised so much happened. It turns out they only saw the part where I was
battling the surf to bring him back to shore. They never saw how far out I
had to go in order to rescue him, and if they had they would have made sure
I got officially honoured for my heroics. I tell them that they have given
me a much bigger honour, and nothing the government could give me would
mean as much, so they drop the thought. I didn't lie to them, because I
think what they have done for me is much better than anything official, and
on top of that today has been by far the best day of my life, so anything
more would be over the top. The conversation dies when the wedding cake
comes out, and the rest of the evening's activities begin.

The cake is a traditional French wedding cake, as I sort of expected. The
Croque-en-bouche is made of choux pastry balls, piled into a cone shape,
and bound together using caramel. It has been decorated with chocolate,
ribbons and flowers, and looks like a masterpiece. I'm glad to see a bit of
the French connection added to the day's festivities, as most of our family
now is from France. Mum and dad cut the cake, as instructed by grandma and
grandpa, but before it is sliced up and served to everyone, Pierre and I
are called up to the main table. We are told that we too should cut the
cake since we got married as well. We are a little hesitant, because it is
supposed to be mum and dad's big day and we don't want to take the lustre
of it away from them, but they tell us in no uncertain terms that they are
happy for us to share the day with them. Knowing they are comfortable with
it we decide to go ahead with the idea, still not feeling too happy with
it, as we feel like we are stepping on mum and dad's toes. We take hold of
the knife together and make our incision, to the applause of everyone in
the hall, but the loudest of the lot is mum and dad.

Hearing them cheering us on loudly makes us feel at ease with the
situation, as we know they weren't just saying it to please us. Once we
have made our cut we give each other a little kiss, before letting go of
the knife and watching as the cake gets taken away in order to get sliced
properly. The day keeps getting better and better, as the simple act of
cutting the cake together makes us feel even closer and happier to be
together. It is a day that I don't want to end, but even though I know it
will, I also know there is more to come. We return to our seats, getting as
much congratulations as mum and dad received, now that the town know we
have got unofficially married. Once at our seats the cake is promptly
served, and we all dig in, ensuring to enjoy every little crumb of the
cake. Once everyone has finished their cake, some music starts playing a
little louder than before, giving everyone the opportunity to get out of
their seats and mingle for a while.

We are inundated for quite a while by people wanting to talk to us, and it
leaves us feeling a little exhausted. I wouldn't be surprised if mum and
dad are feeling the same way, because they are getting as much, if not a
little more attention, than we are. Suddenly Sarah announces to everyone
that it is time for the newlyweds to have the first dance. I am glad to
hear that because it means all the attention is going to be taken away from
us, and back to mum and dad, but I am quickly reminded that since we got
married then we should be up with them. Now I feel a little scared, because
I have no idea how to dance, and judging by Pierre's expression, neither
does he. We don't want to be involved with this, as we don't want to make
fools of ourselves in front of everyone. Not only that but we are scared of
ruining the day for mum and dad, because we can't dance. Grandma, grandpa
and Sarah all sense our hesitation, and know why we are scared, so they
come over to have a little chat with us. Mum and dad are waiting patiently,
because they want us there with them, but they also know what's up, so are
willing to wait until we are ready.

We don't really get told a lot, but they all expressed to us that we
shouldn't worry about it, because it isn't a talent show or
anything. Having fun is the most important thing, and if we watch mum and
dad they are sure we will pick up on the basic dance moves pretty
quickly. They give us a good little pep talk, but it doesn't help a huge
amount. We both sigh, and swallow from nerves, before wandering over to mum
and dad who are in the middle of everyone. Mum and dad give us another
quick little talk, before telling us a couple of very basic moves to get us
started, but they stressed to us not to worry about it, because before we
realise everyone else will be dancing too. Sarah starts the music, which is
quite loud now, and away we go. We try to do the basic dance moves we got
taught, whilst at the same time watching mum and dad. They aren't the best
dancers by a long shot, but they don't seem to care, and look like they are
having loads of fun. Seeing that helps our inhibitions disappear, because
we know it isn't about your ability to dance, it is more about having
fun. Before long we are dancing, enjoying ourselves as thoroughly as mum
and dad, because we have stopped thinking about what anyone else thinks of
us, and are just enjoying being so close together.

That is the best thing, just being snuggled into the person you love the
most, while trying to co-ordinate your feet into some sort of dance
pattern. It is a lot of fun, and lo and behold before we notice we are into
the second, and then third songs with everyone else dancing around us. We
lose track of time very quickly, because we are having so much fun. The
only reason we start to notice how late it must be getting is because I see
Callum and Manuel leaving with François, so they can go to bed. They
look buggered, as it has been a long day for them, and one they are never
likely to forget. I can already tell that they will sleep well into
tomorrow, which I think we all will, so I don't think mum has any plans to
move on until the next day. The next thing I know the three of them have
disappeared and I'm starting to feel shattered myself. I know Pierre is
feeling the same way too, but I know neither of us are going to get to
sleep any time soon. The love we are feeling for each other is surging
through us like crazy, so the last thing we want to do is sleep. We want to
make the most of what has been a magical day, and a certain part of us
knows exactly what is the best way to do that. We decide to call it quits,
so I gather my award in one hand and take hold of Pierre with the other. We
say a quick goodnight to everyone, and disappear out into the dark and find
our way back to the house.

It is dark outside, with only the twinkling stars to light the way. The
moon isn't out suggesting to me that it must be in the new moon phase of
its cycle, and the town doesn't have a lot in the way of street lights, so
there isn't much providing any light. Thankfully I know the way well, as I
used to hide at the town hall quite often when I ran away from home. I
found it was a safe place, which was secluded and the last place I knew mum
would look. In ways it was too obvious, which is what made it so great,
although the first couple of times I ran away I didn't hide here because I
knew mum would look here, but after that I figured she wouldn't bother as
it was a place I would stay away from because I'd figure she would check
there. How wrong she was. I guide Pierre in the direction we need to head,
knowing he will follow me without a second thought, but being in close
contact with him makes it hard in ways. All I want to do now we are away
from everyone, and can't be seen, is jump him and show him how much he
means to me. I know he knows it already, but I still want to show him,
especially after everything we have done today. It is best to wait until we
get into the privacy of our room before doing anything, so I try to control
my urges until we get there.

The walk isn't a long one, but by the time we reach the house we are
starting to feel cold, so have huddled as close to each other as we can to
keep each other warm, whilst still being able to walk. With the sun gone
the temperature outside has plummeted, and judging by the feel of it I am
expecting there to be a frost in the morning. The air is still, no wind at
all, and with the temperature likely to drop further overnight, so it was
all pretty obvious what was going to happen. Whether I get to see it or not
is an entirely different question, because I'm not really expecting to see
too much of the morning. It has been a long and eventful day, which has
pretty much drained all my energy, so I'm half expecting to sleep in late
tomorrow. Pierre I know is in the same state, so he won't wake much, if
any, earlier than I do, and on top of that the night is still young. As
much as I'm feeling exhausted, my body and mind still want to complete the
night the best way possible, and this is the main reason we left the hall
early. The closeness of our bodies during our dancing had a profound effect
on us, and has left us eager to get as close as we physically can. The mood
is right and the occasion was perfect, so there was only one way we were
ever going to finish the day.

From the side of the road the house looks dark and uninviting, almost
deserted, but as we near the front door we notice a light glow emanating
through the closed curtains. We knew that someone was home, but for a
moment we almost thought that François may have gone to bed after
sorting out the youngsters. We had hoped he hadn't, because we want to
thank him for his support today. He has been an inspiration to us for a
while, and despite the initial hesitation with our idea to marry, he still
supported us one hundred percent. It turns out he has been waiting for us,
because as soon as we reach the front door he opens it for us. We scurry
inside quickly trying to escape the cold, and we are greeted by a nice warm
house. Someone had thought things through at some stage, and turned on the
heat pump to keep the house a nice temperature for when we return. Once
inside François closes the door, and as soon as we hear the lock click
into place we latch onto him, giving him a nice hug.

"Why am I not surprised to see you two back so early?" François asks
mockingly, proving to us that he was expecting us to follow not far behind
them.

"Well, we're tired, as it has been a long and eventful day. We also wanted
to thank you for your support, and felt it was best to do it before you
went to bed," I reply, although I think he can see right through the
excuses I gave him, and realises the real reason we came back early. He
knows I am genuine in what I said, but also presumes there is more to it
than that.

"Ahhh, yeah sure. In any case you should know you don't have to thank me,
as I will always support you in anything you do. Now, why don't you go off
to your room and enjoy what is left of your wedding night," he says, trying
to avoid any argument over what he said. While he said that I noticed him
slip something into Pierre's hand, which I hope it is what I think it is,
because I know we are out of it. The grin on Pierre's face tells me all I
need to know, and that it is exactly what I hoped it was.

"Thank you so much... goodnight, and sweet dreams," Pierre and I say,
giving him a kiss and then heading towards our room.

"That's alright, now enjoy yourselves, but please don't make too much noise
because you don't want to wake your brothers up," he replies, reminding us
that there are others in the house so to keep it toned down as much as
possible.

"We'll try," Pierre replies cheekily, as we scamper to our room before he
can react. It doesn't take long to reach our private space and have the
door closed and taken our shoes and socks off. I'm attacked by Pierre
almost instantly, as he hugs me tightly and passionately kisses me. I
didn't need any reason to do the same thing, because as it is I'm amazed
that I have kept control of my urges this long. Even though we have been
feeling these strong urges since we kissed while tying the knot, we have
done remarkably well to control them until now. Of course now we have
relinquished control, they are taking full control, and our desire to be
one body is the strongest it has ever been.

We stand there just inside the door for a few moments, making out
furiously, enjoying the incredible sensations we get from it. It doesn't
take long for the other desires to gain control of our bodies and minds,
and even if we wanted to, they are impossible to resist. Pierre is the
first to relinquish control, as he starts to blindly untie the tie from
around my neck. He is a bit clumsy but given he is doing it while we are
still kissing, and he doesn't have much practice with them, he does a
reasonably good job. Once he has it off and dropped it on the ground, I use
the chance to take his off. I don't give him a chance to go any further,
because if we are going to strip one another, then I want it to be done as
equally as possible. He doesn't resist, because he wants the same as I do,
and was always going to let me remove his tie before he continued on. I
fumble as much as he did while trying to untie the annoying piece of fabric
around his neck, but I get there without too much trouble, and let it slide
from him and fall to the ground under its own weight.

As soon as Pierre feels the tie slip from his neck he takes charge
again. He gently removes my tuxedo jacket, one sleeve at a time, before
easing it to the floor, trying not to damage what must be an expensive
piece of fabric. Despite the urges screaming through his body, he still has
the presence of mind to think about things like that, which is good because
it reminds me to do the same. It doesn't take long before both jackets are
gently dropped onto the growing pile of clothes on the floor, and Pierre
has taken charge again. This time instead of quickly removing my shirt, he
takes his time. He unbuttons it slowly, as seductively as he can, as he
also uses the opportunity created to caress my increasingly exposed chest,
after each button he undoes.

The contact of his hand with the bare skin on my chest is electric, so
intense I have to suck in a deep breath of air with each contact. My mind,
which was already in a euphoric state, seems to be getting more and more
intoxicated from the situation. Who needs drugs or alcohol when you have
someone far more invigorating in your life, such as Pierre? He fills me
with feelings and sensations far better than anything else could possibly
give me, but right here right now is the best I have felt and yet I know
things will get a lot better. Once he has the final button undone, he
glides both his hands over my chest and stomach, gently caressing and
exploring every inch of exposed skin. He takes his time, and also spends a
lot of it tenderly pinching and playing with my nipples, which have become
almost as hard as my dickie, which is straining against my underwear,
begging to get released from its confines. I have been hard for ages, since
we first started dancing, and I know for a fact that he has too, but
neither of us are in too much of a hurry to release them, because we are
enjoying making out while stripping each other too much.

I don't bother to wait for him to remove my shirt properly, because I can
tell he is going to continue to enjoy feeling me up for a while yet, so I
start to unbutton his. Our arms quickly become tangled as we try to caress
each other's bare chest at the same time, but strangely it doesn't become a
mess, because we can sense the other's movements enough that we don't get
in the way of the other. This is also when I take the lead, as I run my
hand from his bellybutton, all the way up to his shoulders, and slowly ease
his shirt off them while gently pushing him towards the bed. I time it
perfectly, so his shirt falls to the floor at the foot of the bed, before
we both fall onto the soft mattress. We have become so good at this that we
never come close to breaking the kiss when we drop onto the bed, but we
never seem to get used to the sudden surge of intense feelings which flood
through our bodies in the process. They are so intense that they literally
take our breath away, and are caused because of the way our bodies become
suddenly very close together, but even that isn't enough to cause our lips
to part.

Now unable to caress each other's chest very well, Pierre decides it is
time I caught up in the nakedness stage, and slides my shirt off me, and
flings it to the floor. We stay half naked as we continue to enjoy kissing
each other, but it doesn't take long before it becomes more than that. Our
crotches are grinding together through no conscious doing of our own. The
subsequent result of that is our peckers are generating some powerful and
awesome sensations which tear through us like a bat out of hell. We are
getting closer and closer to climaxing already, and we haven't even started
what we intend to do. The powerful sensations are further numbing our
minds, making it almost impossible to think clearly, making us risk getting
too carried away and finishing before we commit the ultimate act. The day
has been too perfect to allow something like that spoil it, so it doesn't
really weigh on our minds. If it happens it happens, but I don't think it
will stop us, as our urges, our love for each other, is far too strong. We
will consummate our commitment to each other tonight; I'm one hundred
percent confident in that.

Pierre rolls out from underneath me, then quick as a flash he breaks the
kiss, straddles my chest and returns to kissing me again. The whole
movement was done fluidly, like he had done it a hundred times before. He
is so graceful and beautiful in his movements that I am entranced watching
him, not that I am in any state of mind to do anything else. As much as the
move was unexpected, he did it so well it seemed like we both intended it
to happen. In a way I suppose we had, but I just didn't know it. Now that
he has me under control, we kiss for a while longer, before he breaks apart
our lips, and starts to nuzzle into my neck. While he does that I feel him
readjust his body so he is now sitting on my legs, and then I feel his
hands groping around, trying to locate the button on my tuxedo trousers. I
feel the button pop open, almost like my guts were bulging out of my pants
and it caused the button to suddenly give way. I know that isn't the case,
because despite me being a little out of shape due to the long holiday and
not really doing any exercise, I am still nowhere near what you would call
fat. Pierre has started to kiss down my chest by this stage, and with the
button undone, he finds the tab for the zipper and pulls it down.

My raging hard dick instantly feels a little relief at being free from the
restriction created by my pants, but having undies on, full freedom isn't
quite there yet. Pierre continues to kiss right down my chest until he
reaches the waistband to my briefs. Suddenly he lifts his head and gives me
an evil smile, before getting off me and whipping my pants down my legs and
off. In one fluid movement my briefs follow suit and end up on the pile of
clothes on the floor. His is ever so careful when removing my undies, and
as a result he puts no strain on my dick while doing it, and I am left
lying there in my favourite state of dress, butt naked. I look down the
length of my body to see Pierre sitting there ogling my throbbing and
twitching member, while licking his lips. Maybe if my mind had been
somewhere on the planet I would have realised his ambition, but I didn't,
thinking he was going to return to kissing me instead.

It isn't until he takes hold of my legs and pulls me closer to the edge of
the bed, that I realise something is amiss. I'm unable to think of what
though, as my thought pattern can't cope with the new information, let
alone make any sense of it. It finally catches up to the play after Pierre
drops to his knees and envelopes my twitching hard prick into his warm
moist mouth. Too late for me to do anything about it, because the sudden
surge of extremely pleasurable feelings that rips through my body pretty
much renders me useless and subservient to his plan. I gasp loudly when his
lips close in around my member, and he starts to slowly suck me off. The
awesome feelings I'm getting from him quickly bring me close to the
peak. It has all happened far too quickly and I'm helpless to stop it. I'm
on the verge of what I expect to be a crippling yet amazing climax, but
that is not what I want to happen. Not like this anyway, but it is all too
late. I try as much as I am mentally able to in order to stop it happening,
but Pierre really wants this to happen. I know this because he senses that
I'm right on breaking point, so he flicks my glans a couple of times with
his tongue.

I grunt loudly as my body is flooded by a strong surge of euphoria, which
causes my balls to contract as my heavily throbbing dick milks them of
their contents. I can feel each squirt of my boy juice erupt from my prick
and into Pierre's eagerly awaiting mouth, but something about the whole
climax seems a little off. It feels more subdued, yet is as intense as
normal, but not as energy sapping, which is evident by the way my dick
doesn't deflate and shrivel up. No, it stays hard as steel, meaning Pierre
has to pull his mouth from it, after he has licked up all my juice that
is. Once satisfied there is no more nectar to be found on or around my
dick, he releases it from its warm confines, and then he gets back onto the
bed and resumes kissing me. I have a funny suspicion that there is a good
reason why Pierre just sucked me off, but my mind has gone walkabouts
completely now, so I can't think of any logical, or even illogical reasons
why.

"Can you do me now please? It's just I remember you saying last time how
cumming early made it easier to last longer when we finally did it, so I
figured to give it a try," Pierre asks, while finally giving me a reason
why he did it. My mind is too hazy to remember telling him that, but I
figure he wouldn't lie to me, so I must have said so. I hope I was right
when I told him, because I don't want this to all be for nothing. I mean
what is the point in this if it doesn't have any payoff in the end? My mind
is struggling to come to terms with anything, so I can't even answer my own
questions, let alone focus on what it is I'm asking myself. It is hard
enough trying to force myself to do as Pierre asked, as I know it isn't
what I really want to be doing with him right now, so I hope it is for the
best.

The first part of my task is something I've been looking forward to doing,
but even that is a huge struggle. My body and mind are not communicating
with each other like they should, so trying to undo his pants becomes a
monumental task of its own. Finally, after a huge amount of fumbling around
I have the button and zip undone, so all that is left is to remove them,
along with his briefs. Unlike how Pierre did it, I decide to pull them both
off at once, taking extra caution to pull his undies up and over his rock
hard pecker. He showed me the courtesy first, so I feel it is only right to
do the same. Not only that but I don't want to cause him any discomfort,
because I want this to be an even more magical experience than it was last
time. It isn't long before his pants and underwear are off and in their own
little pile on the floor, because as much as I tried to aim it for where
the rest of our clothes lay, I missed big time.

He looks totally gorgeous lying naked on the bed, with his dick throbbing
like it has its own little heart beating away inside it. Seeing him like
this kicks my senses back into gear, reminding me how much I want him, and
need to feel his love physically. I hadn't so much as forgotten, but my
mind is so drugged up that I had started to lose sight of what I really
wanted. The urges I was feeling before have come back stronger than ever,
but I realise I have one task to do first, and instinctively lick my lips
thinking about it. His little sausage looks so beautiful and delicious, but
I still don't want to enjoy it that way. I'm a little worried I might spoil
the mood if I go through with this, but he wants me to, based on my own
advice, so I have no choice in the matter. I'm not helped by my own rock
hard pecker, which seems to be straining, getting harder at the
invigorating sight in front of me. It knows what it wants, and that is to
be one body and soul with Pierre, but it is going to have to wait until I
give him a bit of release in order to try and help him to last longer
during the ultimate act.

Pierre is lying in a good position, so at least I don't have to move him. I
drop to my knees, and wriggle around until I'm between his legs and his
tasty looking rock hard sausage is inches from my face. Despite the urges
I'm feeling surging through me I decide not to dive straight in, and
instead make the decision to work him up a little first. I know he doesn't
need working up, but if this is going to be his climax tonight then I want
to ensure it is a great one for him. I start to teasingly kiss his inner
thighs, working my way slowly higher until my nose is nestled into his soft
smooth ball sac. He moans while I do this, and starts writhing around due
to the strong and overpowering sensations ripping through him, but I'm not
quite willing to finish off the torture just yet, so I slowly kiss my way
back down. The way he smells and tastes drives me crazy, as I want to enjoy
more and more of him, so continuing to torture him was never going to last
long before I had to have a taste of his delicious piece of meat.

I take all of him in my mouth, and gently close it around his prick. He
gasps as my lips make contact, then moans as I run my tongue along his
length. His body is tense due to how close to having an almighty climax he
is. Using my right hand I take hold of the base of his dick, and retract
his foreskin while keeping his prick in my mouth. It is a little awkward,
but I'm savouring the invigorating smells and flavours of my lover too much
to release him from the confines of my mouth. I slide my lips up his length
until they come in contact with the rim of his glans, which I thoroughly
lick ensuring I don't miss any little part of it. The intense sensations
created by the attention the head of his dick is getting quickly become too
much for him, proven by the incredible quiver his rigid body gives off.

He grunts as his orgasm takes hold of his frame, causing him to
instinctively thrust his hard throbbing dick as far into my mouth as
possible. His balls contract as his dick pulses, sending his beautiful
nectar up its length and into my mouth. I am in heaven and I know he is
too. His boy seed is so nice that I want to milk as much of it as I can
from him, but I know that isn't a good idea. Like with my orgasm his seems
more restrained than usual, making me realise our bodies are instinctively
holding out for the final act. I don't know how they are doing it as
neither of us are in the mindset to be able to control it, but we are glad
they do, because we are both still sporting raging boners and rearing to
go. Our urges are at higher levels than they were when we came home, which
I thought was impossible because we both wanted this so bad it hurt. With
his climax fading I release his prick from my mouth, and watch in interest
as it continues to pulse in front of my eyes. He is definitely ready for
another go, but first I hop back on the bed beside him and lovingly kiss
him.

"Put it in, put it in me now... before we get too wound up
again... please," Pierre whispers seductively in my ear, after initially
breaking the kiss. I know he is right and the longer we continue kissing
the more we are going to get wound up, and closer to the point of having
another orgasm. I'm not sure our bodies will allow us a third crack at
this, so it is now or never. I'm a little disappointed because I was more
than happy to keep kissing, but it isn't to be. Well, I suppose we can kiss
lots, but doing it is something we both feel needs to be saved for special
occasions, so the disappointment is only very short lived as my mind
realises this.

Pierre then pulls himself further up the bed, and presents himself the same
way I had the first time we did it. He is on his back, legs in the air as
he also tries to spread them to allow better access to his boy hole. The
good thing is that after our first attempt at it, we decided to spend more
time when we have the opportunity to prepare each other for the next
time. Well, for tonight. Most showers and any other time we thought it was
a good idea, we tenderly loosened the other up. We have got to the point
now where we feel that we don't need to waste any time doing that, so after
lubing up I will be going straight in slowly and as gently as I can,
because I don't want to hurt him any more than is necessary. We are
realistic in knowing that there will be a little bit of pain for the first
few times at least, but we will do all we can to minimise it. The first
thing I have to do though is locate the bottle of lube François gave us,
which got dropped somewhere along the line. I finally find it in amongst
the piles of clothes on the floor, so pick it up and return to the bed,
getting in position at the same time.

Seeing him presenting himself like this increases my hunger to make this a
night we never forget. I want this even more than I did before as a result
of the increased drive, so I quickly rip open the bottle of lube, and pour
a generous amount on both my dick and his boy pussy. By generous amount I
mean more than I think a normal person would use, but nowhere near how much
Pierre used the last time. I smear the lube around his hole, ensuring to
get inside him as well until I am happy he is as slick as I'm ever going to
get him. Then I ensure my prick is properly coated, giving it a couple of
strokes to ensure it is fully covered. It has only taken me half a minute
or so to get us ready, so I'm lining myself up quicker than he
anticipated. His body shudders from an increase in the urges he is feeling,
anticipating me in him. He shakes almost as bad as a major earthquake when
he feels me put the tip of my dick against his hole. He wants this so much,
and I don't blame him because it feels so good to have someone inside you,
which is what he is about to experience.

I at least have one less thing to worry about compared with Pierre, as my
foreskin completely retracts when I get a boner, so I don't need to worry
about pulling it back while trying to penetrate my lover. I take a couple
of moments to ready myself, making sure I'm composed so I don't rush things
too quickly. I know this first part I will have to do slowly, ensuring I'm
as gentle as possible, so I make sure I calm myself down before
entering. Feeling comfortable that I have my urges under as much control as
I will ever get them under, I take a deep breath in before I start to
push. I don't force it, just slowly increase the amount of pressure I'm
applying, until I feel him start to give way. It is a surreal feeling as my
dick slowly starts to sink into the bowels of my lover, but the feelings
are far more intense than I had prepared myself for. I'm pretty much
cringing while I watch my glans slowly disappear, because of the intensity
of the feeling surging from my prick right through my body.

I stop watching my dick as it disappears, as I feel I should keep an eye on
the expressions on Pierre's face. So far he looks like he is in heaven and
not in pain, more relaxed and enjoying it than anything, which means I can
keep going. In the end I end up bottoming out without causing him an ounce
of pain, which tells us that all the work we had done to loosen each other
up has worked. As soon as I'm in as far as I can get I'm finally able to
exhale and take another breath, while he uses the opportunity to allow his
legs to rest, by placing them on my shoulders. I have to take a short break
now that I'm fully in him, but not because the overwhelming feelings have
put me on the verge of having a huge climax. No, nowhere near that as I'm
fine in that respect, but the concentration and effort required to enter
slowly has tired me out. My short break doesn't bother either of us,
because we are experiencing something far better than we did last time, and
don't want it to end.

I'm not even going to bother trying to describe how I feel right now,
because it is impossible. All I will say is that it feels far better, far
more perfect, so much more complete than we felt last time. It gets even
better as well, once I have regained my breath and composure, so am able to
make sweet, sweet love to Pierre. It is by far the best feeling in the
world, strike that, the universe, as I slide my dick in and out of my
perfect angel. I do it as lovingly as I can, hoping I'm giving him as much
pleasure as I'm experiencing. Seeing he is totally enjoying every part of
the experience helps me relax and enjoy it even more. I decide to try and
make things even better now, so I rest my body against his, relying fully
on my pelvic action to continue doing the deed, and give him a kiss. It
almost gives him a fright as he wasn't expecting it in the slightest, but
it doesn't take long before we are making out as enthusiastically as
before.

It improves everything about the experience, but strangely seems to give me
more stamina and confidence, allowing for me to make love that little bit
harder and faster. I'm still a little wary of hurting Pierre, but he seems
to enjoy it more and more the quicker I go. Seeing that fills me with even
more confidence so I start to pound him even harder, but the offset to that
is I can feel my orgasm coming on quicker. I have totally relinquished
control of my body and mind, allowing my instinct to drive me, and drive me
it does. It soon becomes totally impossible to continue kissing, as the
phenomenal feelings are making it so hard to breathe properly, let alone
anything else. Our sweat soaked bodies have been trembling in pleasure
since we started, but they now more resemble a huge continuous earthquake
than anything else. My dick feels like it is on the verge of a massive
explosion due to how close to my earth shattering climax I am, but it
doesn't slow me down as I continue my fast paced love making.

We both scream far too loudly from the euphoric ecstasy we are suddenly
overcome by in the form of a massive explosion of endorphins. It is that
intense my balls contract deep inside me, which they haven't done for a
while. I can feel each pulse from my dick, which seems to be matched with
Pierre's butt muscle clenching, helping to milk me for all I'm worth. Under
my sweaty frame I can feel Pierre's prick as it swells and contracts, as it
too milks his balls of all the remaining nectar from them, which is
creating a pleasantly sticky mess between our bodies. The sensations we are
feeling are multiplied as we can also feel what each other is, especially
since it feels like our bodies and souls are fusing together to become
one. It is an amazing feeling as I don't feel like one person any more. No,
I feel like I am part of Pierre, well, more I am Pierre himself, whilst
still being me at the same time. We both come so close to totally blacking
out, as our hearts seem to stop from the overwhelming intensity of our
orgasms, but somehow we manage to maintain consciousness, if only
temporarily.

Sure enough the peak begins to fade, allowing our bodies the chance to
finally relax. We crash back onto the bed, like we had been levitating in
the air. I slip free from Pierre as our bodies relax, slackening off,
unable to hold the same position as they were before. Pierre is still
underneath me, but is lying properly on the bed now, with me in the same
relaxed position on top of him. Despite the peak diminishing and our bodies
relaxing, we are still feeling the same unbelievable feelings we were
before. The edge has been taken off them, but that is about it, as we
continue to enjoy the magical experience like it never stopped. Our bodies
and minds are shattered, totally spent from the physical encounter, but we
don't feel an ounce of it due to the numbing effect the high has on us. The
only reason we ever have any idea of how tired we had become is because the
next time we notice anything at all is late into the next day.

Yes, it turns out we had fallen asleep very soon after our tremendous
orgasms, but due to the feelings our bodies were still experiencing, we
didn't realise. It felt like we had been awake the whole time, but due to
how refreshed and energised we feel we know that wasn't the case. We had
rolled over at some stage during the night, so are lying side by side. The
good thing about that is in the process we must have separated our bodies,
so Pierre's cum isn't acting like an adhesive any more to keep us
together. It sure doesn't feel like we separated in the slightest, in fact
it doesn't even feel like we have stopped having sex. We are still
experiencing the same amazing sensations that we had been all through the
night, and I'm starting to think they will never stop. I hope I'm right
about that too, because I don't ever want them to stop, because I feel so
damn good at the moment.

We stretch out, because it feels like we have been in the same position for
ages, so our legs and arms are a little stiff. It is while we are
stretching I notice the time on the alarm clock on the bedside table, and
it turns out to be much later than I had anticipated. It is almost two in
the afternoon, so we decide it is probably time we got up, cleaned and made
our presence known. I realise everyone will know why we slept in so late,
but hey, I don't really care. I mean, what else were we supposed to get up
to on our wedding night? I give Pierre a kiss before I crawl out of bed,
and then I grab his hand and hoist him out as well. I notice in the process
of doing that, a little crusty patch under where Pierre had been lying all
night. He must have experienced a little leakage, which we weren't told
about, but it is the only logical explanation I can think of. It doesn't
take a genius to work out the stain is cum, and given it was underneath
Pierre, and not off the sides of him, it could have only come from one
place. I feel bad at seeing that, because we aren't staying in our own
house, so this isn't our bed, and now I wish we had thought more about the
potential of making a mess, so we could have minimised any chance of it
getting on the bedspread. It's too late now, so I know we are going to have
to tell the owners that we made a mess, so they know to change all the
bedding.

I sigh at the thought, but don't let it get me down. Shit happens, and last
night was something that I wouldn't change for the world, so this little
incident is just one of those things that seem to happen. I turn around,
and take Pierre's hand while we walk through to the ensuite bathroom. We
wash ourselves quickly, but ensure we do a good job of it knowing we got
pretty dirty last night. Before too long we have showered and got dressed,
so now it is time to find everyone else. We decide the best bet is to check
the lounge, but we are a little surprised to see that not everyone is in
there. There are four people missing, but to be honest I did expect two of
them. Mum and dad I don't expect to see for a little while, because I
figure they got up to the same hanky-panky we did, but Bastian and Xavier
are also not up yet, which is what I didn't expect. François, Sarah and
the grandparents are keeping Callum and Manuel occupied by playing card
games with them, so no-one notices us entering the room, until the very
last second.

"Good afternoon boys, I take it you had a lot of fun last night? Before you
take a seat, or do whatever it is you plan on doing, can you please strip
the bedware off your bed so we can wash it? Your mother thought you might
make a bit of a mess, so we thought it would be best to play it safe and
wash it today, instead of leaving it for the owners to find," grandma
says. She says it so nicely and nonchalantly that we don't feel
embarrassed, or that we have done wrong. She keeps us feeling at ease,
because she knew what was going to happen. In fact, I think everyone did,
because they all just look at us and give us a warm smile. They seem to be
congratulating us, without saying anything, but the smiles on their faces
say it all, and it all helps to keep us in the tremendous mood we are in.

We don't reply, mainly because she wasn't expecting us to, as she goes
straight back to playing cards after having said it. We head back to our
room, and quickly have the bedware removed and taken to the laundry, where
we are surprised to see grandma waiting, as she had left after her round so
she could put the washing on. We hand her the stuff, which she promptly
puts in the washing machine and sets it going. While she is doing that she
tells us to grab something to eat from the leftovers from lunch
yesterday. I'm glad she thought about it, because the mention of food
reminds me how hungry I am, and I know Pierre is feeling the same way, so
we leave her to finish putting on the washing and head off to the kitchen
for some food. There is still a huge amount of food left over, so we pile
our plates full and sit down at the dining room table to eat. We finish
filling our stomachs pretty quickly, as we eat like ravenous animals, so
have it all mowed down in short order. Once finished, we clean our plates
and head back to the lounge to join everyone.

"Grandma, since there isn't much to do, can we try to get hold of Caleb and
Dan now?" I ask upon returning to the lounge, and seeing she has also
returned.

"Sure thing, do you know how to use the phone, or do you want me to help
you?" she replies, taking the phone out of her handbag which is sitting
beside her, and then turning it on.

"Um... I think we should be alright, but we will ask if we have any
problems," I reply, taking the phone from her, and then heading over to the
couch, sitting down and cuddling into Pierre while we wait for the phone to
load. It doesn't take long, so I'm searching through the phone to see if
the Facebook application has been installed. It hasn't, so I go to the app
store to download it, but that is when I start having problems. It doesn't
load, so after five minutes of waiting I close it down and restart the
application again, but again it doesn't load.

"Grandma, I can't get the app store to load, can you see if you can work
out what is wrong?" I ask, before I allow the phone to start frustrating
me. She comes over and takes her phone, taking a look to work out what is
wrong. It doesn't take her long before she notices the problem, which I
should have known about in the first place.

"I'm sorry dear, but there is no reception here, so you are going to have
to wait until we get somewhere that has it," she replies apologetically. I
sigh loudly, and so does Pierre, because we were really hoping to get in
contact with them sooner rather than later. We realise it is going to be
another day at least before I will be able to message them, but I don't let
it bring my mood down, although I don't think it would anyway. I still feel
the same as I did last night, and it doesn't seem to be wavering in the
slightest.

"Good afternoon everyone... what is the problem Josh?" mum says, causing
everyone to look in her direction. Dad is also up and standing beside her,
and wow, they both have a beautiful aura encompassing them, which goes with
the smiles plastered across their faces. They look magical, and I can tell
they had loads of fun last night, which makes me wonder if Pierre and I are
showing the same thing. I mean it is plain for everyone to see on them, so
I have a feeling it must be on us too.

"Good afternoon mum and dad. I take it you had lots of fun last night... we
were hoping to be able to get onto Facebook using grandma's phone, because
I want to get in contact with Caleb and Dan before we head down
south. Unfortunately I forgot that we don't get cell phone reception here,"
I reply, trying hard to go against how I'm really feeling, so I can act
disappointed. I don't think it worked. Although I am disappointed in not
being able to contact them it doesn't show through in my mood, so is hard
to act like it is affecting me.

"Josh, sweety, don't worry about it. You will have a chance to do it later,
but just remember things have a way of working themselves out, so don't get
too worried if you can't get hold of them... Yes, we did have fun last
night, and by the looks of it you two did too," she replies, then gives me
a kiss and a cuddle to emphasise her point. She gives one to Pierre, Callum
and Manuel too, because she knows they all want to see Caleb and Dan, so
she is trying her best to keep our hopes up. The problem is she isn't doing
anything to help, but she might later on, so I try not to jump to
conclusions. Once mum has finished giving everyone a hug, she and dad head
through to the kitchen to get themselves something to eat. Upon their
return to the lounge they are joined by an embarrassed looking Bastian and
Xavier. I can tell why they are embarrassed due to the aura which is
glowing from them, but on the other hand they should know that no-one will
make fun of them.

"Good afternoon Bastian and Xavier, once you've had something to eat do you
wanna go and see the town properly?" I ask, hoping to make them feel more
comfortable in knowing that we aren't worried about what they got up to
last night. The others help as well, as those who were playing cards return
to their game after having welcomed them. Mum and dad sit on the couch
opposite to Pierre and me, and cuddle the same way we are, which also helps
Bastian and Xavier realise that no-one is worried about what they have been
doing. They nod their heads to answer my question, before looking around in
search of food. Mum helps them out by getting out of her seat and showing
them through to the kitchen, then leaves them to it. It takes them around
twenty minutes to eat, because they were absolutely starved since they were
dancing all night, before they came back and got up to mischief in
bed. They had stayed out till the last dance before coming back with the
grandparents, who had specifically stayed to ensure they got home safely.

With Bastian and Xavier now ready, Pierre and I pull ourselves out of our
seats and head towards the door. Mum reminds us not to forget that it will
get dark earlier than we are used to and relatively quickly, so not to take
too long. I tell her that I don't plan on being away too long since it is
likely to get cold. Thinking about that I decide we should all take a
jacket, just in case it is cold, or gets cold while we are out. When we all
have our jackets we leave, but we have to stop and wait when we hear Callum
and Manuel yell out. They want to come with us, because they are sick of
being stuck inside, so it gives them an opportunity to stretch their legs.

I start off by taking them around the town itself, while we have a bit of a
chat. Well, Pierre and I were telling Bastian and Xavier that they don't
need to be embarrassed over what they got up to last night, because
everyone is just happy to see them in love so much that what happens in the
privacy of their room is expected, as it is purely to show the love between
them. Of course the usual questions come up about what we all got up to,
but with Callum and Manuel around we had to try and keep our answers as
cryptic as possible. Pierre and I tell them that we did it, which is enough
for them to understand how far we went. They just tell us that they played
around, but ended up giving each other a blow job. I could tell by their
aura that they had been up to something, but I didn't think it was strong
enough for them to have had sex, so a blow job makes sense. They also tell
us that it the first time they have fooled around, because they feel it
isn't something they want to concentrate on, as just holding and being with
each other is what they really want to do most of the time. Pierre tells
them that we have the same way of thinking, and we support them
wholeheartedly.

We decide to drop the subject after that, because we have noticed the two
youngsters eavesdropping, trying to work out what we are talking
about. Well, to be honest they probably know, just not the details. I
decide that we should use the opportunity to fill in Bastian and Xavier
about our time together here, and of course tell them the horrible story
about Pierre getting deported. Bastian knows most of the story, but being
here he can now picture things better, and of course I can tell them about
how Callum and I coped with it and where we went after it happened. We go
right out to the rock ledge that Callum and I spent a good day miserable
at, trying to think a positive way to look at Pierre's deportation, but
mainly trying to stay away from mum. I figured it is going to be best to
fill Xavier in on what has happened during my life, and the aspects of
Pierre's life he doesn't know about, when the opportunity presented
itself. This is an opportunity I couldn't let slip, so I fill him in as
much as I can about my time, and also the time Pierre spent here.

We are all knackered by the time we get home, because we crammed in a lot
of walking into a small space of time. I think we must have covered every
inch of town and the beach, but we got the story told. Xavier thanks me and
Pierre for telling him more of our story, and Bastian does too because he
hadn't heard about how I coped after Pierre got taken away from me. They
also thank Callum for telling them how he was feeling at the time, because
they know it is a story which is hard for him to tell, as it brings back
bad memories. He doesn't quite have the same amount of support as Bastian,
Xavier, Pierre or I have, because as great as Manuel is, he isn't Callum's
one true love. He copes well in telling it, but it cuts him up as he drags
up old memories that he is desperate to forget. Manuel does try to comfort
him, but it takes a while for Callum to return to normal. I can tell he is
going through the steps Alice gave him, one by one, until he starts to get
over it again.

The rest of the day wears on slowly. We have leftovers again for dinner,
but at least we got through it all, so no food was wasted. We spend the
night mindlessly watching TV while those with partners cuddled up with
them. In saying that, Callum and Manuel are pretty much cuddling, as they
are sitting so close together. It isn't particularly late, although due to
how dark it is outside it feels later than it is. The programmes on TV are
boring, and adding to the feeling that it is getting late. When you
consider that most of us have already slept through most of the day, it is
a little surprising how tired everyone is. Somewhere around seven thirty or
eight o'clock, mum decides it is late enough and says to us that we should
go to bed because we have a long day in the van tomorrow. She wants us to
get everything ready before we go to bed, so that we are ready to leave
first thing in the morning. By first thing, she means first thing, because
she wants to leave somewhere between five and six.

No-one argues, as we have become so bored from watching crap on TV that the
idea of going to bed sounds more appealing. The early start doesn't though,
but I suppose some sacrifices have to be made so we can show our guests as
much of the country as possible. Pierre and I don't wait for anyone else to
move, as we decide to retire once mum has finished telling us her plans. I
think everyone else follows close behind, but we never look back to find
out. Once we are in our room we strip out of our clothes and pack them
away, then find some to wear tomorrow. Having done that, we close our bags
and zip them up, putting them by the door so they are easy to get find in
the morning. Then we hop into bed, this time getting under the freshly
laundered covers, and cuddle together. We are out like a light; disappeared
into the wonderful, peaceful world of sleep.

We awaken before mum, or anyone else come to that. I look at the clock to
check the time, and find out we are a good half an hour ahead of schedule,
so I decide to use the time the best way possible, and embrace Pierre in a
tender loving kiss. We are on the same high we have been since tying the
knot, but the kiss still has the ability to make things a lot better. I'm
not sure how it does it because I really can't believe it is possible to
feel better than how I am anyway, but it works, and that's what is so great
about it. The downside is that it seems to freeze time in one respect, but
speed it up in the other. It feels like we have just started kissing when
we hear a knock on the door, and then mum entering our room to tell us it
is time to get up. Strangely we don't feel disappointed at having to break
off the kiss, but that could be because we know we are going to enjoy the
rest of our lives together, so we will have lots more opportunities to kiss
and cuddle. We say good morning to mum, and once she has left we get up and
get dressed, before grabbing our bags and heading to the lounge to wait for
everyone.

We are on the road within fifteen minutes after our wake up call, and I
have snuggled into Pierre in preparation for a long day in the car. Mum's
plan is to be in Wellington by the end of the day, and that's a good six to
seven hour journey from Auckland, so an extra three to four hours can be
added to that as we are leaving from Taupo Bay which is north of
Auckland. I'm unsure of whether she has planned any stops along the way,
but given the length of the drive I doubt they will be long ones if we do
stop. I realise there will be the compulsory toilet stops, because it is a
long time to hold your bladder, but other than that and getting food I
doubt she will make any more stops. I see the time on the clock says five,
so roughly work out that the earliest we might get to Wellington is two
o'clock, and that is only if the total length of the journey is nine hours,
but that doesn't take into account any stops or other potential holdups. My
guess would be more like six when we get there, because mum won't drive
recklessly, or even speed given we have so many guests in the van. She is
pretty mindful when taking passengers, because she couldn't live with
herself if someone got injured, or killed because of her driving. She will
cruise, and because of that I think she will stay on the main state
highway, and she won't take any scenic routes.

The trip goes well, with our first stop not coming until Whangarei, for a
toilet stop. Mum also uses the opportunity to get some food for breakfast,
and while she is doing that I finally get to leave a private message to Dan
and Caleb on Facebook. After leaving the message I give the phone back to
grandma, because I'm not expecting a reply straight away as it is still
early in the morning. Once we've had breakfast we hit the road again, and
this turns out to be the longest leg in the journey. Aside from a couple of
quick toilet stops, we don't have another major stop until we get to
Taupo. Not to be confused with Taupo Bay, Taupo is in almost the dead
centre of the North Island, and sits on a bay on the north-western corner
of Lake Taupo. This is the one visitors are more likely to hear about,
because Taupo Bay isn't on any tourist trail. Other than those who venture
off the beaten track taken by tourists, the bay is only frequented by a
small few kiwi holidaymakers who actually know the place exists. Taupo
itself on the other hand is a tourists' hotspot, due to the beautiful lake,
which also happens to be New Zealand's largest. South of the lake is the
volcanic plateau, where there are ski fields, along with a couple of NZ's
best tramping tracks.

The reason we stop in Taupo is for some lunch because it is getting close
to two o'clock in the afternoon, and we are all starving. We are about four
hours out of Wellington by this stage, so my guess is going to be close,
although we got caught in some major delays while going through Auckland,
so it has put us behind schedule. The weather in Taupo is brilliantly fine,
but a slight breeze from the south means it has an icy feel to it, because
it is coming straight off the snow-capped mountains at the southern end of
the lake. Despite this, we have our lunch on the lakefront, which is a
beautiful, relaxing area for it, especially after we have been in the car
so long. From the lakefront we get a pristine view over the lake, and the
volcanic Mountains of Ruapehu, Ngauruhoe and Tongariro stand out in
remarkable clarity considering how far away they are. The scene is
spectacular, but we don't get long to enjoy it, as once we have finished
eating it is back to the van in order to continue the trip.

The road is pretty straight as it cuts along the northern end of the lake,
before winding its way around the eastern edge of it, never straying too
far from the lakefront as it heads south. It is a beautiful road, with bush
clad hills to the left and the lake on the right. There are numerous small
settlements dotted along the lakefront, with most of them being humble
little villages. The houses aren't big or flash; instead a lot of them are
just small holiday homes similar to those found in some of the older beach
towns. They are mainly used by fishermen who go out on the lake in search
of rainbow trout or anything else they can catch from the vast expanse of
freshwater. I know it isn't huge in comparison to lakes elsewhere in the
world, but for the size of New Zealand, Lake Taupo is large. It takes about
three quarters of an hour to travel the length of the lake, before the road
leaves it and heads inland. We will continue to cut through the middle of
the North Island until we reach the Kapiti Coast, around an hour north of
Wellington.

We stop in the small town of Turangi, just south of the lake, so mum can
put some gas into the van, and we can use the toilet. The town is a good
base for lake and mountain activities, but is more used as a vital fuel
stop, because after here there is going to be nothing in the way of towns
for a while, so people tend to top up their tanks here before tackling the
next part of the road. Once fuelled up, we continue to follow the road
south as it cuts through NZ's only desert. The strange thing is that it
doesn't look like a desert, not compared to the Sahara or deserts like
that, because it has a bit of plant life growing, but by definition it is
technically a desert. The road is also named for that fact, as this piece
of road is the famous Desert Road, which commonly closes during winter due
to snow and ice.

The road today is free from both, mainly because we are taking it during
the middle of the day, so any ice that formed overnight has melted. Some of
the gullies the road goes down are still a little hairy since some places
never see the sun at this time of year so the ice doesn't fully melt. The
best part of this part of the trip is being on the central plateau, and the
surreal scenery which it is renowned for. The majestic beauty of the
volcanic mountains, which are some of NZ's highest, and the sprawling flax
filled desert, which is more a grey blackish sand. We stop on the side of
the road in a spot which has an awesome view of the whole area, and all get
out to admire it better. The scene looks more like something from another
planet, which is what makes it so unique. I know New Zealand is famous for
its diverse landscape, but some areas of the country don't look like they
belong on earth, and this is one of them. While we are out of the car I
notice grandma using her phone to take some photos. It isn't the first time
I've seen her do this since she got it, but it is the first time I thought
anything about it. It makes me wish I had bought a phone after all that, so
I could take some photos as well. I more wish I had taken some sort of
camera to France, because we saw so much over there and it would be nice to
have some little mementos of the places we've been and experienced. I think
I might have to invest in a camera sometime soon.

We get back into the van and continue on our way. After a while I start to
see warning signs posted on the side of the road warning people not to get
out of their cars in this area. I know we can't be too far from Waiouru
now, because we are going past the army training grounds. Sure enough,
after another quarter of an hour the small town comes into view as we start
heading down a hill towards it. After passing through the town, the scenery
starts to change yet again and pretty quickly too. The desert is replaced
by green pastures and rolling hills. This for some is the most boring part
of the trip, because it continues like this for another two hours. There
are little variations in the scenery, like the river which has carved its
way through the Rangitikei region, or the flat farmland of the
Manawatu. The boring-ish scenery isn't enough to put us to sleep though,
but that could be because we have slept a lot the last two nights, or maybe
it is the excitement we are feeling for the South Island leg of the
journey.

At long last the sea comes back into view after having travelled through
most of the Kapiti Coast. We are now within spitting distance of Wellington
city, so our excitement levels are growing exponentially. The coastal
segment of the trip is brief before we head inland again, but before long
the first part of the greater Wellington city comes into view as we enter
Porirua. It is a city unto itself, but due to how close it is to our
capital city it is incorporated into the greater region to make certain
things easier for both cities to agree on. The city is built around a
beautiful, but very tidal harbour, which means it is no good for freight
ships to use. For the second time today we have to negotiate rush hour
traffic in a major city, but thankfully this time we have hit the tail end,
so it will gradually ease. It still takes us longer than it should to get
through Porirua, but once we do it is plain sailing into Wellington.

Wellington is such a beautiful and picturesque city, with its round natural
harbour, high rise buildings in its city centre on the waterfront, and bush
and house clad hills in the backdrop. The weather is beautiful, and
surprisingly there is no wind, so the cityscape reflects perfectly on the
water in the harbour. It is getting dark as we enter the city, and the
street lighting has just turned on which adds to the beauty of the city. I
like Wellington, but have never had a chance to spend much time here, and I
know I won't get that chance this time around either. We are at the bottom
of the North Island, so I know tomorrow we will be catching the ferry
across to the South Island. I am so looking forward to crossing the strait
for the first time in my life, and I know I'm not the only one who is
excited about heading to the South Island. Most pictures you see of our
snow-capped mountains, pristine lakes, unspoilt forest and untouched
beaches, come from the South Island. From what I know of the place, it
seems to be the true quintessential New Zealand, and it looks like
paradise.

We head into the heart of the city, which makes me feel more claustrophobic
than Auckland did, because the streets feel like they are narrower, but
still lined by high rise buildings which add to the sensation. The streets
are busy and full of people hustling and bustling while they try to get
where they are going. It has a lively atmosphere to the place, which makes
me want to experience it more, but when mum pulls up at a hotel I know it
is going to be unlikely we get to see much. Mum tells us before we get out
of the van, that we will check into our rooms and then go out to a
restaurant for dinner, but we won't be too late because we are taking the
first ferry sailing in the morning, which means we have to be there by
five. With that she gets out and opens the boot to collect her bag, and
then heads into the hotel. We all follow close behind, and before long we
are walking the streets looking for an appealing looking restaurant. We
find one on the busy Courtenay Place, not far from the hotel we are staying
in. It is a nice place, with a quiet and relaxed atmosphere, but the food
is great so that is all that matters. We are in bed and asleep within two
and a half hours of entering Wellington.

Our trip the next morning is not as free flowing as the day before, due to
having to spend an hour waiting with all the other vehicle traffic to get
onto the ferry. It is exciting at first, but we soon become bored and
restless, especially since mum won't allow us to leave the car to stretch
our legs. On the plus side the view over the harbour is beautiful, with all
the lights from the city shimmering in the water with almost pure
clarity. The weather is still behaving itself which is good, and it is
supposed to be this way for the rest of the day, in central New Zealand
anyway, because the northern and southern parts of the country are due to
get wet, but where we are going to be is expected to be fine and dry. The
other good thing is that Caleb and Dan left a message overnight, which
included their phone number, so I'm hoping to be able to ring them when we
are in our hotel tonight to arrange a time to meet up with them. I don't
know where we are staying the night, because mum won't tell us. She won't
tell us anything about the South Island leg of the trip which is
frustrating. I'm hoping that when I have Caleb and Dan on the phone she
will at least tell us when we are due in Dunedin, so I can at least get
that part arranged before time.

The trip across the Cook Strait on the ferry is awesome, such a relaxed and
beautiful way to travel. The first part of the trip we don't see much due
to it being dark, but the sun starts to rise when we enter the Marlborough
Sounds, and the trip through them to Picton is breath-taking. It is yet
another spectacular part of the country, made even better by the early
morning light creating some wicked contrasts between the shadows and the
light. Despite the cold morning Pierre and I are outside on the top
balcony, peering over the edge as we watch a pod of dolphins swimming in
the ship's wake. It helps to top off what has been an enjoyable crossing,
as these beautiful animals play around for our amusement. It is only us two
who enjoy the show, as everyone else finds it too cold to stay outside for
long so venture back indoors. Since it is only us outside we cuddle while
we are watching the antics of the dolphins, since it achieves two things;
it helps to keep us warm, and we thoroughly enjoy it.

Once we are off the boat, after yet another wait, we take a narrow and
windy road along the coast. It is a beautiful trip, as we pass some lovely
golden sand bays which have the perfect backdrop of some unspoilt bush and
forest. The road is one of the windiest I have been on, and it is slow
going, but the scenery makes it all worthwhile. I have no idea where we are
going, nor am I too worried as I know we will be back in some sort of
civilisation by the end of the day. It comes quicker than that as we enter
Nelson city, where we stop for lunch and a good look around. The day has
warmed up pretty well, so it is pleasant walking around Nelson, which is
New Zealand's sunniest city, and quite often gets nicer temperatures than
parts of the North Island. It is in a superb location, meaning it is
blocked off from our prevailing winds and weather patterns, so the
rain-laden clouds don't generally make it here. After a bit of a tour we
get back in the van and head to perhaps Nelson's most famous part,
Tahunanui / Tahuna Beach. We check into a hotel in the area, before wasting
the rest of the afternoon wandering along the beach.

I ring Caleb and Dan after we have finished dinner and are back at the
hotel, but it becomes somewhat pointless because we never sort out what we
want to. It is great hearing their voices again, but we can't make any
plans since mum won't tell us when are going to be in Dunedin. I hand the
phone to Pierre so he can chat with them, while I argue with mum in the
hopes she will at least give me some indication. It doesn't work, and
surprisingly no-one backs me up, they all tell me to be patient and we will
find a way to meet them closer to the time. It doesn't comfort me at all,
so I figure I'll have to arrange something with them so they at least know
when we are likely to be in town. I have to wait for a while before I can
get the phone back though, because Pierre handed it to Xavier and Bastian,
after he introduced them first. After them Callum and Manuel want to have a
chat. The wait does me good because with Pierre's help as he cuddles me, my
frustrations and annoyance with mum ease. In the end we decide that I
should give them a text when we get to either Oamaru, Wanaka or Queenstown,
because from any of those places the chances are that we will travel to
Dunedin next. I agree that is the best option, then talk with them for a
little bit longer, before saying goodbye and hanging up the phone. We head
to bed pretty much straight after I get off the phone.

The next day mum has booked us on an excursion to the Able Tasman National
Park, so we spend the day wandering around, kayaking, and just enjoying
being outdoors and one with nature. It is a spectacular part of the
country, and being a National Park means it is well looked after, and there
is plenty to do. The kayaking around the beautiful coves and bays in the
park was the highlight for me, but like with most things that you
thoroughly enjoy, it is over all too soon. So is the day trip, and we are
back in the hotel in Nelson, seemingly only a short time after having left,
but the setting sun tells a different story, because we had been picked up
just after sunrise. We all had a great day out, but what was the best thing
was the lack of time in the car today. We did spend a little time
travelling, but the kilometres covered were nowhere near what we had done
the last couple of days. The trouble is I think tomorrow we are in for a
lengthy stay in the car, because I presume we will either be heading to
Kaikoura or Westport. Perhaps we might skip Westport and head straight to
Greymouth, but I'm not sure, and mum still won't tell us. I'm presuming we
will be heading to either Greymouth or Westport, because I don't think mum
would drive west from Picton to come to Nelson if she was planning on
heading to Kaikoura. It wouldn't make any sense and I give her more credit
than that.

We head south the next morning, towards Westland like I had expected. The
road is a long stretch of not a lot. I mean there is plenty of scenery, but
nothing outstanding enough to make you want to stop and get out. The Nelson
Lakes are supposed to be stunning, but we don't go there, instead follow
the main highway in a south-westerly direction. There is little in the way
of towns, or any form of human habitation until we get to Murchison, which
is where the province of Westland begins. The town was the site of the
South Islands deadliest earthquake, until the recent Christchurch one took
the unfortunate honours by a long way. The Murchison earthquake took
seventeen lives, far short of the one hundred and eighty five claimed in
the Christchurch one. Napier in the North Island still holds the deadliest
earthquake in New Zealand records, but for a country that is prone to those
sort of events I think it is only a matter of time before a worse one hits.

Murchison isn't really what you would call a town, but it has a shop in
which we can get some food. Instead of taking time to relax and enjoy our
lunch, we are right back into the van and eating on the run. I figure we
must be on a tight schedule if we aren't going to have lunch here, which
means our time in the car is going to be a long one. From Murchison we wind
our way through the Buller Gorge until the mountains drop away and are
replaced by flat farmland. The strip of flat land doesn't seem to be very
wide, so within ten minutes of leaving the gorge we enter the town of
Westport. As we drive down the main road of the town and through the town
centre, I feel a little disappointed. The town is just that, a town. It
doesn't have much character or charm like I had expected. I know Westland,
known as the coast, isn't a rich area, but it supposed to be steeped in
history. Westport doesn't show it, but we don't stay for long, as mum does
a U-turn further down the road and we leave the same way we came in.

We don't follow the main highway to Greymouth though, as we turn off a
little out of town and head towards Tauranga Bay. We stop in a car park
which overlooks the bay and get out. While at Tauranga Bay we do a couple
of short walks, with the first one going out to the lighthouse, and the
second to a seal colony. Both sites are cool to see, but the most
impressive thing about being here is seeing the dividing range between the
east and west, known as the Southern Alps. It is a remarkable sight,
especially in winter when the mountains have a decent coating of snow on
them, while the lower levels are covered by native bush and forest. The
other impressive thing is that we are in a region that sees five metres of
rain every year, yet it is perfectly fine today. There is to be a southerly
front coming in from the Southern Ocean, but due to the lie of the land,
Westland is sheltered from these weather systems, meaning it is cool but
there isn't a cloud in the sky.

After our visit to the seal colony in which grandma took lots of photos of
our native seals as they frolic and play in the water, or just sunbathing
on the rocks, we hit the road again. It is our first look at some uniquely
New Zealand wildlife, so we made the most of it, but it is good being back
in the van and out of the cool sea air. We head down the coast towards
Greymouth, but mum has one more stop lined up before we get there. The road
offers some awesome views of the surf-pounded coastline, which is all I can
concentrate on. It looks so wild and untamed, far too unruly for me to want
to surf in, but it still looks wicked and mesmerising. I don't notice
anything other than Pierre's presence and the spectacular coast until we
pull into a car park. I had seen our destination from the distance, but not
noticed it enough to properly realise what is was.

We are at Punakaiki, which is famous for one of the most interesting and
intriguing rock formations in the country. The pancake rocks are layered
and weathered limestone rocks, which has given it a stacked pancake look
through a process known as stylobedding. The most spectacular features of
the place that can clearly be seen from the car park are the blowholes,
which send water which surges into the caverns below, sky high like a
geyser, spraying everything around with the salty liquid. We take the short
walk around the place, taking in all the sights and sounds, but mainly
getting wet every time another wave crashes below and sets off a
blowhole. Thankfully we are all wise in wearing our jackets for the walk,
because otherwise we'd all be like drowned rats right now. After the walk
we hit the road again, but this time to our final destination for the day,
Greymouth. It is dark by the time we get there, but even in the dim
lighting of the town, I get a better feeling about this place than I did
with Westport.

We don't get a chance to look around, because it is dark, but mainly
because it is getting late and we haven't had dinner, so mum takes us
straight to the hotel we are staying at, which also has a
restaurant. Dinner is great, which we are getting a little too used to,
because we haven't had a bad one for a while. The hotel is warm and cosy,
but with the way I still feel after getting married, I think anywhere would
be perfect so long as I'm with Pierre. We are tired and worn out from the
travelling, and the activities we have done over the last few days, but
what tires us more is knowing there is more to come. It doesn't take long
after we get into bed together before we are dead to the world. We sleep
till around eight, before waking with a start thinking we had slept in.

We hadn't because mum isn't in any rush to hit the road today, since she is
tired from all the driving. We don't leave the hotel until ten, which is
check-out time anyway. We stop in the town centre to get some breakfast,
and have a casual walk around the town. It isn't the most spectacular town
by any stretch of the imagination, but it has a warm feel to it. It is your
typical service town, catering for the farming and mining communities of
the region. The west coast used to be a major gold mining area during the
gold rush, but mining never died when the rush ended. Nowadays it is a
major coal mining region, with the whole province's economy relying on
it. Tourism is the second most important thing for the regional economy,
but is vying for the number one position. After our stroll we get back into
the van to start our travels again, but it turns out we aren't going to be
on the road too long.

We stop at a small place called Shantytown, which is a re-creation of an
eighteen sixties mining town, complete with a running locomotive. It costs
to get in, but I think it is worth it, especially for us kids. We have a
great time exploring all the shops and other buildings which made up old
gold mining towns. The steam train ride is cool too, and takes us to a
re-created sawmill. It is interesting to see how basic the technology was
back then, and gives me a better appreciation for what we have now. Life
back then must have been so hard. Well, I know how hard it must have been
to make money, because I gave gold panning a go, and boy is it
difficult. Gold panning was the easier way to find gold too, as it was a
lot easier than mining the stuff. I don't think I'd like to attempt the
mining part, because just trying to pan for gold is hard enough, and
involves far too much patience for my liking. By the time we have to leave
we have explored and tried everything, but the best part as far as the
adults are concerned is we learnt lots of new information and had lots of
fun.

From Shantytown we continue to head south, stopping to have a quick look at
the beautiful town of Hokitika along the way. It is by far the prettiest of
the major west coast towns, and was worth the time taken to explore. The
journey south of Hokitika is beautiful, as we travel through what looks
like dense native bush. It is so green and peaceful that it feels like we
are a million miles from anywhere. We could be for all we knew as it seems
like we have been travelling for hours. My butt is sore from being seated
for so long over the last few days, but I'm not too worried because I'm
seeing and experiencing so much more than I thought I would. After a long
windy trip, with lots of one lane bridges to negotiate we make it to a
small touristy town called Franz Josef, but instead of finding a hotel to
sleep at mum continues through the town, before turning off down a narrow
dirt road.

We come to a stop in a large parking area which has big signs warning
people about the local wildlife. The signs warn people using the car park
to be wary of the kea, because it is an inquisitive and playful bird that
is known for tearing the rubber and other things off cars. I chuckle to
myself at seeing the signs because I've heard of lots of stories about the
damage those birds can do, including ripping all the rubber sealing out
from around the windscreen, so when the driver went to leave the window
fell out. I know I shouldn't laugh at other peoples misfortunes, but it is
so hard not to. We get out of the van after mum has shut it off, and go for
a nice pleasant bushwalk along a river bed. The riverbed is wide because
during bad storms it can see the river swell to take up the whole area, but
today the river was reasonably tame, and trickling in the centre of the
bed. It is hard going, but the reason for the walk is worth it, because at
the end of the walk is the spectacular Franz Josef Glacier. It, along with
its twin down the road, the Fox Glacier, are unique because they are the
only glaciers at this latitude in the world which come down to sea level,
let along the fact they pass through rainforest in the process.

It is an awe inspiring sight, made even better by the low sun which is
setting behind us. It is telling us that it's time to head back to the car,
but first grandma takes a few more photos before we head back the way we
came. On arrival back at the van we have our second encounter with New
Zealand wildlife, but this time it isn't wanted so much. Grandma gets a few
great photos of a couple of kea perched perilously on the steep angled
windscreen, while they rip out the rubber from the windscreen wipers. It is
quite funny to return to see, and as a result all us kids crack up laughing
at the antics of the birds. In fact everyone seems to see the funny side of
it, except for mum who has raced over to the van in order to try and shoo
them away. They seem to ignore her at first; that is until she is almost on
top of them, and then they fly away. Once they have gone mum lets her guard
down and jokes about it.

Funnily enough our first stop once back in Franz Josef township is to the
petrol station to get a new set of window wipers. After we have got them
and had them fitted, it is off to the hotel to check in. Once checked in it
is time for some dinner, so we stroll down the main street of town looking
for a place to eat. For a teeny weeny town there are a lot of shops, but
because it is winter, so off-season, most of them are closed. It is a
tourist town, so does the bulk of its trade during the summer months, and
after that it pretty much becomes like a ghost town. There are still a few
other tourists around, which is why some of the shops stay open, but it is
nothing compared with the hustle and bustle of summer. We go into the only
restaurant that is open and have dinner. The food is good, made even better
because of how hungry we are from the day's activities. It is strange given
we started late, and yet we still feel like we have been on the go all
day. I feel just as exhausted as yesterday, so I'm looking forward to
resting my head on a pillow, cuddling into Pierre and drifting off to
sleep. It isn't too long after dinner that I have done that, and Pierre and
I are once again having a blissful sleep.

The next morning we awaken to the sound of heavy rain pummelling the roof
of the hotel we are in. I suppose we got two days of brilliant weather,
which is pretty good for this region of the country, especially at this
time of year, so we have been lucky. The problem is that it will write off
any activities mum had planned for today. Well, it will if they involve
being outside. It is still very early in the morning so there is a chance
the weather might clear before we leave, but I'm not holding my breath. Mum
knocks on our door about ten minutes after we woke, indicating it is time
to get up so we can hit the road again. It is more of a struggle to get out
of bed this morning, so we end up holding everyone up, as we are the last
to get ready. Mum doesn't seem too concerned, but I think that is only due
to the weather, so she isn't in as much of a rush as she would have
been. It is a mad scramble to get into the van once mum has drowned herself
in the process of unlocking it. We are desperate to stay as dry as
possible, but the rain is torrential so we get pretty wet anyway.

Once on the road the true extent of the rain becomes visible, as we pass
swollen streams and rivers which are on the brink of bursting their
banks. The river levels had been pretty high anyway, because the coast has
had a very wet winter so far. In fact the last two days have been the only
days of no rain the region has seen in almost two months. Mum is anxious,
not only because the heavy rain limits her visibility, making it hard to
drive, but also because it increases the risk of road closures. We are
continuing to head south, so there is only one route over to the other side
of the dividing ranges. We are going to take the Haast pass, which is
notorious for landslips and road closures, especially at this time of
year. The good thing about the road is it is very rarely closed through
snow because it doesn't rise high enough in the ranges to see the white
stuff too often, unlike the Lewis and Arthur's passes.

It is very slow going as we drive south to Haast, but we get good news when
we see on a big electronic sign that the pass is open. It advises extreme
caution, and also tells us that it is down to one lane in places, but the
important thing is it is open at this stage. The rain eases a bit as we
enter the pass, but not enough to be able to see anything out the window
clearly. I've heard this is a spectacular road to take, but the scenery is
washed out by the driving rain. Mum is ultra-cautious driving along this
narrow and windy road, which has a big unforgiving cliff on one side, and a
sheer drop into the Haast river below on the other. Parts of the road have
rivers of water crossing it, as the rain cascades down the side of the
cliff and drops into the river. Mum does well to keep control of the van in
a couple of them which cause the vehicle to aquaplane something
wicked. Traffic on the road is almost non-existent, so negotiating the
places where the road has washed out, narrowing it to one lane, is no
problem. Gradually the cliffs turn to hills, and they retreat forming a
valley, which allows the road to straighten and driving become much
easier. About the same time the rain stops, and blue sky can be seen in the
distance, which tells us the east side of the island must be having their
turn for fine weather.

The valley continues to widen, and the weather improves along with it. By
the time we are in the small town of Makarora, which is tiny and has a
frontier feel to it, the weather is brilliantly fine and sunny. The town is
one of those blink and you'll miss it types, but still the biggest form of
civilisation we have seen since passing through the township of Fox Glacier
this morning. We stop at the only shop in the place for a rest and some
food. It is a nice place, which sort of has a truck-stop feel to it. We
take our time to enjoy our meal, but more to allow our bodies time to relax
and stretch before we are cramped in the van again. The next part of the
trip is one of the most spectacular of the journey so far, as the road
heads back towards the mountains and skirts the northern end of Lake
Wanaka. It is one of the most stunning vistas I have seen, with huge
mountains seemingly plunging straight down and into the beautifully clear
and calm lake. The mountains have a decent dusting of snow, and the lower
levels are covered in green overgrown bush, which makes it look postcard
perfect.

I can see mum struggling to keep her eyes on the road, because the scene
around her is so spectacular she wants to be able to appreciate it. She
keeps her focus, which turns out to be lifesaving as the road rounds a bend
and enters a section which hasn't seen the sun yet, and the van starts to
slide. We have hit a patch of ice, and mum does bloody well not to
crash. We end up sideways on the road, almost blocking it, but after some
careful negotiating she manages to have us facing the right way again on
the narrow road. She drives with extreme care for a little while, until she
finds somewhere safe to pull off the road. She gets out of her seat, takes
a deep breath while stretching and enjoying the scenery, before going
around the van and taking dad's seat. Dad has driven in ice plenty of times
before, so they had agreed at the start of the trip that if we get any ice
he will do the driving for her. They had been hoping it wouldn't come down
to this, because mum knows exactly where we are going, and is no good at
navigating.

She can navigate herself alright, but trying to give directions to someone
else has always been a weakness. The good thing is that there is only one
way to go for quite a while. Dad took the road a little quicker than mum
had been at the end, but made sure to slow right down every time he saw the
road disappear into shadow. We have no further problems with the ice, so I
focus on the stunning scenery surrounding us again. After a little while we
leave the lake and head inland, but even that is only short lived as the
road ends up going along the western edge of a different lake. The lake we
are now travelling down is Lake Hawea, and although it is less dramatic
than Lake Wanaka doesn't mean it is any less beautiful. It reminds me of
why I love NZ so much, and I'm glad to be able to show it off in all its
glory to my one true love, Pierre.

It is hard to decide which country I like more between here and France,
because they both have so much going for them. I know that it isn't going
to be my decision about where we live, but I know mum has a hard one to
make. My heart is still planted firmly here in NZ, but I do love France and
realise that our grandparents and François will be living there. I think
Pierre too is fully in love with my country, but he is torn because of
François, who is the only other surviving member of his family. Then
there are Xavier and Bastian who both have no choice in where they
live. They also don't have the money to be able to come out here to visit,
so it will be hard on them if we live here. I know keeping everyone happy
is going to be near on impossible, because I'm sure Caleb and Dan would
prefer it if we lived here, so I'm hoping mum can come up with something
which will please as many as possible. This trip has complicated things so
much with where I want to live. Well, being in Taupo Bay complicated
things, but this has made things worse, and now I have no idea where I want
to live the rest of my life. The ideal situation would be to live in both
countries, but I don't think that is realistic, and would involve a hell of
a lot of travelling anyway. I hope that I can come up with a definite
answer by the end of our time here, if indeed we do all go back to France.

Because I'd been so lost in my own thoughts I hadn't noticed that we'd left
Lake Hawea, and have now arrived in Wanaka. Unlike what I'd expected we are
not in front of a hotel, instead dad has parked at a place called Puzzling
World. Everyone is in the process of getting out of the car, so I quickly
undo my seatbelt and follow suit. Well, Pierre undoes the belt, because he
has noticed that my mind is still coming back to earth, so he thinks he had
better help. I get a shock as I get out of the warm van, because it is
frigid outside, like the temperature isn't warming up despite the
sun. There is no ice to speak of, but I don't think the temperature is much
above zero Celsius. Thankfully it isn't long until we are inside the
building and warm again. The place is amazing and so much fun. Again it is
a place where kids can learn a lot, while enjoying themselves at the same
time. It does it well, and the highlight of the place to me is the tilted
room. The room is surreal, as optically when you are in it nothing feels
out of the ordinary, but your balance is all up the whack. Instead of
walking normally you are staggering around, while trying not to run from
one end to the other as it is tilted downhill. It is a unique experience
and one I'm glad I had the opportunity to enjoy.

We all had a wonderful time there, but as much as it looked like fun we
didn't do the 3D maze. It is too cold outside for it, and on top of that we
didn't have enough time. It would have been fun though, but it gives us a
good reason to come back here. We head for our hotel next, which is right
on the lakefront, so has superb views from each and every room. We have a
little time to relax, possibly shower or bath, before we go out for
dinner. Pierre and I decide a bath is in order, but before we get a chance
to start running it something catches our eye. Out on the lake a boat
suddenly appears, towing a person behind it. The person is fully kitted out
in a wetsuit and other cold water gear, but even from a distance we can
tell the person getting towed is about our age. He is on a wakeboard, and
seems to know his stuff as he pulls off some amazing tricks for our
enjoyment. We never get that bath, because he has us entranced with his
wakeboarding ability, so we can't take our eyes off him. We end up cuddling
together on a seat in front of the window watching the show he puts on. It
quickly starts getting dark, and the boy along with the boat disappear back
to wherever it is that they came from, meaning the show is over. I don't
know why because we know he couldn't have heard us, but we give him a round
of applause in appreciation for the dazzling display he put on.

Moments after he vanished we hear a knock on the door, indicating it is
time for dinner. We don't go too far from the hotel before we find a good
looking restaurant and head in. This time the meal is full of conversation,
unlike some of the previous ones, because we were all too tired to
talk. The six of us boys are chatting passionately about the boy we had
seen wakeboarding. It turns out the others couldn't help but watch his show
as well. I don't know why but we all automatically assume it was a boy who
was doing it, although no-one saw him clearly enough to know for sure, but
it doesn't really matter because his show was unbelievable. The adults are
amazed at seeing how much life something like that has generated in us,
because it is the most lively they have seen us at this time of day and
they are happy to see it. They hadn't really watched the show, because they
thought it was more important to get themselves cleaned up, so they don't
have to do it before bed, or worse, first thing in the morning. Us boys on
the other hand didn't even think about that; although we had all intended
to have a shower or bath, it didn't seem too important in the end.

Turns out we were a little wrong in our thinking, because once we have got
back to the hotel it is already getting late, and I still have to make
contact with Caleb and Dan to let them know we are in Wanaka. I try to make
the call as quick as possible, but as we still have no idea about where we
are heading tomorrow it doesn't help. We come to the arrangement that I
should text them when we get to Dunedin, so they can sort something out
with their mum and dad, but then they drop a bombshell. Caleb suddenly
remembers that they have an important engagement on Saturday and Sunday, so
our best bet will be catching them after school on the weekend. It is
devastating news because it severely limits when we will be able to see
them, and given today is Thursday means we won't get to catch up for at
least three days. I think Caleb wants to ask me something else, but in the
end he doesn't as he has been put off for some reason. Feeling a bit
despondent we say our goodbyes and hang up. Pierre gives me a hug, as we
thank grandma for allowing us to use her phone and then head to our
room. We have a quick shower before cuddling in bed and discussing
things. It doesn't take much for him to cheer me up, because I am still
feeling awesome with being married to him. In the end we never finish
discussing things because sleep takes its hold on us, and we don't realise
it until the morning.

Today's journey we cover a fair few miles, and cut through the heart of the
old Central Otago gold mines. Dad drives right from the get go, because
overnight there has been a severe frost meaning a high potential of black
ice. He heads out of town along the road leading to the Crown Range, but we
end up having to take the main highway out, because an electronic sign at
the beginning of the road tells us chains are essential for all vehicles
crossing the range. Without chains in the van the Crown Range Road is not
an option, which mum is a bit disappointed about. She tells us that she
wanted to show us Arrowtown, which is an old gold mining town but has a
different feel and character to the rest. It has been modernised, while
still trying to keep its history intact, so sounds like an interesting
place to see. I would be disappointed at not seeing it, but it means we
have the potential to arrive in Dunedin earlier, so I'm not too fussed
about missing the opportunity this time.

We head through to Cromwell, but don't stop. Our first stop of the day is
at a charming little town called Clyde. It still retains all its historic
charm, but also has the added attraction of a major hydroelectric dam. We
do the usual things when we stop, grab a bite to eat, and have a little bit
of an explore. We don't spend long here, despite how charming and beautiful
the place is. That is the only stop we make on the entire trip to Dunedin,
which means we all have sore butts by the time we enter the city. The
weather here is weird, sort of a low misty cloud cloaking the city, but the
hill suburbs are bathed in sunshine. The city is built on a harbour basin,
but grew to cover the surrounding hills. The harbour is long but narrow,
almost looks like a snake on the map as it carves its way north-east to the
Pacific Ocean. It dissects what would have been a bight in two, creating
two peninsulas, although one almost doesn't count because it is pretty well
connected to the mainland, so doesn't have the typical peninsula shape. The
main one, known as the Otago Peninsula is apparently well known for its
abundant wildlife. The southern side of the city is built around the coast,
and the seemingly straight beaches of St Kilda and St Clair, and the urban
sprawl continues to include part of the Otago Peninsula.

The road entering the city would provide an awesome view over it if the
weather was perfectly fine, but today all we see is what looks like fog
cloaking the city. The weather doesn't worry me in the slightest, because
I'm just glad to be here. I remember mum saying we would be spending a few
days here, so I hope that means more than three, because I don't think
we're going to have much chance to see Caleb and Dan before Monday. As soon
as we are at the hotel I plan to give them a ring to see if there is any
chance to catch up with them today, but since they have something big and
important to do over the weekend, I'm not going to hold my breath. I'm
expecting them to be busy getting organised tonight, but there is always a
chance that they may already have everything sorted, so that is why I'm
gonna give them a call. The other problem is that the sun is already
setting; because of the ice this morning travelling was very slow so we got
in later than I had hoped, but there's no harm in trying I figure.

Pretty much at the bottom of the hill we make a right turn at the first set
of traffic lights, which also happen to be the first ones we have seen
since leaving Nelson. We continue down the road till the very end, and then
cross another one and onto a sort of red brick type of street. You know one
of those fancy looking types to make an area look pretty. The street is one
way, and on one side it is lined with restaurants, and the other has a
children's playground. The street then rounds a bend and the Pacific Ocean
comes into view. It is just barely visible given the low cloud, but it is
unmistakeable as I can hear and see the surf crashing, and every so often a
big plume of frothy seawater fills the air before cascading down and
soaking everything within reach. I'm unsure why it is doing that because
I've never seen such a thing happen before, but Pierre tells me that there
must be a seawall which the street has been built on. He says the spray of
water is caused from large wave smashing against the wall, and he knows
this because he has seen a similar thing at a beach in England when his
parents took him on holiday there.

Despite the potential of getting wet there are a lot of people around. They
are well and truly kitted out in decent winter clothing, making me think
that it must be bitterly cold outside. There is a large sidewalk between
the road and the edge of the seawall which has a guardrail along it, but
also has proper beach access ways installed. Bollards add protection to the
pedestrians from the vehicular traffic, so it makes it a safe place to go
for a stroll, and lots of people use it for that purpose. Towards the
middle of the street dad pulls off the side of the road, in a small cove
between the road and bollards; this has us all confused about why he
stopped, especially since it is on broken yellow line indicating no
parking. Mum gets out of the van, crosses the road and enters a building. I
figure out why we are here, because the building she has entered is a
hotel. I hadn't noticed it before, because I was more focussed on the other
side of the road. We are all ecstatic about staying here, because I don't
think there would be a better location in the city for a hotel. I mean this
place is seafront, with awesome views. Well, the views would be awesome if
there wasn't so much low cloud around.

Mum returns after a couple of minutes and indicates to dad to park the van
in one of the garages underneath one of the rooms. Each room of the hotel
has its own garage below it, but by the looks of it there is no internal
access into the room, so we still have to use the main entrance every time
we come and go. It doesn't bother us, because it is just so cool to get
rooms with sea views. What is even better is that this is the most famous
surf break in the city, so we might get to watch some surfers carving up
the waves while we are here. As soon as dad gets a big enough break in the
traffic, he reverses the van into the garage, kills the engine, and then we
all get out. It doesn't take us long before we are all inside and mum is
handing out the keys to our rooms. The rooms are more like apartments than
hotel rooms, as they are totally self-sufficient, but they are elegantly
furnished giving a warm and cosy feel.

We only have enough time to drop our bags and take a quick squizz around
the room, before we go out for dinner. We don't have far to go, which is
good because we all have stiff bodies from being stuck in the car for so
long. I use the chance while we are waiting for our food to make my phone
call, but I get Caleb's dad instead. I'm a little caught off guard when a
man answers the phone, because it is the first time that has happened. I
also haven't really talked to the man, so didn't recognise his voice. After
we both work out who is on the other end of the line, he tells me that the
boys are busy preparing for tomorrow, so can't talk. He also assures me
that he will try to make sure we get to meet up while we are in here, but
it doesn't give me much comfort. I say goodbye not long after that and
return inside the restaurant to my seat beside Pierre and take hold of his
hand.

I'm not going to lie because I am starting to feel dejected at the thought
I won't get to see Caleb and Dan. The high that I have been on since
marrying Pierre is starting to waver slightly, but I can feel the same
thing in him too, which is why I needed to hold his hand. It helps a lot,
but neither of us can stop thinking about the probability we won't see
them. The other problem is that Callum and Manuel have picked up on our
sombre mood, so automatically know what it is about. I never planned to
confront mum about it, but Callum does. He pleads to her with an angry
agitated tone in his voice, because he, like Pierre and I, feels like mum
is deliberately trying to stop us from seeing them. Mum replies exactly the
way I expected her to, which is why I didn't want to say anything to
her. She tries to reassure us that she will try to find a way so we can
catch up with them, but she realises that we aren't buying it. Sighing, she
promises to take us out to the town they live in on Monday since it is so
important to us. Callum and Manuel cheer in celebration, but Pierre and I
are more reserved. The sudden turnaround smells like a rat, so I'm really
starting to wonder what she is up to.

Dinner arrives before I get to question her about it, and everyone quickly
digs in which stops me asking her anything, because it seems a bit
disrespectful. I'm almost certain she knows what I am thinking, because the
rest of the night she deliberately avoids eye contact with me, and does her
best to ignore me as a whole. Once we have finished dinner she pays the
bill before I get a chance to talk, and then tells us that we had better
get some sleep because we have a busy day lined up for tomorrow, and then
disappears with dad, leaving us to it. We all follow them, but they went so
quickly that we don't see them at all on the way back to the hotel. It is
at his point I know she is hiding something, but I won't be able to get any
answers until tomorrow, so with nothing else I can do I head into my room
with Pierre. We take a quick shower before bed, because we can't be
bothered getting up that little bit earlier to have one in the morning. We
are asleep within half an hour of getting back to our room.

We sleep a little too well as we are woken up abruptly, and I think
deliberately late in the morning. Mum bangs loudly on the door, while
telling us to hurry up because we are going in five minutes. The shock in
getting woken so sharply makes us jump out of bed, literally. We rush
around trying to find some clothes and putting them on, before rushing out
the door and the van. Everyone is waiting patiently for us, and as soon as
we are in dad takes off. The adrenalin from the sudden wake-up call starts
to wear off now, and we both feel drowsy and on the verge of falling asleep
again. My mind hasn't kicked into gear yet, so I'm in no state to ask mum
what is going on. My brain finally starts to catch up with me after we have
been in the van for a while, and it is the first time I pay much attention
to the surrounding scenery.

It isn't what I expected, as we seem to be in an old industrial area. It
sort of reminds me of an old wharf, or shipyard area because there are lots
of old warehouses around. One in particular catches my eye because of its
vast size. It looks like it takes up a whole city block, but not only that,
it also looks newer than the rest. It's almost like it has been recently
refurbished, but I pay little more attention to it because I don't see any
point to it. I mean this won't be where we are going, because it doesn't
look like there is anything to do around here, so it must be a shortcut
between St Clair and wherever the hell it is that we are going. The
following events confuse me, as dad pulls over to the side of the road and
parks the van.

Not long after that mum and dad get out, and tell us that we had better
come with them. No-one seems to have any idea about why we have stopped
here, as the rest are thinking exactly the same way as I am. There is
nothing here, so why on earth would mum want to stop here? We do follow,
because we may have missed something. We end up having to run after mum and
dad, because by the time we have decided to follow they have rounded the
corner. Grandma and grandpa get left behind in the process, but it doesn't
take them long to catch up. Unlike what I'd previously thought, it isn't a
street that goes around the corner of the newer looking warehouse. No, it
is an entrance to a large car park, which is full of people, but what I
notice most is there are lots of kids who are in wheelchairs. I still have
no clue why we are here because I don't know why mum would bring us to a
place full of kids with disabilities. I'm not at all concerned about the
kids, but my gut instinct tells me this is a special place for them, and
not us able bodied people.

"Josh, Pierre, Callum, Manuel... how on earth did you get here...? Well
more to the point, how did you know we were going to be here?" a voice
yells from somewhere in the crowd, and then I see who it is. Caleb comes
running over, followed closely by Dan and three other boys who look like
there is nothing wrong with them.

"Huh...? Um... we didn't... mum brought us here," I stammer, totally
confused with what is going on, before Caleb leaps at me and gives me the
warmest hug. The hug is a quick one, before he moves to Pierre, and so
on. Dan takes his place in hugging me, before he too moves on. After they
have hugged Pierre, Callum, Bastian and Manuel I realise that we should
introduce them to Xavier, but I don't need to. They give him a hug too,
after they have properly introduced themselves to him, and then it is their
turn to introduce the other boys. Their names are Luke, Luke and Chris, and
we find out that the last boy they introduced us to has moved to Wanaka. We
tell him that we were there the other day, and got to see this wicked
wakeboarder out on the water that afternoon. He blushes a little as we tell
him this, because as it turns out the boy who was wakeboarding was him. We
are all impressed and thank him for the awesome show.

Caleb and Dan then go onto explain why they are here. It is Caleb's pet
project, a little indoor amusement park. They tell us that all profits made
will go to various charities and that is the main reason Caleb wanted to
make such a thing. Then they tell us a really scary and upsetting story
about a boy called Alex who they met while they were in hospital, and how
he died of testicular cancer. He is the inspiration behind the place, as he
wants the boy's legend to continue in a good light. Today is an unofficial
opening, as Caleb has decided he wanted to treat as many kids in the
hospital as he could, so is having an open day especially for them. It is
then that they ask us whether we are willing to help the kids have some
fun, because a lot of them don't have the strength to do it by
themselves. They didn't need to ask us, and I'm sure they knew that, but
did so out of politeness. The answer is a resounding `yes we will help'
from everyone, grandparents included. They are very impressed with Caleb
and Dan for coming up with such a great idea, and the wonderful reasoning
behind it. Grandma whispers to me once they have finished telling us what
is going on, that she hasn't forgotten about what I want to do, and we will
come up with a great idea like this as well. I give her the biggest smile,
then a kiss and cuddle to thank her.

Caleb tells us that as his friends we will get in free any time we want,
but there is no way I could accept such an offer, so I tell him that I
believe in his cause too much so will pay regardless. He is a little caught
off guard by my comments, and starts to fight back, because he doesn't feel
right about charging us to enjoy the place being friends and all. I
understand his reasoning, but still can't accept it. Thankfully Dan steps
in before we get into a stupid argument about nothing really, because he
understands both our points of view. He explains to Caleb why I can't
accept his offer, ensuring Caleb fully understands. He does, but won't let
the subject die just yet, and tells us in no uncertain terms that because
we're helping out with the kids from the hospital today that we will get
one free day pass here. I can agree to that, because it isn't getting
something for nothing. We are helping so getting something in return; I
have no issues with that, so accept his offer by shaking his hand. That
quickly turns into a hug, while we apologise to each other for almost
getting into a fight about it. We feel a little ashamed at the way we
acted, mainly because we didn't explain ourselves properly, and overreacted
to what the other one said. The hug works well, and we are pleased with how
it all turned out in the end.

The inevitable question comes up a little after that, and that is how we
knew he was hosting this event. None of us had any idea and we tell him
that, before I suddenly work it out. Mum must have known all along about
this, because she had been trying to tell us we would see them, while at
the same time not helping us to make arrangements. She comes clean not long
after Caleb asks us, which we are glad about, but Caleb's dad also speaks
up, giving us a fright in the process. No-one had seen him coming, let
alone noticed him standing behind his son. I don't know how we missed him,
but we did. Turns out mum and Caleb's dad had been arranging this behind
our backs since the date was set for us to come back to New Zealand. The
only reason mum bought us to the South Island was for this, so she decided
she would make a memorable trip out of it as well. Originally she didn't
plan on coming down here, as after the wedding she wanted to travel a
little bit around parts of the North Island. A major trip like this wasn't
in the plans, until she heard about what Caleb was doing. Unsurprisingly
their confessions lead to them getting hugged by all of us as we say thanks
to them, before Caleb decides it is time to get the ball rolling.

The day is absolutely awesome, as we give the kids the time of their
lives. The girl I'm in charge of for the day has been sickly all her life
through having an advanced form of leukaemia, which she isn't responding to
the treatment for. The excitement of the day helps her forget about the
symptoms, but as the day wears on she grows very, very tired. I try to help
her do things at a relaxed pace, but early on it didn't work as she had too
much excitement and corresponding energy pent up. She has a ball in the
time she is able to play, and is forever thanking me for helping her. It
makes me feel all warm and gooey inside, so when she crashes and falls
asleep I ensure to take her to a quiet part of the park so she can rest
peacefully. It is the least I could do after she gave me a day I will never
forget. There is nothing more memorable than giving a sick child a day of
fun to remember, and the little smile curled up on her lips while she
sleeps tells the whole story.

After returning the kids to the hospital, and getting hugged to death in
thanks for giving them such a fun day out, we go to a fancy restaurant
nearby for dinner. The whole lot of us pretty much pack out the small
place, but thankfully someone had thought ahead and pre-booked, because
they had no problems fitting us in. The evening is wonderful, having the
best food we have had yet for dinner, and the enthusiastic chatter as we
exchange stories about the kids we were in charge of today. Despite none of
us getting to enjoy the park for ourselves, we all had an equally wonderful
time ensuring those poor kids in the hospital had as much fun as
possible. The two youngsters, Callum and Manuel, made friends with the kids
they were in charge of, and I'm not just talking about acquaintance type of
friendship. No they went the whole hog and became real good friends with
their charges, exchanging contact details and all, so they are the most
pumped about the day out of all of us. It makes me so proud of them,
because I was a little worried that they might be a bit disappointed in not
being able to play themselves, but no they went beyond the call of duty and
helped their charges in more ways than one.

Once the conversation finally dies, miles after we have all finished
eating, we leave the restaurant. I can't say I paid much notice, but I
could swear that no-one actually paid for the meal. I don't know, and
no-one comes running after us so I presume someone must have at some stage
during the evening. Pierre and I are preparing to say goodbye to our
friends, when Caleb's dad informs us that we are all staying in the same
hotel for the night. It turns out they stay there for more than one night,
because they are there for the whole time we spend in Dunedin. We are there
for four more days, which were pretty busy. The next day we went back to
the warehouse to support Caleb during the official opening of his project,
and we also decide to use our free pass to keep him happy. It is an awesome
day, and we have loads of fun at the park, but mum has more planned for the
day than that. After a decent half a day playing we head into the city
centre to take a tour around the Cadbury's chocolate factory. It was
interesting, but not quite as good as I'd hoped, although we got a few
samples to enjoy at the end that made it all worth it.

The day after is a day for the adults as much as for us kids, as we go
exploring the Otago Peninsula. We start off by visiting the albatross
colony at Taiaroa Head, which is an awe inspiring sight as we watch these
massive birds fly so gracefully without the need to flap their wings. The
place is also full of lots of information about the birds, along with the
conservation efforts to save them, as they are still losing too many birds
due to long line fishing, and other manmade problems. After that we went on
a couple of walks further down the peninsula, heading back towards the
city. The Chasm and lovers leap walk is nice, not too hard, and has some
stunning scenery. The chasm is almost like a massive hole in the ground,
except one wall doesn't exist, but it makes for an impressive sight. Lovers
leap is where the ocean has eroded away soft sediment causing a natural
bridge which the sea surges through the hole underneath and into a
ravine. After returning to the van after the walk we head back to the
hotel, but only for a short time. A small bus picks us up about quarter of
an hour later, and we head back out onto the peninsula.

We are on a wildlife watching tour, and we get shown around some of the
natural bird watching habitats on the peninsula. They are the tidal inlets,
which have a surprisingly large array of different birds there, but not in
huge numbers. We see quite a few though, before we leave the inlets and
head for the coast. The company that runs the tour has its own private
beach used to help protect the rare species of yellow eyed penguin who call
this place home. It is a very steep walk down onto the beach, but watching
the clumsy birds come ashore and then somehow climb a steep hill to their
nests is by far worth the walk. It is a sight so unique that I will
probably never see it again. Well, not unless I move here, or visit here
more often. It is late by the time we get to the hotel, and we are all very
tired from all the walking, so within ten minutes of getting off the bus we
are all fast asleep in bed.

The last day in Dunedin we don't do a lot. We follow Caleb's dad out to
their house in Aramoana, on the northern peninsula and spend half the day
conversing there. Well, the adults conversed; Caleb and Dan show us around
the town, including the infamous rock which landed them both in
hospital. It is a beautiful part of the world that is for sure, and I can
see why they love it here, but to me Taupo Bay is better. Each to their own
I suppose. After a long and emotional farewell we head back to the hotel in
the city, where we spend the rest of the day relaxing. It would have been
the rest of the day, but Callum and I get restless watching the surfers,
especially with the surf looking so good that we manage to convince mum to
hire some boards and wetsuits.

Bastian, Xavier and Manuel decide to give it a go too, but opt for a
surfing lesson, which Pierre decides to do too. Pierre is a bit reluctant
initially, because he knows how much Callum and I love surfing and how good
we are at it, so doesn't want to spoil our fun. After hearing the others
ask if they can get lessons he sees the opportunity to give the sport
another go without being a hindrance to us. He never would have been, but I
know how he feels, so I'm glad something worked out for him. It really was
the best for all of us, because at the end we have all had far more fun
than we would have if Callum and I had to try to teach them. We never would
have had a problem doing it, but having professionals do it for us allowed
them to have more fun than if we had tried to teach them. All in all it
worked itself out for the best for all of us, as they learnt pretty well
and had a ball in the process, while Callum and I turned some heads.

We never expect to, as we are both just trying to make the most of the
opportunity, but some of the other surfers noticed how good we are. By the
end of our surf we attract a pretty good crowd, and in it are some people
scouting future surfing talent. They approach us as we are getting out of
the water, and we get offered a full scholarship and everything, as they
try to convince us to go to the surfing academy. Neither of us bother to
consult anyone about it, because we both have the same thoughts, and that
is we surf for fun, so the prospect of competing and becoming professional
surfers doesn't interest us, so we turn them down. They admire our decision
which surprises me, until they tell us that we are the first to reject the
offer without any consultation with our parents because of our
beliefs. They respect that we only want to do it for fun, but a lot of kids
just look at it for the money, so try desperately to convince their parents
it is a good thing. That said they inform us it isn't all about the money,
as they offer private style schooling along with plenty of time to surf, so
they leave the offer on the table in case we change our minds.

They give us some information brochures to take home with us, which we do
and give them to mum as soon as we can. The adults read through all the
information with interest, and it turns out it could be very beneficial for
us, but they understand that I wouldn't go to anything like that without
Pierre. Not knowing where we are going to live also stops that idea in its
tracks, but they keep all the information for the meantime. They want what
is best for me, I get that, but I still don't know why they bothered
keeping it, because the offer was never extended to Pierre, so there is no
way in hell I'm going to go. I suppose knowing the way mum has been lately
she might try to persuade them to take Pierre as well, if it will get me in
there. Mum is seriously starting to look at ways for me to catch up on the
schooling I'm behind in, so an opportunity like this can't be written off
at first glance.

I have forgotten about it by the next day, and being back on the road helps
that as well. We leave Dunedin, heading up the east coast to
Christchurch. Mum has told us the rest of the plans now, since there are no
more secrets to be kept. We make a couple of stops along the way, with the
first being at Moeraki to see the world famous round boulders there, which
are very impressive to see, and climb on in real life, instead of in
pictures on calendars etc. After that we head up to Oamaru for our last
stop, which is for lunch and a walk around the glorious buildings in town
built of a beautiful white rock, known as Oamaru stone. We also take a walk
around the interesting and eclectic historic precinct, restored around the
old port. It really is a great place to explore, and a pity we were in a
bit of a rush, because we didn't get to take everything in properly. We get
to Christchurch late in the afternoon, almost evening, and check into our
hotel.

The next day we were supposed to go on a train ride, but the alpine express
which goes from Christchurch to Greymouth isn't running today. We are all
extremely disappointed hearing that, because it is supposed to be one of
the top train rides in the world, going through a wide range of changing
scenery, as it winds its way up the alps to Arthur's Pass, and then back
down the other side. Since the train isn't going mum changes the plan and
decides to spend an extra day in Kaikoura, so we travel up there. It is a
stunning trip when we reach the coast, and wind our way north, wedged
between the towering snow clad peaks of the Kaikoura ranges and the rugged,
rocky Pacific Ocean coastline. The road is narrow, and we have to go
through two or three tunnels, as the only place they could put the road was
under a mountain. We make it to Kaikoura with the best part of the day left
to go, so we go out on a whale-watching cruise.

This is another tour I highly recommend, as it is unbelievable and so
surreal seeing these giants of the ocean up close. They seem to like plying
for the boats as well, because as soon as they noticed we were around, they
breached the water in spectacular fashion. They can jump surprisingly high
for such a huge animal, but as impressive as that is, the way they flick
and wave their tails is equally so. We are all stoked by the end of the
tour, and the crayfish we have for dinner makes thing even better. We
eventually make it to a hotel, completely bushed, so we are asleep not long
after checking in. We spend the next morning exploring the town and small
peninsula it is built on, which includes a visit to the seal colony at the
end of it. The day is relaxed, and we are in no rush to do anything, as
tomorrow we are heading back to Picton, and then we have the long drive
back to Auckland so we don't feel like doing a lot today. Our peace and
quiet is completely shattered when grandma's phone starts ringing, because
Caleb and Dan are wanting to get hold of us. The news throws our plans into
turmoil, as we have some important decisions to make...

************

Well, we have come to the end of Washed Up. My next story that I'm going to
write will answer any remaining questions left in this one, but I am going
to wait until I have pretty much finished writing it before I start
submitting. I will post the title to my new story on here closer to the
time it gets released, but for this one it is over. I hope you enjoyed the
ride, and the boys will be back. For now goodbye.

I would like to thank one of my readers who so kindly did the editing for
me from about chapter 16. If it wasn't for him then there was no way I
could have submitted anywhere near as regularly as I did. Thank you it is
much appreciated. Also thank you to all my readers, especially those who
have taken the time to write in and give me feedback, without you it would
mean nothing, so thanks.

************

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