Date: Sat, 3 Sep 2016 20:52:21 +0000 (UTC)
From: Jay Carrington <jcee1113@yahoo.com>
Subject: My Son and His Friends - Chapter 44

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This is a story of a man's relationship with his son and his son's
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Chapter 44 - My Son and His Friends

I drove straight home after leaving the graduation ceremony.  As I drove, I
reflected back of the comments made by members of the posse, some of the
other students, and the parents that had talked to me after the ceremony.
I was taken with the comments that thanked me for seeing each student as an
individual rather than a mass of students seated before me.  I smiled when
I thought about Tanner's and Blake's comments.  I had to smile as not one
of the posse tried to feel me up in the crowd.  I chuckled when I asked
myself "Was I disappointed?"

I drove into the garage, parked, got out and went inside.  I stopped and
talked to Ryan who was watching a movie in the family room.  I told him
that I had to go shower and change as my clothes were wet from sweating
while sitting on the football field during a warm early June outdoor
graduation ceremony.

I walked to my bedroom, stripped, showered and dressed in a pair of boxer
briefs.  I returned to the family room and joined Ryan on the sofa.  He
leaned up against me and again, he apologized for his and the group's
actions last year.  He told me that he thought our paybacks were a little
extreme, but effective.  I hugged him and said "Ryan, you are my son and
you know that I love you.  I didn't appreciate some of last year's stunts,
especially the bondage, however some good did come out of it just like some
good has and will come out of your payback."  We sat, watched the movie and
talked about his plans for the next two days while I was at work.  My phone
rang, and it was Phil.  He asked about graduation, and I told him that it
was nice and hot.  He told me that it was hot there as well, and that they
had a severe lightening storm that night.  I told him that we really needed
some rain, but it didn't look like it would happen.  I told him that I
didn't make any visits today, but would as soon as I finished work Thursday
and Friday afternoons.  He said "Doug, I really appreciate you doing that,
but I feel that I am going to need you here with me before the weekend.
Dad's condition has taken a downward turn, his blood work is not good, his
blood pressure is dropping, and he has stopped eating."  I listened to
Phil's description of his Dad's condition, and I could not help, but shed
tears as he talked because I could hear the fear and sadness in his voice.
I told him that I loved him, and that, I would be with him as soon as I
could.  He thanked me, and we hung up.  I told Ryan about the conversation
and he said "Dad, we probably need to start packing our stuff."  I said "I
agree, but I also need to call the other boys and let them know."  He said
"Dad, it's ten thirty, and I don't think we need to call tonight."  I
smiled and said "You are probably right, I will text everyone in a few
minutes.

We headed to our bedrooms and in a few minutes Ryan walked into my bedroom
and said "Dad, I am going to pack my essentials like socks, boxer briefs, a
white t-shirt or two, some shorts, a swimsuit, and some of my pull-over
colorful t-shirts."  I said "That sounds like a start, I will join you in a
few minutes, and we will make the final choices regarding your dress
clothes."  I finished packing my stuff and laid out my dress clothes which
I would pack in my hanging bag.  I walked down to Ryan's room, and we
located several pair of dress pants, his new polo shirt, a few more polos
that looked decent, two belts, his toiletry bag, and several pairs of
shoes.  We placed our luggage by the door to the utility room so that we
could easily grab them when we received the phone call, or on Friday, when
I got off work.

We went to bed, and for me, it was a restless night.  I could only imagine
what Phil was dealing with, and I could hear the dread and fear in his
voice.  Although I had dealt with the deaths of my grandparents, and the
divorce from Allison and her death, I had never watched someone that I
loved deteriorate in front of me.

Finally, Thursday morning arrived.  I showered, dressed and left for work
picking up something to eat as I drove by Hardees.  I arrived at work,
hurried down to my classroom and began that dreaded job of packing my room
for summer cleaning.  At eight o'clock, I met with members of the science
department.  I asked for textbook needs, material and equipment needs, gave
directions of submitting inventories, and packing their classrooms.  We
finished our business, returned to our rooms, started packing and
completing all necessary paperwork.  I checked my cell phone several times
during the day.  I had messages from Meredith, Christina and Michelle.  I
returned their texts with the answers that they needed.  As soon as the
school day was finished, I left and visited three of the worksites that
were almost finished.  I found that they could and would be finished the
next day.  I took pictures, but did not send to Phil as I knew he was
occupied with other concerns.

I drove home, got out of the Denali and walked over to Meredith's.  She met
me at the door, invited me in, and then, she called Christina and Michelle.
Christina walked over, but Michelle was still working at the hospital.  We
talked about the trip to be with Phil and finalized travel plans.  Meredith
told me that Justin and Colt would drive down with Rob and Jay for the
funeral.  They also told me that they had gone shopping with Jay, Rob, Colt
and Justin and had picked out colorful polos that were different in color
from the ones that I had chosen.  She and Christina said that they would
talk to Rob and Jay and explain that they would go down with their dads
when it became necessary.  I told them that I would leave as soon after
work tomorrow with Ryan and Myles because Michelle was working and he would
normally have stayed with me.  They said they understood and were in total
agreement.

I left Meredith's and walked back to my house.  I found Ryan and told him
that we would go out to eat as I did not want to spend my evening cooking
and cleaning the kitchen.  In the meantime, I washed, dried, hung, and
folded clothes.  I kept myself busy until I felt it was close to supper
time.  I called Michelle, and she had just walked into her house.  I asked
if she had packed Myles' clothes, and she said that she had, but that he
did not have a good pair of khaki slacks.  I told her to send him down, and
I would take him to the store to pick up a pair as I wanted to leave as
soon as I could tomorrow.

Myles arrived in a few minutes and he, Ryan and I headed to the mall to
purchase him some slacks.  It was not as easy as I had thought it would be,
because he was at an awkward size and I didn't have time for them to be
hemmed at the store so we continued visiting several stores.  Finally, we
found the right shade, the right waist size, and the right length.  I
called Michelle to see if he needed anything else.  Being the organized
one, I questioned her on several items.  She said that she had his stuff
packed except the slacks that I had just purchased.  I asked if they had
eaten, and she said she was about to start supper just about the time that
I called.  I told her to join us at the diner, and we could all eat
together as Myles would be with me over the weekend and for the next few
days.

We drove to the diner and Michelle joined us.  We entered and were seated.
We placed our drink as well as our hamburger and fries orders.  We talked
about the summer plans, the trip to be with Phil, and whatever the boys
wanted to talk about that night.  I handed Michelle the bag that had Myles'
slacks so that she could finish packing his luggage.  Myles went home with
Michelle while Ryan and I returned to our house.  We walked in, tidied up
and then, headed to bed.

I was up early the next morning and headed to work as early as I could
function.  I dropped by McDonalds, picked up something to eat and headed to
school.  I parked, checked in at the office, and walked down to my
classroom.  I started storing textbooks, supplies and equipment in the
cabinets, on the shelves and in the storage closet.  I cleaned out my desk
and stored those supplies in my office.  I removed all posters from the
walls as our rooms were going to be painted over the summer.  I finished my
room, checked the other science rooms, and signed off on all departmental
members' end of year checklists.

Around noon, I closed my classroom door, walked to the office, gave my key
and checklist to the school secretary, and headed home.  I rushed into the
house, changed into shorts, a polo, and deck shoes.  I packed mine and
Ryan's luggage in the Denali along with a small cooler of soft drinks and a
basket of snacks.  We loaded up, drove down to Myles' house, picked him and
his luggage up, and headed to the interstate.  I called Dad and told him
that we were on our way to be with Phil.  I asked when Mom was leaving for
her trip to the Holy Land and Dad told me that she was leaving next
Wednesday.  I asked him when did he plan on coming to visit.  He said that
he would wait to hear from me.  We hung up, and I called Phil to let him
know we were on our way.  He answered, and I could tell it was not a good
time, so I cut our call short and continued to drive.  We stopped at
Wendy's in Gainesville for a late lunch / early supper.  We finished our
burger and fries and took our drinks with us after getting a refill.

We continued on the interstate, but I decided to stop in Ocala for a
restroom break and to fill- up with gas.  It was a good break for us as we
needed some time to stretch and walk.  We continued our travels and were
soon at the intersection of I-75 and State Highway 50.  I got off the
interstate and headed west on 50.  I called Phil to let him know that we
had just exited the interstate.  He told me that he had made room
arrangements for us with a friend who owned a hotel in New Port Richey.  I
told him that we would be there as soon as possible.  Our drive took us
through some beautiful areas and through the towns of Brooksville, Spring
Hill and Weeki Wachee.  I turned south on U.S. Highway 19 /27 when Highway
50 ended.  The drive on 50 through Spring Hill and Weeki Wachee and along
parts of 19 involved areas of heavy construction so I had to slow down as
traffic was backing up.  We finally arrived at the hotel and checked in at
the office.  As we were checking in, the owner happened to be in the office
and when he heard my name, he came around the counter and shook my hand.
He told me that he had spent some time with Phil a couple of days ago, and
that, Phil had spoken highly of me and my boys.  He told me that he had
rooms reserved for the additional people in my party as needed.

We unloaded our luggage and headed to our rooms.  The boys settled into
their room and claimed one of the two queen sized beds knowing that the
other bed would be used by Rob and Jay when they arrived.  They unpacked
their stuff and placed some in the drawers and hung the rest in the closet.
I did the same thing in my room and then, I texted Phil to let him know
that we had registered and were in our rooms.  I gave him my room number
and went next door to be with the boys for a while.  We looked at some of
the pamphlets and booklets that were in the room advertising restaurants
and local attractions.  After we had looked at the stuff in the room, we
turned on the TV and watched an old western.

In about an hour, there was a knock at the door.  I looked at the boys, and
they looked at me.  I went to the door and looked out the peep hole.  It
was Phil, I opened the door, and I knew instantly.  I grabbed him, and we
hugged each other tightly.  He stepped into the room, and I told him that
we could go to our room, but he wanted to be with the boys.  We settled on
one bed while the boys were on the other one.  He said "My Dad is better
off as he is no longer in pain.  I can't believe that about an hour ago, I
had my Dad here on this earth with me and now, he is in heaven."  I put my
arm around him and pulled him tight to me.  I looked at the boys and they
had tears in their eyes.  Phil continued "People often say that there is no
heaven, nor an afterlife, but tonight I saw what I will always believe to
be an answer to that.  Shortly before my Dad drew his last breath, he
opened his eyes, looked each one of us straight in the eye and then looked
beyond me and smiled as if he was seeing an old friend and then he let out
his last breath of air."  I felt the hair on my arms stand up. He said
"Earlier in the week, he began to talk to people who had passed on years
ago.  It was unnerving, but also comforting at the same time, and now,
tonight I can only believe that he was welcomed into heaven by someone he
knew and believed would be there for him."  We sat there for a while and
did not say a thing.  Finally, Phil said "Let's go to our room," so we got
up and walked to our room after telling the boys to lock all locks on their
door and call us if they needed something.

Phil and I walked into our room.  I gave him the second key and we stripped
down to our boxer briefs, pulled back the comforter and sheet, and got in
bed.  I turned out the lamp and we rolled up against one another.  I pulled
Phil to me and held him.  We talked a little more about his Dad's passing
and he did shed a few tears.  After a while, I felt Phil relax and I knew
that he had fallen asleep.

I awoke the next morning about the same time that Phil woke up.  He looked
over at me and said "It was not a dream; he really did pass didn't he?"  I
said "Yes, Phil, he has passed and is no longer suffering."  He got out of
bed, stretched and said "Well, I need to shower, dress, and then run by
Mom's.  I need to change clothes there and then, go with the family to make
arrangements."  He went to the bathroom, took care of his morning rituals
and showered while I sat in the bed and watched the morning news.  He
walked out of the bathroom, dropped his towel, and dressed in the clothes
that he had worn yesterday.  He told me that he would call me later and
that we would go to lunch with his mom and the family, but in the meantime
he mentioned several locations for a good breakfast.  I told him to let me
know the arrangements as soon as possible so that I could let the boys back
home know.  He promised that he would, and he left.

I called the boys' room and told them to get up, shower, dress and come on
over to my room.  I got out of bed, headed to the bathroom, took care of my
morning rituals, dressed and waited for the boys.  Finally, they arrived,
and we headed out to find something to eat.  Most everything is on 19/27 so
it was fairly easy to find the Cracker Barrel.  We went in, reviewed the
menu, and ordered a glass of orange juice and a Coca Cola with our meal.
We studied the menu and eliminated some suggested offerings as we are not
great fans of breakfast gravy, so we settled on the Old Timer's Breakfast
which had a few choices that we loved.  We all settled on the same thing
(scrambled eggs, thick sliced bacon, buttermilk biscuits, fried apples,
some sawmill gravy, butter and preserves).  Our food was brought to us, and
we began to eat as we were famished.  We finished our breakfast, and I paid
our bill while the boys toured through the gift shop.  After breakfast we
drove through some of the areas of Tarpon Springs and New Port Richey /
Port Richey.  We were really interested in the sponge docks and actually
took a ride on one of the sponge boats to watch a diver bring up some
sponges.  We toured through a Greek bakery and purchased a few sweet items.
We visited several other shops and enjoyed looking at the souvenirs and
specialty items.  I bought several bars of soap to give as gifts to some of
my friends and to mom.  We left that area and headed back to the hotel.

As we were pulling into the hotel parking lot, Phil called and said that he
was on his way and that we should be ready to go to lunch.  He arrived in a
few minutes with his mom.  I introduced her to the boys, and she thanked
them for coming to support the family at this difficult time.  Phil said
that his mom wanted a salad so he suggested that we go to Sweet Tomatoes
which is a salad buffet.  I told him that we would follow him.  We loaded
up and followed Phil.  After a short drive we pulled into the parking lot
and parked.  We went in, paid, grabbed a plate and tray, toured the
choices, made our selections, placed our plates on our table, and made our
drink choices.  We moved several tables together so that we could all sit
together.  Phil asked how we had spent our morning.  We told him about the
trip to the sponge docks and some of the shopping.  He smiled and told us
that the sponge docks were one of his favorite places to visit when he had
the time.  He talked about a park that was nearby and said that maybe we
might want to visit it.  Phil looked at his mom, put his arm around her
shoulders, and pulled her to him.  She began to shed tears, and it impacted
every one of us.  She said "I know Vince would not be happy with me right
now, but the tears are for me, not him."  Phil said "Mom, I understand and
Dad would too, let them out, and let them flow.  You are with family."  She
looked over at me and I nodded.  She smiled and said "I am so blessed to
have you guys standing with me."  Phil took the time to tell us that the
service would be held at two o'clock on Tuesday at their church.  He said
that he, Brandon, Meaghan, and the pastor would be speakers and that there
would not be any live music as his Dad had several CDs that he loved and
wanted played during the service.  We finished lunch and Phil insisted that
we follow him back to his parents' home.

I pulled in behind Phil as he parked his mom's car in the driveway.  We
walked into the house and I introduced Myles and Ryan to Brandon and
Meaghan.  They told the boys that their children would come over later in
the afternoon, but until then, they encouraged the boys to go to the family
room and play some pool.  I nodded my head, and they headed that way.  We
sat down and discussed the upcoming days.  Mrs. Hearst insisted that we
come to her house for every meal between now and the time that we left
because she knew that neighbors, friends, and church members would bring
food for the family and friends.  Phil looked over at me and gave me the
'Agree to it' look.  I told her that we would, and she was off onto another
topic.  Brandon and Meaghan said that they had been listening to the CDs
for the service and that they had also found another one that they liked.
Phil and Mrs. Hearst told them that if they liked it and wanted it that it
would be a part of the service.

Around five o'clock, people began to come to the house with food, flowers,
and other memory gifts.  Mrs. Hearst greeted everyone and introduced them
to me.  Meaghan and Brandon's children arrived and they joined Ryan and
Myles in the family room.  Meaghan began to record the names and items that
the people brought to the house.  Phil motioned for me to join him, and we
began to place the food either on the table or in the refrigerator.  I was
impressed with the cakes and pies that were brought to the house, they
looked delicious and so appealing.  Brandon walked into the kitchen and
said "Since the kids are here, I am going to call them to come fix
themselves a plate.  They can eat in the family room."  Phil said "Sounds
like a plan because I am about to make me one, and I know that Doug will be
eating soon."  I looked up and smiled at him.  We served the kids and after
they were seated in the family room, we began to make a plate for
Mrs. Hearst, Meaghan and ourselves.  The food was delicious with some great
salads, a large baked ham, cooked vegetables, deviled eggs, various types
of bread and a variety of desserts. After we finished eating, I took charge
of cleaning the kitchen and storing the food that needed refrigeration or
special storage while Phil stored the cakes, pies and breads.  We finished
and visited with some of the people who had come to be with the family.  I
told Phil that I thought I needed to take the boys and go back to the hotel
around nine o'clock.  He said that he would join me in about an hour.  I
herded the boys to the Denali, backed out, and headed to the hotel.

We arrived and went to our rooms.  In a few minutes, I was inundated with
texts from both Myles and Ryan.  They were funny, and said that they wanted
to keep me occupied until Phil came home.  Phil arrived as he had
predicted.  We lay on the bed and talked about a number of things.  He
asked me when was I thinking about going home, and I said "Probably on
Thursday".  He said "Thank you, because I need you here on Wednesday.  I am
going to try to go home on Saturday, but it depends on how Mom is doing."

We tended to a variety of things related to the service and storing items
at Phil's Mom's house over the next few days.  We abided by Mrs. Hearst's
request and ate all of our meals at her house.  I went shopping with Phil
on Monday afternoon to help him find a colorful dress shirt and a few other
items that he had forgotten to bring.  We finally found him a shirt and
made the other purchases.  After a drive out to the cemetery, we returned
to his mom's house and I washed, dried and ironed his new shirt.  Around
four o'clock my phone rang.  It was Justin telling me that they had arrived
at the hotel.  I told Phil, and we left his mom's to go to the hotel so
that Justin and group could follow us back.  We pulled up at the hotel and
found them standing around outside.  Phil got out of the Denali and as soon
as Jay saw him, he walked over, hugged Phil, and told him how sorry he was
that his Dad had passed.  Rob did the same thing a little while later.
Colt and Justin expressed their condolences.  Jay looked over at me and
said "Pops, where is the best place to eat, we are hungry and I know you
have already tested these places out."  I said "Jay, we are going to go
back to Phil's Mom's house and eat."  His face showed disappointment until
Ryan spoke up and said "Jay, there is so much food there and it is so
good."  Phil and I went up to our room to drop off his other purchases
then, we returned to join the group.  We loaded in either the Denali or
Justin's Suburban.  They followed us back to Phil's Mom's house.

We got out and entered the house.  Phil began to make the introductions to
his family that the two new boys were his other sons and that the two
gentlemen with them were their caretakers."  Justin and Colt got a kick out
of that with Justin saying "Caretakers, is about the right word, we feed
and look after those two animals."  Mrs. Hearst hustled all of us into the
dining room and told us to make ourselves a plate of food and not to be shy
about the size of the helpings.  She showed Jay and Rob the desserts.
Jay's eyes went wide at the chocolate cake that had about fifteen tiny
layers with a fudge icing.  Justin and Colt could not wait to get a piece
of the ham along with some sweet potato casserole.  Mrs. Hearst announced
for everyone in the house to come and fix a plate as soon as we had
finished in the dining room as there was too much food there for her
family.  People began to line up, so I stepped in the kitchen and began to
fill plastic cups with ice and various drinks.  Jay asked Phil if this was
the house that he had grown up in and Phil told him that it was.  Jay
wanted to see his room so Phil took us on a tour of his room.  The boys
were awed by his trophies and some of the newspaper articles posted on the
walls regarding his accomplishments in both sports and academics.  Jay
picked up one of the bats and ran his hand up and down it not thinking that
anyone was watching him, but Phil and I were.  We returned to the family
room and joined the others in conversation while the boys joined the other
kids outside.  We left his mom's house later that night and returned to the
hotel.  Everybody went to their rooms.  I decided to check on the boys, so
I knocked on the door and Rob opened it wearing his boxer briefs.  I
stepped in and they were in their beds watching a TV program.  I gave them
a run-down of tomorrow's schedule so that they would know that we could not
waste time.  They said they understood and would cut the TV off shortly.  I
left the room and returned to the room that Phil and I were sharing.

Phil had showered by the time that I entered and had slipped under the
covers.  I took a quick shower, put on some fresh boxer briefs and joined
him.  We talked about the boys and how they had reacted when they saw Phil
earlier in the afternoon.  He said "What did you make of the way that Jay
was handling the bat?"  I said "Phil, you know Jay, and you know that the
answer could be mild or wild, but I think he just wanted to feel something
that meant a lot to you."  He said "Doug, Jay is unique and in spite of all
things, I really think he has a special place in my heart."  I said "Phil,
I think he has a special place in his heart for you, but he would never
admit it.  Jay is in spite of all things, tenderhearted and loving, but
puts up a big front to cover it."  He shook his head in agreement then; he
adjusted his pillow and rolled over on his side with his back to me.  I
turned the lamp off and snuggled up next to him with my arm over him
pulling him close to me.  We were soon asleep.

We woke up the next morning and laid out the clothes that we would wear to
the Service.  I listened as Phil outlined his talk.  I gave him some
feedback, and he made note of my comments.  His phone rang, and it was his
Mom, she was calling to tell us that the Church had brought breakfast foods
so we needed to come on while it was still hot.  I called the other two
rooms and soon everybody was at the cars and ready to go.  I was
dumbfounded at the amount of food that was being provided for breakfast,
but it fed all of us along with the rest of the family and there was some
left over.  Brandon, Meaghan, Phil, Mrs. Hearst and I went to her bedroom,
closed the door and talked about the service and their assigned parts.  I
did not have a part, but they wanted me involved because they said that in
such a short time, their dad took to me and trusted me to help Phil guide
the family.  I was honored.  We finished our meeting, stepped out as more
food arrived. Meaghan and I moved things around in the refrigerator and
kitchen so that it could be properly stored.

Around eleven o'clock, the Pastor dropped by to meet with the family and
give some spiritual comfort to them, and also to be a part of the luncheon.
We all ate a quick lunch and as I was preparing to help clean up, several
ladies from the neighborhood appeared, ushered me out of the kitchen and
took over.  They informed me that they would sit in the house during the
Service and that this neighborhood had traditions and assigned
responsibilities.

We left and returned to the hotel around noon so that we could all shower
and dress for the Service.  I was very impressed as those of us who were
not official family members were dressed in khaki slacks and our colorful
polos.  Phil wore a pair of navy blue slacks and a bright orange button
down shirt.  We returned to the house around one fifteen and formed the
procession to the Church after the Deputies arrived to escort us.
Mrs. Hearst, Meaghan, Brandon and Phil rode in the funeral home's
limousine.

We arrived at the Church and assembled as a group before entering.  Phil
escorted his Mom, while Brandon and Meaghan were escorted by their spouses.
Phil placed us behind his brother and sister and then, there were other
members of the family such as uncles, aunts, and cousins.  I felt a little
strange about coming before the other family members, but the immediate
family said that is the way that Dad would have wanted it, and that settles
that.

We entered the Church.  The sanctuary was huge and was filled with people
who had connections and loved the family.  There was a huge display of
flowers and Mr. Hearst's closed coffin was at the front of the Church.  We
were escorted to a reserved section and seated.  The organist completed the
song that she was playing and the Pastor began the Service by thanking
everyone for attending.  He complimented everyone for abiding by
Mr. Hearst's request for colorful attire, and I have to tell you it was a
sea of bright colors.

The Pastor began the actual service by giving Mr. Hearst's biography, and
reading the scriptures that Mr. Hearst had specified followed by a prayer.
At the conclusion of the prayer, the song "Sweet Beulah Land" was played
followed by "I Will Meet You in the Morning".  The Pastor introduced
Brandon who spoke about the life of his father as a person, a professional,
and as a Man of God.  Brandon shared some funny stories about his Dad along
with some serious ones.  There was laughter from those in attendance.  This
was one of Mr. Heart's expectations.  He did not want a serious Service.
As he finished his portion, Brandon introduced Meaghan who spoke on the
significance and importance of family as seen through her father's eyes.
She too shared some humorous moments that involved her dad and the rest of
the family.  After she finished, "You'll Never Walk Alone" was played.  It
was now time for Phil to speak.  He walked up to the podium and looked out
over the sanctuary.  He thanked everyone on behalf of the family for coming
and supporting the family and his Dad during his illness.  He recognized
his Mother and thanked her for being the loving and supportive spouse to
his Dad.  He recognized his brother and his sister and thanked them for
being there for his parents.  His topic was - the torch has been passed -
and how the family would transition, yet maintain being a family without
his father.  Phil wondered out-loud how he would head up the family like
his father had when faced with some family crises, this brought laugher and
a few comments from the family members.  He ended by talking about his
father's last moments on earth, something that he had shared with me
because he wanted others to know what his father and the family had
experienced because of his Father's strong religious beliefs.  This was
very hard for Phil to do as it was still very emotional for him.  His voice
broke several times, and he had to stop to regain his composure, but he
finished and it was most appropriate.  At the conclusion of Phil's talk the
song "Wind Beneath My Wings" was played.  The Pastor ended the Service with
some closing remarks and a prayer.  As the family and attendees were
leaving the sanctuary a medley of Mr. Hearst's favorite hymns were played.
They included: "Amazing Grace", "What a Friend We Have in Jesus", and
"Beyond the Sunset".  We made our way outside and were led to our cars so
that we could follow the hearse to the cemetery.

We arrived at the cemetery and were seated under the tent.  The Pastor
presided over the short ceremony with another scriptural reading and prayer
then; he proceeded to walk to each one of us seated under the tent and
speak to us individually.  He thanked me for supporting the family and told
me how many times Mr. Hearst had spoken of me.  I was touched to say the
least and tears began to flow from my eyes.  Ryan and Myles hugged me and I
returned their hug.  Now was the hard part, the part that Phil had dreaded
and I had come to dread as well.  We were dismissed and lead away from the
grave.  As we walked back to the cars, the family was stopped by a number
of those who had attended the service for hugs, words of love, and Southern
kisses.  We followed the limousine back to Phil's Mom's house.  We entered
the house and the immediate family came together for a prayer then, they
sat down and talked about their Dad and the Service.  There was laughter
and tears and it felt so right.

Around five o'clock Mrs. Hearst started moving all of those in the house
through the food line.  We ate around the house and fellowshipped.  I
really do think that the family had tried to do as Mr. Hearst had asked.
There were tears, but they were not for Mr. Hearst, they were for the one
crying.  I asked Justin if he would take Myles and Ryan back to the hotel
when he went so that I could stay with the family a little longer.  He
agreed and in a few minutes, they left.

Phil and I talked with various members of the family and close family
friends until around ten o'clock.  We finally excused ourselves after
making Mrs. Hearst promise that she would go lay down.  Meaghan agreed that
she would spend the night with her mom, and she would call us if needed.
We arrived at the hotel, entered our room, and collapsed on the bed.  Phil
looked over at me and said "I so need you, but now is not the time."  I
leaned over hugged and gave him a quick kiss.  I said "I know, and I
understand.  We will have time for that when we get home and have some time
to ourselves."  We got up and began to take off our clothes that we had
worn to the Service.  We decided to take showers, but since the shower
stall was so small, we took individual showers and went to bed.

We awoke the next morning and tidied up the room.  Justin called and said
that they were going to leave as soon as breakfast was over, so I told him
that we should go to Cracker Barrel.  That met with everyone's approval.
We loaded up and headed to breakfast.  We went in, were seated, placed our
orders, and ate.  We finished and headed back to the cars.  Phil stopped
Justin and Colt and thanked them for attending his father's service.  They
told him that they were sorry for his loss, and that they felt it necessary
to be here with him as he was a close family friend.  Phil then turned to
Rob and Jay.  He just opened his arms, and they entered.  Phil could not
talk because all three of them were shedding tears.  That scene impacted
every one of us who witnessed it.  Finally, Phil was able to get the word
"Thanks" out and they separated.  Justin told Phil that he had never been
on this side of Florida, but he was impressed with what he had seen.  Phil
told him that he needed to visit and go fishing.  Justin looked over at
Colt and said "Boys weekend off?"  We all laughed.  They got into the
Suburban and headed home.  We went to Phil's Mom's house.

We arrived at Phil's Mom's house and caught heck for not coming there for
breakfast.  I tried to explain why we went to Cracker Barrel, but
Mrs. Hearst was not buying my explanation.  Phil looked at me and said
"Just beg for forgiveness, it won't come easy, but it is about the only way
to get out of the trouble."  I asked for forgiveness, and finally, she
smiled and gave me a hug.  Brandon, Phil and I began to move the furniture
back to its original places since some had been moved to accommodate the
visitors in the house.  Ryan and Myles helped bag the trash and take it to
the trashcan.  Meaghan and Mrs. Hearst began to wash the dishes and stack
them so that they could be returned to their owners.  Brandon cut the yard
after we finished with the furniture, and Phil trimmed the hedges.  I sat
down and watched them work.

Mrs. Hearst said "Boys and Meaghan, I think we have one more meal from the
food that was brought over, so let's eat so we can talk and enjoy some time
together this afternoon."  She brought the food out and placed it on the
table; we served ourselves and ate together in the family room.  Phil said
"Mom, Doug is going home tomorrow so I think we should all go out to eat
tonight."  Mrs. Hearst looked over at me and asked "Can't you spend some
more time with us?"  I said "I would love to, but my Dad is coming to visit
as soon as I return home so I need to go do some cleaning and get ready for
his visit."  She said "I understand," and the subject was dropped.  Phil
looked over at Meaghan and Brandon and said "That statement applies to both
of you and your families.  We need to go out as a family tonight, Dad would
expect it."  They agreed.  We spent the afternoon looking at pictures and
listening to stories about their dad or husband.  We decided to head back
to the hotel so that we could dress more appropriately for dinner out while
the others went to their homes to change.  Phil told Brandon and Meaghan
that we would come get Mom and take her to the restaurant.

We showered and dressed in casual clothes as it had been a warm day.  We
drove to the Longhorn Steakhouse after picking up Mrs. Hearst.  Due to the
size of our party, we had to wait while they rearranged the tables to seat
all of us.  This took about fifteen minutes.  We ordered our drinks and
food and chatted like we had not seen each other in fifteen years, until
our food arrived.  We focused on our food as it was delicious and cooked
just the way that we had requested.  We finished our meal and headed to the
parking lot.  Brandon and Meaghan came over to me, Ryan and Myles and
thanked us for coming.  Brandon said "Do not let this be the last time that
we see you down here."  Phil spoke up and said "Oh, he will be here in the
future, you can count on that!"  We got into our vehicles and headed our
different ways.  Meaghan took Mrs. Hearst home since she was going to spend
the night with her mom.  We returned to the hotel and began to gather our
stuff so that we could pack in the morning and head home after one last
visit to see Mrs. Hearst.  After gathering our stuff together, everyone
gathered in our room.  We talked and watched a movie together.  I sent the
boys to their room when the movie ended.  Phil and I lay back and in a few
minutes were asleep without taking off our clothes.

We woke up the next morning and began to pack our belongings.  We had been
so careful to pack only what we needed so we didn't have many clean clothes
to take home therefore, it was easy to bag all of our dirty clothes
together and load the Denali.  We finished loading our luggage, the cooler,
snack basket and dirty clothes.  We got in and I drove to Mrs. Hearst's
house.  We went in and she was in the kitchen preparing breakfast for all
of us.  I tried to protes,t but she glared me down and said "Sit". I sat.
We had a great breakfast, and then it was time for us to be on our way.

The boys got in and Phil walked with me a short distance away.  He hugged
me and told me that he would be home on Saturday.  I told him to drive
safely and that I truly missed him and was looking for some quality time
with him.  He smiled and raised his eyebrows.  I laughed, walked back to
the Denali, and got in.  Mrs. Hearst waved good-bye to us as we backed out
of the driveway and headed home.

I stopped and gassed up at a Raceway station on 50.  Soon we were on our
way home.  I called Dad and talked to him.  I told him that we were headed
home.  He said "Great, I will see you Saturday as I know you will be busy
washing clothes, cleaning and probably cooking.  I laughed and said "You
know me too well."  He said "Yeah I do, and I will pick up your cake from
The Oaks on Friday night."  I said "You call Mr. Eddie and tell him to save
me a whole Italian Cream Cake."  He promised to call as Friday night was
always a busy night at the restaurant.  I hung up and headed north.  We
stopped in Lake City at the Texas Roadhouse.  We had after lunch-lunch
around one thirty.  We finished our meal and resumed our travels.

We pulled into the driveway later that afternoon and parked in the garage.
I had no sooner turned the key to the Denali off, than Rob and Jay
appeared.  They acted like they had not seen us in weeks.  All things were
almost back to normal at our house.  I was missing Phil.

End of Chapter 44 - My Son and His Friends

Well I guess by now you have figured out that Dad will be in Chapter 45,
but what will he do?  How will he react when he meets Phil?  Will there be
any great revelations?  How will Phil adjust to being the head of his
family?  Will Doug continue to work with Phil on his worksites?  Will the
boys work with Phil?  What will Doug and Phil's first night back together
be like?  Well, the answers to these and many other questions will come in
Chapter 45.  Stay tuned.

I know that this was a hard chapter to read as there was no sex, but this
was a very important chapter as it will help some events happen in the
future.  This chapter was / is a reflection of life.

If you feel like writing, please do so.  I will respond.

Have a great and safe Labor Day Weekend.  I wish all who have been affected
by the Hurricane, Tropical Storm, or whatever it was when it hit you and
your area a speedy recovery.

Jay