Date: Tue, 1 Apr 2003 15:09:07 -0800 (PST) From: mycandlelight_dreams Subject: Sailor Boys - Chapt 14 THE NORMAL BORING DISCLAIMER: This story is FICTION, and just one of my fantasies. Any similarity to real persons is purely coincidental. Further, this story contains sexually explicit information between an adult and a teen-ager. If this type of material offends you, do NOT read further. However, if you like these kinds of stories, then read on and ENJOY! --- CHAPTER 14 --- "You know I love you." Max said. "I know. I've loved you for a long time." Jeremy responded, kissing Max's forearm. Max began to push his dick deeper into his lover. --- The pleasant dream spirits gave way to the evil nightmares. It was as though a dark cloud had enveloped The Mighty Miss. "Let me GOOOOOOOO!!!!!" Jeffy screamed as he awoke from his dream, and startled me awake as well. "Jeffy." I called to him, as I held him tighter to my chest, his limp little body trembling, and wet with sweat. "Easy, Matey, easy. It was just a bad dream." Jeffy opened his eyes, and for a moment stared at me, as if not believing what he saw. "You're...you're alive!" Then, Jeffy hugged me tightly, still shivering as if a winter wind had coursed through his body. "NOOOOOO!" I heard someone yell from outside my cabin. In an instant, a sharp repeated knock on my door. "Come in," I commanded. Brandon appeared, shaken and white. "It's Andrew! He's having a bad dream and I can't wake him up." "Stay with Jeffy, Brandon, and I'll check on Andrew." "No, I don't want you to go." Jeffy began to sob, not wanting me out of his sight. "All right, Mister Man, all right. Come on then." Jeffy slid his naked body from the sheet, and followed close behind Brandon and I as we returned to Andrew's cabin. "NO! Leave us alone. Go away. NOOOOO!" Andrew was screaming and tossing in his bunk. I raced to his side and began shaking the boy vigorously. "Andrew, It's Captain Red. Wake up, Boy. It's just a dream. Andrew!" Andrew suddenly stopped and opened his eyes. The fear and intensity in them confirmed that the evil nightmare spirit that had plagued my Jeffy also visited this tender boy. As I stroked his hair and tried to calm his scattered breathing, yet another scream and then yelling was heard from Thomas and Binder's cabin. "Oh, no, not another of my boys," I thought as I gently laid Andrew back down on his bunk. "Stay with them," I commanded to Brandon, and seated Jeffy next to Andrew. "Stay here, Little One." Jeffy didn't argue, but only closed his eyes as the tears ran down. I barged into Cabin D where Thomas and Binder were up in their bunk, huddled together. "What's the matter, boys?" Thomas didn't speak, only mumbled and pointed to the port window. I looked around the room but didn't see anything. I clicked on the light, and Thomas blocked his eyes. Then, slowly, he removed his hand and as his eyes adjusted to the harsh light, he whispered, "Did you see him? You did see him, didn't you?" "See who? Was someone in here?" I asked as I checked the porthole, realizing it was secured tightly. "He was here." Thomas whispered, afraid the intruder would still hear him. "The man from the island. He was here!" I looked at Binder, who refused to open his eyes. "Binder?" I called to him. "What did you see?" Binder didn't speak, and didn't look up. "Come on," I said, as I took the boys by the arms and led them to the main room. "Brandon? Bring them to the main room," I called as I passed Andrew's cabin. Once in the main room, I clicked on all the lights and the boys huddled closely together on one of the couches. "Keep them here, I'm checking on the others," I spoke softly to Brandon. He simply nodded, unsure what to say or do. As I quietly opened the door to Zach's cabin, I heard him yell, "Ahhhh!" as he swung something toward my head. I ducked just in time to avoid getting knocked out. I quickly switched on the light. "Zach, it's me!" Zach dropped the lifesaver on the floor. "I thought you were him!" "Who?" I asked, knowing what the answer was sure to be. "The island man." "Come on," I said as I escorted the wide-awake boys to the main room, gathering Max and Jeremy along the way. As I walked to the end of the hallway to Cabin E, a cold shiver took over my spine. I stopped for a moment, but didn't hear a sound. My heart pounded louder and louder until it filled my eardrums, like the thunderous sound of native tribes. I touched the door handle and it was cool. As I began to open the door, it creaked. I peaked my head in, anticipating for one of these boys to take a swing at me. Instead, it was dark and quiet. I looked toward the bunk, and Miwaka was on his back, Shaun was on his belly with his head on Miwaka slowly moving chest. I began to step back when Miwaka whispered, "They've come, haven't they?" My earlier chill returned. "What do you mean?" I whispered. "The villagers. They've come for me. I told you that all of you are in danger." Just then, Shaun popped up his head, looked directly at me and sobbed, "I don't want to die." Miwaka gently stroked his hair, and Shaun lay his head back down on Miwaka's chest. I stepped further into the room. "No one is going to die. I won't let it happen. The rest of the boys are in the main room. Get up and meet us down there." I stepped back out of the room, leaving the cabin door open. I returned to the main room, and although awake, the boys seemed distant and quiet. I sat down, not speaking, and was joined shortly after by Miwaka and Shaun. It was after they sat down that I realized that in the hussle and hurry of the nightmares, most of my crew, including Jeffy and I hadn't bothered dressing. I seemed to be the only one who noticed, so I made no reference to it. I was pleased the boys were so comfortable with each other now. However, a much bigger problem was at hand than whether or not these boys slept 'au natural.' The nightmare spirits had infested my ship and was taking no prisoners. Thomas' words kept haunting me. 'Did you see him?' "You boys stay here together. I'm going to check the ship and then I'll be back." Thomas seemed somewhat relieved that I believed in him and that what he saw was real. I moved up the deck stairs and through the patched door. I slowly moved along the deck, searching the dark crevices of The Mighty Miss. I knew my girl better than I knew my own face, so if there was an intruder, he couldn't hide on my ship. I made a full sweep of the ship, and not surprisingly I found no intruders, the deck was dry, and there were no boats moored to my hull. I returned to the deck stairs, locked the door behind me, and returned to the main room. "It's all clear," I announced as I sat next to Jeffy, who immediately jumped into my lap. "Boys, I want to talk about what happened to you back on that island. The only way that these nightmares and visions are going to go away is if we talk about it. We're here for each other, and we're safe together." I hesitated for a moment. The boys had calmed but no one was eager to open up. "I'll start." I looked around at my crew. It was at this tender moment, that I realized more than I had done so before, that these boys were just that...boys. They weren't the 'men' that I had treated them as. With the exception of Miwaka, the oldest boy on my ship was a fresh 13 years old. How could I be so naïve to think that they would just forget what happened and move on? "I was scared. The most scared I've ever been." This first statement surprised the boys, especially Brandon, who looked at me as though I were making it up. "I know that we haven't known each other very long, but I've become very fond of you boys. In fact, I've come to love you boys. You've touched my heart and made this adventure fun for me. I've put a lot on you boys and expected a lot and never let me down." The boys listened intently and I could tell that their natural calm was returning. "But, I was scared that day. Scared that I would lose every one of you." I began to rub Jeffy's ankles as I spoke, and I could feel the knot forming in my throat. "I was stupid for leaving you at that pool by yourselves. We should have stayed together. I'm sorry, boys. It was wrong and I apologize." Thomas looked at me, dead in the eyes, and then after a brief stare whispered, "I don't blame you, Captain. You saved my life that day in the ocean and you saved me again on the island." A single tear once again fell down his cheek, and he lowered his head. "We knew it was dangerous, but we wanted to go," Brandon spoke up, taking the lead of the group. The boys began to nod in agreement. "It was our choice to take this trip. My mom even said she hated the idea. Didn't want us to go. I convinced her we'd be all right." "Yes, but if we had stayed on the sea, none of this would have happened." I tried to maintain my cool, but I was angry with myself for allowing such harm to take place. "But," Shaun interrupted me. "If we had stayed on the water, we wouldn't have met Miwaka." Shaun stopped and hugged Miwaka tightly. "He might have died there." "And now look at the trouble you're in," Miwaka answered. "No!" I stamped my foot. "I refuse to give in to the nightmare spirits!" The boys looked at me, confused by my admission. "The nightmare spirits want you to feel bad, they want you to keep dwelling on this, so they can take over your dreams and fill you with unhappiness. I won't let them!" I stood up and walked over to one of the cabinets. I flung open the door to it, and removed the knife that we had used for carving the boy's initials. Except it was tarnished with a dark red color. I decided the boys deserved, no, needed to hear the truth about those men. About everything, really. "They're dead, and they're never going to hurt us again." I stabbed the knife into a table near the couches and it made the boys jump. Miwaka lowered his head. He knew first hand what that knife had done under his control. "You didn't do anything wrong, Miwaka, except love us enough to protect us, just like any honorable Ebeu would do!" For the next 30 minutes, I went through the details of our Hawaiian stop over, how I saw the wanted poster, and saw the two men. The reason for my hasty retreat from the Hawaiian port, and my decision to 'escape' to the deserted island. I then explained how we discovered the boys missing, and our fear over losing them. Jeffy clung to me tighter, and I just held him close. I then explained how I knew that the men would never hurt us again. Leaving out the gory details that only Brandon and Miwaka were fully aware of, I explained that we defended ourselves and killed the men. I also explained why I got rid of the bodies and the boat. "I had to break their trail, in case anyone came looking for them. That was probably a mistake, but I couldn't take any chances." I then looked at Miwaka. I reached over and lifted his lowered chin. "You didn't do anything wrong, Miwaka. I know the truth." "I was scared too," Thomas spoke. "But I knew you'd come." We spent the rest of the night talking about how the boys felt, what they were thinking, and what their nightmares were about. As the rising sun began to peer through the portholes, I stood up. "It's been a long night, Gentlemen, but a good one." I went around the room, giving each boy a reassuring hug. "We're changing our trip plans." I finally said. "You're taking us home, aren't you, Captain?" Billy asked with a sad face. He knew in his heart that it was true. "Yes, yes I am." I started which only brought groans and moans. Despite their tragedy, despite their experience, these boys truly wanted to continue, if not for the sake of the voyage, but for the sake of proving to themselves that they could 'move on.' "I am taking you home, boys," I paused. "That is, when our voyage is over." The boys perked up. I had given them a ray of hope. Each one had been frowning and suddenly softly smiled. It wasn't going to be an easy journey of recovery, but these boys weren't willing to leave the support group that they had come to rely on. "Today, we'll visit a friend of mine, who'll help us get rid of the nightmare spirits. And tonight," I smiled, "We'll all sleep in here." This seemed to make the mood even better. At least we'd all be together. --- I sent the boys to their cabins to dress for the day, and after getting Jeffy dressed and settled in the galley, I went back to my cabin to use the 'ship-to-shore' phone. "Your quarter, use it wisely." The friendly voice answered. "Jake, it's Red." I said solemnly. "Red, you old son-of-a-bitch! How are you? You still owe me two quarts of ale, you know! You coming to visit me soon or what? Jesus Christ, I haven't heard from you in months! Where you at? Damn, Red, I never hear from you anymore? You know, they tore down the old mooring docks. Sons-a-bitchs, they don't know how to care for things around here." As soon as I heard Jake take a breath, I squeezed in my interruption. "Jake, slow down. I need your help." "Again?" He laughed. "Who'd you get pregnant?" He laughed again. It wasn't really a funny joke, for Jake Witherspoon knew I was gay. In fact, Jake was too, and for a short time, we even dated. But, Jake claimed that I 'went straight' and got some girl pregnant, for that could be the only reason for breaking up with him. Truth was, that in the little town of Gatlin, Oregon, I was the only one that knew Jake was gay, and he never dated another soul. "I'm serious, Jake." "So I see. What kind of trouble you got yourself into, Red?" "I'll explain it when I see you. Can you meet me at the docks?" The caution in my voice was evident that I was not playing any games. "Should I bring the .45?" Jake used to be a Boy Scout, and stood by the 'Always Be Prepared' motto. "As if you don't carry it with you all the time," I responded and hung up the phone. --- Jake Witherspoon, a 45-year-old Tennessee native, has been a friend of mine for more than 20 years. I first met Jake on one of my own personal voyages north, and when I stopped at his little port town on my way to Alaska, he was waiting on the docks, inspecting the vessels that entered Gatlin. Jake had moved there a few years earlier, vowing to never set foot in the Tennessee Mountains again. He had started out as the deputy of the town, and was now the Sheriff for 13 years running. Although Jake was Sheriff of a small port town of 3,000 people, he knew every person in that town, like he was their brother. And what's more, he knew just about every 'Law-Man west of the Mississippi!' I knew that if anyone could help clear up this mess with Miwaka, it would be Jake. We spent the rest of the day under cloudy skies, motoring our way to Gatlin. We arrived about 4 o'clock, and not surprisingly, Jake was at the docks, sitting in his Jeep, just waiting for my arrival. "Ah, the advantages of being Sheriff in a small town," I thought to myself. Jake immediately recognized The Mighty Miss, and hopped out of his Jeep. "Hello, hello...welcome home!" He hollered before we even reached the docks. Jake always thought of Gatlin as our home, and deep inside in his heart, still kept a light on for me. The boys tied off the ship, and Jake came to the bottom of the gangplank. "Permission to come aboard, Captain?" Jake smiled his big toothy grin. I smiled back at him. "Of course, come aboard, Matey!" Jake practically bounced up the gangplank, and approaching me, gave me a huge bear hug. "Well, well, let me look at you, you old son-of-a-bitch. I see the seawater has done a number on your face." He started laughing and jabbed me in the side. "Yeah, well, at least I manage to keep the weight off," I laughed back jabbing Jake in his potbelly. "So," Jake slapped me on the back. "What brings you home and who are all these kids? I knew you got that girl pregnant, but damn it, Red, can't you control yourself?" The boys giggled at how much Jake was making fun of me, and I realized that Jake and I acted like a couple kids when we were together. "Gentlemen, gather around." The boys quickly responded and lined up in front of me. "Whoa. Impressive, Red." "Sheriff Jake Witherspoon? I'd like to introduce the crew of The Mighty Miss. This is my First Mate, Brandon." "How do you do, young man?" Jake asked as he shook Brandon's hand. "His Assistant, Andrew. And the rest of my crew, Shaun, Thomas, Binder, Max, Billy, Zach, and Jeremy." Each one getting a firm handshake. "This little one is Jeffy, my personal assistant," I winked at Jeffy who smiled widely. "How do you do, Mister Man?" Jeffy smiled again hearing the same name that I had called him so many times. "And this is Miwaka." "Pleased to meet you." Jake shook his hand and immediately noticed the medallion around Miwaka's neck. "Is that?" Looking at me. I nodded. "Well, I'll be a son-of-a-bitch. A real life Ebeu!" Jake shook his hand again, excited at meeting a genuine descendent. "We need to talk." I pulled Jake aside. "Brandon, secure the ship and have the crew swab the deck." "Aye, aye, Captain." Brandon responded proudly, and immediately began issuing the duties. I took Jake down to the galley and we sat at the long table. "Coffee?" I asked. "Only if it's some of that 'Irish Coffee!'" Jake winked at me. He was, of course, referring to some of my father's liquor. I produced the bottle from one of the high cabinets and set it and two glasses on the table. I poured the dark liquor into the glasses and Jake immediately raised his glass. "To old friends and older lovers!" CLINK It had been awhile since I had passed my father's liquor over my lips and the strength of it as it burned its way down my throat made me cough. Jake smiled, "Pussy!" I gulped down hard, and tried to manage a smile, but Jake could tell my thoughts were overpowering my will to enjoy our reunion. "A real live Ebeu. How'd you end up with that one on your crew?" Jake asked. "Well, that's a long story, Jake, but he's also the reason I need your help." An hour later the small bottle was empty and my story had been unfurled. "I'll need to do some checking, Red. I'm usually pretty up on the wanted posters, but I don't remember that one. I would have to. A real Ebeu." Jake began to shake his head. "No, Sir, can't say I recall that one." Jake stood up from the table, and began to walk to the doorway. He stopped and turned to me, his boy like face frowning. "If he is innocent, Red, I'll find out. But, if he's guilty, you know I'll have no choice. I'll have to turn him in." As Jake went on deck, I sat for a moment realizing he was right. I hoped in my heart that I wasn't leading the boys into more trouble. I appeared on deck, and seeing me, Jake commended, "Missy never looked better. You've got quite a crew, Red. Quite a crew!" I smiled with pride and the boys just soaked up the accolades. "I'll call you tonight." Jake said as he left my ship. I knew that meant that I was to stay docked at Gatlin and wait for his call. The boys finished their duties and readied the galley for another meal. At nine o'clock that night, the 'ship-to-shore' rang. I picked it up, and before I could even say hello, Jake blurted out, "Well I'll be a son-of-a-bitch. You won't believe it. The whole thing...it's a hoax. I checked with the Coast Guard, the local authorities, even talked to Martin at the F.B.I. Nobody knows this kid, Red." "What about his parents? What about the plantation owner?" "Yep, asked about that too. The village claims that the family house had a gas leak and blew up on its own. They figured the kids went for help and drowned. Even found the little girl's body, and figured the sharks got the boy. And the plantation owner? Get this, Red. They have witnesses that the two men you had a run in with are the ones that offed the plantation owner. Someone at the docks of Hyacado said they saw your two men leave the docks three days ago and haven't seen them since." "Jake, they had Miwaka on a wanted poster!" My voice took on a new tone. "Yep, asked about that too. I even had one of them faxed to me. Not a very flattering picture, I might add." "Jake, please." "Well, Red, turns out the posters are fake. I crossed checked the serial number on the faxed one to my F.B.I. files. They put the kids picture on somebody else's poster, and nobody outside of Hawaii knows anything about it." "So? What do I do now? Is the kid in the clear?" I needed to hear Jake say it. I wouldn't believe any of it until I did. "I think so. I've got some boys back on Maui checking some things out for me. I'll know by morning if your boy is safe." "Thanks, Jake. I owe you." "Again?" He laughed. "Yeah, yeah, you always 'owe' me, but you never pay up. I haven't been fucked since you left, but that's okay...I'm not holding any grudges, you old son-of-a-bitch!" Jake continued to laugh as he hung up. I hung up the receiver, and sat in my chair for a moment, letting it all sink in. As the revelation that Miwaka was free began to settle in my heart, my mind created a new problem that I hadn't thought of, at least not seriously. At the end of our six-week voyage, I would return to San Diego, and all these boys would be met by their parents, and go home. All, that is, except for Miwaka. The boy had no home. --- I had promised boys that we would sleep in the main room, and even despite our trip detour to Gatlin, I was not about to break my promise to the boys. So, while waiting for the phone call from Jake, I relocated The Mighty Miss off shore and dropped anchor a safe distance from the docks. The boys had already gathered pillows and blankets into the main room, and Shaun had lowered the lights creating a 'camp out' mood. The boys were giggling and seemed to enjoy the idea of sharing a common sleeping area. Despite the common room, the boys still paired off with their partners for actual sleeping. And even though we would be sleeping in the same room, this didn't stop my 'au natural' boys from shedding their clothes and romping around the room butt naked. In the spirit of the evening, I shed my clothes as well, closely followed by Jeffy, who would have worn metal armor if I had. We lay on the floor, having pushed the couches out of our way, and in no time, the boys settled in for the night. A picture of us would have been difficult to take, as it was almost impossible to tell where one naked body ended and the next began. No one wanted to use the blankets as the air temperature in the room rose with our natural body heat. Within a short time, exhaustion set in and the boys were asleep, peaceful and happy. I was the last to submit to the 'sand man,' but as I began to feel sleepy, I looked around the room at my crew, with a mixture of love, adoration, and admiration as well as a feeling of arousal that these extremely sexy boys brought to me. Each one had qualities that impressed me and excited me. I could have had any one of them or had them all. This exciting thought carried me off to dreamland as Jeffy snuggled his naked body against mine. I was awakened by the soft wet touch of a tongue on my hardening dick, and as I began to open my eyes, I realized that it wasn't one tongue, but two. I opened my eyes slowly, and just over Jeffy's still sleeping body, I could see the back of Jeremy and Max's heads as they tongue bathed their Captain. I remained still, but couldn't help my rising dick as it sprung to full attention. The boys giggled as they continued to explore my manhood. I slowly looked around to see if any of the other boys was awake and watching this private show. As far as I could tell, everyone was still asleep. Jeremy and Max continued to work on my throbbing dick, and I could feel the sensations building in my aching balls. It was obvious they had planned this and were working as a team on my writhing dick and balls. Jeremy would suck my shaft almost all the way down, while Max licked and tongue massaged my now tingling balls. Then, they would stop, only briefly, kiss each other, and then trade duties. I found that Jeremy had a much better tongue technique on the bottom of my hard cock, but Max did a fair job of stuffing my entire dick into his mouth. As his nose hit my pubic hair, I couldn't help but raise my hips a little. I tried to remain as still as possible, so I didn't wake Jeffy, and so far, I had succeeded. I began moving my hips more noticeably now, and the boys knew I was awake. They didn't stop, nor did they say anything. Jeremy merely rose up from his now sucking position, smiled at me, and went back to work, milking my man cum from my balls. As Max licked my balls, his finger managed its way to my hole, and he began massaging the outer ring. As he slipped his finger inside, I felt the first blast of my hot fluid race from my balls to the waiting mouth that was milking it. Jeremy held tight and as my orgasm increased, my cum began to leak out of the corners of his tender mouth. Max saw this and began licking Jeremy's lips while Jeremy continued to hold steady. My final shot of cum was slower than the rest, but not any less enjoyable, and as Jeremy pulled his lips across my shaft, draining the last few drops from my softening cock, he leaned toward Jeremy and they began to kiss passionately, sharing the fluid they had milked so pleasurably from me. I lay my head back and closed my eyes, caught in the bliss of my orgasm. Jeremy and Max continued to kiss, stroking their own hard boy dicks. Their movements against my body began to stir Jeffy, who sighed softly and then rested again on my chest. "Let's go back to the cabin," Jeremy whispered. Max looked at me and I nodded softly, as if to say, 'It's okay, go ahead.' The boys smiled as they tiptoed over the other boys and then wiggles their naked butts back to their cabin. I heard the cabin door softly click closed, and I smiled to myself as I drifted back to sleep. --- Brandon woke us as the sun began to peek into the main room and almost immediately began giving the morning duty instructions. I was sure I could smell the slight aroma of my sex with Jeremy and Max, but no one else seemed to notice. "Where's Jeremy...and Max?" Brandon finally noticed, somewhat startled. "They went to their cabin early this morning. It's okay, they asked me first." Brandon seemed relieved that the night had not taken two of crewmembers. As breakfast was served, Jeremy and Max rejoined our group. As each boy smiled at me, I knew they had finished what we had begun in the main room. "Good Morning, Gentlemen. Nice of you to join us." I smiled back at them. It was my way of saying thank you, and they both knew it. "Sleep well, I hope?" "Slept GREAT!" Jeremy responded immediately. Max gave his a gentle nudge that the rest of the boys noticed, and everyone giggled. My breakfast was interrupted as the "ship-to-shore" rang. I raced to my cabin and picked up the receiver. "Damn, Red, were you whacking off in the shower again?" Jake began to laugh. "Yeah," I laughed back, "And I saved the load for you!" Jake hesitated for a moment as the visual of my cum-spurting cock raced through his mind. "Damn it, Red, stop teasing me!" Jake hesitated again, and I knew he was adjusting a rising problem in his own trousers. "Listen, you boys meet me for lunch at Catherine's. My treat. I've got some good news for you." I hung up the phone and my heart about jumped out of my chest. --- By the time the boys had finished cleaning the galley, showering and dressing, it was time to hoist anchor and bring The Mighty Miss back to the docks. We secured the lines, and I packed the fuse block into my backpack. We were off to Catherine's. As we walked the four blocks to Catherine's, I led the boys through a town that time had seemed to forget. There were all of three cars on the street, and most of the townspeople were busy about their business, hardly noticing the band of boys I paraded through town. Brandon, as usual, brought up the rear of our troop and we marched in straight order. We reached Catherine's and as we opened the door, the bell chimed. As each boy entered, he pushed the door again causing the bell to chime. I looked around and Jake had not arrived yet. This surprised me as he's usually early, let alone punctual. "Hello, boys." A pleasant voice uttered from behind the tall counter. "Have a seat over there, I'll be with you in a minute." As we began to take our seats at several small round tables, Jake bounded in the door. "Good Lord, Man, don't take it off the hinges!" The woman said as she glared at Jake. "Sorry, Ruby." Jake lowered his head a bit, and I smiled to myself. It wasn't like Jake to let a woman boss him around, but clearly Miss Ruby was in charge in this place. "Ruby, these boys are with me, so put it on my tab, please." She nodded softly and turned her back to him as she headed to the kitchen. "You boys order whatever you want. Miss Ruby makes the best cheeseburgers West of the Mississippi!" Jake started to laugh, and I couldn't help but laugh as well. With Jake, everything in Gatlin west the best 'this side of the Mississippi.' Miss Ruby returned and took our orders. She was as patient as an angel with the boys, and each boy was as polite as an alter boy. "Yes, Maam. Please and Thank you, Maam." Each took his turn, and although it seemed to take forever, Miss Ruby finally came to Jake and I. "Well now, what about you two?" Miss Ruby smiled at me pleasantly, and I felt instantly comfortable. As she looked at me waiting for my order, Jake spoke right up. "I'll have the clam chowder." "What you'll have is some manners, young man." Miss Ruby's eyes never left mine, and I couldn't help but smile at the way she handled Jake. "What would you like, young man?" It's been a long time since I was called young man, but looking at Miss Ruby, who I was convinced, was pushing her 80's, I supposed that everyone was a young man. "Well, Miss Ruby, I'll have whatever you think is the best, and I'll love every bite." "Woo Hoo, aren't you the charmer? The grilled rye it is. Anything to drink?" "A coke, please." "Very good." Miss Ruby began to walk away, as Jake opened his mouth. "I've got your order, young man." Jake shut his mouth again. Soon enough, the drinks and food arrived, and the boys were buzzing with delight. Between bites of food and drinks of soda, they were all talking above each other. Putting down my drink, I looked at Jake. "You said you had good news." "Oh yes, of course. I don't know where my memory is anymore. My boys finished their digging in Maui. Turns out your two weasels were found." I just about spit out my Coke. "What do you mean found?" "Well, seems the Coast Guard were patrolling the area and found some debris off a deserted island north of the big island. They did some diving and found their boat. Seems like they had some kind of accident, or so they thought at first." Jake hesitated and took another bite of his bread. "And?" I said impatiently. "Well, so they dragged up the boat, or what was left of it. Seems it blew up. Some kind of freak accident they said, til they found what was left of the bodies. Yes, sir, they dragged them parts onto the Coast Guard boat and almost wrote the whole thing off, until they found the second head. You know, the one with the bullet hole in it." "Yes, go on." I was on the edge of my seat. How could this be good news? "That dock worker I told you about. Turns out, he's dead too, only they got witnesses who saw them weasels kill him. The island has been searching for those men ever since. The way they figure it, Mickey...oh, that's one of the men you ran into, and Jerry worked for the plantation owner. They were cousins. Anyway, Mickey wasn't such a smart cuss, and got sick of the abuse Jerry always gave him. Shot him in the head, and as the bullet came out the other side, must have sparked the fuel tank. And, get this..." Jake stopped long enough to take a long drink of his beer. "That plantation owner was these boy's uncle. They were listed in the will, 'cept they're dead now, so they won't be collecting." Jake started to laugh. "Wait a minute. So they think these guys killed the plantation owner?" I was shocked and couldn't believe what Jake was telling me. "Yes, sir. Even got witnesses to that one too. So, you're boy's in the clear. Ain't nobody looking for him now." "But how?" I whispered. I looked over my shoulder at Miwaka, who was smiling and carrying on with the rest of the boys. "Jake?" I whispered. "There's something else I'd like you to do for me." I leaned in closer and continued to whisper. "Hell yeah," Jake exclaimed as I finished my request. "Consider done, Buddy. I'll see you tonight." Jake gulped the last of his beer, patted me on the shoulder and said to the boys, "There's a pretty nice putt-putt course if you boys like golf. Best putt-putt West of the Mississippi!" Jake laughed as he walked out the door. --- Lunch was casually consumed and all of us graciously thanked Miss Ruby as she cleaned up our plates. Despite Jake's treat, I pulled Miss Ruby aside and tried to give her a cash tip. "Oh now you go on and keep your money." She said with a bright smile on her face. "You've got such cute boys and so polite too. It was a pleasure serving you." I opted to give her a kiss on the cheek instead. "Aw, go on now. You fresh young kids!" She 'shued' us out of the diner, but I could see by the glow in her face that she was sincere in what she had said. As Jake had recommended, we followed Miss Ruby's directions to the Gatlin Golferama. We spent the rest of the daylight playing 2 18-hole rounds of miniature golf and drinking more sodas. Surprisingly, Jeffy was second from the lead, with only two strokes behind Max. "My dad and I are always on the golf course," Max bragged. "You must play a lot of golf too, Jeffy." "Nope, first time," he smiled as he swung for another hole in one. Max was shocked and feeling a little threatened by the first-timer luck of the 9-year-old. --- We had no sooner returned to The Mighty Miss and began to pull up the gangplank when Jake pulled up in his Jeep. "Permission to come aboard, Captain?" He said with a smile. "Permission granted." "You're all set." He said, handing me a large manila envelope. "Should be smooth sailing from here on out." With that, he waved goodbye and bounded back down the gangplank. As Jake hopped into his Jeep and sped away, I remembered why I had become so fond of him so many years ago. His ultra optimism, his free spirit, and his ability to make me smile were qualities that I never found in another lover. "Ready the ship to disembark, Brandon. We leave immediately." "Aye, aye, Captain." I returned to my cabin, locked the door behind me, and sitting at my desk, opened the thick envelope. The tears welled in my eyes as I peered inside at the contents of the package. --- I hope you're enjoying this adventure. I welcome comments and questions, so, write me at mycandlelight_dreams@yahoo.com.