Date: Wed, 23 Feb 2022 07:44:16 -0500 From: Eric Murphey Subject: The Premonition Part 25 gay adult youth Hello everyone. I must say I was very shocked, and surprised at the massive amount of emails I received after the last part of the story. I have never gotten so many emails from a single chapter to date. Thank you for showing your massive amount of support for the story, I was thinking of creating a second part to the story where they rebuild their community. I start touching on it in chapter 29 and 30. I dont know if I will or not but at this time I am kind of up in the air about it. I think it could be a good continuation to the story. But, if I do that I need a really good name for the community. Also maybe some ideas. So if you have a name or ideas let me know and I will certainly consider them. I will be honest it is a coin flip if I continue it or not. Dont be sad if I dont You know that you will like a new story if I come up with one. I have a few ideas I am considering and will let you all decide which direction I go. I have about 6 chapters written about a boy that ages out of the foster care system. He is a hard worker and gets an apartment and meets his new neighbor Juan. Who is nine and the main character is 18. He is struggling to survive and go to college. It is interesting so far. Also I have thought about going back th the Three Needs and make the ending better and probably add about 10-15 chapters to it. Also I have been thinking about My Former Life and following the Major and the others to America. It will be told by Channa as she has the closest relationship to him as the children become adults. Also there is always Mr Jones Place a continuation of It Aint Tiffanys which people still love and email me about. SO guys let me know what you think I should work on next.Eric Please make a donation to Nifty. They are nifty people and deserve a little bit of our hard earned cash. The Premonition Part 25 Written by Eric Murphey Edited By your friend and mine Zero Moss I wake up feeling like I'm hung over. I must have slept really hard, I think. I go to the restroom and take care of the URGENT morning needs that needed taking care of, well, urgently. Then I head to the kitchen. I think about yesterday and how just really neat it is that we met another family; now there are four of us. I make some coffee because I have been drinking it a lot more lately. I think I am starting to really enjoy it outside of social situations. Then I think about whether we should move the antenna today for the radio. I move all the material and the dresses I was working on last night, so the boys and I can have the table to eat on. I mean, I'm not fancy, but I kind of prefer sitting at a table to eat. It's just nicer than being in front of the TV. It's a time for family. It's a time to talk. It's a time for... "Holy shit, you scared me half to death!" I exclaim, clutching my chest as Jim wraps his arms around me. "Sorry, daddy," he says as he laughs at me. I chuckle as well. "It's alright buddy, my mind was on a million things at the same time. So, what do you think is best for breakfast today?" "I want eggs, and bacon, and toast, and fried potatoes, and pancakes, and french toast, and..." "Buddy, are you starving?" "I'm pretty hungry," he giggles. "How about pancakes, eggs, and bacon?" "Yeah!!" he says, and starts setting the table. "Why don't you make some Tang?" I suggest. Jim gets it made and puts it in the freezer to so it will be colder when we drink it. I guess we could add ice, but nah. I get the pancake batter made up and start frying bacon and pancakes, not in the same skillet of course; that would be gross. Bacon grease in pancakes? Blech! Amazingly, before I even get the first pieces of bacon out of the pan, I see two more boys appear like magic and give me hugs. I know they love me, but I suspect that this time the hugs are because I'm making bacon. They sit down while I get everything all fixed and ready to eat. Jim grabs the Tang from the freezer. We sit and the boys tear into it like the eating machines they are. As we eat, I'm thinking about whether I have enough land for a garden when they become teenagers and really start eating. Maybe Mike will help out with his land, I think, and smile to myself. "Dad, I was thinking." "That's good, Eddie. I thought I smelled something burning." "Da-a-a-ad!" "I'm sorry. So what were you thinking?" "You think Jer can stay the night?" "Oh it's `Jer' now? You can't say his complete name?" He rolls his eyes at me, I guess practicing to be a teen. "Dad can Jerry stay the night?" he rephrases, emphasizing "Jerry." "He can on Friday, but tonight is a school night, so no." "It's not like it's real school," he complains with a half-whine. "Do you have to be there at a certain time?" "Yes." "Do you learn things there?" "Yes." "Does Mrs Washington give you tests?" "Yes, and quizzes, too." "Sounds like real school to me. So not until the weekend." "But...." "Eddie. You want things to be as normal as we are used to. Well, how it used to be, right?" "Sure, dad." "So, before all of this happened, did your mom and dad let you have sleepovers on school nights?" He looks at me and knows he is defeated as to his desire. He smiles and raises his eyebrows. "So Friday?" "I think Friday will be fine. So long as his grandparents approve." "Cool," is his response. As the boys do the dishes, I sit in my chair and think about what we will have to do to move that antenna. I am no expert at this, nor are the other guys. I suppose it is going to be a guessing game as we go. It's a shame that Mario can't just come here and fiddle with the radio. But it will just be easier for him to do it this way. I'm also trying to decide if I want to start this project today. I mean, it is December now and not super cold, but it's still around 40F or so. Cold enough that you don't want to be in it all day. I decide to take it to committee. I grab the handheld and key it. "This here's Bo Duke looking for Uncle Jesse and Luke. You got your ears on?" The boys look at me like I'm insane, but hey, I grew up watching reruns of "The Dukes of Hazard." I wait a minute and hear, "This here is Daisy and Luke is on the way," Tina says. A moment later I hear, "Luke here. Anything from Uncle Jesse yet?" "Not a peep. Must be hitting some," I reply, laughing. "You boys get your mind out of the gutter," Mike comes on, trying to sound like the Uncle from the TV show. I immediately laugh and hear Earl laughing too. "So what's up, boys?" Mike continues on, sounding like Denver Pyle. "Well, Uncle Jesse I was trying to decide if we should take that talking stick south of the border today?" I ask. "Talking stick. Good lord, you are too much! I got nothing planned and got my chores done. I can head down say half an hour?" Mike says, breaking into a laugh half way through it. "Same here. I will walk down. What? Um no, I was told I'm driving down. I guess Joseph and Tina want to ride along." "Well, Sarah just said the same thing to me. So we will meet up at your house," Mike says. "Cool, see you in half an hour." The boys and I go to get ready. After I am dressed, I get together the tools I think we will need to take the tower down. Or maybe it's not really a tower, but it is rather large. A few minutes later the gang all shows up and the men and I get started on taking it down while the ladies go inside. As Mike, Earl, and I are working, I notice that Sara and Tina leave and come back a few minutes later carrying a box each. The boys are outside playing, glad that it doesn't feel really cold this morning because it's not windy. The guys and I get everything taken down; you would have thought it would have been harder to do, but it really wasn't. We get the tower pieces loaded on Mike's and my trucks. If we took it apart it some more, we could have fit it in one truck, but we decided not to waste several hours doing something that we didn't need to do. We head over to Mario's family's house where we talk to him for a few minutes while we enjoy some lovely tortillas with some eggs. Fresh tortillas are so nice; nothing better! We get the antenna almost completely set up again, and then I head back to get the actual radio and bring it over. When I walk into their house with it, Mario is there grinning ear to ear in his wheel chair. "I am so glad I will have something to occupy my time now other than worrying about my family. It has been such a blessing, everything your families have done for us. I wasn't honestly sure how much longer we were going to make it." "I don't know for sure, but to me it feels like this is how it was when our country was still young and people were expanding out west. It was a matter of everyone had to look after their neighbors and when trouble struck to help." "Yes, it is a community effort. I just feel so damn useless in this chair. I will figure out a way to pay you all back for the help." "Don't even think about it. I know if the shoe was on the other foot, you would be there lending us some help as well." "I know I would." "Just don't worry about it. It is something for us to do. It gets so damn boring not really having anything to do, especially in the winter." "I know the feeling," Mario replies, giving a sad smile. After that, I went to help the other guys finish setting up the antenna. Mario had the girls helping him set up the radio when we left to head back to my house. I tell you it's crazy how much I miss the boys. It hasn't even been that long; I have been gone less than the time they are in school. But it doesn't matter; I still miss my boys. Earl rides with Mike and I drive by myself, and we all get to my house at the same time. We get out and tell a couple of jokes before we go inside. Once inside, I see Sarah at the table with my sewing machine and one of the dresses I was working on in front of her. "You know Rick, you don't sew half bad. But you're a man and make things plain and simple. Now look at this," she says as she cuts the string from the machine and holds up the dress I thought what I had done looked pretty good, but the dress looks amazing now. "I had some lace and I thought we should sew some on the dresses to make them prettier. I put some here around the cuffs and the neck line, and as you see around the bottom. Now this is a dress a little girl would be proud to wear." "So mine, they wouldn't have been proud of?" I say, kind of hurt. "No honey, they would have been proud of them. But this is just more girly than practical." "Well, I tried," I reply, still feeling defeated in a way. "No sweetie, don't take it the wrong way. I know you were doing the best you could. But sometimes a woman knows what a girl wants. Kind of like you men know what the boys want. It's not anything against you, and don't think it is. It's just because as a man, you don't understand little girls." I laugh at that. "Well, you got me there, and you are right those do look beautiful now, where before they were just fine. I'm glad you worked on them. I want those girls to be amazed with their presents from me and the boys." "They will be thrilled. I was wondering, do you have any more of that denim left? I think Tina and I would like to make them some better coats. I noticed that their coats were, um, a little old." "And a little small," Tina tosses in. "Sure I do. I got most of a bolt left." "Oh really? What else do you have in your wonderland?" "Why don't you follow me and you can look over all the material I've got. I would find it on special and just get some here and there. I didn't really care about the colors, just quality." "I can see this material you got in red is very good quality." "And I got it half off, then because I got a whole bolt the lady took an extra 10% off. I think she was maybe flirting with me; I'm not real sure though," I say, turning red. "Oh I'm sure she was; you're a handsome man." I just roll my eyes at her and we go look at the material I have in the RV. "I got this nice flannel here." "Oh that will be great to make them some sleeping gowns seeing as how it's so cold this year. It will keep them nice and warm." "That would work pretty good. Wait, I got some sweat pants material too. Where did I put that?" I wonder, and start looking around. Sarah starts opening little cabinets. "Oh these are so cute. Did you make them?" I look to see what she has. "Yes. I made them for the boys for Christmas." "Oh they will love them for sure." "I hope so, but don't tell them because it's a surprise. As far as they know they aren't getting anything. But I was determined that they would have something under the tree. When I was a boy there were a lot of.... well, most Christmases, I didn't get anything." "I'm sorry." "It's alright. It was what it was. No one can change the fact that I had shitty parents. But it's a good thing maybe for the boys, because it makes me try even harder to do things to make them happy. I do things that I think would have thrilled me as a boy. So far, it's working." "Yes, I have never seen happier boys, and as you know I have seen a lot." "Here it is," I announce, and hold up the bolt. "Oh that will be great. I think I will use that as the liner for their coats and put some cotton or something in between. They will be good and warm." "You should make it so they can take the liner out so the coat can be used as a jacket as well." "You may not make things pretty for girls, but you've got good ideas." She smiles and tweaks my cheek. "Aww, shucks," I chuckle, pulling her leg a little. "I was thinking about a gift I want to make for Jerry. I don't know if he would like it." So I explain what I was thinking. "Oh, that will be so neat. He will love it; he has always liked things like that. "I will get started on it tomorrow while you have them in school." "I imagine that's when you made the other gifts." "Sure did, it's the only time I had. Otherwise they would have known." "Tina and I were talking about making some dolls for the girls." "Oh, I bet they would love those." "We think so." "Better get back in before we get company," I suggest. We head back inside, carrying the material. "Sarah, do you have buttons?" "Honey, I got more buttons than I will use in ten lifetimes. I got buttons from my mom and grandma when they died. We seem to always be getting more." When we get back to the house the other adults are talking and the boys are still outside playing. I sit in my chair and look at them. "You know, I speak French and was thinking that I could teach the boys. But French isn't really useful here. Mario was saying how he wanted to help. Why don't we have him teach the boys Spanish?" "You know, that's not a bad idea," Sarah observes. "I speak a little Spanish that I learned from the workers who would come in, but not very much. I wouldn't mind learning either," Mike puts in his two cents' worth. "I always meant to learn it myself," I add. "I think it might be nice to learn something new," Earl and Tina agree. "So there you go, we got a Spanish class!" I enthuse with a smile. "I bet the boys don't share your enthusiasm," Mike chuckles. "No, those boys are going to be excited. They love to learn things. I have never had such an active class. They are constantly in competition to see who learns more." "Let's all have supper here. I was going to make a meat loaf, and it wouldn't be hard to make enough for everyone. We can have an old-time Sunday supper for family." Everyone agrees and that's what we do. When we tell the boys the Spanish class idea, it turns out Sarah was right about how they would react. We had no problem pointing that out to Mike in a playful way. After supper the others all go home and the boys and I watch a movie. We head to bed fairly early. It is a school night, after all. I know its a short chapter. Sometimes it works out that way. Also I want you to know that for those of you that send a shout out to Zero I copy your message and send it over to him. SO seriously give him a shout out because he really does make the story so much better. He spends as much time on the chapter as I do Im sure. Because you read my things before I had him helping and you see how shitty a job i do at editing. Eric ericmurphey1971@gmail.com