Bill W

Castaway Hotel V

Chapters 33-39

Chapter 33
The Up Side of Life

Now that the court case had been handled and things began to settle down for us again, I realized I had forgotten to call Mark at college and arrange for him to come here to work for the summer again. He was going to return again this year, to continue handling some of my personal accounts, as well as some of those from the Castaway Foundation. My friend, who had been working as Mark's mentor, was planning to give Mark some tips on handling other types of investments, especially the riskier varieties. He planned on showing him how he approached these investment vehicles, and then work with Mark as he attempted to handle a limited number of funds of that nature. I felt it would be a good learning experience for Mark and I was willing to allow him to use some of my money to practice with.

Besides that, I also wanted to warn Mark about Nigel's impending visit. I thought he should know that Nigel's boys and mine might be doing some things he wasn't accustomed to, and probably wouldn't feel comfortable around, in case he wanted to make arrangements to stay with his girlfriend or boss while they were here.

"Mark, it's Josh Currie," I announced, when he answered his phone. "I'm just calling to verify your plans for the summer."

"Hi, Pop," he replied, in his bubbly voice. "Wow, I was just thinking about you. This is really strange."

"Well, I was thinking about you too," I admitted. "So do you know when you'll be leaving to come here?"

"Kind of," he agreed. "I want to spend a couple weeks with my mom first, but I thought I'd fly out there at the beginning of June, if that would be okay with you."

"Of course it would," I confirmed. "I'm looking forward to seeing you again and I know the others are too. Some of the boys have even been hounding me about when you'd be arriving. I'd have contacted you sooner, but I got sidetracked by other matters."

"Nothing serious, I hope," he replied.

"Not any longer," I explained. "There was some tension around here for a while, but I'll tell you more about that once you're here."

"Okay. I'm glad whatever it was has been resolved," he consoled, "and I'm looking forward to seeing all of you again too. How is everyone?"

"Oh, they're all doing fine, but I'm afraid Ricky won't be here," I informed him. "He's leaving to be an exchange student to Australia before you get here, but I'll warn you, that doesn't mean the house will be quiet. We're going to be having some other visitors joining us in August, a family we met in England. They're coming over to visit and they'll be staying with us for a couple of weeks. We'll be taking them on some short trips and you're invited to join us for any or all of them, if you want."

"Really? That sounds cool," he replied, instantly, "but I'll have to work."

"Well, most of these trips will be taken on the weekend, maybe sometimes making them extended weekend trips," I explained, "so I think you'd be able to go on at least some of them. We'd really like for you to join us, unless you and your female friend at the bank have other plans."

"Well, Pop, we just might," he admitted. "We've kept in touch ever since I left there at the end of last summer. Do you think she might be able to join us on some of these too?"

"Well, I'm sure we could include her on one or two of these trips," I confirmed, "but I'm not sure she'd enjoy all of our plans."

"Why's that, Pop?" he wondered

"Well, Nigel and his boys are naturists," I admitted, "so we are planning to go to a naturist camp on one of these trips too, but I didn't think you'd want to join us for that one."

"You mean like a nudist colony?" he wondered. "Where no one is wearing any clothing?"

"Yes, that's what some people call it," I confirmed.

"And all of the boys are going too?" he asked, shocked.

"Yes, they've all been to similar places before," I explained. "In fact, that's where we met Nigel and his boys, at one of those places in England."

"Really? And they don't mind running around naked in front of other people?" he followed, and I could tell his curiosity was getting the best of him.

"They don't seem to have any problem with it," I informed him. "In fact, I think most of them enjoy it. Most of the time, they tend to run around the house that way too."

"Doing it in front of your brothers is one thing," he explained, "but being naked in front of strangers, especially strangers of the opposite sex, that's different." He paused briefly before he continued, and I didn't interrupt him, because I knew he was just collecting his thoughts. "Well, I have wondered what it would be like myself. I saw the boys skinny dipping in your pool last summer, and I really wanted to join them, but I was afraid they or you might get upset if I did."

"And why would you think we would have done that?" I asked. "You're just as much a part of this family as anyone else, so you may do whatever you're comfortable with."

"Do you mean that?" he asked, amazed. "I am a bit older than them. They're mostly minors, but I'm considered an adult."

"That doesn't matter and of course I mean what I said," I confirmed. "The boys didn't ask you to join them because they weren't sure you'd want to be included in some of the things they did. I must admit, I think they are all unapologetic exhibitionists."

"Man, I would love to try things like that," he admitted. "I always wanted a brother or two, and I've always thought that being able to go skinny dipping and to do things like that would be so neat."

"Then plan on letting your hair down while you're here and having some fun this year," I urged him. "I'll let the boys know you're up for something different, and when Nigel's boys get here, there'll be plenty of naked bodies running around the house, so you won't feel out of place."

"Hehehe. That sounds like fun," he joked. "Thanks, Pop, and I'll see you in a few weeks. And I think I might go with you to that naturist camp too, if you don't mind."

"Not at all, and I'm sure I've got a couple of boys here that won't be able to wait for that to happen," I teased.

"Do you mean about going to the camp or seeing me naked?" he wondered.

"Both," I answered, and then chuckled. I think Mark knew which boys I meant, too. When I hung up, I thought I had just discovered a new side to his personality.

When the last weekend in May arrived, Kevin and I traveled to attend the scholarship banquet by ourselves. The invitation only included the finalist and his or her parents, so we couldn't bring anyone else along, not even Vinnie. Vinnie was pretty good about the fact he couldn't join us, although Kevin and I could both tell he would have preferred to be there. He did wish Kevin the best of luck before we left, and I think I could see the reflection of tears in his eyes as we were driving away, but that was to be expected. This was the first time the two had been apart since Vinnie had come to live with us.

Once we arrived at the building where the event was taking place, Kevin and I made our way to the banquet room, where representatives from the sponsoring group greeted us. After they introduced themselves, they welcomed us and congratulated Kevin on having made the finalist list, and then we were encouraged to mix with the other finalists, so we could get to know them too.

There were probably a dozen or so young men and women wandering about, although most of them were not doing much mixing. Unfortunately many of these kids, as well as their parents, seemed to prefer the company of their own families and didn't try to get to know any of the other finalists.

We spoke to a few of them and exchanged names and where we were from, but I could tell no friendships were going to arise from these encounters. Too many of the adults didn't seem to want to have anything to do with us, either because they thought us inferior or they were only interested in learning if their child had won a scholarship and nothing more.

The ones with their noses in the air were dressed to the hilt, with the men and boys in tailored, hand stitched suits, while the women and girls were dressed in expensive evening dresses. It's too bad they thought their enormous incomes or inherited wealth made them better than the rest of us, but it also made it clear this wasn't a needs-based scholarship.

On the other hand, most of those who were only concerned about their child being successful at winning a scholarship would be very disappointed and go home empty handed. Since it was obvious there were more students than scholarships, this would mean the vast majority would only be able to say they came close, even if their parents considered them young Einsteins who deserve this honor most. With such a narrow focus, they would be the only ones to lose out, yet I hoped they didn't take it out on their child that they didn't win the grand prize.

After a few more minutes, a young boy came over to us and began to chat with Kevin. "Hi, I'm Jeff," he announced, undeterred. "I see that you're here with just your dad."

"Yeah," Kevin answered, "my dad is the only one I had to bring."

"Me too," the boy responded, enthusiastically, "but not my dad, just my mom. My dad took off when I was little and we haven't seen him since."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Kevin told him, trying to sound sincere.

"That's okay, I've gotten used to it. It's no big deal any more," the young man informed us. "What happened to your mother?"

"I'm adopted, and Dad's wife died a few years before he adopted me?" Kevin explained.

"Really, he was all alone, but he still adopted you?" the young man asked, amazed.

"Well, he wasn't exactly alone and he didn't adopt just me," Kevin replied. "I have several adopted brothers too."

"Wow! How many did you say?" Jeff asked, unable to contain his surprise.

Kevin went on to explain to the boy about our family, including my biological children and grandchildren, and the young man seemed truly interested. I was thrilled to see someone who wasn't stuck up or self-centered and was actually hitting it off with my son. While Kevin and Jeff were talking, I went over and introduced myself to Jeff's mother and we got to know each other while our sons continued to bond.

"Wow, I always wished I had a brother," Jeff told Kevin. "Sometimes it can be a kind of lonely being the only child."

"Yeah, having brothers is really great, but sometimes it's really hard to get some time to yourself," Kevin admitted. "I guess we both have our problems, just the opposite ones."

The boys continued chatting until an announcement was made, asking everyone to be seated. As luck would have it, we were seated together, at a table for four, as all the other tables were prepared for groups of six. It might have been just a numbers game, or maybe they thought single parent families would have more in common, which would give them something else to talk about. It didn't matter, since none of us were about to complain about the arrangement.

We had a nice meal and continued to chat while we ate, getting to know each other even better before the presentations began. While Jeff's mother and I talked about a variety of topics, the boys began to talk about why they wanted to become pharmacists.

"Man, I hope I win this scholarship," Jeff told Kevin, "because I'm not sure we can afford for me to go to college without it. My mom has to work hard, just so we have food, clothes and things like that. I have a job too and work after school on Friday and then on the weekend. I got it so I would have money to buy the extra things I want – the stuff my mom says she can't afford to give me. I've also tried to put some of my money away for college and I have saved a bit – just not enough to pay my own way."

"This is really important to you, isn't it?" Kevin asked him.

"You bet it is," Jeff agreed. "Not only do I love chemistry, but I know I could make enough money as a pharmacist so I could help take care of my mom and make it so she won't have to work so hard any more. After all she's done for me, I really want to be able to do that for her."

"Well, I hope you win the scholarship then," Kevin told him. "I think you deserve it."

When the meal was over, the president of the association went to the podium, asked for our attention and got things under way. First, he introduced all the finalists and had them stand up at their table for recognition, before he introduced the members of the committee that had selected them. Once that process was completed, he got down to the business at hand.

"This is a very select and impressive group," he began, "and I know you will all make tremendous pharmacists in the future. The committee had a very difficult decision this year, even more so than in previous years. You all have excellent credentials, which meant we had to look hard to distinguish between your academic resumes, but was made a little easier knowing that this year we have an extra scholarship to award.

"There are the three partial scholarships, for one-thousand, two-thousand and three-thousand dollars per year, and then the grand prize, a full-scholarship to any Pennsylvania School of Pharmacy, but this year there will be an additional scholarship awarded. It came about due to a donation from an anonymous member of our association, and although it isn't quite a full-scholarship, this person has contributed enough money to cover tuition and books for a typical four-year program at any Pennsylvania School of Pharmacy." At this point, there was a round of applause, signifying that everyone approved of this generous, additional opportunity.

"As I said, the final selections were quite difficult. Each of our finalists has an outstanding GPA and received numerous glowing letters of recommendations from his or her teachers and guidance counselors. Since each of those letters are so positive, the judges were forced to scan them with a magnifying glass and read between the lines, in order to uncover the little things that indicate why one candidate is slightly more qualified than the next, or possibly just more motivated. It is not an easy process, but once that step is completed, we narrow it down to five candidates and then turn to the essays each individual wrote on his own behalf, telling us why he or she wants to be a pharmacist. Although each of those essays were very impressive, two stood out and those two individuals turned out to be the recipients of the top two scholarships, while the other three individuals will received the fixed-amount scholarships. We'll start by awarding the one-thousand dollar a year scholarship first."

Both boys were now holding their breath. Although the first three scholarships would be helpful, I think we all knew Jeff needed one of the final two to be able to actually further his education. We listened intently as the first three scholarships were awarded, but none of them went to the two young men at our table. Although they were a little disappointed, they were still hopeful that their names would yet be called.

"We will now award the partial scholarship next," the speaker continued. "This recipient of this award has a 3.97 GPA and is highly motivated. He claims that he not only loves chemistry, but it is also his best subject. He also states that he wants to help people, but claims he isn't a very outgoing person, except when he's talking about things he really enjoys. However, one comment he made in his essay really moved us and gave us an indication that he was as motivated as he was intelligent. This young man states that he wants to become a pharmacist so he will be able to take care of his mother and return the love and support she has given him up to this point. This, coupled with his extracurricular activities, which includes being a member of the debate team, science club and captain of the chess club, and a very strong desire to succeed, has made him our unanimous choice for this award."

Before the president had even finished what he had to say, those of us at our table knew who the winner was, and Kevin and Jeff could hardly contain their excitement. When Jeff's name was announced, he stood up, straightened his tie, and walked very purposefully toward the head table, where he received the document signifying his prize. After getting his award and shaking the president's hand, he was allowed to say a few words of thanks and then returned to our table, where his mother hugged him and Kevin and I shook his hand.

"The next person will receive the full scholarship," the president continued, once the applause for Jeff had died down, "and this person had impressive qualifications as well, but an even more unique reason for wanting to become a pharmacist. I think I should read a part of this essay, so you can appreciate what I'm saying." He now began to read from the paper he was holding.

"There are many reasons for my wanting to become a pharmacist, including my desire to be part of the process that will help make people well. Although it is the doctors who prescribe the medications, it's a pharmacist that fills those requests and is responsible for getting it right. The pharmacist is also able to catch errors and prevent lethal combinations of drugs from being taken, thus also helping to preserve and save lives. I, as well as various other members of my family, have benefited greatly from the skills of many pharmacists, so I hope to be able to return the favor. You see, I am a cancer survivor who has benefited from chemotherapy, so I think this is a wonderful opportunity for me to take my place in a very beneficial profession. Regardless of the outcome of this competition, I look forward to being able to do my part to uphold its fine traditions.

"There is, however, another, more important, reason why I want to become a pharmacist, and maybe this is a bit more selfish on my part. I have discovered that a pharmacist's average salary is more than adequate and I want to make enough money so I can help my dad raise my brothers and maybe even adopt more. My dad is a great man, who has helped many people over the years, including all of my brothers and me. I just want to make sure he has the money he needs, so he can continue to help them, and maybe even more boys like us. If I am able to help him with the financial end of taking care of so many people, I hope he'll be able to help even more and do the same things for them that he's done for the rest of us."

At this point, I think both Kevin and I, and probably even Jeff and his mother, had figured out that he had won the big scholarship. As he looked over at me, I noticed his face had reddened, most likely because he hadn't anticipated anyone reading his essay aloud and he wasn't ready for the amount of attention this would now thrust upon him. When his name was announced and he was asked to come forward, he did so, but he moved quite reluctantly, almost as if he was embarrassed to have won this honor. I felt for him, but knew he'd get over it in due time.

As I watched him walk forward, I suddenly realized there might have been another reason why we had been paired at the table with Jeff and his mother – as it had now become the primary winners' circle.

Chapter 34
A Selfless Act

Once Kevin reached the podium and before he could say anything, the president asked him to explain about his family, which caused Kevin to blush again. I think he was hoping he'd just be able to say 'thank you,' accept his award and then rush back to join us at the table. However, his hopes were now dashed.

Although he appeared reticent to discuss this in front of the others, especially those who had been unwilling to do more than introduce themselves earlier and didn't appear enthused about hearing his story now, Kevin was also in no position to refuse such a politely asked request. In that light, he gave those assembled the short and sweet version of our family's history and stopped just as soon as he felt he had met his obligation.

I think most in the audience could identify with Kevin's uneasiness and this led to a rather unexpected side effect. Kevin's apparent modesty and discomfort seemed to be an endearing quality to those who were actually listening to his explanation, which made it less difficult for them to accept his having been chosen over their loved one. When he finished his narration, Kevin thanked the association for this wonderful honor and then received a nice round of applause from most of those in the audience.

As soon as he was close to us, Jeff jumped up to shake his hand, while beaming with enough pride for the both of them. I think Jeff's mother and I were equally proud of our sons.

Shortly after Kevin returned to our table, the ceremony ended and those in attendance began to leave, some quite abruptly. Jeff told Kevin he was pleased the two of them had won, as they appeared to need the scholarships more than the others. This caused Kevin to look even more sheepish, since he knew he was in a far better financial situation than his new friend, maybe even better than most the others who had been finalists.

At that point, Kevin excused himself and told me he wanted to go to speak to the president of the organization. I thought he was doing this to thank him personally, or merely get away from an awkward situation, but he got up and walked forward, leaving me to talk to Jeff and his mother while he was away. It was a just a few minutes later when Kevin returned, and I saw him pull Jeff aside.

"I just talked to the president and got him to agree to let us switch our scholarships," Kevin announced. Instead of looking happy, Jeff seemed confused by his statement.

"But why would you want to do that?" he challenged. "Your scholarship is way better than mine."

"I know, but I also have quite a bit of money put away for college," Kevin informed him, "so I can afford to pay for at least part of my expenses."

"No, that's not fair," Jeff objected. "You won fair and square, and you should have the better scholarship."

"Please, Jeff. I want to do this for you," Kevin pleaded. "Even though my dad adopted so many boys, we have quite a bit of money for the family and Dad made sure all of us boys had accounts in our own name to use for college or start a business. I actually have enough money to pay for college on my own and I didn't even apply for this scholarship. One of my guidance counselors put my name in for it and then told me to write the essay about why I wanted to become a pharmacist. I didn't even really know what it was for and didn't even remember that I gave it to the counselor to send it in, until I got the letter telling me that I was a finalist."

"But you didn't even talk this over with your dad first, before you went up and talked to the president about it," he pointed out. "What is he going to say? Isn't he going to be mad?"

"Heck, no," Kevin replied, almost chuckling. "He'll understand and approve of it. I know he will. You just watch."

At that point, Kevin walked over to me, got my attention and then proceeded to tell me what he had done. I knew he must be waiting for my reaction, so I just smiled, hugged him around the shoulder and told him that was a very generous and selfless thing to do. Then I told him I was proud of him.

Jeff seemed shocked by my attitude, so I reached over and extended my hand to shake his, telling him to use the scholarship wisely and make the most of it. After he got over his shock, he promised he would, and then his mother made sure to thank both Kevin and myself for having done this for her son. In fact, she even did something else. She gave Kevin a hug and then kissed him on the cheek. After she released him, Kevin shared some other news with us.

"The president told me all the publicity has already been sent out, so any articles we might read about this will state that I won the full scholarship and Jeff had won the partial," he explained, while looking a bit nervous. I think he suspected Jeff might get upset about this fact. "They're still willing to let us switch them otherwise, so I hope this doesn't bother you too much." He was looking at Jeff as he said this, while trying to gauge his reaction.

"No way. You should get the credit anyway, since you really won!" Jeff exclaimed, eliminating Kevin's concern. "I can't thank you enough for doing this for me, though. I was happy to have won the partial scholarship, although I knew it meant I would have to work while I was at college, so I could pay for my dorm room and other things. Now, this will let me concentrate on my studies and I'll only have to work a little, for spending money and such. I hope we end up in the same place. Do you know where you're going yet?"

"Yes, I've been accepted at Temple," Kevin told him.

"Really? That's great," Jeff gushed. "I've been accepted by both Temple and Pittsburgh, but I haven't made up my mind which one to choose yet. I told both places I had to wait and see about this scholarship before I could decide if I could afford to go," Jeff explained, "and both places told me that was fine, as long as I let them know no later than the first week of June. The thing was, I knew I wouldn't be going to either place without some kind of help and I had to win a scholarship to make it happen."

"Well, now that's settled," Kevin replied, "have you decided where you're going to go?"

"Yes! I'm going to tell Temple I want to go there now, so we can be together," Jeff announced, hopefully. "Is that okay with you?"

"That would be fine with me," Kevin told him, "if that's where you really want to go."

"Well, both places have very good departments to study pharmacy," Jeff admitted, "so I would have been happy going to either one. Now, I prefer Temple, if it means we might be in the same classes."

"Great, then maybe we can see if we can also become roommates," Kevin suggested. "Possibly I can get my dad to pull some strings for us, since he knows lots of important people." I cleared my throat when I heard him say that, to let him know he shouldn't give Jeff any false hopes. After all, to my knowledge I knew no one with any connections to Temple University, no matter what my son thought.

However, neither boy seemed to catch my drift and both were looking at me with those pleading puppy-dog faces. I immediately told them I couldn't make any promises, but I'd see what I could do on their behalf. The boys then hugged each other, while Jeff's mother thanked us both again, and then Kevin and I walked them out to their car. As we said our good-byes, I invited them to visit us sometime, and then all of us headed to our respective homes.

On the way back, I told Kevin once more what a wonderful gesture he had made and how proud I was of him. That's when he told me it was just his way of helping someone else, like I had helped him and his brothers.

"Dad, look at it this way. It wasn't a tough decision for me," he explained. "I'm going to college whether I have that scholarship or not. In fact, I've been planning on going to Temple and paying for it myself, even before I knew I was even in the running for it. The difference was, Jeff might not have been able to go in the first place, or maybe he would run out of money before he graduated and have to drop out. But now that he has the full-scholarship, he won't have to worry about anything but his grades. I just wanted to make sure he had every chance to improve his life too, and the partial scholarship will be more than enough for me."

I thought about this and realized he was right, yet I was still very proud of him for having reasoned it all out on his own, and then act upon it. Therefore, I told him so, once more, and then we rode the rest of the way in silence. As I drove along, I continued to think about his good deed. Maybe people are right when they say that one random act of kindness can take root and will end up multiplying and spreading from one individual to another. I guess this was Kevin's way of making sure he passed his share of kindness along too.

Kevin and I drove straight home that same evening, since tomorrow was going to be another full day for us. He was going to graduate the following afternoon, along with Danny and Brandon, so I wanted to get home as quickly as we could. I was so proud of the three of them, as they had all done very well in their classes, and although none of them were valedictorian or salutatorian, they were all in the top ten percent of their graduating class.

Kevin was able to get some sleep on the ride back, but only for less than half of the trip, as he was still too wound up from winning the scholarship and thinking about what he had done for Jeff. It was well after midnight, by the time we got back to the house, but I woke Kevin up and helped him inside and to his room, since he was still a little groggy. I helped tuck him into bed next to Vinnie, who woke up and wanted to know the details about what happened. We told him he'd get the whole story in the morning, so he just cuddled up next to Kevin and prepared to go back to sleep. I kissed them both before I left the room, and then I went to my own room to get some rest.

Jake also woke up when I entered, although I think he might have awakened when we came in the house, but thought it best to just wait until I came to bed. Since I was so tired, I merely told him Kevin had won a scholarship and he'd get the full story over breakfast. He must have realized I was beat, so he didn't protest at all, and I crawled in next to him and dozed off pretty quickly.

I did sleep well, although I also had many dreams that evening, mostly about the boys. During my slumber I relived the moment Kevin receiving the scholarship, thought ahead and pictured the graduation ceremony and then had a vision about what the house would be like next fall, with so many of the boys going away to school. When I awoke the following morning, I was experiencing a mixture of emotions, ranging from pride over the boys' accomplishments, gratitude for the example they had set for their younger brothers, love for all they have meant to me, and a tinge of sadness, because I realized they would all be leaving me before too much longer.

This caused me to wonder if I'd be going through this same dilemma every year, as more and more of the boys went off to school, and then I speculated how much worse it would be when the last of them left the nest. I had gone through something like this before, as my older children left home, but the thought of having to live through the separation-anxiety again was not a comfortable feeling. However, I made it through once and was sure I could do it again.

Once Kevin was awake, I let him fill everyone in about what happened at the banquet and that he had been awarded the scholarship. As he spoke, I watched the reactions on his brothers' faces. They were all beaming with pride over their brother's accomplishment, but nearly every jaw dropped open suddenly, and a couple of the boys nearly fell out of their seats, when he told them about having swapped scholarships with the boy at our table. I think the younger ones thought he was nuts for doing that, but once they got over their initial shock of swapping a full scholarship away to a total stranger, it appeared the older ones not only understood, but agreed with his actions.

"You know, that was a super move you made," Frankie told him. "I guess that must mean you think like Dad and put those less fortunate ahead of yourself." He looked at me and smiled, then winked. All I could do was mouth a silent 'thank you' in return, before adding more that the others could hear.

"Too often people are only concerned about what they can get for themselves," I began, "whether they're businessmen, politicians, professional athletes or merely everyday citizens. No matter how much they have, they're always looking to get more, even when there would be no way for them to spend and enjoy their accumulated wealth. Not only that, but the majority don't care whom they hurt, whom they cheat or what means they have to use to get what they desire. I believe a major reason for this is that many people no longer believe in God or a higher power and these individuals doubt there is life after death, where they'll be required to account for their misdeeds. If they are right, then they'll have the last laugh. However, if they're wrong, their short stay on earth enjoying their material gains will seem like an abbreviated rest break, as compared to spending an eternity suffering for their greed and lack of a moral compass."

"All you have to do is read the newspaper to see that," Brandon scoffed. "If it isn't some politician trying to get something for himself or a businessman screwing the public or taking advantage of some loophole, it's some celebrity going for even bigger bucks, even though they already have enough for three lifetimes."

"I guess I might have done the same thing Kevin did," Danny told us. "After all, Dad has made sure we'll all be able to go to college, so why should we deprive some other kid of the same chance? I agree with what Kevin did and I think he might have made a life-long friend by doing it."

This comment seemed to bother Vinnie, who had already begun to consider himself Kevin's life-long friend, if not more, but it got a bit worse after that. Once Vinnie learned both boys were now going to Temple and wanted to be roommates, that little green monster called jealousy started to rear its ugly head. He wasn't happy they would be alone in a small dorm room on campus and began imagining what they might do there.

As the rest of us left the table, I saw a lot of whispering going on between Kevin and Vinnie. I envisioned the problems this might cause and hoped Kevin wouldn't end up with another failed/broken relationship. I was getting very tense about the situation and was wondering if there was anything I might be able to do to help, but then I saw Vinnie relax slightly. At that point, I assumed Kevin had found a way to reassure him that he and Jeff would only be friends and let the matter drop after that. Heck, none of us even knew if Jeff was straight, bi or gay, so this would not even be an issue, if he turned out to be straight.

After breakfast, everyone was busy getting ready for the ceremony, so I made my rounds to make sure each of them had what he needed and was dressed appropriately for this occasion. While we were finishing up, Brandon's parents arrived at the house to join us. They had flown in on Friday night and had been staying with other friends in town, as they thought we were already too crowded for them to join us. They had also taken Brandon and Danny out the previous evening, while Kevin and I had been at the scholarship banquet, and had a quiet dinner with the boys. Now, they were here to pick up Brandon, Danny and Kevin, so they could get them to the school on time. The graduates had to be there an hour before the rest of us, for final instructions and to make sure each of them was there to participate.

That gave the rest of us a little extra time to accomplish everything we still needed to do, which included getting the graduation cards and presents out, while some of the others hung the banner congratulating our current celebrities. Of course, we were also planning a party in their honor as well, so we got some of those items taken care of before we left.

Almost as soon as they arrived at the auditorium, the graduates went off to join their classmates and don their caps and gowns, in preparation for the big event. Mr. and Mrs. O'Hara went to stake out the best seats and save enough for the rest of us. When we arrived, they spotted us and began to wave to get our attention, so we could join them. I guess they'd received some flak about taking up so many places and felt the mild harassment would end if those seats were occupied.

As soon as we were comfortable, Jake and I began to chat with Brandon's parents and found out how they'd been doing since we last saw them. Once they filled us in, we told them about some of the things that had happened to us during that same time, including the near disaster with Cole and Graham's mother, Trey's video success and Kevin's scholarship. They both seemed intensely interested in everything we had to say and thanked me, once again, for allowing Brandon to stay with us until he graduated. They were so thrilled he had done so well and had been accepted to attend such an outstanding institution as the University of Pittsburgh that they thanked me several more times.

Before the ceremony began, we also finalized plans for Brandon to join them in Texas in a couple more weeks. Brandon's mother had originally wanted him to come and spend the entire summer with them, but he had too many other things he wanted to take care of before he left. Besides, he didn't really want to leave Danny for that long, since they were already going to be separated as soon as the semester started, so that idea was quickly nixed. After much more negotiation on the topic, Brandon and his parents finally settled on having him join them in June and then staying through July. He'd return to Pennsylvania in early August and remain with us until he left for college, a week or so later. Neither he nor Danny was thrilled about it, but that's what was going to happen.

It seemed as if it took forever before the ceremony began, and it did start twenty minutes later than scheduled, but there was no explanation given. Some of the boys were growing restless and bouncing around in their seats, but everything settled down quickly, once Pomp and Circumstance started to play.

I snapped off a few pictures of the graduates as they marched past where we were sitting, and I used the zoom lens to get a couple more photos of them as they sat on the stage. I also made my way forward to take a few more snapshots of each of them as they received their diplomas, and again as they marched past us on the way out. Once the ceremony was over and we were together again, Jake and I took all kinds of pictures, with the graduates together, of them with their parent(s), them with their brothers and various other combinations. We must have taken at least sixty pictures before we were through.

When we were done with that, we went back to the house to set up the final items for the graduation party we were throwing for them, while they whooped it up with their other friends. The boys had invited nearly all of their classmates and much of the faculty and staff, and I made sure we had plenty of food and drinks to go around. We had a variety of non-alcoholic beverages for the graduates, to eliminate the temptation, but there was also a keg for the adults. Frankie and Dustin were in charge of keeping an eye on the keg and the only thing I asked them, besides making sure only those of legal age were allowed to drink, was that they made sure anyone coming to fill up could tell them who their designated driver was. I figured that would help to prevent any problems later.

Even before any of this started, I knew this was going to be a long day. Even though the party began around mid-afternoon, it lasted late into the evening. The surprising thing was, there were no problems, no one got rowdy or carried away and everyone seemed to have a good time. If only everything could go so well.

Chapter 35
New Opportunities

By the time the Tuesday after Memorial Day arrived (May 28th), my next group of drivers was ready to take their road tests. Ricky was the first of that bunch to drive the course, followed by Cole, Jay and then Pat. Each young driver did fairly well and passed the test on one try, although Jay came closest to not getting his license. He had a minor problem parking and took one corner a little tight, but it wasn't enough to keep him from passing his test. Afterward the trooper, who had tested all of them, came over to speak to me.

"Are these all your sons?" he asked, looking quite confused.

"Well, all except for the red-head," I answered honestly, but with a touch of levity in my tone, seeing Jay had had the most trouble during his exam. "He's just a very close friend of the family."

"So three of them are your sons?" he attempted to clarify. "And haven't I tested some other Curries in the past as well?"

"It could be," I agreed. "I do have five others who have their driver's licenses."

"Five others!" he exclaimed, with a horrified look on his face. "Damn, how many kids do you have?" Although he looked shocked by my response, he also seemed to be curiously fascinated.

"Well, I have fourteen sons at home, as well as two others who live with me and Jay, the redhead, who is a very good friend and constant guest in our home."

"Are they all really yours?" He didn't ask this is a mean or derogatory manner, but sincerely interested if they were my offspring.

"They're adopted," I explained. "They aren't my biological children, but I love them just the same."

"Wow, and I thought I had my hands full with just three sons," he quipped, while bursting out in laughter. "Well, you've done a good job teaching them manners and how to drive. I found each of them to be very respectful young men and pretty good drivers too. A couple of them have had some minor problems, but overall they do very well and know the rules of the road."

I thanked him for his kind words of praise concerning the boys and then we chatted a bit longer about parenting skills, as he must have thought I had some secret inside information about how to work with kids. Once I explained to him my basic approach, he thanked me and said he'd try a couple of the things I mentioned. I told him they weren't magic or a secret code passed down through the ages, but they might work for him, and then again maybe not. It would depend a lot on his sons' disposition and the chemistry between himself and them. He merely chuckled again and then thanked me anyway, saying he was always open to suggestions.

At that point, I rounded up the four boys and took them out to celebrate their success. As they gobbled down their reward, I listened to them tell about their experiences and heard tales about the jitters each had suffered through. In their own inimitable way, they also told me about the aspects of the test they thought they did well on, before critiquing their overall effort behind the wheel.

After they finished, they began to comment on each other's efforts, while joking about mistakes the others had made during our lessons or about specific skills they knew a particular driver always seemed to have problems with. It was very comical watching and listening to the various boys telling these wild stories, so we all managed to have a good laugh while we ate. After paying the bill, I dropped Jay off at his place and then took the rest of them home, as they were eager to tell their brothers about their success and take their place as the newly empowered drivers.

It was also approaching the time for Ricky to leave for Australia, which would happen on Thursday. On Wednesday, I could tell he was excited about going, yet he was sad to be leaving us. This was actually the first time he would be apart from me for any extended length of time, or away from his brothers, since he came to live here – and that was nearly five years ago. I knew he was starting to feel some separation anxiety, even though he would probably be the last to admit it. I hoped he'd be able to cope with what he was going through and not let it get to him, because I didn't want to think this might ruin the experience for him.

I did try to spend extra time with Ricky that afternoon and took him out to lunch, so we could talk alone. He wasn't saying much, so I finally decided to bring the issue to him. "Are you getting a little nervous about leaving?" I asked him. He looked up and gave me a weak grin.

"Well, maybe," he admitted. "I'm not sure what I'm feeling. It's just different."

"Are you sure you want to do this?" I asked. I wanted to make certain he hadn't changed his mind.

"Oh, yes, I do," he responded, with more enthusiasm than I expected. "It's a great chance and one I might never get again."

"So you do want to go?" I reiterated.

"Yes! It sounds like a neat place," he confirmed, "and I'll probably get to do some cool things there."

"I think you're right about that," I agreed, "but you still seem a bit nervous, maybe even a little hesitant, about going."

"Not really about going," he replied, "it's… well, it's just… you aren't going to have another heart attack or anything like that while I'm gone, are you?" he blurted out. When I looked at him now, his facial expression seemed to be a cross between anxiety and sadness.

"Well, I'll try not to," I quipped, while adding a little chuckle to relieve some of the tension, but it didn't seem to work. For that reason, I took a different approach. "Look, Ricky, I can't promise anything like that, but the doctor has given me a clean bill of health and we don't foresee any problems. Even though I can't guarantee I'll be fine, I don't want the possibility of something happening to stop you from going and enjoying yourself."

"But I don't want to go if you won't be here when I get back," he whined.

"Well, let's not think about that," I offered, "because it probably won't happen anyway."

"I hope not," he concurred, while giving me a weak grin, "and I'll try not to worry, if you're sure."

"I'm fairly sure," I replied, since it was the most positive answer I felt comfortable giving.

"And you won't forget about me either, will you?" he asked, looking slightly worried. This question nearly brought me to tears.

"Forget about YOU? How could I?" I asked, rhetorically. "You were my first son in the new family, and you are more special to me than you could ever know. I couldn't forget about you any more than I could forget my own name. I love you, Ricky. I always have and I always will." By this time we both had tears streaming down our cheeks, and I was glad we had selected an isolated corner to sit in.

"Thanks, Dad. I love you too," he admitted, "and I know I'm going to miss you a lot, even if I do have a good time while I'm there. To tell you the truth, that's the thing I'll be saddest about – that you and my brothers won't be there to share everything with me."

"I understand, and I'm going to miss you too," assured him. "In fact, I'm positive we're ALL going to miss you."

"Thanks again, Dad. That does make me feel a little better about this," he confirmed, "but do everything you have to, so I'll be able to see you again when I get back."

"And I want to see you too, and chances are, that's exactly what will happen," I told him, trying to remain as positive sounding as I could. Once I told him that, we ended our conversation and left for home.

When we got back, I helped him pack the last of his things, so he and I could spend even more time together. Just before we were done, he did ask me to run to the store for him and pick up a few last minute items. He said he wanted to keep packing, so I got in the car and went alone to get the items he requested. When I got back to the house, I took the things up to his room, watched him pack them away and then helped him carry his luggage downstairs. We set it off to one side of the foyer and left it there, so it wouldn't take long to load it up when we were ready to leave.

Ricky spent the rest of the evening saying good-bye to his brothers and enjoying some final quality time with them, so I left them alone and Jake and I headed to bed. We were back together in my bedroom again, seeing the other problems were now behind us and we weren't so worried about the allegations made about us. We pulled back the covers, sat on our own sides of the bed, swung our feet up and under the sheet, but our legs didn't seem to go anywhere. We both looked at each other, and then pushed with our legs some more, but still nothing gave. This caused us to looked at each other again and we spoke almost in unison. "Ricky!"

I hadn't had my bed short-sheeted like this since high school, so I threw my legs back off the bed, slipped my feet into my slippers, and…damn, he must have put shaving cream in my slippers too. What the hell, my feet were already covered, so I just pushed them the rest of the way in, having shaving cream forced back out the opening, and then I went to the door to go look for Ricky. As I reached for the door, my hand slipped off of the doorknob as I tried to get out, so I gripped it again, but it slipped off once more. It suddenly registered that he put Vaseline on that too, to make it more difficult for me to get out of the room. By now I could hear chuckling on the other side of the door, so I grabbed a dirty article of clothing off the floor and used it to wipe the greasy substance off the doorknob, and then hastily exited my room. There was Ricky and a few of the other boys standing there, with big grins covering their faces.

"Having problems, Dad?" Ricky asked me, once I opened the door.

"And I suppose you were the one who set this up?" I asked, although I wasn't sure if he would respond honestly.

"Who, me?" he asked, with that mock innocent expression plastered across his face. I didn't answer, but merely glared in his direction. "Well, I wanted to make sure you'd remember me while I was gone."

"Oh, you don't have to worry about that," I told him, a bit sarcastically. "In fact, I have the 'room for rent' sign all ready to put out." Startled by my comment, he shot me his patented 'feigned hurt' look.

"You really think you can replace me?" he teased.

"Not replace, but maybe improve upon," I told him, trying to sound and act serious. At this point neither one of us could keep a straight face any longer, so we both started laughing, and then I grabbed him and gave him the biggest, hardest bear hug I could. "Ricky, there is absolutely no way I could ever replace or improve upon you. Damn, I'm going to miss you. Just give your host parents a break while you're there and remember it's their house and they can throw you out."

"Oh, Dad. What do you think I am?" he pleaded. "A total idiot?"

"Well, maybe not total," I answered, quickly, and then he punched me in the arm.

"And all this time I thought you loved me," he mocked, again flashing that famous Ricky 'I've been deeply hurt' expression.

"I do, so count your lucky stars, or the response would have had more of a punch to it," I taunted.

"Dad, you're awful," he told me, as he leaned his head against my arm. "I hope my host dad isn't so mean." This time I could see him sneak a look at my face, to see if he'd gotten even with me by making that comment.

"If you're lucky," I said, simply, and then I wrapped my arms around him and hugged him again. As I did this, something else came to mind. "Did you really need those things you sent me to get from the store, or was that just an excuse to get rid of me, so you could pull your prank?"

"No, I really needed that stuff," he said innocently, "it's just that I waited until then to ask you to get it, so I'd have time to pull my last gag before I left. I had the other boys distract Uncle Jake for me too, so he wouldn't catch on either." After making that admission, he flashed me another infamous Ricky grin, which let me know it was all done out of love, so how could I be upset with him? After that, we all went to our rooms to get some sleep, but not until after Jake and I had fixed the sheets on our bed.

That night did not pass by very quickly for me. All I could do is think about Ricky and his going on this trip. I was worried about how he'd do on the long flight he had ahead of him, and then what I'd do if something happened to him during the eight months he was gone – while he was thousands of miles away.

It's not easy for parents to let their children grow up and flex their independence, and this was one of those times. My instincts told me to keep him home as long as I could, but my heart told me I had to let him grow up and become his own man. What I told him earlier wasn't a lie. He is very special to me. All my boys are special to me, each in his own way, but Ricky was my first foster-son and the start of my new family. Because of that, he would always hold a special place in my heart. I think I'm going to find this harder to cope with than I first believed.

The next morning, after we showered, ate and loaded the car, I had Ricky say his final good-byes to his brothers before we left. Earlier, we had agreed that just Jake and I would take him to the airport. Since Jake offered to do the driving, I thought this would give Ricky and me some final time alone, without the hassle of worrying about the others. Although it was a long ride to Pittsburgh, we managed to talk the whole way, with me giving him words of warning and Ricky telling me he knew all of that already. Once I stopped my 'worried mother routine,' Ricky told me what he hoped to see and do while he was there.

Upon arriving at the terminal, Jake and I walked him to the counter and helped check him in, along with tagging his luggage, and then we escorted him to the departure checkpoint, where we had to part. Ricky hugged Jake first, telling him to help take care of everyone while he was gone, and then he hugged me. I kissed him on the forehead, before I let him go, and then he turned and walked down the final corridor and out of sight. The last thing I heard him say as he walked away was, "Don't worry, Dad, I'll write and stay in touch."

After we watched his jet take off, I let Jake drive us back home too, since my eyes were a little cloudy from all the moisture that had collected in them. I felt bad about having to put all of this on Jake again, but I was so consumed with thoughts about other things that I knew I wouldn't be able to focus upon my driving. I just wasn't sure I could do both successfully at the same time, so I thought it prudent to impose on my lover one more time.

These thoughts were primarily about Ricky and his trip, and my mind was frantically racing over scenarios of hijackings, plane crashes and other such catastrophes. Although none of these were likely to happen, I just couldn't help myself for dwelling on such morbid thoughts. I just didn't know how I'd handle it if something like that DID happen to him.

Even if nothing like that occurred, I knew I was still going to be hurting from missing him so much. Damn, why does loving someone have to hurt so badly?

Oh, I know, it's not as if I was suffering from severe or totally unbearable physical pain, but knowing we were going to be separated by so many miles and for that many months, it just left an emptiness in my soul and an ache in my heart that would remain until he returned.

This wasn't going to be the first time I'd ever experienced anything like this, nor would it likely be the last, but that didn't mean it was going to be any easier to get through. I guess that loving someone so deeply just brings certain responsibilities with it, which offsets all of the pleasure you get from the love you both give and receive.

Over the years, I've become convinced that the most important of those responsibilities is to make sure your love isn't a stifling variety – one that smothers the other person completely and prevents them from really being able to fully live and enjoy life. You have to make sure your love is sincere and complete – one that will allow the other person the opportunity to grow and flourish as an individual along the way. That's the type of love I hoped I had provided Ricky and my other boys with, and thinking about that now offered me a modicum of comfort, which eased the sense of loss that had been building, up until that moment.

Chapter 36
Changes

The remaining hours seemed to drag along, as I waited to hear from Ricky, to make sure he had arrived at his destination safely. I even spent an inordinate amount of time watching the 24-hour news channels, to be certain there were no hijackings or plane crashes during that time period. I did manage to take short breaks, when I would say a prayer of protection for him, and I knew he would dominate my thoughts until I was assured he had arrived unharmed. When the telephone finally rang, I was greeted by his angelic, yet devilish, voice on the other end.

"I got here okay, Dad," he announced, with a bit of a snicker. "I knew you probably wouldn't go to sleep until I called and let you know."

"That's great, and you're probably right," I concurred. "I've been a bit on edge since you left and I'm so glad you remembered to call. I don't know what I'd have done if you hadn't."

"Well, you only told me a thousand times or more to let you know when I got here and you even reminding me I had a 1000 minute calling card in my wallet, which I was to use to make the call with." I could hear him laugh after he said that. "Do you want to use all 1000 minutes now, or do you want me to save some for later?" He was laughing even harder now, still my little clown.

"We can use some now, but I don't think I can stay on the phone for that long." I teased, which made him laugh a little harder. "So how was your flight?"

"Long, but not bad," he confirmed. "I watched a couple of movies and listened to some tunes before I got here. I even slept a little too."

"Well, I'm glad you got there in one piece," I told him. "Was your family there to meet you?"

"Oh, yeah. They were waiting for me and holding a sign with my name on it," he replied. "They're really nice, and I think their son and I will get along well. It's really different here, but I'm going to try to see and do as much as I can while I'm here."

"You do that, and keep in touch," I reminded him. "Do they have a computer?"

"Yes, they do, so I'll be able to send you all emails," he announced. "I have all your email addresses, so don't worry." There was a slight hesitation after he said this, so I figured he was getting a bit emotional, and possibly a little choked up.

"Dad, I want you to take care of all my brothers for me and take care of yourself and Uncle Jake too," he urged. "I want both of you to behave while I'm gone, and that means no new little brothers before I get back." He laughed after saying that, most likely because of its weird implications, but I enjoyed his unique sense of humor coming through again.

"I'll talk to you again when I can. Love you," he snuck in, as a prelude to ending the call.

"I love you too, Ricky," I concurred. "Have fun, but be careful."

"I will, Dad. Bye," he added, before hanging up.

"Bye, Ricky," I managed to get in, before I heard a click and the line went dead.

Now that I knew he was safely in his temporary home, I figured I could start to relax a little and focus on other things too. I was most definitely thrilled to hear from him and passed word along to everyone else that he had arrived safely and everything was going well. The others didn't look as relieved as I expected, so I concluded they didn't consider making a trip like that to be such a big deal. Although their outward appearance looked calm, I believed some of them, most likely his two cohorts in crime, Cole and Graham, had been a bit uptight about his safety too. Now that I had eased their fears as well, we could now go back to things as normal.

A few days later, I opened the local paper and saw something that caught me totally off-guard. The Superintendent of our local school district had resigned and was leaving to take over a larger school district, some miles away, in another state. I couldn't believe what I was reading. I generally heard the scuttlebutt about things like this before they had a chance to be publicized, since I still had many connections within the school district, but no one had forewarned me about this. After calling around and checking with my usual contacts, all of them told me that NO ONE had seen this coming.

The Superintendent had told everyone who heard about his interview that he only went to it for the experience, but never seriously considered having a chance to land the job. When he was notified that the other district wanted him, and at a considerable increase in salary, he was somewhat in shock, but did manage to accept the offer. He withheld telling any of his usual confidants about his good fortune, as he wanted to time the announcement of his departure. He contacted each of the schools and had them announce a hastily called staff meeting in the high school auditorium for that afternoon, where he explained what happened and confirmed he would be leaving as soon as the academic year ended, which was only a couple of weeks away.

My friends apologized for failing to think of calling me and letting me know about this little surprise, but I told them it was no big deal. However, I knew the district would be in a bind to get someone to replace him at this late date, since replacing such a position usually took months to complete. The problem was, the district had a renovation project planned during the summer, which would require someone being in charge and able to make those last minute decisions, as well as being able to prepare the district for the next school year.

Later that day, I received a visit from the President of the Board of Education, but I couldn't understand why he'd be coming to me about anything. After all, I was retired now and had nothing to do with the district, other than as the parent of a larger than normal percentage of their student body. However, he soon answered this question for me, and quite unexpectedly. "Josh, the board met last night in an emergency session to handle this situation with the Superintendent. I take it you've heard that he's leaving by now?"

"Yes, I have," I confirmed. "I read about it in today's paper."

"I assumed you would have learned about it, one way or another," he responded. "Well, the reason I'm here is this: the majority of the members of the school board have authorized me to offer you the job of Superintendent, if you're interested?"

"But I've never even applied for that position," I replied, slightly dumbfounded. "Why not offer it to one of the other administrators in the district?"

"Because we don't feel they are as qualified as you are," he announced, quite succinctly. "You know the issues confronting the school district and have shown you are willing to do what's best for everyone involved at all times, so we really feel that you are the best man for the position."

"Well, I'm honored, but I'm also retired," I countered, partially in jest.

"We'd make it worth your while, financially that is," he urged.

"That sounds nice, but I've really enjoyed being here for the boys when they needed me," I explained. "I'd really hate to give that up and miss out on large portions of their lives."

"We're also willing to be flexible, if you need extra time off or want to juggle your work hours for the summer," he offered. "This shouldn't be a problem during the school year either, since your boys will be in classes as well. You are our first choice and we really hope you'll take the job."

"I don't know, this is all so sudden," I informed him. "I'd have to talk it over with the family first. I couldn't possibly accept it without seeing how the boys would feel about it."

"Fair enough," he replied, more quickly than I expected. "Do you think you'll be able to let us know, say within 48 hours?"

"I suppose I could do that," I agreed.

"Great!" he responded. "Josh, the entire board truly hopes you will accept our offer, so please think this over carefully."

"I will," I confirmed, before he departed.

I was still somewhat in shock after he left, as I tried to consider what this might mean. I went over all of the ramifications I could think of, as I waited to talk this over with Jake and the boys. I wasn't sure how I was going to do this, but I felt I needed their input in order to make such a rather important decision.

I also considered if I should talk this over with just Jake first, before I let anyone else know, but decided this should be done in a family meeting and all at once, so I wouldn't have to go over everything more than once. I waited until we were all gathered around the dinner table, before I brought it to their attention. "I had a visit from the President of the School Board today," I began. "He came because the current Superintendent has announced he's leaving the job and the board is offering me the position."

"Wow, that's really great, Dad," Danny told me, looking both please and impressed.

"Yeah, that's great, Pop," Nick added. "Then you'd be the big boss."

"Can you do that, without us having to worry about you having another heart attack?" Kevin wanted to know. He looked very concerned as he asked this question.

"Yes, I believe I can," I confirmed. "The doctor has given me a physical and told me I can do almost anything I want, as long as it's done in moderation. I'd just have to make sure I keep my stress level down, so as not to provoke another episode. Does anyone prefer I NOT take this job?" I asked, while looking around to see if anyone was responding to this question.

"Well, I'd rather you didn't," Jake told me, bluntly. "I know the stress level of that job is very high and you really don't need the money. I think the boys and I need you more than you need this position," he added, while showing a little extra emotion on his face.

"What if I just took it on an interim basis, just until they had time to post the job and go through the interview and hiring process?" I asked, as an alternative. "They are really in a bind here and need someone who is familiar with the district and what's going on, post haste."

"I guess that would be all right," Jake told me, "if it was only going to be for a couple of months."

"Yes, it would probably be something like that," I agreed.

"Well, it is summertime, so not so many stressful things should be happening for a while," Jake added, showing that he didn't understand how stressful a renovation project could be or how tough it was to replace old staff and hire new, while preparing to get the next school year underway. "I guess we could live with that, right boys?"

"Only if it means he'll be here with us through July and August, when Nigel and his boys come over," Pat added. "I thought we planned on doing a whole bunch of things with them."

"You're right, and I almost forgot about that," I admitted. "Since we've planned most of the activities to take place over long weekends and such, I don't see it as a problem. The Board President has assured me they'll be flexible and allow me time off, so I'm sure it won't be a problem. Other than that, do any of you have anything else for me to consider?" No one responded, so I concluded everything was fine with my accepting the position on a temporary basis. The next day I called the School Board President back, to discuss the matter with him further.

"Josh, thanks for getting back to me so quickly," he began. "Have you made a decision?"

"Well, you probably won't be totally happy with it, but you won't be completely upset by it either," I informed him.

"What is that supposed to mean?" he wondered, aloud. "Should I start to worry now?"

"Well, that's up to you," I teased, "but after talking it over with the family, they've convinced me to only accept the job on an interim basis, to give you the time to post the position and look for someone to fill it permanently."

"You're right, it's not what I wanted to hear," he confirmed, "but it is definitely better than your just saying no to us. Are you sure there's nothing I can do to get you to take this job outright?"

"No, I don't think so," I admitted. "The boys are worried about how the stress will affect me, since they're concerned I might have another heart attack, but they've also reminded me we don't need the money that badly, especially if it would pose a risk to my health."

"All right, I guess I can understand that," he conceded. "If that's the case, would you also be willing to serve on the selection committee to help choose your replacement? We could really use your expertise and your knowledge of the district to pick a successor."

"Yes, I suppose I could do that as well." I agreed.

"Great, even though I would have preferred to have you just accept the job in the first place," he acknowledged. "I guess this will have to do."

Once I hung up, I told everyone else what I had agreed to, and they seemed fine with it. I wasn't sure if I was thrilled about going back to work, but I have missed some of the diversion that work provided me at various times. Although I love being with my boys and being there for them, I sometimes get bored when they're all at school or busy with other things. Besides, it's nice to be around adults at times too. Many of the teachers I knew were more than just colleagues, they were friends as well, and now maybe I'll get to see some of them on a more regular basis. As superintendent, I'll be making scheduled visits to all of the schools, so I might run into them while I'm there, plus I'll get to see them at district meetings and other functions, besides running into them at the other school related activities I will be attending with the boys. Yes, I think this might be a good move for me.

It was less than a week later and I was still adjusting to going back to work. Although I never had a problem getting up early, since I always got up to prepare breakfast for my boys, even after I retired, the issue-filled day did tire me out more than I first expected. After coming home from one of these exhausting day, I opened my email and discovered I'd received something from Ricky.

Hi, Dad.

Have u forgotten me yet? J/k. It's pretty nice here. My host brother is pretty neat. His name is Peter and he's 15. We've talked some and he thinks he might be bi too. We even fooled around a little, just for fun. He's like Jay, natural, and he says most of the boys r here, so he kind of likes that I'm not. He introduced me to this cute girl too, so I might go out with her sometime. I'll have to ask Peter where I should take her though.

My host parents are pretty neat too, it's just that I'm not used to having a mother fussing over me like this. That can be a real pain sometimes, plus I have to watch that I'm dressed properly whenever she's in the house. I'm not used to that either. lol I almost goofed yesterday. I started to walk from my room to the bathroom with nothing on, but I heard her singing as she worked in there cleaning the tub, so I ran back and grabbed my pants. I don't know what I'd have done if I'd walked in on her or she had walked out just then, cuz I'd have had some tough explaining to do about why I was walking around naked. hehehe

So how is everything at home? I kinda miss all of you. I didn't think I would so much, but I guess I didn't realize how much I talked to my brothers and you when I need help or feel down. It's just not the same here, but Peter helps some. I hope u r takin it easy. Remember what we talked about.

Sorry about those things I did to you and Uncle Jake before I left, but I thought you'd remember me better that way. Btw, I did that to Peter the first night too. Guess nobody's done that to him before. He couldn't figure out what was wrong. It was kind of funny. He went out and asked his mom what she had done to his bed, so she went in and checked it and then started laughing. I played dumb, like I didn't know what was going on. You know I'm good at that. hehehe Now I'm just waiting for the weekend, so I can run into his room, jump on his bed, and wake him up like I used to do to you guys. He doesn't know what he's in for.

Love you all, and please write back. I want to hear from each of you.

Love ya, Your bestest son, Ricky

Well, that email was definitely typical Ricky and now I pitied his host family, especially his host brother. I think they might all be happy to see him go when his time is up. Then again, his little pranks and stunts might just endear him to them. I know it did to us. He's just such a fun kid to be around. I was glad to hear from him too, and to learn that he was adjusting there, although I knew he would. He's such an adaptable young man.

Well, now that I don't have to worry about him, I can move on to other things. I guess maybe tomorrow I'll talk to Nick, Trey and Vinnie, to see if they're ready to start their driving lessons. They're all old enough, and I'm sure anxious enough, so maybe I'll start them on their lessons this weekend, if they're interested.

Chapter 37
Small Accomplishments

On Monday, I went in to my office. I was pretty much up to speed on most things now, so I was now ready to fly solo. This meant I could go through the day without all of the constant meetings that were scheduled to fill me in about the issues I wasn't familiar with. All in all, it hadn't been too bad of an adjustment period for any of us and everyone was being super-nice. I knew this was just because we were still in the honeymoon period and this wouldn't always be the case. However, I'd try to enjoy it while it lasted.

One afternoon, after I got home from work, I discovered a letter in our mailbox. It was addressed to the Thomas Cole AEA Memorial Foundation, using our address, so I figured it was merely another request for the free packet of material. Therefore, I was surprised when I opened it and began to read the letter. It got to me immediately and this is what I read.

To the person who founded the Thomas Cole AEA Memorial Foundation,

I just wanted to let you know that you helped to save my friend's life. You didn't do it yourself, but by letting me know how dangerous AEA is. After my teacher told us about this in class, it made me talk to my friend, so I could make him promise not to do it any more. I think that promise saved his life.

Maybe I should explain how it happened. My friend and I are both 15 and he got into AEA because he heard his brother's friends talking about how kewl it was. They raved about what a rush they got when they shot their load while doing it and said it was way better than normal. My friend thought this sounded great, so he started doing it too. After our health teacher explained the dangers of AEA in class and passed out the stuff you sent her, I tried to talk him out of doing it any more, but he wouldn't stop. He said it felt too good to just quit. I did get him to promise me not to do it unless someone else was there with him, so at least he wasn't going to do it alone. That's why I was always there with him whenever he did it, and we both kind of just got off at the same time, you know.

Even though I did it at the same time he did, I wouldn't try the AEA. One day he kind of passed out after he shot, with the rope still tied around his neck. I was able to get it off him when I saw what happened or else he would have died. I even had to give him mouth-to-mouth, since he stopped breathing because of it. I'm also glad I took that class from the Red Cross. I'm sure he would have died if I hadn't been there, cuz he had the rope tied to the bar in his closet and then around his neck, while he sat on the floor. When he passed out, he kind of laid back, with his body on the floor, but his head was kind of dangling in the air. It was really scary.

After that happened, I convinced him to give up messing around with AEA completely. I guess what happened must have really scared the crap out of him too, because he didn't argue with me about it this time.

Since I nearly lost my best friend, but was able to save him because of the stuff you gave our teacher, I thanked her for telling us about how dangerous it was. That's when she told me I should write to the Foundation and let you know you helped save my friend's life and thank you too. So, thank you for what you did and I promise neither of us will ever mess with AEA again and we'll do everything we can to stop others from doing it too.

Your friend, Bobby

I was really moved by this letter, and now knew we had saved at least one life due to our efforts, so maybe Tom's death wasn't entirely without purpose. I decided to make a copy of this, to keep for myself, but I was going to send the original, along with an additional note from me, to Tom's parents. I thought they should also know that the Foundation created in Tom's name had helped to save someone else from the same fate and felt it might give them a little solace, or maybe bring a greater sense of closure to their suffering. I also hoped I would hear back from them about this.

Apart from that good news, other things weren't going as well. The search for the new Superintendent was moving along smoothly, but proceeding more slowly than any of us would have liked. The school district had posted advertisements in the local newspaper, as well as the Philadelphia and Pittsburgh papers, but they had also posted it with some of the online job search organizations and in several professional publications. The letters of application and resumes were beginning to roll in, but not in the quantities, nor quality, we might have wished. The selection committee would meet occasionally, to go over them and would immediately weed out those that didn't meet the minimum requirements or the ones where the applicant's credentials didn't seem to be quite what we were looking for. It was beginning to seem that by having this opening so late, it grossly limited the number of people responding to it.

If the letters of application made it through that process, then we would conduct telephone interviews with the candidate, to get an impression about their personality, educational philosophy and communication skills, before the committee would determine whether we were interested enough in them to request they come for an in-person interview. If they agreed to make the trip, we would tell them it would be seven to ten days before we set up the interview and then advise them our plan was to hire and have the person onboard by mid-August.

Over 80% of the applicants who had reached the telephone interviews were eliminated after we spoke to them, for a variety of reasons. Some did not share the same educational philosophy or goals the board had established, while others didn't seem to be able to think on their feet or their personality was deemed to be too abrasive to fit in with the locals. Others were eliminated because they didn't seem to have the required verbal skills necessary for someone in such a high position, as this person was in essence the spokesperson for the entire district. One was also eliminated because of the grammatical and usage mistakes he made while answering questions, such as choosing words that were inappropriate in that context. It appeared this would be a long and time consuming process, so we had to focus solely on favorable end results and not on a speedy timeline.

During this time I also started my new trio on their driving lessons. Although I wasn't so worried about Trey and Nick, I did have some questions where Vinnie was concerned. I wasn't sure if his muscular deficiencies would cause him problems in driving or require him to use special equipment, like hand controls instead of the traditional foot pedals. I also wasn't exactly sure how to broach this subject with him, since I didn't want him to think I was trying to discourage him from getting his license, but I needed to know he wouldn't be at a disadvantage or put at risk because of his handicap. Eventually, I just decided I had to try to do this as tactfully as I could.

"Vinnie, I know you want to get your license," I told him, after getting him alone, "but I do have some questions to ask you about this first."

"Okay, that's not a problem," he replied, looking quite unfazed about my singling him out.

"I'm glad you feel that way and I hope these questions don't offend you, but these are things I feel I have to ask," I continued.

"Don't worry about that. I owe you way too much to let anything bother me," he replied, and I hoped he was being sincere and not merely trying to butter me up.

"Well, I hope what I have to say won't bother you," I reiterated, still slightly concerned. "First, are you going to need any special equipment or anything different in order to learn how to drive? I mean, I'm not sure if your legs will be able to do everything that is required of them."

"Nah, I know I'll be fine and won't need anything special," I shot back, without hesitation. "My legs will do just fine."

"How do you know that?" I countered, trying to pin him down and make him be more specific.

"Well, my dad used to let me drive his car on some of the back roads near our house," he confessed, "and I could operate the pedals without any problems. It really wasn't that hard."

"Okay, if you're sure," I agreed, "but please let me know if you have any doubts or change your mind."

"I'm sure. You'll see," he told me, "but I will let you know if anything changes."

"Okay, I'll hold you to that," I confirmed. "If you are as committed to this as you are with everything else, I'm sure you'll do fine. We'll go out Saturday for the first time, okay?"

"Yeah, that'll be great," he agreed.

"Well, I'll let you tell Trey and Nick about it then," I continued, "since you three will make up this group."

"That sounds good to me," he confirmed, "and I'll be happy to let them know. Thanks, Pop." After giving me a quick hug, he took off to inform his new partners in crime – I mean driving.

The first lesson actually went pretty well, in fact even better than I'd anticipated. It was nothing heavy, just my typical first lesson where I go over some of the basics and then let them drive around the empty school parking lot. I like to do this so I can get a feel for where they're starting from and how much work we'll have to do.

Since this was the most diverse group I had worked with to this point, I wasn't sure what to expect. You see, there was Trey, my meek, quiet and thoughtful one, juxtaposed against Nick, the aggressive, sweet-talking conman, and then there was Vinnie, who was bright and confident, yet had the physical limitations to overcome. I somehow knew this class wouldn't just be a repeat of the others, yet I surmised it might also be the most rewarding of all my efforts. In a way, I was really looking forward to this challenge and the individual victories that awaited us at the finish line.

After we got back home, I jumped on the computer and discovered I had received another email from Ricky. That reminded me of something else. Even though it was only June, I figured I had to start planning for Ricky's birthday, which was on July 7th. I would talk it over with the boys, to see what they thought we should get him, but we'd have to send it within a week, two at the most, to give it plenty of time to arrive there for his big day. I suggested the boys try to be discrete and get some ideas from Ricky, either when they talked to him on the phone or through their emails, since I felt my doing so would be too obvious. They didn't seem to mind my request to discover what he might want; in fact I think they liked that idea of getting it out of him, without him learning what they were up to. Even though I figured I'd probably end up sending him some extra money too, so he could enjoy himself and be able to do more things while he was there, I wanted to do something more than that for his birthday.

Hi Dad,

My host parents took me to see some of the area over the weekend. It was really neat. They kind of live in the foothills of the Blue Mountains here, and they took me there to see some of the places that everyone comes to see. First, we went to this place called Echo Point, so I could see what they call the Three Sisters. It's three mountains jutting up into the air, but it's supposed to be three sisters who were turned into stone. They said it is part of some Aboriginal legend.

I guess that a long time ago there were supposed to be these three beautiful sisters in one tribe and three brothers from another tribe fell in love with them. The problem was that the tribes didn't really get along, so neither tribe would let them marry. This made the brothers mad, so they captured the three sisters and took them away, but this started a big war between the tribes. This put the three sisters in danger, cuz they might get killed during the war, so a witchdoctor from their tribe turned them into stone, to keep them safe. He planned on turning them back after the war ended, but the witchdoctor got killed in one of the battles. That caused a big problem, because he was the only who could turn them back, so they have been left as these rock mountains ever since.

Peter and I even walked up and down what they call the Giant Stairway. It's got like 800 steps in it, so that's why my host parents didn't want to go with us. We had a great time, but it can be a little scary. I slipped once and thought I was a goner. Peter laughed at me when it happened and I just sat there, because I was afraid I'd crapped my pants, but that didn't really happen, thank God. Well, it was still a good time.

I got even with Peter later though, after we got back home. The next morning I sneaked into his room and pounced on his bed while he was sleeping. I scared him really bad. I think he even peed himself a little, but he wouldn't admit it. I told him he deserved it, but he just pushed me off him and raced to the water closet, that's what they call their bathroom.

Oh, I forgot to tell you about their house. It's what we would call a ranch house and it has three bedrooms. The biggest bedroom is my host parents' bedroom, and then there's Peter's room and the guest room, which I use. They have a kitchen, dining room, and what they call a lounge room. That's kinda like our living room or family room. They have a pool too, so Peter and I will do some swimming. I'm hoping to talk him into skinny-dipping with me when his parents aren't home. Maybe we can get Kylie to come over and join us, lol. Oh, yeah, maybe I forgot to tell you. Kylie is the girl that Peter introduced me to. We've been talking a bit and getting to know each other. She's kinda nice.

Well, I'll write again in a few days. Love you all and miss you, but not that much. Hehehe Please write me back.

Love, Ricky

Everyone got a kick out of Ricky's email, as it was vintage Ricky. It showed he is still the adventurous one, as well as a prankster, and can have a good time with either boys or girls. He's very versatile and adaptive, and it sounded like he was enjoying himself. I did get a little concerned when I read about his slipping while climbing those stairs, but knowing Ricky, he probably played that up to make it sound worse than it was, just for our benefit. It probably wasn't nearly as bad as it sounded, or at least I hope it wasn't.

I try to get a couple of the boys to respond to each of Ricky's emails and I try to send something to him as well. That way he'll get a chance to hear from each of them, at one time or another, without being overwhelmed by having a mailbox full of emails all at once. I hoped he appreciates how it is working out.

On the job front, the search for a new superintendent is not going very well. We aren't positive if this were merely the result of the opening happening so late in the hiring season, which meant the most qualified candidates had already accepted other appropriate positions by this point. As a rule, superintendents are usually brought on board just as the old school year is coming to an end, while openings for other positions are generally filled over the summer and up to the moment when the new school year begins. No matter the reason for our problems, we knew the quality of the applicants we were getting fell short of meeting our standards.

Out of all the letters of application and resumes we went through, we did phone interviews with fifteen of those applying, but only two of them were good enough to be considered for a face to face interview. We invited each of them to come for a two-day visit and interview, figuring this would give us sufficient time to evaluate them.

One of the candidates was male and the other a female, but neither had a solid administrative background showing a progression of increasing and varied responsibilities. Not only that, but they also didn't have a grasp on what the future of education might portend. Neither was able to give any indications of what changes they foresaw happening educationally in the near future, no matter how much we tried to draw them out. Above all else, the district needs a leader with definite visions for this job, so we concluded we would just have to keep looking.

After this less than encouraging episode, the search committee decided to extend their deadlines. They agreed to do this in hopes that other, more qualified and acceptable candidates might apply. This meant we were, in effect, starting the process over again. Therefore, we notified the publications we had posted the position in earlier that we were extending our search, while also agreeing to study what other publications or vehicles we might use to get this information out. Along these lines, we decided to send personal letters to all university and colleges within a 300 mile [500 km] radius that awarded advanced degrees in educational administration and ask them to post it in their placement listings or possibly send out copies of the information to candidates who had earned such degrees within the past five to ten years. We didn't want recent graduates to apply and calculated those with a few years experience in the field would be better suited to meet our needs, but only time would tell.

Back on the home front, the driving lessons were going pretty well, but we did need to make a few adjustments. One was that we rotated between using the Grand Am and the 4-Runner Vinnie had donated to the family, because it seemed to be easier for Vinnie to operate the pedals in the 4-Runner. In thinking about this, I concluded it had something to do with the angles of the seat to the pedals, as the Grand Am was much lower and laid out in a more horizontal fashion, but the other boys didn't mind switching back and forth. However, it did mean Vinnie would definitely take his road test in the 4-Runner, where I would give the others their choice. Therefore, I might have to schedule those tests on two different days, one day for each vehicle.

My biggest job with this group was trying to get Trey to be a bit more aggressive at times, like when he was accelerating to prepare to pull into traffic. At the other extreme, I had to pull the reins in on Nick, as he tended to be a bit over-aggressive. Vinnie, on the other hand, had learned he had to be a little aggressive if he wanted to succeed, just to overcome the obstacles he encountered in life, but he also knew he couldn't get too aggressive, because of his disability and the limitations it imposed on him. Surprisingly, at least to me, he seemed to be doing the best of all of them, and I wasn't even sure at the start if he'd be able to drive.

Chapter 38
A Revolving Door

The following Monday, I received another email from Ricky and it immediately became clear he was still enjoying himself in his new home.

Hi Dad and everyone else,

I had a really neat weekend. My host family took me to a couple of different places and I had a lot of fun. On Saturday, we went to the Australian Wildlife Park, which isn't very far from here, and it was really neat. Although I've visited other zoos and wildlife parks with you before, this one wasn't like any of those, because they have a lot of different animals than what I've seen in any of those other places. I knew about some of these animals before I came here, but there were even more that I didn't know. They were really neat and got to learn a whole lot about them.

When we went to see the koalas, there was a raised platform that visitors were allowed to walk along while they were there, so that put us even with the tops of the eucalyptus trees. This meant we got to watch the koalas as they ate and saw how they behaved where they really live, in the tops of these trees. It was waaaaay kewl. The koalas look like real-life teddy bears and they're so neat that it almost makes you want to grab one and take it home with you.

They also have five species of kangaroo, including an albino kangaroo, and they also have wallabies, which are like small kangaroos. Peter, my host-brother, kept singing this dumb song about 'Tie Me Kangaroo Down,' but it did get me asking him questions about what some of the things he was singing about were, and then I even got to see some of them. I'll write some of the lyrics down, so you can see what I'm talking about.

The chorus goes – Tie me kangaroo down, sport, tie me kangaroo down, tie me kangaroo down, sport, tie me kangaroo down

That's the part he kept singing over and over and it really started to get on my nerves, until he started singing some of the verses. The first one went like this – Watch me wallabies feed, mate, watch me wallabies feed, they're a dangerous breed, mate, so watch me wallabies feed, altogether now! – and then he sings the chorus again. But when he sang this, I asked him what a wallaby was and that caused him to buckle over in laughter.

"Blimey, don't they teach you chaps from the States about anything?" he asked. He talks kind of funny like that, but it was sort of like listening to Nigel and his boys.

Well, after he said this I got mad and told him they teach us lots of things, and sometime I'd show him stuff I know that he doesn't, but I wanted to know what that dang thing was he was singing about. That's when he told me it was like a small kangaroo.

Another verse went like this – 'n' take me koala back, Jack, take me koala back, he lives somewhere out on the track, Mac, so take me koala back, altogether now! – and then that stupid chorus again. Of course, I knew what a koala was, so I didn't have to ask him about that, but then there was another verse that I didn't know what it was about, but I didn't ask him about it this time, because I didn't want him giving me more crap.

That verse went like this – Play your didgeridoo, Blue, play your didgeridoo, ah, like, keep playin' 'til I shoot thru, Blue, play your didgeridoo, altogether now! – and then that bloody chorus again. Blasted, did I really just write bloody? Now I'm starting to sound like Peter. Hehehe Peter says it's like swearing.

Anyway, Peter must have seen the look on my face and told me what it was, without making fun of me this time. He told me the didgeridoo is a musical instrument, which is sometimes referred to as a natural wooden trumpet or a drone pipe. The Aborigines, who are like our Native Americans, since they were the first people in Australia, are the ones who first made this and Peter says it's unique to Australia. I thanked him for being nice and explaining it to me. I think that made him feel bad about making fun of me earlier, but I just figured I'd pull another prank on him later, to get even. lol

The last verse was kind of funny, and I'll bet you'll guess why, once I tell you what it said. It went like this – Tan me hide when I'm dead, Fred, tan me hide when I'm dead, so we tanned his hide when he died, Clyde, and that's it hangin' on the shed!! Altogether now!

Can you picture them cutting off his skin and then hanging it on the side of a building, like some people do with animal hides. I thought it was funny, so I hope you did too. Anyway, getting back to the Wildlife Park. After that we saw a bunch of dingoes, which are reddish-brown wild dogs, and wombats, which look like really small bears. I don't know how they came up with the names for all of these animals, but most are really funny sounding.

The emus we saw looked like small ostriches, and the goannas are lizards, well, actually they're sand monitors. The park also has eye-level underground viewing areas, so you can see the wombats and goannas underground, where they spend much of their time.

They did have other animals that were really neat too. They had fairy penguins, which are the smallest of all of the penguins and only get to be about ten inches [25 cm] tall. They have blue feathers on their back and white feathers on their fronts, which is a lot different from the black and white penguins I was expecting to see.

They also had some Tasmanian Devils, which surprised me, cuz I thought they were only cartoon characters. The real ones are about the size of a cat or a badger, and they're black with a white chest. These are not animals to mess around with though, cuz they can be really mean. They have lots of sharp teeth and they attack each other like all the time, so most of them have patches on them where the fur is missing from being attacked. These also have scars from where they've been bitten by other devils, which made me glad my brothers are not quite that bad. hehehe

There was also this big saltwater crocodile, and some smaller ones too, but they said the big one was the largest one in captivity. It looked really ferocious, especially in the underwater viewing area. I probably wouldn't even make him full if he ate me, but I sure am glad I didn't have to worry about that. lol

Well, that was Saturday, and we spent the whole day there. Then Sunday we went back to the same general area, to go to Wonderland. That's kind of like Disney World. They say it's the largest amusement park south of the equator. They have all sorts of rides and shows, and they even have a thing called Blinky Bill, which is a person in a giant koala costume, kind of like meeting Mickey Mouse. Some of the rides were neat, even though some of it was geared to the little kids, just like Disney World, but it was still a great time. I think if I can get Kylie to go out with me, I'll try to bring her here.

Peter and I have been really close and we've had lots of fun. It's like winter down here, so I couldn't get him to go skinny-dipping yet, but I will. Oh, I forgot to tell you about school. I'm taking all business courses down here, because I've decided I want to major in marketing in college. Dad, you've always said I could sell sand to a thirsty man or a bikini to an Eskimo, so I thought I'd go with my strengths. lol

Well, I enjoyed all your emails, and Peter read them too. I had to explain some things to him, but he's cool with everything. I even thought maybe he could come visit us sometime, so he could get to know all of you. I'm sure everyone would like him, especially you Dad. He's a little like me, that's why.

Oh, and things I might want or need here, could you send some jockey shorts for Peter. The kind they sell here aren't as soft and he loves mine. He wears size 14/16. And maybe you could send something special for my host parents. They've been really great to me, making sure I get to see and do things while I'm here. I'll talk to you about that on the phone when I call, Dad, cuz I'm not sure what would be a good gift for them. I know you'll have plenty of ideas, though. As far as my birthday goes, just call me that day and wish me a happy birthday in person. Remember, it will be the 6th there, or early on the morning of the 7th, but I'll look forward to your call on that day.

Wow, can you believe how long this email got! I almost wrote a book. Dang, I've never written this much before – even for a school assignment. I'd better sign off then, before someone thinks I can actually write.

I love you all, Ricky

A short time after we all read the email from Ricky, Nick came up to me and made an announcement. "Pop, I think I want to sign up to be an exchange student next year, like Ricky did."

"Oh, really?" His statement caught me completely off guard. "I didn't know you were interested in anything like that."

"Yeah, I think it would be neat," he explained. "I'd really like to get to live in another country. I mean, you know I can survive on my own. I think I proved that before, so do you think I can?"

"Well, before we decide that, you'll have to call your parents and get their permission first," I advised him. "If it's okay with them, then we'll get the ball rolling on that when you go back to school. Would that be okay with you?"

"Yeah, that would be great. Should I call my mom and dad now?" he asked, more anxious than I had seen him about anything other than sex before.

"I'm not sure they'll be home yet, considering the time difference," I informed him. "Why don't you just wait until later tonight, or you could wait until you go back for your summer vacation there. Remember, you are leaving this weekend to spend a few weeks with your folks. Did you forget that you and Brandon are flying out together? He'll fly with you to Oklahoma and then he'll catch another plane to get to Texas. I hope you remember that your parents took their vacations specifically during these weeks, just so they could spend time with you."

"Yeah, I remembered I was gong, but I don't really want to wait until then to ask," he answered. "I want to know now." Just like Nick. The boy has to learn patience and how to delay gratification, but I don't think this is going to be it.

"Well, we still won't be able to do anything until the fall, so there is really no need to hurry this," I countered, hoping that might cool his jets a bit, although I doubted it would.

"Hey, I'm going to miss Nigel and the boys coming here too, aren't I?" he suddenly realized and began looking dejected. "Dang, I totally forgot about that."

"You're only going to miss part of their stay," I consoled. "We'll wait until you're back before we do the fun stuff. While you're gone, we'll probably only take them to see Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and New York City, so you won't miss much, since you've already seen those places."

"Okay, but I wouldn't mind going again," he replied, but looking better because he wasn't going to miss out on going someplace he'd never been.

"I know, but you'll have fun with your parents too," I offered. "They are really looking forward to spending time with you, because they haven't seen you since Christmas."

"I know and I'm glad they want to do that now. They're so different from how they used to be," he offered. "Okay. I'll wait until I go there to ask, but only if you promise we'll get this started as soon as we can."

"I promise and that won't be a problem," I agreed. "Have you narrowed down the countries you might want to go to?"

"Well, Australia sounds nice, but I'm pretty open. I'm also pretty good at Spanish. I had to use that a lot when I ran away and you know I'm taking it at school. I've even kept in practice with Carlos. I email him quite a bit and we IM each other too, so my writing in Spanish has gotten better, and then I talk to him in Spanish whenever I get the chance."

"I didn't know you stayed that close to Carlos," I replied, somewhat surprised, "but it sounds as if that will help open up a lot more options for you than Ricky had. I guess you're certain you want to do this then?"

"Oh, yeah. Every time I see an email from Ricky, I know I want to go," he told me, and I could tell from his expression he really meant it. "He sounds like he's having a real blast over there."

"Yes, I think you're right about that," I agreed. "Well, it sounds like a plan, so we'll talk about it more when you get back."

"Thanks, Pop. I knew you'd help me do this," he added, before turning to walk away.

"Don't thank me yet, at least not until your parents agree to let you go," I warned him. "I don't want you to get too excited about this until they say it's okay."

"Okay, I'll try not to," he told me, but I could tell by his demeanor that he'll find it very difficult to keep his emotions under control, if either his parents or the committee turn him down.

As you probably noticed, this was something I hadn't expected, so I made sure not to commit to do this for him until he got his parents' consent and input. I don't think it will be a problem, because I believe they'll also see this as an excellent opportunity for him to continue to grow and develop.

I also think I should sit down with him when he gets back from seeing them, so we can talk about what he wants to do with his life after high school. I think it's important he does this before he gets too far into this process, but since he is starting to actually think ahead now and planning at least part of his future, this would be a good time to take advantage of his sudden bout of foresight. That, in itself, is a minor accomplishment for Nick, since he's always been more focused on what pleasure he could receive here and now, rather than what lies ahead of him. Except for his interest in music and the guitar, I've never seen him become this committed to something that didn't have to do with another male's body parts.

I spent the rest of the week helping Brandon and Nick get ready for their trip. Oh, they could pack their own clothes and get all of that stuff ready, but I called to confirm their flight reservations, planned when we'd leave – so we'd get there in plenty of time, and made sure they had everything else they needed to tide them over until they reached their parents' homes. I don't like to leave things to chance or until the last minute, so I made sure everything was taken care of long before it was time to leave.

While I was at it, I also finalized arrangements for getting Nigel and his boys to our place and for the trips we'd be taking with them. The boys and I were excited about seeing them again and I wanted to make this memorable. It was going to be a large group to take anywhere, and we wouldn't be able to do most things without having reservations or tickets in advance, so I carefully set about making sure all my bases were covered.

Jake and I drove Nick and Brandon to Pittsburgh Friday evening. They weren't leaving until the following morning, but we felt it would be easier to drive there the night before and take a room at a nearby motel. That way, they'd be ready for their flight, which was scheduled to depart before 10:00 Saturday morning. Mark was also flying in that same day, but he wouldn't be arriving until slightly after 2:00, so Jake and I would have time to kill in between.

The trip to Pittsburgh went smoothly and we were able to spend a relaxing evening together. Before we went to bed, we spent some time in the motel pool, exercising and cooling off. It had been a hot June day, so I knew we'd all feel better after taking a dip, plus it would help us all sleep better too.

The next morning, while everyone cycled through the shower, I turned on the television and tuned in to the local news. That's when I discovered it was good thing we arrived the night before. There had been a major accident on I70/76, which we would have taken, about 6:00 that morning. Another driver had cut off a fuel tanker and the tanker flipped over, when the driver tried to avoid having an accident. Unfortunately, this allowed some of the fuel to leak, and then it's suspected a carelessly discarded cigarette ignited it. The ensuing explosion forced the closure of the westbound lanes and had traffic on the interstate and surrounding highways backed up for miles. If we'd waited and tried to come that morning, we probably wouldn't have made it in time.

After we got the two boys on their flight, Jake and I took a little drive, since we didn't want to hang around the airport for four hours. We ended up at a mall, where we grabbed a bite to eat and then took in a movie, before heading back to pick-up Mark. When we got back, we discovered Mark's flight had been delayed, so we still ended up spending nearly an hour waiting around the terminal, but it was worth it, once we saw his face light up when he spotted us.

"Hi, Pop and Jake," he gushed. "I sure am sorry I made you guys wait for me."

"Why? Were you the one who held up the plane and kept it from landing?" I teased.

"No, but you know what I mean," he answered, blushing slightly.

"Oh, we know, but we never mind waiting for those we love and care about," I answered him, honestly. He grinned and then we went to get his luggage.

Mark was thrilled about being back and said he was looking forward to working with his mentor at the bank again, but he was also excited about seeing the girl he had the fling with last summer. He and the girl had kept in contact after he left and had grown even closer than they were when he was here before. Even though he was living at the house with us last summer, we didn't see that much of him, as he was at work a great deal of the time, and when he wasn't there, he was often with this girl. However, he told me this summer he'd be spending at least a little more time doing things with us, even though he was going to pursue his relationship with her.

When we reached the house, many of the boys raced out to greet him and they were sincerely happy to see Mark again. Once he got unpacked and settled in, he asked if I'd mind if he took Danny to the mall with him, since he noticed Danny was a little down from missing Brandon. I told him that would be fine and the two of them disappeared and didn't come back until just before bedtime. I think Mark was a godsend for Danny at this point.

Mark also quickly took me up on the offer I had made him over the phone, about making himself comfortable and doing the types of things he wanted to. The first thing Sunday morning, I saw him and some of the older boys heading out to the pool, to swim in the buff. I thought Danny and a few of the others might pass out from the excitement of seeing Mark naked for the first time, and some of them were even sporting erections, before they got in the water.

Mark was older and a bit hairier than most of my boys, but no one seemed to mind that fact. He was still a very handsome guy, with a great body and some nice assets, even if he was totally straight. The gay and bi boys couldn't seem to take their eyes off of him, but it didn't seem to bother Mark at all. In fact, I think he made sure to give them all a good show and let them look as much as they wanted, but no one dared to do more. They understood there was a line that Mark probably wouldn't allow to be crossed. In the end, though, everyone seemed to have a great time.

Chapter 39
Wrapping Things Up

A little over a week after Mark arrived, I saw my friend, his mentor, and he told me that Mark was doing extremely well with his responsibilities and was catching on to things much more quickly than my friend assumed he would. He then assured me that the foundation's funds and my personal accounts were in good hands with Mark taking care of them.

He also tried to fill me in a little about Mark's girlfriend and told me she was a sweet, intelligent girl, who came from a good home, and he thought they made a nice couple. I thanked him for his interest and input, and then I thanked him for working with Mark. I told him I was sure he had had a great deal to do with Mark's growth and success, and that all of his effort and help, both for the foundation and for Mark personally, was greatly appreciated.

He then spoke to me about the superintendent's position and asked how the search was coming, so I tried to explain the circumstances to him. When I finished, he had a suggestion of his own. "Josh, I think you should just accept the position full-time. I've spoken at various times with others from the community who feel the same way. We all hope that eventually you'll reconsider and just accept the job full-time."

"I appreciate your support, and that of the others," I replied, "but my family has to come first."

"That's never been a problem in the past," he countered, "as I seem to recall, you always found plenty of quality time to spend with your sons, so I don't see why it would be any different in the future. I don't see any reason why you can't still be effective as both superintendent and as a parent, just as you have in the past, when you were a principal and a parent."

"I appreciate the advice and thank you, again, for your support, but being superintendent is a lot more complex, stressful and time consuming than being a middle school principal. I'm just not sure if I want to deal with all of those issues."

"Then surround yourself with quality people and delegate," he urged. "Let them do the work and you only oversee what they're up to. That way you'll be able to do both, with no more work or hardly any change in the level of responsibility than you had before."

"I'll consider what you've told me," I agreed, before we parted company. He certainly had given me a lot to think about.

When I got home, I decided to distract myself from such considerations by checking my email and was glad I did. As soon as I opened my mailbox, I discovered I'd received another email from Ricky, filled with more tales of what he had been up to.

Hey Dad,

Things are really going great over here. School has been interesting, maybe because it's so different from what I'm used to, so it's really kind of neat and I love listening to everyone's accent. The way they talk is just soooo cool that I could listen to them for hours. Well, I guess I do. hehehe Peter has been really great too and he's introduced me to most of his friends and includes me in on everything he does, even if I don't know what I'm doing. We've played a little soccer here, and yes they do call it soccer, but Peter is trying to teach me about footy right now, that's Australian Football, or what we'd call rugby. It's kind of strange, at least to me, but he's working hard to make me understand and like it. His favorite team is something called the Parramatta Eels and he said they got their name cuz the players are as slippery as eels and can't be tackled. I don't think that's it though, as I was thinking it might have something to do with the eels in their shorts. hehehe

Peter's parents took us on another short trip this past weekend and we had a really great time. I tried to pay for as much as I could, but they wouldn't let me. That made me feel kind of bad, cuz I know they don't have that much money either, so if we go again, I'm going to tell them I'll only go with them if they will let me pay for things this time. I think that's only fair.

Well, they took me to Sydney Saturday, because they said they had some things to do there. I think it was just so I could see some of the city. It was really neat, especially when they let Peter and me do the bridge climb. I bet you didn't know they actually let people climb the Sydney Harbor Bridge here. It was so kewl. Peter's parents didn't go with us, cuz they said they had done it before, when they were younger, and they were too old to do it again. I think it was just because it cost so much. I paid for both Peter and me, so they could go if they wanted to, but they still didn't do it.

Well, Peter and I had to take a breath test before we could climb, kinda like the blood-alcohol tests the police give people back home, but it is just to see if we had the lung strength for the climb. Then we had to do a practice climb on the Climb Simulator, just to make sure we could do it okay. Once that was done, they had a guy tell us what it was going to be like and then he showed us a video, to make sure we still wanted to do it. After that, they gave us fleece jackets, hats and gloves to wear, cuz it's winter here, and then they gave us these special clothes to put over what we were wearing. We also got things to communicate with and safety harnesses, so we couldn't fall off.

Well, we started by crossing this catwalk to the archway, and then we climbed up to the top of the Eastern Arch. From there we climbed up the outside of the bridge, to the very top. It was really awesome up there. You could see all around and in every direction. It was a clear day, so we could also see way far. It was amazing. After that, we crossed to the other side of the bridge and then we climbed back down the Western Arch. Man, that was way kewl.

After that, they took me on a tour of the Sydney Opera House. It's a interesting looking building from the outside, and it's the one they show on TV every time they bring up Australia, other than showing the outback or kangaroos. The outside almost looks like the a replica of a space alien costume from the old movies when you were a boy, just after they had the first talky (jk), but it does seem to fit in better than I thought it would. Well, we took a tour of the inside too, and there is a concert hall AND an opera hall there. I didn't know there were two halls inside until then.

Well, we had a good time and then we went out to eat. They've been really great to me and I appreciate all of it, but I want to be able to do more for them too. Let me know if you have any suggestions about that.

Say hi to everyone for me, and I'll send each brother a short email too. I love you all.

Ricky

I sent Ricky an email back, asking him to call me, so I could get his bank account numbers from over there. Once I had those, I'd wire transfer him some more money, so he could do more for his host family. Ricky has never asked for much and this was a very special time for him, so it wouldn't hurt to give him a bit more right now. I told him I wanted him to enjoy his time there and to do nice things for his host family, seeing they were going out of their way to take good care of him. I knew I didn't have to tell him that, but it was my way of letting him know that I agreed with what he wanted to do.

Oh, yes. Jake and I made some joint decisions during this time too. First of all, it had to do with our wills. We had talked about amending them to make each other the guardian of our son(s), should anything happen to us. We also made a commitment to stay together as partners, of sorts. We weren't going to go as far as getting married, or anything like that, but we both knew we enjoyed each other's company, shared many interests together and most definitely enjoyed our time alone too. We did call the boys together one afternoon to discuss this fully with them, before making any kind of announcement, and it was quite an interesting meeting.

"Boys, we want you here so we can discuss something that will affect all of you," I began. "Uncle Jake and I have talked this over and we are going to make each other the legal guardian of you, should something happen to the other one."

"Nothing is wrong with either of you, is there?" Kevin asked, looking concerned.

"No, there's nothing wrong," I assured him. "We are just taking a few precautions."

"You wouldn't be trying to protect us, by not telling us if there were, would you?" Danny followed, worried that what I said had been merely subterfuge.

"No, you boys are old enough now not to have to be protected from the truth," I told them, hoping this would defuse the concerns. "If there was something you should know, we would tell you."

"I think you called us here for more than that, didn't you?" Pat wanted to know, cutting straight to the heart of the matter.

"Well, yes, there were a few other things," I confirmed.

"Like what?" Sammy interrupted, not giving me enough time to continue.

"Well, I think Uncle Jake and I are going to be staying together for more than just until you boys grow up, if you know what I mean."

"Great!" shouted Shannon, as he leaped up from his chair. "I knew it was going to happen."

"You knew what was going to happen?" his father asked him. Shannon blushed, but eventually answered.

"That you two would fall in love and stay together," he said with a grin.

"Are you going to get married?" Andrew asked us, also smiling broadly.

"No, Andrew, we're not planning on getting married yet, but we are definitely going to stay together," I confessed. "We did discuss marriage, but neither of us thought people are quite ready for that yet, especially after what happened in court. I hope that will change by the time any of you decide to make a commitment of that nature, and I think it's moving in the right direction, but we were afraid of the repercussions. We felt if we took it that far, there might be others who would also question our fitness as parents, and it is more important for us to be here for you right now, than for each other."

"Well, I hope you can do it some day," Pat added. "You both deserve to be happy."

"Thank you and that was very sweet of you," Jake told him, "but the reason we wanted to bring this up was to see if any of you had any objections to it."

"I don't see any problems with it," Trey announced.

"Yeah, as long as we don't have to start calling one of you Mom," Frankie announced, with a grin.

"Well, I think we can avoid that," I told him. There was some murmuring in the room, as the boys talked this over, and then Dustin spoke up.

"Then I think I can safely speak for all my brothers and say, GO FOR IT!" Some of the boys began to repeat this phrase, while the others just let us know we had their approval. I did this while Mark was at work, as I wasn't exactly sure how he'd feel about discussing this topic in his presence but I was sure he'd hear about our decision eventually. Then I'd let him make up his own mind about our situation, but I wouldn't force the issue.

Time flew by quickly and before I knew it, we were at the end of June and the family was getting ready for our next series of activities. First of all, we were all anxiously awaiting the arrival of Nigel and his boys in a few weeks, and I'd been busy firming up all the arrangements for our mini-trips with them, plus our special little surprise. The only things Nigel's boys have been told is that they will be coming here, staying with us and we will take them on several short trips while they are here. Of course, they know they will be spending a great deal of time around my boys, and after our trip to England, I think most of them suspect that might include some sexual escapades. Even though they know Nigel and I will be keeping it to a minimum and making sure it's protected, I'm sure they are looking forward to whatever might be allowed.

On the professional front, I was very involved with the selection of the new superintendent and running the school district in the meantime. The search committee and I have continued to be slightly disappointed with the quality of the applicants at this juncture, but we are hopeful more qualified candidates will emerge now, seeing we've extended our original deadline. I will continue to run the district and prepare for the reopening of school in the fall, because I doubt very much that we'll have anyone in place in time to perform those functions. With some luck, though, we'll have selected a candidate and have him onboard early in the school year, and then I can go back to focusing on my boys.

Speaking of the boys, Nick and Brandon have contacted us and let us know they are enjoying their time with their parents. However, both have talked their folks into letting them come back by the very beginning of August, so they'll be able to spend at least two weeks with Nigel's group. Everyone is so anxious about their coming that the pair had to work hard to convince their parents to let them return a little earlier than originally planned. I'm sure their parents weren't thrilled about those requests, but they did give in, knowing the boys wouldn't be much fun to have around during the extra week, if they thought they were missing out on something fun here.

Then there is Ricky. As you know, he is currently an exchange student in Australia and seems to be enjoying himself and doing well there. It even sounds as if he had met a girl that he might be interested in. I'll take a 'wait and see' approach about this, however, as it was only the end of the first of his eight-month stay there. I know he will do well, but his being so far away still gives me some concern about his welfare. I'm sure he'll be fine, but I won't be able to rest again until he is safely home with us. We did send out a package with the things he requested, plus a couple of surprises for his birthday, and we all look forward to hearing from him again, soon.

Trey also has some interesting times ahead of him as well. His English teacher has submitted his play and video to two different competitions, one for writing and the other for novice filmmakers. I don't think Trey had any hopes for the competitions, but I think he was pleased when his teacher asked his permission to submit them on his behalf. I think that was honor enough for him. But that is not all Trey is involved with.

Trey is also part of the new driving group, along with Nick and Vinnie. Although Nick is away for a short time, he will return and take his place with the other two. I think they are hoping to have their licenses by late fall, so they can take their place as rotating drivers in our daily caravan to school, even though I've told them I probably won't let them take their road tests until next spring. I think they're hoping to sweet talk me into moving this up, but I'm pretty sure I'm going to stick to my guns on this one. I want to do that so they can practice their winter weather driving skills with me, before they actually have their licenses and begin to think they already know it all.

We are also getting ready to send three more boys off to college at the end of the summer, as Danny, Brandon and Kevin will be leaving for their freshman year. I know Frankie and Dustin will give them a few words of advice about this over the summer and all three are more than ready to go. Even though they are eager, it will leave another hole in my heart, as three more of them depart. I guess this fall might prove to be a quiet time at the house, with six of them away at various places, but I'm sure the others will more than make up for their being gone. It sure isn't easy watching your kids grow up.

Speaking of kids, I have to sit down and have a private discussion with Vinnie. He has been here for a while now, so I guess it's getting near the time when I have a talk about whether he wants to be adopted or not. I mean, I know he loves living here and all, but I'm not sure if he'll see the adoption as a betrayal to his parents. Besides, I'm also not sure if he would want to use the Currie name, even if he does want to be adopted, or if he'd prefer to keep the name he has. Well, I'll have to have this chat sometime soon, just to see what his thoughts are concerning this. I wouldn't even think of initiating the adoption process without his input and approval.

And finally there is Nick's new ambition, about becoming an exchange student himself. I'm sure we'll be spending time together to prepare for this, as long as he doesn't change his mind in between, but I have a strong suspicion he won't. I don't think I've seen Nick this serious about anything before, so I'm sure he has thought this through and I think it's a very positive sign about his increasing maturity. We'll see if this continues, once school begins.

No matter how much has happened over the past year and how much our lives have changed or improved, I still have to cope with doubts that I am doing the right things for the boys. I guess I've always dealt with these doubts, from the day I first took Ricky in, but I suspect my brush with mortality has made me take these doubts more seriously than I had in the past. I think about how my actions affect the boys, directly or indirectly, and what might happen to them once I'm gone. Sure, I know Jake has promised to be there for them and they won't have to worry about suffering through financial woes, but am I really doing what's best for them? How will I ever know the answer to that question?

Well, that's the point where Graham came to my rescue. I have been worrying about all of this since my heart attack and after losing Brent the way we did. Suddenly, I began to doubt nearly everything and wondering whether I might be doing more harm than good, no matter how well intentioned I was. That was about the time Graham came to me and told me he had a message to deliver.

"A message? From whom?" I wondered.

"The other side," he replied, very matter-of-factly. "Brent is bringing a whole bunch of people through with him."

"Really, and who would that be?" I challenged, as I had no idea whom he might be including.

"Well, it's a lot of different people, but mostly ones we have heard from before," Graham confirmed.

"Like whom?" I pressed, still unsure.

"Well, I see Vinnie's, Trey's, and Sammy and Andrew's parents there," he informed me, "and Dion's grandmother is there, as well as a woman I don't recognize. She has a really big smile and is standing in front of our house."

I had my suspicions, but I wanted to confirm them, before I jumped to conclusions. "What does she look like?" I asked.

After he told me, I was sure I knew who that was. "I think that's my wife, Graham," I explained. "I've been wondering if I was ever going to hear from her again."

"She's a very nice looking lady," Graham told me, "and she has a bouquet of pink roses, so I think they are for you." At that moment, I could feel a tear break loose from the inside corner of my left eye, and that was followed closely by one escaping from the other eye.

"You said they had a message for me," I questioned him, trying to get to the point of all this.

"Well, Brent did let me know this was for you and only you," he confessed.

"Okay, but what's the message?" I wondered, since I hadn't heard one yet.

"I'm not sure, but they're all standing in front of our house, and they are smiling and giving a thumbs-up sign," he told me. I didn't think I had to inquire as to what this was all about, but I did have one more question for him.

"Even my wife?" I pressed, wondering if she might have some reservations about what I had been up to.

"Well, she's doing something a little different from the others," he began, and I started to worry she didn't approve of what I had been doing with these boys or my relationship with Jake. That's when Graham continued. "She's giving a double thumbs-up sign."

Hearing that, the tears really started to flow down my cheeks. I guess if I had any doubts about whether I was doing the right thing, they were now laid to rest, as the other side came through to let me know they approved of my efforts. I guess now I can put my worries behind me and focus on taking care of business as usual.

The End of Book Five of Castaway Hotel