Bill W

Castaway Hotel VI

June 2002 - July 2003

Chapter 1
Special Events

To say I felt relieved would have been a vast understatement. It was more than I could ever have hoped for. After hearing Graham's description of the people Brent brought through with him and his explanation that they were here to show their support for my new family made me feel as if a huge weight had been lifted from my shoulders.

I know it may sound strange that I had even been concerned about such things, but I must admit I had worried for quite some time about what my wife might think of my activities since she'd passed. I guess it would not have been a problem if I didn't believe in God and a life after death, but that was only a small drawback, considering all the solace my beliefs had given me over the years.

Of course, my concerns surfaced only after Graham experienced his first series of visions. Once he told me about those experiences, I was forced to consider the implications they presented. Now that I had proof the dead were cognizant of what was happening to us, I was convinced my wife was aware of what I was up to. This, in turn, made me wonder if she would be able to understand why I was taking on so much responsibility and starting a whole new family. I mean, how could she? It was the total opposite of what we'd anticipated doing before she died.

Back then, my wife and I had been looking forward to taking early retirement and enjoying the rest of our lives together. We had been planning on finally doing some of the things we had put off while the family was growing up and anticipated using the money we had set aside to indulge some of our frivolous whims and fantasies. We'd made a list, which included such items as attending the theater, symphony and art exhibits, pursuing hobbies we hadn't had time for and taking the trips we'd only dreamed about. We wanted to do this before our health deteriorated, we were too old to enjoy such things or the money ran out.

We were eagerly awaiting this chance to finally live life on our own terms – with no schedules, no commitments and no interruptions. The problem was, we ran out of time.

We hadn't even reached the point where we could opt for early retirement when my wife suddenly, and unexpectedly, became ill. Everything happened so quickly that we didn't even have an opportunity to study her diagnosis and explore our options before she passed away. During her final days, we commiserated about the lost possibilities and the fact that we never got the chance to put our thoughts into actions.

Maybe it was due to what happened to her, and how quickly it progressed, that fueled my obsession over how she might feel about what I was doing. How would she react to my taking in more young men, adding more responsibility to my life and tying myself down by committing to care for my new sons until they were also self-sufficient? These, however, weren't the only issues troubling me.

In addition to the boys, I was also wondering how she would interpret my relationship with Jake. I feared she would be confused by it and wouldn't approve. She might even look at my partnership with him as a betrayal of our marriage. However, if what Graham reported was accurate, my concerns had been misplaced.

I can't tell you how much it meant for me to hear him tell how she held out a bouquet of roses and later gave a double thumbs-up to show her approval. Those simple signs finally relieved the guilt I harbored about her feeling I had made a mockery of our marriage. I was no longer concerned that she considered our years together to have been a sham or that I had tarnished her memory by my actions. Now that I knew she saw what I was doing in a positive light, I could put everything else behind me - forever.

Even better than getting her approval, there was an added bonus. All of the boys' parents that had previously passed on had also appeared to support us and give their blessings as well. That meant those boys were now also relieved of any guilt they had been feeling about betraying their parents' love and devotion by also loving me. It was an amazing catharsis for those involved and this allowed us to move on with a clear conscience.

A couple of days later, it was time for me to turn the page on the calendar, as another month came to an end. It's not that this was a major or dramatic event, but I wouldn't call it a normal transition from one month to the next either. Before it even had a chance to get started, July was already showing signs of being anything but a typical month, at least for me.

The biggest reason for this was due to the fact that various members of my brood would not be with us for a time, because they were heading out in different directions. Ricky was already residing in Australia as an exchange student and would be there for eight months. Brandon and Nick were also away for a few weeks, while they spent time with their parents. However, it didn't end there.

Shortly after Brandon and Nick were scheduled to return, near the end of the summer, it would then be time for Brandon, Danny and Kevin to leave for their freshman year at college. At the same time, Dustin and Frankie would be returning for their final year at the two-year colleges they attended. All in all, it meant six of the boys (the five in college and Ricky) would be away from home, for varying amounts of time, and I was already starting to feel apprehensive about being separated from them.

More than a third of those who had been living in my home, six of the sixteen young men, would be gone during the school year and then it suddenly struck me. This number would continue to increase every year from here on, which ignited more than a few anxious moments for me. The anxiety then turned into depression and that's when I concluded I would have to distract myself from dwelling on such somber thoughts, before they totally consumed me.

Hoping it would keep me from dwelling on the inevitable, I threw myself into preparing for the arrival of Nigel and his family. And if that wasn't enough, I also immersed myself in my position as acting superintendent for the local school district. I was trying, almost single-handedly, to take over the process of hiring someone to replace me on a permanent basis.

Now, this might sound strange, and I'm sure some of you are thinking it's illogical for me to try to get rid of my job when I was using it to keep from dwelling on my depression. In fact, you might be correct. It is possible that I'm merely focusing on the short term or even subconsciously thinking that by the time the job is filled I will be able to accept the boys moving on.

Let's face it, this isn't the first time I've had to do adjust to my children moving on, but this time it was different. Although I went through a similar situation when my biological children were leaving home and going off on their own, I was younger then and it didn't affect me as deeply. Possibly, that was due in part to the fact that my wife was there to share my feelings and commiserate with me about what we were facing. I guess I could probably do the same thing with Jake, but I doubt he'll be able to appreciate how I'm feeling until Shannon is going off without him.

I must admit I'm not even sure about my own reasoning, but I suspect you can now appreciate my reactions, even if you don't understand them. Either way, I think you should now be able to see why this summer is so unusual for me and didn't look as if it was going to settle down anytime soon.

As it turned out, the commitment required to carry out my role as acting superintendent didn't leave me any time to think about the issues that were troubling me. Instead, I focused solely on the job and pushed all other concerns from my mind and, hopefully, I'll be better able to deal with them if they resurface again later.

Even though I wasn't dwelling upon the fact the boys were becoming independent, I didn't avoid them or let it affect our relationship. I tried to carry on normally at home and even kept in touch with Brandon and Nick while they were away. However, this eventually presented a new problem for me to deal with, when it became apparent the latter pair was aggressively trying to alter the vacation plans I had worked so hard to arrange for them.

Originally, both boys were going to spend most of June and all of July with their folks, but now they wanted to cut their visits short. The reason for this was that neither wanted to miss out on the visit from Nigel's family. Immediately after arriving at their parents' homes, both boys began working on getting their parents to allow them to change the length of their stay.

Nick and Brandon began by explaining how they were worried they'd miss out on much of the fun with Nigel and his boys and weren't certain when we'd see them again. Nigel and his crew were scheduled to arrive around mid-July and then leave by mid-August. If things remained unchanged, Brandon and Nick would miss the first half of their stay, but would return in time for their final two weeks.

Knowing this, they each spent some of their time at home whining, begging and rehashing the situation, hoping it would convince their folks to let them come back by the middle of July. That way, they'd be able to enjoy their time with their families and still get back early enough to spend the entire visit with their friends from across the sea.

After hearing what they were up to, it put me in a tough spot. I had gone out of my way to make sure each of them returned to their own homes for the summer, but not just to get rid of them. I did it because I knew their parents needed some time with them too, but I should have had the foresight to anticipate such problems.

Without considering these issues or giving it a second thought, I had arranged for Brandon and Nick's families to plan their vacations around the times their sons would be home. I also suggested they keep their weekends free as well, so they'd be able to spend even more time with their sons after they had used up their vacation days and had to return to work. Once the Lawrences, O'Haras and I had reached a consensus, I finalized arrangements for the boys' flights home.

At first it didn't dawn on me that this pair might prefer spending time with the Barstows, instead of with their folks, but they soon made it known that was exactly how they felt. Even though I tried to reassure them I had planned the special, and more memorable, events with our guests for the final two weeks of their stay, it didn't placate either boy.

I must admit this situation hadn't come as a total surprise to either the Lawrences or the O'Haras. Fortunately, I had a moment of clarity on the drive to the airport and recognized the potential for a problem. At the time, I was mentally going over the various arrangements I had made for the Barstow clan, when I began to suspect the timing might create problems.

Even though it was too late for me to do anything about it, I did want to make both families aware of this situation. When I called to let them know their sons' plane was in the air and the boys were on the way, I also warned them about the scheduling conflict. I felt this would be sufficient to prepare them to deal with the situation, when and if it arose. Both families thanked me for the heads-up and confirmed they understood why the boys might feel bad about missing out on part of the visit. They then said they would deal with it, if the boys brought it up.

Since their sons had now made it painfully obvious they weren't entirely happy about being away when our guests from England arrived, the adults began to concede a change in plans was inevitable. They'd already concluded their sons would make their lives miserable during that time, if they thought they were being deprived of participating in events more to their liking, so the Lawrences and O'Haras proposed a compromise. As long as the boys would agree to give them their full cooperation and attention while they were there, their parents would let them go back early, so they wouldn't miss out on anything.

Thinking back upon some of the comments the Lawrences and O'Haras made when they called to tell me about their agreement, I suspected they might have also been a little relieved. Since they had taken their vacations at either the end of June or early July, they might have been worried they'd run out of things to do before their sons returned to Pennsylvania. So, in one way this eliminated that worry and allowed them to cram the activities they had envisioned into a shorter time frame. This would make it seem like they actually did more, since there would be less down time, and the boys would be satisfied and have less chance of becoming bored.

After this had been agreed to, the boys concluded it had been due to their powers of persuasion. No one told them I had been working quietly on their behalf. behind the scenes, but either way, everyone was satisfied with the arrangements.

Part of the new conditions were that both sets of parents would come to join us at Thanksgiving and again at Christmas, so they wouldn't be apart from their sons for too long. I also promised to make sure they got to spend quality time alone with their sons during those visits as well, to rectify the sacrifice they were making now. Since everyone was amicable with the arrangements, we could finally put this behind us and enjoy the rest of our summer.

Since the month of July had now officially started, the first event on our calendar was Independence Day. Usually, this would be special enough, but this year the day would have added meaning. It would be the first Fourth of July since the World Trade Center had been destroyed, so I assumed the patriotic fervor would run unbelievably high.

It isn't difficult to think back to a time when waving the American flag or professing your support of the government was looked upon with disgust. Not only that, but being a member of the armed forces was something you didn't necessarily want to flaunt, yet all of that changed on September 11, 2001. That's why this year's events would be dramatically different than those held in the past.

It had already been widely publicized that local members of the armed forces and their parents, spouses and children would be highly visible during this year's formal ceremony. Along with the military presence, there would also be a multitude of American flags and other patriotic memorabilia, as well as some specially designed activities. At least to me, it sounded like fun.

Although I was fairly certain the boys were looking forward to attending these events as a family, I soon discovered there would be an added bonus. It came about when Mark asked if his girlfriend and he could join us. He wanted us to get to know each other better and thought this would be the perfect time, so I happily agreed. I then informed each of the boys that I expected them to be on their best behavior, so we didn't scare Mark's girlfriend off the first time she was with us, and they all promised to behave. This didn't come as a surprise to me, since I suspected they would, at least after I brought it to their attention.

In addition to Mark and his girlfriend, the Shays, Spences, Curtises (Jay's parents) and Sally were also going to join us, but the Beckers had opted to attend a big community picnic their friends and neighbors were having. We told them we understood, but would miss them nonetheless, and wished them an enjoyable time.

Our day began with the annual Fourth of July parade, but this year it was much larger than any in recent memory. Our local high school band took part, along with bands from several smaller surrounding communities and a fife and drum group. There were also representatives from the VFW and American Legion, local members of the armed forces that happened to be home on leave or the family members of those that were currently stationed elsewhere, a few military vehicles, a multitude of homemade floats and an assortment of classic cars filled with parade organizers and local political dignitaries.

It was very reminiscent of the parades I had seen as a boy, not the big fancy extravaganzas you see at Disneyland, or anything like the Macy's Thanksgiving or football bowl parades. This was the basic, small-town, down-home variety, but with an added patriotic zing that had been created by recent events. This parade was charged with an electricity and excitement that probably hasn't existed since the periods during and after World War II or the Korean Conflict. At various times, I got goose bumps or felt chills run up and down my spine, as I watched both those participating in the parade and the other spectators.

When the parade ended, everyone went to the high school football stadium, to watch the various bands and the American Legion rifle group perform. Once they finished, we listened to a couple of speakers, followed by each band playing a special patriotic song. When each group's selection was announced, the crowd was urged to sing along, as a way of saluting the birth of our nation.

Amazingly, nearly everyone participated, including those who couldn't carry a tune, and the performances soon grew very emotional. During the remainder of the morning, we belted out our interpretation of 'God Bless American,' 'American the Beautiful,' 'The Battle Hymn of the Republic' and 'The Star Spangled Banner.' As the somewhat harmonic voices of my family and our friends wafted through the air, I, along with the many others in attendance, contemplated when the world, and our own lives, might return to a more carefree and less troubled existence.

Once all of the other activities concluded, the carnival-type festivities were declared open and the crowd began to mill around the various booths that surrounded the field, to check things out. There were numerous rides and activities for the kids, some being the typical things you'd expect to see at a modern carnival, but others were reminiscent of a Fourth of July celebration from the past. A traveling carnival group had been invited to set up their rides and games of chance for everyone, but various community groups added their own touches and provided these more historic offerings.

First, a couple of local farmers brought in several of their horses to take kids on short rides, while the VFW manned a dunking booth. Members of that organization took turns and braved the accuracy of those throwing baseballs at a triggering panel. When hit, the seated volunteer would drop into a tank and end up treading water for a while.

In addition to those activities, the American Legion had set up an old fashion wooden stock, where they placed members of their group. They then sold tickets that allowed kids, and others, to throw water balloons at the 'victims.' The youthful participants were told that rotten tomatoes or other uneatable foods would have been used instead of the water balloons when this type of punishment had actually been used, in colonial times. The kids seemed to enjoy this activity, even the older ones, but there was still much more being offered.

As acting Superintendent of the local school district, I had talked some of the other administrators and teachers into joining me in another fund raising activity. We allowed the kids, or anyone else willing to pay for the privilege, to throw whipped creamed pies at us, as we placed our heads through the openings in a sheet of plywood. The plywood was painted to represent several amusing caricatures (such as a circus weightlifter, the circus fat lady, a stern schoolmarm and a clown), and when we put our head through one of the holes, we became the face of that comical character.

Our activity seemed to be especially popular and the local student body took a great deal of satisfaction in smearing a teacher, principal or even me with whipped cream. Maybe this, or something similar, was a fantasy they had secretly hoped to be able to act upon some day, but no matter the reason for our success, the money came pouring in.

Everything that was earned from the community booths, as well as a percentage of the ticket and refreshment prices, was being donated to a worthy cause. In fact, that played a big part in the reason all of these groups had gone to so much trouble to have their own booths. The money we raised was being given to the emergency relief fund of the American Red Cross, to be used for future emergencies, regardless of whether they were natural disasters or acts of terrorism.

In addition to the games and rides, there were also numerous tents set up that contained a wide variety of food and drinks. Each tent basically had its own international theme, so there was something for nearly everyone.

The first tent was serving Italian delights, like pasta, pizza, sausage and peppers, Italian cookies and Italian Ices. Next to it was the Polish tent, which served pierogies (a semi-circular dough envelope stuffed with either potato and cheese or cabbage filling), Golabki (cabbage rolls) and kielbasa (Polish sausage).

On the other side of that tent was another one with Greek goodies, such as Gyros (meat roasted on a vertically turning spit and served with sauce, often tzatziki, and garnished with tomatoes and onions, on pita bread) Moussaka (an eggplant casserole), a Greek Salad (with grape leaves and feta cheese) and, of course, Baklava (a Turkish pastry made with nuts and honey, which has also become associated with the Greeks).

The final tent in that group was filled with Chineese treats, such as sweet and sour chicken or pork, sesame chicken (served in a reddish sauce with toasted sesame seeds), Hunan beef or chicken (a spicy dish fixed with hot peppers) and egg rolls. There was also a choice of chicken, pork, beef or vegetable fried rice or lo mein (long, thin noodles that is purported to be the origin for spaghetti) and every order was served with a fortune cookie.

In addition to the international offerings, there was another tent set up across from those tents that served the typical American summertime offerings, such as hot dogs, hamburgers and barbecued chicken. These items could be served with potato or macaroni salad or corn on the cob. This tent also offered fresh watermelon, honeydew and cantaloupe, and it could all be washed down with homemade lemonade.

The final tent was loaded with a variety of treats, such as ice cream, cotton candy and snow cones, as well as candy and caramel apples. It also sold soda, coffee, iced tea and bottled water. After looking at the total selection being offered, we thought we had something for everyone, at least where the food was concerned.

As lunchtime approached, I gave each of the boys some money and let him get what he wanted, and then we all went off to find a place where we could eat together, as a family. We found a nice, semi-quiet spot off to one side of the grounds, so we spread out a few blankets the boys had retrieved from the van and sat down to enjoy what we had purchased.

While we ate, we talked to Mark's girlfriend and I soon discovered she was not only a very interesting person, but also someone I had known previously, yet had forgotten. To my extreme embarrassment, she quickly reminded me she had attended my middle school for a period of time. Her family had moved into the district just before the start of her seventh grade year, so she spent that year and the next in my building.

After some polite prodding from her, I finally remembered Amy was a very quiet young thing, who stayed mostly to herself and was very studious. Unfortunately, I never got the chance to know her very well, so this was my opportunity to make up for that oversight.

She was very kind and didn't make a big deal about my lack of memory. In fact, she even told me she had enjoyed her time at my school. Amy was not only kind, but also extremely sweet, so I could see why Mark was taken with her. She was certainly his intellectual equal, plus they complemented each other in the looks department as well, with Mark's coloring being so dark and hers so light. Their personalities also seemed to mesh, so I thought they had a great chance of making it as a couple.

In addition to all of her other positive attributes, Amy also seemed to get along very well with the rest of the boys and had no trouble with seeing some of them as couples. I learned later that Mark had prepared her for this, and possibly that accounted for why she seemed so comfortable with the situation, but no matter the reason, the boys were pleased by her open and accepting nature. All of them hit it off really well, but she took a special interest in Andrew, possibly because he was the youngest and smallest. Amy babied and pampered him whenever she could, much to Andrew's enjoyment and Mark's delight, so I knew she would fit in nicely, if she joined us on some of our other outings.

The rest of the day went by quickly, with everyone having a good time and enjoying this unique celebration, which continued through the afternoon and into the early evening. Even before the sun began to set, Andrew let everyone know he was eager for it to get dark, so the long awaited fireworks would begin. This year it would not only include a very elaborate array of aerial treats, but there would also be some very special ground displays.

Shortly after the last rays of sunlight had disappeared, the show started and the only sounds that could be heard, other than the fireworks, were the gratified gasps of the spectators. For nearly the next half-hour, the sky was filled with colorful streaks of light, which were accompanied by the loud booms and following shockwaves from those exploding attractions.

When the aerial show concluded, the ground displays began to light up. They had been set up on a small hillside, so they were elevated enough for everyone to see, and now the crowd stared in that direction as they were set off, one at a time.

The first of these displays was an American flag, the second an outline of the three Revolutionary War soldiers that had become so familiar to us (with one playing a fife, another a drum and the last carrying a flag), and the next the outline of the famous scene from World War II, with the marines raising the American flag on Iwo Jima. The final ground display was a message, 'God Bless America,' and then the air was once again filled with more rockets, which comprised the finale.

My family, including our friends and guests, sat transfixed throughout this wonderful show. Once the last of the aerial delights had exploded and the crowd was thanked for attending, we got up, said our farewells to Mark's girlfriend, our extended family and some of the others seated around us, and then got ready to go home after a long day.

Since everyone was so tired, the boys rushed through their showers and raced off to bed, knowing they still had tomorrow to do whatever else they wanted. Jake and I turned in as well, although we took a slight detour along the way, by paying special attention to each other's needs, before we drifted off.

Chapter 2
Smooth sailing?

Ricky's birthday was a few days later and I wasn't about to let it pass without doing something special. With that in mind, I rounded up the family before I called him, because I wanted to make sure everyone got a chance to speak with him before I hung up. This would not only give each of them a chance to wish him well on his very special day, but it would also let Ricky know we hadn't forgotten about him. I felt that was as important as acknowledging his special day.

Even though Ricky's birthday is on July 7th, we had to call him on the afternoon of July 6th, to compensate for the difference in time zones. Australia is fifteen hours ahead of us, so it was already the next day there and I certainly didn't want this to be a belated celebration.

Ricky's host mother answered the phone on the third ring and I chatted briefly with her, before she called Ricky to take the call. As soon as he said 'hello,' we all began singing 'Happy Birthday' to him and most of us even managed to stay in key. I think he was moved by this simple act, even if it wasn't a stunning performance, because he seemed to be a little choked up as he began to speak. After thanking us for calling and not forgetting his birthday, he hesitated again, as he fought to control his emotions.

Once he'd regained his composure, Ricky announced he had received his gifts and loved each of them. I told him we hadn't sent very much and he would receive the rest of his presents when he returned home, but he said he was satisfied with what he had already been given. All we had sent him was some new clothes, a couple of CD's his brothers thought he'd like and a note that I had transferred more money into his bank account there. Well, there was also a little added surprise tucked in with everything else.

While I was trying to think of something meaningful I could include for him, I had an inspiration. I decided to send a camcorder as one of his gifts, which would compliment the digital camera he had taken with him when he left. This way he could record the events of his trip to Australia two ways. He would be able to use the pictures and videos later, to remind him of this experience and allow him to relive these precious memories again. It could lead to many hours of reminiscing about this unique opportunity in his life and he would come to appreciate that immensely, whether he knew that now or not.

In addition to what we sent specifically for him, his package also contained the items he had requested for Peter. Although he had only asked me to send some underwear for his host-brother, as Peter seemed to think the ones from the States were softer and felt better when he put them on, I included a bit more than that. I ended up sending him a couple of packages of colored briefs, a package of boxer briefs and several pairs of boxers, all in Peter's size.

Ricky told us Peter was thrilled when he saw how much we had included for him and was extremely pleased by the assortment. Ricky even allowed Peter get on the phone to chat with us and he thanked us personally for his presents. Since he was on the speakerphone, we could all hear what he had to say at the same time and I think we were all fascinated by this young imp. The boys and I all thought his accent was precious, and we could have listened to him for hours, if Peter hadn't insisted this was costing me too much and Ricky should be doing most of the talking, since it was his birthday. After thanking us once more, he handed the phone back to Ricky, so we could finish our conversation.

Once he got back on the line, my blond angel and I discussed the items I was having delivered to his host family's home a little later, as tokens of appreciation from our family to theirs. Ricky was a little surprised when I told him what I planned to do, but said he thought the items would be perfect. I advised him I'd order them from an Australian company, to avoid any problems with compatibility and functionality, and have them delivered as soon as possible. He thanked me for doing so much and then the boys all screamed happy birthday to him one more time, before they left the room.

Once we were alone, I told him I wanted him to call or email me after the gifts to his host-family were delivered, so I could learn how they were received. He said he would and I knew he wouldn't forget, because he was as excited about this as I was. Before I hung up, I told Ricky I loved and missed him once more, after which he added his own response.

"I know you do, Dad, and I love and miss you too – more than you'll ever know." Damn, he still knows how to pluck at my heartstrings.

After I got off the phone with Ricky, my three student drivers began bugging me to take them out for another lesson. I really hadn't planned on doing this, but agreed to take them to the school parking area and let them practice driving around the empty lot. Since the 4-Runner was in already in use, we had no choice but to use the Grand Am for this lesson.

Of course, Nick wanted to go first, as he always did, and since I had made him wait the last two times we practiced, I allowed him to switch places with me now. Nick actually handled the situation very well and did everything I requested from him. He even kept his aggressiveness in check when I asked him to practice making a hard turn, like he was trying to prevent having an accident.

We did this several times, with me pointing and shouting when I wanted him to pretend he was avoiding a car that was backing out, or swerving away from a child or pet that was darting into the roadway. I also had him brake hard a couple of times, to practice his emergency stops, because I wanted each of the boys to realize how far the car actually travels, even after the brakes are applied. Once Nick had finished his turn, I let Vinnie change places with him.

As a general rule, Vinnie showed a good mixture of aggressiveness and restraint in his driving, just like he did with most things in life, but today this was not the case. The first time I asked him to try a sharp swerve, to pretend he was avoiding a dangerous situation, he not only cranked the wheel, but also gave the car more gas, which caused us to do a 360-degree spinout on the blacktop.

As this was taking place, I worried about what else might happen, but luckily nothing did. However, once we came to a stop, I told Vinnie to put the Grand Am in park and then just sit still and not move, until my heart stopped racing. I also used the time to regain my composure and think about how I was going to handle the situation, but Vinnie broke the silence first.

"I'm a pretty good driver, aren't I?" he asked, much to my amazement and shock. I just stared at him in disbelief.

"That wasn't exactly what I was going to say," I told him, which caused him to look startled.

"Why? What do you mean? I did pretty good at that, didn't I?" he asked again.

"Vinnie, do you really think doing a doughnut would prevent an accident?" I asked, rhetorically. "Not only did you manage to screw up doing what I wanted, but what you actually did was very dangerous, enormously risky and extremely foolish. You were more than a little out of control and I'm very disappointed in your judgment."

Vinnie looked toward the back seat, hoping to gain support from the other two, but they were both quiet. It was obvious they were still shook up from the experience, but I suspect neither of them was impressed with Vinnie's actions either. Trey looked like he might have crapped his pants during the episode, while Nick was rubbing various bruised and tender body parts. I discovered later that Nick hadn't remembered to buckle up when he hopped in the backseat, so he had been slammed viciously about during Vinnie's little maneuver.

Unfortunately for Nick, his face was slammed against the back of my seat, while his hip simultaneously banged into the armrest on the rear door, when Vinnie first reacted. If that wasn't bad enough, his head was then jerked very forcefully against the window, when Vinnie accelerated and the car spun out. However, his getting banged up had a positive slant too, since he also learned that utilizing his seatbelt would have prevented the extent, and severity, of his injuries.

"Vinnie, I'd like you to switch places with Trey right now," I suggested, with a touch of annoyance and disappointment tingeing my statement.

"Why? I haven't had my full turn yet," he snapped back.

"Maybe not," I replied, "but I think you need to spend some time thinking about what just happened before I let you drive again. After Trey has had his turn, then I'll consider giving you a second chance."

"But…" he began, before I cut him off.

"Sorry, no buts," I announced, quite sternly. "Switch with Trey now, if you hope to have another shot at this after he's had his turn."

Vinnie flashed me a very hostile look, to let me know he was unhappy with my decision, but he was smart enough not to say anything more and did as I requested. Maybe it was due to the fact I was glaring back at him, because I wanted him to know he had reached his limit with me for now, but he took the hint and didn't press his luck further. Slowly, he got out of the car and exchanged seats with Trey. Once they were both buckled up, I allowed Trey to get started.

After what had just happened, my typically timid Trey was even more restrained. He wasn't about to do anything as reckless as what Vinnie had just pulled, but he wasn't doing what I wanted either. At that point, I tried hard to encourage him to go faster than 5 m.p.h. and he did pick the speed up a little. However, he was still more cautious than usual, so I made him stop too, so we could talk this over.

"Look, this lesson won't help you if you don't practice doing it at normal speeds. Anyone can avoid problems when they're hardly moving," I emphasized, "but it takes skill to avoid problems when driving the speed limit. I just don't want you to get carried away with this, like Vinnie did."

Vinnie started to protest from the back seat, but I held up my hand and cut him off, before continuing with Trey. "Do you think you can do that, or shall we call it a day and just head home now?"

"No, I can do it. I'll be fine," Trey assured me, before starting up again.

This time he did much better and was getting the type of practice I wanted him to benefit from. He still didn't do as well as Nick had, but he kept improving with each try. Once he had gone through his final braking attempt, I allowed him to switch places with Vinnie again, since I'd decided it would probably be best to give Vinnie another chance to prove himself. As Vinnie slid back into the driver's seat, he looked at me, like he wasn't sure what I wanted him to do next.

"Look, let's just forget about your earlier attempt," I offered, trying to take the edge off of an already tense situation. "All I ask is that you keep yourself and the car under control this time."

"I'm sorry," he replied, sounding more humble than before. "I was just trying to show you I'm a good driver."

"Well, that's not what I observed," I advised him. "What I saw was the first indication that you can be reckless at times and that's not a good trait for a driver… at least not a driver in my household."

He looked down at the steering wheel, instead of at me, but didn't reply right away. After several seconds, he finally looked up and began to speak, but it wasn't exactly what I expected.

"I just wanted to show you that I was as good a driver as any of the others."

"That's fine, but you won't prove it to me by pretending you're a stunt-car driver or a crash-test dummy," I shot back. He gave me a strange look after I said this, but then cracked a small smile.

"Okay, so I got a little carried away," he admitted, "but I am a good driver and I'll prove it to you."

"I hope so, but you'll only do that if you can learn to keep yourself, and the car, under control," I reiterated.

Vinnie nodded at me, turned the key in the ignition and then pulled away from where Trey had finished his turn. This time he did much better than he had on his first attempt, but there was still one thing that concerned me. It was his braking times.

Due to the problems with his legs, it seemed to take him a bit longer to bring the car to a full stop than it did the others. It wasn't that the braking distance changed or was different for him, but it did take him a second or two longer before he was able to bring his foot down against the brake pedal. Now, I had to find a tactful way to explain to him that he'd have to leave himself more leeway for emergency situations. Other than that, as long as he is able to maintain his self-control, he should do fine.

When we got back home, Nick managed to turn his retelling of Vinnie's first attempt into a big production. He embellished the story to the point where the rest of us could hardly recognize what had actually happened, but did it in a way to make it sound humorous, not life-threatening. The other boys were listening intently and getting a chuckle out of his rendition of the facts.

As I glanced over at Vinnie, he seemed offended by Nick's routine, but once he became the center of attention because of it, he began adding his own touches to the story. He was really enjoying his time in the spotlight and I knew this episode would eventually become one of those tales that would crop up again and again over the years. It would be told at family gatherings, including the holidays, and relived every time someone new was introduced to Vinnie. As I saw it, this was bound to become a staple recollection when the boys and I reminisced about what it was like growing up in the Currie household.

Later that evening, after things had quieted down, I took Vinnie aside. I wanted to calmly discuss the ramifications about what had transpired during the practice session, while it was still fresh in his mind.

"Vinnie, I think we need to sit down for a few minutes, so we can discuss in more detail what happened earlier."

He suddenly looked apprehensive when I mentioned this again, since he thought I had said all I was going to say earlier. His eyes shifted nervously from my face to the floor, as he contemplated what I was going to tell him. He still nodded his head in agreement with the conditions I was setting and allowed me to speak without interruption. In an effort to avoid bringing further undue embarrassment for Vinnie, I led him back to his room, where we would be alone.

"I know, I blew it today," he admitted, as soon as the door closed. "I'm really sorry, but I was just trying to show you I can do most things just as well as anyone else." I merely looked at him and thought about my response.

"Vinnie, you don't have to prove anything to anyone, especially me," I informed him, in all sincerity. "If that was what you were trying to do, all you accomplished was alerting me to the fact that you can also be tempted into reckless behavior at times, just like most of the others. It was something I didn't expect from you, since you've always shown good restraint. Not only that, but you also proved you are willing to sacrifice the safety of others in an attempt to impress someone or make a point."

At this juncture, I expected him to protest, but he didn't utter a sound. Instead, his face began to turn a nice shade of crimson, just before it drooped toward the floor. He stood like that for a short time, while he also shuffled about uneasily on his feet, but then he finally spoke.

"I'm really sorry," he confessed. "I didn't mean to do that. It's just that everyone looks at me and immediately sees a cripple. Most of the time, they just assume I can't do the things they do, so I just wanted to show them they were wrong."

"I don't think anyone in this household views you that way," I told him, as calmly and positively as I could, "but if they do, it is their problem, not yours. What I'd prefer you do is to show me you've learned how to compensate for your limitations by making adjustments that are well thought out, mature and responsible. You don't have to prove yourself to anyone, Vinnie, but acting like a jackass doesn't help your situation."

"I know you and the others don't think of me that way, but you don't know how it feels to have people look at you and only see what's wrong with you," he confessed, and I could tell this perceived scrutiny, whether actual or merely imagined, hurt him deeply.

"What's worse is when they start feeling sorry for you," Vinnie continued, "because all they can think about is all the things they believe you can't do."

"I don't think anyone in this house or anyone who knows you well thinks like that," I advised him. "You've more than proven you're as capable as anyone else, in most areas. Hell, when I go anyplace with you, I have a rough time just keeping up with your pace. You speed along with those crutches like it's some kind of a race and I almost have to run, so I don't lose you."

He looked down again, knowing he had done this to me many times already. Some of the boys had even told him to slow down when we were out, so I wouldn't have a heart attack trying to keep up with him.

"But, Pop, you don't know what it's like when people only look at the crutches and not at you," he told me again.

"The rest of us may not have any physical handicaps that stand out like yours, but we have experienced similar situations," I explained. "For example, what about my heart condition? Don't you think that has a similar effect on people, including all of you boys, as you try to keep me from doing many of the things I enjoy and was accustomed to doing." Vinnie looked up at me, with a slight expression of horror etched on his face, when he realized he had done this to me as well.

"I understand and appreciate everyone's concern," I added, "but it also allows me to experience and empathize with what you're going through. The one difference I see is, they are not focusing on my limitations, but on my future well-being. That might be the case with some of the people you mention – maybe not all of them, but at least the ones you were trying to impress today."

"And then there are other things that effect people's perceptions of us, some of which you are also familiar with as well," I added. "For example, when people learn about someone's sexuality, they often only see that one aspect of the individual. It ends up shaping all of their views of him, like nothing else matters. That can be just as bad as them looking at your physical handicap."

Once again he seemed to be studying our feet, as he contemplated what he was going to say next. "I guess," he conceded, "but I hate it when people think I can't do things as well as them. There might be some things I can't do, but not as much as they think. Really! I can do most things as well as anyone."

"Vinnie, you don't have to convince me. I realize this and think almost everyone who knows you does too," I told him, "so, you don't have to do anything special to prove yourself to us. What you have to do is stop trying to impress strangers, because who cares what they think. Those of us who know you already realize you can do almost anything you set your mind to, so don't worry what anyone else thinks. Okay?

"Yeah, I guess so," he agreed, but I wasn't sure if his heart was really into this concession. "I guess what I did in the car wasn't really cool, was it?"

"Well, if a tire blew or the car's weight had shifted past a certain point while you were pulling that little stunt, it could have rolled over and who knows what might have happened or who could have been injured."

"I guess I didn't think about that. I am really sorry," he apologized, while looking very guilty.

"I can tell you mean it," I agreed, " so nothing more will be said about this, as long as you don't repeat your mistake."

"Don't worry, I won't," he quickly confirmed.

"Even though that's settled," I continued, "I did notice it takes you a second or two longer to hit the brake pedal, so I suggest you compensate by leaving an extra car length between you and the vehicle ahead."

"Okay, I can do that," he agreed. "I did realize it was a problem and was planning on asking you what I should do to make up for it. Before I did, though, I wanted to prove I was a good driver first, before I admitted I had trouble braking. I guess I should have come to you about that earlier too, huh?"

"Yes, you probably should have, but at least you realize you have a slight deficiency and are willing to compensate for it," I confirmed, as he smiled at me. "Before you leave, however, there's one more thing I'd like to discuss with you. I think you've been here long enough to make another very important decision and this one also concerns your legal status in the family. What I need to know is – would you like for me to adopt you too?"

For a split second, I thought I saw a look of concern, or maybe even fear in Vinnie's eyes, before his face dropped toward the floor yet again. I noticed a slight quiver along his upper lip, as if something was bothering him, and I was afraid he was trying to find a way to avoid answering my question. I assumed it was because he felt he might be betraying his parents in some way if he allowed me to adopt him, so I tried to ease his concerns.

"Hey, you don't have to do it. It's your choice," I offered, in an effort to give him a way to save face. "I just wanted to know what you thought. If you want me to adopt you, I'll get things started. If not, then I'll drop the idea and not say another word about it. It doesn't mean anything will change between us, but I wanted to give you the choice."

He looked at me, almost as if he was unsure if he should speak, but finally he did. "It's not that," he replied, while looking slightly terrified. "I would love to be your son, but then it would make Kevin my brother and I don't want that. I want Kevin to be my lover and then maybe someday we could even get married or something, but it wouldn't seem right if he was my brother too."

Suddenly, I gained a new insight about his reasons for hesitating before he responded. "Yes, I think I understand," I admitted. "Well, we don't have to go through with this, if it's not what you want to do, so don't worry about it. I won't bring it up again."

"But that's the whole point," he nearly shouted, before I could leave. "I DO want to be your son and I want all the other boys to be my brothers too, but then it would mess things up between Kevin and me. I really want to be part of a family again, so I can feel like I belong somewhere and not just a guest in someone else's home. Can you understand that?"

"Yes, Vinnie, I can and do," I agreed. "I just hope you realize that you're not just a guest here though. You're part of this family, whether I adopt you or not."

"I know and it's what makes saying no to you so hard," he said, almost on the verge of tears. "I really want you to adopt me, but I don't want Kevin and me to be brothers. That would be like incest, if we got married, and I don't want that feeling to spoil what we have now or in the future. I don't think it's bad to mess around with a brother now and then, but it would be a whole different thing to marry one."

"Hey, I do understand, so you don't have to worry about it," I agreed. "Let me run this by Uncle Steve though and maybe he'll know of something we can do legally to make you part of the family, without putting you and Kevin in an awkward position."

"That would be cool, if you could," he replied quickly, suddenly looking more cheery than I'd seen him since before our driving lesson. "I'm sorry if I messed things up for you or hurt your feelings."

"You didn't do anything except enlighten me about your concerns, so don't worry about it," I told him.

"Thanks, Pop," he responded, while giving me a hint of a smile. "You made me feel a lot better about everything and I'm sorry about earlier too."

"Hey, I said we wouldn't mention that again, as long as you're more careful in the future," I reminded him.

"Okay, deal," he shot back quickly.

As I left his room, I had some new things to consider. I hadn't realized Vinnie felt this way before, but I'm glad he had the guts to tell me, without worrying about hurting my feelings. I mean, I knew Kevin and he were close and were working on a relationship, but I didn't know he hoped for them to marry one day or that he worried he couldn't do that if they were brothers. In fact, I completely understand why he feels this way. I guess there aren't many guys who would think about marrying their sister, so why would a gay guy be any more inclined to marry his brother, natural or adopted?

As I walked to my own room, I hoped my friend Steve would be able to pull another rabbit out of his hat and give me a way to make Vinnie a part of the family, while still dealing with his other concerns. I knew it was probably a long shot, but it was all we had, unless a lightning bolt struck me first.

Chapter 3
Unresolved Issues

After spending time talking with Vinnie, he had not only answered my question about whether he wanted to be adopted, but had also given me much to think about. Over the course of the next few hours, I tried to come up with an idea that would effectively deal with his conundrum about being related to Kevin, but I couldn't think of any solutions. Therefore, I decided I would need to wait and talk this over with Steve, to see if maybe he had any suggestions I hadn't considered. His legal expertise might just afford us some insight I was lacking concerning matters such as this, or at least that's what I was hoping.

Once Vinnie and I finished our chat, I left his room and Kevin enteed shortly thereafter. Now that they were alone, Vinnie mentioned what I had proposed.

"A little while ago, Pop asked me if I wanted him to adopt me," Vinnie advised him.

"That's great!" Kevin exclaimed. "I knew he would bring it up soon. You must be busting now."

"Not really," Vinnie confessed. "I told him I wasn't sure I wanted that."

"What? Why not?" Kevin shot back, quite confused.

"If Pop adopts me, it would make us brothers," Vinnie explained, "and then that would make the things we do seem wrong. You know, brothers having sex with each other and being lovers. I mean, think of all the jokes about brothers and sisters or two cousins having sex or getting married. If Pop adopted me, that would include us too."

"Maybe, but it's not like we're actually blood related, so it's still different," Kevin reasoned. "It will be all right. You can let Dad adopt you and we can still be as close as we are now."

"What about if we decide to get married?" Vinnie challenged.

"We can do that too and neither of us would have to change our last name," Kevin quipped. "I think you're making too big a deal out of this."

"Maybe, but I still wouldn't feel right about it," Vinnie admitted.

"I think you're reading too much into this," Kevin told him. "What did Dad say?"

"He said he'd talk to Uncle Steve, to see if he can figure out a way to avoid the problem, while still making me part of the family."

"Awesome," Kevin acknowledged. "Dad will figure something out, I'm sure."

"I hope so," Vinnie agreed. "I'd love to be part of this family and still be able to have you as my lover," he added with a smirk.

"Don't worry, Dad will come up with something," Kevin responded, "but let's not worry about that now. We aren't brothers yet, at least legally, so we might as well take advantage of it and have some fun. Are you ready to show me how much you love me, big boy?" Vinnie merely grinned and nodded.

It didn't take either of them long to shed their clothing and lie naked on the bed, beside each other. Slowing down to savor the moment, they began kissing and stroking their partner and the love they felt was evident in each gentle touch and sweet caress. They put everything they had into showing their lover how deeply they truly felt.

After quite a few minutes of doing this, Kevin reached into the nightstand and pulled out the lube and a condom and handed them to Vinnie. Then he spooned back into him, to let him know exactly what he had in mind. It didn't take Vinnie very long to realize what Kevin was suggesting, so he prepared himself quickly and slid into position. With both boys lying on their sides, they began to make slow, passionate love.

Kevin lifted his upper leg slightly, to make it easier for Vinnie, and then Vinnie began his slow rocking back and forth, as he glided in and out of Kevin's love canal. The boys were lost in the tidal wave of sensual stimulation and focused solely on the pleasure their partner was giving them.

If you could have seen the expressions on their faces, one thing was clearly evident. Vinnie could make love just as well as anyone else, despite his handicap. Not only was he able to satisfy Kevin with his ability, but he was also able to stimulate his partner in multiple ways. Besides their love making, Vinnie was able to masturbate Kevin at the same time, so they would get off together.

As their pace increased and they moved closer to the brink of their sexual release, both boys became totally absorbed in the raw physical pleasures this was providing. They were totally into each other, while at the same time basking in the pleasurable sensations their lovemaking was providing and enjoying the emotional bonds this experience was creating for them.

A couple of minutes later, both boys were lying exhausted and cuddled up in the other's arms, satisfied and totally spent from their intense, passionate rhythm of love.

While the boys were reveling in their time together, I spent more time concentrating on Vinnie's concerns. I was drawing a blank, when I suddenly had an idea. Maybe I could research the situation online. It was a long shot, but possibly someone else had a similar problem and posted information about how they had overcome it on some site. If they had, then hopefully I'll discover something that will help us.

As I signed on to my computer, I was instantly distracted. That was because I noticed I had mail. I decided to check that out first, to see if it was anything important, and quickly discovered it was an email from Ricky. It immediately piqued my curiosity, so I opened it and began to read.

Hey Dad,

Thank you sooooo much. Those things arrived and everyone just loved what you sent them, but they told me to tell you it was way too much. I thought they were going to say they couldn't accept it, but I told them it was okay, especially after all they'd done for me. I guess it must have convinced them, because things are cool now.

My host parents love the television you sent them from Harvey Normans. The screen is much bigger than their old one and the picture is great. It has awesome color and is really clear, so it's way better than the old one they've been using. Right after it arrived, we all sat down and watched a movie on it and they told me it was like going to the pictures. That's what they say here, instead of going to the movies. Hehehe I'm not into what they usually watch, you know – all that boring old people stuff, but they are really enjoying watching their shows on it.

Oh, you should have seen Peter when he opened the laptop. He was so shocked when he saw what it was that he didn't know what to do next. First, he looked at it, to make sure it was what he thought it was, and then turned toward his parents, to see what they had to say. After they didn't tell him he'd have to give it back, he finally looked at me, to see how I was reacting. It was really funny. It was almost as if he thought it was some kind of joke and wasn't real. I think he was afraid someone was going to tell him it didn't work or come in and take it away from him. Can you believe he actually thought I'd pull a joke like that on him? lol

Once he realized it wasn't a prank and was all his, he ran over and hugged me. Then he even gave me a kiss on the cheek, before telling me to thank you too. He also made me give him our home address, so he could write you a letter. I told him he could just send you an email, but his mother said a thank you note should be handwritten, because it means more that way. I thought she was nuts to make him go to all that trouble and told her it would take much longer to get to you that way. I even told them you wouldn't care, as long as he thanked you, but she said in the end a personal, hand-written note would be appreciated more. I guess that's the way they do things here. It's kind of old fashion, but I didn't want to insult her by saying more.

As soon as he took the laptop back to our room, Peter made me start teaching him everything about it. He began asking me questions about how to do things, almost as soon as he hooked it up. That's because he's never worked on a laptop before and it is different using the laptop mouse, compared to the one on his parents' computer. I've got to tell you, you picked out a really nice one and he loves having his own. He told me the best thing about not having to use the family computer is that he can now keep things on it that he wouldn't dare to leave on the other one.

Oh, yeah, before I forget, I got to take Kylie to some social thing they had here last week. It was just a local celebration of some sort, and at first I wasn't really interested in going. That changed though, once she agreed to go with me to it. She's really neat and I like her a lot, but I think Peter is jealous of us. I guess he tried to get her to go out with him before I got here, but she told him they're more like brother and sister, so she couldn't see dating him. They've known each other since they were babies and only live a few houses apart. Their parents are also friends, so the two families are together all the time.

I mean, Peter's been cool about Kylie and me going out and all, but I think it's only because he knows I won't be here in a few more months. I guess it still hurts him that she kind of likes me, when he wants her to feel that way about him. I feel bad about it, but I really do like her, so I don't want to just give up on going out with her, just because Peter likes her too. I hope Kylie and I get even closer before I have to leave and maybe we can keep in touch afterward, because I really like her a lot.

So, what's going on at home? Are any of my brothers taking my place and keeping everyone in line and on their toes? lol Peter keeps telling me I'm 'a bit loony' or I'm 'bonkers' each time I do something to him, which means he thinks I'm nuts, but I know he kind of likes it too. We're really cool with each other.

Anybody have a driving accident yet? I hope not, but some of them are a little crazy – like me. Man, I really do miss everyone, even though I'm having a great time here. I guess I didn't know how much having a family has come to mean to me. I think we all take it for granted sometimes, especially having you there for us whenever anything goes wrong, but I sure began to notice the difference after I left.

Don't get me wrong, my host parents are great, but I just don't feel I can go to them with everything, like I can with you. I even miss being able to crawl into your bed once in a while. I'm not sure if you knew I did that, because I tried not to wake you when I did, but I'd come in with you whenever I was feeling a little down. It always made me feel safe and loved, knowing you were there beside me, but then I'd sneak back to my room before you woke up.

Oh, I guess my secret is out now. You probably never realized I did that sometimes while you were asleep, because you only woke up a few times when I was still there. Most of the time I would just lay there for a few minutes, but sometimes I'd stay there for a couple of hours, just to be beside you. I can't tell you how doing that always made me feel so much better. Just looking at you and knowing you chose me to come live with you and be your son always made me feel better. I'm really glad you did that, cuz I don't know what I'd have been like now, if you hadn't. Maybe I'd even be dead, because I might have tried doing drugs, like my mother. I guess you might have even saved my life when you took me in, so thank you.

Well, I better send this off now, cuz Peter wants me to go out and play soccer with him and his mates. They're all pretty cool. We do all kinds of things with his friends and they've all been really great to me. I even think some of my brothers would be interested in a few of them too. I've seen most of them in the showers after we play soccer or when they teach me other sports, and they're not bad looking, for guys. hehehe I was sort of surprised, though. I thought all the guys over here would be natural, like Jay, but from what I've seen so far, it's about half and half.

A few of us have even done things together. Not much, but they're willing to try different things too. In fact, Peter is the most curious about stuff like that. I don't think he'd ever thought about doing anything with another guy before, so he's going wild, at least while I'm here to do things with him. His friends are cool with it too, since they know I like Kylie and am basically into girls. They understand I'm just a normal, horny teen that doesn't mind getting off whenever, or however, I can, and now they're doing it too. lol

Well, Dad, I'll send you another email in a few days. Love you all. Please tell all my brothers I said hi and that I miss them. Can't wait to see you all again.

Love,
Ricky

After drying me eyes, I printed the letter off. I wanted everyone else to read it too. I knew many of the others liked to hear about Ricky's exploits, but I think Ricky's confession about how he views the family might help a few of them deal with what's troubling them. I think they'll appreciate knowing they're not the only ones that feel this way and I think it might also make them think a little more about it on their own.

The boys sometimes have their problems, but overall I think they all appreciate having the security of a stable home and many brothers they can count on. I feel it might also be good for Vinnie to read too, since it will help to emphasize that he's part of this family now, whether I adopt him or not. I think he needs that sort of reassurance, which reminds me of why I got on the computer in the first place.

However, before I could get myself to focus on the task before me, I took another few moments to reflect on something else Ricky had mentioned. It was his comment about coming in and sleeping with me at different times. I did find him in bed with me on a couple of occasions, but I guess from what he just said, he's done it much more than that. It had to have happened before Jake came into the picture though, because I don't see how Ricky would manage to sneak in beside me with the two of us already in bed. Then again, maybe he slipped in behind me, while I was cuddling with Jake or slipped in front of me, when Jake was cuddled up against me. I guess it is possible.

Thinking about this led me to follow another train of thought. I've always considered Ricky to be strong and independent young man, so it is possible I missed giving him the reassurance it appears he must have needed from time to time. I guess I missed those signs, and maybe that's what all his little pranks were about. Were they just another way for him to gain the attention he needed, no matter what type it was? Damn, I could kick myself for not recognizing that sooner. I guess I'll have to make it up to him, once he returns.

Realizing my oversight, I decided I should probably set aside some time to think about the other boys too, to see if I've overlooked anything concerning them and their hidden needs. Sometimes, I guess the most obvious signals are the hardest to read. You know, it's like not being able to see the forest because of the trees. Maybe tonight I'll sequester myself for a while, so I can think about each of them, to see if I might have missed anything else. However, before I do that, I need to see if I can find anything online that might help Vinnie. Probably not, but I have to try.

When Jake got home, I let him read the letter from Ricky and then discussed a few of my earlier concerns with him, including Ricky's mention about coming in to sleep beside me at times. I then went on to explain how much it bothered me that I hadn't noticed Ricky seeking my attention and Jake was very supportive. After I explained I was worried there were others suffering from similar insecurities, he told me he'd help keep an eye open, to see if he could pick up on any hints that anyone else was dealing with such problems.

To my surprise, Jake informed me this might include Shannon. He then revealed his suspicions that Shannon might have some abandonment issues, especially after the way he and Jake had been forced to leave their home in the first place. When Jake had been thrown out, Shannon felt as if his father had abandoned him, but after his mother kicked him out too, Shannon began to feel that no one wanted him. That might have been resolved, to some extent, when he went to live with his father, but Jake suspected these issues still lurked far below the surface.

Jake then suggested that maybe the two of us should set aside a couple of nights a week so we could take out one, or possibly even two of the boys at a time, to give them a little extra attention. I told him I thought it was an excellent idea and might be a way to alleviate any problems the boys might be having. If not, it may at least get the boys to open up about anything that might be troubling them, if none of their brothers were around to make light of how they were feeling. It's not that the boys intentionally tried to mock or hurt each other, but sometimes a comment spoken in jest can be taken the wrong way and still do emotional harm.

Not long after Jake and I made that decision, I received a couple of phone calls. Oh, it wasn't a coincidence I received them at this time. I learned later that Nick had called Brandon to see if he'd heard from me about their flight arrangements and then he decided they should call me.

It seems Nick was worried about getting back in time to see Nigel's crew and wanted to make sure I'd taken care of changing their tickets. When Brandon said he hadn't heard anything, Nick suggested they should call to see what was up. It was too bad they hadn't spoken with their parents about this first, since I had filled both the Lawrences and the O'Haras in about the new flight schedule a few days prior. I guess they either hadn't found the time to pass this information along to their sons or felt the boys didn't need to know the details in advance. If it wasn't for either of those reasons, then maybe the parents were upset their sons had decided to come back early, but I certainly hope that isn't the case.

Anyway, I was able to reassure both boys their new arrangements had been made and they would arrive the day before the others got here. This made them happy and they thanked me repeatedly, and then we briefly talked about a few other things, including my recent communiqué from Ricky. That's when Nick told me we had to start filling out his paperwork to become an exchange student just as soon as Nigel and his boys left. He wanted to make sure he had a decent chance of going somewhere too, and then went on to explain how important this was to him. He said he wanted to learn and experience as much as he could, while having as good a time as Ricky seemed to be having. After I agreed to help him, we ended our call.

Once I hung up, I discussed the idea with Jake that Nick may be one of those who might also need some extra attention. Maybe that's why he was so promiscuous, because he was looking for attention, and possibly even love, through sex. I soon dismissed that notion though, since Kevin had been willing to give him all of the love and attention he needed and it hadn't seemed to change Nick's behavior. Even though that seemed to be the case with Nick and Kevin, however, I knew Nick still had some other issues to resolve. These would stem from the time he believed his parents didn't care about him and, therefore, might make him a prime candidate for one of our private outings, after our visitors left.

As the time grew closer for their arrival, Mark indicated he wished to talk to me about the plans I'd made for Nigel's family's visit. He wanted to select which activities he wanted to be included on, so I gave him a rough idea of what we were going to do. Mark then figured out which outings he would bring his girlfriend along, which ones he might like to try with us alone and, finally, those he'd pass up all together. I understood his reasoning and happily agreed with his decisions, so now I knew where I had to add more to our numbers and alter a few of the reservations.

A couple of days later, I received my thank you note from Peter in the mail. I will share it with you, so you can see how sweet it actually was.

Dear Mr. Currie,

I got Ricky to give me your home address, so I could thank you for your wonderful presents. They were way cool and truly awesome. I thought you went way over the top when Ricky gave me the laptop. I didn't want you to spend your last dollar to buy it for me, but Ricky said not to worry and that you wouldn't do it if you didn't really want to or couldn't afford it. It's a real beauty, so I just want to say thank you again.

Thinking about you spending so much money on me reminded me of something else. Australia uses its own dollar, instead of the British pound, which gives us even more in common. I guess Americans and Aussies are more alike than most people think.

I also couldn't believe all the underpants you sent me, and all different kinds too, but they are all so soft and feel great when I wear them. The one kind you sent me, Ricky says they're briefs, will support me much better when I play footy and keep my balls from getting crushed. Ricky said I could say things like that to you and you wouldn't mind. Ricky also said something about getting me a jock, maybe even one with a cup, but I'm not sure what he's talking about. He just laughs when I ask and says I'll see.

I was going to ask for some cozzies instead [translation: swimsuits], but Ricky says we won't need them. He says he goes starkers [translation: short for stark naked] at home and wants me to try it with him instead. Since I bathe with my mates sometimes and we've all seen each other's tackle before, I figure why not? As long as Ricky doesn't perve on us too much, that is. Sometimes he can be a bit screw loose [translation: he can be crazy or insane].

My mum and dad love the telly you sent them too. Now, they can watch their favorite programs and not miss so much. They liked Ricky even before you gave it too them, but now they treat him better than me. They're even going to do a special barbie for him [translation: have a barbecue].

The first time Ricky pulled one of his tricks on me, I wanted to dong him on the head, but he's not a bad bloke. We've become mates and have good times together. All my other mates like him too. He's actually becoming dinky-di Aussie [translation: a true Australian]. I think he really likes this girl I know and has the hots for her. She really seems to turn him on, even if that doesn't take very much, if you know what I mean. He can be a bit of a wanker at times.

Ricky's told me what a fine bloke you are, so I hope I can come and meet you some time. Ricky has said that would be cool, so I hope we can work it out. I think it would be fantastic and would love to get to know you. I hope it can really happen.

Cheerz,
Your mate,
Peter

I showed Peter's letter around too and everyone found it very amusing. Most of them wanted me to start talking to Peter's parents, to see if there was a way we could bring him over here for a year or so with us. I guess this exchange program is expanding and we were forming our own private chapter – with young men going to and from – but I wouldn't want it any other way.

I also received a thank you note from Peter's parents too. It said many of the same things, but was more formal and less amusing than his, so I won't share that one with you.

The time was going by quickly and when the middle of July neared, I started planning for Brandon and Nick's return. As I thought about picking them up from the airport, I realized I should kick myself for not having more foresight. I had them flying into Pittsburgh on Friday and then Nigel and his boys were arriving in Philadelphia the following day. If I had been smarter, I would have had Brandon and Nick fly in to the same airport as Nigel, and on the same day, so we could pick them all up together. So much for the boys' trusting me to think ahead and simplifying things, so they always worked out for the best.

Since it was my blunder and a mess I'd created, I was adamant that I'd be the one to drive to Pittsburgh to pick Brandon and Nick up. Jake had to work anyway, and I didn't want him to have to use up another vacation day to do something so mundane, but Jake wasn't happy with the idea of me making that drive alone. He was insistent I take someone with me, so I wasn't surprised when Shannon informed me he wanted to ride along. I thought Jake had put him up to doing that, but it didn't really matter, since Danny told me the same thing a few minutes later.

Although I had sort of anticipated Danny's request, Shannon's offer came as a surprise. Although I did suspect Jake had played a part in this, I later began to question that hasty assumption. It had been fairly obvious that Nick and Shannon had begun to get close before he left, but I felt their affection for each other might have cooled off a bit, since Nick hadn't been around for a few weeks. It now appeared that assumption was wrong too. There must still have been a spark lingering somewhere in the ashes, because it now appeared that Shannon had offered to ride along so he could welcome Nick back.

After acceding to both boys' requests, we made our plans accordingly. I got them up early Friday morning, so we could avoid the worst traffic. Although we were there on time, it didn't matter. Nick and Brandon's flight was delayed and didn't land for another couple of hours. It finally touched down just before noon.

Both Brandon and Nick appeared to be excited to be back and raced in our direction just as soon as they saw us. However, I quickly learned they weren't running to greet me. Brandon zoomed off to one side and quickly wrapped his arms around Danny, while Nick flew by on the other side and ended up in Shannon's embrace. I merely kept my place and stood a few feet away watching their exuberant reunion.

Eventually, both pairs released each other and then Brandon and Nick came over to hug me too. I understood their priorities and made no additional comment, other than to welcome them back. I was once young too, although it is getting harder to remember that far back.

Anyway, as soon as we retrieved their luggage, we rode home with each of the boys telling us about his time with his parents. From what each said and how he said it, I concluded both of them had an enjoyable time and were very glad they went, although they were happy to be back in time to participate in the next round of activities.

As soon as we returned home and entered the house, the other boys let them know they were happy they were back too, as I expected they would. However, I left them alone, as I still had a lot to do between then and the following morning, when we'd be off again. This time though, we'd all be going; headed in the other direction to reunite with Nigel and his brood.

Chapter 4
Welcome to America

I didn't have to drive to Philadelphia and neither did Jake. Instead, we'd chartered a bus. I felt that would be easier and more comfortable for everyone, plus it would allow the members of both families to chat and spend their time together. We also wouldn't have to worry about the driving, getting lost or finding parking places close to the sites we'd be seeing, so it was an easy choice.

That morning, I loaded everyone into the chartered bus and began our journey. The boys seemed to like this idea too, since they wouldn't have to be split up among several vehicles and separated from some of our guests. It also meant they could move about and spend time with everyone or use the toilet whenever they needed, which meant fewer stops along the way.

Mark had also opted to come along on this outing, but had decided against including his girlfriend. He made his decision after I'd told him a little about Nigel's group. He thought it might be best if he got to know them first, before he brought Amy into the picture. He concluded that having a female companion around might complicate the situation and cause some of Nigel's sons to be less open and forthcoming with him, and for the most part I agreed with his logic.

With that in mind, we decided it would be better, and less distracting, if we took her on one of our future trips instead. This would also allow the rest of us to get reacquainted with Nigel's family and give me a chance to forewarn them that Amy would be joining us on some of our other outings. This way, they wouldn't be surprised when she showed up and the experience would be more enjoyable for everyone.

Our visitors from England arrived right on schedule, which saved us a few hassles. For one, it meant I wouldn't have to alter any of the plans I'd worked so hard to make. This included taking advantage of being in the 'City of Brotherly Love' and using the opportunity to show them around while we were here. That way, we could kill two birds with one stone, so to speak.

After greeting them, we helped retrieve their luggage and gave them a chance to use the restrooms and get drinks or a bite to eat first. Once they'd done that, we loaded everything onto the chartered coach and advised them what we had planned. They seemed satisfied with what they heard and settled into their seats, getting comfortable.

Leaving the airport, we set out on a whirlwind tour of the city. It was basically going to be a repeat of the visit I'd made with the family previously, but this time the boys would explain everything to our guests and impress them with their knowledge of the area and our country's history.

On the bus, I took the opportunity to formally introduce Jake, Shannon, Mark and Vinnie to our visitors and let them get to know each other. Those four hadn't been with us on our trip to England and, therefore, none of them had met before, other than the very brief introductions at the terminal.

While introducing each person in either group, I also gave a little background information about that individual. I felt this would make it easier for the others to remember who they were and give them a chance to discover some common ground.

When we did this the first time we met Nigel's family in England, it helped to make everyone feel more comfortable with each other and gave the boys things in common to talk about. Not only that, but being able to see there were others in the world who had experienced similar situations helped each of them feel as if they were part of an even larger group. I hoped something similar would take place once our newest family members were introduced and everyone would eventually feel comfortable in their presence.

It also helped that neither the boys, nor Jake, were concerned about us sharing this knowledge. Most of them had already grown accustomed to the members of our little group knowing the more intimate details of their lives and this was no different. We would never divulge knowledge about our personal backgrounds with anyone except those we were certain would be discreet with the details. We were careful not to disclose any sensitive or embarrassing material outside of our extended family without knowing a great deal about those we were taking into our confidence first. That's why everyone was content with sharing these facts.

In the end, it worked out even better than I'd hoped. Even Mark enjoyed this exchange and readily added even more details about himself, whenever anyone asked him a question about his past.

Nigel also seemed to hit it off with Jake. He commended him for filling in for me while I was incapacitated and noted that he could see Jake was a valued member of our family. Jake thanked him for his kind words, before the topic turned to Shannon and Jake's past. Jake was more than happy to explain to Nigel about all he'd been through and this discussion ended only when we began our tour.

Vinnie was just as interested in the sightseeing as Nigel's group, since this was his first trip to Philadelphia too. Although this visit was a little faster paced than our last trip here, Nigel's crew seemed to enjoy their visit. We took them to see the United States mint first, and then did the American Trolley tour, before we went to see the Liberty Bell, Betsy Ross' house and Franklin court.

We knew there was still more for them to see and do, but we couldn't see everything in just one day, so we planned on continuing the next day. After grabbing a bite to eat, we checked in to the motel I had previously made reservations at, which was just outside of the city. Although we had to cram everyone into several double rooms, since I was unable to garner as many as I'd wanted, everyone was fine with the situation.

Nearly everyone was exhausted from their long day, especially Nigel's group. They were also suffering from a bit of jet lag, since the time zone they were accustomed to is five hours later than ours. Even though we had turned in early, local time, their body clocks told them they had been up much later than normal. Most of them had handled it fairly well up to this point, but it was partially due to the fact that they were young. Not only that, but the excitement about their visit had them all wound up, so the adrenaline rush helped keep them functioning too.

Nigel admitted he had been able to get some sleep on the plane, which helped him tremendously, but told us the boys had been too excited to catch any shuteye. That's why they had been wearing down and were more than a little groggy by the time we arrived at our rooms. Even after a good night's rest, the boys still showed signs of not being fully alert when they awoke the following morning, since their bodies still hadn't had sufficient opportunity to adapt to the time difference.

Seeing they were still struggling with their internal clocks, I decided it would be best to give them a little more time to let their bodies adjust. Therefore, we didn't rush them and let them go at their own pace getting into the showers and dressing. Once they'd finished, we went out for a late breakfast. This, of course, mildly frustrated my boys, since they were starving by this point, but they remained patient and understanding about why this was taking so long.

After we ate, we finished up our tour of Philadelphia. This time we went to visit the Old City Hall, Congress Hall and ended at Independence Hall. Everyone seemed to have a good time, especially when they were interacting with each other.

As the day progressed into evening, we all loaded back onto the bus, but this time for the long ride to our home. I knew it was likely going to be a quiet trip, since most of the boys would probably end up sleeping until we reached our humble abode. Nigel, Jake and I sat up front and shared more stories about what had happened since our two families had last seen each other. Gradually, the other talking around us ceased, as the boys began accepting visits from the sandman.

Realizing this, the three of us lowered our voices, but continued to talk about all of the events that had transpired in our lives. Even though we had sent letters back in forth and exchanged some emails, there were still a lot of personal things that were best shared face-to-face.

To start off, I told Nigel about the emotional roller coaster ride I went through after finding and then losing Brent. Then I shared some of the things that had happened to me afterward, which included the crises and accomplishments we had encountered during that time. Finally, I ended by telling him how Vinnie had become a part of our family, as well as sharing Vinnie's concerns about how his relationship with Kevin might be affected if I adopted him.

Jake then gave Nigel some of the more sordid details about his marriage and getting kicked out. Then, he recalled how he'd been told that Shannon was gay, when his ex threw Shannon out as well. Jake described, in vivid detail, how he felt as each of these events unfolded and then shared some of the feelings Shannon had expressed, when his mother turned on him too.

Nigel then shared some stories with us as well, about the highs and lows his family had experienced. During that time he explained some of the more personal details of the events he had previously divulged and then we talked about this trip and some of the other things I had planned during their stay. We tried to do this so the boys wouldn't hear us, because I didn't want to ruin any of the surprises I had managed to keep, up to this point.

We arrived home after taking a dinner break along the way. Nigel and I then took a few minutes to advise the boys that we didn't mind if they fooled around a bit, as long as everyone was agreeable. However, we did ask them to abstain from any anal penetration, unless condoms were used. I explained that all my boys knew where the necessary items were kept, so if they needed something, all they had to do was ask.

After we discussed this situation thoroughly, I made sure everyone knew how to use those devices properly. Once everyone confirmed they understood and agreed to follow our rules, I sent them off to bed. My boys and Nigel's had already made their choices as to who was going to stay with whom on the bus, so they went off quite readily. We had added cots to some of the larger rooms before they arrived, to accommodate the additional bodies, so we were pretty well set up for this situation.

Both Nigel and I felt we could trust them, so we got ready to turn in too. We put Nigel in Kevin's bedroom, seeing Kevin practically lived in Vinnie's room anyway. This not only took care of Nigel's accommodations, but it also assured him some privacy. Pleased by this arrangement, Nigel made it a point to not only thank me, but also Kevin, for our thoughtfulness. Kevin quickly told him it was no big deal, since he spent most of his time with Vinnie, but Nigel insisted it was still very thoughtful of him to give up his room.

Now that Nigel was settled, I went back downstairs and Jake and I turned in too. We didn't even fool around that evening, since we were both so exhausted

Other than a couple of instances where our guests awakened during the night and forgot where they were or the times when one of them was unable to remember the location of our bathrooms, things went quite well. In fact, I don't think anyone even messed around that first night, mostly due to the fact they were all so tired from the long day they had just endured. In fact, I think the overwhelming majority of them, if not all, were satisfied just being together again.

We allowed Nigel and his boys to sleep late the next morning, but it wasn't easy to keep my brood quiet during that entire time. When our visitors did saunter down to join us, we fixed them a late breakfast and explained we'd be taking a couple of days off before doing any other planned events. This was to give us some quality time alone, as well as providing them an extended opportunity to adjust to the new time zone. This would, in turn, make it easier for the Barstows to enjoy what we'd scheduled next, especially if they weren't dragging and tired when we went out. They thanked us for being so considerate and agreed they would benefit from the down time; since they also understood they needed to adapt and unwind a bit.

Less than an hour after they finished eating, I noticed a bunch of the boys shedding their clothes, as they got ready to go out and skinny-dip in our pool. Nigel, Jake and I went out to oversee this activity, not only to make sure no one drowned, but also so we could enjoy the scenery. Looking around, I was impressed with the way some of Nigel's boys had matured since the last time we were together and I think some of my sons were equally impressed. Mark even took part in the fun and seemed to be very comfortable without his clothes on, as well he should be. He had quite an awesome body to display and Nigel's and my boys eagerly pointed that fact out to him as well.

We let them swim and frolic until lunchtime and then I announced I was taking everyone out to eat. I wanted our guests to sample a bit of the local cuisine and chose to take them to the local pizza parlor first. Since both sets of boys seemed to like many of the same types of things, I thought the Barstows would enjoy trying some of the foods my boys liked best.

I called ahead and ordered a dozen or so pizzas, several serving bowls of salad and many pitchers of soda. The person taking the order seemed a bit distraught over the thought of so many of us coming in so soon, but the owner was ecstatic when we arrived.

Needless to say, with this many teenagers the food went fast and I even ended up ordering a little more, to help fill the insatiable youthful pits at the center of their bodies. Once everyone had eaten his fill, we went back to the house and rested a bit, before the boys asked if they could go to the high school athletic fields to play soccer. We thought it was such a good idea that Nigel, Jake and I decided to join them, but just to watch, not to play.

The boys had a really active outing and my sons learned some additional nuances about the game from their European counterparts. It turned out that some of Nigel's sons were quite proficient players and pulled off some stunning acrobatic moves, which included scissor kicks, diving headers and some nifty dribbling and passing. Whenever someone did something that incredible, my boys would stop dead in their tracks and just stare in awe, while they contemplated how unbelievable the feat was. It was a good thing this was just a fun game, so the boys could take time to stop and gawk at the abilities of their guests.

In addition to being impressed, my boys also asked questions about how their guest had practiced these moves, before pressing them to demonstrate what they needed to do to duplicate the play. The boys would then split up and practice this skill, until they felt they had at least a novitiates' level of proficiency with it, before resuming play. As the game progressed, they would each look for an opportunity to put these new skills to use and occasionally got a chance to give it a try, with varying degrees of success.

When their game finally ended, both groups were in a hurry to get home, so they could strip down and jump in the pool again. We eagerly agreed to their suggestion and let them swim until they were ready to eat. Nigel, Jake and I happily watched them run around the house without any clothes on, yet completely at ease with each other and us. Nigel and I thanked God our sons didn't have any inhibitions about their bodies or preoccupations with hiding them. We thought this attitude was healthy and had vociferously encouraged it, and it had now spread to include everyone in the household, even Mark.

I must admit I was a bit shocked to see how readily Mark shed his clothes in front of the others and relished his carefree time being naked and having fun in the sun. I also thought it was very beneficial and gave him an outlet he seems to have needed for quite some time. Mark had told me once that he always wished he'd had a brother and now he was making the most of having so many and doing the things brothers might do around each other.

When everyone started to get tired and their stomachs began to growl, Jake and I lit up the two grills. Over the next hour or so, we cooked hamburgers, hot dogs, sausages, barbecue chicken and steaks outdoors. When the meat was ready, we brought out the salads Jake and I had whipped up while the boys were swimming, to complete the fare. Everyone seemed to be able to find something he liked amongst the choices and each of them was soon full.

Now that the boys were sated, some of my sons came over to ask if I'd take them to see a movie. I quickly talked the idea over with Nigel and Jake, and seeing they were in agreement with the suggestion, we checked with the other boys, to make sure everyone was copasetic with the idea.

After holding a quick group discussion, everyone seemed eager to participate. The problem was, it was hard to get that many boys to agree on one movie they all wanted to see. Therefore, I suggested we'd go to the cinema complex and then the boys would be able to watch whichever movie interested them. We felt it would be safe enough to let them to go on their own, if they stayed together. All we did is ask them to make sure they were in groups of a minimum of three or four, which they readily agreed to do.

Nigel, Jake and I then chose the flick we wanted to see, purchased our tickets and went in to the theater early. This allowed us time to find decent seats and get comfortable before things started. A little later, while we were watching the previews, we noticed something mildly ironic. Some of our boys had suddenly appeared in the same theater, although they didn't make any moves to sit near us. We just thought it strange that so many, both young and old, had elected to watch the same film.

You see, this particular complex plays a mixture of slightly older movies and new releases, and Nigel, Jake and I had chosen a flick that had been out for a while, called "Collateral Damage". It's about a man who hunts down the terrorists who had killed his wife and son. It was quite good and full of action, which kept us on the edge of our seats.

When the movie ended, we made our way to the lobby, because we had agreed to meet up with the rest of our clans there, once their movies ended. It wasn't long before the last of our troops arrived, so we headed out to the vehicles, ready to call it a night.

Before we drove away, I had an inspiration and asked if anyone was up for ice cream. In response, I got a resounding 'yes', so we drove to the local ice cream stand to have a treat before returning home.

The boys' choices were as varied as they were, so they ended up ordering everything from cones, milkshakes and sundaes to banana splits. Each of them seemed to enjoy what they'd selected and downed it in short order. All in all, it was a nice ending to a wonderful and fairly relaxing day.

Chapter 5
Nighttime Fun

When we got home, I began to catch snatches of conversations concerning things various boys wanted to try later, so I knew there would be some fun going on before they finally turned in. I think part of the interest was due to the fact that all but two of Nigel's boys were natural, so his group was kind of fascinated by those of my boys who were circumcised. I think they also wanted to try things with new partners, to see what the differences were all about.

It wasn't long before I noticed Cole and Dion disappearing with Nigel's Croatian cousins, Ivan and Andre. I suspected Trey had most likely been conned into letting this happen, since he generally preferred that only he and Dion do things with each other. I guess they were able to convince him it was a special occasion, with limited possibilities to be repeated, so it was best to take advantage of it. Although he wasn't totally happy about the idea of Dion being with someone else, Trey did agree to allow Dion to leave him for the night. However, he looked like a puppy whose master had just left him at the kennel, while he watched Dion leave to spend time with our visitors.

After thinking about it a little more, I suspected part of Trey's reasoning was that he knew Dion loved to display his wares and have a little fun in the process. To Trey's credit, he was forcing himself to give in to Dion's eccentricities and let him have a good time, even though these desires didn't exactly coincide with his own views. It appeared he was willing to allow the one he loved to seek his own forms of entertainment from time to time, with his approval, even if it varied from what he enjoyed or thought was right.

In addition to that, I think Trey was also convinced Dion loved him, so he no longer harbored any doubts about whether the two of them would always be together. I think part of his reasoning had come as a result of seeing something like this happen with other couples, both straight and gay, and he didn't want this relationship to end badly, as some of them had.

Trey understood Dion was still young and needed to sow a few wild oats before he settled down completely, like some of the others I referred to. He conjectured the relationships that had ended badly usually were the result of the unhappy person feeling trapped and their partner inflexible. That's why I think Trey seemed to be giving Dion some rein, like working a young colt, hoping this would play itself out in time.

I was mildly surprised that Cole and Dion had been the ones to team up with the cousins. They didn't have a great deal in common and weren't normally very close to each other, but I guess sex was one outlet in which they shared similar interests. They also matched up best with the ages of the other pair and both of them were circumcised. I guess we've all come to accept that life sometimes holds surprises for us, so I just added this one to the record for posterity.

As another gesture of acceptance, Trey also offered to sleep on the sleeper-sofa in the family room that evening, so the other pair could use his, and Dion's, bedroom. I thought possibly I should speak to Trey about what was going on, but seeing he was handling it so well, I decided he'd eventually come to me if this situation really bothered him. Therefore, I let the boys work things out for themselves and trusted they were old enough to deal with this on their own.

While Trey was settling in downstairs, Dion and Cole were taking their guests to Dion's room. Both of my boys were ready to share their meager skills and maybe even learn some new lessons from their overseas friends. When they got inside, each of them stripped quickly and paired up with the one closest to his own age.

Dion and Andre, being the younger pair, eagerly began to run their hands over each other's bodies, while tentatively getting to know each other better. Although Andre had seen Dion naked in the pool and at other times, I was told he was quite surprised when Dion's tool began to harden and grow. It seemed he had not seen one that long before, so he was both fascinated, yet scared by how large it grew. After Dion reassured him he would only do things that Andre thought he could handle, Andre began to relax and enjoy himself, so they were soon balled up in a sixty-nine position on the bed, eagerly exploring each other's genitalia.

At first Andre merely toyed with Dion's penis, as he checked out its length, firmness and uncovered head. Eventually, however, he became even more curious about it and began to flick his tongue out and tease it, until he was sure he was ready to handle it.

Dion was slightly amused with Andre's cautious approach and was chuckling to himself, as he enjoyed the feel of what Andre was doing to him. After a few more tentative swipes with his tongue, Andre finally took the head into his mouth and swirled his tongue around it, before he let it slide in and out of his throat. However, due to its size, Andre was only able to handle slightly more than a third of it before he reached his limit. He understood he would gag if he tried to take more, so he settled for doing what he could and hoped Dion wouldn't mind if he couldn't take it all.

After a few of these experimental up and down movements on Dion's shaft, he let it drop from his mouth. This bothered Dion at first, but he knew there was no problem when Andre moved down to suck on his testicles for a while. Seeing what his partner was doing, Dion quickly spread his legs even wider, to give him complete access to the family jewels, and whatever other areas he might be interested in.

Andre licked around the sac and took one, and then the other, fragile egg into his mouth. He swirled them around with his tongue and gently sucked on them, before letting them drop out of his oral cavity again. After a brief period where he ran his tongue around the exterior of Dion's scrotum, he took both of Dion's nads back into his mouth, but this time hummed as he held them there. The vibrations from the humming quickly began to drive Dion wild with pleasure and caused him to fear he was going to blow his wad then and there.

It was unusual for Dion to lose control so easily and quickly, but somehow he managed to hold off and kept from shooting his load. Once Andre finished with this new method of foreplay, he took Dion's rod back into his mouth and rhythmically slid up and down on the shaft. With all the stimulation Dion had already received, it only took a few of these movements from Andre's head, before Dion spewed his load into his new friend's eager throat. I was told Andre almost purred, as he swallowed the sweet nectar.

While Andre had been experimenting with Dion, Dion was also busy trying to please Andre. Since Trey was uncut too, Dion decided to do the types of things to Andre that Trey enjoyed when they were alone, because he felt Andre would like it too. Dion began by pulling the excess flesh apart, so he could thrust his tongue down the opening and tease the head while it was still covered. He let his oral muscle swirl around the inside of the velvety lining to stimulate it, while he played a game of tag with the sensitive head and tiny opening at the tip. Andre was obviously enjoying this, because he was moaning audibly and thrusting his hips at Dion, to let him know he wanted him to continue.

They had been doing this for quite some time when Dion began to feel the effects of Andre's humming on his testicles. This activity was sending ripples of pleasure, not only vibrating through those watery orbs, but also radiating outward, until it slowly engulfed his midsection.

Later, when we talked about it, Dion wasn't really sure if Andre was humming or if he was he just moaning because of what Dion was doing to him. Either way, it produced all the pleasurable feelings he was enjoying, so for Dion, that was all that really mattered. There was one other consideration, though, and that was that he not blow too soon. So, after temporarily blocking out those sensations, to get his boiling juices simmered down, it made him momentarily forget about everything else, including his partner.

After regaining his composure, he also re-established the concentration he'd lost when he was temporarily distracted by those awesome feelings. Resuming his previous actions, Dion slowly pushed back the excess skin with his lips and exposed Andre's tender helmet to his lips and tongue. Now, Dion worked on it in earnest, while massaging Andre's fleshy marbles with his long, slender fingers. This was when Andre began to really moan and writhe beneath Dion, which aroused Dion even more. As Dion continued to lift his head up and down on Andre's erection, he felt his own juices beginning to boil and rise up his shaft and briefly paused again, as he concentrated on his own approaching orgasm.

Dion was now panting and tingling all over, as his seed began to pulse up the tubes in his woody. When he couldn't hold out any longer, he let out a few guttural grunts, arched his back and allowed his juices to explode into Andre's hot and hungry mouth. He could tell that Andre was swallowing everything he pumped into him, but Dion became light-headed as this climax swept over him, so some of the details of what followed were a bit blurry. He did admit it took him a while before he recovered and could concentrate again on pleasing Andre in the same way, but he was determined to make Andre feel as good as he had just felt.

Once Dion recovered, he attacked Andre's pole again. Starting with a renewed sense of purpose, Dion increased his pace and soon realized Andre was also nearing the brink of ecstasy. Dion did everything he could think of to bring his partner off, including sliding a finger up his chute and massaging his prostate, which Andre didn't react to as expected.

When Dion first attempted to do this, he felt Andre stiffen and clamp his sphincter around his probing digit, but after a couple of seconds Andre began to relax and allowed Dion to have his way. Before long, Andre was groaning madly, as Dion taught him the joys that leathery organ could elicit, and once he experienced the pleasures of this multiple stimulation, Andre was totally into it. Energetically, he thrust his hips upward and drove his dick deep into Dion's gullet, as he tried to gain some control over what was happening to him.

After a few minutes of this multifaceted approach, Andre's body tensed and his cock pulsed forcefully, multiple times. Dion knew what this meant and prepared himself, just as the strands of pearly, white liquid erupted from the tiny opening and filled his throat. Dion swallowed quickly, while continuing his suction on Andre's throbbing cock, until it surrendered every drop of cream it had to offer. Once Andre was completely drained, the boys lay side by side, recuperating from this wonderful experience.

On the other side of the bed, Cole and Ivan weren't in as big a hurry as the other pair. Cole decided to pleasure his guest first and positioned Ivan on the bed, so he was prone, but with his head and shoulders propped up on two pillows. Once Ivan was comfortable, Cole crawled between Ivan's legs and gently forced him to spread them apart, so he could fit his upper torso in the area in between.

Once that was accomplished, Cole began to lick Ivan's sac and shaft, which caused Ivan's penis to rise to its full length. Cole had plenty of experience with natural cocks, since he'd spent time with Graham and some of his other uncircumcised brothers, so he had a good idea about what Ivan might enjoy.

Ivan did not have a very long foreskin, so the head of his cock was partially exposed when erect. Seeing this, Cole swirled his tongue over and around the glans that was peeking through, which sent shivers throughout his partner's body. Ivan was groaning from this attention, which almost sounded as if he were humming some unnamed tune, and his hips were bouncing off of the mattress, as he tried to entice Cole to take his entire tool into his mouth. Cole resisted the not so subtle offer for a while longer, as he slid lower and continued to bathe Ivan's nads in his saliva. Gradually, he began to suck on the watery melons hidden within that fleshy sac, which only increased Ivan's desire to get his rocks off.

At this point, Ivan wrapped his legs behind Cole's back, so Cole couldn't change his mind and leave him in the middle of all this pleasure. What Ivan didn't realize was, he had nothing to worry about, since Cole had no intention of stopping now. Instead, Cole slowly lifted up and tightened his lips around Ivan's foreskin, so he could slowly push it back and fully expose the reddened knob.

Cole let his lips and tongue delicately glide around the sensitive crown, which caused Ivan to tremble slightly from the stimulation. Then Cole sunk his mouth over the rigid pole and let it all slide through the opening and into his throat. Ivan had anticipated this action and instinctively arched his back, which drove his penis totally within Cole's oral orifice. Ivan groaned even louder this time, as he felt his firm tool totally enveloped within the warm, moist lining of Cole's cheeks, and then he began to coo, as Cole worked on him in earnest.

Now that Cole had the entire organ in his mouth, he established a rhythm and began to nod up and down on Ivan's slender shaft. Cole would suck on every upstroke, to increase stimulation on Ivan's dick, and gradually brought his partner closer and closer to orgasm with every movement of his head.

Bucking under Cole's determined effort, it wasn't long before Ivan reached the point where he knew he was going to ejaculate soon. Seeking the mind-blowing sensations that accompany such a powerful release, Ivan thrust his hips more forcefully in and out of Cole's mouth, literally begging his partner to finish him off as quickly as possible.

Surprisingly, Cole didn't mind Ivan's aggressiveness or the pressure to finish him off. In an effort to make this happen, Cole began to massage Ivan's scrotum. It was his way of giving him even more pleasure and Cole felt this might send Ivan over the edge a little more quickly and cause him to spew.

Within a very short time after this effort began, Ivan was filling Cole's mouth with the creamy sauce his body was producing. As Ivan's testicles released his baby-maker shake, he began to swoon in total bliss. He was awash in the deluge of feelings coursing through his body from this awesome climax, before he collapsed from this mind-blowing release.

Once Ivan's body relinquished the remaining contents of his testicles into his willing partner, he lay motionless against the pillows, still lost in the lingering delights of this wonderful experience, before it became just another dull and distant memory. He was trying to note every detail of this encounter, because it had been one of the best, if not the best, sexual experience he'd ever had.

Cole was inwardly pleased with himself, knowing he had just brought a great deal of enjoyment to his temporary partner, but now he was also in need of some relief. After observing Ivan, Cole concluded it would take some time for him to recover from his orgasmic high, while also admitting he couldn't wait very long under the circumstances. He was already quite aroused, so he decided to see if could speed up the process.

Slowly, Cole crawled forward on the bed, until he could straddle Ivan's chest with his legs, and then provocatively began to touch his dick against Ivan's lips. He wasn't trying to force Ivan into doing something he wasn't ready for, but hoped Ivan would become alert enough to take the hint and help him out. Fortunately for Cole, Ivan had recovered sufficiently enough to react.

It didn't take a genius to figure out what Cole wanted and Ivan was eager to return the favor. Slowly, he parted his lips and allowed Cole's mast to slip past them and over his tongue, and then he began to apply as much suction as he could to Cole's penis. Cole immediately gave in to the cravings of his body and began to thrust his erection in and out of Ivan's experienced mouth. His pace was quite energetic, right from the start, which was unusual for him. However, the time he spent pleasing Ivan and watching the other pair had worked him up into such an aroused state that, this time, he sought rapid relief.

Ivan didn't try to slow Cole's fairly aggressive tactics and, instead, let him continue, as he desired. Ivan knew how it felt to be in that much need, since he'd just experienced it himself, so he did his best to bring his host some satisfaction. It took only another minute or so of this hectic effort before Cole was spewing his own baby seed into Ivan's throat. Once Cole had been drained of his fluids, he then collapsed on top of his counterpart, totally spent from the effort.

Ivan was unfazed by what happened and gently rolled Cole off of him. After Cole was lying comfortably on the bed, Ivan eased his body around, so he and Cole were in position to lie beside the other pair. Now that the four of them were lying side-by-side, they slept peacefully throughout the remainder of the evening.

Chapter 6
Two Rickys

The next day, I got up very early, so I would have everything ready by the time the boys came down to eat. There was some joking around at the breakfast table, concerning some of the activities that took place the night before, but it was basically innocuous. For the most part, the teasing was about the amount of noise various groups made or the types of activities they were suspected to have been a part of. This elicited a few chuckles and snickers, but overall the boys were getting on extremely well with each other and no one got upset over the mild barbs and good-natured ribbing.

Once the boys had finished eating, Nigel, Jake and I hustled them along, so we could take them for their next outing. After making sure everyone had dressed in the types of clothing they would wear for work or play, I began receiving more than a few confused looks. This was due to the fact that for our other excursions I had insisted the boys dressed fairly nicely. Even though this type of garb might be more comfortable for them, they knew it was not the caliber of attire I would have normally made them don, especially for something I had planned. After many questions and comments about it, which we adults deflected without giving up any additional information, the boys finally let the matter drop.

As we exited the house, we quickly split the boys into two groups and loaded the first into the van. The other group then got into the Suburban, and we started out, driving toward the more rural part of the county. I think by the time we were partway to our destination, most of my boys had figured out we were going to the Beckers' farm, but didn't divulge this information to Nigel's group.

When we arrived, we were greeted by a very hyper Little Ricky, who was bouncing around so much that his parents had all they could do, just to keep him out of harm's way. When the vehicles finally came to a stop, he raced over and threw my door open, so he could climb onto my lap.

"Hi, Uncle Pop. I sure have missed you," he announced, in his sincerest voice. However, just watching his expressions and sensing his hyper state, I found it difficult not to think about his namesake. Little Ricky and my Ricky were so much alike, with their never-fading grins, unabashed enthusiasm and devilish appeal, that I could no longer look at one without instantly being reminded of the other.

"Hi, Ricky, and I sure have missed you too," I replied, which earned me a hug. "It's almost like having my own Ricky back home for the day, just a younger version."

Although I hadn't consciously thought about how he might react to my comment, it did have a positive effect. It caused Little Ricky to flash me a huge grin. That told me he considered my remark to be the best compliment I could have given him. I wasn't really surprised by this, especially since I knew how much he idolized his older counterpart. In fact, I could clearly tell he thought it was great that I had acknowledged the fact they were so much alike.

Energized by my words, as if he needed anything to make him more hyperactive, he pulled me from the driver's seat and dragged me over to his parents. Although they were anxiously telling him to take it easy and warning that he could dislocate my shoulder while tugging on me in that manner, he didn't let up. As he dragged me forward, he loudly announced what I had said to him a few seconds earlier.

This pronouncement caused his parents to chuckle and acknowledge they had often thought the same thing. Then we good-naturedly joked that it might be best if we banned the addition of any more young men sharing this name. The Beckers even went as far as to suggest that maybe we should ban the use of the name altogether, if it caused the bearer to be so hyper and mischievous. Little Ricky heard everything we said and flashed us his pouty expression in response. He did this to make us believe we had just hurt his feelings, although we were all pretty sure he was inwardly pleased by the attention and the comparison.

When the discussion died out, I exchanged belated greetings with the Beckers and then introduced them to Nigel. Once they had a chance to chat briefly, I had Nigel introduce his boys, so he could control how much information was shared.

Once this had been completed, I explained to our visitors about the connection between the Beckers and Curries. After they understood our bond, I announced we were here to assist them with the farm work and explained the Beckers were in desperate need of help to get things done. After some minor grumbling from our guests about having to work on their 'holiday,' I told them we'd more than make it up to them later, but I wasn't about to abandon our friends when they need help. I then explained to the Barstows that the adults would make all the decisions concerning who would work with whom and which type of chores they'd do.

Nigel's boys calmed down quickly after learning the facts and were no longer upset with this idea. My boys helped by telling their guests they knew me well enough to know that I'd keep my promise and repay them with some additional fun and other rewards for their efforts.

With this in mind, everyone took this unexpected task in stride and listened carefully, as we discussed the types of jobs that needed to be done. Once this had been accomplished, we sent the six oldest boys out with Mr. Becker, to help in the fields. He had finished doing the first cut of hay a couple of days earlier and had finished raking it just before we got there, so now he was ready to bale it and store it in his mow.

Mr. Becker still used a fairly old fashioned baler, one that produced rectangular bales weighing between 50 and 100 pounds each, depending upon how he set the tension on the twine. The boys would ride behind him in the hay wagon, so they could take the bales off of the baler and stack them. When the hay wagon was full, they would return to the barn and unload the bales onto the escalator, which took them up into the loft.

Some of the other boys would be assigned there, to take the bales and stack them for later use. That group now listened attentively as Mr. Becker carefully explained how to stack the bales with the cut side up, so they wouldn't mold and then did as instructed. It was tough, dirty work, but my fitness buffs and Nigel's older sons seemed to enjoy the physical challenge, so each of them took part without complaint.

Little Ricky took the next group with him into the barn, where he and some of my boys who had done this before showed Nigel's boys how to milk the cows. This was all done by hand at first, until they got the idea, and then Little Ricky showed them how the milking machines could be used to do it much faster. The best thing was, each step gave the boys a chance to see and do something new.

The last group consisted of the youngest boys, who went with Mrs. Becker to feed the chickens, slop the hogs and collect the eggs. When those two groups were done with their chores, they helped Little Ricky release the cows out into pasture, before cleaning up the barn and shoveling out the manure.

Each of the groups finished up their duties just before lunchtime, so we sent them off with Little Ricky to take a quick dip in the pond. We gave them a few bars of Ivory soap, a bottle of shampoo and some towels to take with them, so they could wash thoroughly before the meal. We warned them not to take too long, because the food would be ready in about half an hour. I was worried they might start messing around with each other at the pond and forget to return quickly, which would lead to them holding up the meal. Not only that, but they would also delay the rest of the days work, which would mean we wouldn't be able to accomplish all the tasks we needed to do before we left.

Just to prod them a little more, we told them we'd start eating whether they were back or not, so if they wanted to get their fill, they'd best return on time. Taking our warning seriously, we nearly buckled over in fits of laughter as we watched the boys sprint toward the pond. It appeared none of them wanted to miss out on getting his share of the chow and were intent on doing this as quickly as they could.

Once they'd all stripped down, I was advised that Little Ricky had a good time checking out all the new bodies, but was able to control himself and not start anything with any of them. They still had a good time bathing in the pond and tossing the bars of Ivory soap around for everyone to use, but they were more careful passing around the bottle of shampoo. They didn't want to drop and lose it at the bottom of the pond and then have to dive to retrieve it. The boys did manage to complete the task within the time limit, and once they got out and dried off, they dressed and raced back in to join the rest of us for lunch.

Jake, Nigel and I had stayed back with Mr. and Mrs. Becker, to help them prepare the meal for this hungry crew. After washing up quickly, we convinced Mrs. Becker to let us utilize some of the goodies we had brought with us, so we wouldn't use up all of their supplies.

Although Mrs. Becker had previously prepared some of the dishes while the rest of us were out doing the other chores, there was still much to do. We all knew how much growing boys are able to eat, especially when they've been working hard, so we planned on preparing enough food so everyone could have their fill.

The first thing Nigel, Jake and I did was to set up a few portable tables, next to the Beckers' picnic table, to accommodate this large group. Once that task was finished, we went back into the house, to work on the meal.

Since Mrs. Becker had already done so much, Jake and I suggested we'd take charge of preparing the hamburgers, hot dogs and sausages. We took the large cooler we had brought with us, which contained the meat, and carried it outside to the grill. While we preparing the meat, Nigel set out the disposable dishes, paper napkins and plastic eating utensils, before carrying out some of the serving dishes.

When the boys returned, we all sat down to eat, but still took time to say grace first. Within seconds after saying 'Amen,' however, the platters and bowls of food began their whirlwind trek around the tables. The boys eagerly helped themselves, but then passed the dish on, without being greedy. Once everyone had their plates loaded with a variety of items, they emptied them with equal gusto.

After they had devoured everything on their plates, we advised them they could take seconds, which they did without hesitation. The rest of us watched in awe as they refilled their plates, with nearly as much food as they had already eaten, and then a few of them even returned again, for third helpings. It didn't take long before nearly every edible item within reach had disappeared. Fortunately, we adults were smart enough to get our fill on the first go around, since we guessed nothing would be left setting around for very long.

While we were helping to clean up and putting things away, Mr. Becker was busy making a few phone calls. What we didn't know was, he was arranging for his friends and neighbors, in each direction, to bring their horses over after lunch. After all the animals arrived, Mr. Becker and Little Ricky took turns taking groups of boys out for rides around the farm on horseback, while the rest of us relaxed and waited for our turns.

This gave us a chance to regain our strength and not have to work in the midday heat, but we knew we'd be heading back out to the fields and various other locations by late afternoon. This period of down time was a blessing and came about as the result of having so many to do the work. This meant, everything got done much more quickly than it normally would, which left this time for the boys to play and have some fun.

Once everyone had their ride, we went back out to the various locations and finished the chores. The older boys returned to the fields and completed the haying, while the middle group cleaned out the chicken coop and did the second milking. The younger boys helped Mrs. Becker pick vegetables from the garden, and then she taught them how to clean and prepare these items for the evening meal.

After all of the chores were done and the last load of hay had been stacked in the barn, Mr. Becker sent everyone out for another dip in the pond. This would not only allow them an opportunity to clean up, but it would also give them a chance to cool down and work the kinks out of their tired muscles. Mr. Becker realized these boys were not accustomed to such physical work and their muscles might be sore after the hard day they put in, so he felt the warm water in the pond would be just what the doctor ordered.

Although I'm fairly certain he and his wife understood the boys would be skinny-dipping, I doubted they were aware of what other activities might be going on as well. Nigel, Jake and I weren't quite as naïve and suspected this outing might lead to some sexual hijinks, although these activities would be limited in scope.

Since Little Ricky was comfortable going au naturel in front of us, he made sure to invite Nigel, Jake and me to join them. We readily accepted and were immensely glad we did. It was a sight to behold, as all those sweaty bodies shed their clothes and went running as fast as they could to leap into the water for a swim. The three of us also shed what we were wearing, but we waded out into the pond to swim a bit, before we bathed too.

The boys had a great time in the water and often pulled us adults into the activities they thought up. However, we didn't have the stamina they did, so Nigel, Jake and I got out and laid in the sun to dry, while continuing to watch the boys as we did so. Once we were dry, we went back in to the farmhouse, to help prepare the evening meal, which left the boys to their own devices.

I understand that after we left, Little Ricky talked two of Nigel's younger sons, Will (14) and Andre (15) into fooling around with him. They went behind some trees and jacked or sucked each other off and didn't come out again until each of them had cum at least once.

My boys also told me how amazed they were by how Little Ricky had filled out since our last visit. After I explained that's what good, hard work could do for the body, they wondered if maybe they should come back to help out more often.

The boys stayed at the pond for nearly another hour, before we started honking a couple of the car horns. This was a signal the Beckers' used to let them know it was time to come back in.

While we waited, Jake, Nigel and I began to stack some of the wood Mr. Becker had cut from a tree that had rotted and constructed a rather substantial woodpile. We did this so we could have a bonfire later. We thought the boys would enjoy toasting marshmallows and making smores after it got dark and a bonfire is always a nice way to end the day.

For those of you who have never had the privilege of enjoying a smore, they consist of two graham crackers, a chocolate bar and one or more marshmallows. The chocolate bar is placed on top of one of the graham crackers, and then a toasted marshmallow is placed on top of that, before being covered by the second graham cracker. They are extremely good and kids generally love them, so we thought this would be a good treat for the boys.

Once they returned from bathing, they were hungrier than ever, so we allowed them to fill up their plates. Eagerly, they selected what they wanted from all the different foods we had set out for them. Fortunately, I had brought enough steaks and chicken marinated in barbecue sauce so everyone could enjoy some of each. Once again, our young bottomless pits managed to polish off every morsel in sight. They ate not only the meat, but also devoured the corn on the cob and fresh peas and carrots from the Becker's garden. They left nothing but crumbs and scraps in their wake, which also meant there were no leftovers to put away.

After throwing away the disposable items and washing up the serving dishes, we waited for it to get dark, so we could light the bonfire. As soon as the fire was going, we allowed the boys to toast their marshmallows and make their own smores, which was another new treat for Nigel's boys.

After we finished eating the smores, I told a couple of ghost stories as we sat around the fire, but unfortunately I hadn't had a chance to set up any special effects this time. However, I think my tales proved to be more than sufficient to unsettle Little Ricky, a portion of Nigel's gang and some of my younger sons – but that wasn't all. Once I'd finished, many of the older boys had fun trying to scare the pants off of the aforementioned group by pulling various pranks, so I think that was more than enough for those who were spooked by my stories.

When it was time to load the boys back into the vehicles and head home, we thanked the Beckers for the wonderful experience and great day. We also gave Little Ricky our own special good byes, before I pulled them to the side and invited all of them to join us on another visit to New York City. The Beckers politely thanked us for the offer, but explained they wouldn't be able to take time off from the farm at this time of year. There was too much to do and their neighbors had enough of their own work, so they wouldn't be able to help. They said they'd regrettably have to pass, but did agree to cover Little Ricky's chores, if he wanted to go with us.

Hearing this, Little Ricky started jumping around and whooping it up, before giving his parents hugs and kisses for doing this for him. Then he moved off to make his own plans with the other boys.

Once he'd settled down and walked away, I pulled the Beckers aside, so I could tell them about our other plans, including the trip to the naturist camp. I informed them that Little Ricky was welcome to join us for all or part of the activities we had planned for Nigel's stay, if that met with their approval. I also offered to bring my family out again, one or more times, to help them get ahead with their work, so they wouldn't fall behind while he was gone.

Although they were very religious people and a bit surprised about the mention of the naturist camp, they agreed that Little Ricky loved to run around with as little clothing on as possible. He had filled them in on some of the stories about his stay at the group home, as well as letting them know how my boys enjoyed going naked around our house. He also told them how much he liked skinny-dipping with them in the pond, so they said they wouldn't mind and would ask him what he wanted to do.

They then went on to add that even though they might not do anything of that nature themselves, they were willing to let their son make his own decision. They said they would talk it over with him in private, after we left, and would then call me tomorrow, to let me know what he'd decided.

Now that it was settled, we said our final good-byes, loaded everyone into the vehicles and started off for home. Most of the boys were pretty exhausted from the hard day's work, but each of them readily admitted he'd had a wonderful time.

The ride back was pretty quiet, seeing some of the boys dozed and the others just talked quietly or looked out the windows. The drive seemed to go by quickly and it wasn't long before we were pulling into our driveway. After waking up those who'd slept on the way back, we all dragged into the house. Many of the boys opted to turn in early, although a few of them did stay up to watch a movie on television first. A couple of hours later, the house became really quiet and it stayed that way for the rest of the evening.

The next day I received my call from the Beckers, during which they advised me that Little Ricky definitely was eager to go to New York City again. Not only that, be he also wanted to join us for our visit to the naturist camp. While Mr. Becker was informing me about this, I could hear Little Ricky in the background, teasing to talk to me. After I finished telling Mr. Becker that we'd pick Little Ricky up on Friday, he handed the phone to his excited son.

"Uncle Pop?" an exuberant voice squeaked out.

"Yes, Ricky, it's me," I confirmed. "Thanks for inviting me to go with you," he said. "My parents told me all about it. I didn't think they'd let me go someplace where they knew I'd be running around naked, but they said it was up to me and they trusted you, so I want to go there too."

"Okay, and I thought you might," I conceded. "We'll pick you up on our way through on Friday, so you make sure you're packed and ready to go. Okay?"

"Oh, yeah!" he said, excitedly. "I'll be packed by Thursday and will be waiting on the porch for you on Friday."

"All right, just don't get too excited," I teased. "I don't want you passing out before we get there. We'll be arriving around 6:00 Friday morning, but I want you to make sure you give your parents a special thank you for letting you do this and for doing your chores while you're away."

"OH, I will, and thanks again, Uncle Pop," he added.

I hung up, but continued to smile for many minutes afterward. That was one excited boy, and so much like my own Ricky. I just wish he were here to join in the fun too.

Well, everything was set now, so we just had to bide our time until Friday. While I waited for the big day to arrive, I continued going about my normal activities and regularly checked my email. Eventually, I discovered another message from my Ricky.

Hey, Dad,

Sorry I haven't written for a while, but I've been really busy. Things are going great over here. I really like my classes, and I've been learning a lot, but I've been having some fun too. I've been seeing a lot of Kylie and we went to a dance together. I think she likes me, because she even asked me over to get to know the rents better. I'm supposed to go to her house this Sunday for dinner, after church. I'm not really comfortable around her mom and dad, but I like being with her, so I guess I'll do it. Wish me luck.

Peter and I have been getting along great too, but he's starting to get even with me for all the pranks I've pulled on him. The other night I came home a little late and he was already in bed, so I slipped into the room quietly and didn't turn on the light, because I didn't want to wake him. When I slid under the covers, my mattress crashed to the floor. He had taken out two of the slats that held everything up, and then arranged the other two slats so they would give way, once my weight was on them. When I turned on the light to fix my bed, Peter was laughing hysterically.

Although I was really pissed, I just went over and began to tickle him for doing that. I realize some of my brothers could have hurt me for some of the thing I've done, but they never did, so I didn't want to do that to Peter either. I did want to get back at him, so that's why I tickled him, but now I've got to think of something else to do to him, to get even.

The problem is, that's not the only thing he's done. Another time, when we were planning to go out and play soccer with his friends, he did something else. I had left my stuff on the bed, while I ran to the toilet, and when I came back, I just quickly put them on. I didn't think anything about it until we met up with his mates. Wow, look at that! I'm even beginning to talk like them. I've never used the word 'mates' before I came over here. Hehehe

Anyway, when we started running around, I noticed my balls felt as if they were on fire. When I mentioned this to one of the other guys, he just started laughing and told me it sounded as if Peter had pulled the old liniment trick on me. He then explained that Peter had most likely put some liniment in my underwear when I wasn't around, and then once I started running and sweating, the combination of moisture and liniment created an extreme burning sensation in that area.

Man, by the time I got home, my balls were really red and sore, so I took my stuff off and jumped in the shower to wash it off. That was another mistake. The water made it burn even worse, so I jumped out and grabbed my towel, so I could wipe it off instead. That helped some, but that area still felt very warm and tender afterward. Damn, my balls were still sore two days later and they still aren't back to normal. Don't worry, though, I'll get even with him for that too.

Well, Dad, I still like it over here, but I miss all of you. Tell my brothers I said hi and let them know I miss each of them. I hope you all miss me too. See you next year.

Your bestest son,
Ricky

By the time I had finished reading his email, I knew Ricky had met his match in Peter. Finally, there was a boy who was willing to give back as much as he got on the receiving end of Ricky's stunts. Besides, it gave me a good chuckle knowing he wasn't passively accepting Ricky's abuse.

I zipped off a quick email in reply, telling Ricky that Peter was only paying him back for all the pranks he had pulled on him, before advising him to consider the score even and move on. Even though I suggested it, I knew Ricky would ignore my advice, so I realized I'd be hearing about even more pranks in the future.

Chapter 7
Another Bite of the Big Apple

I wasn't sure how the boys might spend Wednesday, but I assumed they would enjoy some more time taking it easy and getting reacquainted. They understood nothing was planned until Friday morning, when we'd be setting off on our next adventure, so I figured they'd make the most of the downtime. Nigel's boys were excited and curious about what we'd be doing, but I only told them we'd be going to someplace special, but never told them where nor said what we'd be doing.

After most of the boys went out to skinny-dip in our pool, Nick came to find me. It was evident he had something important to discuss with me in private. I soon discovered he wanted to tell me more about his visit with his parents, but this time he filled me in on the things he didn't want the others to know.

"Pop, my parents are so different now, then when I first met up with you," he began. "They actually wanted to spend all their time with me and I really could tell how much they loved me. It was nice, but only to a point," he added, with a slight scowl.

"And what do you mean by that?" I asked, puzzled. I wasn't sure what he was alluding to.

"You know," he hinted, but I merely shook my head, to let him know I didn't understand.

"They spent ALL their time with me," he emphasized, "so I didn't get to go anyplace without them. You know what that means, don't you?"

"It means they enjoyed being with you and wanted to take advantage of every second you were there," I responded, only to get a strange look in response.

"No, I mean for me," he shot back. "You've got to realize how that limited what I could do," he insisted.

"I take it you don't mean with your parents," I replied. "I suspect you're referring to being able to find sexual outlets and that you had to take care of your own needs, rather than hooking up with new partners."

"Now you're getting it," he sighed, with a slight grimace.

"So what you're trying to tell me is that you came back very horny?" I asked, rhetorically. "So what's new about that?" I teased.

"What's new, is I've been back for a few days and I've had a few chances to have some fun, but not enough to make up for all the time I had to go without," he whined.

"And you've come to me, why?" I prodded.

"I wanted to know if you'd mind if I hooked up with a couple of the Barstow boys," he announced, without much emotion.

"I don't remember you ever seeking my permission before you did something," I countered. "So why now?"

"Because I felt I owed it to you, after all you've done for me," he replied, shyly, and I could tell he was being sincere. "I know you want to limit how much we do with them, and I understand why, but I thought maybe you wouldn't mind, as long as I asked you first."

I just grinned, before I responded. "As long as you follow the rules Nigel and I first set down when they arrived, then it will be cool, Nick. Just don't get carried away."

"I won't and you can trust me," he responded.

"I know or I wouldn't have told you it was all right," I advised him, with a wink.

After giving me a hug, he stripped off his clothes and raced out to the pool. About forty to fifty minutes later, I saw him reenter the house with two of Nigel's older sons in tow. He was leading the Irish brothers, Padraic and Sean, up to his room. It was obvious he had spent some time coaxing the pair into joining him, and I found out later that he promised them the time of their lives, if they joined him.

As the trio went up the stairs to Nick's room, I noticed their semi-aroused state and concluded things would be heating up very soon. I was right. Once the door closed, Nick told Sean he'd suck him off, so he had Sean lie on the bed. Then Nick suggested to Padraic that he could screw him doggy-style, while he gave his brother a blowjob. Padraic quickly explained that he'd need a rubber to do this, so Nick pulled open the drawer on his nightstand, to show him where everything was kept.

While Padraic slipped the condom on and lubed it and Nick up, Nick bent over the side of the bed and slowly began to orally stimulate the sixteen-year old. When Nick felt Padraic fingering his backdoor, he spread his legs wide and let the seventeen-year old have his way. Once Padraic felt Nick was ready, he moved in behind him and gently began to enter.

At the time, Nick was busy licking and sucking all around Sean's genital area, but he wasn't so preoccupied that he didn't realize what Padraic was up to. Nick stiffened slightly as he felt Padraic's thick tool enter him. After all, it had been some time since he'd done anything like this and the Irishman had more girth than most of Nick's assorted partners. Nick actually forgot about Sean momentarily, as he adjusted to the intruder, but Sean seemed to understand and didn't say a word. However, once Padraic was totally inside him, Nick began to bob up and down of Sean's firm mast again.

Nick was truly enjoying giving and receiving at the same time. Not only was he pleased by the way Sean was responding to his actions, as he thrust and squirmed below him, but he was also getting a great deal of satisfaction from the older brother. Nick was in heaven from the amount of sexual stimulation Padraic's monster gave him. Besides filling him up, it continually brushed against his magic button and brought him more pleasure than he had known for quite some time.

Finally, Nick was able to relieve some of the sexual tension that had built up while he was away and he didn't want it to end too quickly. Delving in to his vast bag of tricks, he was able to delay both brothers from getting off prematurely, so he could enjoy this for as long as possible.

When he finally reached the point where he knew he couldn't delay them any longer, Nick focused his attention on Sean. He redoubled his pace and increased his suction until Sean was about to blow. Since Nick wanted all of them to get off together, he began working his anal muscles to bring Padraic to the brink as well. Padraic was giving Nick an incredible pounding and Nick shivered every time Padraic's ample penis brushed against his prostate.

Nick actually lost his rhythm a couple of times, due to the overwhelming wave of sensations coming from his backside, and suddenly he realized his own juices were about to spew. Knowing he wouldn't be able to hold out much longer, he shoved his long, slender finger up Sean's butt and massaged his prostate as well, which sent Sean over the edge. Sean began to bounce up and down on the bed, and within seconds, began releasing his love milk. As Nick felt the first volley of warm liquid squirting from the tiny slit, he swallowed greedily. He wasn't about to lose a drop.

Soon this activity sent Nick over the edge too and caused his fluids to rise up his tubes. Having also reached the point of no return, his own stiff hose began spitting out its creamy contents. As his ejaculate landed on the sheets and dripped down Sean's side, he was about to collapse in total ecstasy, but it wasn't over yet.

Nick's orgasm had caused his rectal muscles to spasm and squeeze Padraic's pistoning dick even harder, which was the final straw for that Irishman. As his jism erupted and filled the reservoir at the tip of the prophylactic, Padraic rammed him a few more times, thus milking his own dick dry. Now that all three of them had climaxed, they collapsed beside each other on the bed, totally satisfied with their workout.

They actually dozed off for a while, but when they awoke they discovered they were sufficiently recovered from their energetic workout. Nick quickly wiped the mess off the sheets and Sean, before taking time to thank his partners. Both Barstow boys returned the courtesy and thanked him as well, and then they talked for a while, about a variety of non-sexual topics.

They did come down to join us for dinner later and I think most of the others were able to guess what they'd been up to. It wasn't hard, especially knowing Nick's reputation. However, once the meal was finished, the three of them disappeared once more and no one saw them again until the following morning.

Once they returned to Nick's room, Nick suggested this time Padraic and Sean should switch places, if they were up for a second go around. The brothers immediately agreed with his proposal and went at it again.

This go around was nearly identical to the first, with Nick in the middle, except the other pair had switched places. The results were just as enjoyable, but this time when they were done, they only rested briefly, before cleaning up, changing the sheets and snuggling up to sleep together on Nick's bed. Of course, Nick was in the middle again and they stayed that way until they got up for breakfast.

Everyone spent Thursday packing and making sure he had everything he would need to take with him on this trip. When I had finished with my preparations, and before checking on the others, I called the bus company to verify our reservation and confirm the time the bus would be arriving to pick us up. I was told the bus would be here by 5 a.m., and then we'd go pick up Little Ricky at the farm. After that, we'd be on our way for a couple of weeks of fun.

Although the boys were excited, none of them knew the details of what we were going to do on this trip. No matter how excited they were, they remained on their best behavior for the entire day. I think the Barstows were afraid we'd cancel the trip if anything bad happened and I think my boys were just trying to match, or exceed, their guests' well-mannered actions. Both groups even went to bed early, without being told to do so, because they knew that we'd be getting an early start.

I had already explained we'd be waking them up at 4 a.m., so they'd have time to dress and eat before we left. I also advised them that anyone who procrastinated and didn't get moving fast enough to join us would have to make the bus ride hungry, and none of them wanted that to happen.

Nigel, Jake, and I questioned each of the boys about the things they were planning to bring with them, in an attempt to eliminate their forgetting something they would need later. Once they understood what extra things they should include, and which items they should leave behind, they finished their packing. I then had all of them move their luggage downstairs to a stack in the family room. That would make it easier and eliminate some unnecessary commotion in the morning.

Although a majority of the boys were still a little sluggish after they awoke, it didn't take long before the adrenaline kicked in and began to energize them. By the time the bus arrived, they were fully alert and ready to go.

As the coach pulled up in front of our driveway, they grabbed their gear and loaded it in the luggage compartment. Once every item was accounted for, we had them find seats and get comfortable, so I could count noses. I wanted to make certain no one was left behind. Yes, Nigel, Jake and I had all seen the "Home Alone" movies and didn't want that to happen with our families.

Once everyone was accounted for, I went back to double-check the house and make certain everything was turned off. I didn't want to take the chance that an electrical short would cause the house to burn down or that someone might leave the gas partially on and the house would explode before we returned. When I was satisfied everything was as it should be, I locked the doors and we were on our way.

Since all of those activities took so long to accomplish, we didn't get to the Beckers' house until between 6:00 and 6:30. Little Ricky was standing on the porch waving at us as we drove in, with his suitcase standing beside him. I don't know why, but for some reason, seeing him reminded me of a nineteenth century emigrant waiting on the dock for the last boat to the New World.

As the bus drove toward him, Little Ricky grabbed his suitcase and leaped from the porch. This scared me, because he hadn't even waited for the driver to come to a halt first, so I was concerned that he might stumble and fall in front of one of the tires. About that same time, Mr. and Mrs. Becker emerged from the house, looking at their son and making weird faces about the risk he was taking. As soon as the bus stopped, I got out to speak with them.

"This kid has been a bundle of nerves for over twenty-four hours," Mr. Becker announced. "You'd think he'd never taken a trip before."

"He's just a boy, dear," his wife chided him. "You don't have to make fun of him. He's just excited about being with his Uncle Pop and all the other boys. Weren't you a kid once?"

"Not that I can remember," Mr. Becker replied. "I was doing a man's work on my father's farm as early as I can recall."

"Well, maybe that's why you're not much fun at times," she added, tongue-in-cheek. "What you needed was to learn how to be a kid and enjoy yourself." Mr. Becker just gave her a shocked glare, almost as if he hadn't expected her to make such a bold comment. However, before long, they were both smiling.

"Guess you're right," he told her. "I always envied the other kids my age, when they talked about taking family trips and vacations. Go ahead, son, and have a good time. But you be good for Mr. Currie."

"Yes, dear, have a good time and call us when you can."

"I will. I promise," Little Ricky responded, as he gave each of them a hug and a farewell kiss. Then he spun around and raced toward the bus. Without breaking stride, he darted up the few steps and stood beside the driver, while he looked to see whom he wanted to sit next to during the long bus ride.

"Don't worry about him," I told the Beckers, "as I've got several other surrogate fathers who are more than eager to watch over him." Of course, I was referring to my older boys, who I knew would also keep an eye on Little Ricky. They would do this the same way they kept track of Andrew, Sammy and Graham, although Graham was beginning to think he was too old for this type of scrutiny any longer.

The Beckers thanked me for including their son and tried to give me some money, which I refused to take. They weren't happy about it, but realized I wasn't about to change my mind. Before I boarded the bus, I shook Mr. Becker's hand and gave his wife a kiss on the cheek, before assuring both of them I'd take good care of their son. Everyone on the bus waved at the Beckers as we drove off, and they waved back, and soon we were on the road, heading toward our first destination.

I had kept the itinerary of the first part of this trip a secret, except from the adults, but all of the boys knew we'd be visiting a naturist camp at one point. That was because Little Ricky had blurted it out, so I had to confirm it was one of the things we'd be doing on this trip.

Surprisingly, it was one of Nigel's boys who first recognized where we were going first, when he spotted a road sign telling the distance to New York City. My boys had been there before, a couple of times in fact, but I felt our European friends should see it, at least once, before they returned home. As we came into view of the skyline, it had them in awe, especially as we got closer to it. However, for my gang it just wasn't the same without the Twin Towers looming before us.

We spent the rest of the day touring the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. When we finished up, just before dinnertime, we took the boys to our hotel, so they could clean up and change into more appropriate garments before we ate. I had made reservations at a nice restaurant, well in advance, but they wouldn't allow us in looking like we did now.

The downtown hotel we were staying at was an older, yet still elegant structure. I even think Nigel's boys were impressed with its design and furnishings and, yes, it could have even rivaled many of the historic places in their own country.

What made it even nicer, at least as far as I was concerned, was the fact that I'd also been able to secure a group discount for our stay. The hotel's business had been down recently, actually since September 11, 2001, and they were doing everything they could to attract customers. This meant offering discounts, special packages and holding unique events to garner clientele.

After getting ready, we made our way to the restaurant. It was fancier than most of the eating establishments we frequented, so the boys felt slightly out of place, but that didn't stop them from checking it out. They spent a great deal of their time gawking at the surroundings and talking excitedly to each other about this fantastic place. While they were looking over the menus, Nigel, Jake and I took time to explain what some of the dishes were, so the boys could make an informed decision about what they wanted to eat. Once they made their selections, we ordered and then waited for it to arrive. That night we enjoyed a wonderful meal, which included some delicious desserts, and everyone was fully sated by the time we left.

Earlier in the day I had begun to notice that Vinnie was acting a little strange. He was unusually quiet and didn't look particularly pleased. Even as we dined, he seemed out of sorts, so I wondered what was wrong. Did he have a fight with Kevin? I didn't think so, because Kevin seemed to be having fun, and then it struck me. Vinnie's parents had died when their plane was crashed into one of the Twin Towers. I couldn't fathom what he must be going through and didn't believe I hadn't realized this sooner. Now, I was mentally kicking myself for not anticipating this predicament, but I was also determined to talk to him about it later, once we were alone.

As we finished up our desserts, I informed both Jake and Nigel what I planned, and the reasons for it, so they agreed to keep an eye on the rest of the boys, while Vinnie and I spent a little time by ourselves. As everyone else was heading up to his room, I quietly, and secretively, pulled Vinnie aside.

"Hey, Bud," I began. "Why don't we go out for a little walk, just the two of us?"

"Why, did I do something wrong?" he asked, with a puzzled look on his face.

"No, I was the one who did something wrong, and I want to apologize to you for it," I stammered. I'm not sure he understood what I meant by my remark, but he went with me. Once we were walking down the sidewalk, I began to explain.

"Vinnie, I apologize for being so callous and thoughtless earlier. It had completely slipped my mind that this is where your parents died. How are you handling your stay here and being reminded of that?" Now, he looked at me, with understanding in his eyes, before they began to fill with tears. He was finally able to release his inner turmoil and deal with this emotional issue.

"I thought everyone had forgotten about that, and it kind of hurt," he admitted. "I'm glad you remembered though."

"So, how are you holding up?" I asked, while giving him a gentle hug.

"It's not easy, but I'm worried more about tomorrow," he told me. "You did say we were going to see where the Twin Towers stood, right?"

"Yes, but you can stay near me, if that would help," I suggested.

"Yeah, okay," he agreed. "That would help a lot."

"Would you like me to remind Kevin too, so he'll be more supportive?" I wondered.

He looked at me and I could tell he was thinking hard about what I just asked him. "I don't know. What do you think?" he responded, putting the decision back on me.

"I think we should," I told him. "Kevin's probably so caught up in the excitement of being here and showing Nigel's boys around that it hasn't dawned on him yet. I know if we don't tell him, once he does remember he'll feel just as badly about the oversight as I do. I'm really sorry and want to make it up to you. Will you let me?"

"It's okay. I understand," Vinnie replied, diplomatically.

"Not really, and I do owe you," I told him, sincerely, before ending our discussion.

When we got back, I took Kevin aside and explained things to him. I could tell he felt even worse than I did about the oversight, especially after admitting he hadn't even noticed Vinnie's plight. Now that he was aware of Vinnie's feelings, Kevin went over to him and apologized. Even though Vinnie assured him it was all right and was willing to overlook our gaff, we both pledged to make it up to him tomorrow.

The next day we went to the top of the Empire State Building, to enjoy the splendid view of the city. While we were there, we noted the hole created by the collapse of the World Trade Center and explained to the Barstows what it had been like for us, on the day it happened. I even brought up the story about Vinnie's parents, and once the others understood how traumatic that must have been, they went out of their way to offer words of comfort and solace to him.

Later, we went as close as we could to the spot where the WTC once stood, while most of my boys thought back to our first trip to the city. As we drew closer to the site, Kevin and I moved on either side of Vinnie, so we could support him through this difficult time. Even though it was hard for the rest of us to look at the huge void, while also recalling peering from its observation deck on our previous visit, I was sure it must be a thousand times worse for Vinnie.

Although it was emotionally draining, Vinnie made it through our visit like a trooper. He did shed more than a few tears while we were there, but no one seemed to think much about it, since they were also shedding a tear or two of their own. Nigel's boys were very supportive and offered their expressions of remorse and outrage over what had happened those many months before. I think, from that point on, my family understood how important it was to have the people of Great Britain as our staunchest allies.

By the time we were ready to leave, we were all emotionally drained, but I think it also served as a catharsis for Vinnie. This visit allowed him to deal with that part of his past and come to terms with it, if only in a limited way. Now, he could put it behind him and move on with the rest of his life.

Kevin was wonderful with Vinnie the entire day. Since Kevin had dealt with his own crises over the years, especially when we lost Brent, he seemed to know exactly what to do or what to say to help guide Vinnie through these critical moments of dealing with his personal demons. I'm sure Vinnie was as glad as I was that Kevin was there to help him through it.

Once we finished our sightseeing, we got back on the bus and left the city. The driver took I-95 south and headed toward our next stop, Washington, DC.

Chapter 8
Seeing More of the U.S.A.

We spent the evening in a motel in Maryland. We thought it would be better, and less expensive, to stay here and wait until morning to enter the capital. After a rather large dinner, topped off with an array of desserts, we went to our rooms to turn in.

Nigel's boys were buzzing about seeing the capital. They hadn't anticipated doing so much traveling while they were with us, so this was an unexpected treat. A few of my boys added to their excitement by telling them about some of the things they'd be seeing there, since some of us had been here before. I'm not sure how much sleep any of the boys got that night, but we woke them early and took them out for breakfast, before we drove into Washington for a whirlwind tour.

The first day we visited the White House, the Capitol Building, the Supreme Court and the various monuments. It was a hurried and hectic pace, but I wanted everyone to see as much as possible, while still keeping to my timetable.

The next two days we took them on a warp speed tour of the Smithsonian, which is our equivalent of their British Museum. Nigel's boys were impressed with their three days in the U.S. capital, and I was glad they got to see everything. I thought it was important they had this experience, but now it was time to travel farther south, so we could spend a day in Colonial Williamsburg.

Although Nigel's boys enjoyed their brief time there, I didn't realize that having lived in England they had been to places that were very similar. These sites boasted many of the same types of activities, even though they might not be set in exactly the same context. The Barstows eagerly informed me about several such places they had visited previously, where they had also participated in reenacting what it would have been like to live during that time period.

Although I realized this might have been a redundant stop for them, they were very gracious about it and didn't make any negative comments. In fact, they did their best to convince me they had enjoyed the visit. Even though they were insistent, I could still tell that they wouldn't have minded skipping this one stop.

That night we spent some of our time on the road, until we located a small family-owned motel along the way. Although the vacancy light was lit when we arrived, it didn't stay that way for long. We soon took up all of their available rooms, which made the owner very happy.

After a restful, but too brief stop, we were back on the road again. Later that afternoon, we arrived at Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. We informed the boys they'd have the rest of that day, and the next, to spend enjoying the ocean. I had reserved several rooms at a beachside resort, so we wouldn't have far to travel to enjoy the Atlantic, and Nigel's boys were impressed with the sandy beach. Both groups frolicked for hours, enjoying the sun, sand and surf, while Nigel, Jake, and I kept a very close eye on those in the water. We didn't want to have another incident similar to the one we had in England, where one of Nigel's boys had nearly drowned.

Fortunately our time there was uneventful, in that regard, and everyone had fun romping in the ocean, although I think the boys would have preferred not to have had to wear trunks. Nonetheless, everyone enjoyed their stay, especially Little Ricky, as this was the first time he had been in a body of water larger than his pond or a small lake. He had seen the ocean when we visited the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, but this was his first opportunity to actually spend time in the water.

I watched him closely the first time he waded out into the ocean, since I knew how different it would be from what he was used to. As I suspected, Little Ricky was immediately pummeled by the waves and knocked off balance. Although he was able to keep more or less upright, he seemed shocked by the power the waves generated.

As he wandered a little farther out, he was busy looking back toward the shore and yelling to get the attention of one of the other boys. That's when the next wave hit him. This one was slightly more powerful and took his feet out from under him. Little Ricky came up sputtering and spitting out the ocean brine, and then he turned to look out at the ocean, as if he expected to be able to see what had knocked him off his feet.

I jumped to my feet and moved toward him, so I could make sure he wasn't in trouble. As he came back to his feet, I noticed the look on his face and it was priceless. It was a mixture of shock, fear and euphoria all rolled into one, but I backed off, just as soon I was certain he was all right.

Just as he was turning around to wade back to shore, another wave repeated the scenario and dunked him yet again. This time he came up with a huge grin on his face, like he thought this was some sort of neat game he was playing.

I continued to observe his activities, while remaining close enough to reach him, just in case he got into serious trouble. In the meantime, though, I opted to let him learn at his own pace, as long as he wasn't in danger. From that point on, Little Ricky braced himself as the tide rushed toward shore and crashed into his legs. He was steadily gaining confidence, as he dealt with each new situation, so much of the remainder of his time was spent leaping over or running through the never-ending procession of waves. Even though he was enjoying doing this on his own, he still tried to coax others into joining him as he did so.

After spending a second day at Myrtle Beach, we pack up our bags and made the short trip to the naturist camp. It was only twenty-five miles from where we were, but it was located in North Carolina. It was called Whispering Pines Nudist Vacation Resort and was a family oriented retreat, in a woodland setting. It took up about thirty-five acres and had an adequate number of rental units, complete with cable TV. However, we advised the boys that we wanted to limit their time watching the boob tube, since this was supposed to be a vacation and there were many things to do instead.

The activities available included volleyball, shuffleboard, horseshoes, a Swedish sauna, a heated pool, hiking trails, camping, paddleboats, swimming in the lake, and a clubhouse with pool tables, ping pong, an indoor shuffleboard area and arcade games. This seemed perfect for my family, and I just hoped Nigel's boys would find it equally appealing.

Once we unloaded everything we were going to take with us from the bus, we told the driver he was on his own for a few days. I advised him that he could amuse himself however he saw fit during that time and I also gave him a tip, for his efforts thus far. I did this in case he needed the cash to entertain himself. I was sure there were many things he wouldn't dare put on his expense account, but I still wanted him to have a good time while he waited around for us.

He seemed pleased by the gesture, and relieved that he didn't have to stay at the nudist camp with us. I think he was more than a little anxious about the idea of having to stick around while we were there, so he thanked me, over and over again, when I advised him he could go. It didn't take long before he, and the bus disappeared, so the rest of us settled in to our cabins.

As soon as everyone was comfortable with their surroundings, I suggested we take a walk around the area, so they could become familiar with the layout of the resort. Soon we were all standing in a group, wearing only our athletic shoes, and possibly a pair of socks, ready to take on the nature trails. We followed several of these, noting the various places they led to, and then we came back to the lake. Of course the boys wanted to go swimming, so we all took off our footwear and enjoyed some time in the cool, clear embrace of the water.

While we were frolicking in the lake, some other vacationers came to join us. One was a family with a boy, about 11, and a girl, around 13. We were also joined by two other girls, who were possibly 14 or 15 years old, and another boy in his late teens. The boys began to introduce themselves to the others and tried to get to know them better. Eventually, they discovered these young people came here with their families at least once a year and stayed for a week or two.

These new acquaintances then asked the boys if they had been here before and they confirmed they had not. However, they quickly added that they had been to other such places and enjoyed being able to shed their clothes, without the normal concerns they might have when doing this.

Over the next hour or so, more people came out and joined us, and Mark met up with an attractive young lady in her late teens or early twenties. He invited her to join him on one of the paddleboats, and when she accepted, some of the other boys decided to do the same thing. They either asked one of the others in our group to go out with them, or invited one of their new acquaintances to go along.

Andrew seemed to hit it off with the 11-year old boy and wanted to paddleboat with him, so he and I sat down to chat with the boy's family. Once we got to know each other better, I mentioned that the boys wanted to try taking a boat out a boat on their own and asked if they thought it was acceptable. Seeing both boys were both capable swimmers, his parents agreed and we sent them off. It was really cute as we watched them walk away, like two old chums. I did notice that they took time to check each other out as they went and then began whispering, and giggling, back and forth.

Throughout the day, everyone was busily going in all different directions, as they investigated the various activities provided. Most even took time to try their hand at many of them. We watched as a large group got involved in a very energetic volleyball game, during which budding breasts and flaccid dicks bounced up and down as they tried their best to win.

While the boys did this, we adults sat around and talked. We slowly got to know each other better, while also keeping an eye on our broods. We enjoyed observing them and admired their competitive instincts as they participated in these activities.

Over time, nearly every one of our young people tired their hand at the horseshoe pits and shuffleboard area, although shuffleboard was totally new to them. At other times they went off to shoot pool, play ping-pong or try their hand at the arcade games in the clubhouse, but they always told us first, so we'd know where they were.

It was quite a nice and relaxing day, and the boys seemed to really enjoy themselves as they tried out all these various activities. That night, after dinner, Nigel, Jake, and I decided to try out the sauna. We were mildly surprised when Mark, Danny, Brandon and Pat slipped in to join us. As we sat and talked, Mark told us about the young lady he'd been hanging around with earlier, and Pat told us about the young girl he had made friends with. Then the boys wanted to know what other plans we had for them, and I explained that other than an idea to camp out in tents for a night or two, this was just supposed to be an opportunity for them to relax, get some sun, and meet others with similar interests. They seemed content with my response, and after our stay in the sauna, we all went to bed.

The next day started out with the boys milling around outside after breakfast, but they soon devised their own entertainment. When I went to check on them a short time later, I discovered they had begun their own co-ed softball game and seemed to be having a great time with the other young people they'd met here. Once the game ended, the whole group went swimming in the pool, instead of the lake, and then they decided to just lie in the sun to dry. During that time, some of the younger boys talked us adults into taking them on another hike, as they wanted to look for a good place for us to camp out, when the time came to do that. They also wanted to try to see what kind of wildlife might also be in the area.

The group was unusually quiet as we moved about, because none of them wanted to scare the animals away. Due to their cautious approach, we actually were able to glimpse some squirrels, a few chipmunks, a small collection of rabbits and a couple of fawns during our stroll. Having been able to spot these creatures in their natural habitat pleased them to no end, especially since the two fawns had played around like a couple of young colts, without even acknowledging our presence.

We also discovered a good place to pitch our tents when we camped out and there would be plenty of room to accommodate the assortment of temporary shelters we had brought with us on the bus. I included them because I suspected some the boys would want to camp out and I wanted to have what we'd need to do that. I doubted the resort would be able to provide enough gear for us, so we had brought our own.

After lunch, our gang started a soccer game and even made the two goals for this purpose. Once again, they included some of the other young guests and it was beginning to look as if our boys were becoming the focal point for the majority of activities happening here. The other young people would come over to check out what they were going to do next, before making their own plans. The boys didn't seem to mind this, although we also had a few loners who preferred going off by themselves. Since they were content doing their own thing, instead of hanging with the larger group, we gave them our blessing and left them alone. This arrangement worked out fine and no one complained, so everyone was happy.

The boys were also making some new friends, and Andrew and the other 11-year old had become almost inseparable. Frankie, Pat, and Mark had all managed to find young ladies to keep them company during their stay, and a few of Nigel's boys had even found others to hang around with. Most of these new friends were male, but there were also some females in the mix, and the whole group seemed to find a way to entertain themselves and each other.

The next day, we asked who wanted to go camping, after telling them about the spot we had chosen to pitch the tents. I explained the site was along the outer edge of the resort, so it was quite private, and then divulged the other information they might wish to know before making their decision. I did this to get an idea about how many tents and how much food we should bring with us.

Most of the group wanted to go, but there were still a few who chose to stay behind, since they didn't want to be parted from those not in our group. Andrew, on the other hand, wanted to know if he could ask his new friend to join us, so I told him it was fine with me, as long as the boy's parents agreed to it. Hearing that, he nearly dragged me off, to see if we could get permission for this other boy to go with us.

After a few awkward moments of trying to explain why we wanted their son to be part of this activity, I assured them it was Andrew's idea and I'd take good care of him. After some more give and take, we finally got a positive response, which caused the boys to begin jumping around. Actually, it appeared as if they had just sat on an anthill, rather than that they were doing a dance of joy.

Once the others discovered Andrew was inviting a friend, some of the older boys tried to talk me into letting them bring some of the girls along. However, I didn't think a co-ed camping trip would go over well with the girls' parents. Although everyone was running around naked, there wasn't much chance that anyone would get involved in any type of sexual conduct. In fact the operators of the camp watched for such things, since no intimate contact between guests, except for married couples, was allowed. It was one of their cardinal rules. This, of course, would be much harder to enforce on a camping trip, so I decided it would be best to avoid the possibility all together.

The boys immediately tried to argue the fairness issue, since Andrew already had permission to bring his friend along, but I reminded them, in my typical fashion, that life is not fair and they'd better get used to it. Although they continued to lobby to get me to change my mind, I stood my ground and they finally accepted the futility of their actions.

The next day we got ready to go, and to my surprise a few of the holdouts changed their minds, so everyone except Frankie and Mark were going to join us. I had already resigned myself that Pat and a few of Nigel's older boys were also going to stay behind, but for some unknown reason they decided it would be more fun to go with us. Although I was curious as to what led to this dramatic reversal, in the end it turned out they merely preferred to be with the family.

Now that we knew who, and how many, were going, we divided the food and tents among those strong enough to carry them. Seeing the older boys were carrying the tents and other gear, I had the younger boys load the supplies into the backpacks they had brought with them. These were the ones they had used for school the previous year, but they would serve this purpose well. I then asked for volunteers to carry the coolers with the perishables in them, with one boy on each handle. I ended up with more help than I needed, which gave me some leeway. Now, I was able to devise a rotating schedule for this task, so no one would be stuck carrying the additional weight the entire way. Once that was settled, we hiked to our campsite.

The walk was enjoyable, even though we made far too much noise to see any wildlife this time. The boys were too wrapped up with telling stories and joking around as we went, so they managed to scare most of the animals away.

Andrew's little friend seemed to be very excited about this adventure and talked to Andrew about it the entire time. Although I was never able to hear anything they were saying, Andrew told me later that the boy had admitted that he'd never really camped out before. Other than sleeping in a tent in his own backyard a couple times, this was very special for him. That made me glad his parents had allowed him join us.

It didn't take long before we arrived at our pre-selected campsite and began setting up. The older boys unpacked the tents from their carrying cases and started putting them up, with the younger boys helping as much as possible. Once all the tents were pitched, we briefly decided who would be paired with whom, and then we stored the rest of our gear inside the appropriate shelters.

Once that had been accomplished, we had the boys clear a space to do the cooking and put the campfire. As that group cleared away all the combustible materials and encircled the area with rocks, I sent the rest of the boys off to collect firewood. We would need it later for those purposes and I knew it would take a considerable amount of time and effort to gather it. The boys would have to range out in all directions to find enough aged, dry wood lying about to be useful. Once everyone had stacked what he brought back in one spot, Jake and I started a small blaze, over which we would prepare our lunch.

Everyone was hungry, but that was mostly due to the combination of fresh air, the short hike and the energy they had expended doing a small amount of work. We had made sure to bring along an enormous supply of hot dogs, buns, ketchup, mustard, relish, and chips for this meal, which the resort provided for us. However, now we needed a way each of them could prepare it for themselves. With that in mind, we gave them the appropriate tools and asked them to go out and cut a green twig to spear their hot dogs with, so they could cook them over the open fire.

Once they returned with the appropriate item, they began fixing their own lunch. Each boy had at least two hot dogs and chips, although some of them had up to five or six wieners. As the first of them finished, I broke open a bag of marshmallows and let the boys toast them for desert. After everyone had eaten his fill, I explained we'd rest for a bit and then we'd go to the lake for a swim or they could take one of the paddleboats out again. They seemed to like the idea, so they helped hang the food packs from the trees, to keep the animals from getting into them while we were gone. Before we left, we also made sure the fire was completely out, so we didn't accidentally cause any problems. By the time all of that was completed, we began our walk to the lake.

When we got there, I told them they needed to wait another half-hour before they went in. Some of them asked about the paddleboats, but I told them that would be delayed too, just in case they fell off while they were on them. I suggested they could sun themselves instead or find other things to do on shore, but there would be no swimming until I gave them the okay.

It wasn't very long afterward that I began hearing singing, but I wasn't sure where it was coming from. However, it didn't take long until I realized some of the boys had decided to entertain themselves by vocalizing some of their favorite songs. A few of the more musically inclined even tried to harmonize and it actually sounded pretty good. With instrumental accompaniment, it might even have sounded great.

Some of the girls were at the lake too, and once they saw the boys, they came over to join them. Frankie and Mark were there as well, and now they said maybe they should have come with us, seeing they would still have been able to see the girls too. I told them they could still ask the other boys if they could stay with us tonight, seeing they hadn't done any of the work, and of course the boys agreed it would be fine. Frankie and Mark told us they'd join up later and then spend the rest of the night with us.

After I gave the boys the go ahead to swim or use the paddleboats, everyone flew toward the lake. Soon, they were racing, dunking each other and just having a good time. The girls were also included in these activities and I'm sure there was a lot more touching going on than was necessary. Since no one was complaining, neither did I.

A little while later, after everyone was tired out from all this activity, Frankie and Mark walked back to their cabin. As they went, they also took time to accompany the girls back to their cabins as well. The rest of us returned to our tents and did other things, until it was time to fix dinner. The other boys would join us after they ate at the clubhouse, because I warned them I hadn't brought out enough food for them too.

Dinner was going to take a while to prepare, so we asked some of the boys to help. We had brought out steaks and hamburgers for this meal, along with baking potatoes and corn, still in the husk. We let the younger boys husk the corn, and I had some of the other boys wrap the potatoes and meat in aluminum foil. Once the corn was ready, we wrapped it in aluminum foil too.

By this time, the campfire had begun to produce enough hot coals to cook with, so we spread them out and then placed each foil wrapped item of food on top of them. Jake, Nigel and I also scooped more hot coals out to cover them with, so everything would cook thoroughly. As more and more wood turned into hot coals, they were continually added to finish the baking process. Once we thought everything was done, we took a few items and sampled them, before summoning the boys to eat.

We had also brought travel containers of salt and margarine to use on the corn, and plastic utensils and heavy-duty paper plates to eat with, but I'm not sure the food had time to hit the plate before it was devoured. The boys wolfed everything down as if this were the first food they had ever eaten and raved about how good it was. I think it had more to do with them knowing how it was prepared, as well as knowing the way fresh air made everything taste better. After the meal, the boys threw the disposable items into the trash bags we'd brought along and helped to police up the area. Once that was done, we gave them pudding cups for dessert.

By now the sun was beginning to sink, so some of my boys started asking me if I'd tell a ghost story tonight. I informed them I couldn't think of one right now, but asked if they'd give me time to come up with something appropriate. After agreeing, they left me alone for a while, so I could dream up a new tale. I secretly wanted to create one that would fit in with the area and the fact that everyone was running around naked. I also wanted it to be a story my boys hadn't heard before, since I wanted them to react and enjoy it as much as the Barstows.

The problem was, I didn't know where to begin or what to focus on, so I started watching the boys playing tag and horsing around. They always amazed me with how they seemed to find ways to entertain themselves, no matter where we were, and this was no exception. As I watched them play, an idea struck me. It was a little gory, but the boys did seem to prefer them that way.

When the boys came back to see if I'd come up with an idea, they were excited to learn I had. They quickly gathered everyone around what was left of the fire, and asked me to begin. After taking a deep breath and scanning the faces before me, I started my tale.

"Well, back when this resort first opened," I told them, "they hadn't cleared away the grounds as nicely as it is now and the clubhouse hadn't been built yet. There were no living areas and this resort was mostly for campers and people in RV's. The area was also much more wild and wooded and it was during this time when a young man, who was probably in his early to mid-twenties, came to spend a few days here. After he arrived, he decided to investigate the area first, and while he was wandering through a small clearing, he happened upon a bear cub that also appeared to be alone. The young man gradually gained the young bear's confidence and began to play with it.

"The pair had been at this for a few minutes, when the young man heard a growl behind him. He spun around, only to discover the mother bear. She was not happy with his being so close to her cub, so she swiped one of her hug paws at him, claws extended. The boy jumped backward, trying to get out of the way of that lethal weapon, but, unfortunately, he didn't jump back far enough. The bear's claws caught his dick and scrotum and literally ripped them from his body. The boy screamed out in pain, but there was no one around to hear him. While the mother bear and her cub disappeared into the woods, the boy lost consciousness from the loss of blood.

"He wasn't found for several hours, and then only by accident, but by that time he had passed away from the excessive bleeding. Since that day, it has been reported by many visitors to this place that they have seen a young man wandering around the grounds, reportedly looking for his missing sexual organs. A couple of young men have reported that this ghost even tried to claim their package as his own, and the story goes that he will continues to walk these grounds, searching for a penis and testicles that reminds him of his own. He won't be satisfied until he reclaims them and is whole once more."

As I finished this story, I noticed a few of the boys involuntarily reaching down and covering their genitals with their free hand. This signified to me that they were afraid this young ghost might be lurking there now, ready to steal their prized possessions. I heard Jake and Nigel snicker when they noticed the boys making these moves and later the three of us shared a few more laughs over how the boys how swallowed yet another of my tales and then reacted to it.

After that, we sat around the campfire for a little while longer, before the boys started to head off to their tents. We adults stayed out after most had left, to give the boys time to do whatever it was they might be inclined to do. During this time, we talked about what we might plan for the following day, since we knew we'd have to keep the boys occupied. Once we reached a consensus, we headed to bed. We had also split up amongst the various tents, so we'd be close enough to help out in case of an emergency or to calm them down, in case they had nightmares. Before I drifted off, I spent some time listening to their gentle snoring and relaxed breathing, which eventually lulled me off to sleep too, thus ending our first day of roughing it.

Chapter 9
Doing What Comes Naturally

When I awoke the next morning, I had a boy pressed tightly against each side of me. One was Nigel's fourteen-year old cousin, Will, and the other was Graham. It still amazed me that a kid who communicated with the dead would be so greatly affected by my stories. Then again, maybe it was due to his knowledge that the dead do sometimes move among us that gave my tales the added credence to convince him that such things might happen. Who knows? I certainly didn't.

Once it got started, our second day camping progressed pretty much like the first. We spent much of our time at the lake, before the boys went off to play games of their own device. This began with my sons teaching Nigel's clan about a game called capture the flag. They used two t-shirts, one red and the other purple, and tied them to sticks to serve as the flags. Then they split into two teams, placed the flags about half a mile apart, and then set out to capture the other team's flag, without getting captured themselves.

It was wild just sitting back and watching the boys sneak, crawl, creep and slither through the woods, while trying to reach their target undetected. Although there were many attempts and some that nearly succeeded, it was one of Nigel's boys, Kjetil, who was successful and finally ended the game.

That night, I let Nigel tell the boys stories about English ghosts, to keep them happy. He started by telling them the tale of the two young princes that were murdered by their uncle and are still rumored to roam the corridors of the Tower of London. He then went on to tell them about a couple of Scottish ghosts, who were a bit more rambunctious and troublesome than the two young princes. In fact, Nigel got quite animated while giving his rendition and the effect was either frightening or comical, depending on the emotional stability of the observer.

Once he finished with that story, he told them about a Welsh ghost, which was rumored to have driven people out of the country estate it haunted. The boys were listening carefully to Nigel's long-winded account when it started to drizzle. The boys were so intrigued with what he was saying that they remained there until he finished and then we all hustled to our tents. I wasn't worried about the campfire, since the rain would take care of it.

Before the boys ducked out of sight, I reminded them not to touch the inside of their tents tonight, as that would allow the moisture to seep through the nylon. After acknowledging they understood, we moved out of the rain and into our shelters.

Three of the boys, who were sleeping in a small two-man mountain tent, came rushing into my tent, about halfway through the night. They were damp, from running through the downpour, and dragging their sleeping bags behind them. After apologizing for disturbing our sleep, they asked if they could spend the rest of the night with us. Puzzled, I asked them why, thinking it might be because Nigel's story had scared them. That's when I discovered my hunch was incorrect.

Apparently, one or more of them had inadvertently dragged his hand across the tent fabric as he tossed and turned during the night, which allowed the water to leak in. When one of them began to feel the dampness, he thought he, or one of the others, had an accident. When he sat up to check it out, he discovered what the problem really was. That was when he awoke the other pair, to discuss what they should do, and they decided to come to me for help.

Understanding their dilemma, we squeezed them into the tent with us. Since only one of the sleeping bags was wet inside and out, I had the other boys zip the other four sleeping bags together and then the five of them squeezed in to them together. It was a bit cramped, but not uncomfortable, but it also helped that our uninvited guests were three of the smallest of the boys in the group.

By morning the rain had stopped, but we decided to wait before eating breakfast. The conditions would make it uncomfortable to eat at camp, so we opted go back and eat in the main dining hall instead. Since the boys' stomachs were rumbling, we packed up our gear as quickly as we could, but that wasn't fast enough for the boys. It took us longer than normal because we had to ring out as much water as we could first, so it wouldn't be too heavy to carry, and then we lugged it back to our cabins.

When we got back, we dried off and stashed our things temporarily. I told the boys we would take care of it later, but now it was time to eat. When we reached the dining hall, we discovered there was going to be a dance in the Clubhouse tonight, after dinner. It was primarily so the younger people to have something to do, since the rain was expected to continue until morning. This would also give them a chance to get to know each other better, but the adults were told they could participate too.

The boys that had an interest in girls liked this idea, but my gay boys began to ask me if I thought they might be able to dance with their partners too. I told them I would discreetly inquire about that and then let them know later, but they shouldn't get their hopes up until I found out for sure. They seemed satisfied with my response, so we went back to the cabins to take care of our things.

After we finished drying and putting our gear away, the boys began planning other activities they could do inside. Some went back to the clubhouse, to play board games, ping-pong, pool, the arcade games or shuffleboard, since they had areas set up both indoors and out for this purpose. The rest of them either loafed about, watched television found something to read, played cards or found other suitable activities to keep them occupied.

While they were entertaining themselves, I found the resort director and made a few discreet inquires.

"I just have a few questions I want to ask you about the dance tonight," I began. "I know there aren't enough young ladies to go around, compared to the number of boys, and some of my sons were wondering if people would have a problem with them dancing with each other?"

The director looked at me, thought for a moment, and then replied. "Well, I'm not sure I've seen anything like that happen here before, although I've seen some of the girls dancing with each other. I suppose it would be all right, so I'll plan on making an announcement to that effect, so the other guests won't question it either. Does that meet with your approval?"

"It most certainly does, and thank you for your understanding," I replied.

Once I got back to the cabin, I started explaining about my discussion with the director. I told them what was said and what he agreed to, but I also warned them not to be too affectionate with each other, as that might draw adverse responses and possibly cause the director to change his mind. Everyone seemed to understand and was fine with this. At least now they could dance with each other, something they couldn't do most other places. I think as they matured, they were satisfied taking the little victories wherever they could find them, without pushing for more.

Before the time for the dance arrived, some of my boys made their way to the cabins of the girls they were interested in and asked if they could be their date for the evening. After all the giggling and blushing, most of the girls accepted, but a few had already agreed to go with someone else. Eventually, though, everyone was able to find a partner and was excited about the prospects the evening offered. I was hoping they didn't get too excited, because sprouting an erection while dancing close might present a problem.

As they showered before dinner, they paid particular attention to their hair (on top of their heads – I knew what you'd be thinking), and they even borrowed the one bottle of aftershave I always kept in my travel kit. It was a bottle of Brut and the boys didn't think it smelled too bad or was only for old men to use.

Dinner proved to be an interesting time, as the boys and the girls kept exchanging glances, coy little waves, smiles and winks. Watching them going through these pre-date antics, it reminded me of a racehorse waiting in its individual compartment for the gate to open. In both cases, they were eager to get started, so they could unleash all of their pent-up nervous energy. In fact, I could almost smell the hormones filling the air.

It seems that this was not the first dance held here, and the staff was well aware of what two naked bodies grinding against each other might cause, so the vast majority of the songs played were of the faster variety. Only a handful of slow songs were played, and they didn't seem to last as long as I thought they normally would. Regardless, other than that small inconsistency, everyone seemed to have a good time.

I noticed a few people staring at the boys dancing with each other, so I slowly made my way over to these individuals, one at a time. Once I was close enough, I would introduce myself and then comment about how there weren't enough girls to go around. I would also explain that my boys wanted to practice their dancing skills before school started, so they'd be ready for the dances, which were always a vital part of the early social process. After I did that, no one seemed to give my boys a second glance and everything went quite smoothly from that point on.

When the dance ended, the boys walked their dates back to their cabins. Some got a very steamy good-night kiss for their efforts, while others merely ended up with a peck on the lips or cheek. Seeing we probably wouldn't be seeing any of these people again, they didn't get too upset about it, although their egos might have been bruised by the slight.

Since we only had one day left at the resort, we planned to spend it just relaxing and enjoying the end of our summer holiday. Nigel and his boys would be going back to our place for one final day, before we'd take them to the airport to catch their flight home. I know some of the boys had been fooling around and it was going to be hard for them to let each other go when it was time, but life would go on and their friendships would be long lasting.

When we went to breakfast, we discovered another surprise. The resort was holding competitions in ping-pong, pool, shuffleboard, horseshoes and volleyball. Everyone was encourage to sign up for as many events as they liked, since they'd be spread out over the course of the day and early evening, to eliminate any scheduling conflicts. The boys immediately jumped at the opportunity, so I knew Nigel, Jake and I would be required to watch them compete.

It was a fun time, as the boys competed against their own age groups. The winner and runner-up were awarded ribbons, but I think the knowledge that they had bested the others was more than enough for them.

At dinner, it was announced that there would be a large bonfire and sing-along for anyone interested and most of us decided to attend. Even though we'd had our own, smaller bonfire on the camping trip, the boys felt this would be another good opportunity to spend time with the girl they had taken to the dance, their own partner or a member of the other family, whom they would soon be parted from.

Once the bonfire was lit, I expected someone to come out with a guitar, but that didn't happen. Instead, the director brought out a portable Kareoke machine. We instantly realized this meant that instead of singing the traditional camp songs, they'd be playing more recent melodies. I know our boys thought this much better, and I'm sure the other youngsters did too, although some of the older guests seemed slightly disappointed.

Over the course of the next couple of hours, a variety of melodies filled the air. I recognize nearly all of them, although I knew the words to less than half. The boys, however, were able to sing along with most of these tunes and impressed many of the others in attendance, especially their dates.

Once the music ended, we made our way to our beds. Although some of us slept alone, most of the boys paired up for the night and had a little fun before they drifted off.

When the bus showed up the next morning, about an hour after we finished breakfast, we loaded up and prepared for a nearly nonstop ride back. The bus had a toilet, so we only stopped for fuel and meals along the way, and the boys spent their time moving back and forth, so they could spend a little more time with each of Nigel's sons. We didn't arrive home until late that evening, but no one seemed bothered by it.

For the most part, everyone was pleased with everything we had done for the past two weeks, but none of them were looking forwarded to their time together ending. The two groups had grown even closer during this time and wondered when they'd be able to meet up again. Seeing how this was affecting them, Nigel and I promised we would reunite both groups again in the future, possibly even taking a combined trip to another country. The boys seemed to like this idea and began arguing, mildly, about which country we should go to. Nothing was decided by the time we reached home, but Nigel, Jake and I had a list of suggestions to consider.

That night when we went to bed, I discovered most beds were filled with more than just two boys. Many of them were trying to get a little more time together and clung to their friend throughout the night. They would be parting from each other shortly, so this was their final attempt to make it seem to last longer.

We spent our last day together skinny-dipping in our pool or playing soccer at the high school field. The activities were a little more restrained this time, as opposed to our earlier outings where we did something similar, and I could tell the boys' hearts were not really into what they were doing. They were already looking ahead, to the time when they'd have to say farewell, and this took some of the spring from their steps.

That evening, I took everyone out for a large, farewell dinner. I had reserved the banquet room at our favorite restaurant, since we'd need plenty of space, and privacy, to do what I had in mind. Although we were in the banquet room, I rejected the idea of having a buffet. Instead, I let everyone order from the menu, so they could have whatever they wanted, and we also decided to allow each of the boys to have some wine. The boys fourteen and under were allowed half a glass, those fifteen to eighteen could have a full glass, and those eighteen to twenty could enjoy up to two glasses.

Although there was some minor discussion about how we had set these arbitrary limits, the boys eventually let the topic drop. They felt it was better to go along and enjoy what they could, rather than have us change our minds and cut them off completely.

I chatted briefly with the owner about which wines would be best, and selected a sweeter wine for the boys and a drier wine for the adults. We did allow the boys to have a small sample of each, if they desired, so they could choose the one that suited their taste best. Once everyone had what he wanted, I called for quiet, so I could speak.

"Before our meals arrive, I'd like to offer a toast," I announced. "So if each of you will lift you glass, as I'm doing, I will begin." After waiting for each of them to do as I requested, I continued.

"I would like to thank all of you for being so well behaved and making these past weeks so enjoyable. I also promise this will not be the last time we join together." After everyone took a sip of his drink, I added a little more.

"I'd like to make one final toast to the Barstows, the greatest friends we could hope for. May your lives be long and happy, may your dreams come true and may the world come to see we are not a threat to them in any way."

I heard Nigel utter, "Aye, mate," and Jake whispered, "Amen," but most of the boys merely gulped down another swig of his wine.

Once I finished, I asked if anyone else wanted to add anything or make their own toast, and the room immediately grew quiet. After a few seconds, the whispering began, as various groups debated whether they wanted to do something of their own. I think we were all mildly shocked when Nigel's oldest son, Padraic, and Danny stood and asked if they could make a toast.

"We, Padriac and I," Danny began, "didn't feel we could leave here without thanking the three greatest men in the world. Needless to say, without you, most of us would have been homeless and struggling to survive, but you have given us hope and a future.

"Besides providing us a safe and happy home," he continued, "you've also been there when we've needed you and shown us much love. You have also let us be ourselves, without trying to change us, and have also helped others to accept us too." At this point, Danny stopped and Padraic took over.

"Over the years, you have done so many wonderful things and shown us so many good times that we shall never be able to adequately repay you for your love and kindness. You shall forever hold a very special place in our lives and in our hearts, and even though this isn't totally sufficient, we'd like to toast you. God Bless Dad, Josh and Jake and may you be as happy as we are and may you find your rewards in heaven, for all you have done."

At that point, the boys took a quick drink, set their glasses on the table and then stood and began applauding. I think Danny and Padraic started clapping first, but it was hard to tell, because it didn't take long before the others joined in too.

As I listened to their words and looked around at the faces smiling at us, it brought me to tears. I glanced over at Jake, to see how he was reacting, and could tell he was more than a little choked up too. He told me later that he didn't think he should have been included in the toast, since he hadn't done nearly as much for them as Nigel and I, but I assured him he had earned their love and respect and deserved their praise as well. I told him the boys had come to accept and think of him as a second father, which he truly was, but I think he was still somewhat awed that the boys held him in such high regard.

Nigel was quite emotional too, as this affected him as deeply as Jake and I. As we sat and absorbed the profound impact of what had been said, the boys came around to give us hugs and impart their own personal comments. It was a truly touching time.

When all this commotion died down, I stood again, to thank them for what they'd just done. "I think I can safely speak for Nigel and Jake too, when I say thank you for the wonderful compliments you have heaped upon us. When it comes to rewards, we've already had ours. You have also filled our lives with much love and happiness and I think we have received much more from you than we have given. God was truly generous when he brought you to us and we could never ask for more."

Needless to say, my head was still spinning when I went to bed. No matter how hard I tried, I found it difficult to sleep, because Danny and Padraic's words kept playing over and over again in my mind, as if it were stuck in an endless loop.

After a couple of hours of restlessness, my heart started to beat normally again and my mind finally emptied, so I could drift off to sleep. My slumber was filled with many dreams, as I recalled how I came to have these wonderful sons, and my mind was racing again, shortly after I awoke the next morning.

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