Bill W

Castaway Hotel VI

Chapters 31-42

Chapter 31
Many Irons in the Fire

A little later, Sammy came into my office, to ask me if I'd look something over for him. It was an essay he had written, to enter a statewide history competition. The essay's topic was, 'Why Should I Learn History?' The winners would get to go to a weeklong camp, where they would learn about history and various techniques scholars use to learn about the past. The best part about it, at least as far as Sammy was concerned, was he'd get out of his regular class schedule for a week, to attend the camp. Sammy was very bright, but was easily bored sitting in a classroom, listening to teacher lecture.

Seeing how important this seemed to him, I agreed. Eagerly, I began to read his essay.

Learning history is important to us for many reasons. One is, so we can learn how people lived in the past. We can see how hard their lives were, what types of tools and weapons they used, and what it was like to live at that time. Archeologists have uncovered much of the information about the earliest periods of history, but much of the later history has been preserved through drawings, pictures, film or in written form. It is by studying these items that we can see how much easier and better our lives are today.

The most important reason for learning history is so we can learn from it. George Santayana has been credited with saying "those who cannot remember the past are doomed to repeat it," but why would anyone want to repeat some of the most horrific things that have happened throughout the years? This is why we must learn from history, so the worst mistakes do not happen again.

For example, during World War II, when rumors started about the Germans killing the Jews, the world was slow to respond and millions of people died in concentration camps. After witnessing the aftermath of what took place in those killing factories when the allies liberated them, the world realized too late what their procrastination had allowed to happen. More recently, when the world heard reports that Kurds were being killed by Iraqis, that Hutus were being massacred by the Tutsi or that the Serbs were carrying out a policy of ethnic cleansing, the world was quicker to respond, possibly preventing an even worse genocide than what had already happened.

Another example of this would also be from World War II, when Germany was allowed to annex several territories they claimed rightfully belonged to them. Again the world was slow to condemn this action, thus whetting Germany's appetite for greater conquests. During recent history, when Saddam Hussein tried to annex Kuwait and make it part of Iraq, the world quickly opposed him and soon liberated Kuwait. This sent the message that this type of aggression would not be allowed. Without this intervention, Iraq might possibly have moved to take over other areas in the region, thus creating political and economic turmoil in the region.

In conclusion, if the world learns from past mistakes, maybe we will be able to avoid similar, or even worse, mistakes in the future.

As I finished reading it, he looked at me. "Do you think it's okay?" he wondered.

"Oh, it's fine, Sammy," I told him, sincerely impressed by his effort. "In fact, it's better than fine. That's very well written."

"Do you think I should change anything?" he asked.

"No, I don't. I'd leave it just as it is," I recommended. "Did you do this all by yourself?"

"Yes. Well, I did ask my history teacher some questions, so I understood things a little better," he admitted, "but I did write it by myself."

"Well, I'm very impressed," I informed him.

"Do you think I did as good on this, as Trey did on his play?" he wanted to know. Now, I started to realize what had inspired him. As I'd hoped, Trey's example had caused him to want to do his very best too.

"Yes, I think you did your best, just like Trey did with his script," I assured him. "I'm very proud of both of you." I gave Sammy a quick hug after saying this, and when I released him, he had a huge grin on his face. He thanked me for reading it and giving him my opinion, and then he left to show some of his brothers what he had done.

It was also getting close to the time when we'd be going to Boston, to attend the banquet where Trey would receive his next plaque. Once again, we were allowed three tickets, and once again Trey wanted Dion to be there with him. Trey then asked me if I wanted to go, or if I thought he should ask Jake, but this time I told him that was entirely up to him.

"Will you be mad if I ask Uncle Jake to go with me?" he asked, and I could see the concern on his face.

"No, not at all." I responded, trying to relieve his doubts.

"You know I want you to go with me," he said, trying to reassure me, "but I don't want to make Uncle Jake feel bad, by leaving him out again."

"I understand," I agreed. "You do what you think is best and I will support whatever you decide. Is that all right with you?"

Trey looked relieved. "Yes, and thank you for being so understanding."

That night he approached Jake and asked him to go with him to Boston, but then he came back to me. "Uncle Jake told me I should be asking you, not him," he explained. "He said he appreciated the offer, but insists you should be the one to go."

"Well, let me talk to him, to see if we can resolve this," I suggested. He agreed, so I went to speak with Jake, on his behalf. Jake was puttering around in the yard at the time, so I walked up behind him and spoke.

"You know, Trey really would like for you to go with him this time," I informed him.

"You should be the one going, not me," Jake said, but without sounding bitter about it. "He's just asking me because he feels guilty for leaving me behind the last time." Again, he didn't look or sound upset, but was merely stating facts.

"That may have been part of his thought process," I admitted, "but he really wanted to include you the first time too, if we'd had another ticket."

"Oh, I understand and feel honored that he even thought about asking me to go," Jake confirmed, "but you are the one who deserves to be there with him. Damn it, none of these boys would be flourishing like this, if you hadn't started the ball rolling. No, if anyone deserves to be there with him, it's you."

I wasn't sure how to respond to this at first, but I knew Jake was serious, and not spiteful. "He's asking you, because he respects you too, and he appreciates what you've done for all of us as well," I confessed.

"I know that, Josh, and I really do appreciate his offer," Jake confirmed, "but the fact is, you deserve to go more than anyone else. I'm fine, but I want you and Dion to go with him and have a good time."

I thanked Jake again, gave him a big hug and then returned to explain the situation to Trey. Dion was with him when I did this and they listened to what I had to say. Once I'd finished, the two of them started talking about something, so I left them alone. A short time later Jake came up to me.

"What did you say to Trey?" he asked.

"I just told him what you said," I explained. "I told him you appreciated his offer, but thought the three of us should go. Why?"

"Because Dion just came up to me and said he'd stay home, so you and I could go with Trey."

"Then that was their idea," I conjectured, "and I didn't know anything about it. So what did you tell him?"

"I thanked him, but insisted I still thought the three of you should go," Jake told me.

"And how did he respond to that?" I wondered.

"He just said he wasn't going, whether I did or not," Jake explained, with a sour glare. "I didn't want this to happen, so what do I do now? I never wanted either of you to stay behind." He looked upset and I knew he felt his was messing up Trey's next day in the spotlight.

"Why don't the four of us sit down and discuss this," I recommended. "I'm sure we can work it out that way, if we all keep an open mind." He agreed, so I called the boys to sit down with us, so we could finally come to an agreement.

"Look," I began, "I think we're all concerned that we're going to hurt someone's feelings if they don't go on this trip. That's why we need to be open and honest with each other, so we can work this out."

"Josh, let me say something," Jake interrupted. "I think I'm the reason everyone is so concerned, but you needn't be. I appreciate the fact that you're all trying to include me in this, but I feel the three of you should go. I'll take care of things here, because I want you guys to have a good time. I'll think of you while you're gone and will congratulate Trey when you get back, but you don't need to include me over your father and your lover. I won't be upset, I promise."

"But you're important too, Uncle Jake," Trey told him, "and I want you there too."

"Like I said, I appreciate what you're trying to do, but I want the three of you to go." Trey eyed him suspiciously, to see if he could tell anything from his expression or demeanor. After judging him to be truthful, he responded.

"Okay, but then we'll do something special some other time," he offered. "Will that be all right with you?"

"Yes," Jake said with a smile, "that will be fine and sounds wonderful."

Now that it was settled, I could go ahead with the planning. I got on the Internet and booked reservations at a hotel for Friday and Saturday night, and then I arranged for our flight. It was too far to drive and it would take too long, so I opted for us to catch a flight after school on Friday, spend the night and then do some sightseeing on Saturday, during the day. We'd attend the banquet Saturday evening, stay there another night and then catch a flight back on Sunday. Simple. Right? I certainly hope it works out that way.

As Friday approached, I suffered from a little guilt about leaving Cody, but knowing Jake would be here for him made me feel a little better about going. I tried to spend some extra time with Cody before I left and repeatedly asked how he was feeling. Above all else, I wanted him to know how deeply I cared and how much I loved him. Somehow, Cody understood what I was feeling and going through at the time and finally spoke his mind.

"I'll be okay while you're gone, Dad, so you don't have to worry about me," he explained. "I feel pretty good and you're only going to be gone a couple of days, so I'll be all right until you get back."

"How did you know what I was thinking?" I asked, while trying to act shocked, to lighten the moment.

"It wasn't hard to figure out, seeing how many times you've asked me how I was feeling," he confided. "And I've also noticed how you've been watching me, even though you didn't think I saw what you were doing."

"Hmmmm. I guess I'll have to improve my spying techniques before I get back," I quipped, and then immediately began to tickle him. I made certain to do this gently, but I wasn't about to let him off the hook because of his condition. I knew he was about to make a wisecrack, so I had to respond first. After my attack, he just burst out laughing, instead of saying what he'd planned.

"Hey, no fair," he finally screamed out. "Just because I outsmarted you, it doesn't mean you have to torture me."

"Oh, yes, it does," I replied, as my fingers began to wiggle into his skin some more. After listening to him giggle and watching him squirm beneath my touch, I finally eased up and released him. He jumped away from me at that point and then stopped, so he could face me.

"Now you have to go," he said with a big grin, "so my ribs can heal." At that point he lifted his shirt, as if he expected to find some signs of my manhandling him. Not to let him get away with his one-up-manship, I made a quick start, like I was going to chase him, and he sped from the room. He turned as he went through the doorway and discovered I wasn't following him, so he decided to wait there and taunt me some more.

"What's the matter, old man? Can't you catch me?" he jeered.

"Oh, I just decided to give you a break," I shot back, "because I didn't want to tire you out." After I said this, I made a face at him, to add impact. I knew before I said it that Cody wouldn't take it lying down, and almost immediately he had a comeback for me.

"Oh, sure, you're worried about me. No way!" he challenged. "You're just too old and slow to catch me, but you don't want to admit it."

Now, he lifted his arms in the air, in a half-surrender position, and then wiggled his hips and shoulders in opposite directions, in an effort not only to tease me further, but also to entice me to come after him. Never being one to pass up an opportunity, I bolted from my chair and lunged toward him, which caught him completely off-guard. He was in mid-shake when I made my move, so his body was swaying in that awkward-looking, taunting movement. He barely had time to stop and turn, before I wrapped my arms around him and dragged him back into the room we had just come from.

"So, I'm too old and slow to catch you, am I?" I teased.

"No fair. I wasn't ready," he whined.

"Too bad, you lose," I taunted, before I began to tickle him again. He was squirming spasmodically beneath my touch, but I wasn't sure if I should show him any mercy this time. I relented only after I did this for a few seconds and concluded I didn't want him to overexert himself. Finally, he began to settle down, but he still had enough strength left to gasp something out.

"Okay, okay. You win this time," he conceded, "but you're still old and slow." He was smirking as he said this, because he wasn't one to give in easily. After he saw my overly dramatic reaction, he was grinning from ear to ear.

"Yeah, we'll see," I warned him. "When you are feeling better, I'll give you a rematch, but don't expect to win then either. You may think I'm old and slow, but the old fox wins with slyness and cunning, not with speed and quickness."

"You mean by cheating, like you did this time," he stated, offering his point of view. "Coming after me when I wasn't ready."

"No, with cunning. I just watched for my opening, which you gave me," I corrected him. "If you had been a chicken and I had been a fox, I'd be curling up right now, burping and pulling feathers out of my teeth." I released a big guffaw after saying this, just to add to the impact of my point.

Cody looked defiant and I knew he still wasn't ready to give in. "Well, next time I'll be ready for your sneaky little tricks and you won't be able to do that to me again," he challenged. "Next time I'll just run away and you won't be able to catch me."

"We'll see, my petite doubting Thomas," I quipped, adding a biblical reference that I hoped he knew the meaning of. Obviously he did, because he was ready with another comeback.

"I won't put my fingers into your wounds, but I will be nice enough to bring you some oxygen or call 911 to get you help," he zinged back, between giggles.

"Oh, so now you're telling me that I'll need medical assistance next time?" I questioned, playing along with his little game.

"Yep!" he beamed. "You'll get so worn out trying to chase me that it will take an ambulance crew and the doctors at the emergency room of the hospital to keep your motor running." This time he howled with laughter, like that was the best joke he'd ever heard.

"We'll see," I warned him, "but I'll let you get better first, because I don't want you to have any excuses as to why I beat you again." This time I stuck my tongue out at him, to get his goat.

"Fat chance, old man," he shot back. "The only thing you'll see is my butt, as it speeds away from you." Having said that, he turned his back toward me and wiggled his cute little rear end, adding emphasis to his previous comment, but that only encouraged me into action. I leaped from my chair again, once more catching him by surprise, but this time I just whacked his backside, as he shook it at me. I wasn't very gentle in doing so either, which elicited another response.

Cody jumped into the air after I slapped his ass. He was once again surprised by how quickly I got to him, without giving him time to get away. "Ouch," he yelled out, "that hurt."

"Well, it wasn't meant to tickle, but the sly old fox zapped you again. Didn't he?" I howled with laughter this time and he began to pout.

"You're just a big old cheater," he said, feigning hurt and disgust, "but I'm learning how you operate."

"Well, you're obviously not learning fast enough," I teased back. "At this rate, you'll be ninety and I'll be dead, before you figure it all out."

After saying this, I grabbed and hugged him, before giving him a kiss on the forehead. After holding him for a few more minutes, I asked him if he wanted to help me pack for the trip. He said he did, so I led him toward my room.

Chapter 32
Recognition

The flight to Boston went smoothly and we checked into our hotel room. I had reserved a room with two double beds, so the boys could have one to themselves, in case they felt a little frisky. I'm not sure if they would, with me in the room with them, but who knows what they might try, once they thought I was asleep. Besides, it was going to be a weekend of celebration.

Friday night, after we stopped for dinner, we took a walk around part of downtown Boston, just to pass the time. It was nice and relaxing, but we actually didn't get to see very much. By the time we returned to our room, it was late, so we just decided to turn in for the evening. Tomorrow we would see more of this wonderful city, but this time in the daylight.

The boys were actually very subdued tonight and there were probably a couple of different factors to account for it. First, it was probably due to the fact we'd had a very long day, since we'd gone to school first, before catching our flight. Then there was the time we'd spent wandering around Boston, but it was most likely also due to the fact that we were in the same room.

In addition to those reasons, they also knew we had a big day ahead of us. Part of it would be fun, as we saw the sights, and the other part strictly business, but we wanted to be fresh for both halves of the day. We might have time for a brief rest in between, but understood it would be better if we were completely rested when the day began, so we wouldn't have to worry about running out of energy.

Saturday morning we got up early, went out and had a decent breakfast, and then I took the boys for a walk along the 2.5-mile long Freedom Trail. There are sixteen historic sites on the trail, places straight from the period around the birth of our nation, and things I thought the boys should see. Some of these places are now publicly funded, while others are privately owned, but either way they had been preserved for generations.

Visitors were welcome at most of these places and many people took the opportunity to stop by, so they could appreciate some of our country's past. The publicly funded places included Boston's Old State House, Old South Meeting House, Faneuil Hall, Paul Revere's House, Old North Church, Bunker Hill Monument, the Charlestown Navy Yard and the Dorchester Heights Monument, which is now located in a residential neighborhood. It would take some time to see all of this and it would require some physical exertion on our part, but I felt we could handle it and still be in good shape for the banquet later.

I think we all had a strange feeling as we started this tour and it wasn't just because we were going to take a route that many of our country's forefathers had traveled. The trail we were about to follow was marked by a line, in some places it was painted red, while in others it was just a brick line on the pavement. It was almost as if we were in the Wizard of Oz and following the yellow-brick road.

Our journey began at The Boston Common, the oldest public park in the country, which was established in 1634. It is almost 50 acres in size, and was a focal point of the community from its inception. From there we went to the Massachusetts' State House, modeled after Somerset House, which was considered to be England's leading 18th century civic building. Governor Samuel Adams and Paul Revere set the keystone for the building on July 4, 1795, and in 1802, Revere was commissioned to cap the wooden dome in rolled copper. It opened in May of 1796, becoming the first state house in the new union.

Next in line was the Park Street Church, which was built on the site of the old town granary, where grain was kept before the Revolution. It is an Evangelical Church, dating back to 1809, and has celebrated many firsts. It had the first Sunday school, in 1818, and the first prison aid, in 1824. "My Country 'Tis of Thee" was sung at the church for the very first time, by the church's children's choir. The location for the granary was established in 1660 and now contains the third oldest burial ground in Boston. Among the notable people buried there are former governors, clergymen, mayors and three signers of the Declaration of Independence.

Next, we walked up the street to King's Chapel, which was actually the replacement for the original wooden chapel, built in 1688 on Puritan burial land. This chapel now sits next to the oldest burial ground in Boston, and boasts the remains of Massachusetts' first governor, John Winthrop. From there we went to see the Ben Franklin Statue, one of Boston's most famous sons, and it sits next to the oldest public school in America. The Boston Latin School was built by Puritan settlers on School Street, in 1635 and was an important fixture in Boston's past.

From there we walked to the Old Corner Bookstore, which had been the launching pad for publishing in America. The building was converted, so it could house seven presses, and the owners began to print and sell books from this location. The titles included were by many of the most important writers of the day.

After seeing that building, we crossed the street to look at the Old South Meeting House. The more modern buildings that surround it now dwarf this building, but at one time its steeples established part of the city's skyline and rose above the masts of the ships in the harbor. This building has seen its share of historic moments and was the rally point for the Boston Tea Party. It was also the place where the community commemorated the Boston Massacre.

Now, we walked up the street to the location where the Boston Massacre took place. Believe it or not, this started out over a supposed unpaid barber's bill. On Monday, March 5, 1770, at about 8 p.m., a young wigmaker's apprentice began to pester a British sentry about owing the bill, although the officer had a receipt showing it had been paid. Eventually one of the soldiers became annoyed with the young man and butted him with his rifle, although it wasn't clear whether this deed was done by the same soldier whom the boy was taunting or by one of the others.

At this point, a crowd began to assemble and became increasingly rowdy. Since Boston had been a powder keg for some time, the nervous British soldiers fired their weapons and five men eventually died from wounds inflicted there. Patriot activists used this incident to arouse public support for their cause and distributed copies of Paul Revere's famous engraving of the 'massacre.' Although the engraving was factually inaccurate, it was a propaganda success and helped push the colonies closer to rebellion.

From there, we crossed the street to the Old State House, circa 1657. It was first called the Town House and then City Hall, but in time became known as the State House of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The Declaration of Independence was first read from its balcony and it stood on the site of Puritan stockades and Boston's first trading floor. A little farther down the street we stopped to see Faneuil Hall, built by Peter Faneuil as the city's first market. It quickly proved to be too small, so by 1805 it had to be expanded.

We were all getting a little weary at this point, and more than a little hungry, so we stopped to grab some lunch before we continued our sightseeing. The boys talked nonstop about some of the places we had visited and confessed they could almost imagine what it must have been like to live here at the start of the American Revolution. Although the areas around these places had changed greatly, once you focused solely upon the historic structures, everything else began to fade and you could almost forget that centuries had passed. After about an hour breather, we resumed our trek, knowing there were only a handful of places left to see.

Our first stop after the break was Paul Revere's House, which was already 90 years old when the 35 year-old Revere purchased it in 1770. However, over the years the house has been modified several times, to serve as a store and a candle factory, before it was restored to what the restorers hoped was a realistic interpretation of how it might have appeared in colonial times. Little of the original dwelling actually remains, but it provides an idea of what the early residences might have been like.

After walking a few more blocks, we came to the Old North Church, technically called Christ Church. This is the oldest standing church in Boston and the old Georgian styled steeple was the setting for the lantern lightings mentioned in the phrase, 'one if by land, two if by sea." In fact, each year, about mid-April, there is a 'Lighting of the Lanterns' ceremony held to commemorate Paul Revere and William Dawes ride to Lexington, to warn 'the Red Coats are coming, the Red Coats are coming.'

We also did a quick walk around Copp's Hill Burying Ground, first used in 1660 and named for William Copp, a shoemaker who once had a house on the spot. Among the notables buried there are Cotton Mather, a Boston minister who determined witchcraft was the basis for the problems in Salem, and Edward Hartt, who built the USS Constitution. From there, it was quite a long walk to the place where the USS Constitution was on display, but we continued on. The boys soon learned the ship was nicknamed 'Old Ironsides" during the War of 1812, when shot after shot bounced off her hull.

The final stop of this simple tour was at the Bunker Hill Monument. It opened in 1842 and commemorates the first time a unified colonial army took the field against the British Army. The 221-foot granite obelisk actually sits on Breed's Hill, where most of the fighting took place, and marks the first major battle of the American Revolution. We climbed to the top of this monument, to take in the amazing view, but this concluded our brief trip through history. We realized it was time to go back to the hotel, so we could get ready for the banquet.

We flagged down a taxi, since we preferred to ride back to the hotel, instead of walking that far again. Once we arrived there, we went up to our room and showered, before taking a brief rest. When we woke up, we put on our suits and did the other things necessary to get ready to attend the banquet.

This affair was very similar to the one we had attended in Pennsylvania, although the setting was more elegant and there was a distinct feeling this was more of an honor than before. This was clearly evident as we wandered around the room to look at the artwork and read the various writing selections. The level of achievement was much higher here and the displays were much more impressive than before. I could only imagine what the national banquet would be like.

Eventually, we sat down to listen to the opening comments and then the food was served. It was delicious. This time I had ordered beef, which turned out to be prime rib, while the boys had ordered chicken again. This time, however, it turned out to be Chicken Cordon Bleu, but the boys loved it.

Following dinner, the winners were announced and the plaques presented. I couldn't have been more proud of Trey than I was the moment his name was called and he went up to receive his award. He, like all of the other winners, received a very nice ovation from the crowd, but we gave him a special congratulatory response, once he returned to our table.

When it came time for the keynote speaker, we learned tonight's address was to be given by a very distinguished college professor. He began by going over the benefits of what a good education could do for a person and then congratulated the winners on taking advantage of their opportunities. Finally, he challenged them to continue to build upon the impressive talents they had already displayed and use them to not only improve themselves, but also the world they lived in. Looking around the room, I could tell each of these young persons seemed to be taking his challenge seriously and were making a silent commitment to do as he suggested.

After the banquet ended, we stayed for a while longer, so we could talk to some of the other winners and their parents. We were amazed by the diverse backgrounds they came from, as some attended inner-city schools, while others came from wealthy suburban districts. Their families ran the gamut of the social-economic spectrum too. Although the majority of the students seemed to come from professional homes, I was more impressed by those who had risen above their background and went on to achieve at levels unknown to their families and communities. They were truly the success stories here.

After spending an additional hour talking, we returned to our hotel, but I told the boys I was going to visit the hotel bar for a while. I did this to give them some time to be alone and told them I'd return no sooner than an hour, so they would understand they'd have some time to themselves. I think they appreciated this gesture of recognizing their need for privacy and intimacy, because they both hugged me before they sped up to the room. As they disappeared in the direction of the elevators, I went into the bar and ordered a drink. There was a piano player there and he was quite good, so I sat down on a stool, sipped my drink and enjoyed the soothing songs he was playing.

I actually stayed at the bar a little longer than I told the boys I would, to make sure they had enough time to themselves. Besides, the music was good, the drink prices were reasonable and I actually lost track of time. When I went back, the boys were cuddled up together and sound asleep, so I slipped quietly into my own bed, ready to cut a few z's of my own.

The next morning, we got up, dressed and packed our bags, before we went down for breakfast. After we finished eating, we went back to our room, grabbed our luggage, checked out and then took the shuttle to the airport. A couple of hours later, we were in the air and on our way back to Pennsylvania.

It was a short, uneventful flight, and once we landed, I made a quick call to Jake to let him know we'd be back shortly. After hanging up, we made our way to where we'd parked the Grand Am, loaded our things inside and took off for home.

When we pulled into the driveway, a short time later, it almost looked as if no one was there. The van and the Suburban were parked out front, but we saw no signs of life, which was highly unusual for our place, especially since they knew we'd be there by now. Confused, we grabbed our things, walked up to the door, slowly opened it and went inside. There wasn't a sound in the house – that is until people jumped out from all directions and screamed, "Surprise!"

The three of us jumped when this happened, and my heart skipped a few beats, but I should have suspected they would do something special for Trey's triumphant return. Once again the whole extended family was there, including the Shays, the Spences, Aunt Sally and the Beckers.

There was also a pile of congratulatory cards and letters stacked up on the phone stand. Although some were from those in attendance, others were from family members who couldn't make it and the rest were from friends, including a huge stack from teachers who had had Trey in one of their classes. It was all very nice and meant a great deal to Trey, who couldn't wait to show everyone his new plaque. After he went around doing that, we sat down and chatted for a while, before enjoying another very nice meal. Everyone had brought a very large dish or two to pass, while Jake and the boys fixed everything else, and there was more than enough to go around. We topped that off with a piece of Trey's congratulatory cake, which Jake had ordered while we were gone.

We spent another hour or so after we ate just sitting, talking and answering questions about our brief stay in Boston. This seemed to really interest Vinnie, since he had grown up in the Boston area and recalled having visited some of the places we stopped at along the Freedom Trail. He had a few questions to ask and observations to make as we talked about the trip, but I didn't allow this to go on for very long. I didn't want to bore the others with this one-sided give and take, so I switched to discuss other topics, mostly current events. When the party broke up and everyone went home, the three of us went up and unpacked our things, so we'd be geared up to return to school.

The next week brought a couple more surprises for us and the first one wasn't very pleasant. It was a letter from our insurance company that let me know I would have to drop Vinnie from the family auto insurance policy or my coverage would be canceled. I called my agent, as soon as I could, and he explained it was standard practice with a new driver, if the claim was over a certain amount. Seeing the 4Runner had been totaled, it was definitely over the limit.

My agent then informed me I could put Vinnie on his own policy, but warned that option would be expensive, because of Vinnie's age and driving record. I told him to go ahead and remove Vinnie from the policy for now and I'd get back to him about how I wanted to handle this on a permanent basis. I had other considerations to take into account, before I would make that determination.

What I was actually thinking was that I was going to check with some other insurance companies, to see what they could do for us. I wasn't happy that I've been paying sizable premiums to this company for many years, and now that we've had a claim, they wanted me to remove one of the boys or cancel my policy. What the hell did they think I was paying them all this time for, my health? I wasn't just donating to their surplus, and now that we have a reason to collect, I don't see the justification for what they were doing.

I would call around and get some quotes from other insurance companies. I'd explain our situation first, and then inquire if their company would have done the same thing. I'm so mad about this at the moment that I might just dump this company out of spite, as I don't wish to give them another penny of my money for this type of service. I'm tired of companies that have their hands out, happy to accept your premiums and promise you coverage in return, but the first time you need to collect, they want to drop you faster than you would release a hot dish you'd just taken out of the microwave or oven. That's not my idea of the type of company I wish to deal with.

Later that week, we also learned that Andrew's drawings, the ones of Cody and the house, had won ribbons at the art fair. The ribbons were awarded based on age groupings, and Andrew's entries had won in the pencil drawing and watercolor categories. We were all thrilled for Andrew, especially Cody, who wasn't hesitant to inform anyone that would listen that Andrew won because he had the best model.

"See, I told you you'd win, because you drew the picture of me," he told Andrew, tongue in cheek.

"How can that be, cuz I won for the picture of the house too?" Andrew challenged, trying to get the upper hand.

"That's easy," Cody replied. "The judges knew I was inside the house too, so they gave you a prize for both." After he told him that, Cody punched Andrew lightly in the shoulder, to let him know he was only teasing. However, Andrew wasn't about to take this, without making a retort of his own.

"Then next year I'll draw a picture of some really old, shriveled up person, and I bet I'll win a prize for that one too, just to show you my winning had nothing to do with you."

Andrew was smiling as he said this, and then he punched Cody's shoulder, to emphasize his point. This good-natured ribbing went on a while longer, before the boys wrapped their arms over each other's shoulders and went outside, to do what, I don't know. However, I think they had gotten closer over this experience, even if Andrew had worried about having drawn the picture in the first place.

Chapter 33
A Few More Precious Memories

A few days after we discovered Andrew had won ribbons for his artwork, we received more good news. I was advised through one of my contacts that Sammy's essay on history had qualified him to be one of the students chosen to participate in a very special camp. There were only sixty students selected from throughout the region and they would attend the camp in early May, instead of going to their regular classes.

Although I never did figure out whether Sammy was motivated by Trey and Dion's success or if he had entered this contest so Andrew wouldn't upstage him, it didn't really matter. Sammy had qualified to go and this became his turn to shine. What impressed me even more about his success was the fact that nearly every freshman history student in the area had written an essay for this contest, but only sixty were chosen. This meant the winners represented less than 5% of those who entered, so I was extremely proud of Sammy's accomplishment.

Thinking about all the boys' recent accolades, it reminded me of a phrase the first President Bush had used. He referred to outstanding Americans as 'points of light' illuminating America's future. I've learned over the past months and years that I have several points of light of my own, brightening my life and preparing to make their own unique impact in this world. I consider myself a very fortunate guy.

As May approached, not only did we have Sammy's camp looming before us, but there were also several graduations coming up and Peter's arrival as well. The first event would be Mark's graduation and we'd all be going to see him get his degree. After that, Frankie would graduate next, with a degree in criminal justice from his two-year college. At nearly the same time, Dustin would be graduating from his community college with a degree in Business Administration. He was planning on looking for a job in HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) afterward and then he hoped to start his own business, once he had enough experience.

Peter had expressed a desire to arrive from Australia a few days before the high school graduation ceremony and I was looking forward to finally meeting him in person. While making arrangements for his trip, however, we ran into a hitch. There was a minor problem with Peter getting his passport, with the appropriate visas, in time to make it for the ceremony. Unfortunately, due to these problems it turned out he wouldn't be able to be there for Ricky's graduation.

Peter and Ricky were a little disappointed, but this was beyond our control. I told Peter I'd videotape the graduation for him, so he could see it later, but I knew it wouldn't be quite the way he wanted to experience it. However, he took it in stride and agreed that would be fine.

Not only would Ricky be graduating from high school, but Pat and Jay would also be getting their diplomas at the same time. Even though Jay is technically not part of our family, he is included in nearly all of our activities and is like another son/brother to each of us. Therefore, we weren't about to leave him out of this celebration, and his parents would be included too.

Before any of these events took place, the history camp would be held. The information packet Sammy had been given explained it would be an archaeological adventure, mixed with the opportunity to experience activities from the past. It sounded interesting, at least from my perspective, so I hoped Sammy would find it equally intriguing.

The winners met at a central location and were bused to the campsite. Once they arrived, they were split into smaller groups, of ten each, and would stay in these groups most of the time. There were a variety of activities planned and the students would spend half a day experiencing each one. Occasionally, the groups would join together for some larger activities, but most of the learning would be done in the smaller combinations.

Sammy told me later about the things they did, so I'll try to relate them to you. This way you'll be able to appreciate his experience too. The archaeological site wasn't really a dig, but merely a chance to locate and discuss various items. A college professor and a couple of his graduate students were in charge and had 'seeded' the site with artifacts the students could discover. All of these artifacts were from a previous period in our history and were selected to explore various topics and stimulate further discussion and investigation.

Once the students 'discovered' these items, the instructor would initiate a discussion about what the objects might be, what they could have been used for, how they were handled and who might have required such an item. The groups also studied the layout of the site and made conjectures about why they had found these items where they did.

The area had been 'seeded' with a variety of interesting artifacts, which included square nails, a blacksmith's tools, a worn out sickle, a pitchfork, a pickaxe, an old metal flatiron (the type you would heat on a stove), a washboard, a two-man hand saw, an axe, a hatchet and some chisels. In addition to the tools, there were pieces of old pottery, dishes, utensils and an assortment of bottles, made of various colored glass. Some of the bottles were blue, others green, a few were amber and the rest either brown or clear. They also came in a variety of sizes and shapes.

Once the students located and identified the items, they would discuss what they were used for. For example, when looking at the bottles, they would try to determine whether these items might have contained medicines, perfumes or beverages. Then, they would try to determine the reason for using colored glass, instead of clear glass. The discussion would include such ideas as whether it was done to prevent sunlight from affecting the composition of the materials contained within the bottles, merely for aesthetic purposes or if it was for some other reason.

After discussing the uses of the various items, the students were then asked to imagine how difficult even simple tasks must have been to perform during those times. Realizing everything was done by hand, the students came to understand there were many steps required to complete tasks, such as doing the laundry, making a meal or heating your home in the winter. It wasn't quite as simple as today, where you pop the clothes into the washing machine, buy your food at a store and then prepare it using a stove or microwave, or turning up the thermostat, if the house became too chilly.

Not only were more steps required, but the tools they used to complete these tasks were also more primitive and more difficult to regulate. For example, it was nearly impossible to keep a constant temperature while cooking over an open fire, even one contained in a wood stove. Only the wealthy could afford to have others do these things for them, so most people had to figure it out for themselves or in cooperation with groups of others. I think over time, the participants slowly began to comprehend how different and difficult life was in the past.

The students were then asked to try to figure out the layout of the home, by studying the foundation and considering the items found in various locations. Once they had the house mapped out, they were asked to determine what the other, smaller foundations might have been used for. After this was settled, they would discuss the use of these smaller buildings.

It was difficult for many of the students to envision the lack of indoor plumbing and, hence, the need for an outhouse or a spring to supply clean water. They were so used to having all the water they needed and several toilets to select from when nature called, so the need for these articles was totally foreign to them. Having just a single spring, from which you would use a bucket to draw the water, before lugging it back to the house, or a single, wood outhouse, sometimes complete with splinters, seemed totally incomprehensible.

Once the students understood the use of these buildings, they were then informed about how it would be decided where they would have been located. After learning the outhouse was only roughly similar to a porta-potty, it was explained it would have been located far enough from the house so the smell wouldn't drift back into the living quarters and placed so the rains wouldn't carry the waste material toward their water supply.

After this had been explored, the group would talk about how often the outhouse would have been moved, since it would eventually fill up. They would also learn what would be done before the hole was filled in, to keep the material from contaminating other areas. They also learned that some of the wealthier families might have a 'two-holer,' with one side being for the ladies and the other for the men.

"When excavating such a site," the grad-student began, "how could we determine which side the women used and which was for the men?"

"You mean we'll have to dig in that crap?" one student shouted, alarmed.

"No, this is hypothetical," he assured him. "But if we did, how would we decide which side was for whom?"

"They all crap the same, don't they?" another student joked.

"Yes, and this doesn't have to do with bodily functions," the grad-student responded, mildly annoyed. "Think of something else they might have done in there, like some students might do in the lavatories at school."

"They smoked weed in there?" another commented, without thinking first. This caused many of the others to break out laughing.

"Not weed, but they might have smoked in there," the instructor replied, amused. "Many of the women would have refused to let the men smoke in the house, since the smell would have attached itself to nearly everything and yellowed both fabric and paint."

"So we'd look for cigarette butts?" a girl asked.

"Not cigarettes," the grad-student told him, "but they did smoke in the outhouse."

"So we look for pipes?" another girl inquired.

"Not pipes either," he replied.

"Cigars?" someone else volunteered, timidly.

"Not exactly, but close enough," their instructor replied, encouraged they had finally gotten this far. "The cigars would have been wrapped in a protective coating and that would have been found on the men's side of the outhouse."

Now that this was settled, the grad-student explained what the occupants of the house might have done at night, rather than venture out to use the outhouse in the dark.

"The people who lived there would have used chamber pots for this purpose," he told them. "The pots would have been either ceramic or enamel coated metal. The closest thing you might know to these would be the stainless steel bedpans used in hospitals. There would have been a chamber pot in every room, usually kept under the bed, and they would have had to be emptied each morning."

"Yuck! They pee and poop in those at night and then have to clean them out the next morning," one disgusted girl commented.

"Basically, but they would primarily be used to urinate, not defecate," the instructor informed them.

"I guess that means they'd only pee and not crap in the chamber pot," another student added, in an attempt to clarify the terms the college student had used.

"It's still gross," someone else observed, before this discussion ended.

Even though the topic didn't go as smoothly as planned, the students still found it informative and began to better appreciate the advantages they now enjoyed.

At the teaching locations away from the main facility, there were outhouses provided for the students to use, when the need arose. Of course, toilet paper was also supplied, so no one had to resort to using newspapers, magazines or sponges, as people living in an earlier era might have done.

In another class, the students were given the opportunity to card wool, which would have been required to provide the yarn used to make clothing and other fabric. The carding was accomplished by drawing the raw wool between two small paddles, which had thistles or little metal teeth imbedded in them. The wool was pulled between these paddles to straighten and separate the fibers, thus drawing them into strands. The strands were then spun together into yarn, by using a spinning wheel.

"Didn't Sleeping Beauty prick her finger on one of those things and then fell asleep for a hundred years?" someone observed.

"It was the spindle on a spinning wheel, but that was total fantasy," the instructor observed. "It never really happened."

After having a chance to try their hand at carding the wool and then an opportunity to spin it into yarn, the students were also given a chance to use an old-fashion loom, to weave the yarn into fabric. After they had done this, they were then shown several examples of the rough, homespun fabrics that might have been used to make their clothing, had they lived during that time period. Sammy was given a chance to take off his shirt and try on a homespun garment, along with a few others.

"This is scratchy," Sammy observed. "It sure doesn't feel as soft as my undershirt."

"Yeah, it makes me itch," anther boy added.

"I can't imagine only wearing clothes made from this stuff," Sammy stated. "I guess I would have stuck to clothes made from animal hides."

This led to a conversation about what other things might have been used to make clothing, including various plant material. In the end, I think everyone was pleased his or her clothes weren't as uncomfortable to wear.

At another site, the students were given the opportunity to make candles, under the supervision of a graduate assistant. After explaining how candles would be made from tallow (animal fat), beeswax or, later, paraffin (a byproduct of crude oil), he showed them how to use paraffin to make their own candles. They used a variety of molds and were shown how to attach the wicks. The candles would have been useless without the wicks, so they theorized what materials might have been used for this purpose. Later, they were given a chance to add color to the wax, if they so desired, by adding pieces of crayon. However, they then conjectured what substances might have been used to add color, prior to modern times.

The students were also given an opportunity to start a fire in an old wood stove. This would be used to heat the wax needed to make the candles. They were allowed to use wooden matches, but they had to ignite the tinder first and then later get a blaze going with the firewood.

In another area, the students got a chance to try washing clothes, by using a large washtub, a washboard and a bar of Fels-naptha laundry soap. They had to pump their own water first, using an old-fashioned hand pump, and they discovered how much more difficult this was than just turning on a faucet.

"Did the women have to pump the water or did the men do it for them?" one girl wanted to know.

"They usually did it for themselves," they were told.

"But it made my arms hurt," the girl replied.

"Well, the women from that era would have been pretty fit and used to doing physical labor," he explained, but it only seemed to infuriate the girl.

"I'm pretty fit too," she snapped back. "I'm a cheerleader and we do lots of lifts and stuff."

"That may be true," he agreed, "but it isn't the same as pumping water, using a washboard, scrubbing floors by hand, carrying water, helping with farm chores and other things of that nature." This seemed to let the steam out of her argument, so the girl allowed the matter to drop.

After washing a few items, they got a chance to iron some other fabric, using an old flatiron. After it was heated on the woodstove, they had to retrieve it carefully, so they didn't get burned. They would wrap a folded piece of cloth around the handle to do this, sometimes wetting it first, before using the iron on the fabric.

"Man, this is heavy," one girl commented. "Way heavier than our iron at home."

"That's because this one is mostly metal, not plastic, like the one you use," he explained. "Keep moving the iron or you'll scorch the cloth," he advised, when he saw her let the iron rest momentarily, as she talked.

"Okay, okay. I get the point," she responded, and then hurriedly began ironing again.

At another site they were given the chance to churn butter, using an old wooden butter churn, but they discussed the whole process of making butter before they started. They talked about milking the cow by hand and separating the cream from the milk, before they could churn the cream into butter.

"Man, they had to do this just to have some butter," the boy doing the work asked. "I think I would have used jelly or something else."

"Making jelly was just as much work," he was informed, "but I guess you could have collected honey, if you didn't mind getting stung once in a while."

"Dang, lifting this churn up and down is harder than it looks and my arms are beginning to burn," the boy continued. "I don't even work this hard practicing for sports."

"And the women and children would be mainly responsible for this getting done," he advised them, which elicited a bunch of shocked expressions.

While at this location, the students also got an opportunity to see how a smokehouse was used to cure meat. Part of the ensuing discussion was about which types of wood worked best for this purpose and, of course, someone said hickory, because he remembered hearing about hickory-smoked ham. The group also talked about other ways to preserve food, such as using salt, before the advent of refrigeration.

Another location gave them the chance to chop wood, using just an axe or hatchet. This was done to show each group how they would get material to construct a house or build furniture.

"I did this on a camping trip once," one boy observed, "but I wouldn't want to have to do it to get enough wood to build a house or heat it all winter long."

Once they chopped down a few small trees and removed some dead limbs from others, the students were shown how to split the wood they would need for cooking or heating their home during the cold winter months. Once the wood was cut, the students were then shown how they could use an axe to split it into smaller pieces, which would burn better. They were also shown how splitting wedges and sledgehammers could be used for this purpose, instead of just an axe.

"Man, you'd really have muscles if you did this for very long," one young man observed.

"That's why many of our forefathers were so powerful and fit," the instructor replied.

At still another area, the students were allowed to use two-man and one-man handsaws, rasps, chisels and other handheld woodworking tools, to give them a chance to see what it would have been like to make the furniture for their home. After cutting the wood to the right length, they were given a chance to smooth and shape it, before the final assembly. The students were also shown a variety of items they might have built, if given the time, from simple tables and benches to stools and chairs. They were also shown a few bed frames and instructed as to how ropes would have been used to supply the tautness to support the mattress, instead of using bedsprings.

"Is a bed made like that really comfortable?" one of the students wanted to know.

"Maybe not as comfortable as what you're used to," the instructor told them, "but they were pretty good at the time."

At the final site, each group was given a chance to prepare a meal, but to do this they had to work with adults and make everything from scratch. They made soup using raw vegetables they'd picked from the garden and cut up themselves, and they used water they had carried in from the manual pump in front of the building. Once all of this had been placed in a huge iron pot, they let it heat up on top of the woodstove.

The students also made bread dough and added yeast to make it rise. Of course, this process would take time, so the dough they worked on was switched out with another bowl of dough, which had been started in advance. The students then baked this previously prepared dough to make bread, which they would use later to make sandwiches. Of course there were no cold cuts, so they would have to use meat the staff had cooked and cut up beforehand.

When the group had finished these chores, they made a pudding for dessert. It was not from a box mix, like they might do at home, but something they had to put together from scratch. Once the pudding had been whipped together, the students would cook it on the woodstove and then let it set. When their next mealtime rolled around, the group ate the food they had just fixed and bypassed the meal prepared by the staff for the others.

"Dang, it would have taken all day just to fix dinner," one student noted.

"Yes, meals did take a long time to prepare," he was told.

"Wow, that must have been a pain when you were hungry," he observed. "I guess you had to eat a lot of fruits and vegetable back then, huh?"

"Well, you could go out and pick what you'd planted or was growing nearby, so there wouldn't be as much waiting," the grad-assistant teased.

Sammy told me later that the camp was fun and he learned a great deal, but he was glad he didn't live back then, because everything was too much work. He said he found out the children had to do a share of the work and many didn't get a chance to go to school because they had to do so much work at home. If they did get an education, it only happened when there wasn't a lot of work to be done, like during the winter months.

Sammy also informed me that with only candles and lanterns to use for light, it was hard to do much at night, so everyone went to bed early and got up early. He then went on to say doing that would certainly not be to the liking of modern teens, because they like to stay up late and then sleep late.

"Yes, I remember what it was like back then and it's a miracle I survived growing up that way," I joked, but Sammy didn't catch on to the fact that I was teasing him.

"You mean you had to use candles and lanterns too?" he asked.

"Heck, yes. I was in college before Edison invented the light bulb," I added, but I guess this bit of information gave me away.

"Oh, dad, Edison's been dead for ages and you're not that old," he countered. "Close, but not QUITE that old," he teased back.

After we finished our humorous banter, I discovered something else. No matter how much Sammy learned or how much he enjoyed being at camp, it was not the most memorable part of the trip. That happened on the way home.

Sammy was riding in the second bus and sitting in the third seat on the right, when one of the kids in the front seat screamed something was wrong with their bus driver. Sammy was sitting on the aisle, so he looked up and saw the driver slumped over the wheel, but the bus was still traveling down the highway.

Sammy and another boy reacted immediately and sprinted next to the driver. When they reached him and realized he was unconscious, they also noted his foot was still on the gas. Fortunately the bus was on a straight stretch of highway at the time, but the boys could see they were approaching a curve up ahead. Knowing he would have to act quickly, Sammy pulled the driver's foot off the gas pedal, stretched his own leg across the bus driver's leg and pressed on the brake. It took several seconds before the bus began to slow down, but Sammy didn't bring it to a complete stop.

While he was stepping on the brake, Sammy told the other boy to have the kids in the seat behind the driver grab the bus driver's clothes and pull him upright. They needed to get his weight off the steering wheel, so Sammy could use it. Once the others had accomplished this task, Sammy worked the gas and steering wheel, so he could guide the bus off the road and onto the shoulder. Once the bus was off the highway, Sammy used the brake again, to bring the bus to rest, and then he took it out of gear and turned off the ignition. Sammy and the other boy had managed to get themselves and the others safely out of harm's way.

The other bus driver hadn't noticed anything amiss and continued on. However, a short time later, he realized the second bus was no longer behind him, so he pulled off the highway and turned his bus around. He thought the other bus might have broken down, so he went back to see if he could help.

By the time he spotted the missing bus, Sammy had already had one of the other kids flag down a passing motorist, to call for help. Luckily the driver that stopped had a cell phone and dialed 911 for help. When the other bus arrived, the motorist and the other bus driver went to see if there was anything they could do to help the unconscious driver.

It turned out Sammy's driver had passed out due to a low blood sugar level, but he wasn't even aware he was diabetic. When the ambulance got there, they revived him and took him to the hospital for observation, before he was released. However, before that happened, another driver arrived to take the bus the rest of the way home and the person who brought him waited at the hospital, so he could take the other driver back too.

After seeing how Sammy had handled himself in this situation, I guess it was fortuitous some of my older boys had been giving their younger brothers driving lessons, but without my knowledge. Even though it had helped to save the day, it was something I thought I should address, once the hoopla from this event died down. I certainly didn't think encouraging underage driving was such a good idea and I certainly didn't want my other drivers teaching the rest. I wanted to handle those chores, to make certain nothing was omitted and the proper skills and rules were emphasized.

All in all, I was grateful things had worked out the way they did. Sammy not only had a good time at the camp and learned a lot in the process, but he and the other boy were now hailed as heroes. The two boys received quite a bit of attention, because of what they had done, and not only did the local newspapers write it up, but the story also appeared as a footnote on some of the national newscasts.

Both boys were given special recognition at their schools too and several parents sent letters or cards expressing their gratitude for the pair's quick thinking. It was highly probable they had saved many lives, due to their actions. I guess it was just another shining moment, in the midst of my many glimmering stars.

Chapter 34
Pomp and Circumstance

The next event on our calendar was Mark's graduation, which was to take place the second weekend in May. I arranged for his mother's plane ticket and told her we'd meet her there, because I knew she'd have trouble financing such a trip on her own. Her money situation, although improved, was still not good enough to cover such a monetary output, so I offered to do it for her.

I had originally planned on bringing the family with me, but changed my mind for a couple of reasons. First of all, Cody's oncologist suggested it might not be such a good idea for Cody to make this trip. His immune system wasn't very strong yet and exposing him to so many new people, and possibly different viruses and bacteria, might be too much for his body to deal with. Besides, such a trip would be exhausting for him and being fatigued would increase his risk of a setback.

In addition to this, the boys were in the final two weeks of the school year, which meant they had projects to finish and finals to study for. I didn't think taking them away at this time would be such a good idea, since I didn't want them getting behind at this late date.

I still wanted Jake to go with me and we'd leave someone else in charge while we were gone, but he argued it would be best for him to stay with Cody and the other boys. He insisted Cody needed one of us, but then went on to urge me to go with Mark. He said he'd take care of things at home. Even though I also considered not going, Jake wouldn't hear of it. He reminded me I was the guy Mark was most attached to and thought of as a father figure. Jake then explained Mark would be devastated if I didn't attend and I could only concede he was probably correct. In the end, I was the only one to accompany Mark to his graduation, although we were still going to meet up with his mother there.

Mark told me later he actually preferred it this way, because it made him feel as if it were just his dad and him making their way to the ceremony. Since his mother was going to be there too, he admitted it would also be as if he had two parents with him, so he'd no longer feel so different from the other graduates. Even though Mark is now an adult and graduating from college, the pain and disappointment associated with growing up without a father has never seemed to have left him. For that reason, I was glad I could at least serve as a substitute on this occasion and ease some of the hurt he had borne for so many years.

My role in this would be small, but I was happy to do my part. Mark's mother had been his rock and entire world for most of his life, so my importance would most likely end, once she joined us. I wasn't jealous and didn't regret what I felt would happen, because that was the way it should be. I was still willing to be there for him, but I wasn't going to interfere. I would defer to the wonderful lady who had raised this fine young man.

Mark was very talkative on the plane and told me several things I doubt he had ever shared with anyone else before. Even though he remembered next to nothing about his father, he did have many strong emotions still tied to those early years, when he and his mother were on their own. He informed me how they had struggled to survive after his father left, because his mother didn't have many skills. For that reason, she had to accept very low-paying jobs just to cover the rent and have enough left over to buy food.

She would then work a second low-paying job to make enough money to provide what clothing they had to wear and pay the utilities and other bills. Mark was a little embarrassed as he explained how their church helped them get other things, including the few simple luxuries they were able to enjoy.

Mark also confided to me that their pastor brought them a Christmas basket for several years, just to make certain they wouldn't have to suffer through the holidays without something special to look forward to. This basket would contain food for their Christmas dinner, a few sweets, a little something for Mark's mother and some sort of a game or toy for him. He said they always appreciated the gift basket, but as he grew older, Mark found it harder to accept such a handout.

As soon as he was old enough to work, Mark started taking jobs mowing lawns, raking leaves, babysitting, running errands and eventually delivering newspapers. He then offered the money he made to his mother, to make things easier for her, but she wouldn't accept it from him. Even though he felt bad when his offer was rejected, he did understand why his mother wouldn't accept his earnings and came up with another way to do the same thing. From that point on, he began buying many of his own things, so his mother wouldn't have to.

Mark bought his own clothing, school supplies and whatever else he might want, without getting carried away. He felt if he did this, his mother could use the money she would have spent on him to purchase things for herself. He told me he didn't think his mother ever did that though and, instead, saved the money up, so she could buy him more for his birthdays or on the holidays.

He explained that as he grew older and progressed to the middle school grades, his mother began to take courses at a two-year college. While he was in high school, she graduated from college and received her two-year degree. At that point, she was able to secure a much better paying job, although she still continued to work two jobs. She did this so she could put money away for Mark to use for college. She emphasized many times that the key to his success and future would be a good education, so he worked hard in high school, and then at college, so he could repay his mother for all her sacrifices.

During those more plentiful years, Mark continued to work, but would save all his money and add it to his college fund. When it was time for him to attend college, he used that money, combined with what financial aid he was able to secure, loans he took out and the money he made by working part time jobs to pay for his tuition, room and board. His mother still continued to send him money, to help cover the costs of books and other expenses that would pop up, and now he was looking forward to doing something special to repay her for all she did for him.

At this point, I began to question him about her, so I could discover what type of work she did, what she was like and get an idea whether or not she might be willing to relocate. He wasn't willing to commit when I asked if she'd be willing to move, even though we had talked about this before. I wasn't sure of his reasons, but felt I had to explore it further.

I explained to him that since he was working in Pennsylvania and didn't plan on returning to the area where he grew up, I wondered if she might be willing to move closer to him. That way, they could still be together and he could help take care of her. They'd also be able to see each other on a regular basis, without him having to find another job. After talking this over, he agreed it was a wonderful idea and admitted he had discussed it with her after I first mentioned it. At that time, she told him she was afraid he'd end up leaving this area too, which would leave her abandoned in a strange community, with no friends.

He promised he'd bring it up to her again, once the graduation ceremony was over, and thanked me for reminding him. He admitted it was something he might not have thought about, with everything else going on, but felt this would be the perfect opportunity to do it. She would be able to get to know me and we could both tell her about the family and the area. He might even be able to talk her into joining us for the holidays, so she would have a chance to become familiar with everyone and everything. He said he'd start saving for her plane ticket and I told him I'd help too, if we got her to agree. He promised he'd take care of that, so we moved on to other topics.

Mark then went back to telling me about his burning desire to have a father he could do things with, especially when he was younger. When he was little, he longed to play catch with his dad, go places with him or just have his father show him some affection. He said for years it hurt because he didn't have anyone to fill the role, so he would often lie in bed at night and wonder what he had done to make his father leave.

He then confided to me that just when he thought he was over thinking about such things, I came along and fulfilled some of his dreams. He confirmed that after we met, he would tell his friends about me when they asked him about his father and he fantasized I had been there for him all of his life. He told me he knew it was a childish thing to do, even though I tried to reassure him it was not. I explained many people fantasize about various things in their lives, especially when it's to lessen painful memories, and if it helped, so much the better. Mark also confessed that thinking of me in this way made him finally feel like he belonged somewhere and it also felt good to believe he had a father he could count on.

He told me he hoped I didn't mind him doing this, so I told him, if anything, I was flattered. I assured him he could feel free to use me as his surrogate father and I'd love to help him any way I could. He informed me that just coming to the graduation with him and arranging the ticket for his mother was more than enough. He explained she had been using all her extra money to help pay for his education, so it was still rough for her financially. Even though it would have been tough, he knew his mother would have scraped the money together somehow, so she could be there when he graduated. Since I purchased her ticket, she could still be there, but it wouldn't cause her any financial hardship.

Mark also explained the best part about it was, since the ticket came from me, she didn't dare refuse it. She had told Mark she didn't want to risk the chance of offending me by refusing my offer; especially after all I'd done for him, like helping him get a good job. I laughed at the fact that I had inadvertently intimidated his mother and then confirmed I've always been glad to help in whatever way I could. I told him I would be doing more for him in the future and then Mark surprised me by giving me a hug and whispering in my ear.

"Thanks, Dad. You're actually better than I ever dreamed you'd be."

I was deeply touched by his comment, and after a few tearful moments together, we settled back to enjoy the rest of the trip. When we arrived at the airport, I picked up the keys to the rental car and then we waited for his mother to arrive. Her plane was scheduled to touch down about forty-five minutes after ours, so we decided it would be best if we waited there for her, rather than wander off.

During the interim, I took Mark to have a beer with me. It was sort of a congratulatory drink, but it was also meant to help him settle down. Between his upcoming graduation and seeing his mother again, he was pacing about like an expectant father and exhibited the nerves of a bridegroom waiting for the wedding to begin. Seeing there was still more time before his mother arrived, we had a second drink, but kept our eyes on the arrival-departure screen, as we wanted to know the exact moment her plane landed.

Mark was actually the one who saw the screen change, denoting his mother's plane had touched down, so we rushed to the luggage area to meet her. Once he spotted her, Mark ran over and began to hug and kiss her, before he lifted her off the ground and swung her around, like some sort of dance move. When he finished his excited greeting, he set her down again and dragged her over to meet me. Although I knew he'd do that, I was surprised by what he said. "Mom, I'd like you to meet my new dad, Josh Currie. And, Dad, this is my mom, Susan Williams."

The two of us looked awkwardly at each other for a few seconds and then she broke the silence. "It's Sue, and I'm glad Mark has finally found someone he can trust and rely on as a role model." She smiled at me.

"And I'm Josh, and I'm pleased to meet you too. Thank you for the compliment, but I'm pretty fond of this young man. He's done a tremendous job handling my personal accounts and those of our foundation, and he's also become a valued addition to my family. My boys all think the world of him and it's been a pleasure to have him with us for the past couple of summers."

"Well, I know he's enjoyed it too," she responded, "and I'm glad he's had such a caring family to spend time with."

After we exchanged a little more small talk, Mark picked up his mother's luggage and carried it to the car. We drove over to the hotel first, so we could check in. I'd reserved a room for her and another for Mark and myself, and now I wanted us to be able to go to our rooms and clean up quickly, because I planned on taking them both out to dinner tonight. The graduation ceremony wasn't until the following afternoon, so this would give us time to get to know each other better.

Although Mark's mother was hesitant to let me do this for them, she finally gave in and we went out and had a great time. The restaurant was nice, the food good and the wine delicious, but the company was outstanding.

I let Mark and his mother carry the conversation at first, as he filled her in on everything he'd been doing. He told her about his new girlfriend and then brought up the topic of whether or not she might be willing to move, as it looked like he'd be staying in Pennsylvania. He told her he loved his job, made good money and couldn't see returning home, which caused her to look more than a little sad. After a brief pause, as she took some time to consider his proposition, she finally responded.

"Mark, I've thought about this a great deal since you first mentioned it," she began. "The only thing I have in this world that's important to me is you, so if that is where you plan to live, I'd be happy to live there too. That is, if you want me to live that close to you."

"Want? I need you to be there, so I don't have to worry about you or miss you all the time," he explained. "Once you're there, I'll have my mom and dad in the same place." She glanced at me again when he said this, so I decided it was time for me to say something to Mark about what he had said.

"Mark, I don't think your mother feels comfortable with you referring to me like this. Maybe you should just call me Josh." Now, he looked at me and then at her, but she responded before he had a chance to say anything about my comment.

"It's not that it bothers me, Josh, but I was afraid it might bother you," she explained. "I know how badly Mark has always wanted a father in his life and it always pained me that I couldn't do anything to help him in that respect. I was happy to learn he thought so much of you that he wanted you to fill the void for him, but I needed to be sure it was all right with you too. I didn't want him pressuring you into anything you weren't ready for or didn't want."

"That certainly is not the case here," I replied, in an attempt to reassure her and Mark. "I'm honored he feels this way about me and I couldn't be any prouder of him, even if he were my biological son. I have many adopted sons, as you're probably well aware, but there is always room for one more. I'm very willing, and very happy, to be a surrogate father for him, if that's what he wants and, of course, if it meets with your approval."

"Are you kidding?" she asked, rhetorically. "It's been a secret dream of mine that Mark would find someone to fill this role in his life and ease his pain. I just want to thank you for being there for him."

"It is certainly my pleasure and he's done as much for my family and me, as I could ever do for him," I told her. "No, he's probably done more, but I shall try to make it up to him for that."

At this point, his mother stood up and walked toward me. As I stood, to be polite, she embraced me with every ounce of strength she had and then kissed me on the cheek. When I looked down at her, her eyes were filled with tears, although I knew they were tears of happiness. She thanked me once more, after adding a comment about Mark making an excellent choice. After that we sat and talked a little more, over coffee and dessert, and then I even asked her to dance, since there was a small dance floor and a three-piece band.

I think Mark got a big kick out of this, seeing his mom and dad dancing, and possibly it fulfilled another of his fantasies. All in all, it was a very nice evening. When it was over, we went back to our rooms and turned in for the night, because we had another long day ahead of us tomorrow.

The next day I drove everyone to Mark's graduation. Almost as soon as we got there, he went off to join his class. We watched him as he walked away and noted he looked extremely handsome in his cap and gown. After he left, his mother and I went off to find seats, while trying to select a good vantage point to watch this from. As we sat and waited, we observed the other proud parents enter and make their way to their seats, and this brought back memories of when my older children had graduated from college.

It wasn't much longer before the ceremony began and we both stood and applauded when Mark received his degree. We were both amazed to learn that he had graduated summa cum laude, which meant he had earned the second highest honors one could receive. He hadn't mentioned this fact to either of us or indicated he had done so well, but now we were both bursting at the seams.

We could hardly wait to see him in person and congratulate him, but when he joined us we both gave him hell for not informing us beforehand about receiving honors. Once we had done this, we switched gears and praised him for how well he had done. He responded to our chiding by informing us that he wanted to surprise us and then left it at that, which was typical of Mark.

After enjoying a celebratory meal after the ceremony, we all got our things and headed for the airport to catch our flights. Before we parted ways, we informed Sue to start packing once she got back home, because she'd soon be moving nearer to us. I told her I'd arrange for her to stay with friends, until she had a chance to select a place of her own, and I'd have her things shipped here, at my expense. Once she felt comfortable, we'd help her find a job, which shouldn't be too difficult, considering her field. She was a dental hygienist and there always seemed to be a constant demand for individuals with this training, at least right now. She thanked us both, kissed her son good-bye and then we all headed to the gates our flights would be leaving from.

Although we talked a little more on the flight back, we spent most of our time sleeping. We arrived home Sunday morning, picked up the car from the parking lot and drove the rest of the way. I had already talked to Mark about holding his graduation party the following weekend, in conjunction with Frankie and Dustin's graduations. At first he balked, saying the party should be just for them, since we had already celebrated with his mother. He thought they should receive all the recognition and didn't want to impose on their moment in the spotlight. I told him that was nonsense and the other pair would feel bad, if his accomplishments weren't honored too.

After telling him I'd hold a separate party for him, if he didn't like the idea of a joint party, he started to relent. After I also convinced him Frankie and Dustin wouldn't mind, he finally agreed to let me hold one big party for the three of them. The weekend after that we'd hold another big party for the high school graduates, and I was certain everyone would be fine with this.

Chapter 35
More Graduations

Even though Mark receiving his Bachelor of Science degree might have been more prestigious than Frankie and Dustin earning their two-year degrees, I knew it would probably be Frankie and Dustin's only degrees. For that reason, I wanted to make a big deal out of their success too.

Another reason why I decided to hold one big party for the three of them was because Mark didn't know that many people in our area, at least not people he'd want to invite to something like this. Besides, it would also allow the family to come for just two, instead of three parties. I think it was actually for the best, even though some people would only be able to make it for one of the celebrations, but they would still congratulate everyone at that time.

Fortunately, it turned out that Frankie and Dustin's graduations were not on the same day, even though they were being held on the same weekend. Frankie's graduation would be held on Friday night, while Dustin's would take place on Saturday.

When it came time for Frankie's ceremony, we all went to it, as it was close to home and would only last a couple of hours. Although Frankie wouldn't be graduating with honors, it was still quite an accomplishment for him. School had never been one of his favorite things in life, so I had felt just getting him to graduate from high school was something to be proud of. Frankie had always had to work hard to get through his classes, but he managed to do well, although not outstanding. I was mildly surprised when he first told me about continuing his education, but glad he followed through on this idea.

Knowing his personality and how he applied himself, I realized he would do well in his chosen field, as he was a worker and didn't give up easily. I'm not exactly sure what he is planning to do, now that he had his degree, but I know it will be something to do with law enforcement. I have offered suggestions, trying to help him identify what would be best for him, but I'm sure he'll bring a certain amount of compassion with him to any job, as well as his tenacity.

His ceremony didn't begin until 8:00 Friday evening, so we all went out to dinner together first. I realized many other families might be going there to celebrate as well, so I placed our reservations early, to make sure we didn't get left out. When I reserved our usual room, I also advised the restaurant what the occasion was, so I was only mildly surprised by what they'd done when we arrived. The staff had decorated the dining rooms with the college's colors and placed mortarboard silhouettes and scrolls on the walls. This would honor all the graduates who came there to eat, but there was something more they had done, something specifically for us. When we entered the private dining room, we noticed they had hung a special sign that read, ' A special congratulations to graduate Frank Currie.'

I'm glad the restaurant used Frank, and not Frankie, as he's trying to change his image, now that he's getting older. In fact, the members of the family are the only ones still allowed to call him Frankie, unless the person who uses it doesn't mind a bloody nose or a black eye.

Frankie blushed a bit when his brothers pointed the banner out to him, and of course that was only part of the reason he was blushing. His brothers could be unmerciful at times, especially when they thought they could embarrass one of the others, and this sign was one of those opportunities. Although they were proud of his achievement, they would never pass up a chance to make sport of him.

"Should that be graduate Frank Currie or Officer Frank Currie?" Pat teased.

"It probably should read 'brownnoser' Frank Currie," Ricky responded. "I'm sure that's the only way he could get through some of those classes."

"Hey, that's not fair," Sammy shot back, coming to Frankie's defense. "Frankie isn't dumb. He probably just threatened his professors, telling them he'd beat them up if they didn't pass him."

Frankie knew better than to respond to any of these comments, as that would just encourage his brothers to keep going. Instead, he just smiled, and either nodded or made a slight face at their barbs, to let them know he could take whatever they had to dish out. This seemed to work, since the boys stopped needling him a few minutes later. They were unhappy they couldn't get more of a rise out of him from their witty retorts and didn't want to make it worse by continuing this fruitless effort. Instead, we just sat down and prepared to order.

The dinner went smoothly and everyone enjoyed himself. I was just preparing to ask for the bill when the staff brought out a cake, in Frankie's honor. I looked at Jake, and he shrugged and looked at me, which told me he hadn't ordered this little surprise either. Confused, I signaled the manager and he quickly came over and informed me this was just a little something from the restaurant, to thank us for our continued patronage. I thanked him for their thoughtfulness, and had Frankie thank him too, before we were all served a piece of cake. After we each had a slice, I told the manager to give a piece to the each of the other graduates dining there, from what remained of the cake. He smiled, thanked us and I paid the bill. I also left the staff a nice tip for their efforts.

The ceremony was the typical graduation variety, except Frankie probably had the largest cheering section of anyone there. As he strode up to receive his degree, all his brothers stood up and whistled, cheered and clapped. I thought this might embarrass him again, but this time he merely looked in our direction, raised both arms above his head, with his degree clutched securely in one fist, smiled and let out a sort of war whoop. I think this stunned the college president, who had just made the presentation, but he smiled too, as Frankie pointed to all of us and held his degree proudly in front of himself. He had certainly earned the right to celebrate a little.

We got back late, but were still exuberant. However, on the way back, Mark made a little comment to me. "Geez, I'm glad they didn't all come to my graduation," he quipped. "If they shouted and whistled for me, like they did for Frankie, I'm not sure how I would have reacted. I might have even fallen off the stage or tripped down the stairs." He smiled, before continuing.

"Actually, I liked just having my mom and dad there for me." After saying this, he gave me a wink, but I was already deeply touched that he kept thinking of me in this manner.

Dustin's graduation was the next afternoon, so I took them out for brunch first. Although Dustin had always done fairly well in school, but wasn't the type of guy who could work at a desk all day or be confined to an office. That's why he found HVAC so interesting. He would get around to various places, face many challenges and, if he started his own business, he could dictate his own schedule. That's why he went for a degree in business administration, so he could someday run his own HVAC company.

The program for Dustin's graduation was very similar to Frankie's. When his name was called and he approached to receive his degree, his brothers stood and whooped it up for him too, but Dustin had a surprise of his own. With his degree in one hand and his mortarboard in the other, Dustin did a back flip on stage, before walking off, which elicited shouts from the other graduates, as they enjoyed his enthusiasm and antics. I'm not so sure the college president was equally amused, as he made a face after witnessing the stunt and then turned back to award the next degree.

We had decided to hold their party Saturday evening and let it run late into the night. It wasn't going to be a fancy sort of get together, but would be more like one of our cookouts instead. I had cleared this with Dustin first, by giving him the chance to go out to dinner tonight instead, like we had done for Frankie. I told him we could hold the party on Sunday, if he chose that option, but he preferred the party be held on Saturday night. I told him that was fine and we'd go out to dinner Sunday night to celebrate his accomplishment, but he assured me that wasn't necessary. Nonetheless, I insisted on it, since I didn't want to do less for him than I had done for Mark or Frankie.

Jake had offered to man the grill for us, so I could go around and greet the guests. There would be extended family members, friends of all three graduates and a few of our neighbors, so Jake felt it would be more appropriate if I were there to welcome and chat with them.

While I was doing that, he'd tend the burgers, hot dogs, sausages and chicken, but we would also have a table set up with other selections on it. There would be large pans of potato and macaroni salads, another of coleslaw and one with baked beans, but that wouldn't be all. There would also be bags of chips and pretzels, pickles, olives, hot peppers, other condiments and three large cakes, one for Mark, one for Frankie and the last for Dustin. There would also be plenty of soda and a keg of beer, for those old enough to drink, although I planned to allow Frankie and Dustin to celebrate with a couple of glasses of beer, if they wanted, as long as they weren't going anywhere afterward. Of course, Mark was old enough to have as much as he wanted.

When the guests began to arrive, all three boys went out with me to greet them. They were all very proud of their achievement and enthusiastically accepted the congratulations of those who showed up. Throughout the evening, they made their way through the throng, to speak with each and every one there and joke around with their friends and brothers. As the party continued, everyone seemed to be having a really good time and our guests found a variety of ways to entertain themselves and each other.

The party went on until after midnight, as no one seemed overly anxious to see it come to an end. I did notice that Cody turned in before the party wound down completely, and he did look quite tired, but I knew we'd all had a pretty exhaustive day, so I wasn't overly concerned. Who could blame him for tiring out after such a long day?

After the party broke up and our guests had departed, we picked up the area quickly, but planned to finish cleaning up the rest of the mess the next day. Jake and I went around the house to check on things before we turned in and make sure everyone was all right. When I went in to check on Cody, he seemed fine. He and Graham were cuddled up together and he was sleeping peacefully, maybe just a little warm, but that could have been just because of the body heat the two of them were generating together. As there didn't seem to be any problems, Jake and I turned in as well, looking forward to a little rest of our own.

On Sunday, after we went to church and I took everyone out to brunch, we began making plans for the following weekend's graduation party. This one would be for the three high school graduates, Pat, Ricky and Jay. All of them had already been accepted into college, but their majors were as varied as their personalities. As you know, Ricky planned to go into marketing, as we joked it was either that or becoming a con-artist, but Pat planned on majoring in electrical engineering, while Jay wanted to be an architect.

That night, we took Dustin out to dinner, and once again the restaurant staff went out of their way to accommodate us. The decorations were still up, but the room we used was now festooned with the colors of Dustin's college. Once we finished eating, the waiter brought out another cake, this one in Dustin's honor, and once again I thanked the manager for his thoughtfulness. After paying the bill and leaving another big tip, we returned home and I was happy the college graduations were behind us.

The intervening week actually passed pretty quickly, and before we knew it, it was time to honor the next group. This ceremony took place Saturday afternoon, on the football field, and we all piled into the bleachers to watch them come out. As the graduates marched to their seats, I recognized something immediately and knew Ricky was responsible for it. As soon as they sat down, I could read the message on their caps – that is the caps Pat, Ricky and Jay were wearing. They were all sitting next to each other and each cap contained one word, which when put together made a statement. In order, from left to right they read, 'We're,' 'Outta,' 'Here.' It wasn't grammatically correct, but we understood what they meant and there was no doubt in my mind that Ricky was the instigator behind this farewell message.

I had been asked to hand out the diplomas, as Superintendent, but I bowed out, explaining I would rather be with my family at this time. The school board asked the high school principal to do the honors instead, which pleased him. He eagerly accepted the responsibility and asked the vice-principal to assist him, so it freed me up to be just another parent in the crowd.

The ceremony proceeded quite quickly, for a high school graduation, including the keynote speech, which was given by a local state senator. After the speech concluded, the diplomas were presented and Pat was the first of the trio to receive one. He was very happy to accept his diploma, as was indicated by the huge grin on his face, and his actions were very dignified. He didn't let his brothers' cheers distract him and did everything, as he should, before striding off the stage and back to his seat.

Ricky was next, but of course he did a little showboating after he received his sheepskin. After shaking the principal's hand, he turned and waved at us, but that wasn't all. Before he left the platform, he tossed his cap and diploma a short ways ahead of him, did a handstand and walked on his hands the short distance to retrieve them, before returning to his feet. This little action also let us see he had obviously shed the pants he was wearing when we arrived. He now had on a pair of shorts, but you couldn't tell beforehand that he had been wearing them under his gown. His little shenanigans drew a few chuckles from the audience and a look of disgust from the principal. I'm glad I hadn't been the one handing out the diplomas at that point, because I'm not sure how I would have reacted.

Jay came up after Ricky, to receive his diploma, but he wasn't as demonstrative as my blond-haired whirlwind. After he was handed his diploma, Jay merely did a little celebratory dance across the stage. It was even somewhat coordinated and he didn't trip or stumble. Obviously, Jay had been spurred on by Ricky's little stunt. Before he got to the stairs, Jay also lifted the bottom of his gown, to show he was also wearing shorts, but the sight of Jay's knobby knees and skinny legs elicited more than a few chuckles from the audience.

Jay's parents were sitting in front of us and were mildly surprised by Jay's little performance. They weren't upset by any means, since we all knew our boys were clowns. This was just another example of the type of things our free-spirited mischief-makers enjoyed pulling on the unsuspecting, in this case, those in attendance. Of course I knew my 'Puck' was most likely the instigator and Jay would follow him willingly, and knowingly, down all the winding roads he led him over.

Once the ceremony concluded, Jake and I left as quickly as we could, so we could get things ready for the party. We took some of the younger boys with us, but left the Suburban with the older boys. They would wait around and drive Pat and Ricky home, once they got through clowning around with their friends.

Jay's parents were coming to the party too, since it was a joint party for all three, but they'd be bringing Jay with them. They were going to run home first, to pick up the things they were providing for the party, as well as the gifts for the graduates. We'd concluded it would be wise to hold this party jointly, as our two sons would want to be together. They were almost like twins and we knew they'd enjoy it more if they didn't have to worry about going to the other's party. Besides, that would leave more of us to help keep things from getting out of control, not that we were really worried about anything like that happening.

Actually the gathering went very smoothly. Some of their friends came early and left quickly, but told the boys they'd be back later. They had to make their rounds to other celebrations, and some had arranged it so they would come back to our place last, so they could spend even more time. Our three boys actually left for a couple of hours too, during the middle of the party, so they could check out some of the other bashes going on. We explained this to anyone who asked where the boys were, while letting them know the grads would return eventually, and they all understood. Everyone knew the boys would want to visit their friends' parties too, if just for a short time.

The party at our house continued well into the evening. We had already seen many of the boys' friends and their parents, and we'd seen many of their teachers too. We talked to all of the other graduates when they arrived and inquired about what plans they had for their future, now they were out of high school. We were somewhat surprised by the variety of responses we got. Of course many of them were going on to college, but some were looking for jobs, while still others planned on joining various branches of the armed forces. A couple of the more adventurous grads planned on taking some time off from studying, so they could do some traveling in the interim. They said they'd reconsider their other options, once they were tired of seeing other parts of the country.

Our extended family also had a good time being together again and quizzed the boys about their plans as well. The trio was more than happy to fill them in about what they were going to do and informed each person where they planned to go to college. Then, they told them what they planned to study, and if the questioner seemed really interested, they even explained why they chose that field in the first place. These three could be quite well spoken when they wanted to be, at least when they didn't see an opportunity to torture, embarrass or get even with someone else as a more appealing option.

Although the party continued, Cody came up and said good night to me some time between 9:00 and 10:00. I asked if everything was all right and he told me he was just a little tired, so he was going to go to bed. Graham was saying good night too, as he was going to go with him, so I kissed both boys on the forehead and wished them sweet dreams. I made a mental note to check on him later, even though I wasn't really that concerned. I knew we'd all had another long and hectic day, so I wasn't really worried.

Many of my former pupils were among the graduates and most came over to speak to me personally at some point. Many shared little anecdotes about their time in my school, which proved quite enjoyable and brought back many memories. There was only one student whom I didn't have totally fond memories of, but he seemed to have changed. Surprisingly, he and I also had a pleasant conversation and I was thrilled to learn he planned to go on to college, as academics was never his strong suit when he attended my school.

I was mildly amused when he thanked me for not letting him get away with some of the things he had done and for standing by him when some of the teachers wanted him suspended or expelled. He confessed if that had happened, he might have turned out differently and given in to the other side of his personality. He then admitted he might even be in jail by now, if I hadn't had some faith in him and tried to show him he could do better.

I was touched by his remark and told him I was glad to see he had matured since that time. I also expressed that if I had any part in that process, I was glad and pleased I was able to help. We talked a while longer and discussed his future plans, but I wasn't really expecting what he did next. He actually hugged me before he left. I guess there are a few rewards educators can still receive that can help to make up for the lack of monetary gains.

Our party didn't break up until after midnight again, since everyone seemed to be enjoying himself. The Curtises, Jake and I decided to let it continue until the guests determined they'd had enough or we were too tired to continue on. The topics we discussed and the things we did with our guests were varied, but we were enjoying them so much that we were all surprised when we discovered how late it was.

When the party finally did end, the boys, Jake and I picked up only the things that had to be dealt with in a timely fashion, such as the food. We let everything else go until the following day, when we'd have more time and the strength to do it.

Before I turned in, however, I did go in to check on Cody. He and Graham seemed to be sleeping peacefully, wrapped up in each other's arms again, so I placed my hand on his forehead, just to see if he had a fever. His temperature felt normal to me, so I didn't wake him, and he looked peaceful enough, so I let them both sleep. I'd check on him again in the morning, but everything appeared to be fine.

Chapter 36
Apprehensions

Now that the graduations were over, I knew it was time to prepare for three upcoming events – Nick's going to Brazil as an exchange student, Peter coming to live with us as an exchange student and our family's summer vacation.

Nick had left to spend some time with his parents before he was scheduled to go to South America. He would stay with them and then fly out of Oklahoma to Brazil, when it was time to leave. He was going to be out of the country until the following May and I had scheduled a few side trips for him, so he would get to see some of the other South American countries before he returned.

Nick was really excited, before he left us to be with his parents, and I was proud of how hard he had worked to get ready for this experience. He has been studying Portuguese on his own, learning it from a program I purchased for the computer. He said it wasn't that hard, because it was similar to the Spanish he learned in school. Still, I was amazed at how hard he worked and how much he seemed to be willing to do to make the most of this opportunity. He was growing up and much different from the young boy who ran away from home and came to live with us. I was more than pleased by his progress over the short time I had known him.

Before he left to visit his parents, I prepared him for some other things he would need to be aware of while he was away. We sat down and had a little father to son talk one day, during which I informed him of the fact that AIDS is a major factor in Brazil, even more so than most other nations. I then advised him about what he should do to protect himself, which was primarily abstinence, but Nick told me he didn't know if he could do that. He said he felt he had to be honest with me, and he knew he had trouble controlling himself when he was around other cute boys, so I thanked him for his honesty and offered him a secondary plan. This was ONLY to be used when he couldn't resist the urges, but emphasized it would be best, and safest, to stay away from casual contacts.

For those times when his willpower wasn't sufficient, I provided him with condoms to use. I also informed him that prophylactics were not foolproof and could contain flaws that would allow the virus to spread. I reiterated, several times, these devices were not the answer to protecting himself, but they were better than using nothing.

I also told Nick to check out the local laws concerning sexual issues, since I thought it might help discourage him from trying much while he was away. I also didn't want him having to spend time in a Brazilian prison for breaking some law he didn't know about or didn't understand. He assured me he would do this and promised he would be extremely careful. I reiterated that I hoped so, as I'd hate to have something happen to him merely because he gave in to his hormones, when he knew better.

I took him to the airport when he left for Oklahoma, but he said good-bye to everyone else beforehand. Prior to boarding his flight, he thanked me for worrying about him and making sure he was aware of all these things before he departed. After telling me this, he started off toward his gate, but then ran back to give me a hug and tell me he loved me. I kissed him on the forehead, told him I loved him too and then made him promise to write, email or call me from time to time.

I had provided Nick with a couple of pre-paid calling cards, so he'd be able to keep in touch and his host family wouldn't have to pay for the calls and it wouldn't be as expensive as a collect call. Once this had been agreed to, he took off again, but stopped before he went through the metal detector, so he could turn and wave good-bye to me once more.

After I returned from seeing Nick off, I had to start getting ready for the next event. Peter was scheduled to arrive the following weekend, so I had to prepare for his arrival as well. It seemed as if most of the boys were excited about his joining us and many offered to help me move things around, so he'd have a room of his own. I thought he'd prefer this to having to share a room with Ricky again, since he had already suffered enough putting up with Ricky in Australia.

On the vacation front, this summer I had planned to take the boys to see the northern mid-west, starting in Wyoming, touring the Dakotas and then doing some camping and canoeing in Minnesota. First we'd do the typical sightseeing things, like seeing Yellowstone National Park, the Black Hills and Mount Rushmore, and then we'd spend a couple of weeks camping and canoeing on the many lakes in Minnesota. We'd take our time, enjoy nature, relax and have fun, which I thought would be nice for all of us.

We were busy discussing our plans, and pinpointing the things everyone wanted to do, when something else popped up. It was Cody, and the issues surrounding his health. Suddenly he seemed to be getting tired a lot more, was running slight temps every now and then and seemed to be having problems with his breathing. I called the doctor and set up an appointment for him, figuring this was just one of those minor setbacks that often occurred when recovering from a devastating disease. That was before Graham stepped into the picture and complicated it slightly. He came up to me one afternoon, a couple of days before Peter was to arrive. Once we were alone, he let me know we desperately needed to talk.

"Dad, I think it's happening again," he told me.

"What's happening again?" I asked him.

"My gift," he stated somberly, while giving me that 'why do I have to have this' look.

"What do you mean?" I countered, still uncertain as to what he was getting at.

"Well, you know Cody has always had kind of a gray haze around his body when I look at him?" This wasn't a comment and he seemed to be putting it in the form of a question, so I thought I'd better respond.

"Yes, you've told me that before," I replied.

"Well, it's changing. It's getting darker now," he informed me, and I could see he looked slightly unnerved by his observation.

"What do you mean, darker?" I pressed, since I wanted some clarification.

"It's already as dark as it was around you, before you had your heart attack," he told me, but now it's getting even darker. I'm afraid it's going to turn black, like it did with Brent." He now had tears in his eyes.

"It hasn't got that dark yet, has it?" I asked, slightly panicked, but he shook his head in response.

"Good, and this doesn't necessarily mean it will," I offered, reassuringly. "Don't push the panic button just yet, okay little buddy?" I was trying hard to be as positive as I could, but now I was also trying to calm myself.

Up until this point, his accuracy on these predictions had been amazingly on target. Therefore, I was quite concerned by his observation and worried about Cody's well-being. At this point Graham looked up at me, and not only were there tears in his eyes, but he had this extremely pathetic look etched on his face. It almost broke my heart just seeing him this way.

"Dad, I'm not sure what I'll do if something happens to him," he confided. "I've never felt this way about anyone before and I really don't know what I'd do if he wasn't around. Yeah, I love my brother, Cole, and I love you a whole bunch too, but it's not the same. I love him differently and I don't want to lose him."

I reached out and took a hold of Graham's arm and pulled him toward me, so I could hug him. "Hey, little man, let's not put the cart before the horse," I told him. "Nothing has happened to him yet, so let's not start worrying about what we'll do if something does. I think it's best if we spend our time loving him, while trying to make him feel better and seeing if there is anything we can do to help him instead. I've already set up an appointment for him with his doctor tomorrow, so when I take him, I'll see what the doctor has to say. I'm sure he'll be able to tell us if anything is seriously wrong with Cody. Okay?"

Graham looked at me and nodded, but not convincingly. That told me I hadn't really been able to make him feel better about this situation. In an effort to do more, I hugged him again and hoped it might be possible for me to somehow magically absorb all of his worries and take them away, but I knew that wouldn't happen. That's because I harbored many of the same fears myself.

After staying like this for a few more minutes, he finally announced he wanted to go spend time with Cody, to see if he was feeling any better. I told him I thought that was a good idea and sent him on his way. Once he had disappeared, I considered how I would deal with him later, if we discovered something WAS seriously wrong with Cody. However, since I hoped that wouldn't happen in the near future, I too remained focused on the here and now.

When I took Cody to his appointment the following day, the doctor checked him over very carefully, took some x-rays, ran blood tests and ordered a few other tests too. I stayed with Cody the whole time, as he didn't seem to want to be left alone. While we were sitting by ourselves in the examination room, he started a conversation with me.

"It's back, isn't it?" he asked.

"I'm not sure, Cody," I responded, since I wasn't certain. "That's what we're here to find out."

"I know it is. I feel just like I did when we first discovered I had it," he admitted.

"Well, if that's the case, then I'm sure the doctor will begin another treatment regimen for you," I countered, trying to sound confident. "We knew this might happen."

"Do you think I'll ever get any better?" he wondered, as he looked at me with this quizzical expression. I wanted to reassure him, but I didn't want to give him false hope.

"Cody, the doctor will do all he can to make you better and none of us will give up until we've done everything we can do to get you healthy," I promised. "Does that answer your question?"

"I guess," he responded, although he didn't sound too sure, "but I'm not convinced I'm going to get better."

"Why do you say that?" I wondered.

"I dunno. It's just a feeling I have," he explained, without really explaining anything.

"I want you to let go of all those negative feelings and get them out of your head," I urged, "because I want my boy to get better and live a long and happy life."

He smiled at me, although weakly, and then we sat and waited for the doctor to return. It wasn't much longer before he came in to speak with us. He had a concerned look on his face as he entered and I became fearful he had bad news for us.

"Josh, maybe we should speak in private," he said, while giving me a stern glance.

"No, I want to know what's going on," Cody barked out, before I had a chance to respond. "It's about me and I have a right to know what it is."

I looked at Cody and then at the doctor. I merely nodded my head, to let the doctor know he should just tell us whatever news he had, together.

"If you think it's best," he began, but I could tell he still had his doubts. He didn't look comfortable about Cody hearing what he had to say.

"The x-rays show some tumors on Cody's lungs," he announced. "These are going to complicate his recovery and I really think he should be taken to Sloan-Kettering, in New York City. They're much better equipped and staffed to handle this sort of condition."

"Okay, I'm familiar with them," I replied, but didn't say more, because I didn't want to alarm Cody. I knew the proper name of the facility was Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center and I understood they usually tackled the toughest cases, the ones that couldn't be handled elsewhere. I didn't want to say anything that might alarm Cody, so I was very careful in choosing my words.

"What should we do next, doctor?" I continued.

"Nothing right now," he responded. "I'll contact them to make the arrangements and then I'll contact you about what you should do next."

"Are you sure there's nothing I can do to help?" I pressed.

"Yes, I think it best if I speak with them and make the arrangements personally." After saying this, he glanced over at Cody, to make sure he wasn't getting overly excited about what was being said.

"They're very good," he told Cody, "and they have many things at their disposal, which I do not. I think it's best you go there and get checked out by them now."

I knew he was sidestepping what he really wanted to say, and how he wanted to say it, just because Cody was in the room. Realizing this, we talked a little more, to give Cody the impression he was being fully apprised of his situation and then we sent him off with a nurse, to undergo weighing, measuring, and things of that nature. Once he left the room, the doctor and I talked more openly.

"Josh, this isn't good," he confessed. "In fact, it's quite a setback. Those tumors on his lungs will complicate things significantly and I'm not sure if the doctors at Sloan-Kettering can safely eliminate them. I'm quite concerned about this."

"I know you are and so am I," I admitted, before hesitating a second. Once I knew what I wanted to say, I asked my question.

"Doc, what are his chances?" It was quite blunt, but I needed to know.

"Josh, I won't try to assuage you or give you false hopes," he began. "I'm greatly troubled by what we've just discovered and I consider it a major setback. I'm not sure there is anything even Sloan-Kettering will be able to do for him, but we have to try."

I don't think either of us was ready to mention that Cody might possibly die, but we both understood the situation was very serious. Now, I'd have to go home and tell Jake, but I hadn't decided how much I was going to tell the boys. I knew it wouldn't be any more than I absolutely had to, but it was how I was going to tell them that bothered me. I didn't want to panic anyone and I certainly didn't want the boys to start treating Cody differently, because then he'd know something was up. I wanted to keep him as calm as possible, so I'd only tell the others I was taking Cody to Sloan-Kettering to be examined. I'd have Jake fill them in better, once we'd left, so they'd understand how serious it was. I thought this would be best for everyone concerned.

Once we were able to be alone, I sat down with Jake and explained everything to him, in detail. He was worried too, but he also thought it would be best we didn't tell everything to the boys. After discussing this in more detail, we called the boys together, for a little meeting, so we could fill them in all at once. It was now almost the end of May, so everyone was home for the summer, and we gathered in the family room, were I would explain about Cody's current condition.

"Boys, I just wanted to let you know that the doctor thinks Cody should be examined by doctors at Sloan-Kettering Medical Center in New York," I began. "Cody has some growths on his lungs and the oncologist thinks the doctors there would know best what to do next. He's making the appointment for us, so Cody and I may be gone for a while. I just wanted to let you know what was happening."

"Is Cody going to be okay?" Andrew asked next.

"I don't see why not" I replied, trying to ease his concerns. "This is just a little setback and Cody's doctor thinks it would be best if the doctors there look at him."

"Why's that?" Sammy asked.

"The oncologist says the doctors there do this more often, so he thinks they'll know better how to take care of him, that's all," I explained.

"Isn't this coming weekend when Peter is supposed to arrive?" Ricky pointed out. I had almost forgotten about this and quickly turned toward Jake.

"Would you be able to pick him up for me," I asked, "and please apologize to him for my not being there." Jake agreed, so that issue was settled.

There were a few more questions, which I answered as best I could, and then the boys went about their business. Graham, however, stayed behind, because he wished to talk to me alone.

"I'm going with you when you take Cody there," he said quite forcefully, once the others had left the room.

"I think it would be best if you stayed here, with Jake and your brothers," I told him, trying to retake control of the situation. I barely got the words out of my mouth, before he shouted back at me.

"NO WAY! I'm going with Cody. I'm not going to let him be there all alone." I could read the determination on his face, but I still didn't think it would be wise for him to be there too.

"He won't be alone," I advised him. "I'll be with him." He seemed to calm down a bit before he responded.

"I know you will, but I meant I don't want him to have to be there without me," he explained. "Dad, you must know how close we are now, so if he's sick or in trouble, I want to be there for him."

"I know you do, Graham, but there won't be much you'll be able to do for him." I reasoned. "He'll have plenty of doctors and nurses to look after him, beside me."

"But the doctors and nurses won't be hugging and kissing him or holding his hand," he countered. "I know you will, but it won't be the same. I think he'll do better if I'm there with him."

"Graham, I'm not sure if you'd even be allowed in," I persisted. "The doctors might want to limit his contact with others as much as possible, until they get a handle on whatever this is."

"Dad, I have a bad feeling about this, especially after seeing the haze around him getting darker," he pleaded. "I'm afraid if I don't go with him, I might never get to see him alive again." This cut me to the quick, because I wondered the same thing. Now, I understood why this was bothering him so much.

"Okay, I'll call the doctor and ask him to check with the hospital," I offered. "If they say it's okay and they'll allow you to be there, then I'll let you go. Otherwise, you'll have to stay here with the others. Deal?"

He didn't want to agree to this, because he feared he still might get left behind, but I think he also figured this was going to be the best offer he was going to get from me. Reluctantly, he gave in and accepted my idea.

"Okay, deal, but they'd better let me go," he challenged, and I knew he was serious. Once again he had a determined look on his face, but he turned and left after he said this and I was sure he was going to find Cody next.

Chapter 37
A Setback

The next day, I got a call from the doctor's office and he informed me he had arranged for me to take Cody to Sloan-Kettering on Monday. When I asked him why I couldn't take him tomorrow, he explained it would take that long for them to open up a space for him, examine his records and scrutinize everything that had already been done. Seeing it was already Friday and the doctors wouldn't do much over the weekend, it wasn't a critical delay. He assured me he had explained the situation to them thoroughly and the doctors there decided it wouldn't impact his situation by waiting until Monday, so I relented.

When I told him about Graham's request, I explained I was only mentioning this because those two boys were very close. After listening to my explanation, he agreed to call the hospital and find out if this would be acceptable. Once he had his answer, he promised to let me know as soon as he could. I thanked him and emphasized I would anxiously await his next call, and then hung up. I immediately went to find Cody, so I could tell him when we'd be leaving and suggest he start packing the things he wanted to take with him.

When I reached Cody's room, he and Graham were talking, and Graham had just finished telling Cody he wanted to go with us and why. The only difference between what Graham told Cody and what he said to me was that he omitted the part about maybe not seeing him alive again. He also didn't tell him about the haze he saw around his body or explain about the other times this had happened.

As soon as I informed Cody about when we'd be leaving and advised him to begin packing his things, Graham asked if I'd checked yet, to see if he could go too. After I told him I had, but the doctor had to call and speak with someone in charge at the hospital, he said he'd pack his things too. He then expressed his belief they were going to allow him to go with us too, so he wanted to be ready. I told him that was fine, as long as he didn't complain if the staff at the hospital said no. Graham said he wouldn't, although I feared he'd tell me anything at the moment, so he didn't ruin his chance to get me to let him join us.

When I went downstairs, I found Jake and filled him in about what was going on. He then asked if I wanted to pick Peter up now or if I preferred to stay with Cody. I hadn't considered this also freed me up to do this as well. After thinking about it for several minutes, I decided to greet Peter at the airport, since that was what Peter's parents expected. Jake then offered to stay home with Cody, so he could keep an eye on him and be there, if he had any problems. I agreed with his suggestion, so I went to see who was going with me.

Of course, Ricky was planning on joining me, but three of the younger boys wanted to go too. That included Cole, Sammy and Andrew. The older boys offered to stay home and help Uncle Jake and the rest said they weren't interested in enduring another long drive, so this would be the group I'd be taking.

I hardly got any sleep that night, as various scenarios concerning Cody's condition played out in my mind. I don't want to go into all the situations my brain was able to conjure up, but the scenes ran the gamut of what might happen, even if it was only a remote possibility. Since these visions continually flashed before my eyes, I guess I tossed and turned most of the evening and even woke up a few times. That happened when the dream was so real or disturbing that I bolted awake.

The next morning Jake wanted to know what had been bothering me, because he said he had never seen me so restless before. He confirmed I had flipped, flopped, jerked, jumped and moaned all night long, and then he explained he almost woke me at one point, but decided against it, when I began to settle back down. For this reason, he was even more tired than I was, if that were possible.

Even though I wasn't well rested, I still planned to drive to Kennedy airport, to get Peter. His flight was scheduled to arrive late afternoon and I didn't want to make him wait in a strange place alone. Hurriedly, I got ready and prompted the others to do the same, if they didn't want to get left behind. Seeing they knew I was serious, they moved quickly too and it wasn't long before we were on our way.

The boys kept me engaged in conversation while I was driving, so I wouldn't doze off. This made me assume Jake had said something to them before we left. We only made two brief stops along the way, to stretch our legs, use the restroom and grab drinks, so we arrived at Kennedy in plenty of time. We needn't have worried, however, because when I looked at the arrival board, I quickly discovered Peter's flight was running late.

We waited patiently and observed others arriving in the meantime. When Peter's plane landed, we had to wait a little longer until he appeared. Ricky and Peter bolted toward each other the minute they made eye contact and the rest of us watched as the two hugged. Once their enthusiastic embrace ended, Ricky pulled him toward us and quickly went through the introductions. Once Ricky had finished, Peter looked at me and spoke.

"Sir, I just want to thank you for letting me come over to live with you," he gushed. "Ricky told me you were aces, but I just never believed this would actually happen."

After saying this, he reached out his hand for me to shake and I took it. We shook, but the minute I released him, he wrapped his arms around my waist and squeezed, catching me totally by surprise. Once he broke this embrace, he looked up at me and grinned.

"From what Ricky told me about you, Sir," he explained, "I knew you'd like that much better."

"I did, you're welcome and you don't have to call me sir," I told him, in one breath. "You may call me Josh, Uncle Josh or Pop, but sir is just too formal."

Peter looked confused and it took him a moment to respond. "Oh, no, sir," he stammered, "I couldn't call you any of those things. It just wouldn't be right. You're an adult and you've been very kind to me, so I want to show you respect."

Now, I was confused. I needed to convince him and do it quickly, since I didn't want him to continue calling me sir. "Ricky, will you take Peter aside and explain the situation to him for me," I nearly begged. "I think you can do this better than I can and maybe your brothers can help you with this."

After Ricky agreed, I went to the men's room and freshened up; hoping by the time I got back things would be settled. As I approached them again, they were all smiles, so I concluded the situation had been handled.

"May I call you Mr. Currie," he asked, hopefully.

"Not if you want to live in my home," I teased, which brought a look of horror to his face. However, when the other boys started laughing, he realized I was merely joking, so I continued.

"I'd prefer something less formal," I urged. "As I said earlier, you may call me Josh, Uncle Josh or Pop, unless you can come up with something better and not as stiff as Mr. Currie or sir."

"Ricky said you'd say something like that, so I'll call you pop," he said, with a grin. "Ricky and his brothers said you'd probably like that best."

"Indeed I would, as long as you're comfortable with it," I concurred. After telling me he was, the subject was closed.

From there, we went to retrieve Peter's luggage and then carried it out to the van. Once we were ready to leave, I apologized to Peter for not being able to show him around New York City while we were here and informed him about Cody's condition.

"Oh, I'm so sorry to hear that, Pop, Sir," he offered. "I understand completely and you must take care of him first, without worrying about me. I'll be fine with Ricky."

"Are you sure about that?" I quipped. "From what I've heard, Ricky has been a royal pain in the butt, or should I have said bum, for you?" Peter started laughing and then quickly had his own retort.

"That would be bum, Pop, Sir," he giggled, "and you're quite right. He can be quite bonkers and quite annoying at times."

"I understand, but let's get something straight," I warned him. "It's just pop, not pop, sir."

"Sorry, Pop, S…" he stopped before completing the final word. "It's just that we call all male adults sir, even our teachers, so this will be hard to stop. I'll try, but please forgive me if I forget from time to time."

"Agreed. I'll try to overlook it, as long as you try to control it," I concurred.

The boys were busily talking behind me as I drove home, but I wasn't really following their conversation. My mind was consumed with thoughts about Cody, until Peter addressed me directly.

"Pop, do your sons really run around the house and go bathing naked, as Ricky told me?" he wanted to know.

"It's very wise of you not to believe everything Ricky tells you," I said, "but in this case, he is correct. If possible, they prefer to run free, which doesn't bother me at all."

"And you wouldn't mind if I went starkers too?" he followed, to clarify his own situation.

"If you're comfortable doing it, it's fine with me," I confirmed. "Just remember, Jake, Mark and I will also be there, not just the boys, so we'll see you too."

"Oh, I won't mind," he stated. "Ricky and I did things like that with some of my mates and you're an okay bloke. Ricky says Uncle Jake and Mark are pretty decent chaps too."

"Then I guess it's decided," I announced. "Peter is officially welcome to join in the nudity at our house." This got all the boys laughing and then I heard my group explaining who was circumcised and who wasn't – so much for surprises.

We arrived at the house in the early evening, so I let Ricky show Peter around the house and introduce him to the others before we ate. Peter said he wasn't too tired, since he'd been able to sleep on the plane, so I figured he'd last through dinner. Once the boys had disappeared, Jake relayed a message to me.

"The doctor called while you were out," he informed me, "and said the hospital said it would be all right for Graham to come with you. They said it might help to keep Cody in a better frame of mind and they'd be able to make provisions for you in Cody's room."

I agreed it was good news, so I wouldn't have to fight with Graham, and then I went off to notify both boys. They were ecstatic and started making plans, so I left them alone and went back to wait for Peter.

After a whirlwind tour and a series of introductions, the boys returned and Peter was all excited.

"I had a lovely walkabout, but blimey, your house is huge, Pop!" he exclaimed/ "I also love the room you put me in. Thank you, so much. Oh, and your sons are all very handsome," he added, which made me wonder if he was really bi. Well, he did want to date Kylie, so maybe he was.

"Thank you and I'm glad you approve," I responded.

Peter soon sat down for his first meal with us, which Jake and the older boys had prepared. Before we ate, however, I went to check on Cody. He seemed to be about the same as when I left and Graham was still attached to him by the hip, but otherwise, he was no worse than before.

"This is like a formal dinner, that you might have with some dignitary," Peter offered. "Except at school, I don't think I've ever had a meal with this many people before." He seemed truly amazed.

"Well, get used to this, because there are times when we have many more than this," I warned him. "When my grown children come back and the extended family is here too, we have to set up another two or three tables, to accommodate everyone."

"You're daft," he replied, without meaning to insult me. "Where do you put them?"

I went on to explain how we set up for the holidays and Peter was simply astounded. "Blimey, that's almost like going to camp," he observed, which my sons found hilarious.

After dinner, the boys spent more time with Peter, but he finally announced he was getting tired. They told him they would show him where to wash up and then he could go to bed. Peter quickly agreed and they all went upstairs. About twenty minutes later, I heard them clomping back down the steps, but I was surprised when I looked up and saw Peter standing before me, totally starkers, as he put it.

"I thought I might as well do this now," he offered, "so you could see my tackle and all. I hope you're not offended." To play this game out, I made like I was studying him carefully, checking out each millimeter of his package.

"No, it looks fine to me," I observed. "Bloody all right, if you ask me," I continued, which started Peter giggling.

"I didn't know you talked like that, Pop," he shot back. "My mum always says using the word bloody is swearing, so I didn't expect you to say it, Sir, I mean, Pop." All the boys were giggling now.

"You'll fit in fine here, Peter," I told him, "and thanks for the show." He started giggling again.

"I knew this was going to happen eventually," he teased, "so I wanted to get it out of the way. I felt then I wouldn't have to worry about what I was doing or what you might think."

"Well, I'm fine with the situation," I agreed, "so feel free to just be one of the boys." He giggled again and agreed he would, and then he headed upstairs to get some shut-eye.

Sunday morning, I got everyone ready and took them to church. This was an eye-opening experience for Peter, since he was used to attending an Anglican service. He did ask me several questions, in whispers, which I happily answered. The congregation also asked us many questions about him, such as who he was and how long he'd be staying with us. Once we explained the situation, most of them came up and welcomed him to our community.

After the service, we went out for brunch and Peter thoroughly enjoyed it. He was fitting in quite nicely and I was already becoming very attached to him. If it weren't for Cody's illness, I would also have been spending more time with him, but he seemed to understand why this wasn't happening.

A short time after we got home, Cody came up to me and wanted to talk. I imagined he wished to discuss the trip, since we were going to be leaving in a few hours. I figured it would be best to drive most of the way there tonight and then stay in a motel. It was also possible that he was curious about what was going to happen once we got there, but boy was I wrong. What he asked me caught me totally unprepared and set my world spinning.

"Dad, I'm going to die, aren't I?" he asked seriously, without showing much emotion. He didn't seem panicked by the thought, but I stood speechless for a few moments, with my mouth hanging open. I wasn't prepared to respond to his query, but finally regained my composure and answered him.

"Cody, there's no need to think the worst will happen," I began. "The doctors at Sloan-Kettering are some of the finest cancer specialists in the world. They're just going to assess your situation, suggest treatment options and then we'll go from there.

"Dad, it's okay. I'm not scared," he informed me. "I just wish I could stay here with you longer, because I've never been this happy before."

"Cody, you've got to fight this thing, if you want to get better," I urged. "Don't give up and don't give in to those feelings. We'll see what the doctors have to say and then we'll fight it. We'll do everything they tell us to do to help you through this and we won't give up hope, because I like having you as a son too. I'm also planning on enjoying this feeling for many years to come."

He smiled at me when I said this and then spoke again. "Thanks, Dad, and I'd like to spend more time with you and Graham too."

Up until this moment, I hadn't realized he seriously harbored the thought he was dying. Of course, we both knew it was a possibility and I was mildly concerned he might be thinking about it, but for him to come right out and say it – well, I wasn't expecting that.

I think we all realize that any time a person faces a serious illness, whether as an adult or as a child, it is only normal it would make him think about his own mortality. Although it is often harder for a younger person to consider his own vulnerability and accept the fact he is not immortal, he would seldom be willing to verbalize such a prospect. Even though such a brush with the specter of death doesn't usually affect a young person in the same way it would an older person, it is not something he can dismiss with the same youthful nonchalance he would use when dealing with other issues. Now, I realized Cody and I would have to do some serious talking on this trip, so I could help him deal with the issues he had to confront and demons he had to battle.

Later, when it was time for us to leave, everyone was there to see us off, including our extended family. Jake and the older boys had thought ahead and notified them, so they could be here too. The boys all gave Cody a very special send off and made sure to let him know that they loved him, would be praying for him and were looking forward to having him there for a long, long time to come. They gave him a couple of little gifts to take with him, one being a small guardian angel pin, which he could wear on his collar. Their second gift to him was a large, framed family photo, which had been taken after one of the graduation ceremonies. They felt the picture would help him remember they were all behind him and would be there for him in spirit, if not in person.

Although everyone tried to keep their emotions intact in front of Cody, I could see individuals wiping their eyes, once Cody had turned in a different direction. He received plenty of cards, some money (so he could buy magazines, games, or other things to help him occupy his time) and a few other essentials. Aunt Mary and Uncle Steve gave him some new pajamas, so he hopefully wouldn't have to wear any of those dreadful hospital gowns that showed off your behind, and the Spences gave him a selection of snacks, which he could keep in the room, for whenever he got a little hungry.

Cody made sure he thanked everyone for their gifts, before he told them he hoped to see them again soon. Then he, Graham and I packed his gifts in with our other luggage and got ready to leave.

We were taking the Grand Am on this trip, so Cody and Graham decided to ride in the back seat together. When they asked me if I minded, I simply told them, "No, the chauffeur is used to riding alone in the front."

At first they thought they had made me feel bad, so they tried to apologize and explain it wasn't like that at all. When they finally realized I was joking with them, they decided they'd have more fun playing along, so they began to discuss what they should do next. When we made our first stop, to stretch and use the restrooms, they didn't get out of the car right away and I didn't understand what was wrong. Thinking there was a problem, I went back to open their door, to see what was the matter.

"What took you so long," Cody quipped. "You're getting a little slow at doing your job and I'd hate to have to fire you, so I can look for someone younger."

Realizing what they were doing, I bowed, apologized and assured them it wouldn't happen again. They were trying to squelch their mirth over my comments and, as they walked by me, Cody looked over his shoulder and spoke.

"That will be all, James, until we are ready to leave," and then they both laughed, hysterically.

Seeing I wasn't ready to let him get away with this, I made a quick move in his direction, but Cody saw what I was up to and began to run toward the restroom, chuckling as he went. That caused me to pull up short, since I didn't want him to exert himself or possibly cause him other problems, but I knew this was not the last of this silliness.

We all did a little stretching, after we relieved ourselves, and then we went back to the car. I intentionally walked ahead of them, so I could open the door for them. I bowed and said, "After you, young sirs," as I waited for them to enter.

Cody giggled again and then let Graham get in first. He got in right behind Graham, telling me, "Continue on, James," after he was seated. I closed the door and hopped in the front seat, ready to continue on our journey.

We had been riding for approximately another hour or so, when I looked in the rearview mirror and saw only one head looking back at me. I turned to see what was up and noticed Cody had fallen asleep, with his head resting peacefully in Graham's lap. Graham smiled at me and stroked Cody's head and hair, so I turned forward again, to pay attention to my driving.

We stopped somewhere in New Jersey, not far from wear I287 intersects I78, before we got into the metropolitan cluster. I quickly found us a place to stay for the night and we took our things to the room. It was a single room with two double beds, because I wanted to keep an eye on Cody. Staying here would also shorten the time it took to get to Sloan-Kettering the next day, because I wanted to arrive there as early as possible.

Chapter 38
A Turn for the Worse

After we grabbed a quick bite to eat, we went back to our room. The boys showered quickly and then hopped into bed, but I opted to take my shower in the morning. We watched a little television before we turned in, with Cody sitting on my lap, cuddled against my chest, and Graham sitting beside us. I wanted to be as close to him as I could, for as long as I was able, and that was until the boys went to sleep.

I held Cody, even after he fell asleep, but eventually I knew I would have to get some rest too. When I tried to lift him and move him to the other bed, he woke up.

"What are you doing?" he asked, still a little groggy.

"I'm moving you to the other bed, so you can sleep with Graham," I told him.

"No, I want to stay here with you," he challenged.

"But Graham will want to sleep with you," I reasoned.

"Then he can sleep on the other side of me, while I sleep next to you," he countered, hopefully.

"I don't know," I began, but was cut off.

"It's okay, Dad," Graham told me. "I don't mind, if it's what Cody wants."

Seeing it was two against one, I gave in. Besides, I had wanted to keep a close eye on him until we got to the hospital. Therefore, we all got comfortable, with Cody curled up against me, and Graham next to him, and then we fell asleep.

Sometime during the night I heard Cody moaning and woke up. I opened my eyes slowly, to see if he was also sleeping, but was surprised by what I saw. Graham had the covers pulled back and was giving Cody a blowjob, much to my surprise.

I pretended to remain asleep and ignore what was going on, but it was hard to do, listening to Cody's ragged breathing and moans of pleasure. Graham must have been very capable, seeing Cody was enjoying this so much, but I didn't want to disturb them. The bed was also gently bouncing up and down, as Graham bobbed on Cody's stiffy, which made me wonder how much longer this was going to last. It was only a few seconds later, before I felt Cody's body stiffen and he let out a sigh, signaling the end of this encounter.

My eyes must have been slightly opened at that point, because Graham spoke. "Dad, how long have you been awake/" he asked.

At first I tried to pretend I was asleep, but he wasn't about to allow it. "I know you're not sleeping," Graham said. "You eyes were open a little and you're not breathing, like when you're asleep. You've also got a boner." He giggled, after pointing this out.

Mentally examining my lower body, I knew he was right. Their activity had subconsciously aroused me and my body gave it away.

"Come on, I can see it popping up under the sheet," Graham continued, so I had to 'fess up.

"Okay, I woke when I heard Cody moaning, because I thought something was wrong," I explained. "I didn't mean to spy on you."

"It's okay. I don't mind," Cody said, to reassure me. "Graham just thought it might relax me, because I woke up and couldn't go back to sleep."

"Yeah, it's no big deal, Dad," Graham added. "You've seen us naked and know we do it, so we don't mind."

It was nice to know they trusted me so much, but I still felt bad. "I tried to close my eyes and block it out," I explained, "because I knew watching you wasn't the right thing to do, but the bed was bouncing up and down and Cody was making noises to show he was enjoying it, and that was too much to ignore."

"We said it was okay, Dad," Cody reiterated. "You don't have to explain. We love you and don't care if you saw us."

"Well, I love you too, but let's try to get back to sleep," I urged. "I asked for an early wake up call."

Both boys agreed, but not before Cody returned the favor. Graham must have been highly aroused, because he didn't last very long, either that or Cody was also very talented. Although I started to roll over and turn my back to them, they told me I didn't have to, so I merely closed my eyes and stayed facing in their direction. Maybe that was what caused Graham to ejaculate quicker, but I'm not sure. I tried not to spy and only felt the bed bounce slightly and listened to Graham's whimpers of pleasure, until it was over. Then we all fell asleep again.

The wake up call came at 5:00 and I got up and took my shower, shaved and brushed my teeth. When I came back into the room to dress, I woke the boys up and told them to get ready. After checking out, I took them for a quick breakfast, but none of us were really very hungry and just picked at our food. We soon left the diner and started off for the city.

The trip was uneventful, except for getting caught in Monday morning traffic. If I'd been smarter, I would have found a place closer to the hospital, so I wouldn't have become enmeshed in the traffic grid.

We arrived at Sloan-Kettering around 9:00, although we should have made it much sooner. We parked the car in the parking garage and left most of our things in the trunk, figuring we could retrieve what we needed later. We then made our way toward the main entrance, where we checked Cody in. Once that was done, we had to wait until someone came to get us. Seeing we were expected and our paperwork was in order, it didn't take long before someone showed up to get us.

"We weren't really expecting you until this afternoon," the orderly told us, "but I guess they're still ready for you."

"We drove most of the way here yesterday," I explained, "because I wanted to arrive as early as I could."

The orderly nodded and led us down a series of corridors, including a short elevator ride. We took seats in the little waiting area, but not until we had a chance to look around and check everything out. We hadn't been seated for very long, before someone came out and paged Cody's name. We were asked to follow this person to an examination room, where we were left to wait for the doctor. I think the person leading us there was shocked when all three of got up to go with her, so I quickly explained Graham and I were with him for moral support and we planned to stay together through the whole experience. She smiled and said she understood and then she closed the door behind her, as she left.

When the doctor arrived, he wanted to know why Graham was in there too, so I quickly filled him in on our reasoning. I also told him our oncologist had called and cleared it in advance, which seemed to soften his mood.

"He must have talked to one of the nurses," he remarked, "but that's fine. We just don't usually find the support group in the examination room as well." Once he said this, he seemed fine with us being there, as long as Graham didn't interfere.

To make sure that didn't happen, I sat in one of the chairs, pulled Graham onto my lap and wrapped my arms around his chest. There was no way he was going to get away from me now.

Once we were situated, the doctor spoke to both Cody and I, asking us questions about Cody's condition. Even though he had read Cody's file, it seemed he wanted to make sure he knew everything that had happened so far. I think he was afraid the other doctor had failed to write something down or we had left some things out.

He also wanted to get our perspectives on Cody's progress up to this point, because he wanted details about how Cody acted and felt, from the first day we suspected something was wrong. After he finished questioning us, the doctor told us he was going to give Cody a complete physical, run some blood tests, take some tissue and bone marrow samples, and then send Cody for another MRI. After asking Cody if he'd prefer the physical be done in private, Cody informed him that wouldn't be necessary, so the doctor had him strip down.

The examination was very thorough and once it was over and the other procedures had been performed, we were sent out to wait in the examination room again. We assumed this was to give the doctor time to look at the results, so he could determine if anything had changed since Cody's last visit to the oncologist. I knew our doctor had forwarded everything he had, using overnight express, so now we just had to wait and see if things had improved, stayed the same or deteriorated since then. Once the doctor evaluated the information, he returned to speak with us.

"The MRI shows multiple tumors in the lungs and I'd like to learn more about them. I'm going to schedule Cody for a biopsy, because I have to know exactly what we're dealing with. They probably won't be able to squeeze us in to the OR for a couple of hours, so you go unwind and get something to drink. I'll schedule the procedure during the lunch break, because I'm fairly certain at least one of the rooms will be open then."

I thanked him for his help, while Cody got dressed, and then I took the boys to the snack bar, where we each ordered a milkshake. Neither boy said much, as we sat enjoying our treats, but I wasn't sure of their reason for remaining silent. Were they just concerned, scared, confused or a combination of all three.

Once we were finished there, we left the building for a while. I concluded it would be best to get Cody away from the hospital for a while, to keep him from thinking about his situation. I thought it best we just go for a walk, and then Graham and I could carry on a conversation with him, to keep him from worrying about what the doctor might find.

Once we went outside, we discovered it was quite warm, but not yet hot. I led them down the street while mentioning things we had seen on our previous trips to the city. As we walked, I pointed out the general location of where those things might be, even though there wasn't a great deal to see. We were surrounded by many tall buildings, which blocked our view and made it tough for me to pinpoint the exact locations.

We also spent time wondering what the rest of the boys were doing at home, just to keep Cody's mind away from his illness. I even mentioned Peter and asked if either of them thought Ricky had pulled a prank on him yet, which got them to disagree. Although Graham thought he had, Cody said Ricky wouldn't dare, because this time Peter knew what to expect. This discussion seemed to do the trick and didn't give him time to focus on his own problems, but to be safe, we also pointed out things we passed along the way. We hoped this might distract him even more.

It seemed to be working as planned, however all of our walking also appeared to be tiring Cody out. We had to stop many times along the way, so he could rest briefly and regain his strength, but I still thought it was better we weren't just sitting around a waiting room. There, he would most likely just dwell on his problems, which was precisely what I wanted to avoid.

As we approached the two-hour mark, we started to make our way back to Sloan-Kettering, knowing it would soon be time for his biopsy. After a few more brief rest stops, we were back in the waiting room, where we'd remain until we heard from the doctor. I tried to give Cody a quick explanation of what would be happening next, although I was definitely no expert on the subject.

"Cody, the doctor just wants to get some tissue from one of the tumors, so he can test it," I began. "He'll probably put something down your throat and work it into your lungs to do this. He'll also probably put you to sleep first, so you won't do something that could affect his efforts. It won't hurt and shouldn't take long, and Graham and I will be here waiting for you when you come out."

He just nodded his understanding, but didn't ask any questions, and I saw Graham squeeze his hand, to show his support. A short time later, an orderly came to get Cody, but he asked him to put on a hospital gown first, before he gave him a ride on a gurney. Cody went into a small room, changed quickly and locked his clothes in a small locker.

When he came out, he did nothing to hide his cute little butt from showing through the opening in the back. He was one of the least modest and most open individuals I had ever met. Graham did tease him about it, but it rolled off Cody like water on a duck's back, so Graham didn't get the response he wanted. Undaunted, he hugged Cody and wished him luck and then we waited there, while Cody was wheeled down the hall. I think Graham and I were more nervous about what he was facing than Cody was.

When I kissed him, before he was wheeled away, I noticed, for the first time, how pale and weak Cody looked. It almost broke my heart to know he'd have to go through this part without us, especially now that he seemed so fragile, and I really wanted to be there for him when this was done. Even though I understood the medical reasons why this wasn't possible, the parent side of me still longed to hold his hand and stroke his hair as he endured what was being done to him.

When Cody was brought out after the biopsy had been completed, he was unconscious. He had been given general anesthesia, as I suspected, and I was told it would be an hour or more before he came out from under its effects. The doctor told me he had also done a lumbar puncture, or spinal tap, at the same time, to prevent Cody from having to suffer through it later. Again, I thanked him for his help and we went to sit by Cody's bedside.

Cody looked very weak and didn't have much color as he lay there, and a series of images flashed through my mind. Most of them weren't good, so I tried to block them out, but I was finding it more and more difficult to do. I suspect seeing him like this made me think the worst.

Once Cody came out from under the anesthesia, we had to wait a little longer, before he was moved to a room. Shortly after that happened, Cody's never-fading smile returned to his face and he was back with us again.

A short time later, the doctor came in to see us. "All right, here's the situation," he began. "There's a very large number of tumors on Cody's lungs and they are in areas where we can't operate. We tested a couple of them and they both proved malignant, but that's not all. The MRI we took earlier showed there were also tumors forming on his liver and pancreas." He paused and looked at us, and I knew he was trying to find a way to explain what would come next. Eventually he continued with this explanation.

"If there weren't so many tumors, they were benign or they weren't located in such strategic areas, I would have recommended radiation therapy to deal with them. However, I'm not sure Cody's body could handle it at this point."

"If there is no other way to handle those tumors," I asked him, "would organ transplants be an option?" He looked at me and gave me a chance to read his expression, so I knew his answer before he spoke.

"No, I'm positive Cody's immune system couldn't deal with that, especially with the very powerful anti-rejection drugs we'd have to administer afterward. I'm also not sure his body is strong enough to even deal with such an operation."

"Then what can we do?" I wondered aloud.

"Not much," the doctor replied. "We will start Cody on another type of chemotherapy, although it will have to be a relatively mild treatment plan. We'll do that to see if we can shrink some of the tumors. Once we see what that does for us, we'll decide what to do next."

I thanked the doctor for the information and he patted Cody on the shoulder, before he left the room. I followed him out to the waiting room, so I could ask him a few more questions about Cody's condition, but out of earshot of the boys. Once we were alone, I approached him again. "Doctor, will he make it through this?" I asked him, quite directly.

"I wish I could tell you he will, but I think there's just too much working against him," he admitted, candidly. "We will do our best, but I'm afraid I can't offer you much hope. I want to keep him here, so I can monitor his progress. I'll arrange for him to be moved to a larger room and I'll have an extra bed put in there, so you can stay with him. If you'd like for me to arrange for you to see a clergyman, I will be happy to do that for you too. Just let me know which denomination you'd prefer."

I nodded, told him my preference and then he left. Once he was gone, I nearly collapsed on the spot. This couldn't be happening and I wasn't sure I could go through it again. At least with Brent, I didn't have to watch him slowly die, but I wasn't sure I could handle losing another son. However, unless a miracle came along, it looked as though Cody probably wouldn't make it to his next birthday. Hell, he might not even make it until next month. It appeared that Graham's vision had been right on the mark once again. Some times I just wished he didn't have his gift or there was a greater margin of error in what he saw. However, that wasn't the case, so I'd have to deal with the realities of the situation and take care of Cody, and the rest of my boys, in the process.

When I went back into his room, I had to come up with what I would tell the boys. I tried to put a less worried expression on my face, so I wouldn't alarm them, and then I walked up beside them and spoke.

"Boys, it looks like we'll be staying here for a while, so I'll go to the car and get our things. You wait here and I'll be right back."

Chapter 39
The Ultimate Struggle

The center began Cody's chemo treatments the next day and the drugs they used really wiped Cody out. Within an hour after the treatment was administered, he fell asleep and was out for an hour or two. Graham and I stayed at his bedside as he slept and Graham fussed over him the whole time.

Graham brushed the hair off of Cody's face, held his hand, stroked his arm and, occasionally, when just the three of us were in the room, he would give Cody a kiss. It was very cute to watch and reminded me of the way a mother would take care of her child. Graham even asked me if he could sleep with Cody, but I couldn't allow that. The nurses would have had a fit if they came in and discovered that happening. However, there was one nurse who caught on to how close the two boys actually were and was willing to look the other way when things of that nature happened.

For example, when the boys' favorite nurse came in to give Cody a sponge bath one day, Graham asked if he could help. I know he wouldn't have done that with any of the other nurses, but he seemed to feel comfortable with her, so he got up the courage and asked the question. She told him he could wash the 'more sensitive' areas, as it might make Cody feel better if she wasn't doing them, and he leaped at the opportunity. She left the room as he did this, but Graham also took time to grab the electric razor from my travel kit and tidy the area up a bit, while he was at it. Cody thought that was a stitch but wasn't sure how he'd explain it to the other nurses, if they noticed the difference.

When bedtime rolled around, I let Graham use the second bed and I slept in the reclining chair in the room, but we only did that for a couple of nights. One morning, when the doctor came in early to see Cody, he discovered what we had been doing and had another bed moved into the room. Luckily, this wasn't a small room, and although it made it a little cramped, everything fit and now we each had a bed to sleep in.

After the doctor fixed the problem for us, I decided to confront him about how he thought things were going with Cody. When he left the room, I followed him into the hall, so I could make my inquiry in private. As soon as the door to the room was closed, I spoke. "Doc, is he getting any better?"

He didn't answer right away, but the look he gave me when he turned around told as much as any words could. After an awkward pause, he answered. "I'm sorry, but he's not responding well to the chemotherapy. The tumors have hardly been affected and the drugs are throwing his other bodily functions into disarray, so I'm considering stopping the treatment."

"Then what would you do next?" I asked, concerned.

"If I stop the treatments, I'm not sure what, if anything, we could do next," he responded. "I've consulted with several of my colleagues about this, and I've shown them his complete medical file, but as of yet we haven't come up with a better solution. However, we aren't going to give up until we've considered every option. I know this isn't easy for you, but none of us are giving up on your son."

"I appreciate that," I told him, "but can't you contact other specialists in this field, to see if they know of any other options?"

"I've already done that, but so far none of them has recommended another course of treatment," he confirmed. "We'll all keep trying, but for right now, I don't know what else I can tell you. Unfortunately, there is another complication, as well," he continued. "It appears Cody is also suffering from a fungal infection around his brain and that might cause him to start having seizures. If that happens, it will only complicate the situation. I wish I had better news for you, but this is all I have to offer."

After hearing this, I was devastated. Even though he promised not to give up trying to help Cody, the implications behind what he told me painted a different picture. He seemed to be saying there wasn't much he could do for my boy. Now, I was determined to confront him and find out for sure.

"Doc, is he going to die?" I asked, point blank.

"Mr. Currie, there is no easy way to put this," he answered, "but unless someone alerts me to some new procedure or some miracle cure, I think we're running out of time."

My heart sank when I heard his reply and my knees became weak. I think the doctor noticed this too, because he reached out to steady me. "Are you all right?" he asked, concerned.

"I'm not sure if I'll ever be all right, unless we find a way to save Cody," I confessed, nearly in tears. "I've already lost one son, in an automobile accident, and I'm not sure if I can survive losing another. You've got to promise me you'll go that extra mile to try to save him, no matter what it costs. Money isn't an issue here."

The doctor looked shocked by the intensity of my statement, but I think he understood what I meant and why I said it. He was very comforting in his response.

"Mr. Currie, I'll do everything for your son and give him the same effort I would if he were my own child," he assured me. "Money is never the main issue with me, so you don't have to worry about that. I promise I will give this my best effort and Cody will receive my utmost attention."

This did help to reassure me a little, but the reality of the situation was beginning to hit home. How in the world would I be able to cope with losing another child, especially when the loss of the first one almost killed me? Even though I was being prepared for this in advance, Graham had tired to alert me about Brent's death too, but that still came as a shock. I'm not sure I'll be able to handle this one any better than the first, since I still believe a parent shouldn't see his children die before him. I decided it was time to turn to prayer and seek heavenly intervention.

Later, when I called home and talked to Jake, I explained the situation. He offered his support and tried to convince me not to give up hope. I told him wouldn't, but felt he should start preparing the boys for this possibility, without coming out and telling them Cody was going to die. I didn't want them to be shocked, if something did happen. He said he would do as I asked and then suggested he would bring all the boys to the hospital this coming weekend, so they could visit Cody. He felt that might help lift Cody's spirits and put him in a positive mental state.

I agreed it was a good idea, but realized he couldn't fit all the boys in one vehicle. Jake then said he'd have Mark or Dustin drive the van or Suburban, as they were the oldest and most experienced of our other drivers. Once I agreed with his idea, Jake asked what things he could bring for us. He understood I would be staying here for longer than I'd anticipated and wanted to make sure I had everything I'd need for the stay.

We even discussed what we should do about Graham. I knew there was no way I could convince Graham to leave Cody, but I wasn't sure how he would handle it if he saw Cody die. After talking this over for many minutes, Jake and I decided there wouldn't be any significant difference in how Graham was going to react, whether he was with Cody at the time or not. However, we concluded it might be easier for him to deal with Cody's death, if he was there for him at the end. Otherwise, he might always have psychological and emotional issues to deal with, such as regrets about leaving or failing Cody when he needed him most. After a great deal of discussion, I finally told Jake to bring some things for Graham too, as we might not be home for quite a while.

The next morning, I called and reserved rooms for Jake and the boys at a nearby hotel and informed both Cody and Graham that the rest of the family was coming for a visit. I knew the others would probably only be allowed to see Cody in groups of two or three at a time, so Graham and I would make ourselves scarce while they were here, to give them an opportunity to be with Cody too.

I not only talked this over privately with Graham one afternoon, while Cody was sleeping, but I also arranged it with Cody's doctor, so there would be no problems when they all arrived. I think the doctor was quite amazed when I told him how many people it involved, but he did agree to let them visit Cody three at a time. He told me he also knew our family would be the talk of the hospital for months to come.

I also mentioned the visit to our favorite nurse, the one who was so good with Graham and Cody. She reacted in disbelief too, once she became aware of all the details. At first I think she thought we were pulling her leg, but then we showed her the family picture, to prove our point. Even though she had seen the photo sitting on Cody's nightstand before, she admitted she thought it was of a group Cody belonged to or possibly a picture of a neighborhood recreational organization. Once I explained who each of the boys were and how they came to live with me, she realized this was no joke. That's when she announced she'd prepare the rest of the staff for what was to come, so it wasn't so awkward.

I also made sure to call my older children and explain the situation to them as well, just in case they also wanted to visit Cody. I advised them against bringing my grandchildren, but they argued Jordan and Nicky might be old enough for this. I thought the others were still too young to deal with the situation, but I was willing to reconsider the older pair. I told them we'd discuss this again, later.

Each of my older children then told me they would come for a visit and I told them to let me know exactly when they'd be here, so I could reserve rooms for their stay. They told me they would and then took down the number for the phone I had hooked up in Cody's room, since you're not supposed to use cell phones in the hospital.

I originally had the phone hooked up so he could talk to everyone while I was gone, but now it took on an even greater importance, as it would become the information hub concerning Cody's condition. I still held a great deal of hope that a miracle awaited us, but I also had to concede the need to be a realist.

Before my children arrived, I had an opportunity to speak with the doctor alone again, as I wanted to see if there were any changes in Cody's condition. "Doc, have you discovered anything new since we last spoke?"

"No, Mr. Currie, I'm sorry," he told me. "No one from any of the other cancer centers has been able to offer any other options."

"Then there's no chance for him?" I wondered.

"I wish I could say there was, but I'm afraid there isn't, at least none under my control," he replied. "However, I have seen unexplainable things happen, but those are very rare." Even though he had basically pulled the rug out from under me, he had also left me a very slim ray of hope to cling to.

I was unable to respond right away, as I was too choked up with emotion, but the doctor was patient and waited for me to compose myself. When I did, I tried to clear up another question.

"Do you think it would be better if I took him home for what little time he has left?" I wanted to know. "I think he would feel more comfortable there."

"Mr. Currie, he's liable to be in considerable pain at the end and having seizures," he informed me, "and we'll be better equipped to manage his pain here. Besides, how will your boys react if he dies at home? Would they be able to put that behind them later or even be able to enter the room he dies in without thinking about the fact it was where he passed?"

"No, I suppose you're right," I conceded, "but can we at least have permission to have everyone who wants to be here in the room with him when that time comes?"

"Certainly," he told me, even though we were both a little choked up at this point. It was clear he was willing to do anything to help us get through this when it happened.

That weekend everyone showed up, as planned. Some of them arrived on Friday, while others got there before noon on Saturday, but the whole family rallied around our stricken loved one. As the various groups began to arrive, the staff allowed them to go in and see Cody, three at a time, but I asked them to keep the conversation light. I suggested they talk about things at home or maybe recall something memorable or humorous that had happened in the past. We also suggested they not mention the seriousness of his condition, as I didn't want Cody to panic or lose his incentive to keep fighting. Everyone agreed to my conditions and then started going in to see him in shifts, which lasted about fifteen to twenty minutes at a time.

Peter had come with the others and cornered me, while some of the boys were in with Cody. "Pop, I'm so sorry he is this bad," he told me and I could see the sincerity in his face. "I do hope he will get well."

"I'm afraid there isn't much chance that will happen," I told him, which caused Peter to look shocked and sad. "I just feel bad that you had to be here and are now forced to deal with this too." "Oh, no, Sir. I'm fine and I hope I can help in some way," he offered. He was just so sweet.

"Thank you, Peter. It is nice of you to think like that," I told him. "I'm sure you will have your hands full helping Ricky, because I suspect this will be hard on him. Even though he hasn't know Cody for very long, they did bond and are very much alike."

"I've noticed that too, Pop," he confirmed. "I haven't been here long either, but I have seen how they are when they are around each other."

"Precisely," I concurred. "So you help Ricky and that will help me."

Peter and I talked for a while longer and he did everything he could think of to try to make me feel better. He was a very caring and sensitive young man. I was even more surprised he had survived Ricky's abuse, but I guess he can dole it out too.

Getting back to Cody, he was quite excited when he began to receive visitors. He thought it was nice that everyone had come so far just to see him. The early conversations were about how he was feeling, what types of things they had done to him so far or if he had any trouble sleeping, especially with me snoring in the same room. Broaching this topic usually meant Cody would end up doing an exaggerated impression of my nocturnal sound show and this would get everyone laughing, including Cody.

Some of the boys asked Cody about the food. They wanted to know if it was better or worse than what they served at school, but Cody would only tell them it was okay, but nothing special. Later, they did get him to admit it was in the same league as the general school fare, which wasn't a compliment.

The visits seemed to go very well and the others appeared to lift Cody's spirits and made him lose focus on his concerns. However, some of the sessions were dramatically interrupted by one of Cody's seizures. Whenever this happened, those in the room would be asked to leave for a while, until the seizures ended and Cody had been able to rest for a short time. Even though we experienced these minor setbacks, I thought, overall, everything was going quite well. That was until late Saturday night, just before we went to sleep.

Cody had been in a fairly good mood for the past couple of days, but after everyone left his room that night, he began to get very serious. Graham had gone out to eat with the others, as we had all been living on hospital cuisine for longer than we cared to. Knowing he would benefit from the change, Cody and I talked him in to going with Jake and his brothers for dinner, and then possibly to a movie, just so he could have a brief break. Cody had tried to get me to join them as well, but there was no way I was going to leave him, unless he suddenly got better. I would never be able to forgive myself if he expired while I was away.

Now that we were alone, he must have felt it was time to clear the air a bit. As he turned toward me, I noticed his facial expression was very sad and pathetic looking. Just seeing how he looked would melt the heart of the coldest person who had ever lived. I suddenly felt a lump forming in my throat, even before he began to speak.

"They're all here because they know I'm going to die, aren't they?" he asked, putting me on the spot. I tried to mask my surprise and control my emotions as I responded, but my resolve was now shaken and my acting abilities weren't up to the task.

"No, Cody. They're here because they love and care about you," I told him. "They came to show their support and to let you know how much they want you to get better." I put on as brave a face as I could for him, but I think he noticed the cracks in my mask.

"Dad, you can tell me the truth," he responded, and his eyes were pleading with me not to treat him like a little child. "It's going to happen pretty soon, isn't it? I know, because I'm feeling weaker every day."

"Cody, I won't lie to you. You are very sick and it's possible you might not make it," I confessed. "However the weakness you are feeling is because of the chemotherapy and the seizures you've been having. You must remember how the chemotherapy did that to you the last time too, don't you?" He nodded, and then gave me his 'don't try to fool me' look.

"I remember how it was the last time, but this time it's not like that," he reasoned. "I can feel the difference and I didn't have seizures before."

"Well, not every time is the same," I informed him, "and last time you were taking the drugs to kill the diseased cells in your body. This time you're taking different drugs, to shrink the tumors, and you didn't have this other infection before either. I think it might have something to do with the difference in the drugs and what they're meant for. That might make it seem a little different to you, but it's to be expected."

"Maybe you're right, Dad, but I don't know. I just have this feeling…" I cut him off. I didn't like where this was going and I was praying there might still be a chance for him to pull through. If there was, it would have to begin with him, so I intended to put him in the right frame of mind, to help make it possible.

"Well, you just get rid of that feeling then," I urged, "because you'll have to fight, if you want to get better. Any doctor will tell you one of the biggest factors in a person's getting well is his mental attitude, so you'll just have to let go of all those morbid thoughts. If you don't, then I'm afraid your fears might come true, as that negative energy will work its way through not only your mind, but your body as well."

He seemed to consider the meaning of my words, before he said anything, and looked very thoughtful, before he responded. "Do you really think it can make that big of a difference?"

"Yes, Cody, I do," I confirmed. He took another minute to reflect on this, before he decided what to do next. Finally. he reached his own conclusion.

"Okay, if it's that important, then I'll try not to think about dying any more," he agreed. After telling me this, he gave me a weak smile, which made me feel he was doing this more for me, than for himself. Regardless of the reason, I just hoped he would keep his word.

"Good," I told him, to let him know I approved. "You just spend your time concentrating on getting better and that will make all of us very happy." He smiled at me again and then we hugged. Hopefully a change in outlook might at least make him feel better, if nothing else.

On Sunday, the others began to leave, but each of them took a few minutes to stop in and say good-bye to Cody first. They didn't do it as if it was their final farewell, but was closer to how we acted when we took the boys back to college. Everyone made sure they let him know they'd see him again when he got home, although they didn't go into detail about how that might be.

I don't think this was because they were unable to come to grips with the seriousness of Cody's situation, but we all preferred to cling to the to glimmer of hope that his condition might improve and he'd have at least a few more years with us. I was proud of the way they all handled themselves and believe they did a good enough job to make Cody consider the possibility he might be wrong in thinking he wasn't going to make it.

Now that the others had gone, it was just the three of us again, and Graham didn't want to leave Cody's side. He had spent much more time away from him over the weekend than he was comfortable with, so now he seemed determined to make up for it. The boys' favorite nurse just happened to be on the night shift this evening and I overheard Graham making a special request. I wasn't sure how she was going to respond, but she merely smiled at the two of them, before she answered.

"If you boys want to sleep together tonight," she began, "I'll make sure no one else comes in here to disturb you. I know what it's like to have a boyfriend too."

She winked after saying this, which caused Graham to blush slightly, but Cody let out a weak laugh. He seemed to enjoy her perceptiveness.

"I'll also make sure all his monitor wires on are one side of his bed," she continued, "so you can sleep on his other and not get tangled up in them. Does that sound okay to the two of you?"

They both beamed and nodded, to let her know it was more than okay, and then thanked her for arranging this for them. Graham also walked over and gave her a hug, and when Cody saw what Graham was doing, he asked her to come over, so he could do the same. Happily, she obliged. She kissed each of them on the cheek afterward and I think I noticed her eyes were a bit moist, when she turned to leave the room.

Once she had departed, Graham looked over at me, to see if I was upset that he hadn't cleared this with me first. Not wanting to spoil the moment, I just gave him a wink, to let him know I was fine with what happened. Now that he had received my tacit approval, he seemed to relax and returned to Cody's side.

Over the next hour or so, the nurse prepared everything the way she had told them, which erased any doubts they might have harbored that something would go wrong. While she was doing this, Graham grabbed his things and went in to the toilet, to get ready for bed. He put on a pair of pajamas and brushed his teeth, and when he came out, he climbed into bed beside Cody. He gently began to snuggle against him, but was careful not to hurt him in any way. I could see Cody was glowing, even from the other side of the room, and this might have been the best medicine anyone could have given him.

Now that they were settled in, I turned away from them and lay on my side. I wasn't sure what they might have planned, but I was going to give them as much privacy as they needed.

The night nurse woke Graham the next morning, before she went off duty, and had him move to his own bed. When Cody awoke a short time later, he looked around for Graham, but then figured out why they weren't still together. I must admit, Cody looked better than I had seen him in quite awhile, so their time together must have helped. This morning he had a little more color in his cheeks, his smile appeared to be a little broader and he had the look of a young man in love. If only the other nurses were as understanding about their relationship, maybe the boys could do this on other occasions too and Cody might be able to keep the glow he had now.

Our favorite nurse did mention she'd be on the night shift for a couple of weeks, so maybe she'd let them continue doing this until she switched shifts again. If it had made this much of a change in Cody in just one night, I hoped she'd stay on this shift for as long as he was here.

The seizures Cody experienced from time to time seemed to grow more severe as the infection affected more of his brain. Other than that, things went as well as could be expected for the next few days. Our angel nurse continued to allow the boys to spend their evenings together and went out of her way to do special things for them. This seemed to be important to both Cody and Graham, plus it helped them cope a little better with what was going on.

She and I talked at one point, and she explained she had a nephew who was gay. She also told me she had seen the abuse he took from his peers and had noticed how isolated he seemed from the rest of the world. She felt his pain and tried to do whatever she could to help ease his suffering, but now she was thrilled to be able to extend this same support to other boys, in a similar situation.

I thanked her for her concern and help and then explained more about our family. Once she understood what we were like, I suggested she could have her nephew contact us, if he wanted to talk to other boys like himself or if he just needed some moral support. She assured me she'd pass the information on to him and was thrilled she could now do more to help him too.

Before she left to continue her duties, she made one final comment to the boys. She told them she'd knock on the door and then wait a minute before opening it, in case they needed a moment to get decent before she entered. It was tactfully put, but we all knew what she meant, and I was grateful she was there for all of us during this time.

By mid-week, however, things began to change. Not only were the seizures becoming more frequent and severe, but Cody was also struggling to breathe. The doctor had him taken down for another MRI, and when they came back, I could tell by the look on the doctor's face that things were not good.

"I'm sorry," the doctor began, "but not only were we unable to shrink the tumors, they are spreading and getting larger. They're also putting a great deal of strain on his lungs and other organs. The tumors in the lungs cover much of the surface and only leave a limited area for oxygen to be absorbed through the tissue and into his bloodstream. That's why it's becoming so difficult for him to breathe. We're going to put him on pure oxygen, to make sure more of it is getting into his blood, but that's about all I'll be able to do for him."

"Is this the beginning of the end?" I asked, since I needed to know what to expect.

"Most likely it is," he concurred. "Your son may show some signs of improvement at times, but for the most part, he'll just continue to get worse. The weight of the tumors in his lungs will make breathing painful for him, so I'll make sure I give him some narcotics, to make him more comfortable. I wish I had better news for you, but I think it's best you know what lies ahead."

"I understand and I thank you for what you've done," I agreed. "It's not your fault medical science isn't outpacing all the various illnesses. Maybe someday others of your profession may know what to do to treat people with this problem, but I thank you for everything you have tried to do for him."

No matter how sincere I had tried to be with him, the doctor did not look entirely comforted by my words. I think he felt bad he hadn't been able to do more for Cody, but we understood he was limited more by the lack of advancement in medical science, than because of a lack of effort.

After he left, I waited for Cody to fall asleep, and then I took Graham out in the hall and explained the situation to him. He began to cry almost from the beginning, not sobbing, but merely weeping. I could tell he was still trying to keep a stiff upper lip and be a brave soldier, but I also knew this was too much to expect from someone his age. Not only that, but I didn't want him to keep all his grief pent up inside, so I told him to go ahead and get it out of his system now, before Cody woke up.

The first thing he did was to inform me he'd spent some time alone with Kevin, when he went out with the rest of the family the other night. From what Graham told me, it appears Kevin felt it was his duty to take care of his younger brother and prepare him for what was to come. Kevin had been forced to deal with his loss without any advance preparation, so he wasn't about to let Graham suffer the same fate. Graham told me Kevin explained what he went through and what he felt after losing Brent, but no matter how much Kevin told him, Graham admitted he still didn't know it was going to hurt as badly as he was feeling now.

Although I was pleased to know Kevin had been so farsighted as to tackle this issue on his own, I knew there was still much more to do. I would also have to thank Kevin for doing this, but I wanted to do it in person, the first chance I got. I think his little talk did Graham some good too. I believe that by talking to someone else who had lost a lover in his teens, it would help Graham accept the inevitable and make his grief more bearable. Although there was nothing anyone could do that would take away all the pain he would eventually feel, I'm sure the time he spent with Kevin had made it easier.

Once that was out of the way, we talked about Cody's condition. I told him what we should expect next, almost exactly the way the doctor informed me, and when he asked how long Cody had, I told him no one knew for sure. I explained the best guess was most likely only a week or so, because Cody was getting weaker. Even though he was being given pure oxygen, there was still not enough of it getting into his bloodstream, because the tumors were still growing. As this process continued to happen, the tumors would eventually cut off his oxygen supply completely and Cody's struggle would be over.

After we finished talking, I held Graham for a while, until he calmed down. Then I sent him off to wash his face and regain control of his emotions, while I went back in to sit with Cody. He was still sleeping when I entered, but he did wake up before Graham returned. The first thing Cody did was to ask me where Graham was, so I told him Graham just went for a walk, to stretch his legs a bit. Cody seemed to accept this explanation without any difficulty, so when Graham came back, Cody never asked him where he'd been. Graham sat down beside him and gave Cody a quick kiss as he did so. After that, he remained next to Cody, on the bed, and held his hand.

I left to call Jake a short time later, so I could tell him Cody's condition was worsening. After he was aware of the situation, we talked about bringing the boys back, so they could stay with Cody until the end came. I wanted Cody to be surrounded by his loved ones when he took his final breath and Jake agreed to bring them all back this weekend. He also said he'd see to it that they understood why.

That night, none of us slept very well. Cody had trouble because of the heaviness in his chest, which made it difficult for him to breathe. Graham and I lost sleep due to the fact that we were so concerned and upset about Cody's problem that we kept waking up to check on him every half hour or so. At one point, I actually sat up for over an hour and watched Cody struggle for each precious breath. As I did this, I wondered how much more labored his breathing would become, before his body just couldn't fight it any longer and he gave up.

I certainly was glad the doctor was giving him something for the discomfort, because it looked as though the pain would have been excruciating by this point. I know this may sound cruel and heartless to say, but since it didn't appear as though there was any chance of Cody recovering, I felt it would almost be a blessing if he went now, so he didn't have to suffer any longer.

Cody's difficulty continued through the rest of the day and extended into the evening as well. Cody was not awake for much of that time, but I wasn't sure if this was due to his condition or because the medication he was being given was knocking him out. Whatever the reason, it was probably best for him that he was out of it at this point, and I think it was better for us too.

I almost wished Graham could be given something too, but not just to make him sleep. It would have been nice if he could take something to ease the pain he was going through, as he watched Cody wither away. I could read the love in his eyes as he looked at Cody and pampered him, even though he knew Cody probably wasn't even aware he was there or conscious of what he was doing. I could also see the pain on his face, as he wondered how much longer this would go on, but I knew his love was strong enough to overcome his discomfort.

That night Graham slipped back into bed with Cody, once our guardian angel nurse came on duty, but I realized he never let himself fall into a deep sleep. I wasn't doing any better and only dozed off from time to time, because I accepted the fact that the end was probably near and wanted to be awake when it happened. I had just happened to doze off once more, when I heard Graham call for me.

"Dad, Dad, wake up!" he screamed. "I think something is wrong." He had also come over to my bed and was trying to shake me awake.

I jumped up and turned on a light. "What is it?" I asked, before I looked at Cody and knew the answer to my own question.

"Cody's body is jerking and he isn't breathing normal. He's gasping for air now. What's wrong?" he demanded.

Before I had a chance to answer, three nurses flew into the room and began to check the monitors. However, during that time, Cody's body, which had been jerking from the seizures, relaxed and he gasped one final time, before his body stopped moving completely. We now realized it was finally over for him.

The nurses also knew any heroic efforts to revive him would only delay the inevitable, so they merely began to turn off the machines and disconnect the wires from his body. Once that had been accomplished, they asked Graham and I to leave the room for a few minutes, while they cleaned Cody up. They explained they would allow us back in to say our final good-bye, once they had finished, so Graham and I walked out of the room, still stunned by what we had just witnessed.

As we went through the doorway, Graham started to cry, loudly, so I led him over to a chair, sat down and pulled him onto my lap. Then, I let him bawl his eyes out, as I held him. We sat there like this for about ten minutes, before the nurses came out and told us we could go back in to see Cody, but we didn't move right away. I wanted to give Graham time to cope with his grief, before confronting him with the stark reality of Cody's lifeless body again. When he let me know he was ready to go back in to Cody's room, we got up, walked in together, went over to the bed and stared at that fragile blond haired boy, whom we both loved so much.

We stood there just looking at him for a couple of minutes and then Graham reached out to stroke Cody's face. As his hand passed over Cody's skin, he paused for a second, but then resumed what he was doing. He continued this for a few more seconds, before he bent over and kissed Cody once more on the nose, and then on the lips. When he turned to face me, his eyes were filled with tears, but his body seemed more relaxed than when we were out in the hall. I think he was beginning to accept the fact it was over. He now turned toward Cody and just looked at him lying there, so I decided it was time to see how Graham was holding up.

"Are you all right?" I asked him, as I put my hands on his shoulders, from behind. He slumped back into my body and turned his head slightly, so he could see me.

"Yeah, I was just a little shocked at first," he admitted.

"Shocked? About what in particular?" I asked, to clarify what he meant.

"I didn't expect him to feel so cold already," he explained. "And his skin wasn't really soft, like it usually is, either. It felt kind of tight, like it had been stretched across something."

"Yes, I know how that is," I commiserated. "I've experienced that before too, with others who had passed away."

"Dad, do you think he's in heaven now?" Graham asked me directly. I knew it was an innocent question and not intended to affect me as it did, but I had a very difficult time trying to control my emotions, once he asked it. After I took a few seconds to calm myself, I searched for the right words to say.

"Yes, I think he's in heaven, Graham," I told him. "Cody is now with Brent and all our other loved ones who have gone before. He'll be there to greet us, when it is our turn to join them, so we will see him again."

At this point Graham turned around, threw his arms around my body and began to squeeze as hard as he could. I know it was just to release some of the pent up tension he was experiencing, but it also served as an emotional release. Inadvertently, he also helped me in the process. I needed to open the floodgates to my emotional dam too, and without realizing it, he gave me the opportunity to do so. Now, we sat there hugging each other and crying over the loss we both felt. I don't know how long we stayed this way, alone with Cody's body, but when we felt we were finally ready to move on, I walked over to the phone, dialed home, and waited for an answer. Fortunately, it was Jake who picked up the call.

"He's gone," I said simply, knowing I didn't need to identify myself or explain what I meant in any more detail.

I could tell Jake was choked up, as I could hear it in his voice when he responded. "Is there anything I can do?" he asked, sincerely.

"Yes, will you call everyone and let them know, so I can just move on and make the arrangements for Cody's funeral. I'll see that his body is transported home, and then I'll contact the funeral home and get in touch with the church, to arrange for his final service."

"Are you going to be all right to drive back?" Jake worried. "I can come there with one of the boys, so I can drive you back."

"No, that won't be necessary," I assured him, although I was touched by his offer. "We won't be leaving for a few more hours and by then I'll be fine. I love you and I'll see you later tonight. Tell the boys I love them too and we'll be home soon."

"I will," he responded, and then there was a slight pause, before Jake spoke again.

"Josh, I love you and please be careful," he told me, before he hung up.

Chapter 41
Saying Good-bye

After I made the arrangements with the funeral home, I worked with the minister to plan for the service I wanted at the church. After Brent died, I wasn't thinking very clearly, so I made mistakes, which I didn't want to repeat.

The biggest of those mistakes was that I didn't involve all the boys in the planning or service. Some of them had mentioned it several times during the intervening months and let me know they would always regret they didn't take part. This time, everyone would be included, one-way or another.

I called Nick's parents' home, to let him know about Cody. Nick wanted to come back for the funeral and offered to delay his trip to Brazil, so he could do this. However, I was reticent to have him make such a quick decision. Instead, I told him to think about it for a while and talk it over with his parents, before he made up his mind. I told him the entire family would be fine with whatever he chose to do.

I emphasized everyone would understand if he went to Brazil as scheduled, but I didn't want to influence his decision, because I realized it might be a choice that could affect him for years to come. He said he'd let me know which option he settled on, as soon as he knew himself, and I assured him that would be fine. A couple hours later I got a call back from Nick, during which he informed me he and his parents would be joining us for the service.

Since we arrived home from Sloan-Kettering, Kevin had been spending a great deal of time with Graham. He was helping him work through the grieving process, since he had gone through it when Brent died. This, of course, made Kevin the most qualified for the job and he took the responsibility seriously. He had taken it upon himself to help Graham through this, with no coaxing from any of us, so I made sure to thank him, the next time we were alone.

I also thanked Vinnie for being so understanding and sharing Kevin with a needy brother. Vinnie said he understood Graham needed Kevin right now and he wasn't jealous, but I told him it was still nice to see. It is especially heartwarming to witness one of them going out of his way to help another and it also showed a certain amount of maturity on his part.

For the entire day after we got home, there was nothing scheduled to take place. The calling hours wouldn't be until the following day, so I used this time to work with the boys who wanted to do something special for the service. When I spoke to Dion, he asked if he could sing the hymns and other spiritual songs before, during and after the service, which I thought was a wonderful idea. Eagerly, I sat down with him to pick out appropriate selections for this occasion.

I also called the church and spoke to the minister, so I could tell him what we wanted to do. He agreed to allow Dion to sing the various hymns we'd selected and then suggested he could arrange for the children's choir to back him up. Once we agreed, he recommended setting up a practice for later that evening, so we could get them all together to make sure they knew the various songs and it all gelled with the organist. We agreed it would be fine with us and then we thanked him for his help. I knew this would sound beautiful and be perfect, under the circumstances, and I praised Dion for his offer.

Graham and Trey had also suggested they wanted to do something special. They were going to write something appropriate for the service and then read it at the church. I told them that would be fine and sent them off to compose whatever it was they wanted to say. I would look their ideas over later, so I could offer suggestions and help polish their rough drafts. They both thought it was a good idea, so they went to their rooms to consider what they were going to write.

Andrew had also come up to me and asked if there was some way we could use the picture he drew of Cody. I told him I'd have it framed and placed beside the casket, to help others remember what Cody looked like before he got sick. Andrew smiled at my response and asked if he could do another picture too, but this one in color. I told him it was a wonderful idea, while also reminding him he didn't have much time to complete it, just in case he wanted to reconsider. He said he would do it anyway and raced off to get started.

I also spoke to the other boys, to determine which of them wanted to be pallbearers and which would prefer to assist with communion. Although communion isn't normally a part of the funeral service, I had requested it be included. This would help remind the rest of us that someday we would all be reunited in God's presence, as promised by the sacrifice Jesus had made and signified by this sacrament. The minister agreed we could do this, so I informed him I would have four of my boys assist him with this portion of the service.

Now, I just had one more thing to take care of, so I approached Vinnie to discuss the idea with him. Seeing he used crutches to get around, I obviously couldn't have him be a pallbearer. I also couldn't ask him to help with communion, as that would require him to help pass out the appropriate items and he'd need both hands for his crutches. That is why I asked him if he would be willing to read the twenty-third psalm during the service. He confirmed he would be pleased to do it, so everything was set.

I understood Graham slept snuggled in between Kevin and Vinnie that evening, as the duo served as a buffer to protect and comfort him at the same time. I, on the other hand, was still not sleeping very well, even in Jake's reassuring embrace. I not only still had Cody on my mind, but I was worried I had forgotten to take care of some important detail and concerned about how everyone was dealing with Cody's passing. I would lie awake in my bed, listening to every little noise in the house, to see if I could pick up any clues about anything unusual going on. I would also get up and make my rounds through the house. As I did this, I would check on all of the boys, just to make sure each of them was all right.

Jake often woke when I got out of bed, but I'd tell him to go back to sleep, as I just needed to walk off some of my nervous energy. He would usually turn over as I left the room, although at first he would question me further, to see what I was up to. Seeing he always got the same response, he finally just gave up asking and now went back to sleep, as soon as I told him to.

When we got up the next morning, no one was his normal cheery self. They were still holding their own and not letting their grief overwhelm them, but they were more somber and morose than I could ever remember.

I took some time to speak with Graham in private, just to see how he was holding up, and he seemed anxious to get to the funeral parlor, so he could see Cody again. He even asked me if the two of us could go in alone first, so he could make sure Cody looked alright before anyone else went in. I told him that would be fine and he thanked me for allowing him to do this.

While the other boys were getting ready, I told Jake what I had promised Graham and then asked him to keep the other boys outside, until I signaled them to come in. He said he would, so I thanked him for his assistance and then we finished getting ready ourselves. Once everyone was prepared to leave, we got in the vehicles and set out for the funeral home.

As soon as we arrived, Graham and I got out of the car and went inside the building. We told the funeral director we wanted to check everything out, before the visitors arrived. He agreed to allow us to do this and led us into the room where Cody's body was laid out.

Outside, Jake called the rest of the boys together, explained the situation and asked them to be patient until I signaled they could join us. No one seemed to have a problem with this and tried to keep each other occupied while they stood around in their suits, waiting for us to finish our inspection.

As Graham and I entered the room, we immediately spotted the casket. When we looked in its direction, we could see Cody's face, even from this distance. While walking forward, we began to get the full impact of how impressive everything looked and we slowly moved toward the area. Cody was lying in a powder blue metallic coffin, with a white silk lining, and there was a large bouquet of flowers covering the closed lower half. This bouquet had a ribbon across it, which read 'son,' and was the arrangement I had sent from Jake and me. There was another large arrangement at the head of the coffin, placed on a stand, and this one read 'brother.' There was also a floral cross placed against the inside of the lid, which had the word 'uncle' attached to it.

In addition to the flowers, there were also two pictures placed on stands on either side of the bouquet from the boys. They were set in gold-plated frames, and the first was the charcoal sketch Andrew had done of Cody, which he had won a ribbon for at the art festival. The other was a watercolor of Cody, done using a slightly different pose than the other one, but this one showed off Cody's blond hair, his clear blue eyes and highlighted his wonderful smile.

We walked up and looked at Cody for a second, before Graham grabbed a comb out of his pocket and started primping Cody's golden locks. When he was satisfied Cody's hair was done correctly, he stroked the back of his hand against Cody's cheek and then bent forward, so he could kiss him. First, he gave him a little peck on the nose and then he kissed him squarely on his lips. I wasn't sure he'd do this, at least not after his reaction in the hospital, but he did. It proved his love was stronger than any uncomfortable feelings he might have had.

When Graham was through fussing over Cody, I also gave Cody a kiss. However, mine was a fatherly kiss, on the forehead, like I often did with the boys when I was proud of them or whenever we parted ways. Then Graham and I talked for a few minutes, while noting all the other bouquets that had been sent. We made sure to see who had sent each one, so we could send them a thank you note later. When Graham finally agreed everything was as it should be, I went out and motioned for the rest of the family to come inside.

The other boys took turns going up and saying a final good-bye to Cody, but some were more emotional than others. This didn't mean the ones who were more demonstrative or hysterical loved or missed Cody more, nor did it mean the others loved or missed him less. Instead, it was merely their way of dealing with a situation such as this. Everyone has their own way of coping with tragedy and unpleasant situations, but it is hard to qualify one as being more expressive about how someone feels than another.

As the boys were doing this, I pulled Peter aside, so I could see how he was dealing with a situation he had been thrust into.

"How are you doing?" I asked him.

"Fine, sir," he answered. "I didn't know him very well, but it's still very sad. I'm sorry he had to die so young and I know you'll all miss him. I could tell you loved each other and I can see how deeply you miss him already."

"You're very perceptive," I replied. "Have you ever been part of anything like this before?"

"I went to my grandmum's funeral," he told me, "but I've never known anyone this young who has died. I've read about such things, in the newspaper and magazines, but I've never actually seen the body or been there for the service."

"I'm sorry to hear about your grandmother, but I'm glad you've never lost anyone this young before," I confirmed. "Are you certain you are all right."

"Yes, Sir… I mean, Pop," he said with an apologetic gaze. "You don't have to worry about me. Take care of your sons and I'll try to help, especially with Ricky." Having said this, he walked over and stood next to the older blond. It was obvious Ricky was one of those taking this very emotionally.

When the immediate family was through saying their final farewells, I told the funeral director he could allow the other visitors in. I had Jake and the boys line up beside me, so we would form a welcoming line to greet them.

Among the first to arrive were the members of our extended family and they took a moment to see how each of us were holding up. They offered their condolences and support, before asking what we needed and volunteering their services for whatever they could do. I thanked them and explained we've always known we could count on them, especially when things had sunk to their lowest. They just acknowledged they were willing to do whatever was necessary.

Even though Cody hadn't been with us for very long, he still had made many friends and they arrived at the funeral home too. Most of them had a parent or two accompanying them, for moral support, since this was most likely the first time they had known someone from their own age group who had died. There were plenty of tears flowing as they passed by, but many kind words were also said and we thanked each and every one of them for coming.

There were also some teachers in this group, some who had had Cody in one of their classes, but others who came just as a show of support for the rest of the family. It is nice to know you have such loyal friends and colleagues.

In between the afternoon and evening calling hours we went home, and much to our surprise, Sally, Mary and Margaret had prepared a meal for us. They said they knew we probably wouldn't eat much or very well otherwise, so they wanted to make sure no one starved. I thanked them and we enjoyed what they had prepared, but I don't think any of us ate very much. If the boys were like me, they didn't have much of an appetite while enduring the many feelings we were each experiencing.

The evening viewing was much the same as the afternoon session, with more of Cody's classmates, additional teachers and staff and other family friends arriving to show their support and offer sympathy. Some of these people had attended earlier, but still came back a second time.

My older children arrived during the second viewing and my two oldest grandsons were with them. Seeing those two had spent so much time with their uncles, their parents thought it best if they were included, if they wanted to be. Both Jordan and Nicky expressed an interest in being here, so they were allowed to come. Once they saw their Uncle Cody resting in his casket, they started to become nervous and apprehensive, so they stayed close to me. They asked many questions about what happened to Uncle Cody and why he had to die when he was so young, which I answered as honestly as I could. I'm not sure anyone could have answered those types of questions to their satisfaction, but I did the best I could.

"Even though it's not pleasant to think about," I began, "sometimes even younger people can get really sick. This is what happened to your Uncle Cody."

"Will we get it too," Nicky wanted to know.

"No, you can't catch what your uncle had," I assured them. "He was just unlucky to have gotten it himself."

"Did he hurt bad?" Jordan asked.

"For most of the time, the doctor gave him medicine so he wouldn't hurt," I explained, "but there may have been times when he felt some of it."

"What happens when you die," Jordan followed, and I could tell he was deadly serious.

"Different people believe different things," I began. "Even though the body remains behind, those who are religious feel the soul goes to be with God. There are some people who believe the soul just disappears and others are convinced the soul goes into another body and lives another life."

"What do you believe, Papa?" Nicky asked, directly.

"I believe your Uncle Cody is now in heaven, with God," I advised, "and we'll all see him, and be with him, again some day."

"Does that mean we'll all die too," Jordan asked.

"Yes, eventually everyone dies," I explained, "but hopefully most of us will be very, very old when that time comes. It's not something you should worry about now, since you'll probably live to be eighty, ninety or even one hundred years old before that happens." The boys seemed to accept this explanation and didn't pursue it further.

After the final viewing concluded, we went back to the house, but things were still pretty somber. The extended family had taken care of everything while we were gone and cleaned up after we had eaten. They were truly amazing.

The funeral was scheduled for 11:00 the next day, so there was still a great deal to go through. I also understood this would be another night of very limited sleep, due to all the emotional turmoil enveloping each of us. Actually, I was surprised I was still going fairly strong, but understood my body was just functioning on instinct and adrenaline. I also realized my body was going to crash, big time, once this was over. I hoped it wouldn't wipe me out completely or cause other problems, like the health-related issues I suffered after Brent's funeral, but there was nothing I could do about that now.

Although we all turned in a short time later, emotionally drained by the events of the past few days, we also knew there was another big day ahead of us tomorrow. I did fall asleep for longer periods than the previous two nights, but I still didn't have what I'd call a good night's sleep. There was still one more day to get through and I wanted to make sure this one went off perfectly; without a hitch. I was nervous, but I was certain each of the boys would do his part, so this helped to allay my fears somewhat.

After a quick service at the funeral home, the casket was going to be closed and moved to the church, where the religious service would be performed. As was my custom, I planned to be there when the coffin was sealed, but Graham told me he wanted to do something in private, before that happened. When I inquired as to what that was, he said he had something he wanted to put in the casket with Cody. I told him that would be fine with me, and then I made arrangements with the funeral director for this to take place.

I had Jake take the other boys into one of the other rooms, to wait until we were done. Once Graham and I were alone with Cody's body, Graham walked up to the casket, reached into his suit pocket and pulled something out of it. It was a ring and I recognized it as one I had given him for his birthday a few years ago. He looked up at me and said, "I hope you don't mind, but I thought this would show Cody I will love him forever."

I couldn't speak. I was so choked up at the moment that I merely nodded my head, to let him know I had no problem with what he was planning to do. Seeing my response, he turned back toward Cody, placed the ring on Cody's finger and then kissed him one final time, once on the nose and then on the lips. After he had completed his good-bye, I had him leave and join the others, while I watched the funeral director seal the coffin shut.

Chapter 42
A Fitting Farewell

Once the casket was sealed, the pallbearers were brought into the room, so they could carry the coffin to the hearse. Ricky, Danny, Dustin, Kevin, Frankie, Nick, Cole, and Pat had volunteered for this job and picked up the small coffin. Since it only contained a small fragile body inside, they had no problem lifting it and slowly exited the building. They were very careful moving the casket and everything they did exuded the great respect and admiration they felt for the one inside. This was truly an effort guided by love.

Once the casket had been placed in the back of the hearse, the boys walked over to get in their ride to the church. They would be going with Mark, who was driving the Suburban, while Brandon drove the rest of the family in our van. Jake and I were told we should ride in the limo that would follow the hearse, but I made sure to include Graham with us, along with my two grandsons. I thought this might mean more to them and let me show each one some affection, as we took the short ride to the church.

It didn't take the limo very long to get there, even though it probably never exceeded thirty miles per hour. We came to a stop in front of the church and the driver came around to open our door and let us out. We all stood silently on the sidewalk as we watched the pallbearers remove the coffin from the hearse and carry it inside. We followed them into the edifice, and as we passed through the main doors, I heard the first notes of the music begin. A few seconds after that, I heard Dion's beautiful tenor voice singing the words to the first song, 'Take My Hand, Precious Lord'.

Precious Lord, take my hand
Lead me on, let me stand
I'm tired, I'm weak, I'm lone
Through the storm, through the night
Lead me on to the light
Take my hand, precious Lord, lead me home

When my way grows drear, precious Lord, linger near
When my light is almost gone
Hear my cry, hear my call
Hold my hand lest I fall
Take my hand, precious Lord, lead me home

When the darkness appears and the night draws near
And the day is past and gone
At the river I stand
Guide my feet, hold my hand
Take my hand, precious Lord, lead me home

Precious Lord, take my hand
Lead me on, let me stand
I'm tired, I'm weak, I'm lone
Through the storm, through the night
Lead me on to the light
Take my hand, precious Lord, lead me home

It was so beautiful, and so sweet, that I found it difficult to keep the tears from filling my eyes as I took my seat. As we sat and waited for everyone else to enter and get seated, another song began, but this time it was 'Whispering Hope'.

Soft as the voice of an Angel
Breathing a lesson unheard
Hope with a gentle persuasion
Whispers her comforting word
Wait, till the darkness is over
Wait, till the tempest is done
Hope for the sunshine tomorrow
After the shower is gone

Whispering hope (whispering hope)
Oh, how welcome thy voice
Making my heart (making my heart)
In its sorrow rejoice

If in the dusk of the twilight
Dim be the region afar
Will not the deepening darkness
Brighten the glimmering star
Then, when the night is upon us
Why should the heart sink away
When the dark midnight is over
Watch for the breaking of day

Whispering hope (whispering hope)
Oh, how welcome thy voice
Making my heart (making my heart)
In its sorrow rejoice

By the time this hymn ended, everyone was inside and the service was ready to begin. Cody's casket had been placed in front of the altar, with one of Andrew's pictures placed on a small stand on either side of it, and the minister was ready to start. After greeting everyone and sharing his introductory words, he asked Vinnie to step forward and read the twenty-third psalm. Once Vinnie had finished, the minister called Trey up to read what he had written for this occasion. As Trey walked up to the lectern, he pulled out the sheet of paper he would read from and began to speak.

"Be not fearful of death,
For it is not the end of life, but merely a new beginning.
Death is not the conqueror that vanquishes all,
But it is the liberator that sets us free.
Although death may terminate our mortal existence,
It gives us the opportunity to explore a realm we have never known.

Death is not the closing of a door and the ending of a life,
But it is the opening of a door and the beginning of a new existence.
Although death may, for a time, separate us from those we love,
It will also serve to unite us with all those who have gone before.
It is not the harbinger of eternal rest or a journey into nothingness,
But our birth into a new plane of being, where we shall reside with our creator.

Even though death's sting may hurt for a time,
The pain it causes will last only briefly.
Although we shall forever miss the loved one who has passed,
The pain of his passing shall only be a temporary phase.
Eventually it will be replaced with a feeling of joy,
From knowing we were blessed by his presence, no matter how brief it was.

So fear not what death shall bring,
But rejoice in its eventual arrival.
Although our brains may not be able to understand its true meaning,
Please understand it is more than our last breath or final repose.
Death be not proud, nor should it be humble,
For it is but one more step in the evolution of our souls."

As Trey made his way back to his seat, I could see his message was well received. Everyone was already asking if he wrote that himself, and even though it didn't refer specifically to Cody, it was still comforting to know there might be something more awaiting us after death.

Now, it was Graham's turn to go to the lectern and share his thoughts with us. I watched him carefully as he made his way forward, since I wasn't convinced he'd hold up long enough to do this. He was still grief stricken and very emotional, and you could hear it in his voice as he began to speak.

"Cody was not only my brother, my best friend, my companion and my soul mate,
He was also one of the best things to ever happen to our family.
Although I will miss him and mourn the fact that he is gone,
I will never forget all those things that made him so very special.
I will always see his loving and mischievous smile,
Which could fill the gloomiest days with sunshine and warmth.
I will always hear his melodic and gentle voice,
The very sound of which could make me forget whatever troubled me.
I will always feel his gentle and caring touch,
Which could ease my pain and make my spirit soar.
I will always remember his good natured and easy-going way,
And how he could turn any frown into a smile.

I will always cherish the pranks he would play,
To make us laugh or help distract us from our problems.
Until the day I too shall die,
I will carry his memory, like a treasure within my heart."

As Graham made his way back to sit beside me, I looked around the church and noticed many people wiping their eyes, as his words had moved them very deeply. I hugged him when he returned to his seat, but I also knew it was my turn to go next. I wasn't sure I could top or even equal, what my two sons had already said, but I couldn't let this opportunity pass with out adding my own comments.

Even though I had seen their pieces in advance and helped polish them up a little, those words had come from their hearts and I worried my words might sound shallow after what they had said. However, I didn't have time to worry about this further, as I received the official notification it was my turn to go next. As I made my way from my seat, I took a deep breath and walked to the lectern. I pulled out my cheat-sheet and began to read.

"I know mankind has often questioned why good people seem to die so young and I've asked that same question too, but I'm still not sure if I have an answer for it. All I can think is that a person has a specific role to fulfill in life, and once they have accomplished what they were meant to do or reached a certain level of perfection, they are then free to leave this temporal plane. The rest of us, however, must still strive to reach the goals set for us, before we may also move on to something better.

"Take Cody, for example. In the short time I knew him, I was impressed and amazed by his positive approach to life, even in the face of great adversity, and I can only think of the phrase, 'a little child shall lead us' to explain his role. Yes, lead us he did, and by example, not merely with words. Words are easy to manufacture and can often be hollow, but Cody demonstrated how life should be lived. Although life dealt him many harsh blows, beginning with the circumstances surrounding his birth, his unhappy childhood and the disease that eventually took his life, his spirit never faltered. In spite of all those hardships, Cody remained optimistic, happy and continued to place his concern for others before his own well-being.

"How many of us complain and gripe about the little things in life that don't go exactly as we wish? How many of us have complained about minor setbacks that we have had to face or griped about those few miserable people we've had to deal with? If anyone had a RIGHT to complain, it would have been Cody, yet he always faced life with a smile, a cheery disposition and a genuine concern for others, right up until the end. How many of us could have, or would have, been able to do the same?

"Maybe Cody was placed on this earth to teach us how to accept life as it comes to us and how to make the best of even the worst situations, so we could pass this lesson on to others. Maybe he had reached the level of perfection required to leave this plane, where it takes the rest of us much longer to come to the same realizations. Maybe it was because he endured the heartaches of life with grace and dignity, he was allowed to move on, so he could receive his reward in heaven.

"Whatever the reason for his passing, he is gone from us now, but only in body. His spirit shall continue to live on in those of us whom he has touched so deeply during his brief stay among us. Hopefully, we shall all be able to emulate his saintly example and move on to join him, at some point in time.

"I know some of you might be questioning if there is a curse on our family, since we've lost Brent and Cody after such a very short time, but I'd argue we aren't cursed, but blessed. We were blessed to have had each of them in our lives, even if it didn't last as long as we might have wished, and we should be thankful we found each other and were given the opportunity to share the time we had together. I know I, for one, shall always be richer for those experiences.

"Cody, I shall never forget you and I will always be touched by the memories of you. I feel confident your brothers feel the same way and I look forward to someday being with you again. I will continue to send you my love, in ways I hope you can appreciate. Thank you for being my son and may God now grant you the blessings and love you have always deserved."

As I made my way back to my seat, I could hardly see where I was going, because my eyes were filled with tears. Luckily I was sitting in the front row, so I didn't have far to walk, and somehow I managed to take my place between Jake and Graham. Now, the minister explained that communion would be given next, as per my request. Sammy, Mark, Brandon, and Jay were going to help with this, so each of them made his way forward, so he could do his part. As they began to move from their seats, the music started once again, but this time we heard Dion's tenor voice sing "His Eye Is On The Sparrow", which lasted through most of the communion process.

Why should I feel discouraged?
Why should the shadows come?
Why should my heart be lonely,
And long for heaven and home?
When Jesus is my portion
My constant friend is He
His eye is on the sparrow
And I know He watches me
His eye is on the sparrow
And I know He watches me

I sing because I'm happy
I sing because I'm free
For His eye is on the sparrow
And I know he watches me.

Let not your heart be troubled
His tender word I hear
And resting on His goodness
I lose my doubts and fears
Though by the path He leadeth
But one step I may see
His eye is on the sparrow
And I know He watches me
His eye is on the sparrow
And I know He watches me

I sing because I'm happy
I sing because I'm free
For His eye is on the sparrow
And I know he watches me.

Whenever I am tempted
Whenever clouds arise
When songs give place to sighing
When hope within me dies
I draw the closer to Him
From Care He sets me free
His eye is on the sparrow
And I know He watches me
His eye is on the sparrow
And I know He watches me

I sing because I'm happy
I sing because I'm free
For His eye is on the sparrow
And I know he watches me.

As the minister finished up with communion, and while he put everything away, Dion and the choir began to sing, 'Just A Closer Walk With Thee', which they would continue until the minister was ready to begin his sermon.

I am weak, but Thou are strong;
Jesus, keep me from all wrong;
I'll be satisfied as long
As I walk, let me walk close to Thee.

Just a closer walk with Thee,
Precious Jesus, hear my plea,
Daily walking close to Thee
Let it be, dear Lord, let it be.

When my feeble life is o'er,
Time for me will be no more;
Guide me gently, safely o'er
To Thy kingdom shore, to Thy shore.

Just a closer walk with Thee,
Precious Jesus, hear my plea,
Daily walking close to Thee
Let it be, dear Lord, let it be.

As the final notes of the song faded within the church, the minister stepped up to the lectern, ready to give his sermon.

"Normally I would take some of this time to talk about the dearly departed and tell you a little about who he was, but I think that has already been done far better than I could ever have hoped to do. Instead, I will offer words of comfort to those who remain behind, to help them cope with their grief.

"Our Lord let us know there was a reward beyond this life when he told his disciples, in the Gospel according to John, chapter 14. 'Let not your heart be troubled; ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.' This was his promise to his followers that there would be eternal life for all those who believe in his name.

"In the Gospel according to Mark, chapter 10, verse 14, he also told us to 'Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not, for such is the kingdom of God.' I think this lets us see that children have a special significance in heaven and a special place with our heavenly father.

"In his sermon on the mount, Jesus taught us many things, and as reported in the Gospel according to Matthew, chapter 5, we learn the following. 'Blessed are the poor in spirit; for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are they that mourn; for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek; for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness; for they shall be filled. Blessed are the merciful; for they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart; for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers; for they shall be called the children of God.'

"Our Lord gave us even more hope, when after raising Lazarus from the dead, he told us, 'I am the resurrection and the life. He that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live. And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die.' Carry this with you, now as you depart and know that we share the promise of eternal life. We shall all be together again, in a better place, at another time."

After he finished his sermon, he offered a prayer, and then Dion and the choir began another song, this time the musical version of "The Lord's Prayer".

Our Father which art in haven, Hallowed by thy name
Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.

Now it was time for the pallbearers to carry the casket to the hearse for its final trip to the cemetery. As they moved down the aisle, leaving the church, everyone filed in behind them, as Dion and the choir sang their final selection, "I'll Fly Away".

Some glad morning when this life is o'er,
I'll fly away.
To a home on God's celestial shore,
I'll fly away.

I'll fly away, O Glory,
I'll fly away.
When I die, Hallelujah, bye and bye,
I'll fly away.

When the shadows of the life have flown,
I'll fly away.
Like a bird thrown, driven by the storm,
I'll fly away.

I'll fly away, O Glory,
I'll fly away.
When I die, Hallelujah, bye and bye,
I'll fly away.

Just a few more weary days and then,
I'll fly away.
To a land where joy shall never end,
I'll fly away.

I'll fly away, O Glory,
I'll fly away.
When I die, Hallelujah, bye and bye,
I'll fly away.

I asked Dion to join us in the limo for the ride to the cemetery, so I could congratulate him on the beautiful job he had done. Listening to his masterful and touching renditions, backed by the children's choir, it truly sounded like a choir of angels had participated, to speed Cody on his way.

It was a short drive to the burial site and the casket was delicately set above its final resting place. Once everyone had gathered around, the minister offered his final words of hope to those assembled. The service was brief, but very familiar, and the family was given the opportunity to place a flower on the casket, before we left.

Once the ceremony had concluded and the others had wandered away, I stayed to watch them lower the coffin into the vault and seal it shut. Again, this wasn't something the cemetery crew liked to do, but it was something I insisted on doing, so begrudgingly they gave in to my request.

Graham had returned to join me, and even though I tried to talk him out of it, he insisted he wanted to stay, so I allowed him to be there with me. Once everything was done and they were ready to fill in the remainder of the hole with dirt, we turned and began to walk back toward the limo. When we were about halfway there, Graham stopped and turned to face Cody's gravesite, so I stopped too and waited beside him. After a brief backward glance he turned to me and spoke.

"He's all right, Dad. I just saw him standing next to Brent and they had their arms around each other's shoulders. They were smiling at me and your wife stood behind them, along with Ricky's mother, Sammy and Andrew's mother and father, Trey's parents, and Vinnie's mom and dad. There was also a woman standing behind Cody, which makes me think it was his mother. I'll bet she wants to do the things for him now that she didn't do for him when she was alive. He's okay, Dad, and I don't feel so bad now."

As we finished walking to the limo, I knew he was right and someday we'd all be there with them too.

The End of Book Six of Castaway Hotel