Bill W

Castaway Hotel VIII

Jun - Oct 2004

Chapter 1
Seeing Green

Since Vinnie returned home, he and Kevin spent most of their time making up. Seeing things were pretty much normal again, I felt I could leave them alone and go with Jake to run a few errands. When we returned home later, Andrew rushed out to greet us. He was all excited because he had been talking to Barry, the boy he had met on our camping trip, and once we entered the house, he filled me in about something he was told during their conversation.

"Dad, Barry said his father is going to call you soon, so be ready," he advised me. No sooner had the words escaped his lips than the phone rang. I answered it immediately.

"Hello."

"Hello, may I speak with Josh Currie please?" the voice on the other end said.

"This is he," I replied.

"Josh, this is Farrell Flannery. My family and I spent some time on an island with you this past summer, waiting out a storm. I hope you haven't forgotten us already."

"No, Farrell, I haven't forgotten and vividly remember each of you. What might I do for you?" There was a momentary hesitation on the other end of the line and I wondered if it had something to do with the way I phrased my question. I soon realized that was probably the case, because of the way he worded his response.

"Hopefully, it's something we might be able to do for you," he advised me. "You know Barry and Andrew have kept in contact since the camping trip."

"Yes, I've been aware of it," I confirmed, while wondering what he was getting at.

"Well, Barry would like your family to participate in the St. Patrick's Day parade with him. It will be held here, in Chicago," Farrell informed me. "You see, the parent company I work for is headquartered in Ireland and they always sponsor a huge float in the St. Patrick's Day parade. I was going to have Barry ask some of his friends from school to dress as leprechauns and ride on the float this year, but he seems to have his mind made up that he'd rather see if your boys would prefer to do this with him instead." Farrell paused after saying this, to gauge my reaction, but since he didn't hear any negative response, he continued.

"I know this is short notice," he continued, "but I've been trying to get a hold of you for a couple of weeks now. Andrew said you were consumed by other matters at the time, so what do you say? We'll even put you up. If you could come early, that would be even better and give our sons a chance to spend some time together."

"It does sound interesting," I told him, "and my sons haven't done anything like that before. I must admit, I do love a good St. Patrick's Day parade, but it depends on when it's going to be held."

"It will be a week from this coming Saturday, on the thirteenth," he informed me. "I'll understand if you can't make it this year, because of the short notice, but if not, I want you to promise you'll reserve next year's date to attend." I looked at my calendar quickly, to see if we had anything scheduled for the thirteenth that would prevent us from attending.

"It just happens that we have a four-day weekend then," I informed him. "The boys have Friday off because of parent conferences and Monday they don't have classes, because it's a teacher workday."

"Will that take you away from talking to your sons' teachers?" he wanted to know. I guess he didn't understand my situation.

"No, it won't," I offered. "I take it you aren't aware of my position, but I'm superintendent for the local school district. My job allows me to speak with my sons' teachers any time, so that won't be a problem." There was a short pause before he said anything more.

"I guess that's good then," he responded, somewhat confused or possibly overwhelmed by my revelation. "Then you'll join us?" he added.

"That depends," I shot back quickly. "Are there any age or size limitations on these leprechauns?" He chuckled.

"We have a very liberal policy concerning the leprechauns," he stated. "I even dressed up as one a few years ago." He laughed again.

"Well, I do have seven boys at home, from my eighth grader, Andrew, on up to a couple of high school seniors. If you remember, one of them is on crutches, so I hope that won't create a problem. I also have an exchange student from Australia living with us and hope it's all right to bring him along too, if we decide to come."

"Bringing your exchange student along will be fine and the leprechauns don't generally speak, so his accent won't arouse suspicion." Farrell laughed after saying this, while thinking of a leprechaun with an Australian accent. "I can also arrange for your son on crutches to sit on the float, near the side, so he can still throw goodies to the crowd.

"We also have a large collection of costumes they can try on, in assorted sizes," he assured me. "We try to have ten to twelve leprechauns on the float, so I'll have Barry ask a few of his friends too, to make up the difference, unless you and the other father would like to fill in?"

"Oh, no thank you," I replied, quickly. I dreaded the thought of Jake and I dressed up as oversized leprechauns. "I'll check with the boys though, to see if they want to do this, and then I'll call you back, to give you our answer." I put my hand over the mouthpiece, so I could ask Andrew a question.

"You do have Barry's phone number, right?" He nodded that he did.

"Do you have my number?" Farrell asked, almost at the same moment.

"Yes, I do," I informed him.

"Great!" he exclaimed. "Tell the boys they'll be throwing candy and a few other trinkets to the children along the parade route. I think they'll enjoy that."

Farrell and I stayed on the line and discussed a few other items, before I thanked him for his call and hung up. Once I was off the phone, I sent Andrew to round up the boys, so I could see if they were interested in being in the parade.

When I first mentioned the idea to them and explained they'd be leprechauns, the older ones laughed and said, "Yeah, right," or "Thanks, but no thanks."

Undeterred, I continued and pointed out this was a major parade, at least as far as anything we'd ever been part of. I also told them they'd be tossing items from the float to the children lining the street and this tidbit seemed to interest them. They liked the idea of tossing candy and various items to other kids along the way and were suddenly more agreeable to discussing this further.

"Are we going to be able to see some of the other sights if we go?" Trey wanted to know. "I wouldn't mind going up the Sears Tower."

"Yes, Mr. Flannery mentioned doing some sightseeing too," I replied, after which I noticed a few more pleased expressions.

"We don't celebrate this saint's day in Australia," Peter informed me. "So what is it all about?"
I quickly gave him the abbreviated rundown about St. Patrick. I explained he was Ireland's patron saint and supposedly responsible for driving all of the snakes out of the country. I also advised him that many non-Irish people also dress in green for this occasion and it often turns into quite a party.

"What does it mean if we agree to be leprechauns?" Peter pressed.

As I started to explain the concept to him, Andrew raced out to the kitchen and came back carrying a box of Lucky Charms. "It means you'll dress like this," he stated, while pointing at the picture on the box.

"No bloody way I'm dressing like that!" Peter exclaimed. "I'd look bloody ridiculous."

"No one's going to know us there," Dion responded, "and what would look more ridiculous than me dressed as a leprechaun? I don't think they have any black leprechauns in Ireland, but I'm willing to do it. I think it will be fun." Peter thought about it for a few seconds and then responded.

"Well, I don't have any mates here and won't know any other blokes, other than all of you, so if you're going to do it, then I will too. That is, as long as no one nags about me having the wrong accent."

"That won't happen," I assured him, "and you won't be required to speak. However, your accent probably comes closer to an Irish accent than any of ours." Peter laughed after he thought about it.

"We could practice and come up with an Irish accent, if you want us to," he suggested.

"You boys can, if you'd like, but it isn't required," I answered.

"I'm willing to be in the parade then," Peter agreed. "Besides, I'll get to see more of your country, so I guess it will be worth looking like a bloody fool."

The other boys chuckled at his statement, but I suspect they all had similar feelings about getting dressed up this way. I doubted they'd be willing to do it if the parade were being held closer to home, where people they knew might see them, but since it was in Chicago, they felt fairly safe that there would be no repercussions.

"Where are we going to stay?" Andrew asked.

"I'm not sure, but Barry's father did say he'd put us up, if we agreed to come," I replied. "I'm not sure what that means, but I'll ask for more details when I call him back, if everyone agrees to do this."

The boys were all nodding their heads or responding in the affirmative, so it looked as if they were going to go along with the plan. Since I had their approval, I told them we would leave Thursday afternoon, after classes ended for the day. That would, in turn, leave us more time to check out Chicago. Since this had now been settled, I called Farrell back to inform him of our decision.

"Hello," I heard a female voice answer.

"Hello, this is Josh Currie," I informed her. "How are you?"

"Oh, Josh, it's so nice to hear your voice again," she answered. "I hope your family is well."

"Yes, they are and eager to come see your lovely city," I responded. "That's why I'm calling, to give Farrell the good news. Is he available?"

"Yes, he is Josh. Just one second please," came her reply, and then there was a slight delay until Farrell got to the phone.

"Josh, thank you for getting back to me so promptly," he answered. "From my wife's reaction, I think I know what you and your boys have decided. I take it they're willing to do this with us."

"The boys are looking forward to being on your float," I said. "We're thinking of leaving on Thursday, the eleventh, once the boys get out of school. We'll drive partway there and get a room Thursday night, and then we'll make the rest of the drive and meet up with you on Friday."

"That would work out nicely," he hummed in response. "Is there anything I can do to help out or make this easier for you?"

"Yes, there is," I informed him. "Would you please do me the favor of making reservations at a hotel for us for Friday and Saturday nights? Three rooms with two queen or king-size beds in each would work nicely."

"Josh, if your boys don't mind roughing it a bit, but nothing too drastic, you could all stay with us," he offered.

"That's very kind of you, but I'm not sure your house could survive so many guests," I added, "especially my boys." I didn't want him to think they were ruffians or anything, but he had already seen them in semi-action on the camping trip.

"But my family would be more than happy to accommodate yours," he reiterated, trying to convince me of his sincerity.

"You'd have to have a pretty big place to do that," I responded. "We can fit in three double-rooms in a hotel, but we'd probably need six rooms at your house, or a very large room where we could camp out on the floor." I heard a sudden intake of air on the other end.

"We'd never allow you to sleep on the floor," he stated, shocked and apologetic, "but if you'd prefer hotel rooms, I'll have the company cover the bill for them."

"You don't need to do that," I quickly countered. "We can pay our own way."

"Nonsense," was his comeback. "I'll put it on the company's expense account, since you're doing this for them. I'll have them cover both evenings and my family will take you out to dinner both nights."

"Tell you what," I told him. "You may cover one night at the hotel and take us out one evening to dinner, but no more than that. I will pay for the second night and you will allow us to take your family out to dinner that evening, or we may have to reconsider this." I heard him clear his throat slightly, before responding.

"Josh, you are a tough man to deal with, but I'll go along with your proposal, if you'll agree to let my family show you around Chicago too," he added. "Have you and your boys ever visited our fine city before?"

"Not that I remember," I replied, since I sometimes have difficulty remembering what areas I've visited or whether I did it with my first or second family.

"Great, then it's set. You'll be able to head back on Sunday, if you wish," Farrell pointed out. "That way you'll have Monday to rest up, before you return to work or school."

"That sounds like a plan, Farrell," I agreed. "I'll tell the boys and we'll see you Friday."

"Great, Josh, and this will make Barry very happy." We ended our conversation and I told Andrew our plans. Although he had heard most of it already, since he was standing beside me the entire time, he was thrilled by the prospect of seeing Barry again. It also didn't take him long to rush off and fill his brothers in about my conversation.

Over the intervening days, we returned to our normal routines. I think everyone was looking forward to this new experience, but some of the boys were more eager than the others. Andrew was obviously one of those, but others had different reasons for anticipating this event.

Since he returned, Vinnie had been struggling to make up all the work he had missed while he had been gone, so he was glad to do something other than schoolwork for a few days. He had been moaning about all he had to do, but I was actually enjoying watching him suffer. I think his teachers took my words to heart and really piled the assignments on him, maybe even more than he'd actually missed. However, seeing him having to work so hard to get caught up, I knew it would be quite some time before he'd do anything so foolish again.

Although all of the boys were looking forward to seeing Chicago, Peter and Trey seemed to be the most enthusiastic about doing this. Trey even did some research and pointed out a few places he'd like to visit. I told him I'd see what I could do and that seemed to suffice.

During this time, I also got another email from Nick. It seems he had just returned from his second trip and wanted to let me know how it went.

Hi Pop,

I just got back from the tour of the Amazon and it was really wild. It started in Manaus and I got to see the city first, but it was a lot like my tour of Rio, just not as nice. The fun began the next day, when we left on the boat. We took off from one of the floating docks on the river.

Along the way, we passed a floating market and some really huge lumber mills. I guess those places cut up all the trees that get chopped down in the rainforest. Later, we passed a river village where the Caboclos live. That's the name for the local people down here. Anyway, they live in houses built on stilts, so they don't flood or get washed away during the rainy season. I got to spend the night with one of the families there and slept in a hammock. It wasn't as easy as I thought and I fell out a few times while getting used to it. The family laughed at me, but I didn't mind though and it was really wild staying with them.

The next day, we got back on the boat and I got to see a bunch of boto, which are Amazon River dolphins. There were also lots of giant water lilies and I even got to go piranha fishing. That was neat, but I had to be really careful. The piranha can still be dangerous, even out of the water, at least for a short time.

That night I also got to go on an alligator-flashing trip. That's where you go out in a boat in the dark and the guide flashes the alligators with his flashlight, so everyone can see them. Don't worry, it was really safe for us AND the alligators. hehehe

The next day we took a walk in the jungle and it was really cool. We saw all kinds of monkeys, some really colorful butterflies, some macaws (those are birds, kind of like a parrot – you know, like on the Fruit Loop commercials :-P), and some strange frogs and caimans, which are a type of crocodile. I even got to take a canoe ride up some of the creeks and smaller rivers that empty into the Amazon. It reminded me of the vacation you told me you took with the rest of the family.

That afternoon we went to a market where some of the local Indians were selling stuff they made. I got to know one of the native men pretty well, after I negotiated a price with him on a mounted piranha. I bought it, so I could bring it home to show all of you. The man's son was working with him, so I started to talk with him afterward. We got to really like each other; so later he and his father invited me to go with them to their village for the night. It wasn't easy talking the tour guide into letting me do this, but he eventually did and I was glad.

It was really strange, though. They live in these huts way out in the jungle and no one wears much clothing. They only do that when they go to the market to sell the things they make, so they don't offend the people they're trying to get to buy them. Most of the children run around completely naked, while the men just wear loincloths and the women wear something like a skirt, but nothing on top, so their boobs are uncovered.

Anyway, I had fun staying with them and I ran around naked all night too. My being cut made them ask many questions about why my penis looked different than theirs, so I tried to explain it to them. I actually grabbed some of the boys' cocks and skinned them back; just to show them it really wasn't different. A couple of them even popped boners when I did it, so later we got together again and jerked each other off.

The next day I went back and met up with the tour group. When I did, we got back on the boat and went to check out a bunch of islands that sit in the middle of the river. When we stopped at these islands, we all got to wander around and were given a chance to check out the beaches and spend some time on them. It was soooo different from the beaches at Rio and I almost felt like I was one of the first people to ever be there.

I'm heading back to Sao Paulo now, and I'm going to take my host brothers on the next trip with me, to Iguacu Falls. I'll be home in a few weeks, so I'll see you then. This being an exchange student has been really awesome, so thanks for helping me get accepted. I probably would never have thought of doing such a thing, if it wasn't for you and Ricky.

Tell everyone I send my love, especially Shannon, and I can't wait to get back there and show you everything from down here.

Love you all, Nick

I found his email very upbeat and was glad to see Nick was enjoying himself so much. It looked as if he made sure to get to do as many things as he could, besides the traditional exchange student activities. Not only that, but I see he even managed to do a few things outside the scope of a traditional tour too – like staying in that Indian village. I hope he took some pictures.

I shared his email with Jake and the boys, who seemed to be as interested in it as I was. I want to have a discussion with Shannon the next time he's home, just to make sure he understands that Nick operates on a moral plain different from our own. I've tried to get Nick to change, but he always reverts back to his former ways, so I'm not sure he will ever reform. By speaking with Shannon about this, I hope it will prevent him from getting hurt, as some of the others have been by Nick. As long as Shannon realizes this fact and is willing to accept it, maybe he can enjoy the time they are together, without being devastated by Nick's dallying ways.

Chapter 2
Duck

The rest of the week went by smoothly and on Friday Kevin took the bus and returned home. Frankie volunteered to pick him up, to save me from making the trip, and I gratefully accepted his offer. I had agreed to let Kevin come home one additional weekend, so he could spend a little more time with Vinnie. I made this concession to give them a chance to relieve some of the stress they had both been through, due to Kevin's unfaithfulness and Vinnie's disappearance.

Before Kevin arrived, I had Vinnie call Duck and ask him if we could stop by on Saturday. Vinnie informed Duck I wanted to thank him and pay him back for the money he had spent while Vinnie stayed there. Duck said he had no plans and we could drop by, so Vinnie told him we'd be there a little after noon. Duck agreed that would be fine, so we made our plans accordingly.

Of course, Kevin wanted to come with us, but Vinnie wasn't sure how Duck might take it. Duck had treated Vinnie really well, but Vinnie wasn't sure he would have, if he'd known he was gay. Kevin was insistent about not being left behind, so I told them we could just say Kevin was one of Vinnie's brothers and that should suffice. After thinking about it for a few seconds, Vinnie decided it would probably work, so it was agreed that Kevin would go too.

We all packed a small overnight bag, with a change of clothes and a few other things, just in case the visit went well and we stayed longer than just one day. I suggested if that happened, we could get a room for the night and both boys thought that would be fine. Since everything was set, we said good-bye to the others and headed out.

We got to Duck's apartment around 1:00 and I was intrigued once I met him. He wasn't quite what I was expecting. He was only about 5' 8" tall, had a very slender build, brown hair with blond highlights and very attractive green eyes. Duck was actually quite cute and I was surprised Vinnie never mentioned that fact or tried to hit on the guy.

Watching Kevin's reaction after he first met Duck, I think he might have been a little jealous of the time Vinnie and Duck spent together. Vinnie had stayed there for a couple of weeks and never really said much about what he did while he was there, which obviously left Kevin wondering. Besides, I immediately got the impression Duck might be gay and wondered if that was why he had been so helpful. However, I then remembered Vinnie telling me Duck had a girlfriend, so I figured I must be mistaken.

"Duck, this is my dad, Josh Currie and my brother Kevin. Dad and Kevin, this is Duck," Vinnie introduced us.

"Don, call me Josh, please," I told him.

"And you can call me Duck," he responded. "All my friends do."

"Well, thank you and I'm pleased that you would consider us to be friends." At that point, we all took turns shakings hands.

"Look, I not only came here to meet you," I announced, "but to thank you as well. It was extremely kind of you to help Vinnie out like you did. I don't know what might have happened to him if you hadn't, because he was pretty vulnerable at that point."

"Yes, he was really down and kind of out of it," Duck replied, while looking over at Vinnie. After a few seconds, he continued.

"Hey, dude, did you two get things patched up?" Vinnie blushed a bit and I think it was because he was thinking Duck was referring to his supposed rift with a female lover.

"Ah… yes… we did," he finally stammered.

"So you and he are okay now?" Duck followed, and Vinnie's face turned red.

"Why did you say that?" he asked, flabbergasted.

"Well, one night I came out to get a drink while you were sleeping on the couch and you said something like 'Kevin, why did you do that to me?' So, I just figured that was whom you'd had the fight with. Now, after meeting Kevin here, it all kind of fell into place." Duck didn't seem to be troubled by the fact, so I was wondering if maybe my first impression about him had been correct after all.

"Vinnie, don't worry," Duck added, "I probably could consider myself bi, because I've messed around with guys a couple of times too, but I'm very happy with my girlfriend now, that's all."

I think Vinnie breathed a sigh of relief after Duck told him this, although it might have added to Kevin's tinge of jealousy. I think he realized Vinnie and Duck never did anything, but the revelation still unsettled him a bit.

"That's cool," Vinnie countered, "and thanks for being so understanding." The two actually hugged afterward.

"I guess you already realize that Kevin is more than just my brother," Vinnie continued. "He and I have been boyfriends for a while, but there was a little problem…"

"Yeah, I guessed that," Duck said, playfully.

"And thank you for taking care of him for me," Kevin told Duck. "I felt bad enough that I hurt him, but I don't know if I could have lived with myself if anything bad had happened to him."

"No, problem, dude," Duck replied. "I just understood what Vinnie was going through."

"Duck," I interrupted. "Another reason I insisted we come here was so I could reimburse you the money you spent on Vinnie and reward you for helping us find him. I think you noticed our missing posters had a reward amount listed on them."

"I did, but I don't want any reward money," he quickly countered.

"But I insist," I informed him, while reaching into my pocket and withdrawing the cash. I then handed him fifteen $100 bills. Ducks eyes popped out of his head as I spread them apart, so he could see how many there were.

"Whoa, I can't accept all of this," Duck said after counting them.

"You can and you will," I insisted, while pushing the money into his hand.

"But the reward only said $1,000, and I already thought that was way too much," he admitted. Duck looked uncomfortable about keeping what I just gave him.

"Yes, the reward was $1,000, but the other $500 is for the money you spent on Vinnie for food and such, and then a little extra to pay for his room, so to speak."

"I can't take this much," he insisted again, but I wouldn't hear otherwise.

"You will and we're taking you out to dinner tonight too," I added. "So, I hope you don't have any plans."

"I don't," he stated, "but you've already done way too much."

"And so did you," I challenged, "but that didn't stop you either. So, seeing none of us knows this area very well, we want you to help us choose the restaurant. The finest you have around here, so don't try to fool me with something less. Let's look up the number, so I can make a reservation, and I don't want to hear any objections to the contrary."

Now that Duck realized I wasn't one to be argued with, once I'd made up my mind, he just sighed and did as I asked. However, we still had some time to kill, before any of us were ready to eat.

Sitting around and talking some more, we got to know each other better. When it got closer to our reservation time, we started cleaning up and getting changed for dinner. Vinnie and Kevin went down to get our bags, so we could put on something more appropriate. Once we were dressed and ready to go, we went out and got into the van. The boys let Duck take the front passenger seat, while they crawled into the back.

Another reason they had allowed Duck to take the front seat, besides being polite, was so he could give me directions to the restaurant. Even though Vinnie had stayed here for a while, he didn't get out much, so he was just as unsure about how to get around as Kevin and I were. Since none of us knew our way, we needed Duck to serve as my navigator. It didn't take long for us to get to where he directed us, so I parked the van and we headed for the front door.

The exterior of the restaurant was quite lovely and done in an interesting and unique style, so I instinctively felt Duck had made a very fine selection. After entering, we announced our arrival and were ushered directly to our table. Looking around and checking out the furnishings and clientele, it was obvious this was indeed one of the finer establishments in the area. Once we were shown to our table, we took our places, with Duck sitting between Vinnie and I, while Kevin sat directly across from him. This meant Kevin was sitting between Vinnie and I as well

We had barely gotten comfortable in our chairs before the cocktail waitress arrived to take our drink orders. Duck and I ordered a mixed drink, while Kevin and Vinnie requested sodas, and then I ordered a bottle of wine to go with the meal. Of course, Duck was asked for I.D., since he looked so young, which he quickly produced. The waitress nodded and went off to fill our order.

I told the boys not to worry about prices and order whatever they wanted, but Duck still looked a little uncomfortable about doing it. After convincing him I was serious, it didn't take us long to decide what we wanted. While we waited for our drinks to arrive and our orders to be taken, I began a conversation with Duck.

"Duck, it was a really nice thing you did for Vinnie, but you were taking an awfully big chance by allowing a total stranger to stay with you," I informed him. "There is no way you could have been sure what he was really like, at least not until you'd gotten to know him. He could have ended up robbing you blind while you were at work or even done something worse, yet you didn't let that stop you. Why did you take such a big risk?"

Duck looked at me, and then at both boys, before swallowing hard and responding. "I did it because someone once helped me in a similar situation," he admitted, but I could tell this discussion was making him more than a little uncomfortable. I decided it might be best if I ended his discomfort quickly.

"Hey, I can see this isn't easy for you to talk about, so you don't need to say any more," I suggested. Duck gave me a look, as if he was studying me, and then he looked at Kevin and Vinnie as well, to observe their expressions. He must have thought we all looked sincere and non-judgmental, or possibly he just felt comfortable with us, but either way, he disregarded my offer and continued with his story.

"It's not that, exactly," he informed us. "It's just that only a couple of people know about this and I didn't think I'd ever tell anyone else what happened back then." I could see this was going to take a lot out of him just to share this information and I didn't want to spoil his dinner or make him miserable.

"Duck, it's okay. You don't need to tell us," I said soothingly, while noticing both boys were sitting bug-eyed and staring at him. I think he was ready to begin at the moment, but he got another reprieve. The cocktail waitress returned with our drinks just then, so we all stopped and took a sip. Once she left, Duck looked at us and spoke.

"Okay, I guess it's time for me to do this now," he stated and then swallowed hard.

"Duck, you really don't have to," I informed him again.

"No, I want to," he replied, quickly. "I've kept it inside me for way too long and think it will be good to finally get it out in the open. I'm tired of keeping this hidden.

"Are you sure?" I asked. "You really don't have to do this for our benefit."

"No, you guys are probably the only ones who might understand and not judge me harshly because of it," he stated. Duck was looking down at the table when he said this, but then he lifted his head and looked directly at me.

When he did, I could read the sadness in his eyes, but also got the impression he was hoping to shed the years of pain and anguish he had suffered from keeping this secret. However, I knew this could drain him emotionally when he did so. In an effort to make it a little easier for him, I reached over and placed my hand over his, as it rested on the table. My gesture caused him to give me a weak grin.

"You see," he began, feeling a little more confident now, "my dad and I never really got along. He was a very controlling person and saw himself as king of his castle. He could be very abusive, mostly mentally and emotionally, but there were times when he could also be physically abusive.

"Most of the time he would just scream at my mother, sister and me, as he repeatedly told us how dumb we were. He also claimed we couldn't do anything without him and were parasites that were sucking him dry. We all lived in constant fear of pissing him off and then having him unleash one of his verbal or physical attacks against us. Even though we did our best to avoid that, it seemed to happen all the time, but it came to a head when I was fifteen."

Duck began to tighten up now and his voice started to choke off the words in his throat, so he stopped momentarily. It was a good thing he did, because our waiter showed up to take our orders at that moment, so we all stopped and informed him what we wanted. Once he left, I patted Duck's hand, to let him know he was doing fine, and he gave me another weak smile, before continuing his story. He also lowered his voice, when he did so.

"Remember when I told you I'd messed around with some guys before?" he asked, and we all nodded. "Well, it was really only one, when I was a freshman in high school. You see, I was really interested in this one guy. He was really cute and in most of my classes, so I saw him all the time. I really had it bad for him and one day I finally got up the nerve to invite him over to my house, just to play some video games and things like that. I thought by doing this I might also be able to find out if he was interested in me.

"I only had the guts to do it because I knew my dad never got home until at least 6:00 or later and my mom was going to be gone too. She was going to watch my sister's softball game out of town, so I figured this would be the perfect opportunity. I cornered him that morning, while we were leaving one of the classes we had together.

"When I asked him, he seemed interested, but said he'd have to call home and check first. He said he'd do it at lunchtime, which meant I was holding my breath the rest of the morning and praying he could get permission to join me. When lunch period finally began, he went to use the phone before he even ate, and when he finished his call, he came back to tell me it was cool and he could come over. Needless to say, I was so excited by this news that I was kind of out of it for the rest of the day. I did manage to tell him I'd meet him out in front of the school after our last class and then we went our separate ways."

Duck paused in telling his story, so he could wet his lips with another sip of his drink. He then swallowed a few extra times, in an effort to get the lump in his throat to go down. Eventually, he felt comfortable enough to continue.

"Well, we went to my place and started playing video games. We were having a really great time and things were going really well, when I told him I was hoping we could become really good friends. He said he'd like that too and then put his arm around my shoulder and gave me kind of a half hug. I don't know why I did it, but as he squeezed my shoulder and pulled me toward him, I leaned into him and kissed him on the cheek.

When I did, he stopped hugging me and just sat there for a second. He didn't say anything, so I got really scared. I was about to get up and run from the room, because I figured he was going to attack me or start calling me names or something, but he didn't. Instead, he leaned into me and kissed me on the lips.

It wasn't an open mouth kiss or anything like that, just a sweet little kiss, like you might give your mother, and then he stopped and looked to see how I was reacting. We just sat like that for the longest time and did nothing else."

I could tell by the change of expression on Duck's face that remembering the moment was giving him a really good feeling. At this point of the story, we were interrupted when our waiter returned with our appetizers. Once he had placed everything on the table and gone off again, Duck resumed his tale.

"Well, after that kiss, we both started telling each other how we felt and talked about many different things. Then we began to think we might like to try doing something, but we weren't sure what. We were both new at this, but eventually decided we'd get undressed and then masturbate each other.

"We quickly stripped off all our clothes and were standing there, looking at each other's bodies, admiring how beautiful they were. We were just about to reach out and touch the other's penis, when the door to my room opened and my dad started saying he needed my help with something.

"I don't know why he came home early that day, but when he saw us both standing there naked, he just went crazy. He began screaming and swearing at us, while we were rushing to put our clothes back on. As I bent over to grab my stuff, my dad backhanded me and knocked me on my butt. Then he began throwing things around the room and breaking all kinds of crap in the process.

"The other boy had put some of his clothes on and then just reached out and grabbed the rest, so he could run past my father and escape. As the boy raced from my room, my dad was so mad that he grabbed the side of my bed and flipped it over. I was totally frightened, so I rounded up the rest of my clothes and bolted from the room too. I don't know what he threw at me when I went out the door, but it was hard and hit me right in the back. It hurt like hell. Then, I heard him call me names, before he screamed I was never to come back there again. He highlighted that point by yelling I was a total disgrace and no longer his son."

Duck was choking up again and I could see the moisture building in his eyes. There was not enough water to form tears yet, but enough to create a film over his corneas. My heart was aching for him, as I imagined the enormous amount of pain he endured, both then and now, but there was nothing any of us could do for him. Finally, he realized we were waiting, so he went back to telling his story.

"Once I was outside, I caught up to my friend and apologized for what had happened, but he wasn't in the forgiving mood just then. I told him I was running away, because I couldn't take any more abuse from my old man, and that's when he began to soften a little. He told me I could stay with him for the night, if I wanted, so I took him up on his offer. My father didn't know who he was or where he lived, so I felt it would be safe for me to go there.

"When we got to his place, he asked his mother if I could stay for dinner and then spend the night, and she agreed, but not eagerly. Seeing it was a school night, she was a little skeptical about me staying there, but I told her my mom and dad went out of town to attend something with my sister and they wouldn't be back until really late.

"I said I'd left them a note to let them know I might be staying at a friend's house, so they wouldn't worry. I also told her if she didn't want me to stay, I would go back home, throw the note away and just stay alone until they returned. However, his mother didn't seem to like that idea either, so she finally gave in and I got to spend the night."

"Well, after everyone else went to sleep later, we talked about what had happened earlier. My friend told me how badly it had shaken him up and said he didn't think his parents would have reacted anywhere near that violently. He figured they might have sat him down to 'talk' about it, but doubted they would have done much more than that.

"Encouraged by his response, and still wanting to do something with him, I finally asked if he wanted to try it now. I could tell by looking at him that he wasn't too sure about it at first, but eventually he gave in. After all that, we finally got a chance to jack each other off.

"It was really great and we both enjoyed it, but later I realized it was mostly just experimentation for each of us. I hadn't yet determined I was bi, but I did know I wanted to date girls too. The other boy might have thought he was bi when we started, but I think my father scared him into just being straight from then on. I don't think he ever did anything with another boy after that night.

"I went back to see him again, a few years later, after I turned eighteen. I just wanted to thank him for being so kind to me and apologize again for what my father had done. That's when I found out he had a steady girlfriend and didn't even want to talk about what we'd done, but maybe I should just get back to the point of my story.

"Anyway, I knew I couldn't stay at his house for more than just that one night, so the next morning, after we got ready for school, we went our separate way. I told him I had to run home first to pick up my schoolbooks and he believed me, so I went off on my own. It wasn't really what I was going to do, but I didn't know what else to tell him. Instead, I just wandered around the streets for a while, until I felt certain no one would be at my place. Then, I went back to get my clothes and stuff, because I knew I had to run away. I had no other choice, but I needed to get as many of my things as I could first.

"I was able to slip into the house and get what I needed without being discovered, but what I found wasn't pretty. My dad had totally trashed my room, so it was difficult to find what I was looking for. That's when it began to really sink in that I was now homeless, but it still didn't make any sense.

"Sure, that boy and I had planned to mess around a bit, but as it turned out, I wasn't gay, as my father suspected. Even though I was bi, I was still more attracted to girls, yet he went crazy and thought the worst of me. My relationship with my father ended that day over nothing, but there isn't anything I can do about it now."

Duck had a sad, yet thoughtful expression on his face, and I wondered if maybe he was contemplating trying to get back in touch with his family. I wouldn't try to influence such a personal decision on his part, but I was actually hoping he might consider it. Who knows, maybe his father has mellowed or now realizes his mistake and how much he lost by his outburst. However, my thoughts were interrupted when Duck began to speak again.

Chapter 3
A New Friend and a Prankster

"Anyway," Duck continued, "I made it to the highway and tried to hitch a ride. It wasn't easy, because no one does that much any more. I suspect that after hearing all the news stories about the terrible things that have happened when people help strangers, nearly everyone is afraid to stop and let someone they don't know into their car or home.

"After trying for a really long time, a trucker finally stopped to pick me up. He looked like a very rough and crude type of guy, kind of like my father, so I was a little scared about accepting a ride from him at first and didn't get right in. Seeing my reluctance, he rolled down the passenger side window and asked where I was going. At first I didn't say anything, but he didn't seem like a bad guy, so I told him I'd go wherever he was heading. I also said the farther away he could take me, the better it would be.

"The trucker looked puzzled and maybe unsure that he wanted to get involved at that point, so he asked me why I wasn't in school. I lied and told him I was sixteen and had dropped out of school and was now planning to go someplace where I could start over again and maybe even get my G.E.D. He asked me why I couldn't do that where I was, so I told him my father was pissed because I'd quit and threw me out of the house. He nodded slightly, as he thought he was beginning to understand my situation.

"He told me to hop in and treated me really well from that point on. He bought my meals for me and even let me stay with him until we got to the end of his run. Then, he told me he would be heading back to his home, now that he'd delivered his load and picked up his return cargo, so he wanted to know what I planned to do. When I said I wasn't sure, he gave me a choice.

"He offered to let me stay with him and told me I could either work on my G.E.D. or get a job. Either that or I could just get out where we were and try to make it on my own – whichever I wanted. After thinking it over, I took him up on his offer and rode back with him. I didn't really have any other options at that point. I knew there was a risk involved and I might end up being his captive, but he had just made me feel so good while I was with him that I thought I'd give it a try.

"I ended up staying with him for a couple of years, but I know if I hadn't met up with him, I probably wouldn't have survived. If I had been out on the street on my own, I could have gotten sick, been injured or even died along the way. Instead, I got my G.E.D., and while I was still living with him, I enrolled in a two-year college and got my associates degree. After that, I transferred to a four-year college in a nearby city. I thanked him for all he had done and then went to live in the dorms. I ended up getting my bachelor's, but without his help, I'd never have done it."

"Duck, how old are you?" I asked him, since I didn't think he looked old enough to have done that much already.

"I'm almost 26," he grinned. "I know. I look like I'm eighteen or nineteen. Everyone tells me that, but I'm really much older. Honest," he added, holding up his hand, like he was being sworn in for a trial. We all chuckled at his antics.

"Okay, we believe you," I told him, after looking at my sons. He smiled back at us.

"Anyway, that guy saved my life and gave me a chance to become something, so I was just trying to pass along the favor, so to speak, by helping your son." He looked at Vinnie and smiled. "I'm just glad his situation was better than mine and he didn't need to go on alone."

"Duck, you are a truly amazing young man and I'm very impressed. I'm also going to tell you my family and I will always be there for you, should you need anything… anything at all."

At that moment, I took a notepad and pen out of my pocket and jotted down our names, address and several phone numbers, so he'd have them if he ever needed anything or just wanted to contact us. After explaining what each number was for – home, office, my cell phone, Vinnie and Kevin's cell phones – I took out another piece of paper and had him do the same for me. After we exchanged this information, I let the boys tell him a little about our family until our meals arrived.

The food was very good and I let everyone have wine with their dinner, which came as a surprise to Duck. He didn't expect me to allow Kevin and Vinnie to have the wine too, even though they were both over eighteen. I told him I allow all of my sons to have wine on special occasions, which he seemed to approve of, and then we continued to explain a little more about the family.

After finishing our meals and having dessert, I ordered Duck and myself an after dinner drink and the other pair had another soda each. While we were relaxing, Kevin and Vinnie went on to tell Duck a little more detailed information about themselves. Once they finished their personal stories, I informed Duck he was welcome to visit any time, for either a short or long term stay. He thanked me for the offer and said he might just do that. He then asked if it would be all right to visit us around the holidays, since those were the times when it was the roughest for him to be alone. He even admitted when the holidays rolled around, he missed not having a family the most.

I told him he was more than welcome to join us for all of the holidays, and not just for some of them. I then went out of my way to let him know he could stay with us for as long as he wished, even if it was for a week or more, if that suited his schedule. I also reminded him it would be a two to three hours drive each way, so he should leave early in the day and then spend as much time as he felt comfortable with, before returning.

Somewhat confused by my offer, he asked how we could allow him to stay so long with all the boys we had living in the house. I merely replied there was always room for one more and then went on to explain how the boys paired up when we had company, such as when my biological children came to stay for a while. He just smiled and said that sounded neat and he looked forward to seeing us, maybe at Easter, if that would be acceptable. When I told him we'd have it no other way, his smile widened and he thanked us all again.

After leaving the restaurant, we went back to Duck's place for a little while and talked some more about many different topics. Finally, we realized it was getting late and we were all tired, so we said good night and went to check into a motel. Duck had offered to let us stay there, but we told him there was no way he had enough room for all of us, so we got a room, with two double beds. Kevin and Vinnie took one and I was alone in the other. I think the boys waited until I fell asleep before they did anything, but I could detect the smell of sex in the air the next morning, when I awoke. I hoped they'd had fun.

After cleaning up and dressing, we checked out and then called Duck, to ask him if he'd like to join us for breakfast. He was a little hesitant at first, and I surmised he didn't want to take advantage of our generosity or wear out his welcome, so I told him we'd be disappointed if he said no. After another slight hesitation, he agreed, so I drove back to pick him up.

Duck was out front, waiting for us, as I pulled in. He had an ear-to-ear grin on his face. "I wasn't sure I'd see you again so soon," he announced, as he climbed into the front seat. "This sure beats eating alone at my place."

I nodded and then asked him to direct us to an establishment that served a decent breakfast. That's when he told me he knew just the place.

It was a small local diner that was very busy, which was a good sign. We had to wait a while for a table, since the Sunday church crowd was already out and about, but we didn't mind. When a table opened, it happened to be in a back corner, which gave us some privacy. Once we were seated and had placed our orders, I decided to ask Duck a few more questions.

"Duck, do you attend church on a regular basis?" I wondered.

"Not really," he admitted. "I went with my mom every Sunday when I lived at home, but I kind of gave up going, once I was on my own."

"I make sure my family attends every week," I explained and this is one of the few Sundays we haven't done that in quite a while." Duck looked at me, and then at Vinnie and Kevin, before he responded.

"I wouldn't mind going with you when I visit," he told me, "but I don't really want to go to a strange place like that by myself. My girlfriend doesn't go either, but if I went with your family, I'm sure I could handle it."

"Then we look forward to you joining us," I replied, with a smile, just before the waitress showed up with our meals.

While we ate, I also mentioned to Duck about our St. Patrick's Day plans. "How would you feel about joining us and being a leprechaun for a day?"

Duck looked a little surprised and didn't respond right away. It was a good thing too, because our waitress showed up to refill our drinks and ask if we needed anything. Once she left, Duck finally answered.

"I'm sure you've already made your plans and they don't include me," he stated, with a touch of sadness in his tone.

"We can always squeeze in one more," I replied, "if you don't mind sharing a bed with one or two of my sons. It will only be the younger boys, which means the high school seniors on down, so if that doesn't bother you, we'd love to have you join us." Duck seemed even more startled by this comment.

"Oh, I'm not sure Kevin and Vinnie would be willing to have me in the room with them, as it might cramp their style, and I don't know your other sons yet. I'm not sure they'd like the idea of sharing a room with a stranger, so maybe I should wait until after we've gotten to know each other first," he answered.

"I'm sure the others would welcome the opportunity to have you come along, once they saw you," I responded. "I'm sure they wouldn't mind, but Kevin and the other college boys won't be with us. They'll still be at school, but the rest of us would love to have you come along."

"You might even get molested," Vinnie teased, "but not by me. I only do things with Kevin, but the others probably will jump your bones, if you're agreeable." Duck looked at him, with his mouth agape.

"Many of the others are gay or bi too," Vinnie explained, "and you're very cute, so they might want to try something with you."

"You're joking, right?" Duck shot back.

"He's not," Kevin agreed, "and that's why I was so worried when I first saw you. You are so handsome that I was afraid Vinnie had done something with you when he stayed at your place, but I know better now."

"I might have, if I wasn't so damn depressed about you," Vinnie teased back. "In fact, I should have done something with Duck, even if it was just to get even with you for what you did." Kevin looked horrified by the thought, but then realized Vinnie was just getting in his digs while he had the chance.

"Well, I'm sure some of the others might do it, if Duck is agreeable," Kevin stated. "Dad doesn't mind if we do things, as long as both guys agree and no one is forced or gets hurt."

"Well, depending on what your brothers are like, I probably wouldn't have to be forced," Duck said, with a huge smile. "After that first guy, I've been too scared to try anything like that again, but if I found someone who was willing, and we hit it off, then I might just go for it."

"Like I said, only the younger boys will be with us and I don't know how you'd feel about doing anything with someone that much younger than yourself," I stated, "but if they're willing, it's not a problem with me. However, everyone will be home for Easter."

"I won't decide yet," Duck replied, "but you might be right. I've always gotten along well with younger guys, but I'm not sure about messing around with one. One of the older boys might work though."

"Then you'll have to agree to join us," I insisted. "We'll drive by and pick you up on our way to Chicago and you'll have a great time."

"Okay, I'm willing, if you're sure," he answered.

"I am, so I'll be in contact with the details," I added.

We finished up and the waitress came by to ask if we wanted anything else. When I responded, "Only the check," she hurried off to calculate it, so she could bring it to me.

After settling up, we took Duck back to his place and bade him farewell. I told him I needed to get home as quickly as I could, because I had a lot to do, including taking Kevin back to college before I returned to work tomorrow. Duck said he understood and thanked us for all we had done, but I told we had enjoyed our time with him too. We each hugged him good-bye, even Kevin, and then we set off on our return trip.

Kevin and Vinnie rode in back and were all over each other the entire way home. It was mostly just kissing, hugging and a little petting, but never went much further than that. Even though it was quite restrained, it definitely showed they had put the past behind them and moved on.

During the trip, all I could think about was Duck and what that poor boy had been through. I hoped he still had a way to contact the trucker who helped him, because I was going to suggest he write the guy a letter or call him or something, just to let him know how much his kindness had meant. Duck should also let him know how well he had done since that time, if he hadn't done so already. Knowing a little about Duck though, I reasoned he most likely has kept in contact or found another way to thank the guy. However, I would check anyway, just to make sure, and suggest it, if he hadn't.

I would also see to it that Duck was included for every holiday and became a part of our family. In fact, I couldn't wait for Easter, when I would get the chance to introduce him to our extended family. I'm sure he'll get along well with the entire group. I'm also certain he'll be a big hit with the boys when he joins us for St. Patrick's Day, but I will warn them, in advance, that Duck is bi, but seems to prefer girls. In fact, maybe he and Mark will hit it off, seeing they are closer in age, and maybe they'll even go on double-dates together.

We finally arrived home shortly after midday, but we soon discovered things weren't quiet or completely under control. The day had started off okay for the rest of the family and Jake had taken everyone to church. However, once the service had ended, they surprised Jake and talked him out of going somewhere for brunch. It turned out that some of the boys were suffering greatly during the church service and didn't think they could also to sit through our normal Sunday outing, so Jake took pity on them and brought them back home.

They just happened to be pulling into our driveway about the same time we were and Jake immediately filled me in about what had happened while we were gone. It seems that sometime before they left for church, our mad, anonymous prankster had struck again. It was obvious someone other than Ricky was managing these stunts, because he was still away at college, but none of us had any idea who was bucking for Ricky's title as our most infamous prankster. Anyway, this time that person had set up Andrew, Graham and Little Ricky. The amazing part was that no one was aware that anything was amiss until everyone was in church and sitting in our normal pew.

It was then that the three targets began to wiggle uncomfortably in their seats and Jake asked them what was wrong. They said they felt a burning sensation around their privates and butt and had tried to rub or scratch it, but it just got worse. After the service, they were in pain, so Jake opted to bring them directly home. Now that they were back, we soon discovered what had been wrong.

While those three individuals had been showering, someone had smeared a layer of odorless Ben-Gay on the crotches of their underwear. It took some time for enough of it to transfer to their skin and make them uncomfortable, and that didn't happened until they were in Church. Whenever the boys rubbed or scratched the area, more of the substance was moved to their skin, thus making the heat generated from it more intense.

Once the boys got home, they ran to change, but that's when they encountered the follow-up pranks. The first to discover the second foul deed was Andrew. After getting home from church, he stripped and changed his clothes, but as he slipped on his jogging shoes, he found they had been filled with shaving cream. However, he wasn't the only one to learn he'd been had again.

Still being fairly new to all of this, Little Ricky didn't realize it could get worse and was soon in even more discomfort than he was before. What happened was this. Little Ricky went to the bathroom and tried to wash off the effected area with a wet washcloth, but didn't realize that moisture would intensify the heating effect of what had been used. Now, he was hopping around, in even greater discomfort, and swearing about the person who had set him up.

I heard Little Ricky screaming about his predicament and the person who had pulled this off, so I went to assist him. After realizing what was wrong, I handed him a dry towel and told him to just try and rub the substance off instead. That did help, but the damage had already been done. After going back to his room, Little Ricky quickly discovered that wasn't the only way he'd been had. He now discovered all of his clothes were also missing and he had nothing to put on. Someone had taken everything he owned from his dresser drawers and closet and hidden them somewhere. I don't know who is responsible for this, but it's obvious that person had really planned ahead.

I asked Graham to go to his room and get something he could loan Little Ricky to wear, until we located his belongings. That was when Graham discovered that someone had tied the legs of all his jeans and the arms of his sweatshirts and flannel shirts into double knots. After Graham retrieved some clean underwear for both of them, the duo sat down and began to untie a few of the knots, so they could get dressed again. I had to admit this joke had been well thought out and executed, but the most amazing thing was that none of us had any idea who the mastermind behind all these stunts was.

Jake and I sat down to discuss the possibilities, but we couldn't come up with anyone who would fit the profile. We were at a total loss as to whom we might even suspect, especially since each of them had been a victim at one time or another.

Getting back to the situation at hand, we got things calmed down and fixed everyone something to eat. This seemed to help, because boys with full stomachs are less cranky than hungry ones, so the tension began to lessen. Even though everyone wanted to know who was doing all of this and were making their own plans to pay him back, in kind, it was now being done in a lighter and less physically threatening tone.

Once our meal concluded, I had a chance to sit down and relax for a short time. As I did, something came to mind. Even though I had enough birthdays to acknowledge with my boys, I wasn't oblivious to other special days. Today was March 7th and that meant a birthday was being celebrated and I was going to miss out being part of it. Today, my grandson Jordan was turning 11.

I thought about calling, to wish him a happy birthday, but I wasn't sure how the phone call would be received. His father was among the most adamant about my lifestyle and was equally as firm in his stance about not wanting me to have anything to do with his child any longer. Therefore, I feared such contact would end up ruining Jordan's special day and creating more problems than it was worth. Instead, I made a resolution. I was going to make an appointment with my attorney and do something I had been contemplating for quite some time. I would call him this week to set it up.

Once that issue had been resolved, at least as well as circumstances allowed, I summoned Kevin. I told him to get his things together, so I could take him to catch the bus back to school. Hearing this, Frankie offered to drive him there for me, since I had already driven so far. He figured I could use the help and some additional rest, so I accepted and thanked him for his offer.

Kevin and Vinnie disappeared for a short time, to say their good-byes and grab the rest of Kevin's belongings. When they returned, both boys looked a little sad, but at least things were back to normal and they were once again confident in their love for each other.

Chapter 4
The Farm-Home Takes Shape

Even though Kevin and Vinnie had said their good-byes, Vinnie still hounded me about letting him go with them. Since I knew the two boys wouldn't be seeing each other for a few weeks, I ended up giving Vinnie permission to ride along to the bus station. I did this only after he promised all of his homework was finished and he was nearly caught up with the assignments he had fallen behind on while he was away.

After Frankie, Kevin and Vinnie left, I went to the computer, to check out my emails. Going through them, I discovered a message from Lester Foote. He and his wife, Tammy, were the couple who were going to supervise the home on the Becker's old farm, so I concluded he was sending me this email to advise me how everything was progressing.

Josh,

I just wanted to let you know how things are going here. The renovations on the house are done and the rest of the work is nearly completed too. My wife and I moved in last weekend and your friend, Sally Swarthout, has already introduced us to several young people who want to come live on the farm with us. They seemed to understand the hard work they will be required to do and it doesn't appear to bother them, so they started moving in on Monday. My wife and I are both excited about this and things are going well.

So far, we've taken in five boys and a girl, all between the ages of fourteen and seventeen. We thought it best to start with the older children, so they could learn how to do all the things that will need to be done around the farm. After they get used to living and working here, then maybe we'll take on some younger children, and then the older ones can give us a hand instructing them about what they need to do.

We've got things planned out pretty well and have managed to keep both farms running in the meantime. The thing is, after talking it over with my wife, we've come up with another idea for you to consider. Seeing there are two farms, with two homes, we thought it might be a good idea to use one house for the boys and the other for the girls. That way, it might eliminate the temptation between the various sexes for some late night get-togethers.

Seeing our old house is a little smaller than what the Becker place is now, we thought it would work for the girls. If there weren't enough young ladies to fill the house up, then you might want to include some younger children there as well. When the younger boys get older, they could be moved to the house my wife and I run, but I think this would be a more prudent way to proceed and eliminate potential problems.

Of course, you would need another couple to supervise the other house and we don't want to create problems for you or your foundation, but we think this would really be for the best. Please think it over and let me know what you decide. We'll handle everyone in the same house, if you think it's best, but we're just worried it would open a whole can of worms if one of the girls got pregnant or claimed she was sexually accosted by one of the boys.

Your friends, Lester and Tammy Foote

After reading the email, I went out and discussed Lester's ideas with Jake. "Jake, I just got an email from Lester Foote and his wife, and they suggest we should consider having separate homes for the guys and the girls. What do you think?"

"I think he may be right," Jake told me. "I don't want to sound hypocritical, because we allow the boys to have sex with each other here, but I think we've got to be careful about the guys and girls having sex at the farm-home. If that happened and word gets out, it could cause considerable problems for the foundation and might even get the place closed down."

"The difference is," Jake continued, "we don't have to worry about the boys getting pregnant and having babies, but it's a whole other ballgame with the young ladies. I hope it doesn't sound like I'm using a double standard here, but I think we should consider Lester's idea."

"I know," I agreed, "and Lester mentioned the potential problems too. It is something we have to be concerned about, because I don't want the group home or Foundation to be engulfed in controversy or scandal. Lester thinks we can fix up his old place to house the girls and maybe some younger children."

"Do you think the Foundation could handle the expense of fixing up his old home as well?" Jake shot back.

"I don't think money is the issue here," I replied. "We'll find a way to cover the expense, so it just boils down to doing what is right and best for everyone involved."

"Then I agree with Lester," Jake admitted. "I think it would be safer to have the boys and girls at least spend the nights in separate facilities. They can work together during the day, but they would still need to be closely supervised, and then separated after dark. I think that would help eliminate most of the late night rendezvous and sex escapades if we add the deterrent of having to travel between the two places, since they aren't really that close to each other. Hopefully, the kids will think it's too far to go just to hook up."

"Yes, you have a point," I agreed.

"Another thing you might want to consider is splitting the workload between the two farms. You could put the hogs, beef cattle and some of the horses over on the girls' farm and they can do the chores involved with their care."

"Do you really think the girls will be able to handle seeing the beef cattle and hogs killed for food?" I challenged.

"The animals can be taken to the slaughter house for the hard part and then the meat could be brought back and kept in the freezer," Jake suggested.

"But if they form an attachment to those animals, it may be hard for them if they know what's going to happen," I emphasized.

"That is possible, but if they're going to live on a farm, they'll just have to learn to cope with it," Jake explained. "However, I'd suggest you leave the milking cows, chickens and the rest of the horses over at the Becker's old farm, where the boys can handle the duties. The cows have to be milked twice a day and the barn has to be cleaned too. Since the Footes didn't have any chickens on their old farm or any facilities to keep them in, it might be best if we left the chickens where they are. At least the old Becker farm is already set up to accommodate them. The boys can also be responsible for doing most of the haying, planting and cultivating the corn for feed and operating the farm equipment, but it doesn't mean the girls can't do that stuff too."

"Yes, I understand," I replied. "You're just trying to put the more demanding tasks on the guys."

"Yes, the way I see it, the beef cattle, hogs and horses don't need as much care," Jake stated, "so that will make it a little easier on the girls."

"Yes, I can see your logic," I told him.

"Both places can have their own gardens, so they can use the food they grow for themselves," Jake continued. "The girls might even want to plant flowers and such, to help beautify their place too. That should also leave them time to help with the younger children too, if those house parents agree to taking on more."

"You know," I told him, "you've made some pretty good points. I'll run them by Lester and see what he thinks of them first and then I'll call Sally. I want to get her opinion on all of this too, seeing she's the one who is technically responsible for the welfare of all the children."

"Good point," Jake stated, "and I agree you should do that as soon as possible. In fact, why don't you call them right now?"

"I will," I concurred and then grabbed my phone. I dialed Lester first, to tell him the ideas Jake had suggested. I did this because I wanted his input before I mentioned it to Sally and I had a few questions to ask him as well.

Lester was quite agreeable to all of Jake's proposals, so it didn't take long to go over everything. When that had all been agreed to, I posed my first question.

"Lester, I know you said the second house could house the girls and younger children," I began, "but how young are you and your wife willing to go?"

"Well, I've talked it over with the misses and we think it would be best if they were at least in school for right now," he answered, "until we get a better feel for things. Maybe later we might try some younger than that, but right now we'll stick with school aged youngsters."

"Do you mean five-years old and up?" I followed, to clarify his statement."

"Yep, if they're in kindergarten then they're old enough to do some chores and help out around the farm," he stated. "I'm not sure about the other place, but that will be up to them."

"I think that's a wise choice," I concurred, "and I don't think Sally has much trouble finding places for the younger children. Are you comfortable with the number you have now?"

"Yep, we've only been together for a few days, but they're all doing pretty well and catching on fast," he drawled. "None of them has ever lived on a farm before, but they do seem eager to help out and willing to learn. That doesn't mean we haven't had any problems, but we've handled them and things seem to be fine now."

"I'm glad to hear that," I replied. "So you don't feel crowded in the house?"

"Heck, no!" he snapped back. "They've renovated this place really good and there are plenty of rooms for everyone. My wife and I have a bedroom on the ground floor, and the girl has the bedroom next to ours, but the fellas are upstairs. Heck, we have enough room for another girl and a few more boys, but that won't be for a while. I want the ones we've got to get comfortable with everything before we take on more."

"A wise precaution," I told him.

Shortly thereafter, we finished up our conversation and then I dialed Sally's home number. She picked up on the second ring.

"Hello."

"Hello, Sally. It's me, Josh. How have you been?"

"Josh, it's so nice to hear from you. I'm fine, but what prompts you to call me at home, and out of the blue? Is something wrong?"

"No, Sally, just the opposite, but can't I call my best girl without there being a reason?" I teased.

"Oh, Josh, you're such a flatterer, and if I didn't know you were with Jake, I'd be after you in a heartbeat." She let out a nervous little giggle after saying this. "But what may I do for you today?" she added, getting back to the point of my call.

"Well, Lester Foote sent me an email about the farm and suggested we should consider using both houses. He said we could use one for the boys and the other for the girls and some younger children. This would hopefully deter any sexual shenanigans from taking place, if the two sexes aren't actually living together. I called Lester just a few minutes ago and discussed other things with him, but I wanted your take on those ideas too. You're ultimately responsible for the welfare of the children, so I want your approval before we do anything."

"Thank you for that, Josh. I'm glad you're keeping me in the loop," she announced. "I also think separating the sexes would be a wise precaution, but is it feasible?"

"Oh, yes. That's not a problem," I confessed. "We can renovate the other place and make it suitable to house more children. The only thing I need from you is to know if you thought it should be done."

"Definitely," she answered, and I could tell by her tone that she was intrigued by the idea. "If you did that, not only might it prevent unwanted sexual contact and harassment from happening, but by also increasing to two homes it would benefit a far greater number of needy youngsters. It would allow me to make more placements and I think I can come up with quite a few children that would benefit from this type of environment. Do you have someone in mind to supervise the second home?"

"No, Sally. I'm afraid I don't?" I conceded.

"That's not a problem either," she replied. "I have an ideal couple in mind. They have taken in a nine-year old girl and wanted to help even more children, but their home just isn't large enough."

"That would be nice, but can they handle the farm work too?" I wondered.

"Oh, yes," she chirped, excitedly. "They live and work on a farm now. That's the problem. They live in the small two-bedroom, hired-man's house. The bedroom the little girl is in is only seven by nine feet, and I couldn't justify putting another child in that small of a space. But this will work for all of us. He'll have a job working on a farm and they'll be able to have the additional children they hoped for."

"Do you think they'll go for it?" I wondered. "I mean… we're not just talking one or two more children here."

"I know, but I'll call and talk it over with them," Sally added. "Then I'll let you know what they say."

"Thanks, Sally, that would be great," I admitted, before adding a word of caution. "However, you'll have to let the guy know Lester will be in charge of the overall operation. If he's amenable to that, have him give me a call, so I can learn more about him too. Is that alright with you?"
"Certainly, Josh, and I was planning to do that anyway. After all, the Foundation is your baby," she added, but I knew she meant it in a nice way.

"I appreciate that, Sally, but the Foundation really came about because of the boys, so it is more theirs than mine. Not only that, but all of this is happening because of Little Ricky and his reluctance to let the farm go to strangers."

"I understand and hope they're all pleased with the way this is working out, especially Little Ricky," she confirmed. "This is going to allow us to provide a whole group of children a chance for a much better life in a wonderful environment."

"That's what we were all hoping for and I know it will make Little Ricky especially happy. This will not only honor his parents, but it will give other children a chance to enjoy the benefits and lifestyle he enjoyed while living there. The boys, Jake and I will still be regular visitors to the farm, so we can help out and keep an eye on things. I'll also keep you informed how things seem to be going.

"Thanks, Josh. You still continue to amaze me with all you do and in the process somehow make my job easier," she added, before we hung up.

I relayed our conversation about the changes to Jake and then the boys. They all thought it was a great idea too, but some quickly decided they wanted to spend their time at the boys' house, while others were trying to figure out how they might be able to help out at the girls' new residence. Damn, just what I needed.

About an hour later my phone rang and I answered it. I knew from the caller I.D. who was on the other end.

"Why Sally, people will start talking if we continue to spend this much time with each other," I teased.

"Oh, Josh," she gushed, "they're already talking, but it's all good. My colleagues say we make a great team." I chuckled.

"I certainly would agree with that," I stated, "but I wasn't expecting you to call back so soon."

"I know, but after we ended our conversation, I decided to phone the couple I told you about," she advised me. "They were ecstatic about our proposal and are anxious to talk to you, so they can get more details. I could only relay the basic information to them, but they want to know more."

Sally then gave me their phone number and told me they were awaiting my call. I didn't want to disappoint them or dampen their enthusiasm, so I did so immediately.

"Hello, this is Josh Currie," I stated when the wife answered the phone. "Sally Swarthout suggested I call you."

"Oh, yes, and thank you for getting back to us so quickly," she replied. "Let me put you on speaker phone, so my husband can be part of this conversation too." I heard her call him and then we exchanged pleasantries.

"Sally told me you had some questions," I said, to initiate this discussion.

"Yes, we'd like to hear more about what you're proposing," the husband responded. "From what little Sally told us, we are very interested and want to learn more."

I then went on to tell them how the idea for this came about and how we acquired the two farms. I also told them about the changes we had made to the Becker's old place and what was going on there. After that, I went over our goals for the farm-home and explained the suggestions Jake made for the two places.

"I can take you out and show you around," I informed them, "but we haven't begun renovations on the second home yet. In fact, if you are interested, you could get involved early and give us your input on what you'd like to see."

"So we'd be in charge of the girl's residence?" the wife asked.

"Yes, the girls and younger children," I answered. "You'd be able to help decide how many and how young you are willing to take in."

"Oh, I'd love to have a baby and maybe even a toddler too," she cooed. "I can't have children and this will be the answer to my prayers."

"This isn't going to be all fun and games," I advised her. "Some of the children may have emotional or behavioral problems – nothing severe, but I thought I should warn you."

"My husband and I understand that, but we are looking forward to the opportunity anyway," she answered. "I know I have plenty of love to give them, and Sterling is the boss and can handle the discipline, so I think we will do fine."

"Then I take it you're agreeing to do this?" I followed.

"We'd still like to see the place and check everything out," her husband responded, "but from what we've heard so far, it sounds like a 'go' to me."

"I'm glad to hear that," I told them, and then we set up a time for me to give them a tour of both farms and answer more of their questions.

I called Sally back, as soon as I hung up, and we were both encouraged and hopeful this issue had been resolved.

Chapter 5
An Unusual Horde of Leprechauns

Now that the issues with the farm were settled, at least for the time being, our focus now turned to our trip to Chicago, where we would participate in the St. Patrick's Day parade. The boys seemed to be looking forward to this, especially Andrew. He was mostly excited about seeing his friend Barry again, but he was also eager to be in the parade. Since everyone's anticipation level was high and we had a lot to do to get ready, the week went by amazingly quickly.

I also called Duck, to make sure he hadn't changed his mind about joining us, and he seemed to be as enthused as the younger ones about going. I don't believe his excitement was about being in the parade, but had more to do with seeing Chicago and being part of our family. He asked how Vinnie and Kevin were doing and I told him fine, and then he said he looked forward to meeting more of my sons. I then informed him about the approximate time we'd pick him up and what to bring, before we said good-bye. I think I was looking forward to having him with us, as much as he was about joining our group.

I also asked Mark if he'd like to go, but he was hesitant at first, because he thought he'd have to dress up as a leprechaun and be in the parade too. After I explained that Jake and I wouldn't be participating and he could just hang out with us, he agreed to go. He eventually confessed he was looking forward to seeing some of the sights in Chicago, as well as watching the parade, since he'd never been there before. He was also willing to squeeze into the rooms we'd already arranged for and thanked me for inviting him.

I also briefed Mark about Duck and explained he'd be joining us as well. I did share a little bit with him about Duck, but considering I hadn't told him very much, I was a little surprised at his reaction. Mark told me he thought Duck sounded like an interesting character and eagerly anticipated meeting him as well. Mark figured that since they were only a few years apart in age, had graduated from college, were employed and had girl-friends that they might have enough in common to hit it off. He even hinted he would like it if they possibly became friends in the process, because of these common bonds. I was glad he felt this way and would have someone, other than us, for companionship.

In preparation for the big event, Jake and I discussed the details of our travel plans. After pointing out the pros and cons of using the Suburban and the van, we decided it would be best to drive the Suburban to Chicago. It would be easier to squeeze in everyone who'd be going with us and they could view the scenery much easier than they could from the van. No matter which vehicle we took, we'd have to have the Flannerys take their own car whenever we went anywhere together, but I didn't think it would present a problem for them.

Wednesday night we loaded our suitcases into the Suburban, so we'd be ready to leave as soon as school was out on Thursday. Mark and Duck had each requested Friday off from work, so everything was set and we were all ready to travel.

Thursday seemed to drag slowly forward for us, as time tends to do when you are waiting for something special to happen. As soon as their last classes ended, I drove to the various schools and picked the boys up, before going to get Jake and Mark. Within an hour, we were on our way.

It was a fairly nice day, slightly overcast but not stormy, as we set out for Duck's apartment. This part of the trip went fairly quickly and everyone was having a good time talking and joking around. Duck was packed and ready to join us when we arrived, but we needed a brief break before we took off again. After introducing him to those he hadn't met yet, Duck allowed us to use his toilet, before we crammed back in the Suburban and set out for the Windy City.

The rest of the ride seemed to go a bit slower. It was also quite lengthy, so we only drove about two-thirds of the way there and then stopped for the night. I paid for three double rooms, each with a pair of queen-sized beds, and split the boys between them. It worked out that Cole, Graham, Peter, Sammy and Andrew wanted to be together in the first room, while Trey, Dion, Vinnie and Little Ricky took the second. Duck and Mark had gotten to know each other during the ride and agreed to share a bed, so they were in the third room, with Jake and I. Everyone also agreed to keep the same room arrangements in Chicago, so that problem was solved too.

From what I was told later, not much went on that evening, except in the first room. It seems Graham opted to share a bed with Sammy and Andrew and the three of them had a little fun. After a slight hesitation, because Peter was in the room with them, they finally gave in to their desires.

The boys quickly decided they would give each other blowjobs, so they formed a triangle, so they could do it all at once. They aligned themselves so that Graham was doing Andrew and Sammy was working on Graham, which left Andrew to service Sammy. They energetically bobbed up and down on each other's erection and it only took a few minutes before they had all climaxed. Of course, Andrew's was a dry orgasm, but none of them even seemed to notice the difference.

I heard later that Graham, Sammy and Andrew had been eager to get involved with each other, but it wasn't as easy for Cole. When he tried to convince Peter he should have some fun with him, Peter wasn't sure about doing something of that nature in a public establishment.

"Look, we're not going to do it in the lobby or the pool, so no one is going to see us," Cole told him. After thinking about, Peter brought up another possibility.

"What if someone with a key comes up to check on something?" he wondered.

"Then they'll knock first, which will give us time to stop and get decent," Cole countered.

"And you don't mind if your brothers see what we're doing with each other?" Peter persisted.

"Heck, no," Cole announced. "We've all done things like that with each other, and you've done it with them too, so why should it bother any of us?"

Peter thought about it for a few more seconds and realized Cole was right, so he agreed. By this time, the others had already started to have oral sex, but Peter told Cole he prefer to just masturbate each other this time, or as Peter said, "wank each other." Cole gave in, after Peter agreed he'd do more the next time they got together.

While the boys were having fun in their room, Jake, Mark Duck and I spent a great deal of our time talking. We were discussing life in general, until Duck decided he wanted to share a little about himself with Mark and Jake. Duck liked both of them and felt he wanted to divulge some of this information, and it gave Mark and Jake an opportunity to get to know Duck a little better. I think they were both surprised and saddened to learn some of what Duck had been through, but it did help them to appreciate him even more.

Afterward, Jake and Mark told Duck a little about themselves, and then Mark and Duck went out to walk around the hotel for a while, so they could discuss other matters in private. Once they got back, the four of us chatted a little more, before we all turned in for the evening.

I had set my cell phone's alarm to wake me up, rather than disturbing everyone else with the loud and annoying ring the phone made when the desk made a wake up call. I took my shower before waking the boys in the other rooms up and then went around to rouse them. The boys didn't give me many problems, although I had to knock several times on the door of the room Graham, Sammy, Andrew, Cole and Peter had shared. Once I noticed the lingering smell of cum in the room, I understood why.

After partaking of the hotel's complimentary breakfast, we drove the rest of the way to our destination. I had previously printed out maps from the Internet, so I had all the information I needed to get to where we were going. Jake and I took turns driving, so it wouldn't be so hard on either of us, and that worked out quite well. After stopping for an early lunch, since I wasn't sure what Farrell had planned and didn't want the boys to go hungry, we covered the last stretch of highway before we reached the Flannerys' home.

It was early afternoon when we pulled up in front of their house. The family lived in a nice suburb of Chicago and seemed excited when they greeted us at the door. Barry and Alannah had been looking forward to getting reacquainted with my boys again, but Alannah was a little disappointed when she discovered some of the others hadn't been able to join us. Apparently, she had taken a liking to both Ricky and Pat and was hoping to spend time with them again, but she ended up hanging around with Cole instead. Barry was all over Andrew and it was obvious both boys were happy to see each other again.

We introduced Farrell and his wife, Katelyn, to Duck and Mark, since they hadn't met either of them before. Once the formalities were out of the way, they offered us refreshments, before telling us what the plans were for the rest of the day. Farrell told us he had made reservations at a nice restaurant for 7:30, so we had plenty of time to see a little of the area first. He had arranged for us to take a bus tour of some sites, but we'd be able to stop and go inside a few of these places, so it wasn't going to be just a riding tour.

We both drove our vehicles to get to the tour bus, but it didn't take very long. Once there, we loaded onto the coach and settled in. As we did so, Farrell explained about the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, which started in Mrs. O'Leary's barn, and pointed out that although some of the city survived the devastation, much of it had to be rebuilt afterward. We were going to see many of the places that survived, but not all of the beautiful and historic buildings had been as fortunate.

We started our tour by driving around the University of Chicago's historic Hyde Park campus and then were able to view some fabulous old mansions in the Kenwood area. Most of these places were built between 1860 and 1920 and their stately presence was very impressive. These buildings were constructed in various styles, but each was quite large, aesthetically pleasing and well cared for. We could only imagine how wealthy their original owners must have been to be able to construct such fine homes, but the current owners must also be well off, to be able to afford to maintain these places.

We also got a chance to walk around a bit, and after we left this area, we were driven through the Prairie Avenue district. This location had been developed between 1836 and 1900 and contained many historic row-homes and mansions. Although it was not as elegant as the area we just saw, it was still nice, but the boys were anxious to move on to something else.

Over the course of the next couple of hours, we also went through the Pullman Historic District, which was named in honor of George M. Pullman, the railroad magnate who developed the more comfortable Pullman passenger car. By this time, however, the boys were getting tired of looking at old homes, so we moved on to something else – religious structures.

Although there are many beautiful churches in Chicago, Farrell took us to see the ones he felt would be different from anything we had visited before. During previous conversations, I had told him about our visit to England, so he felt we'd seen the traditional Gothic cathedrals, and what he took us to see was vastly different from those. The first of these was St. Volodymyr & Olha Ukrainian Catholic Church, which is built in a very typical orthodox style. It has a huge, golden dome at its center and a large archway in front, with a very elaborate painting decorating the upper half of the structure. It was like nothing we had ever seen before and I think the boys appreciated its beauty.

We also went to see Holy Trinity Orthodox Cathedral, which looks as if it should be sitting in a Russian city or village. The initial funding for its construction came from Tsar, or Czar, Nicholas and is constructed in the Russian provincial style. It has a very lovely spire, or steeple, extending above the front entrance and a very homey feel to it.

The final place we got to see was St George Orthodox Cathedral. From the outside, it doesn't look very impressive and consists of flat, nom-descript rectangular walls. However, it does have an onion shaped dome, like the ones you would see on churches in Russia. However, when you enter this edifice you realize how lovely it is. It has a very spacious and open interior, which is uniquely decorated with lovely paintings, brilliant colors and a front wall lined with various levels of statuary. I'm not certain if they were saints or other religious leaders, but the sight was amazing to behold.

After we viewed all three of these places, we decided Farrell was correct. These churches did not resemble anything we had seen before. Each was gorgeous in its own right, yet distinctly different examples of Orthodox houses of worship.

Upon leaving the churches, we got to see three of the sporting venues in Chicago and made a quick stop at each. The most interesting of these was Wrigley Field, home of the Chicago Cubs' baseball team. It was also the stadium where Babe Ruth supposedly called his home run prior to hitting it, by pointing to the spot in the outfield where he envisioned it going. The stadium was built in 1914, but wasn't used by the Cubs until two years later. It was eventually named for the Cubs owner, chewing gum magnate William Wrigley Jr., and its brick walls, covered by ivy, is its most memorable feature.

We also saw the US Cellular Field, which was once named Comiskey Park. This, however, is the 'new' Comiskey Park and the current home of the Chicago White Sox baseball team. The 'old' Comiskey Park had been built in the 1910 and named for its former owner and builder of the stadium, Charles Comiskey. By 1990 it was no longer deemed adequate, so it was torn down and this new ballpark opened in 1991.

We also went to Soldier Field, which has been the home to the Chicago Bears' football team since 1971. Before that, the team played at Wrigley Field. Soldier Field was built in the 1920's and is designed solely as a football stadium. The exterior of this structure is designed in the Greco-Roman architectural style, so it has the feel of an ancient temple or coliseum. It has now been completely remodeled for the second time, so it is better suited for today's needs.

After finishing up our little whirlwind tour, Farrell asked me a question. "Does your family like Italian food?" he wanted to know. Before I could answer, there was a chorus of whooping and hollering from behind us, which let him know what the boys thought.

"I think that should answer your question," I told him with a grin. "I believe my boys could live on pizza and pasta, if I let them." Farrell smiled back.

"I guess that must be the same for nearly all young people then," he told me, "because my kids are the same way." He then directed the bus driver to take us to the Tre Via Ristorante, where we would dine.

It was a nice upscale restaurant, which occupied a handsome area inside Wicker Park's historic Flat Iron Building. They had a nice selection of Italian dishes, including 'Chicago style' pizza. Most of the boys decided to split an assortment of pizzas, with a variety of toppings, while we adults opted for the more traditional dinners. The meal was wonderful and the Flannerys, Mark, Duck, Jake and I also shared a few of bottles of wine, while our children enjoyed sodas. We even had a little dessert to top off the meal, and when the check came, I slipped our server my credit card, much to Farrell's dismay.

"I had this covered," he told me.

"Well, I didn't want you to feel you had to pay for everything," I replied, while Farrell rolled his eyes.

"Okay, you got me this time, but I've got tomorrow's meal then," he insisted, quite adamantly, so I merely nodded, to let him know I would agree to that.

After we left the restaurant, we took the bus back to where we started and then drove our vehicles back to the Flannery's place. After spending a little time chatting with them, Farrell directed the boys to a room where he had a large assortment of costumes laid out. He then advised the boys to select an appropriate sized outfit for the parade and they were allowed to use several other rooms to try them on, to make sure they fit.

Since they now had their outfits for the parade, the boys could put them on at the hotel, before we joined up with Farrell's family. This way, we'd be set to go to the parade when we met up with the Flannerys in the morning and wouldn't have to spend time trying to get everyone dressed at their place.

The boys were mildly amused when they were handed fake beards and theater glue, as an added enhancement to their outfits. In addition to everything else, the boys were also given a dark-colored shillelagh to carry. If you have never seen one, a shillelagh is a wooden cane, walking stick or club, depending on who is describing it. It is not smooth and has knobby bumps extending from it, as if it were just cut from the tree. It was a nice touch to complete the outfits.

Since Duck had already agreed to be a leprechaun, Mark decided he might as well go along with everyone else. He even tried to talk Jake and I into joining them, but we said we'd spend our time with Farrell and his wife instead. Somewhat disappointed that we wouldn't give in, Duck and Mark each selected their outfits, much to the others' delight. This meant we'd have a wide variety of leprechauns, ranging in age, from Andrew to Duck, and in size from Andrew to Mark. Not only that, but the leprechauns would be from various ethnic backgrounds, but like the saying goes, on St. Patrick's Day everyone wants to be Irish.

Once the guys had what they needed, Jake, Mark, Duck and I talked a while longer with our hosts, while the boys spent time with the Flannery children. This gave Mark and Duck time to become acquainted with Farrell and Katelyn, but we also learned a little more about what else they had on the agenda for our stay.

As it began to grow late, Farrell told me he'd lead us to where we were staying, to make sure we got there all right. I followed behind him in the Suburban and, once we arrived, I waved in his direction, to let him know we were all set. After he drove off, we unloaded our travel gear and carried it inside.

After checking in, we lugged everything to the elevator and rode up to the appropriate floor. Since the boys had agreed to stay in the same groups they were in the previous night, we went straight to our rooms. They were quite spacious and the bathrooms were also very large and more than adequate for our needs. The beds were also extremely comfortable, so I knew we'd enjoy our two nights here.

No one did very much that evening, since we were all fairly tired, but we did watch a little television before we turned in. Since we were in prime college basketball season, many of us tuned in to one of the games and selected which team we'd cheer for. Those who weren't into sports watched a movie instead, so no one had a problem with what we did.

The next morning, after I woke everyone up, I advised the boys to put on their long underwear, before they put on their outfits. I had warned them to bring those items with them, since I knew Chicago would probably be very cold this time of year. Having long underwear on would keep them from shivering and being uncomfortable during the parade.

Once they were dressed in their outfits, Jake and I helped them put on their fake beards and attached the buckles to their shoes. I had been told in advance to have the boys bring black or brown dress shoes with them, and since they all had a pair of slip-ons they generally wore to church and other special occasions, it wasn't a problem. When they picked up everything else, each of our leprechauns had been given a fake silver buckle to strap over their shoes, so it would make them look like the old-fashioned buckle variety and complete the ensemble.

The boys all looked so dang cute in their long, white stockings, emerald green knickers, white shirts, emerald green jackets and emerald green hats. I was amazed, but they really did look like leprechauns, now that they were fully dressed. If it weren't for Sammy and Andrew's oriental eyes and Dion's caramel complexion, no one would have questioned if any of them were truly of Irish ancestry.

Chapter 6
St. Patrick and Chicago

We drove to the Flannerys' house and met up with them, so they could show us how to get to where the parade was forming up. It wasn't much of a drive to get there and the float was already in position when we arrived. Farrell and his wife remarked about how wonderful the boys looked, but I had to admit Barry looked even more appropriate for the role. Their daughter, Alannah, was dressed in a rather cute emerald green dress and had green ribbons in her hair, because she and a couple of her girlfriends would be riding on the float with the boys.

Once the boys were led to the float, Farrell told each boy where he should position himself. When each one moved into place, he was given a black cauldron-like container, which was to appear to be the leprechaun's pot of gold. They were filled with gold foil covered chocolates, shaped like coins, and the coins were one of the items the boys would be throwing from the float. Each boy was also provided with an assortment of green frisbies, large plastic shamrocks, green necklaces and other trinkets, which were to be judiciously directed to the children lining the parade route. The boys responded they understood and before long the parade was underway.

It was a gorgeous day for this time of year, especially for Chicago. The sun was shining, the breeze was blowing at an acceptable speed and the temperature was moderate, which meant we weren't freezing. It appeared as if God really was smiling down on the Irish today.

Katelyn and Farrell walked beside the front two corners of the float, while Jake and I trailed along at the two rear corners. This was to make sure no one tried to get too close to our children, but it also gave Jake and I a chance to watch our gang in action. I could see the sparkle in their eyes and their smiles nearly split their faces, as they doled out the various items to the assemblage of children waiting along the route. The boys were really into this and enjoying themselves, and I even saw Graham faking a little Irish jig at one point, which made me laugh.

The parade took a couple of hours, from start to finish, but it was worth every minute. Even though Jake and I were a little tired from walking so far, the boys were revved up and still raring to go. They eagerly raced over to where we adults were, once they got off the float, since they were anxious to see what we were going to do next.

"Okay, guys. Follow me," Farrell told us, without letting us know where we were going. I think the boys were a little uncomfortable, because they were still in their leprechaun costumes, but their discomfort didn't last for very long. After a few very cheerful comments about how wonderful they looked from passers-by, each of them quickly shed their inhibitions and walked merrily onward. We no longer cared where we were going, but soon found ourselves in front of the Sears Tower. I think at that moment, we all knew what we were doing next.

Over the next several minutes, we learned the tower is 1,450 feet tall (443 meters), but it is 1730 feet (520 meters) to the top of the twin antennas. Farrell was taking us to the sky-deck, which is 1353 feet above ground level and provides a great view of the extended area. As we rode to the observation deck on one of the elevators, Katelyn explained the building opened in 1973 and on a good day you could see 40 to 50 miles (65-80 km) and four states; Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin and Michigan. Seeing it was quite a lovely day, I was sure we'd get that opportunity.

As we looked out of the various windows, the boys were able to pick out some of the places we had seen earlier, such as the US Cellular Field and Soldier Field to the south, but we could also see O'Hare Airport to the west, as we enjoyed a truly spectacular view.

I think we also felt a little uneasy every time we noticed a plane coming anywhere near the tower, as images of 9/11 reflexively flashed through our minds. I think we also realized our reaction was probably silly, since the chance of anything like that happening again were extremely slim. However, it was just one of those residual fears left over from the images that had been etched into our brains from that terrible day.

When we returned to street level, we headed back to our vehicles and left the downtown area. We spent a little more time with the Flannerys, but then went back to our rooms, so we could clean up and change. Barry had rushed to change once he got home and then teased to be allowed to go back to the hotel with us. After several glares from his parents and some very tense moments, I told them we didn't mind, so they finally agreed to let Barry join us. He would stay with us until we met up with them again for dinner.

After we got back to our rooms and everyone cleaned up, we had a couple of hours to relax, before we went out to eat with the Flannerys. With that in mind, the boys asked if they could check out the indoor pool in the meantime and I agreed it sounded like a good idea. Believe it or not, we had brought our swim trunks with us, since I suspected the hotel would have a heated pool, but I had to stop at the gift shop and buy Barry a suit, since he didn't have one with him.

Once he picked out one he liked, he thanked me and we went down to the pool. He changed there and then we all swam for a while. The boys played all kinds of games and even raced a bit, but they also took some time to attack Jake and me. They splashed water in our faces and tried to dunk us, but only with limited success. However, Jake and I did get a chance to toss a few of them off of us and dunk them a few times instead, but they seemed to enjoy that as much as they did when they were successful at driving us beneath the surface.

Totally exhausted, we went back to our rooms to shower and dress for dinner. Of course, no one showered alone, to speed up the process, and Barry eagerly went in with Andrew, even though he still had to go home to change. Once they had finished cleaning up, the boys put on the nicest clothes they had brought with them and looked quite handsome, once they finished their preparations. We then went down and loaded into the Suburban, so we could go back to the Flannery home and meet up with them again.

Barry dragged Andrew off with him when he went to change, and once he was ready, Farrell took us to a steakhouse called 'Wildfire.' The atmosphere of the place was quite rustic and it had wood, cabin-like walls, as well as fires in several visible stone ovens. Farrell was glad our table wasn't too close to any of the ovens and explained it could get quite warm sitting near them at times. I was sure that would be a benefit during the cold winter months, but it might also serve as a deterrent during the warmer weather.

One great thing about this place was that it had a special supper menu for groups of over six persons. The restaurant offered an option where your order included two appetizers, a salad, the main course, side dishes and dessert for $24.95 per person. I knew that would certainly help to fill up my crew, as well as serving as a way to keep the bill under control. Hopefully, it also meant none of them would leave here hungry.

The meal was nice and Jake I also enjoyed the 4-beer sampler they offered. I didn't argue with Farrell later, when he called for the check, since I'd paid for the previous meal. Before we parted company, Barry started teasing me to allow Andrew to stay with him tonight. After getting Farrell and Katelyn's approval that it would be fine with them, I talked it over briefly with Andrew as well. Seeing he was looking forward to this too and everyone felt it would be okay, I gave him my permission, which thrilled the duo. They went into a frenzy of hand slapping and cheers, before they hopped into the Flannerys' car.

Before saying good-bye, I let Farrell and Katelyn know we'd pick Andrew up early the following morning and bring a change of clothes for him at that time. The rest of us drove back to our rooms, but some of the room arrangements would be slightly different tonight. Since Andrew wouldn't be with us, Sammy, Cole and Graham had decided to share a bed and talked Peter and Little Ricky into taking the other. That meant Vinnie would stay in the room with Dion and Trey, while Duck and Mark stayed with Jake and I again.

As far as I know, nothing happened in the room with Vinnie, Trey and Dion, at least not where all three were involved. Trey and Dion might have done something once Vinnie fell asleep, but Vinnie was adamant about not doing anything with anyone but Kevin. He wasn't going to make the same mistake his lover had, not even within the family. Although Kevin had told him it would be all right to mess around with the others, Vinnie wanted both of them to remain totally faithful to each other. Kevin agreed, so Vinnie didn't get involved in any of the fun.

The other room wasn't quite as restrained. Cole, Graham and Sammy had agreed they were going to do something, when they decided to share a bed. They were preparing to have oral sex, until Sammy made another suggestion. He said he'd be willing to be in the middle, if they wanted to try anal, and the other two quickly agreed.

After preparing each other for this, Graham bent over and allowed Sammy to enter him first. Once they were set, Cole got behind Sammy and slipped inside his entrance as well. Sammy controlled the action, as he thrust into Graham and then backed into Cole, but the other two carefully matched their movements to mimic his. Sammy also reached around and jacked Graham off at the same time; to make certain all of them were taken care of.

They started off at a fairly slow pace, since none of them wanted this to end too soon. However, after a few minutes their speed started to increase and continued to do so, until they had all ejaculated. Although they didn't all reach orgasm at the same time, they each got off and were more than satisfied with what they'd done.

I learned that Peter and Little Ricky were also active, but I'm not completely sure if this was solely the result of what the others were doing. The previous night, Peter had initially been reluctant about doing anything sexual with Cole, so I wondered if his agreeing so quickly tonight meant he was just horny or had a thing for Little Ricky. Either way, the pair agreed they would help each other get off too. I've noticed that although Peter claims to be straight, he certainly hasn't hesitated in taking advantage of the supply of willing partners, other than his initial reticence the previous evening.

However, Little Ricky always seemed to be ready for a little fun and was eager to take advantage of having a new partner. This duo quickly agreed to help each other out orally, although I think Peter had hoped Little Ricky might satisfy him anally, after he noticed what the others were doing. However, Little Ricky wasn't quite ready to make that big leap yet.

Although Peter might have been a little disappointed, each did his best to satisfy his partner's needs. They both relished this new opportunity and made the most of it. In fact, Peter seemed to be anxious to do this. He offered to do Little Ricky first, and when he got between Little Ricky's legs, he lifted them and began running his tongue around the anal opening as well. I think he was still trying to get Little Ricky hot enough that he would agree to be entered, but that never happened. Instead, Peter moved up and took Little Ricky's penis in his mouth, so he could give him the best blowjob he knew how.

Once he had cum, Little Ricky was quick to return the favor. He played with Peter's penis for a few seconds first, as he toyed with Peter's foreskin, but then he began to work on it in earnest, until Peter unloaded his boy juice. Once the moment had passed, the boys agreed to get together again, to either do the same thing or try something a little different. I think this was a sign that they were forming some sort of connection with each other. Either that or Peter just has a thing for guys named Ricky.

The following morning, I could tell what they'd done almost as soon as I entered the room. Not only were they boys still wearing big smiles on their faces when I went to wake them, but the smell of sex still lingered in the air. It let me know all five of them had had a good time.

When I went down to the desk to check out, I discovered another surprise. Farrell had arranged for his company to pay for both nights of our stay there, not just the one I had agreed to, so I knew I'd have to discuss this with him before we went home. It was a nice gesture, but wasn't necessary.

Everyone was cheerful and in a pretty good mood as we loaded into the Suburban and drove to pick Andrew up. It wasn't long after we got there that I figured out Barry and Andrew had also had some fun. I later learned that they had been sexually active while they were together, as I figured they might. Andrew told me later that they'd picked up where the left off on the camping trip.

Once they got to Barry's room, the boys talked for a while first, while they waited to make certain the others were asleep. Once they felt it was safe, they began fondling each other and soon removed the others underwear. Both were rock hard as they played with each other's genitals and then they silently agreed to perform oral sex.

Enthusiastically, they simultaneously began bobbing up and down on each other's throbbing erections, but Barry soon stopped, so he could enjoy what Andrew was doing to him. Eagerly, Andrew continued sliding his mouth up and down Barry's shaft, which caused Barry's body to tremble and shake. Barry could no longer control himself, as the awesome feelings the action was generating built inside of him. Andrew continued his frantic pace, as he continuously nodded on Barry's maturing organ and stimulated it, until Barry arched his back slightly, groaned and spewed his seed. Once that happened, he fell back on the bed and enjoyed the afterglow of this wondrous experience.

Once he had sufficiently recovered, Barry insisted on doing the same thing to Andrew, who wasn't about to object. Instead, Andrew laid back and gave Barry access to his genitals, so it wasn't long before Barry's head began bouncing up and down, as his lips and tongue caressed Andrew's immature penis. Barry didn't seem to mind this minor fact and proceeded with as much vigor as Andrew had done for him.

It was times like this that Andrew forgot about his failure to reach puberty yet. Instead, he put those concerns aside and enjoyed the activity for the great feelings it brought him. Therefore, his thoughts were totally consumed by the wonderful sensations emanating from his groin and he mirrored Barry's movements, as Barry's head continued to piston up and down on him. This continued until Andrew's body shuddered with pleasure, as those overpowering feelings radiated throughout his small frame. Even though it was a dry orgasm, it was just as intense and pleasurable as the one Barry had enjoyed a few minutes before.

Now that each boy had climaxed, they hugged and thanked each other for the fantastic experience and then settled in to sleep. I'm sure they both slept well and soundly after renewing their deep bond of friendship. I knew it was probably going to be difficult to separate them again, after this.

Fortunately, the pair had been careful and none of the Flannerys learned what they had been up to. I wasn't sure how Barry's parents would have reacted if they discovered such things going on between the boys, but I hoped they would just brush it off as youthful experimentation.

I gave Andrew his clothes and he and Barry ran up to Barry's room, so he could change. After those two had departed, I gave Farrell back the outfits the boys had worn and apologized for not having the opportunity to have them cleaned first. Farrell merely assured me it wasn't necessary and his company would take care of that minor task. He then thanked each of us for helping out and asked if we'd join them again next year.

Before I gave Farrell an answer, I took the opportunity to ask him why he had his company pay the hotel bill for both nights. He responded that it was because we had assumed enough expense traveling there and he, therefore, wouldn't allow me to assume any more of the financial burden. Since I didn't totally buy his argument, I told him I owed him and would make it up to him somehow. He assured me that wasn't necessary, but I was determined.

When Andrew and Barry came back downstairs, the Flannerys led us to their dining room, where they had everything set up for breakfast. I had planned on taking both groups out to eat, but since the food was already prepared, I gave in.

I was shocked that Katelyn and Alannah would try to feed all of us at home, but they did quite a nice job of it. Together, they had prepared huge bowls of scrambled eggs, loaves of toast, made stacks of pancakes and grilled pounds of sausage and bacon to feed us. It was all very good and we enjoyed their efforts. We thanked them profusely for their hard work, to which they informed us it had been their pleasure.

I told the Flannerys they had to come visit us next or join us on a vacation this summer. They said that sounded nice, but they were not ready to make any firm commitments. They already had tentative plans for a summer outing and Farrell only had a few weeks of vacation. He had already used up some of that time and the rest would be used during their other plans. Andrew asked if they'd at least let Barry come spend some time with us, if they didn't join us for vacation, and Farrell said it might be a possibility. Hearing this made both boys smile.

Since we still had a long trip home, we said our good-byes, got into the suburban and hit the road. I could tell both Andrew and Barry had tears in their eyes as we drove off and I realized they had formed quite a strong and special connection between them. It was at that moment I made the decision to pressure Farrell to at least let us include Barry in our vacation plans this year, if his entire family wasn't going to join us. I think we all liked the Flannerys, so I hoped they would decide to do this on their own, but if they couldn't, I wanted Barry and Andrew to be able to spend a little more time with each other.

The drive home was long, so we broke it up by stopping for a late lunch along the way. An hour or so after that, we dropped Duck off at his place and he thanked us multiple times for including him. He said he'd had a great time and then told Mark he'd be in touch. I think they had also formed a bond on this outing, so I expected they would be getting together in the future, either with or without the rest of us.

It was quite late by the time we arrived home, so we just went straight to bed. Even though all of us, except for Mark, had the entire next day to rest and unwind, we all needed a good night's sleep. It had been a fun time and I think each of us was glad we had participated. In fact, I was fairly certain the boys were even looking forward to doing this again next year.

Chapter 7
Many Changes

When the time came for me to meet with my attorney, I drove to his office and waited to be called in. After exchanging greetings, he got right to the point.

"Josh, what is it you want me to do for you?" he asked.

"I need to make changes to my will," I advised him.

"What kind of changes?" he followed, skeptically.

"I want to eliminate all but one of my biological children from it and then replace them with my grandchildren. I also want my grandchildren's shares to be set up in trusts, which they will be able to withdraw from for their educational expenses, when they are old enough to go to college. I also want the trusts set up in a way so they won't be able to take the money out for any other reason until they reach the age of twenty-five."

"I can do that, but what prompted this decision," my lawyer followed, with his eyebrows raised.

"It's a long story, but let it suffice to say that my biological children don't really need the money," I answered, cryptically. "The only one of them I'm leaving anything to is Robert. I know he can use the money and won't squander it, but he also doesn't have any children to give his share to."

"Is there any other reason you're just leaving him in your will?" my attorney pressed.

"Well, I trust him and that's why I also want you to make him executor of the will and the administrator for all of the trust accounts. That way, my grandchildren's parents won't be able to get their grubby fingers on even one penny of my money."

"It sounds as if this is more involved here than just that the others don't need the money," my lawyer offered. "This is a pretty drastic step and your disinherited children might contest the will, once you're gone."

"I figured they might, but I'm not making this decision lightly. I won't give you the details behind my reasons for doing this, because as I said it is a lengthy story, but I feel it's imperative I do it. Just make sure this document is drawn up in such a way that they can't get it thrown out or overturned."

"It's your will, so I'll change it however you request, as long as you are aware of what these changes mean and the impact they'll have on your heirs," he advised me. "From what I can tell, you understand the implications perfectly, so I will do as you request. I will also do my best to make sure it will stand up under scrutiny and won't be invalidated. I'll have my secretary call you once I have the new document drawn up, so you can come in and sign it."

I thanked him and then left his office, feeling satisfied about what I had done. It wasn't that I hated my biological children, but I had finally decided not to coddle them or give in to their demands. If they don't feel I'm good enough to associate with while I'm alive and they are horrified by my life choices, then I'll be damned if they'll benefit from my death. Instead, I'll leave their share of my money to my grandchildren, but make it so their parents will have no way to control what is done with it. I just prayed that making Robert executor wouldn't cause the others to turn on him next.

I don't know if this will bother any of them, once they discover what I've done, but I hope it does. It may not matter to them at all, but if it finally hits them, then possibly they'll understand how I felt when they turned on me like they did.

Since I had settled on how I was going to resolve that issue, I focused on the next major event in our lives. In two more weeks Frankie would be leaving for Missouri, to begin his basic training. He was excited, yet nervous about this move, but he was convinced it was what he wanted and needed to do.

During the interim between when he'd signed up and until he began his enlistment, Frankie had been frantically working-out, to make sure he was in the best shape he could be in to start his training. He'd talked to others who had been in the military and heard the horror stories they had to tell about how the overweight and out of shape trainees were treated, so he was determined not fall into this category. Actually, he was probably in the best condition I'd ever seen him in and Frankie has never been in bad physical shape, no matter whose definition you were to use.

I took some time to discuss other issues with him too; because I knew there probably wouldn't be a great deal of contact with him during his training period. Therefore, I wanted to get his reaction about whether he wanted me, or any of us, to come to his graduation ceremonies at the end of his training cycle. After thinking about it briefly, he answered.

"I don't want you to go to all that trouble and expense, so you don't have to come," he advised me.

"It's no trouble and I didn't ask you if we could afford to go," I corrected him, "I just want to know if you WANTED us there. I'd love to come see your graduation ceremony, but I wasn't sure if having a bunch of us there might embarrass you or anything." His face began to brighten.

"Heck, that could never happen," he said, grinning. "I love all of you guys and could care less if anyone else might have a problem with it. You could bring everyone, if you want, but it might cost a lot and I'm not sure if all of the guys will be home from college by then."

"Well, I'll promise you this," I told him. "I'll be there no matter what else happens, and possibly I'll bring some of the others. If I do, I promise I will also try to keep them under control. I'll do everything in my power to prevent them from running out on the parade grounds to march with you," I added with a laugh, "and keep them from sitting in the stands and verbally harassing you."

"Oh, don't do that," Frankie joked back. "I'd like to see how the Army M.P.'s would handle that. Besides, it might be fun to visit my brothers at an Army prison camp. Heck, I might even try to get assigned as one of their guards, so I could torture them a little." I was glad to see him in such a good mood, because I wasn't sure if he was getting nervous about his big career move.

"You might have an idea there, and it might give me a little peace at home, but do you think the Army is ready for your brothers yet?" Frankie laughed again.

"You may be right about that," he quipped. "They deal with some real bad-asses, but I'm not sure even the Army is ready for the Currie assault force. Besides, I'm not sure any of the generals are ready to have their beds short-sheeted or find oatmeal in their boots." He had a point and we both had a good chuckle over the thought of such things happening.

"Okay, maybe I'll come alone then, but I WILL be there," I informed him.

"You know, I'm still not sure WHY you do all of this for us, but I for one am sure glad you do," he told me, and I could feel the sincerity in his words. "Thanks, Dad. I'm really happy to be your son and part of this family."

Frankie gave me a hug, as his way of showing his gratitude, and I thought to myself, 'who needs my biological children when I have boys who appreciate me for who I am and not WHAT I am.'

After he went back to concentrating on his preparations to leave, I went to my computer to see if anything new required my attention. When I did, I discovered I'd received another email from Nick. I was somewhat surprised by this, since it was nearly time for him to come home, but I suspected he wanted to fill me in about his most recent trip before he got back. Eagerly, I opened his email, to see what he had to say.

Pop,

Man, I'm going to hate to leave here, but I'm really looking forward to getting back there too. I hope Shannon is as excited about me coming home. Anyway, I just got back from my trip to the Foz do Iguacu or Iguacu Falls. They're on the border between Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay. I think I told you my host brothers, Will and Marcos, were going to go with me, because they'd never been there before either. Mom and Dad left me enough money, when they were down here for Christmas, so I could take them too. It was fantastic and we all had a great time.

Man, you won't believe it, but the Cataratas do Iguacu is actually a series of 275 falls that extend for almost two miles. It's huge. The water from the Iguacu River cascades over a gorge and creates permanent rainbows around the falls. The best view is from the Brazilian side and it's really neat. We even took a boat ride and rode in a helicopter to see the falls better, but I was disappointed, because the helicopter ride didn't last very long. It was over in about ten minutes. That sucked and was a rip off. Well, it was a great view, just way too short.

Anyway, I learned two-thirds of the falls were on the Argentine side, so we went there to see them better. That was really neat too, because there are walkways you can follow that go right under the falls. We got wet from the spray, but it was a blast.

We all shared a room together on the trip, so, of course we fooled around some, but we were all careful. I'm going to really miss them, because they've been a lot of fun. Do you think maybe we can bring them to stay with us sometime? Pleeeeeze. It would mean a lot to all of us and I'm sure the others would really like them too.

Well, I've got to get going. We're ready to head back to their place now and I'll spend one more week there, before I catch my flight home. Can't wait to see you and show you all my pictures and stuff. I've got loads.

Love you all, Nick

It always amazes me how upbeat he is about things and that he's made the most of this experience. I'm thrilled he decided to do this and it's been such a positive experience for him, but I'm still worried about whether he truly heeded my advice and was careful about having sexual encounters. I will make sure he is disease free and in good health when he returns. In fact, the various doctor appointments are already set.

Getting back to matters closer to home, I took some time during the week to run our prospective house parents out to see the two farms and give them an opportunity to check things out. I also answered all of their questions concerning the positions we had offered them. I explained what would be required and what they could expect in return. Once we finished, they told me they would think the situation over and talk about it with each other, before they let us know what they had decided. They both seemed very excited about the possibility, so I had a feeling they were going to eventually accept the posts.

The next day, Sally called me at work to let me know the couple had just called and announced they would be happy to supervise the other house. They were both looking forward to being able to raise more children and the husband was thrilled he'd still be working on a farm. Sally also informed me the husband was giving his notice to the owner of the farm he was currently working on, in order give him plenty of time to find a replacement. They also mentioned they were already starting to pack up their belongings and would be ready to move into the other house, as soon as renovations were completed. I thought to myself, 'this is coming together quite nicely.'

Sally was also excited about the current situation. By expanding the operation to include two sets of parents and two homes, it would help her clear up some of her current backlog of cases. Good foster parents were hard to find and that meant she didn't have enough suitable homes to place all the needy children in. Once the renovations to the second house are completed, she will be able to move some of her current clients there, which will free up other spots. We were nearly doubling the number of children we could take care of at the farm-homes and once Sally was able to assign children there, it will relieve some of the pressure she'd been facing at work.

Sally informed me she was going to select some of her older, more reliable cases for the initial placements, but she wouldn't take children who were happy where they were or those who would be upset by such a change. She would only select children whom she felt would be able to help out with the chores, benefit from the change of situation and enjoy country living. She had some definite ideas about whom she thought would like to work with animals and learn some new skills, so she would approach those individuals first. This, in turn, would open up spots for the children who were currently living in the institutional group homes, while awaiting placement.

We were both optimistic, because the construction work on the two farms was moving along very nicely. The Becker home had been totally revamped and had a couple of additions included to it, so it was now set up to accommodate a dozen or more young men. The five upstairs bedrooms were made suitable for the current needs of teenagers and furnished for two to four boys each, depending on the size of the room. There were also three bathrooms on that level, to better handle the number of people that would be using the facilities.

The largest bedroom had been specifically designed to be used by four boys and had been built on as part of one of the new additions. It also had its own bathroom, so the four other bedrooms would share the remaining two bathrooms. Seeing those bedrooms were only set up for two boys each, it meant there would be a maximum of four people assigned to each of these facilities.

As far as sleeping accommodations, the boys would be provided with either a single or double bed. The largest bedroom had been designed for four of the younger boys, who would share two sets of bunk beds. The lower bunk would be a double bed and the top bunk a single. The older or larger boys would be assigned the bottom bunks and the other two would sleep in the uppers.

A master bedroom and full bath had been added to the lower level of this addition, for the house-parents. We felt it would give them a little more privacy, even though we had also added one other bedroom on the ground level. The young lady living with them was currently using that bedroom, but in the future it could be used for children having adjustment or behavioral problems. This would allow the house-parents to keep a closer eye on them, without constantly having to run up and down the stairs.

Some of the walls in the rooms on the lower level of the Beckers' farmhouse had been torn down; so two smaller rooms could be combined into a larger area. For example, the dining room and the den were next to each other, so the wall between them was completely removed to make a larger dining area. This area was now furnished with a huge table and sixteen chairs, so there was enough room so everyone could eat together.

I also saw to it that a family room was added on to the rear of the house, to provide a large area where the children could watch television, play games or do homework. We even had a large-screen television set up in that room, so there would be no problems with such a large group being able to view it. We also placed a smaller television in the old living room, for the house-parents to use or to give an alternative outlet for those not interested in what was being watched in the family room.

The barn was also redone and updated. It was expanded to include more milking stalls and the equipment was modernized. A new milk house was also added, with a much larger storage tank and easier access. This was to accommodate the dairy co-op's tanker-trucks, when they picked the milk up every couple of days.

Some of the smaller buildings, which were once used to house the hogs and chickens, had been converted into storage areas or made over to accommodate the horses that were to be kept there. In addition to all of this, we had each of the fences checked and then repaired or reinforced, to make certain they would be able to contain the animals that would be grazing there.

Similar work was also begun on the other farm, to bring it up to the same standard, except there would be no milking stalls or milk house at this location. The cattle kept there would be raised only as a source of meat, so no milking would be done.

A large chicken coop was also added at the old Becker farm. It was a two-level structure, built against the hillside, so it didn't take up land that would be better for other purposes. One side of the hill had been dug away, to make a ninety-degree angle to the base. After building a stone retaining wall in front of it, to hold back the exposed dirt, the building was constructed so its back wall was aligned tightly against the stones.

The first floor had ramps leading out to a fenced in yard on one side of the building, where the chickens could exercise and eat. The chicken feed would be placed in shallow troughs there, instead of being scattered about on the ground. The lower level would be for multiple laying hens and nests were built against the walls, along three and a half sides of the building. Hopefully, these chickens will provide enough eggs to take care of both locations.

The upper level is to be used for the chickens being raised for eating purposes. That area had ramps going out the back, into a fenced in area on top of the bank, against which the chicken coop had been constructed. This area had it's own feeding troughs, and this way the laying hens and other chickens would not intermix.

The four older tractors that had previously been used on the two farms were put up for sale. They were purchased by some of the neighboring farmers and then the Foundation purchased three newer, larger tractors and one slightly smaller tractor. Two of the larger tractors would be kept at the old Becker farm, while the other large tractor and the smaller one would be used at the other location. Everything was falling into place nicely and both farms would be up and running at one hundred percent efficiency in no time.

The couple we were hiring to supervise the second home was also helping to decide what renovations would be made and determine how many children would be housed there. That house was already larger than the Becker's old home, prior to the renovations. That was because the former owners had raised five children of their own, so we would only have to include one addition, rather than the two we had built on to the Becker place.

I would also see to it that we provided the same type of facilities we had included at the other house, with possibly a few minor adjustments to accommodate the young ladies. I would make certain the house-parents had a first-floor master bedroom, which would be provided for in the addition, so more children could use the bedrooms on the second floor. I would also make certain this addition included a family room, with a large screen television, so there wouldn't be any possibility of the girls claiming we had done more for the boys than for them.

Although I preach that life isn't fair, I will try to be as fair as possible here, so none of these kids feel cheated.

Chapter 8
Stormy Times

Not everything was going as well or as smoothly as the farm renovations and March brought with it one final winter storm. This turned out to be a very bad ice storm and, unfortunately, it created some very hazardous conditions around the area. Everything came to a standstill. Not only were the schools closed, but businesses were shut down too, until the situation improved.

The ice coated the ground and roads, which made driving, and even walking, very treacherous. It also weighed heavily on the telephone and power lines, as well as on the trees. Not only did the weight of the ice bring down many wires and cause numerous branches to snap off, but it also caused a few of the trees to completely topple over. Throughout the day, you could actually hear the limbs cracking and breaking off, in the woods behind our house. Even as bad as that was, we were in for one more unpleasant surprise.

It all started while we were eating dinner, which we had to prepare on our outdoor grill after the power went off. You see, when the storm started and I saw what was happening, I had the boys grab all the camping gear from storage and Jake and I brought the grill inside. I suspected the electricity might eventually go out, so I wanted to be prepared. When it happened, we were ready and the items we had rounded up came in very handy.

First, I set the lanterns out to give us some light and then we wheeled our gas grill into the kitchen, so we could use it to cook on. I then had the boys take the sleeping bags and place them in the rec room, so we could sleep around the kerosene heater, in case the power didn't come back on right away. I was glad we had all of these items to use in such an emergency and hoped others in the community were faring as well.

Anyway, as we were sitting and eating our meal, we heard a very loud noise, which almost sounded as if an enormous weapon had been fired. Immediately after that, we heard a tremendous crash and felt the house shake and shudder. Everyone jumped up from the table, but I spoke very loudly and told them to stay where they were, until we knew for certain what had happened. It would also give me time to investigate and figure out what our options were.

After making sure the boys were doing as they were told, I suggested to Jake that we should look around and determine what had happened. We told the boys that once we were able to discover the cause of the commotion, we'd come back and let them know what had occurred. Even though I felt something terrible had befallen us, I was not prepared for what we found.

The large, old maple tree, which used to stand next to the driveway and off to the side of the house, had succumbed to the weight of the ice and toppled over. The noise we first heard must have been the sound of its trunk snapping, after the ice caused it to bend precariously to one side. Eventually, it reached a point where it could no longer support the additional weight, so it gave way and came crashing down.

As our later investigations revealed, the tree was diseased and much of the center of the trunk had either rotted or been eaten away by whatever malady or vermin had affected it. This made it vulnerable to any number of phenomena and was what ultimately allowed this catastrophe to happen. The worse part was not THAT it fell, but WHERE it fell.

When the tree toppled over, it landed on the roof of the family room and smashed it in. It totally demolished that area, but it wasn't all. The branches had also broken through the outer wall of Little Ricky's bedroom and one of the second-floor bathrooms. Not only that, but it had also poked holes through the walls of Vinnie and Kevin's first-floor bedroom and damaged their adjoining bathroom.

Besides those two floors being damaged, some of the roof of the main house had also been smashed in when some of the larger branches struck it. This left a large, gaping hole above two of the attic bedrooms as well. Needless to say, our home was a mess and we were all greatly rattled.

After Jake and I felt it was safe enough, we took the boys on a tour, so they could see what had happened for themselves. We were all very grateful we had been on the other side of the house eating at the time, so no one had been in any of those rooms when this happened. Quite frankly, if any of us had been in one of those areas when this occurred, we might have been seriously injured or even killed. The house can be rebuilt, but I can't replace my boys. That's why, after looking at the damage, we took a minute to thank God for keeping us safe during this disaster.

After we finished our prayer, we took out whatever we felt we needed to save or protect from each room and then I pulled the doors to the affected area shut. We then stuffed towels and blankets against the cracks under the doors, to seal them off from the rest of the house. We were totally cut off from the outside world, because not only were the regular phone lines down, but the cell phones also weren't working. I suspected the cell towers were covered in ice, so the signals weren't getting through.

When the ice finally melts and our phone service is restored, I will call my insurance agent to report the damage and see if it's covered. Then, I'll arrange for various contractors to make the repairs and, hopefully, this will take place within the next few days. I'm not sure how long this cold snap is going to last, but I pray it ends soon, so we can get everything fixed up.

Of course, a state of emergency was declared, so for the time being we'll just have to settle in and wait the storm out. Although Jake and I have experienced hardships like this before, this was definitely something new for the boys. They hardly knew what to do, since all of their usual forms of entertainment, such as watching television, using computers, playing electronic games and such, were all out of the question now.

Other than a few battery operated devices they had, they were totally lost for something to do. Realizing this, I sent some of them around to dig out the old board games we had stashed in various closets and I dug up several decks of cards, including an Uno deck. Once we had all of these items in the dining room, Jake and I quickly organized some low-tech activities to entertain and occupy our troops.

At first, the boys claimed these types of activities were lame and boring, but they soon got caught up in the competitiveness of the games and forgot about their simplicity. The Uno game became an immediate favorite, since the boys loved being able to dump on each other with the 'Draw Four' and 'Skip' cards. Soon we were referring to the game as 'You Asshole,' because that's what various boys would call the person who used one of those cards against him. This was mostly just good-natured kidding, but not entirely, as certain boys began to feel the boys on either side of them were unmercifully singling them out. We did manage to keep tempers under control, by constantly reminding them it was just a game, and overall we had a good time playing.

After that, the boys wanted Jake and I to teach them how to play poker and Black Jack, which some of them referred to as Twenty-One. Even though they had some basic knowledge of these games, they wanted us to help them increase their understanding and skills in this area, so we played a few practice hands. We explained the various types of winning combinations and let the boys know which ones beat what other hands. Shortly after we had done that, the boys wanted to start gambling.

Since none of them currently had much money in their possession, they decided to play strip poker instead. It wasn't to see the others' bodies, as that was a common occurrence around our house, but mostly to get someone else naked in the 'cooler' room. They thought it would be fun to watch him shiver and see the goose bumps form on his flesh. Somehow, these masochists thought doing this to their brothers would transform them into Smurfs (that's a blue-skinned cartoon character for the uninformed) and be quite hilarious. The only thing was, they didn't take into account that it could also happen to them. Jake and I saw no harm in this, so we let them proceed.

Although Jake and I had planned to just sit back and watch the boys play, they weren't about to let that happen. I think our warped sons were eager to watch us suffer, more than they wanted to see their brothers in pain. What they didn't count on was that Jake and I had played a lot of poker in our time and not only could calculate HOW to play the various hands, but we were also quite good at bluffing. Needless to say, we weren't the ones who ended up bare-assed and shivering when the game concluded.

When we decided it was time to go to sleep, I had the boys go to the rooms that weren't damaged and grab a bunch of quilts and blankets. Then, I had various pairs zip their sleeping bags together, to utilize their combined body heat as well. For the couples this was an easy decision, but we matched up the others too.

Everyone knew that Trey and Dion would be together, but we had an odd number of boys at home now, with Nick still being away. The boys solved that problem on their own, when Sammy and Andrew decided to team up with Graham. They felt the three of them could fit into the double-sleeping bags more easily than any of the others, so that took care of the odd man. Vinnie and Cole paired up too, which left Peter and Little Ricky together. I was surprised when Frankie and Mark decided to team up as well, even though I wondered if those two might choose to try to go it alone. Of course, Jake and I shared our sleeping bags too, so everyone was set.

After crawling into their improvised bedding, Jake and I placed some extra blankets and quilts over them, to help keep them warm. I think everyone was quite comfortable that evening and got a decent night's sleep. It was tough getting out to go use the toilet during the night or getting up the next morning. Once you left the comfort of the sleeping bags, the house seemed quite cold. Although it wasn't easy and we all regretted having to brave the severe weather, we survived. After eating a quick and hasty breakfast, mostly cold cereals, we settled in for another long day stranded at home.

Today, Jake and I suggested we play some of the board games we had dug out the previous day, to help pass the time. We played Monopoly, Sorry, Rack-O, Life and Clue. Most of these games were leftovers from when my biological children were young, but that didn't seem to matter. Again, we had a great deal of fun, but as the day wore on, the temperatures began to rise and soon the ice began to melt.

By late afternoon we could hear the plows and other emergency vehicles going by or see various crews driving up to begin work on restoring power or reconnect the phone service. By nightfall, the electricity was back on, so Jake and I went down and restarted the furnace. That evening we had a normal meal, but the boys still chose to sleep together in the family room again, although Jake and I opted for our own bed.

The schools were still closed the following day, as not all areas had their power restored as quickly as we had. Some of the more rural roads still had shady sections that were ice covered and others that were blocked by fallen trees or limbs. We used this time to our advantage though, and I contacted my insurance agent and reported the damage. I also asked him to send an adjuster out to take the appropriate photos, so we could settle this claim as quickly as possible. I also called a tree removal company and several contractors, to get estimates on repairing the damaged areas, which included totally rebuilding the family room addition.

To my surprise, the adjuster came out that very afternoon. I later discovered my agent had pushed him into greater haste, because of all the various policies I had with him. He even managed to get results back to me a few hours later. Due to his quick work, I scheduled to have the tree cut up the next day and planned on donating most of the wood to the farm-homes. Both places had wood stoves as a secondary heat source and would benefit from our misfortune. After they found out what I was going to do, the boys offered to help cut the wood up into usable sizes and split it, which took care of another problem. I'd then rent a small truck to load it in, so we could take it out to them personally. It would be a good experience and great exercise for all.

The contractors gave me their estimates fairly quickly too, since they really wanted the work, but Jake and I took a little time to decide whom we would give each job to. Once we doled out the contracts and signed the appropriate paperwork, various groups began to work on the house before the end of the week. First we started with the clean up and removal of the debris and damaged furnishings. These items were tossed into a large trash container, which had been delivered and left in our driveway.

I also worked with an architect to redesign various sections of the house and we added a secondary exit from the back of the attic and second floors, in case of another emergency. We also added some improvements to the damaged sections, which included building another bedroom on the first floor, off the family room. This was done so there'd be a bedroom that could be used by guests, but also in the event we took in another disabled person, who might have trouble getting to the bedrooms on the upper floors. Both damaged bathrooms also were improved, by adding a larger shower stall in each of them. We felt that was appropriate, since the boys were getting bigger and never seemed to shower alone any more.

In the interim, we shifted the boys and their belongings around, so the construction could take place. We moved the boys from the damaged rooms into the rooms now sitting empty, because their occupants were away at college. This worked out well, since the work should be done before any of the others returned home for any length of time.

This event also made me alter some of our other plans, as well. Since Frankie would be leaving soon, I had planned to have a big going away party for him the following weekend. Now, his party would provide us with an opportunity to show our guests the damage done during the storm. It would also allow us to inform them of the changes we opted for during the rebuilding and give us a chance to catch everyone up on what had been taking place on the farms.

On Saturday, all of our friends and family attended and seemed to enjoy themselves, but no one more than Frankie. He was thrilled that everyone came to say good-bye to him and wish him luck, because he continued to think of himself as an outsider and the least deserving member of the family. I had tried many times to dispel this notion, because he had proven himself over and over again since those rough early days. The problem was, no matter how much we tried to convince him that he was a valued family member, a concept he seemed to accept for short periods of time, he still acted surprised, yet pleased, by such simple acceptance. I hoped this would change when he returned home, after his enlistment was up.

I had a special cake made for him, which read, 'Best wishes and good luck, Private Currie.' Frankie thought that was funny, but I told him he better get used to answering to the terms 'private' or 'trainee,' because that's about all he'd hear during basic training, except during his off hours. Even though he kind of understood it beforehand, thinking about it now had more of an impact, so it appeared he was beginning to realize how much his life was going to change over the next few weeks.

"Are you having second-thoughts or regretting your decision?" I asked him.

"No, not at all," he responded, quickly. "It won't be easy, but I'm sure it will be more than worth it, especially if it helps me get a job later."

"I'm glad you still feel that way," I told him, "and I'm sure you'll do your best. I'm willing to bet the son I've grown to know and love so much would do no less." He smiled at me, after my words sank in. I had added that because I felt he could probably use a little boost before leaving.

"Thanks, Dad. That means a lot to me, especially coming from you. I'll do my best, so I don't disappoint you," he added.

"There's no way you will ever disappoint me," I told him, "as long as you don't change from the person you are now." He smiled again.

"That's a really nice thing for you to say," he responded, touched by the sentiment, "and I promise I won't do that."

"Somehow, I knew you wouldn't," I added.

Throughout the party, Frankie stopped to chat with various people and accept their good wishes and words of encouragement. His brothers, however, seemed to have something special planned for him – something to bring him back to earth. Before long, they were marching around the house dressed in various camouflage outfits, with one clearly labeled 'Private Flunky.' We all caught on to the fact this person was supposed to represent Frankie, and while Drill Sergeant Dion shouted out commands, Private Flunky seemed to manage to mess every one of them up.

Frankie really got a kick out of this and I think he was impressed that his brothers had gone to such an elaborate effort on his behalf, even if it was just to make fun of him. Our guests also thought the boys' routine was quite amusing and laughed heartily at their antics. They also made sure to compliment them when it was over.

Even though I feigned distress over their compliments and jokingly tried to keep our friends from encouraging the boys into doing future demonstrations of this sort, I was still impressed by what the boys had done. What would any of us do without the good-natured ribbing the boys were so prone to resort to, especially when they thought someone needed a little lesson in humility?

The rest of the month of March was spent fixing up the house, finishing the changes on the farms and seeing Frankie off to active duty. There were just the two of us on that trip, since I wanted to spend some time alone with him. I actually shed a few tears that day, when I dropped him off at the airport to catch his flight to Missouri, and Frankie noticed that fact.

"Dad, I'm only going away for a little while, not for good," he playfully joked. "You won't be able to get rid of me this easily." Hearing him say this, I immediately gave him a hug.

"And I wouldn't want to," I assured him.

"I'll keep in touch, so don't worry about that," he added.

"That's good," I advised him. "I don't know what the service allows you to do any more, but they used to encourage you to write home, using 'old fashion' paper, envelopes and stamps." I teased. "Do you think you can figure out how to do that?"

He grinned. "Oh, I think I'll be able to figure it out somehow, even if I have to ask my Drill Sergeant or an 'older' trainee to help me out." He winked, to emphasize his point.

"Okay. I'll check the mail every day, and will write back, just as soon as I get each letter. If they let you have access to computers, then I'll do the same with your emails, and I'll post your messages for everyone to read, if you don't mind."

"If there's anything personal that I don't want shared, I'll put that in a separate letter and mark it accordingly. Okay?'

"Yes, I think that will work just fine. Let me know if you need anything too," I advised him. "You did remember to bring the traveler's checks, didn't you?"

"Yes, I did. I am smarter than that," he added, with a twinkle in his eye."

"I know, but this way you'll have money and I won't have to worry about it getting stolen. Here's a little something else for you," I told him, as I handed him a gift I pulled from behind my back. He unwrapped it immediately, to discover a stationery kit, complete with carrying case. It contained a very nice set of paper, matching envelopes, two pens and I had also included four books of self-adhesive stamps.

"Guess you thought of everything," he joked.

"I tried, but there's one more thing." I took the carrying case from him and pointed out an interior pocket, originally designed to keep his incoming mail in. "Keep your traveler's checks in here, along with the letters you receive. If anyone breaks into your footlocker and goes through your belongings, I doubt they would go through that and discover them there."

"Great idea, Dad, and thanks." Frankie hugged me again, before he left to go to his departure gate.

I waved when he stopped to look back, just before he disappeared from sight. I also sat in the parking lot and watched several planes depart. I was pretty sure Frankie had been on one of them, so I finally felt I could leave.

As I made my way home, it became a very long and lonely trip. No matter how many times I say good-bye to another one of my boys, whether it's to go off to college or on another life-changing experience, it never gets any easier. Realizing that, it made me begin to wonder if maybe I was getting a little too old to continue doing this for much longer.

Chapter 9
Welcome Back, Nick

April began with Nick's return home and I think everyone was glad he was coming back. Jake went to pick Shannon up from college on Friday, so he could be with us when we went to pick Nick up at the airport. It had not been an easy decision to allow Shannon to come home for the weekend, because Jake and his son were in severe disagreement as to whether this relationship should continue. They've had more than a few tense and heated conversations about Nick's wandering eye and unfaithfulness, which caused an incredible rift between Jake and Shannon. They just didn't agree as to whether Shannon and Nick should continue as a couple.

Since Jake had read Nick's emails and learned about many of his casual encounters, he wasn't thrilled about his son being involved with Nick any longer. Although Shannon was willing to turn a blind eye toward Nick's proclivity to play the field, because Nick always came back to him, Jake wasn't as generous. Shannon obviously loved Nick and was willing to accept his more liberal moral views concerning sexual matters, but Jake was much more traditional, conservative and even old-fashion in how he looked at being partners for life.

Jake felt that being involved in a relationship was an absolute and unwavering commitment. He believed it was an obligation that should be taken seriously and remain monogamous, so he saw no room for compromise on this point. It made me wonder how the difference in how each of them perceived this relationship with Nick was going to resolve itself. Would one of them give in and change his viewpoint or would Shannon and Nick break up instead?

The minute Nick came into view, Shannon raced off in his direction and gave him a very warm and enthusiastic welcome home. He did this, even though he knew it was happening under his father's disapproving glare. Although their affection was limited to hugs and words at that point, he and Nick did manage a very passionate kiss, once they were out of sight of the majority of the public.

I believe even the other boys noticed Jake's intense scrutiny and realized what was going on. They understood it had nothing to do with his liking or disliking Nick, but was more about Nick's promiscuity. They were also aware that Jake was fearful Nick might inadvertently transmit an STD (Sexually Transmitted Disease) or worse to his son. With that in mind, Jake and I took a precautionary stance and warned Shannon that he and Nick were not to be intimate until after Nick had been thoroughly examined by a doctor.

Shannon had agreed to honor this request, even though he wasn't totally happy about having to wait. However, his compliance did not put our minds totally at ease. Both Jake and I suspected Nick might still try to pressure Shannon into giving in to his sexual demands, once they were alone, so we did our best to convince Shannon to not allow that to happen. Hopefully, our badgering would pay off.

After we got to the house, I urged Nick to sort out the things he had brought back and pick out those items he might want to show others. I explained I was telling him this because I had a welcome home party scheduled for the next afternoon. Once the extended family was here, we'd have a big dinner and then he could show everyone the items he wanted them to see at one time, rather than showing each person individually. After hearing me out, Nick decided that was a great idea and thanked me for doing it for him. A short time later, once things began to settle down, he and Shannon slipped off to their room, so he could unpack and Shannon could help him get his things ready for the party.

When I saw them heading up the stairs, I asked them to wait a second. I then told Shannon to go on and explained Nick would be up shortly, but I had a few things to discuss with him before he disappeared. Shannon didn't seem happy and wondered about my intentions, but he reluctantly left us alone. Once he was gone, I handed Nick some mail that had come for him during the past month and he excitedly began opening the assortment of letters. I anticipated Nick might want to discuss the contents of a few of those items, once they had been read, and eventually he looked up at me and spoke.

"I got accepted to two of the three colleges I applied to," he announced. I was a little relieved, since I hadn't been sure whether those letters were acceptance or rejection notices.

"That's great," I told him, in an effort to reinforce his good mood. "Do you know which one you want to attend then, or what you might major in?"

"I'm not sure about my major. I guess I'll just start off taking all those required courses first," he stated, "but I'll probably end up doing something with computers. I was thinking about maybe taking a minor in music too, so I could keep up with my guitar and singing. I want to improve enough to be in a band, so I can make some extra money performing when I need it. I jammed a lot with one of my host brothers, because he played guitar too, and he taught me some Brazilian songs. I did the same for him and taught him some songs he didn't know. We had a really great time doing it."

"That's very interesting," I told him. "How much do your parents know about what you want to do?"

"I discussed my college plans with them last summer, before I started to apply," he replied, "but I wasn't sure what I wanted to do then either. I did know I wanted to go to a college closer to home, but I'll bet you must have guessed that already, after seeing what colleges these letters were from."

"Yes, I did notice the return addresses, but I remember you telling me that you might go to school closer to your parents' home," I conceded. "Wherever you want to go is up to you, as I always leave those types of decisions to you boys and don't try to pressure you. However, I am here if you want to talk things over or want my input. I want you to realize that I never tried to influence where any of the boys went to school, but somehow it worked out that most of them wanted to stay fairly close to home. I think they did this so they could come back more often than just for the major holidays, because sometimes they even come back for the shorter breaks too."

"I know and I'm going to miss being here for those times," Nick acknowledged.

"Look at it this way: you'll now be able to spend the holidays with your parents and I'm sure they're going to appreciate it," I noted.

"I know they will," he agreed. "They've already told me so, but I'm still going to miss being here with all of you and Shannon."

I could see the disappointment on his face was sincere, since he realized Shannon probably wouldn't be able to go there for the holidays. Not only would Shannon have to talk his father into paying for the plane ticket, but it would also most likely lead to major arguments between his father and him. At that point, I made a mental note to talk to Jake about being open to the possibility of allowing Shannon to spend some of the time with Nick, although I felt my request was most likely going to fall on deaf ears. Why would he be willing to do that when he didn't even want the two of them together?

"Well, that's still months away," I consoled, "so let's not worry about it yet. So, where have you decided to go?" I asked, to get us back to which of the colleges he had picked.

"Well, Oklahoma turned me down, but I was accepted by Oklahoma State and Northern Oklahoma. I think I want to go to Oklahoma State, though." He was studying me closely as he said this and his expression told me he might be seeking my approval about his selection.

"I think it's an excellent choice," I advised him, hoping that would help. However, our discussion also made me realize there was someone else I had to talk to about concerning his college plans. I knew I couldn't do that right this minute, because I still had more pressing topics to discuss with Nick.

However, before we did that, I asked Nick to call home and speak with his parents. I wanted him to do this so they'd know he arrived here safely, but also to see if he could make some changes in the dates he was going to visit them this summer. Although it was fairly late to make such a request, I had discovered the vacation I wanted to take the boys on this year had to be done in June. I wasn't about to divulge where we were going or why it had to be done then, because I didn't want to spoil the surprise. Instead, I asked him to check with his folks and see if they'd mind changing his visit from June to July or August, to fit in with our vacation plans.

After making sure Nick did as I asked, I called Brandon at college and asked him to do the same, if he wanted to go on vacation with us this summer. If it weren't possible for the boys to change the dates they would be with their parents, then they'd just have to miss going with us this time. Although I didn't really want this to happen, it was more important for them to spend time with their families. After hearing both boys' reactions to my suggestion and the reasons behind it, I knew their parents would be up for a battle if they said no, but I hoped it wouldn't come to that.

When I saw Nick again later, he was kind of moody and stayed that way for the rest of the night. I assumed it was his reaction to Shannon informing him there'd be no sex until the test results came back. Even though I had discussed this with Nick before he came home, I don't think he felt I was totally serious about it. I believe he thought he could find a way around the restriction, so I decided it might be best to confront him about it.

"Hey, Nick, you don't look as happy as you did earlier," I commented. "Is something wrong?" He looked at me, but didn't immediately respond to my question.

"Yeah, kind of," he offered, although not very enthusiastically. He had a long face, so I was positive something was bothering him.

"What's up, Bud?" I asked.

"Shannon and I had sort of a disagreement," he offered, dejectedly.

"Over sex?" I asked, trying to pin him down.

"You might say that," he responded, as if he were trying to avoid my interrogation, as much as possible.

"Well, if you're trying to get him to have sex with you," I began, "I warned you that wasn't going to happen until after we've received your test results back."

"But what's the harm, if we use protection?" he asked.

"The harm is," I replied, "that no protection is one hundred percent safe and I told you so before you went to Brazil. I also warned you that sexually transmitted diseases, including AIDS, are much more prevalent and rampant there than in the States, so with the amount of sexual contact you've admitted you've had while you were gone, we just need to be certain you haven't picked anything up before you two are intimate."

"But, Pop, I was careful," he whined. "I did everything you told me to do."

"I think what I told you to do was to avoid such contact," I countered, "but even if you didn't, did you take precautions ALL of the time you were with others?" He looked defeated.

"Most of the time," he finally answered.

"I know and that's the problem," I informed him. "So, until we are sure you didn't pick anything up during your travels, nothing sexual is to happen."

Nick started to say something, but then thought better of it and began to walk away. Before he got very far, though, he stopped and turned back toward me.

"Oh, by the way, my mom and dad said it would probably be best if I came home in the middle of July and stayed until the middle of August. Those times would work out even better for them and then I'll be able to head directly to college from there." Without waiting for my response, he turned around and walked away. I knew he was still unhappy about what I'd told him, so I'd give him time to get over it on his own.

Instead of continuing a conversation with Nick, I decided to talk things over with Jake later, because I knew he was beside himself with concern for Shannon. I made certain to let him know both boys understood and agreed to the sexual restrictions and Shannon was obviously sticking to his promise. Nick's first appointment was for Monday and we should have his test results back by the following weekend, which meant they might only have to abstain from sex and remain celibate for a week or two. I emphasized that I thought both of them could handle it for that short a duration of time and Jake seemed somewhat relieved after hearing my explanation. The thing was, I knew Jake would still be watching both boys closely, to make sure their were adhering to their promise.

Shannon and Nick did go to bed together later that evening, because they had agreed they still wanted to be close and snuggle, even if they couldn't have sex. However, as they were getting into bed, they discovered another problem.

"What the hell!" Nick exclaimed, as he slid between the sheets.

"I think there's something on the sheets," Shannon responded, as he had also become aware of the problem.

"No shit, Shakespeare," Nick quipped. "What is hell it and how did it get there?"

"It feels like sand," Shannon told him, "but I'll bet it's sugar or salt," he added, before tasting a small sample. "Yep, it's salt," he concluded, before wiping his mouth, to get rid of the taste.

"How did salt get on our sheets?" Nick asked, incredulous.

"I think our prankster has struck again," Shannon replied.

"But Ricky's away at college," Nick countered, thinking that would negate his conclusion.

"No, someone else has been doing things too," Shannon explained, "but we can't figure out who it is. He seems to be trying to duplicate Ricky's stunts or outdo him."

"You're shitting me," Nick responded, rather crudely.

"Nope, and it looks like you've been targeted, which put me in the line of fire too," Shannon added, amused yet slightly annoyed.

"We'll investigate tomorrow and find out who did this," Nick told Shannon, "but let's change the sheets now, so we can get some sleep."

Shannon agreed, so Nick headed out to the linen closet in the hall, to get a new set of sheets. While Nick was going for the replacements, Shannon carefully removed their old sheets, to keep the salt from going all over the place.

"FUCK!" Shannon heard Nick scream from the hallway. He went running out to see what was up, only to discover Nick standing with the linen closet door open and stacks of sheets, pillowcases, towels and washcloths covering the floor in front of it.

"What happened?" Shannon asked. He was confused as to what had caused the mess.

"I guess the bastard struck again!" Nick advised Shannon, while the rest of the boys began to emerge from their rooms and gather around them. They had come out to see what all the commotion was about.

"What did you do?" Dion asked Nick.

"I didn't DO anything," Nick screamed back. "Someone did this TO me," he added, sounding pissed.

"What do you mean?" Sammy asked.

"Someone salted our sheets," Nick explained, sounding extremely irritated, "and when I came out to get new sheets to put on the bed, this happened." Now, everyone began to look more closely at what exactly had taken place.

"It looks like you were set up," Trey acknowledged, which drew a very harsh glare from Nick.

"You're a fucking genius," he quipped, while still shooting Trey a harsh look. "Why didn't I think of that?" His tone was dripping with sarcasm.

By this time, I'd arrived in the hallway to join them. I'd heard the loud conversation going on and thought I should see what was up. I caught most of this latest exchange as I was reaching the top of the stairs.

"It appears someone went to a great deal of trouble," I announced, after looking over the situation. That got all the boys looking at me, so I thought I'd explain.

"It looks as if our prankster put plastic under the items on each shelf," I told them, "and then tied a string through each piece of plastic and secured the other end of the string to the doorknob. That way, when the door was opened, it pulled the plastic and other items forward and dumped everything on the floor." The boys all studied the linen closet, to confirm what I had just said.

"Damn, who would have done that?" Andrew asked, innocently.

"Yeah, that would have been a lot of work," Graham concluded, as if that would have deterred our newest prankster.

"I'd say the jokester doesn't mind a little hard work," I confirmed, "as long as he gets his target. Knowing he is willing to do so much would exclude most of you as the prankster then," I added. This drew a combination of surprised, hurt and disgusted looks and comments from the boys.

"Hey, we're not lazy," Sammy shot back, insulted.

"Yeah, but dad's right," Cole countered. "How many of us would have taken all that time and done all that work just to pull a stunt like this?"

"True," Trey agreed, "but someone did."

"Yeah, but who?" Nick asked, summing up the same thought everyone else had in their minds – that is everyone except the guilty party.

As I looked at the mess, the boys must have noticed my concern and offered to help pick the mess up for me. They actually folded the various items, before putting them back into the linen closet, and then they returned to their rooms. Nick and Shannon grabbed a set of sheets before they left, so they could remake their bed and I thanked each of the boys for their help. As they walked away, I listened to their various comments about having to find out who was doing this, but I had to admit, I was really confused too.

'WHO could be pulling all of these practical jokes?' I wondered to myself. 'Was it just one boy or were a couple of them working together?'

Although everyone fit part of the profile for the type of person who might do this, I couldn't think of anyone who would match all the attributes our newest trickster would have. Therefore, I was leaning toward the possibility that more than one of them were working together. No matter who was doing this, figuring it out was truly a conundrum.

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