Bill W

Castaway Hotel VIII

Chapters 36-42

Chapter 36
A Few Surprises

We spent the rest of Saturday getting settled in and didn't do much, except investigate our immediate surroundings. We discovered what was close by and talked about things we might want to do the next day, before we turned in for the evening.

Although I was a little worried about Andrew, it turned out that Barry and Jesse were eager to assist him. Unbeknownst to me, they had even volunteered to help him take a shower. They covered his cast with one of the heavy-duty trash bags I'd brought along, taped it securely in place and then took turns holding on to him, while the other helped Andrew wash.

As it turned out, that's what they were doing this when I went to see if I could do anything for Andrew. I knocked on their door and Pat answered. When I inquired where the boys were, he told me they were in the bathroom, so I went over and knocked on that door. They asked who it was, and after I told them, they told me to come in. As I entered, I saw the three of them were in the shower and two boys had Andrew's situation well under control, so I just told them I came by to see how they were doing. They didn't want me to leave right away, so I chatted with them briefly, before I returned to my room.

Sunday morning, I got everyone up, so we could go to church. I was slightly concerned about Carlos and Barry, since they belonged to a different denomination than we did, but they said they didn't have any problems with going with us. Other than the fact that I noticed them crossing themselves at various times, they felt the service wasn't that different from what they were used to attending with their parents. They said except for kneeling and crossing themselves, the biggest difference was that there weren't as many people involved in the service and those who were didn't all dress up in robes.

After church, Jake and I took everyone out for brunch, before we went back to the hotel and changed into our swimsuits, so we could spend some time at the beach. Of course, I coated or had the other boys cover each other in a thick coating of sunscreen, since I didn't want any of them to burn. Barry was a particular concern, since he was so fair skinned, so I applied his sunscreen personally, before I did the same to Jesse. After that, I kept an eye on them, to make sure they weren't turning a crispy red.

We lay out in the sun and played in the surf for a couple of hours, but I didn't allow Andrew to go into the ocean. First of all, he didn't want to put the trash bag over his cast to keep it dry, because he said it would get too hot and he thought it would make him look weird. Although we tried, we could not think of another way to protect his cast, so that pretty much determined he had to stay out of the water. Besides that, even if Andrew had agreed to use the trash bag, I was concerned the cast would make him unsteady in the surf and he'd fall over whenever a wave hit him. I was worried he wouldn't be able to right himself quickly enough if that happened, which meant there was a possibility he could drown. Of course, I could have made sure others were with him, so they could help him out if that happened, but it was just something else we'd have to be ready for.

Now that it had been determined he couldn't go in the ocean, I made Andrew stay on the beach with me. I opted to remain out of the water too, since Andrew had to, even though Jake offered to take turns sitting with him. Although that would have worked, I felt it would be best if I was willing to endure the same restriction as Andrew, so he wouldn't feel as if he were the only one suffering. Even though Andrew told me I didn't have to do this, I think he appreciated that I did.

We stayed at the beach for quite a while and only decided to end it when the boys began to let me know they were getting hungry. At that point, we returned to our rooms, so we could clean up and change, before we went in search of a suitable location.

When we returned, Jesse wanted me to come back to their room with them. It seemed important to him, although I wasn't sure why, but I joined the boys and went to their room. It turned out that he just wanted me to sit with him for a while, which I did. He sat on my lap and let me know how happy he was, and once he was satisfied, I began chatting with the others as well. I asked Dustin and Pat how this arrangement was working out for them and they seemed fine with it. As we talked, the three younger boys began to strip off their swimsuits and dry their bodies right in front of us. Obviously, this wasn't a problem for them, so I continued chatting with the others. Both Dustin and Pat assured me the situation was fine, so I thanked them for doing this and allowing Jake and I some time alone. They just grinned and confirmed it was no problem, before I went to clean up as well.

After dinner, we walked around one of the local malls, since the boys thought it would be good to check out what it was like. They wanted to compare it to our hometown mall and others we'd been to, to see how it stacked up. They also mentioned it would be a good place to check out the young people in the area, since the mall is also the place where most of the younger crowd seems to hang out.

Rather than carrying Andrew around the whole time, I went to the security office and signed out a wheelchair for him to use. Then Barry and Jesse took turns pushing him in it. I was going to do it, but they both insisted they wanted to do it instead, so after I got them to promise they wouldn't fool around, horseplay or do any racing with it, I agreed. Andrew seemed pleased they wanted to do this for him and was eager to enjoy his free ride, so we set out.

As we walked around, I kept an eye on my group, just to make certain there weren't any problems. As I observed them, I noticed most of the boys were spending a greater share of their time checking out others passing by, rather than looking at the merchandise the mall had to offer.

After we grew tired of wandering around, the boys indicated they wouldn't mind going to a movie. Since there was a cinema complex in the mall, we checked out what was playing and ended up splitting into three groups. Andrew, Jess and Barry wanted to see the same movie Jake and I were planning to go to, so I agreed. I wasn't certain if they actually wanted to see this particular movie or if they just wanted to be with us. Either way, they followed behind us, as the family split up and took off for the various theaters. I left Andrew's wheelchair at the ticket office, since they agreed to watch it for us, and then carried him inside. He probably could have walked, but I was worried about him navigating the stairs inside, since the theater had stadium seating.

After placing Andrew in his seat, Barry took a seat on one side of him and Jesse on the other. Then Barry surprised me by indicating he wanted me to take the seat next to him. I did as he requested and Barry used this time to thank me again for including him on this trip. He said he really liked being with Andrew and he and Jesse were also becoming close, but he also made sure to let me know he liked the rest of our family too. Hearing him say that he and Jesse were getting along helped to relieve me of another of my concerns.

In response, I told Barry I was glad his parents had allowed him to join us and hoped he could spend more time with our family in the future. This seemed to please him, since he nodded and smiled after I said this, and then we settled in to watch the upcoming attractions.

About half way through the movie, there was a fairly scary scene. Other than jumping slightly, I didn't think much about it, until I felt Jesse wiggling his way onto my lap. I guess the scene had scared him more than the others, so he sought the comfort and protection I could offer him. I eagerly pulled him into place, wrapped my arms around him and then we watched the rest of the flick in that fashion.

When the movie ended, we went to the lobby and I put Andrew back in his wheelchair, while we waited for the others to meet up with us. All the movies got out within fifteen or twenty minutes of each other, so we didn't have long to wait. Once we were all together again, we started off for the hotel, but first we stopped for drinks and a small snack. I hoped by doing so it would hold the boys over until morning.

When we reached the hotel, the three boys asked Jake and I if we'd spend some time with them, before they went to bed. Although I was uncertain as to why they had made this request, especially since we had all been together during the movie, Jake and I agreed to accompany them. We sat and chatted for a while, but then they let us know they wanted to roughhouse a bit, before they went to sleep. Over the next several minutes, Jake and I ended up wrestling with the boys, and tickling them intermittently.

At one point during this, Andrew and Jesse found a way to pull Dustin and Pat into the activity as well. Dustin was eager to horseplay with his younger brothers, but Pat was slightly more reserved. That was until the three boys and Dustin all attacked him and gave him little choice. After they had been actively involved for a few minutes, the five of them turned on Jake and I. We frolicked about for another few minutes, before everyone started to get tired and ready to quit. Almost as soon as we stopped, the three youngest stripped down to their underwear and climbed in to bed. They wanted Jake and I to tuck them in, so we wrapped the bedding around them and kissed them goodnight on their foreheads. We also bid Dustin and Pat sweet dreams before we left and all of them seemed very content and ready for sleep.

It was really nice that Jake and I got to spend some time alone after that, although I was fairly certain we wouldn't be the only ones being intimate tonight. Although there were two couples in most of the other rooms, I doubted that would deter them. Once the lights were out and they were in their separate beds, I was sure many of them would lose their inhibitions and do what they desired. I'm pretty sure it happened in nearly everyone room, except for the one shared by Dustin, Pat and the three youngest. Although I suspected Andrew and Barry might have done something minor, I was fairly certain nothing more than that happened. This was because they knew Jesse couldn't be involved, but I also suspected they weren't keen about the older boys knowing what they were up to. I was fairly confident they would wait until the cruise before doing anything more than some discrete touching.

The next morning, the weather wasn't as nice as it had been the day before, so after we ate breakfast, we went back to our rooms for a short time, before going down to check out the hotel's pool. It was quite a large and a more than adequate facility, so the boys quickly made themselves at home and took over the place. They did all kinds of things in the pool, which included playing an assortment of water games and doing some racing, but they also spent time out of the water. They would sit in small groups at the collection of tables and chatted about various topics. They would constantly move from one group to another and most of them even spent time with Jake and me too. I believe this was because they didn't want us to feel left out, but regardless of their reasons for doing it, Jake and I enjoyed our time with them and appreciated their concern for us, as well. \ I was remaining out of the water again, so I could stay with Andrew, but it seems he was feeling guilty about me doing so this time. He began to urge me to swim as well and said he'd be fine. When I hesitated, Andrew suggested Barry or Jesse could stay with him while I swam, but was adamant that he didn't want me to miss out, just because he was hurt. I told him that was sweet, but unnecessary, however it did not end his mild protest. Since I didn't want him to feel guilt about being the cause for my staying out of the pool, I did take a dip with Jake, while Barry and Jesse stayed with Andrew. They promised they wouldn't leave until I returned, so I felt free to indulge myself.

After a few hours of being at the pool, we went back to our rooms, where we dried off and changed. We wouldn't be going out for lunch for another hour, so the boys spent some of this time trying to get more detailed information out of Jake and myself, about where we were going or what we were going to do on the cruises. We weren't about to tell them what they wanted to know, which they sort of expected, so they switched gears.

Suddenly, they wanted to know what cruise lines we were going on, so I figured they thought they could go online somewhere and research what cruises they offered. Being on to them, I gave them the name of a different cruise line, one that I knew didn't go anywhere near where we would be. I know it sounds cruel and sneaky, but I realized they wouldn't quit until I gave them something, so I slipped them a red herring. Damn, if that isn't an odd saying, but I do happen to know where it came from. I'm not sure if you're interested in finding out, but if you are, I will tell you briefly.

The English were notoriously big on foxhunts and trained dogs to be able to sniff out the fox. As part of testing the dogs to see if it could stay on the scent of a fox, the trainer would drag a dead herring across the fox's trail. Since a herring turns red after it's dead, hence the phrase about following a red herring, meaning the dogs were misled and following the wrong trail.

After lunch, we noticed the weather had cleared up and it was actually quite a warm afternoon. Seeing it was nice out now, many of the boys wanted to lie on the beach and spend time in the ocean again. However, after we were all down on the beach, the boys suddenly remembered Andrew wasn't able to do as much as they were and began to question what they could do to make the situation better for him. That was until Dustin scooped Andrew up in his arms, carried him out into the ocean and dunked him in the water.

Oh, don't worry! Dustin did this and still kept Andrew's cast above the waterline. Yes, the cast did get slightly damp from the spray, but nothing serious, and Andrew was pleased to cool off in this fashion. He was especially grateful that Dustin had done this for him and it was just another of those thoughtful things the boys often do for each other. Dustin's considerate act also left a particularly deep impression on Jesse and Barry, so Dustin became an instant hero of sorts. I hate to admit it, but he had done something that hadn't even crossed my mind, since I'd also wrestled with how to improve Andrew's situation. I have to give Dustin credit, because he had come up with a solution that not only pleased Andrew, but also drew the two of them even closer.

I was somewhat surprised Sammy wasn't hovering over Andrew as if he were an overprotective mother, but I guess he'd finally accepted the fact that Andrew was growing up and could take care of himself or select whom he wanted to help him. Besides, Sammy was also a little distracted. He was so focused on Ted that nothing else seemed to faze him. This fact didn't bother either Andrew or I, as we were glad to see Sammy getting on with his own life and putting past events behind him too.

On our way back from dinner, some of the older boys informed me they wanted to spend some time checking out the nightlife and clubs in the area. At first, I was a little concerned about their safety, but after realizing quite a few of them wanted to do this and they were going to stick together, I granted permission for those eighteen and older to go. Hurriedly, Ricky, Danny, Brandon, Dustin, Kevin, Vinnie, Shannon, Nick, Pat, Cole and Carlos huddled up and discussed what they were going to do. They agreed to check out the establishments within walking distance of the hotel, but before they left I warned them we'd be getting up fairly early the next morning, so they shouldn't stay out late. They said they understood and quickly disappeared from sight.

Trey was also old enough to join them, but he didn't want to go without Dion. Since Dion didn't make the age cutoff, Trey stayed back with the rest of us. As those of us that remained together made our way through the hotel lobby, I spotted something I thought might prove interesting to do. After asking the remaining boys to stay put for a few minutes, Jake and I walked over to the concierge and asked a few questions. Satisfied with his responses, I told the boys to follow me and led them off to a small lounge. After being seated and ordering appropriate drinks, we settled in and waited for the show to begin.

I had no idea about what to expect or if the boys would even find this interesting, but I felt it was better than going back to our rooms and watching television for the rest of the evening. As it turned out, it was fortuitous that I had noticed the poster announcing this event. The hotel had hired a couple of acts to entertain their guests for the week and I had spoken to the concierge to get some information about these performers, to see if they were appropriate for the boys to attend. I also wanted to make sure it was all right to take the boys there, since drinks were also being served, and I was told that it was a family setting and my sons would be welcome.

The first act was a magician, who was quite good, but his tricks weren't anything out of the ordinary. He did a couple of card tricks, made some things disappear, including his assistant, and pulled a few objects out of thin air. Just when the boys were beginning to get bored, the magician called a volunteer up to the stage. Although it wasn't one of us, we had a good time watching as the magician picked the guy's pockets, without the volunteer realizing what was taking place. That was definitely the best part of his act and gave us all a few laughs, especially when the guy went to return to his seat. Before he left the stage, the magician handed him his watch, wallet and belt, which left the guy wondering how the magician had ended up with those items in the first place.

The second act was a pair of quick-change artists and we were totally amazed by what we saw. After walking out and introducing themselves, the man picked up a five-foot rod, which was attached to a long piece of cloth. As he hurriedly walked around the woman, the cloth formed a barrier we couldn't see past. When he stopped and the cloth fell to the floor, we could see the woman had changed from the white dress we had first seen her in and was now wearing a completely different outfit, which was red. It had only taken a few seconds for this to happen, so we couldn't figure out how she had accomplished it, since we saw no other items anywhere about.

As we continued to watch the woman, the man picked up the rod and began walking with it again, but this time he did it so it blocked us from seeing him. When he stopped and the cloth fell to the floor again, we discovered he had changed his tux from the black one he had started in and was now in one that was white. While we were trying to figure out how he had done that, he had the lady step into a hoop, which was attached to a long, cloth bag. After he lifted it up, until it was over her head, he let it drop and we could see her again, but now she was wearing a short yellow outfit. They followed this by igniting several devices that released all kinds of confetti and streamers, which blocked our view of the woman. When things settled down again, she was now wearing a blue outfit.

To say the least, we were amazed and had no idea how they had accomplished any of this, but there was more. The woman then pushed a rather large tube onto the stage, which was large enough for the man to crawl through. We watched as he entered from one end, and when he emerged from the other, he was now wearing a red tux, and not the white one he had entered in. He only had enough time to crawl through the tube and wasn't in there long enough to change, so we were baffled by how he'd done it.

If that weren't enough, the man picked up the rod with the long piece of cloth attached to it that he had used when the show first started and circled around the lady again. When he stopped and the cloth lowered, she was now dressed in green. We were all still watching her intently, when a whole bunch of balloons began to fall from the ceiling, and by the time they all hit the floor and we could see her again, she was once again dressed in the white outfit she had started the evening in.

To say the least, the boys, Jake and I were all very impressed and clapped loudly when they bowed, signifying their act had concluded. It had been a very entertaining affair and the boys were all glad we had stopped in to see it.

From there, we went back to our rooms and I had to make sure the youngest were all settled in for the evening, since there roommates were out on the town. It worked out, since Jesse, Andrew and Barry wanted Jake and I to come to their room and say goodnight to them, before they went to sleep. We quickly agreed to do this and kissed each of them on their foreheads and tucked them in, before we went back to our room.

The following day, Tuesday, I had a couple of things planned. After getting the boys up early and making sure they were fed, we set off for our first destination. I was taking them to Gator Park, in the Everglades, for an airboat ride. One good thing about having such a large family is that we qualify for group rates when we go to many of these places. Even though it's not much of a savings, every little bit helps.

As we started out on the airboat, I was immediately grateful it had turned out to be such a lovely day. For the next 45-minutes, we rode over the swampy terrain, filled with sawgrass that grew quite tall. It was quite refreshing as the wind blew our hair and cooled us off, so the ride proved to be very enjoyable. I was also quite surprised that the boat didn't scare away the animals, since we were able to spot a couple of gators in the water and a few more sunning themselves. We also saw a few birds wading about, so it must be they didn't know there were alligators lurking nearby.

After the ride ended, we watched the wildlife show the park offered, during which a man wrestled an alligator. The gator was quite large, so seeing him do this made a profound impression on the younger crowd. Seeing this guy struggle with the gator kind of reminded me of when we horsed around with the boys, but this guy only had one alligator to deal with.

Once the guy finished with the gator, we were told those of us that wanted to would be able to hold a baby alligator. A few of the boys were brave enough to take this opportunity, but most were satisfied just seeing the gators from a distance. However, the three youngest were among those that wished to hold the baby gators, but I didn't think that was a good idea. The gators were young, but weren't really tiny. They were a couple of feet in length, and still fairly powerful for their size, so I talked Andrew, Jess and Barry into settling to touch one, while one of the older boys held it. To my amazement, Pat was the one who offered to do this for him, so I guess he was beginning to feel close to these three as well.

As we were leaving, we passed the Gator Park restaurant. Even though I hadn't planned to eat there, that changed when some of the boys noticed the featured items on their menu. These included fried gator tail platters, so the boys were curious to see what gator tasted like. After ganging up on me and begging for me to change my plans, I gave in and we dined there instead. There were enough other things on the menu for those who weren't as adventurous, such as burgers and sandwiches, so I felt everyone could find something they liked.

Actually, I had everyone order something other than the gator tail, and then I ordered a couple of platters for them to share, along with some frog's legs and catfish. This way, everyone could sample those items and still have something to fill them up, if they didn't like the other items. I know this is going to sound cliché, but we all agreed the gator tail and frog's legs tasted like chicken, and the catfish wasn't as mild as many of them were hoping.

After we finished there, I took the boys to Jungle Island. This is an animal park that contains many different species, so I thought they might enjoy a stop there. We started out by checking out the birds first, which included Macaws, parrots, ostriches and African penguins, along with several other species. From there, we went to see the mammals, which feature a Liger, which is the offspring of a lion and a tiger. They also had a rare white tiger, along with kangaroos, llamas and others from that genus.

From there, we went to see the reptiles, which didn't interest the boys as much, since we'd seen many of these in the natural settings. Besides alligators, they also had a crocodile, and we discussed the differences between them. We also saw a rather large python, a Gila monster and a chameleon, along with a few others. However, I saved what I thought was the best for last.

Our final stop was to see the primates, which are probably the most intriguing, since they are the closest to being human. They are often comical in their antics and the boys enjoyed the time they spent watching orangutans, baboons, lemurs, gibbons, spider monkeys, capuchins, and the most entertaining of all, the chimpanzees. We really had quite a good time there, but I think Andrew, Barry and Jesse most of all. In fact, I think this was the first time Jesse had seen animals like this up close, so he spent quite a bit of his time trying to get my attention, so he could point to the interesting things he was viewing. It was an absolute pleasure to see him so excited and having such a great time.

After going back to the hotel, so we could clean up and change, I took everyone to the Mai Kai, for dinner. This place features a Polynesian dinner show, but the place was intriguing from the moment we entered and crossed over the wooden plank bridge. This led into an authentically recreated Polynesian village, complete with tiki torches and a thatched roof. There were numerous rooms, with each one representing a different region, and we took up an entire room, which overlooked a waterfall. When we were presented with the menus, we discovered they served both Cantonese and American style food, which included seafood and steaks. Therefore there was more than enough for everyone to find something they wanted and we definitely enjoyed the meal.

While we ate, we were entertained by their nightly 45-minute long presentation, the Islanders Revue. This is performed by native Polynesian dances, dressed in very colorful costumes, and they are very good. The maidens and warriors, as they are referred to, use dance to recreate what various aspects of life is like in the islands. They do this by performing the wedding dance, which is very alluring and seductive, and the Samoan Fire and Knife dance, which is extremely energetic and requires great precision, so the performers don't injure themselves or each other. All in all, it was a very well done and entertaining and the boys were very impressed by what they saw.

Once the show ended, we returned to our rooms and chilled out for the rest of the night. I wanted them to get rested up, since we'd be leaving on the cruise the following afternoon.

Chapter 37
On the Fast Track

Wednesday we took it a little easy and merely got our things ready to board the cruise, which would leave from Fort Lauderdale at 4:00 this afternoon. I kept urging the boys to make sure they had everything packed and ready to go when the time came, because I didn't want any holdups. They were well aware I was asking this because I didn't want to risk missing the cruise, so they complied with my wishes.

After lunch, we boarded a bus and settled in for the short ride from Miami to Fort Lauderdale. I had arranged for a coach to take us directly to the dock the ship would be leaving from, so we arrived in plenty of time to board. However, the biggest surprise was still in store for the boys. It happened when they first saw the size of the ship we'd be sailing on. To say the least, the ship was huge. The boys just gawked at its enormous size and multiple decks, as they slowly began to realize this ship could hold more people than lived in the community we came from. It was truly an eye-opening experience and impressed them greatly.

After we boarded, I made sure everyone selected one of the rooms we were assigned to, which wasn't as easy as it sounds. Each pair would be in a double room, but the rooms weren't identical. Most had either a double or queen sized bed in it, but two of the rooms had twin-sized beds and another came with bunk beds. After discussing this briefly with the boys, I gave the room with the bunk beds to Dustin and Pat, seeing they weren't going to be involved with each other. I told the others they could push the twin beds together, to make one larger bed, which they thought would work fine. Cole and Carlos, as well Ricky and Peter agreed to take those rooms, which didn't come as a major surprise. Although they might mess around and help each other get off, I knew they weren't the type to cuddle with another guy. Therefore, I thanked them for their offers and then we arranged the remaining room assignments accordingly.

Once everyone was settled in to his room, I led them on a very quick tour of their immediate surroundings. I figured this would be enough to get them started, so they wouldn't get lost. They would eventually learn their way around the rest of the ship over time, but it had taken me several sessions of studying the diagrams of the ship before I felt I wouldn't get lost. I had been sent those diagrams before we arrived, and I studied them carefully and learned as much as I could before we boarded. Most of the boys picked up on things very quickly, but I told the youngest three they would have to stay with Jake and I or some of the others for the time being, since they seemed mildly overwhelmed by their new surroundings.

When we concluded the tour, I had everyone get ready for dinner. The meal would be held in a large dining hall and all the men and boys were required to wear slacks and a button-down or polo shirt to get in. I wouldn't really call this a dress up affair, but shorts, swim-trunks and other casual wear was not allowed during these gatherings. I also gave each of the boys their soda card and explained they would have to show it each time they wanted another drink. I also warned them that if they lost it, they would be relegated to drink water, coffee or tea for the rest of the voyage. This was ample enough warning to make them treat this particular card as if it were made of gold. Once that was understood, we proceeded to the dining hall and made ourselves comfortable.

In addition to these semi-formal meals, you could choose to eat instead from the sandwich or pizza shops, which were located on the lido deck. These were open nearly all hours, but in addition to that, you could also order your meal through room service. Although the selections were limited, the food was plentiful from each of these locations and gave everyone onboard several alternatives. In fact, before I decided to take this vacation, I'd heard others I knew report that one of the main activities on a cruise was eating and there was always an abundant supply of food. I concluded this should suit my boys nicely, although I hope they don't put the cruise line out of business with their appetites.

Dinner didn't take very long, even though many of the boys ordered two desserts, once they finished devouring the other items they were served. I was somewhat surprised that none of the staff said anything to them about doing this, but nothing went to waste. Each individual consumed everything he had requested or else I would have prevented him from doing the same thing in the future. Once we finished eating, we went back to our rooms to strip down and get comfortable. I told the boys we'd wait a short time before I'd allow them to go to the pool, which they seemed anxious to do.

The reason the boys had selected this as one of their first activities was because they figured the other young people on board would be doing the same thing. They felt this would allow them to meet others in their own age group, and I thought their logic was sound. Using that same reasoning, Jake and I agreed to go with them, hoping we could meet some of the parents as well. We also wanted to keep an eye on Barry, Jesse, Ted and Carlos while they were in the pool, since I either wasn't certain of their swimming skills or knew they struggled in the water. The latter was the case with Carlos. He wasn't a strong swimmer; even though he joked he could float well on his back. He then suggested maybe that's why Mexicans were called wetbacks and most of the boys groaned at his attempt at humor.

I also wanted to keep Andrew company, since he had to be careful while he was at the pool. He had allowed me to cover his cast with a pair of clear trash bags and tape them in place, so he could go in the shallow end. Fortunately, we also discovered a small floatation device there as well, and it was large enough to serve as a small raft for Andrew. I got in the pool and Jake handed Andrew to me, so I could place him on this apparatus, and then Andrew laid on it and paddled about. I warned the others to be careful that they didn't tip it over when he made his way into the deeper end, since I knew the cast was heavy enough to drag him to the bottom. Being able to do this was also enough to make Andrew feel he wasn't being totally left out of this activity and he was having a ball.

During this time, the boys did manage to meet numerous other young people who were also on the cruise with their parents. I chatted with a few of the grown-ups, while the boys got to know their children, and we made some acquaintances that we would benefit from during our time aboard ship.

We ended up spending the rest of the evening with these people and got to know each other better. When it began to grow late, I suggested the boys should head back to their rooms, since I knew they'd probably find more to do the following day, beginning with breakfast. Some of the older boys did stay out a little longer, but I made the younger ones go to their rooms. Some of the couples decided to do the same, so they could utilize the time for some fun, if you get my drift. Jake and I went to our room too, after we tucked the youngest in and bid them sweet dreams.

The three boys snuggled together on their double bed, with Andrew in the middle, but Barry and Andrew were merely biding their time until Jesse fell asleep. They had talked it over earlier about doing something that night, but Andrew warned Barry they'd have to wait until Jesse dozed off. Andrew knew he couldn't get Jesse to stay with someone else the very first night, so he felt this was the only way he could fool around with Barry. They waited almost an hour and then checked to see if Jesse was indeed asleep.

When they were convinced he was, they stripped out of their underwear and lay on the floor, on the side of the bed opposite from where Jesse was sleeping. They quickly got in position to sixty-nine and it didn't take either of them long to get into it. Eagerly, they sought to satisfy each other and themselves and were really gong at it. Both boys were moaning and writhing in pleasure, when their concentration was broken.

"Andoo, where you? You hurt?" the voice asked, and both boys immediately stopped what they were doing. When they looked up, they saw Jesse's face peering over the edge of the bed. Andrew looked horrified that they'd been caught, since he knew I had indicated Jesse wasn't old enough to be involved in something like this.

"No, Jesse," Andrew stated, soothingly. "Barry's not hurting me."

"Then whot you do?" Jesse followed, which caused Andrew to struggle to find an answer.

"Uh, we were, uh, just playing," Andrew stuttered.

"I play too," Jesse replied, which immediately panicked Andrew.

"Uh, you can't," Andrew responded.

"Why?" Jesse wondered.

"Um, Dad says you're too young to do things like this," Andrew reasoned, hoping it would be enough to end Jesse's questions.

"I old e-nuf," Jesse stated, defiantly.

"Not for sex," Barry chimed in, before realizing what he had just admitted to doing.

"Sex?" Jesse asked.

"What did you say that for?" Andrew barked at Barry. "I told you we had to keep him out of this."

"Yeah, but he already caught us and saw what we were doing," Barry reasoned.

"But he didn't know WHAT we were doing," Andrew countered.

"You having sex?" Jesse interrupted, which jerked them back to thinking about what they were going to tell him now.

"I think we're going to have to tell my dad about this and let him help figure out a way to handle it," Andrew suggested.

"But don't you think he'll be mad at us for getting caught?" Barry followed.

"No, not really," Andrew replied. "He knows what we do, it's just that he wanted Jesse to wait until he was a teenager too."

"I old e-nuf!" Jesse repeated, although neither boy thought he understood exactly what they were doing.

"Look, I'll put on a pair of shorts and go get Dad," Andrew informed Barry. "You two stay here until I get back." Barry and Jesse nodded, but neither looked happy about what he was going to do.

Andrew quickly made his way to my room and knocked at the door. I answered and was surprised to see Andrew standing there.

"We've got a problem," Andrew announced, once he saw me. He then entered the room and went on to fill me in what had happened.

I listened carefully to what he had to say and then tried to figure out how I was going to handle this situation. I felt it would be best not to harp on the mistake the boys had made, since the damage was already done. Instead, I would spend my time thinking about what I was going to say to Jesse. After a couple of minutes, I suggested we should go back to their room.

When we entered, Barry was sitting on the bed naked and Jesse was seated near him, still clad in his briefs. Neither boy looked distressed that I was there, so I sat on the bed beside them and began to speak.

"Jesse, I know you're confused by what you saw, but no one was getting hurt," I assured him.

"I do it too!" Jesse quickly asserted, much to my chagrin.

"Jesse, you're not big enough yet," I replied. "In a few years…" but Jesse cut me off.

"I big as Andoo," he said, while lowering the front of his briefs and exposing his penis. That's when I realized I had misspoken and confused the issue.

"Yes, you are big that way," I agreed, "but I meant you aren't old enough for such things."

"John let me play with his pee-pee," Jesse corrected. "I old e-nuf. He say so."

Damn, I was afraid of that, but it was something we would deal with later. Right now, I had to address this issue.

"Jesse, I'm sorry to hear that," I confessed, "but I still think maybe you should wait until you're a little older."

"No, I do with Andoo too!" he insisted again, so I suddenly had to reconsider my position.

If Jesse had already done sexual things, and I believe I remembered that John was his stepfather's name, then he'd already been exposed to sex. Seeing he was most likely forced to do those things, recalling such events might inflict additional scars on his psyche and cause he to respond negatively to sex later. I didn't want that to happen, so I considered it might be better if I allowed him to have more positive experiences with other boys, nearer his age. Hopefully, such encounters might replace the older memories with more favorable ones. It might also undo some of the damage that had already occurred. I'd have to talk this over with Jake, but now I wasn't so certain about my previous stance.

"Look, Jesse. Let's just wait a little longer, while I think about this some more. Will you do that for me?" Jesse thought about it a few seconds, as I tried to guess what he might be thinking.

"Andrew and Barry, I want you to wait before you do anything else too," I told them, "until I decide how I'm going to handle this." Both boys looked dejected, but they reluctantly nodded their agreement, so Jesse did too.

I went back to my room and began discussing what I had learned with Jake. "What do you think I should do?" I asked.

"Well, if he was forced to do things of that nature with his stepfather, then he's already been exposed," Jake began, "but I'm fairly certain it wasn't a positive experience. I think maybe if you allowed him to choose to do this, with those he feels comfortable with, it may erase part of the damage that's already been done and replace it with a positive experience."

"I was thinking the same thing," I agreed. "However, I believe it might be best for me to consider this further, and maybe talk to some of the older boys as well, to get their opinion,"

That's the way we decided to leave it and figured I'd pull Danny, Dustin and Kevin aside tomorrow, to see what they thought. They had each experienced some sort of negative situation pertaining to a sexual encounter, prior to coming to live with me, so they might have some idea about how this might affect Jesse. At least I thought it was worth a try, to see if they might be able to shed some light on my dilemma.

The following morning, when we went to breakfast, I tried to focus on what was going on there instead. During our meal, we also learned some more things about the cruise. We were told the next two days were considered 'Fun Days at Sea' and there would be variety of ways we could amuse ourselves. It was pointed out that a board had been placed at the rear of the dining hall and it contained the names, starting times and descriptions of shows that would be held in various locations on the ship. The performances were open to everyone and each would be held at several different times during those two days, to allow everyone who wanted to see them with the opportunity to attend.

In addition to those events, an assortment of other activities was also planned, for those wishing to participate. A list of those events and the times they would be held were also listed, so everyone could plan their own agenda. After viewing the boards and noting their choices, the boys immediately began talking amongst themselves, to determine what they wanted to do. As they learned about others with similar interests, they quickly joined up with them and made a list of what they were going to do. I interrupted their deliberations temporarily, so I could request to speak with the three I had mentioned previously, once they finished up here. They agreed to meet me back in my room, so I went there and waited for them to show up. They knocked on my door about twenty minutes later.

"What's up, Dad?" Kevin wanted to know, once they were in my room. I then explained what I knew about the situation with Jesse and then posed my question.

"I don't mean to single you guys out," I began, "but I know each of you have had some less than desirable experiences with a sexual situation in the past and I need your advice. Although none of you were forced to do things with an adult, I was hoping you could use those previous tense and hostile situations to give me an idea about how I should proceed with Jesse. What would you suggest I do?"

"Dad," Danny responded first, "I know I was a little scared about having sex with anyone after my dad treated me so badly. Even after I did start doing things, I really wasn't enjoying it as much as I should have for quite a while afterward. That's why I think it would be best to let Jesse do it now, since he seems to want to. It might prevent him from suffering the same way I did, than it would if he waited to try something until later."

"I agree," Dustin added. "After Kevin and I got caught, I wasn't sure I could do anything again, at least until I came to live with you. My parents had me so scared that I believed no one ever did that, unless they were forced to. Once I found out others did it because they wanted to and there was no stigma attached to what they did, it really was a relief for me, even though it turned out I wasn't gay. I think Jesse might experience the same thing. I think you should let him try it, and if he decides he doesn't enjoy it, he could always stop and wait until he is ready."

"I agree with both of them, Dad," Kevin added. "Jesse really seems to want to do this, and because he's so attached to Andrew, it might have a negative effect if you don't let him do it. Besides, he might be hurt knowing Barry does those things with Andrew, but he isn't allowed to."

I was very impressed by their statements and they gave me their honest views on the subject. In fact, they added some perspectives I hadn't considered and exposed a potential problem Jesse might experience, if I kept him from doing as he wished.

"I really want to thank you boys for this information," I admitted. "You've given me some good advice and new things to consider."

"So what are you going to do?" Dustin pressed.

"I'm going back to talk this over with Jake again," I confirmed, "but I'm pretty sure I'm going to let Jesse get involved. It seems very important to him, and from what you've pointed out, it may cause him to feel inferior or left out if I deny his request."

"I think you're right about that," Danny confirmed. "I'd say by letting him get involved now, you'll be doing him a favor. I hope it blots out those other memories and prevents him from reliving them over and over."

The boys left, since we had finished, and I went to find Jake. I explained what they had pointed out and then explained what I was thinking about doing. He agreed it was probably the best way to handle this, so we didn't scar Jesse further.

After we finished our discussion, we went out, to watch one of the shows, but I would talk to Jesse, Andrew and Barry at bedtime. When I did, I would explain how we were going to handle this.

Chapter 38
Fun at Sea

We had a very full day, but it was also a lot of fun. Most of us attended three or four shows and some of the boys had also participated in some of the other activities that were held. We also spent some time at the pool, as well as having two very filling meals at lunch and dinner. Now, it was nearly time for bed and I went with the three youngest to their room, so we could discuss what I had decided.

The boys looked somewhat nervous, as they sat down on the bed, and I knew they were anxious to see what I was going to do. I suspected Andrew and Barry felt I might chew them out for getting caught and Jesse was afraid I was going to deny his request. After eying them briefly, I ended their agonizing wait for an answer.

"Okay, this is what I've decided," I began. "Even though Jesse is quite young, he apparently has been exposed to sexual activity prior to moving in with us, so I'm going to allow him to get involved with you two. HOWEVER, he is ONLY to be involved with the two of you. Is that clear?"

All three nodded their heads and then Jesse leaped off the bed and raced in my direction. He threw his arms around my waist and squeezed as hard as he could. When he released his grip, he looked up at me and uttered, "Tank you."

After hearing that, I bent down, picked him up and gave him a hug in reply. Then I whispered in his ear.

"You've been through a lot, little man, so I felt you've earned the right to do something you chose to do."

Jesse just looked at me and then wrapped his arms around my neck, so he could give me another squeeze. When he relaxed his grip, I set him down and then told him to go take his shower. After he rushed off and I heard the water start to run, I turned toward the other two.

"Please take it easy and don't push him in to anything," I urged. "Let him decide what he wants to do and when he wants to do it and everything should be fine."

Andrew and Barry then strode over and hugged my waist as well, to let me know they appreciated what I was doing.

"We won't," Barry told me, as he let go, "and we're sorry he caught us. We thought we were being careful, but he still saw what we were doing."

"I know and I'm not upset," I replied. "In fact, you may have inadvertently done Jesse a favor, by letting him discover you doing that. I'm not saying I approve of what happened, but we might be able to turn this into something positive."

We talked for a while longer, before Andrew and Barry stripped down. After covering Andrew's cast, they hurried off to shower too. When they did that, I left and went back to my own room. After relaying what happened to Jake, we went to bed. I'd made up my mind to check on the boys first thing in the morning, to see how things went or if anything had transpired.

Back in the boys' room, Andrew and Barry finished their shower and got ready for bed. As they threw back the covers, Jesse spoke.

"You do with me?" he wondered.

"Do you mean you want to do what you saw Barry and me do?" Andrew asked.

"Yes!" Jesse announced, forcefully. He looked pleased that he was going to be included this time.

"Let me just do Jesse first," Barry offered.

Andrew nodded his agreement and Jesse quickly sat back and leaned against the headboard, so Barry could move in to position. It was obvious Jesse didn't have any problems with this arrangement and eagerly awaited the attention. Seeing this, Barry crawled up beside Jesse and reached out to grasp his penis. It began to stiffen almost immediately.

"He's got a pretty big dick for someone in his grade," Barry observed. "He's bigger than some of my friends."

"You mean you've messed around with them too?" Andrew asked.

"Just a couple, but I've seen the others in the showers, after sports and stuff," Barry explained, before he lowered his head and began to suck on Jesse's penis. While he was doing this, Jesse spoke.

"Andoo come here," he requested, but Andrew looked confused.

"I think he wants to suck on you, while I'm doing him," Barry explained, after seeing Andrew hesitate. Hearing that, Andrew moved forward by walking on his knees toward the head of the bed. When he got close enough, Jesse reached out, grabbed his penis and inserted it into his mouth. He instinctively began to move his head back and forth, which made Andrew begin to firm up. The way Jesse was working on him, Andrew was forced to admit his newest brother had done this before.

Over the course of the next few minutes, both boys bobbed back and forth on the penis they were servicing, until Andrew and Jesse's bodies shuddered. This indicated they had experienced their dry orgasms, so they should both be satisfied for a while.

"That fun," Jesse said, a few seconds later. "I do for you now?" he asked, looking at Barry.

"Uh, Barry shoots stuff," Andrew jumped in. "You might not like that."

"It okay," Jesse stated, unfazed.

"You know about things like that?" Andrew followed and Jesse merely nodded his head.

"How? You're too young to have friends that shoot," Andrew reasoned. Jesse merely hung his head.

"Jesse, did that guy shoot in your mouth?" Barry asked, as he picked up on Andrew's clue. Jesse just looked down and didn't answer.

"Did he force you?" Andrew pressed, after seeing Jesse's reaction. Jesse looked up and his eyes were wide.

"I sorry," Jesse apologized. "You mad?"

"Jesse, I'm not mad at you," Andrew assured him. "I'm mad at whoever forced you to do those things. Dad let's us mess around, but everyone has to agree to do it. We don't force others to do things." Jesse began to cry.

"I have too," Jesse stated, between sobs. "He hurt my mom if I not do it."

"Jesse, who did that to you?" Barry asked concerned. Jesse didn't answer right away, so Andrew jumped in.

"Jesse, it's okay to tell us. Andrew assured him. "Dad will help to make sure nothing bad like that happens to you again. If you want, he'll even make sure the guy pays for what he did to you."

"Can he hep my mom?" Jesse followed.

"I'll talk to him, to see what he can do," Andrew responded, honestly. This seemed to end the discussion for the time being, but Jesse had something else on his mind.

"I do to you now?" he asked Barry, again. It almost sounded as if he were pleading for permission.

"Are you sure you want to?" Barry countered, and Jesse's head nodded up and down, energetically.

"Okay, if you're sure," Barry replied, as he settled back to enjoy the encounter.

Jesse was on Barry like a hungry dog. He began running his tongue all around Barry's penis and licked up and down the side, but he only did that for a few seconds, before he placed his mouth over the crown and slowly let it enter his mouth. He slid up and down on the erect shaft, like the pump in an old fashion oil well, and Barry seemed to be enjoying his effort.

Andrew sat watching, but he spent most of his time wondering how long Jesse had been forced to do those things with this guy. Seeing how energetically he was attacking Barry's rod, Andrew even began to question the idea that Jesse had actually been forced to do it. He first assumed Jesse must have been coerced to do such things, but after noting how expertly Jesse had worked on him and witnessing how aggressively Jesse was servicing Barry, it planted a modicum of doubt in Andrew's mind. However, in his heart he still believed Jesse must have been threatened, to get him to do such things. As Andrew tried to brush these doubts from his mind, unbeknownst to him they slipped in the dark recesses of his subconscious and lingered there.

The boys went to sleep shortly after Barry spewed his cream, but both Barry and Andrew were shocked to see Jesse accept his load as if it were a normal occurrence. He took it like a trooper and even seemed to relish the taste. Seeing this made them wonder how old Jesse was when he first started doing this and how long he'd had to continue.

Since all three were now sexually content, they snuggled closer to each other than they had the night before. When I looked in on them later and noted how they were positioned, I hoped it signified this had been a positive experience for each of them.

When I returned to check on them the next morning, Andrew greeted me as I entered the room, but stayed out of view from the door. Once I was inside, I saw why. He was still naked, along with the other pair. No one seemed concerned I was there and no one bothered to cover himself or tried to put anything on. I entered and sat on the bed, and soon the boys were sitting beside me.

"Did you all have a good night last night?" I asked. The other pair waited for Jesse to answer.

"It was gate," Jesse eagerly replied. Although he was still having problems with his r's, I understood what he meant.

Andrew and Barry then went on to explain what had happened and described, in detail, how everything went. Since it sounded as if it had gone well, I began to relax. When I did, Andrew felt it was time to let me know about what Jesse had told them and how he had performed. I explained that I was aware of some of the information he was sharing with me, but promised I would see if I could do something to rectify what Jesse had endured. However, that would have to wait until we got back home, so I tried to get them to focus on our vacation instead.

Friday was listed as our second Fun Day at Sea, so we ended up doing many of the same types of things we had done the previous day. We attended different shows, participated in other activities and spent more time at the pool. Although the boys had met other young people during their time there, they didn't seem to find anyone they felt especially attached to. They did hang around with the others at the pool and did a few other things with them too, but it was obvious no long-term relationships were developing.

That night we were invited to attend the Captain's dinner, which was held in a separate area than we usually ate. Everyone onboard was offered this opportunity at some point during the cruise and tonight happened to be our turn. I knew about this in advance, so I had the boys pack the appropriate items. For this event, they were required to wear slacks, a dress shirt and tie, at a minimum, but could also wear a sport coat or suit for this event. They weren't particularly pleased about having to dress up, but they were curious as to what the experience would be like.

We got to the dining room early and found our seats. The Captain arrived a short time later and came over to speak with us. Like most others, he looked at the assortment and asked what type of group I was in charge of. I know he was shocked by my reply.

"It's just my family and a couple of their friends," I answered.

"But it's such a diverse group and there are several that appear to be around the same age," he countered.

"That's true, but they're still my sons," I responded. "I adopted them after my biological children were grown and on their own."

He then chatted briefly with each of the boys and learned a little about them. He also asked if they liked being part of such a large family and everyone gave him a very positive response.

"Sir, I believe you deserve a medal for what you've done, but I hope you'll settle for a little special treatment while you're with us," he added. "Why don't we begin by having you bring your boys up to the bridge tomorrow, in groups of four or five, and I'll give each group a personal tour and explanation of the ship's operation."

I thanked him for his offer and the boys were thrilled with this new opportunity. We then discussed what times would be best for him and I agreed that either Jake or I would bring the boys by, one group at a time. The boys only stopped talking about it when the food arrived.

This meal was a more formal than our previous dinners onboard ship and the food was excellent. I believe the Captain had directed the staff to provide us with whatever we wanted, which included drinks from the bar for Jake and myself. The boys were also urged to take multiple desserts, if they desired, and several of the junior officers came over and spoke with us too.

As the gathering began to break up, I informed the boys they were on their own for the evening, but I wanted them to stay in groups of four or more. The three youngest then asked what Jake and I were going to do, and after we told them, they announced they wanted to go with us. To my amazement, so did Sammy, Ted, Graham and Little Ricky, as well as Dion and Trey. We had no objections to this, although we had at first suspected the older boys would wish to go off with the others instead. Seeing their minds were made up, we went to see another of the many shows that were being featured on the cruise.

Even though the show was quite good and entertaining, most of my pleasure came from watching and interacting with the boys. I enjoyed seeing how they concentrated on the show and the expressions they made at different time. I also thoroughly loved the give and take, as they discussed numerous aspects of the performance. Not only that, but at various points during the night each boy, pair or, in the case of the three youngest, the trio managed to find a way to spend time with just Jake and me. They would sit as close as they possibly could and talked about all the things they'd had fun doing so far, during the short breaks. They also let us know how great this vacation was turning out to be.

When I heard their comments, I told them this was only the beginning and there was much more still ahead of us. That seemed to excite them even more, but unfortunately it also meant they started pestering us for details about what was yet to come. Although they knew we probably wouldn't shed any light on the matter, it didn't stop them from trying anyway. We did have a great evening and went to our rooms, after we stopped for a drink on the way back.

It was a fairly quiet evening and I got plenty of rest. I was up early the next morning and eager for the new day. Although it was another 'Fun Day at Sea,' I was eager to spend the day relaxing by the pool.

We all went to breakfast together, but on the way back Sammy and Teddy asked if they could speak to me privately. I quickly agreed and inquired if they wanted to use my room or theirs for this discussion. They decided we should probably go back to their room.

"It's Ted, Dad," Sammy began, which made Ted look a little uncomfortable. I merely made a questioning face, hoping that would be enough to get Sammy to continue. Luckily, that was all it took.

"Dad, Ted wants me to make love to him, but I knew you told him to wait, the last time he was at our house," he explained.

"But I've practiced since then and done plenty of stuff, so I'm ready," Ted insisted. "Please let me do this, Pop. Please."

"Why don't you tell me what you've done to prepare for this moment," I suggested. Ted then went on to describe everything he'd done and used, and after hearing his preparations, I made my decision.

"Ted, I know you want to try this and you've done a great deal to get ready for it. I have weighed it over and I'm going to give my permission to do this. Sammy, are you okay with it?" He just nodded in response.

"Okay, then make certain Ted is well prepared and use lots of lube. I think you're a good choice for his first time, because I know you'll be gentle with him. When did you want to do this?"

"I was thinking just as soon as the rest of you start your activities for the day," Ted replied. "We'll lock the door to the room and put on the safety latch, just in case someone comes by to clean or something. I don't want anyone to catch us."

"That sounds fine," I added, which drew appreciative looks from that pair.

As I began to walk away, I heard them lock the door and acknowledged Ted was definitely eager to get on with this. A few steps later, I ran into Graham and Little Ricky, who were heading toward their room.

"What are you guys up to?" I asked, in order to delay their movements.

"We're just going back to our room to throw on our swim trunks," Graham confessed. "We thought we'd see if Sammy and Ted wanted to join us and spend some time laying out in the sun at the pool." I knew I couldn't let them do that.

"Did you forget the Captain was going to show us around the bridge today?" I challenged. "I was going to put you in the first group with Trey and Dion, if you don't mind."

"Heck no," Little Ricky nearly shouted. "That would be great and then we could go to the pool afterward."

"Super. Then follow me and we'll get the other pair and go to the bridge. I'm really looking forward to this, so I hope you boys are too." Each gave me an energetic and positive response, so we went to the other pair's room and retrieved them. I was silently patting myself on the back for thinking of using this diversion, so Sammy and Ted could enjoy their privacy. They should have plenty of time to do what they'd planned, before our tour ends.

As we climbed the stairs to the bridge, the Captain spotted our approach and came out to greet us. He seemed as anxious to do this for us, as we were to experience it, so we were all going to win. Jake and I would be the luckiest ones, since we'd be doing this multiple times, while taking turns going with the various groups to see the hub of the ship's activity.

The first time through, I paid fairly close attention to what we were being shown, but I also wanted to enjoy how the boys were reacting to what they're seeing. Anything I missed, I'd catch on a later go around, but I wanted to enjoy their expressions and listen to their comments as we did this. Oh, man. I'm more excited about this than they are.

Chapter 39
Many Firsts

Once Sammy and Ted were alone, Sammy got out the condoms and lube I had each of the older groups take and keep in their room. He took his time lubing Ted up and made certain Ted was loose, before he slipped on a condom and lubed it up as well. Once both of them were ready, Sammy had Ted get on his hands and knees, so he could enter him from behind. He knew this was the easiest way for a first-time experience, at least as far as Ted would be concerned.

Slowly, Sammy eased his way inside Ted, while taking all precautions to avoid hurting him. However, Ted had practiced by inserting items with a greater girth into his rectum, and because Sammy did not possess a thick penis, Ted accepted the intruder without any difficulty. When Sammy was seated completely within his love canal, Ted urged him to continue.

Without needing further encouragement, Sammy began to rock back and forth, so his penis slid in and out of the warm tunnel. Sammy started very slowly, until he was convinced Ted was feeling no pain and enjoying the encounter, and then began to speed up. It didn't take long before Sammy started to feel the familiar tingling sensations radiating from his loins, so he knew his release would be close behind. For a brief time he was able to resist the urge to speed up, so he could experience the ultimate high, but he delayed it for as long as he could. When he could no longer deny his sexual fulfillment, he quickened his pace, and within minutes spewed his seed into the condom's reservoir. At that point, he collapsed on Ted's back and they fell, prostrate, onto the mattress.

After regaining their wits about them, Sammy rolled off of Ted and looked into his face. "Well, how was it?" he wondered, since he also wanted confirmation he had performed adequately. "Was it as good as you'd hoped?"

"Oh, yes," Ted gushed. "It was wonderful. I figured it would be good, but it made me tingle all over, especially back there."

"But you didn't cum," Sammy observed.

"No, but I feel as good as if I had," Ted confirmed.

"That may be," Sammy confirmed, "but I want you to enjoy that part too. That's why I'm going to let you make love to me now, so you can cum too."

"You don't have to do that," Ted responded, since he felt Sammy felt obligated to return the favor.

"I know that," Sammy acknowledged, "but I want to do this for you. It's the least I can do, after you let me be your first." Teddy blushed after Sammy pointed out the fact that Ted had just lost his virginity.

"Okay, if you're sure," Ted agreed. "I won't tell you I don't want to do it too, but I just don't want you to feel you have to do this for me."

"I don't," Sammy confessed, "but I do want to."

Ted rapidly accepted the offer, as well as the condom and lube that Sammy held out to him. Ted eagerly prepared himself, while Sammy did the same, and then they got in the same position they had used earlier. Ted's penis was as hard as a diamond, but he still had a bit of difficulty entering Sammy, until Sammy told him to hold the base of his penis, as he inserted it. This seemed to help, so before long Ted penetrated Sammy's tunnel of love.

Ted was so aroused that he nearly spewed as soon as he entered, but he held steady for quite a few seconds, without moving a muscle, until he felt the urge subside. As soon as that happened, he began easing back and forth, until he built up a rhythm. Since he had already been on the brink of his orgasm, it didn't take long for Ted to reach that point again and he filled the condom with his seed. Emotionally spent, Ted collapsed on Sammy's back, which forced Sammy to collapse onto the mattress.

It took more than a few seconds for Ted to realize Sammy was uncomfortably pinned beneath him, but when he did, he rolled off and thanked him for what he had just experienced. He was now satisfied and sated, at least for the time being. Once they recuperated, Ted and Sammy showered together, before emerging from their room and locating the rest of the family. I was just returning with a group, after we finished our tour of the bridge, and Jake was ready to take the next group up. As soon as I saw them, I could tell by the expressions on their faces that the experience had gone well, so I didn't question them about it. However, Sammy did fill me in about how things went a little later and I was pleased Ted's first experience at anal intercourse had gone so well.

Getting back to other matters, all of the boys enjoyed their time on the bridge, especially since the Captain allowed each of them a chance to steer the boat briefly. I surmised they weren't actually in control of the vessel, although most of them believed they were. I felt the ship was more or less on autopilot at that point and the ship's computers were responsible for its progress, rather than any of us. Regardless, it was a memorable experience and we thanked the Captain profusely before we left.

This was our last Fun Day at Sea until the return voyage and the next three days would be spent enjoying one of our three tropical destinations. Tomorrow we would arrive at St. Maarten, Nassau, where we would stay for several hours. I spent the evening discussing our itinerary with Jake and we ironed out the details of what we were going to do. I had changed my plans slightly, after listening to the Captain's suggestions about what we should do, but now we were ready for fun in this exotic location.

We disembarked at 7:00 the next morning, since we were among the first allowed to go ashore. I had told the boys to wear their swimsuits under their shorts, because we'd probably have a chance to go swimming in the ocean, and they were all eager to go along with my suggestion. We then began our time in St. Maarten with a tour of the beautiful French/Dutch Island and quickly discovered the charms of both cultures. We started our excursion in Phillipsburg, the capital of the Dutch side of the island. As we traveled along Perimeter Road, we were able to view many of the historic homes and businesses located there, as we headed to our objective, lookout point. From there, we enjoyed some spectacular views of both the island and the ocean and I even contemplated what it would be like to live there all year long.

Once we grew tired of taking in the scenery, we went to the French capital, Marigot. We spent quite a bit of time exploring the quaint little shops lining its main thoroughfare and discussed how the various businesses hadn't changed much over the past couple of centuries. Sure, they had electricity now and added indoor plumbing, but the overall appearance was basically the same. The main difference was in the type of items they offered, although quite a few of them were the same as well, except for the fact they were now packaged differently. During this time, the boys bought some souvenirs, to remind them of their time here. Once we finished up our little spending spree, we walked past the resort areas and luxury hotels, when the boys began to tease me about going swimming. I thought it was a good idea, so I stopped a couple of the locals and asked where we could find a nice secluded strip of beach.

I did this because I wanted the boys to totally enjoy themselves, without worrying about making too much noise or bothering other tourists. I quickly learned there were a couple of locations close by that would meet our needs. In fact, both locations were only a short walk away and I was intrigued by the descriptions I was given about them. After hearing the locals out, I thanked them for the information and took the boys on a quick walk to one of these spots. When we arrived, I told them they were on their own for a while, before I disclosed the fact that this particular stretch of beach was clothing optional. The boys quickly began to look around, to verify my statement was correct, and beamed when they noticed a couple of other people sunbathing nude.

A few of them immediately began shedding their clothing, although most were in no hurry to do so. They did strip down to their swimsuits and began to head toward the water, while I helped Andrew cover his cast, so he could also share in the fun. Dustin, Barry and Jesse had all agreed to stick close by and watch over him, so after making sure his cast wouldn't be damaged, I sent them on their way. Now, Jake and I could also enjoy the beautiful surf. The water was very calm and crystal clear, and the white sand seemed to extend forever. The mountains loomed up in the background and created an exquisite backdrop to this lovely setting, and we spent the next half hour or so thoroughly enjoying the sun, surf and beach.

A few minutes after we arrived, I scanned the area to make certain everyone was doing all right and enjoying himself. That was when I noticed nearly all of them were naked now, including Ted and the three youngest. The only ones still wearing their swimsuits, beside Jake and I, were Carlos and Cole. I understood later that Carlos was a little shy about exposing himself to the other visitors on this beach, so Cole kept his suit on so Carlos wouldn't feel he was the only one who wasn't participating. Cole told me Carlos had admitted to him that he felt self-conscious, since he didn't think the size of his penis measured up to that of everyone else, especially after he'd been in the water. I could understand why he felt this way, since some of the boys were quite well endowed. Even Jesse and Barry were nicely hung for their age.

Once we finished up our swim, the boys air-dried, by lying on the beach or just walking around in the sun, before putting their clothes back on. Once they were all decent again, we made our way back to the Dutch side of the island. After enjoying a quick lunch, I led the boys to where we would start our next outing. It was called the 'Rhino Rider & Snorkel Adventure." I had to do a bit of persuading to get the person in charge to allow me to include Andrew, since it was a requirement that all participants be adequate swimmers. Seeing Andrew was sporting a walking cast, it was deemed he didn't meet that requirement. Since I didn't want everyone to miss out, if I opted to bypass this activity, or Andrew to feel badly because he couldn't participate, I tried to negotiate. After some pleading and agreeing to sign a waiver of liability to protect the operators of this site, Andrew was given permission to go. However, that wasn't our only problem.

The next situation arose because we had an odd number in our group. There were twenty-three of us and there is a strict limit of two persons and 400 pounds per boat. Besides making it clear that Jake and I couldn't go together, it also meant someone would have to go alone. We were discussing this problem when a couple we met on the ship offered a solution. They wanted to go on this adventure too, but if they rode together, their son would have to go alone, so they had hurriedly decided to have the mother and son ride together, while the father went by himself. However, after hearing we had a similar problem, they thought we could help each other out. After discussing the situation with everyone, Pat offered to go with the couple's son, who immediately agreed with the arrangement. In part, his rapid consent was due to the fact that he was feeling badly that he was going to be responsible for splitting up his parents for this activity. Since he knew they really wanted to do this together, his going with Pat meant everyone was now satisfied with the arrangements.

Since I had promised the organizers I'd keep Andrew with me, when I vouched for his safety, Dustin said he'd take Jesse and Jake agreed to have Barry ride with him. Since Jesse also met the minimum 10-year old limit, we had no other problems. The rest of the roommates had agreed to stick together for this outing as well, so now that those details had been seen to, I turned my attention to something else. Quickly, I checked to see that Andrew's cast was still wrapped up and wouldn't get wet during the ride and then we set off.

Each pair quickly decided who would pilot the ten-foot Rhino Ride motorboat, since whoever operated it had to be at least sixteen. When all of those details had been seen to, we took the short ride from the pier to Simpson Bay Lagoon, where we were given a brief orientation and safety briefing. After everyone agreed they understood what they'd been told, we navigated the water and dodged the private boats and mega-yachts that were anchored in the area. Once we had cleared those obstacles, we exited the lagoon and rode along the picturesque coastline, until we reached our final destination, Happy Bay.

Upon arriving there, we were given the choice of hiking, swimming, snorkeling or just laying on the beach for the next hour, before making the return trip. The vast majority of the boys wanted to go snorkeling, so I gave them my blessing, after advising them to be careful and no horseplay. Once they agreed, they followed the guide for a quick briefing. Some of the others went swimming, which left only the three youngest, Jake and I. We had decided to take a short hike, to look around the area, since the boys felt they had done enough swimming earlier. Andrew insisted he could walk, but Jake and I offered to alternate carrying him, piggyback, so we could go farther and see more. Andrew seemed to like the idea, so we took off.

It was quite lovely, as we hiked along the trails. The path was surrounded by thick tropical vegetation and we also took our time and stopped to look at whatever creatures we encountered along the way. We spotted many different types of birds, a few lizards, spiders and various insects as we traveled along, and we also spotted a couple of turtles. Fortunately, though, we didn't see any snakes. The boys were disappointed about that, but I insisted it was probably for the best.

The hour went by quickly, especially for the group that went snorkeling. After a brief safety lecture, they followed their guide to Shipwreck Cove and investigated the wide variety of vessels that had sunk there. Of course, when snorkeling you can't go very far below the surface or the breathing apparatus would become filled with water and you wouldn't be able to breathe, so the boys couldn't dive down and investigate the wrecks. However, they were able to spot several of them.

During this outing, the group spent some of their time treading water, so they could listen to their guide when he shared many details about what they had seen. He told them about the various wrecks and pointed out the different species of fish swimming around them. He also provided the boys with packets of items they could feed the fish, and surprisingly, the fish seemed eager to approach them and accept the handouts. In fact, some of the fish became quite bold at letting the boys know they wanted something and each of them was thrilled the fish weren't shying away. Once everyone tired of doing these things, they spent the rest of their time investigating the rest of the area, before returning to shore. From there, they moved to a sundeck, where they were encouraged to make themselves comfortable. During this time, they listened to Calypso music and sipped the rum or fruit punch that had been provided, depending on their age. From the looks on their faces when we returned to join them, I'd say they experienced a truly memorable time.

A short time later, we all boarded our motorboats and made the journey back to our starting point. Although it seemed as if we had just begun, nearly three and a half hours had passed since we set out on this portion of our cruise. It was now time to head back to the ship, so we could set out for our next port of call, which would be Barbados.

We had dinner on the ship that evening and the boys eagerly discussed the day's experiences with each other. I merely sat and listened in on their joyful recounting of what they had done. I was pleased to note this vacation was meeting their expectations and earning their approval.

It was a very quiet evening, after we returned to our rooms, because everyone was fairly exhausted from the day's activities. While we slept, the ship sailed to the next port and we arrived the following day, around noontime.

Sunday morning started out with a quick breakfast and a non-denominational church service, before we docked at Barbados. We disembarked shortly after noon and immediately went to our first activity. I was taking the boys for a ride on the submarine, Atlantis, and it worked out that Jesse exceeded the minimum height of three-feet, which was required to be able to go on this adventure.

As we entered the sub, we took up nearly half of the available spots on this forty-eight-person vessel. While we settled in, I noticed Jesse and Andrew were carrying on a very animated conversation. When I inquired if there was a problem, Andrew informed me Jesse was concerned about traveling underwater. I was about to try calming Jesse down, but Andrew started speaking instead.

"I know it's a little scary when you think about going under so much water, but they do this all the time," Andrew explained, but Jesse didn't look convinced.

"It's really safe," Andrew continued. "People have been using submarines for over one hundred years and we aren't going to be going very far down, so it's all right." Jesse still looked skeptical and I was ready to jump in and assist him, but Andrew spoke again, before I had the chance.

"Do you believe Dad loves us?" he asked. Jesse sat stunned for a couple of seconds, as he looked between Andrew and me, but then he began to nod his head energetically.

"Then do you think Dad would let us do this if it wasn't safe?" Andrew followed. Jesse only took a second to think about this, before he began shaking his head in response.

"Then relax and enjoy the sights," Andrew advised him, while glancing over at me. I was very proud of the way he handled this and smiled in approval. What he had said seemed to do the trick, so our journey began a few minutes later.

The cabin was surprisingly spacious, as well as air-conditioned, so the time we were aboard was quite pleasant. I think we all felt a little giddy as we looked out the observation windows, when the submarine began its descent to fifty-five feet. This was so we would be able to view a coral reef, along with the multitude of colorful fish and other aquatic life that thrived here. Afterward, we dropped to somewhere around 150 feet, so we could view a shipwreck that was lying beneath the crystal clear water, before we leveled off. That was as deep as we were going to go.

When we surfaced later, the boys couldn't stop talking about everything they had experienced and Jesse was just as excited as anyone else. Although he had initially been hesitant about going, he was probably more impressed than the others and couldn't stop thanking me for letting him go. I was thrilled to see him so animated about this experience and enjoying himself so much that I bent down and picked him up. I gave him a big hug and kissed him on the forehead, before I set him down again. It was a truly wonderful moment.

Later, as we were enjoying our dinner, I announced that I was going to give everyone a choice for his next activity. They could either take a tour of Barbados, with Jake and I, or try their hand at scuba diving. I knew only the most adventurous would select the latter option, so I wasn't surprised when I heard their responses. It ended up that only eleven of the boys opted to try the scuba diving, but making this choice didn't happen without some problems. As it turned out, some of the couples didn't have the same interests and selected different options. Dion wanted to go scuba diving, as well as Kevin, but Trey and Vinnie weren't eager to try it. It also split up some roommates, because Little Ricky wanted to give the scuba diving a go, but Graham was reluctant.

After some discussion, Trey and Vinnie agreed to become partners for the tour, so their lovers could go diving, and Graham said he'd spend time with Andrew, Jesse and Barry, so Little Ricky could go too. I was happy they had worked this out for themselves, without getting me involved.

About this time, I began to also feel Jake wanted to try the scuba too, since Shannon was in the group that wanted to go, so I urged him to join them and I'd take the others on the tour. After some slight reluctance, he finally agreed it might be best if he went, so he could keep an eye on those who wanted to do it. I merely smiled, nodded and gave him a good-bye kiss, before I watched him lead Danny, Brandon, Dustin, Shannon, Nick, Pat, Dion, Kevin, Little Ricky, Ricky and Peter to where this would happen.

Barry had been eager about trying this too, but I was hesitant about allowing him to go, without his parents' expressed consent. Since Jesse was opposed to trying it and Andrew couldn't, Barry finally gave in and agreed to go along with them. In addition to the three little one, Trey, Vinnie, Graham, Sammy, Ted, Cole and Carlos would also be going with me.

Chapter 40
Much To Do and So Little Time

The first stop my group made on this tour was to see the old Sunbury Plantation. The house was constructed in 1660 and built to last. It has two and a half-foot thick walls and the sash windows have jalousies (coverings with adjustable slats) on the outside and shutters on the inside. These can be closed up quickly during a storm, to protect the windows and lessen the impact. The plantation has withstood several hurricanes, yet suffered only limited damage. The worst damage was done when the roof was blown off, but it was later replaced and made as good as new again. The fact that the house has withstood so much adversity is definitely a testament to the quality of the work done by the craftsmen that built it. After viewing the interior of the 'great house' and seeing the collections of household furnishings, it also gives credence as to how wealthy its former owners must have been.

"What type of a plantation was it?" Sammy asked.

"I believe the main crop was sugar cane, although the estate grew other things too," I replied. "It is my understanding that they most likely planted root crops, such as yams and carrots, as well as other foods, like corn and fruits. Most of these items would have been used to feed the people who lived and worked here, rather than being exported. The owners also planted the first Teak and Mahogany trees, which thrived in this climate. The wood they later got from these sources had many uses and brought in nice returns."

"Did they have slaves?" Trey followed. I knew he was thinking about Dion when he asked this question, but it was a valid point.

"They did and it began when the first settlers brought their slaves with them. However, the slaves revolted several times during the next couple of centuries, with the final two such occurrences taking place in 1816 and 1823," I replied. "Slave revolts were very big events when they happened and many slaves were often killed before it was over. Unfortunately, they didn't become free as a result of the uprising, but slavery was finally abolished in the mid-1830s. That, however, didn't mean the former slaves weren't still taken advantage of, since many of them then became indentured servants. In some cases, the indentured servants didn't receive any wages and merely worked for their room and board. It took a few more years before laws were passed to prevent this from happening too and other statutes were enacted so persons of color were no longer discriminated against."

Trey looked a bit disappointed after I told him slavery had flourished here, as it had in the States, but I think he was also grateful Dion wasn't with us to learn about it as well. Shortly after this discussion, we turned our attention back to the tour and went off to see the collection of authentic old carts and machinery that had been used on the plantation, as well as an impressive assortment of antique horse-drawn carriages. Once we had viewed all of these items, we finished our tour and moved on.

After leaving the plantation, we went to the restored signal station at Gun Hill. Originally, it was constructed in 1818 to warn of approaching ships and signal slave rebellions, after the big Bussa rebellion of 1816. The Barbados National Trust has recently restored the site and it consists of a small building, with an impressive cannon standing beside it. There is also a large stone lion, which the boys wanted to know more about.

"Man, that is really beautiful," Andrew observed. "Do you know anything about it?"

"A little," I replied. "During my research, I learned this lion was hand carved from a single rock by one of the men stationed here."

"Wow, it must be he didn't have much else to do then," Trey quipped.

"He was an officer, but he didn't work on it while he was on duty," I responded. "He sculpted the lion on his own time."

"How long did it take him to do it?" Barry followed. I think he wanted Andrew to know he was interested in this too.

"That I don't know," I admitted, "but judging from the primitive tools he would have had to work with, I assume it took him quite a while." My answer seemed to satisfy the boys, so we continued looking around.

From the station, we were also able to enjoy some breathtaking views, since you could virtually see all around the island from this vantage point. The station was located so you could observe various happenings for miles in every direction. When the station was in use, I'm certain the surrounding land was kept sufficiently clear so you could see anyone approaching on foot or by horseback as well.

From there, we journeyed to St. John's Church, which is a gothic style Anglican Church. Its history goes back to 1645, but the present structure only dates back to 1836. It was constructed to replace the previous building, which was destroyed by a hurricane in 1831. That may have been the primary reason stone was used to construct the present edifice. St. John's features a large tower, beautiful stained glass windows and has a grand circular stairway in the rear, which leads to the choir loft. Apart from the church, the site is taken up by an impressive churchyard, which contains the graves of many notable people. There is also a large sundial adorning one end of the cemetery and it is amazingly accurate, considering the technology.

"What's uh Aag-liken Church?' Barry wondered. I looked at the others quickly, to ensure they didn't make fun of his pronunciation.

"Maybe you learned in one of your history classes that England broke from the Church in Rome when Henry VIII was king," I began. "Therefore, it is a Protestant sect which is headed by the King or Queen of England. Since the British Isles were first settled by the Angles and Saxons, it is referred to as the Anglican Church." I think my response was more than Barry really wanted to know, but I elaborated for the sake of the others as well.

After concluding this portion of our tour, we proceeded to our next stop on the Caribbean side of the island by traveling along some very narrow and winding roads. Our route was surrounded by some of the most beautiful scenery you might ever see, which made the return journey very enjoyable too.

Our next stop was Pelican Village, but we wouldn't be spending much time here. I had made plans to whisk the boys off for another unusual treat – which would take place at Lucayan National Park. The park was named for the now extinct Lucayan Indians and I was going to take the boys kayaking. I figured the boys would enjoy this little diversion, before we returned to the ship.

Oh, it's probably not what you're imagining, because the kayaks we were going to use were wide-bottomed, two-person crafts that are very stable. There is also no white water or rapids involved, and we would only be using them to tour the park. Still, I figured it would be a pleasurable and unusual way to investigate the area.

After splitting up and putting each of the younger boys with someone older, I discovered it left Graham by himself. I hadn't realized we had an odd number of people in this group, eleven including me, but this time it wasn't a problem. It worked out that Graham was able to ride in the first kayak, behind our guide, and Graham seemed fine with this arrangement. Now that everything had worked out, we set off to check out our surroundings.

This National Park isn't anywhere as expansive as the National Parks in the United States, but it is still very lovely and well kept. Over the next hour, we navigated the crafts through a vast collection of orchids, groves of mangrove, palm and pine trees, and a wide variety of other tropical vegetation. We were also able to see many flamingos and numerous other tropical birds, as well as a few aquatic creatures. When we returned to our starting point, we turned everything in and got ready to leave. It had been a nice change of pace and I think everyone in my group was satisfied with the experience.

When we returned to Pelican Village, everyone picked up some small reminder of our brief, yet wonderful, stay here. Once the boys had what they wanted, we went to our rendezvous point, which was near the ship and where we were going to meet up with the other half of our family.

The group that went with Jake started by filling out a medical questionnaire first. Once it was deemed each of them met the requirements to participate, they were instructed in the basics of scuba diving next, before they were given their equipment. Not only were they acquainted with the breathing apparatus and tank they would use, but they were also given brief lessons on air pressure, air consumption, breathing compressed air and the risks inherent in scuba diving. Once this was completed and each of them understood the information, they were ready to move to the next level.

A short time after finishing the class, the group took their first plunge into Carlisle Bay. It was just a trial run, but it gave them a feel for what they were about to do. Some of the boys did have a little difficulty remembering to breathe through the apparatus in their mouth, rather than trying to breathe through their nose, but they eventually caught on. After this first quick dip, their guides answered any questions they had about what they had just done, as well as about what they were going to do next, before they were allowed to participate in the main dive.

This time, they dove to a depth of around eighteen feet, but never went deeper than forty feet, as they began to explore the exterior of several shipwrecks. The boys had been advised that they shouldn't try to enter any of these vessels, because their gear might get snagged or punctured, which could in turn lead to serious injury. Everyone heeded this advice, yet still managed to have a very enjoyable time exploring these wrecks.

Jake's group also got a close look at a coral reef, which was similar to the one we'd seen during our ride on the submarine. However, this time they got to examine it in more detail. The boys were warned that the ecosystem was very fragile, so they had to be extremely careful to keep from damaging it.

You may already know that coral reefs only exist in equatorial regions, roughly contained between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn. Corals are living creatures, and when they die their exoskeletons become the basis for forming these reefs. Many other creatures inhabit these areas as well and are dependent upon the reef for their survival.

After spending time investigating the wonders underwater, that group returned about a half hour after my group reached the rendezvous area. After chatting with them briefly and sharing our experiences, we headed back to the ship.

It was after 9:00 when we boarded and most of the boys were quite tired. A few of them were also hungry, so they went to get something to eat before going to their cabin, but the rest of us went directly to our rooms. I made sure the three little ones showered and were tucked in first, before Jake and I went back to our cabin to do the same.

While we were with the trio, they made sure to thank us again and let us know what a great time they'd had. Even though Andrew appeared happy too, I think he was still trying his best to hide his disappointment about not being able to go snorkeling the previous day. Even though he understood his injury limited the things he could do and was coping with it, this didn't mean his inability to participate in certain activities didn't bother him. I was glad he was handling it as well as he was, but I also understood part of the reason he was doing even this well had to do with the fact that Barry and Jesse were helping to distract him most of the time. I'm not sure what it would have been like for him, if the other two were not by his side most of the time.

The following morning, we docked in Martinique, which is part of the French West Indies. Since I wanted to get started as soon as we could, I talked the boys into having an early breakfast and then hustled them off to catch our bus. It took us on a short ride to our starting point and we were ready to participate in the 'Fort de France Walking Tour.'

The tour started at La Savanne Park, which is twelve and a half acres of lush tropical landscape and located near Fort de France. Although it is quite beautiful, the boys weren't really in to it, so I shortened our time there. Once we left the park, we went into the city, which is filled with colonial homes and numerous church steeples. Although this is the island's capital city, I have to say I found it to be a bit on the grubby side. We saw a lot of peeling paint and sagging frameworks, which definitely detracted from our impression of the place.

From there, we went to Fort St. Lewis. This is a naval base that was first established in 1638 and has a long and storied history. It has gone through several transformations over the years, as it developed into what it is today. After leaving the fort, we viewed the War Memorial and Empress Josephine's statue next. She was Napoleon's first wife and is revered here. Some say that is because she was born and raised on the island, even though there is some dispute about that claim.

We went to the Bibliotheque Schoelcher after that, which is a library that was built to house the books left to the city by Victor Schoelcher, upon his death. He had lived in Martinique and was most noted for helping to end slavery there. The building was constructed entirely in France and then shipped to its present location, where it was assembled. Its design is often referred to as a Byzantine-Egyptian-Romanesque style, which is not only unusual, but also quite unique to behold.

We then went to see three other historic buildings, the prefecture, Maison Bougenot and the old municipal theater. Even though they are all quite nice looking and part of the local history, they weren't overly impressive. I am glad we took the time to check them out, but we didn't stay at any of those places for very long. After that, we made a stop so everyone could taste sugar cane juice, before moving on to see the farmers market, the courthouse and our final stop, the St. Louis Cathedral. This is a Baroque style church, with a 200-foot high steeple, and was designed by the same gentleman that designed the library.

As we finished this tour, I noticed it was only 10:30. It was hard to believe it was still so early, since we'd already done so much, but it was still a little too soon for lunch. Since we really didn't have another option, we stopped for a snack instead. I didn't want the boys to wait until after our next stop before they ate anything or they might get very irritable before they were able to chow down again. Once we finished up there, we moved on to take the 'St. Pierre and Island Tour.' This outing began at the ruins of the old city, which triggered the first question.

"What is that?" Sammy asked, while pointing at the ruins.

"It is all that is left of what used to be known as 'Petit Paris,' or the Paris of the West Indies. It's the remains of the original city of St. Pierre."

"What happened to it?" Sammy followed.

"It was destroyed when Mt. Pelee erupted in 1902," I informed him. "The volcano," I stated, while pointing at the mountain looming in the distance, "released large quantities of hot ash and poisonous gases, which killed all but one of its 30,000 inhabitants and destroyed the buildings. Even though the city was later rebuilt, around the ruins of that disaster, it has never regained is former glory."

As we viewed the ruins, I think we all felt more than a twinge of sadness. It's not everyday that you stand in front of such a reminder of how fragile life can be and how quickly nature can snuff so many out of existence. It doesn't matter whether it happens as a result of a volcano, earthquake, tornado, hurricane or even a tsunami. They can all be devastating to those caught up in one.

From there, we made our way through several coastal villages and saw the spot where Christopher Columbus supposedly landed in the New World. We then made our way up into the mountains, where we were able to witness some magnificent views. This included a long-range look at Martinique's rainforest.

After descending the mountain slope, we returned to Fort de France, where the boys eagerly picked out some items to indicate they had been here. They also filled out a few postcards for their friends, aunts and uncles, to let them know what they had been up to and that they were doing fine. I felt this was extremely thoughtful of the boys, so I praised them for being so considerate.

We returned to the ship around 1:45 in the afternoon, which was cutting it close. The ship was scheduled to leave port around 2:00 and then we'd spend the next two and a half days at sea, on our way back to Fort Lauderdale. Our time on board would be much the same as it was on the way to these tropical destinations, but this time the boys would be winding down. They would be swapping stories about their time at the wonderful places we had visited and thinking ahead to what we would do once we got back, but I had one final activity planned for them.

Little Ricky's birthday was on the 17th, so I spoke to the Captain during one of our visits to the bridge and asked him if he'd mind if I threw a birthday party for him on the way back. The Captain seemed thrilled when I made this request and immediately granted his approval. In fact, he also had me explain to his staff what I was hoping to do and then they took care of most of the details for me, which included arranging for a huge birthday cake. That's why, when we went to lunch that afternoon, I led the family to the Captain's dining hall. The only one confused about this was Little Ricky, because I had told the others what I had planned. I also warned them not to mention it to him, because I wanted Little Ricky to be surprised. Oh, and was he surprised.

We were actually holding the party the day before his birthday, because we would be disembarking for the final time at 8:00 the following morning. Therefore, I felt this would be our best opportunity to do it, since I wasn't sure what I could arrange, once we reached Miami again. Not only that, but by holding his party onboard ship, I figured it would also help to make it more memorable.

When we entered the room, the first thing all of us noticed was a huge banner that read, 'Happy Birthday Richard.' Several members of the staff and crew were also present and sang to him as we entered. Of course, the rest of us joined in, but if you could have seen the expression on Little Ricky's face, it was priceless.

In addition to those I've already mentioned, the Captain also made an appearance, plus he had allowed me to invite some of the other passengers we had made friends with during the cruise. This included a boy and a girl Little Ricky had spent time with and were both close to his age. I think he was surprised, yet very pleased, to see them here as well, so even the guest list was a success.

We enjoyed a wonderful lunch first, after which we were each given a portion of Little Ricky's cake, but not until we sang to him again and he blew out the sixteen candles. We were also served a dish of ice cream to enjoy with our cake and the party went off quite nicely. It is still hard for me to accept that Little Ricky is this old already; because I tend to think of him as the young boy we first met several years ago. However, he will be a high school senior in the fall.

I told Little Ricky he'd receive his presents when we returned home, but I did hand him a card. He opened it and read what I had written inside and then turned and hugged me. I had jotted down that it was time for my son to get his license, so we'd make an appointment for him to take his driving test, right after school started. Then, he, too, would become a member of the group that enjoyed a little more freedom and responsibility than the younger family members.

Little Ricky thanked all of us, especially the Captain, for making his birthday so special. He also thanked us for remembering his special day, before admitting he thought we might forget it, since we were having so much fun on vacation. I instantly assured him that would never happen, because I enjoyed celebrating each of their birthdays as much as they did.

The Captain also saw to it that we were well catered to for the rest of the day and into the evening. First, he had a couple of his junior officers give us a tour of some of the other areas of the ship that few other passengers ever get to see. After splitting us into two groups, we got to see the galley, engine room, crew quarters and other areas that are strictly off limits to anyone not working for the cruise line. Not only that, but after dinner we were invited to attend a private show.

You see, during one of our previous conversations, the Captain asked what things we liked the most during the cruise and somehow remembered what we told him. Using this information, he then got a couple of the performers we had mentioned to agree to do a show that would only be attended by our family and the guests we had invited to the party. The entertainers then geared what they did specifically to us, by including references the captain had provided them about things only our family, or those we had filled in about them, would know. They mentioned Little Ricky several times, which made his special day even more special, and I know we all really enjoyed and appreciated their efforts.

I made sure to thank the Captain and his staff for everything they had done, before we went back to our cabins for the remainder of the night. I understand Graham gave a very special treat to the birthday boy as well, by letting Little Ricky make love to him. This wasn't an activity Graham did very often, and when he did, it was only with others he really cared deeply about. I think Little Ricky understood what an honor and privilege Graham was bestowing on him, which made it even more enjoyable.

When we reached Fort Lauderdale Thursday morning, the boys were a bit sad the cruise was over. They'd had a great time, but our vacation wasn't finished yet. They understood we would be spending three nights here, enjoying the beach, the hotel pool and taking walking tours around the city, before returning to Miami. From there, we would take off to visit our next set of exotic locations.

Sunday morning we took a bus back to Miami, because we had to catch our next cruise ship that afternoon. This time we'd be going to a different part of the Caribbean, so we'd be able to enjoy more unique experiences. I hoped the boys weren't growing tired of what we were doing, but we wouldn't be gone for very long. This would be another short cruise and last only eight days. We wouldn't be spending as much time at sea either, since our destinations weren't as far away, so I felt the boys would be fine. We'd return from the cruise the following Sunday and then catch our flight home.

Peter was scheduled to leave us a short time after we got back to Pennsylvania, which I suspected would create a rough period for all of us. We've grown very attached to him, because he is an exceptional young man and we've enjoyed having him with us, so his departure wasn't going to be easy. I knew he felt just as close to us, so he'd also find the parting difficult and would probably be very emotional when it came time to leave. Therefore, I was trying to think ahead and determine how I could handle this situation, to make it easier on everyone involved. I considered it important to lessen the profound impact his departure would have on both Peter and my family, without making promises I couldn't keep.

Chapter 41
Our Next Adventure

Our second cruise started off much like the first, except we left from Miami. We boarded the ship on Sunday afternoon, but we weren't going to hit our first port until Tuesday. Since the boys had been on a similar ship, I wasn't as worried about their getting lost and left them to find their own entertainment, providing they stayed in groups of four or more. Since everyone agreed, Jake and I spent most of this time alone, after making certain some of the older boys were responsible for watching over the three youngest.

We arrived in Cozumel, Mexico early Tuesday morning and went ashore as fast as we could. We were going to start out by taking a tropical jeep safari and I wanted to get out first, before all of the other tourists did. We were going to require the use of several jeeps to accomplish this, so I didn't want to get there and discover there weren't enough vehicles remaining to suit our needs.

When we arrived, I was surprised to learn the guide would drive one jeep, but we'd be required to drive the others and follow him. Jake and I showed our driver's licenses, along with a handful of the older boys, and then we eagerly pulled our vehicles into a linear formation, behind our guide.

This adventure began with a forty-minute ride into Playa del Carmen, where we then turned away from civilization and journeyed to the southeastern side of the Yucatan Peninsula. Along the way, we traveled through a wide variety of lush tropical vegetation and disturbed the wildlife inhabitants of the area. Although we tried to minimize our impact, the sounds generated by the vehicles and the noise the boys made, still had a disruptive effect. Our approach sent several iguanas and many tropical birds fleeing, as they tried to avoid any potential contact.

Our first stop was a natural cave. After we got out of the jeeps, our guide led us along the banks of an underground river, which we followed until it emptied in an underground lake. It was eerily quiet as we studied the dark waters, except for the occasional comments from the boys.

"It's kind of spooky," Little Ricky observed. "I wonder what types of animals live down here."

"There might be animals that haven't even been discovered yet," Carlos offered. "Maybe el chupacabra lives in this cave and that's why no one has ever seen it."

"What is that?" Graham followed, confused.

"The chupacabra is monster that lives in Mexico," Carlos explained. "It's name means goat sucker, because it bites its victim and drains it of blood."

"You mean it's a bloody vampire?" Peter shouted.

"Boys, I'm sure nothing like that lives here, if it even exists," I interrupted, hoping they didn't get too carried away.

"How about something like Gollum?" Ricky asked, while flashing a devilish grin. I knew he was only trying to stir up the pot, so I tried to shoot him down quickly.

"Gollum was just a fictional character that was created by the guy that wrote the 'Lord of the Rings' trilogy," I replied.

"But don't many of the things people use in stories have some basis in fact?" Ricky countered. "I mean, it did live in a cave, near an underground lake, so maybe there are other creatures like him."

"Ricky, I think you know better than that," I challenged, while staring at his impish grin. I knew he was doing this just to spook some of the younger boys. "Do you think everything Stephen King writes about is based in fact?"

"I'll bet some of it is, so maybe that was too," he replied, to my chagrin. I thought it best to end this discussion and try to find a way to ease their minds, but Andrew spoke up before I could do that.

"Dad, Jesse says he thinks he saw something moving over there," he stated, while pointing to a dark recess in the cave.

"It's probably just his imagination," I responded.

"That's what I thought, until I saw something move over there too," Andrew countered.

"Your dad's probably correct," the guide added, while trying to keep from laughing at our discussion. "During all the times I've been in this cave, I've never run across any creatures, except for a bat or two."

"I didn't see anything, but I thought I heard something a little while ago," Barry added, in support of his friends.

"That was probably just an echo from all the noise we've been making," I offered, "or possibly one of these other jokesters tossed a pebble, to make you think something was there."

At that point, the guide jumped in and told us we'd better get going again, if we wanted to get back in time. In fact, he seemed to possess a new determination to extract us from our surroundings and end this debate.

To everyone's relief, we emerged from the cave and into the sunlight without encountering any aggressive or dangerous life forms. Everyone seemed none the worse for wear – well, maybe I shouldn't say that. The three youngest boys were still letting their imaginations run rampant and convinced they had seen or heard a beast lurking in the shadows while we were underground. They reasoned it didn't do anything because of the size of our group, but they were certain it would have revealed its presence and attacked, if there had been just one or two of us alone in the dark.

Fortunately, our next stop was Xpu-ha (pronounced shpoo hah) Beach. There, the bright sunlight, white, powdery sand and warm waters of the Caribbean allowed the boys to forget about the cave and relax, as they swam or lounged along the shore. While we unwound, a Mayan style lunch was grilled for us, right on the beach. We started off with some roast pumpkin, followed by Cochenita Pbil, which is pork that has been seasoned and roasted in a banana leaf. We were also given roast maize (corn) and Mayan hot chocolate to wash it down with.

After eating, we spent a little more time on the beach, before we made our return trip to Cozumel. Once we got back, we set off again and were transported to Chankanaab National Park. There, we met one of the most amazing creatures that made its home in the ocean. After being given a brief orientation, we were then led to a platform and introduced to a group of bottlenose dolphins. Over the next forty minutes, we learned a great deal about their behavior and participated in an assortment of exercises with them.

Once we finished learning about these amazing animals, we were given thirty minutes to swim with them. Andrew wanted to do this very badly, and luckily I had thought ahead and come prepared. I hadn't really anticipated this circumstance, but I did think he might want to get in the water at some point. Therefore, I quickly wrapped his cast in a pair of clear plastic bags I had carried with me, but this time I secured the protective covering with black electrical tape, to prevent it from tearing loose. Andrew was thrilled when he realized he was going to be able to participate too, at least to a limited extent. I made sure he understood he was to stay in the shallower sections, just in case he lost his balance or a dolphin accidentally knocked him over. After he agreed, we all spent the next half hour enjoying these fascinating creatures. I'm not sure what they were trying to tell us, with their series of clicks, whistles and other sounds, but I believe it was that they were enjoying this as much as we were.

Shortly after we returned from this outing, I quickly explained our next activity to the family. We were going to be boarding a 105-foot replica of an eighteenth century Spanish Goleta, which is a schooner like vessel, for a Pirate Lobster Dinner Cruise. While we enjoyed our steak and lobster meal, we were entertained by watching some exciting, and high-flying, pirate fights, as we sailed along the coastline. They even had music after the show, for those that cared to dance, and an open bar, for those old enough to partake. We all had a great time.

It was fairly late when we arrived back at the cruise ship and at midnight it set sail again. Wednesday was another fun day at sea, but some of the boys had more fun than others. I heard that Sammy and Ted enjoyed another sexual romp that afternoon, but I also heard about another encounter that I would never have suspected. Shortly after breakfast, Peter approached Little Ricky to apologize, sort of.

"I'm really sorry I didn't get you anything for your birthday last week," Peter began.

"It's okay," Little Ricky assured him. "I wasn't expecting you to."

"Well, I'd like to give you something now, if you don't mind," Peter continued. "If you come back to my room, I'll give you a gift I'm sure you'll enjoy." The way it was said and where Peter's eyes were focused made the implications obvious, so Little Ricky eagerly followed him back to his room.

I'm still amazed that Peter claims to be straight, because he seems to like to do things with the other guys, and Little Ricky took full advantage of the opportunity. He allowed Peter to undress him and then Peter began to fondle his genitals, until he became erect. Once Little Ricky was hard, Peter pushed him back on the bed, took Little Ricky's manhood into his mouth and proceeded to give him the best blowjob he knew how. It was more than good enough for Little Ricky and it was obvious he enjoyed it, because he blew his load a few minutes later.

"I wanted to do that for you before I went back home," Peter admitted. "I'm really going to miss all you blokes." Although Little Ricky knew Peter would be returning to Australia soon, the excitement of the vacation had made him temporarily forget about it. Now, he wanted to do something special for Peter too.

"I'd like to give you something too," he began, "before you go back home. I haven't done this before, but I know you'll really like it, so I'm go to let you fuck me." Peter's mouth dropped open.

"You want me to shag you?" Peter quipped, astounded. "I don't want to hurt you, mate, and I'm not sure I'd know what to do to keep that from happening."

"I think I do, from watching and listening the others, so I'm willing to try it, if you want to?" Little Ricky answered. "I know you were hoping I'd do that for you the last time we were together, but I wasn't ready then. I knew you were disappointed, but now I'm willing to make it up to you."

Peter couldn't believe his good fortune and eagerly shed his own garments, as Little Ricky looked around for the appropriate supplies. He found that Ricky had put them in the bathroom and soon came out carrying what he needed. Within minutes, he was explaining to Peter what he'd need to do to loosen him up and then he helped Peter slip on a condom and lube that up as well, prior to getting into position. Before long, he was kneeling on his hands and knees, with Peter waiting behind him.

"Okay, but go slow," Little Ricky urged.

Peter did as he was told and slowly brought the head of his dick against Little Ricky's anal opening. Carefully, he pushed at Little Ricky's backdoor, but it wasn't budging. Peter tried again, as Little Ricky began to push out, and finally the head popped in.

"Ugggh," Little Ricky moaned.

"Are you all right?" Peter asked, as he froze in place. "Does it hurt?"

"It did a little, but not too bad," Little Ricky replied, "but give me a second, before you do anything else."

Peter remained as motionless as a statue, as he waited for Little Ricky to tell him he could continue. Before long, he received his next command.

"Okay, you can push in a little more," Little Ricky told him, so Peter gently applied a little more pressure to make that happen. This time, however, he seemed to slide right in and Peter soon found his pubic patch resting against Little Ricky's butt cheeks.

"Wow, that wasn't bad at all," Little Ricky acknowledged. "Okay, you can start now, but go slow, until I get used to it."

Peter did as Little Ricky suggested and began rocking back and forth in a nice slow rhythm. Before long, Little Ricky began to get into it and tried to back into Peter, as he was thrusting forward, and then move back again, as Peter withdrew. This added stimulation soon caused Peter to feel his midsection heating up, so he quickened his pace slightly. They were really going at it now and both boys were making all kinds of guttural, animalistic noises. A minute or so later, Peter arched his back and drove completely into Little Ricky, as several volleys of his boy seed erupted into the condom's reservoir.

"Thank you, mate," Peter sighed, nearly breathlessly, a few seconds later.

"You're welcome, but I enjoyed it too," Little Ricky countered. "I wasn't sure I would, but that wasn't half bad. I guess now I see why the others like to do it so much." Little Ricky giggled after saying this and then Peter hugged him in appreciation. A short time later they reappeared on deck and I don't think anyone suspected or knew a thing about it, until Little Ricky admitted it to me later.

The next morning we docked at Grand Cayman, which is the largest of the Cayman Islands. We ate a quick breakfast before we left the ship and then I hurried the boys off to our first activity, which was a glass bottom boat tour. We boarded a 100-foot yacht, which features the world's largest glass bottom, and soon witnessed many of the Grand Cayman's underwater delights.

The water was crystal clear and the visibility seemed limitless, as we peered beneath the surface. We were astounded by the brilliant marine life swimming there and surprised to see divers in the water below us, hand feeding the various creatures that make this area their home. The boys who went snorkeling on our previous cruise, and got to feed the fish during the outing, thought back upon that memorable experience. I think some of them were eager to join the divers too, so they could enjoy feeding these creatures too, but it wasn't to be.

Before the hour cruise was up, we were taken over the site of a sunken shipwreck as well, to complete our experience. I guess I'd never thought much about it before, but there seems to be a lot of ships lying beneath the regions of the ocean we'd visited lately. I'm sure hurricanes have played a sizable role in this, but I'm also convinced there were other reasons for some of these wrecks. A few might have even been sunk during a fight with another vessel, either during a war or while fending off a pirate attack, but Davy Jones' locker sure has a lot of clutter.

Once we left the boat, we began a tour of the local area. As we rode around on the air-conditioned bus, we learned that Christopher Columbus had discovered the Cayman Islands in 1503. Over the next two hours, we got to see the Conch Shell House (which merely has a unique texture to its exterior), the Govenor's residence and the old Cayman homestead (a pink and white cottage built in 1912, which has been restored with a woodstove, kerosene lamps and mahogany beds). We also visited the world's most famous turtle farm, where several species of endangered turtles survive and thrive.

We also saw the black rock formation that is named 'Hell.' Although visitors aren't allowed to actually go into the area, we were able to observe it from a distance. Hell is about half the size of a football field and is filled with black limestone formations (stalagmites), which erupt from the surface. Some of the first people to view this area claimed it must be what hell looks like, hence its name. It even has its own post office, so the boys eagerly purchased a number of postcards, so they could send their friends, aunts and uncles a postcard from Hell.

Then we made a visit to the Tortuga Rum Factory, where those of us old enough got to sample the product. The rum produced at this factory is a blend of Jamaican and Barbados rum and I found it quite interesting. The factory's name comes from the original name for the islands, Las Tortugas or the Turtles, because of the vast numbers of turtles that thrived there. Even though the younger boys couldn't sample the rum, we all got to enjoy a slice of original Tortuga Rum Cake. There were actually several flavors of rum cake to choose from, which included chocolate, coconut, banana, and coffee, to name a few.

We finished up our stay at Grand Cayman with the 'Cockatoo Catamaran Sail and Stingray' outing. A motor coach whisked us away to the Cayman Islands Yacht club, where we boarded a custom built 60-foot catamaran, which currently holds the Cayman Islands around the island speed record. A catamaran is the name for a twin-hulled boat, and it took us around the North Sound, with our final destination being Stingray City.

Actually, Stingray City is merely a sandbar where the local fishermen had cleaned their catch for many years. Over that time, the stingrays lost their fear of man and now interact freely with the numerous visitors that come here. After learning we could also feed the stingrays, many of the boys were interested in participating. Even though they wanted to get in the water and do this, I was a little concerned. I knew the stingray's sting is poisonous and can sometimes prove fatal, so the boys' welfare was of utmost concern while we were here.

Seeing we were having a very animated discussion, one of the professional divers came over and spent some time explaining how the stingray's reputation has been greatly exaggerated. He told me that although these creatures have the potential to be dangerous, unless frightened or provoked, they are usually not a threat. He then went about showing us how the stingrays are fed and how the stingrays interact with those feeding them. After talking it over with the boys again, I allowed those who wanted to take the chance, to do this. However, they were always under the watchful gaze of a group of professionals, who were ready to step in, if the situation warranted it.

I was truly amazed at how docile these creatures seemed and how much pleasure the boys got from doing this. The stingrays even allowed the boys to pet or stroke their bodies and even seemed to enjoy having it done to them. I think I changed my attitude about them, although I might still be on my guard, if I ever encountered one at another location.

Once we left Stingray City, we did some more sailing, as we wound our way back to the yacht club. Upon arriving there, we took the motor coach back to the ship and returned to our cabins. All in all, it was a whirlwind day and we had a great deal of fun, but now it was time to clean up, as the ship moved on to our next destination.

The ship left port by 4:30, so we'd be having dinner onboard. After we finished eating, we were left to find our own entertainment, until we reached our next stop the following morning. The boys were fine with this, especially the couples, so I didn't foresee any problems arising from our short time at sea.

We docked at Ocho Rios, Jamaica at 8:00 and hurried ashore. I had a couple of things planned for this stop, but I wanted to get the first one out of the way early, before it got too hot. We boarded an air-conditioned bus and took a forty-minute ride to our destination. Of course, the boys pelted us with numerous questions about where we were going and what we'd be doing, but Jake and I kept our lips sealed. We only told them they'd see when we got there.

This was an activity I'd been forced to contact the operators about, before we left on vacation, for two reasons. One was due to Andrew's injury and the other was because Jesse didn't meet their minimum age of 12-years. Since I knew that pair would like this activity better than anything else we'd done, I had to do some serious negotiating, purchase some special equipment and have it shipped to this location, with the promise that I'd let the company have the items after we used them for this limited outing. After doing all of this, the owners agreed to let both boys participate as well.

The bus took us to a spot two thousand-feet above sea level, and once there, we got off the bus. After we were all standing in a semi-circle, I explained what we'd be doing next.

"Okay, we're going to be taking the 'Mountain to Sea Bike Adventure,' I began. "This is 90% downhill, so it won't be that tough on those of you who are out of shape…"

"Like you and Papa Jake," Ricky interrupted, with a huge grin on his face.

"We'll soon see who's out of shape, wise guy," I replied, "but Jake and I will have an extra load. Unfortunately, Andrew and Jesse won't be able to ride their own bikes, although I know they'd love to. The reason for Andrew is obvious, but Jesse is too young, at least as far as the operators of this activity are concerned. They require participants be at least 12-years old, so Andrew and Jesse will ride in a seat that will be connected to the rear of Jake's and my bike."

The boys looked confused by this comment, until our guide wheeled one of our bikes into view. There was an egg-shaped attachment fastened to the rear wheel, which extended behind the bike. It was suitable for a passenger and a quarter of it was open, so the occupant could see out. The seat was also equipped with a seatbelt and it rode above it's own set of wheels, so it was also quite stable. Since it would put an extra drag on our bicycles, it was fortunate for Jake and I that most of this journey was downhill, so it wouldn't be too bad.

Jesse looked disappointed that he wouldn't be allowed to ride his own bike, so I pulled him aside and explained the situation, face to face. "Jesse, I had little other choice in the matter," I told him, as soothingly as I could. "The owners have their rules and we have to follow them, even if we disagree with them. It was either leaving Andrew and you behind, doing it this way or not doing it at all."

After a few minutes more of reasoning with Jesse, he finally relented and accepted what was going to happen. He'd be riding in the contraption behind Jake, while Andrew would be riding behind me.

Our guide then gave us a brief orientation and explained what we'd be doing, before going over the safety rules. Once this had been accomplished, he assigned each boy to a bike. Of course, Jake and I knew which two were slated for us, so we helped Andrew and Jesse get situated, before we got in position to start out. I think the older boys, the ones that prefer cars instead of bicycles now, were even looking forward to doing this. I found it amazing they were willing to do something on vacation that they would probably complain about having to do at home?

It turned out to be a lovely ride and a very enjoyable experience for all of us. The scenery was outstanding, so I urged our guide to let us go as slowly as we could, so we could take time to enjoy the sights as we made the descent. The road we were on was surrounded by dense, lush woodlands, which not only were beautiful to behold, but also helped to shade us from the hot sun. The roadway eventually emerged from the trees and opened up into a very peaceful meadow. There were a few animals out and about, so some of the boys were busy trying to point them out to Jake and me, as we made our way to Mount Zion. Before we arrived there, we stopped at the Spicy Grove Tavern to replenish our body fluids and quench our thirst. After downing a couple of drinks each, we got back on our bikes and set off once again.

During this portion of the trip, we passed the ruins of an historic seventeenth century sugar factory and a series of polo fields, until we reached a scenic little cove. Nature had carved it out of rock and left a serene pool, which would have been ideal to swim in. Unfortunately, we didn't have time to do that, so we pushed on until we reached our final destination and met up with the motor coach again.

After another short ride, we took a tour of a 1000-acre estate, which belongs to Sir Harold Mitchell. The estate is a working plantation and is full of bananas, sugar cane, orchids and cattle, along with much more, and we were able to view it all from a tractor-pulled jitney. A trained cadet, whom most of the boys found very cute, explained everything we came across and Jake and I found him to be quite informative.

After leaving the plantation, we traveled to Dunn's River Falls. This is a 600-foot waterfall that is shaped like a giant staircase. Some of the more adventurous among us decided to climb it, which they did under the supervision of an experienced guide. Jake and I decided to remain with the three youngest, as well as those that didn't want to do this, and we merely watched as the others made their trek. We did manage a few good laughs, as we observed some of their not-so-graceful slips and spills, which made me wonder if Jay had somehow magically appeared and joined us.

I know Jay has outgrown his clumsy stage now, but it did bring back memories of some of the near disasters and comical moments he'd been responsible for on our first vacation. Unfortunately, he couldn't come with us this year, because he had a summer internship with a fairly well known architectural firm. The experience would give him a leg up when he applied for a position after he finished his coursework and graduated from college, so he did that, rather than join us.

Once we finished up here, we had to hustle to get back to the ship on time, so it wouldn't sail without us. Our cruise ship was scheduled to leave at 3:30, so we only had about twenty minutes to spare, before we begin our trek back to Miami.

Chapter 42
Some Sad Farewells

We boarded the ship and I immediately suggested everyone should start cleaning up and getting ready for dinner. Tonight was our turn for the Captain's Dinner on this cruise and we all had to dress up, more than normal. The boys didn't seem to mind this as much as I expected. I think it probably had something to do with the fact that they were very hungry from the long and somewhat exhausting day we'd just experienced and the food at the Captain's dinner was even better than the normal fare. Needless to say, I didn't question my good fortune and happily went with Jake back to our room, so we could do the same.

As it approached time for dinner, I rounded the boys up and led them to the Captain's dining hall. Once we were seated, we waited for a few minutes, before the Captain entered. When he did, he strode directly over to our table.

"Mister Currie, I presume," he stated, while reaching out his hand. I did the same, shook his hand and replied.

"Guilty as charged, but I'm surprised you would know that," I commented.

"I have to admit, a little bird filled me in about you and your family before we left port," he quipped back. "One of my best friends is the Captain of the ship you took on your first cruise and he called to inform me that he'd learned you'd be sailing with me next. It is definitely a pleasure and an honor to meet you. My friend spoke very highly of you and your boys." I'm sure I blushed hearing him say this.

"Oh, we're nothing special, just a group of tired vacationers right now," I replied.

"My friend told me you were a bit on the modest side," he replied, "but I'd really appreciate it if you'd introduce me to your family. I hear they're a fantastic group of young men."

I introduced him to Jake first and then took him around the table and introduced him to each of the boys. He took a few minutes to chat with each one and asked them several questions. Nothing too personal, but it was obvious he was interested in what each of them had to say, including Peter, Ted, Carlos and Barry. After he had chatted with everyone, he strode up to his place at the head table and things got started. It was then that I realized we had been responsible for holding up the start of dinner and all eyes in the place had been focused on us, as the Captain made his way around our group.

Once the staff started moving about and taking orders, one of the staff came over to ask Jake and I what we wanted to drink. She informed us the Captain had sent word for her to do this, so we didn't refuse. She brought our drinks back shortly and then jotted down what each of us wanted. A couple of young men helped her bring everything to our table a few minutes later, and as we expected, the food was great. She continued to supply Jake and I with more drinks, each time she noticed we were nearing the bottom of the one we currently had. After four or five of these, Jake and I both informed her that would do, unless she was intentionally trying to get us drunk. She laughed and said she understood, before offering to bring us coffee instead. We gratefully accepted and she returned a few seconds later with a fresh pot.

After pouring us each a cup, she started removing our dishes and asked what we wanted for dessert. To my amazement, she also encouraged the boys to order more than one item each, which they were happy to do. She then had everything delivered to us, and it was during this time that I realized I was going to miss all of this personal attention, once we returned home.

Things quieted down once dinner ended and we went back to our rooms. Jake and I were chatting about the Captain and how he went out of his way to come over and meet us, when there was a knock at our door. When I opened it, I was surprised to see Jesse standing there.

"Dah-dy," he choked out, "you come say night?" he asked, before grabbing my hand and pulling me in the direction of their room.

First of all, I was choked up and near the point of tears hearing him say this, because it was the first time he had ever called me Daddy. When I finally found my voice, I called Jake to come with me and we walked next door to the boys' room, so we could tuck them in.

"Jesse, where did you go?" we heard Andrew ask, as Jesse walked through the door. "You know you aren't supposed to go out by yourself."

At that moment, Jake and I strolled through the door behind him and Andrew stopped his interrogation.

"So you didn't send him over to get us?" I asked.

"No. Barry and I didn't even know he left," Andrew responded, "until we couldn't find him anywhere."

"Then you don't know why he came to get us?" I followed.

"Nope," Andrew answered. "I have no idea what he was up to." Suddenly, I was more choked up than before. This was Jesse's own idea and no one had set him up to do this.

"Well, what did he want?" Barry followed, when I didn't say anything.

I quickly informed the pair what Jesse had said and wanted. When I looked at Andrew, he was beaming. I was going to ask him what was up, but he beat me to the punch.

"Jesse really loves you and looks forward to having you come over to say good night," he explained. "Every night when you go back to your room, after tucking us in and kissing us on the forehead, Jesse tells us he loves Daddy."

"We tell him we do too," Barry added, "cause you're like my dad too, when I'm here with you." Damn, if they keep this up I'm going to end up a blubbering idiot.

Instead of speaking, I tucked the three of them in and kissed each of them on the forehead. By that time I was able to speak again, so I told each of them I loved them too and wished them sweet dreams. Jake followed suit, but once we got back to our room, Jake had something to say.

"Do you still think you can't do this any longer?" he asked, before giving me a wink. "If anything should keep you going, that surely should," he added, with a grin.

"Alright, alright," I replied. "So I'm an old softy that can easily be buttered up."

"I didn't see or hear anyone buttering you up," Jake countered. "All I heard was Jesse and Barry sincerely telling you how they feel. Both boys love you as their dad, even though Barry has his own father. Maybe that's why you're such a great educator, because nearly every kid you come into contact with loves you."

"Did you forget about David Hubbard or the guys who just gave Sammy such a rough time," I challenged. "They certainly don't love me."

"Josh, I said nearly all," Jake answered. "Besides, those guys don't count, in my book." I just looked at him and shrugged, and then we turned in for the evening.

The next day was our final 'Fun Day at Sea,' so I told the boys to choose what they wanted to do and have fun. Most went off on their own, but the three youngest stuck with us.

"Barry's starting to feel bad because he's going to have to go home soon," Andrew whispered to me, when he thought no one else could hear.

"That sometimes happens when you've been away and having a good time, like when you go to camp," I informed him.

"No, Dad," Andrew corrected me. "He sad about having to leave us. Barry, Jesse and I have had a lot of fun together, but I can tell he really loves being with you too. I know he still loves his father, but he really feels close to you, because of all the things you've done for him."

"It's just because we took him on the trip with us," I reasoned.

"That's part of it," Andrew agreed, "but it's also because you treat us so well and didn't get mad when you found out we did sex things together when we were camping. He didn't even get upset when you came into our tent and saw him naked, but I think he would have, if anyone else had come in. It's also why he wanted us to come to Chicago for St. Patrick's Day."

"I think that was because he wanted to see you again," I countered.

"And you too," Andrew challenged. "He told me so, before he said his dad was going to call you. Even after Jesse caught us having sex, you didn't get mad. Barry thought we'd get a spanking because of that, but you just listened to what happened, and what Jesse had to say, and then you let him join us too. You even told us we'd probably done him a favor and Barry thought that was really awesome. He feels he can talk to you about anything and why he doesn't bother to put anything on when you come to our room. He's cool with you seeing him like that, but if it were anyone else, he'd probably freak out. He tells me all the time that he thinks you're cool and he loves being around you."

I didn't know how to respond to this, but obviously Barry had overheard some of what Andrew had been telling me. He came over and wrapped his arms around my neck and whispered in my ear, "He's right. I do love you and love being with you."

"And I feel the same way," I replied, while choking back my emotions. "In fact, I'm going to try to get your family to let you spend time with us as often as I can and I want you to know you'll always be welcome to join us."

After I told him this, he hugged me again, before I thought I should change the topic. I then asked the boys what they'd like to do for the rest of the day and explained Jake and I were willing to do whatever they wanted, no matter what it was. The only stipulation was that we wanted them to choose what we were going to do. After thanking us for doing this for them, the boys decided they wanted to go see one of the shows they'd heard some of the others talking about, so we went there next.

For the rest of the day, the three munchkins were in charge of what we did and it was obvious they were pleased we went along with them, willingly. After dinner, they said they just wanted to hang out with us, so I suggested we could do that at the pool. After getting changed and covering Andrew's cast, we went to spend the rest of our time in the water.

During our stay at the pool, Jake and I often found Barry close by our side or climbing onto our laps, whenever we took a break and sat in the chairs beside the pool. I could tell he was thinking ahead, about having to fly home. I knew it was going to be a very emotional parting for all of us, but I did promise we'd have him join us again and would come to Chicago and join his family next St. Patrick's Day.

That night, the boys wanted to stay with us, so we were going to try to squeeze onto our queen-sized bed. When we realized that wasn't going to work, Jake volunteered to sleep in the boys' room and Andrew quickly said he'd stay with Jake. He told me he was fine with that, before adding that Barry and Jesse really wanted to spend time with me. I agreed to the arrangement, but only after hugging and kissing both Andrew and Jake and telling them I loved them.

Jesse and Barry weren't about to budge when it came to the sleeping arrangements either. Both boys were insistent that I sleep between them, so each of them could be close to me without having another body between us. Although I'd prefer not to be in that position, I agreed to do it and spent the night with a boy cuddled up on either side. They each had an arm draped across my chest, but Barry also had a leg slung over mine as well. They seemed comfortable and slept well, but I can't say I had a good night's sleep. That's because I prefer to sleep on my side and do not do well sleeping on my back. However, feeling the love the two of them were sharing with me more than made up for it.

We docked in Miami at 8:00 the following morning, collected our gear and went directly to the airport. Barry's flight to Chicago left a little after 11:00 and our flight to Philly was scheduled to leave just before noon. When we reached the airport, I called Farrell, to remind him to meet his son's flight, before I put Barry on the phone. For the next twenty minutes, I listened as Barry excitedly recounted many of the things we had done during the time he was with us, and then he handed the phone back to me.

When I got on the line, Farrell joked that I had made it tough for him to keep up, so he hoped Barry wouldn't be too disappointed by the vacation they were going to take with his wife's family. Before we said good-bye, I thanked him for letting Barry join us and told him his son was an absolute pleasure. Farrell questioned if we were speaking about the same kid and then laughed, as we ended the call.

The situation became very emotional, when we all said our good-byes to Barry. It was particularly rough for Andrew, Jesse and me, because we had spent the most time with him. I reaffirmed the promises I had made to him previously, before handing him off to the flight attendant. We then watched as they walked off to catch their plane. Barry turned to wave at us several times before they disappeared from sight and I could tell he was also crying. Hell, the three of us were too!

Later, after our flight landed in Philadelphia, we had a similar problem when it came time to say good-bye to Carlos and Ted. After leaving the airport, we picked up Carlos' mother and then drove to the restaurant to meet Jane. After we were seated, the rest of us listened as Carlos and Ted explained to the women what they'd done and what a great time they'd had.

Actually, this meal served a dual purpose. Since Ted would be turning eighteen in four days, I decided we'd make this a birthday party for him too. I informed the hostess when we arrived and asked if they could do something special for not only him, but also the entire group. I said cost wasn't a factor and she said she'd take care of everything. Therefore, after we finished our meal, the staff came out carrying sundaes for everyone, but Ted's also had a candle in it. Before passing them out, they sang to Ted, but it was the restaurant's own version of a birthday song. Once we had our desserts, we serenaded Ted with the more traditional tune, although I had asked everyone not to do it too loudly, since the other guests had already been disturbed by the prior performance.

"Wow, I didn't know you knew my birthday was coming up," Ted gasped, "so I certainly didn't expect this. And thank you for taking me with you. That was the best birthday present ever." We were all pleased Ted was so happy and got a kick out of the fact that it took him a while to calm down again.

After we finished up and we went outside, Ted took his belongings out of our vehicles and placed them in his Aunt Jane's car. Then, he raced over and wrapped his arms around me.

"Thank you, Pop, and I love you," he said, before hugging me. After that, he also hugged and thanked Jake, Sammy and a couple of the other boys before he left too.

Jane just watched and smiled, as her nephew did this. She then thanked us too, before she and Ted got in the car and drove off. We could see Ted waving at us through the rear window, as the car sped away.

We then took Carlos and his mother back to their place, and after he got his things lined up on the grass, he also came over to give me a hug.

"Mucho gracias, Papi," he whispered, as he was squeezing me. "I love you too." I take it he had heard what Ted had said, when he was saying good-bye to me at the restaurant.

Carlos then said good-bye to the others and then the rest of the family got back into our vehicles to make the long drive home. Just before we separated, to get into our own vehicle, Jake looked over and said, "Yeah, you're right. You can't do this much longer."

I knew it was just another little dig about what I'd said after Andrew's accident and realized he got me again. Playfully, I reached out and punched him in the arm.

"Uht oh, cat fight!" Danny shouted out, which prompted some of the other boys to make their own comments about what I had done. Damn, they don't miss a trick.

Shortly after we arrived back at our place, I had to get Peter to start packing up all of his things too. I'd be taking him to the airport in two days, so he could catch his flight to Australia. He had already stayed longer than we first negotiated with his parents, although they didn't have a problem with him remaining with us a little longer so he could join us on the cruises. However, I knew we had to make sure he caught this flight, even though he'd probably be agreeable to staying even longer, if I offered him that option.

We made sure all of his things were clean before he packed them, since I didn't want his parents to get the wrong impression about us. I also had Peter call his mother and father, to make certain everything was set on that end too. It didn't take long to discover it was a go – that was except for Peter.

Peter was having a difficult time saying good-bye to all of us, so I decided I might be able to make it a little easier on him. I quickly dug out the catalog I'd received from the Australian company; the one I'd used to purchase his laptop and his parents' television before Ricky returned home. Then, I sat down with Peter and tried to offer him a little comfort.

"Peter, I know it's always difficult to say good-bye," I began, "but we'll keep in touch. I don't mean we'll just send letters and emails back and forth either." At this point, I pointed to a picture on the page I had opened to in the catalog.

"I have ordered this web-cam, microphone and headphone for you," I informed him, while flipped to three different pages, "so you can use them on your laptop. They should be there by the time you get back and I want you to use them when you want to get in touch with us. We all have web-cams, microphones and headphones on our computers too, so this way we can actually see and talk to each other, rather than just IM back and forth. I know it's not the same as being here, but at least this way it won't seem as bad."

"You bought all that for me too, after everything you've already done?" Peter gasped. He sounded incredulous.

"They weren't expensive," I explained, "but they will help us to remain close. I also hope we might be able to visit you sometime or you'll be able to come back to see us again. Just let me know if you think that's possible and I'll help with the arrangements."

At that point, Peter threw his arms around my neck and began squeezing. "You're even better than Ricky told me, when he first came to stay with us. I won't forget you – ever!" he promised. "I don't usually say this to a bloke, but I really do love you. It's as if I have two families – one at home and one here in the States, and two more dads. Thank you, so much, for everything. You really have changed my life. I'll never be the same Peter that Ricky met when he first came to Australia. I've seen and done too much and now I want to do more than spend my life in the small place I grew up in. That wouldn't have happened without you." He hugged me again and I know a few tears were sneaking out of my eyes and rolling down my cheeks. I was truly touched by what he'd just said.

The boys said farewell to Peter at home, because they opted not to ride to the airport with us. I wasn't sure if they just weren't ready to sit through another long ride or if they didn't want to make us take two vehicles again. Whatever the reason, Jake and I were able to squeeze everyone into the Yukon when we took Peter to catch his flight. The ride seemed to take longer than normal and I could tell it was quite emotional too, at least for those riding in the rear two seats. The boys kept talking to Peter and telling him how much they were going to miss him, and Peter thanked each of them for everything they had done during his stay. I knew he was thanking them for much more than just the sex and it was obvious more than just Ricky and Peter found this parting difficult. It was very emotional for all of them.

After arriving at the airport, we walked Peter to his gate and hugged him again before he left.

"You set that web-cam up when you get home and then contact us, so we know you've arrived safely," I told him. "If it isn't there yet, you call me collect if you have to, but I want to know you made it home."

"I will," Peter promised. "Even though this is going to be a long flight, I'll probably end up blubbering all the way back. I really hate to leave."

"We hate to see you go, too," I told him, "but I think you're parents might get upset if we tried to keep you." Peter let out a choked laugh.

"I suppose they would and I'm anxious to see them again too," he confirmed. "It's just that you've become my other family and it's so difficult to leave you behind."

Instead of speaking, we just hugged Peter again and then watched, as he made his way toward the plane. We stood there for a few minutes longer, after he had moved out of sight, but I wasn't sure if we did this because we didn't want to see him go or if we thought he'd coming running back to join us. That didn't happen, so eventually we left the airport and drove home, but none of us stopped thinking about Peter all the way back.

The End of Book Eight of Castaway Hotel