Bill W

Castaway Hotel IX

Chapters 24-31

Chapter 24
We Intrepid Explorers

The next morning, we got up and I took everyone out for breakfast. On the way back, Peter directed me as to how to get to his house, so we drove over to pick up some of his things. When we arrived, his parents insisted we shouldn't have gone out of our way to do this, since they were planning to bring his things by later, but I told them it wasn't really out of our way and I was happy to do it for them. We didn't actually stay for very long, since we'd spent the whole previous day with them, and returned to the cabins.

Even though it was a little cool, we spent a great deal of time on the private decks and the boys spent some time kicking a soccer ball around. Peter had brought it back with him, when he picked up his other things. The boys seemed to have a good time just bouncing the ball on their legs, heading it from one to another and passing it with their feet, since they really wasn't enough room to have a game. Even though we had the place entirely to ourselves, the only open space was the parking area and the boys felt it wasn't suitable for a game.

Overall, it turned out to be a nice peaceful and relaxing day. Most of us also took a nap, at one point or another, since our bodies were still adjusting to the time differences. However, by the time we went to bed later that evening, I think our bodies had started to acclimate to our new surroundings.

Monday morning, most of us woke up refreshed and rearing to go. We were taking a trip to the Blue Mountains, which was one of the places Peter's father had recommended we visit. It wasn't very far away from where we were staying, so the drive didn't take very long. However, since the scenery was so beautiful, it almost made us wish the ride had taken longer. Ricky and Peter wanted us to start out at Echo Point, and all I can say is the view from there was absolutely gorgeous and breathtaking. From that vantage point, you could see the three sisters in the distance, and if you remember from when Ricky came here before, he mentioned there is a legend about this.

As Ricky relayed the story in an email, these three towering rocks, which jut out of the soil and are unlike anything else in the area, were supposedly three sisters. They had fallen in love with three brothers from a neighboring tribe, but since the tribes didn't get along, the marriage was forbidden. The brothers wouldn't accept that they couldn't be united and planned to do it anyways. They kidnapped the sisters and took them to their village, which started a war. To hide the sisters and keep them safe, they had their witchdoctor turned the sisters to stone. Unfortunately, the witchdoctor was killed in a battle and no one else could reverse his spell, so the three sisters have remained this way ever since.

Once we had seen them from a distance, Ricky and Peter guided us closer. They wanted us to walk up the Giant Stairway, which would take us to the top of a nearby summit and then down again, so we could get a up close view of these formations. I had done my research though and knew there was another way to accomplish the same thing. Instead of walking up the stairway, I opted to take everyone to the top using the Scenic Railway. Don't get me wrong, I didn't think this would be a picnic either, since it's the world's steepest railway, at a 52-degree incline, but I felt it would be easier than walking up all of those steps. To say the least, the ride was quite scary, as we journeyed up Federal pass for a total of 587 feet (178 m), until we reached the top. This line was first constructed between 1878 and 1900, as part of a mining tramway. All I can say is, I think we were all happy when the ride ended and we reached the top of the Giant Stairway.

Looking down the massive staircase, it appeared really steep and would be quite a drop to the bottom, if anyone had an accident. With that in mind, I had Jesse grab my hand and had Andrew take Jake's, before we started down. As we navigated each successive step, I was more and more grateful we had taken the train up, no matter how step and scary the ride was. This was no quick descent and it took us quite a while to get to the base again, especially since we didn't want to risk falling and getting injured. By the time we reached the bottom, which wasn't very far from the Three Sisters, I felt as if I'd been climbing Mt. Everest or the Matterhorn. I know we only walked down and not up, and this was a stairway, so we weren't required to do any rock climbing, but my body still felt as if it had endured the rigors of such a trek.

Once we caught our breath, at least after Jake and I had, we decided to go find a place to eat. I figured this would also give me a little more time to recover, while also nourishing our bodies. Once we finished our meal, the boys talked me into taking them on the Scenic Skyway next. This took us on a 20-meter ride above an ancient rainforest, over a deep ravine and past a dazzling waterfall. Besides looking out the windows that lined the gondola, we also glimpsed breathtaking views through the center of the cabin floor, which had a glass viewing section. A railing surrounded this open area and was there to keep passengers from accidentally breaking through, although I was certain it was made from a very sturdy and heavy-duty material.

After we completed our roundtrip on the Skyway, I think we all agreed it was worth the time. Not only did we get another perspective of the Three Sisters, but we also got a good look at Katoomba Falls, Mount Solitary and the Jamison Valley.

From there, we took a hike along the Scenic Walkway, which is a 2.8 km boardwalk that goes through parts of the rainforest we had traveled over, when we were in the gondola.

"Damn, are we in Jurasic Park?" Trey wanted to know. He saw the connection with the mythical park in the book and movie.

"We might be," Brandon observed. "Even with this boardwalk and all of these other people around, I still wouldn't be surprised to see a raptor or tyrannosaurus pop up." The other boys laughed, but agreed with that observation, and we continued on, while noting all the different foliage.

Once we finished up our walk, we took a little breather and sat down to chat. We had plenty of time before our next activity, which wouldn't begin until just before dark, so we took our time and talked about everything we had done so far. The boys were still enthusiastic about most of the things we had seen and happily recounted their adventures in glorious detail, while adding a touch of humor to the mix. When they'd finished this banter, we went off to our final activity, the Blue Mountain Ghost Tour.

Upon reaching the location where this was going to begin, we hooked up with Paranormal Pete, our guide. He was more than eager to fill us in about the dark past associated with the area, in preparation for what we were about to do next. We then rode with him on the 'Ghost Bus' to our first stop, the 'Ghost House,' circa 1867. Once inside, we were led down hallways that he told us were filled with the ghosts of past residents, whose souls were now in limbo. One ghost was said to be a doctor that reportedly 'fiddled' with insides of those that slept there. Two other ghosts were said to be of two young boys, named George and Albert. George is supposed to be playful, but Albert was not.

We were then given a light supper, while Paranormal Pete filled us in concerning more of the details, and then we were taken off to what was claimed to be secret locations. It is said these places are known only to the locals and are not readily accessible to the general public. The first of these was an old jail, which is said to be rife with ghosts, and then to a cemetery that dates back to 1820 and is claimed to be lost in time. Since there were no electric lights, we had to read the tombstones by torchlight, which did add to the eeriness of the place. The cemetery is said to contain the bodies of six children from the same family, who supposedly died six months apart from each other, due to scarlet fever. However, it has always been suspected that the mother had something to do with their deaths.

From there, we went to see the 'hanging tree,' where it is believed convicts were hanged without the benefit of a trial. Needless to say, something like that could cause a soul to fail to pass into the world beyond. After that, we were taken to a collection of old wells and pits, before we ended up at an old convict stockade. It is believed that convict laborers that died while forced to work in the area were merely thrown in these pits and wells, rather than being buried. Finally, we visited a pioneer stop, which dated back to 1813, and the ghosts of those that failed to make the journey successfully are said to linger here.

The tour took nearly five hours, so by the time we finished, I was exhausted. I was certain Jake was too, but he insisted I let him drive us back to the cabins, seeing I was so tired. Along the way, a conversation began about the Ghost Tour.

"Okay, who thinks there were really any ghosts at any of those places?" Ricky asked, with a skeptical look plastered across his face. "I think it was all just a load of horseshit." Some of the others began to agree with him, until a timid little voice piped up.

"I do," Graham stated, a bit hesitantly. He looked as white as a ghost, so possibly his gift had given him some insight the rest of us didn't have.

"I can't say if they were the same things the guy was telling us about," Graham continued, in a trembling voice, "but there was definitely something unnatural hanging around most of those places."

"You mean you could see them?" Cole asked, since he was convinced about his brother's gift.

"I couldn't really tell what they were, but I could see shadows of things moving, or maybe I should say floating or drifting, around," Graham answered, "There were also a few times that I felt something touch me, and it made the hairs on my neck stand on end and my body go all cold."

"Is that what that was?" Kevin asked, stunned. "I suddenly felt all cold at the cemetery and thought there had been a cool breeze or something. I also thought I felt someone touch me, so I looked around to see who was messing with me, but none of you were close enough to do anything like that. I wasn't sure what it was, and then I thought maybe one of you had used a twig or something to reach me and try to spook me, but now I'm beginning to wonder."

"Okay, wait a second," Brandon immediately added, drawing all the attention to him. "At the cemetery, did anyone else see a bunch of little lights go on and off, almost like tiny flashes? I didn't want to say anything then, because I thought my mind was playing a trick on me, but after what Graham just said, I'm beginning to wonder."

"I think I saw those too," Sammy responded. "They were near the ground over where he said those kids were supposed to be buried, weren't they?"

"Yes, they were," Brandon concurred.

"Then I definitely saw them too," Sammy confirmed.

"Are you guys sure it might not have been some sort of visual effect the guy had set up to freak you out?" Pat asked.

"I guess it's possible, although I don't see how," Brandon replied. "I even walked over and checked out the area for a short time, because I considered I was just seeing lightning bugs. The things is, I never saw any of those. The lights seemed to stay very close to the ground, just above those gravesites, but they did move a little, just not very far. I guess it's possible he could have rigged something up, although I don't think that's what caused what I saw."

"Okay, back in the haunted house," Nick interjected, "did one of you grab my shirt?" No one answered.

"Look, I figured one of you guys was just being a smart ass and trying to get me spooked, but something grabbed my shirt and pulled it out of my pants. Damn, and I was wearing a jacket too, so you would have had to grab my jacket and shirt together to do that."

"Some of you guys might not agree," Graham told us, "but I think all those things had to do with the different presences I felt there. Although I couldn't see anything clearly, because we were in the dark, I did sense other things very close to us. You know that I hate having this gift most of the time, so I wouldn't make this up, because it makes me look ever weirder than normal. I'm just telling you I felt a lot of things there and I didn't get the sensation that all of them were nice."

Well, that certainly put kind of a strange ending on a very busy and exciting day. Muhahaha. I think the boys were seriously considering this tour might not have been a joke, as they'd first believed. The guy was a trained parapsychologist, so maybe he and Graham were more in tune with what was actually happening around us than the rest of us were.

Anyway, once we reached the cabins, everyone turned in, although I do have my doubts about how well some of them might have slept.

The next day, we returned to the Blue Mountains, because I was taking everyone to the Jenolan Caves. I had read where this was one of the top attractions in this area and Ricky hadn't visited them when he was here before, so I thought it would be something good to do and new for him as well. After studying my options, I decided to take the boys on a couple of different cave tours. There are ten tour caves in all and there are five others that are considered adventure caves. This means the public can still visit them, but they are more primitive and not as easy to get around. There are also other caves that are only open to experienced spelunkers (a person that explores or studies caves) and still others that haven't even been explored by the group that operates these caves. There might possibly be even more caves, still undiscovered.

An interesting side note is that while we were there, scientists re-dated the age of the caves. They are now reported to be the oldest known caves in the world, dating backed 340 million years. My God! That's even older than me! At least that's what the boys told me.

To get to the caves, you must pass through the Grand Arch, which is this huge opening in the mountainside. Once you go through there, you leave the green world above and enter the dark (well, many are lighted) caves below.

The first cave we went to was the Orient Cave. It was discovered in 1904 and first opened to the public in 1917 and features three very elaborate chambers. At one time, the only way you could get to this cave was by going through the River Cave and then entering the Batsend. The Batsend got its name because every time someone would enter from that direction, a large number of bats would fly in front of him until the rodents reached this location. However, all that changed in 1950, when a tunnel was blasted out of the rock. Unfortunately, the explosion also damaged a number of formations in the cave, but at the time no one had been concerned with that issue, only the speed and ease with which they could get the job done.

Since this new tunnel made access to the cave available from the Grand Arch, we were able to journey along a 120-meter path called the 'Binoomea Cut.' Binoomea is an Aboriginal word meaning 'dark places.' As we were to find out, the cave is 470 meters long and there are 358 steps you need to navigate at different points, so this is not just a stroll in the park. Since it was winter in Australia, we were already dressed warmly and prepared for the cool temperatures in the cave.

The cave was sealed by two airtight doors, which prevent the air currents inside from changing. Each of the areas within the cave contains sophisticated lighting, which accentuates the colors found in the various formations. As I said previously, there are three chambers and we eagerly explored each of them.

Some claim the Persian Chamber is the most beautiful of all the caves at Jenolan. It is just over thirty meters in height, its walls are highly decorated and it appears as if every centimeter is covered with stalagmites (the g for ground up,) stalactites (c for ceiling down) and shawls (think of a shawl a woman might wear – a covering). Its most spectacular feature is an enormous column named the 'Pillar of Hercules,' which is a ten-meter tall stalagmite and the largest in the entire cave system. It is highlighted by angled lighting and covered in a delicate shawl (paper thin secondary deposits of calcite that form over the feature.)

"Wow, that's really pretty," Andrew told me. "Look at the browns and oranges in it. I'm going to have to remember what it looks like, so I can paint a picture of it later." I thought that sounded like an excellent idea and told him so.

At the base of this chamber is what is referred to as the Curiosity Shop and features a wide range of helictites. Helictites are formations that defy gravity and grow sideways out of the wall, as opposed to the stalagmites and stalactites.

"Those are really strange looking," Shannon observed, while indicating the helictites. "Some look like worms or tentacles growing out of the wall. I imagine it was kind of creepy for the first guys to come in here, since they only had torch light to see them with." He was right. It could have looked pretty spooky to those not understanding what they were encountering,

The Egyptian chamber is merely an extension of the Persian chamber and contains the largest shawl in the Jenolan system. The walls of this chamber are also highly decorated and there is a small hole in floor that leads from the chamber and into an area that is called the Jungle. The Jungle got its name because it was said the discoverer of this area, James Wilburd, could flash his light down and identify a large assortment of animals hiding among the formations.

The final chamber, the Indian Chamber, is viewed on two different levels. The top level gives you an excellent view of the Indian Canopy, which is also the logo for the Jenolan Caves Reserve Trust. The Canopy is a collection of very thin stalactites that are in a cluster and extend from a knob attached to the ceiling. The stalactites hang down and form a rather large and beautiful 'V'.

"That's lovely too," Andrew observed. "Will you be able to find pictures of these for me later, so I can paint them and put them in my room to remember what they looked like?"

"I most certainly can," I told him. "I saw some pictures of them online before we came here, so I'll be happy to help you find them so you can duplicate these magnificent wonders."

On the bottom level of the Indian Chamber you can see the Crystal Basins, which are small sinkholes that are occasionally filled with water.

Once we left that chamber, we had seen all there was to the Orient Cave. It had taken us about an hour and a half to get through it, but I think everyone felt it was well worth the time and effort. Upon leaving this area, we proceeded on to our next tour, where we would explore the Imperial Cave.

I was told the Imperial Cave tour is the easiest of all the tours, because it follows the path of an ancient riverbed and is fairly level. You can reach it directly off of the Grand Arch and it was once considered to be the grandest of all the caves at Jenolan, hence its name.

This tour requires a great deal of walking, since it covers 1,070 meters, but since the path is fairly level, it's not too difficult for those with health related issues. This cave also has several amazing features, beginning with 'The Sinkhole,' which is a large hole in the floor of the cave. Near it lie the bones of a Tasmanian Devil, although no one is sure how or when they first appeared there. Another feather is 'Ridley's Shortcut,' which got its name because a man named Ridley fell through a sinkhole while exploring Elder Cave and ended up at that spot.

"Man, can you imagine strolling through a cave and having the floor give way?" Kevin joked. "Suddenly, your falling through the darkness and feeling kind of like Alice did, when she fell into the rabbit hole." I thought that was an interesting, but apt, analogy.

Then there's 'Lot's Wife,' which is a slim, two-meter tall stalagmite, but we also got to view the Alabaster Column, which is a creamy white calcite deposit. 'Crystal Cities' is a series of rimpools that are often filled with water, and 'Shawl Cave' is filled with a wide assortment of delightful and delicate shawls.

"Although they are hard for you to see," our guide told us, the roof and walls of this cave are embedded with vast quantities of marine fossils."

"How can that be?" Vinnie asked, confused.

"There is a simple answer to that question," the guide responded. "These caves were once located underwater and corals, the same animals that form the coral reefs, left deposits in them. Over the centuries, extreme seismic forces have pushed the rocks containing the caves upward, until they reached the levels where we find them now." This seemed to answer Vinnie's question and taught the boys a valuable lesson in earth science.

The tour took about an hour to complete and I was about ready to leave, so we could do something else, but some of the boys did not want to go just yet.

"We want to see the cave those people are talking about," Andrew and Jesse announced, while pointing toward a group that was about to go on another tour.

Those people were obviously talking about some features they had heard about in the cave they were about to tour, which prompted the boys to want to see it too. After discussing the idea of one more tour with the others, Jesse and Andrew convinced enough of them to go too, so we ended up on the Chifley Cave tour next.

Jeremiah Wilson, the first official 'Keeper of the Caves,' discovered this cave in 1880. It was originally named the 'Left Imperial Cave,' since it seemed to be part of that structure, but was later renamed. It was then named in honor of a deceased politician, the Rt. Hon. J. B. Chifley, MP (Member of Parliament) and former Prime Minister of Australia. It was also the first cave in the world to be equipped with electric lights, and even though it's hard to believe, that happened in 1880 too.

In 1923, a tunnel was cut to link this cave directly to the Grand Arch, which made it easier to get to. This cave is 690 meters long and there are 421 steps to navigate, which are mostly at the beginning of the tour. Chifley Cave contains several chambers, all of which are richly decorated and contain wonderful examples of dogtooth spar crystals. These are a type of speleothem, which is a secondary mineral deposit formed within a cave, and the deposits here consist of calcite crystals that have acutely shaped points that resemble a dog's teeth.

This cave also has another unique feature, which is the one that drew Jesse and Andrew's attention when hearing the others describe it. There are two areas within this structure that are illuminated with colored lights. Colored lights are almost never used in the caves, but here it gives a unique and magical look to the features, even though they were similar to the structures we'd seen in the other caves.

"Andrew, isn't that beautiful?" Jesse asked. "Would you paint that for me when we get home. It looks like a rainbow mixed in with the rock and I think it's the prettiest thing I've ever seen." Andrew assured him he would, provided he could find a picture to remind him what it looked like.

By the time we'd finished this tour, I was completely beat, so I was looking forward to any activity where I could remain seated for the rest of the day. With that in mind, I got everyone back on the bus and hadn't gone very far when I located a place to eat. This would give me a chance to relax and catch my breath, while the boys refilled their tanks, and once we had finished there, I took the boys to ride on the Zig Zag Railway next. Thank God I had surmised the cave tours might be exhausting and planned this as a follow-up activity.

The railway got its name because it consists of a series of sloping ramps that form the letter 'Z'. It was constructed between 1866 and 1869 and was a civil engineering miracle for its time. It was a way for trains to climb hills in difficult country, with only a minimal need for tunnels or the use of heavy earthworks.

The steam locomotive used here travels over twelve kilometers of narrow gauge track and passes through two tunnels and over three magnificent sandstone viaducts as it makes its journey up the beautiful Blue Mountains. This rail line was originally constructed to carry people and produce from the western plains to Sydney, but it was replaced in 1910 by a ten-tunnel deviation.

We boarded the train at Clarence Station and then journeyed to Bottom Point and back again. It made for a very relaxing journey and took another hour and a half of our day. It was also an interesting experience and exposed us to some lovely scenery. At times, it seemed as if we could reach out the window on one side of the car and touch the sheer rock face of the mountain that had been cut away to make room for the track. Not only that, but when you viewed the viaducts from a distance, they conjured up images of an old Roman aqueduct, which might have been left over from the distant past. I found the train-ride to be a lovely end to a rather long and tiring day, although I'm not certain the boys appreciated it as much as I did.

After stopping for dinner on the way back, we returned to the cabins and took it easy for the night. Some of the boys did go out and kick the soccer ball around for a bit with Peter, and when they came inside, Peter offered a suggestion.

"I know we originally left tomorrow open," Peter began, "but if you haven't planned anything else, I was thinking maybe we could all go for a swim. I know a place with a large indoor pool and I could show you how to get there, if you thought it was a good idea."

"That sounds wonderful," I agreed, "and I'm sure the boys would love it."

"You know, we could go to the athletic fields first and play some soccer, then go over there afterward, to shower and swim," Peter suggested.

"I'm sure if you mentioned that to the others they'd probably agree rather quickly," I assured him. "I think they'd love to get away from walking around all these place and doing something like that instead."

"And you wouldn't mind driving us?" Peter asked, just to be certain.

"No, of course not," I confirmed. "You're our guide during our time down under, so I'm at your command." Peter just smiled and then thanked me for being so nice.

Everyone turned in early that evening and was raring to go the next morning. After grabbing a quick bite to eat, we drove to Peter's house, so Peter could grab a few things. Mrs. Dennis was busy baking when we arrived, so Jake and I went in the kitchen and chatted with her briefly, while we waited for her son. During our conversation, we explained what we had planned over the next two days and asked if she'd like to join us. She quickly agreed to go with us the following day, since she was free and her husband would be working. However, she passed on our Friday plans. That was fine with us and I understood, after she explained her reasons to us. At least we hadn't sidetracked her, because all the time we were going over these things, she continued preparing the various dishes she had been working on.

As soon as Peter announced he had what he needed, we said good-bye and were soon driving to an area where the boys could play soccer. Jake and I had agreed to be goalies again – I guess we still haven't learned the toll it generally takes on us. It was a fun game, although none of us seemed to be playing really well. Once the boys began to tire, we got back on the bus.

Peter wanted me to take him home first, so he could try to get his mother to join us too. Since it wasn't that far away, I agreed, but Mrs. Dennis insisted she was too busy to go swimming. Jake and I tried to encourage and convince her to go with us as well, but she remained adamant that she needed to complete the tasks she was involved with, so we went off with out her.

We had a great time at the pool and I took a nice hot shower both before and after. It helped a great deal to drain the stiffness and weariness out of my body and I felt refreshed and ready to go, once I got dressed again.

We drove back to Peter's house, so I could talk the Dennises into joining us for dinner. Peter's father had arrived home from work before we got there, so I explained our intentions. Mr. Dennis thanked us, but said he was tired and would prefer to stay home, especially since his wife had already fixed their dinner. I tried to tell him they could just put what she had prepared in the refrigerator and heat it up the following night instead, but that still didn't convince him. I felt badly that they wouldn't join us, but we ended up leaving them behind and going off on our own.

After we finished our meal, Peter guided us around the local area, so he and Ricky could point out various places they wanted us to see. They took us by the school they'd attended together, past some of the other athletic fields where they had competed against Peter's mates and they showed us some of the other places they used to hang out, before Ricky took us past Kylie's house. We didn't happen to see her around, but both Ricky and Peter were gawking out the windows and anxiously hoping they could spot her. I think both boys were drooling and they were definitely fogging up the glass.

Once we finished this little tour, we headed back to the cabins for the evening. We'd be coming back this way in the morning, so we could pick up Peter's mother, before heading out to one of the places that Ricky had so enthusiastically told us about in one of his emails, shortly after he first arrived as an exchange student.

Chapter 25
Animals In the Wild

Shortly after we got back to the cabins, I noticed some unusual activity. Peter came in, grabbed a few of his things and then left, and a short time later, Cole came in carrying some of his belongings.

"What's up? I asked, wondering what was going on.

"Oh, nothing much," Cole responded. "Peter wanted me to switch places with him tonight, so he could be in with those guys." I knew he was referring to Sammy, Graham and Little Ricky. This made me even more curious.

"Have they got something planned?" I followed.

"Probably, but I didn't ask," Cole informed me. "I just agreed to stay in your cabin tonight and sleep with Ricky, so they could be together." Now, I began to wonder who was pairing up with whom for the evening, or would all four of them be getting together for a little fun?

As I discovered later, it didn't work out quite as I thought. I knew Peter and Little Ricky had been close when Peter had been staying with us, so I thought they might be hooking up again. However, since the school year began, Little Ricky and Graham had begun bonding, so that pair was going to stay together and Peter was going over to hook up with Sammy.

"Thanks for inviting me over," Peter announced, as he entered the cabin. "I'm glad you blokes are up for something, because I was getting pretty randy."

"Well, we haven't done much either, because Cole doesn't want to do things with us any more," Graham informed him. "I think he's got his eye on this girl. Heck, they might even be doing stuff together, but he hasn't had much interest in doing things with us."

"I didn't get to spend a lot of time with you when you stayed with us," Sammy added next, "so I thought maybe we could hook up tonight to make up for it."

"That's aces with me," Peter announced. "What did you have in mind?"

"I thought I'd let you decide," Sammy replied. A big grin suddenly came over Peter's face, as he thought about the possibilities. After a few seconds, he leaned toward Sammy and spoke.

"Are you willing to let me shag you?" Peter whispered to him. Sammy seemed to be thinking it over for the next few seconds.

"Yeah, I guess that would be okay," Sammy answered, "if you'll let me do it to you afterward." Peter seemed to be willing to contemplate the idea, but took a little longer making his decision than Sammy had.

"You know I'm not really into that," Peter began, "but I guess if you're willing to do it for me, then I can return the favor. Just don't forget, I'm only doing it because I'm so bloody randy and want to shag bad." Sammy nodded, to signify it was a done deal.

"Do we have to snog too?" Peter asked, quite dubiously.

"Only if you want to," Sammy replied, with a tinge of disappointment, or was that disinterest.

"Not really, if you don't mind," Peter confirmed.

"That's fine. We can just do it then," Sammy agreed, so the two boys began to strip.

Little Ricky and Graham had already taken their clothes off and were sitting on the sofa, waiting to see what the other two wanted to do. Little Ricky was watching as Peter and Sammy finished removing their garments, when something struck him.

"Damn, I'm outnumbered here tonight," he quipped. "I'm the only one here without foreskin." It was true! The other three were all natural.

"Well, I guess it sucks to be you," Graham stated, as he thrust his hips toward Little Ricky's face, to let him know exactly what was going to happen. He wanted Little Ricky to suck him off.

At that point, Little Ricky grabbed Graham's hand and playfully dragged him to their room, where he began nibbling on Graham's foreskin. The other pair took off for their room and quickly got ready for action. After Sammy helped get Peter get hard, Peter slipped on a condom and lubed it up, as Sammy prepared himself. Once they were both ready, Sammy lay on his back and slowly pulled his legs up to his chest. Peter glanced down at the small, nearly hairless eye that was winking at him and got into position. Slowly, he pushed at the gate until it opened and allowed him to slide in.

Peter definitely was horny, because as he slipped into Sammy's tight hole, he began to feel his juices bubbling in his scrotum. He froze in place, since he didn't want this to finish prematurely.

"What's wrong?" Sammy asked, in a hushed voice.

"I told you I was randy and I almost splooged just working my way in," Peter confessed. "Just give me some time to cool down a bit, so it won't happen too quickly." Sammy agreed, and they spent the next minute or two waiting, while the tingling in Peter's loins subsided. When he felt it was safe to continue, Peter pushed the rest of the way in and then started pulling out, before slowly thrusting back into Sammy's bowels again.

Gradually, Peter built up his pace, but he began feeling those same sensations building deep within his core. Rather than fight them again, he decided to just go with the flow, but he also hoped he might get invited back the following evening for a follow-up performance.

Having conceded there was no turning back, Peter began thrusting faster and harder as he neared the brink. When he felt he could delay it no longer, he arched his back and drove into Sammy one final time, while empting the contents of his baby makers into the tip of the condom. As his fluids drained, so did his strength and he collapsed on top of his partner.

In the other room, Graham had just exploded inside of Little Ricky's hungry mouth and was slowly deflating. Once he had lost his erection and Little Ricky had allowed it to slip from his mouth, Graham pushed his partner back on the bed and began returning the favor.

Back in the other room, Sammy was now ready for his turn and was helping Peter prepare for it to happen. Delicately, he worked up to using three fingers to stretch Peter a bit, while Peter knelt before him, on all fours. Once he felt Peter was ready, Sammy moved in behind him, placed the sheathed head of his penis against the opening and began to add pressure. Since Sammy's cock was on the slender side and he had done an admirable job of preparing his partner, he slid right in. After making certain Peter was feeling no discomfort, he began to rock in and out, as he gradually settled on a pace.

Peter was somewhat amazed that this was going so smoothly and he was feeling no pain. He had felt a twinge of discomfort as Sammy got him ready, but the actual entry and subsequent grinding was smooth and actually made his rear end tingle a bit. Since it was going so well, Peter concentrated on working his anal muscles and tightened them every time Sammy tried to withdraw, which slowly milked him.

Sammy was surprised by Peter's effort. Although Peter wasn't rocking backward when Sammy's thrust forward, the effect from his tightening muscles did wonders to increase Sammy's enjoyment. It also dragged him closer to the precipice more quickly than he had intended, but he wasn't about to fight the wonderful feelings. Humping like a dog in heat, Sammy's mind and body soared to the heavens, as the incredible sensations that signaled the approach of his orgasm overtook him. As his mind filled with brilliant colors and flashes of bright light, his body was tingling from head to toe, as he made his final thrust. His penis was throbbing and spitting out bullets of boy cream into the condom, before Sammy collapsed on Peter's back. Together, they fell downward, onto the mattress. They were exhausted, yet totally satisfied.

During that same time, Graham had worked Little Ricky to his climax, so they were also settling in for the night. As they cuddled, with their arms wrapped around each other, it wasn't totally apparent if this was just due to the afterglow of having sex or if something more was significant was entering into the picture. They both claimed to be bi, but I was beginning to wonder if they might still end up together? I guess we'll just have to wait and see how it turns out.

Sammy and Peter cleaned up quickly and then hopped back in to bed. They did lie very close to each other, but they did not spoon or cuddle. I'm not sure if either of them might have wanted to, and was therefore disappointed by the way this had worked out, or if they were both satisfied and content with the situation the way it was. Regardless, that's how they spent the night and neither made a move to do anything different.

After getting a great night's rest, we went over to pickup Peter's mother, before going out for breakfast. Once we finished up eating, we set out for the Australian Wildlife Park. Since I had done some research online before we left home, the first place I took everyone was to The Lost World of Reptiles. You enter the area by walking through the jaws of a 30-meter long crocodile, which can be a bit intimidating. Just as you start inside, an animated Egyptian mummy greets and urges you to continue on until you reach Kom Ombo. When you enter the spacious re-creation of an Egyptian temple, a five-meter tall representation of the crocodile god, Sobek, awaits you. He is the guardian of the Pharaohs and ambassador to the reptile kingdom. Sitting on his throne and with his feet soaking in a pool full of live crocodiles, Sobek bellows out a reptilian oration, which is accompanied by puffs of smoke, as well as simulated thunder and lightning.

"How in the heck did we get to Ancient Egypt from Australia?" Kevin teased.

"I guess we must have taken a wrong turn somewhere," I teased.

"Wow, they were just working on this when I was here, so this is all new to me too," Ricky stated.

Having been officially greeted by Sobek, we were now free to walk around and explore the exhibits. Needless to say, the boys were quite impressed by that little demonstration, especially Jesse and Andrew. That pair animatedly began talking about it with each other, before turning to make a few comments to me.

"Daddy, that's like a statue of a real Egyptian God isn't it?" Andrew asked.

"Yes, Sobek was one of the Egyptian Gods," I agreed.

"And that mummy that we saw," Jesse said, "was like the mummy in the movie, 'cept it looked like someone had put him in the washing machine. He was real clean."

"Yes, he was amazingly bright and white for having been dead thousands of years I confirmed.

"Daddy, were those real alligators in the water, when that statue spoke to us?" Jesse persisted.

"They are real live crocodiles," I corrected. "They are like alligators, but slightly different." Jesse seemed to accept that, so moved on to check out the animals inside.

The first thing we saw was a group of tiny geckos, but none of them spoke or looked quite as cute as the gecko on the GEICO commercials. From there, we moved on to look at other reptiles, and saw some goannas (lizards) and frilled lizards, before moving on to see some alligators and a few pretty large crocs. When we did, I tried to point out the differences between them to Jesse.

There were also numerous turtles and tortoises on display, and we saw many types of snakes. This included king cobras, rough-scaled pythons, boa constrictors and the Eastern Brown snake, which lives in Australia.

"Pop, did you know that the Eastern Brown is responsible for most of the snakebite deaths here in 'stralia," Peter informed me.

"No, I did not," I confessed, "but now I'll know to stay clear of them, if we should happen to run across any while we are here."

While we explored the mysterious passageways and ancient chambers that appeared as if they had been taken from one of Indiana Jones movie sets, 'mad mummies' continually popped up to greet us. They were there to provide some comic relief, especially when we passed by a frighteningly realistic model of a seven-meter long prehistoric Megolania, which is the largest goanna or monitor lizard that ever lived.

"Damn, could you imagine running into one of those out in the wild," Pat quipped. "I mean, I know it lived when the dinosaurs did, but it still would have be a freakin' tough thing to kill off or run away from." I think we all agreed with that.

In addition to the Egyptian area, we were allowed to visit the remnants of other lost worlds, which were represented by a Greek amphitheatre and various elements of a Roman civilization. No matter where you turned in these areas, there were representatives of the reptile world and we viewed over forty very interesting exhibits.

From there, I was going to take everyone to Spider World, but Mrs. Dennis decided not to go with us. She said she preferred to sit this one out.

"The rest of you just go on and I'll wait here," Mrs. Dennis announced.

"Are you feeling all right?" I asked, since I was concerned she might be ill.

"Yes, I'm feeling fine," she agreed, "but I'd rather stay here and wait for you. The rest of you can meet up with me once you've finish in there."

"I'll stay with her," Jake offered, but his suggestion drew an immediate response.

"Blimey, no," Mrs. Dennis responded. "I'll be fine on my own, so the rest of you go on."

After trying to persuade her for another minute or so, we finally gave up and left her there. Jake and I were both confused by her actions, until we got inside.

"Mum is deathly afraid of spiders," Peter explained. "She goes absolutely bonkers if she even thinks a spider is around, but she's even worse if she actually sees one. She'll scream bloody hell until Dad or I come and kill it, but she won't usually do it herself. When you said we were going in here next, I knew there was no way mum would ever come with us."

I felt badly and wished I had known about this in advance. I might have been able to allow the boys to go on alone, without Mrs. Dennis knowing we were aware of her problem. Then Jake and I could have stayed with her, but if we did that now, she'd feel as if she had spoiled our fun.

As we entered this area, a character named Syd (short for Sydney Funnel-web Spider) greeted us. He was a cute, dancing spider that raps and shakes his body to a funky beat. Syd was soon joined by Buzz the Fly, another would be rapper that was quickly trapped by Syd's web of deceit.

"Those are silly, Daddy," Jesse observed, after watching their antics, and it was a pleasure to see him getting so much enjoyment out of them.

The displays in this section are quite unique, because they were constructed to represent fairly typical aspects of Australian life, but from the 'spider's point of view.' It's as if you were looking through the spider's eyes.

There is also a mural with scenes that could have come from the movie 'Honey, I Shrunk the Kids,' and a three-meter tall, animated funnel-web spider emerges from the scenery. If you happen to get to close to it, thunder booms, lightning flashes and the spider rears up in a very frightening fashion, as if it is about to attack. This usually sends the visitors racing in the opposite direction and both Jesse and Andrews latched on to me when this happened. Their fingers were digging into my arm and becoming quite painful, so I had to pry them loose.

Most of the displays in this area are done in a humorous manner, in an attempt to demonstrate the fears and concerns many people have of arachnids is irrational. One such display features an Australian dunny (an outhouse to the rest of us) and some ridiculously large red-back spiders. This display is accompanied by a humorous little Australian tune called 'Red-back On the Toilet Seat' and is used to point out how exaggerated the reports of incidents of people being bitten in this fashion have become. The park even uses the nursery rhyme 'The Itsy Bitsy Spider,' or as the Aussie's say it 'The Incey Wincey Spider.' to depict a poor spider's trials and tribulations. We watched as the spider got flushed down the drainpipe, when 'down came the rain' and then the spider was unceremoniously yanked back up again 'when out came the sun.'

We also visited Tarantulaville, which features a rather nice assortment of tarantulas and scorpions. They are kept behind some very sturdy viewing windows, which we later learned were made from bulletproof, plate glass. It was explained to us that this was necessary, due to the strict regulations of the Australian Quarantine Service and their rules against introducing non-native species into the country. This was the only way the agency would agree to allow this display to be viewed. It also pointed out how concerned the government is about the inadvertent spawning of an invasion in the country by species that would have no natural predators or any other factors that would control their spread or influence.

There is also a funnel-web spider laboratory in the park, where trained employees milk the spiders to get the venom that is used to produce an anti-venom. Since work began with making the anti-venoms in 1980, no one in Australia has died from the highly toxic bite of the Sydney funnel-web spider. Apparently, this happened far too frequently before the 0introduction of the anti-venom.

Since I didn't want to leave Mrs. Dennis alone for very long, I had sort of hurried everyone through this part of our visit. Once we were outside and had met up with her again, I suggested it might be a good idea if we all got something to eat and drink, before me moved on to see the other exhibits. Of course, the boys liked that idea, so that's what we did. Mrs. Dennis didn't seemed bother by having to wait for us during the time we were in Spider World and Jake and I happily chatted with her about other things.

Once we finished our lunch, Ricky was especially excited about taking us to see the next areas we were going to visit. These were the ones he had written about in an email, when he first visited this park during his time here as an exchange student, and he was eager for us to see them now, as well.

Ricky quickly led us there and we were soon walking along a raised platform. This was so we could see the koalas up close and in their natural habitat, which is at the top of the eucalyptus trees. It was actually very educational and entertaining, as we got to watch those fascinating creatures eat eucalyptus leaves in their lofty perch.

After we left the koalas, we were introduced to five species of kangaroos and several wallabies, which are like small kangaroos. We also saw some emus, which look like small ostriches, a few fairy-penguins, which are blue and white and only grow to be about ten-inches tall, before we saw Ricky's favorite, the Tasmanian Devils. Hmmmm, I wonder why my little devil likes those devils so much?

He was correct when he'd told us in his email that the Tasmanian Devils were fierce little creatures. Not only did we see some nasty scars and missing patches of fur on a few of them, but we also witnessed a couple of them going after some of the others. Although these creatures are no longer native to the Australian mainland, there is a movement that wants to try to reintroduce them to the interior of the country. I wonder if they will be successful?

This effectively ended our visit to the Wildlife Park, so I urged everyone to get back on the bus, so I could drive back to the Dennis' house. When we got there, Mr. Dennis hadn't arrived from work yet, so we waited for him. I was determined we were going to take them out to eat with us this time, especially since Mrs. Dennis hadn't had a chance to prepare anything for them. Although it did take some coaxing, I eventually got Mr. Dennis to agree to join us.

While we were dining, Peter and Mrs. Dennis had a good time telling Mr. Dennis about their day and Peter even teased his mother about not going in to Spider World with us. I was surprised by this and thought Peter might skip that part, but she took the ribbing quite well. I could still tell even the mention of spiders raised goose bumps on her arms, or as the Aussie's put it – goose flesh, but she didn't try to stop her son.

We had a lovely time and Peter's father got a few good chuckles out of the retelling, especially when my two little ones chirped in there own observations about our visit. Once the meal ended, we took Mr. and Mrs. Dennis back to their place and dropped them off, and then I drove the rest of us back to the cabins, so we could rest up for the next day/s adventure.

Chapter 26
More Time in Oz

Today, I had planned to do something the boys would consider 'fun,' rather than just doing more sightseeing. At first, I was going to take them to Wonderland – Sydney, because Ricky had gone there and told us many wonderful things about it. The problem was – that park had closed down about a year after he returned home. Hmmmm, I wonder if he pulled a prank that made them go out of business?

Anyway, it meant I had to change my plans, so now I was taking them to Dreamworld Australia instead. It was considerably farther away than the original destination, but I felt it would be worth the effort. I got everyone up early, so we could spend the full day enjoying ourselves at the park, and we only made one stop, for breakfast, when we were nearly halfway there. Even having done that, we still arrived at the park before it opened.

As soon as we entered, I grabbed a park map that listed all of the rides and activities on it. I wanted to see where everything was located, so the boys and I could decide what we wanted to do and in what order. After a brief discussion, we decided to begin with the 'Thunder River Rapids Ride' and quickly hopped aboard a rather large circular raft that held several people. Since we could not all fit on one craft, we split up into groups and hopped about different ones. Once all the seats on each raft were occupied, we set off and followed the prescribed path, which included traveling over some fairly rough water and going down a rather lengthy incline. It turned out to be a rather enjoyable ride, but nothing I'd call spectacular.

After everyone had finished up at that attraction, we went over to 'Mick Doogan's Motorcoaster' ride. Now, Mick Doogan is sort of Australian hero and races motorcycles, or motorbikes if you'd prefer, on a track. This ride is more or less a roller coaster that has been adapted so that the riders are actually seated on what appears to be motorcycles, instead of riding in open cars. It is comprised of twenty-eight of these motorcycles and the riders are strapped to these devices using a state of the art restraining system, and travel over the track at 72 k.p.h., or 45 m.p.h. if you'd prefer. Even though the riders have no control over where the motorcycle goes or what it does, it is still very thrilling. The ride takes you over a track that goes up in the air and around eighteen banked turns before it is over, and has the ability to take your breath away.

After catching our breath, we left there and moved to something a little less exciting. This time, we got on the 'Rocky Hollow Log Ride' and rode in an artificial hollowed-out log, which traveled down a waterslide and around an oval course. The log got up to speeds of 50 k.p.h., or 31 m.p.h. but it ended up being quite relaxing ride, especially after the thrill of the previous attraction. This turned out to be a good thing and something we needed, considering what came next.

From there we moved on to 'The Giant Drop,' which is billed as being the closest thing you can do next to skydiving. You get in an open gondola, which seats eight, but leaves your legs dangling. Then it is lifted 39 stories (storeys for you Aussies) into the air. I was in the first group to go, with Andrew and Jesse seated on either side of me. Dustin was seated on the other side of Jesse and Jake on the opposite side of Andrew, but I'm not sure who else was with us at the time. The pair was laughing and carrying on as we were lifted skyward, and happily swinging their legs back and forth in a very carefree fashion. They were having a grand old time – until we reached the top and the gondola was released. Once that happened, we fell the entire distance in a mere five seconds, but you'd be surprised how much can happen during such a short span of time.

Jesse and Andrew each grabbed on to one of my arms and dug in, as our legs were lifted at a ninety-degree angle from our torso and we dropped toward earth. They both began to scream, like two little schoolgirls that had just been handed a snake, so I forced my head to turn so I could glance at each of them. What I saw was looks of horror that would only happen when you thought you were about to die. Their screaming volume continued to increase until it reached a level I can only describe as bloodcurdling. I'm sure they could have awakened the dead with the volume and sheer horror they emitted, which stopped shortly after we came to a somewhat jarring stop a few meters above the ground. They clung to me so tightly that my arms were beginning to turn blue and go numb from the lack of circulation, and they were still white-knuckled as I tried to pry their fingers away from my damaged limbs.

Once the duo had calmed down a bit and began to breathe normally again, we started joking around about what had just happened. Since they seemed to be feeling better about the experience, I teasingly asked if they needed a change of underwear, which earned me nasty glares in reply. Once everyone else had a chance to go on this ride, the two little ones began to feel better about their experience. They had been pleased to see they weren't the only ones to react so drastically to the experience and got a kick out of seeing some of the others suffer too. Along the way, Trey, Peter, Sammy, Graham, Little Ricky and Dion all had similar reactions, but to varying degrees. In fact, I think Dion may have hit his first ever high-C, as he plummeted toward earth.

At this point, I decided we needed a ride that would calm us down a bit, so I led everyone over to the 'Rocket Powered Bumper Boats.' Yes, they did move right along, but they certainly didn't have jet engines and proved to be just what the doctor ordered. We spent the next twenty minutes or so having a great time, as we banged each other around in our crafts, even though I seemed to be getting bumped more than anyone else.

After we finished that ride, we went on the 'Stingray,' which is a mechanical device that spins, swirls and floats your body about in space. Then we tried out the 'Reef Diver," which is a giant, circular whirling device the park refers to as the 'vertical whirlpool of fun.'

From there, we went to the 'Wipeout,' where you're placed in restraints on a rather long seat, which is attached on either end to an mechanical arm. Each of the arms works independently of the other, so it means you are taken through an entire series of spins, twists and tumbles, as well as a body-wrenching simulation of being dumped. It's supposed to simulate what it might be like if you were riding over the ocean on a large breaker.

After that, we made our way over to the 'Cyclone,' which is billed as being one of the tallest, high-speed gravity roller coasters in the Southern Hemisphere. It goes up as high as a 13-story building, travels at speeds of up to 90 k.p.h., or 56 m.p.h., and takes you through a 360-degree loop. I think we all enjoyed that little experience, before we went on our last ride, 'The Claw.'

This ride is a pendulum swing, but the riders are seated at the bottom in a collection of seats that are fastened to a circular base. As this slowly spins around, the pendulum begins rocking its way back and forth at speeds of 75 k.p.h. (45.5 m.p.h.) and goes higher each time, until you reach the top and you body is totally upside down, nine stories above the earth. Oh, I heard plenty of screaming again and thought some of the boys might be close to losing their breakfast. In fact, as we momentarily hung upside down before starting our decent down the other side, I was actually counting my blessings for not having fed them lunch yet. After that, the ride rocked to and fro until it gradually came to a stop, and then I began to hear the boys joking around.

"Hey, Dad," I heard the familiar voice of Ricky yell. "I think Trey pissed his pants."

"From the smell," Trey shot back, "I think Ricky crapped in his." Ah, I'm so glad they love each other.

Since this was the last of the rides, I let their stomachs settle down for a while, by allowing them to try other things. I took them over to the game arcade and the rock-climbing wall, where I let them try some less stimulated activities before we ate.

Of course, there were other rides in the park, but they were mostly for the younger children and none of my boys were interested in trying them. Therefore, once my crew had finished up at these other areas and grabbed some sustenance, I left them on their own and allowed them to select which rides they wanted to go on again.

Andrew and Jesse opted to stay with Jake and me, so we allowed them to choose what activities we did. We spent the rest of the day going from ride to ride, but noticed they were staying away from a repeat performance on 'The Giant Drop.' As it got closer to the time for the park to close, they finally decided they wanted to try it again, but only if Jake and I would go with them. They also wanted us to find Dustin first, so they could have one of us on either side, just as we were seated the first time we went on it.

After we located Dustin and he agreed to go with us, we took the long 39-story ride to the top again. This time there wasn't as much laughing and joking around as there had been on the earlier trip, and when we came to a stop at the top, the pair braced themselves for what was going to happen next. Seeing they knew what was coming this time, they reached out and grabbed our hands instead. They squeezed them tightly, just before the gondola broke free. They did scream again, but it was far from the bone chilling and ear shattering howls from before, and after we came to a stop, they smiled. It indicated to me that they felt they had proven themselves and were proud of the way they had conquered their fears.

In fact, once we got off the ride, Dustin congratulated both boys on how they had sucked it up and got tougher this time, and I think each of them appreciated his praise. Jake and I also told them how impressed we were at how they handled the ride this time, although we didn't play it up as much as Dustin had. Regardless, the pair strutted around after that, as if they had just conquered some vicious foe or returned from a successful landing on the moon.

Once the park closed, we drove back to the cabins, but I did make a stop about halfway there for dinner. During the meal, the boys talked about the park, commented on the rides, teased some of their brothers for their 'girly' reactions to some of the experiences and laughed and joked about what a great time they'd had.

Once we got back, everyone took a quick shower, and I believe they all turned in after that. It had been an exhausting day, since I had gotten them up quite early and we had done a great deal of walking too, so now it was time to rest. Tomorrow would be another, although much more relaxing, day.

Saturday morning, after I took the family out for breakfast, we took it easy for a while. The boys did go outside and walked around the area for a bit, before kicking the soccer ball around with Peter. However, for the most part, we just laid-about and waited to go to visit Peter's parents. They were going to have a barbie, or barbeque, in our honor and had invited some of Peter's mates over to meet us. I thought it was odd they were willing to do this, since it was technically winter there, but Mr. Dennis had told me earlier that Peter wanted his friends to join us and this would be easier than anything else. I think we were all looking forward to it, especially Peter and Ricky, regardless of the season. That pair had been anxious for us to meet some of their other friends and excited it was finally about to happen. It wasn't a bad day either, since it was about 15 degrees Celsius, or 59 degrees Fahrenheit. Cool, but it could have been far worse.

We drove over to the Dennis' house before noon and they greeted us warmly. "Would you boys like some lemon squash?" Mrs. Dennis offered, but my boys looked confused.

"That's lemonade," Ricky whispered, in explanation. Once they understood, the boys agreed.

"Not you blokes," Mr. Dennis added, indicating Jake and me. "I dropped round the bottle shop and got us something a bit stronger." He immediately whipped up drinks for us and then led us out back.

Peter's friends were already there; including an attractive young lady that I instantly knew was Kylie. Peter quickly called everyone over and introduced us, but I must say I had trouble keeping the guys' names straight. Therefore, I'll just refer to them by their description. There were two more blonds, in addition to Peter, so I'll just refer to them as the shorter blond and taller blond. There were also two young men with brown hair, which I'll refer to the same way, as the shorter and the taller. There were two other young men, one with black, or raven, hair and the other a redhead. Peter's mates often referred to the redhead as blue or bluey. I guess that is an Aussie thing. I hope you can keep the others straight as I relate what happened next.

Once we had met all of the guys, Peter introduced us to Kylie. She seemed quite shy, but did speak to Ricky and broke the ice.

"G'day," she offered, simply.

"G'day to you too," Ricky answered. "How have you been?'

"Fine and you?" she replied, more formally than I would have expected. It was evident these two weren't exactly feeling at ease or carefree around each other, and possibly there were some residual effects remaining from their strained parting. I think everyone else was sensing this too and I suspect that's why one of the others jumped in and took Ricky off the hook.

"So the dag has returned, has he?" the taller brown haired youth asked. This prompted Peter to whisper to me.

"A dag is a goof or a loser," he clarified. "I guess you blokes call them nerds too." I thanked him for the explanation.

"Well, I told you wankers I'd be back," Ricky joked in reply.

"Peter told us about his time in the States and came back sounding more like a dinky-di American," the shorter blond said next. This meant he thought Peter was sounding more like a real American than a 'Strine,' or Australian.

"Well, we enjoyed having Peter with us and miss him since he returned home," Ricky informed them.

"G'arn," the redhead interjected, and I assumed he meant 'Go on.' "I thought you'd be happy to see him shootin' through." I think this meant he thought Ricky would be happy when Peter left.

"Nah. It was like losing one of my brothers," Ricky confessed, and that earned him a playful punch in the arm from Peter.

"I felt the same way," Peter confirmed, "'cept look at all the brothers I lost," Peter added, while motioning toward the rest of my brood. Now, Peter stopped and took the time to introduce us to them.

While this was happening, I noticed Ricky moving away from the rest of us, so he could get closer to Kylie. He began speaking with her, and then after a minute or so they stepped farther away. It seems they wanted, or needed, a bit more privacy. I wasn't sure what was being said, but the expressions on their faces told me the conversation was quite serious.

By the time everyone had been formally introduced, Mr. Dennis announced it was time to eat. "Come on, mates. It's time to put on the dilly bag!" he yelled to us.

As we moved into position, Mrs. Dennis handed each of us a plate and told us to get some meat from her husband first. They had a wide assortment and I saw shrimp, chicken and sausages in the mix. We each made our selection and moved on and then Mrs. Dennis made sure we loaded up on the other items as well.

I was somewhat amused when the locals got what they wanted, because they asked for chook (chicken), a snag (sausage) or prawn. I guess I hadn't realized how much Peter's speech must have changed since Ricky had stayed here and after he spent time with us in Pennsylvania. However, now I understood why one of his friends had referred to him as a 'dinky-di American.'

The food was very good, but my boys took it a little easy when filling their plates. They were careful to make certain there was enough to go around before they took more. I was pleased they were being so considerate, but I guess we needn't have worried. The Dennises had plenty of food, and when I offered to chip in to cover the expense, Mr. Dennis told me not to worry about it. He said it had only cost them a small sum, compared to what I had spent on them the previous weekend and wouldn't give in. No matter how much I insisted, he held his ground, so I figured I'd make up for it when they went back to Sydney with us, before we flew home.

Once everyone had finished eating, Mrs. Dennis returned to the house and came back carrying a collection of lollies, or sweets. She also asked who would like an icy pole, which Peter explained were Popsicles, and then returned with the appropriate quantity for those who had requested one.

While we were traveling back to his house the other day, to drop his mother off after going to the Wildlife Park, Peter had suggested some other things we might do after we ate. He said he thought it would be fun to play soccer afterward and then go swimming with his friends, so my boys talked it over and agreed this sounded like a great idea. Having gotten our approval, Peter rang up his mates and informed them of this fact, so they came prepared today. Therefore, once the meal was over and the food had a chance to settle, we got ready to go to the athletic field. Peter had informed his parents about this beforehand, and they were fine with the idea too, but decided not to join us. After we thanked them for their hospitality, we got on the minibus and took off for the athletic fields. We told them we'd be coming back, but felt it best to thank them now, as well as again later.

Once we got everyone on board, it did prove to be a bit crowded. Kylie was with us as well, since she was prepared to participate in the same activities as the others, but when we arrived, Kylie got off the bus first, so the boys, Jake and I could change. Once we finished, she hopped back onboard and changed into her kit too.

Now that everyone was dressed appropriately, we went out to the field and began to loosen up. I had warned the Aussies that Jake and I weren't very good and would be playing goal, but they told us our ability didn't concern them. They assured us they'd be able to score on us no matter how good we were, so I took that as a challenge.

The game was moving right along and I think Peter and Ricky's mates were surprised at how good some of my boys were. Each team had scored a couple of goals when the raven-haired boy broke free and came at my goal. I watched him carefully, read his eyes and guessed were he was going to try to place his shot. I cheated and leapt in that direction way early and, fortunately, was in the air long enough to hit the ball with my hands and punch it away from the goal.

"Bloody hell!" the raven hair boy screamed.

"Awesome," said the taller blond on my team.

"Too right," agreed the shorter brown-haired boy, who was also on my team.

"I was gypped!" the raven-haired boy continued.

"Spit the dummie, Brian," the redhead, told him. "You had a fair go." Since I knew a dummie was a baby's pacifier, I knew he was trying to tell him to stop acting so childish, because he had his chance. The raven-haired boy stopped his griping after this happened and the game continued.

As it turned out, Kylie scored the winning goal and my team won 5 – 4. I liked to think it was my great save that did it, but my teammates did pretty well too. That save had merely proven a point and exacted a little revenge for the earlier comment that had been made.

Once we finished the game, we loaded back on the bus and I followed Peter's directions to the pool. Everyone had some sort of duffel with him, which had contained the shorts, shirt and the athletic trainers he'd used to play soccer, as well as a bathing suit and a towel for now. Each one had also put his other clothes in there too, after he'd changed and while we played earlier, so now we took everything inside with us. We showered first, before heading to the pool, since we were sweaty and dirty from the game. I was surprised the other Aussies had donned their swimsuits before taking their shower, but it must be the way they did things here.

I was also surprised to see a couple of Speedos in the mix, which were worn by the shorter brown-haired boy and the redhead, However, that was nothing compared to the surprise I got when we went out and met up with Kylie again, because she was wearing a fairly skimpy bikini. I thought some of my straight boys might molest her right there, because she was very attractive and had a nice body. It also crossed my mind that she might be doing this to make Ricky realize what he'd missed out on. Anyway, some of the other boys ogled at her, more than a just a little.

We had a really good time in the pool and quite a bit of horseplay took place, along with the swimming. One of the Aussies, the taller blond, tried to yank down the trunks of a couple of the others, even though there were several other people in the pool that weren't part of our group. This didn't go over too well with them or the boys he was trying to de-suit, so he received a considerable amount of grief for his actions. This wasn't done in a vicious way, but it did let him know his efforts weren't appreciated.

After playing in the soccer game and spending an hour in the pool, I was really starting to feel tired. Even though we'd been very active since we'd been here, gotten a considerable amount of exercise while seeing the sights and I'd also been doing quite a bit of bike riding at home, I was still exhausted. I guess I still have a long way to go before I can consider myself 'in shape' again.

Once we called it a day, we got out of the pool and went back to shower again. This time we got to see ALL of Peter's mates, and they got to see my boys, but I don't think any of them were interested in seeing Jake or I naked. However, I must admit that even though Ricky had told us about this fact in emails when he was here, I was still mildly surprised to see about half of the Aussies were circumcised. Very interesting, my dear Watson.

After we dressed and packed our things away, we got back on the bus and returned to Peter's house. We sat and chatted with his parents for a while longer, thanked them numerous times for the great day and then promised Peter's mates we'd meet them the following day, Sunday, at the athletic field again. The losing team wanted a rematch, followed by another dip in the pool, which I think we were all looking forward to.

We kept our word and met them around 10:00 on Sunday, instead of going to church. It went much the same as the previous day, since we played soccer first, but the losers didn't get the revenge they were seeking. My team won again, but this time 6 – 4.

After we finished our game, we went to the pool and spent about an hour there. We did have a great deal of fun, but our relaxing weekend had us just as worn out as the rest of the week. Go figure.

Since we did have some time constraints, we had to excuse ourselves and leave before 4:00 that afternoon. I still had to drive to the next location we were going to visit, but we had to return to the cabins and collect our things first. I also wanted to leave early enough so we wouldn't have to rush to get there before it got too late.

After loading our things onto the bus, doing a final check of the cabins and getting the boys settled onboard, we set off again and made the long drive to Alice Springs. This is where we were going to begin our final experience – in the Outback.

Chapter 27
The Aussie Experience

We checked in to our lodgings at Alice Springs and spent the night. We didn't do much, other than clean up and go to sleep, but this way we'd be ready to set out early the next day.

I got everyone up by 6:00 the next morning and had them dressed and fed by 7:15, so we could make the short drive to our first stop – the 'Alice Springs Desert Park.' I had made sure we arrived when the park opened, because I'd heard there was a great deal to do and it would take a whole day to get it all in.

As we entered the park, we were given several free audio guides to use – one for every four people. These devices helped explain the park's features and made it so you could choose what you'd listen to. It even gave you the option of listening to something over again, if you missed a detail or two the first time around. It works like this. All around the park there are posts with numbers on them. If you punch that number into the machine, it explains what you need to know about that location.

I was also given a timetable, which gave me the starting times for the various shows and presentations that would be given. I found it to be was very informative and this material coincided nicely with what I had read online, before we left home.

There are three habitats to view and walk about, and each has its own unique set of plant and animal life that resides there. Over the course of the next couple of hours, we checked out two of these – the 'Sand Country' and 'Woodland' habitats. Each of these areas feature two or more aviaries, which house the birds that reside in that particular environment. We discovered very quickly, however, that you have to be extremely quiet when you go inside or the birds will remain hidden from view. These areas also contained enclosures for the kangaroos and emus, but since we had seen these at the Wildlife Park, we didn't spend much time there.

Once we finished at this location, I took the boys to one of the most popular features of the site, the 'Nocturnal House.' This building contains the creatures that are active during the nighttime hours, so the building is made to resemble a moonlit night. I was told it was best to view the area before 10:00, because the animals are more active then, so we went in to see the snakes, lizards and other animals that go to work after dark.

This area also features some rare animals and those threatened with extinction. On that list we found the bilby and a desert dwelling marsupial that is related to the bandicoots. There used to be two species of bilbies, but one species went extinct during the 1950's. The term bilby is an Aboriginal term meaning, 'long-nosed rat,' so that should give you some indication of what they look like. The bilbies also have long ears, a soft, silky fur, dig burrows in the ground and do not need to drink water. The bilbies get all the moisture they need from their food (insects, spiders, some plants and other small animals). They range in size from 29 cm, or about 7.5 inches, on up to 66 cm, or approximately 17.5 inches.

Also on the list of endangered animals is the mala, or rufous hare wallaby, which is another marsupial. It has gray fur that fades to yellow on the sides and underbelly, and is the smallest of the hare wallabies. It feeds on herbs, seeds, grass, shrubs and leaves, while residing in shallow burrows. It also prefers to be alone and its average length is around ten inches, which is approximately the size of a rabbit.

Once we finished there, we went to check out the last of the three habitats, the 'Desert Rivers,' and this area had a couple of its own aviaries to view. After seeing everything there, we went to view a twenty-minute film, called 'The Changing Heart,' which compresses information about what has happened during the four and a half billion years of desert creation.

When we left the area, we went to grab a bite to eat, since the boys were grumbling about being hungry. Maybe this was partially due to the fact that we'd heard so much about what all these other animals eat and it caused the boys' digestive juices to start to flow too. Whatever the reason, my gang now claimed they were starving.

Once we'd finished our meal, we went to see a show on 'Aboriginal Weapon Use.' I found this to be very informative, since it went over many facets. It began with the Aboriginal use of clubs, which ranged from the very simple to those with conical, mushroom, pineapple, bladed or pick-like heads. These were used for hunting, as well as defending against or attacking other groups of people. The balanced sword-club, which could have a blade of up to a meter in length, proved to be a very fearsome weapon indeed.

To my amazement, we were then informed that boomerangs were merely throwing sticks and did not necessarily return to the user. The boomerangs developed differently in different parts of the country, and some Aboriginal people never used a boomerang. Other groups abandoned the use of them over time and one group used a specialized boomerang to help them fish in shallow waters.

The returning boomerang, which we are familiar with, had limited distribution and was mainly used in traditional sporting events and games. It was also used to kill birds or drive them into nets that had been strung up at strategic points. The returning boomerangs are also generally thinner and lighter than the other varieties.

The hunting boomerang was a heavy version and used for both hunting and fighting. It was deadly in the hands of a skilled warrior and was often elaborately engraved or decorated on both sides. One such weapon had a flattened pick-like appearance and could be used to reach around the stick or shield of another warrior, often with deadly results.

The Aboriginal people also used a variety of spears, hatchets and axes, as well as using fire as a weapon. They would use the smoke to mask their location or utilize the smoke and fire to drive animals, or their enemies, out from where they were hiding.

This had been quite a lengthy, yet informative, demonstration, but once it ended we hurried off to check out some of the desert art next. Since the Aborigine didn't have a form of writing, they often drew pictures in the sand or painted them onto a rock wall, to pass along traditional knowledge. These drawings were only supposed to be seen by those that had reached a certain level within the society, since much of this was sacred and utilized mystical backdrops. Their artwork also appeared to be very simplistic, as Andrew observed.

"I think I could draw better than that when I was in kindergarten or first grade," he stated, as he looked at samples of the primitive artwork.

"It wasn't designed to be beautiful," I informed, "but to convey a message. It would be closer in use to writing, rather than the type of artwork you do." Andrew seemed to understand what I told him and said nothing more about its simplistic nature.

A short time after we finished up there, we went to see our last demonstration, the 'Birds of Prey' show. This was held in a small amphitheatre, but the birds remained totally free and in their natural environment. The presenter explained and demonstrated how the various species differ, before he and his 'assistants' demonstrated these things for us.

We discovered some of the birds would fly very close above our heads when they came in, while others refused to cooperate and embarrassed the presenter. One even snuck up from behind and surprised him. The presenter used meat to attract the birds and demonstrate their hunting technique. One particular bird even used a tool, a stone, to break open its desired meal, which had a rather hard covering.

Once this show ended, we left the park and headed back to Alice Springs. Since we had done quite a bit of walking and standing, we were all fairly tired, so we rested a bit, before going out to dinner. When we came back from dinner, most of us just cleaned up and hurried off to bed.

We got up early the next morning, yet were fairly well rested and looking forward to another full day of activity. After downing our morning meal; we set off for our first stop, the Henbury Meteorite Crater site. Shortly after arriving, we discovered that 4,700 years ago, a several ton meteorite, traveling at speeds in excess of 40,000 k.p.h., or 24,855 m.p.h., disintegrated as it entered the atmosphere. This meant it broke into many smaller pieces, several of which struck the earth at this location.

The impact left behind twelve different craters, which varied greatly in size. The smallest impact site was barely noticeable now, because of the passage of time and the effects of weather. It was six meters across, or just under twenty feet, but it was only a few centimeters deep. The largest of the craters was most likely caused by a chunk of meteor about the size of an oil drum and left behind a hole 180 meters across, or 590.5 feet, and fifteen meters, or forty-nine feet, deep. This was due in part to the meteor's very dense and heavy composition, which was mostly iron, with a little nickel thrown in. Over 500 kg, or more than 1,100 pounds, of pieces were recovered from the area, with the largest piece being 10 kg, or 22 pounds.

We had already walked around some of the smaller craters and were in the process of walking around the largest one when I heard someone speak up.

"Holy crap!" Pat exclaimed. "Can you imagine how much damage there would be, if something like this happened today? To make this big of a hole, it must have kicked up an enormous amount of debris."

"Well, if it happened in a desolate area such as this," Jake replied, "it probably wouldn't be too bad, but if it happened in or near a major city, then results would be catastrophic,"

"Hey, if a meteor wiped out the dinosaurs, it could certainly do the same to humans," Brandon observed.

"Didn't something like this happen a few years ago on Jupiter?" Dustin asked. "I think I remember hearing something about that in school. I think it was a meteor or comet that crashed into the planet."

"You're correct," I confirmed. "Jupiter was struck in 1994 by the Shoemaker-Levy 9 comet. The comet had been torn into pieces by Jupiter's gravity, when it passed by on a previous occasion, so it ended up resulting in eight or nine impacts sites on the surface."

"Hopefully someone would spot anything like that headed toward earth, so there would be enough time to stop it or change its course," Sammy added. It was truly a mind-boggling scenario any way you looked at it.

Once we finished walking around, I decided to have the boys grab a snack here, since our next stop would take a few hours to complete. No one complained about eating early, and then we drove over to the Watarrka National Park. The name comes from the Aboriginal word for the umbrella bush that thrives here and protects the rugged and scenic George Gill Range. The park contains a massive gorge and its best-known feature is Kings Canyon. Although we had been to the Grand Canyon in the past, I wanted the boys to see this canyon as well. Part of my reasoning revolved around the fact that not all of the boys had been with us for the trip to Arizona. Little Ricky had not gone along on that trip and we didn't run in to Nick until after we left there. Jesse also hadn't joined the family until long after that experience and, of course, Peter hadn't been with us then either. Not only did I want them to see this, but I also wanted those that had been to the Grand Canyon to be able to make a comparison between the two.

There are two walks you may take to view the Canyon, so I started us out on the shorter and easier of the two first. The Kings Creek walk is 2.6 km, or a little more than a mile-and-a-half in length, and during this trek we walked along the canyon floor. As we went, we passed by numerous signs and displays explaining about the local vegetation, until we reached a lookout point. From here, we were able to view the canyon walls from the ground up and got a different perspective of the canyon than we would get on the next tour. The Kings Creek walk took about an hour to complete, but we were able to enjoy some very spectacular views along the way.

From there, we moved into position to begin the Kings Canyon Rim Walk. This is a six km loop, nearly four miles, and we moved in a clockwise direction around the canyon. The walk begins by climbing a steep path, which the locals call 'Heartbreak Hill' or 'Heart Attack Hill'. This climb is more difficult than if we had been able to go in the reverse, or counter-clockwise direction, but park officials want everyone moving in the same direction, to avoid congestion and tie ups.

Once we reached the top, it became a fairly easy walk, as we proceed along the northern rim. From here, we got a great view of the opposite wall and rim, which is approximately 300 meters high, or a little over 984 feet above the canyon floor. When we reached the upper end of the canyon, the ground became much more uneven and the traveling was considerably rougher. At this point, we also began to pass through a collection of sandstone domes, which is referred to as 'The Lost City.' During this time, we also had a chance to take a little detour, which we chose to do, and descended into a very sheltered valley.

When we reached the bottom, we discovered a permanent waterhole, which is called 'The Garden of Eden.' It is very peaceful and absolutely stunning, and although you're not supposed to swim in this area, some of the other visitors did. The walk back was through some narrow gaps and over some rugged parts of the valley, but there were also boardwalks and some steps in the more difficult and steeper sections, to lessen the difficulty.

During the second part of the walk, along the southern rim, we were able to gaze upon some magnificent, and possibly the most beautiful of all the views. By the time we reached the milder grade back down to a point close to where we had started, nearly four hours had passed. I think everyone had enjoyed the experience, although we were all quite tired by the time we reached the mini-bus.

From there, we drove back to Alice springs, were we rested up for a brief period and took some nice hot showers to work out the kinks, before we went to dinner. After we ate, I decided to take the family to a pub. There are plenty of them in Alice Springs and the drinking age in Australia is 18, which meant that everyone except for Jesse, Andrew, Little Ricky, Sammy. Dion and our host, Peter, could indulge. Peter wasn't going to turn 18 until October and Dion in November, so they were unfortunately going to miss out on this. I did suspect they wouldn't miss out on it completely, since I figured they'd each take a few sips from the other boys' mugs now and then, and from the looks of the place, I doubted anyone would give a second thought about it.

We had a good time and filled up more than half of the place. There were some locals and a few other tourists there as well, but they were all quite friendly and even inquired about our situation. As always, we shocked many of them with our story, but got a few cries of 'here, here' in the mix. Everyone was quite nice and we enjoyed the time we spent chatting with each of them.

Some of the boys even tried their hand at darts and received some tips from some of the regulars on this art form. I wouldn't say any of them would threaten anyone there with their accuracy, except if you meant they might accidentally hit someone else with a dart.

After going back to our rooms and getting a good night's rest, we got up the following morning and took off for our last day in the Outback, or the Never-Never as the locals like to call it. We were going to see the last of the sights I had scheduled, which was a stop at the Uluru/Kata Tjuta National Park.

We started off visiting Uluru, or Ayers Rock as it is called in English. This is a large sandstone, monolithic done and rises dramatically out of the desert. It's Aboriginal name, Uluru, means 'earth mother,' and in reality it is just a large island mountain. It stands 348 meters, or 1,142 feet, tall and has a circumference of 9.4 km, or 5.8 miles. This site is very sacred to the Aboriginal people and has many springs, waterholes and caves, some of which contain ancient paintings.

"Man, this could have been one of those U.F.O. landing sites," Trey suggested, "like in the movie 'Close Encounters of the Third Kind.' It even looks a little like the butte they were trying to find."

"You may have something there," Danny teased, "so look for little green men, or are we talking about the grays here?"

"Very funny," Trey replied, "but you may begin to feel differently about it, if we see any artwork that shows things looking like spaceships."

The Aboriginal legends often talk about large creator beings, so who knows what might have inspired those legends. However, I don't expect aliens would be as large as the ones in the legend about how this feature came about. The Aborigine claim that two young boy creator beings made Uluru while playing with the mud in the rain.

We walked around the entire site, which few visitors do, and were surprised by how different the opposite side appeared. This is an area that few visitors ever see and has a much more varied surface, which includes many caves and crevices. This area is also very sacred and where many Aboriginal ceremonies are conducted, but these usually take place at night. Uluru also appears to change color with the changing light, so at sunrise and sunset it appears to glow red.

From here, we then traveled the short distance to Kata Tjuta, which is also referred to as Mount Olga or The Olgas in English. Its name in the Aboriginal language means 'many heads,' because it is comprised of a series of 36 rock domes, of varying sizes. It may have once been one large monolithic dome, like Uluru, but over time has been eroded to the point we see now. The Aboriginal great snake, Wanambi, is said to dwell here, either on top of Mount Olga during the wet season or hiding in a water hole during the dry season.

While we were here, we took the Valley of the Winds walk, which is 7.4 km, or 4.6 miles long hike. We started off by walking up the trail to the first lookout point, Karu. From here, we went in a clockwise direction and followed a looping trail over rocky and hilly terrain, which gives us the sense that we were truly in the wilderness. We followed this trail until we reached the second lookout point, Karingana. From here, we looked through a narrow gap in the rock and viewed the valley that stretches out, far below.

Several of the rock domes have been given names. There is a group of these formations associated with the 'mice women,' and there is another called 'Malu' or the kangaroo man. He is supposedly dying of wounds inflicted by dingoes and can be seen leaning against his sister, 'Mulumura,' a lizard woman.

It took us three hours to complete this walk, but I think everyone felt it was worthwhile. Even though we knew the areas we had visited aren't the most desolate and dangerous places in the outback, it did give us a fairly good idea of what it is like there. We also learned a great deal about the area and the people that have lived here since long before anyone can remember.

The Aborigine believe both Uluru and Kata Tjuta are evidence of feats performed by the creation people during the creation, or dreaming, time. The native peoples may have inhabited this area for 10,000 to 22,000 years and the ceremonies they still perform connect them to the land in many ways.

When we got back on the bus, Ricky had an observation to share. "Dang, Dad. I was in the Outback when I was here before, but I didn't see any of the places we've been to the last couple of days," he commented.

"Don't be such a wally," Peter interjected, which was his way of saying 'don't be an idiot.' "The Outback is huge, so there are probably lots of things you haven't seen. I suppose you were expecting to run into Bunyip (the Australia Bigfoot) while we were out here." Ricky gave Peter the finger for chastising him like that in front of the rest of us, so I thought I'd better jump in and put an end to it.

"I know and I planned it that way," I told him. "I remember what I saw on the videos of your trip, so when I was researching where we could go, I tried to pick different locations."

"You did all right, Dad," Ricky confirmed, before flashing Peter another evil glare and tossing him the bird once more.

We didn't go back to Alice Springs this time. Instead, I drove back to the cabins, because this would be our last night there. Tomorrow, we will be heading back to Sydney for our final day, before returning to the good old U.S.A. I could tell Peter was beginning to feel really sad about the thought of us leaving, because he suddenly became very quiet. I hope we can find a way to cheer him up a bit, before we depart.

Chapter 28
Wrapping Up

On the ride back to the cabins, I wasn't the only one who noticed Peter was feeling down. I could see some of the other boys talking to him and trying to cheer him up, after Peter told them how he felt.

"I hate the thought of you blokes leaving," Peter explained. "I've had such a great time, but now I feel as bad as I did when it was time for me to leave the States."

"Come on, cheer up," Graham told him. "We'll still chat online and we'll see each other again. I know Dad will make sure we do."

"I know he will too," Peter agreed, "but I'm still going to miss being with you every day. You're not just my friends, you're my family too."

"We're going to miss you as well and you definitely are part of our family too," Little Ricky added. "Hey, why don't you stay in with us again tonight. I'm sure Cole won't mind switching again and staying with Ricky. That way, we might be able to make you feel a little better." Peter's head shot up and he stared at Little Ricky.

"What do you mean?" he wondered, hopefully.

"I think you know what I mean," Little Ricky explained. "I mean, I've done it with you before."

"And I have too," Graham chimed in, added an even greater incentive. Peter was grinning from ear-to-ear, as he agreed to their proposal, so the boys quickly went over to confront Cole about making the room exchange.

We stopped for dinner before we reached the cabins and I notice Graham, Sammy and Little Ricky were all huddled around Peter. Then when we got back, I discovered Cole was with us again and inquired about the change.

"What's up?" I asked him.

"Oh, the others wanted Peter to stay with them again tonight," Cole explained. "I think they're planning on cheering him up, since he's kind of bummed out about us leaving."

"I see," I replied, and then let the conversation drop. I had a fairly good idea what they would be doing to cheer Peter up.

Once they were alone in the other cabin, the three boys began trying to lift Peter's spirits a bit.

"Okay, I guess were going to have to do something special to make you feel better," Little Ricky informed Peter, "and it will have to be something you'll always remember."

"You don't have to do that," Peter offered, although he was excited about what he thought Little Ricky was suggesting.

"We do," Graham stated, "and we've all agreed." Little Ricky and Sammy were nodding their heads in support. "So it's your choice. Which one of us do you want to make love to first?"

"You're all willing to let me shag you again?" Peter asked, astounded.

"If that's what you want," Sammy confirmed.

"But I'll feel bad about having to pick one of you to do it with," Peter explained. "I really like each of you and don't want to hurt anyone's feelings, by not choosing him."

"Then you can do it with all of us, one at a time," Sammy suggested. Peter's mouth dropped open.

"I don't think I could do it that many times in a row," Peter gasped.

"Oh, not one right after the other," Little Ricky explained. "Do one of us now, another a little later and you can do the last one in the morning, before we leave."

"Do you mean that?' Peter asked astounded, and the three boys merely nodded their reply.

"I'll give it a go," Peter agreed, "if you are all sure you want to do this." All three boys nodded again.

"So who's first?" Sammy asked.

"I'm still going to feel bad choosing one of you over the others," Peter confessed. "Why don't you decide who goes first instead."

The boys agreed and played rock-paper-scissors to determine the order. It ended up that Sammy was going first, followed by Graham, and Peter would be with Little Ricky in the morning.

"You guys can do it to me too," Peter stated.

"You don't have to do that," Sammy told him. "We know you aren't into receiving, as much as you are giving."

"Well, you three aren't either," Peter countered, "but you're willing to do this for me. Besides, I've discovered it's not so bad. In fact, I kind of enjoyed it the last time."

"Hey, if you're down with it, then it's certainly fine with us," Little Ricky added. Peter nodded, without hesitation, so it looked as if everything was set.

There was some discussion about which room they would use to do this in and the boys decided it might be best if they used the bedroom in the back for this purpose. This way, those still outside wouldn't easily overhear what the pair was up to, so it would cut down on the teasing about it later. The other pair would stay in the other bedroom or common area, and since they knew what was going on, nothing they heard would bother them.

Peter went in with Sammy first and they quickly stripped down. Sammy had the condoms and the lube on the nightstand and it didn't take long for Peter to get hard. As soon as he was, he slipped the condom over his shaft and lubed it up, while Sammy did the same to his backside. Sammy then got on the bed, on all fours, and Peter got into position behind him.

After placing the head of his cock at Sammy's rear opening, Peter applied a little pressure and slid in. Almost as soon as he felt Sammy's butt checks against his pubis, Peter began gyrating his hips back and forth, and immediately began to feel the pleasurable sensations running up and down his shaft.

The boys went at it for quite a few minutes, and Sammy tried to match Peter's efforts as much as possible, to make it even more enjoyable for him. When Peter began to feel the hot lava churning in his midsection, he increased his pace, until his juices bubbled over and erupted into the end of the protective covering. Exhausted, Peter fell backward, almost off the end of the bed, and lost his connection with his partner.

Once he'd recovered, Peter insisted that Sammy do the same thing to him, so Sammy complied. They got into the same position, only this time their roles were reversed, but it ended with similar results. When they finished, they took a quick shower and then went back out to join up with the others.

After talking for a little while and rehashing some of their favorite memories for the past couple of weeks, Peter and Graham slipped off to the back bedroom, while the other pair went to the other. They had all agreed they wanted to take a quick nap, and then about an hour or so later, Graham woke up to use the toilet. When he returned, he noticed Peter was also awake.

"Are you ready now?" Graham asked, while looking directly into Peter's eyes.

"I'm not sure," Peter replied. "I'm still a little knackered."

"Okay, then you take it easy and I'll do the work," Graham told him, as he reached down and began to work little Peter, so he could get him to stand at attention. Peter stopped Graham, almost immediately, and Graham looked surprised. That was until he saw Peter run off to the toilet. When Peter got back, Graham decided to use his mouth to get Peter erect instead.

As soon as Peter's boyhood was standing tall and proud, Graham slipped a condom over it, greased it up and then positioned himself over Peter's midsection. Slowly, Graham sat down on Peter's firm mast and let it enter his body.

After Peter's penis had slid completely into Graham's warm cavern and Graham's butt cheeks were touching Peter's pubic patch, Graham started bouncing up and down on the shaft. Slowly, he began working Peter towards his second orgasm of the night by tightening his anal muscles, each time he lifted upward. Then Graham would drop quickly downward, until he was once again firmly impaled on Peter's rigid shaft. Graham did this for many minutes and then Peter began to feel that familiar tingling building in his groin. When Peter began to pant and gasp beneath him, Graham quickened his pace, until Peter arched his back and thrust into Graham, as he filled the condom with his boy juices. Even after Peter had climaxed, Graham rose up and down a few more times, to drain Peter completely. When he felt Peter had relinquished all he had to give, Graham allowed him a few minutes to recuperate, before changing places.

Graham was willing to forego his turn, since Peter was so worn out, but Peter wouldn't hear of it. Instead, he rolled over and lay, face down, on the bed, thus allowing Graham to do the same to him. Once Graham was ready, he slipped inside of Peter's warm cavern and began thrusting in and out, as he worked his way to his own orgasm. Although Peter seemed to be enjoying it, he didn't have the strength to do much to help out, so Graham continued on, until he unloaded all he had to give. Once he'd ejaculated, the pair cleaned up quickly and then returned to bed, looking forward to getting a little more sleep.

Around 7:00 the following morning, Little Ricky slipped out of the room he had been in and entered the other bedroom. He woke Graham and Graham quickly left to go to the other bedroom, with Sammy. Little Ricky then lay down next to Peter and waited for him to awake. Once Peter had stretched, used the toilet and was fully alert, Little Ricky offered to do what the others had already done for him.

Once he got Peter sufficiently aroused, Little Ricky got on his back and drew his knees up to his chest. Even though he understood Peter wasn't into kissing another guy, Little Ricky wanted to watch Peter's face as they made love. Peter was fine with this and crawled up behind him, so he could penetrate yet another one of his friends.

Peter slid in without much difficulty and immediately worked himself into a nice relaxing rhythm. Both boys appeared to be enjoying this connection, as Peter ground his way in and out of Little Ricky's tunnel of love, and grunted, moaned and cooed in response. This continued even longer than when Peter had made love with the others, but then Peter began to feel the silent need to speed up. Suddenly, he began thrusting like a madman, as he raced toward the finish line. Even a rabbit would have been proud if he'd seen Peter's final sprint home, and then Peter stiffened, grunted and released his boy cream into the condom's reservoir. Within seconds after doing this, he collapsed on top and Little Ricky and they stayed that way for a few minutes, until Peter had the strength to lift off of him again.

Once he did that, he switched places and took up an identical position, so he could reward Little Ricky for what he had done. Peter was actually beginning to enjoy doing this, although he would probably not do it with anyone else, other than the Curries. Having it done to him did fill him with another kind of pleasure and caused something inside of him to send out little jolts of electricity every now and then. This caused him to feel a warm sensation in his rectal area, which reminded him of when he scratched a part of his body that itched really badly. Peter was in no way sorry he did this for them in return, since he did receive both pleasure and satisfaction from the act.

Once this pair had finished, they got cleaned up, dressed and then packed up all of their gear, so they could load it onto the mini-bus. We would drive over to Peter's house first and then go out for breakfast, after which we would follow Peter's parents to Sydney. This was so we could all spend a little more time together and say a final good-bye, before we returned home.

When we reached the city, we quickly did the things we hadn't had time for when we arrived. We began with a quick stop at Finger Wharf, which is the largest timber-piled building in the world. It was completed in 1915, and during the first 70 years of its existence, the wharf was primarily involved in the exporting of wool. It also served as a deployment area for troops going off to fight in both World Wars and was used as an arrival area for a great number of immigrants. However, today it is home to a hotel, several restaurants and numerous residential apartments. The actor, Russell Crowe, owns a 14-million dollar penthouse here and the residential areas in this structure are now some of the most expensive and sought after locations in the country.

From there, we went to see the Hyde Park Barracks, which has been a significant feature in Sydney since 1819. At first, it was used to house convicts that had been assigned to work for the government. The prisoners were locked up at night and then sent out to work during the day, only to return to the barracks when their job was done. Once the building was no longer used for that purpose, it became an immigration depot for single females and then an asylum for destitute women. Then, for a ninety-year period, up until 1979, it housed law courts and government offices. In 1981, after being closed down for a short period, the building was restored and turned into a museum, which it is today.

You can now visit it and see representations of what the lives of convicts and the other inhabitants of the house would have been like. There are models that show what the barracks looked like when it housed the men, who were non-violent and had typically been found guilty of theft. There had also been women and children convicts, but they were housed at other facilities, not this one. The majority of the convicts had been sent here from England, where the prisons were extremely overcrowded, and then were quickly forgotten about. Up to 600 convicts were crowded into this building at any time and forced to wear uniforms, so they would stand out as being different from everyone else. They were only fed twice a day, and those meals generally consisted of either a soup or stew, made up largely of vegetables and salted pork. The convicts slept in hammocks, which could be attached to a single hook when not in use, but they also took up less space when they were being utilized.

In another area, we were able to see what it would have been like for the females that were housed there later. The majority of these women would have been between the ages of sixteen and eighteen, and also unmarried. They were either sent here or volunteered to come to do domestic work. Once they arrived, they were also expected to find a husband and have many children, to increase the non-native population of the country. This room contained artifacts belonging to various girls that had lived there and these items helped shed some insight onto what life would have been like for them.

This turned out to be a very interesting and enlightening stop, and the boys talked excitedly about what we had seen, while we ate lunch. Once we finished our meal, I led everyone off to do the one thing Ricky had been dying to get us to try. We were going to climb the Sydney Harbor Bridge.

Mr. and Mrs. Dennis didn't want to go, but I insisted, since they didn't go with Ricky and Peter, when Ricky had been staying with them. Reluctantly, they agreed, so we set off for the entrance. After paying the required fees, we sat through a safety lecture, took a breath capacity and breathalyzer tests, and then we had to put on this special BridgeSuit, as well as hats and gloves, since it was winter. We locked up all of our personal things in a secured area, because the only personal items you can take with you on this climb are glasses and hearing aids. We even had to go through a metal detector before we started out, just to make sure we had left everything else behind. We were also fitted with a harness and a communication device, before we were led to the point where we would start the climb.

We had to split into two groups, because there were so many of us, so Jake went with Mrs. Dennis and half of the boys, while I went with Mr. Dennis and the other half. We had asked them if they wanted to stay together or split up, and they both agreed it might be more fun just to go with us. They explained they had done it together before, the first year climbing the bridge was allowed, which was some time in early 1999. You see, this climb has only been open to the public since October 1998, so it's a fairly recent addition to the sightseeing activities there.

We started by taking some stairs and then going up a ladder, before crossing a catwalk to the archway. Once we were at an upper point on the archway, we then climbed to the top of the Eastern Arch. Jesse and Andrew had each opted to go with my group, and once we got out in the open, Jesse started to suffer from a mild bout of acrophobia. Seeing this, I quickly looked around until I spotted Brandon, because seeing Jesse's reaction had brought back memories of what had happened to Brandon at the Grand Canyon. Brandon appeared to be doing fine, but Danny was talking to him. I suspected Danny was offering Brandon some encouragement and moral support. Since Brandon didn't seem to be doing badly, I turned my attention to Jesse.

"You'll be fine," I told him. "Just look straight ahead and try not to glance down. That way it won't affect you so badly."

"But I might fall," he whined.

"Jesse, you have the harness on and it's hooked to the rail, so that's not going to happen," I assured him. "Andrew and I won't let anything bad happen to you, we promise. I'm right here in front of you and he's behind, so everything will be fine." Once Jesse looked at me and then turned back to make certain Andrew was indeed behind him, he began to relax and was basically fine for the rest of the climb.

It wasn't too steep of an arch, possibly because this is the longest single span bridge in the world. When we reached the summit, we were given a chance to look around and the view was simply magnificent. It happened to be a very clear day, so we could see miles in every direction. Immediately in front of us were all the high-rise buildings, but we could also see past them and note how expansive Sydney is. We could even make out the Blue Mountains in the distance, which reminded us of the time we'd spent there. We were also able to watch the boats travel around the harbor and had a very picturesque view of the Sydney Opera House.

Now that we had reached the pinnacle of the bridge, pictures of the various climbing groups were taken. Unfortunately, we couldn't all get in a single shot and this was done in smaller groups. Since our harnesses were constantly fastened to the railing, we also had to have our pictures taken with those closest to us at the time, but only in groups of four to six for a single shot. In the end, we had a snapshot showing each of us standing at the top of the bridge, which would be priceless reminders of our time here in the future.

At this point, we had to cross over to the Western Arch, so we could make our decent. Once we reached the point where we had begun the climb, we collected our things and thanked the staff for the fantastic experience. It was truly an enjoyable and memorable opportunity. I'm sure it will also be one the things the boys talk about for many years to come.

Before we left, we looked at the pictures that had been taken of us on a computer and then I purchased four sets of each. This way I could give Mr. and Mrs. Dennis and Peter one set (especially since they were all in different snapshots), keep a set for the family scrapbook at home and then have a couple of sets the boys could take around to show their friends. It seemed the practical thing to do.

I'm glad we had taken all of those other walking tours first though, because they actually helped get us ready for this. It still took a lot out of us, well at least out of Jake and me, and I knew we'd pay for it later with an assortment of aches and pains. For now, however, we'd merely enjoy the climb for what it was – a wonderful and remarkable adventure. The climb had taken over three hours from start to finish, with another half hour to look at the pictures, make our purchase and then allow the boys an opportunity to pick out a few other souvenirs to remind them of our time here, so it was getting close to dinnertime.

After speaking with Mr. and Mrs. Dennis about where we should eat, they suggested a place they knew and said it came highly recommended. We ended up going there, but had to endure a short wait to get seated. We also had to split up into several smaller groups, but it turned out to be well worth the effort. Once we finished eating, we began to say good-bye to the Dennises for the final time, because they were returning home and we were going to be heading to a hotel near the airport. We would spend our final night there, because our flight didn't leave until early the next morning.

While Jake and I were saying good-bye to our hosts, Peter walked to the bus and collected his gear. As he was doing so, he was also saying so long to the rest of my brood, before spending a few teary minutes with Ricky.

"I don't know when we'll see each other again," Peter said, "but I'll never forget you, mate."

"Hey, come on," Ricky teased. "We'll get together again sometime and we'll see each other on the webcams. Cheer up. It's not the end of the world. Just think of it this way. Now, you won't have to worry about me pulling a prank on you." Peter laughed, hugged Ricky again and then went over to speak with Sammy, Graham and Little Ricky.

After urging them to move to a spot a short distance away from the others, he looked up and spoke. "I want to thank you for what you did for me last night and this morning," he said, a bit teary-eyed. "I won't forget it, or you either. You have been great and I love each of you. I'll chat you up whenever I can, but I will never forget you."

They all hugged after that and then Peter picked up his duffel and went over to speak to Jake and me.

"Thank you so much for taking me with you to see all those places," Peter told us. "I really had a wonderful time and love you both."

"Hey, we needed you as our guide and we enjoyed having you with us as well," I countered. "We love you too and we'll see each other again." I then gave Peter a hug, and then Jake did the same, after adding his own sentiments.

After that, Peter followed his parents to where they had parked their car, but he waved back at us before he wandered out of sight. We got back on the bus and drove off, as we made our way to the hotel.

We spent a very quiet night, since everyone was a bit down due to the fact that our vacation and time with Peter had drawn to an end. In fact, we all went to bed fairly early that evening and I didn't hear from any of the boys again, except those staying in my room, until morning.

After eating a quick breakfast, we drove to the airport and I turned in the mini-bus. Then, we carried our luggage and checked in, before we began the boring wait to board our flight. Fortunately, we were in the air within the hour, thus saying our final good-bye to Australia and beginning the long journey home.

Chapter 29
Many Reasons to Celebrate

The first week back, after our vacation to Australia, we just took it easy and readjusted to our own time zone. That is everyone except poor Jake. He only had what was left of Saturday, as well as Sunday and Monday to recuperate before he had to return to work. He seemed to handle it quite well though and I was impressed.

Early in the second week, Nick left to go back to Oklahoma, so he could spend some time with his parents before returning to class. I wasn't sure when we'd see him next, but we would keep in contact.

During this time, I also started urging the boys to start checking to see what items they would need for school and then make a list of those things, so we could pick them up. I asked them to check both their clothing and various supplies they would require, which included some small furnishings for the college boys. They would be leaving in less than a week and a half, so they didn't have a lot of time to waste getting their act together.

There was also going to be a little vehicular switch that needed to be made. Since Dustin had graduated from college and wouldn't be carrying the others back and forth this year, he didn't need the big SUV. I was going to let Brandon use it instead, because Brandon had been part of that loop and was the next oldest driver in the group, even though he wasn't technically my son. Dustin knew this was going to happen after he graduated, so he didn't give me any problems about it.

In return, I was going to let Dustin use the Grand Am to get back and forth to work at a local HVAC company. He was going to be learning the ropes there and getting a chance to experience all aspects of the business. The current owner was planning to retire in a few years and had agreed to sell his business to Dustin at that time, if Dustin was interested. That's why Dustin was going to work in the field first, so he could learn the nuts and bolts of the operation. Once he had that down, he'd move into the office and become involved with the business and financial end of things.

August was also important for another reason. Kevin was turning twenty-one on August 8th and I would be doing the same thing for him that I had done for the others who had reached that age. I was having my lawyer make arrangement to turn over his account, so he would have full control over the assets. I did sit down with Kevin first, to explain this to him.

"As part of your birthday present this year," I began, "I am turning over control of the account I'd set up in your name. I think you already know that I've done the same thing for Frankie, Dustin, Danny and Pat, so now it's your turn to receive the privilege. Since I saw how well you handled the scholarship issue with Jeff, I know I can trust your judgment and you won't spend the money foolishly. So far, I have been using it to pay your college expenses and expect you'll be continuing to do this, but the remainder of that money can be used for whatever you deem will benefit you in the long term."

"Thanks for doing this, Dad, and for everything else you've done for each of us," Kevin responded. "When I came here to live with you, my biggest worry was just to have a place to live. I hoped it would be a place where I wouldn't have to hide being gay, but you gave me much more than that. You've always been there when I needed you, especially when things looked the worst, like when Dustin dumped me, Brent died or when I had testicular cancer. You also made sure I had the money I needed for college and enough left over to start life on my own. I'm not saying I'm going anywhere, but wherever I end up, I will always feel my home is here with you. Where I end up living will mostly depend on where I get a job after I graduate, but I'll always look forward to coming back here to visit. I love you, Dad, and thank you so much for everything."

I was deeply touched by his words and hugged him after he finished. I told him how much I loved him too and that I was very proud of how he has always conducted himself, even at the worst of times. We held his birthday party that weekend, so the whole family could celebrate with him, but I'm glad I had given him this particular gift in private.

The next week in August was fairly hectic for us, because the various groups of boys were finishing up their preparations to return to school. They were busy making runs to the local stores and the mall, so they could pick up new clothes, supplies and furnishings for their rooms and apartments, as well as any last minute additions they had made to their lists. Once each of them had everything he needed or wanted, the college boys began packing up and getting ready to take off for their campuses. The drivers also had to pick up the rental trailers and have them hooked up to their vehicle, so they could start loading everything inside.

That Saturday, I was busy helping the boys with this, when Kevin asked if I'd run down to the rental place with him, so he could get the trailer for the 4Runner. I thought his request a bit odd, since he should be able to do this on his own, but I concluded there might possibly be something else he wanted to discuss, so I agreed. On the way there, Kevin talked about the apartment he would be sharing with Vinnie and Trey, but the conversation didn't produce any earth-shaking information. After we picked up the trailer, we drove back to the house and I was still confused as to why he had wanted me to go with him.

As we walked in the door, my mind was still preoccupied about his motives and I wondered if he had changed his mind about approaching me. For that reason, I nearly jumped out of my skin when a whole bunch of people jumped out from all directions and shouted, "Surprise!" Damn, I can't believe I had fallen for this. Kevin had merely asked me out as a ruse, so the rest of them could set up for a surprise birthday party. Why hadn't that thought entered my mind?

Suddenly, I was surround by the family, as each of them bid me a happy birthday and shared their good wishes.

"Well, Dad, you've finally reached the speed limit," Robert teased when he reached me. He was playing on the fact that I was turning fifty-five this year.

"Yes, wiseass," I retorted. "I've reached the speed limit, so now I'm just waiting for you to get rid of your training wheels." I think that shut him up for a few seconds, but someone else distracted me.

"Papa, are you really that old," Nicky asked, after someone explained Robert's joke to him.

"I sure am, little man," I responded. "I've lived through eleven presidents so far and hope to see a few more."

"Wow, you mean you were alive when Washington and Lincoln were president?" he followed, which elicited a whole chorus of laughter.

"No, little man, I don't go back quite that far," I answered, "but I was born when Truman was President."

"Who's he?" Nicky asked, confused.

"You'll learn about him someday, or at least I hope you do," I told him and then we moved on to other things.

A little later I came to my new little princess, Kylie. "And this little darling will be turning one tomorrow, so we'll have to give her our presents before she leaves," I announced and all the boys chimed in their support for that idea, so we decided to make this a joint party. Unfortunately, because I didn't know this was going to happen or that the rest of my children and grandchildren were going to be here, I wasn't prepared. Now, I'll have to run out and purchase her gifts and give them to her, before she returns home with her parents.

Since Kylie was just turning one, she didn't appreciate what was going on. Since the rest of us did, we made a big fuss over her and she did enjoy all of the attention. Kylie even got to taste ice cream for the first time and it was really cute to see her facial reaction to the treat.

Much to my surprise and amazement, the party lasted several hours before some of the extended family started to leave. The first to go was Jesse's mother, since she was tired from working so much, and the Spences left shortly thereafter. Arlene had started to become more cantankerous as the day wore on, so they felt it would be best if they didn't wait for her to ruin the party. I felt bad that Little Ricky had to deal with this again, but he seemed to accept it as something that merely happened sooner or later. I think he was just glad it was later and not sooner, in this case.

I had a nice time and was very happy to be surrounded by my loved ones again. My children and grandchildren were staying overnight, so we quickly made room for everyone, which no one had problems with. It turned out to be a wonderful birthday for me, since everyone that could attend did.

On Sunday, not only did my biological children leave, because they had to work the next day, but the college boys took off too. The same three vehicles took off again, each in a slightly different direction, but this time there was one new driver. For the first time, Brandon would be taking Dustin's old route. He would be heading to Pittsburgh and taking those attending college to the west of our home, while Kevin drove those attending colleges in the Philadelphia area and other locations to the east. Danny was going to Penn State, so he took the group going to colleges in the central region of the state. I was happy that the college boys were spread out well enough that this arrangement was working out quite well and no vehicle was overcrowded.

I was quite sad once everyone left though. Oh, I knew they'd all be returning to visit from time to time, but it was never quite the same, unless they were here for a long period of time. Once they all left, there would only be Sammy, Little Ricky, Andrew and Jesse, along with Jake, to keep me company. Yes, Mark, Dustin and Cole were also living at home as well, but they had their jobs and their own friends, so they seemed to manage to keep fairly busy and weren't around that often. It's not that I blame them for not being around very much, but the house sure seems quiet after several years of mass hysteria.

The following week, Jake went for his one-year checkup. Yes, it's hard to believe, but it's been a whole year since he was first diagnosed with prostate cancer. When he went to be tested this time, he was slightly less apprehensive than in the past, but he still wasn't looking forward to the less than modest positions he'd have to assume to complete the exam. However, it was obviously worth it. When the results came back a week later, Jake was told nothing new had shown up and he was cleared for another six months.

At home, things were a little less hectic too. Since the gay-straight alliance wasn't running the concession stand this fall, because they had done it the previous year, Sammy and Little Ricky didn't have as much to do. All of these things added up to mean that the school year started off pretty quiet for us. The gay-straight alliance was going to sponsor a dance after one of the football games again, but that wasn't until early October and we didn't foresee any problems this time. This was due to the fact that nearly every dance that had been held at school, no matter which group sponsored the event, had also welcomed all couples to attend, regardless of sexual orientation. It was nice to see the district had made some progress concerning this issue.

Of course, I wasn't involved in any of these activities this year, except as any parent might be, but I still kept track of what the boys were up to. Little Ricky and Sammy had also formed an attachment to each other and had grown nearly as close as Andrew and Jesse were. Since Graham was in college and out of the picture, so to speak, those two spent a great deal of time together. Both pairs also kept pretty much to themselves, so this left Jake and me a chance to do the same.

On Friday evening, after we came back from watching a football game, the boys began joking around and playing games until they went to bed. When they did, Andrew and Jesse decided to have some fun first, before they went to sleep. After they showered, they hopped in to bed and quickly began sucking each other off.

Jesse was doing an admirable job on Andrew and had him worked up into quite a fevered state, but this time when Andrew exploded, Jesse was surprised. Once he pulled away, he let Andrew know what had happened.

"Andrew, you shot some stiff in my mouth," Jesse announced, beaming.

"No way!" Andrew protested. "I don't even got any hairs down there yet."

"Yes, you do. See," Jesse corrected him, as both boys stared at Andrew's crotch. Sure enough, there were less than a handful of very short black hairs sticking out of his pubis.

"Dang, when did that happen?" Andrew wondered aloud.

"You've had them for a while," Jesse told him. "I think the first time I saw one was after Daddy's birthday, but I thought you knew. That's why I didn't say nothin'," Jesse added.

"It's okay, Jesse. It's just that I hadn't noticed," Andrew admitted. "I guess I just gave up and stopped looking, because I thought nothin' was ever gonna happen."

"But it did and your thing's getting bigger too," Jesse added, which caused Andrew to look down again.

"You're right!" Andrew exclaimed. "It does look longer AND thicker." Suddenly, Andrew was feeling better about himself. So good, in fact, that he came down to share the news with me.

"Dad, Dad," he was shouting, as he descended the stairs. I thought something was wrong, so I came shooting out of my room to find out what the problem was.

"What's the matter?" I asked.

"Look," Andrew stated, thrusting out his hips. The light was dim in the foyer, so I pulled him into my room. That's when I noticed the hairs.

"Congratulations," I told him. "See. I told you to be patient and it would happen."

"Yeah, but it sure took long enough," Andrew scowled. "And I think it's bigger now too AND thicker." I wasn't sure, but I agreed with him anyways. I certainly didn't want to spoil this moment for him.

"And Jesse said I shot some stuff," Andrew continued.

"But you didn't see it?" I followed.

"Um, no," Andrew sort of stammered. "I guess Jesse swallowed it." Jesse was standing red-faced off to the side, so I felt I had to let him know he hadn't done anything wrong.

"That's okay," I replied, "you can see it some other time, but congratulations. I'm glad it has finally happened."

"Yeah, even though it's only a couple of weeks before I turn fifteen."

"Well, you're past the crisis point now, so just enjoy," I urged. "This should make your sophomore year in high school more memorable now."

"Yeah, my freshman year kind of sucked, because everyone made fun of me," Andrew stated, "but this should end that now."

I was glad this had finally happened for him. He had seemed to be doing better dealing with it since Jesse joined us, but it appears he hadn't been telling me everything that was going on at school. It seems he had still been having trouble there, but now he should quickly catch up with the rest of his classmates. Within a couple of months, no one will be able to tell Andrew has just recently entered puberty.

Everything else was fairly normal for the next couple of weeks, as we neared the middle of September. This meant that Shelly's due date was quickly approaching and Dion was becoming a gigantic mass of nerves. Since he was at college, he kept calling me at home daily to see if I'd heard anything yet. I assured him I'd call the minute I did and suggested it would be better for him concentrate on his studies and not fall behind. I knew this probably wouldn't work and he'd remain distracted until after the baby was born and he got to see him, but it was worth a try.

Andrew's fifteenth birthday was on a Monday this year, so I planned to have a small party for him on Sunday. Since most of his brothers were away at college, the number of attendees would be far below our normal quota, but Andrew was fine with it. Since he now really felt like a young teen, these types of things didn't seem to bother him any longer.

Andrew and Jesse started their celebrating early and dragged Jake and I out for a pre-birthday bike ride on Saturday. I could tell Andrew was feeling more grown up, because the route he took us on was quite strenuous and exhausting. Jake and I did make it all the way to the end, but it was quite a workout. I guess we should have kept exercising after we got back from vacation, rather than taking a short hiatus from working out, and then maybe we wouldn't be dragging now.

On Sunday, the local members of our extended family dropped by, including Jesse's mother. She had gotten to know Andrew quite well too, since he was always with Jesse when he stopped in to see her. Therefore, Andrew made sure to invite her as well.

She basically knew everyone there, since she had been to some of our other gatherings, but after she saw Steve and I joking around, she came up to speak to me.

"You know, that first day we met I didn't want to believe you and Steve were so close," she confessed. "I'm ashamed to admit it, but I was a little skeptical of your explanation. I thought you just wanted your lawyer there to make sure nothing went wrong, but it's nice to see you were being honest with me about your relationship. I had a feeling I could trust you back then, seeing how Jesse seemed to love being with you, so it's nice to see I wasn't mistaken."

Since part of the reason I had asked Steve to go with me that day was to protect us legally, I couldn't be upset she had reached that conclusion. However, I didn't want to admit it to her now or it might jeopardize our relationship. I didn't want Jesse to be put in the middle and then have to decide whom he felt closer to. Instead, I concluded it would be best if we left this issue alone and allowed her to enjoy her time with us.

Although the party was quite small, it went very well and Andrew got some nice gifts. I knew his brothers would give him their presents when they came home for Thanksgiving, since it's what they always did. The boys always belatedly honored the birthdays they had missed the next time they came home, so no one ever felt left out or less important than anyone else.

Andrew and Jesse seemed to be having a great time at the party. They were busy making their rounds, to see to it that none of the guests felt neglected. After they spent some time with Jesse's mother, she came over to speak with me again.

"Thank you so much for everything you've done for Jesse," she began. "I can't remember the last time I saw him this happy and he sure seems to have made a very special friend in Andrew."

"Yes, they are indeed as close as two peas in a pod," I remarked, using a very old expression. "It's been good for both of them since Jesse arrived, even though Andrew is four years older."

"Is he really?" she countered, surprised. "I never knew that and guessed them to be about the same age."

"Andrew's oriental parentage has something to do with that," I commented, "but he was also a little late entering puberty. Regardless of their true ages, the boys are still very close and Andrew was mostly responsible for Jesse's speaking again and for his rapid development afterward."

"I know, Jesse told me the same thing and I'm very grateful to Andrew for doing that," she confessed. "I'm sorry I didn't see what my ex-husband… well, I guess he wasn't even that was he?" she commented, more to herself. "Well, anyway I feel terribly guilty about what John did to Jesse and how he set his development back and prevented him from progressing as well as he has here."

"That's all water over the dam, so I think it's best you just put it behind you for now," I suggested. "Jesse has and I don't see anything positive coming out of you continuing to mentally whip yourself for what John did."

"Thank you. That is very kind of you to say," she replied. "I can see why Jesse loves you so deeply. You are truly a gentle and caring man. You are exactly what he needed."

We did talk a bit longer, but I tried to steer her toward other topics, such as how Jesse was doing in school and how she wanted to handle the upcoming holidays. First, I told her how our family typically celebrated and she agreed to join us. She admitted that she had been certain at least some of our extended family wouldn't accept her, considering how she had abandoned her son, but she didn't feel that way any longer. She said she was very pleased as to how everyone had been treating her and was looking forward to joining us for the holidays.

Andrew's party ended before dinnertime and then we went inside. The daylight hours were beginning to grow shorter now and soon winter would be upon us. It was a sad, but expected fact of life.

I was sitting at home late Tuesday afternoon, when the phone rang. Since I was the only one there at the time, I answered it.

"Mr. Currie, this is Shelly," the voice on the other end responded. She sounded panicked. "My water just broke and I'm having contractions. Could you please come pick me up and take me to the hospital? I'm all alone here. My parents aren't home."

"Of course I can, Shelly," I agreed. "How far apart are your contractions."

"I haven't been timing them, but they're probably several minutes apart," she answered.

"Then we've still got time, so don't worry," I stated, as calmly as I could. "I'll be there in a few minutes, but in the meantime I want you to pack a few items to take with you – things you'll need, if you haven't done so already. Have you called your doctor?"

"No, I called you first," she admitted. "I figured if you weren't home or couldn't take me, I'd have to call a taxi or ambulance next."

"Okay, that's fine, but call your doctor now and then pack what you'll need. I'll be there before you're finished."

Shelly thanked me before we hung up. I grabbed what I would need to take with me and then I hopped in the car and set off to pick her up.

Chapter 30
Joshie

Once Shelly had been admitted, I went to the phone to make a couple of phone calls. First, I called Jake, to let him know I might be late, and then I called the school and left a message for Sammy. I told him to make sure everyone got home safely and to keep the house in one piece until Jake and I got there. Then I called Dion.

"Hello."

"Dion, it's Dad. Are you able to talk or are you in class or something?" I asked.

"No, I'm in my dorm room," he told me. "I finished my last class at 2:00. What's up?"

"Well, I figured I'd better call, since I just took Shelly to the hospital," I announced.

"She's having the baby?" he screamed back.

"That's why I brought her to the hospital, but she hasn't had the baby yet," I explained, with a tinge of sarcasm.

"Will you call me when she has it?" he pleaded.

"Of course I will," I assured him. "And you may come home this weekend to see them. Just tell Brandon, so he can plan on driving you back."

"I can drive," Dion stated.

"I know you can, but you'll be so rattled and excited that I think I'd feel better if Brandon brings you," I replied. "Just humor me and do this. You're too inexperience as a driver, and with all the excitement and your mind thinking about other things, there's too great a chance you could have an accident. Please, just ask Brandon to do this."

"Okay, okay, I will, as long as I can come home to see them," Dion agreed. "Just call me as soon as the baby is born."

"I will, Dion, just calm down," I urged him. "I'll call you as soon as I hear anything." Dion thanked me and then I went back to see if there had been any news about Shelly.

Nothing had happened yet and it was nearing 6:00. I asked the doctor if it would happen soon and he merely told me she hasn't come close to dilating sufficiently to give birth. He said it would still be at least a couple more hours before that happened. With this new information, I decided to leave for a short time and gave my contact information to the maternity room staff, so they could reach me if there was any change.

I drove to Shelly's house first, to notify her parents. They said they'd just arrived home a short time before and wondered where she was. Obviously, Shelly forgot to leave them a note, so I explained the situation to them. Shelly's parents said they'd go to the hospital shortly, once they grabbed a quick bite to eat, so I told them I was going home to do the same and would see them there afterward.

When I reached the house, Jake and the boys had a ton of questions for me, the most important of which was – has the baby been born yet? I told them that hadn't happened, but Dion had been called and was coming home this weekend. I also let them know Shelly's parents were on their way to the hospital too, so I think it filled them in on all the important information. Since that had been cleared up, I went to refresh myself, before I sat down to eat dinner with them, seeing they hadn't eaten yet.

During the meal, I arranged for Dustin and Cole to take the boys to school the next day, in case I was still at the hospital or got home really late tonight. Dustin agreed to take the older boys to the high school, since he left first, and Cole would take Jesse. They also agreed to pick the boys up again later, but explained everyone would have to wait a bit, until they got out of work. I told them I'd call if I could pick them up, so the boys wouldn't have to wait, or the boys could actually walk home and get there sooner, if they didn't want to wait at all. The high school boys then agreed to walk over to the middle school to pick up Jesse, if they decided to do that.

When I returned to the hospital, Shelly parents were already there and quickly informed me she still hadn't given birth. Her mother told me Shelly contractions weren't coming any closer together, but seeing it was her first child, the doctor wanted her to stay, so he and the nurses could keep an eye on her.

As the hours passed and it grew closer to midnight, Shelly parents began to debate what they wanted to do. They had to work the next day, so they didn't know whether they should go home, get some rest and then go to work, or if they should stay there and just call in later and tell their employers they wouldn't be in. It turned out that Shelly's father had a very important meeting the next day, so he opted to go home, but Shelly's mother wanted to stay. I offered to take her home whenever she wanted, so her husband left and thanked me for helping them out.

It was after 1:00 in the morning when a nurse came out to speak to us. "You're daughter has just given birth to a healthy baby boy," the nurse explained. Shelly's mother breathed a sigh of relief.

"How much did the baby weigh?" I asked.

"Let's see," she said, as she glanced down at a notepad. "The baby weighed seven pounds, four ounces and is twenty-one inches long."

"And he's healthy?" I followed.

"Very," she stated, with a grin. "He has a great set of lungs and really screamed out when the doctor smacked him on the butt." She giggled.

"His parents are both gifted singers, so he comes by those pipes naturally," I teased back.

"Can we see her," Shelly's mother asked next.

"Shortly," the nurse explained. "We are just making sure both of them are cleaned up and then you may see her and the baby." Hearing this made us feel better, so we remained there until we could go in with them.

When we entered, I thought Shelly looked as though she'd been through hell and back, but she managed to flash us a weak smile. She was holding the baby, and he was cute, but it was far too early to tell what his coloring would be. Shortly after we got to see both of them, a nurse came in and took the baby and then Shelly told us she wanted to sleep. We agreed that was a good idea and told her we'd see her the next morning. I drove her mother home, and when I let her off, I told her to call me when she was ready to go to the hospital and I'd pick her up. She thanked me and then I drove home too.

Jake woke up when I came in, so I told him it was a boy and the rest of the vitals. Then I put a note on the refrigerator door for everyone else to read in the morning.

By the time I woke up, the house was empty and the sun was shining. When I looked at the clock, it read 9:28. I quickly jumped out of bed and hopped in the shower. Once I'd finished there, I dressed and went in to the kitchen to fix some breakfast. Before I did that, however, I checked to see if I'd missed any calls, but I hadn't. Therefore, I texted Dion, since I wasn't sure if he might be in class.

Dion, it's a boy 7lb 4oz 21 in born 9-14 around 1:00 Call Dad

I know it's a bit cryptic, but it takes me a while to type any of this stuff out using the phone. I see my sons do it with ease, but I'm a little less talented and it takes me much longer. Ten minutes later my phone rang.

"Josh, it's Shelly's mother," the caller announced. "I'm ready to go to the hospital, whenever you are."

"Great!" I replied. "I'm just going to grab a quick bite to eat and I should be there in say, thirty minutes or so." She said that would be fine, so we ended the call.

I had just started to scramble some eggs when the phone rang again.

"Dad, are they both alright?" Dion asked.
"They're both fine, Daddy, so relax," I teased.

"What's the baby look like?" he pressed, and I knew what he was after.

"He's adorable, but it's too early to tell his features or his skin tone," I answered. "We should be able to tell a little more by the time you arrive. Just don't be surprised if it takes a few weeks before you know what he'll look like for sure.

"By the way, have you settled on a name yet?" I asked. "They're going to need it, to fill out the birth certificate."

"Yes, I've picked out the baby's name, but I've only told Shelly," he stated, rather cryptically. "She knows what it is."

"And you don't wish to share that information with me?" I asked, confused.

"I guess I can tell you, because she probably will anyways," Dion replied. "I'm naming him after the two people I love most in this world. The baby's name will be Joshua Alexander Currie." I choked up and couldn't speak momentarily. He was naming the baby after Trey and me, since Trey's legal name is Alexander.

"Dad, are you there? Are you alright?' I heard Dion ask, frantically.

"Yes, I am," I assured him, after a second or two delay. "I'm sorry I didn't say anything sooner, but I just got a little emotional and couldn't speak."

"So you're okay now?" Dion followed.

"Yes, I'm fine," I confirmed. "It's just that I was a bit surprised over your choice of a name. I thought maybe you'd combine your name and Trey's."

"I never even considered that," he replied, quickly. "I've always known I'd name my first son after you and then I added Trey's name as his middle name, because you are the two people I care most about in this world."

"Well, thank you and that's quite an honor," I told him, "so I hope I can live up to it. But one more thing before you go. Have you also discussed with Shelly about whether he is to be circumcised or not?"

"Yes, she knows that too," he answered. "Trey and I discussed that also. There were pros and cons on both sides, but I finally decided I liked being cut, so the baby will be too."

Seeing that issue was settled, I said good-bye, but before I hung up, Dion told me he loved me and would see me Friday. Brandon had agreed to drive and it worked out that neither Brandon nor he had any classes Friday afternoon, so they were leaving earlier than anticipated. I told him that would be fine and I'd see them both then. I also told him I loved him too and then he hung up.

Once the call ended, I sent a text to Trey and gave him the same information I had told Dion. I didn't tell him the baby's name, however, since I thought Dion should have the honor of doing that.

I then finished fixing my breakfast, and after I had eaten, I went down to pick up Shelly's mother, so we could go to the hospital. Shelly was in her room, but the baby wasn't with her when we arrived. We chatted with Shelly for a bit and asked how she was feeling. After she confirmed she was feeling fine, we walked down to the nursery to get another peek at the baby.

While we stood looking in the window, she mentioned she had already given the hospital the information for the birth certificate and the baby had been circumcised. I thanked her for taking care of all of those details and told her Dion had filled me in earlier about the information. Shelly then looked up and winked at me, before she spoke.

"Dion really does love and admire you," she confirmed. "He told me he wanted the baby to have your first name and I agreed it was a perfect choice." She then hugged me and thanked me for my help, before we walked back to her room.

We stayed with Shelly a little longer, and then I excused myself, so I could take care of some other matters. I left her mother there, but I stepped out of the room. As I passed the nurses' station, I saw her doctor and stopped to inquire about the baby. He remembered who I was.

"So the baby is healthy and doing well?" I asked.

"Your grandson is in excellent shape and has a fine pair of lungs," he teased. "The nurse told me what you said about his parents being singers." He then chuckled. "I must also tell you that I've never circumcised a newborn with such a lengthy penis," he joked. "That kid is going to be well endowed."

"Yes, he comes by that honorably too," I quipped back. "His father is quite well hung as well." The doctor just chuckled again and congratulated me, before he returned to what he was doing. I went home knowing I had many phone calls to make and many questions to answer.

Throughout the remainder of the day, I called or texted all of the boys and told them the news. I immediately heard back from some of them and one of the most frequently asked questions was if the baby was as well hung as it appeared on the sonogram. I merely told them what the doctor had said and they were astounded a baby could be that large already! What the hell – so was I.

Trey was among those that called and he let me know he had already spoken with Dion too. Trey then asked if I had heard what the baby's name was, but I was uncertain about how to respond. After thinking about it quickly, I concluded I should be honest with him, so I told him I knew, without saying what it was.

"Can you believe Dion named the baby after the two of us?" Trey asked, which let me know my precaution was unnecessary. "I thought he was going to name him Dion Jr. or at least something with his name included, but he used our names instead."

"I know and I was as shocked as you are," I confirmed. "I feel it's a great honor he has bestowed on each of us."

"Yeah, I know," Trey agreed. "I know how much Dion loves you – heck, we both do, so I thought he might name the baby Dion Joshua or Joshua Dion. I just never suspected he would use my name at all."

"Well, he loves you as much as he loves me," I replied. "Maybe even more. In fact, I'm sure he loves you more. You two are going to be partners for life and I'm just his dad."

"Not JUST his dad," Trey corrected. "You re the best dad any of us could have hoped for." I saw this was quickly becoming maudlin, so I changed the topic.

"And you know the baby was circumcised?" I asked.

"Yes, Dion was pretty insistent about that, but it's fine," Trey answered. "Have you seen him? Is it huge, like Dion's?"

I told him what the doctor had said.

"Damn, another blessed soul," Trey responded, almost dreamily. "His partner will be very lucky indeed."

Damn, Trey had the kid grown up already and having sex. Give him time to get out of diapers first. I didn't say that, but I hope he didn't make comments like that around the baby as he was growing up. I think I'd better make sure to speak to Trey and tell him so, before he does make that kind of blunder.

"Dad, would it be okay if I borrowed the 4Runner and came home this weekend too, so I can see our son?" Trey asked. I was a little surprised he had put it that way, but I shouldn't have been. Trey and Dion had agreed to raise the baby as their son. In fact, Trey was going to adopt the baby as soon as he graduated from college, so he would have a legal stake in Joshie's life too.

"That will be fine, as long as you take it easy," I told him. "If Kevin has any questions about this, just tell him to call me." Trey agreed, and then we ended the call.

I was in and out of the hospital the rest of that day and the next. Shelly was discharged Friday morning and I stopped to get her mother, so we could bring Shelly and the baby home. Since I had a newborn's car carrier in the front with me, her mother had to ride in the back. A short time later, we had all of them in the car and ready to take off. I dropped Shelly and her mom off at their house and they thanked me for everything. Shelly kissed the baby good-bye and then Joshie and I continued on to our home. Once there, I began to prepare for the onslaught of relatives and visitors I knew was going to follow.

I had already done a great deal of shopping to prepare for this, so I had plenty of formula, baby bottles, diapers, a couple of newborn pacifiers, some rattles and other toys, plus a crib with a musical mobile. I also had my favorite rocking chair situated so I could get to it easily and a collection of books stacked near it. I read to my children and grandchildren from the day I brought them home and this baby would be no different. Oh, I'd start off telling him nursery rhymes and singing him songs, if my voice didn't scare him, but I'd also read some of the stories. Many were Disney books, which I'd had in the house for my other grandchildren, and now they'd be used on little Joshie. By the way, that's what Dion told me we were going to call him, at least until he got older. He thought that way it wouldn't get confusing as to whom people were talking about.

Since nearly everyone called me Dad, I didn't see a problem, but I was fine with calling him Joshie. If memory serves me correctly, that's what I was called when I was little, so he'd have to endure the same fate – well, until he was old enough to insist we call him something else.

Once the boys arrived home from school, Joshie became the center of attention. Everyone talked to him and wanted to hold him, and Joshie just seemed to enjoy all of the attention. He wasn't scared or troubled by so many different faces, which was good, seeing what he was going to have to put up with living here. He also became the focal point of curiosity when I changed his diaper, as everyone wanted to get a look at his already legendary feature. I was surprised that some of the boys did this several times and acted as if it was going to grow even larger in between changings. Needless to say, he was the talk of the house.

Dion and Brandon arrived shortly after the other boys got home. Dion immediately picked up his son and began talking to him.

"Hi, little guy. I'm your daddy," Dion cooed. "Well, I'm one of your daddies and you already met your Papa, whom we named you after. Your other daddy should be here shortly and then you'll get to meet him too."

It was so sweet to watch them interacting together and Dion was really reveling in his new role. Watching this made me realize it was going to be hard for Dion to leave Joshie when it came time for him to return to school, but I hoped he would enjoy the couple of days they had together before this happened.

Trey arrived home about a half-hour later and was also immediately smitten by our newest addition. "Oh, Dion. He's just so cute and perfect," Trey gushed. "And look at those cute little fingers and toes. Oh, my God, he's so precious."

"Joshie, this is your other daddy," Dion announced, as he introduced the pair.

"Dion, don't you think it's going to get confusing for him, to call both of us Daddy?" Trey asked.

"Yes, it probably will," Dion agreed, "but we'll figure something out – unless you already have."

"Well, I was thinking maybe we should do like Dad and Pop," Trey admitted.

"So you want to be Pop to him?" Dion asked.

"Not exactly," Trey countered, "because I think that would be confusing for Jake, but what do you think of the idea of Joshie calling me Poppy?"

"I think that is perfect and will work out fine," Dion confirmed, and then leaned in and kissed Trey very deeply.

"Hey, be careful you don't squeeze Joshie between us and hurt him," Trey said, pulling back slightly.

"Oh, he's going to learn to love being affectionate with both of us and with us being affectionate with each other," Dion countered, only to get a strange look from Trey in return. About that same time, the baby started to cry.

"Dad, what's wrong? Why is Joshie crying?" Dion asked, mildly panicked.

"He probably just needs his diaper changed and maybe a bottle," I answered. "Would you two like to do the honors?"

"Ummm, would you show us how?" Dion asked.

"Which one? The diaper or the feeding?" I wondered.

"Ummm, both. I mean, we've never had any babies around here except for Kylie," Dion answered, "so we really don't know what to do."

"Okay, Daddy and Poppy," I responded, "come here and Papa will teach you what to do."

I first showed them how to change Joshie. I placed him on my bed, after grabbing a diaper, and then unfastened the old one. I was about to remove it, when I heard Trey speak up.

"Holy fuck! Look at the size of his dick!" Trey exclaimed, while checking the baby out. "Damn, sweetie. He's going to be even bigger than you." Dion just grinned as he checked his son out.

Once I'd showed them how to change the diaper, I taught them how to heat the bottle next and then gave them a quick lesson on feeding Joshie. After they agreed they were ready to take over, I let them take turns feeding Joshie after that.

When bedtime rolled around, I asked the boys if they wanted to take Jake's and my room for the night, so they could be close to the baby. I had his crib set up there and didn't want to take it down and move it to their room. I told them Jake and I were willing to switch rooms for the night, if they wanted.

"Ummm, I'm not sure we should do this by ourselves yet," Dion responded. "Would you stay with us, so we can learn what we'll need to do?"

"I'd be happy to, but there won't be enough room for all of us. I'll stay with one of you for the night, but the other will have to wait until tomorrow," I explained. "That way, each time Joshie wakes up I can explain how to care for him."

Jake heard our discussion and immediately volunteered to sleep in Shannon's room, since no one was currently using it. Although Trey was looking forward to spending the night with Dion, he agreed to sleep alone, so Dion could stay with me. Since everything seemed to be set, I'd just have to see if Dion would hear Joshie and wake up when the baby cried during the night.

Chapter 31
Adjustments

After we put Joshie in the crib, Dion hopped into bed beside me. We bid each other sweet dreams and then slowly drifted off to sleep. A couple of hours later, I heard Joshie begin to cry. I waited to see if Dion was going to respond, but he continued to lie there. I waited another minute and then I began to gently shake my sleeping son.

"Dion, your son needs you," I advised him.
"Huh? What?" he responded, very groggily.

"Dion, you are going to have to tune in to your son's cries, if you're going to take care of him," I added. Dion rolled over and looked at me a second, before it sank in. He immediately jumped out of bed and raced to the crib.

"What's wrong with him?" Dion asked, as he was lifting the baby up.

"I believe he only wants his diaper changed and his next bottle," I informed him. "Do you think you can handle that?"

"Ummm, yes, but will you please watch me, to make sure I'm doing it correctly?" he asked, timidly.

"Yes, I'll make sure you are doing everything correctly," I agreed, so Dion grabbed a diaper and the baby wipes and then placed Joshie on the bed so he could change him.

"Oh, man, he shit!" Dion commented. "It's yellowish and it really stinks."

"Yes, babies do that," I quipped. "Just make sure you clean his bottom off really well, so he doesn't get a rash." Dion was gagging and I couldn't help but chuckle as I watched him. It almost appeared as if Dion had been on a bender and now had the dry heaves.

"Dad, I'm not sure I can do this," he told me, in between gags.

"You can, but it might take you a while before you get used to it," I explained. "You're doing fine, so don't give up."

"Dad, I'm not sure I'll ever get used to this," he replied, as he set the smelly diaper aside and wiped Joshie off once again, before placing him in the new diaper. Once that was done, he turned to me and spoke.

"Dad, will you watch him for a second, while I take care of this stuff," Dion asked, while holding the diaper. I quickly agreed.

Dion took it out and threw it in the trash, washed his hands and then heated up the baby's bottle. A little while later, he returned and began feeding Joshie.

"Damn, I didn't know taking care of someone this tiny could be so hard," Dion informed me.

"Yes, they do require a lot of care and attention," I responded, "but this is still the easy part. Wait until he starts walking and getting into things."

"Damn, Dad. Am I going to be able to do this?" Dion asked. I could tell he was being serious, but he also looked slightly scared.

"Most new parents probably ask themselves the same thing," I replied. "You'll do fine, but it will just take some time for you to learn the ropes."

"I'm sure glad you're here to bail me out when I need it," Dion shot back. "And Trey's going to have to learn to do some of this too." Dion stopped and looked thoughtful for a moment.

"Dad, what if I don't hear him when he cries at night?" he asked. "I wouldn't have tonight, if you hadn't woke me up."

"After a while you'll become so tuned in to the sounds Joshie makes that you'll wake up when he coughs and sneezes too," I answered. "It will take time and probably won't start to happen until you have your next long vacation, when you'll be able to spend more time with him."

"We'll be home at Thanksgiving, but that will only be for a few days," Dion remarked. "I guess it will have to happen over the Christmas break then."

"You're probably right," I agreed.

Once Dion finished feeding Joshie, he burped his son and put him back in the crib. We went to sleep for another couple of hours after that, but then Joshie awoke again. This time Dion heard him and woke up on his own.

"Is he alright?" Dion asked, concerned.

"Yes, it's just time for his next changing and feeding," I informed him.

"Does he do this all night, every night?" Dion followed.

"He will for a few weeks," I explained, "and then he'll start sleeping a little longer before waking up. For now, though, it looks as if it's going to be every couple of hours." Dion rolled his eyes at that news, because he preferred to be able to get a full night's sleep.

Once Dion finished tending to the baby's needs, we went back to sleep again. Joshie woke up a couple of hours later and Dion tended to him again, but when Joshie awoke the time after that, we stayed up after he went back to sleep. As soon as Dion put him down this time, he told me he'd be back in a bit and then raced upstairs to his room.

"Okay, Trey, wake up," he said, while shaking his lover. "You might as well start learning how to take care of Joshie too."

"But I want to sleep a little longer," Trey answered.

"So did I, but the baby woke me up every two hours, so now it's time for you to join in the fun." Trey wasn't pleased, but he got up anyway. He was about to say something to Dion, but Dion spoke first.

"Hey, you said you wanted us to have kids, so you'll have to do part of the work too," Dion informed him. "Dad's going to get stuck with most of it, but I want you to spend time with Joshie and take care of him as well."

Reluctantly, Trey kept his mouth shut and came downstairs with Dion, "But he's sleeping," Trey stated, when he looked into the crib.

"For now," Dion told him, "but he'll be up again soon. I think we have time to have our breakfast first, before that happens."

The boys then went into the kitchen and began fixing themselves something to eat. I sat with them and we talked a bit about how they felt, what they thought of the experience and how they wanted to split up the responsibilities. Once they'd discussed all of this, we began cleaning up and then we heard Joshie crying in the other room. Dion bolted to his side.

"Come on, Trey. It's your turn to change and feed him," Dion announced, much to Trey's displeasure. However, Trey did go in and took care of doing everything for Joshie, under Dion's watchful gaze and words of advice.

That pair took care of Joshie throughout the day. They never wandered very far away from him and spent time talking to Joshie and reading him stories when he was awake. Joshie would smile and follow both his fathers with his eyes, which was pretty good for a newborn.

"Dad, he's real pink. Does it mean he'll stay that way?" Dion wondered.

"Dion, he probably won't stay pink, but we probably won't know his true skin color for a while," I explained. "It may take weeks or even months before we can tell for sure, so you'll just have to wait and watch."

"So maybe by Thanksgiving or Christmas we'll know more?" Dion pressed, hopefully.

"We may, but let's not worry about that and just enjoy him as he is now," I offered, and both boys seems to be fine with my suggestion.

Dion and Trey took care of little Joshie most of the time, but their brothers spent some time with the baby too. It was cute to watch them all fussing over the infant and even Jake got into the act.

Later that night, when it was approaching time for bed, I posed a question to Dion and Trey. "How do you want to handle tonight?" I asked. They looked at each other briefly, before Dion answered.

"If you wouldn't mind," Dion began, "we'll stay in your room and take care of Joshie."

"That will be fine," I agreed. "Jake and I will stay in Shannon's room then."

Since that was set, I left them on their own. They went into our room, shut the door and hopped in to bed, once Joshie was in the crib. Trey immediately began kissing Dion, which got him excited, so Dion got out of bed and began to prepare himself for lovemaking.

"Uh, I don't know about doing it in Dad's bed," Trey confessed. "It doesn't seem right."

"Hey, Dad and Jake do it in here, so I'm sure they won't mind," Dion answered. Trey gave in easily, since he was horny, so before long, Dion was slowly entering his lover. They had just begun to get in to it, when Joshie began to cry.

"Damn!" Dion exclaimed, when he heard him.

"Just let him cry a bit," Trey suggested, since he didn't want to stop.

"No, I'll take care of Joshie first and then we can finish this afterward," Dion offered, as he pulled out of Trey. Trey seemed disappointed.

"Is this the way it's going to be from now on?" Trey wondered. "Are we always going to have to put Joshie first and our needs second?"

"Yes, baby, we are," Dion replied. "Joshie depends on us for everything right now, so he comes first. Don't worry, you won't be neglected."

The boys then took care of Joshie and changed and fed him, but once he was asleep, they jumped back in bed and started over. This time there was no interruption and Dion was able to make sweet love to Trey. Once they had each exploded in powerful orgasms, Dion whispered in Trey's ear.

"Satisfied?"

"Totally," Trey answered.

"Then it was worth waiting until the baby was taken care of first?" Dion pressed.

"If it's always that good," Trey continued, "we can wait every night until after his diaper has been changed and he's been given his bottle." That seemed to answer Dion's question and removed any doubt that Trey was going to become jealous of the baby.

The only problem was, I wasn't sleeping very well upstairs. Besides being in a strange bed, I was also worried that Dion and Trey weren't going to hear Joshie when he cried. Therefore, I woke up several times and finally gave in to my concerns and began to occasionally sneak downstairs, so I could check up on how things were going.

I never heard Joshie cry during any of the times I did this, but on a couple of occasions I did notice the boys were both up and taking care of him. The first time they didn't happen to notice me, so I slipped back upstairs before they did, but the second time Dion spotted me in the foyer.

"Something wrong, Dad?" he asked.

"No, I was just coming down for drink," I fibbed, although I did go and get some water after that. "How are things going?"

"Not too bad," Dion answered. "This is the third time he's woken us up, but I think we've heard him every time he's cried."

"That's good," I replied. "Any problems?"

"Not unless you want to consider a really stinky diaper as a problem," Trey joked. "I thought I was going to vomit when Dion made me change it."

"Well, Dion did one last night, so it's only fair," I added, with a chuckle.

Since they seemed to have things under control, I went back to bed, feeling a little more at ease about falling asleep. In fact, I slept a little later than normal and Jake was considerate enough not to wake me.

"Why did you let me sleep so late?" I asked him, when I ran into him downstairs.

"I knew you were up most of the night, checking on the boys," Jake confessed, "so I decided to let you get some rest."

"But it's Sunday and we have church," I followed.

"Josh, it's only nine and everyone else is ready," Jake assured me, "so just get ready quickly and we can leave."

Before I left, I did have one additional question. "Dion, are you going to take Joshie to church?"

"Do you think it will be alright?" Dion asked.

"Yes, he should be fine," I answered. "He'll probably sleep through most of it, like the rest of you do, but we'll take a diaper and a bottle with us, in case he wakes up."

My comment about the rest of them sleeping through the service got me some hostile glares and a few comments, but hey – I have to get my shots in when I can.

The baby was nearly perfect throughout the service and on the way out, several people stopped us to see him. Dion was very open about being the father, but didn't say much when asked about the mother. He said he wanted to wait and speak with her first, to see if she had any problems with everyone knowing she was Joshie's mom.

Our minister stopped us so he could see the baby too and told Dion he should consider having the baby baptized. Dion agreed and said he'd contact him and set up a time for it when he was home on a vacation. Our pastor agreed and congratulated him on his son.

Joshie even joined us for brunch, and Dion and Trey took turns giving him his bottle, while they attempted to down their meal in between. The waitress had been kind enough to heat the bottle up for them, so we thanked her and I added a little something extra to her tip. Once the baby finished his bottle and burped, he went right back to sleep. Oh, what a life.

After I dropped everyone else off at home, Dion wanted me to take him and the baby down to Shelly's house. He wanted to ask her if she wanted others to know she was his mother, but it was also to give her and her parents a chance to see Joshie too. I thought that was very considerate of him, so I drove him down. Trey thought it would be awkward if he accompanied us, so he stayed home and worked on some of the assignments he had brought back with him.

The Novaks were thrilled when they saw us at the door and invited us inside. Dion handed Shelly's mother the baby, nearly as soon as we walked in, and she and her husband sat down and began talking to Joshie. While they were doing that, Dion took Shelly aside and asked her his question.

"Look. When we were at church this morning, some of the people asked who Joshie's mother was," he began. "Since I didn't know if you wanted me to tell anyone, I didn't say anything, but I'd like to know what you want me to do in the future." Shelly thought about this quickly, before responding.

'I guess that since you're going to let me be a part of his life, they're going to find out sooner or later," she answered. "You might as well be honest and tell them and I'll make sure my parents are okay with it too. Thanks for asking though and not just making the decision on your own."

"Hey, I didn't want to make the decision for you," Dion stated, "and I just want to do what you're comfortable with. I won't do anything to hurt you in any way, since you were nice enough to let Trey and me raise the baby." They hugged briefly after he said this and then they came back to join the rest of us.

Shelly's parents were having a great time with Joshie, so before we left, I assured them they could call and let me know when they wanted to see him. I told them I'd be happy to bring him down any time, so he could get to know his other grandparents too. They thanked us for doing that and then Dion and I took Joshie home.

After spending the rest of the day with the family, Dion and Trey left to return to their respective campuses around three. Trey was driving back, while Brandon was taking Dion. I told both boys they could call or email me whenever they wanted to find out how the baby was and we'd see them again at Thanksgiving, when they could spend more time with him. I don't think either father wanted to leave and they kept coming back to kiss and hold Joshie, but eventually they got in their vehicles. They were teary eyed and hesitant to go, but knew they had to, so they told me they'd be in touch regularly, to see how Joshie was doing.

Once they pulled away, I took Joshie back inside and we settled in for the long road ahead of us.

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