Enoch

Thank you Bleu. It means a lot to me having you and Nephylim write reviews for me. I trust your judgements a lot more than my own. The way I'm doing it, is the only way I know to let everyone know what's happening when Andy isn't there. Hopefully, like you said it's coming out okay. Thanks again!

Thanks. I just felt I owed an explanation. I hate waiting for months for the next chapter too.

I'm really glad you made it back. I hope the story is better written now than the first few chapters you read in the beginning. Thanks for your review and kind words, even Joey is glad you left a comment

Thank you! Everyone is giving these long wonderful reviews. They make my heart soar with the eagles and each of you encourage me so much. Thanks

Thank you!

Thank you

Dear Readers of Trials and Tribulations, All of you that have left comments following each chapter and those of you that have been reading the story without commenting have made a profound impact on my life in more ways that you could ever guess. I know there's a lot I would have to learn before I could ever consider myself truly an author. I must say that each comment left has given me the confidence to continue. However, something I must tell you concerning the ability to post a chapter a week. When I was allowed to begin posting my story here, I was full of ideas and had the ability to write a lot without any distractions. Several events occurred. I didn't take into an account of the issues I have/had. The best way to explain this is to be straight forward. I have been battling leukemia off and on for half my life. The odds of beating this illness is much greater than ever before, but odds are just numbers and sometimes even though the odds are in your favor, there's always someone that makes the odds what they are. Someone has to be the one outside those good odds and has to battle a little bit harder. To make a long story shorter, the last few months has been hard mentally and not having my mind in the right place has made writing that much harder, especially for a first time writer who never believed he would have a story in him that other people might enjoy reading. I have been seeking and receiving advise, and I'm trying my best to get myself back to where I want to be, both physically and mentally. I hope, you the readers, will have patience with me while I try to finish this story and meet the goals I had when I first began this journey. Thank you, Billy Martin

Time tells all tales As for the time between postings, I know you were just poking at me, but there's a full explanation in the "About Me" section on my profile page. Which is here - http://www.gayauthors.org/forums/user/14805-billy-brat/ Thanks Benji for a wonderful and thoughtful review like you always leave.

Jacob is wound-up tighter than a skeeter's ass in a nose dive. Someone needs to give him a chill pill and soon, but I can understand where he is coming when he has a mother more concerned about her feelings than her own children's. There's a lot of adult out there like that though. It's a good things Jacob's father is trying to do, and who knows, maybe this will work after all is said and done. I look forward to the next chapter and hopefully Jacob will allow Kyle to help him and also that Jacob will realize he has more support than he ever dreamed. Good work Andrew, that was a good emotional packed chapter.

Thanks Lisa. I agree with everything you said concerning Joey. And even though JT did some bad things, like you, I believe JT has changed, but right now, JT looks like he is in a world of trouble. Oly time will tell how this will turn out. Even I don't know. Again, thank you for your wonderful comments!

Thank you so much! I also agree with you, how can it not?

Thank you Louis! You are a huge part of why many like this story. Life can be like this story, laughing one minute, crying the next. And I hope that I can touch emotions, when I read a story, I want to feel it. So, if I am creating an emotional reaction, I feel a little satisfaction for it.

Chapter 18 High Rock Part 2 I prayed for the strength to hang on to Joey and that he would be okay. I had him by his left wrist, but I couldn’t feel any pressure from him holding onto mine. While I prayed, Roger crawled up beside me, and then on closer to the edge. I closed my eyes and strengthened my death grip I had on Joey’s wrist. No, no, no, I thought when I realized the combination of words that swam through my mind – death

Of the two I've read so far by dariyo and Wayne, I love them! Both are awesome and I look forward to reading everyone's!

Awesome, truly awesome story.It was indeed like a story of old told around a raging fire as child and adult alike sat transfixed and hanging on every word. Masterful job Wayne. I love it!

I like how you write and the way you tell your stories, but I really don't like a story from the bad guy POV, I just don't. However, you tell a good story

WOW Thank you very much. I'm glad you found and liked the story. The third pov was the only way I could bring you happenings with Andy not there. There are stories I've read with the first pov switching between the characters where the author pulls it off, but I'm not sure I could of had. There are always reasons one finds themselves surrounded by a past of hurt and misery, but the fact of the matter is, no matter what our past is filled with, we have choices. No matter what choices our father's made, we have the choices that we ourselves make each and everyday concerning our children; and we only only have ourselves to blame for the choices we made all on our on. Hopefully, we make the right choices, born of nutriment, respect, and love, more than anything else, love. I hope to bring you the next chapter PDQ. Perhaps some of your questions will be answered only to have new questions popup Thanks again for your kind words and the encouragement you offered.

You cannot discover oceans unless you have the courage to leave the shore. Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did. So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor, catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. There have been times I didn't want to go somewhere or do something because of the reactions I feared coming from people at the places I wanted to go or doing the things I wanted to do. But now, I'm liberated by leaving people to their own thoughts, and releasing mine to dream and explore all the possibilities that life offers. Liberated by not being boxed in by limitations created by others. Liberated by soaring with the eagles and allowing my dreams and hopes freedom from being grounded in others' traditions. I have come to realize that I am who I am, created by my creator and not by expectations of others. I know I am different from others, but so is everyone else, and that's something to celebrate rather than to be ashamed of. I've said it before and I'll say it again, I'm so glad I joined GA, because of the caring people that belong here, like those of you that opens yourselves here in this very forum.

LOL It isn't meant as a trick, but we shall see, or maybe not

We find Andy, Joey, and Roger heading to High Rock in chapter 17 and a continuation of that trip will be in Chapter 18, which is coming soon. In these two chapters four big things occur. Two of them are clearly seen by all. Of the two not so noticeable, one is clearer than the other, but can you see all four?

I guess I created a real cliffhanger *blush*

So, you are the other person that voted for the story, uh? But I really thought the other stories would have had some votes too :-P

Have faith in Andy's and Joey's faith, and have a little faith in Roger, he'd be an awesome catch for some girl

Chapter 17 High Rock - Part 1 “We promise to be careful and not do anything stupid. We just wanna show Joey around and some of the things we can do later when he’s 100 percent. It’s peaceful and beautiful up there.” I walked over to Joey, sat on the arm of the chair, and placed my hand on his shoulder. “He deserves a break from all this stuff he’s had to deal with.” “Wait just a minute, Andy.” Dad’s voice went from the sweet gentle

Perhaps, the message in the story is being missed by intolerance and bias.