The Castaway Hotel - 5 - 17. Chapter 17 - A New Ray Of Hope

The new foundation and my general duties of taking care of the family were only a couple of the demands on my time now. A few days after we arrived back home, I received a phone call from a Boston attorney, who informed me that Vinnie’s parents’ estate had been settled and everything now belonged to Vinnie. We discussed the particulars of what this meant and what should happen next, and then I informed him I’d discuss the details with Vinnie later that evening. I also promised to get back to him the following day, once Vinnie and I had talked this over, since the lawyer felt there were some significant time constraints on how soon certain things needed to be taken care of. When those issues were settled, I waited for Vinnie to arrive, so I could discuss all of this with him.

I had made a decision to take my time explaining the particulars to Vinnie, since I wanted to make sure I had the opportunity to discuss each item thoroughly. I felt it was imperative that Vinnie understand what was involved and what he was agreeing to. Therefore, I waited until after we’d finished dinner before I broached the subject with him. As he was leaving the table, I told him there was something we needed to talk about and he immediately looked concerned. After assuring him it was nothing bad and he hadn’t done anything wrong, he followed me to my room, so we could discuss things in private.

“Vinnie,” I began, once we were alone, “I got a call today from the lawyer in Boston who was probating your parents’ will. He advised me that your mother and father’s estate had been settled and everything now belongs to you. Do you have any idea what you’d like to do with the house and everything in it?”

“Actually, I do,” he confirmed, without hesitation. “I’ve been thinking about this for quite some time and I have made up my mind about how I want to handle this. I think it would be best to sell the house and all the furniture, and then I’ll give the money to you, to use for the family.”

“Vinnie, that is your money, not ours,” I urged him, since I felt he had made this decision because he believed it was what I wanted him to do. I had to make it clear to him this wasn’t the case. “We have enough money for the family, so we can put the proceeds into an account for you to use later, for such things as furthering your education or getting a clean start on your own.”

“No, I want to do this, I really do,” he insisted. “I want to help pay for things around here. You’ve done so much for me already, so I want to do something back.”

“I appreciate your offer, but it just isn’t necessary,” I persisted. “Let’s put the money away, in your mutual fund or even a CD, something with limited risk, and then you can think about this some more and decide what you want to do with it later.”

“Please? It’s really important for me to do this for the family,” he insisted. “You’ve all been so good to me, by taking me in and treating me so well, so now I want to do something in return, since I can afford to. Won’t you please let me do this for you?”

“Let’s think about it some more and we can discuss it again after you have the money,” I offered, as a compromise. “I don’t want you to rush into anything or make any definite decisions just yet. Okay?” Reluctantly, he agreed, but he wasn’t done yet.

“But I want to give my parents’ Toyota 4-Runner to you to use as another family car,” he offered, hopefully. “It will be my Christmas present to the entire family. Okay?”

“All right, we’ll use the car,” I agreed, “but the money will go into an account for you, for now. What about the possessions in the house? Are you going to want to keep any of those things as reminders?”

“Maybe a few, but I’d have to go there to determine what I might want to keep,” he explained.

“That sounds fair,” I conceded. “What would you think of the idea of you and I going there this weekend, to check things out and meet with the lawyer? Does that sound good to you?”

“Yeah, it sounds fine,” he confirmed, but then hesitated briefly, before he finished, “as long as Kevin can come with us.” He then smiled at me, giving me his most pathetic, yet pleading expression, figuring that might help to make me give in to his request. “Please? I really want him to see where I lived and everything.”

“Okay, as long as Kevin wants to go,” I agreed. Vinnie now beamed with pride, knowing he had won that round, but I had kind of assumed his request even before he had made it. I had considered in advance of his suggestion that he would probably want to include Kevin on this trip, so I had previously decided it would be fine with me.

Now that we were finished, I could start making plans for our trip. The first thing I did was to call the lawyer back the next day, so I could explain our plans to him. He told me he’d have a car waiting for us at the airport, which would transport us directly to his office. At that time, he would have Vinnie and I sign the paperwork to give him power-of-attorney, which he would then use to handle the more mundane transactions on Vinnie’s behalf. This way, we wouldn’t have to mail or fax items back and forth, nor would we be required to fly to and from Boston in order to clear up trivial matters.

After that, he also informed me he had learned Vinnie would also be receiving some monies from the 9/11 survivors fund, on top of everything else. He also hinted this might be a substantial sum, due to the fact that Vinnie was disabled and had lost BOTH of his parents due to the events of that horrific day. We then discussed what else he might need to get everything settled quickly, and once we’d gone over each detail we could think of, I informed him I’d also be providing him with an account number, which would be in Vinnie’s name, so he could wire transfer the funds directly. The lawyer said that would be the last item he would need and then assured us he would see to it that everything was accomplished in a timely fashion.

After concluding our conversation, I made another quick call, but this time to make our hotel reservations. When the boys got home, I notified Vinnie and Kevin that I had called the school and advised the secretary they would not be in attendance on Friday, so we could leave early that morning. After we finished our business there, we would drive back in the 4-Runner, after filling it with whatever items Vinnie wanted to bring back with him. If he wanted to bring back more items than we could fit in it, I suggested we could rent a small trailer, since Vinnie had informed me earlier that the 4-Runner was already equipped with a trailer hitch. Neither had a problem with anything I’d mentioned, so I just had to finalize our arrangements.

In fact, Vinnie seemed quite excited about all of this, yet I could also sense he was a bit sad. I think he realized this trip would officially close one part of his life and he’d be leaving nearly everything he knew and held dear behind. Not only that, but it would also remove any faint hope he might still harbor about some day resuming that chapter of his life, because the house and nearly everything in it would be sold and belong to someone else. However, I suspected he was doing this intentionally, in order to force himself to move on and not look back.

Friday morning, Jake drove us to the airport to catch our flight, and then he returned home, after seeing us off. Vinnie was a bit uneasy on the plane, because he knew it was on a similar flight that his parents had died. I kept reminding him of the differences between the two events, beginning with the fact that this was a smaller plane, carried less fuel and many of the security measures we’d passed through had been improved and tightened since then. I think that once all of this sank in, it did make him feel a little safer, but I could see he was still a little on edge until we landed.

We arrived in Boston just after noon and quickly spotted the driver who was waiting for us, since he was displaying a large, white card with our surname on it. Once we identified ourselves, he led us to a limo and drove us to the lawyer’s office, where we were immediately led into a formal conference room. After making ourselves comfortable, the attorney entered, introduced himself and shook each of our hands. Once we got down to business, we hurried through the necessary tasks, which included signing the appropriate paperwork and exchanging the needed information. Once we had finished with all of that, he gave us the keys to both the house and the 4-Runner and wished us all luck in the future. Not only did he seem to be very competent, but also quite friendly and appeared sincerely concerned, which made us feel good about him representing Vinnie’s interests.

Now that our meeting was nearly over, I told the boys I planned to take them out to eat next. The lawyer overheard me and told us the driver was at our disposal for the remainder of the day. He explained that we could use him for whatever we needed, as the limo company was quite accommodating, since his firm used them quite frequently. I thanked him for taking care of that detail, since it would definitely make it easier for us, because I didn’t know the area at all and didn’t want to rely on Vinnie’s memory of how to get around. Before we left, however, the lawyer explained we could just leave the house keys on the kitchen counter and lock the doors behind us as we left, because he had two other sets that would suffice in the interim.

As we were getting up to go, he suddenly remembered something else, so we sat down again. The attorney quickly dug out some additional paperwork, which he had Vinnie sign, after explaining this was to transfer the title of the 4-Runner over to me, since Vinnie was a minor. He said he’d have the vehicle registered and have the new license plates before we returned, since I had previously told him we were planning on driving it back home. Now that the last item of business had been concluded, we left the office and explained our plans to the driver.

Lunch was more than a bit strange. Oh, the establishment was very nice and the meal quite good, but the mood at the table was more than a little bizarre. Vinnie was very quiet and withdrawn, so even Kevin was unable to coax him out of his shell. We tried our best to discover what was going on in his mind, since we knew he was thinking about the task ahead of him – entering his boyhood home and going through every item in it. At that time, he would have to decide which memories he wished to keep and hold on to and which ones he wanted to leave behind. Eventually, we left him to his thoughts, since our probing and trying to draw him out was doing no good at that point. Therefore, the rest of our meal was consumed in almost total silence, although Kevin and I did talk about a few other topics while we ate.

From there we went back to the lawyer’s office, but we had to wait about thirty more minutes before one of his staff returned with the registration and new license plates for the 4-runner. We were then informed the car was now ours and the title would be mailed to us within thirty to sixty days. Relieved that we could finally get the rest of what we had to do over with, we thanked the attorney again and then went back to the limo. The driver was going to drop us off at Vinnie’s old home and would put the new tags on the 4-Runner while we did what we had to do inside.

The ride to Peabody seemed quite long, but it was very interesting and I was intrigued with the various areas we passed along the way. First, we went through some poorer areas, before getting to the nicer suburban setting, eventually pulling up in front of the house. After all of us climbed out of the limo, I took the key out of my pocket and used it to unlock the front door. Once I’d pushed it open, Kevin and I stepped off to one side and let Vinnie go inside alone. We knew he’d need a few minutes on his own to deal with the ghosts dwelling within, before we disturbed his solitude. Even after we entered, we still gave Vinnie plenty of leeway to go off on his own or spend time by himself, if that’s what he desired. We figured we had to let him deal with things at his own pace and in his own way, but after twenty minutes of such private contemplation and examination, Vinnie came back to get us. That’s when he suggested giving us the official tour of his childhood haunt.

Vinnie seemed to nearly glow, as he filled us in about random memories he had of things that had happened in the various rooms. He was extremely eager to share this anecdotal information with us, as we made our way from one end of the home to the other, and was very animated whenever he pointed out something he felt was important for us to know. Along the way, he also started collecting the items he wanted to take back with him, so we gathered these belongings and stacked them in the living room, where we would pack them later. Most of the items he selected were pictures or other personal effects from his youth, but he made certain to take the lamp from his bedroom, since he had been using it for most of his life and desired to use it in his new room as well.

After we had gone completely through the house, we made one final trek from front to back, just to make sure he hadn’t missed anything of importance. Once he confirmed he had everything he wanted, we took the items Vinnie had chosen, wrapped them carefully and packed them into the boxes that had been stored there for our use. Once everything was taped shut, Kevin and I began loading the boxes into the 4-Runner. When Vinnie decided he had everything he wanted and was ready to leave, I made sure all the doors to the house were locked, tossed the house key on the counter and then we all hopped into the 4-Runner.

As we drove away, I glanced into the rearview mirror to check on the boys and see how Vinnie was holding up. They had asked previously if I’d mind if they sat together in the back together as we made our way home, which was no big deal to me. However, as I looked at them, I could see a tear rolling down Vinnie’s cheek as we drove down the street, leaving his old home behind us. He had gone through much during this short visit, since he had to deal with the mishmash of good and bad memories that resided there.

The visit had reminded him not only of the fun times he’d had with his parents, but it also forced him to confront the reality that they were now gone forever. He knew he had to deal with whatever ties he felt to that place, if he wanted to feel comfortable living with us, although I reminded him he should never forget the great times he’d had there. I explained that those memories would always make him feel as if his parents were still close by and remind him about how much they loved him.

It’s never easy going through situations like these, even when you’re older and more mature, so I knew how difficult it must be for Vinnie right now, especially since the loss was still fresh in his mind. However, as I watched him and considered all of the obstacles he had already faced during the short duration of his life, it only served to reinforce the notion of what an emotionally and mentally tough kid he was. It probably had something to do with the various situations he’s had to endure just to survive, but it was clearly obvious he was far stronger than most kids his age. If ever they gave Olympic medals for courage, Vinnie would definitely deserve a gold.

The trip home seemed extremely long and solemn, even though Vinnie started to liven up a bit the closer we got to our destination. We spent Friday night at a motel just outside of Albany, NY, with Kevin and Vinnie sharing one of the two beds in the room. Before we went to sleep, we all agreed we wanted to get back sometime on Saturday, so we’d have Sunday to rest up before the boys had to go back to school.

We still made frequent stops along the way, so Vinnie could stretch and we could all use the toilet, and our meal breaks were quite long too, considering there were only the three of us. We finally pulled into our own driveway well after dark, yet we still had a bunch of the boys run out to greet us. Well, I’m not sure if they came out to greet us or just to check out the 4-Runner, but it was nice either way.

The boys helped Vinnie carry his things back to his room, so he could arrange them as he wished or put them in storage, if that is what he desired. He seemed pleased to have these mementos with him and asked me if I would put some picture hooks in the wall for him, so he could hang some of these mementos now. I was happy to do it for him and took care of it right away, as I knew what it was like to have to wait, especially when something means that much to you. Once he’d finished placing things where he wanted them, his new room had a homey feel and contained many reminders of the good times from his past. I was pleased it had all worked out so well.

I think we all slept well that night, so I was refreshed when I began my Sunday routine. After taking the family to church and then out to brunch, Frankie and I sat down to discuss the foundation. As we got underway, we both understood we’d have to walk a fine line between enlightening people and giving them ideas about something new to try – thoughts they might not otherwise have. Our hope was to keep people from getting involved in this dangerous practice, while trying to ensure no one else would think it sounded like a glamorous or fun thing to try. Our biggest problem would be trying to figure out how to walk this tightrope and provide the necessary information, without causing more harm. I could tell this wasn’t going to be easy.

We continued working on this over the next few hours before the Dean from Frankie’s college called the house, to share some additional information with us. It seemed he had verified the college had a policy that stated if your roommate died during the school year you were given straight A’s in your courses, without having to meet the course requirements. This was due to the psychological repercussions such an event would have on the surviving roommate. He explained he didn’t inform us about this us at first, because he wasn’t sure if this rule applied in Frankie’s case, since Tom had died at home during a break. However, the administration decided that since Frankie didn’t learn about Tom’s death until he returned for classes, it should be applied in his favor. I thanked the Dean for this information, told him I’d discuss it with Frankie and then let him know whether Frankie would be back to attend classes.

After hanging up, I went and looked for Frankie, so I could discuss this possibility with him. Once I’d told him the information the Dean had shared with me, he asked a few questions and then spent a few more minutes thinking it over. When he decided what course of action he wished to follow, he explained his decision to me.

“Dad, they can give me A’s for the courses if they want, but I’m still going back and doing the work,” he insisted. “I look at it this way, I might need some of the information I learn in those courses and I wouldn’t want to have to think later that I messed up a situation or maybe cost someone his life just because I took the easy way out. Sure, Tom’s death has affected me and I may not be able to focus as well as I would have if this hadn’t have happened, so that’s why I said they could give me the A’s if they wanted to. The thing is, even if they do, I still want to go back and give it my best shot, so I won’t have any regrets about my actions later.”

After hearing his reasoning, I told him I was pleased with his decision and he was taking a very mature approach to this situation. He was not fully relying on the school policy, yet he wasn’t shirking his own responsibilities either. I reiterated I was proud of him and his reasoning, and would call the Dean back and relay this information to him, if that’s what he really wanted. Frankie said it was, so we left it like that.

When I spoke to the Dean and explained Frankie’s decision, he admitted he was a bit surprised that Frankie didn’t jump at the opportunity to use the time to goof off, as many of the other students might have done. He said he admired Frankie’s stand and would talk to his superiors about how they thought they should handle this situation, but told me to tell Frankie that he was enormously impressed by his judgment and reasoning skills.

Once we concluded that discussion, I told him we’d be leaving the house shortly, so I could drive Frankie back to campus. This way, he could return to classes the next day, and the Dean said he’d see us then. I really didn’t want to go on another trip, but I knew it was something I had to do, and I wasn’t about to ask Jake to do it, since he had to work early the next day.

It was a tedious drive, but we made it there safely and I helped Frankie take his things to his dorm room. We hadn’t been there very long before there was a knock on the door and Frankie opened it and discovered the Dean standing there. He quickly informed us that he had made a few calls after he spoke to us, to inform his superiors about Frankie’s intentions. He then informed us that the powers that be were also impressed by Frankie’s stance and had decided to grant him A’s in each of his classes, even though he still wanted to take the courses. They said they wouldn’t tell his professors about this until the end of the semester, so Frankie could see how he fared without any assistance. The Dean also added that his colleagues were adamant that they weren’t about to penalize my son for choosing the honorable approach, hence their decision. Of course, Frankie was pleased to learn how this had worked out and was now eager to return to his classes.