The Castaway Hotel - 5 - 33. Chapter 33 - The Upside Of Life

Now that the court case had been handled and things began to settle down for us again, I realized I had forgotten to call Mark at college and arrange for him to come here to work for the summer again. He was going to return again this year, to continue handling some of my personal accounts, as well as some of those from the Castaway Foundation. My friend, who had been working as Mark’s mentor, was planning to give Mark some tips on handling other types of investments, especially the riskier varieties. He planned on showing him how he approached these investment vehicles, and then work with Mark as he attempted to handle a limited number of funds of that nature. I felt it would be a good learning experience for Mark and I was willing to allow him to use some of my money to practice with.

Besides that, I also wanted to warn Mark about Nigel’s impending visit. I thought he should know that Nigel’s boys and mine might be doing some things he wasn’t accustomed to, and probably wouldn’t feel comfortable around, in case he wanted to make arrangements to stay with his girlfriend or boss while they were here.

“Mark, it’s Josh Currie,” I announced, when he answered his phone. “I’m just calling to verify your plans for the summer.”

“Hi, Pop,” he replied, in his bubbly voice. “Wow, I was just thinking about you. This is really strange.”

“Well, I was thinking about you too,” I admitted. “So do you know when you’ll be leaving to come here?”

“Kind of,” he agreed. “I want to spend a couple weeks with my mom first, but I thought I’d fly out there at the beginning of June, if that would be okay with you.”

“Of course it would,” I confirmed. “I’m looking forward to seeing you again and I know the others are too. Some of the boys have even been hounding me about when you’d be arriving. I’d have contacted you sooner, but I got sidetracked by other matters.”

“Nothing serious, I hope,” he replied.

“Not any longer,” I explained. “There was some tension around here for a while, but I’ll tell you more about that once you’re here.”

“Okay. I’m glad whatever it was has been resolved,” he consoled, “and I’m looking forward to seeing all of you again too. How is everyone?”

“Oh, they’re all doing fine, but I’m afraid Ricky won’t be here,” I informed him. “He’s leaving to be an exchange student to Australia before you get here, but I’ll warn you, that doesn’t mean the house will be quiet. We’re going to be having some other visitors joining us in August, a family we met in England. They’re coming over to visit and they’ll be staying with us for a couple of weeks. We’ll be taking them on some short trips and you’re invited to join us for any or all of them, if you want.”

“Really? That sounds cool,” he replied, instantly, “but I’ll have to work.”

“Well, most of these trips will be taken on the weekend, maybe sometimes making them extended weekend trips,” I explained, “so I think you’d be able to go on at least some of them. We’d really like for you to join us, unless you and your female friend at the bank have other plans.”

“Well, Pop, we just might,” he admitted. “We’ve kept in touch ever since I left there at the end of last summer. Do you think she might be able to join us on some of these too?”

“Well, I’m sure we could include her on one or two of these trips,” I confirmed, “but I’m not sure she’d enjoy all of our plans.”

“Why’s that, Pop?” he wondered

“Well, Nigel and his boys are naturists,” I admitted, “so we are planning to go to a naturist camp on one of these trips too, but I didn’t think you’d want to join us for that one.”

“You mean like a nudist colony?” he wondered. “Where no one is wearing any clothing?”

“Yes, that’s what some people call it,” I confirmed.

“And all of the boys are going too?” he asked, shocked.

“Yes, they’ve all been to similar places before,” I explained. “In fact, that’s where we met Nigel and his boys, at one of those places in England.”

“Really? And they don’t mind running around naked in front of other people?” he followed, and I could tell his curiosity was getting the best of him.

“They don’t seem to have any problem with it,” I informed him. “In fact, I think most of them enjoy it. Most of the time, they tend to run around the house that way too.”

“Doing it in front of your brothers is one thing,” he explained, “but being naked in front of strangers, especially strangers of the opposite sex, that’s different.” He paused briefly before he continued, and I didn’t interrupt him, because I knew he was just collecting his thoughts. “Well, I have wondered what it would be like myself. I saw the boys skinny dipping in your pool last summer, and I really wanted to join them, but I was afraid they or you might get upset if I did.”

“And why would you think we would have done that?” I asked. “You’re just as much a part of this family as anyone else, so you may do whatever you’re comfortable with.”

“Do you mean that?” he asked, amazed. “I am a bit older than them. They’re mostly minors, but I’m considered an adult.”

“That doesn’t matter and of course I mean what I said,” I confirmed. “The boys didn’t ask you to join them because they weren’t sure you’d want to be included in some of the things they did. I must admit, I think they are all unapologetic exhibitionists.”

“Man, I would love to try things like that,” he admitted. “I always wanted a brother or two, and I’ve always thought that being able to go skinny dipping and to do things like that would be so neat.”

“Then plan on letting your hair down while you’re here and having some fun this year,” I urged him. “I’ll let the boys know you’re up for something different, and when Nigel’s boys get here, there’ll be plenty of naked bodies running around the house, so you won’t feel out of place.”

“Hehehe. That sounds like fun,” he joked. “Thanks, Pop, and I’ll see you in a few weeks. And I think I might go with you to that naturist camp too, if you don’t mind.”

“Not at all, and I’m sure I’ve got a couple of boys here that won’t be able to wait for that to happen,” I teased.

“Do you mean about going to the camp or seeing me naked?” he wondered.

“Both,” I answered, and then chuckled. I think Mark knew which boys I meant, too. When I hung up, I thought I had just discovered a new side to his personality.

When the last weekend in May arrived, Kevin and I traveled to attend the scholarship banquet by ourselves. The invitation only included the finalist and his or her parents, so we couldn’t bring anyone else along, not even Vinnie. Vinnie was pretty good about the fact he couldn’t join us, although Kevin and I could both tell he would have preferred to be there. He did wish Kevin the best of luck before we left, and I think I could see the reflection of tears in his eyes as we were driving away, but that was to be expected. This was the first time the two had been apart since Vinnie had come to live with us.

Once we arrived at the building where the event was taking place, Kevin and I made our way to the banquet room, where representatives from the sponsoring group greeted us. After they introduced themselves, they welcomed us and congratulated Kevin on having made the finalist list, and then we were encouraged to mix with the other finalists, so we could get to know them too.

There were probably a dozen or so young men and women wandering about, although most of them were not doing much mixing. Unfortunately many of these kids, as well as their parents, seemed to prefer the company of their own families and didn’t try to get to know any of the other finalists.

We spoke to a few of them and exchanged names and where we were from, but I could tell no friendships were going to arise from these encounters. Too many of the adults didn’t seem to want to have anything to do with us, either because they thought us inferior or they were only interested in learning if their child had won a scholarship and nothing more.

The ones with their noses in the air were dressed to the hilt, with the men and boys in tailored, hand stitched suits, while the women and girls were dressed in expensive evening dresses. It’s too bad they thought their enormous incomes or inherited wealth made them better than the rest of us, but it also made it clear this wasn’t a needs-based scholarship.

On the other hand, most of those who were only concerned about their child being successful at winning a scholarship would be very disappointed and go home empty handed. Since it was obvious there were more students than scholarships, this would mean the vast majority would only be able to say they came close, even if their parents considered them young Einsteins who deserve this honor most. With such a narrow focus, they would be the only ones to lose out, yet I hoped they didn’t take it out on their child that they didn’t win the grand prize.

After a few more minutes, a young boy came over to us and began to chat with Kevin. “Hi, I’m Jeff,” he announced, undeterred. “I see that you’re here with just your dad.”

“Yeah,” Kevin answered, “my dad is the only one I had to bring.”

“Me too,” the boy responded, enthusiastically, “but not my dad, just my mom. My dad took off when I was little and we haven’t seen him since.”

“I’m sorry to hear that,” Kevin told him, trying to sound sincere.

“That’s okay, I’ve gotten used to it. It’s no big deal any more,” the young man informed us. “What happened to your mother?”

“I’m adopted, and Dad’s wife died a few years before he adopted me?” Kevin explained.

“Really, he was all alone, but he still adopted you?” the young man asked, amazed.

“Well, he wasn’t exactly alone and he didn’t adopt just me,” Kevin replied. “I have several adopted brothers too.”

“Wow! How many did you say?” Jeff asked, unable to contain his surprise.

Kevin went on to explain to the boy about our family, including my biological children and grandchildren, and the young man seemed truly interested. I was thrilled to see someone who wasn’t stuck up or self-centered and was actually hitting it off with my son. While Kevin and Jeff were talking, I went over and introduced myself to Jeff’s mother and we got to know each other while our sons continued to bond.

“Wow, I always wished I had a brother,” Jeff told Kevin. “Sometimes it can be a kind of lonely being the only child.”

“Yeah, having brothers is really great, but sometimes it’s really hard to get some time to yourself,” Kevin admitted. “I guess we both have our problems, just the opposite ones.”

The boys continued chatting until an announcement was made, asking everyone to be seated. As luck would have it, we were seated together, at a table for four, as all the other tables were prepared for groups of six. It might have been just a numbers game, or maybe they thought single parent families would have more in common, which would give them something else to talk about. It didn’t matter, since none of us were about to complain about the arrangement.

We had a nice meal and continued to chat while we ate, getting to know each other even better before the presentations began. While Jeff’s mother and I talked about a variety of topics, the boys began to talk about why they wanted to become pharmacists.

“Man, I hope I win this scholarship,” Jeff told Kevin, “because I’m not sure we can afford for me to go to college without it. My mom has to work hard, just so we have food, clothes and things like that. I have a job too and work after school on Friday and then on the weekend. I got it so I would have money to buy the extra things I want – the stuff my mom says she can’t afford to give me. I’ve also tried to put some of my money away for college and I have saved a bit – just not enough to pay my own way.”

“This is really important to you, isn’t it?” Kevin asked him.

“You bet it is,” Jeff agreed. “Not only do I love chemistry, but I know I could make enough money as a pharmacist so I could help take care of my mom and make it so she won’t have to work so hard any more. After all she’s done for me, I really want to be able to do that for her.”

“Well, I hope you win the scholarship then,” Kevin told him. “I think you deserve it.”

When the meal was over, the president of the association went to the podium, asked for our attention and got things under way. First, he introduced all the finalists and had them stand up at their table for recognition, before he introduced the members of the committee that had selected them. Once that process was completed, he got down to the business at hand.

“This is a very select and impressive group,” he began, “and I know you will all make tremendous pharmacists in the future. The committee had a very difficult decision this year, even more so than in previous years. You all have excellent credentials, which meant we had to look hard to distinguish between your academic resumes, but was made a little easier knowing that this year we have an extra scholarship to award.

“There are the three partial scholarships, for one-thousand, two-thousand and three-thousand dollars per year, and then the grand prize, a full-scholarship to any Pennsylvania School of Pharmacy, but this year there will be an additional scholarship awarded. It came about due to a donation from an anonymous member of our association, and although it isn’t quite a full-scholarship, this person has contributed enough money to cover tuition and books for a typical four-year program at any Pennsylvania School of Pharmacy.” At this point, there was a round of applause, signifying that everyone approved of this generous, additional opportunity.

“As I said, the final selections were quite difficult. Each of our finalists has an outstanding GPA and received numerous glowing letters of recommendations from his or her teachers and guidance counselors. Since each of those letters are so positive, the judges were forced to scan them with a magnifying glass and read between the lines, in order to uncover the little things that indicate why one candidate is slightly more qualified than the next, or possibly just more motivated. It is not an easy process, but once that step is completed, we narrow it down to five candidates and then turn to the essays each individual wrote on his own behalf, telling us why he or she wants to be a pharmacist. Although each of those essays were very impressive, two stood out and those two individuals turned out to be the recipients of the top two scholarships, while the other three individuals will received the fixed-amount scholarships. We’ll start by awarding the one-thousand dollar a year scholarship first.”

Both boys were now holding their breath. Although the first three scholarships would be helpful, I think we all knew Jeff needed one of the final two to be able to actually further his education. We listened intently as the first three scholarships were awarded, but none of them went to the two young men at our table. Although they were a little disappointed, they were still hopeful that their names would yet be called.

“We will now award the partial scholarship next,” the speaker continued. “This recipient of this award has a 3.97 GPA and is highly motivated. He claims that he not only loves chemistry, but it is also his best subject. He also states that he wants to help people, but claims he isn’t a very outgoing person, except when he’s talking about things he really enjoys. However, one comment he made in his essay really moved us and gave us an indication that he was as motivated as he was intelligent. This young man states that he wants to become a pharmacist so he will be able to take care of his mother and return the love and support she has given him up to this point. This, coupled with his extracurricular activities, which includes being a member of the debate team, science club and captain of the chess club, and a very strong desire to succeed, has made him our unanimous choice for this award.”

Before the president had even finished what he had to say, those of us at our table knew who the winner was, and Kevin and Jeff could hardly contain their excitement. When Jeff’s name was announced, he stood up, straightened his tie, and walked very purposefully toward the head table, where he received the document signifying his prize. After getting his award and shaking the president’s hand, he was allowed to say a few words of thanks and then returned to our table, where his mother hugged him and Kevin and I shook his hand.

“The next person will receive the full scholarship,” the president continued, once the applause for Jeff had died down, “and this person had impressive qualifications as well, but an even more unique reason for wanting to become a pharmacist. I think I should read a part of this essay, so you can appreciate what I’m saying.” He now began to read from the paper he was holding.

“There are many reasons for my wanting to become a pharmacist, including my desire to be part of the process that will help make people well. Although it is the doctors who prescribe the medications, it’s a pharmacist that fills those requests and is responsible for getting it right. The pharmacist is also able to catch errors and prevent lethal combinations of drugs from being taken, thus also helping to preserve and save lives. I, as well as various other members of my family, have benefited greatly from the skills of many pharmacists, so I hope to be able to return the favor. You see, I am a cancer survivor who has benefited from chemotherapy, so I think this is a wonderful opportunity for me to take my place in a very beneficial profession. Regardless of the outcome of this competition, I look forward to being able to do my part to uphold its fine traditions.

“There is, however, another, more important, reason why I want to become a pharmacist, and maybe this is a bit more selfish on my part. I have discovered that a pharmacist’s average salary is more than adequate and I want to make enough money so I can help my dad raise my brothers and maybe even adopt more. My dad is a great man, who has helped many people over the years, including all of my brothers and me. I just want to make sure he has the money he needs, so he can continue to help them, and maybe even more boys like us. If I am able to help him with the financial end of taking care of so many people, I hope he’ll be able to help even more and do the same things for them that he’s done for the rest of us.”

At this point, I think both Kevin and I, and probably even Jeff and his mother, had figured out that he had won the big scholarship. As he looked over at me, I noticed his face had reddened, most likely because he hadn’t anticipated anyone reading his essay aloud and he wasn’t ready for the amount of attention this would now thrust upon him. When his name was announced and he was asked to come forward, he did so, but he moved quite reluctantly, almost as if he was embarrassed to have won this honor. I felt for him, but knew he’d get over it in due time.

As I watched him walk forward, I suddenly realized there might have been another reason why we had been paired at the table with Jeff and his mother – as it had now become the primary winners’ circle.