The Castaway Hotel: Next Generation - 1. Coming Home

It is difficult for me to believe that it has been more than four years since the boys held their commitment ceremonies. Even though so much has changed over the intervening months, it seems as if it were only yesterday when they pledged their everlasting love for their partners. I imagine you’re wondering what types of changes I’m referring to, so I’ll be happy to explain. The problem is, where do I begin? There is just so much to tell and a great deal of what has taken place to the various boys overlaps and intertwines. For much of that time, the family was scattered about, in different locations, due to where the boys chose to go to college or were able to find work. However, the fact that not all of us are still living together doesn’t seem to matter. We’ve still remained close.

I’d like to give you a more detailed account of how that happened, but I’m not sure I’ll be able to put this into any sort of chronological sequence that will make sense and not be extremely confusing. Therefore, I’ll just tell you a little about each of the boys, beginning with those who currently live at home.

I’ll start with my grandson, Joshie, since he is also the one that I’ve been the most involved with and who has brought so much joy into my life. Even though Joshie’s conception was unplanned and the result of a holiday party escapade, I am thrilled to have him in my life. However, it didn’t always appear that this was going to be the case.

It all began when his father, Dion, accidentally impregnated his high school vocal partner, while celebrating their success at the Holiday Concert. Dion is actually bi, even though he has chosen to be paired up with his gay partner. On their way home, Dion and the girl stopped for a private celebration, which led to Joshie’s conception.

After getting over the initial shock of learning about the pregnancy, we were told the mother was planning to give the baby up for adoption. Although she had her reasons for wanting to do this, she and Dion didn’t see eye to eye on the matter. To begin with, the mother felt she couldn’t afford to delay or give up her plans to go to college. Seeing her parents had their own share of problems too and didn’t think they could help her with the child, she felt giving the baby up for adoption would be her best option.

After hearing this, Dion and I sat down to discuss how he wanted to handle the situation. From the start, Dion emphatically stated that he would prefer to keep the baby, but admitted that he couldn’t do this alone. Since he was scheduled to begin college in the fall, he asked if I’d be willing to help. Since Dion seemed so determined to do this, and I didn’t want him to delay his college plans, I agreed to give him a hand. I took early retirement from work and became a nanny instead.

Dion came home for a few days when the mother went into labor and the baby’s birth was a joyous event, at least as far as our family was concerned. Shortly after Dion learned he had a son, he announced he was going to name the baby after the two individuals he claimed were the most important people in his life – his partner, Trey (whose proper name is Alexander), and me. I was deeply honored by this, but even more so when Dion decided to give me top billing. He named the baby Joshua Alexander Currie, but told me we’d call him Joshie to avoid confusion.

Once Joshie was released from the hospital, we brought him home and I helped Dion learn the things he would need to do in order to take care of an infant. Although he was extremely nervous at first, he settled down and did a remarkable job taking care of his son. When Dion left to return to college, I suddenly assumed total responsibility for my namesake.

I must admit, I am thrilled that Dion took responsibility for his actions and wanted to raise his child. In the long run, I think his decision has worked out well for everyone involved. First of all, not only does he love and dote on his son, but Dion has also made certain that Joshie spends time with his mother and maternal grandparents, so he will know that side of the family too. Second, having to help take care of Joshie has injected a new sense of purpose into my life and spending so much time with him has brought me many, many hours of happiness. Finally, now that Dion and Trey have their degrees, they are able to spend time with Joshie and will, hopefully, get as much pleasure from being with him as I have.

Although Joshie is bi-racial, he has the same toffee colored skin as his father, to go along with his huge brown eyes and black curly hair. He also has an infectious laugh and the most heart-warming smile of anyone I’ve ever known. He also has an engaging personality and quickly warms up to nearly everyone he meets, although there have been a few people that Joshie truly hasn’t cared for. Among them was a bully whom we occasionally ran into at the park.

The boy was about a year older than Joshie, and although the kid never singled Joshie out, he picked on other children whom Joshie was friendly with. When the bully did something to one of the others in Joshie’s presence, Joshie would intervene and stand up to the bully. At first, this shocked the boy, but gradually it just turned into a source of irritation for him. Since Joshie is tall for his age, and slightly taller than the bully, the other boy always backs off when Joshie is around, but it has accounted for some lingering resentments between the pair.

Another person that Joshie never warmed up to was an older woman who goes to our church. She is disgustingly sweet and treats Joshie as if he were younger than he actually is. This has proven to be her fatal error in judgment, at least where Joshie is concerned. I’ve discovered, that if anything, Joshie acts much older than his actual years and enjoys being treated accordingly. This means he responds best if you take a little extra time to explain the things he doesn’t understand. It is also to your advantage if you reason with him whenever you want to win him over or are attempting to convince him to do something. He seems to bristle when he is told he has to do something without understanding the reason why.

Since Joshie reacts favorably when I treat him in a more adult manner, which I now do without hesitation or without even thinking about it first. His mature attitude probably also accounts for the reason I refer to him as my ‘little man.’ It explains exactly how I think of him, so I, therefore, also tend to treat him in the same manner. Joshie’s grown up demeanor may have come about as a result of living in a house with so many adults, but I don’t see it as a bad trait.

Although it hardly seems possible, Joshie will be turning five in the fall. To my mild chagrin, this means his fathers will be enrolling him in kindergarten and Joshie will be attending school during the day. Although I know he is more than ready for this, I am saddened by the thought that I’ll be losing my constant companion. My biggest concern is that I haven’t been totally away from Joshie for any extended period of time since he was born. This is why I’m definitely not looking forward to losing our special time together.

I’ve become so accustomed to having Joshie follow me around the house and value those instances when I get to teach him how to perform a new task. I’ll even miss allowing him to assist me, when he offers to help me with my chores. He does this quite frequently, since he is so eager to please, and I always find a way to accommodate and make him feel as if he’s doing something important. However, no matter how much I’ll regret the loss of the time I’ll be able to work with him, most of all I’ll miss the countless hours I spend trying to keep him entertained.

During our days alone, I’ve spent a great many hours playing board games with Joshie, such as ‘Chutes and Ladders’ and ‘Candy Land,’ but we do things outdoors too. When the weather is nice, I enjoy pitching the Wiffle ball to him, so he can hit it with his special bat. We’ve also spent countless hours shooting hoops and tossing his half-size basketball at the portable backboard, which I have adjusted to its lowest possible height. We’ve also taken numerous walks together and frequently make our way to the park, so Joshie can play on the playground equipment with the other children who are there.

When it is warm out, I also spend time with Joshie in the pool, but on the days that aren’t so pleasant, we do crafts and other activities indoors, such as baking cookies and cupcakes together. I have also read a great many books to Joshie. I have him follow along, as I glide my finger under the words, so I can point each one out as I read it. By doing this, Joshie is now able to recognize many of the words and can even read some simple stories by himself.

During the winter months, we’ve built snowmen and igloos, but we’ve also engaged in more than a few snowball fights, which Joshie usually wins. I’ve also taken him sledding and discovered that Joshie has a ‘need for speed’ and a penchant for taking risks. I always discuss the potential consequences of his actions with him first, before allowing him to try something. However, it’s become clear that he isn’t deterred by minor risks to his safety or the possibility of experiencing his share of bumps and bruises. I think I’m going to miss his adventurous spirit and be totally lost when he’s no longer around during the day. I guess it’s time to start looking for something else to help me occupy my time.

Although I will surely miss spending so much time with Joshie, I will adapt. I’ve already had to make some minor adjustments, such as when his two daddies graduated from college and moved back home. Dion and Trey are partners, and Trey is a year older than Dion. They grew up in the same household together and even graduated at the same time. This was due to the fact that Trey had opted to spend an additional year at school to work on his Master’s degree in education. This allowed the two of them to remain together, while Dion finished the requirements for his baccalaureate in music. When they returned home, just over a year ago, each one was eager to spend as much time with Joshie as he could.

At first, this minor change didn’t seem to affect me too badly and I tended to look at it as a little vacation. I was thrilled to see how eagerly his daddies took charge of caring for Joshie, and they did an admirable job too. However, after just a couple of weeks of having them back, I began to feel as if there was a huge void in my life. I no longer felt complete or fulfilled, so I soothed my despair by telling myself that his daddies would be starting their jobs in a few weeks. You see, Trey and Dion had been hired as teachers by the local school district. Trey will be teaching English at the High School, while Dion will be the vocal music instructor at the Middle School, where I used to be principal. Dion will also give vocal lessons at the high school, in cooperation with his former music teacher and mentor. Throughout the summer I kept telling myself I could handle this change, at least temporarily, and I did.

Once Trey and Dion began teaching, it left me alone with Joshie during the day again and then they would spend time with him in the evenings, after they got home from work. Dion assumed most of the responsibility for Joshie’s care, since Trey had other work to complete in the evenings. Trey often had papers to correct or was attempting to sneak in a few precious moments to concentrate on completing his first novel. Since Dion teaches vocal music, he doesn’t bring his work home with him, which gives him more time to spend with his son.

Dion is also refusing to take on any other obligations, which might cut into his time with his son. This means he has turned down numerous offers to perform, either as a featured soloist or as part of a staged production. He has made one exception to this rule though and takes an active role in our church’s choir. He has even sung a few solos with them, which he was eager to do because Joshie would be there to listen to him perform. However, Dion has refused all of the other offers he’s received, such as singing at weddings or receptions, as well as other, more prestigious invitations.

While still in college, Dion had performed several times with the Pittsburgh Symphony. Since graduating, he’s been offered the chance to take the stage with them again, but he no longer seems interested in doing this. Since he’s returned home, Dion has refused requests from the Philadelphia Symphony as well. He has even turned down roles with various opera companies that operate throughout Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey and Washington D.C.

Dion has taken this stance because he doesn’t want to be away from Joshie for any extended period of time, and many of these opportunities would require him to be gone for a weekend or even longer. Although I understand his reasoning and even applaud it, to a certain extent, I sincerely hope he will eventually take advantage of some of these marvelous opportunities, once Joshie gets a little older. I’d hate to see Dion miss out on these fantastic possibilities to showcase his talent, especially since he thoroughly enjoys singing and has such a remarkable voice, and then come to regret his choices later.

Although it wasn’t easy, we all managed to get through the school year, but things changed again once summer arrived. Suddenly, my time with Joshie was drastically curtailed, because his fathers were home for the summer. This arrangement will change yet again, when school starts at the end of August, but this new change will only complicate matters for me. The reason for this is that Joshie will be attending class during the day and then spending time with his fathers in the evening. This will mean I will only have an opportunity to spend time with my namesake when I can finagle an opportunity to be with him on the weekend. I guess I might have to enroll in a rehab, so I can learn to deal with my Joshie withdrawal.

Danny and Brandon have also returned home, after earning their degrees. As you might remember, this pair has always stated that they intended to move back with me after they finished school. Not only have Danny and Brandon offered to take charge of the old homestead and handle all of the repairs, maintenance and other mundane chores, but they have also expressed their desire to take in even more boys. They are determined to continue to operate the Castaway Hotel, so they can provide even more young men with a safe and loving environment.

Of course I believe they’ll be able to do this, because Danny and Brandon are no longer boys and have become very accomplished young men. Yet, they will always be my boys, no matter how old they get. They even finished up their degrees a year earlier than anticipated, because they were willing to give up part of their summer vacations, so they could take additional courses and graduate ahead of the rest of their classmates.

Danny is now a board certified pediatrician, but since he wished to return to the local area, he is not currently working in his chosen field. Since our small community isn’t large enough to support another such professional and Joshie’s pediatrician is by far the oldest and not nearly ready to retire yet, Danny didn’t want to create any strife by opening his own office. Therefore, he had to choose between residing in a nearby community or accept a slightly different option locally. Since he didn’t want to commute a long distance or move away from the area, Danny decided to take a position working as a doctor in the emergency room at the local hospital. He only plans to do this until he can open his own pediatric practice or take over for one of the current pediatricians, but he doesn’t seem to be depressed about not doing exactly what he had planned. On the contrary, he seems to be using this opportunity to broaden his skills and become an even better doctor.

Brandon, on the other hand, found it a little easier to secure a position in his chosen field. The local dentist, whom Brandon has been going to for most of his life, was quick to offer him a position in his office. The dentist had indicated he would let Brandon work with his younger patients, once he had their parents’ permission, but Brandon would also be taking care of a few of his older patients as well. Brandon’s new boss was in a position to make this offer, because his practice has continued to grow and he’s been extremely busy. In fact, he has become much busier than he wants to be. The older dentist explained to Brandon that he has been working far more hours than he prefers, because he hates to make his patients find another practice to go to, but he would like to be able to cut back a bit. Therefore, this arrangement is working out fine for each one and gives them what they want.

Since Danny and Brandon were able to secure jobs so quickly, they almost immediately began hinting at the prospect of taking in a new boy. As we talked this over, I explained it wasn’t something they needed to do right away. I suggested it might be best if they took time to get established first and began to feel comfortable in their jobs before taking on any additional responsibilities. After several intense debates on this subject, they finally relented, but I think they only agreed to do this in deference to me. Although I wish they were actually convinced this is best for everyone, I am satisfied that they have agreed to get their own lives in order first, before they try to deal with a troubled young man.

Some of my other sons are currently residing out of the area, in locations where they have been able to secure employment. We still manage to see them occasionally, some more frequently than others, but Jake and I are willing to settle for whatever time we can get with them. In fact, a few of the boys will be joining us shortly for our annual Fourth of July cookout. The actual holiday falls on Sunday this year, but since Monday is the official holiday, they will have that day off from work as well. Therefore, those that don’t live too far away are planning to come home, so they can celebrate the long weekend with us. Many of the extended family will also be joining us on Sunday, so it should be a good time and everyone will be able to catch up on what the others have been up too.

As the time grew closer to the holiday weekend, I had to encourage the boys who were home to help me get everything ready for the arrival of those who will merely be returning for a few days. I want everything to be taken care of in advance, so those who will be joining us can settle in quickly and, thus, allow us to enjoy as much time together as we can.

Since Jesse has just finished his sophomore year of high school, he still lives at home and is one of the boys I am currently trying to motivate to help out. Little Ricky and Andrew are also part of this group, since they returned home from college just over a month ago and will be here for the remainder of the summer.

“Come on guys, let’s get moving,” I urged them. “Your brothers are going to be showing up shortly and I want everything to be done before they get here. I want them to enjoy their time with us for the holiday and there’s still a lot we still need to get done, before we are ready for their visit.”

“Why can’t they just make their own stupid beds and do this stuff for themselves?” Andrew whined. “They used to do it when they lived here, so why can’t they do it now too?”

“Yeah, they’re not cripples,” Jesse added.

I could tell it wasn’t going to be easy to convince them to help, because Andrew and Jesse were trying to double-team me to get out of doing these jobs. I should have seen it coming. Andrew and Jesse are not only brothers, but they are also best friends and tend to spend a great deal of time together whenever Andrew is able to come home. They also tend to IM and text each other regularly, so they probably have plans that are being disrupted, because I’m asking for their assistance. Although I’m glad to see the age difference and physical distance separating them hasn’t dimmed the closeness they still feel for each other, I wasn’t about to let their little ploy succeed.

“I know that’s what they USED to do,” I answered, adding the emphasis, “but I think it would be nice if we had things ready for them when they got here.”

“But why do we have to do all the work?” Little Ricky chimed in. “Don’t you want us to enjoy the holiday too?”

Oh, great! Now I have the third party adding his two cents. I think it’s time to give this a more a personal touch.

“You’ll have plenty of time for that, but I always try to do this for each of you. Even though you’re just away at college, I make sure your rooms are ready when you come home for the holidays and vacations. I’ll be doing the same thing for Jesse, once he goes away to college too, so I just have one question for you. Are you telling me that you don’t enjoy finding your bed made for you when you come home, after making the long drive back from campus?”

Little Ricky and Andrew looked slightly embarrassed after hearing my response, but I could tell Jesse got the point too. Suddenly, their eyes were no longer focused on me, as I awaited their reply.

“Yes, we do appreciate that our beds are made for us when we get here, because we’re usually kind of tired and don’t feel like doing it ourselves when we first get back,” Andrew concurred. “Since you do that for us, I guess we should be willing to help you do the same for the others.”

That comment ended Andrew and Little Ricky’s complaints about having to help with this chore, but Jesse wasn’t as easily convinced.

“So I guess this means we’re stuck being their slaves and doing all of the work for them while they’re here!” he exclaimed, sarcastically. “It sure doesn’t sound like we’ll be having much fun.”

“You aren’t a slave, but a good host and caring brother who is doing his best to make the others feel comfortable when they first arrive,” I corrected. “Once they’ve had a chance to catch their breath and get a good night’s sleep, then they can fend for themselves, like they’ve always done. Then, you’ll be able to have just as much fun as they do. Besides, we only have to prepare a few more rooms, so it isn’t really a lot of extra work.”

Jesse didn’t seem totally convinced by my explanation, but he did stop objecting and agreed to do what I’d asked.

“What do you want me to do, Papa?” Joshie wanted to know, as he stared at me and waited for my answer.

“Since I’ve already stacked the blankets on the dressers, why don’t you get the sheets and pillow cases out of the linen closet and put the appropriate combinations on each mattress. That way Jesse, Andrew, Little Ricky and I can make the beds without running back and forth,” I suggested. This seemed to be a good enough for Joshie, so he raced off to do his part.

Even though the other three still weren’t thrilled about having to perform this task, they did help me finish preparing the remaining rooms. Once this had been accomplished, I asked them to follow me to the kitchen, so they could help me get dinner started. When they began to object, I merely told them they didn’t have to do this, if they weren’t planning to eat with us. Once they understood what I was implying, they ended their protest and I began handing out assignments.

“Joshie, would you and Jesse please set the table, while the rest of us get the food ready?” I asked.

“Okay, Papa,” Joshie agreed. “Come on Jesse,” he added, as he grabbed the older boy’s hand and dragged Jesse off with him.

“How many places do we need to set?” Jesse asked, as they made their way toward the cabinets where we kept the dishes. I quickly began counting up who would be joining us.

“There have been eleven of us as of late, with four more coming home for the weekend. Duck and his girlfriend should also be arriving, plus Dustin and Cole will also be coming with their girlfriends. I believe that adds up to twenty-one people, all together.”

“Little Ricky and Andrew, will you help us set up the banquet table then?” Jessie whined. “It looks like we’re going to need it too.”

Little Ricky and Andrew quickly agreed to help and the four of them had it set up in no time.

Danny, Brandon, Dion and Trey all arrived home before any of the others got here, so they helped with the final dinner preparations too.

“Dad, you know it’s going to be nice to have everyone here again,” Danny stated. “The old house just doesn’t seem the same when it is so empty.”

“I agree. It is much more enjoyable when the others are here with us,” I concurred, “but unfortunately not all of them are going to be able to join us this time. We’ll just have to make the most of the long weekend with those who do show up. At least for a while, this place should seem like it used to.”

Danny nodded his agreement and then we went back to work.