The Castaway Hotel: Next Generation - 15. Sorting Through the Memories

Halloween was now behind us and everyone had a blast. Jesse and Elliot became even closer after Jesse had offered to let Elliot participate in the Haunted House and all of their hard work paid off. The Haunted House was a huge success and the boys were overwhelmed by the enthusiastic response and positive comments they heard from those going through it. I have a feeling they will want to do this again, next year.

On Monday, Brandon took Elliot to school, so he could enroll him. Brandon even showed his son around the school before he left, so Elliot wouldn’t feel so lost. Everything was going fine, until they returned to the office, since it was now time for Brandon to leave. Suddenly, Elliot became very emotional and grabbed on to Brandon’s arm with a death grip.

“Do you have to go? Please don’t leave me,” he begged, which came as a surprise to Brandon.

“I’m not leaving you here for good. It won’t be like boarding school,” Brandon explained. “You’ll see me at home tonight.”

“But I don’t want to be here alone,” Elliot countered.

“It won’t be bad. You’ll make friends in no time,” Brandon offered, as sympathetically as he could. “And Jesse goes to school here too. He’s just not in the same grade you are, but I’m sure you’ll see him around. You’ll probably even run into Jesse’s friends, whom you’ve already met. Besides, as I said before, you’ll make other friends quickly. If you have any problems, just go see your Uncle Trey. If you’ve forgotten, he teaches English here and you can go to him if you have any problems.

Elliot didn’t look completely satisfied with this explanation, but after a little more coaxing, he finally gave in. Once Elliot was in his first class, Brandon stayed behind a little longer, so he could make certain the principal and secretary understood what Elliot had been through. He also told them to call me at home if Elliot had any further trouble and they readily agreed.

Brandon returned home, since he had more than an hour before he had to be at his office. When he arrived, I questioned him about how things had gone and he shared his observations with me.

“Elliot didn’t want me to leave him there,” Brandon began. “I think it might have just been a touch of separation anxiety, especially considering everything he’s been through. I just hope he’s able to adjust. I told the secretary to call you, if he should have any further problems.”

I felt that was a good move on Brandon’s part.

“He might have thought that if you were to leave, something bad would happen to you too, like happened with his father,” I suggested.

“That might be it,” Brandon agreed. “I’m not really sure what was going on in his mind, but I do think Elliot was a little surprised that the school building was so old. I have a feeling the private school he went to must have been more modern, so the difference was a bit unsettling to him. He was continually checking everything out, as we made our way around the building, but didn’t say much about it. However, I got the feeling it wasn’t what he was expecting. I can’t wait to hear how his first day went, but I’m also a little worried about how he’s going to handle it, after what happened in the office.”

To tell you the truth, I was a little concerned about that myself.

That afternoon, the boys came rushing into the house after school. They were laughing and joking around, but each stopped to say hi to me, before they raced off to the kitchen, so they could grab a snack. I wasn’t expecting Elliot to be in such a good mood, especially after what Brandon had told me, but obviously he had made it through his first day and was happy to be back home with us. Well, at least he was happy to be here with Jesse.

Prior to his enrolling in school, we had moved Elliot to a bedroom upstairs, so the boys now flew up the staircase, so they could change their clothes. When they came down a few minutes later, they hurried outside before I got a chance to talk to them. It wasn’t a big deal, since I wasn’t planning to ask Elliot any questions about his first day. I felt it would be best to leave that to his fathers. Besides, I didn’t want to make a big deal over it and felt it would be better if the boys went outside to enjoy the fresh air while it was still light out. I think the exercise will be good for Elliot, after being cooped up in the house for the past few weeks.

Once Danny and Brandon returned home, we all ate dinner together. During the meal, they decided to ask Elliot how his first day went.

“So did everything go all right?” Brandon asked.

“Yeah, it went fine,” was Elliot’s cryptic reply. “Sorry I acted so weird when you got ready to leave.”

“I don’t think you acted weird at all,” Brandon explained. “Starting at a new school is tough for anyone to do, but particularly so after everything else you’ve gone through.”

Elliot didn’t respond to this comment, other than to look down at his plate.

“Did you meet any of the other students?” Brandon prodded.

“Yeah,” Elliot confirmed. “This boy came up to me in my math class and introduced himself. His name is Hayden and I even went to lunch with him.”

“That sounds promising,” Brandon offered. “Did you two hit it off then?”

“I think so,” Elliot confessed. “He seems like a nice guy, so I wouldn’t mind getting to know him better. I mean, if that’s what he wants to do.”

“Super!” Brandon agreed, relieved.

“How did you like your teachers?” Danny asked next.

“They seem okay,” Elliot responded.

“What did you think of the work?” Danny followed.

“Piece of cake!” Elliot answered, with a smile.

“You don’t think it’s too hard or that you’ve fallen behind because you missed so much school?” Danny pressed.

“Nope!” Elliot shot back. “They aren’t even up to where my old school was, before I left to go on the trip with my dad.”

Since he was indicating the work was much easier here, than at his old school, I think we were all beginning to wonder if this might turn out to be a problem.

“I see,” Danny observed, “and what did you think of the school?”

I suspected Danny might ask him this, especially after Brandon told him how Elliot had reacted when he took him to enroll.

“It’s pretty old,” Elliot answered. “Who founded it? William Penn,” Elliot quipped.

“It’s not that old and it’s even been renovated a couple of times and modernized,” Danny explained. “I hope it compared favorably with what you’re used to.”

“I didn’t know what to expect, since I’ve never gone to a public school before,” Elliot confessed. “But the kids were pretty nice, even if some of them did seemed a little dumb.”

“I’m sure there are some student who probably aren’t up to the standards you were used to at the private schools you’ve attended,” Brandon countered, “but the district does quite well, compared to others. Former students have excelled in state, regional and national competitions and the school always rates well when it comes to standardized test scores and the number of students accepted to some of the better colleges.”

“That’s right! Your Uncle Trey even made it to the national finals in the Scholastic Writing Competition with a play he wrote,” Danny informed Elliot, which caused Trey to blush.

“And your Uncle Andrew did extremely well in some of the art contests and Uncle Sammy did quite well in some history competitions. Your Uncle Dion won honors and a scholarship with his singing talent and Uncle Kevin won a scholarship to become a pharmacist.”

Now, Dion and Kevin were blushing too.

“Wow! That’s great! I didn’t know any of that!” Elliot exclaimed. “I guess it could be pretty cool going to school here then. I’ll have to see if I can out do my uncles,” he teased.

We were all amused by Elliot’s last comment, as we got a taste of his competitive side. We spent the rest of the meal filling Elliot in about some of his other uncles too, as well as some other aspects of our family history. I think he was feeling better about the situation now and not as concerned about having to lower his standards.

After dinner the boys went off to do their homework and I got to spend a little time with Jake. We were listening to music and even dancing to some of the songs, when Joshie came in to see me. I wasn’t sure what he wanted, so Jake and I stopped to listen to what he had to say.

“Papa, my teacher said it would be Thanksgiving soon and Daddy and Poppy told me all about the Pilbrims and the Indians,” he continued. “What it was like when you had dinner with the Indians.”

That’s when I heard some snickering outside the door. I was certain Dion and Trey had put Joshie up to this and were now having a good laugh as they listened in. Even Jake was smirking.

“Joshie, I’m not old enough to have been there with the Pilgrims,” I explained. “That happened a very long time ago, before I was even born.”

“But Daddy and Poppy told me you were there,” Joshie insisted.

“They were using you to play a little joke on me, because they wanted to make me feel older than I am,” I explained. “But don’t you worry. I’ll get even with them a little later!” I yelled out, in their direction. I wanted to be certain they heard my comment.

Joshie seemed a little concerned when I raised my voice, so I gave him a wink and a pat on the head. I also explained that I wasn’t mad at him, but I was certainly going to make his Daddy and Poppy pay for this. I’m not sure he understood what I was saying, but he was glad that I wasn’t upset with him for asking that question.

Speaking of Thanksgiving, it reminds me that I need to start making plans for that big day. A lot of the family will be coming home for the holiday and it will also be Elliot’s first chance to meet most of them. This is usually an overwhelming event the first time, so we’ll have to prepare him in advance for the houseful of people that will be descending upon us.

Later in the week, something else came up. I was home alone when the phone rang and it turned out to be a very interesting call.

“Hello.”

“Good afternoon,” the caller began. “May I speak with Mr. Joshua Currie?”

“This is he,” I replied.

“My name is Edwin Courtney and I’m the attorney of record for the estate of the late Sean Kennedy. I understand you are now the legal guardian for his minor son.”

“I am, but my son is actually his foster father,” I explained. “I was made temporary guardian until my son’s application to become a foster parent could be approved. That should happen shortly.”

“Thank you for clearing that up,” he responded, “but I will need to discuss liquidating the estate with either you or your son.”

“Why don’t you give me your phone number and I’ll have my son call you back,” I offered.

Mr. Courtney said that would be fine and gave me the information. Then, we ended the call.

When Danny and Brandon came home, I explained about the call to them and they agreed to get in touch with Mr. Courtney the next day. I was happy to put it in their hands, but none of us knew what to expect, since Elliot’s previous life was still mostly a mystery to us.

When they called Mr. Courtney back, he explained what would be involved in clearing up the estate. They were expecting most of what he told them, but what came as a surprise was that the monetary value of the estate was considerable. After the various issues had been explained, the first thing they agreed to do was to take Elliot back to the house, so he could pick up his things, especially his clothes. Although we had bought him a few items before he started school, he still could use more things to wear and this would correct that situation.

Danny and Brandon arranged a day off together, so they could take their son back to the home he had recently shared with his father. They also notified the school that Elliot wouldn’t be in that day. They were a little concerned at first about having him miss another day of classes, but since Elliot kept insisting his old school had been much further ahead of where his classes were now. Not only that, but all of the papers and tests he brought home looked fine, so they decided there wouldn’t be a problem with doing this. Besides, Elliot was the only one who could decide what he wanted to keep, after they got there.

Since they also understood this was going to be very difficult task for Elliot, Danny and Brandon spent some of the night before they went tying to prepare him for it.

“Elliot,” Danny began, “you do remember that we’re taking you back to your old house tomorrow, so you can pick out the things you’d like to keep. Right?”

“Yes! I remember,” Elliot confirmed.

“And how do you feel about it?” Brandon asked.

“I don’t know. Maybe a little nervous – scared even,” Elliot told them. “I mean, I know I need to go back and get some of my things, but in a way I really don’t want to see that place again. All I’m going to be thinking about is the time I spent there with my dad, and then I’ll start thinking about what happened again and…” Elliot’s voiced trailed off.

Brandon reached out and drew him close. He just wanted Elliot to know he was safe and loved.

“It’s okay and you can cry if you need to,” Brandon told him, as the tears began to roll down Elliot’s cheeks.

“I’m sorry, but I can’t think about him without this happening,” Elliot admitted. “He was all I had.”

“It’s all right. It just takes time to heal, but you’re going to be fine,” Danny added, tenderly.

“It’s good that you can grieve for him now, Elliot,” Brandon, said next. “It’s just part of working through this and being able to accept what happened.”

“But if I accept it, does that mean I’ll forget about my dad?” Elliot wondered.

“No, not at all,” Brandon explained. “It will just mean that even though you know he was taken from you, you’ll keep him in your heart and mind. Don’t worry. You’ll never forget him.”

“I hope not,” Elliot added.

Since that had been taken care of, Danny and Brandon got everything ready to take with them. This included a bunch of empty boxes, so they’d have something to pack Elliot’s things in. After that, the three of them tried to get a good night’s sleep.

The next morning, they got up early and set out for Elliot’s hometown, Fox Chapel, which is a suburb of Pittsburgh. They even had time to stop for breakfast along the way and still arrived at the house ahead of Mr. Courtney, the lawyer. When Mr. Courtney showed up, they introduced themselves and followed him, as he led them inside. As he looked around, Brandon realized Elliot remained on the top step of the porch, peering through the opening, but not moving.

“It’s all right,” Brandon told him, while placing an arm around Elliot’s shoulder. “Danny and I will be with you the entire time.”

Elliot took hold of Brandon’s hand, squeezed it tightly and took a deep breath, as he gathered up the courage to step across the threshold. It was a long and agonizing experience for Elliot, as the memories began flooding into his mind. After taking a few moments to collect himself, they began to sift through the remnants of his former life. Moving from room to room, Elliot would decide what he wanted to take back with him now, which things the lawyer would have sent to our home and which items would be sold off at an estate auction. It hadn’t been that long since the funeral and the house still appeared to Elliot as it might have, had he been coming home from school for a long weekend.

Once he got over his nervousness, Elliot scoured the house for every last picture he could find, as his fathers followed him from room to room. Danny and Brandon placed the various selections in boxes and then loaded them in the Suburban, which they had borrowed from me for the day. They knew they could put much more into it, than they could in their car, and since they weren’t certain how much they’d be bringing back, they felt this would be best.

“We’ve got to take the piano. I can’t leave it,” Elliot insisted. “I play, but more importantly, it’s been in my family for generations. I think it may have even come over from Ireland with my great-great grandmother.”

“Mr. Courtney, please make certain that the piano gets shipped to us then,” Danny informed the lawyer.

“Certainly,” he agreed.

“Oh, and my grandfather’s desk,” Elliot announced. “That’s been in the family for a long time too.”

“Mr. Courtney, please have the desk shipped as well,” Danny added, which caused Elliot to offer an affirmative nod.

They packed up most of the items in Elliot’s bedroom and then loaded those boxes into the Suburban too, but the lawyer would have to see that his bedroom furniture was shipped with the other items.

Once they left his bedroom, they went to Elliot’s father’s bedroom next. Elliot soon discovered that his father had kept some of his mother’s things, so he decided that he wanted to keep them too, along with some of the items his dad had collected during his travels.

“Is that everything you want?” Brandon asked.

When Elliot looked up at him, his face began to contort and tears once again welled up in his eyes. Eventually, the sobbing began anew.

“It’s all right, Elliot,” Brandon told him. “Danny and I are here for you.”

“I know,” he confirmed. “It’s just that my mom and dad spent their whole lives collecting the rest of this stuff and now it’s all going to be gone, as if they were never here.”

Elliot was weeping uncontrollably at this point, so Danny bent down and hugged him too.

“I can only imagine how difficult this is for you, Elliot, so go ahead and cry it out. It will do you good,” Danny explained. “I know it’s hard to think that some day some other family will be living in this house and the things you are familiar with won’t be here any longer, but the important thing is that you have the items that mean the most to you.”

Elliot began to calm down slightly, as he struggled to hold back the tears.

“Just remember that you’re the most important thing your father had and he would want you to be taken care of,” Danny continued. “We’ll get this sorted out, and once Mr. Courtney has settled the estate, we’ll have Uncle Mark set up an account for you, like my dad did for my brothers and me. Then, when the time comes, you’ll have that money to use for college and to get a head start in life.”

“But if my dad thought about all of these things and did so much to make sure I’d be taken care of,” Elliot wondered, “then how come he didn’t also have someone lined up to take care of me, if something happened to him?”

“I’m not certain,” Danny responded, “but possibly he hadn’t gotten around to that yet, thinking he had time to do it later. It could have also been that he was trying to find the perfect people to leave his most valued possession with and as of that moment he hadn’t thought of anyone he felt was worthy. No matter why he failed to do it, I’m certain that your mom and dad loved you and were doing all they could to make sure you were taken care of. They wanted that, more than anything else.”

After another minute, Elliot stopped crying and looked up at Danny.

“You really think so?” he asked.

“I’m positive!” Danny assured him. “Brandon and I have only been parents for a few weeks, but I know if anything were to happen to us, we’d want to feel assured that you were being taken care of and that your future was secure.”

“I know you’re right, but it’s just so hard to let go of the rest of this,” Elliot conceded.

“It’s okay to be sad about it,” Brandon told him, “just don’t let it make you feel so badly that you can’t think of anything else or are unable to go on with your life. Your parents wouldn’t want you to spend the rest of your life dwelling on the past. They would just want you to be happy.”

“Okay, just get me out of here then. I don’t think I can stay here any longer,” he stated, as he headed for the door.

Mr. Courtney agreed to arrange for a moving company to deliver the items Elliot had selected. He would have them shipped to our address and then hire an auction house to liquidate the rest. Once that was done, Danny would consult with Uncle Steve and Mark about establishing a trust for Elliot. He figured he needed help from both of them. Uncle Steve would provide the legal expertise and Mark would add his knowledge about financial matters, since he still manages the family’s personal accounts and those of the Castaway Foundation. Once all of the arrangements were completed and everything was agreed to, Danny, Brandon and Elliot set out for their next destination.

“How are you feeling, Elliot?” Brandon asked.

“I’m just thinking about everything,” Elliot admitted, “but I’ll be okay. I’m glad we came, because it will be nice to have my own clothes and some of the things that will remind me of home. I’m really excited that I’m going to have my piano back.”

“Yes, that was a surprise for us,” Danny stated. “You never told us you played.”

“Well, you don’t have a piano and I didn’t want to be a bother,” Elliot confessed. “My dad had me start taking lessons when I was six, I think.”

“Well, I for one can’t wait to hear you play,” Brandon told him.

“Really? You’d like that?” Elliot exclaimed, as if he didn’t believe his foster fathers would be interested.

“Of course we would. Right, Danny?” Brandon replied.

“Absolutely,” Danny agreed. “Whatever you do, we’ll be there to support you. We’re a family now.”

“Okay, that’s cool,” Elliot agreed, “but I’ll need to practice a bit first. It’s been awhile since I’ve played.”

“No problem,” Brandon agreed. “I didn’t expect you to just sit down and put on a concert the same day it was delivered.”

“That’s good,” Elliot responded, “because I’m going to be a little rusty.”

Once they left the house, they drove over to Elliot’s old school. As they passed through the front gate, Brandon observed a brass plate with the school’s name, plus the year it had been established.

“Benjamin Rush Academy, Established 1890! Ha, and you thought our school was old,” Brandon teased.

Despite its apparent age, the immaculately maintained campus, with its Georgian Revival buildings and pristine landscaping impressed Danny and Brandon. After they checked in at the administration building, they discovered a tidbit of information they had not previously been aware of. They now felt they had to step outside, so they could discuss this with Elliot and let him make the final decision.

“Elliot, did you know your tuition had been paid for the entire year?” Danny asked.

“Um, no. I didn’t,” Elliot confirmed.

“Since it is, would you prefer to continue going here?” Danny followed. “If you did, it wouldn’t upset us, and once your father’s estate is settled, I’m certain there will be enough money to cover your tuition until you graduate. We would expect you to come home and be with us on vacations and holidays though.”

Unexpectedly, Elliot looked like a deer caught in the headlights of a car. Then his complexion began to grow pale and his body started to tremble.

“Don’t leave me here,” Elliot whimpered. “Please, just take me home with you. I won’t cause any trouble. I promise.”

Brandon immediately recognized this reaction was similar to what he had seen when he went to enroll Elliot in the local school. Now, he understood that Elliot wasn’t reluctant to be there or afraid of anything at the school. He was just terrified that if he wasn’t with one of us, he might never see us again. Considering everything he’d already lost, it wasn’t difficult to understand his fear, no matter how irrational it may be.

“It’s settled then. You’re not going to school here,” Brandon announced, with a smile. “We just wanted you to have the option.”

“I just want to stay with you,” was all Elliot managed to get out, but the implication was clear. He wasn’t about to let his new parents out of his sight for one moment longer than he absolutely had to.

Now that this had been settled, Danny went inside and informed the dean of students that Elliot would not be attending the remainder of the year and signed the required forms to have his records transferred. Then they went to Elliot’s old dorm room, to collect his things.

Elliot’s dorm was a lot different than the dorms Danny and Brandon had experienced in college. This particular dorm appeared to be a typical, but nice, colonial house. The first floor served as an apartment for the teacher who was responsible for the ten boys living upstairs. The second floor consisted of five small, but comfortable, bedrooms, which were each shared by a pair of students. There was also a large living room, so they could watch TV or hang out as a group. Elliot told his fathers there were different styles of dorms on campus, with many of them being homes like this one, but there were also a couple of college-style dorms, with several students per floor.

Elliot’s former roommate, Thomas, was there when they arrived and greeted Elliot warmly. Thomas spent a few minutes telling Elliot how sorry he was and they talked about the time they had been roommates. It was a tearful and touching reunion.

When Thomas had first been told about what had happened to Elliot’s father, he was also informed that Elliot probably wouldn’t be returning for the term. Since he didn’t expect Elliot back, he had neatly packed all of Elliot’s clothing into his luggage. Then, with the help of the others on the floor, they packed the rest of Elliot’s belongings into boxes, so they would be ready when someone came to pick them up.

The other boys living in Elliot’s dorm had, for the most part, been sheltered from the harsh realities of the world. That’s why, when the news that one of their own had been involved in such a brutal tragedy, it became the cause of great consternation. By helping to pack his things, it gave them the feeling that they at least had some control over what happened and were doing something to help their friend during his time of need.

Danny and Brandon let the boys have their privacy, as they helped to carry Elliot’s belongings to the car. Clearly, they had all been close. Thomas gave Elliot a hug before he left and told him again that he was sorry about what had happened. He then wished Elliot luck in his new home, which seemed to mean a great deal to Elliot. Before he left, Elliot thanked each of his friends for their help and then climbed into the backseat for the long ride home.

The rest of the trip went fairly well. By the time they returned home, Elliot was feeling more upbeat and eager to tell me about the things he brought back and the items that were going to be shipped here. When he finished, I told him we’d clear space in the family room for the baby grand and I think that pleased him a great deal.

Danny and Brandon also told me in private how Elliot had reacted, both at the house and at the school, just in case a similar incident occurred. They were worried something like that might be triggered again when the items were delivered. They also were less than positive that the separation issue had been put to rest and wouldn’t crop up again. Elliot seemed to be holding up fairly well, although I could tell this must have been a very rough day for him. Hopefully, he’ll be able to put it behind him and continue to move on.