Winning the Lottery - 23. Chapter 23 - Mishief, and Playing Cupid

On Friday Dane was excited to tell me that he had learned about mountains in school. Did I know that the highest mountain in the world was Mount Everest? And did I know that there was a big mountain on Maui that used to be a volcano?! And there’s a REAL volcano on Hawaii! It was gratifying to see that he was interested and excited about what he’d learned.

Meanwhile, we were making plans for Thanksgiving, which was rapidly approaching. We were finalizing plans to fly to the mainland and spend it with Cass and Khala in Davis, California. Khala’s parents were coming with us, along with one of Khala’s cousins. Her mother had just informed me that she was bringing a large cooler full of real Hawaiian food because no proper meal could be without it.

I hung up the phone after talking with her when I head Patsy barking steadily. She barked occasionally, of course, but I’d never heard her going on like that. It sounded like an alarm. Something was wrong. Where was Dane? Was there an intruder in the yard?

I rushed outside to find Patsy looking up and barking like crazy. I followed the direction of her eyes, and to my absolute horror, there was Dane waving at me from the peak of our very steep roof! “Dane! What are you DOING up there?”

“I’m climbing a mountain Daddy! I’m at the top!”

“Dane, it’s dangerous up there. You could fall and break something! Sit down! Right now! Do not move! Understand?” My heart was pounding with fear.

At that moment the security guy came barreling into the yard. “We picked him up on the drone cam, Dr. Gabe. I rushed over as soon as I saw it!” he panted, from exertion or excitement, or both.

“Hi!” exclaimed Dane to the new arrival.

“Dane sit! Do NOT move a muscle!” I yelled.

“How are we going to get him down from there?” asked the security guy.

My mind worked through several possibilities. We could get a long ladder (did we even have one?) and go up after him. But then we could both fall—the roof was far too steep to safely walk on. Damn that Polynesian design! We needed a rope for safety. But what would we anchor it to? I was sweating bullets. I turned to the security guy, panicking, I said, “I think we should call the fire department....”

He wasn’t much calmer than me. “I think you’re right....”

“Go for it,” I said. He punched 911 into his phone and stated “the nature of his emergency.”

“Dane, we’re going to get you down, but DO NOT move! Understand? Answer me!”

He gave me a disparaging look, let out a huge sigh and said, “Daddy, it’s okay. I’ll come down.”

“NO!” I yelled. “Just sit still until someone comes to get you.” Oh God...one slip and he could come tumbling down the roof and over the edge, which had to be a good twenty foot drop. I have visions of broken bones, ruptured spleen, fractured vertebrae, quadriplegia, head trauma, subdural haematoma... I was beside myself. Mostly terrified, but also furious that Dane had put himself in harm’s way. He’d only been out of my sight for five minutes. I’d never forgive myself if something happened to him.

Finally, after an eternity, the fire department arrived. The guy in charge told me we’d done the right thing in calling them. “It’s not the first time,” he said, “That we’ve had to rescue a climbing boy.”

Kelly and Alfy arrived, having seen the fire truck and wondering what was going on. Mom and Dad arrived home from an errand, shocked to discover the danger Dane was in. Then Derrick arrived home from the airport. He was as frightened and upset as me. I was grateful that we were able to comfort each other as the firemen did their work.

They put up a long ladder and threw a rope over the peak of the house and anchored it to a tree behind. Then one of the guys climbed up and got hold of Dane, then brought him down and handed him to Derrick and me.

We hugged him tight. I couldn’t help the tears of relief that came to my eyes. “Oh, Dane, you scared the shi... um heck out of us. Promise us you won’t ever climb on the roof again!”

Patsy was overjoyed and leaping up in excitement. Mom and Dad hugged us. Kelly and Alfy hugged us.

“Wow, that was WAY cool!” exclaimed Alfy.

“Hush!” Kelly responded. “That was NOT cool. Don’t even THINK of doing something like that!”

The firefighters were staying out of our little family tableau and were quietly and efficiently packing up their equipment. We approached them, and I stumbled over my words as I expressed my gratitude for the rescue of our son.

The lieutenant chuckled and said, “You’ve got a real firecracker there!”

Dane was shy—perhaps a little embarrassed—but we managed to get him to say a mumbled ‘thank you’ to the firemen.

One of the crew approached me and extended his hand. There was no denying this guy’s handsomeness. Tall and well built, bronzed skin and deep brown eyes... He looked familiar. “Hi,” he said, “I’m Khala’s cousin, Jimmy Cartwright. I was over here for a luau one night...celebrating Alfy’s adoption...um...I think I’m coming with you guys to California...for thanksgiving.”

“Oh, yes, Jimmy, of course!”

“Well, I’ll let you go. You got a great son there. Go easy on him.”

Everyone drifted away, leaving Derrick, me and Dane alone. We needed to speak to Dane, but that path was fraught with problems. How could we admonish him for putting himself at risk (and scaring the daylights out of his dads) without fueling his insecurities?

Several possibilities crossed my mind, including locking Dane in his room until his 21^st birthday. But I came up with something a little less draconian. “Let’s go inside and discuss this,” I suggested. Turning to Derrick, I added, “I think I know how to approach this. Would you mind me taking the lead for a few minutes?”

“No problem,” replied Derrick looking relieved.

Once we’d settled in the kitchen with glasses of lemonade, Dane’s face was a mask of pure rebellion. If I was reading him properly, he was not at all apologetic about what he’d done. No, he was full of righteous indignation. The adults were the ones at fault for blowing the whole situation out of proportion. (After all, hadn’t Alfy pronounced the whole situation ‘cool?’)

“So, Dane,” I began, “what do you think of mountain climbing?”

Dane shrugged noncommittally.

“Lots of people mountain climb,” I said. “You learned about that at school didn’t you?”

“Yeah...”

“Can mountain climbing be dangerous?” I asked.

“Maybe...” replied Dane, sensing he was being led into a trap.

“Yes, It can be risky,” I said. “But many people do it. They do it safely, and enjoy it. They often spend days, or even months preparing for a climb. They study the mountain to know exactly what they’re up against. And they get all the equipment to make the climb safe. Proper clothing, ropes to stop them from accidental falls...”

Dane’s expression was beginning to soften a little. He was getting the point.

“So if you want to climb, Dane, that’s okay. It’s just that there are a lot safer ways of doing it than a spontaneous climb on the roof. Did you know there’s a place, right here in Honolulu that has a climbing wall? Where you can climb safely, and learn the techniques before trying it out on a real mountain? Would you like to go there?”

His face brightened. He smiled and nodded.

Derrick spoke up then, “Dane, the same thing applies to anything risky that people do, whether it be jumping out of airplanes, surfing big waves, or Formula One car racing. So I want you to promise Daddy Gabe and me that you’ll think about the risk of what you want to do. Neither of us wants to be as frightened as we were today.” He offered Dane his hand to shake, “Deal?”

“Um...okay,” mumbled Dane as he shook Derrick’s hand.

“That’s my boy!” said Derrick as he pulled Dane into a bear hug. Patsy woofed her approval.

Halloween came and went in a blur of excitement. As you can imagine Dane was pretty wound up. We dressed him in a Jedi costume, and he and Alfy trick-or-treated along our street. It’s a short street, so that didn’t take long, then afterwards we had a bonfire in Jordan and Kelly’s yard.

After that, things were calm leading up to Thanksgiving. I worked in the mornings, and Derrick had a couple of one-day charters to the mainland. Thankfully, Derrick, and Khala’s mom, were doing all the preparation and trip planning. The closer the time came to seeing Cass again the more excited I got. There were times I missed him achingly—he was not just a son, but a good friend as well.

Mom and Dad weren’t coming with us choosing instead to stay at home and run a small Thanksgiving weekend Buddhist retreat.

Dane managed to stay out of mischief for a few days but he asked several times about the climbing wall I’d mentioned and said that Alfy was interested in going as well. Note to self: Discuss this with Jordan.

When we boarded the plane to fly to California, I saw we had a nearly full house. The crew would be heading off to visit their families on the mainland, so spouses and children were aboard. Joining us were Arlyss’s husband, Greg and her four year old daughter, Cindy, Alexander’s (flight attendant) husband, Todd, Joe’s husband, Tyler, as well as Khala’s parents and her cousin, Jimmy. Everyone seemed to have Thanksgiving plans except for Winston (flight attendant) who gave only vague responses about ‘visiting friends’ when asked.

I couldn’t help but notice that Winston’s smile got a bit bigger when Jimmy boarded, and that Winston was just a little more attentive to Jimmy as we all got settled into our seats. Jimmy was obviously enjoying the attention. Everyone was chattering and laughing, so I might have been the only one to notice, but I swear I saw sparks in the glances those two guys were giving each other. Yup, when we were seated for takeoff, Jimmy and Winston had eyes only for each other.

I nudged Derrick and whispered, “Is it just my imagination or are there sparks flying between Winston and Jimmy?”

“No, not your imagination,” he whispered back, “there’s enough energy there to power the city of Honolulu for a year.”

“I’m getting some interesting vibes from them. My intuition tells me there’s more than just lust happening. You work with Winston a lot, have you ever seen him react like this to a passenger?”

“No never, and we’ve had some real hunks as passengers. I’m inclined to agree with you. Something unusual is happening....”

“What about the ‘no fraternization’ rule?” I asked. (There was an unwritten rule that staff didn’t fraternize with clients and guests.)

“Well,” Derrick whispered, “We could waive it, I suppose, but we need to be tactful. If we’ve read the signals wrong, and we say something, it could be embarrassing. Let’s wait and see....”

About two hours into the flight everyone was settled. Alexander and Winston had served us wonderful, freshly prepared snacks. Arlyss’s husband was playing ‘go fish’ with his daughter and Dane. Derrick was talking to Khala’s dad, and Khala’s mom and Tyler were chatting. I was pretending to read a book while I surreptitiously watched Winston and Jimmy. Alexander had gone into the lav, leaving Winston momentarily alone in the forward galley. Jimmy, who kept turning his head to watch Winston, saw his opening and jumped at it. He was up and into the galley in a flash. Jimmy’s back was to me, but I could see Winston’s face, and when Jimmy approached him it lit into a warm smile. Jimmy said something and Winston’s smile remained but it went from ‘happy’ to ‘regretful’ in an instant. I’m not much good at reading lips, but I think I got most of what was said, “I’d love to, Jimmy, but I can’t. I’m so sorry, I wish I could.”

Jimmy nodded, but his shoulders slumped in disappointment. With a huge sigh he turned and headed back towards his seat, doom and gloom written all over his face. He sat heavily into the seat facing me, and with knitted brows he stared resolutely at the floor.

Well, it couldn’t get much more obvious than that. It was time for some of Dr. Gabe’s matchmaking skills. I stood and headed for the galley. Just then Alexander reappeared from the lav, so I asked him if he might give me a few moments alone with Winston. “Of course,” he replied with professional courtesy, “I’ll just go check the rear lav.”

I had no idea how to begin a discussion on such a sensitive topic with Winston. It was none of my business, really, but yet it was, because I had ‘authority’ and discretion on how to exercise it. Winston and I had always been on a cordial basis, of course, but I’d be hard pressed to call him a ‘friend.’ I was his boss’s husband. Nothing more.—meaning I was about to cross multiple, uncharted boundaries. I took a deep breath and forged ahead. “Forgive me for interfering, Winston, but I just saw Jimmy talking to you....”

“I can assure you, Dr. Nichol, it was a professional discussion.”

Talk about getting told to mind my own business! Well, that wasn’t going to discourage me. No siree. Not when the fate of two star-crossed lovers was hanging in the balance.

“Yes, Winston, I could see that. But let me cut to the chase. Correct me if I’m off base here, but are you and Jimmy interested in each other? If you are, you have Derrick’s and my blessing. If I’m wrong, you have every reason to tell me to fuck off....”

“Oh...I’d never tell you to fu.... And you’re not wrong, and yes, I’ll admit to...a certain attraction...but....”

“Do you have firm plans for Thanksgiving?” I interrupted.

The sudden change of topic threw Winston off. I could see the confusion in his face. “Uh, no. Not really...I was thinking of spending some time with friends in West Hollywood. But that’s not set in stone.”

“Why don’t you join is in Davis for Thanksgiving? You’d be more than welcome, and I’m sure Jimmy would appreciate the company. We’ll get you a room at the inn where we’re all staying.”

“Um... Well, that’s very generous of you, but...well...I guess I should discuss it with Jimmy.”

“Of course! Do you want me to send him up to talk to you?”

“Yes. That would be good. And thank you Dr. Nichol....”

“It’s Gabe, Winston. Just Gabe.”

“Okay, thanks...Gabe.”

Satisfied that Cupid’s arrows were all aimed in the right direction, I went back and told Jimmy that Winston wanted to talk to him. He hadn’t seen what transpired between Winston and me because his seat was facing the rear of the plane. He gave me a puzzled look, but got up to comply.

I continued to the plane’s rear bedroom to ensure I wouldn’t be able to observe the ‘negotiations’ between Winston and Jimmy—to give them some privacy up in the front galley. Alexander was sitting patiently in the bedroom, probably wondering what the hell was happening. He got up to leave when I entered the area, but I signalled him to stay. “Give it another five minutes,” I said.

When I returned to my seat a few minutes later, Jimmy was reseated, and he was definitely looking like the cat that ate the canary. It gave me a warm and fuzzy feeling to think that I might have helped a budding relationship. Of course, it might not go anywhere. Perhaps it might just be some brief, wild sex for them. But what was wrong with that? On the other hand, it could be a disaster, and the whole issue might come back to bite me. But it was worth taking the risk.

Dane had finished playing cards and came and sat on my lap. He seemed tired and definitely wanted a cuddle. It was funny, Derrick was his hero; Dane clearly worshipped him. But I was the one he most often turned to for comfort.

“I miss Patsy,” he said.

“And I bet she misses you too. But you know that Alfy and Koa will take good care of her. And mostly, she’s probably having a lot of fun with them....”

He remained on my knee, sleeping, until just before we landed in Sacramento. It felt good to provide comfort to my little boy, but he, in turn, gave me equal measure of comfort.

As we all buckled up for landing, I was praying that the meeting between Dane and Cass would go well.

Cass and Khala were waiting for us as the plane taxied to its parking spot. We had no protocol for deplaning so it was a bit of a free-for-all saying goodbye to the crew and wishing them happy Thanksgiving, then greeting Cass and Khala with hugs and kisses and giving them their leis. Dane got a bit lost in the shuffle, and I began to fret that maybe this wasn’t the best way to introduce him to his brother. But Cass and Khala rose to the occasion. Khala said to her parents and Jimmy, “Why don’t you guys go on ahead and get settled in the car. We’ll join you in a minute.”

Jimmy said, “Um...I’ll just go back to the plane for a second. Um...maybe wait while the crew finishes up...”

I winked at him and said, “Sure, why don’t you and Winston join us at the hotel. Grab a taxi, and we’ll catch up with you there.”

As the group scattered, Cass squatted and said to Dane, “It’s nice to meet you little brother. I always wanted a brother and now I have one!”

Khala squatted as well and said, “I’m so happy to finally meet you, Dane. Welcome to California. I hope you like turkey, ‘cuz we’ve got a great big one for our dinner tomorrow. And I want you to tell me all about this dog of yours. Patsy, isn’t it?”

“And we have a dog too,” added Cass. “Her name is Honey, and she’s fat because she’s going to have puppies soon. She loves to play, but we have to be really gentle with her right now.”

Khala and Cass stood up. Khala took Dane’s hand and Cass threw his arms around Derrick and my shoulders. “You guys done good!” he told us. “Dane is a great kid. I’m really proud of you! And, God, I’m happy to see you again.” And he gave our shoulders an extra squeeze.

Then, Cass being Cass, he let us go and bounded up the steps of the plane to greet the crew, who he considered good friends.

Finally, all of us except Jimmy and Winston were in the cars and headed into toward Davis, with everyone trying to talk at once, and Dane quietly pleased with the gift of Legos from Cass and Khala.

Once we’d checked into our rooms at the hotel, and Jimmy and Winston had joined the group, we all piled into the cars again and headed to Cass and Khala’s home on the outskirts of Davis, looking forward to a warm family Thanksgiving.

To be continued....