Home Away From Home - 36. Chapter 36

It was a month later that I had a chance to meet up with Tony. After we discussed the business and I brought him up to date, I mentioned about Larry wanted to leave the security detail. “I think Rita could use him and David, nothing too dangerous, security for the resort. She feels if she has a security service, women will feel at ease coming and her bookings will increase. She isn’t at capacity yet.”

“I think they’ll jump at that. The next time you and Rita are at the house, you can discuss it with them. And speaking of the next time, when is the gang coming?”

“How did you know we’d be coming?”

“Come on Dad, don’t you want to see your new grandchildren?”

“Well, at least Rita does and your mom. I was thinking for the holidays. Maybe stay a month, could you put up with us that long? We could check out some clients, give them a stroke on the back, keep them happy, do some politicalizing.”

“Sounds great, I’ll start harvesting the lobster.”

“Can you do that?”

“Sure, I’ll add a few each week to the fish tank until I have enough.”

Dad and I chatted a few hours longer than I had to leave. We flew to pick up Roy and Joe. Doug would come on the plane with Mom and Dad.

“How’s it going guys. Joe your prints arrived and have been hung in various rooms. It really shows off the rooms. I hope you’re planning being with us for a while. You have to meet the new additions.”

It was fun to chat with our brothers on the way home. Dan sat with us and joined right in. “Dan, tell Roy and Joe about your new roommate.”

His face lit up and his cheeks turned red.

“Dan, is there a wedding in sight?”

“Maybe a little too early to tell, but I’m very happy. I know what I thought was love before, wasn’t anything but loneliness.”

“We’re happy for you. Finding the right partner may take time, but it’s worth the wait. Right Carlo?”

“Definitely.”

Landing on the base was totally uneventful. The routine was established. The bus was waiting, the kids were there, so there were a lot of hugs. I introduced Roy and Joe to Maria and Tony. “Well, it looks like we have a new niece and nephew. Where is that rascal, Carlos?”

Roy turned around very quickly, grabbed Carlos and lifted him in the air. Gave him a bubble kiss on the cheek. They laughed at the face Carlos made. Dan loaded all the luggage in the bus.

“Let’s go guys.” We climbed in and Vic drove us home.

“Roy, Joe you know where your room is and it’s ready for you. I’ll have coffee and tea ready for you in the kitchen after you both get comfortable.”

I fixed coffee and tea for me. I had some cookies I bought the last time I was at the PX.

It was about 15 minutes later when Roy and Joe joined me. They were in shorts, and that is all, barefoot, bare chested they sat and had a coffee with me. “I say, you guys know how to get comfortable.”

“We decided this would be easier to slip out of when you give us your promise massage.”

“My reputation for putting people to sleep seems to have precluded your arrival.”

“Remember, this is the massage you promised us.” We were laughing when Carlos came in with a towel wrapped around himself.

“Larry wants to know if you guys are going swimming?”

Roy grabs him runs out to the pool and jumps in with him. Joe and I watch laughing at the clowns. “I think the pool was a great idea. It's very relaxing and everyone really enjoys it. Come, I’ll give you a massage while they are goofing around.”

“Do you remember the first time we met. Roy and I saw you enter the cafeteria and Roy mentioned about the girls getting excited. And then when you sat down with us, we felt like we just landed the big fish. I didn’t know how to react to you. Your dad had just essentially bought the college, the staff and prof’s were excited that they could continue to teach there. The staff were relieved to know they still had a job. We expected spoiled, stuck up kids. Roy and I talked about that day so often.”

“And now you’re family.”

“Yes, we couldn’t be happier. Roy lost his family, his mother died before he started college and his father died just before graduation. It was almost like he hung around to see his son graduate. I’m happy for him, he has attached himself to you and Puppy. You are the family, he doesn’t have anymore.”

“He has you and that's something I lot of people don’t have, a loving and devoted partner. I thank the man above for creating the large family I have. For a single child, I have a lot of brothers. My parents are happy that I have this pseudo family. What do your parents think?”

I waited for an answer then I realized he was asleep. I just continued the message. I wondered if it was the massage or my prattling on that was putting them to sleep.

I put a sheet over him and went to the pool. Roy looked at me, I mouthed sleeping. He laughed.

Maria came out in her bathing suit and went by the pool. Roy reached out and she jumped into his arms. They started playing in the pool. I was amazed at how well she was doing, doggy paddling . I was wondering where Tony was when he came running to me totally nude holding his bathing suit. I grabbed him pick him up and tossed him to Larry who was prepared to catch him. I didn’t know what I started. Larry set him on the pool edge, I put on his swim suit, he took off at a run and jumped into the pool, Larry catching him. When Maria saw this she wanted to do it also. I was a little concerned, she was a little bigger and heavier than Tony. But Larry handled it, soon Vic and Ed were there to help out.

“Well, sleepy head, you finally woke up.”

“I have had messages back home, none ever put me to sleep or I have ever felt like I do now. There’s magic in your hands.”

“No, it’s brotherly love that works here. You're relaxed to begin with because you have no fear or apprehensions. When you go to a massage parlor, you're a little tense and you don’t relax totally. Here you do. I can feel it in your muscles.”

“Maybe you’re right. But that doesn’t mean I’ll relax back home.”

“Maybe I’ll do one better for you, I’ll teach Roy to give you a massage.”

“Oh, that would be great. Could you teach him to climb on me and give me a full body massage?”

“I think he already knows how to do that.”

“What are you two laughing about?”

“Joe wants me to give him a full body massage.” I noticed the look of confusion. “I lay on him, toes to toes, then I use my body to give him a massage.”

We watched the look on Roy’s face as he pictured what I just said. “NO! No way. If anyone is going to give him a body massage it’ll be me.”

We all started laughing, the guys wanted to know what was so funny.

I was glad Roy and Joe were with us again. It was like old home week and I knew in a few weeks, it would really be old home week with all of our folks here.

Over the next three weeks, I was kept pretty busy. I made several flights on business while Puppy concentrated on working at the hospital. I knew when I wasn’t home, he’d pull extra shifts. This allowed him to take time off when I was home. Charles was a great help keeping my appointments, notes and costs that would be billed to our clients. The builder presented a plan for the room, we all agreed it would be perfect. The kids loved it. Carlos like the bunk beds, he claimed the top and I was relieved.

The holidays seemed to approach very fast and it wasn’t too long before we loaded the bus to pick up the family from the base. I wasn’t surprised that Doug and Clair had come but what really surprised me, my cousin Nancy was there as well. Mom decided she was best for Vic. I thought poor Vic, my mom will have him married off before he knew what hit him. Nancy was a blue eyed blonde. Her mother was from northern Italy which had a strong influence from Switzerland. I’m sure if I’d trace our lineage back far enough, I’d find a German ancestor. I looked at Puppy, he was watching Vic, who had a smile on his face. Later on I found out that Doug had warn him about Nancy and actually sent him a picture.

Rita and Mom made a big fuss over Maria, a girl for them to spoil but no one spoiled her as much as Tony and my dad. Lil Tony got a lot of attention as well. The kids were a little shy, but our parents had them laughing in no time.

Arriving at home, the guys took the luggage to the rooms. Puppy’s and my parents will occupy the same rooms as last time. Rita and Mom had to show Clair and Nancy around. They hadn’t seen the pool, so they all were excited by what they saw. Immediately Rita wanted to know about the fish tank and who set it up. We told her how to get in contact with Mario. Doug took off to see his parents and Puppy and I were anxious to hear how school went. I saw David whisper something to Larry, he nodded his head and gave the keys to David. Larry made a motion of claws snapping with his hands and I knew we needed more lobsters. As it turned out, after the count we had plenty and ended up inviting Brenda and Doug Thornton for dinner along with Doug junior.

A lot of them liked Joe’s pictures and Rita commissioned several for the resort. Joe was ecstatic. “Roy, my work is going to be in Hawaii and Guam. Maybe I should establish a gallery in Hawaii. I doubt many people could afford my art here. What do you think?”

I noticed that Joe always checked with Roy, that is what partners do. “Joe, I think that’ll be a great idea. We could go as partners, I’ll handle the business end and you can handle the art end. If you show your pieces at the resort Rita has, I bet you'll have a lot of customers from there as well as locals. You could give Rita a commission on each piece that sells from the resort.” There were two excited guys and off they went to further discuss the idea, or I think that was what they were going to do.

Everyone changed into comfortable clothes, we sat around the pool, drinks were provided by Dan, always the steward. Now he has a helper. “Puppy, we have to sort out rooms. Ok let’s do that and moved their luggage into the appropriate rooms. Do we have enough?

“Well, I’m sure with Charles sharing a room with Dan, we have two rooms available on the third floor. The second floor has our parents, Vic and Ed, so Doug and Clair can have the third floor, Nancy can have the second floor’s last room and Roy and Joe can have the last room on the third floor. That should be everyone. If Doug wants to stay, he can sleep in the cabana.”

We knew Doug would be going home. David and Larry got dinner going. We had to use the big dining room. “Carlo, we need to get lounges and chairs for around the pool.”

“Your right, I’ll look into it, what’s your schedule like?”

“I have tomorrow off, pay back time you know. But I’ll probably work the holiday. Most of the doctors have families. So I agree to work a shift. I think some of the interns are also going to cover extra shifts.”

Dinner was excellent. Puppy nominate David as our house cook. Everyone agreed. “Wait, I’ll go along with that only if David can prepare Italian dishes as well as Puppy.” I saw my mom’s eyes light up. Momma’s Italian Cooking School was going to reopen.

Over the next few weeks, we relaxed, enjoyed the pool and had fantastic meals. I think every one looked like they were gaining weight, so we started running again, early in the morning. Add to that swimming in the afternoon and the weight started to return to normal. We had to watch what we ate as well. Doug came over and worked with Maria so she could start school. We started her in second grade and Tony in first grade. It was little slow at first but they caught up fairly fast.

Holidays over, the plane headed back loaded with family. Vic was sorry to see Nancy go, evidently they hit it off pretty well. Claire announced she was pregnant, Doug was smiling. Roy and Joe didn’t want to go, the prospect of a gallery in Hawaii overcame their desire to stay longer. Doug was anxious to return to school, Roy told me he had found someone he likes. We had a good time together. Tony, Charles and I did do some business, took some short flights to Japan and South Korea but mostly stayed home.

Tony divided up the business and now I was responsible for the East. I was still responsible for New Zealand and Australia. But mostly I concentrated on Japan, South Korea ,China and India. The other islands we had not approached but that was to be done at a later date, particularly Indonesia. Puppy said Dad was planning on retiring and this was his way to ease out of the business. I don’t think he could ever ease out of the business, he had too many contacts that went way beyond the business. I still think he’s involved with the government somehow.

Puppy started his fourth and final year of internship. He was anxious to finish. “Do you know what you’re going to do when you finish?

“No, maybe I could stay on at the hospital as a resident doctor or open my own office. What do you think?”

“What would make you the happiest? As long as you are with me, I really don’t care. What I want more than anything is your happiness. How about when you are finish, we go to Mom’s resort in Hawaii and just relax for a couple of weeks. Then you can make the decision. Sometimes if we put it on the back burner, it will lead to the right decision.”

“Yea I like that idea. That’s what we’ll do.”

“You know we’ll have to replace Vic, he’ll be leaving to finish school and get married.”

“How do you know that? Did he say something?”

“By the number of letters going between here and the US, I think Mom may be working her magic again.”

“Vic and Nancy?”

“Yes.”

With the holidays over, everything return to sort of normal. Vic began indicating that he would like to go stateside and would it be possible. I talked to Tony and he thought he could find a position for Vic. When Vic heard this he had a smile on his face for three days. Tony sent a replacement, another ex-sniper. Vic was going home, so we had a party. Carlos had tears in his eyes as he said goodbye to Vic and I noticed Vic did also. Carlos later told me that Vic said he would visit him so it isn’t like he’s never coming back. I think we all felt a little sad when Vic left.

About one week later, Andy showed up. He was Vic’s replacement. Ed took him under his wing and within a month Andy was ensconced in the family. The need for security could be questioned, but we have had too many close calls. Anyway we enjoyed having them here. There is no such thing as having too many friends.

One evening as we sitting around the pool, “Ed, did you notice my mom looking at you when they were here?”

“Yes, but I didn’t think anything of it.”

Puppy and I started to laugh. “What’s so funny?”

“Would you like to bet if you’re still here two years from now, another of my cousins will be on that plane with Mom.”

He started to laugh. “You shouldn’t laugh. Doug laughed and now he’s married to my cousin. Vic laughed and I’ll bet in a year, he’ll be married to Nancy. You know I have a lot of cousins.”

“Won’t happen. I’d be related to you then I’d have to treat you as a relative.”

We laughed, knowing he was kidding. “You know if you were gay, Mom will let you alone.”

“No way, I’ll take my chances with your mom.”

Andy came out to the pool, “What are laughing about?”

“Ed getting married.”

“I didn’t know you had a girlfriend?”

“I don’t but Carlo’s mom has married off the last two bachelors who were security for the guys.”

“Does that mean you’re next?”

We all started to laugh again. Ed got up and left after pushing Andy into the pool. Puppy went over to help him out from the side of the pool.

“I’m going to bed. I have an early flight tomorrow. Coming Puppy? Andy, be sure to take a short shower and wash off that chlorine. Otherwise, you will itch all night.

I decided to take a hot shower and was pleasantly joined by my love. “Let’s just get showered, I’ll give you a special massage in bed.”

And that is what we did. I love Puppy more today than I did 13 years ago. It’s hard to think of the amount of time that has passed. Each time we make love, I feel like it’s the first time. I get a feeling that I hope will never end. And it doesn’t matter who gives and who takes, to me it’s all an expression of love between two people.