Never walk alone- Walk on - 6. Chapter 6

Four months of frenetic activity and planning yielded the desired results and at the beginning of November, 'MY Amira' prepared to set sail on her first charter. Andrew and Ryan were on board, with the twins and Rascal, for the leg from Cape Town to Durban, along with two American families, friends of Dan and Joan Kinley, where 'Amira' would replenish her stores before sailing for Mauritius via the eastern Madagascan port of Toamasina with a full compliment of charter guests, also from the USA.

One of the first things Andrew had done on the Monday morning after the meeting on the yacht, was to update the website, and contact all the travel agents who had 'Belle Catherine' on their books and then the following week, to put out an advert on every platform he had access to.

He split the journey into two legs, Cape Town to Durban, and Durban to Port Louis in Mauritius with the option of combining the two legs, should the charterers so wish.

Andrew and Ryan had shared their windfall with Dan and Joan in the week after receiving the yacht, along with a video, outlining their plans for the yacht, and they were thrilled to receive the news. They had then Skyped a number of times over the following days, which resulted in the reservation from the two families known to Dan and Joan. The charter to Mauritius had come through one of the travel agents Andrew had hired.

They had also Skyped with Paul and Marie who were both also very excited to get the news and Andrew advised them that he wanted to arrange a trip to Mauritius to join the yacht when the Mason's were with them on vacation over the holidays and discussed dates with them just to be sure it fitted in with their plans. Two days later, Paul emailed Andrew and Ryan to advise that he had reserved flights for all of them from Cape Town to Mauritius. When they objected to Paul paying for their flights, Paul just bluntly advised that as they were staying with Andrew and Ryan, and that they were also providing a 10 day cruise on a luxury yacht, they should just pipe down, and that with the current exchange rate, the flights had actually been very cost effective. Andrew and Ryan grudgingly, but gratefully, accepted his reasoning. They got all the flight details from Paul and then reserved seats on the same flight for David and Janice, as well as reservations for Donna and Craig back to Johannesburg. A reservation was made for Rascal to fly with them too.
Dan and Joan had been invited as well, but had advised they would only be in Cape Town in February instead of Christmas as originally planned.

In the intervening months, which included Cameron and Elizabeth celebrating their sixth birthday, and Andrew and Ryan, their 28th and 29th birthdays respectively, they had spent many hours on board 'Amira', refining service levels to their standards, and planning menus with Ray with an eclectic mix of cuisines. - South African, Arabian, Creole and some international dishes. They tried to keep the dishes as simple as possible, relying on taste and appearance for the wow factor, which was one of the reasons why the owners were sailing on the first leg. One of Andrew's fortès was the plating of meals, making the plate look amazing. So he would be advising and helping Ray, not that he was a slouch at plating, in the galley as they worked through the file of menus and dishes that they had formulated.

The Devlin-Major family were all ensconced in the master cabin for the cruise up the coast to Durban which would take 4 days at a leisurely 9 -10 knots, or between 16.5 and 18km/h. The cabin had been rearranged slightly to allow two beds to be added for Cameron and Elizabeth on the port side at the window where the dressing table was and now served as an impromptu headboard. The cabin was so spacious that there was still plenty of space to move around. Of course it meant that Andrew and Ryan would have to behave themselves for 3 nights but they resolved to make up for it once they were checked into their Durban beachfront hotel, where they would be stay-ing for a few days to await 'Amira's' departure before flying back to Cape Town. They wanted to be on hand to welcome the Durban to Mauritius charterers on board for their 6 day crossing to Toamasina on the east coast of Madagascar where they would bunker, followed by a 2.5 day leg to Port Louis, the capital of Mauritius and their official point of entry to the island.

The one concern that they and Michael had was that it was not the best time of the year to be traversing the Mozambique Channel as it was cyclone season, which had them all keeping a very careful eye on the weather forecasts.

Once all the entry formalities had been completed in Port Louis, they would then sail north along the western coast of the island to Grand Baie, a very upmarket resort area on the north of Mauritius, where 'Amira' would anchor in the bay, as she was too big to get into the yachting marina, and the guests would be taken ashore by tender for 7 nights at the Mont Choisy Beach Resort, one of several resorts on the island the guests could choose to stay at as part of the package before leaving the island.

'Amira' would then embark her next guests and sail on a 7 night cruise to Victoria, the capital of the Seychelles, via Port Mathurin on the island of Rodrigues where they would berth for one day for the guests to go ashore to explore the fairly remote island.

When approached by Andrew with regard to their plans for 'Amira', both the Mauritian and Seychelloise autho-rities had been incredibly accommodating, mainly due to the project being tourism orientated and very upmarket to boot, and berths had been arranged in Port Louis at the passenger terminal in the port and at the Eden Island Marina just south of Victoria in the Seychelles. Permission had also been granted for them to make use of the passenger terminal at Port Mathurin on Rodrigues, subject to the terminal not being occupied by the scheduled weekly cargo-liner service between Mauritius and Rodrigues.

The biggest headache in the plans proved to be Reunion, where no suitable berths could be found, even in the main port as the berths were too small to accommodate 'Amira's' 116 foot length. Consequently, Reunion was not included on any of the possible itineraries that had been planned. However, it was hoped to remedy that when the Devlin-Majors, David and Janice, Donna and Craig, and Paul, Marie, Jonathan and Michael would all board the yacht on the second day of January when they would do a 10 day cruise around the islands with par-ticular emphasis on Reunion to find a suitable site for the yacht to anchor and enable the guests to go ashore.

Paul and his family were flying in two days before Christmas and would stay at the house with the Devlin-Majors, and then spend a further week with them on the return from Mauritius, before returning to Calgary. Andrew and Ryan would also celebrate their 7th wedding anniversary while they were on board as well.

The four day cruise up the coast proceeded without a hitch, although on the last day, they encountered fairly heavy seas, overcast skies and rain, the result of a Category 2 cyclone the had passed over Madagascar and Mozambique two days previously. Michael had taken them further out to sea, having stayed within site of the coast all the way from Cape Town, which made their passage a lot more comfortable. Two of the children experienced slight seasickness, despite wearing motion sickness patches, but after being treated with Andrew's dry savoury biscuit and flat cola remedy, and resting in their cabin for the afternoon, they were both fine by dinner, and the remainder of the trip was completed without incident the next morning when they docked at the Royal Natal Yacht Club. The guests disembarked, and would spend a week in the north of the province on a game reserve and then fly up to Johannesburg before heading back to the USA.

Andrew and Ryan assisted the crew in returning the master cabin to its normal configuration, and disembarked themselves to check in to the Elangeni & Maharani Hotel on North Beach.

They stopped off at the yacht the next morning after breakfast and on their way to the Ushaka Marine Water-park. Andrew just wanted to check if the stores replenishment was on track for the arrival of the next charter party and departure the next day. They were pleased and impressed to see the deckcrew were out polishing all the exterior brightwork, and that the decks and windows had been washed down. Michael and his crew seemed to have everything under control, and taking Ryan's advice, Andrew decided to not let the replenishment concern him too much, but just enjoy their family time together.

The Waterpark was a blast, with lots of laughter, shrieks and gasps, getting thoroughly drenched on the water rides, visiting the aquarium and walking through a glass tunnel with sharks swimming all around and above them, Rascal growling softly in Ryan's arms as they swam past, and enjoying the dolphin and seal performances. It was a very weary Devlin-Major family who trudged up the stairs into the foyer of their hotel late in the afternoon. They all showered and then had a nap for a few hours before going to a steakhouse for dinner, bringing Rascal a doggie bag of rib bones and leftovers for a treat.

The plan for the following day was for Ryan, the twins and Rascal to go to the beach or enjoy the hotel pool deck, while Andrew drove down the South Coast to the lodge that the Devlin-Major Portfolio were managing, in lieu of his monthly visit. He had no intention of it being a protracted meeting with the owner, just wanting to pop in and see how things were going. Ryan, however, was very keen to visit the lodge and meet the owner, so the whole family drove down in the end and while their dad's had their meeting, Cameron, Elizabeth and Rascal played in the garden and had a swim in the lodge pool. After the meeting, they had lunch in Shelley Beach, the next coastal hamlet on the way back to Durban and also stopped off in Amamzontiti for ice cream, arriving back at the hotel in time for afternoon tea. Dinner was in the buffet restaurant of the hotel, after which they took Rascal for walk along the beach promenade, enjoying the fresh sea air and soft breeze. Fortunately, it was still a bit early in the summer season for Durban's infamous humidity to make itself known.

They were flying back home in the afternoon the following day, so the packing was all done before breakfast and the luggage loaded into the rental vehicle. After an early breakfast, they checked out and drove down to the yacht club to welcome the new guests aboard and then watched as 'Amira' cast off and sailed away, looking very impressive indeed. They drove down to the breakwater at the harbour mouth and waved as she sailed majesti-cally out to sea, then made their way north past Umhlanga Rocks to Ballito, where they stopped off at the managed lodge situated in the swish beachside hamlet and then drove to King Shaka International for their flight home.

As it was the middle of the week, Andrew and Ryan were in the office on Thursday and Friday while Cameron and Elizabeth were back at their nursery school, not without some mild opposition on their part. Itwould, however, be only another three weeks before the schools closed for the festive season break. When the schools reopened in the middle of January, it would be another big moment for the family. The twins would be going to 'big school' from then. They would be attending a local co-ed school and Andrew was dreading the first day. Not for them, but for himself. He already knew he was going to be a basket case.

The week after they returned, Andrew and Ryan devoted time to both lodges, going over arrangements for the busiest time of the year. Both establishments were already running at almost full capacity, much to their owners delight. 90% of the current guests were from the USA or Europe with a smattering of Far-Eastern guests.

Company year-end functions were keeping the Food & Beverage departments on their toes, often having a half dozen smaller events to deal with or two larger events per day. There were a couple of days when they were really pushed and had multiple events happening for both lunch and dinner. On those days, both Andrew and Ryan rolled up their sleeves and pitched in to help, working right alongside the normal staff, whether it was assisting with the events or just helping to greet guests in the restaurants. Of course the twins wanted to get involved as well, so if Andrew or Ryan were showing guests to their tables in the restaurants, either Cameron or Elizabeth would be the designated menu carriers. They had been shown how to open the menus and then present them to the guests, who were utterly enchanted by the two little mites and they both received numerous compliments in the guest surveys that every guest room was requested to complete prior to departure. The staff loved having them around and it all contributed to the ambience for which both establishments were so renowned for, especially at The Cameron with its more family focused goal. In the midst of all the festive season activity, news was received that 'Amira' had completed her repositioning cruise, had arrived in Mauritius safely and that the charters were going well.

Once the schools were closed and company's began shutting down for the holiday season, both lodges ran at full occupancies right up until after New Year, when company's began working again. Schools would still be closed for two weeks. Christmas Day lunch and the New years Eve dinner dance at both Blue Bay and The Cameron were fully booked before December even arrived and both lodges were obliged to organise a Christmas Eve dinner as well, and The Cameron also opened reservations for New Years day luncheon, which were also filling up fast. All in all, it was proving to be an enormously lucrative season.

All the hard work was curtailed somewhat when the Mason's arrived two days before Christmas. They had been offered the use of one of the SUV's, but Paul preferred to hire a rental for the week prior to them leaving for Mauritius and their anticipated arrival had the house in an elevated state of excitement, especially the twins, who couldn't wait to see Jonathan and Michael. Naturally, their dad's were looking forward to seeing Paul and Marie.

The festive decorations had been put up the previous weekend, the tree was in place and also decorated, per-fuming the room with a faint aroma of fresh pine. They had also managed to do all the Christmas shopping. The wrapped gifts were being stored in what had been the twins nursery off the main bedroom, behind locked doors.

The Mason's flight from Paris had been delayed so it was 8.30pm and almost dark by the time they arrived at the house and everyone hurried downstairs to greet them as soon as the car pulled into the driveway. Paul and Marie emerged, both looking exhausted.

"Hi guys", Andrew said, hugging Marie and kissing her cheek, before shaking Paul's hand and hugging him as well. "Welcome back to Cape Town. It's really good to see you again".

Ryan greeted Paul as well and moved around Andrew to hug Marie. The kids were chattering loudly amongst themselves and when Cam and Elizabeth turned to usher the Mason boys into the house. Andrew was not happy.

"Cameron and Elizabeth Devlin-Major! Excuse me, but where are your manners? I know you've been wanting to see Jonathan and Michael, but you can greet Uncle Paul and Aunty Marie before you rush off", he admonished them.
The children all turned to look at Andrew with big eyes. He didn't often loose his temper, but they could all see he was angry. Ryan was the one who normally raised his voice when they did something wrong.
Rascal dropped down low, his tail between his legs and crawled away, looking over his shoulder every now and then, and disappeared into the house.

Cameron and Elizabeth slowly approached Paul and Marie, looking very sheepish, hugged Paul and Marie, apologised to them and looked at Andrew, both their bottom lips quivering.

"Sorry daddy. We didn't mean to be rude", Cameron said softly.
"Sorry daddy", Elizabeth whispered, on the verge of tears.

Paul turned to look at his children as well.

"The same goes for Jonjon and Mikie as well. Have you said hello to Uncle Andrew and Uncle Ryan?

"No dad! Sorry dad!", they both chorused and hurried to Andrew and Ryan. "Sorry Uncle Andrew, sorry Uncle Ryan".

Andrew and Ryan bent down to get their hugs, and ruffled the two boys heads.

"Okay, that's much better", Paul said. "Now you can go play with Cam and Elizabeth".
They hurried away, much quieter than they had been.

Andrew and Ryan assisted in getting all the luggage upstairs, including two large bags with wrapped Christmas gifts, and then showed their guests to their rooms on the top floor, the original guest room off the lounge level still being used as a playroom.

Leaving them to freshen up, Andrew got busy in the kitchen, where he had a delayed dinner ready. Just a simple lasagne with salad and garlic bread. Ryan was opening a bottle each of red and white wine. Cam and Elizabeth were sitting quietly watching TV, still chagrinned at having been scolded. Rascal lay between them. Andrew went and sat between them, puting Rascal on his lap, and hugged them closer to him. Ryan came to perch on the coffee table in front of them.

"Do you understand why daddy yelled at you?", Ryan asked them. They looked up at Andrew and then back at Ryan, both nodding.

"Yes dad". "Yes dad", they both echoed softly.

"So tell me why daddy was angry", Ryan continued.
Elizabeth laid her head against Andrew and whispered,

"Because we were rude to Uncle Paul and Aunty Marie. We didn't say hello to them".

"Good! Daddy and I don't want to ever see you do that again. Understood!"

"Yes dad! Sorry dad", they both said, glancing back at the stairs as their guests emerged from their bedrooms.

"Okay, give daddy and I hugs and then you can go play with Jonathan and Michael until dinner"

Their faces broke onto smiles and they scrambled to their dad's, hugged them both fiercely and got equally fierce hugs in return. The four musketeers were still very subdued as they moved into the playroom. Andrew and Ryan got the impression the Mason boys had also had a talking to. But it was only a few minutes before the sound of laughter was heard from the playroom.

They started catching up with one another over dinner as the kids chattered at the other end of the table, but they didn't stay up late as Paul and Marie were very tired and their boys both passed out soon after dinner. It transpired that their flight from Paris to Cape Town had, in fact, been obliged to return to CharlesDe Gaulle due to a technical issue, two hours after departing. That was followed by a further four hour delay while a replace-ment aircraft was being prepared, resulting in a 38 hour journey, instead of a 32 hour one. And they had jet lag to deal with on top of that as well. The one saving grace was that they were travelling business class, courtesy of the cheque that Andrew had given Paul when they had been in Canada, so they at least had access to the business class lounge with all its amenities.
So the Mason's all headed for bed soon after dinner. The twins, as they had been taught, tidied up the playroom and then went upstairs to get ready for bed themselves.

"Will you come tuck us in?", Elizabeth asked hesitantly as they stood in front of their dads, relaxing on the couch.
They looked at their two children, suddenly both aware that they were both still unhappy about the scolding they had received earlier in the evening. Andrew held out his arms and they both moved quickly into his arms, snuggling against him. His heart broke when he heard Elizabeth sniff.

"It's okay, my angels. I'm not angry with you anymore. It happened, we had out little chat and now it's all over. Okay?"

He felt them both nodding their head against him. He looked up to find Ryan grinning at him and he scowled at his husband.

"Okay, go upstairs, brush youf teeth, and get into bed", Andrew said. "Dad and I will be right behind you to tuck you in".
They scampered away with a Rascal following them. Andrew looked at Ryan who still wore an amused expression.

"It's nice not to be the one who upset them, for a change", Ryan said, and got a withering glare in return.

"It's just that I was so ........ shocked, frankly. And disappointed. I know they're still small, babe, but they know better. We taught them better", Andrew explained.

"They were just excited to see Jonathan and Michael. I know it's not an excuse, but it is a reason. I think they're more upset because it was you, instead of me, who yelled at them".

"Yeah, and it's making me feel like crap". Ryan threw his head back and laughed.

"My love, I hate to say it. But those two have got you exactly where they want you"Andrew sighed.

"Don't think I don't know that! Come on, let's go tuck our monsters in", he said standing up and hold on out his hand.

Cameron and Elizabeth were both in Cameron's big bed. Elizabeth's room had been given to the Mason boys for the duration of their stay so that the children could all be together. The rooms were interleading and both had bathrooms. The door to Elizabeth's room was closed.

They both lay on their backs, eyes fixed on the doorway and smiled when Andrew and Ryan walked in. They scooted to the middle of the bed and their dad's lay down on either side of them. Cam snuggled against Andrew and put his hand in Andrew's. He lay for moment and then Andew heard him say quietly,

"We're so sorry daddy! Me and Lisbeth don't like it when you are cross with us. We're sorry we made you cross"
Andrew squeezed his son closer to him, feeling very choked up.

"Cam, Elizabeth! I want you both to listen to me. What happened is over. Gone! I'm not angry anymore and I don't want you to be upset anymore either. Do you understand what I'm saying?"
He felt Cameron nodding and he whispered, "Yes daddy. I love you daddy".

"I love you too, daddy", Elizabeth added and leaned over Cameron to give Andrew a peck on the lips before doing the same to Ryan. Cameron turned his head to look at Ryan, his love for his dad evident in his blue eyes. "And I love you too, dad". Ryan leaned over and kissed his son on the side of his head.

"And we love you both. Very, very much. Never forget that. We might get angry with you and yell at you, but no matter what, we love you, and always will", Ryan told them, glancing at Andrew whose eyes were moist.

"Okay, lie down again and we can tuck you two in. Then we'll snuggle with you until you fall asleep. How's that sound?", Ryan said. They both got back under the covers and their dad's pulled the covers up under their chins, then lay down next to them. In less than five minutes, their breathing evened out and they were in dreamland. Andrew and Ryan carefully slipped off the bed and kissed each of them on the forehead, turned off the beside lights and tiptoed out of the room, leaving the door slightly ajar.
Andrew leaned against the wall on the landing and sighed. He looked at Ryan, his eyes wet with unshed tears.

"Is this my fault Ry? Because it sure feels like it. I get the feeling they are walking on egg shells around me. I shouldn't have yelled at them. You have always been the disciplinarian. I was the peacemaker and comforter. Now they don't where they stand with me. I should have just kept quiet!"
Ryan wrapped Andrew in his arms and kissed him softly.

"No, my love. Don't blame yourself. They know very well that they were wrong. And now they also know that they cannot expect you to not react to anything they do wrong. Sure, they are shocked that you yelled at them. But they will get over it. It may take a day ot two, but they just have to adjust to the idea that as a parent, you are also entitled to yell every now and then. What would happen if I am not around when they do something wrong? Now they know they will not get away with it. From either of us. It's all part of their growing up and of life. I know their reaction has upset you, but you were right in what you did and they, and you, will just have to accept that".

"Then why do I felt like a piece of crap? Like I'm the worst father in the world", Andrew murmured, his voice muffled by having his face buried against Ryan's shoulder. He felt Ryan's laugh rumble in his chest
.
"Now you know how I feel every time I have to give them a ticking off. But it gets easier with time. Because I know they are being taught life's lessons. That they can't do wrong without there being consequences. Just as they know that when they do something right, they are going to get praise. But more importantly, they know we love them no matter what they do"
Andrew sighed again.

"I know! You're absolutely right. I just feel so bad. Like I've hurt them really badly!"

"Drew, they will get over it. So don't go worrying about it. You'll see. By the morning they will have forgotten all about it. Now can we get some sleep too? It's been a long day and tomorrow will be the same".

Ryan was proved right the next morning. The twins came bouncing into the bedroom and leapt onto the bed, Rascal following hot on their heels. Andrew peered at the bedside radio clock. It had just gone 6am. They kissed both their dad's and then crawled under the duvet and made themselves comfortable. Andrew rolled over to face them and smiled at them.

"Why are you up so early? Dad and I told you yesterday that we have all finished working for the year", he asked.

"Rascal wanted to go out daddy. So I took him downstairs into the garden", Cameron explained.

"Oh, and what about the alarm. I'm sure we turned it on last night"
Cameron nodded.

"I turned it off, daddy", he said, looking very pleased with himself, "And then opened the pool door for Rascie to go out. Just like you and dad do".
Ryan raised his eyebrows.

"Since when do you know the code for the alarm?", he asked.
Cameron gave them both a wary look and replied softly,

"I watched you and daddy when you turned it off. So I just pressed the same numbers".
Andrew ruffled his hair.

"Well done, my angel. You're so clever. Just one word of warning. Never tell or show anyone the numbers , okay. Those numbers are our secret numbers. Okay".
Cameron liked the idea of secret numbers and nodded vigorously.

"Okay daddy."

They all dozed on and off for the next hour and when the clock radio turned on at 7am, Andrew sat up, slipped out of bed and went downstairs to turn on the coffee machine and kettle. He took out mugs for everyone and then ground coffee beans for the machine before pouring the grounds into the hopper. He turned round to go to the refrigerator for milk and was startled to find Cameron standing quietly behind him
.
"Oh, Cam! You gave me a fright. I didn't hear you come in".

"I came to see if I could help, daddy".

Andrew picked his little boy up, sat him on the counter and put his arms around him and hugged him.

"Thank you my boy. That was very thoughtful of you. I love you very much. You know that, don't you. Very, very much"

"Yes daddy. I know. And I love you too."
Andrew tightened his hold until Cameron said, slightly breathlessly,

"Daddy, you're squishing me. I can't breathe"

Andrew released him and kissed his cheek, just as the kettle began whistling before it turned itself off.

"Sorry baby boy. The tighter the hug, the more the love. That's what I think anyway".

Cameron giggled and pulled Andrew closer and he choked up when the little boy said,

"Then I want to hug you too, daddy. Because I love you very much".

They stood quietly together for a while just enjoying the feeling of comfort in the hug. Andrew looked up as he heard soft footsteps on the stairs and he smiled when Elizabeth came round the corner.

"Moning baby girl. Is dad awake as well?, he asked her as she walked to him and cuddled against his leg. He let go of Cameron and bent down to lift her onto the counter as well.

"Come on, let me give you some hugs as well. Cam has got plenty while he been sitting here with me", he told her and enveloped his daughter in his arms. She burrowed closer and put her little arms as far round his waist as she could and hugged him as well. He saw Cameron watching them, pulled him into the huddle as well for a while, then he asked,

"Are you hungry? Can I get you something to eat or wait until everyone has breakfast"

They both shook their heads and Elizabeth looked at Cameron and then asked,

"Can we have some hot chocolate, please?" Cameron nodded energetically in agreement. It never ceased to amaze Andrew how often they would be in agreement with just a look between them. As if they both knew what the other was thinking.

"Of course. Hot chocolate it is. With three marshmallows", he agreed, grinning at them.

"Yeah!" was all Cameron said, very happy.

Andrew made their hot chocolate, and while it cooled slightly so that they would be able to drink it, he quickly made coffee for Ryan and a pot of tea for himself, put some rusks and oat crunchies on a plate, lifted the twins off the counter and then carried the tray upstairs to the main bedroom. The twins walked ahead of him, Cameron carrying a small bowl for Rascal to have some tea as well.

Ryan was sitting up in bed, his back against the headboard watching the early news on Sky TV with Rascal cuddled next to him watching the doorway. His tail started whipping back and forth when they came in and he crawled on his belly to the foot of the bed where first Cam and then Elizabeth petted him and tickled his tummy when he rolled over.
The twins climbed up onto the bed and sat next to Ryan, Andrew gave them each their hot chocolate and they sipped carefully, testing the heat of the sweet liquid. Andrew handed Ryan his coffee, put the plate of eats on the twins legs where everyone could reach them. He set the tray on the bedside table on his side of the bed and then sat down beside Cameron. He poured himself some tea and looked up as Rascal wuffed, as if to say "And what about me?".
He grinned and poured some of his tea into the bowl, moved the tray onto the bed and set the bowl down
on the tray before topping up his mug. Rascal immediately began lapping at the tea, his tail wagging. And he crunched on half a rusk.

Andrew was gathering up all the mugs when, very faintly, he heard a toilet flush down the passage.

"I think our guests are awake. I guess it's time to get our butts out of bed and get the day started. Any suggestions for breakfast?

Cameron jumped up, not without some difficulty, and carefully negotiated the length of the bed to where
Andrew was standing.

"Daddy, can we please have jackflaps with that nice syrup and bacon and those little sausages? Please!"
Andrew laughed and hugged his little boy.

"You mean flapjacks. And the nice syrup is maple syrup".

"Yeah", Cameron nodded his head eagerly. "Can I come help you?"

"Yes , sure baby boy. Thank you. Go have a quick shower and get dressed while I do the same. Then we can go down to the kitchen,"

"Can I shower with you daddy?", he asked

"Of course you can. Let's go"

Andrew took his hand and they disappeared into the main bathroom. They emerged ten minutes later, both with towels wrapped around them, Andrew's around his waist and Cameron's tucked in under his armpits. His towel still dragged on the floor, however, making him look like a dark haired version of Yoda in the Star Wars movie, especially with his hair sticking up in all directions

Andrew nipped next door to the twins bedroom to get clothes for them to wear. On any normal day, he would just go in his towel, but mindful of them having guests, he shrugged into his bathrobe before leaving the room.
Both he and Cameron quickly dressed, leaving Ryan to get Elizabeth bathed, and ready for the day, then went downstairs to start breakfast. He perched Cameron on one of the high chairs at the breakfast bar, fetched a bowl into which he broke eggs, added sugar and beat them until creamy. He added some melted butter and then measured out the dry ingredients.

"Okay, baby boy", he instructed his son, "Take the bowl with the flour and pour it all into the egg mixture"

He watched as Cameron, very carefully and with intense concentration, poured the flour mix into the bowl. When it was done, he looked up at his dad with an expression of great satisfaction.

"Can I mixie-mixie now daddy?", he asked eagerly, taking a whisk off the wall hook.

"No, baby, you must add half the milk first".

Cam picked up the jug with the milk and poured in the milk as he had been told.

"Okay, there you go! Well done! Now slowly mix it all together. I'll add the rest of the milk as you are mixing"

Cameron grinned and with a sparkle in his blue eyes, slowly started mixing the ingredients into a batter with Andrew slowly adding the remaining milk.

"Good boy! Now keep mixing till it is nice and smooth, and there are no lumps of flour".
Andrew watched as he studiously mixed the batter.

"Is that okay daddy?", he asked looking up at Andrew.

"That's perfect Cam! Well done. Now its ready to cook them"

"Can I do that too, daddy?", Cameron asked eagerly.

"I don't think so Cam. The pan will be hot and I don't want you to burn yourself. You can sit next to me and watch me, okay"
Cameron was disappointed, but nodded his head.

"Okay daddy"

Andrew moved the chair to the stove top and the two of them cooked the flapjacks. He did allow Cameron to flip the rounds of pastry, keeping a watchful eye on him.
When half the batter was cooked, Andrew took a punnet of blueberries from the refrigerator and got Cameron to drop three blueberries into each scoop of batter as Andrew poured it into the pan. They were having great fun when Ryan came down with Elizabeth and, of course, she wanted to help out as well. So Ryan sat her on another stool and showed her how to pack the bacon strips onto a baking sheet. He added the link sausages to a second sheet and then popped both sheets into the hot oven to grill. It wasn't very long before the aroma of grilling bacon, frying flapjacks and happy laughter from the kitchen lured the Mason's from their bedrooms.

It was a beautiful morning, just a soft breeze, blue cloudless sky and warm sun, so breakfast was taken on the pool patio. Paul and Marie both commented on the extension to the pool patio, having not seen it when they arrived, saying it was very practical and effectively gave them an extra room, which Andrew and Ryan fully agreed with. They made far more use of the patio, particularly during the winter season than they had ever done, in light of the patio now being able to be completely enclosed.

With the cooking all but done, Cameron and Elizabeth ran off into the garden with Jonathan and Michael, followed by an excitedly barking Rascal. Marie offered to set the patio table while Ryan organised fruit juice, milk and cereals for those who wanted. The requested maple syrup also went on to the table along with a tub of cream cheese, honey, strawberry preserves and marmalade. Andrew finished off the last few bits and pieces and then they all sat down to a leisurely breakfast.

The Mason's were still suffering from jetlag after their long journey, so the decision was made to just spend the day recovering, before going to Christmas Eve dinner at Blue Bay Lodge that evening.
And so everyone just chilled for the day. They all went for a walk along the beachfront after breakfast, the Mason's all slathering exposed skin with sun protection cream, then returned home to either relax on the patio, swim in the pool, or to nap on the sunbeds, which nevertheless still meant the visitors had slightly pink skin that evening, but not enough to make life unpleasant. David and Janice stopped off just after lunch, on their way to the airport to pick up Donna and Craig, making arrangements to meet at Blue Bay later before leaving.

Dinner at the lodge was amazing. Traditional, but with a decidedly South African twist. Claude and their chef, Alfred, had still gone with turkey and gammon, but it would be done in the form of a braai. The turkeys had been laboriously boned, stuffed and poached until just done, as had the gammon. Several barbecues with domed lids were placed on one side of the patio and the turkeys and gammons were then finished over low coals, to brown and acquire some amazing smoke flavour, with glaze brushed on to add extra flavour. The gammon, in particular, was very tasty with its combination of slightly salty meat, sweet glaze and the smoke from the coals.
It was accompanied by foil baked potatoes, two hot vegetables and a selection of salads. There was also the obligatory buffet selection of cold hors d'oeuvres and the usual impressive dessert buffet. The Christmas Day lunch would follow a similar theme, just on a slightly larger scale and, as usual, there were no tables available for the Christmas Day luncheon as was the luncheon at The Cameron.

David and Janice left for their home with Donna and Craig, making arrangements to be at the house the next morning for the usual Christmas Day light breakfast while opening gifts. Back home, the two couples put their respective offspring to bed and then arranged the gifts around the tree before getting some sleep themselves.

They were woken by a soft knock on the door, and Ryan groaned, guessing the sun was barely up, judging by the amount of light in the room.

"Come in Cam", Andrew called, and the door opened almost immediately, followed by the entrance of four children, and one very happy dog who promptly leapt onto the bed and licked his masters faces, his little body wriggling frenetically as his tail whipped back and forth. Cameron led the little procession to the bed and said,

"How did you know it was me knocking, daddy?"
Andrew grinned at his son.

"Because, my angel, I know how you knock on a door. Knock, knock. Knock knock! When Elizabeth knocks, it is knock, knock knock!"

Cameron thought about what Andrew had said for a moment then grinned happily, nodded his head and looked at Andrew with something akin to hero worship. He leaned forward and pecked Andrew on the cheek.

"Daddy, um...... Uncle Paul and Aunty Marie said we must see if you were awake? We want to open our presents"
Ryan sat up, looking at his son.

"I hope you didn't wake Uncle Paul and Aunty Marie up"
Cameron shook his head and Jonathan replied.

"No Uncle Ryan, me and Micheal did. Mom asked if Cam and Elizabeth were awake and when I said yes, she said that if you were awake, then we could go downstairs to see what Santa had left for us."

"How do you know that Santa left anything?", Ryan asked with a smirk.
Jonathan looked sheepish, replying softly,

"Because we already went down to have a look, Uncle Ryan". looking at Andrew and Ryan hopefully. The other three could barely contain their excitement.

"Okay, but there is just one small problem. Grandpa David and Granny Janice want to be here when the gifts are opened. Because Santa left some gifts at their house as well for all of you. And they will only be here in about an hour. So, I'll make a deal with you. You can all open one gift, but then the rest will have to wait until they get here."
Four heads bobbed up and down, all smiling happily.

"Good! Jon Jon, go tell mom and dad we will be down in about ten minutes. Okay"

Jonathan nodded and ran out of the room with Michael on his heels. Cameron and Elizabeth scrambled onto the bed and hugged their dads, who kissed and hugged them, wishing them a merry Christmas.
Andrew sat up as well, swinging his legs out of bed.

"Okay, let's all go brush our teeth and then we can go downstairs", he told them. The twins rushed out of the room heading for their bathroom and their dad's did the same, shrugging into bathrobes on the way.
They were already in the kitchen getting tea, coffee and hot chocolate ready when the excited, expectant voices of the childen were heard coming down the stairs, and they all congregated at the tree, their bright eager eyes scanning all the brightly wrapped parcels. Andrew had also popped some quiches into the oven to warm through as well as two batches of muffins.

Ryan pulled back the drapes on the windows to reveal a beautiful, cloudless day. He opened the balcony and patio doors to allow the soft breeze to air the room and slipped a CD of festive themed music into the sound system. Paul and Marie came down a few minutes later and after getting an order for early morning beverages from everyone, Andrew and Marie got them ready. The kids were getting very impatient, so when they all had their hot drinks, hot chocolate for all the children, tea and coffee for the adults, Ryan and Paul handed each of the children a gift, the smallest ones in the whole pile of gifts. There were initial frowns of disappointment, but the wrapping paper was unceremoniously dispatched, to reveal oblong boxes, and their little faces quickly changed to smiles of delight when the boxes were opened. Santa had brought them each a wristwatch. Their parents had coordinated with one another, mainly to cut down on the size of the parcels that had to be carried from Canada, so wrist-watches were the order of the day.
The watches, naturally, had to be put on immediately, and after setting the correct time, each of them got their watch strapped onto their wrists. Both sets of parents were very amused the children all walked around with their arms bent across their bodies, as they showed off their first timepieces. Fortunately, they all had been taught to tell the time at their respective preschools, although Michael still found it a bit confusing.

Just as the excitement was calming down, David and Janice arrived with Donna and Craig. The children and Rascal all rushed downstairs to greet and wish them and then followed the adults upstairs like four Pied Pipers, eager eyes glued to the gifts they carried.
With the gifts added to those already around the tree, the new arrivals got comfortable, while Andrew and Marie organised more tea and coffee. Then David put a Santa hat on his head, gave each of the kids an elf hat and began handing out the gifts at the conclusion of which, the twins had a very impressive stack of gifts in front of where they sat. Jonathan and Michael's were a bit smaller, but not by much.

Paul was watching his two boys and saw the wistful and sad expression in their eyes as they looked at the twins gifts and their somewhat more modest stack. He stood up and went to kneel between them, puting his arms around them.

"I know what both of you are thinking!, he said to them quietly."But Santa didn't bring your big presents here . They are back home in Calgary. They were too big to take back on the plane. So you will get them when we get back home".
Their sad faces lit up with huge smiles.

"Really, dad", Jonathan exclaimed, beaming at his dad.

Paul grinned and just nodded his head, then sat back down again as his boys began opening their gifts. The twins were enthusiastically ripping paper off their gifts as well. Andrew and Ryan had requested that the gifts not be extravagant as, although Cam and Elizabeth would never want for anything, their dads did not want them getting spoilt. As a result, most of their gifts were practical and focused mainly on them attending 'big school' in the new year.
They both got sturdy backpacks to carry stuff around in, lunchboxes and water or juice bottles, black school shoes, and accessories like crayons and coloured pencils. There was, however, one extravagant gift, which initially resulted in Andrew and Ryan having one of their few disagreements.

Andrew wanted to give them each a mobile phone which Ryan vehemently was opposed to, arguing that they were still too young. It took some very persuasive talk from Andrew to get Ryan to reluctantly agree. Andrew stood up and went to crouch in front of the Mason boys, glancing up at their parents and his best friends sitting behind them. He handed them each an envelope.

"Boys, this is your Christmas present from the Devlin-Majors. I'm sorry it's not in a big box or anything like that, but I think you'll enjoy it".
Marie arched her eyebrows and asked,

"Andrew Devlin-Major, what have you two done now!? No, don't tell me. I think I know!", she said peering over Michael's head to watch as he opened the envelope, then sat back and glared at Andrew, who was looking very pleased with himself. Paul grinned at his wife and then at Andrew.

"What is it boys? Let me see".

Jonathan handed his dad a piece of printed paper, who quickly took note of the details. Paul's eyes widened.

"You've got to be kidding me guys! Amazon gift vouchers! Really! You're spoiling them!", he spluttered.

Andrew grinned and shrugged.

"Sorry mate. We didn't want them to feel left out. Now they can get mobiles as well"

"I realise why you did it. But, wow, it really wasn't necessary. But thank you".

Both boys hugged Andrew and whispered their thanks and stood to go to Ryan as well to thank him, both with happy smiles on their faces. Marie just sat and shook her head in resignation and wagged her finger at her friends.
With all the gifts opened Andrew, with Marie's help, cleaned up all the mess, while Ryan sat on the couch with all four children around him as he set up the twins phones, giving them a short lesson on how to use them.

Marie then set the table, Andrew brought out the warmed quiche, along with toast, muffins and croissants and they at a leisurely breakfast. Then they all relaxed for a couple of hours before they all got dressed and headed out to The Cameron for Christmas Day lunch.

Once again James, their Executive Chef, had pulled out all the stops and lunch was a feast, the feature being James' crispy skinned, yet very succulent turducken, deboned turkey stuffed with duck stuffed with chicken, with a different stuffing between each bird. Despite all their best intentions, they all ate far too much, as usual, with the result that they all ended up back at the house and flopping down on the nearest soft horizontal surface for a nap, although not before Rascal was given his Christmas lunch leftover treat.

The week between Christmas and New Year, they did the tourist route with the Masons, mainly for Jonathan and Michael to see the sights as they had still been too young to remember when they moved to Canada, visiting the summit of Table Mountain, the World of Birds, Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens (where they had a picnic while watching a musical concert), and doing the trip to Cape Point. They also took 'Belle Catherine" out for the day, anchored off Clifton Beach.

On New Years Eve, they relaxed at the house, discussed sleeping arrangements on 'Amira', after which Andrew sent off an email to the yacht, and then had dinner at Blue Bay, but didn't stay late, instead celebrating the new year quietly at home, in preparation for their late night flight the next day to Mauritius.