Mental Games - 23. Another Year

Mike’s parents showed up at the Washburn's home shortly after noon on New Year’s Eve Day. Everyone was happy to be together again and greeted each other warmly. They then went into the dining room to enjoy a cup of coffee and chat.

“I’m really looking forward to going to the Homeless Shelter with you,” Dave began, while slowly looking at each of the other four. “I totally enjoyed what we did at the Mission for Christmas and I’m eager to see how this compares.”

“I am too,” Judy added. “We’re even making plans to do this again next year. We hope to collect enough money so the Mission will be able to provide special meals all four times, just like you do.”

“We’re glad to have you join us and hope you are successful in your future endeavors too,” George replied.

“Yes, we’re really glad you’re going to be joining us at the Shelter for the next couple of days,” Rita confirmed. “It’s nice to see others getting as much satisfaction out of doing this as we do.”

The boys looked pleased that this meant so much to both sets of parents, because it definitely meant a lot to them too. The idea had been something Adam had wanted to do in the first place, and then Mike and he had done everything they could to make the first event a huge success. Now, it had become sort of a tradition for them and Adam’s parents.

The six of them left the house at 4:30, so they would be at the Homeless Shelter by 5:00 to help set up. They thought doing this was important too, to make certain everything would be ready when the doors opened at 6:00. Then, they’d serve until everyone was fed.

Both families were impressed with how much the staff had done already and thought the meal looked delicious. This convinced them that those stopping by would enjoy this special gift. When the doors were unlocked, a steady stream of people began to wander in. Mike and Adam recognized a few faces, but there were many new ones as well. The boys were hoping those they didn’t see this time had been able to pull themselves up and no longer needed the assistance.

Once they had finished serving the meal and had helped to clean up, the two families went back to the Washburn's house and sat down to their own meal. Rita had learned from what Judy had done on Christmas Eve and left everything on a very low temperature in the oven while they were gone. Now, it would merely take very little extra effort to get everything ready for them to eat. It would be a late dinner, but no one cared, since they would be staying up late anyway to welcome in the New Year.

“The only difference I noticed between the Homeless Shelter and the Mission,” Dave stated, while they were eating, “was that many of the people we fed tonight also stayed at the Homeless Shelter. The Mission only serves meals to those that need them, but it doesn’t have a place for anyone to stay.”

“Yes, that's a definite advantage of the Homeless Shelter,” George confirmed. “Many of those people we met tonight are dependent upon the Shelter just to survive, especially in bad weather.”

“I wish the Mission could do that as well,” Judy added. “I'll have to talk to the staff there and see if they would be interested in setting up anything like that, but I'm sure it would cost quite a bit to make it happen. They might even have to add on to the Mission in order to provide that service. If that were the case, then I’m not sure we would be able to raise enough money to make it happen, but it might be something we could work toward in the future.”

“It would be a major undertaking,” Rita countered, “but it would definitely be worth the extra effort, if your community has a large number of homeless that would benefit from it.”

Once everyone had finished eating and freshened up, Rita made a brief announcement. “I thought we’d enjoy a quiet evening together, so I picked up a couple of things to help us pass the time.”

After saying this, Adam’s mother opened a storage cabinet and pulled out a couple of items. She then held up a deck of UNO cards and a box containing the game Racko.

“You are really hooked on that game, aren’t you, Mom?” Adam teased, as he referred to the Racko game.

“I’m not exactly addicted to it, but I've certainly enjoyed the previous times we played it,” she admitted.

“Hang on. I brought something with me too,” Dave stated. “It’s in my luggage, so I’ll go get it now.”

He then raced off to the room he and his wife were using and came back carrying something. He then held the box up to show the others as he spoke.

“It’s Looney Tunes Monopoly,” he announced. “I thought it was more fitting for this group. Besides, Mike used to love those cartoons when he was a kid.”

“And I still do,” Mike added, with a grin.

“Me too,” Adam quickly chimed in.

The six of them decided to play Racko first and then Monopoly afterward. If there was still enough time left before midnight, then they would also play UNO.

The two families quickly agreed to compete in the same groups they had at the lake and the Racko games turned out to be fun and highly competitive. Dave won the first game against the wives, Mike was victorious in the second against the fathers and Adam bested the mothers in the last. After he won, Adam was afraid his mother might demand a rematch, but this time she merely congratulated him and was ready to move on to the Monopoly game.

When Dave opened the game box, the rest of them discovered it was basically the same as the original Monopoly game, except everything had a Looney Tune theme. There were pictures of Looney Tunes characters and related images on the board, cards and money. Even the game pieces were Loony Tunes characters.

“I want to be the Tazmanian Devil,” Mike demanded, once he saw the choices.

“How appropriate,” Adam teased, with a smirk as he looked at Mike. “I’ll be the Roadrunner then.”

“Can I be Marvin the Martian?” Judy asked, and no one had any objections to her request.

“I’ll be Tweety,” Rita offered next.

“What shall I be?” Dave followed.

“Daffy Duck,” his wife readily suggested, as she flashed him an evil grin.

“Shall I be Bugs Bunny or Sylvester then?” George wondered aloud.

“Since Mom’s Tweety, you should be Sylvester,” Adam countered, and his father went along with his suggestion.

This game lasted until about twenty-five minutes before midnight, with Rita winning. She may not have been successful at Racko, but she more than made up for that while playing Monopoly. The others congratulated her and then they put everything away, since it was getting close to zero hour. Adam flicked on the TV and found the channel featuring the Times Square countdown, because they all wanted to watch the ball drop. While Adam was doing that, his father hurriedly opened a bottle of champagne, poured six glasses and then handed one to everyone there.

“…five, four, three, two, one. Happy New Year,” they all shouted in unison, as they clinked their glasses together.

After they toasted, the men kissed the women and shook hands with each other, except for Mike and Adam. That pair enjoyed a very passionate kiss as well and their parents smiled as they observed their sons' actions. Everyone stayed up for a while longer before saying goodnight and heading to their rooms. It was the start of another New Year and the passing of another major milestone as a combined family.

Mike and Adam didn’t immediately go to sleep and enjoyed making some memories of their own instead. These weren’t memories they would share with their parents later, but rather something they would recall on some distant New Year’s Eve when they were reminiscing about special moments from their youth.

After they awoke the following morning, the families enjoyed a lovely breakfast together and then agreed to watch the parades on TV. They did this until 12:30, when they headed back to the Homeless Shelter to set up and serve the 2:00 meal.

Once again, they fed those staying at the shelter and others that only showed up for a hot meal. Adam and his parents spoke to some of those they remembered from past years, but they were also thanked for their efforts by the vast majority of the others. After the last person had been fed, the Bermans and Washburns helped to put the few leftovers away and cleaned up before they left. Then, they returned to the Washburn's home to spend the remainder of the day together.

The two fathers were anxious to watch the football games on TV, but Mike, Adam and the women weren't interested in joining them. The four of them went into the dining room to chat for a short time, but then Mike and Adam went up to Adam’s room, so they could discuss their plans for returning to their campuses. They would be doing that in a few more days, and once they agreed on which day they would leave, the topic changed to something else. It had to do with Mike’s upcoming plans.

“When we return to school, I’m going to start applying for an internship for next fall,” he began. “Should I look for a position in Georgetown or Baltimore?”

“Which would actually be better for you?” Adam asked. “I think that is the most important factor to consider, since I’m going to be wrapped up in my studies. I might be able to spend a little time with you if you are in Baltimore, but my studies are becoming very demanding, so it probably won't be much. In fact, I was even considering taking down the sites where I offer to help others, since I'm going to be extremely busy. Seeing I won't have much time to be with you, I really think it would be best if you did whatever would help you out the most. The fall semester will begin our last full year of classes and then we'll be starting our careers, with you looking for a job and me beginning my residency. We'll still spend as much time together as possible, but I think it's going to be pretty hectic as we start out."

“I hadn’t thought about the fact that we probably won't be able to spend very much time with each other, but I'm sure you're right,” Mike admitted. “In that case, it might be a better option for me if I stay in D.C., because if I'm there then there’s a chance I will meet someone who will be able to help me out later. The politicians from all 50 states and their staffs are there, along with other prominent attorneys, so there's always a chance that I could meet and impress one of them when I'm working a case with one of the lawyers in the firm I'm interning with. It will probably be the best opportunity for me right now and give me the best shot at making a name for myself.”

Since that had been settled, the boys went back downstairs and helped their mothers get the evening meal ready. As they worked, the boys discussed their upcoming plans with their moms and both women were supportive of what their sons were planning to do. Even though it meant the boys would be spending one more semester at school than they had originally expected, the women had no problem with it.

Later, while they were eating, the boys explained their plans to their fathers as well and both men eagerly agreed with what they proposed to do. Even though their dads had been attentive while carrying out this discussion, it was apparent to Mike and Adam that their fathers were also trying to finish their meal as quickly as they could so they could get back to the game. Although it was currently halftime, the men wanted to return before the second half kickoff, because they certainly didn’t want to miss that.

After dinner, the boys and their mothers played Racko and UNO, while the men continued to watch football. The six of them were able to enjoy dessert together later and even split a bottle of wine during a slight break between games, but that was about all they did as a group again until just before bedtime. Then, they got together and chatted for a while before turning in.

Once Mike and Adam went up to Adam’s room, they decided to have a quick conversation before going to sleep.

“Do you think we should also talk to our parents about what we want to do over summer vacation while they're all here?” Adam wondered, as he looked at Mike. “Even though we have an idea for this year, we still need them to go along with it.”

“Yes, that’s probably a good idea too,” Mike agreed. “We can ask them before my mom and dad leave for home, but I don’t think they’ll have a problem with our suggestion.”

“I hope not, because I’m really looking forward to doing it,” Adam agreed.

The next morning after breakfast, the boys told their parents they'd like to discuss something with them. Once their folks agreed, they all sat down in the living room to consider what the boys had to say.

“Do you think we could rent the cabin at the lake for two weeks this summer?” Mike asked. “Adam and I were thinking we could do it the last week we’re supposed to be with his family and the first week we were going to be with mine. That would give us an extra week to be with all of you.”

“That's definitely a possibility, but is there some reason you two want to do this again?” Mike’s father wanted to know.

“Kinda,” Mike answered. “Adam and I have kept in touch with Jack and Megan, but we’ve also been communicating with their father too. Jim has agreed to rent the same cabin again, but only if we’re going to be there too. We told him we’d find out if you were willing and then we’d let him know.”

The adults quickly talked over the idea and agreed they wouldn’t mind doing this again. Dave then informed the boys that he’d contact the cabin’s owner to see if those dates were open, since he’d been the one to make the arrangements the previous year. If the cabin was available for those weeks, then the boys could let Mr. Kritzer know he should do the same thing with his cabin’s owner.

“Just make sure you’re all in better shape this year,” Adam warned both sets of parents. “We intend to do a lot more hiking and canoeing and want you to join us.”

After a few groans from the older crowd, each of their parents promised they would do their best to be ready. Now that everyone had agreed, the boys helped Mike’s parents load their luggage into the car.

The boys weren’t worried about going back to the lake this year, seeing the drug ring had been busted up. They had also seen the mug shots online of the people arrested and recognized the two guys they had run into in the woods. Since the police had stated they had discovered the marijuana in a random flyover and those guys were locked up and no longer a threat, Mike and Adam felt it was safe to return to the area.

The boys also hoped that by going back there they might be able to discover more information about what had happened the previous summer. Mike and Adam were both desperate to find out what those guys had been shooting at when they and their parents heard the gunshots on their last full day at the lake. They were also hopeful that it would help them discover if anyone else had been killed and maybe learn more about what happened to the 13-year-old boy. .

After enjoying lunch together, Mike, Adam and the Washburns all said goodbye to Mike’s parents, as they started their journey home. As soon as they had gone, the boys ran upstairs and got on the computer. They immediately sent Mr. Kritzer an email informing him about what their parents had agreed to do. They also said they’d notify him again, once Mike’s father found out if the cabin was going to be available for those two weeks. Later that evening, Mike got an unexpected call from his dad.

“I contacted the cabin owner when I got home and he said those weeks were open,” he began. “I immediately reserved them, so you can let Jim know he should do the same thing.”

“Thanks, Dad,” Mike told him. “We didn’t expect to hear back from you so soon, but this is great. Thanks for doing this for us.”

As soon as Mike hung up, Adam sent Mr. Kritzer another email telling him everything was set on their end. They also asked him to let them know if he was as fortunate.

Just before Mike and Adam left for their campuses a couple of days later, they heard back from Mr. Kritzer. He had also been able to reserve the cabin they had used, so everything was set. Mike and Adam asked him a few more questions in their reply, hoping these requests would also meet with his approval. They should know his answer in a few more days.

Once they received his response to their additional queries, it was now time for the boys to return to classes. After they said goodbye to Adam’s parents, they hit the road and started off for the Georgetown campus. They were nearly halfway there when Adam noticed something.

“Damn, I forgot to fill up before we left, so we’re going to have to make a pit stop,” he informed Mike.

“No problem. It’s not a big deal,” Mike assured him.

“Except the gas will be a lot more expensive,” Adam quipped.

Mike downplayed that minor problem and offered to pump the gas, while Adam went inside to pay for it. Before Adam got very far though, he noticed something else. A lady at the next island over was also pumping gas and totally focused on the pump she was using. Since her attention was directed there, she didn’t notice the guy reaching through the open window of her car. Adam, however, saw the man snatch the woman’s purse and nonchalantly slide it under his shirt. The guy was trying to casually walk away with it when Adam mentally contacted him.

‘I saw you take that woman’s purse, now stop where you are!’ he telepathically commanded. ‘Will some of you other guys help me restrain the shaggy haired dude in the blue baseball cap and gray t-shirt by pump number twelve?’

The guy with the purse came to an abrupt halt and began hastily looking around. About the same time, two truckers raced out of the building and headed directly for the thief.

‘Don’t you dare run!’ Adam warned the crook, ‘and don’t you two hurt him. Just keep him there until the cops arrive. I’ll have someone inside call them.’

Adam then went into the building and asked the cashier to phone the police. After she made the call, Adam paid for his gas and then went outside to wait for the officers to show up. He had Mike move the car once he was done filling it, so it wouldn’t be taking up space at the pump while they waited. When the police showed up, Adam prepped the guy to admit to his crime.

‘You will confess to what you did here today, along with any other crimes you’ve committed,’ Adam advised him. Before long, the guy was spilling his guts to the cop.

“Ok, so these two guys caught me stealing that woman’s purse,” he admitted as he lifted his shirt and handed the purse over to the officer questioning him. “It’s not like it’s the first time I’ve done this. You’d be surprised how many people leave their valuables unattended while they’re pumping gas. If they are gonna do stupid shit like that, then why shouldn’t I help myself? I’ve been hitting up a bunch of the gas stations in the area and have been able to support myself with what I’ve taken. Fuck, I come to this place a few times a week, since it’s so big and is really easy pickings.”

Now that the guy had owned up to his crimes, the officer took pictures of the woman’s purse and made an inventory of its contents. Then he gave it back to the woman, so she could go inside and pay the cashier for her purchase. After talking to the truckers and getting Adam’s information, the officer told them they could go as well, so Mike and Adam hopped in the car and took off. This time, however, Mike was doing the driving.

“Do you really attract these types of things or is it just a coincidence that you always seem to be nearby?” Mike teased, as they were heading back to the highway.

“I don't think I attract any of this stuff, but I do tend to notice some things the rest of you obviously don’t,” he replied, but he wasn't bragging. He was merely stating the facts as he saw them.

“As I said before, you sure make life interesting,” Mike joked as he glanced over at Adam. “I take it you must have told those guys not to beat the jackass?”

“I might have told them something like that,” Adam reluctantly replied.

“So you stopped the guy from leaving, kept him from getting beat up and then got him to confess to not just this crime, but many others too,” Mike added, looking smug. “I would have to say that was quite an accomplishment for a guy who doesn’t do very well on the spur of the moment.”

“Come on! There wasn’t any pressure this time,” Adam objected. “It was all pretty low-key in fact. I’m just glad the guy didn’t have any weapons.”

“I’m sure you would have been able to handle that too,” Mike replied. “I wish you’d finally just admit to yourself how valuable and unique you are.”

“Please don’t start the superhero crap again,” Adam pleaded. “I still don’t buy it, no matter how often you bring it up. I only have one ability and it isn’t as fantastic as you are trying to make out. I don’t have super strength, super speed, super intelligence or any of those other powers the comic book heroes have. The only ability I have is that I can get people to do what I suggest, as long as they speak English and aren’t drunk.”

“Well, I think most people would consider that a superpower, even if you don’t,” Mike countered, although he knew he was preaching to deaf ears. For that reason, he shut up and continued driving.

Nothing else was said for a while, until Adam broke the silence. He’d been looking over at Mike and trying to gauge his reaction, since he realized he’d probably just pissed Mike off. He knew Mike was only trying to be supportive and helpful, but he didn’t understand why Mike kept getting so irritated with him about not wanting to be called a superhero.

“Ok, I’m sorry,” Adam offered, in the most conciliatory tone he could muster. “I know I’m too sensitive about this, but I can’t help it. I just don’t see myself the same way you do.”

“Maybe you don’t see it, but it doesn’t make it any less true,” Mike responded. “You can fight it all you want, but you ARE a superhero. Maybe not the same type as in the comic books or movies, but you have done a great deal of good so far and helped quite a few people. Sometimes it has just been with little stuff, but other times you’ve probably achieved much more than either you or the people you’ve helped are aware of. Some day I hope you will realize that too. And I'm not mad at you, maybe a little disappointed that you don't see it yourself, but everything you do just makes me love you even more.”

“Ok, I’ll try not to be so negative about this any more. I love you too and know you're only trying to help,” Adam agreed, “but please be patient and don’t push me. I’ll do my best to see your side of this, as long as you try to understand how I feel too.”

Once they agreed to be more understanding of each other’s point of view, they made the rest of the trip in a much better mood. They not only listened to music, but they also joked around a bit as well. They only stopped when they finally reached the Georgetown campus, and then after Mike checked in, Adam helped him carry his things inside.

Adam also decided to spend the night with Mike and then drive to his campus the following day. This way they would have a little more time together. After going out for something to eat, they came back to Mike's room and made love to each other, because they didn't know how long they'd have to wait before they would get a chance to do it again.