The Castaway Hotel - 6 - 18. Chapter 18 - Trying To Be Thankful

Thursday morning, I instinctively woke up early. Mentally, I was still prepared to start the meal, but when I went to the kitchen, my daughters and daughter-in-law were already there getting things together. They were busily putting the finishing touches on some salads, as well as preparing some of the other dishes, so I stayed out of their way.

I went into the family room, turned on the television and then lay on the sofa. I started watching some holiday oriented show, while waiting for the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade to begin. Before long, Jake came down and joined me, but he sat in one of the chairs, so I could remain sprawled out on the couch. We talked about many things, including our unexpected ‘day off’ and only stopped our discussion when the parade began.

While watching the parade, some of the boys began to filter in to the room to join us, so I sat up, to free up space for the others. No sooner had I done that than Cody ended up in my lap. It wasn’t a flying leap, as he had done before, but a more cautious sliding into place. I felt his illness had made him a little more careful about how he did things.

As soon as Cody was in place, Graham scooted in and sat beside us. He pressed his body tightly against my side and leaned his head against my arm. Once Graham was settled, Cody adjusted his position, so his head rested against my chest and his legs were draped across Graham’s lap.

We had only been sitting like this for less than a half-hour before my grandsons woke up and came in to join us. They immediately came over to the sofa and asked if they could sit with us, so we all shifted slightly, to make room for them on my other side. Jordan and Nicky didn’t come in to take my attention away the others. They came over so they could be near Cody. They were eight and seven, respectively, and Cody was only twelve, so they were also the closest in age.

As we sat watching the parade, every once in a while I would look around the room, to see who else was there. Occasionally, I would catch one of the others watching us and smiling at how comfortable and content Cody seemed to be. It was very nice that he felt relaxed enough to do this in front of my biological children and grandchildren, whom he had just recently met, but neither side seemed to care. It was a wonderful feeling to know that those I loved were not envious or jealous over my connection with any of the others.

As soon as the parade ended, Jordan and Nicky asked Cody if he wanted to play some games with them and Cody agreed, without hesitation. Cody did ask if Graham could play too, and when the boys said ‘yes,’ he asked Graham if he was interested in joining them. When Graham said he was, they also decided to ask Sammy and Andrew it they wanted to play too and then went off to the rec room, where I kept all the older board games.

Over the next couple of hours that group played Chutes and Ladders, Hungry Hippo, Sorry and Life. I checked in on them every once in a while, to see if there were any problems, but they seemed to be having fun and bonding at the same time. Even though this may sound silly, I’m still amazed to see a group of kids having fun playing these older games, instead of being drawn toward the various computerized forms of entertainment.

The rest of our group continued to arrive throughout the morning and each came bearing their various preparations with them. Jake, I and a few of the older boys would help carry these items from their car to the house and my daughters and daughter-in-law would show them where to put things. Once I was no longer needed, I would chat with the new arrivals, but I also made sure to thank them for what they had done.

Everyone continued doing his own thing until a little after midday, when it was announced it was time to eat. After watching my herd stampede into the dining area, I directed them to the appropriate table. The adults sat at the two tables crammed into the dining room, while the boys were seated at the two tables in the adjoining television room or the additional table in the foyer. No one felt slighted by the seating arrangements, since they were only concerned that enough food would reach them to fill their grumbling bellies.

Before we ate, however, there was something else we needed to do. Even though there were a great many people this year, we still went around the various tables to allow each person a minute or two to share what he was most thankful for over the past year. I always go last, not only because I am the host and trying to be polite, but I usually had more to say than anyone else. When my turn finally came, I stood up, so everyone could see and hear me.

“Oh, there are so many things to be grateful for this past year, but I guess one of the most important would have to be that we’re all here today. Except for Ricky, we all managed to get back together this year and we know Ricky’s situation is unique. Above all, I am ever so thankful to have all my children, grandchildren and dear friends. Each of us seems to have had a pretty decent year since last Thanksgiving, so we’ll begin by being thankful for that.

“At this time I’d also like to offer a very special welcome to Cody, the newest addition to our ever-expanding family, and I think we all hope he likes being here with us, as much as we like having him here.” Everyone looked at Cody at this point and smiled, with some of them also bidding him welcome into the Currie clan. Once everyone had turned his attention back to me, I continued.

“Now that I, and the rest of you, have welcomed Cody into the fold, I have some other news concerning him. A few of you already know this, but the rest of you will be hearing it for the first time. Cody has just been diagnosed with having a form of leukemia.”

There were a few murmurs and gasps when I made this announcement, since very few had the slightest inkling that anything was wrong with him. I explained as much as Cody had agreed I could and then let them know the prognosis was good for this type of leukemia. I finished by asking everyone to include Cody in his prayers, until he was safely through this ordeal. They all enthusiastically agreed to do so, and now that everything was settled, I said grace and we began to eat.

There was plenty of food and all of it was wonderful, even if I might have spoiled it a little by making the announcement about Cody before we ate. All in all, I think everyone enjoyed the meal, the fellowship and the day. We ate until we were so stuffed that we could barely move and then we cleaned up some of the mess, before moving into the family room to watch the football games.

Those not interested in football went to the living room, where they sat and talked about many things. Later, we all came back together again to have our desserts. After we satisfied our sweet tooth, we spent a little more time together before our local guests reluctantly began to leave and return to their own homes. Even though we’d be getting together the following day and then again over the weekend, it almost seemed as if no one wanted this day to end.

While everyone was still at our house, I received a phone call from Ricky. I was excited to hear his voice again and reveled in his unique sense of humor.

“Hi, Dad,” he began. “Do you know who this is or have you forgotten about me already?”

“Forget about you? How could I?” I replied. “Every time I hear someone behind me, I brace myself for a surprise attack. It’s just a conditioned, protective reflex I’ve acquired, after spending years living with you.” He giggled.

“Come on, I wasn’t that bad,” he whined, although not convincingly.

“Are you kidding?” I shot back. “We all look over our shoulders every minute of every day, just because of the things you’ve done to us over time. The whole house suffers from Ricky paranoia.”

“Well, at least you still remember me,” he teased, before giggling again.

“Is your host family suffering from this same ailment, now that you’ve been with them for a while?” I teased.

“Maybe Peter is,” he conjectured, “but he’s made sure to give back worse than he gets, so we’ve kind of called a truce for now.”

“Good for him,” I replied. “I’m glad to hear he doesn’t let you bully him around or take your crap.”

“Hey, that’s not fair,” Ricky complained. “You’re MY dad and you’re supposed to stick up for ME, not him.”

“Sorry, but I tend to stick up for the victims, not the perpetrators,” I announced, but this time I was the one who laughed.

“Gee, thanks, Dad. That makes me feel a lot better.” Even though Ricky sounded serious, he giggled again, which let me know he was enjoying our give and take.

“Anyway the reason I called,” he continued, “was because I realized it was still Thanksgiving back home, even though it’s Friday here. I knew that if I called now, I’d probably get to talk to almost everyone and I wanted to let you all know I’m thankful we’re part of the same family. I miss everyone so much and I can’t wait to get back home to see you again.”

“Well, even though I joke about it, we do miss you too,” I said, with as much sincerity as I could muster, “and we can’t wait to have you home either.”

“I knew that, but it’s still nice to hear someone say it,” he confessed.

“I guess I can understand that and we mean it too,” I assured him. “We’re not just spewing out a bunch of meaningless words.”

“Thanks, Dad. You don’t realize how much that means to me.” From the cracking of his voice, I actually thought he was about to cry.

“I think I do,” I admitted. “So how is it going over there?”

“Great!” he nearly screamed. “I’m doing well in school, I like my classes and I’m learning a lot, but best of all, Kylie and I are getting really close.”

“That’s good, but how are you two going to deal with it when it’s time for you to come back home?” I wondered, deeply concerned. “Are you both going to be able to handle it when you have to leave?”

“I don’t know,” he admitted. “We’ve talked about it, but it seems like it’s so far away. I still have two more months here.”

“I realize that, but it’s not as far off as you think, so I’m worried about how the two of you will react when the harsh reality sinks in,” I told him. “You know, once you leave there, you might not see each other again.”

“It will be rough, but we both know it’s coming, so don’t worry, Dad,” he said, trying to reassure me. “I’m not planning on staying here with her, if that’s what you’re thinking. I’m also pretty sure Kylie doesn’t want to move to the U.S. with me either, so we’ll just have to figure something out. I mean, I really like her a lot, but I know this relationship probably won’t go anywhere, mainly because of the distance thing. Knowing this does make me sad, but we’ve agreed to enjoy what time we have and not worry about what may happen later. Maybe someday we’ll be able to get back together again, but I don’t think either of us is counting on it.”

“I’m glad you’re looking at this practically,” I told him. “I was afraid the two of you would become infatuated with each other and then go and do something foolish.”

“What do you mean, Dad?” he asked, but I wasn’t sure if he meant this rhetorically or in jest.

“Well, like maybe trying to get married or her getting pregnant,” I offered anyway. “If she were going to have a baby, she might figure it would make you want to stay there with her.”

“No, I don’t think she’d do anything like that,” he told me. “Besides, I’ve learned from you how to be careful about making those kinds of mistakes, so you don’t have to worry about me getting her pregnant.”

“That’s good to hear,” I agreed, “but does that mean you done things that might impregnate her?”

“Dad! We haven’t had intercourse, if that’s what you mean,” he whined, “But you’ve got to know I’d be careful.”

“I’m sure you’d try,” I replied, “but accidents can occur, even to the most careful.”

“Okay, point made,” he affirmed, “and I’ll avoid anything like that.”

Before we finished our conversation, Ricky told me about a few other things and then we said our good-byes. Once I was done, I passed the phone around to everyone who wanted to speak with him, while reminding them to try to keep it as short as they could, without making Ricky feel they didn’t want to talk to him. I was certainly glad to hear from him and I truly hoped both he and Kylie would be mature enough to handle the end of what was the equivalent of a summer fling when the time came.

Once everyone had a turn to speak with Ricky, even Cody, the phone was handed back to me. However, this time it was Ricky who was asking questions.

“So, Dad, how’s my new brother doing?” he wanted to know. “Is he really as much like me, as you mentioned me in your emails?”

“He does look a lot like you did when you first came here to live with me,” I confirmed, “and he’s hyper and full of energy like you too. Not only that, but he’s also affectionate like you were then, but there is a major difference. He’s sweet and hasn’t pulled any pranks yet, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see that happen as well.”

“Hey, I’m sweet too,” Ricky shot back. “Yeah, he does sound like me, doesn’t he? Now, I can’t wait to meet him in person.”

“We’ll fill him in about you, before you get here then,” I responded, “so he’ll stand a chance of surviving the Ricky blitz.”

“Dad!” Ricky screamed into the receiver. He sounded shocked and upset by my comment, but I knew he was enjoying the ribbing, almost as much as I was giving it to him. After a brief pause, I switched gears.

“On a more serious note, Ricky, Cody’s not doing so well.” I admitted.

“Why? Isn’t he fitting in with the rest of the guys?” Ricky asked.

“Oh, that’s not the problem. He’s fitting in here nicely,” I told him, “but it’s something more troublesome. The thing is, Graham has had another one of his visions and this one involves Cody.”

“Not again! Is it anything serious?” Ricky wanted to know.

“Yes, but we don’t think it’s going to be fatal, at least we’re hoping not,” I informed him. “We’ve taken Cody to the doctor and he’s discovered Cody has a form of leukemia. The doctor thinks it’s treatable and is optimistic he can cure Cody or at least get him into remission.”

“It’s not good that he has it, but I guess it could be worse,” he told me. “How did everyone else take the news? Is Cody handling it okay?” I could tell Ricky was definitely concerned.

“He’s doing well and is a very positive young fellow,” I informed him. “He has remarkable resiliency, like you, and so far it doesn’t seem to have gotten him down. He’s been amazingly calm about all of this, even with the possibility the treatment might not work out as well as we hope.”

“Dad, do you want me to come home? I will, if it will help,” he offered.

“I appreciate your willingness to do that, Ricky, but there’s really nothing you can do here,” I told him. “I think we all want you to enjoy your time there and have you continue on with what you’ve planned.”

“Dad, I really don’t have to stay the extra month,” he confirmed. “I can come back sooner, if you want.”

“Ricky, I said that wouldn’t be necessary,” I reiterated. “You finish up the school year there, do your traveling and then come back home. If anything changes, I’ll let you know, but we don’t expect any significant changes before then.”

“If you’re sure, but I still feel like I shouldn’t be having fun, while Cody is going through all those different treatments,” he stated. “I really do want to meet him.”

“And you will, but after you get back,” I agreed. “Nothing will change substantially before then.”

“Okay, if you say so,” he conceded, “but I’m not sure how much fun I’ll have, since I’ll be worrying about Cody now.”

“Well, I know he’ll appreciate hearing you’re concerned, when I tell him,” I replied, “but the most we can do now is pray for his full recovery. You can do that just as well from there, as you could being here.”

“I suppose you’re right,” he agreed, “but I still won’t feel right having fun, until we hear if he’s going to be all right.”

“I knew you’d think like that and it’s one of the reasons we all love you so much,” I told him. “Now, you have a good time and we’ll see you at the end of January.”

“Okay, but let me know if anything changes,” he urged.

“I will and I love you, son,” I told him and I really meant it.

“And I love you too, Dad. Tell everyone I said ‘bye’, especially Cody,” he replied.

“I’ll do that for sure,” I agreed, “and tell your host family we all send our best.”

“I will. Bye,” he said, before hanging up.

That ended my phone call with Ricky and I did pass his message along. Cody was quite impressed to learn about Ricky’s offer, especially since they’d only talked this once on the phone. Cody told me to thank Ricky for him when I spoke to him next, but he’d give Ricky a special thank you when he came back home.

I told him I’d do one better. I’d either let him call Ricky and tell him in person or I’d give him Ricky’s email address, so he could write him before then. Cody said he’d prefer to speak with him in person, if that would be all right, and I told him we’d call Ricky this weekend and he could talk to him for as long as he wanted. Cody seemed to like that idea a lot and it would give the two boys a chance to get to know each other even better, before Cody’s treatments began. After that, we’d just have to wait to see how Cody was responding to the chemotherapy.